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Background: Epigenetic mechanisms play vital roles in the activation, differentiation, and effector function of immune cells. The breast and kidney-expressed chemokine (CXCL14) mainly contributes to the regulation of immune cells. However, its role in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is yet to be elucidated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the role of CXCL14 in predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with RCC. Methods: CXCL14 expression and RNA-sequencing, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), and survival datasets of RCC from public databases were analyzed, and survival was compared between different CXCL14 levels. The correlation between CXCL14 and immune infiltration and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene expression was analyzed with TIMER2.0 and gene expression profiling interactive analysis. Institutional scRNA-seq and immunohistochemical staining analyses were used to verify the relationship between CXCL14 expression level and the efficacy of immunotherapy. Results: CXCL14 was expressed in fibroblast and malignant cells in RCC, and higher expression was associated with better survival. Enrichment analysis revealed that CXCL14 is involved in immune activation, primarily in antigen procession, antigen presentation, and major histocompatibility complex assemble. CXCL14 expression was positively correlated with T-cell infiltration as well as HLA-related gene expression. Among the RCC cohort receiving nivolumab in Checkmate 025, the patients with CXCL14 high expression had better overall survival than those with CXCL14 low expression after immunotherapy. scRNA-seq revealed a cluster of CXCL14+ fibroblast in immunotherapy responders. Immunohistochemistry analysis verified that the patients with high CXCL14 expression had an increased proportion of high CD8 expression simultaneously. The expression level of CXCL14 was associated with CXCR4 expression in RCC. Conclusion: CXCL14 expression is associated with immunotherapy response in RCC. It is a promising biomarker for immunotherapy response prediction and may be an effective epigenetic modulator in combination with immunotherapy approaches. Plain language summary: CXCL14 as potential predictor for immunotherapy response in kidney cancer Kidney-expressed chemokine (CXCL14) regulates immune cells. We studied how it affects the body's immune response to kidney cancer based on public and private database and staining. We found that higher levels of CXCL14 in kidney cancer were linked to better patient survival. CXCL14 seems to help activate the immune system. When patients with high CXCL14 levels received immunotherapy, they tended to survive longer than those with low levels. Fibroblasts with CXCL14 were present in patients responding to immunotherapy. Further tests confirmed that high CXCL14 levels were related to more immune cells. CXCR4 may be its receptor in kidney cancer. This suggests that measuring CXCL14 levels could help predict how well a patient might respond to immunotherapy for kidney cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratio-based prognostic model to predict the recurrence and disease-free survival (DFS) of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). A total of 188 patients with cT1-2 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled retrospectively. Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from medical records. The ADC values were measured at the regions of interest of the tumor and non-tumor tissues of the MRI images, and the ADC ratio was used for comparison between the patient with recurrence (n = 83 case, 44%) and patients without recurrence (n = 105 cases, 56%). Cox proportional hazards models were generated to analyze the risk factors of cancer recurrence. A nomogram was developed based on significant risk factors to predict 1-, 5- and 10-year DFS. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves of predictors in the multivariable Cox proportional hazards prognostic model were generated to predict the recurrence and DFS. The integrated areas under the ROC curve were calculated to evaluate discrimination of the models. The ADC ratio, tumor thickness and lymph node ratio were reliable predictors in the final prognostic model. The final model had a 71.1% sensitivity and an 81.0% specificity. ADC ratio was the strongest predictor of cancer recurrence in prognostic performance. Discrimination and calibration statistics were satisfactory with C-index above 0.7 for both model development and internal validation. The calibration curve showed that the 5- and 10-year DFS predicted by the nomogram agreed with actual observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Root hair development is regulated by hormonal and environmental cues, such as ethylene and low phosphate. Auxin efflux carrier PIN2 (PIN‐FORMED 2) plays an important role in establishing a proper auxin gradient in root tips, which is required for root hair development. Ethylene promotes root hair development through increasing PIN2 abundance in root tips, which subsequently leads to enhanced expression of auxin reporter genes. However, how PIN2 is regulated remains obscure.Here, we report that Arabidopsis thaliana sav4 (shade avoidance 4) mutant exhibits defects in ethylene‐induced root hair development and in establishing a proper auxin gradient in root tips.Ethylene treatment increased SAV4 abundance in root tips. SAV4 and PIN2 co‐localize to the shootward plasma membrane (PM) of root tip epidermal cells. SAV4 directly interacts with the PIN2 hydrophilic region (PIN2HL) and regulates PIN2 abundance on the PM. Vacuolar degradation of PIN2 is suppressed by ethylene, which was weakened in sav4 mutant. Furthermore, SAV4 affects the formation of PIN2 clusters and its lateral diffusion on the PM.In summary, we identified SAV4 as a novel regulator of PIN2 that enhances PIN2 membrane clustering and stability through direct protein–protein interactions. Our study revealed a new layer of regulation on PIN2 dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt tolerance is an important mechanism by which plants can adapt to a saline environment. To understand the process of salt tolerance, we performed global analyses of mRNA alternative polyadenylation (APA), an important regulatory mechanism during eukaryotic gene expression, in Arabidopsis thaliana and its halophytic relative Eutrema salsugineum with regard to their responses to salt stress. Analyses showed that while APA occurs commonly in both Arabidopsis and Eutrema , Eutrema possesses fewer APA genes than Arabidopsis (47% vs. 54%). However, the proportion of APA genes was significantly increased in Arabidopsis under salt stress but not in Eutrema. This indicated that Arabidopsis is more sensitive to salt stress and that Eutrema exhibits an innate response to such conditions. Both species utilized distal poly(A) sites under salt stress; however, only eight genes were found to overlap when their 3′ untranslated region (UTR) lengthen genes were compared, thus revealing their distinct responses to salt stress. In Arabidopsis , genes that use distal poly(A) sites were enriched in response to salt stress. However, in Eutrema , the use of poly(A) sites was less affected and fewer genes were enriched. The transcripts with upregulated poly(A) sites in Arabidopsis showed enriched pathways in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fatty acid elongation; in Eutrema , biosynthetic pathways (stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, and gingerol) and metabolic pathways (arginine and proline) showed enrichment. APA was associated with 42% and 29% of the differentially expressed genes (DE genes) in Arabidopsis and Eutrema experiencing salt stress, respectively. Salt specific poly(A) sites and salt-inducible APA events were identified in both species; notably, some salt tolerance-related genes and transcription factor genes exhibited differential APA patterns, such as CIPK21 and LEA4-5. Our results suggest that adapted species exhibit more orderly response at the RNA maturation step under salt stress, while more salt-specific poly(A) sites were activated in Arabidopsis to cope with salinity conditions. Collectively, our findings not only highlight the importance of APA in the regulation of gene expression in response to salt stress, but also provide a new perspective on how salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant species perform differently under stress conditions through transcriptome diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient utilization of new energy is important way to reduce carbon emission and achieve sustainable development. High-quality new energy ultrafine powder materials (NEUPMs) play a significant role in improving energy efficiency due to their large specific surface area and high reactivity. Therefore, preparation of NEUPMs has become a key issue. Among numerous preparation methods, freeze-drying is one of the most promising techniques as it can produce ultrafine powders with uniform particle size. Although freeze-drying exhibits many advantages, the control of particle size and homogeneity of powders has not attracted adequate attention of researchers. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to provide a review illustrating the importance of particle size control and its implementation methods from the aspects of the principle, influencing factors, theoretical models, and applications. First, the principle and process of preparing NEUPMs by freeze-drying are analyzed. Then, the factors that influence particle size and homogeneity of powders such as freezing conditions, solution concentration and heat treatment conditions are discussed. Next, the mathematical models of freeze-drying process are summarized. Meanwhile, the application of NEUPMs prepared by freeze-drying in new energy field is discussed. Finally, this review provides some suggestions for further study of the mechanisms involved in freeze-drying. The progress of preparing NEUPMs by freeze-drying is reviewed. The effects of ice crystals on particles size of NEUPMs are explored. The technological parameters that influence the quality of NEUPMs are investigated. The freeze-dried models are summarized for preparing NEUPMs. Further research to control the particle size of NEUPMs is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermo-fluidic behavior of ice slurry in HCT is studied by Eulerian-Eulerian model. • The factors that affect flow and heat transfer of ice slurry are analyzed in HCT. • The flow melting of ice slurry in HCT is simulated. • The correlation of local Nu number and flow resistance coefficient is correlated. The helically coiled tubes (HCT) with ice slurry as the cooling medium plays an essential role in reducing the energy consumption of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems. However, the hydraulic and heat transfer behavior of ice slurry in HCT has not been fully understood. Therefore, the thermo-fluidic characteristics of ice slurry in HCT are numerically investigated in this study based on Eulerian-Eulerian model. The research revealed that the velocity near the outer wall is larger than that near the inner wall due to the presence of secondary flow, and the high ice concentration region shifts towards the inner wall. As increasing the inlet ice volume fraction and velocity, the ice concentration distribution in vertical radius direction of the cross-section gradually tends to be uniform. The pressure drop increases with increase of the coil radius, while the coil pitch has little influence on the pressure drop. During heat transfer process, the secondary flow causes the ice volume fraction near the inner wall to decline faster than that near the outer wall. At the entrance section, the local heat transfer coefficient decreases sharply from 9320.05 W/(m2·K) to 3002.11 W/(m2·K) and then increases slowly along the flow direction. With increasing Reynolds number, the local heat transfer coefficient enhances linearly. The increase of ice particle diameter and coil radius leads to the enhanced local heat transfer coefficient. In contrast, increasing coil pitch does not bring a significant change of local heat transfer coefficient. In addition, the correlation of local Nusselt number and flow resistance coefficient is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary cystic echinococcosis remains a serious threat to public health. A standardized, imaging-based classification method for pulmonary echinococcosis has not yet been developed despite the existence of a standardized ultrasound classification method and treatment plan for hepatic cystic echinococcosis. Chest computed tomography (CT) images from 34 cases of pulmonary cystic echinococcosis with 46 lesions were used for classification based on the World Health Organization (WHO) standardized ultrasound classification of hepatic cystic echinococcosis. CT findings were compared with intraoperative observations and postoperative pathological results to assess accuracy. Pulmonary cystic echinococcosis was common in women (14/34, 41.2%) and children (14/34, 41.2%) with a single cyst (28/46, 60.9%). Most lesions were classified as cystic echinococcosis 1(CE1, 19/46) or cystic echinococcosis 3(CE3, 21/46). Blood leukocytosis was mostly observed in CE3 lesions (100%, 9/9) (p < 0.05). The preoperative CT diagnosis of pulmonary cystic echinococcosis had an accuracy rate of 100%. The preoperative CT typing, and postoperative pathological typing had a coincidence rate of 97.8% (45/46). Our study provided a classification method based on CT imaging for pulmonary cystic echinococcosis that can be used during pre-surgical planning to reduce patient's postoperative complications and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sounds delivered to the ear move the tympanic membrane (TM), which drives the middle-ear (ME) ossicles and transfers the acoustic energy to the cochlea. Perforations of the TM result in hearing loss because of less efficient sound conduction through the ME. The patterns of TM motions, and thus ME sound transmission, vary with frequency and depend on many factors, including the TM thickness. In this study, we measured TM thickness, auditory brainstem responses (ABR), and ME transmission immediately following a controlled pars tensa perforation and after 4 weeks of spontaneous recovery in a gerbil model. It is found that after recovery, the hearing thresholds showed a sloping pattern across frequencies: almost back to normal levels at frequencies between 2 and 8 kHz, sloping loss in the low (<2 kHz) and mid-frequency (8–30 kHz) range, and little restoration at frequencies above 30 kHz. This pattern was confirmed by the measured ME pressure gains. The thickness of the healed TM did not return to normal but was 2–3 times thicker over a significant portion of the membrane. The increased thickness was not limited to the perforated area but expanded into intact regions adjacent to the perforation, which led to an increased thickness in general. Combined, these results suggest that TM thickness is an important factor in determining its vibration patterns and efficiency to transfer sounds to the ossicles and thus influencing ME sound transmission, especially for high-frequency sounds. The results provided both structural and functional observations to explain the conductive hearing loss seen in patients with abnormal TMs, e.g., caused by otitis media, spontaneously healed post-perforation, or repaired via tympanoplasty in the clinic. • OCT is an efficient technology to quickly and noninvasively map TM thickness. • TM structural recovery leads to functional recovery. • Spontaneously healed TM are thicker than normal, which affects ME transmission. • After perforation, healed TM are functionally not normal, resulting in hearing loss. • Thickening of the inferior TM portion reduces high-frequency sound transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a phase change material, ice slurry has been successfully applied in HVAC&R systems due to its high energy storage density. The heat exchangers are the key equipment realizing energy conversion of ice slurry. In HVAC&R systems, U-tubes are frequently used in shell and tube heat exchanger. However, there are few studies on thermo-fluidic characteristics of ice slurry in U-tubes. Therefore, the thermo-fluidic characteristics of ice slurry in U-tubes are numerically studied in this paper using Euler-Euler approach. The results indicated that as enlarging the inlet ice content and velocity, the ice concentration distribution becomes more uniform along in vertical profile. Due to the secondary flow in bend section, the ice concentration decreases in the inner wall and increases in the outer wall as the inlet velocity increases; At the high Reynolds number, the inlet ice content and ice particle diameter have a more significant fluence on pressure drop (Δ p). The local heat transfer coefficient (h lo) in bend section exhibits a tendency of first increasing and then decreasing, with the maximum value of h lo occurs at θ = 90° of the bend section. Finally, a correlation is suggested between the average resistance coefficient (f ave) and local Nusselt number (Nu lo). • The melting process of ice slurry in U-tubes is investigated. • The factors affecting thermo-fluidic behavior of ice slurry in U-tubes are discussed. • This peak value of h lo is located within the bending section at an angle of θ = 90°. • The correlation of f ave and Nu lo in U-tubes is obtained for ice slurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This retrospective observational cohort study aimed to evaluate whether tenecteplase's use for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has time management advantages and clinical benefits., Methods: 144 AIS patients treated with alteplase and 120 with tenecteplase were included. We compared baseline clinical characteristics, key reperfusion therapy time indices [onset-to-treatment time (OTT), door-to-needle time (DNT), and door-to-puncture time (DPT)] and clinical outcomes (24-h post-thrombolysis NIHSS improvement, and intracranial hemorrhage incidence) between the groups using univariate analysis. We assessed hospital stay durations and used binary logistic regression to examine tenecteplase's association with DNT and DPT target times, NIHSS improvement, and intracranial hemorrhage., Results: Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences except hyperlipidemia and atrial fibrillation. OTT (133 vs. 163.72, p  = 0.001), DNT (36.5 vs. 50, p  < 0.001) and DPT (117 vs. 193, p  = 0.002) were significantly faster in the tenecteplase group. The rates of DNT ≤ 45 min (65.83% vs. 40.44%, p  < 0.001) and DPT ≤ 120 min (59.09% vs. 13.79%, p  = 0.001) were significantly higher in the tenecteplase group. Tenecteplase was an independent predictor of achieving target DNT (OR 2.951, 95% CI 1.732-5.030; p  < 0.001) and DPT (OR 7.867, 95% CI 1.290-47.991; p  = 0.025). Clinically, the proportion NIHSS improvement 24 h post-thrombolysis was higher in the tenecteplase group (64.17% vs. 50%, p  = 0.024). No significant differences were observed in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) or any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Patients receiving tenecteplase had shorter hospital stays (6 vs. 8 days, p  < 0.001). Tenecteplase was an independent predictor of NIHSS improvement at 24 h (OR 1.715, 95% CI 1.011-2.908; p  = 0.045). There was no significant association between thrombolytic choice and sICH or any ICH., Conclusion: Tenecteplase significantly reduced DNT and DPT. It was associated with early neurological function improvement (at 24 h), without compromising safety compared to alteplase. The findings support tenecteplase's application in AIS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yao, Wu, Zhang, Liu, Cai, Ying and Yang.)

Objectives This network meta-analysis assessed the relative efficacy and safety of six common photoelectric therapies including 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG), fractional carbon dioxide laser(FSCO2), fractional micro-plasma radiofrequency(Plasma), micro-needling fractional radiofrequency (MRF), 1550nm or 1540nm erbium-glass non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) fractional erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er: YAG). Methods A comprehensive search to identify relevant studies was conducted using four electronic databases. Outcome measures were extracted based on subjective and objective indexes, including the dermatologists' evaluation(DE), the patients' overall satisfaction(PS), VAS score, and Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Results Eleven published clinical research studies, involving 405 patients were included in this study. Ranking of DE from large to small is as follows: Nd: YAG, FSCO2, Er: YAG, Plasma, NAFL, MRF. In terms of PS, the rand from high to low can be described as follows: Er: YAG, Nd: YAG, FSCO2, Plasma, NAFL, MRF. In connection with the sequencing of adverse events, pain severity from slight to severe as follows: Er:YAG, Nd:YAG, FSCO2, NAFL, MRF, Plasma. The probability of having PIH are presented in order from lowest to highest as follows: MRF, Plasma, Nd: YAG, NAFL, Er: YAG, FSCO2. Conclusion FSCO2 remains the mainstream of potentially curative treatment, then again Nd: YAG and Er: YAG require greater efforts to prove their superior effectiveness. NAFL might be appropriate for mild and moderate improvement with its strengths of good tolerance while Plasma fits into patients with higher pain thresholds but an expectation of higher results. MRF has not given expression on absolute predominance for the present. Registration PROSPERO CRD42021242160 (available from https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero).

In this research, rare earth nanoparticles coupled with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and a targeted antibody (RENP-DHA-Cap) for sprayed NIR II imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tongue cancer were designed. Genetic algorithms combined with combinatorial chemistry were proposed and successfully achieved in a single optimized luminescent phosphor with enhanced NIR II and high upconversion luminescence (UCL) under a NIR laser of wavelength 980 nm or/and 808 nm. In particular, T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals can be adjusted with the Gd ion concentration. In combination with the targeted antibody of capmatinib (Cap), precise NIR II imaging for in situ tongue cancer by a simple spray method can be achieved. Most importantly, NIR II imaging and PDT treatment can be realized with RENP-DHA-capmatinib injected intravenously. This orthogonal theranostic mode with precise diagnosis under 808 nm and targeted effective treatment under 980 nm may promote tongue cancer theranostics., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)