Search

Abstract As crucial fixed links of the transportation systems, high bridges play an essential role in overcoming geographical barriers in mountainous areas. Despite their importance, comprehensive evaluations of the collective spatial-temporal effects of multiple high bridges across broad regions are lacking. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the impact of 295 high bridges in Guizhou, China, on travel accessibility and economic potential through spatial analysis under scenarios with and without these bridges. The aim is to quantify their contributions to accessibility and assess their impacts on regional economic integration from 2000 to 2020. The findings reveal that high bridges significantly improved travel accessibility and economic potential within counties, with the average contributions being the greatest for the period 2010–2015 within the whole study period. High bridge construction promoted accessibility convergence and economic integration, reducing regional disparities. The decline in the coefficient of variation (CV) of accessibility demonstrated a converging effect; while the CV of economic potential showed an initial growth followed by a decline. Economically disadvantaged counties gained the most in accessibility and economic potential, highlighting the role of high bridges in regional integration. This study proposes a framework for accurately measuring the economic benefits of high bridges, providing insights for future transport planning in isolated mountainous counties and supporting economic development in regions with underdeveloped transportation infrastructure.

Abstract Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), as the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, severely impairs patients’ cognitive functions. Although its exact etiology remains unclear, the abnormal aggregations of misfolded β-amyloid peptide and tau protein are considered pivotal in its pathological progression. Recent studies identify ubiquitin-specific protease 11 (USP11) as the key regulator of tau deubiquitination, exacerbating tau aggregation and AD pathology. Thereby, inhibiting USP11 function, via either blocking USP11 activity or lowering USP11 protein level, may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy against AD. Our research introduces IsoLiPro, a unique lithium isobutyrate-L-proline coordination compound, effectively lowers USP11 protein level and enhances tau ubiquitination in vitro. Additionally, long-term oral administration of IsoLiPro dramatically reduces total and phosphorylated tau levels in AD transgenic mice. Moreover, IsoLiPro also significantly lessens β-amyloid deposition and synaptic damage, improving cognitive functions in these animal models. These results indicate that IsoLiPro, as a novel small-molecule USP11 inhibitor, can effectively alleviate AD-like pathologies and improve cognitive functions, offering promise as a potential multi-targeting therapeutic agent against AD.

Abstract In an era marked by global economic challenges, an increasing array of non-traditional security threats, and a proliferation of conflicts and issues, China has put forth the building of a community of shared future for mankind as a way to address this question of the times. The theory of the community of shared future for mankind offers a framework to address contemporary issues by promoting equality, mutual benefit, security, justice, openness, innovation, multicultural exchange, and green development. This paper innovatively quantifies the five core principles of the theory of the community of shared future for mankind using the entropy method. It calculates the proxy variable for sustainable development, green total factor productivity, using the super-efficiency Slack-Based Measure model in Data Envelopment Analysis. Baseline regression is conducted on this basis. The Principal Component Analysis method and another Data Envelopment Analysis method, the Malmquist index, are utilized to recalculate the indicators, followed by another round of regression analysis. The results are consistent with the baseline regression. Additionally, Ordinary Least Squares, Partial Least Squares, Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Ridge regression, and Lasso regression are employed to ensure the robustness of the results. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between the community of a shared future for mankind and the sustainable development of human society, with consistent conclusions drawn from different calculation methods and regression techniques. Through value recognition, international cooperation based on benefit-sharing and mutual reciprocity can guide humanity towards a harmonious coexistence with nature, irrespective of regional and economic disparities. This study provides quantitative evidence of the impact of the community of a shared future for mankind on the sustainable development of human society, filling a gap in existing research. Based on these findings, feasible policy recommendations are proposed to promote sustainable development in human society.

Abstract Current navigational aids for blind people do not provide spatial information that meets the requirements of blind and visually impaired people (BVIP) for travel, and traditional map-based navigation services cannot be used directly for navigation. The purpose of this paper is to establish a spatial data model that aligns with their outdoor travel requirements to assist them in accessing spatial information. In alignment with the analysis of spatial information requirements for blind people during outdoor travel, the proposed data model divides the outdoor space into the path layer, the functional layer, the obstacle layer, and the transport and weather layer. Areas such as schools and sports fields, which fulfill certain requirements for them, are categorized as functional features. Essential public transportation stations for outdoor travel are included in transport station features, while obstacles that pose threats to their safety constitute obstacle features. Various features in space are spatially connected through different paths. The proposed semantic information properties enhance the information content representation of the features. The geometry of the features and the topological relationships between them are recorded and used for path planning and navigation in combination with the path layer. Finally, the eastern campus of Jiangxi University of Science and Technology served as an experimental area for the development of a prototype system based on the data model, and a case analysis was provided.

Abstract Innate immune cells have been acknowledged as trainable in recent years. While intestinal tuft cells are recognized for their crucial roles in the host defense against intestinal pathogens, there remains uncertainty regarding their trainability. Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a prevalent enterovirus that primarily infects children but rarely infects adults. At present, there is a significant expansion of intestinal tuft cells in the EV71-infected mouse model, which is associated with EV71-induced interleukin-25 (IL-25) production. Further, we found that IL-25 pre-treatment at 2 weeks old mouse enabled tuft cells to acquire immune memory. This was evidenced by the rapid expansion and stronger response of IL-25-trained tuft cells in response to EV71 infection at 6 weeks old, surpassing the reactivity of naïve tuft cells in mice without IL-25-trained progress. Interestingly, IL-25-trained intestinal tuft cells exhibit anti-enteroviral effect via producing a higher level of IL-25. Mechanically, IL-25 treatment upregulates spermidine/spermine acetyl-transferase enzyme (SAT1) expression, mediates intracellular polyamine deficiency, further inhibits enterovirus replication. In summary, tuft cells can be trained by IL-25, which supports faster and higher level IL-25 production in response to EV71 infection and further exhibits anti-enteroviral effect via SAT1-mediated intracellular polyamine deficiency. Given that IL-25 can be induced by multiple gut microbes during human growth and development, including shifts in gut flora abundance, which may partially explain the different susceptibility to enteroviral infections between adults and children.

Abstract Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is an aggressive rare subtype of kidney cancer with unmet clinical needs. Little is known about its underlying molecular alterations and etiology, primarily due to its rarity, and lack of preclinical models. This study aims to comprehensively characterize molecular alterations in CDC and identify its therapeutic vulnerabilities. Through whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing, we identified KRAS hotspot mutations (G12A/D/V) in 3/13 (23%) of the patients, in addition to known TP53, NF2 mutations. 3/13 (23%) patients carried a mutational signature (SBS22) caused by aristolochic acid (AA) exposures, known to be more prevalent in Asia, highlighting a geologically specific disease etiology. We further discovered that cell cycle-related pathways were the most predominantly dysregulated pathways. Our drug screening with our newly established CDC preclinical models identified a CDK9 inhibitor LDC000067 that specifically inhibited CDC tumor growth and prolonged survival. Our study not only improved our understanding of oncogenic molecular alterations of Asian CDC, but also identified cell-cycle machinery as a therapeutic vulnerability, laying the foundation for clinical trials to treat patients with such aggressive cancer.

Abstract Risk assessment and categorization of terrorist attacks can assist enhance awareness of terrorism and give crucial information support for anti-terrorism efforts. This study utilizes quantitative approaches for the risk assessment and categorization of terrorist attacks. A total of 210,454 terrorist attacks that occurred worldwide from 1970 through 2020 were collected in the Global Terrorism Database, and 22 indicators related to the risk of terrorist attacks were selected. Then, the moment estimation theory and four comprehensive evaluation models were utilized to identify the top 10 riskiest terrorist attacks in the world. Furthermore, the five clustering analysis methods and three evaluation criteria were performed for the risk categorization of terrorist attacks, and the visual analysis was carried out using the kernel density estimation method. The research results have identified the top 10 riskiest global terrorist attacks, which were led by the September 11 terrorist attack event, along with their downward counterfactual events. The spatial distribution of global terrorist attack risk is primarily composed of four “turbulent cores” in the region of Central Asia, Middle East & North Africa, South Asia, and Central America & Caribbean. This study also provided insights and recommendations for anti-terrorism efforts. It has realized the risk assessment and categorization of terrorist attacks, aiding in the swift identification of its risk levels, and holds immense significance for safeguarding global national security and societal stability under new circumstances.

Abstract Global warming has led to the enhancement of diurnal (daytime-nighttime) compound heat waves, which can severely affect the population’s physical health and productive life; this is particularly the case for vulnerable populations that are more susceptible to psychological and physiological harm with the future normalization of heatwave scenarios. In this study, we attributed the changes in population exposure under diurnal compound high temperatures (HTs) and extremely high temperatures (EHTs) to the influence of climatic (exposure duration) and population factors and their combined influence to determine the relationship between exposure duration and the changes in exposure of vulnerable populations. Diurnal compound HT and EHT covered a land area of 4,016,800 and 1,984,200 km2, respectively. The heat-exposed area spread step-like in all directions, centering on the 24-h high-exposure area with a strong gradient effect. The area of prolonged exposure shifted from the Yellow-Huai-Huai Plain across the geographical boundary between the south and the north to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain. Meanwhile, the average maximum value of vulnerable population exposure reached 186,800 and 93,100 person-h, with high values in Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Beijing, and other cities. Changes in vulnerable population exposure were dominated first by demographic factors and then by climatic factors, with the dominance of climatic factors evident in areas of prolonged exposure. Under prolonged exposure to daytime-nighttime compound EHT, changes in the exposure of child and older populations were dominated by climatic factors with a contribution rate of 87.16% and 87.43%, respectively. Therefore, suitable cooling measures should be proposed for vulnerable populations under prolonged exposure, focusing more on the physical and mental health of children and older adults exposed to compound EHT.

Abstract Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive and lethal type of lung cancer, characterized by limited treatment options, early and frequent metastasis. However, the determinants of metastasis in SCLC are poorly defined. Here, we show that estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) is overexpressed in metastatic SCLC tumors, and is positively associated with SCLC progression. ERRγ functions as an essential activator of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and cell adhesion, two critical steps in metastasis, by directly regulating the expression of major genes involved in these processes. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of ERRγ markedly reduces collagen production, cell-matrix adhesion, microfilament production, and eventually blocks SCLC cell invasion and tumor metastasis. Notably, ERRγ antagonists significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis and restored SCLC vulnerability to chemotherapy in multiple cell-derived and patient-derived xenograft models. Taken together, these findings establish ERRγ as an attractive target for metastatic SCLC and provide a potential pharmacological strategy for treating this lethal disease.

Abstract This paper sheds light on the internal heterogeneity within the informal economy by examining the working conditions of migrant informal workers in China. It presents the first attempt to test the WIEGO model on the relationship between informality, income, poverty and gender. Based on 107,020 samples of informal workers from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), economic, social and occupational health components of working conditions of migrant informal workers in five employment-status tiers are analysed. The results show the significant heterogeneity within informal workers in terms of their income, working intensity, labour contracts, social security, union and community support. The relationships between the informal employment tiers and income, poverty and gender show a pattern that is not fully in line with the WIEGO model, suggesting the complexity and plurality of heterogeneities in informal employment. The paper concludes by calling for research on regional varieties of the heterogeneity in informal employment worldwide to better understand the unfolding of the inequality-informality nexus in specific contexts.

Abstract Predicting academic procrastination among college students in the context of a public crisis could provide essential academic support and decision-making strategies for higher education institutions to promote student psychological health. Notably, research focusing on predicting academic procrastination behavior among college students in the context of a global crisis is still limited. The purpose of this study is to address this gap by constructing a predictive model based on the decision tree algorithm to predict academic procrastination behavior among college students. A total of 776 college students from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China participated in this study. The study gathered data from multiple aspects relevant to academic procrastination behavior, including demographic information, academic achievements, subjective well-being, smartphone addiction, negative emotions, self-esteem, life autonomy, pro-environmental behavior, academic achievement, and sense of school belonging. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted utilizing SPSS version 26.0, and decision tree model analysis was performed with Modeler 18.0. The findings of this study identified eight predictive factors of college students’ academic procrastination in order of importance: subjective well-being, smartphone addiction, negative emotions, self-esteem, life autonomy, pro-environmental behavior, academic performance, and sense of school belonging. The model accuracy was 85.78%, and indicating a relatively high level of prediction. The findings of this study not only provided a new perspective for understanding academic procrastination but also offered practical guidance for educators on how to mitigate this behavior.

Abstract This study delves into the crucial link between managerial ability and green innovation. Motivated by the need for sustainable business practices and the pivotal role innovation plays in environmental sustainability, we identify a significant gap in the existing literature: the specific impact of managerial ability on fostering green innovation has not been adequately explored. Our research is anchored in the resource-based view, arguing that managerial ability is a strategic resource that can significantly influence a firm’s capacity for green innovation. Our empirical analysis employs multiple regression analysis on a dataset of 2455 Chinese A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2022, examining the relationship between managerial ability and green innovation. To ensure a thorough investigation, we control for both firm-specific and year-specific fixed effects. Our findings reveal a significant positive correlation between managerial ability and green innovation, highlighting the critical role of managerial competencies in enhancing environmental innovation. Notably, subgroup analyses indicate that this relationship is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises, firms with a higher proportion of institutional investors, and in contexts with stricter environmental regulations and less developed product markets. These results not only fill the identified gap in the literature by providing empirical evidence of the impact of managerial ability on green innovation but also offer practical insights for businesses, managers, and policymakers looking to promote sustainable innovation.

Abstract Recent studies have highlighted ChatGPT’s remarkable capabilities in machine translation. However, little attention has been paid to its application in literary translation, particularly within the realm of Chinese classical poetry. To explore the potential of ChatGPT’s abilities in poetry translation, we conducted a comparative analysis of poetry translation quality, contrasting ChatGPT (with two different prompts) with Google Translate and DeepL Translator regarding fidelity, fluency, language style, and machine translation style. The results revealed that ChatGPT outperformed Google Translate and DeepL Translator in all evaluation criteria, suggesting its exceptional ability in poetry translation. Furthermore, when employing a prompt that instructs ChatGPT to preserve the rhythm and rhyme of poems, ChatGPT demonstrated a remarkable ability to retain the beauty of the original poetic language, setting itself apart from conventional machine translation systems. Our analysis further elucidated ChatGPT’s proficiency in comprehending and translating some common symbols, imagery, and underlined semantic components which contributes to coherent and fluent translations. Our research opens up ChatGPT’s new possibilities in translating ancient literary texts into foreign languages.

Abstract This study examines consumers’ reactions to the communication styles of chatbots during failed service experiences. The current study explores whether the communication style adopted by a chatbot impacts consumer satisfaction and behavior intention and how expectancy violations can moderate these relationships in the service context. A pre-test examined the validity of the stimuli of chatbots that were either task-oriented or social-oriented after consumers encountered service failure. For more information, the experiment was designed to manipulate the AI-based chatbot agent’s process and style of communication and measure the role of expectancy violations. The main experiment results showed that interactions with social-oriented communication style chatbots enhance the level of consumers’ interaction satisfaction and intention of behavior. Respondents experienced a higher perception of warmth when interacting with social-oriented communication style chatbots than task-oriented. Moreover, expectancy violation moderates the mediation of warmth on the relationship between the chatbot’s communication style/type and interaction satisfaction, trust, and intention of patronage. Setting chatbots’ communication styles to be social-oriented can help reduce negative emotions among consumers caused by service failure; specifically, the perception of warmth created by the social-oriented communication style can alleviate negative evaluations of service agents and companies, such as dissatisfaction and loss of interest. Therefore, in managerial practice, the firm should choose the social-oriented communication style chatbot agent to recover the customer relationship after a service failure.

Abstract Narrative medicine has become a meaningful solution to promote medical students’ professional and personal growth. However, there is a lack of study on how students benefit from the narrative medicine approach when developing identities. This study aimed to establish and implement an integrated English reading and writing curriculum based on collaborative reflection and discussion using the narrative medicine approach, exploring how students presented and constructed physician identities by performing speech acts. First-year undergraduate students majoring in clinical medicine were recruited. Collaborative reflection and discussion were conducted in the integrated course involving 14 pieces of medical-related narrative works, along with essential elements that guided the students to engage in classroom activities. In the following analysis, the qualitative analysis software NVivo was used to identify the main speech acts and their frequency to analyze students’ perception and recognition of different physician identities. Our analysis presented 33 major speech acts and revealed their frequency and characteristics, which we summarize in five interrelated physician identities. The fine-grained analysis showed how these identities were influenced by the narrative medicine approach, which provides enlightenment for supporting students to develop their professional identities. Another unique contribution of this study was to present the teaching basis and essential elements in an integrated humanistic curriculum. The results helped clarify the relationship between speech acts and physician identity and suggested that collaborative reflection and discussion using the narrative medicine approach improved the humanistic component that was in short supply in medical education through its interdisciplinary advantages, thus promoting professional identity development that can lead to higher-quality medical and emotional care.

Abstract Radiotherapy (RT) has been reported to induce abscopal effect in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but such phenomenon was only observed in sporadic cases. Here, we demonstrated that subcutaneous administration of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist poly(I:C) could strengthen the abscopal effect during RT through activating tumor cell ferroptosis signals in bilateral HCC subcutaneous tumor mouse models, which could be significantly abolished by TLR3 knock-out or ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. Moreover, poly(I:C) could promote the presentation of tumor neoantigens by dendritic cells to enhance the recruitment of activated CD8+ T cells into distant tumor tissues for inducing tumor cell ferroptosis during RT treatment. Finally, the safety and feasibility of combining poly(I:C) with RT for treating advanced HCC patients were further verified in a prospective clinical trial. Thus, enhancing TLR3 signaling activation during RT could provide a novel strategy for strengthening abscopal effect to improve the clinical benefits of advanced HCC patients.

Abstract The local climate zones (LCZs) classification system has emerged as a more refined method for assessing the urban heat island (UHI) effect. However, few researchers have conducted systematic critical reviews and summaries of the research on LCZs, particularly regarding significant advancements of this field in recent years. This paper aims to bridge this gap in scientific research by systematically reviewing the evolution, current status, and future trends of LCZs framework research. Additionally, it critically assesses the impact of the LCZs classification system on climate-responsive urban planning and design. The findings of this study highlight several key points. First, the challenge of large-scale, efficient, and accurate LCZs mapping persists as a significant issue in LCZs research. Despite this challenge, the universality, simplicity, and objectivity of the LCZs framework make it a promising tool for a wide range of applications in the future, especially in the realm of climate-responsive urban planning and design. In conclusion, this study makes a substantial contribution to the advancement of LCZs research and advocates for the broader adoption of this framework to foster sustainable urban development. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners engaged in this field.

Abstract Entrepreneurship education (EE) has rapidly evolved within higher education and has emerged as a pivotal mechanism for cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talent. In China, while EE has made positive strides, it still faces a series of practical challenges. These issues cannot be effectively addressed solely through the efforts of universities. Based on the triple helix (TH) theory, this study delves into the unified objectives and practical content of EE in Chinese higher education. Through a comprehensive literature review on EE, coupled with educational objectives, planned behavior, and entrepreneurship process theories, this study introduces the 4H objective model of EE. 4H stands for Head (mindset), Hand (skill), Heart (attitude), and Help (support). Additionally, the research extends to a corresponding content model that encompasses entrepreneurial learning, entrepreneurial practice, startup services, and the entrepreneurial climate as tools for achieving the objectives. Based on a single-case approach, this study empirically explores the application of the content model at T-University. Furthermore, this paper elucidates how the university plays a role through the comprehensive development of entrepreneurial learning, practices, services, and climate in nurturing numerous entrepreneurs and facilitating the flourishing of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. This paper provides important contributions in its application of TH theory to develop EE within the Chinese context, and it provides clear guidance by elucidating the core objectives and practical content of EE. The proposed conceptual framework serves not only as a guiding tool but also as a crucial conduit for fostering the collaborative development of the EE ecosystem. To enhance the robustness of the framework, this study advocates strengthening empirical research on TH theory through multiple and comparative case studies.

Abstract The aim of this study is to uncover how students’ practices of writing in higher education are being impacted by ChatGPT. The use of ChatGPT and other generative AI needs to be set in the context of a longer-term process of the digitisation of writing, where many tools are being employed by students to support writing because it is a complex iterative process. Generative AI appears to have had a large impact on how students write, and we propose a model of generative AI literacy to assess their capabilities in doing so. Semi-structured interviews and observation data were collected at a British University with 23 students from diverse backgrounds, including the UK, USA, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. The data was analysed thematically. It was found that students used ChatGPT alongside many other tools, and in rather individualistic ways often to address specific challenges they felt they had with writing. Their main concerns were around plagiarism, information inaccuracy and technology dependence. There was a relatively weak understanding or interest in the ethical issues around the exploitative and environmental impacts of generative AI. The social controversy around ChatGPT can be seen as a useful opportunity to engage students in a discussion about the digitisation of writing and promote AI literacy in this context.

Abstract The social network is an important way to promote subjective poverty alleviation. Based on China Labor Dynamics Survey (CLDS) data from 2014, 2016, and 2018, this paper analyzes the action mechanism of social networks on the subjective poverty of Chinese residents. The results find that social network acts on subjective poverty through social support and reference groups. Specifically, social networks provide emotional and instrumental social support for individuals, which can effectively alleviate subjective poverty. In addition, when the social network members serve as the reference group, the higher the status of individuals in the network, the weaker the subjective poverty. Secondly, objective poverty is the mediating path between the social support function of social networks and subjective poverty. Finally, objective poverty is a regulator of the effect of social networks as a reference group on subjective poverty. When individuals are objectively poor, the alleviating effect of social networks as a reference group on subjective poverty is weakened. In summary, placing social networks’ social support and reference group functions under the same framework helps fully grasp social networks’ social benefits. As a result, consolidating China’s poverty reduction achievements and focusing on the informal social insurance role of social networks are conducive to alleviating subjective poverty.

Abstract B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), expressed in plasmablasts and plasma cells, could serve as a promising therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases. We reported here chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting BCMA in two patients with highly relapsed and refractory myasthenia gravis (one with AChR-IgG, and one with MuSk-IgG). Both patients exhibited favorable safety profiles and persistent clinical improvements over 18 months. Reconstitution of B-cell lineages with sustained reduced pathogenic autoantibodies might underlie the therapeutic efficacy. To identify the possible mechanisms underlying the therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T cells in these patients, longitudinal single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing was conducted on serial blood samples post infusion as well as their matching infusion products. By tracking the temporal evolution of CAR-T phenotypes, we demonstrated that proliferating cytotoxic-like CD8 clones were the main effectors in autoimmunity, whereas compromised cytotoxic and proliferation signature and profound mitochondrial dysfunction in CD8+ Te cells before infusion and subsequently defect CAR-T cells after manufacture might explain their characteristics in these patients. Our findings may guide future studies to improve CAR T-cell immunotherapy in autoimmune diseases.

Abstract This study examines the temporal changes in income segregation within the ambient population around the clock using mobile phone big data. It employs ordinal entropy, a metric suited for measuring segregation among ordered groups, to quantify the level of segregation among eight income groups within micro-geographic units throughout the 24-h period on a weekday and a weekend day in the urban core of Guangzhou, China. The study further decomposes daily segregation by location and time profile. We identify urban functions and neighborhood contexts relevant for income segregation and explore their temporal variation. Using group-based trajectory analysis, we classify daily segregation trends among 400 m urban grids into seven distinct trajectories for both weekday and weekend. Our findings confirm that segregation fluctuates constantly. The role of local urban functions, particularly retail, accommodation, and offices, and neighborhood context, such as the number of residents and the share of non-local migrants, exhibits a significant temporal rhythm. The seemingly convoluted 24-h segregation time series among urban grids follow just a few distinct trajectories with clear geographical patterns. There is limited variability at individual grids both over the course of a day and across days. Shifts across different trajectory types between weekday and weekend are rare. The dynamic daily segregation in the ambient population per se may be an enduring characteristic of neighborhoods and a real-time channel for neighborhood contextual influences, potentially fueling long-term residential segregation and neighborhood change.

Abstract Different responses to external interference, such as regional conflict, could have distinct sustainability outcomes. Here, we developed a novel framework to examine global food shortages from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and quantify the embodied environmental impacts of disturbed and alternative food supply chains. The conflict could soon bring a 50–120 Mt shortage of nine dominant food products and cause temporal global cropland abandonment and greenhouse gas emissions decline. By contrast, the partial agricultural recovery in the next cultivation season will raise global cropland use and greenhouse gas emissions by 9–10% and 2–4% (mainly in China and Europe). However, optimized food supply networks with prioritized agricultural expansion in higher-efficiency countries could minimize food shortages and food-mile expenses, offsetting the postwar environmental increments from agricultural recovery by 45–89%. These results validate a framework to simulate the global social-ecological system, and underline the resistance opportunities and tele-connected consequences of regional disturbance.

Abstract Interdisciplinary research is of significance for creating breakthroughs and facilitating innovations and may achieve higher citation impact, although contrary results still exist. The current study looks into the relationship between interdisciplinarity and citation impact from a brand-new perspective—the process of citation accumulation—by exploring how interdisciplinarity, as measured by Rao-Stirling and DIV, affects the accumulating process of citations, based on scientific papers published by Chinese or US authors in 2009–2011 in Chemistry. Two metrics are used to measure how long it takes for a paper to reach its citation peak (PEAK_YEAR) and how sustainable the citation impact remains after the peak (SUS). The results show that compared with Rao-Stirling, DIV is more sensitive to the length of the citation window and more closely aligned with the nature of interdisciplinarity. In Chemistry, higher interdisciplinarity is more likely to encounter delayed recognition and greater citation sustainability, which may explain the inconsistency in the relationship between interdisciplinarity and citation impact. In conclusion, it is necessary to consider the length of the citation window when explaining the relationship between interdisciplinarity and citation impact. A longer citation window may be a better solution, as an alternative or supplement, in assessing the academic performance of interdisciplinary research.

Abstract Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) relies primarily on fetal echocardiography conducted at mid‐gestational age—the sensitivity of which varies among centers and practitioners. An objective method for early diagnosis is needed. Here, we conducted a case–control study recruiting 103 pregnant women with healthy offspring and 104 cases with CHD offspring, including VSD (42/104), ASD (20/104), and other CHD phenotypes. Plasma was collected during the first trimester and proteomic analysis was performed. Principal component analysis revealed considerable differences between the controls and the CHDs. Among the significantly altered proteins, 25 upregulated proteins in CHDs were enriched in amino acid metabolism, extracellular matrix receptor, and actin skeleton regulation, whereas 49 downregulated proteins were enriched in carbohydrate metabolism, cardiac muscle contraction, and cardiomyopathy. The machine learning model reached an area under the curve of 0.964 and was highly accurate in recognizing CHDs. This study provides a highly valuable proteomics resource to better recognize the cause of CHD and has developed a reliable objective method for the early recognition of CHD, facilitating early intervention and better prognosis.

Abstract This study analyzed the Chinese elementary school teachers’ attitudes toward project-based learning (PBL) and identified factors that may influence elementary school teachers’ attitudes. The analysis was based on a questionnaire survey of 257 elementary school teachers and interviews with 10 elementary school teachers in China. Results showed that Chinese elementary school teachers generally had positive attitudes towards PBL, but their attitudes differed based on their educational level, years of teaching, and subjects taught. Results of the regression analysis found that training, social support, resources, and availability of time all positively influenced teachers’ attitudes toward PBL. Finally, the interview data were analyzed to understand teachers’ perceptions of how they could be helped to use PBL in teaching.

Abstract Urban parks can effectively reduce surface temperatures, which is an important strategic approach to reducing the urban heat island effect. Quantifying the cooling effect of urban parks and identifying their main internal influencing factors is important for improving the urban thermal environment, achieving maximum cooling benefits, and improving urban sustainability. In this study, we extracted data frobut this is often unrealisticm 28 urban parks in Zhengzhou, China. We combined multivariate data, such as Landsat 8 data, to retrieve the land surface temperature (LST), extract the park interior landscape, and quantify the cooling effect using three cooling indices: park cooling distance (L ∆max), temperature difference magnitude (∆T max), and temperature gradient (G temp). Furthermore, the relationship between the internal landscape characteristics of the park and the average LST and cooling indices of the park was analyzed. The results showed that different buffer ranges affect the LST-distance fitting results of urban parks, and a 300-m buffer zone is the optimal fitting interval. However, specific parks should be analyzed to select the optimal buffer range and reduce the cooling index calculation errors. Additionally, the mean values of LST, ∆T max, L ∆max, and G temp for the 28 parks in Zhengzhou were 34.11, 3.22 °C, 194.02 m, and 1.78 °C/hm, respectively. Park perimeter (PP), park area, internal green area (GA), and landscape shape index (LSI) were both significantly correlated with ∆T max and the main factors associated with maintaining a low LST in parks. L∆max was mainly affected by the GA, LSI, and perimeter-area ratio, whereas G temp was positively correlated with PP. Finally, the threshold value of efficiency for parks in Zhengzhou was 0.83 ha, and comprehensive parks showed optimal cooling in every aspect.

Abstract This study combined various non-invasive and micro-invasive analytical techniques to investigate the production process of coffin plank paintings excavated from a Northern Wei tomb in Zhijiabao Village, Datong City, Shanxi Province. Fiber-optic reflectance spectroscopy, portable Raman spectroscopy, and portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy were employed for in-situ non-invasive detection of coffin panel paintings. On that basis, micro-samples in smaller amounts than that of previous studies of the same type were collected and analyzed through optical microscopy, confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results showed that the studied coffin plank decoration was painted after applying a layer of yellow primer to the plank surface. Specifically, cinnabar was used as the red material, pararealgar was used as the yellow color, an indigo and orpiment mixture was used as the green substance, the blue pigment was most likely an indigo and lead white mixture, gypsum was used the white material, and carbon black was used as the black pigment. Notably, the studied coffin plank was painted with a mixture of inorganic and organic materials to present the green and blue colors. This study provided not only a scientific basis for the conservation and restoration of this artifact but also new information for the research on Northern Wei art history.

Purpose: This phase I/II trial (ChiCTR2000032879) assessed the safety and efficacy of toripalimab combined with chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Twenty-two patients, regardless of their programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) status, received toripalimab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). CCRT included cisplatin (40 mg/m2, once weekly for 5 weeks), radiotherapy (45–50.4 Gy/25–28 Fx, 5 fractions weekly), followed by brachytherapy (24–30 Gy/3–5 Fx) and toripalimab (240 mg, intravenous) on days 1, 22 and 43 during CCRT. The primary endpoints were safety and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included 2-year local control (LC), local regional control and overall survival (OS). Results: All patients successfully completed CCRT and toripalimab treatment. Grade III and higher adverse events (AEs) were observed in 11 patients (11/22, 50%), and no patient experienced grade V AEs. The objective response rate (ORR) was 100%. At the data cutoff (June 30, 2023), the median follow-up was 31.8 months (9.5 to 37.8 months). The 2-year PFS rate was 81.8%. The 2-year LC and local regional control rates were both 95.5%, and the 2-year OS rate was 90.9%. Conclusions: Toripalimab combined with CCRT achieved good tolerance and showed promising anti-tumor effects in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of synthetic biology, design, construction, and utilization of synthetic chromosomes with unique features provide a strategy to study complex cellular processes such as aging. Herein, we successfully construct the 884 Kb synXIII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to investigate replicative aging using these synthetic strains. We verify that up-regulation of a rRNA-related transcriptional factor, RRN9, positively influence replicative lifespan. Using SCRaMbLE system that enables inducible whole-genome rearrangement on synXIII, we obtain 20 SCRaMbLEd synXIII strains with extended lifespan. Transcriptome analysis reveal the expression of genes involve in global protein synthesis is up-regulated in longer-lived strains. We establish causal links between genotypic change and the long-lived phenotype via reconstruction of some key structural variations observed in post-SCRaMbLE strains and further demonstrate combinatorial effects of multiple aging regulators on lifespan extension. Our findings underscore the potential of synthetic yeasts in unveiling the function of aging-related genes. The de novo design and synthesis of the Sc 2.0 chromosome XIII enable in-depth investigations into biology. Here the authors construct the 884 Kb synXIII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to investigate replicative aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly sensitive and visual analytical methods for monitoring pH change has always attracted great attention due to significant roles in various fields including food, environmental and biological systems. In this paper, a dual-response sensor for pH detection, [1,2']biindenylidene-3,1',3'-trione L, was synthesized from substrate indane-1,3-dione, and its structure was confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI–MS and single crystals. Interestingly, sensor L exhibits solvatochromic properties and visualized color changes at different poplar solutions, and it can show significant changes in fluorescence intensity, UV–Vis absorbance and color at moderate acidic (pH = 3.52–5.03) and strong basic conditions (pH = 13.09–13.27) based on intramolecular proton transfer (IPT) mechanism. These results indicate that L can act as a double functional probe for the analysis and visual detection of pH change under moderate acidic and strong basic conditions in a quite narrow pH range. In addition, L can also selectively identify solvent CH2Cl2 by inducing larger blue-shift in wavelength and increase in fluorescence intensity, which means that it may be used as an indicator for monitoring trace amount of CH2Cl2. The potent applicantions for sensor L were also investigated and that it could conveniently be made into a series of strips for pH detection was indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Bioactive Austin Meroterpenes from the Mangrove-Derived Fungus Penicillium sp. TGM112" published in the Chemistry of Natural Compounds journal explores the unique secondary metabolites produced by mangrove fungi, particularly the Penicillium genus. The study isolated and identified 22 compounds from the fungus Penicillium sp. TGM112, with some showing inhibitory activity against human tumor cells and H. armigera Hubner larvae. The research highlights the potential of austin-type meroterpenoids for developing microbial insecticides and antibiotics. [Extracted from the article]

Recently, cellular senescence-induced unstable carotid plaques have gained increasing attention. In this study, we utilized bioinformatics and machine learning methods to investigate the correlation between cellular senescence and the pathological mechanisms of unstable carotid plaques. Our aim was to elucidate the causes of unstable carotid plaque progression and identify new therapeutic strategies. First, differential expression analysis was performed on the test set GSE43292 to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the unstable plaque group and the control group. These DEGs were intersected with cellular senescence-associated genes to obtain 40 cellular senescence-associated DEGs. Subsequently, key genes were then identified through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, random forest, Recursive Feature Elimination for Support Vector Machines algorithm and cytoHubba plugin. The intersection yielded 3 CSA-signature genes, which were validated in the external validation set GSE163154. Additionally, we assessed the relationship between these CSA-signature genes and the immune landscape of the unstable plaque group. This study suggests that cellular senescence may play an important role in the progression mechanism of unstable plaques and is closely related to the influence of the immune microenvironment. Our research lays the foundation for studying the progression mechanism of unstable carotid plaques and provides some reference for targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influencing factors of abnormal pulmonary ventilation function in occupational exposed populations and to establish a risk prediction model. The findings will provide a basis for formulating corresponding strategies for the prevention and treatment of occupational diseases. The study focused on workers who underwent occupational health examinations in the year 2020. Statistical analysis was conducted using methods such as t-tests, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Additionally, machine learning methods were employed to establish multiple models to address classification problems. Among the 7472 workers who participated in the occupational health examination, 1681 cases of abnormal pulmonary ventilation function were detected, resulting in a detection rate of 22.6%. Based on the analysis of occupational hazard data, a risk prediction model was established. Age, work tenure, type of the employing enterprise, and type of dust exposure are all identified as driving factors for abnormal pulmonary function. These factors were used as predictive variables for establishing the risk prediction model. Among the various models evaluated, the logistic regression model was found to be the optimal model for predicting abnormal pulmonary ventilation function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is characterized by both neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Exosomes (Exo) have been shown to function as inhibitors of inflammation and promoters of neurogenesis. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid, can combat depression by increasing levels of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). This study explored the effects of DPA on the therapeutic potential of Exo derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) in glia-induced neuroinflammation associated with depression. Exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) over six weeks induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, while decreasing the levels of serotonin and dopamine. Molecularly, CUMS increased the concentrations of the microglial M1 markers Iba1, iNOS, and IL-1β, while reducing the M2 markers Arg1, CD206, and IL-10 in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. However, Exo therapy reversed these effects. Moreover, DPA treatment of Exo demonstrated superior efficacy in alleviating depressive behaviors, neurotransmitter deficiencies, and M1 microglial activation. In vitro, Exo suppressed LPS-stimulated BV2 cell viability and M1 microglial activation, while mitigating the SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis triggered by treatment with the conditioned medium from LPS-activated BV2 cells. Furthermore, administration of DPA enhanced this effect. Mechanically, DPA enhanced Exo function by upregulating miR125b-5p expression, thereby targeting the MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway. In summary, Exo exhibited antidepressant effects by suppressing M1 microglial neuroinflammation, while DPA treatment provided a more potent therapeutic effect on depression-like changes through the upregulation of miR125b-5p targeting the MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective uptake and elution of trace amounts of hazardous radioactive 90Sr from large-scale high-level liquid waste (HLW) is crucial for sustainable development. Here, we propose a site differentiation strategy, based on the presence of distinct selective metal capture sites (concavity site and tweezer site) within the giant polyoxoniobate (PONb) nanoclusters of an all-inorganic PONb framework (FZU-1). Through this strategy, FZU-1 can not only effectively remove 98.9% of Sr²⁺ from simulated nuclear liquid waste, performing best among the reported Sr adsorbents, but also achieve desorption of adsorbed Sr²⁺ ions by selectively loading Na⁺ ions, thus enabling the recycling of FZU-1. Based on the well-defined single-crystal structures and theoretical studies, it can be revealed that the rapid and selective uptake of Sr²⁺ is attributed to the strong binding energy between the Sr²⁺ ions and the concavity sites. The effective elution of Sr²⁺, on the other hand, stems from the preferential binding of Na⁺ ions at the tweezer sites, elevating the cluster's electrostatic potential and indirectly facilitating the elution of Sr²⁺ ions. The exceptional stability of FZU-1, along with its rapid and selective Sr²⁺ capture and elution capabilities, positions it as a promising candidate for large-scale nuclear waste treatment and groundwater remediation applications. Here, the authors propose a site differentiation strategy in ion exchange, that is, functional materials with different adsorption sites for specific metal ions can achieve efficient uptake and elution of specific ions (e.g., Sr2+ ion in this work). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiotherapies play a crucial role in noninvasive tissue engineering for wound healing. However, challenges such as the implementation of complex interventions and unsatisfactory treatment outcomes impede widespread application. Here, we proposed a stretchable and wirelessly-powered optoelectronic synergistic patch with a dual-layer serpentine wireless receiver circuit to drive the optoelectronic modulation component. Optimized structure and impedance matching enable the patch to seamlessly attach to irregular skin surfaces and operate robustly over a 30% tensile strain range. Based on Sprague-Dawley rat wound model. The wound closure rate of the optoelectronic synergistic group significantly outperformed both monointervention and blank control groups. Mechanistically, optoelectronic synergistic intervention enhances the secretion of vascular endothelial marker proteins and growth factors, and stabilizes mitochondrial function during oxidative stress. Overall, the scalable amalgamation of flexible electronics, wireless transmission, and synergistic interventions promise to improve wound care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the Zn/titanosilicate-1 (TS-1) catalysts with different loadings and promotors were prepared to investigate catalytic performance in the dehydrogenation of propane. Derived from the alteration of the strength and distribution of acid sites due to the variation of the ZnO loadings, the optimal catalytic activity and selectivity of 2Zn/TS-1 catalyst (2 wt% ZnO) can be well reasonably attributed to the appropriate number of acid sites and the acidic strength. The addition of promoters such as 0.5 wt% MgO and 2.0 wt% ZrO2 may improve the stability of Zn/TS-1 catalyst due to the strong interaction between Zn2+ and promoter ions, which is believed to partially prevent the reduction of Zn2+ to metallic Zn. 2Zn/TS-1 catalyst exhibited good recycle stability. The loss of active Zn species on the used catalysts can be suppressed by regeneration treatment in air, in which the interaction between the Zn2+ and TS-1 support could become stronger. Well dispersed titanosilicate-1 (TS-1) supported ZnO catalysts were prepared, among which 2Zn/TS-1 catalyst exhibited good catalytic performance and recycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgroud: Mediator complex subunit 19 (MED19), a member of the mediator complex, has been demonstrated to involve in tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the regulation mechanisms of MED19, the immune landscape linking MED19 to HCC and its predictive value of immunotherapy treatment in HCC are so far unknown. Methods: Here, we analyzed data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and other databases to assess the expression of MED19 and its prognosis and therapeutical-targets impact in HCC. Results: MED19 expression was upregulated in HCC tissues compared to non-tumorous liver tissues and that its upregulation was positively associated with advanced clinicopathology features. The multivariate analysis showed that MED19 was an independent predictor of outcome in HCC. In vitro experiments revealed that MED19 knockdown suppressed hepG2 cells proliferation, colony forming and invasion and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, MED19 inhibition resulted in G0/G1 phase arrest in hepG2 cells. We screened differentially expressed genes between low and high MED19 expression groups. Enrichment analyses showed that these genes were mainly linked to nuclear division and cell cycle. The pattern of tumor-infiltrating immune was demonstrated to be related with MED19 expression in HCC. TIDE analyses showed that patients in the low-expression group presented significantly better immunotherapy. Moreover, we developed a predicted model for HCC patient’s prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed that this model processed a favorable performance in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. Finally, a nomogram was built for predicting survival probability of individual HCC patient. Conclusion: These findings suggest that MED19 as a novel biomarker that has significant association with immune landscape and immunotherapy response in HCC. The proposed prediction model composed of MED19 and pathological stage has a better role in determining prognosis and stratifying of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Neoantigens are emerging as attractive targets to develop personalized cancer vaccines, but their immunization efficacy is severely hampered by their restricted accessibility to lymphoid tissues where immune responses are initiated. Leveraging the capability of red blood cells (RBCs) to capture and present pathogens in peripheral blood to the antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) in spleen, we developed a RBC‐driven spleen targeting strategy to deliver DNA vaccine encoding hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) neoantigen. The DNA vaccine‐encapsulating polymeric nanoparticles that were intentionally hitchhiked on the preisolated RBCs could preferentially accumulate in the spleen to promote the neoantigen expression by APCs, resulting in the burst of neoantigen‐specific T‐cell immunity to prevent tumorigenesis in a personalized manner, and slow down tumor growth in the established aggressively growing HCC. Remarkably, when combined with anti‐PD‐1, the vaccine achieved complete tumor regression and generated a robust systemic immune response with long‐term tumor‐specific immunological memory, which thoroughly prevented tumor recurrence and spontaneous lung metastasis. This study offers a prospective strategy to develop personalized neoantigen vaccines for augmenting cancer immunotherapy efficiency in immune “cold” HCC.

Abstract In recent years, the sustainable livelihood of farmers has been threatened by various events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted efforts to alleviate poverty. Therefore, it is vitally important to increase farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience to enhance the stability and sustainability of poverty alleviation efforts. In this study, to scientifically measure and analyze farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience, we designed an analytical framework that captures the characteristics of farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience from the three dimensions of buffer capacity, self-organization capacity, and learning capacity. We then constructed an index system of farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience and a cloud-model-based multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. Finally, the coupling coordination degree and decision tree methods were used to identify the level of development and relationships among the three abovementioned dimensions of farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience. A case study from Fugong County, Yunnan Province, China revealed that the spatial and temporal distributions of farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience were heterogeneous across various regions. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the coordinated development level of farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience is similar to that of its overall level because the three dimensions of buffer capacity, self-organization capacity, and learning capacity interact with each other and develop synergistically, and the lack of any one of these affects the overall development of farmers’ sustainable livelihood resilience. In addition, the sustainable livelihood resilience of farmers in various villages is in a state of stable promotion, benign promotion, stagnation, mild recession, severe recession, or chaotic period, indicating a lack of balance in terms of the state of development. However, sustainable livelihood resilience will gradually improve in response to targeted support policies formulated by the national or local governments.

Abstract As one of the most densely populated places in the world, Hong Kong fared relatively well in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a very low number of cases and fatalities per capita. This was mostly due to the Hong Kong government, healthcare workers, and the general public’s institutional and individual memory after they successfully overcame the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003. However, while Hong Kong was well accustomed to measures such as wearing masks and social distancing, the cooperation of the Hong Kong public to government restrictions was highly affected by its local political context, especially after widespread anti-government protests began mid-2019. This brought the public’s trust in government to an all-time low, creating a political ‘new normal’, which underpinned how COVID-19 policies would be proposed, accepted, and implemented, if at all. To understand how science advice was offered and how public health decisions were made, this research investigates the evolution of Hong Kong’s science advisory mechanisms for public health from before SARS, after SARS, and during COVID-19 in 2020, including the roles of key organisations and departments, the establishment of new centres and committees, and the creation of workgroups and expert advisory panels. This paper compares and analyses the reasons behind these differences in science advisory mechanisms between SARS and COVID-19. The findings from this research reinforce the unquestionable need for robust science advisory structures and knowledgeable scientific experts to solve health-related crises, though more research is required to understand the ways in which science advice influences both policy decisions and public acceptance of these policies.

Abstract When public health emergencies occur, relevant information containing different topics, sentiments, and emotions spread rapidly on social media. From the cognitive and emotional dimensions, this paper explores the relationship between information attributes and information dissemination behavior. At the same time, the moderating role of the media factor (user influence) and the time factor (life cycle) in information attributes and information transmission is also discussed. The results confirm differences in the spread of posts under different topic types, sentiment types, and emotion types on social media. At the same time, the study also found that posts published by users with a high number of followers and users of a media type are more likely to spread on social media. In addition, the study also found that posts with different information attributes are easier to spread on social media during the outbreak and recurrence periods. The driving effect of life cycles is more obvious, especially for topics of prayer and fact, negative sentiment, emotions of fear, and anger. Relevant findings have specific contributions to the information governance of public opinion, the development of social media theory, and the maintenance of network order, which can further weaken the negative impact of information epidemic in the occurrence of public health emergencies, maintain normal social order, and thus create favorable conditions for the further promotion of global recovery.

Most kidney cancers are metabolically dysfunctional1–4, but how this dysfunction affects cancer progression in humans is unknown. We infused 13C-labelled nutrients in over 80 patients with kidney cancer during surgical tumour resection. Labelling from [U-13C]glucose varies across subtypes, indicating that the kidney environment alone cannot account for all tumour metabolic reprogramming. Compared with the adjacent kidney, clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) display suppressed labelling of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates in vivo and in ex vivo organotypic cultures, indicating that suppressed labelling is tissue intrinsic. [1,2-13C]acetate and [U-13C]glutamine infusions in patients, coupled with measurements of respiration in isolated human kidney and tumour mitochondria, reveal lower electron transport chain activity in ccRCCs that contributes to decreased oxidative and enhanced reductive TCA cycle labelling. However, ccRCC metastases unexpectedly have enhanced TCA cycle labelling compared with that of primary ccRCCs, indicating a divergent metabolic program during metastasis in patients. In mice, stimulating respiration or NADH recycling in kidney cancer cells is sufficient to promote metastasis, whereas inhibiting electron transport chain complex I decreases metastasis. These findings in humans and mice indicate that metabolic properties and liabilities evolve during kidney cancer progression, and that mitochondrial function is limiting for metastasis but not growth at the original site.Studying changes in the metabolic properties of kidney cancer in patients reveals an increased need for mitochondrial metabolism as tumors metastasize from the kidney to distant organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofluid plays an important role in heat transfer engineering as a heat transfer medium. Therefore, we developed graphene oxide (GO)/carboxylated ferric tetroxide (Fe3O4–COOH) nanofluid with high stability using a two-step method. The preparation, characterization, physical properties and heat transfer properties of nanoparticles and nanofluids were investigated. The results show that GO/Fe3O4–COOH(GF) nanofluids present high stability at low concentrations (0.01 mass%, 0.05 mass% and 0.10 mass%) with absolute values of Zeta potential value greater than 30 mV. By adjusting the pH, it was found that GF nanofluids presented the best stability at pH = 10. A study of the physical properties of the nanofluids revealed that the viscosity of the GF nanofluids did not increase excessively with the addition of Fe3O4–COOH nanoparticles relative to the GO nanofluids. The heat transfer platform tests revealed that compared with the same concentration of GO nanofluids, the GF nanofluids have significantly higher heat dissipation efficiency. The temperature drop of 0.05 mass% GF nanofluid is higher than that of deionized water at the same pump power. We believe that well-stabilized GO nanofluids incorporating Fe3O4–COOH will provide more meaningful value in heat exchange than GO nanofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) is one of the most challenging operations and has a long learning curve. Artificial intelligence (AI) automated surgical phase recognition in intraoperative videos has many potential applications in surgical education, helping shorten the learning curve, but no study has made this breakthrough in LPD. Herein, we aimed to build AI models to recognize the surgical phase in LPD and explore the performance characteristics of AI models. Methods: Among 69 LPD videos from a single surgical team, we used 42 in the building group to establish the models and used the remaining 27 videos in the analysis group to assess the models' performance characteristics. We annotated 13 surgical phases of LPD, including 4 key phases and 9 necessary phases. Two minimal invasive pancreatic surgeons annotated all the videos. We built two AI models for the key phase and necessary phase recognition, based on convolutional neural networks. The overall performance of the AI models was determined mainly by mean average precision (mAP). Results: Overall mAPs of the AI models in the test set of the building group were 89.7% and 84.7% for key phases and necessary phases, respectively. In the 27-video analysis group, overall mAPs were 86.8% and 71.2%, with maximum mAPs of 98.1% and 93.9%. We found commonalities between the error of model recognition and the differences of surgeon annotation, and the AI model exhibited bad performance in cases with anatomic variation or lesion involvement with adjacent organs. Conclusions: AI automated surgical phase recognition can be achieved in LPD, with outstanding performance in selective cases. This breakthrough may be the first step toward AI- and video-based surgical education in more complex surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antitumor effects of conventional drug carriers are often attenuated and limited in application by biological barriers associated with tumor heterogeneity and resistance brought about by low tumor immunogenicity. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, naturally derived bioactive materials, and live cell carriers, a promising strategy emerges for targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME) for precision cancer therapy. The unique injury-targeting properties of platelets can significantly extend functional activity, which cannot be achieved with conventional nanocarriers. In this review, three strategies based on plateletengineered materials are systematically described, namely nanoparticles for platelet membrane camouflage, engineered activated platelets, and targeted-platelets nanosystems. Platelet-based nanomaterials can effectively coordinate local and distant tumor-host crosstalk with controlled active tumor site recognition and killing effects due to the presence of specific membrane proteins on the surface and the self-secretion of a large number of particles. Further advances in platelets for effectively overcoming biological barriers and reducing immune resistance in cancer immunotherapy applications will be discussed in future clinical practice. This review provides an overview of recent research advances in platelet-based bioactive material-directed immunotherapy and chemotherapy to inform future antitumor combination therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]