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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a common type of skin cancer. Conventional approaches to BCC diagnosis often involve invasive histological examinations that can distort or even destroy information derived from the biomolecules in the sample. Therefore, a non-invasive, label-free examination method for the clinical diagnosis of BCC represents a critical advance. This study combined spectral- and time-resolved two-photon microscopy with a spectral phasor to extract rich biochemical information describing macroscopic tumor morphology and microscopic tumor metabolism. The proposed optical imaging technique achieved the rapid and efficient separation of tumor structures in systematic research conducted on normal and BCC human skin tissues. The results demonstrate that a combination of multidimensional data (e.g., fluorescence intensity, spectrum, and lifetime) with a spectral phasor can accurately identify tumor boundaries and achieve rapid separation. This label-free, real-time, multidimensional imaging technique serves as a complement to the conventional tumor diagnostic toolbox and demonstrates significant potential for the early diagnosis of BCC and wider applications in intraoperative auxiliary imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-optic biosensors have garnered significant attention and witnessed rapid development in recent years owing to their remarkable attributes such as high sensitivity, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and real-time monitoring. They have emerged as a potential tool in the realm of biomarker detection for low-concentration and small molecules. In this paper, a portable and cost-effective optical fiber biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance for the early detection of breast cancer is demonstrated. By utilizing the aptamer human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) as a specific biomarker for breast cancer, the presence of the HER2 protein can be detected through an antigen-antibody binding technique. The detection method was accomplished by modifying a layer of HER2 aptamer on the flat surface of a gold-coated D-shaped polymer optical fiber (core/cladding diameter 120/490 μm), of which the residual thickness after side-polishing was about 245 μm, the thickness of the coated gold layer was 50 nm, and the initial wavelength in pure water was around 1200 nm. For low-concentration detection of the HER2 protein, the device exhibited a wavelength shift of ~1.37 nm with a concentration of 1 μg/mL (e.g., 5.5 nM), which corresponded to a limit of detection of ~5.28 nM. Notably, the response time of the biosensor was measured to be as fast as 5 s. The proposed biosensor exhibits the potential for early detection of HER2 protein in initial cancer serum and offers a pathway to early prevention of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid evolution of mobile technology, the adoption of mobile learning in education has also increased. Several studies have conducted various systematic literature reviews to discuss mobile learning from different perspectives, such as its advantages and limitations. However, limited attention has been paid to pedagogy in mobile learning. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic review of 165 empirical studies on mobile learning to investigate the changing landscape of mobile learning pedagogy. The findings reveal that, despite the ubiquity and flexibility of mobile technologies, most mobile learning studies were conducted in formal settings. The findings also reveal that game-based learning and collaborative learning were the most frequently used pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, redefinition is the most frequently used pedagogical functionality of technology in mobile learning, based on the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) model. The findings of this systematic literature review could be beneficial to both researchers and practitioners in highlighting how mobile learning is designed and implemented, and what gaps should be focused on to enhance pedagogical experiences on mobile devices and thus achieve better mobile learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAITs) play a crucial role in anti-tumor responses against various cancers. In this study, we investigated the immune characteristics of MAIT cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using multi-parameter flow cytometry, we performed phenotypic and functional analysis of MAITs in peripheral blood or bone marrow samples collected from 131 patients with AML including 99 newly diagnosed, 18 remission, and 14 relapsed cases, as well as 69 healthy controls. We found that MAITs exhibit signs of aging and exhaustion, particularly in CD8+ MAITs subset, at newly diagnosis. MAITs exhibit an effector memory or terminally differentiated phenotype. Frequency and number of MAITs reflect AML cell genetic features, tumor burden, disease status, and treatment responsiveness. Moreover, MAITs exhibit a highly activated or even exhausted state, as indicated by upregulation of PD-1. Furthermore, impaired production of Th1-type cytokines and increased secretion of Th17-type cytokines, granzyme B, and perforin were observed in MAITs from AML patients. Additionally, MAITs shifted toward producing cytokines that promote tumor progression, such as IL-8. Lower frequency of MAITs was associated with poorer overall survival (OS), and multivariate analysis revealed that MAITs frequency < 2.12% was an independent prognostic factor affecting OS. Collectively, our findings suggest that MAITs may play a role in immune deficiency in AML, emphasizing their potential importance in AML pathogenesis and treatment. These discoveries provide a theoretical basis for the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies in AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐power piezoelectric ceramics are typically driven to output vibration velocity (v0) under high AC electric fields. Herein, the Fe2O3 doped 0.125 Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3) O3–0.075 Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.8 Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3(PZMNZT–xFe; x = 0.05–0.35) piezoelectric ceramics were prepared to enhance v0, and the favorable comprehensive electrical properties, such as d33 = 315 pC/N, Qm = 1738, kp = 0.58, kt = 0.48, εr = 1156, tan δ = 0.4%, and Tc = 320°C, were achieved in the PZMNZT–0.15Fe ceramic. Most importantly, the PZMNZT–0.15Fe ceramic presented a reliable v0 of 0.90 m/s, which was 2.25 times of the commercial PZT4 ceramic (∼0.40 m/s). The excellent high‐power performance should be attributed to ordering functional elements such as crystal grains and ferroelectric domains. Overall, this work reveals that the PZMNZT–0.15Fe ceramic is competitive for high‐power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractional‐order vector vortex beams (VVBs) have recently been demonstrated as new carriers of fractional‐strength optical vortices. However, the inherent mechanism of the new vortex beams, formed by the combination of both unstable states, to propagate stably in free space requires clarification. In this study, this scientific problem is solved by revealing the physical essence of propagable fractional‐strength optical vortices in free space. Therefore, three new viewpoints regarding these unique vortex beams are proposed: Abbe's diffraction limit, the phase evolution of the vortex beam, and the binary time vector property of phase. First, due to Abbe's diffraction limit, the inherent polarization modes are intertwined, thereby maintaining the entire unique vortex beam in free space. In the second case, the phase evolution of the vortex beam is the physical cause for the polarization rotation of fractional‐order VVBs. Third, the phase is not merely a scalar attribute of the light beam and demonstrates a binary time vector property. This study provides entirely different physical viewpoints on the phase of the vortex beam and Abbe's diffraction limit, which may deepen the knowledge on the behavior of light beams in classical optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf length and width are two of the most important components of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant architecture and directly contribute to yield. The genetic effects of leaf length and width are controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). In this study, a double haploid (DH) population derived from a cross of O. sativa subsp. japonica cultivar 'Maybelle' and subsp. indica cultivar 'Baiyeqiu' ('BYQ') was used to determine genetic effects on leaf length and width. Analysis of phenotypic effects indicated that all of the detected traits exhibited continuous, transgressive distributions in the DH population. Correlation analysis revealed a strong association between the two adjacent leaves for the same trait. A total of 25 QTLs within 17 genetic intervals distributed on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 12 were detected for rice leaf length and width, with likelihood of odds values that ranged from 2.75 to 10.62. Among these loci, two major QTLs, which were located in the intervals RM3262-RM3452 and RM16432-RM7472, played very important roles in regulating leaf length and width, respectively. Diversity analysis of the two major QTLs revealed that the genetic interval RM16432-RM7472 should be an optimal target for rice breeding programs, and may inspire new research efforts. Key words: rice, QTL, leaf length and width, genetic diversity. La longueur et la largeur de la feuille sont deux des composantes les plus importantes de l'architecture du plant de riz (Oryza sativa L.) qui contribuent directement au rendement de la recolte. Les effets de la genetique sur la longueur et la largeur de la feuille sont controles par des locus quantitatifs (QTL). Dans cette etude, une population d'individus doubles haploides (DH) issus d'un croisement entre le cultivar O. sativa subsp. japonica 'Maybelle' et le cultivar O. sativa subsp. indica 'Baiyeqiu' ('BYQ') a ete utilisee pour dissequer les effets de la genetique sur la longueur et la largeur de la feuille. L'analyse des phenotypes indiquait que tous les caracteres detectes presentaient des distributions continues transgressives dans la population DH. L'analyse de correlation revelait une forte association entre deux feuilles adjacentes pour le meme caractere. Un total de 25 QTL a l'interieur de 17 intervalles genetiques distribues sur les chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 et 12 a ete detecte pour la longueur et la largeur de la feuille de riz, avec des lod scores allant de 2,75 a 10,62. Parmi ces locus, deux QTL majeurs localises dans les intervalles RM3262-RM3452 et RM16432-RM7472 jouaient un role tres important dans la regulation de la longueur et la largeur de la feuille, respectivement. L'analyse de diversite des deux QTL majeurs a revele que l'intervalle genetique RM16432-RM7472 devrait etre cible dans les programmes de croisement de riz, et faire l'objet de nouvelles initiatives de recherche. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: riz, QTL, longueur et largeur de la feuille, diversite genetique., Introduction As a staple food, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the main food source for more than half of the world's population (Delseny et al. 2001). Improving grain yield, which [...]