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The innovative design of teaching methods of Civics classes in colleges and universities is an effective measure to help the teaching of Civics classes in colleges and universities. In this paper, the significance of innovative Civics teaching methods is addressed, and a novel path for teaching Civics courses in colleges and universities is proposed. Through feature selection, the K-Means clustering algorithm is optimized, and after optimal selection of the initial clustering center, balanced discriminant function, and combing of the optimization process, the model is applied to the actual innovation of Civics and Political Science teaching, quantitatively assessing the behavioral characteristics of the students and constructing the prediction model to achieve dynamic monitoring of students’ performance. The empirical teaching analysis method is aimed at quantitatively assessing the path proposed in this paper. The clustering results show that consistent with the preset, the model divides students’ learning behavioral characteristics into four categories with clear boundaries and good clustering effect, and most of the student’s grades are concentrated around 60-80 points, according to which the teachers can adjust their teaching strategies in time to improve the teaching effect. Through the control experiment, we know that for the students who have gone through the innovative Civics teaching mode, the mean value of Civics achievement is 71.594, which is 19.329 points higher than the students who have studied in traditional Civics teaching, which is confirmed by the P-value in the t-test of independence which is less than 0.05. It indicates that the innovative teaching method for civics has a significant effect on improving students’ civics achievement.

ABSTRACT Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusions To evaluate and compare the accuracy of task‐autonomous robot‐assisted implant surgery (RAIS) and dynamic computer‐assisted implant surgery (dCAIS) for zygomatic implant placement.Ten atrophic edentulous maxilla models requiring zygomatic implant (ZI) placement were randomly divided into the RAIS and dCAIS groups. Osteotomies and implant placement were performed under the guidance of a task‐autonomous robotic system or dynamic navigation system. A total of 20 ZIs were analyzed. The angular, coronal, lateral coronal, coronal depth, apical, lateral apical, and apical depth deviations were measured and analyzed between the two groups. The primary outcome parameters were the angular deviations between the planned and the placed ZIs. Data was subjected to descriptive and comparative statistical analysis. The significance of inter‐group differences for continuous variables was assessed with Student's two‐sample t‐tests, Welch two‐sample t‐tests, and Mann–Whitney U tests according to the distribution normality and variance homogeneity.ZI placement deviations were compared between the RAIS and dCAIS groups, showing a mean angular deviation of 0.92 ± 0.40° versus 2.03 ± 0.53° (p < 0.001), a mean (±SD) coronal deviation of 0.48 ± 0.25 mm versus 1.29 ± 0.46 mm (p < 0.001), and a mean apical deviation of 0.88 ± 0.28 mm versus 1.96 ± 0.46 mm (p < 0.001).For computer‐guided ZI placement, task‐autonomous RAIS was superior to dCAIS in terms of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Purpose Methods and Materials Results Conclusions The learning curve effect of dynamic computer‐assisted implant surgery (D‐CAIS) was observed among inexperienced novice surgeons. The learning curves can provide valuable information for novice surgeons and valid comparisons between new and conventional techniques. Recently, robotic computer‐assisted implant surgery (R‐CAIS) has shown promise as a novel dental implant surgical technique for both partially and edentulous patients. However, its learning curve remains unknown.The aim of this study was to explore the learning curve of dental implant placement surgery with a task‐autonomous robotic system among young dentists with different specialties.Four young dentists (mean age: 25.3 ± 1.5 years at the beginning of their first attempt) with equal representation of males and females and with different specialties participated in this study. None of the participants had prior experience in R‐CAIS. Each operator placed eight implants over eight attempts using a semi‐active task‐autonomous robotic system. Among the eight implants, four were straight lateral incisor implants, and four were 30°‐tilted premolar implants. The implants were placed in each dental quadrant of the maxillary and mandibular jaw modules. The operation time was recorded. Coronal, apical, and angular deviations between the planned and actual sites of implant placement were measured by merging preoperative and postoperative cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. The data were analyzed with repeated‐measures ANOVA (α = 0.05).The mean time for implant placement was associated with the number of attempts (p < 0.01). The time taken for the second attempt was significantly shorter than that of the first attempt (33.26 vs. 30.47 min; p < 0.001) then it plateaued. Three‐dimensional (3D) angular (p = 0.31), coronal deviation (p = 0.26), and apical deviation (p = 0.06) did not differ significantly among attempts. The mean values and standard deviations of 3D coronal deviation, 3D apical deviation, and 3D angular deviation were 0.71 ± 0.31 mm, 0.72 ± 0.30 mm, and 0.94 ± 0.58°, respectively. Neither the position of the jaw (p > 0.59) nor the tilt angle of the implant (straight or 30°‐tilted, p > 0.85) was related to implant placement accuracy.Dentists quickly learned the basic workflow of R‐CAIS and thus facilitated the clinicians in the mastery of implant placement on edentulous jaw modules, leading to a comparable operating speed and high precision. Moreover, the accuracy of placement of straight and tilted implants in both the maxilla and mandible with R‐CAIS was satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphine has been suggested to affect cancer cell dynamics and decrease survival rates in lung cancer patients at specific doses, but the precise mechanisms poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which morphine modulates the malignant characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer. Cell proliferation was assessed via the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and cell migration and invasion were examined via wound healing and Transwell assays. We employed immunofluorescence staining to evaluate E-cadherin expression in A549 and Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cell lines and immunohistochemistry to evaluate E-cadherin expression in nude mice tumours. Additionally, the in vivo effects of morphine on lung cancer progression were explored in a xenograft tumour experiments, in which naloxone was used as a morphine antagonist. Western blot analysis was performed to detect E-cadherin, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), mTOR, phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), AKT, phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), and PI3K protein levels in A549 and LLC cells as well as in tumour samples. Morphine (10 µM) significantly increased the proliferation of A549 and LLC cells in vitro (p < 0.05). It also enhanced the migratory and invasive capacities of these cell lines (p < 0.01). Mechanistically, morphine treatment (10 µM) led to a reduction in the expression of E-cadherin, and an increase in the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR in A549 and LLC cells (p < 0.01). Morphine treatment (1.5 mg/kg) also reduced E-cadherin expression in xenograft tumours and promoted tumour growth in vivo (p < 0.05). This effect was reversed by naloxone (0.1 mg/kg). The results demonstrated that morphine stimulates the malignant proliferation of A549 and LLC cell lines and promotes xenograft tumour growth. Perhaps by specifically targeting MOR, morphine triggers a signalling cascade that activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway while inhibiting the EMT marker E-cadherin, which may consequently promote the progression of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chitinase-3 like-protein-1 (CHI3L1) is a member of the mammalian chitinase-like proteins and elevated serum CHI3L1 level has been proved to be associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum CHI3L1 levels and body composition parameters in patients with HCC after liver transplantation (LT). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 200 patients after LT for HCC. Blood samples were collected and serum concentrations of CHI3L1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Computer tomography (CT) were used to estimate skeletal muscle and adipose tissue mass. Spearman's rank correlation test was performed to assess associations between serum CHI3L1 levels and these body composition parameters. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. Results: Total 71 patients (35.5%) were diagnosed with myosteatosis according to skeletal muscle radiation attenuation (SMRA). The 5-year OS rates were 66.9% in non-myosteatosis group, significantly higher than 49.5% in myosteatosis group (p = 0.025), while the RFS of myosteatosis group (5-year RFS: 52.6%) or non-myosteatosis group (5-year RFS: 42.0%) shown no significant difference (p = 0.068). The serum CHI3L1 level were significantly negative correlated with SMRA (r = -0.3, p < 0.001). Interestingly, in patients with myosteatosis, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that elevated serum CHI3L1 levels were associated with worse OS (p < 0.001) and RFS (p = 0.047). However, in patients without myosteatosis, Kaplan-Meier analysis found elevated serum CHI3L1 levels were not associated with OS (p = 0.070) or RFS (p = 0.104). Conclusions: Elevated CHI3L1 was negatively correlated with SMRA, and predicted poorer prognosis in Chinese population after LT for HCC, especially in those patients with concomitant myosteatosis. Monitoring serum CHI3L1 can predict prognosis and effectively guide individual nutrition intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of dental implant placement in a single tooth gap, including the postextraction site and healed site, using a task‐autonomous robotic system and a dynamic navigation system. Materials and Methods: Forty partially edentulous models requiring both immediate and conventional implant placement were randomly divided into a robotic system group and a navigation system group. The coronal, apical, and angular deviations of the implants were measured and assessed between the groups. Results: The deviations in immediate implant placement were compared between the robotic system and dynamic navigation system groups, showing a mean (±SD) coronal deviation of 0.86 ± 0.36 versus 0.70 ± 0.21 mm (p =.101), a mean apical deviation of 0.77 ± 0.34 versus 0.95 ± 0.38 mm (p =.127), and a mean angular deviation of 1.94 ± 0.66° versus 3.44 ± 1.38° (p <.001). At the healed site, significantly smaller coronal deviation (0.46 ± 0.29 vs. 0.70 ± 0.30 mm, p =.005), apical deviation (0.56 ± 0.30 vs. 0.85 ± 0.25 mm, p <.001), and angular deviation (1.36 ± 0.54 vs. 1.80 ± 0.70 mm, p =.034) were found in the robotic system group than in the dynamic navigation group. Conclusions: The position in both immediate and conventional implant placement was more precise with the task‐autonomous robotic system than with the dynamic navigation system. Its performance in actual clinical applications should be confirmed in further trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive investigation, the utilization of sulfur and the cycling stability of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are significantly impeded by the polysulfide shuttle effect and sluggish sulfur reaction kinetics. In this study, aimed at enhancing the performance of Li–S batteries, we focus on the implementation of single metal atom (Be, Mg, Ca, V, Nb, and Ta)-doped TiS2 monolayers as cathode catalysts. Our findings reveal that Be-TiS2, Mg-TiS2, and Ca-TiS2 exhibit superior polysulfide adsorption capabilities and lower values for the rate-determining step in terms of Gibbs free energy. Electronic structure analysis further elucidates that the enhanced anchoring and electrocatalytic activities stem from the upward displacement of the p-band center and the narrowing of the gap within the Δd-p-band, respectively. Moreover, Be-TiS2 and Ca-TiS2 monolayers facilitate the acceleration of the Li2S decomposition reaction and Li-ion migration on their surfaces. This investigation effectively advances our understanding of the role of TiS2 in the polysulfide conversion process and offers valuable insights into the design of cathodes in Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the development trend, research hotspots, and future development direction on the treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) with spinal cord stimulation through bibliometric method. We extracted the literature related to the treatment of NP with spinal cord stimulation from January 2004 to December 2023 from the Web of Science database. As a result, a total of 264 articles were retrieved. By analyzing the annual published articles, authors, countries, institutions, journals, co-cited literature, and keywords, we found that the count of publication in this field has been experiencing an overall growth, and the publications within the past 5 years accounted for 42% of the total output. Experts from the United States and the UK have made significant contributions in this field and established a stable collaborative team, initially establishing an international cooperation network. Pain is the frequently cited journal in this field. The study on spinal cord stimulation therapy for NP especially the study on spinal cord stimulation therapy for back surgery failure syndrome (FBSS) and its potential mechanisms are the research hotspots in this field, while the study on novel paradigms such as high-frequency spinal cord stimulation and spinal cord burst stimulation represents the future development directions. In short, spinal cord stimulation has been an effective treatment method for NP. The novel paradigms of spinal cord stimulation are the key point of future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysosomal dysfunction can drive carcinogenesis. Lysosomal‐associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3), is a member of the Lysosome Associated Membrane Proteins and is involved in the malignant phenotype such as tumour metastasis and drug resistance, while the mechanisms that regulate the malignant progression of tumour remain vague. Our study aims to provide a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the role of LAMP3 in the progression of various cancers by various databases.We explored the role of LAMP3 in pan‐cancer using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype‐Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Multiple online web platforms and software were used for data analysis, including HPA, TIMER, TISIDB, GEPIA, UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier plotter, DAVID and TIGER. The immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the LAMP3 and PD‐L1 expression levels in cancer.High LAMP3 expression was found in most cancers and differentially expressed across molecular and immune subtypes. The expression of LAMP3 was involved in the immune‐associated processes of Antigen processing and presentation, Th17 cell differentiation, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, and the immune‐associated pathways of T cell receptor and B cell receptor signalling pathways in most cancers. It also correlated with genetic markers of immunomodulators in various cancers. LAMP3 and PD‐L1 expression in BRCA and HNSC tissues was higher than that in corresponding adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry. There is a significant correlation between the expression of LAMP3 and PD‐L1.Our study elucidates that LAMP3 has different expression patterns and genetic alteration patterns in different tumours. It is a potential biomarker for immune‐related cancer diagnosis, prognosis and efficacy prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) pathogenesis is largely associated with intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction. A therapeutic approach to UC involves the repair of damaged intestinal barrier. Our study aimed to investigate whether aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediated the intestinal barrier repair effects of quercetin to ameliorate UC. 3% dextran sulfate sodium was used to induce colitic mice, and quercetin (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) was administered orally for 10 days to assess the therapeutic effects. In vitro, Caco‐2 cells were used to explore the effect of quercetin on tight junction protein expression and AhR activation. The results showed that quercetin alleviated colitic mice by restoring tight junctions (TJs) integrity via an AhR‐dependent manner (p < 0.05). In vitro, quercetin dose‐dependently elevated the expressions of TJs protein ZO‐1 and Claudin1, and activated AhR by enhancing the expression of CYP1A1 and facilitating AhR nuclear translocation in Caco‐2 cells (p < 0.05). While AhR antagonist CH223191 reversed the therapeutic effects of quercetin (p < 0.05) and blocked quercetin‐induced AhR activation and enhancement of TJs protein (p < 0.05). In conclusion, quercetin repaired intestinal barrier dysfunction by activating AhR‐mediated enhancement of TJs to alleviate UC. Our research offered new perspectives on how quercetin enhanced intestinal barrier function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients who are not sensitive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can guard against overtreatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the early response to NAC in patients with NPC., Methods: This prospective study enrolled fifty patients with biopsy-confirmed NPC from September 2021 to May 2023. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including APT and DWI, was performed before NAC. After NAC, patients were divided into complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) groups based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours Version 1.1. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for statistical analysis. The differences in APT and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values among the different efficacy groups were compared, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn for statistically significant parameters, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated., Results: Fifty patients (mean age: 47±14 years; 42 males and 8 females) were included in the final analysis (11 were in the CR group, 30 in the PR group, 9 in the SD group, and 0 in the PD group). The ADC values showed no significant differences among the different treatment response groups. The SD group showed significantly lower APT max (P=0.025), APT skewness (P=0.025) and APT 90% (P=0.001) values than the CR and PR groups. Setting APT 90% =3.10% as the cut-off value, optimal diagnostic performance (AUC: 0.831; sensitivity: 0.778; specificity: 0.878) was obtained in predicting the SD group., Conclusions: APT imaging can predict the early tumour response to NAC in patients with NPC. APT imaging may be superior to DWI in predicting tumour response., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-24-188/coif). Y.G. is from Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 AME Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)

Dynamic navigation-guided zygomatic implant (ZI) surgery has been a preferred option for achieving optimal prosthetic-driven implant placement. However, during the actual surgical procedure, surgical execution may still be hindered by environmental factors such as mouth opening. A fully digital planning protocol is described that integrated the patient's maxillofacial soft tissue information and virtual surgical handpiece with the drills on the implant planning path to ensure the precise, time-saving, and smooth implementation of dynamic navigation-guided ZI surgery., (Copyright © 2024 Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Highly active hepatitis B virus (HBV) is known to be associated with poor outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the relationship between HBV status and HCC recurrence after liver transplantation., Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed HCC patients undergoing liver transplantation in two centres between January 2015 and December 2020. The authors reviewed post-transplant HBV status and its association with outcomes., Results: The prognosis of recipients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) reappearance ( n =58) was poorer than those with HBsAg persistent negative ( n =351) and positive ( n =53). In HBsAg persistent positive group, recipients with HBV DNA reappearance or greater than 10-fold increase above baseline had worse outcomes than those without ( P <0.01). HBV reactivation was defined as (a) HBsAg reappearance or (b) HBV DNA reappearance or greater than 10-fold increase above baseline. After propensity score matching, the 5-year overall survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate after liver transplantation in recipients with HBV reactivation were significantly lower than those without (32.0% vs. 62.3%; P <0.01, and 16.4% vs. 63.1%; P <0.01, respectively). Moreover, HBV reactivation was significantly related to post-transplant HCC recurrence, especially lung metastasis. Cox regression analysis revealed that beyond Milan criteria, microvascular invasion and HBsAg-positive graft were independent risk factors for post-transplant HBV reactivation, and a novel nomogram was established accordingly with a good predictive efficacy (area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve=0.78, C-index =0.73)., Conclusions: Recipients with HBV reactivation had worse outcomes and higher tumour recurrence rates than those without. The nomogram could be used to evaluate the risk of post-transplant HBV reactivation effectively., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Aims/introduction: The coronary physiology and prognosis of patients with different hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are currently unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different levels of HbA1c control on coronary physiology in patients who underwent PCI for coronary heart disease combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus by quantitative flow ratio (QFR)., Materials and Methods: Patients who successfully underwent PCI and completed 1-year coronary angiographic follow up were enrolled, clinical data were collected, and QFR at immediate and 1-year follow up after PCI was retrospectively analyzed. A total of 257 patients (361 vessels) were finally enrolled and divided into the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)-compliance group (103 patients, 138 vessels) and non-HbA1c-compliance group (154 patients, 223 vessels) according to the HbA1c cut-off value of 7%. We compared the results of QFR analysis and clinical outcomes between the two groups., Results: At 1-year follow up after PCI, the QFR was significantly higher (0.94 ± 0.07 vs 0.92 ± 0.10, P = 0.019) and declined less (0.014 ± 0.066 vs 0.033 ± 0.095, P = 0.029) in the HbA1c-compliance group. Meanwhile, the incidence of physiological restenosis was lower in the HbA1c-compliance group (2.9% vs 8.5%, P = 0.034). Additionally, the target vessel revascularization rate was lower in the HbA1c-compliance group (6.8% vs 16.9%, P = 0.018). Furthermore, HbA1c ≥7% (OR 2.113, 95% confidence interval 1.081-4.128, P = 0.029) and QFR decline (OR 2.215, 95% confidence interval 1.147-4.277, P = 0.018) were independent risk factors for target vessel revascularization., Conclusion: Patients with well-controlled HbA1c levels have better coronary physiological benefits and the incidence of adverse clinical outcome events might be reduced., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)