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Drought mechanisms vary markedly within different ecogeographical regions. Existing drought indices do not reflect the impact of climate anomalies on drought. In this study, the climate anomaly index was incorporated into the drought model based on the study of the effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) on drought in different eco-geographic zones of China. The model uses climate anomaly indices, meteorological drought indices, vegetation growth condition data, surface temperature, and biophysical attributes as characteristic variables and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) as the dependent variable for model construction based on the Random Forest (RF) method. The results showed that the model has high accuracy for drought monitoring. The correlation coefficients between model results and observed drought condition values for all four seasons were above 0.95. The model was applied to drought monitoring in North China and the Huang-Huai-Hai region from 2006 to 2018. The statistical interpolation results of the meteorological drought indices and precipitation data were used to verify the application effect of the model. It was found that the model can accurately monitor drought caused by precipitation scarcity and reflect local variations in drought. This study provides a new model (Climate Anomaly Considering Integrated Surface Drought Index, CAC-ISDI) for drought monitoring that aims at quantitative and detailed monitoring of drought conditions and regional differences. It provides a robust method for accurate drought monitoring and evaluation in China and the rest of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Noninvasive quantifying activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) by molecular imaging is helpful for assessing disease progression and therapeutic responses of liver fibrosis. Our purpose is to develop platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ)-targeted radioactive tracer for assessing liver fibrosis by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of aHSCs. Methods: Comparative transcriptomics, immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to evaluate PDGFRβ as biomarker for human aHSCs and determine the correlation of PDGFRβ with the severity of liver fibrosis. The high affinity affibody for PDGFRβ (ZPDGFRβ) was labeled with gallium-68 (68Ga) for PET imaging of mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis. Binding of the [68Ga]Ga-labeled ZPDGFRβ ([68Ga]Ga-DOTA-ZPDGFRβ) for aHSCs in human liver tissues was measured by autoradiography. Results: PDGFRβ overexpressed in aHSCs was highly correlated with the severity of liver fibrosis in patients and CCl4-treated mice. The 68Ga-labeled ZPDGFRβ affibody ([68Ga]Ga-DOTA-ZPDGFRβ) showed PDGFRβ-dependent binding to aHSCs. According to the PET imaging, hepatic uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-ZPDGFRβ increased with the accumulation of aHSCs and collagens in the fibrotic livers of mice. In contrast, hepatic uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-ZPDGFRβ decreased with spontaneous recovery or treatment of liver fibrosis, indicating that the progression and therapeutic responses of liver fibrosis in mice could be visualized by PDGFRβ-targeted PET imaging. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-ZPDGFRβ also bound human aHSCs and visualized fibrosis in patient-derived liver tissues. Conclusions: PDGFRβ is a reliable biomarker for both human and mouse aHSCs. PDGFRβ-targeted PET imaging could be used for noninvasive monitoring of liver fibrosis in mice and has great potential for clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alismatis rhizoma is an essential medicine in clinical practice. Asian water plantain (Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep) is one of the original plants of Alismatis rhizoma. Previous studies have identified the optimal light intensity range for the growth and development of A. orientale, but the mechanism by which light intensity affects the accumulation of secondary metabolites of A. orientale is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of light intensity on the accumulation of triterpenoids in A. orientale saplings and its potential molecular mechanism. The dry weight and contents of total triterpenes and indicative components (alisol B 23-acetate and alisol C 23-acetate) as well as the expression of key enzyme genes in the triterpene biosynthesis pathway under different light intensities (50–600 μmol m−2·s−1) were determined. The results showed that the accumulation of dry matter and the contents of total triterpenes, alisol B 23-acetate, and alisol C 23-acetate increase first and then decrease with increasing light intensity, with the maximum values of 31.65 g, 18.35 mg·g−1, 1.91 mg·g−1, and 0.13 mg·g−1 recorded at light intensities of 400, 200, and both of 300 μmol m−2·s−1, respectively. Light intensities of 200–400 μmol m−2·s−1 promote the expressions of key enzyme genes and the accumulation of total triterpenes significantly. Correlation analysis showed that the expression levels of key enzyme genes are significantly correlated with total triterpene and indicative component contents, and these correlations are strongest under moderate light intensities. Overall, our results reveal that a moderate light intensity of 200–400 μmol m−2·s−1 is beneficial for the growth and synthesis of protostane triterpenes in A. orientale seedlings, and that its probable mechanism involves the upregulated expression of enzymes that are key in the synthesis of triterpenoid ingredients. This study clarified the suitable light intensity range for the synthesis and accumulation of protostane triterpenes of A. orientale, which provided scientific basis for the production of high-quality superior forms of A. orientale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A co-located novel QTL for TFS, FPs, FMs, FFS, FFPs, KWS, and KWPs with potential of improving wheat yield was identified and validated. Spike-related traits, including fertile florets per spike (FFS), kernel weight per spike (KWS), total florets per spike (TFS), florets per spikelet (FPs), florets in the middle spikelet (FMs), fertile florets per spikelet (FFPs), and kernel weight per spikelet (KWPs), are key traits in improving wheat yield. In the present study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) for these traits evaluated under various environments were detected in a recombinant inbred line population (msf/Chuannong 16) mainly genotyped using the 16 K SNP array. Ultimately, we identified 60 QTL, but only QFFS.sau-MC-1A for FFS was a major and stably expressed QTL. It was located on chromosome arm 1AS, where loci for TFS, FPs, FMs, FFS, FFPs, KWS, and KWPs were also simultaneously co-mapped. The effect of QFFS.sau-MC-1A was further validated in three independent segregating populations using a Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR marker. For the co-located QTL, QFFS.sau-MC-1A, the presence of a positive allele from msf was associate with increases for all traits: + 12.29% TFS, + 10.15% FPs, + 13.97% FMs, + 17.12% FFS, + 14.75% FFPs, + 22.17% KWS, and + 19.42% KWPs. Furthermore, pleiotropy analysis showed that the positive allele at QFFS.sau-MC-1A simultaneously increased the spike length, spikelet number per spike, and thousand-kernel weight. QFFS.sau-MC-1A represents a novel QTL for marker-assisted selection with the potential for improving wheat yield. Four genes, TraesCS1A03G0012700, TraesCS1A03G0015700, TraesCS1A03G0016000, and TraesCS1A03G0016300, which may affect spike development, were predicted in the physical interval harboring QFFS.sau-MC-1A. Our results will help in further fine mapping QFFS.sau-MC-1A and be useful for improving wheat yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gallium 68 (68Ga)-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT is sensitive on breast cancer staging, but its clinical utility may be limited by the high physiological 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake in normal breast tissue that can obscure primary tumors. The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of physiological 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake in normal breast. Procedures: A total of 143 consecutive women with 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT data were reviewed retrospectively. SUVmax, density and thickness of breast, as well as SUVmax of nipple, were measured. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify factors related to the breast and nipple SUVs. Results: Twenty-eight premenopausal, 62 menopausal and 10 post-operative (after bilateral adnexectomy) women with 103 examinations were included. All had a diffuse, symmetrical uptake in breast. There was no difference in 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake between bilateral breasts (right: median, 1.14[IQR, 0.85–1.54] vs. left: median, 1.09[IQR, 0.86–1.54]; P = 0.253). Patients in menstrual status with expected high estrogen level (late follicular, ovulatory and mid luteal phases) had higher breast SUVs (median SUV, 3.91 [IQR, 2.85–4.35]) than those with expected moderate (early follicular, early luteal and late luteal phases; median SUV, 1.57 [IQR, 1.39–2.08]; P < 0.001) or low level (menopause and post-operation; median SUV, 0.98 [IQR, 0.83–1.21]; P < 0.001). Menstrual status was an independent predictors of breast SUV (r2 = 0.689, P < 0.001). All the patients had a focal, symmetrical uptake in nipples. Nipple SUV did not correlate with menstrual status (P = 0.913). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The health-improving functions of bioactive flavonoids in vitro and in vivo are often limited by their low stability, which could be counteracted by the application of proteins as carriers of flavonoids. Clarification of the mechanism of protein–ligand interaction is crucial for the encapsulation of bioactive components. Herein, common plasma proteins [i.e., bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA), human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fibrinogen (FG)] were compared for their binding characteristics to quercetin, the main component of flavonoids in human diet, in the absence and presence of free Cu2+ (an accelerator for flavonoids' instability) using multi-spectroscopic and computational methods. As a flexible open structure of proteins, both BSA and HSA were found to be the most promising carriers for quercetin and Cu2+ with an affinity on the order of 104 M−1. HSA-diligand complex (i.e., HSA-quercetin-Cu2+) was successfully generated when both quercetin and Cu2+ were added to the HSA solution. The stability and free radical scavenging activity of bioactive quercetin during incubation was promoted in the HSA-diligand complex relative to quercetin-Cu2+ complex. Quercetin/Cu2+ system could induce the formation of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxide radical (·OH), which were significantly suppressed upon HSA binding. Consistently, the cytotoxicity of the quercetin/Cu2+ system to endothelial cells was reduced in the HSA-diligand complex. These results demonstrate the possibility of developing serum albumin-based carriers for the protection of bioactive flavonoids in their nutritional application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop and independently externally validate robust prognostic imaging biomarkers distilled from PET images using deep learning techniques for precise survival prediction in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: A total of 684 DLBCL patients from three independent medical centers were included in this retrospective study. Deep learning scores (DLS) were generated from PET images using deep convolutional neural network architecture known as VGG19 and DenseNet121. These DLSs were utilized to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, multiparametric models were designed based on results from the Cox proportional hazards model and assessed through calibration curves, concordance index (C-index), and decision curve analysis (DCA) in the training and validation cohorts. Results: The DLSPFS and DLSOS exhibited significant associations with PFS and OS, respectively (P<0.05) in the training and validation cohorts. The multiparametric models that incorporated DLSs demonstrated superior efficacy in predicting PFS (C-index: 0.866) and OS (C-index: 0.835) compared to competing models in training cohorts. In external validation cohorts, the C-indices for PFS and OS were 0.760 and. 0.770 and 0.748 and 0.766, respectively, indicating the reliable validity of the multiparametric models. The calibration curves displayed good consistency, and the decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed that the multiparametric models offered more net clinical benefits. Conclusions: The DLSs were identified as robust prognostic imaging biomarkers for survival in DLBCL patients. Moreover, the multiparametric models developed in this study exhibited promising potential in accurately stratifying patients based on their survival risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To systematically appraise the methodologies used for guidelines for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and to compare the consistency of these recommendations. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, four guideline databases, and Google Scholar to identify evidence-based clinical practice guidelines pertaining to the use of PET, PET/computed tomography (CT), or PET/magnetic resonance in routine practice. We assessed the quality of each guideline using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument and compared recommendations regarding indications for 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT. Results: Thirty-five guidelines for PET imaging, published between 2008 and 2021, were included. These guidelines performed well in the domains of scope and purpose (median 80.6%, inter-quartile range [IQR] 77.8–83.3%) and clarity of presentation (median 75%, IQR 69.4–83.3%), but poorly in applicability (median 27.1%, IQR 22.9–37.5%). Recommendations for 48 indications in 13 cancers were compared. Considerable inconsistencies in the direction of whether to support the use of FDG PET/CT were observed in 10 (20.1%) indications pertaining to 8 cancer types: head and neck cancer (treatment response assessment), colorectal cancer (staging in patients with stages I–III disease), esophageal cancer (staging), breast cancer (restaging and treatment response assessment), cervical cancer (staging in patients with stage < IB2 disease and treatment response assessment), ovarian cancer (restaging), pancreatic cancer (diagnosis), and sarcoma (treatment response assessment). Conclusions: Current guidelines for PET imaging vary in methodological quality and provided considerably inconsistent recommendations. Efforts are needed to improve adherence to guideline development methodologies, to synthesis high-quality evidence, and to adopt standard terminologies. Protocol registration number: PROSPERO CRD42020184965. Clinical relevance statement: Guidelines for PET imaging provide considerably inconsistent recommendations and vary in methodological quality. It is suggested that clinicians be critical of these recommendations when applying them in practice, that guideline developers adopt more rigorous development methodologies, and that researchers prioritize research gaps identified by current guidelines. Key Points: • PET guidelines vary in methodological quality and provided inconsistent recommendations. Efforts are needed to improve methodologies, synthesize high-quality evidence, and standardize terminologies. • Among six domains of methodological quality assessed by the AGREE II tool, guidelines for PET imaging performed well in scope and purpose (median 80.6%, inter-quartile range 77.8–83.3%) and clarity of presentation (75%, 69.4–83.3%), but poorly in applicability (27.1%, 22.9–37.5%). • Among the 48 recommendations (for 13 cancer types) compared, conflicts in the direction of whether to support FDG PET/CT use were observed in 10 (20.1%), for 8 cancer types (i.e., head and neck, colorectal, esophageal, breast, cervical, ovarian, pancreatic, and sarcoma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of safe and high-quality silage has always been the main concern. This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of waste dried soybean curd residue (SR) and Lactobacillus plantarum CCZZ1 on the fermentation quality and microbial community of total mixed ration (TMR) silage based on Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). Napier grass was made into TMR, and SR at 3%, 6% or 9% on dry material basis was included, which replaced the equivalent amount of corn meal, then they were inoculated without or with Lactobacillus plantarum CCZZ1 (105 cfu g−1; LP). The research results showed that incorporating SR even at 3% resulted in significant reduction in ammonia nitrogen content (87.3 g kg−1 total nitrogen vs. 109.7 g kg−1 total nitrogen), increased lactic acid content (34.4 g kg−1 DM vs. 25.5 g kg−1 DM), and higher relative abundance of Lactobacillus (94.5% vs. 32.2%). Additionally, it led to decreased relative abundances of pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli (< 0.1% vs. 9.68%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (< 0.1% vs. 9.46%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (< 0.1% vs. 8.53%) during the ensiling process. When SR was used together with LP inoculation, they were further improved. These findings suggest that the inclusion of SR, even at a 3% level without LP inoculation, can effectively improve the fermentation quality and microbial profile of TMR silage based on fresh Napier grass. This offers a promising technical approach to utilizing SR and producing safe and high-quality TMR silage based on fresh grass. Highlights: Ensiling is an efficacious store way for fresh grass-based TMR in tropical and subtropical regions. SR inclusion offers a promising approach to produce safe and high-quality TMR silage. SR greatly increases the relative abundance of desirable Lactobacillus in TMR silage. SR greatly decreases harmful microorganisms like E. coli, S. epidermidis, and S. pneumoniae during ensiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wound re-epithelialization is considered as an extremely important link in the complete reconstruction of the epidermal barrier. The present study is aimed to determine the association between transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and re-epithelialization. Objective: It was aimed to explore the possible molecular mechanism of TGF-β mediated re-epithelialization. Results: NEAT1 was upregulated in TGF-β1-treated HaCaT cells and promoted cell proliferation. NEAT1 overexpression enhanced the wound healing and upregulated MMP-2 and MMP-9 in TGF-β1-treated HaCaT cells. Mechanically, TGF-β1 down-regulated miR-26a-5p through targeting NEAT1 in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, NEAT1/miR-26a-5p axis regulated the expression of LGR4 in HaCaT cells. Finally, the results showed that NEAT1/miR-26a-5p/LGR4 axis was involved in TGF-β1-mediated re-epithelialization. Conclusion: NEAT1/miR-26a-5p/LGR4 network is an important participant in TGF-β1-mediated keratinocyte proliferation and migration, which provides a novel perspective for understanding the cellular behavior and related molecular events in re-epithelialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Recent technological advances have identified distinct subpopulations and roles of the cardiac innate immune cells, specifically macrophages and neutrophils. Studies on distinct metabolic pathways of macrophage and neutrophil in cardiac injury are expanding. Here, we elaborate on the roles of cardiac macrophages and neutrophils in concomitance with their metabolism in normal and diseased hearts. Recent Findings: Single-cell techniques combined with fate mapping have identified the clusters of innate immune cell subpopulations present in the resting and diseased hearts. We are beginning to know about the presence of cardiac resident macrophages and their functions. Summary: Resident macrophages perform cardiac homeostatic roles, whereas infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages contribute to tissue damage during cardiac injury with eventual role in repair. Prior studies show that metabolic pathways regulate the phenotypes of the macrophages and neutrophils during cardiac injury. Profiling the metabolism of the innate immune cells, especially of resident macrophages during chronic and acute cardiac diseases, can further the understanding of cardiac immunometabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Filling silos generally takes much time in practice, which may negatively affect silage fermentation and feed intake. To clarify the effects of inoculating time, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains and filling time on the silage fermentation and microbes of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) and its silage, ensiling was quickly performed (quickly filling, QF) with or without LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum SXC48, Lb. plantarum CCZZ1 and Enterococcus faecalis XC124), and was performed after stylo inoculated with or without LAB was placed for 1 day (delayed filling, DF1) and 2 days (DF2). Results: Delayed filling significantly increased pH, buffering capacity, microbial counts and lactic acid, acetic acid and NH3–N contents of stylo prior to ensiling. Inoculating Lb. plantarum SXC48 and CCZZ1 improved the fermentation quality of QF silage, indicated by more lactic acid, as well as lower pH and butyric acid content. Inoculating time significantly affected the pH and lactic acid content of silages. For the DF2 silages, inoculating SXC48 at filling was better than at chopping, while inoculating CCZZ1 had good fermentation quality, regardless of inoculating time. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that delayed filling enhanced the bacterial diversity of materials and silage, and inoculating significantly changed the composition of silage microbes. Kosakonia, Pseudomonas and Pantoea jointly dominated the fresh material, while Pantoea and Lelliottia jointly dominated the DF2 material. For the QF silages, inoculating SXC48 and CCZZ1 increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus from 16.4% in the control silage to 76.5% and 82.0%, respectively. Pantoea and Lelliottia jointly dominated the DF silages. Inoculating SXC48 and CCZZ1 also increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in the DF stylo silages. Conclusions: Under the present research conditions, delayed filling increased the lactic acid content and reduced the acetic acid, propionic acid and NH3–N contents of stylo silage, however, increased the bacterial diversity and relative abundance of undesirable bacteria, such as Pantoea and Lelliottia. The inoculating effectiveness varied with the LAB strains and inoculating time. Inoculating strian SXC48 at filling was better than at chopping, while inoculating strian CCZZ1 at both chopping and filling obtained the similar benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study is designed to determine if hearing loss is associated with increased risk of frailty in later life. Design: A prospective cohort study. Setting and Participants: We retrieved data of a community sample of men aged 70 years and above living in the metropolitan region of Perth, Western Australia. 3,285 participants who were free of frailty at the beginning of the study were followed for up to 17 years. Data were retrieved from the Health in Men Study (HIMS) and the Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS). Measurements: Hearing loss was defined by self-report or by diagnosis recorded in the WADLS. Incident frailty was assessed using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). Results: A total of 2,348 (71.5%) men developed frailty during follow up. The adjusted hazard ratio was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.95–1.12). The majority of the participants became frail by age 90 regardless of hearing condition. The time point where half of the group become frail was delayed by 14.4 months for men without hearing loss compared with hearing impaired men. Conclusions: Hearing loss is not associated with incident frailty in men aged 70 years or older when frailty was measured by HFRS. However, this statistically non-significant result could be due to the low sensitivity of study measures. Also, we found a trend that men with hearing loss were more likely to develop frailty compared with their normal-hearing peers, suggesting a potential association between hearing loss and frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a powerful and rapid aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) method was used to extract polysaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula. The ATPS process was investigated with response surface methodology (RSM). At an ammonium sulfate concentration of 17%, ethanol concentration of 30%, and extraction temperature of 40 °C at pH 6, the total extraction yield of polysaccharides reached (31.57 ± 1.28)%. After separation and purification, a homogenized polysaccharide CPP 2–4 with molecular weight of 3.9 × 104 kDa was obtained from the bottom phase. The physicochemical properties and structural features confirmed that CPP 2–4 was an α-1,6-glucan. Activity studies showed that the IC50 of CPP 2–4 for DPPH radical scavenging was 0.105 mg/mL. The FRAP and ABTS assays showed that CPP 2–4 had strong antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, CPP 2–4 inhibited NO release in RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide, which indicated a certain anti-inflammatory effect. This study improved the extraction rate of polysaccharides from C. pilosula and identified a glucan for the first time, that can contribute to a better understanding of the composition and structure of polysaccharides from C. pilosula and provide data support for the medicine and food homology of C. pilosula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cancer is increasingly considered a metabolic disorder, it is postulated that serum metabolite profiling can be a viable approach for detecting the presence of cancer. By multiplexing mass spectrometry fingerprints from two independent nanostructured matrixes through machine learning for highly sensitive detection and high throughput analysis, we report a laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry-based liquid biopsy for pan-cancer screening and classification. The Multiplexed Nanomaterial-Assisted LDI for Cancer Identification (MNALCI) is applied in 1,183 individuals that include 233 healthy controls and 950 patients with liver, lung, pancreatic, colorectal, gastric, thyroid cancers from two independent cohorts. MNALCI demonstrates 93% sensitivity at 91% specificity for distinguishing cancers from healthy controls in the internal validation cohort, and 84% sensitivity at 84% specificity in the external validation cohort, with up to eight metabolite biomarkers identified. In addition, across those six different cancers, the overall accuracy for identifying the tumor tissue of origin is 92% in the internal validation cohort and 85% in the external validation cohort. The excellent accuracy and minimum sample consumption make the high throughput assay a promising solution for non-invasive cancer diagnosis. As cancer is increasingly considered a metabolic disorder, it is postulated that serum metabolite profiling can be a viable approach for detecting the presence of cancer. Here, the authors report a machine learning model using mass spectrometry-based liquid biopsy data for pan-cancer screening and classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the sets of countable discrete semigroups that force recurrence, that is, the recurrent properties of a point along a subset of a countable semigroup action. We show that a subset of a monoid forces recurrence (resp., forces minimality) if and only if it contains a broken IP-set (resp., broken syndetic set), and forces infinite recurrence implies it is contains a broken infinite IP-sets. As an example, we show that every subset with positive upper Banach density of infinite countable amenable groups forces infinite recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in the diagnostic assessment of pediatric fever of unknown origin is not known, and evidence from adults is not applicable. Objective: To quantify the contribution of 18F-FDG PET to pediatric fever of unknown origin, considering its diagnostic limitations. Materials and methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to Feb. 18, 2021. We included studies on patients with pediatric fever of unknown origin presenting sufficient data to calculate the likelihood of achieving definite diagnosis (based on pathology or clinical follow-up) between those with abnormal PET findings versus those with normal PET findings. We assessed the risk of bias using a modified Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment scale and quantified the value of PET by pooling the likelihood of achieving definite diagnosis using a random-effects model. Results: We included 6 studies and found that pediatric patients with abnormal PET findings were about 17 times more likely to achieve definite diagnoses than those with normal PET findings (odds ratio [OR]: 16.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.0–35, P < 0.00001). Sensitivity analyses using a fixed-effect model (OR 16.91, 95% CI 8.1–35, P < 0.0001) or removing one study at a time (OR 12–20, 95% CI lower bound 3.8–8.6, 95% CI upper bound 33–45, P < 0.0001) did not significantly alter the results. Sample size (interaction P = 0.75), imaging modality (interaction P = 0.29), length of follow-up (interaction P = 0.37), fever of unknown origin subclasses (interaction P = 0.89) and geographical areas (interaction P = 0.74) of studies showed no statistically significant influence on the results. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET is a promising approach in the diagnostic work-up of pediatric fever of unknown origin. Further studies are warranted to support routine use in clinical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoma Alismatis, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, is the dried tuber of Alisma orientale and Alisma A. plantago-aquatica, mainly cultivated in Fujian and Sichuan provinces (China), respectively. Studies have shown that the rhizosphere microbiome is a key factor determining quality of Chinese medicinal plants. Here we applied metagenomics to investigate the rhizosphere microbiome of Alisma in Fujian and Sichuan, focusing on its structure and function and those genes involved in protostane triterpenes biosynthesis. The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes. Compared with Fujian, the rhizosphere of Sichuan has a greater α diversity and stronger microbial interactions but significantly lower relative abundance of archaea. Microbes with disease-suppressing functions were more abundant in Sichuan than Fujian, but vice versa for those with IAA-producing functions. Gemmatimonas, Anaeromyxobacter, and Pseudolabrys were the main contributors to the potential functional difference in two regions. Genes related to protostane triterpenes biosynthesis were enriched in Fujian. Steroidobacter, Pseudolabrys, Nevskia, and Nitrospira may contribute to the accumulation of protostane triterpenes in Alisma. This work fills a knowledge gap of Alisma’s rhizosphere microbiome, providing a valuable reference for studying its beneficial microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest in studying the optical and electrical properties of nanotubes is caused by their specific features, such as the band gap, which is dependent on the nanotube structure symmetry, and high electrical conductivity, due to which they can be considered as promising materials for nanoelectronics. Most existing methods of preparation of these structures suggest the formation of nanotubes in the form of arrays, with a large dispersion of their characteristic sizes. Therefore, the most important problem is to analyze the influence of size dispersion on the optical properties of a nanotube bundle. The purpose of this study is to theoretically investigate the influence of dispersion of the spiral-nanotube radius on macroscopic quantum effects arising at anisotropic transfer of the photon momentum to the electron subsystem. The model under consideration is a cylindrical nanotube with infinitely thin walls. The nanotube spiral symmetry is described by extended spiral perturbation simulated by the δ potential. The emf of photon drag and emf arising due to Joule heating of the electron system are calculated in the quadrupole approximation with allowance for the dispersion of nanotube radii. The influence of dispersion of the characteristic spiral-nanotube sizes on macroscopic quantum effects in a longitudinal magnetic field is theoretically studied. Analytical formulas are derived (with allowance for the dispersion of the characteristic sizes of spiral nanotubes in an array) for the photon-drag emf in a standing electromagnetic wave and for the emf due to Joule heating of the electron system by the photon-drag current of electrons through a nanotube in a longitudinal magnetic field. The influence of the dispersion of characteristic sizes of spiral nanotubes in an array on the macroscopic quantum effects is investigated. It is shown that the macroscopic quantum effect, which is related to the photon-drag emf in a standing electromagnetic wave, may be suppressed in real arrays of nanotubes, where the dispersion of their radii plays a significant role. It is also shown that suppression of the emf, related to Joule heating of the electron system by the photon-drag current through a nanotube, increases with an increase in the standard deviation, which is due to significant dispersion of the characteristic spiral-nanotube radii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiogenesis is the process of growing endothelial capillary cells. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that are rich in miRNAs. Studies have shown that exosomes can carry communication between cells and various tissues by delivering miRNAs to their target organs and cells. It has been repeatedly proven that miRNAs regulate the expression of growth factors and other proteins in endothelial cells through paracrine signalling and participate in the physiological and pathological processes of angiogenesis. In the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, exosome-derived microRNAs can play important roles as biomarkers and drug carriers. In this review, we introduce the characteristics of miRNAs and exosomes and their interactions. Then, we specifically summarize the exosome-derived miRNAs related to angiogenesis, and we discuss the potential uses of exosome-derived miRNAs for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine to what degree guidelines for PET and PET/CT used systematic review evidence. Methods: The latest version of guidelines for PET, PET/CT or PET/MRI published in English in PubMed until December 2019 was analysed in two categories: (1) for indications, if mainly discussing the appropriate use of PET in diverse conditions; (2) for procedures, if providing step-by-step instructions for imaging. We surveyed the general characteristics and the use of systematic review evidence for developing recommendations across all guidelines, and surveyed the citation of evidence for five recommendation topics in guidelines for procedures. Results: Forty-seven guidelines, published between 2004 and 2020, were included. Guidelines for indications were developed mainly on systematic reviews (13 of 19, 68.4%). Among those, 12 (63.2%) reported the level of evidence, 4 (21.1%) reported the strength of recommendations, 3 (15.8%) described external review and 7 (36.8%) involved methodologists. Guidelines for procedures were seldom developed on systematic reviews (1 of 27, 3.7%). Among those, 1 (3.7%) reported the level of evidence, 1 (3.7%) reported the strength of recommendations, 3 (11.1%) described external review and 1 (3.7%) involved methodologists. Systematic review evidence was cited by 2 (7.4%) procedure guidelines per recommendation topic in median. Conclusion: The use of systematic review evidence for developing recommendations among PET or PET/CT guidelines was suboptimal. While our survey is an icebreaking attempt to explore a key element (i.e. use of systematic review evidence) for developing nuclear medicine guidelines, assessments of other domains of guideline quality may help capture the entire picture. Key Points: • The use of systematic review evidence for developing recommendations among guidelines for PET or PET/CT was suboptimal. • Only 13 (68.4%) guidelines for indications and 1 (3.7%) guideline for procedures systematically reviewed the literature during guideline development. • For each recommendation topic we examined, only a median of 2 (7.4%) procedure guidelines cited systematic review evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The utility of integrated single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) in children and young adults with differentiated thyroid carcinoma is incompletely studied. Objective: To determine the value of adding SPECT/CT to conventional whole-body scintigraphy in post-ablation iodine-131 (131I) scintigraphy for children and young adults with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Materials and methods: Planar scintigraphy and SPECT/CT were performed on 42 post-surgical children and young adults (32 female, 10 male; mean age 14.3±4.9 years, range 7–20 years) with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (39 papillary, 2 follicular, 1 mixed) 5 days after the therapeutic administration of 1.9–7.4 GBq of 131I. Planar and SPECT/CT images were interpreted independently, and sites of uptake were categorized as positive or equivocal with respect to thyroid bed, lymph node and distant metastasis uptake. An experienced thyroid endocrinologist used a combination of surgical histopathology and scintigraphic findings to determine whether the addition of SPECT/CT would change patient management. Results: Planar scintigraphy evidenced 88 radioiodine-avid foci and SPECT/CT confirmed all foci. No additional foci were disclosed by SPECT/CT. SPECT/CT correctly classified 16/88 (18%) foci that were unclear or wrongly classified at planar scintigraphy. Globally, SPECT/CT showed an incremental value over planar scintigraphy in 9 (21.4%) patients and changed therapeutic management in 3 (7.1%; 95% confidence interval, 2–20%) patients. Conclusion: SPECT/CT improved localization and characterization of focal 131I uptake on post-ablation whole-body scintigraphy in children and young adults with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Further prospective evaluation in a larger series is justified to prove the effect of post-ablation SPECT/CT-based management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was designed and performed to assess the ability of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) radiomics features combined with machine learning methods to differentiate between primary and metastatic lung lesions and to classify histological subtypes. Moreover, we identified the optimal machine learning method. Methods: A total of 769 patients pathologically diagnosed with primary or metastatic lung cancers were enrolled. We used the LIFEx package to extract radiological features from semiautomatically segmented PET and CT images within the same volume of interest. Patients were randomly distributed in training and validation sets. Through the evaluation of five feature selection methods and nine classification methods, discriminant models were established. The robustness of the procedure was controlled by tenfold cross-validation. The model's performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Based on the radiomics features extracted from PET and CT images, forty-five discriminative models were established. Combined with appropriate feature selection methods, most classifiers showed excellent discriminative ability with AUCs greater than 0.75. In the differentiation between primary and metastatic lung lesions, the feature selection method gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) combined with the classifier GBDT achieved the highest classification AUC of 0.983 in the PET dataset. In contrast, the feature selection method eXtreme gradient boosting combined with the classifier random forest (RF) achieved the highest AUC of 0.828 in the CT dataset. In the discrimination between squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, the combination of GBDT feature selection method with GBDT classification had the highest AUC of 0.897 in the PET dataset. In contrast, the combination of the GBDT feature selection method with the RF classification had the highest AUC of 0.839 in the CT dataset. Most of the decision tree (DT)-based models were overfitted, suggesting that the classification method was not appropriate for practical application. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics features combined with machine learning methods can distinguish between primary and metastatic lung lesions and identify histological subtypes in lung cancer. GBDT and RF were considered optimal classification methods for the PET and CT datasets, respectively, and GBDT was considered the optimal feature selection method in our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of insects is critically affected by temperature, which therefore plays an important role in the control of stored grain pests. Extreme temperature stress conditions lead to biological responses in mites, such as the synthesis of heat shock proteins. Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Tp) is a pest mite in stored grain that has negative effects on both economy and health. Since T. putrescentiae population dynamics are strongly influenced by temperature, in the present study we have cloned the cDNA of HSP70 and HSP90 (referred to as TpHSP70-1, TpHSP70-2 and TpHSP90) and determined their expression by fluorescence real time quantitative PCR. TpHSP70 and TpHSP90 showed high homology with similar genes in other species and the open reading frames of TpHSP70-1, TpHSP70-2 and TpHSP90 encoded proteins of 665, 661 and 718 amino acid residues, respectively. Under thermal stress, expression of TpHsp70-1 and TpHsp90 was up-regulated at higher temperatures, suggesting their role in the defense against thermal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian heart switches its main metabolic substrate from glucose to fatty acids shortly after birth. This metabolic switch coincides with the loss of regenerative capacity in the heart. However, it is unknown whether glucose metabolism regulates heart regeneration. Here, we report that glucose metabolism is a determinant of regenerative capacity in the neonatal mammalian heart. Cardiac-specific overexpression of Glut1, the embryonic form of constitutively active glucose transporter, resulted in an increase in glucose uptake and concomitant accumulation of glycogen storage in postnatal heart. Upon cryoinjury, Glut1 transgenic hearts showed higher regenerative capacity with less fibrosis than non-transgenic control hearts. Interestingly, flow cytometry analysis revealed two distinct populations of ventricular cardiomyocytes: Tnnt2-high and Tnnt2-low cardiomyocytes, the latter of which showed significantly higher mitotic activity in response to high intracellular glucose in Glut1 transgenic hearts. Metabolic profiling shows that Glut1-transgenic hearts have a significant increase in the glucose metabolites including nucleotides upon injury. Inhibition of the nucleotide biosynthesis abrogated the regenerative advantage of high intra-cardiomyocyte glucose level, suggesting that the glucose enhances the cardiomyocyte regeneration through the supply of nucleotides. Our data suggest that the increase in glucose metabolism promotes cardiac regeneration in neonatal mouse heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To perform a systematic review regarding the developments in the field of radiomics in lymphoma. To evaluate the quality of included articles by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2), the phases classification criteria for image mining studies, and the radiomics quality scoring (RQS) tool. Methods: We searched for eligible articles in the MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE databases using the terms "radiomics", "texture" and "lymphoma". The included studies were divided into two categories: diagnosis-, therapy response- and outcome-related studies. The diagnosis-related studies were evaluated using the QUADAS-2; all studies were evaluated using the phases classification criteria for image mining studies and the RQS tool by two reviewers. Results: Forty-five studies were included; thirteen papers (28.9%) focused on the differential diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and glioblastoma (GBM). Thirty-two (71.1%) studies were classified as discovery science according to the phase classification criteria for image mining studies. The mean RQS score of all studies was 14.2% (ranging from 0.0 to 40.3%), and 23 studies (51.1%) were given a score of < 10%. Conclusion: The radiomics features could serve as diagnostic and prognostic indicators in lymphoma. However, the current conclusions should be interpreted with caution due to the suboptimal quality of the studies. In order to introduce radiomics into lymphoma clinical settings, the lesion segmentation and selection, the influence of the pathological pattern and the extraction of multiple modalities and multiple time points features need to be further studied. Key Points: • The radiomics approach may provide useful information for diagnosis, prediction of the therapy response, and outcome of lymphoma. • The quality of published radiomics studies in lymphoma has been suboptimal to date. • More studies are needed to examine lesion selection and segmentation, the influence of pathological patterns, and the extraction of multiple modalities and multiple time point features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics-based model for predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of nasal-type extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL). Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 110 ENKTL patients were divided into a training cohort (n = 82) and a validation cohort (n = 28). Forty-one features were extracted from pretreatment PET images of the patients. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to develop the radiomic signatures (R-signatures). A radiomics-based model was built and validated in the two cohorts and compared with a metabolism-based model. Results: The R-signatures were constructed with moderate predictive ability in the training and validation cohorts (R-signaturePFS: AUC = 0.788 and 0.473; R-signatureOS: AUC = 0.637 and 0.730). For PFS, the radiomics-based model showed better discrimination than the metabolism-based model in the training cohort (C-index = 0.811 vs. 0.751) but poorer discrimination in the validation cohort (C-index = 0.588 vs. 0.693). The calibration of the radiomics-based model was poorer than that of the metabolism-based model (training cohort: p = 0.415 vs. 0.428, validation cohort: p = 0.228 vs. 0.652). For OS, the performance of the radiomics-based model was poorer (training cohort: C-index = 0.818 vs. 0.828, p = 0.853 vs. 0.885; validation cohort: C-index = 0.628 vs. 0.753, p < 0.05 vs. 0.913). Conclusions: Radiomic features derived from PET images can predict the outcomes of patients with ENKTL, but the performance of the radiomics-based model was inferior to that of the metabolism-based model. Key Points: • The R-signatures calculated by using18F-FDG PET radiomic features can predict the survival of patients with ENKTL. • The radiomics-based models integrating the R-signatures and clinical factors achieved good predictive values. • The performance of the radiomics-based model was inferior to that of the metabolism-based model in the two cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the potential of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in replacing routine bone-marrow biopsies (BMB) in newly diagnosed extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). Methods: Newly diagnosed patients underwent PET/CT imaging and routine BMB to assess bone/bone marrow involvement (BMI). Clinical stage and treatment plan were determined, and survival was compared. Results: In a total of 101 patients, 78 were diagnosed as stage I/II and 23 as stage III/IV without using the BMB results. No BMB-positive patients were identified in stages I/II, and therefore, the BMB results did not alter the stage and treatment choice in any patients. The sensitivity and specificity of focal skeletal PET/CT lesion(s) in assessing BMI was 100% and 92.8%, respectively, taking routine BMB as the reference standard. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of BMB-positive patients was significantly inferior (P = 0.0011 and 0.0465, respectively, in advanced-stage patients; both P < 0.0001 in all patients), and this was corroborated by the PET/CT findings (P = 0.0006 and 0.0116, respectively, in advanced-stage patients; both P < 0.0001 in all patients). Conclusions: Based on the results, PET/CT demonstrated satisfactory predictive performance in terms of staging and prognosis in ENKTCL. BMB did not influence staging and treatment in newly diagnosed ENKTCL, and routine non-targeted BMB is not obligatory for early stage patients undergoing PET/CT. Targeted BMB is recommended to confirm BMI in advanced-stage patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to huge bulk volume and extremely complex geometrical and geological features, it is forbiddingly difficult to perform a dam structural analysis with even moderate geometry fidelity in engineering practices. We present a high resolution of engineering structural analysis of the first ultra-high concrete-faced rockfill dam in China. Mesh resolution is taken to be 20 cm along slab thickness for the bulk volume of 20M m3 of the whole dam. The engineering problem is solved by considering nonlinear behaviors such as joints' contact nonlinearity, creep deformation, and strong thermo-mechanical coupling, as well as blended continuous-discontinuous approximation, on a mesh model of 1.1 billion dofs using 16K CPU cores of Tianhe-II. The problem to be solved is a challenging non-positive definite, non-symmetric and ill-conditioned matrix problem. The simulation confirms in the first time that the sunlight temperature effect can contribute up to a contact stress increment of maximum 10.9 MPa and explains frequent extrusion damage observed for the dam. As model tests are difficult to perform for high dams, with this first success, we envision that extreme-scale simulation would pose broad impact on the safety evaluation of high dams in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems worldwide and are frequently described as the kidneys of the earth because of the wide range of environmental functions and ecological benefits. Assessments of wetland ecosystem health play an important role in the development of robust protection and use strategies for wetlands that integrate ecological and socio-economic aspects. In this study, the Element-Landscape-Society conceptual model for diagnosing wetland ecosystem health was constructed. The conceptual model highlights the three main elements of wetland ecosystems (i.e. water, soil, and vegetation). This study selected eighteen indicators to establish an indicator system to diagnose wetland health, considering the importance of landscape and social factors. Using remote sensing, field sampling, and statistical data, this research constructed models based on the analytical hierarchy process and support vector machine methods and compared the diagnoses from the two methods and verified them with previous studies. Results indicate the indicator system is useful for assessing the health of a wetland ecosystem. Overall, the Zoige wetland ecosystem had medium health status; the health was good in the center of the wetland, but gradually declined towards the edge; therefore, the buffer and the experimental area at the edge of the reserve should receive more protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video summarization is an effective way to quick view videos and relieve the pressure of videos storage. However the traditional algorithms are hardly adapted to unstructured videos, due to the unobvious for scenes changing and ignoring the structure of the videos. Therefore, an Auto-encoder-based summarization algorithm is proposed in this paper for unstructured videos. Each video structure is detected by an Auto-encoder and both of the interestingness and representativeness of each video segment are predicted by the reconstruction errors of the segment. Meanwhile, most interesting and representative summarization is generated with the limited summary length. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm obtained a better performance by comparing with the state-of-the-art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that has a major impact on patients' quality of life. Progranulin (PGRN) is highly expressed in skin diseases and plays an important role in inflammation response and autophagy. However, the function of PGRN in the immune system and autophagy in psoriasis has not been clearly identified and elaborated on. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of PGRN on the inflammatory and autophagy process underlying inflammation in HaCaT cells. We showed that PGRN was markedly highly expressed in psoriasis lesions and inflammatory HaCaT cells. Specific silencing of PGRN promoted the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, iNOs, and MCP-1. Furthermore, PGRN siRNA promoted autophagy-related gene p62 and suppressed LC3II and Atg7 in HaCaT cells, while overexpression of PGRN showed a contrary effect. Moreover, knockdown of PGRN upregulated the expression levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1, and c-myc proteins. Finally, we demonstrated that IWP-2, an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, stemmed the pro-inflammatory and anti-autophagy effect of PGRN siRNA in TNF-α-treated HaCaT cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that PGRN is upregulated in psoriasis lesions and that the overexpression of PGRN inhibits the inflammation in keratinocytes induced by TNF-α by negatively regulating the production of inflammatory factors and positively mediating autophagy through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway; this indicated that overexpression of PGRN may be a potential therapeutic option in psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated whether degrees of dysplasia may be consistently accessed in an automatic fashion, using different kinds of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) as a validatory model. Namely, we compared Bowen disease, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, low-grade squamous cell carcinoma, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We hypothesized that characterizing the shape of nuclei may be important to consistently diagnose the aggressiveness of a skin tumor. While basal cell carcinoma is comparatively relatively benign, management of squamous cell carcinoma is controversial because of its potential to recur and intraoperative dilemma regarding choice of the margin or the depth for the excision. We provide evidence here that progressive nuclear dysplasia may be automatically estimated through the thresholded images of skin cancer and quantitative parameters estimated to provide a quasi-quantitative data, which can thenceforth guide the management of the particular cancer. For circularity, averaging more than 2500 nuclei in each group estimated the means ± SD as 0.8 ± 0.007 vs. 0.78 ± 0.0063 vs. 0.42 ± 0.014 vs. 0.63 ± 0.02 vs. 0.51 ± 0.02 ( F = 318063.56, p < 0.0001, one-way analyses of variance). The mean aspect ratios were (means ± SD) 0.97 ± 0.0014 vs. 0.95 ± 0.002 vs. 0.38 ± 0.018 vs. 0.84 ± 0.0035 vs. 0.74 ± 0.019 ( F = 1022631.931, p < 0.0001, one-way analyses of variance). The Feret diameters averaged over 2500 nuclei in each group were the following: 1 ± 0.0001 vs. 0.9 ± 0.002 vs. 5 ± 0.031 vs. 1.5 ± 0.01 vs. 1.9 ± 0.004 ( F = 33105614.194, p < 0.0001, one-way analyses of variance). Multivariate analyses of composite parameters potentially detect aggressive variants of squamous cell carcinoma as the most dysplastic form, in comparison to locally occurring squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, or benign skin lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new on-chip signal generator for charge-based capacitance measurement (CBCM) circuit is proposed. As compared to conventional circuits that use two input off-chip clock signals or on-chip delay cells, the proposed circuit uses an I/Q splitter and an AND function to obtain 1/2 and 1/8 duty cycle signals, hence reduces the potential mismatch between these two clock signals. The proposed circuit makes it possible to use higher input frequency in measurement. As a result, smaller capacitance can be measured using the same measurement facilities without the loss of accuracy. Implemented in a standard 180 nm CMOS process, the proposed signal generator only occupies 40 μm × 18 μm while consuming less than 60 μW at an input frequency of 100 MHz. Simulation and measurement results suggest that the CBCM measuring circuits with proposed signal generator achieves the same accuracy as compared to conventional circuits while the requirement of measurement facilities can be considerably relaxed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although the prognostic value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using [F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) has been widely confirmed for diffuse large B cell lymphoma, its value for extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL), is still controversial. Therefore, we designed a prospective study to investigate the prognostic value of F-FDG PET/CT in patients with ENKTL. Materials and methods: Thirty-three patients with newly diagnosed, untreated ENKTL, were enrolled in this study. Interim and post-therapy PET/CT scans were analyzed by visual evaluation, in accordance with the criteria set forth by the International Harmonization Project. Patients were classified as either positive or negative. Pretreatment maximum standardized uptake values (SUV) of F-FDG were recorded in the most F-FDG-intense lesions. The pretreatment F-FDG SUV as well as the interim and post-therapy PET/CT results were assessed for the ability to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: On the pretreatment scan, the SUV of the indicator lesion was >10.00 in 81.8 % of patients who were treatment-resistant and ≤10.00 in 86.4 % of patients who were treatment non-resistant (mean SUV, 12.93 and 8.10, respectively). Univariate analyses revealed that pretreatment SUV is a significant predictor ( P < 0.01, P < 0.01) of PFS and OS, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that pretreatment SUV ( P < 0.01, P = 0.01) and post-therapy PET/CT result ( P < 0.01, P = 0.04) are independent predictors of PFS and OS, respectively. Conclusions: F-FDG uptakes prior to treatment and post-therapy PET/CT results can predict unfavorable outcomes following treatment in patients with ENKTL, but interim PET/CT results have little value in predicting survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current trend of computer architecture evolving towards exaflop/s is the fast increasing floating point performance (the so-called 'free' flops) accompanied by much slowly improving the bandwidth of memory and network. Numerical simulation would undergo the challenge posed by the unbalanced increase in the compute power and the capability of data movement. In this paper, after reviewing the challenges of hardware and software in moving towards exascale computing, we present co-design thinking for selecting, optimizing, and developing a numerical algorithm and a simulation tool to meet the challenge of simulation at extreme scale. Examples are presented to demonstrate the new way of thinking and its effectiveness on the emerging architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UCP3’s exact physiological function in lipid handling in skeletal and cardiac muscle remains unknown. Interestingly, etomoxir, a fat oxidation inhibitor and strong inducer of UCP3, is proposed for treating both diabetes and heart failure. We hypothesize that the upregulation of UCP3 upon etomoxir serves to protect mitochondria against lipotoxicity. To evaluate UCP3’s role in skeletal muscle (skm) and heart under lipid-challenged conditions, the effect of UCP3 ablation was examined in a state of dysbalance between fat availability and oxidative capacity. Wild type (WT) and UCP3−/− mice were subjected to high-fat feeding for 14 days. From day 6 onwards, they were given either saline or etomoxir. Etomoxir treatment induced an increase in markers of lipotoxicity in skm compared to saline. This increase upon etomoxir was similar for both, WT and UCP3−/− mice, suggesting that UCP3 does not play a role in protection against lipotoxicity. Interestingly, we observed 25 % mortality in UCP3−/−s upon etomoxir administration vs. 11 % in WTs. This increased mortality in UCP3−/− compared to WT mice could not be explained by differences in cardiac lipotoxicity, apoptosis, fibrosis (histology, immunohistochemistry), oxidative capacity (respirometry) or function (echocardiography). Electrophysiology demonstrated, however, prolonged QRS and QTc intervals and greater susceptibility to ventricular tachycardia upon programmed electrical stimulation in etomoxir-treated UCP3−/−s versus WTs. Isoproterenol administration after pacing resulted in 75 % mortality in UCP3−/−s vs. 14 % in WTs. Our results argue against a protective role for UCP3 on skm metabolism under lipid overload, but suggest UCP3 to be crucial in prevention of arrhythmias upon lipid-challenged conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, a novel rhodamine6G based fluorescent chemosensor bearing 3-carbaldehyde chromone was designed and synthesized. According to the fluorescence behavior toward several metal ions, it showed highly selectivity and sensitivity to Zn(II) over other commonly coexistent metal ions (Cu(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Mg(II), K(I), Pb(II), Fe(III) and Cr(III)) in aqueous environment (pH = 7.4). Meanwhile the binding constant between Zn(II) and chemosensor achieved 6.21 × 10 M in aqueous media. Moreover, according to the Job plot, 1:1 stoichiometry between Zn(II) and sensor was deduced in aqueous media (pH = 7.4). The good selectivity and sensitivity in aqueous media effectively enhanced the application value of the fluorescent chemosensor for Zn(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Since the carboxylate form could be regarded as a possible 'source' of lactone form, the optimum ratio of lactone should be determined for the administration of camptothecin (CPT) analogues such as 9-nitrocamptothecin (9-NC). Methods: 9-NC solutions with different lactone ratios (100, 75, 50, 25 and 0 %) were obtained by the change of pH. The resultant 9-NC solution and corresponding blank solvent were intravenously injected to mice to evaluate toxicity. The S180 tumor-bearing mice were intravenously administered 9-NC solutions with different lactone ratios, and the antitumor efficacy and toxicity were compared. The tissue distribution of lactone and total (the total of lactone and carboxylate forms) 9-NC was also investigated as a function of lactone ratio. Results: Toxicity of 9-NC was found to be increased with the increase in lactone ratio. The tumor inhibitory rates of 9-NC solution were determined to be 64.17, 60.43, 42.78, 41.71 and 8.60 % for 100, 75, 50, 25 and 0 % lactone ratio, respectively. The lactone stability of 9-NC in most tissues was found to be higher than in plasma. In tumor and plasma, whether for lactone or total 9-NC AUC values, there was no difference between 100 and 75 % groups. Conclusions: Although carboxylate form of CPTs is inactive, the administration of carboxylate form in an appropriate ratio is active as a result of its conversion to lactone form in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the protective effects of allicin on Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Methods: Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomized into 3 groups:1)sham group (saline)( n = 12), 2) Ang II group( n = 9), 3) allicin group (Ang II + allicin)( n = 9). They received infusions of either saline or Ang II (250 ng/kg body weight per min) through mini-osmotic pumps implanted subcutaneously for 2 weeks and given a diet containing 180 mg/kg/day of allicin for 8 consecutive weeks. Hemodynamic, morphological, histological, and biochemical changes were evaluated at corresponding time points. Results: Ang II infusion increased blood pressure, heart rate and heart weight to body weight ratio, and resulted in anatomical and functional changes, such as increased LV mass, posterior wall thickness and LV end-diastolic diameter, and decreased fractional shortening and EF compared with sham rats. Nrf2 and HO-1 in the hearts of rats in the Ang II group were moderately elevated at both mRNA and protein levels compared to sham group mice, but NQO1 andγ-GCS were significantly lower. GPx activities, levels of GSH and T-AOC in the hearts of the rats in the Ang II group were also significantly lower, and the levels of TBARS, reactive oxygen species and protein carbonyl were significant increased. Allicin attenuated LV mass, posterior wall thickness and LV end-diastolic diameter (1.10 ± 0.04 vs. 1.37 ± 0.05, 2.26 ± 0.08 vs. 2.96 ± 0.12, 7.27 ± 0.36 vs. 8.56 ± 0.41, respectively; all P < 0.05), and increased fractional shortening and EF (28.30 ± 3.21 vs. 25.40 ± 2.57, 60.27 ± 5.63 vs. 51.30 ± 4.78, respectively; both P < 0.05) in the Ang II-induced hypertrophic rats compared to the untreated Ang II rats. Furthermore, allicin treatment attenuated the accumulation of interstitial collagen and collagen I/III ( P < 0.01 vs. the untreated Ang II group), decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species, protein carbonyl and TBARS and increased GPx activities. Moreover, allicin significantly increased mRNA expression and protein levels of Nrf2, NQO1, and γ-GCS ( P < 0.01, P < 0.05 vs. the untreated Ang II group). Conclusion: Allicin could prevent the development of cardiac remodeling and the progression of cardiac hypertrophy to cardiac dysfunction caused by enhancing the Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]