Search

Abstract Tropical wetlands account for ∼20% of the global total methane (CH4) emissions, but uncertainties remain in emission estimation due to the inaccurate representation of wetland spatiotemporal variations. Based on the latest satellite observational inundation data, we constructed a model to map the long‐term time series of wetland extents over the Sudd floodplain, which has recently been identified as an important source of wetland CH4 emissions. Our analysis reveals an annual, total wetland extent of 5.73 ± 2.05 × 104 km2 for 2003–2022, with a notable accelerated expansion rate of 1.19 × 104 km2 yr−1 during 2019–2022 driven by anomalous upstream precipitation patterns. We found that current wetland products generally report smaller wetland areas, resulting in a systematic underestimation of wetland CH4 emissions from the Sudd wetland. Our study highlights the pivotal role of comprehensively characterizing the seasonal and interannual dynamics of wetland extent to accurately estimate CH4 emissions from tropical floodplains.

Abstract The supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle could improve efficiencies for a wide range of thermal power plants. The sCO2 turbine generator plays an important role in the sCO2 power cycle by directly converting thermal energy into mechanical work and electric power. The operation of the generator encounters challenges, including high temperature, high pressure, high rotational speed, and other engineering problems, such as leakage. Experimental studies of sCO2 turbines are insufficient because of the significant difficulties in turbine manufacturing and system construction. Unlike most experimental investigations that primarily focus on 100 kW‐ or MW‐scale power generation systems, we consider, for the first time, a small‐scale power generator using sCO2. A partial admission axial turbine was designed and manufactured with a rated rotational speed of 40,000 rpm, and a CO2 transcritical power cycle test loop was constructed to validate the performance of our manufactured generator. A resistant gas was proposed in the constructed turbine expander to solve the leakage issue. Both dynamic and steady performances were investigated. The results indicated that a peak electric power of 11.55 kW was achieved at 29,369 rpm. The maximum total efficiency of the turbo‐generator was 58.98%, which was affected by both the turbine rotational speed and pressure ratio, according to the proposed performance map.

Abstract The emergence of drug‐resistant bacteria poses a significant threat to people's lives and health as bacterial infections continue to persist. Currently, antibiotic therapy remains the primary approach for tackling bacterial infections. However, the escalating rates of drug resistance coupled with the lag in the development of novel drugs have led to diminishing effectiveness of conventional treatments. Therefore, the development of nonantibiotic‐dependent therapeutic strategies has become imperative to impede the rise of bacterial resistance. The emergence of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has opened up a new possibility due to the CDT can convert H2O2 into •OH via Fenton/Fenton‐like reaction for drug‐resistant bacterial treatment. However, the efficacy of CDT is limited by a variety of practical factors. To overcome this limitation, the sterilization efficiency of CDT can be enhanced by introducing the therapeutics with inherent antimicrobial capability. In addition, researchers have explored CDT‐based combined therapies to augment its antimicrobial effects and mitigate its potential toxic side effects toward normal tissues. This review examines the research progress of CDT in the antimicrobial field, explores various strategies to enhance CDT efficacy and presents the synergistic effects of CDT in combination with other modalities. And last, the current challenges faced by CDT and the future research directions are discussed.

Abstract Understanding how urbanization affects compound hot extremes (CHEs) is important for the sustainable development in urban agglomeration under global warming. In this study, we investigate the changes of CHEs in summer over the Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei region (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) in China, and assess the effects of urbanization on these changes. We find that the frequency and intensity of CHEs in summer show significantly increasing trends in these agglomerations in the recent five decades, particularly in megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin. The urbanization contributions to CHEs in the YRD and PRD were estimated to 36 ∼ 58%, while relatively small in the BTH, ranging 16 ∼ 29%. They were bonded to the unban size, expansion speed and local climate. In addition to global warming and urbanization, the strengthening continental high and enhancing Western Pacific Subtropical High and its westward displacement were favor to the increased CHEs.

The efficacy of immunotherapy in advanced HER2‐mutated non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains incomprehensively studied. A total of 107 NSCLC patients with de novo HER2 mutations were retrospectively studied at Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute [GLCI cohort, exon 20 insertions (ex20ins): 71.0%] to compare clinical/molecular features and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)‐based therapy efficacy between patients with ex20ins and non‐ex20ins. Two external cohorts (TCGA, n = 21; META‐ICI, n = 30) were used for validation. In the GLCI cohort, 68.2% of patients displayed programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression

Abstract We conducted a mesocosm experiment to examine how ocean acidification (OA) affects communities of prokaryotes and eukaryotes growing on single‐use drinking bottles in subtropical eutrophic waters of the East China Sea. Based on 16S rDNA gene sequencing, simulated high CO2 significantly altered the prokaryotic community, with the relative abundance of the phylum Planctomycetota increasing by 49%. Under high CO2, prokaryotes in the plastisphere had enhanced nitrogen dissimilation and ureolysis, raising the possibility that OA may modify nutrient cycling in subtropical eutrophic waters. The relative abundance of pathogenic and animal parasite bacteria also increased under simulated high CO2. Our results show that elevated CO2 levels significantly affected several animal taxa based on 18S rDNA gene sequencing. For example, Mayorella amoebae were highly resistant, whereas Labyrinthula were sensitive to OA. Thus, OA may alter plastisphere food chains in subtropical eutrophic waters.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the outcomes of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) for the treatment of massive hemoptysis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and identify risk factors that influence recurrence. Methods A total of 81 patients with massive hemoptysis who underwent BAE between January 2014 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. All of the patients had either a history of pulmonary tuberculosis or a current diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Follow‐up ranged from 18 to 66 months. Results Hemoptysis was stopped or markedly decreased, with subsequent clinical improvement in 73 patients, while 11 patients experienced recurrence during the follow‐up period. Systemic‐pulmonary shunts and clinical failure showed a statistically significant correlation with the recurrence rate. The cumulative non‐recurrence rate was 95.3% for 3 months and 81.9% for more than 24 months. Complications were common (12.5%), but self‐limiting. Conclusions BAE is a safe and effective treatment option for the control of massive hemoptysis in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Systemic‐pulmonary shunts and clinical failure are the risk factors for recurrence.

Abstract This study aimed to assess the relationship between dietary sodium/potassium intake and cognition in elderly individuals with hypertension. We designed a cross‐sectional study based on the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014. A multivariable‐logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between sodium/potassium intake and cognitive impairment. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) based on regression analysis to assess the nonlinear dose‐response relationship between dietary sodium intake and cognitive performance. Out of the 2276 participants included in this study, 1670 patients had hypertension. Compared with the lowest quartile of dietary sodium intake, the lowest weighted odds ratio of cognitive impairment in DSST was observed in Q4 (OR = 0.45, 0.29–0.70), and a similar trend was observed in AFT (OR = 0.34, 0.18–0.65). After adjusting the covariates, the lowest weighted multivariable‐adjusted OR of cognitive impairment in DSST were also observed in Q4 (OR = 0.47, 0.26‐0.84) compared with the lowest quartile of dietary sodium intake. The RCS results showed that dietary sodium intake was U‐shaped and associated with the risk of cognitive impairment in the DSST (Pnon–linearity = 0.0067). In addition, no significant association was observed between dietary potassium intake and different dimensions of cognitive performance. In conclusion, excessively high and low low dietary sodium were associated with impairment of specific processing speed, sustained attention, and working memory for elderly patients with hypertension in the United States. However, no association was observed between dietary potassium intake and cognition.

Abstract Predicting future land system changes driven by anthropogenic and climactic impacts can help to explore adaptation and mitigation pathways for regional and global sustainable development. Here, we project land cover changes in China from 2030 to 2100 at a resolution of 1 km × 1 km under eight scenarios based on the Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenraioMIP), which are extracted from Land Use Harmonization version 2 (LUH2). We use a rule‐based method to classify and map 9 land cover dynamic trajectories at patch scale to present land system changes. At the provincial scale we used hierarchical clustering to identify archetypes of land cover change, which can predict ecological risks for future management in western provinces. Our results reveal that anthropogenic mitigation policies under high mitigation pressure do not result in positive impacts on the land system, but rising temperatures will provide a great opportunity for ecological restoration in some regions.

Abstract The temperature distribution of the tri‐post insulator in a ±500 kV direct current gas‐insulated transmission lines (DC‐GIL) is investigated. The influence of thermal gradient on the electric field characteristics is investigated as well. A horizontally installed GIL model is applied in the simulation. The thermal and electric parameters of the insulator are measured and employed. The temperature results indicate that the gas shows a layered distribution pattern while the insulator shows a radial distribution pattern. The temperature of the upper post is higher. With increasing ambient temperature, the surface temperature increases linearly following the variation of ambient temperature. With increasing load current, the temperature near the conductor shows an obvious increase. With increasing gas pressure, the temperature decreases due to the promotion of convection. Besides, the electric field strength of the insulator surface increases if the surface temperature increases during the variation of operating conditions. And the peak of field strength moves towards the enclosure. After 10 h, the temperature reaches a quasi‐stationary state. Since the thermal gradient affects the distribution of gas density and electric field strength of the insulator, the investigation of temperature characteristics is necessary when evaluating the insulating performance of DC‐GIL with insulators.

Abstract Objective Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a late‐onset inherited neuromuscular disorder, with progressive ptosis and dysphagia as common manifestations. To date, OPMD has rarely been reported among East Asians. The present study summarizes the phenotypic and genotypic features of Chinese patients with OPMD. Methods Twenty‐one patients with molecularly confirmed OPMD from 9 unrelated families were identified by direct sequencing of the polyadenlyate binding protein nuclear‐1 (PABPN1) gene. Immunofluorescence staining of muscle biopsies was conducted to identify the components of protein degradation pathways involved in OPMD. Results In our cohort, the genetically confirmed OPMD group had a mean age at onset of 50.6 ± 4.2 years (range 45–60 years). Ptosis (42.9%) was the most common initial symptom; patients with ptosis as the first symptom subsequently developed dysphagia within a median time of 5.5 years (range 1–19 years). Evidence of external ophthalmoplegia was found in 38.1% of patients. A total of 33.3% of the patients developed muscle weakness at a median age at onset of 66 years (range 50–70 years), with neck flexor involvement in all patients. Five genotypes were observed in our cohort, including classical (GCG)9–11 repeats in 7 families and non‐GCG elongations with additional GCA expansions in 2 families. OPMD muscle biopsies revealed rimmed vacuoles and intranuclear filamentous inclusions. The PABPN1 protein showed substantial accumulation in the nuclei of muscle fiber aggregates and closely colocalized with p62, LC3B and FK2. Interpretation Our findings indicate wide genetic heterogeneity in OPMD in the Chinese population and demonstrate abnormalities in protein degradation pathways in this disease.

Abstract Background The fat mass and nutritional status play important roles in the onset and progression of cancer cachexia. The present study evaluated the joint prognostic value of the fat mass, as indicated by the triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and the serum albumin level, for mortality in patients with cancer cachexia. Methods We performed a multicentre cohort study including 5134 patients with cancer cachexia from January 2013 to April 2019. The sum of the TSF (mm) and serum albumin (g/L) was defined as the triceps skinfold–albumin index (TA). Harrell's C index, a time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the prognostic performance of the TA and other indices. Optimal stratification was used to identify the thresholds to define a low TA, and the association of the TA with all‐cause mortality was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results The study enrolled 2408 women and 2726 men with a median age of 58.6 years and a median follow‐up of 44 months. A total of 607 women (TA

Abstract Exploration of exotic spin polarizations in single crystals is of increasing interest. A current of longitudinal spins, the so‐called “Dresselhaus‐like” spin current, which is forbidden in materials lacking certain inversion asymmetries, is implied to be generated by a charge current at the interface of single‐crystal CoFe. This work reports unambiguous evidence that there is no indication of spin current of any spin polarizations from the interface or bulk of single‐crystalline CoFe and that the sin2φ second harmonic Hall voltage, which is previously assumed to signify Dresselhaus‐like spin current, is not related to any spin currents but rather a planar Nernst voltage induced by a longitudinal temperature gradient within the sample. Such sin2φ signal is independent of large applied magnetic fields and interfacial spin‐orbit coupling, inversely correlated to the heat capacity of the substrates and overlayers, quadratic in charge current, and appears also in polycrystalline ferromagnets. Strikingly, the planar Nernst effect (PNE) in the CoFe single crystal has a strong fourfold anisotropy and varies with the crystalline orientation. Such strong, anisotropic PNE has widespread impacts on the analyses of a variety of spintronic experiments and opens a new avenue for the development of PNE‐based thermoelectric battery and sensor applications.

Abstract Background Both TP53 mutation and MYC amplification indicate poor outcomes in breast cancer (BC), but the clinical values of concurrent TP53 and MYC alterations have not been well‐characterized. Methods A total of 494 BC patients diagnosed at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (GDPH) were retrospectively analyzed. Genomic alterations were determined using next‐generation sequencing. Survival analysis was applied to assess the effects of genetic alterations on relapse‐free survival. The prognosis was verified based on 1405 patients from METABRIC cohort. Additionally, we used logistic regression to identify the factors associated with pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results In GDPH cohort, patients with TP53/MYC co‐alteration exhibited higher grade and stage, more positive HER2 status and higher Ki67 levels, but less luminal A subtypes. They also had more mutations in genes involved in ERBB and TGF‐β signaling pathways, as well as exclusive FANCG/CDKN2B/QKI copy number amplifications and SUFU/HIST3H3/ERCC4/JUN/BCR mutations. Concurrent TP53 and MYC alterations independently increased hazards of relapse (HR, 5.425; 95% CI: 2.019–14.579; p

Abstract Here, the transient surface charge distribution of a basin‐type insulator is investigated under thermal–electric coupled fields. Horizontally installed ±200 kV direct current gas‐insulated transmission lines (DC‐GIL) are employed, and a 3D geometric model is applied. An improved method is introduced in the transient simulation under coupled fields, which involves simplifying geometric model, decoupling calculation, applying weak form partial differential equation, and simplifying ion transport equation. The influence of volume and surface electric conductivity on the transient surface charge and electric field distribution is discussed. With increasing volume conductivity, the transient charge accumulation is accelerated due to the promotion of conduction through the insulator. With increasing volume conductivity, the polarity of the charge on convex surface changes from negative to positive, while it changes from positive to negative with increasing surface conductivity. This is the consequence of the transition in dominant conduction mechanism. Non‐monotonic variation of charge density is observed attributing to the variation transient field distribution. It can be concluded that the influence of volume and surface conductivity should be focused on when evaluating the insulation characteristics of DC‐GIL insulators, and the thermal gradient should be considered in dealing with the long‐term operating insulators.

Abstract Surface charge accumulation is an important issue when dealing with the insulation property of direct‐current gas‐insulated transmission lines with insulators. An improved method is introduced to calculate the surface charge distribution of insulators based on three‐dimensional (3D) geometry models with high solution accuracy and computing efficiency. More than 90% of the computing memory and time are reduced by applying weak form partial differential equation (PDE) to the ion transport equation compared to adding artificial diffusion term. The computing memory and time are further reduced by 70% when removing the diffusion term from the ion transport equation, whereas the accuracy remains unchanged. Thus, the method of combining the modification of ion transport equation and the application of weak form PDE is suggested in calculating the surface charge of 3D geometry models. Finally, this method is applied in calculating the surface charge distribution of a ±200‐kV basin‐type insulator under thermal‐electric coupled fields and a ±500‐kV tri‐post insulator. Results show satisfying accuracy and efficiency. It is concluded that the proposed method can be applied in analysing the charge accumulation and ion transport behaviour based on 3D models under various operating conditions.

Abstract The surface charge characteristics of a ±200 kV gas‐insulated transmission lines spacer are studied to understand the influence of geometry, ion transportation, applied voltage, and gas pressure on the surface charge distribution. The simulation result indicates that the geometry simplification would affect the surface charge distribution. A millimeter‐level protrusion on the spacer causes an increase of 20 μC m−2 in charge density. A difference of 10 μC m−2 is found between the simulations based on the measured and calculated ion mobility. Moreover, it is found that the identical surface charge distribution cannot be achieved with the downsized model based on the identity of field strength, since ion transportation is affected by the scaling of geometry. The influence of gas pressure on the ion migration results in an initial excitation to the field variation, which further promotes the variation of surface charge via the dominative bulk conduction. Thus, with increasing pressure from 0.3 to 0.6 MPa, an increase of 8.4 μC m−2 is found on the convex surface, while a decrease of 5.5 μC m−2 is found on the concave surface. This investigation would be helpful for the simulation and experiment concerning the surface charge characteristics of spacers.

An improved method of extracting small-signal equivalent circuit model parameters for gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs) is presented. This paper intends to present a method to extract the parasitic inductance and resistance of transistors based on the short-test structure without the open-circuit test structure. The parasitic capacitance of transistors is extracted by the method based on the size scalable model. Compared with the traditional COLD-FET method, the extraction procedure is simpler and more convenient. After removing the influence of parasitic elements, the intrinsic parameters of the model can be extracted by the S-parameters measured at different bias points. The experimental results show that the simulation results have good agreement with the measured results in the range of 0.5∼110 GHz.

Abstract Background The number of cancer patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is steadily rising. Little is known about the nutritional status of this population. This study characterized the nutritional status and survival of cancer patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes. Methods A total of 8247 cancer patients were prospectively enrolled from 72 hospitals in China and followed until August 2019. A global estimation of the nutritional status was performed for each participant using standardized tools. The outcomes were cancer‐specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Results The incidence of diabetes was 7.6% in the whole population. In comparison with the non‐DM group, the DM group had greater body weight, but a similar fat‐free mass, a lower handgrip strength and a decreased Karnofsky performance score. A higher proportion of patients with diabetes were overweight/obese as indicated by BMI. The percentage of patients who were at risk of malnutrition (evaluated by PG‐SGA) was higher in the DM group (score ≥ 4, 56.7% vs 52.9%). Patients with DM showed a worse CSS (4‐year CSS, 62% vs 73%) and OS (4‐year OS 39% vs 52%). Diabetes was associated with an increased risk of both cancer‐specific (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.282, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.070‐1.536) and overall (HR = 1.206, 95% CI 1.040‐1.399) mortality. Conclusions Cancer patients with diabetes had a larger body mass but lower muscle strength, poorer performance status and higher incidence of malnourishment. Diabetes was associated with compromised survival. Tailored nutritional intervention is necessary for this subpopulation of patients.

Background Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains an increasing public health problem with substantial morbidity and mortality but with few effective treatments. A novel inflammatory mechanism has been proposed, but the inflammatory signals promoting the development of HFpEF remain greatly unknown. Methods and Results Serum of patients with HFpEF was collected for measurement of circulating neutrophils and markers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). To induce HFpEF phenotype, male C57BL/6 mice underwent uninephrectomy, received a continuous infusion of d‐aldosterone for 4 weeks, and maintained on 1.0% sodium chloride drinking water. Heart tissues were harvested, immune cell types determined by flow cytometry, NETs formation by immunofluorescence, and western blotting. Differentiated neutrophils were cultured to investigate the effect of HMGB1 (high mobility group protein B1) and SGLT2 (sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2) inhibitor on NETs formation in vitro. Circulating neutrophils and NETs markers are elevated in patients with HFpEF, as are cardiac neutrophils and NETs formation in HFpEF mice. NETs inhibition with deoxyribonuclease 1 in experimental HFpEF mice reduces heart macrophages infiltration and inflammation and ameliorates cardiac fibrosis and diastolic function. Damage‐associated molecular pattern HMGB1 expression is elevated in cardiac tissue of HFpEF mice, and HMGB1 inhibition reduces heart neutrophil infiltration and NETs formation and ameliorates diastolic function. Lastly, SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin down‐regulates heart HMGB1 expression, attenuates NETs formation and cardiac fibrosis, and improves diastolic function in HFpEF mice. Conclusions NETs contribute to the pathogenesis of HFpEF, which can be ameliorated by HMGB1 inhibition and SGLT2 inhibitors. Thus, HMGB1 and NETs may represent novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of HFpEF.

A highly efficient deep fully convolutional neural network (DFCN) for image quality assessment (IQA) is designed in this paper. The DFCN consists of two branches, one scoring local patches and the other estimating the weights of local patches to enhance quality prediction. Then, the DFCN outputs quality score of the whole image with aggregate weighted average pooling. There are no fully connected layers in the DFCN, resulting in far fewer parameters. In addition, the network model utilizes multiscale images as inputs to enrich the extracted distortion information. Furthermore, the parameters of the model are optimized in two steps to reduce the requirement for computing power and the risk of overfitting. The parameters of the shared layers and the quality module are optimized firstly, and then, the parameters of the weight module are optimized with the designed loss function. The extensive experimental results show that the proposed DFCN outperforms other competing IQA methods and has strong generalization ability.

Purpose. We aimed to examine the effects of 125I seeds on the gene expression of Bcl-2, Bax, and PI3K/Akt pathway components in cholangiocarcinoma cells. Methods. In vitro, human cholangiocarcinoma RBE cells were treated with 125I seeds (0.39 mCi or 0.85 mCi) for 72 h, 120 h, and 168 h. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was detected by RT-PCR, and Western blotting was carried out to explore changes in Akt activity. Result. 125I seeds inhibited the proliferation of RBE cells. The apoptosis rate of the RBE cells in the low-activity group was significantly higher than that in the high-activity group at 120 h and 168 h, while no difference was found between the two groups at 72 h. After 120 h of culture, the gene expression of Bcl-2 and Bax decreased in both groups, the ratio of Bcl−2/Bax in the low-activity group decreased, and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was inhibited in both groups. Conclusion. 125I seeds affect the proliferation and apoptosis of cholangiocarcinoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. The therapeutic effect of low-activity 125I seeds on cancer cells may be better. 125I seed brachytherapy may promote the apoptosis of cholangiocarcinoma cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and regulating the Bcl−2/Bax ratio.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a highly disabling disorder for which few effective treatments are available. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) are polyphenolic compounds with various biological activities. In our preliminary experiment, GSP promoted functional recovery in rats with SCI, but the mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we explored the protective effects of GSP on SCI and its possible underlying mechanisms. We found that GSP promoted locomotor recovery, reduced neuronal apoptosis, increased neuronal preservation, and regulated microglial polarisation in vivo. We also performed in vitro studies to verify the effects of GSP on neuronal protection and microglial polarisation and their potential mechanisms. We found that GSP regulated microglial polarisation and inhibited apoptosis in PC12 cells induced by M1-BV2 cells through the Toll-like receptor 4- (TLR4-) mediated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine threonine kinase (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathways. This suggests that GSP regulates microglial polarisation and prevents neuronal apoptosis, possibly by the TLR4-mediated NF-κB and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

Two coordination polymers involving Cd(II), i.e., [Cd2(IDPA)2(bpe) (H2O)2]n·2n(H2O) (1) (H2IDPA is 5-(1-oxoisoindolin-2-yl)isophthalic acid, bpe is 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, 4-bpmh is N, N-bis-pyridin-4-ylmethylene-hydrazine), and [Cd(IDPA)(4-bpmh)0.5(H2O)2]n·n(H2O) (2) are prepared under solvothermal conditions via tuning the auxiliary ligand from bpe to 4-bpmh. Moreover, the as-prepared complexes 1–2 reveal much stronger luminescence in contrast to that of the free organic ligands. Their preventive effect and mechanism on scar formation after cosmetic surgery was explored. First, the two complexes’ suppression of the viability of the human immortal keratinocyte line (HaCaT) cell line was examined via exploiting cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) detection. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signal pathway activation in HaCaT cells was detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.

Abstract Background Currently, the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with residual cervical lymphadenopathy following radical radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy are challenging. We investigated the prognosis of NPC patients with residual cervical lymphadenopathy and assessed the diagnostic and prognostic values of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in these patients. Methods This study included 82 NPC patients who were diagnosed with suspected residual cervical lymphadenopathy following completion of antitumor therapy. Their plasma EBV DNA levels were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) before the initiation of treatment and before neck dissection. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed in 21 patients. All patients had undergone neck dissection and postoperative pathological examination to identify the nature of residual cervical lymphadenopathy. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariable analysis was used to estimate the effect of potential prognostic factors on survival. Results Following a median follow-up of 52.6 months, compared with patients with negative postoperative pathological findings for residual cervical lymphadenopathy, the patients with positive findings had a significantly lower 3-year PFS rate (49.9% vs. 83.3%, P = 0.008). Among NPC patients with residual cervical lymphadenopathy, the patients with preoperative plasma EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL had a lower 3-year PFS rate than did those with no detectable EBV DNA (43.7% vs. 61.1%, P = 0.031). In addition, combining FNAC with preoperative EBV DNA detection improved the diagnostic sensitivity. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that residual cervical lymphadenopathy with positive postoperative pathological result was an independent prognostic factor for PFS and that detectable preoperative plasma EBV DNA was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Conclusions Using FNAC combined with preoperative EBV DNA detection improves the sensitivity in diagnosing NPC with residual cervical lymphadenopathy. Compared with patients with undetectable EBV DNA, patients with detectable preoperative plasma EBV DNA have worse prognosis and may require a more aggressive treatment strategy.

Abstract Introduction The significant abnormalities of precuneus (PC), which are associated with brain dysfunction, have been identified in cirrhotic patients with covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE). The present study aimed to apply radiomics analysis to identify the significant radiomic features in PC and their subregions, combine with clinical risk factors, then build and evaluate the classification models for CHE diagnosis. Methods 106 HBV‐related cirrhotic patients (54 had current CHE and 52 had non‐CHE) underwent the three‐dimensional T1‐weighted imaging. For each participant, PC and their subregions were segmented and extracted a large number of radiomic features and then identified the features with significant discriminative power as the radiomics signature. The logistic regression analysis was employed to develop and evaluate the classification models, which are constructed using the radiomics signature and clinical risk factors. Results The classification model (R‐C model) achieved best diagnostic performance, which incorporated radiomics signature (4 radiomic features from right PC), venous blood ammonia, and the Child‐Pugh stage. And the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were 0.926, 1.000, 0.765, and 0.848, in the testing set. Application of the radiomics nomogram in the testing set still showed a good predictive accuracy. Conclusions This study presented the radiomic features of the right PC, as a potential image marker of CHE. The radiomics nomogram that incorporates the radiomics signature and clinical risk factors may facilitate the individualized prediction of CHE.

This paper uses WIOD data to calculate and analyze the dominant comparative advantage of Chinese manufacturing global value chain (GVC) based on the WWZ method and empirically studies the influence of digitization on the competitiveness of manufacturing GVC. The main findings are as follows: (1) The competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing GVC has been improved as a whole. The GVC competitiveness of different types of industries is quite different: GVC in middle- and low-knowledge-intensive industries have the highest competitiveness, while those with middle- and high-knowledge-intensive industries have the lowest competitiveness and apparent shortboard industries. (2) Digitization is conducive for enhancing the competitiveness of manufacturing GVC. In terms of industries, digitization has a significant positive effect on the GVC competitiveness of middle and high-knowledge-intensive industries but not on low knowledge ones. As for the sources of digital input, the positive effect is more outstanding. Also, it is more remarkable when it comes to the software and information technology service industry. (3) As for the mechanism of action, labor productivity is an effective way to improve the manufacturing GVC competitiveness digitally. Finally, after a robustness test, the positive effect of the digital input remains robust.

The building finish layer is a comprehensive structural system including the building exterior insulation system and building exterior finish. Combining with buildings has the advantage of reducing wall heat loss and building deformation caused by large temperature differences. Since the building finish layer is prone to cracking, hollowing, and peeling, during the application process, its safety needs to be studied and certified. This study prepares 20 groups of specimens, 15 anchor bolts in each group. The anchor bolt pull-out strength test is carried out. Anchoring damage evolution law and failure mode of anchor bolts are investigated. And the influence of anchoring methods on the pull-out bearing capacity is analyzed. In addition, ABAQUS finite element data simulation is carried out. The stress state of finish in thermomechanical coupling condition and without the effect of temperature are compared and analyzed. The influence factors of anchor bolt pull-out strength and the influence of temperature load on the long-term performance of building finish layer are obtained. The durability of the building finish layer is analyzed. The results show that the anchoring strength of the anchor bolt is positively correlated with the anchoring depth. The anchoring strength is influenced significantly by anchoring construction sequence and temperature. The stress under the coupled effect of temperature and load is greater than that of the single effect of load, and the stress distribution changes significantly. Due to thermal expansion and contraction, the anchor bolt would loosen, which is more prone to damage the building finish layer in a low temperature environment. The weight relationship of each influencing factor of the building finish layer is proposed. A systematic evaluation index system is established. The results of this study provide a basis for subsequent related research work and engineering applications.

Abstract Objectives Although the genomic landscape of small‐cell carcinoma of the oesophagus (SCCE) has been dissected, its transcriptome‐level aberration and immune microenvironment status are unknown. Methods Using ultra‐deep whole transcriptome sequencing, we analysed the expression profile of nine paired SCCE samples and compared the transcriptome with public transcriptomic data set of normal oesophageal mucosa and other cancer types. Based on the transcriptome data, the immune signatures were investigated. The genomic data of 55 SCCE samples were also applied for immune checkpoint blockade therapy (ICBT) biomarker evaluation including microsatellite instability (MSI) status, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and neoantigen burden (TNB). Also, we evaluated the CD8, CD68 and programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) in 62 retrospective SCCE samples with IHC assay. Results Differential expression analysis revealed that the cell cycle, p53, and Wnt pathways are significantly deregulated in SCCE. Immune microenvironment analysis showed that high leucocyte infiltration and adaptive immune resistance did occur in certain individuals, while the majority showed a relatively suppressive immune status. Immune checkpoints such as CD276 and LAG‐3 were upregulated, and higher M2 macrophage infiltration in tumor tissues. Furthermore, normal tissues adjacent to the tumors of SCCE presented a more activated inflammatory status than tumor‐free healthy controls. These observations showed that ICBT might benefit SCCE patients. As the critical biomarker of ICBT, TMB of SCCE was 3.64 with the predictive objective response rate 13.2%, while the PD‐L1‐positive rate was 43%. Conclusions Our study systematically characterized the immune microenvironment in small‐cell carcinoma of the esophagus and provided evidence that several patients with SCCE may benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

A novel miniaturised dual‐band bandpass filter (BPF) based on defected split‐ring resonators (SRRs) and irregular stepped‐impedance resonators (SIRs) is proposed. By applying defected SRRs embedded with eight combinations of three whole or broken grooves, which are formerly used for divination, the passband of 2.35–2.52 GHz with wideband harmonic suppression is achieved for WLAN applications. To create one more passband of 5.09–5.3 GHz, the irregular SIRs are etched inside the defected SRRs. Finally, such a prototype is designed and fabricated with the dimension of only 20 × 20 mm2 (0.27λg × 0.27λg). The measured results of this dual‐band BPF agree well with the simulations verifying the proposed idea.