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Purpose: Velocity selective arterial spin labeling (VSASL) quantification assumes that the labeled bolus continuously moves into the imaging voxel during the post‐labeling delay (PLD). Faster blood flow could lead to a bolus duration shorter than the applied PLD of VSASL and cause underestimation of cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study aims to evaluate the performance of velocity‐selective inversion (VSI) prepared arterial spin labeling (ASL) with different PLDs and pseudo‐continuous ASL (PCASL) for quantification of hypercapnia‐induced cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), using phase‐contrast (PC) MRI as a global reference. Methods: We compared CVR obtained by VSI‐ASL with PLD of 1520 ms (VSASL‐1520), 1000 ms (VSASL‐1000), and 500 ms (VSASL‐500), PCASL with PLD of 1800 ms (PCASL‐1800), and PC MRI on eight healthy volunteers at two sessions. Results: Compared with PC MRI, VSASL‐1520 produced significantly lower global CVR values, while PCASL‐1800, VSASL‐1000, and VSASL‐500 yielded more consistent results. The reduced CVR in VSASL‐1520 was more pronounced in carotid territories including frontal and temporal lobes than in vertebral territories such as the occipital lobe. This is largely caused by the underestimated perfusion during hypercapnia due to the reduced bolus duration being less than the PLD. Conclusion: Although VSASL offers certain advantages over spatially selective ASL due to its reduced susceptibility to delayed ATT, this technique is prone to biases when the ATT is excessively short. Therefore, a short PLD should be employed for reliable perfusion and CVR quantification in populations or conditions with fast flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the effects of bariatric arterial embolization (BAE) on gastric emptying of, and the glycaemic response to, an oral glucose load in an obese canine model with impaired glucose tolerance. Methods: Eleven male dogs were fed a high‐fat, high‐fructose diet for 7 weeks before receiving BAE, which involved selective embolization of the left gastric artery (n = 5; 14.9 ± 0.8 kg), or the sham (n = 6; 12.6 ± 0.8 kg) procedure. Postprocedural body weight was measured weekly for 4 weeks. Prior to and at 4 weeks postprocedure, a glucose solution containing 13C‐acetate was administered orally for evaluation of the gastric half‐emptying time (T50) and the glycaemic response. The relationship between the changes in the blood glucose area under the curve over the first 60 minutes (AUC0‐60min) and the T50 was also assessed. Results: At 4 weeks postprocedure, BAE reduced body weight (BAE vs. the sham procedure: −5.7% ± 0.9% vs. 3.5% ± 0.9%, P <.001), slowed gastric emptying (T50 at baseline vs. postprocedure: 75.5 ± 2.0 vs. 82.5 ± 1.8 minutes, P =.021 in the BAE group; 73.8 ± 1.8 vs. 74.3 ± 1.9 minutes in the sham group) and lowered the glycaemic response to oral glucose (AUC0‐60min at baseline vs. postprocedure: 99.2 ± 13.7 vs. 67.6 ± 9.8 mmol·min/L, P =.043 in the BAE group; 100.2 ± 13.4 vs. 103.9 ± 14.6 mmol·min/L in the sham group). The change in the glucose AUC0‐60min correlated inversely with that of the T50 (r = −0.711; P =.014). Conclusions: In a canine model with impaired glucose tolerance, BAE, while reducing body weight, slowed gastric emptying and attenuated the glycaemic response to an oral glucose load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a 3D, high‐sensitivity CEST mapping technique based on the 3D stack‐of‐spirals (SOS) gradient echo readout, the proposed approach was compared with conventional acquisition techniques and evaluated for its efficacy in concurrently mapping of guanidino (Guan) and amide CEST in human brain at 3 T, leveraging the polynomial Lorentzian line‐shape fitting (PLOF) method. Methods: Saturation time and recovery delay were optimized to achieve maximum CEST time efficiency. The 3DSOS method was compared with segmented 3D EPI (3DEPI), turbo spin echo, and gradient‐ and spin‐echo techniques. Image quality, temporal SNR (tSNR), and test–retest reliability were assessed. Maps of Guan and amide CEST derived from 3DSOS were demonstrated on a low‐grade glioma patient. Results: The optimized recovery delay/saturation time was determined to be 1.4/2 s for Guan and amide CEST. In addition to nearly doubling the slice number, the gradient echo techniques also outperformed spin echo sequences in tSNR: 3DEPI (193.8 ± 6.6), 3DSOS (173.9 ± 5.6), and GRASE (141.0 ± 2.7). 3DSOS, compared with 3DEPI, demonstrated comparable GuanCEST signal in gray matter (GM) (3DSOS: [2.14%–2.59%] vs. 3DEPI: [2.15%–2.61%]), and white matter (WM) (3DSOS: [1.49%–2.11%] vs. 3DEPI: [1.64%–2.09%]). 3DSOS also achieves significantly higher amideCEST in both GM (3DSOS: [2.29%–3.00%] vs. 3DEPI: [2.06%–2.92%]) and WM (3DSOS: [2.23%–2.66%] vs. 3DEPI: [1.95%–2.57%]). 3DSOS outperforms 3DEPI in terms of scan–rescan reliability (correlation coefficient: 3DSOS: 0.58–0.96 vs. 3DEPI: −0.02 to 0.75) and robustness to motion as well. Conclusion: The 3DSOS CEST technique shows promise for whole‐cerebrum CEST imaging, offering uniform contrast and robustness against motion artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FOXM1 is a key transcriptional regulator involved in various biological processes in mammals, including carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, aging, immune regulation, development, and disease. Early studies have shown that FOXM1 acts as an oncogene by regulating cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, metastasis, and apoptosis, as well as genes related to diagnosis, treatment, chemotherapy resistance, and prognosis. Researchers are increasingly focusing on FOXM1 functions in tumor microenvironment, epigenetics, and immune infiltration. However, researchers have not comprehensively described FOXM1's involvement in tumor microenvironment shaping, epigenetics, and immune cell infiltration. Here we review the role of FOXM1 in the formation and development of malignant tumors, and we will provide a comprehensive summary of the role of FOXM1 in transcriptional regulation, interacting proteins, tumor microenvironment, epigenetics, and immune infiltration, and suggest areas for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluated the velocity‐selective (VS) MRA with different VS labeling modules, including double refocused hyperbolic tangent, eight‐segment B1‐insensitive rotation, delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation, Fourier transform–based VS saturation, and Fourier transform–based inversion. Methods: These five VS labeling modules were evaluated first through Bloch simulations, and then using VSMRA directly on various cerebral arteries of healthy subjects. The relative signal ratios from arterial ROIs and surrounding tissues as well as relative arteria‐tissue contrast ratios of different methods were compared. Results: Double refocused hyperbolic tangent and eight‐segment B1‐insensitive rotation showed very similar labeling effects. Delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation yielded high arterial signal but with residual tissue signal due to the spatial banding effect. Fourier transform–based VS saturation with half the time of other techniques serves as an efficient nonsubtractive VSMRA method, but the remaining tissue signal still obscured some small distal arteries that were delineated by other subtraction‐based VSMRA, allowing more complete cancelation of static tissue. Fourier transform–based inversion produced the highest arterial signal in VSMRA with minimal tissue background. Conclusion: This is the first study that angiographically compared five different VS labeling modules. Their labeling characteristics on arteries and tissue and implications for VSMRA and VS arterial spin labeling are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Quantile regression methods are increasingly used to forecast tail risks and uncertainties in macroeconomic outcomes. This paper reconsiders how to construct predictive densities from quantile regressions. We compare a popular two‐step approach that fits a specific parametric density to the quantile forecasts with a nonparametric alternative that lets the "data speak." Simulation evidence and an application revisiting GDP growth uncertainties in the United States demonstrate the flexibility of the nonparametric approach when constructing density forecasts from both frequentist and Bayesian quantile regressions. They identify its ability to unmask deviations from symmetrical and unimodal densities. The dominant macroeconomic narrative becomes one of the evolution, over the business cycle, of multimodalities rather than asymmetries in the predictive distribution of GDP growth when conditioned on financial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperative diagnosis of non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs) can accurately reflect the state of cell differentiation and classification, laying the foundation of precision medicine. However, there are still challenges in simultaneous analyses of multiple ncRNAs and the integration of biomarker data for cell typing. In this study, DNA framework‐based programmable atom‐like nanoparticles (PANs) are designed to develop molecular classifiers for intra‐cellular imaging of multiple ncRNAs associated with cell differentiation. The PANs‐based molecular classifier facilitates signal amplification through the catalytic hairpin assembly. The interaction between PAN reporters and ncRNAs enables high‐fidelity conversion of ncRNAs expression level into binding events, and the assessment of in situ ncRNAs levels via measurement of the fluorescent signal changes of PAN reporters. Compared to non‐amplified methods, the detection limits of PANs are reduced by four orders of magnitude. Using human gastric cancer cell lines as a model system, the PANs‐based molecular classifier demonstrates its capacity to measure multiple ncRNAs in living cells and assesses the degree of cell differentiation. This approach can serve as a universal strategy for the classification of cancer cells during malignant transformation and tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is often considered one of the most destructive bacterial pathogens causing bacterial leaf blight (BLB), resulting in significant yield and cost losses in rice. In this study, a series of novel derivatives containing the isopropanolamine moiety linked to various substituted phenols and piperazines were designed, synthesized and screened. RESULTS: Antibacterial activity results showed that most compounds had good inhibitory effects on Xoo, among which compound W2 (EC50 = 2.74 μg mL−1) exhibited the most excellent inhibitory activity, and W2 also had a certain curative effect (35.89%) on rice compared to thiodiazole copper (TC) (21.57%). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that compound W2 could cause rupture of the Xoo cell membrane. Subsequently, proteomics and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction revealed that compound W2 affected the physiological processes of Xoo and may exert antibacterial activity by targeting the two‐component system pathway. Interestingly, W2 upregulated Xoo's methyltransferase to impact on its pathogenicity. CONCLUSION: The present study offers a promising phenolic‐piperazine‐sopropanolamine compound as an innovative antibacterial strategy by specifically targeting the two‐component system pathway and inducing upregulation of methyltransferase to effectively impact Xoo's pathogenicity. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian herbivores play a pivotal role in Earth System processes by affecting biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning, potentially leading to significant repercussions on atmosphere–biosphere feedbacks. Global dynamic models of mammalian populations can improve our understanding of their ecological role at large scales and the consequences of their extinctions. However, such models are still lacking and mammals are poorly integrated in Earth System Science.We developed a mechanistic global model of terrestrial herbivore populations simulated with 37 functional groups defined through the analysis of eco‐physiological traits across all extant herbivores (2599 species). We coupled this model with a global vegetation model to predict herbivores' maximum potential biomass in pre‐industrial and at present‐day and to study the environmental drivers explaining the distribution of herbivore biomass. Present‐day biomass was estimated by accounting for anthropogenic activity causing habitat and range losses.We show that natural ecosystems could have sustained a potential wild herbivore wet biomass of 330 Mt (95% CI: 245–417), comprised of 193 Mt (95% CI: 177–208) by large species (body mass >1–10 kg, depending on functional group) and 138 Mt (95% CI: 68–209) by small species. We estimate that the remaining present‐day large herbivores biomass is 82 Mt (95% CI: 32–133), reduced by 57% due to anthropogenic activity; consequently, small herbivores currently dominate global herbivore biomass with 98 Mt (95% CI: 91–106, −29%). Losses vary greatly across climatic zones and functional groups, suggesting that size is not the only discriminant feature of biomass decline.Actual evapotranspiration is the most important driver of total, large and small herbivore biomass and explains 64%, 59% and 49% of its variation, respectively. Distribution of modelled and observed large herbivores' biomass suggested a high dependency on energy and water with more biomass in hot and wet areas. These results challenge the notion that large herbivore biomass peaks primarily in ecosystems with intermediate precipitation levels such as savannas.Outside Africa and the Tropics, pre‐industrial biomass hotspots occur in areas today dominated by humans; this could undermine the recovery of larger species biomass in certain areas. Our herbivore biomass estimates provide a quantitative benchmark for setting conservation and rewilding goals at large spatial scales. The herbivore model and functional classification create new opportunities to integrate mammals into Earth System Science and models. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To confirm that CrCEST in muscle exhibits a slow‐exchanging process, and to obtain high‐resolution amide, creatine (Cr), and phosphocreatine (PCr) maps of skeletal muscle using a POlynomial and Lorentzian Line‐shape Fitting (PLOF) CEST at 3T. Methods: We used dynamic changes in PCr/CrCEST of mouse hindlimb before and after euthanasia to assign the Cr and PCr CEST peaks in the Z‐spectrum at 3T and to obtain the optimum saturation parameters. Segmented 3D EPI was employed to obtain multi‐slice amide, PCr, and Cr CEST maps of human skeletal muscle. Subsequently, the PCrCEST maps were calibrated using the PCr concentrations determined by 31P MRS. Results: A comparison of the Z‐spectra in mouse hindlimb before and after euthanasia indicated that CrCEST is a slow‐exchanging process in muscle (<150.7 s−1). This allowed us to simultaneously extract PCr/CrCEST signals at 3T using the PLOF method. We determined optimal B1 values ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 μT for CrCEST in muscle and 0.3–1.2 μT for PCrCEST. For the study on human calf muscle, we determined an optimum saturation time of 2 s for both PCr/CrCEST (B1 = 0.6 μT). The PCr/CrCEST using 3D EPI were found to be comparable to those obtained using turbo spin echo (TSE). (3D EPI/TSE PCr: (2.6 ± 0.3) %/(2.3 ± 0.1) %; Cr: (1.3 ± 0.1) %/(1.4 ± 0.07) %). Conclusions: Our study showed that in vivo CrCEST is a slow‐exchanging process. Hence, amide, Cr, and PCr CEST in the skeletal muscle can be mapped simultaneously at 3T by PLOF CEST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Previous studies have indicated that smoking is linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, and that individuals with schizophrenia are more prone to engaging in antisocial behavior. However, the causal effects of smoking behaviors on antisocial behavior and the potential mediating role of schizophrenia remains largely unclear. Methods: In the present study, using the summary data from genome wide association studies of smoking phenotypes (N = 323,386–805,431), schizophrenia (Ncases = 53,386, Ncontrols = 77,258), and antisocial behavior (N = 85,359), we assessed bidirectional causality between smoking phenotypes and schizophrenia by the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Using a two‐step MR approach, we further examined whether causal effects of smoking phenotypes/schizophrenia on antisocial behavior were mediated by schizophrenia/smoking phenotypes. Results: The results showed that smoking initiation (SmkInit) and age of smoking initiation (AgeSmk) causally increase the risk of schizophrenia (SmkInit: OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.77–2.39, p = 4.36 × 10−21; AgeSmk: OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.16–0.62, p = 8.11 × 10−4, Bonferroni corrected). However, there was no causal effect that liability to schizophrenia leads to smoking phenotypes. MR evidence also revealed causal influences of SmkInit and the amount smoked (CigDay) on antisocial behavior (SmkInit: OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17–1.41, p = 2.53 × 10−7; CigDay: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.06–1.27, p = 1.60 × 10−3, Bonferroni corrected). Furthermore, the mediation analysis indicated that the relationship between SmkInit and antisocial behavior was partly mediated by schizophrenia (mediated proportion = 6.92%, 95% CI = 0.004–0.03, p = 9.66 × 10−3). Conclusions: These results provide compelling evidence for taking smoking interventions as a prevention strategy for schizophrenia and its related antisocial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical field is facing a physician‐scientist shortage, threatening future medical research and development. Medical institutions can contribute to developing physician‐scientists by stimulating students' involvement in research. In this study, a medical undergraduate teaching module to develop research skills and encourage interest in research was held in Chongqing, China. Undergraduate medical students at Chongqing Medical University completed research skills training. Before and after the training, an online, anonymous, self‐reported questionnaire was administered. The self‐reported questionnaire investigated students' demographic characteristics, students' perception of attitudes toward conducting research, research skills (e.g., identifying and utilizing information, critical appraisal of literature, paper writing, and understanding of research), and feedback on scientific research training. The module was implemented with 25 students from July 2019 to October 2019, and 96.0% (N = 24) of participants responded to the questionnaire both prior to and after the training. In the evaluation of research skills, results showed that use of appropriate tools for research (Z = −3.340, p < 0.01), students' ability to undertake a focused literature search (Z = −3.40, p < 0.01), identifying and utilizing information (Z = −3.34, p < 0.01), and paper‐writing skills (Z = −3.49, p < 0.01) were significantly improved after the undergraduates participated in the scientific research training. A qualitative analysis of the feedback showed that students found that the training helped to enhance their knowledge, improve their study scores, and motivate them to conduct research in the future. Early scientific research ability training strengthened the research skills of medical undergraduates and motivated them to pursue research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the northern high latitudes, warmer spring temperatures generally lead to earlier leaf onsets, higher vegetation production, and enhanced spring carbon uptake. Yet, whether this positive linkage has diminished under climate change remains debated. Here, we used atmospheric CO2 measurements at Barrow (Alaska) during 1979–2020 to investigate the strength of temperature dependence of spring carbon uptake reflected by two indicators, spring zero‐crossing date (SZC) and CO2 drawdown (SCC). We found a fall and rise in the interannual correlation of temperature with SZC and SCC (RSZC‐T and RSCC‐T), showing a recent reversal of the previously reported weakening trend of RSZC‐T and RSCC‐T. We used a terrestrial biosphere model coupled with an atmospheric transport model to reproduce this fall and rise phenomenon and conducted factorial simulations to explore its potential causes. We found that a strong–weak–strong spatial synchrony of spring temperature anomalies per se has contributed to the fall and rise trend in RSZC‐T and RSCC‐T, despite an overall unbroken temperature control on net ecosystem CO2 fluxes at local scale. Our results provide an alternative explanation for the apparent drop of RSZC‐T and RSCC‐T during the late 1990s and 2000s, and suggest a continued positive linkage between spring carbon uptake and temperature during the past four decades. We thus caution the interpretation of apparent climate sensitivities of carbon cycle retrieved from spatially aggregated signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P53 gene mutation is one of the important causes in tumors. p53‐MDM2 (murine double minute 2) inhibitors can interrupt p53‐dependent gene transcription activity, and inhibit p53‐mediated apoptosis, block p53‐MDM2/MDMx interaction, and significantly reduce DNA formation. In this article, we focused on the synthesis methods about nutlins and other p53 small molecule inhibitors, in order to find potential new structure for novel p53 small molecule inhibitor synthesizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical site wound infection is one of the most common postoperative complications in orthopaedic clinical practice. This study employed a meta‐analysis approach to comprehensively evaluate the effect of operating room nursing interventions on the prevention of surgical site wound infections in orthopaedic surgical patients. A computer search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang databases from the inception of each database until May 2023 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the application of operating room nursing interventions in orthopaedic surgery. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed study quality. The meta‐analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0. A total of 29 studies involving 3567 patients were included, with 1784 patients in the intervention group, and 1783 patients in the control group. The results of the meta‐analysis showed that compared with the control group, the use of operating room nursing interventions significantly reduced the incidence of surgical site wound infection after orthopaedic surgery (2.85% vs. 13.24%; odds ratio: 0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.14–0.25; p < 0.001). Current evidence suggests that operating room nursing interventions reduce the incidence of surgical site wound infections. However, owing to the limited number and low quality of the studies, more high‐quality, large‐sample RCTs are needed to further verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop velocity selective arterial spin labeling (VSASL) protocols for prostate blood flow (PBF) and prostate blood volume (PBV) mapping. Methods: Fourier‐transform based velocity‐selective inversion and saturation pulse trains were utilized in VSASL sequences to obtain blood flow and blood volume weighted perfusion signal, respectively. Here four cutoff velocities (Vcut = 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 1.50 cm/s) for PBF and PBV mapping sequences were evaluated with a parallel implementation in brain for measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) with identical 3D readout. This study was performed at 3T on eight young and middle‐aged healthy subjects comparing both perfusion weighted signal (PWS) and temporal SNR (tSNR). Results: In contrast to CBF and CBV, the PWS of PBF and PBV were rather unobservable at Vcut of 1.00 or 1.50 cm/s and both PWS and tSNR of PBF and PBV considerably increased at the lower Vcut, indicating that blood moves much slower in prostate than in brain. Similar to the brain results, the tSNR of PBV‐weighted signal was about two to four times over the corresponding values of PBF‐weighted signal. The results also suggested a trend of reduced vascularity within prostate during aging. Conclusion: For prostate, a low Vcut of 0.25–0.50 cm/s seemed necessary for both PBF and PBV measurements to obtain adequate perfusion signal. As in brain, PBV mapping yielded a higher tSNR than PBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The most‐used 3D acquisitions for ASL are gradient and spin echo (GRASE)– and stack‐of‐spiral (SOS)–based fast spin echo, which require multiple shots. Alternatively, turbo FLASH (TFL) allows longer echo trains, and SOS‐TFL has the potential to reduce the number of shots to even single‐shot, thus improving the temporal resolution. Here we compare the performance of 3D SOS‐TFL and 3D GRASE for ASL at 3T. Methods: The 3D SOS‐TFL readout was optimized with respect to fat suppression and excitation flip angles for pseudo‐continuous ASL– and velocity‐selective (VS)ASL–derived cerebral blood flow (CBF) mapping as well as for VSASL‐derived cerebral blood volume (CBV) mapping. Results were compared with 3D GRASE readout on healthy volunteers in terms of perfusion quantification and temporal SNR (tSNR) efficiency. CBF and CBV mapping derived from 3D SOS‐TFL–based ASL was demonstrated on one stroke patient, and the potential for single‐shot acquisitions was exemplified. Results: SOS‐TFL with a 15° flip angle resulted in adequate tSNR efficiency with negligible image blurring. Selective water excitation was necessary to eliminate fat‐induced artifacts. For pseudo‐continuous ASL– and VSASL‐based CBF and CBV mapping, compared to the employed four‐shot 3D GRASE with an acceleration factor of 2, the fully sampled 3D SOS‐TFL delivered comparable performance (with a similar scan time) using three shots, which could be further undersampled to achieve single‐shot acquisition with higher tSNR efficiency. SOS‐TFL had reduced CSF contamination for VSASL‐CBF. Conclusion: 3D SOS‐TFL acquisition was found to be a viable substitute for 3D GRASE for ASL with sufficient tSNR efficiency, minimal relaxation‐induced blurring, reduced CSF contamination, and the potential of single‐shot, especially for VSASL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising prevalence of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a major challenge to global health. Existing therapeutic approaches have limitations, and there is a need for new, safe, and less invasive treatments. Interventional metabolic therapy is a new addition to the treatment arsenal for metabolic disorders. This review focuses on two interventional techniques: bariatric arterial embolization (BAE) and endovascular denervation (EDN). BAE involves embolizing specific arteries feeding ghrelin‐producing cells to suppress appetite and promote weight loss. EDN targets nerves that regulate metabolic organs to improve glycemic control in T2DM patients. We describe the current state of these techniques, their mechanisms of action, and the available safety and effectiveness data. We also propose a new territory called "Interventional Metabology" to encompass these and other interventional approaches to treating metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung is the most common primary site of brain metastases (BMs). For different pathological types of BMs have some similar characteristics, it is still a challenge to confirm the origin based on their characteristics directly. BMs of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have favorable therapeutic expectations due to their high sensitivity to radiotherapy. This study sought to identify unique characteristics of BMs in SCLC, aiming to assist in clinical decision‐making. Methods: Patients diagnosed with BMs of lung cancer who received radiotherapy from January 2017 to January 2022 were reviewed (N = 284). Definitive diagnosis of BMs of SCLC was reached for 36 patients. All patients underwent head examination using magnetic resonance imaging. The number, size, location, and signal characteristics of lesions were analyzed. Results: There were 7 and 29 patients with single focus and non‐single focus, respectively. Ten patients had diffuse lesions, and the remaining 26 patients had a total of 90 lesions. These lesions were divided into three groups according to size: <1, 1–3, and >3 cm (43.33%, 53.34%, and 3.33%, respectively). Sixty‐six lesions were located in the supratentorial area, primarily including cortical and subcortical lesions (55.56%) and deep brain lesions (20%). Moreover, 22 lesions were located in the infratentorial area. According to diffusion‐weighted imaging and T1‐weighted contrast enhancement, the imaging characteristics were classified into six patterns. Hyperintensity in diffusion‐weighted imaging and homogeneous enhancement was the most common pattern of BMs in SCLC (46.67%), while partial lesions showed hyperintensity in diffusion‐weighted imaging without enhancement (7.78%). Conclusions: The manifestations of BMs in SCLC were multiple lesions (diameter: 1–3 cm), hyperintensity in diffusion‐weighted imaging, and homogeneous enhancement. Interestingly, hyperintensity in diffusion‐weighted imaging without enhancement was also one of the characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathology of sepsis‐associated encephalopathy (SAE) is related to astrocyte‐inflammation associated with aquaporin‐4 (AQP4). The aim here is to investigate the effects of AQP4 associated with SAE and reveal its underlying mechanism causing cognitive impairment. The in vivo experimental results reveal that AQP4 in peripheral blood of patients with SAE is up‐regulated, also the cortical and hippocampal tissue of cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) mouse brain has significant rise in AQP4. Furthermore, the data suggest that AQP4 deletion could attenuate learning and memory impairment, attributing to activation of astrocytic autophagy, inactivation of astrocyte and downregulate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines induced by CLP or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, the activation effect of AQP4 knockout on CLP or LPS‐induced PPAR‐γ inhibiting in astrocyte is related to intracellular Ca2+ level and sodium channel activity. Learning and memory impairment in SAE mouse model are attenuated by AQP4 knockout through activating autophagy, inhibiting neuroinflammation leading to neuroprotection via down‐regulation of Nav1.6 channels in the astrocytes. This results in the reduction of Ca2+ accumulation in the cell cytosol furthermore activating the inhibition of PPAR‐γ signal transduction pathway in astrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Profunda femoris artery perforator flaps (PAPFs) have not been widely used in head and neck reconstructions. The feasibility and outcomes of PAPFs for various head and neck reconstructions need to be investigated. Study Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: A single‐institution review. Methods: PAPFs were utilized in head and neck reconstructions from 2019 to 2021. Local anatomy, surgical technique, and complications were discussed. Chimeric PAPF applications with muscle components were described for coverage of extensive multiunit defects. Additionally, aesthetic and functional outcomes were compared with anterolateral thigh perforator flaps. Results: A total of 33 cases were included. The average age was 54.2 years (range, 30‐74). The most common underlying pathology was oral squamous cell carcinoma (n = 26, 78.8%), while the mean ± SD body mass index was 25.4 ± 2.8 kg/m2. Middle perforators (n = 14, 42.4%) were the most commonly utilized ones. The perforator‐based chimeric/composite applications were used in 9 (27.3%), with the muscular components consisting of gracilis (n = 3, 9.1%), adductor magnus (n = 5, 15.2%), or semimembranosus muscles (n = 1, 3.0%). Venous thromboses of the PAPFs were found in 2 (6.1%), though salvaged. The occurrence of postoperative 90‐day morbidity (complication) was related to mandibulectomy/maxillectomy (P =.020). Postoperative validated questionnaires showed a trend of intermediate to high scores, indicating noninferior outcomes in several categories, when compared with the anterolateral thigh perforator flap counterparts. Conclusion: PAPFs are a good reconstructive alternative for intermediate to large head and neck reconstructions. Besides, PAPFs can provide sufficient tissue volume and versatility of potentially incorporating adjacent muscle components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "AQP4 Aggravates Cognitive Impairment in Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy through Inhibiting Nav1.6-Mediated Astrocyte Autophagy" discusses the role of AQP4 (aquaporin-4) in sepsis-induced cognitive impairment. The study found that AQP4 knockout improved cognitive dysfunction and synaptic plasticity in septic mice. Additionally, AQP4 knockout antagonized PPAR-¿ to alleviate neuronal injury through Nav1.6 activation. The findings suggest that targeting AQP4 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for sepsis-associated encephalopathy. [Extracted from the article]

Medical research is important to scientific progress and medical education. Institutions worldwide have sought to increase student involvement in research such as clinician–scientists training programs, while little is known about how medical undergraduates perceive research. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China, with first–fourth year undergraduates. An online, anonymous, and self‐rating 5‐point Likert questionnaire was conducted to investigate medical undergraduates' demographic characteristics and assess motivation, self‐efficacy, perception, curiosity, and barriers regarding medical research. Content validity was checked with experts and face validity was checked for clarity and understanding of the questionnaire. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questions ranged from 0.813 to 0.879. A total of 3273 medical undergraduates were surveyed, and 86.62% (2835) participants (male 962, female 1873) were identified as effective. Males scored higher than females on self‐efficacy (p < 0.001), perception (p = 0.017), and curiosity (p < 0.001), and lower on barriers (p < 0.001). The second year students are at the peak of their perception (p = 0.006) and lowest barrier scores (p = 0.003). Students with scientific research experience scored higher in motivation (p = 0.002), self‐efficacy (p < 0.001), perception (p < 0.001), and curiosity (p < 0.001). Lack of proper mentoring opportunity (86.2%) and knowledge (84.5%) were the main barriers in conducting research. Even though they have a positive perspective, only a few undergraduates enrolled in research. Medical universities should encourage faculties to supervise and guide undergraduates' projects, and provide feasible solutions for students to learn scientific knowledge and skills. It is vital to build a research‐oriented environment and academic atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land carbon sink is a vital component for the achievement of China's ambitious carbon neutrality goal, but its magnitude is poorly known. Atmospheric observations and inverse models are valuable tools to constrain the China's land carbon sink. Space‐based CO2 measurements from satellites form an emerging data stream for application of such atmospheric inversions. Here, we reviewed the satellite missions that is dedicated to the monitoring of CO2, and the recent progresses on the inversion of China's land carbon sink using satellite CO2 measurements. We summarized the limitations and challenges in current space platforms, retrieval algorithms, and the inverse modeling. It is shown that there are large uncertainties of contemporary satellite‐based estimates of China's land carbon sink. We discussed future opportunities of continuous improvements in three aspects to better constrain China's land carbon sink with space‐based CO2 measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a T2‐oximetry method for quantitative mapping of cerebral venous oxygenation fraction (Yv) using Fourier‐transform–based velocity‐selective (FT‐VS) pulse trains. Methods: The venous isolation preparation was achieved by using an FT‐VS inversion plus a nonselective inversion (NSI) pulse to null the arterial blood signal while minimally affected capillary blood flows out into the venular vasculature during the outflow time (TO), and then applying an Fourier transform based velocity selective saturation (FT‐VSS) pulse to suppress the tissue signal. A multi‐echo readout was employed to obtain venous T2 (T2,v) efficiently with the last echo used to detect the residual CSF signal and correct its contamination in the fitting. Here we compared the performance of this FT‐VS–based venous isolation preparations with a traditional velocity‐selective saturation (VSS)–based approach (quantitative imaging of extraction of oxygen and tissue consumption [QUIXOTIC]) with different cutoff velocities for Yv mapping on 6 healthy volunteers at 3 Tesla. Results: The FT‐VS–based methods yielded higher venous blood signal and temporal SNR with less CSF contamination than the velocity‐selective saturation–based results. The averaged Yv values across the whole slice measured in different experiments were close to the global Yv measured from the individual internal jugular vein. Conclusion: The feasibility of the FT‐VS–based Yv estimation was demonstrated on healthy volunteers. The obtained high venous signal as well as the mitigation of CSF contamination led to a good agreement between the T2,v and Yv measured in the proposed method with the values in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, online learning has played an increasingly crucial role in the educational system. Academic dishonesty (AD) in online learning is a challenging problem that represents a complex psychological and social phenomenon for learners. However, there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic reviews of AD in online learning environments. Objectives: This study presents a systematic study of AD in online learning environments to delineate its trends and uncover potential areas for further research. Methods: We conducted this review based on various sources of evidence‐based research and followed the guidelines of the PRISMA statement and procedure for selection. After the exclusion criteria were employed, 59 eligible articles were selected and then analysed in a descriptive overview. Two frameworks were identified in the structured content analysis to analyse these articles. One was the framework of Gilbert's Behaviour Engineering Model (BEM), and the other was the types of interventions for online AD, where 36 articles were analysed. Results and Conclusions: The descriptive results showed that most studies used quantitative methods and focused on students. The analysis results of influencing factors under the BEM framework showed that the category of environment support and tools accounts for the largest proportion. And the types of interventions for online AD we classified include individual AD & high technological complexity, individual AD & low technological complexity, collective AD & high technological complexity, and collective AD & low technological complexity. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding and guidance of AD in the online environment for relevant managers, designers and developers. Lay Description: 1. Systematic review of academic dishonesty in online learning environments. 2. To review followed the PRISMA procedure for selecting 59 eligible articles. 3. Factors influencing AD behaviour in online learning under the BEM framework. 4. To explore the types of interventions for AD in online environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The traditional radiofrequency (RF)‐prepared B1 mapping technique consists of one scan with an RF preparation module for flip angle‐encoding and a second scan without this module for normalizing. To reduce the T1‐induced k‐space filtering effect, this method is limited to 2D FLASH acquisition with a two‐parameter method. A novel 3D RF‐prepared three‐parameter method for ultrafast B1‐mapping is proposed to correct the T1‐induced quantification bias. Theory: The point spread function analysis of FLASH shows that the prepared longitudinal magnetization before the FLASH acquisition and the image signal obeys a linear (not proportional) relationship. The intercept of the linear function causes the quantification bias and can be captured by a third saturated scan. Methods: Using the 2D double‐angle method (DAM) as the reference, a 3D RF‐prepared three‐parameter protocol with 9 s duration was compared with the two‐parameter method, as well as the saturated DAM (SDAM) method, the dual refocusing echo acquisition mode (DREAM) method, and the actual flip‐angle imaging (AFI) method, for B1 mapping of brain, breast, and abdomen with different orientations and shim settings at 3T. Results: The 3D RF‐prepared three‐parameter method with complex‐subtraction delivered consistently lower RMS error, error mean, error standard deviation, and higher concordance correlation coefficients values than the two‐parameter method, the three‐parameter method with magnitude‐subtraction, the multi‐slice DREAM and the 3D AFI, and were close to the results of 2D or multi‐slice SDAM. Conclusion: The proposed ultrafast 3D RF‐prepared three‐parameter method with complex‐subtraction was demonstrated with high accuracy for B1 mapping of brain, breast, and abdomen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and test a simple hedging hypothesis for prediction interval formation in stock price forecasting. In the presence of uncertainty, forecasters hedge their forecasts by adjusting the bounds of the prediction interval in a way that reflects their forecast of the average forecast of others. This hypothesis suggests a positive relationship between the belief wedge, defined as the difference between the subject's forecast of the average forecast of others and the subject's own point forecast, and the asymmetry of the prediction interval. Empirical support for the hedging hypothesis is drawn from two in‐class surveys, an experiment, and a large survey of professional analysts' forecasts of future stock prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic anomalies commonly contain anomalies generated by crustal rocks that have variable mineral compositions and natural remanent magnetizations. Recovery of magnetic parameters from superimposed magnetic anomaly sources is therefore important for mineral exploration and geological studies. Superposition of magnetic anomalies leads to nonnegligible errors of inversion and interpretation. Therefore, extraction of magnetic anomalies is essential for magnetic data processing; however, existing methods cannot extract magnetic anomalies caused by sources without substantial depth differences. A novel low‐rank method is proposed for extracting a target magnetic anomaly from a superimposed anomaly. The low‐rank feature of the magnetic anomaly is used to obtain the target anomaly by reducing the Schatten‐p norm of the superimposed anomaly according to the possible target source distribution. The target magnetic anomaly can then be extracted from the data generated by the source interference at the same or different depths. The accuracy of the proposed method was verified using synthetic modeling. Magnetization vector information for individual igneous rocks was recovered from extracted magnetic anomalies via 3‐D inversion of field data from Yeshan (eastern China) that contain complex magnetic anomaly superpositions. The distributions and lithologies of five buried igneous rocks, including basalt, diabase, and granodiorite, were then identified. The proposed method expands the problem of separating magnetic information from rocks in different layers with large depth differences to rocks within the same or other layers and recovers geometric and physical information for each targeted magnetic source from the superimposed anomaly. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic rocks inherit different magnetic characteristics that depend on the type of rock and the features of the geomagnetic field present when the rock formed. Even for rocks at the same locality, the magnitude and direction of the magnetic vectors caused by the rocks are often different. Magnetic field observations contain mixed magnetic information from the geomagnetic core field and from all the rocks under and near the observation area, which causes serious problems for certain types of geological study. Therefore, we developed a new method to recover the magnetic anomaly caused by a target source from mixed magnetic information. We explain how the proposed method works and present a mathematical model. The robustness of the parameters of the proposed method is assessed using synthetic models. Synthetic experiments designed to test the accuracy of the proposed method indicated that the magnetic anomaly of the target rock could be recovered with high accuracy. Finally, we applied the proposed method to study field magnetic information in Yeshan, eastern China. Five magnetic anomalies caused by five isolated rocks were obtained using the proposed method, and the magnetic information, distributions, and lithologies of the five rocks were determined. Key Points: Magnetic data contain superimposed signals from multiple rocks that make extraction of magnetic anomalies for targeted sources challengingA novel low‐rank framework is proposed to extract target anomalies from superimposed magnetic anomaliesDetailed information derived from superimposed anomalies includes a magnetization vector model for each target source [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the association between near work, screen time including TV and outdoor time with myopia in children from the Sunflower Myopia Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium (AEEC). Methods: We analysed AEEC cross‐sectional data (12 241 children) on risk factors (near work, screen time including TV and outdoor time) and myopia of six population‐based studies (China, Hong Kong and Singapore). Cycloplegic refraction and axial length (AL) measurements were included. Risk factors were determined using questionnaires. Data were pooled from each study, and multivariable regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between risks factors and myopia, spherical equivalent (SE) and AL. Results: Among the included children, 52.1% were boys, 98.1% were Chinese and 69.7% lived in urban areas. Mean±standard deviation (SD) for age was 8.8 ± 2.9 years, for SE was −0.14 ± 1.8 D and for AL was 23.3 ± 1.1 mm. Myopia prevalence was 30.6%. In multivariate analysis, more reading and writing (OR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11–1.24), more total near work (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.09) and less outdoor time (OR = 0.82, 95% CI, 0.75–0.88) were associated with myopia (p's < 0.05). These factors were similarly associated with SE and AL (p's < 0.05), except for total near work and AL (p = 0.15). Screen time including TV was not significantly associated with myopia (p = 0.49), SE (p = 0.49) or AL (p = 0.83). Conclusion: In this study, increased reading and writing and decreased outdoor time were associated with myopia. Screen time may be a surrogate factor of near work or outdoor time, but further research is needed to assess its role as an independent risk factor for myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant increases in neuronal network excitability may contribute to cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanisms underlying hyperexcitability of neurons are not fully understood. Voltage‐gated sodium channels (VGSC or Nav), which are involved in the formation of excitable cell's action potential and can directly influence the excitability of neural networks, have been implicated in AD‐related abnormal neuronal hyperactivity and higher incidence of spontaneous non‐convulsive seizures. Here, we have shown that the reduction of VGSC α‐subunit Nav1.6 (by injecting adeno‐associated virus (AAV) with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into the hippocampus) rescues cognitive impairments and attenuates synaptic deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Concurrently, amyloid plaques in the hippocampus and levels of soluble Aβ are significantly reduced. Interfering with Nav1.6 reduces the transcription level of β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), which is Aβ‐dependent. In the presence of Aβ oligomers, knockdown of Nav1.6 reduces intracellular calcium overload by suppressing reverse sodium–calcium exchange channel, consequently increasing inactive NFAT1 (the nuclear factor of activated T cells) levels and thus reducing BACE1 transcription. This mechanism leads to a reduction in the levels of Aβ in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, alleviates synaptic loss, improves learning and memory disorders in APP/PS1 mice after downregulating Nav1.6 in the hippocampus. Our study offers a new potential therapeutic strategy to counteract hippocampal hyperexcitability and subsequently rescue cognitive deficits in AD by selective blockade of Nav1.6 overexpression and/or hyperactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional mutualism between insects and symbiotic bacteria is widespread. The various sap‐feeding whitefly species within the Bemisia tabaci complex associate with the same obligate symbiont (Portiera) and multiple secondary symbionts. It is often assumed that some of the symbionts residing in the whiteflies play crucial roles in the nutritional physiology of their insect hosts. Although effort has been made to understand the functions of the whitefly symbionts, the metabolic complementarity offered by these symbionts to the hosts is not yet well understood. We examined two secondary symbionts, Arsenophonus and Wolbachia, in two species of the B. tabaci whitefly complex, provisionally named as Asia II 3 and China 1. Genomic sequence analyses revealed that Arsenophonus and Wolbachia retained genes responsible for the biosynthesis of B vitamins. We then conducted transcriptomic surveys of the bacteriomes in these two species of whiteflies together with that in another species named MED of this whitefly complex previously reported. The analyses indicated that several key genes in B vitamin syntheses from the three whitefly species were identical. Our findings suggest that, similar to another secondary symbiont Hamiltonella, Arsenophonus and Wolbachia function in the nutrient provision of host whiteflies. Although phylogenetically distant species of symbionts are associated with their respective hosts, they have evolved and retained similar functions in biosynthesis of some B vitamins. Such metabolic complementarity between whiteflies and symbionts represents an important feature of their coevolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: It is well‐known that the marginal likelihood, the gold standard for Bayesian model comparison, can be sensitive to prior hyperparameter choices. However, most models require computationally intense simulation‐based methods to evaluate the typically high‐dimensional integral of the marginal likelihood expression. Hence, despite the recognition that prior sensitivity analysis is important in this context, it is rarely done in practice. We develop efficient and feasible methods to compute the sensitivities of the marginal likelihood, obtained via two common simulation‐based methods, with respect to any prior hyperparameter, alongside the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation algorithm. Our approach builds on automatic differentiation (AD), which has only recently been introduced to the more computationally intensive MCMC simulation setting. We illustrate our approach with two empirical applications in the context of widely used multivariate time series models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we focus only on the direct effect of SM because our offline simulations, that do not include feedbacks of SM to the atmosphere, only reflect its direct effect on NBP. Multiple linear regression (MLR) is widely used to attribute causes of the interannual variability (IAV) of land carbon uptake, yet, parameter estimation in MLR can be problematic if the predictors are strongly inter-correlated. [Extracted from the article]

The Sahara was significantly wetter and greener than today during the mid‐Holocene (∼6,000 years before present), and those conditions were likely maintained by feedbacks from evaporating wetlands and riparian zones. A lack of spatially continuous wetland reconstruction is the major obstacle to investigating their impacts on climate and vegetation during that epoch. Here, we estimate high‐resolution gridded wetland distribution up to 15″ in the mid‐Holocene North Africa obtained with three statistical and hydrological modeling approaches forced by enhanced and calibrated precipitation from climate models. These wetland models have good performance for present‐day conditions and reproduce mid‐Holocene hydrological elements evaluated by 297 paleo‐records. Simulation results show that 18.9 ± 4.0% of land surface in North Africa was covered by wetlands during the mid‐Holocene. Our results highlight the impact of natural climate change on wetland areas and provide a data set for modeling studies to include wetland feedbacks. Plain Language Summary: Several lines of evidence show that northern Africa was considerably wetter and greener than today at ∼6,000 years ago, which is known as the mid‐Holocene Green Sahara (GS). However, most current models could not reproduce climate in the GS. The importance of wetland feedbacks on sustaining a wetter climate has partially been recognized while large uncertainties in wetland coverage make it difficult to examine wetland feedbacks in climate models. We trained several wetland models under present climate and applied them to wetland reconstructions of GS. The produced wetland maps could capture dense wetlands indicated by 297 paleo‐records. The total wetland fraction in the mid‐Holocene North Africa is 18.9 ± 4.0%, which is more than five times the area today (∼2.8%). The relationship between wetland fraction and precipitation is examined in our models. This work improves our understanding of the GS enigma, and has implications for potential greening and wetting of Sahel and Sahara in the future. Key Points: We present high‐resolution reconstructions of wetland distribution up to 15″ for the mid‐Holocene North AfricaDuring the mid‐Holocene, 18.9 ± 4.0% of land surface in North Africa was covered by wetlandsThe relationship between precipitation and wetland fraction in the mid‐Holocene Sahara is explored [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an attractive anti‐non‐small cell lung cancer (anti‐NSCLC) druggable target, but many traditional adenosine triphosphate (ATP)‐competitive EGFR inhibitors have been clinically observed to eventually establish acquired resistance due to kinase mutations. Allosteric inhibitors represent a new direction of EGFR‐targeted therapy, which have been successfully developed since 2016 to overcome the widely occurring kinase drug‐resistant mutations T790M/C797S [Jia Y, et al. Nature 2016; 534: 129–132]. In this study, a systematic inhibitor response‐to‐mutation profile of 11 reported EGFR allosteric inhibitors against 17 clinically significant EGFR missense mutations in NSCLC was created by integrating computational analyses and kinase assays, from which we were able to identify a number of representative mutation/inhibitor pairs with sensitization and deactivation. It is unraveled that most mutations have only a moderate or modest effect on inhibitor binding, while few mutations located within or nearby the kinase's allosteric site can cause strong sensitization or deactivation to allosteric inhibitors; thus they can influence the inhibitor binding substantially by forming or breaking noncovalent interactions between them. In particular, the gatekeeper mutation T790M and constitutively activated mutation L858R were observed to effectively improve the inhibitory potency of allosteric inhibitors, whereas the gain‐of‐function mutation T854A was revealed to considerably reduce inhibitory activity by breaking a geometrically perfect hydrogen bond. In addition, we also found that the allosteric inhibitor‐addressed conformational change in EGFR kinase domain has only a marginal effect on ATP binding, suggesting that allosteric inhibitors do not use the substrate‐regulatory strategy to suppress kinase activity; instead, they just shift the EGFR conformational equilibrium from active to inactive states by inducing a displacement in kinase's αC‐helix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive crop rotation is one of the main causes of the continued depletion in soil potassium (K) content in the Yangtze River basin (YRB). However, recent studies have shown that soil K content is increasing in the YRB. Therefore, in this study, experimental and statistical data were collected to evaluate the soil K changes caused by K fertilizer application and straw return across the YRB. The results showed that soil available K increased, on average, by 21.7% across the YRB as a result of balanced K fertilization and an increasing proportion of straw return. From 1990 to 2019, K fertilizer input has increased from 10.1% to 24.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, from 2003 to 2011, the proportion of straw return increased by 32.8%. Considering these changes, we evaluated the effect of K fertilizer application and straw return on the soil K status. Overall, crop yield and soil available K increased by 9.9%, 7.3%, 16.3%, and 42.5%, 23.8%, and 66.4%, respectively, with K fertilization, straw return, and the concurrent use of both practices. Further, a synergistic increase in indigenous K input and soil available K alleviated the soil K negative balance and reduced the soil K fixation rate. In general, balanced K fertilization and an increasing proportion of straw return are the most vital measures for realizing the sustainable development of soil K across the YRB. The results of this research will provide useful information for sustainable K management and incentive policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: High temporal and spatial resolutions are required for coronary blood flow measures. Current spiral breath‐hold phase contrast (PC) MRI at 3T focus on either high spatial or high temporal resolution. We propose a golden angle (GA) rotated Spiral k‐t Sparse Parallel imaging (GASSP) sequence for both high spatial (0.8 mm) and high temporal (<21 ms) resolutions. Methods: GASSP PC data are acquired in left anterior descending and right coronary arteries of eight healthy subjects. Binning of GA rotated spiral data into cardiac frames may lead to large k‐space gaps. To reduce those gaps, the binning window is shifted and a triggered GA scheme that resets the rotation angle every heartbeat is proposed. The gap reductions are evaluated in simulations and all subjects. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), peak diastolic velocity (PDV), coronary blood flow rate, and vessel area are validated against two reference scans, and repeatability/reproducibility are determined. Results: Shifted binning reduced the mean k‐space gaps of the triggered GA scheme by 14°‐22° in simulations and about 20° in vivo. The k‐space gap across three cardiac frames was reduced with the triggered GA scheme compared to the standard GA scheme (35.3°± 3.6° vs. 43°± 13.7°, t‐test P =.04). PSV, PDV, flow rate, and area had high intra‐scan repeatability (0.92 ≤ intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] ≤ 0.99), and inter‐scan (0.78 ≤ ICC ≤ 0.91) and intra‐observer (0.91 ≤ ICC ≤ 0.98) reproducibility. Conclusion: GASSP enables single breath‐hold coronary PC MRI with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Shifted binning and a triggered GA scheme reduce k‐space gaps. Quantitative coronary flow metrics are highly reproducible, especially within the same scanning session. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early detection and prognostic prediction are crucial in improving the survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Therefore, we provided potential molecular markers in this study for early diagnosis and prognosis of this cancer based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database analysis and experimental validations. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HNSCC tumor and normal samples were identified by TCGA database–based analyses. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied, respectively, to identify survival‐related DEGs and independent prognostic factors in HNSCC. Further, RT‐qPCR was employed to verify expression of DEGs in cancer and adjacent tissues from HNSCC patients recruited in our hospital, in which we also clarified the correlation between candidate genes and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of HNSCC patients. Results: TCGA data analyses yielded 59 DEGs. Cox analyses identified 13 candidate genes closely related to prognosis of HNSCC patients and established a five‐gene signature comprising AC103702.2, LINC00941, RPL29, FOXL2, and CCL11. This five‐gene signature could classify patients into high‐ and low‐risk groups. The survival rate of the high‐risk group was significantly lower than that of the low‐risk group. Clinical tissue experiments further confirmed that AC103702.2, LINC00941, CCL11, and RPL29P19 genes were inversely associated with the prognosis of HNSCC patients, while CCL11 gene was positively associated. We also found that high‐risk HNSCC patients presented a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: Five prognostic marker genes (AC103702.2, LINC00941, CCL11, RPL29P19, and FOXL2) as a gene cluster may serve as prognostic marker genes in HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Quantum cryptography uses quantum natures to realize unconditional security without computational hard problems, which can achieve lots of significant applications of secure communication, multiparty secure computation, E‐commerce, and so on. Even it can get the free‐space optical communication with quantum channel. In this paper, we firstly proposed a three‐level quantum satellite communication framework that covers dozens of common solutions. Among the solutions, we select and give a quantum semi‐honest and semi‐quantum mutual authenticated key agreement scheme with three‐particle entangled states, which can provide secure service for cross‐realm traditional clients with quantum satellite and super nodes. More important, by the quantum satellite's helping, the quantum satellite and the two super nodes can authenticate each other, but the three nodes cannot get any information of the session key between the cross‐realm clients. The proposed scheme has the properties of completeness, information theoretic security, nonrepudiation, and unforgeability. Its information‐theoretic security is ensured by quantum indistinguishability mechanics. On the other hand, our scheme is more efficient than the similar schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Benchmarking of flow and perfusion MR techniques on standardized phantoms can facilitate the use of advanced angiography and perfusion‐mapping techniques across multiple sites, field strength, and vendors. Here, MRA and perfusion mapping by arterial spin labeling (ASL) using Fourier transform (FT)–based velocity‐selective saturation and inversion pulse trains were evaluated on a commercial perfusion phantom. Methods: The FT velocity‐selective saturation–based MRA and FT velocity‐selective inversion–based ASL perfusion imaging were compared with time‐of‐flight and pseudo‐continuous ASL at 3 T on the perfusion phantom at two controlled flow rates, 175 mL/min and 350 mL/min. Velocity‐selective MRA (VSMRA) and velocity‐selective ASL (VSASL) were each performed with three velocity‐encoding directions: foot–head, left–right, and oblique 45°. The contrast‐to‐noise ratio for MRA scans and perfusion‐weighted signal, as well as labeling efficiency for ASL methods, were quantified. Results: On this phantom with feeding tubes having only vertical and transverse flow directions, VSMRA and VSASL exhibited the dependence of velocity‐encoding directions. The foot–head‐encoded VSMRA and VSASL generated similar signal contrasts as time of flight and pseudo‐continuous ASL for the two flow rates, respectively. The oblique 45°–encoded VSMRA yielded more uniform contrast‐to‐noise ratio across slices than foot–head and left–right‐encoded VSMRA scans. The oblique 45°–encoded VSASL elevated labeling efficiency from 0.22‐0.68 to 0.82‐0.90 through more uniform labeling of the entire feeding tubes. Conclusion: Both FT velocity‐selective saturation–based VSMRA and FT velocity‐selective inversion–based VSASL were characterized on a commercial perfusion phantom. Careful selection of velocity‐encoding directions along the major vessels is recommended for their applications in various organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To describe the indications, technique, and preliminary experience in the application of the superior thyroid artery perforator flap (STAPF) for the reconstruction of various medium‐sized intraoral defects. Methods: From September 2018 to September 2019, 12 consecutive cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma underwent reconstruction with a STAPF. Clinical details were collected, and postoperative function was analyzed. Results: The venous drainage of the STAPF is variable with drainage into the internal jugular vein in six cases, into both the internal and external jugular veins in four cases, and into the external jugular vein in two cases. Ten cases were harvested as pedicled flaps, while two cases required a venous anastomosis due to inadequate length of the venous pedicle. Ten flaps survived completely, whereas two flaps had partial necrosis that ultimately resolved with secondary healing. Conclusions: STAPF is a reliable method for the reconstruction of medium‐sized intraoral defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine peatlands on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau are an important soil carbon pool and are extremely sensitive to global change. Duration of drainage and water table drawdown accelerate peatland degradation because the soil changes from an anaerobic to aerobic environment, and climate warming exacerbates this shift. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of drainage on microbial characteristics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as identify the factors mediating those effects. This study also analyzed whether warming increases the variability of GHG emissions. Watertable drawdown exerted greater influence on microbial communities than duration of drainage did. Watertable drawdown significantly increased the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Basidiomycota, and changes in soil microbiota correlated with differences in GHG emissions across three water‐table treatments. Longer drainage was associated with lower GHG emission; watertable drawdown decreased emissions of CO2 and CH4, but increased emission of N2O. In addition, high temperature increased CO2 emission by 75% and N2O emission by 42%, without significantly affecting CH4 emission. Structural equation modelling showed that microbes, especially prokaryotes (r = 0.79, p < 0.05 for all), were the primary factor affecting GHG emissions from drained peatlands. Overall, this study indicates that the watertable exerts a greater effect on GHG emissions than duration of drainage, and that warming increases variability of GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panzerina lanata is a Chinese medicine with the bioactivity of detumescence and detoxification. In this study, novel qualitative and quantitative methods were established by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry, respectively. As a result, 20 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized including flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, and lignans, five of which were identified for the first time based on the reference standards. The quantitative approach exhibited good linearity (R2 > 0.995), precision (RSDs < 4.97%), stability (RSDs < 4.77%), and recovery (96.04‐104.14%). Afterward, this method was implemented to determine 11 flavonoids in four batches of P. lanata. Among them, seven compounds were quantified for the first time. Narcissin was abundant in each batch of P. lanata (average of 10.890‐14.230 mg/g) with the highest quantities. The results provide valuable information for quality evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic nanocube ensembles exhibit tunable localized surface plasmon resonance to induce the light manipulation at the subwavelength scale. Nevertheless, precisely control anisotropic metallic nanocube ensembles with relative spatial directionality remains a challenge. Here, we report a DNA origami based nanoprinting (DOBNP) strategy to transfer the essential DNA strands with predefined sequences and positions to the surface of the gold nanocubes (AuNCs). These DNA strands ensured the specific linkages between AuNCs and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that generating the stereo‐controlled AuNC‐AuNP nanostructures (AANs) with controlled geometry and composition. By anchoring the single dye molecule in hot spot regions, the dramatic enhanced electromagnetic field aroused stronger surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal amplification. Our approach opens the opportunity for the fabrication of stereo‐controlled metal nanostructures for designing highly sensitive photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]