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Introduction To evaluate the efficacy and safety of preforming extracorporeal physical vibration lithecbole(EVPL)through greater sciatic foramen(GSF)for distal ureteral calculi(DUC) treatment. Materials and methods All patients with a diagnosis of DUC (6 - 10 mm in diameter) were enrolled in this study from October 2018 to May 2020. Patients were randomly divided into three groups receiving EPVL through GSF (Group A, n = 58), or abdominal (Group B, n = 60), or combined with oral use of tamsulosin at 0.4 mg daily (Group C, n = 63). Results There was no significant difference observed in terms of demographic characteristics or size of stones among the three groups (p >0.05). Compared with the group B and C, patients of the group A displayed a significantly higher score of comfort but with significantly decreased number of renal colic attacks or analgesics required (p < 0.01). The stone-free rate also significantly increased after one and two weeks of treatment (p < 0.01), despite such a significant difference among these groups vanished after four weeks of treatment. Conclusion Extracorporeal physical vibrational lithecbole in the prone position use the greater sciatic foramen as the path is the safe and effective approach to treat the distal ureter calculi.

Highlights •Mechanical stimuli-triggered optical responses of cholesteric liquid crystal devices are realized.•Self-powered bistable smart window and E-paper are demonstrated.•Self-powered optical switch is developed for remote control.Intelligent responsive devices are crucial for a variety of applications ranging from smart electronics to robotics. Electro-responsive cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC) have been widely applied in display panels, smart windows, and so on. In this work, we realize the mechanical stimuli-triggered optical responses of the CLC by integrating it with a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which converts the mechanical motion into alternating current electricity and then tunes the different optical responses of the CLC. When the voltage applied on the CLC is relatively low (15–40 V), the TENG drives the switching between the bistable planar state and focal conic state of the CLC, which shows potential applications in self-powered smart windows or E-paper displays. When the voltage supplied by the TENG is larger than 60 V, a self-powered optical switch is demonstrated by utilizing the transformation between focal conic state and instantons homeotropic state of the CLC. This triboelectric-optical responsive device consumes no extra electric power and suggests a great potential for future smart electronics.

Background Multiple myeloma is an incurable malignant plasma cell disorder that represents the most common primary malignant bone tumor. It commonly involves bone metastasis in multiple vertebral bodies, and the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score scoring system may not be fully applicable to multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Aim To evaluate the spinal stability of patients with MM spinal involvement to guide their clinical treatment. Methods By using the Delphi method, we collected and extracted information through a series of questionnaires and improved it via feedback. We also preliminarily established a spinal stability scoring system for multiple myeloma. Results Fifteen clinicians completed a second round of questionnaires and compared their answers with those of the first round of questionnaires to identify significant comments or changes that required group discussions. As a result, no further feedback was used to improve the scoring system. After integrating the information from the expert consultation questionnaire, we established the initial scoring system for MM spine stability and used the scoring system to assess a series of representative clinical cases. The MM spinal stability scoring system was created by calculating the scores of the six separate components: location, pain, number of segments, physiological curvature, comorbidities, and neurological function. The minimum value was "0", and the maximum value was "24". A score of "0-10" indicated "spine stability", a score of "11-17" indicated "potential instability", and a score of "18-24" indicated "spine instability". Patients with a score of "11-24" need an intervention such as surgery. Conclusion The initial establishment of the MM spine stability scoring system provides a vital theoretical basis for the evaluation of spine stability in individuals with MM.

This paper proposes a novel system identification scheme to obtain a MIMO model of ship maneuvering motion, which can leverage the temporal correlation from the constructed training data to learn the underlying feasible model robust to extraneous noise. The scheme is based on long–short-term-memory (LSTM) deep neural network, which is more easily trained than traditional feedforward neural network with more complicated network structure. First, multiple datasets of simulated standard maneuvers (10°/10° and 20°/20° zigzag, 35° turning circle) of a KVLCC2 model are artificially polluted with white noise of various levels and used simultaneously to train the deep neural network model. Meanwhile, the data of 15°/15° zigzag maneuver are used to facilitate the training process to alleviate overfitting problem. Second, different datasets of modified zigzag tests are used to validate the generalization performance and robustness to noise of the trained neural network model. The training and validation results demonstrate that a mapping between the dynamics of ship motion and the computation in LSTM deep neural network is correctly identified. This mapping indicates that the complex nonlinear features of ship maneuvering motion can be learned from the measured temporal data, using standard training techniques for deep neural networks. An equivalent LSTM deep neural network model with better generalization performance and robustness is established, and its accuracy in predicting ship maneuvering motion is validated.

Distributed renewable kinetic energies are ubiquitous but with irregular amplitudes and frequencies, which, as one category of "high-entropy" energies, are crucial for next-generation self-powered electronics. Herein, we present a flexible waterproof dual-mode textile triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which can simultaneously scavenge multiple "high-entropy" kinetic energies, including human motions, raindrops, and winds. A freestanding-mode textile TENG (F-TENG) and a contact-separation-mode textile TENG (CS-TENG) are integrated together. The structure parameters of the textile TENG are optimized to improve the output performances. The raindrop can generate a voltage of up to ∼4.3 V and a current of about ∼6 μA, while human motion can generate a voltage of over 120 V and a peak power density of ∼500 mW m-2. The scavenged electrical energies can be stored in capacitors for powering small electronics. Therefore, we demonstrated a facile preparation of a TENG-based energy textile that is highly promising for kinetic energy harvesting and self-powered electronics.

Background Some pulmonary nodules are not suitable for computed tomography-guided percutaneous localization. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of real-time localization for these non-palpable pulmonary nodules using watershed analysis of the target pulmonary artery during thoracoscopic wedge resection. Methods Watershed analysis is a novel technique that can be used to create a specific area on the lung surface for nodule localization. This analysis is performed by temporarily blocking the target pulmonary artery and using indocyanine green fluorescence during surgery. In our study, the surgery was simulated and evaluated preoperatively using a high-precision three-dimensional reconstruction model obtained by multidetector spiral computed tomography. The lung was observed using an infrared thoracoscopy system after an intravenous injection of indocyanine green (2.5 mg/mL), and the white-to-blue transitional zone was marked using electrocautery, after which a wedge resection was performed. Results A total of 25 out of 26 patients underwent successful wedge resection. The mean tumor size and depth based on computed tomography scans were 13.2±6.4 and 12.2±7.8 mm, respectively. The mean operation duration was 142.6±52.8 min. The mean bleeding volume during surgery was 12.9±9.7 mL. The mean drainage tube indwelling time was 35.6±20.0 h, and the median length of postoperative stay was 3 days (range, 2-6 days). Conclusions Our experience showed that the watershed analysis of the target pulmonary artery for nodule localization was safe and feasible. It may become an effective and attractive alternative method for localizing non-palpable pulmonary nodules in selected patients undergoing thoracoscopic wedge resection.

Quantum dots (QDs) are promising materials for various optoelectronic applications. However, the efficiency of QD white light-emitting diodes (QD-white-LEDs) is not at the desired level, particularly when the QD concentration in the silicone matrix is high and the corresponding mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we experimentally and theoretically investigated the aggregation-induced scattering (AIS) effect of QDs in silicone and unraveled the origin of low efficiency for QD-white-LED devices. Three-dimensional finite-difference time domain and ray tracing simulations were carried out to establish the AIS model for QDs. Results indicate that the AIS effect is stronger for higher QD concentrations and leads to a larger effective aggregate size (EAS), which was confirmed by comparing with the experimental results of QD-silicone films. Furthermore, we found that the AIS effect causes a significant reduction in the radiant efficiencies of QD-white-LEDs when the EAS exceeds 50 particles, which is validated by fabricated devices. According to the spectral energy analysis, the low efficiency of QD-white-LEDs can be attributed to a strong AIS effect at high QD concentrations, causing severe backscattering and reabsorption loss. This study is also important for nondestructive testing the degree of aggregation demonstrated by QDs in a silicone matrix and for precisely modeling QD-white-LEDs.

Summary Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurs in the influenza season and has become a global pandemic. The present study aimed to examine severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) co-infection with influenza A virus (IAV) in an attempt to provide clues for the antiviral interventions of co-infected patients. We described two patients who were co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 and IAV treated at Wuhan Union Hospital, China. In addition, we performed a review in PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI (from January 1 up to November 1, 2020) with combinations of the following key words: “COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, influenza A and co-infection”. A total of 28 co-infected patients were enrolled in the analysis. Of the 28 patients, the median age was 54.5 years (IQR, 34.25–67.5) and 14 cases (50.0%) were classified as severe types. The most common symptoms were fever (85.71%), cough (82.14%) and dyspnea (60.71%). Sixteen patients had lymphocytopenia on admission and 23 patients exhibited abnormal radiological changes. The median time from symptom onset to hospital admission was 4 days (IQR, 3–6), and the median time of hospital stay was 14 days (IQR, 8.5–16.75). In conclusion, patients with SARS-COV-2 and IAV co-infection were similar to those infected with SARS-COV-2 alone in symptoms and radiological images. SARS-COV-2 co-infection with IAV could lead to more severe clinical condition but did not experience longer hospital stay compared with patients infected with SARS-COV-2 alone.

Purpose We aimed to compare the efficacy of percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) versus retrograde ureteric stent (RUS) for acute upper urinary tract obstruction with urosepsis. Materials and methods We performed a random study, comparing PCN to RUS, for the treatment of patients requiring emergency drainage due to acute upper urinary tract obstruction with urosepsis between January 2019 to March 2020. Data collected included patient characteristics, stone material, microbiological characteristics, and laboratory data. Statistical analysis was performed by the student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test or chi-squared test and Fisher exact test. Results At first, a total of 75 patients were eligibly assessed for enrollment. Among them, 3 cases were excluded for declining to participate and 7 cases were failed treated with RUS. At last, 35 PCN (53.85%) and 30 RUS (46.15%) patients were analyzed. There were 24 (36.92%) men and 41 (63.08%) women. The median age was 65 years. Emergency decompression was achieved by PCN in 35 (53.85%) patients and by RUS in 30 (46.15%). Urine culture was positive in 32 (49.23%) patients, of which 17 (53.13%) had E. coli. Postoperative C-reactive protein value and normal temperature recovery time in the PCN group were significantly lower than in the RUS group(P Conclusion PCN had a better outcome than RUS in emergency drainage with urosepsis, especially for patients with severe inflammation and fever.

A 48‐year‐old woman presented to our department and chest computed tomography (CT) revealed five pulmonary nodules, two of which were in the left upper lobe of the lung and three in the superior segment of the left lower lobe., All the lesions were resected for comprehensive histological assessment in order to distinguish synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (SMPLCs) from intrapulmonary metastases. The nodules were all successfully removed by minimally invasive surgery under the guidance of three dimensional (3D) reconstruction, in order to preserve as much lung function for the patient as possible. Postoperative histopathological examination demonstrated the presence of SMPLC. The patient was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 4 without any complications., In this case, there was a very special small pulmonary nodule in the anterior segment of the right upper lung. Using 3D reconstruction, as it was difficult to carry out a conventional pulmonary wedge resection, we determined that the nodule was located exactly between the roots of V3c and V3b+a. Therefore, we used electrocautery to strip the lung tissue along the boundary of V3c and V3b+a during the operation, and successfully removed the nodule.

Background Keloids are characterized by disturbance of fibroblast proliferation and apoptosis, deposition of collagen, and upregulation of dermal inflammation cells. This benign dermal fibro-proliferative scarring condition is a recognized skin inflammation disorder. Chronic inflammation is a well-known contributor to bone loss and its sequelae, osteoporosis. They both shared a similar pathogenesis through chronic inflammation. We assessed whether keloids increase osteoporosis risk through using National Health Insurance Research Database. Methods The 42,985 enrolled patients included 8597 patients with keloids but no history of osteoporosis; 34,388 controls without keloids were identified from the general population and matched at a one-to-four ratio by age, gender. Kaplan-Meier method was applied to determine cumulative incidence of osteoporosis. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed after adjustment of covariates to estimate the effect of keloids on osteoporosis risk. Results Of the 8597 patients with keloids, 178 (2.07%) patients were diagnosed with osteoporosis while in the 34,388 controls, 587 (1.71%) were diagnosed with osteoporosis. That is, the keloids patients had 2.64-fold higher risk of osteoporosis compared to controls after adjustment for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index and related comorbidities. The association between keloids and osteoporosis was strongest in patients younger than 50 years (hazard ratio = 7.06%) and in patients without comorbidities (hazard ratio = 4.98%). In the keloids patients, a high incidence of osteoporosis was also associated with advanced age, high Charlson Comorbidity Index score, hyperlipidemia, chronic liver disease, stroke, and depression. Conclusions Osteoporosis risk was higher in patients with keloids compared to controls, especially in young subjects and subjects without comorbidities.

With the rapid development of deep learning techniques, the popularity of voice services implemented on various Internet of Things (IoT) devices is ever increasing. In this paper, we examine user-level membership inference in the problem space of voice services, by designing an audio auditor to verify whether a specific user had unwillingly contributed audio used to train an automatic speech recognition (ASR) model under strict black-box access. With user representation of the input audio data and their corresponding translated text, our trained auditor is effective in user-level audit. We also observe that the auditor trained on specific data can be generalized well regardless of the ASR model architecture. We validate the auditor on ASR models trained with LSTM, RNNs, and GRU algorithms on two state-of-the-art pipelines, the hybrid ASR system and the end-to-end ASR system. Finally, we conduct a real-world trial of our auditor on iPhone Siri, achieving an overall accuracy exceeding 80\%. We hope the methodology developed in this paper and findings can inform privacy advocates to overhaul IoT privacy., Accepted by PoPETs 2021.1

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the pharmacological effects of sesamin (Ses) and its mechanism of action towards PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injuries. Method: Forty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: a saline control group; a PM2.5 exposure group; and low-, middle-, and high-dose Ses pretreatment groups. The SD rats were pretreated with different concentrations of Ses for 21 days. Afterward, the rats were exposed to ambient PM2.5 by intratracheal instillation every other day for a total of three times. The levels of inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and indicators related to oxidative responses, such as total superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA), were measured in the blood and heart. The expression of ferroptosis-related proteins in heart tissues was determined via western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: Ses pretreatment substantially ameliorated cardiovascular injuries in rats as evidenced by the decrease in the pathological score and collagen area. The decreased levels of SOD, GSH, and GSH-Px in the heart and serum were inhibited by Ses. In addition, Ses not only notably increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes but also reduced the levels of MDA, CK, LDH, CK-MB, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Furthermore, Ses pretreatment upregulated the expression levels of GPX4, SLC7A11, TFRC, and FPN1 and inhibited the expression levels of FTH1 and FTL. Conclusion: Ses pretreatment could ameliorate PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injuries perhaps by inhibiting ferroptosis. Therefore, Ses pretreatment may be a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injury.

In this study, the facile synthesis and electroluminescent perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) of highly luminescent Cs4PbBr6/CsPbBr3 nanocomposite has been demonstrated. With the addition of...

Raja Bersiong, the Fanged King, is a cannibal monarch in the Kedah epic literature Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa (HMM). By looking closely into the character of Raja Bersiong, this article examines the...

Background This study was conducted to evaluate and update the current prevalence of and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in a central Chinese urban population. Methods From December 2017 to June 2018, a total of 5231 subjects were randomly enrolled from 3 communities in 3 districts of Zhengzhou. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 2 or urinary albumin to creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g (albuminuria). Diabetic subjects with systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg, albuminuria or an eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were classified as having DKD. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing lifestyle and relevant medical history, and blood and urine specimens were taken. Serum creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and urinary albumin were assessed. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalences of CKD and DKD were calculated, and risk factors associated with the presence of reduced eGFR, albuminuria, DKD, severity of albuminuria and progression of reduced renal function were analyzed by binary and ordinal logistic regression. Results The overall adjusted prevalence of CKD was 16.8% (15.8–17.8%) and that of DKD was 3.5% (3.0–4.0%). Decreased renal function was detected in 132 participants (2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5–3.2%), whereas albuminuria was found in 858 participants (14.9, 95% CI: 13.9–15.9%). In all participants with diabetes, the prevalence of reduced eGFR was 6.3% (95% CI = 3.9–8.6%) and that of albuminuria was 45.3% (95% CI = 40.4–50.1%). The overall prevalence of CKD in participants with diabetes was 48.0% (95% CI = 43.1–52.9%). The results of the binary and ordinal logistic regression indicated that the factors independently associated with a higher risk of reduced eGFR and albuminuria were older age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia. Conclusions Our study shows the current prevalence of CKD and DKD in residents of Central China. The high prevalence suggests an urgent need to implement interventions to relieve the high burden of CKD and DKD in China.

Since December 2019, an epidemic caused by novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection has occurred unexpectedly in China. As of 8 pm, 31 January 2020, more than 20 pediatric cases have been reported in China. Of these cases, ten patients were identified in Zhejiang Province, with an age of onset ranging from 112 days to 17 years. Following the latest National recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia caused by 2019-nCoV (the 4th edition) and current status of clinical practice in Zhejiang Province, recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infection caused by 2019-nCoV for children were drafted by the National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, the National Children's Regional Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine to further standardize the protocol for diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infection in children caused by 2019-nCoV.

Characterizing the three-dimensional (3D) morphological alterations of microvessels under both normal and seizure conditions is crucial for a better understanding of epilepsy. However, conventional imaging techniques cannot detect microvessels on micron/sub-micron scales without angiography. In this study, synchrotron radiation (SR)-based X-ray in-line phase-contrast imaging (ILPCI) and quantitative 3D characterization were used to acquire high-resolution, high-contrast images of rat brain tissue under both normal and seizure conditions. The number of blood microvessels was markedly increased on days 1 and 14, but decreased on day 60 after seizures. The surface area, diameter distribution, mean tortuosity, and number of bifurcations and network segments also showed similar trends. These pathological changes were confirmed by histological tests. Thus, SR-based ILPCI provides systematic and detailed views of cerebrovascular anatomy at the micron level without using contrast-enhancing agents. This holds considerable promise for better diagnosis and understanding of the pathogenesis and development of epilepsy.

The conventional solution to learning to rank problems ranks individual documents by prediction scores greedily. Recent emerged re-ranking models, which take as input initial lists, aim to capture document interdependencies and directly generate the optimal ordered lists. Typically, a re-ranking model is learned from a set of labeled data, which can achieve favorable performance on average. However, it can be suboptimal for individual queries because the available training data is usually highly imbalanced. This problem is challenging due to the absence of informative data for some queries and furthermore, the lack of a good data augmentation policy. In this paper, we propose a novel method named Learning to Augment (LTA), which mitigates the imbalance issue through learning to augment the initial lists for re-ranking models. Specifically, we first design a data generation model based on Gaussian Mixture Variational Autoencoder (GMVAE) for generating informative data. GMVAE imposes a mixture of Gaussians on the latent space, which allows it to cluster queries in an unsupervised manner and then generate new data with different query types using the learned components. Then, to obtain a good augmentation strategy (instead of heuristics), we design a teacher model that consists of two intelligent agents to determine how to generate new data for a given list and how to rank both the raw data and generated data to produce augmented lists, respectively. The teacher model leverages the feedback from the re-ranking model to optimize its augmentation policy by means of reinforcement learning. Our method offers a general learning paradigm that is applicable to both supervised and reinforced re-ranking models. Experimental results on benchmark learning to rank datasets show that our proposed method can significantly improve the performance of re-ranking models.

Quantum dots (QDs) are a revolution in the field of photoelectric and have a crucial potential for future applications as a color converter in micro/mini- LEDs. However, the reported QD converter efficiency (-20-40%) has not reached the level on par with that of the conventional phosphor color converters (~40-60%). In this study, we fabricate the QD nanowires (NWs) templated in the nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate using a combination of inkjet printing and vacuum-deposition. Owing to the light couple and waveguide effect of the nanopores cavity structure, we demonstrate a 1.25-fold enhancement in the luminous flux and a 2.04-fold increase in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity compared with the traditional QD planar converter. Furthermore, the stability test showed a 2.34 times improvement in lifetime resulting from the heat dissipation and moisture protection of the nanopores. The inkjet printing fabrication strategy combined with the nanostructure provides new insights for mass-produce high-quality QD NWs, which is promising for modern lighting applications in the micro/mini-lighting-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) have been considered as the most potential ultraviolet light sources, however, the traditional packaging with flat quartz glass has severe total internal reflection (TIR) loss, largely reducing the efficiency of DUV-LED. It is an efficient method to address this problem using organic lens, but traditional organic materials cannot be applied in DUV-LEDs because they are easily cracked by short-wave ultraviolet light. In this report, solid-liquid mixing state (SLMS) organic lens is proposed to enhance the light extraction efficiency and reliability of DUV-LEDs. Results show that the radiant power of DUV-LEDs using SLMS organic lens is enhanced by 53.86% under the injection current of 150 mA compared to DUV-LEDs (275nm)encapsulated with conventional flat quartz glass. Moreover, after 279 hours continuous operation, DUV-LEDs encapsulated with SLMS organice lens can still radiate 8.289 mW, which is only 3.94% lower than the initial power. Consequently, an efficient, low-cost and universal strategy has been proposed to enhance the light-extraction efficiency of DUV-LEDs, which has a great application prospect in packaging industry of DUV-LEDs.

With an increase in low-cost machine learning APIs, advanced machine learning models may be trained on private datasets and monetized by providing them as a service. However, privacy researchers have demonstrated that these models may leak information about records in the training dataset via membership inference attacks. In this paper, we take a closer look at another inference attack reported in literature, called attribute inference, whereby an attacker tries to infer missing attributes of a partially known record used in the training dataset by accessing the machine learning model as an API. We show that even if a classification model succumbs to membership inference attacks, it is unlikely to be susceptible to attribute inference attacks. We demonstrate that this is because membership inference attacks fail to distinguish a member from a nearby non-member. We call the ability of an attacker to distinguish the two (similar) vectors as strong membership inference. We show that membership inference attacks cannot infer membership in this strong setting, and hence inferring attributes is infeasible. However, under a relaxed notion of attribute inference, called approximate attribute inference, we show that it is possible to infer attributes close to the true attributes. We verify our results on three publicly available datasets, five membership, and three attribute inference attacks reported in literature., 20 pages, accepted at IEEE EuroS&P 2021

The role of autophagy in lung cancer is context-dependent and complex. Recent studies have reported the important role of autophagy in tumor immune escape. However, the association between autophagy and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate the autophagy-related gene pair index (ATGPI) and autophagy clinical prognostic index (ACPI) in multiple LUAD cohorts, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, Gene Expression Omnibus cohorts, and one cohort from Union Hospital, Wuhan (UH cohort), using a Cox proportional hazards regression model with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) between patients with high and low ATGPI in the testing [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.97; P < 0.001] and TCGA validation (HR = 2.25; P < 0.001) cohorts. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also performed. We found that high ATGPI could accurately identify patients with early-stage LUAD with shorter OS, with the areas under the curve of 0.703 and 0.676 in the testing and TCGA validation cohorts, respectively. Concordance index (C-index) was used to evaluate the efficiency of ATGPI and ACPI. The C-index of ACPI was higher than that of ATGPI in the testing (0.71 vs. 0.66; P < 0.001), TCGA validation (0.69 vs. 0.65; P = 0.028), and UH (0.80 vs. 0.70; P = 0.015) cohorts. TIL analysis demonstrated that the proportions of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells were lower in the high-ATGPI group than in the low-ATGPI group in both the TCGA validation and UH cohorts. These results indicate the potential clinical use of ATG signatures which are associated with TILs, in identifying patients with early-stage LUAD with different OS.

In this paper, a dual-band power amplifier (PA) fabricated in 0.15-μm GaAs pHEMT process is presented. The concept of the optimal matching contour is used in the matching network design to minimize the loss in both operating frequency bands. Thus, this PA achieves good power performance in both frequency bands. The measured results of small-signal gain are 20/12 dB at 28/39 GHz, respectively. The saturated output power (P sat ) is 21.9/22.7 dBm, the peak power-added efficiency (PAE max ) is 28.9/32.6%, and the OP 1dB and corresponding PAE (PAE 1dB ) are 21.8/22.6 dBm and 28/32% at 28/39 GHz, respectively.

This paper presents a switchable dual-input low-noise amplifier (LNA) with notch filters for the switchable dual-circular polarization satellite receiver. Notch filters with different resonant frequencies provide a wideband stopband suppression and avoid degradation results from the process variation. The measured small-signal gain is 19.2 dB, and the simulated noise Figure (NF) is 1.55 dB at 19 GHz. The measured insertion loss is better than 15 dB from 24.1 to 30.5 GHz, effectively suppressing the leakage signal from the transmitter.

In current train control system, there are many drawings that need to be identified manually. This approach leads to many problems, such as misidentification and low efficiency. It is difficult to recognize these drawings automatically because the text on them often has a series of changes, like rotation, tilt, font changes and close to lines. To solve this problem, we divide the task into two parts: text recognition and graphical symbol recognition. This article focuses on text recognition. We use aerial detection technology to classify and detect graphical symbol and text, followed by choosing BILSTM to conducting sequence modeling and using convolutional recurrent neural network (CRNN) iterative training to focus on single word rotation, including tilting, noise-addition, and blurring post-processing. So that the training model can cope with complex scenario and improve the recognition rate of text on drawings. Finally, RESNET is applied to CRNN feature extraction network, and CRNN outputs the recognition and detection results in sequence according to the detection sequence, achieving entry-level detection, and the text recognition rate reaches 98.36%

Although fossil-based plastic products have many attractive characteristics, their production has led to severe environmental burdens that require immediate solutions. Despite these plastics being non-natural chemical compounds, they can be degraded and metabolized by some microorganisms, which suggests the potential application of biotechnologies based on the mechanism of plastic biodegradation. In this context, microbe-based strategies for the degradation, recycling, and valorization of plastic waste offer a feasible approach for alleviating environmental challenges created by the accumulation of plastic waste. This Minireview highlights recent advances in the biotechnology-based biodegradation of both traditional polymers and bio-based plastics, focusing on the mechanisms of biodegradation. From an application perspective, this Minireview also summarizes recent progress in the recycling and valorization of plastic waste, which are feasible solutions for tackling the plastic waste dilemma.

Due to the recent boom in urbanisation, economy, and global population, the amount of waste generated worldwide has increased tremendously. The World Bank estimates that global waste generation is expected to increase 70% by 2050. Disposal of waste is already a major concern as it poses risks to the environment, human health, and economy. To tackle this issue and maximise potential environmental, economic, and social benefits, waste valorisation - a value-adding process for waste materials - has emerged as a sustainable and efficient strategy. The major objective of waste valorisation is to transit to a circular economy and maximally alleviate hazardous impacts of waste. This review conducts bibliometric analysis to construct a co-occurrence network of research themes related to management of five major waste streams (i.e., food, agricultural, textile, plastics, and electronics). Modern valorisation technologies and their efficiencies are highlighted. Moreover, insights into improvement of waste valorisation technologies are presented in terms of sustainable environmental, social, and economic performances. This review summarises highlighting factors that impede widespread adoption of waste valorisation, such as technology lock-in, optimisation for local conditions, unfavourable regulations, and low investments, with the aim of devising solutions that explore practical, feasible, and sustainable means of waste valorisation.

A feedback insensitive laser is a prerequisite for a desirable laser source for silicon photonic integration, as it is not possible to include an on-chip optical isolator. This work investigates the feedback insensitivity of an InAs/GaAs quantum dot laser epitaxially grown on an Si (001) substrate by operating in a sole excited state. The experimental results show that the sole excited-state lasing InAs quantum dot lasers on Si are less sensitive to external optical feedback than both Fabry-Perot and distributed-feedback quantum-well lasers. By comparing the laser behavior under different feedback levels, sole excited-state InAs quantum dot lasers on Si exhibit at least a 28 dB stronger feedback tolerance than quantum-well lasers. This result proposes a possible route for a high feedback insensitive laser as an on-chip light source towards Si waveguide integration with the absence of an optical isolator.

Colorectal cancer is a common malignancy with the third highest incidence and second highest mortality rate among all cancers in the world. Chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer is an essential factor leading to the high mortality rate. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) confers multidrug resistance (MDR) to a range of chemotherapeutic agents by decreasing their intracellular content. The development of novel ABCG2 inhibitors has emerged as a tractable strategy to circumvent drug resistance. In this study, an ABCG2-knockout colorectal cancer cell line was established to assist inhibitor screening. Additionally, we found that ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase inhibitor AZ32 could sensitize ABCG2-overexpressing colorectal cancer cells to ABCG2 substrate chemotherapeutic drugs mitoxantrone and doxorubicin by retaining them inside cells. Western blot assay showed that AZ32 did not alter the expression of ABCG2. Moreover, molecule docking analysis predicted that AZ32 stably located in the transmembrane domain of ABCG2. In conclusion, our result demonstrated that AZ32 could potently reverse ABCG2-mediated MDR in colorectal cancer.

Flexible pressure sensors have emerged as an indispensable part of wearable devices due to their application in physiological activity monitoring. To realize long-term on-body service, they are increasingly required for properties of conformability, air permeability, and durability. However, the enhancement of sensitivity remains a challenge for ultrathin capacitive sensors, particularly in the low-pressure region. Here, we introduced a highly sensitive and ultrathin capacitive pressure sensor based on a breathable all-fabric network with a micropatterned nanofiber dielectric layer, an all-fabric capacitive sensor (AFCS). This all-fabric network endows a series of exceptional performances, such as high sensitivity (8.31 kPa-1 under 1 kPa), ultralow detection limit (0.5 Pa), wide detection range (0.5 Pa to 80 kPa), and excellent robustness (10 000 dynamic cycles). Besides, the all-fabric structure provides other properties for the AFCS, e.g., high skin conformability, super thinness (dozens of micrometers), and exceptional air permeability. Our AFCS shows promising potential in breathing track, muscle activity detection, fingertip pressure monitoring, and spatial pressure distribution, paving way for comfortable skinlike epidermal electronics.

Robotic-assisted resection of ovarian tumors in children: A case report and review of literature

Renal nerve stimulation (RNS) can result in substantial blood pressure (BP) elevation, and the change was significantly blunted when repeated stimulation after ablation. However, whether RNS could provide a meaningful renal nerve mapping for identification of optimal ablation targets in renal denervation (RDN) is not fully clear. Here, we compared the antihypertensive effects of selective RDN guided by two different BP responses to RNS and explored the nerve innervations at these sites in Kunming dogs. Our data indicated that ablation at strong-response sites showed a more systolic BP-lowering effect than at weak-response sites ( P =0.002), as well as lower levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and norepinephrine in kidney and a greater reduction in plasma norepinephrine ( P =0.004 for tyrosine hydroxylase, P =0.002 for both renal and plasma norepinephrine). Strong-response sites showed a greater total area and mean number of renal nerves than weak-response sites ( P =0.012 for total area and P R =0.649; P =0.012 and R =0.643; P =0.013). Changes of plasma norepinephrine and renal norepinephrine levels at 4 weeks were also correlated with systolic BP changes at 4 weeks ( R =0.837, P R =0.927, P

Objectives: To investigate whether a precise circular resection of the uterine tissue at the placental attachment part is effective in cases with placenta previa complicated with placenta percreta (PPWPP). Methods: Patients diagnosed with PPWPP were assessed for pregnancy termination at 34–36 weeks of gestation. During the operation, we performed circular resection of the uterine tissue at the placental attachment part. Then the characteristics of the operation and the follow-ups were recorded. Results: During the operation, the vital signs were stable. The mean intraoperative blood loss, packed red blood cells units transfusion, fresh frozen plasma transfusion, and operation time were 2140 mL, 6 U, 440 mL, and 179.8 minutes, respectively. There was no bowel, ureter, or bladder injury. And there was no patient transferred to the ICU after operation. The mean postoperative blood loss was 458.6 mL. There was no fever, infection, intestinal obstruction, or other complications after operation during the hospitalization. The shape and the blood flow of the uterus were normal. After the patients were discharged, one had developed cesarean scar diverticulum. The mean lochia duration was 30 days. The menstrual cycle and volume were as before. The shape and the blood flow of the uterus and the ovarian were normal. Conclusions: The circular resection following end-to-end anastomosis is an effective precision surgical approach for PPWPP. It can achieve the purpose of hemostasis while maximizing the protection of organ function and reducing surgical trauma. Key words: Placenta previa; Placenta percreta; Precision surgery; Circular resection

Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) deposits is a rare monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance with dense deposits on electron microscopy similar to polyclonal immune complex–mediated glomerulonephritis. 70% of patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG are negative for a monoclonal (M) spike, and patients with this condition rarely develop an M spike during follow-up. We report a Chinese man in his 50s who presented with nephrotic syndrome and normal glomerular filtration rate. His first kidney biopsy showed masked IgG3 deposition, such that IgG3 staining was apparent only after digestion by enzyme on paraffin tissue, with a membranoproliferative pattern. During follow-up, his glomerular filtration rate worsened and proteinuria increased. 18 months after the first biopsy, the patient developed an M spike; a second kidney biopsy showed proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits with unmasked IgG3λ deposition. The patient was successfully treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone, followed by lenalidomide and dexamethasone maintenance therapy. Index Words: MPGN, monoclonal gammopathy, monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance, proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits (PGNMID)

BACKGROUND Renal duplication is a common deformity of the urinary system, with an incidence of approximately 1/125 in children. Symptomatic patients with hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux, or incontinence may require surgical interventions. Laparoscopy and retroperitoneoscopy are the two main accesses for partial nephrectomy. CASE SUMMARY A 9-year-old child was admitted to the hospital for hydronephrosis of the left kidney. Ultrasonography showed that the left kidney was larger, approximately 12.6 cm × 6.3 cm × 5.5 cm in size, with visible separation of the pelvis and an obviously separated lower portion. The upper segment of the left ureter was dilated (approximately 2.6 cm in width), and no significant dilation was observed in the middle and upper segments. The right kidney and ureter were normal. Primary diagnosis was left renal duplication malformation and hydronephrosis. Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy and ureterectomy were performed. Intraoperative exploration revealed a dilated pelvis and thin renal parenchyma at the lower pole of the left kidney. The upper left kidney was smaller than normal, and the pelvis and ureter were larger than normal. The renal artery was blocked for 40 min. A hemolock was used to clamp down the kidney ureter, and a drainage tube was retained in the retroperitoneal cavity. The operation was uneventful, and the estimated amount of blood loss was 100 mL. Total abdominal drainage amount was 116 mL. The drainage tube was removed on postoperative day (POD) 3 and the patient was discharged on POD6. The pathological diagnosis confirmed the atrophy of the renal parenchyma, the dilation of the renal pelvis, hydronephrosis, and ureteral cystic dilation. CONCLUSION The retroperitoneoscopic approach for partial nephrectomy is feasible and effective in selective pediatric patients with a duplex kidney.

To optimize the solution treatment process of a modified high-pressure die-cast AlSi10MnMg alloy, the influence of the solution treatment on the microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms was studied using OM, SEM, EBSD and tensile test. The experimental results suggest that the solution treatment could be completed in a shorter time at a temperature much lower than the conventional practice. Surface blistering could be avoided and substantial strengthening effect could be achieved in the following aging process. Prolonging solution treatment time and elevating solution temperature would be meaningless or even harmful. The rapid evolution of eutectic silicon during solution treatment, especially at the early stage, affected the way of interaction among α-Al grains during plastic deformation, and changed the ultimate mechanical properties and fracture mode.

Summary Background Identification of high-risk localised renal cell carcinoma is key for the selection of patients for adjuvant treatment who are at truly higher risk of reccurrence. We developed a classifier based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to improve the predictive accuracy for renal cell carcinoma recurrence and investigated whether intratumour heterogeneity affected the precision of the classifier. Methods In this retrospective analysis and multicentre validation study, we used paraffin-embedded specimens from the training set of 227 patients from Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, Guangdong, China) with localised clear cell renal cell carcinoma to examine 44 potential recurrence-associated SNPs, which were identified by exploratory bioinformatics analyses of a genome-wide association study from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (KIRC) dataset (n=114, 906 600 SNPs). We developed a six-SNP-based classifier by use of LASSO Cox regression, based on the association between SNP status and patients' recurrence-free survival. Intratumour heterogeneity was investigated from two other regions within the same tumours in the training set. The six-SNP-based classifier was validated in the internal testing set (n=226), the independent validation set (Chinese multicentre study; 428 patients treated between Jan 1, 2004 and Dec 31, 2012, at three hospitals in China), and TCGA set (441 retrospectively identified patients who underwent resection between 1998 and 2010 for localised clear cell renal cell carcinoma in the USA). The main outcome was recurrence-free survival; the secondary outcome was overall survival. Findings Although intratumour heterogeneity was found in 48 (23%) of 206 cases in the internal testing set with complete SNP information, the predictive accuracy of the six-SNP-based classifier was similar in the three different regions of the training set (areas under the curve [AUC] at 5 years: 0·749 [95% CI 0·660–0·826] in region 1, 0·734 [0·651–0·814] in region 2, and 0·736 [0·649–0·824] in region 3). The six-SNP-based classifier precisely predicted recurrence-free survival of patients in three validation sets (hazard ratio [HR] 5·32 [95% CI 2·81–10·07] in the internal testing set, 5·39 [3·38–8·59] in the independent validation set, and 4·62 [2·48–8·61] in the TCGA set; all p Interpretation Our six-SNP-based classifier could be a practical and reliable predictor that can complement the existing staging system for prediction of localised renal cell carcinoma recurrence after surgery, which might enable physicians to make more informed treatment decisions about adjuvant therapy. Intratumour heterogeneity does not seem to hamper the accuracy of the six-SNP-based classifier as a reliable predictor of recurrence. The classifier has the potential to guide treatment decisions for patients at differing risks of recurrence. Funding National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Foundation of China, and Guangzhou Science and Technology Foundation of China.

Summary Background To our knowledge, no randomised study has compared postmastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy with conventional fractionated radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to determine whether a 3-week schedule of postmastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy is as efficacious and safe as a 5-week schedule of conventional fractionated radiotherapy. Methods This randomised, non-inferiority, open-label, phase 3 study was done in a single academic hospital in China. Patients aged 18–75 years who had undergone mastectomy and had at least four positive axillary lymph nodes or primary tumour stage T3–4 disease were eligible to participate. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) according to a computer-generated central randomisation schedule, without stratification, to receive chest wall and nodal irradiation at a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks (conventional fractionated radiotherapy) or 43·5 Gy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks (hypofractionated radiotherapy). The modified intention-to-treat population (including all eligible patients who underwent randomisation but excluding those who were considered ineligible or withdrew consent after randomisation) was used in primary and safety analyses. The primary endpoint was 5-year locoregional recurrence, and a 5% margin was used to establish non-inferiority (equivalent to a hazard ratio ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00793962 . Findings Between June 12, 2008, and June 16, 2016, 820 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the conventional fractionated radiotherapy group (n=414) or hypofractionated radiotherapy group (n=406). 409 participants in the conventional fractionated radiotherapy group and 401 participants in the hypofractionated radiotherapy group were included in the modified intention-to-treat analyses. At a median follow-up of 58·5 months (IQR 39·2–81·8), 60 (7%) patients had developed locoregional recurrence (31 patients in the hypofractionated radiotherapy group and 29 in the conventional fractionated radiotherapy group); the 5-year cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence was 8·3% (90% CI 5·8–10·7) in the hypofractionated radiotherapy group and 8·1% (90% CI 5·4–10·6) in the conventional fractionated radiotherapy group (absolute difference 0·2%, 90% CI −3·0 to 2·6; hazard ratio 1·10, 90% CI 0·72 to 1·69; p Interpretation Postmastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy was non-inferior to and had similar toxicities to conventional fractionated radiotherapy in patients with high-risk breast cancer. Hypofractionated radiotherapy could provide more convenient treatment and allow providers to treat more patients. Funding National Key Projects of Research and Development of China; the Chinese Academy of Medical Science Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences; and Beijing Marathon of Hope, Cancer Foundation of China.

Daily supplementation with n-3 fatty acid (FA) has been believed to be an adjunct or alternative to drug treatments to reduce blood pressure (BP) and triglyceride (TG) levels in western patients with high risk of cardiovascular disease. The BP-lowering effect of n-3 FA supplements among Chinese hypertensive patients has been reported in our previous 12-week, double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT), but the benefits on cardiometabolic profiles among obese Chinese populations are not well known. We therefore used the data from the previous RCT to investigate the effects of marine- and plant-derived n-3 FA supplements on cardiometabolic profiles in middle-aged and elderly Chinese hypertensive patients with abdominal obesity. In total, 108 eligible volunteers from Inner Mongolia, China were randomly assigned to three treatments for 12 weeks: fish oil (FO, n = 35, 2 g day-1 eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid), flaxseed oil (FLO, n = 39, 2.5 g day-1 α-linolenic acid), and corn oil served as a control (CO, n = 34). BP, blood lipids, waist circumference (WC) and fasting glucose-insulin were measured at baseline and after 12-week intervention by using standard methods. Clustered cardiometabolic risk was expressed as a continuously distributed z-score calculated by standardizing and then summing WC, insulin, glucose, TG, HDL-cholesterol and BP values. The cardiometabolic risk scores were significantly lower in the FO group than in the CO group after the 12-week intervention (-0.41 ± 0.92 vs. 0.02 ± 0.95, p = 0.016), but not in the FLO group (-0.23 ± 1.02 vs. 0.02 ± 0.95, p = 0.109). For individual risk factors, compared with CO, FO significantly decreased LDL-cholesterol (-0.25 ± 0.78 mmol L-1vs. -0.05 ± 0.65 mmol L-1, p = 0.010), ApoB (-012 ± 0.28 mmol L-1vs. -0.03 ± 0.23 mmol L-1, p = 0.036), and WC (-1.58 ± 3.67 cm vs. -0.52 ± 3.27 cm, p = 0.031), whereas no significant difference was found between FLO and CO groups in LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.081), ApoB (p = 0.102) and WC (p = 0.093). The present findings suggest that marine n-3 FA intervention may improve the cardiometabolic traits in this Chinese hypertensive population comorbid with abdominal obesity.

Purpose: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNAs, have recently drawn lots of attention in the pathogenesis of human cancers. However, the role of circRNAs in cancer cells epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify novel circRNAs that regulate urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) cells’ EMT and explored their regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance in UCBs. Experimental Design: We first screened circRNA expression profiles using a circRNA microarray in paired UCB and normal tissues, and then studied the clinical significance of an upregulated circRNA, circPRMT5, in a large cohort of patients with UCB. We further investigated the functions and underlying mechanisms of circPRMT5 in UCB cells’ EMT. Moreover, we evaluated the regulation effect of circPRMT5 on miR-30c, and its target genes, SNAIL1 and E-cadherin, in two independent cohorts from our institute and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results: We demonstrated that upregulated expression of circPRMT5 was positively associated with advanced clinical stage and worse survival in patients with UCB. We further revealed that circPRMT5 promoted UCB cell's EMT via sponging miR-30c. Clinical analysis from two independent UCB cohorts showed that the circPRMT5/miR-30c/SNAIL1/E-cadherin pathway was essential in supporting UCB progression. Importantly, we identified that circPRMT5 was upregulated in serum and urine exosomes from patients with UCB, and significantly correlated with tumor metastasis. Conclusions: CircPRMT5 exerts critical roles in promoting UCB cells’ EMT and/or aggressiveness and is a prognostic biomarker of the disease, suggesting that circPRMT5 may serve as an exploitable therapeutic target for patients with UCB.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which hold great promise for sustainably powering wearable electronics by harvesting distributed mechanical energy, are still severely limited by their unsatisfactory power density, small capacitance, and high internal impedance. Herein, a materials optimization strategy is proposed to achieve a high performance of TENGs and to lower the matching impedance simultaneously. A permittivity-tunable electret composite film, i.e., a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix with polyethylene glycol (PEG) additives and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanoparticle inclusions, is employed as the triboelectric layer. Through optimizing the dielectric constant of the composite, the injected charge density and internal capacitance of the TENG are significantly enhanced, thus synergistically boosting the output power and reducing the impedance of the TENG. The optimal output power reaches 16.8 mW at an external resistance of 200 kΩ, showing a 17.3 times enhancement in output power and a 90% decline in matching impedance. This work demonstrates a significant progress toward the materials optimization of a triboelectric generator for its practical commercialization.

Background and purpose The role of the cerebellum in olfactory function is not fully understood. In this study, we tried to combine resting state and task functional MRI (fMRI) to improve the understanding of the cerebellum during olfactory processing. Methods A resting state and a block paradigm of olfactory stimulation fMRI were scanned in 50 subjects. The olfactory stimuli, including phenylethyl alcohol and isovaleric acid, were alternately delivered to the subject using a custom-built olfactometer through air flow. The cerebellar activations elicited by isovaleric acid were subsequently used in the seed-based resting-state functional connectivity study. Results Phenylethyl alcohol did not induce any cerebellum activation, while isovaleric acid with a more unpleasant smell elicited significant cerebellum activations, primarily in the bilateral posterior lateral hemispheres (bilateral lobule crus I and right lobule VI). Seed-based functional connectivity analysis revealed significant within-cerebellum and corticocerebellar connections. Conclusions The results imply that the cerebellum is probably involved in olfactory-related responses caused by unpleasant odor but does not directly participate in olfactory perception. Our results may further improve the understanding of the cerebellum in olfactory function.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) may represent a major cellular mechanism in immune suppression by dampening the anti-tumor response in malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFR2) has emerged as a novel identification for the maximally suppressive subset of Tregs in the tumor environment. At present, the significance of TNFR2 expression on Tregs in MPE remains unclear. METHODS: The distribution of TNFR2(+)cells in Tregs and effector T cells (Teffs) in MPE, peripheral blood (PB), and tuberculosis pleural effusion (TPE) were determined. The associations between TNFR2(+)Tregs frequencies present in MPE and the clinical and laboratorial characteristics of patients with lung cancer were investigated. The immunosuppressive phenotype of TNFR2(+)Tregs in MPE was analyzed. The effects of the TNF-TNFR2 interaction on the immunosuppressive function of Tregs was explored. The efficacy of targeting TNFR2 for MPE therapy was examined. The source of TNF in MPE was identified. RESULTS: We observed that markedly higher levels of TNFR2 were expressed in MPE Tregs compared with the levels expressed in MPE Teffs, PB Tregs, or in TPE Tregs. The frequencies of TNFR2(+)Tregs were positively correlated with the number of tumor cells in MPE, as well as the volume of MPE. High frequencies of TNFR2(+)Tregs in MPE indicated short survival time and poor performance status for MPE patients. Compared to TNFR2(-)Tregs, TNFR2(+)Tregs expressed higher levels of immunosuppressive molecules cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and replicating marker Ki-67. Consequently, the proportions of interferon gamma (IFN-γ)-producing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were significantly increased after TNFR2 blockade. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), through interaction with TNFR2, enhanced the suppressive capacity of Tregs by up-regulating CTLA-4 and PD-L1 expression. Interestingly, T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells are the major source of TNF in MPE, suggesting that MPE Teffs may paradoxically promote tumor growth by boosting MPE Treg activity via the TNF-TNFR2 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our data expanded the immunosuppressive mechanism present in MPE induced by Tregs, and provides novel insight for the diagnosis, disease evaluation, and treatment of MPE patients.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Although activator of HSP90 ATPase activity 1 (AHA1) is reported to be a potential oncogene, its role in osteosarcoma progression remains largely unclear. Since metabolism reprogramming is involved in tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis, the relationship between AHA1 and cancer metabolism is unknown. In this study, we found that AHA1 is significantly overexpressed in osteosarcoma and related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients. AHA1 promotes the growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, AHA1 upregulates the metabolic activity to meet cellular bioenergetic needs in osteosarcoma. Notably, we identified that isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) is a novel client protein of Hsp90-AHA1. Furthermore, the IDH1 protein level was positively correlated with AHA1 in osteosarcoma. And IDH1 overexpression could partially reverse the effect of AHA1 knockdown on cell growth and migration of osteosarcoma. Moreover, high IDH1 level was also associated with poor prognosis of osteosarcoma patients. This study demonstrates that AHA1 positively regulates IDH1 and metabolic activity to promote osteosarcoma growth and metastasis, which provides novel prognostic biomarkers and promising therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma patients.

Ammonia and nitric acid are two key platform chemicals to introduce nitrogen atoms into organic molecules in chemical industry. Indeed, nitric acid is mostly produced through the oxidation of ammonia. The ideal nitrogenation would involve direct use of dinitrogen (N2) as a N source to construct N-containing organic molecules. Herein, we report an example of direct catalytic nitrogenation to afford valuable diarylamines, triarylamines, and N-heterocycles from easily available organohalides using dinitrogen (N2) as the nitrogen source in a one-pot/two-step protocol. With this method, 15N atoms are easily incorporated into organic molecules. Structurally diversified polyanilines are also generated in one pot, showing great potential for materials chemistry. In this protocol, lithium nitride, generated in situ with the use of lithium as a reductant, is confirmed as a key intermediate. This chemistry provides an alternative pathway for catalytic nitrogenation to synthesize highly valuable N-containing chemicals from dinitrogen., Ammonia and nitric acid are key platform chemicals to introduce nitrogen into organic molecules, however gaseous N2 would be a more direct and available source of nitrogen. Here, the authors report a direct catalytic nitrogenation to afford valuable arylamines and N-heterocycles from organohalides using dinitrogen (N2) as the nitrogen source.

Objective: To determine the factors related to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in endometrial cancer (EC) patients.Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study of 906 EC patients was conducted at Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University. Baseline information about the patients, tumor characteristics, and data on five serum biomarkers (CA125, CA19-9, CA72-4, CEA, and AFP) were collected. Groups and their survival rates were compared using log-rank tests and Kaplan-Meier analysis, respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined using univariate or multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. The outcome measures used were OS, defined as the time between surgery and death or last follow-up for surviving patients, and PFS, defined as the time from the completion of initial surgery to either first progression, disease recurrence, or death.Results: Multivariate analysis showed lower PFS associated with age ≥ 66 years (P < 0.001), type II histology (P = 0.015), low degree of tumor differentiation (P = 0.004), and FIGO stage III & IV (P = 0.002). Elevated CA125 (P = 0.042) and AFP (P = 0.016) were identified as independent biomarkers for PFS. Increased CA125 (P = 0.013), age ≥ 66 years (P < 0.001), type II histology (P＜0.001), and FIGO stage III & IV (P = 0.015) were independent factors associated with OS. Analysis of the CA125 sub-group showed that individuals with elevated CA125 andAFP (P = 0.049) had significantly lower PFS. Conclusion: This study suggests that CA125 and AFP are prognostic biomarkers for EC.

Deep Neural Networks have achieved unprecedented success in the field of face recognition such that any individual can crawl the data of others from the Internet without their explicit permission for the purpose of training high-precision face recognition models, creating a serious violation of privacy. Recently, a well-known system named Fawkes [37] (published in USENIX Security 2020) claimed this privacy threat can be neutralized by uploading cloaked user images instead of their original images. In this paper, we present Oriole, a system that combines the advantages of data poisoning attacks and evasion attacks, to thwart the protection offered by Fawkes, by training the attacker face recognition model with multi-cloaked images generated by Oriole. Consequently, the face recognition accuracy of the attack model is maintained and the weaknesses of Fawkes are revealed. Experimental results show that our proposed Oriole system is able to effectively interfere with the performance of the Fawkes system to achieve promising attacking results. Our ablation study highlights multiple principal factors that affect the performance of the Oriole system, including the DSSIM perturbation budget, the ratio of leaked clean user images, and the numbers of multi-cloaks for each uncloaked image. We also identify and discuss at length the vulnerabilities of Fawkes. We hope that the new methodology presented in this paper will inform the security community of a need to design more robust privacy-preserving deep learning models.