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To address the complex structures of historical buildings in Mindong, lack of historical reference materials, and heavy workload of traditional surveying and mapping methods in the field, a 3D reconstruction method of historical building based on a wearable mobile scanning system for data acquisition was studied. First, a wearable mobile scanning system is used to scan historical buildings in three dimensions. The data are fused to obtain high-precision three-dimensional point cloud data of historical buildings. Second, based on the processed point cloud, a 2D map of historical buildings is accurately drawn using point cloud slicing. Finally, three-dimensional reconstruction of historical buildings is realized using a 2D atlas of historical buildings and modern modeling technology. The accuracy of the three-dimensional reconstruction model was analyzed using a fitting algorithm and structural geometric relationship to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the method. An old house in Mindong, Republic of China, was taken as the research object. Experimental analysis revealed that (1) a wearable mobile scanning system is suitable for high-quality point cloud data acquisition of buildings with complex geometric features, solving the problems of low efficiency and poor coverage of traditional surveying and mapping results; and (2) the method realizes 2D results rendering and 3D reconstruction of historical buildings based on the wearable mobile scanning system data with good accuracy, providing a reference for the protection and repair of historical buildings and health assessment.

Fermented vegetable products play a significant role in various cuisines, and understanding the fermentation dynamics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains is essential for optimizing their production and quality. Here, we sought to investigate the fermentation performance of five LAB strains isolated from Sichuan paocai as starters for paocai. Sensory evaluation revealed that the inoculation of radish paocai samples with LAB strains effectively improved the overall liking and sensory satisfaction of participants, increasing the scores to varying degrees in terms of taste, flavor, texture, and coloration. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus exhibited a good salt resistance in radish juice and could grow in a medium containing 10% NaCl. Four indicator strains commonly found in contaminated paocai were effectively inhibited by fermented LAB broths, which improved the edibility and safe production of paocai. Compared to spontaneous fermentation (CK), radish paocai inoculated with LAB showed a significantly accelerated acid production rate, shortening the fermentation period by approximately two days. The contents of titratable total acids, organic acids, and free amino acids were higher in the inoculated samples and were enriched in the taste of radish paocai. The content of volatile organic compounds in the inoculated samples was higher than that in CK. Based on OPLS-DA analysis, 31 key indicators of paocai quality were screened and used to rank the fermentation performances of the five strains using the TOPSIS method; here, Lpb. plantarum and Lcb. rhamnosus achieved the highest scores. This study provides a reference for selecting LAB strains as efficient and secure fermentation starters to optimize paocai quality.

Pancakes prepared with sorghum flour possess a high nutritional value, yet their quality is unstable and prone to degradation during storage. This instability can be attributed to the particle size of coarse cereal powder, which significantly influences the quality of flour products during storage. In this study, changes in the quality of these pancakes, prepared with varying particle sizes of sorghum flour, were meticulously analyzed during cold storage using advanced instruments such as a texture analyzer, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray diffractometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Findings revealed that the hardness of leavened pancakes significantly increased over time. After a refrigeration period of 7 days, the hardness of wheat flour leavened pancakes increased by 56.60%. However, with a decrease in the particle size of sorghum flour, the increase in hardness diminished, thereby delaying the aging process of the pancakes. As the storage duration was extended, moisture migration within the pancakes occurred, and the sorghum flour pancakes with a smaller particle size exhibited a reduced moisture change rate, indicating an enhanced water holding capacity. In comparison to their wheat flour counterparts, sorghum flour leavened pancakes exhibited a substantial reduction in retrogradation enthalpy and crystallinity. The inclusion of sorghum flour effectively inhibited amylopectin recrystallization, thus slowing down the aging process of the pancakes. This inhibitory effect was more evident with decreasing sorghum flour particle sizes. Fourier transform infrared data indicated no significant alterations in absorption peaks across various wavelengths during cold storage. Although starch short-range orderliness increased with storage time, the use of sorghum flour with smaller particles reduced the degree of short–range orderliness in starch molecules throughout the cold storage period. Sorghum flour with a smaller particle size can inhibit water migration and amylopectin recrystallization, which subsequently delays pancake aging and enhances its quality stability during storage.

Alternaria alternata, as a main decay fungus of goji berry, can produce mycotoxins such as alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), and tenuazonic acid (TeA). Carvacrol (CVR) has exhibited a broad-spectrum antifungal activity in vitro. We assumed that CVR can also be applied to control Alternaria rot on goji berries and mycotoxins produced by the pathogens. To investigate whether CVR impacts the accumulation of mycotoxins and cell membrane damage of A. alternata, the antifungal activity of CVR on the fungal growth and mycotoxin production was evaluated in this study. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CVR against A. alternata was 0.12 µL/mL. Meanwhile, the destruction of plasma membrane integrity, cytoplasmic leakage, intracellular oxidative damage, and inhibitory effect in vivo were also observed in A. alternata treated with CVR. Moreover, CVR significantly reduced the accumulation of AOH, AME, and TeA. Transcriptomic profiling was performed by means of comparative RNA-Seq analysis to research the gene expression level of A. alternata, which attested to significant changes in nitrogen metabolism, carbon utilization, fatty acid oxidation, and antioxidant enzymes in CVR-treated A. alternata. This study suggests a new understanding of the molecular mechanism of response to CVR treatment in A. alternata, indicating that CVR is a novel antifungal agent with the potential to be applied to various fungi.

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) is a valuable orchid spice cultivated for its highly priced beans. Vanilla has been planted in Hainan province of China via cutting propagation for about 40 years. The yield has been decreasing annually for the past ten years due to pod numbers declining significantly even though it seems to grow normally without disease symptoms, while the reason is still unknown. In this study, we found that Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV), one of the most devastating viruses causing losses in the vanilla industry, massively presented within the pods and leaves of vanilla plants, so the virus infecting the vanilla seems to be a highly probable hypothesis of the main contributions to low yield via decreasing the number of pods. This represents the first speculation of CymMV possibly affecting the yield of vanilla in China, indicating the important role of virus elimination in restoring high yield in vanilla. This research can also serve as a warning to important economic crops that rely on cuttings for propagation, demonstrating that regular virus elimination is very important for these economically propagated crops through cuttings.

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), products of alginate degradation by endotype alginate lyases, possess favorable biological activities and have broad applications. Although many have been reported, alginate lyases with homogeneous AOS products and secretory production by an engineered host are scarce. Herein, the alginate lyase AlyC7 from Vibrio sp. C42 was characterized as a trisaccharide-producing lyase exhibiting high activity and broad substrate specificity. With PelB as the signal peptide and 500 mM glycine as the additive, the extracellular production of AlyC7 in Escherichia coli reached 1122.8 U/mL after 27 h cultivation in Luria-Bertani medium. The yield of trisaccharides from sodium alginate degradation by the produced AlyC7 reached 758.6 mg/g, with a purity of 85.1%. The prepared AOS at 20 μg/mL increased the root length of lettuce, tomato, wheat, and maize by 27.5%, 25.7%, 9.7%, and 11.1%, respectively. This study establishes a robust foundation for the industrial and agricultural applications of AlyC7.

In the realm of commercial trade, the appearance quality of wheat is a crucial metric for assessing its value and grading. Traditionally, evaluating wheat appearance quality is a manual process conducted by inspectors, which is time-consuming, laborious, and error-prone. In this research, we developed an intelligent detection system for wheat appearance quality, leveraging state-of-the-art neural network technology for the efficient and standardized assessment of wheat appearance quality. Our system was meticulously crafted, integrating high-performance hardware components and sophisticated software solutions. Central to its functionality is a detection model built upon multi-grained convolutional neural networks. This innovative setup allows for the swift and precise evaluation and categorization of wheat quality. Remarkably, our system achieved an exceptional overall recognition accuracy rate of 99.45% for wheat grain categories, boasting a recognition efficiency that was approximately five times faster than manual recognition processes. This groundbreaking system serves as a valuable tool for assisting inspectors, offering technical support for customs quarantine, grain reserves, and food safety.

Tubular joints are important connecting parts of a welded steel tube structure. The S-N curves based on the hot spot stress (HSS) method are often used to evaluate the fatigue life of tubular joints in practical engineering. The stress concentration factor (SCF) is a key parameter to calculate HSS. In this paper, stress concentration tests of hollow-section and concrete-filled double-skin tubular (CFDST) K-joints were carried out, respectively, and then finite element models of K-joints considering the weld were established. The developed models were validated with the experimental results. The influence of key geometrical parameters, such as the diameter ratio of brace to chord β, the diameter to thickness ratio of chord γ, the wall thickness ratio of brace to chord τ, brace angle θ, and hollow section ratio ζ on the distribution and key position of SCFs along the weld toe, was discussed. Parametric studies were conducted to obtain the calculating equations for the SCF values of CFDST K-joints. The results demonstrate that infill concrete can effectively reduce SCFs along the weld on the chord. When the hollow section ratio was reduced to 0.317, the SCF was reduced by 77.2%. Notably, the SCF reduction rate was sensitive to γ and θ, with a decrease observed as γ increased. The hollow section ratio ζ had a less pronounced effect on SCF distribution patterns, but as ζ decreased, the chord’s stiffness improved, suggesting a potential approach to enhance joint performance. The distribution of SCFs is similar for joints of the same type but different geometric configurations. The innovatively integrated hollow section ratio in the CFDST design equation significantly simplifies and enhances the precision of SCF calculations for CFDST K-joints.

Abstract Background Genetic testing plays an important role in guiding screening, diagnosis, and precision treatment of breast cancer (BC). However, the appropriate genetic testing criteria remain controversial. The current study aims to facilitate the development of suitable strategies by analyzing the germline mutational profiles and clinicopathological features of large‐scale Chinese BC patients. Methods BC patients who had undergone genetic testing at the Sun Yat‐sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) from September 2014 to March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Different screening criteria were applied and compared in the population cohort. Results A total of 1035 BC patients were enrolled, 237 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (P/LPV) were identified in 235 patients, including 41 out of 203 (19.6%) patients tested only for BRCA1/2 genes, and 194 out of 832 (23.3%) received 21 genes panel testing. Among the 235 P/LPV carriers, 222 (94.5%) met the NCCN high‐risk criteria, and 13 (5.5%) did not. While using Desai's criteria of testing, all females diagnosed with BC by 60 years and NCCN criteria for older patients, 234 (99.6%) met the high‐risk standard, and only one did not. The 21 genes panel testing identified 4.9% of non‐BRCA P/LPVs and a significantly high rate of variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) (33.9%). The most common non‐BRCA P/LPVs were PALB2 (11, 1.3%), TP53 (10, 1.2%), PTEN (3, 0.4%), CHEK2 (3, 0.4%), ATM (3, 0.4%), BARD1 (3, 0.4%), and RAD51C (2, 0.2%). Compared with BRCA1/2 P/LPVs, non‐BRCA P/LPVs showed a significantly low incidence of NCCN criteria listed family history, second primary cancer, and different molecular subtypes. Conclusions Desai's criteria might be a more appropriate genetic testing strategy for Chinese BC patients. Panel testing could identify more non‐BRCA P/LPVs than BRCA1/2 testing alone. Compared with BRCA1/2 P/LPVs, non‐BRCA P/LPVs exhibited different personal and family histories of cancer and molecular subtype distributions. The optimal genetic testing strategy for BC still needs to be investigated with larger continuous population studies.

Abstract Application of agricultural waste such as rapeseed meal (RM) is regarded as a sustainable way to improve soil phosphorus (P) availability by direct nutrient supply and stimulation of native phosphate‐solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) in soils. However, exploration of the in situ microbial P solubilizing function in soils remains a challenge. Here, by applying both phenotype‐based single‐cell Raman with D2O labeling (Raman‐D2O) and genotype‐based high‐throughput chips targeting carbon, nitrogen and P (CNP) functional genes, the effect of RM application on microbial P solubilization in three typical farmland soils was investigated. The abundances of PSMs increased in two alkaline soils after RM application identified by single‐cell Raman D2O. RM application reduced the diversity of bacterial communities and increased the abundance of a few bacteria with reported P solubilization function. Genotypic analysis indicated that RM addition generally increased the relative abundance of CNP functional genes. A correlation analysis of the abundance of active PSMs with the abundance of soil microbes or functional genes was carried out to decipher the linkage between the phenotype and genotype of PSMs. Myxococcota and C degradation genes were found to potentially contribute to the enhanced microbial P release following RM application. This work provides important new insights into the in situ function of soil PSMs. It will lead to better harnessing of agricultural waste to mobilize soil legacy P and mitigate the P crisis.

Abstract U-10Zr Metal fuel is a promising nuclear fuel candidate for next-generation sodium-cooled fast spectrum reactors. Since the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II in the late 1960s, researchers accumulated a considerable amount of experience and knowledge on fuel performance at the engineering scale. However, a mechanistic understanding of fuel microstructure evolution and property degradation during in-reactor irradiation is still missing due to a lack of appropriate tools for rapid fuel microstructure assessment and property prediction based on post irradiation examination. This paper proposed a machine learning enabled workflow, coupled with domain knowledge and large dataset collected from advanced post-irradiation examination microscopies, to provide rapid and quantified assessments of the microstructure in two reactor irradiated prototypical annular metal fuels. Specifically, this paper revealed the distribution of Zr-bearing secondary phases and constitutional redistribution across different radial locations. Additionally, the ratios of seven different microstructures at various locations along the temperature gradient were quantified. Moreover, the distributions of fission gas pores on two types of U-10Zr annular fuels were quantitatively compared.

Chlorine dioxide is a globally recognized green and efficient disinfectant. This study aims to investigate the bactericidal mechanism of chlorine dioxide using beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (BHS) CMCC 32210 as a representative strain. BHS was exposed to chlorine dioxide, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of chlorine dioxide against BHS were determined by the checkerboard method in preparation for subsequent tests. Cell morphology was observed using electron microscopy. Protein content leakage, adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, and lipid peroxidation were determined by kits, and DNA damage was determined using agar gel electrophoresis. The concentration of chlorine dioxide during disinfection showed a linear relationship with the concentration of BHS. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that chlorine dioxide caused significant damage to the cell walls of BHS at a concentration of 50 mg/L, but had no significant effect on Streptococcus exposed to different exposure times. Furthermore, the extracellular protein concentration increased with increasing chlorine dioxide concentration, while the total protein content remained unchanged. The activities of Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase decreased with increasing chlorine dioxide concentration. Chlorine dioxide treatment led to significant lipid peroxidation and DNA degradation in BHS. Leakage of intracellular components indicated that chlorine dioxide damaged the cell membrane of BHS. Chlorine dioxide exposure resulted in oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, which negatively impacted the cell wall and membrane of Streptococcus. This caused increased permeability and inactivation of key enzymes (Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase) involved in respiratory metabolism, ultimately leading to DNA degradation and bacterial death due to either content leakage or metabolic failure.

Abstract Background Patients with brain oligometastases have better prognosis than those with synchronous extracranial metastases in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, studies focusing on intracranial‐only recurrence after curative surgery remained scarce. This study aimed to explore distinct features of patients with exclusive brain relapse after resection of lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Records were retrospectively reviewed of 2809 patients who had complete resection and pathologically confirmed stage IB‐IIIA NSCLC in our hospital from October 2012 to September 2019. Patients were enrolled if they were adenocarcinoma and developed intracranial recurrence thereafter. They were divided into two groups depending on whether they had synchronous extracranial metastases. Clinical and pathological features of patients enrolled were collected and compared between groups. Results Ninety‐seven lung adenocarcinoma patients with intracranial recurrences were enrolled. The median follow‐up time was 40 months. Fifty patients (51.5%) had brain oligometastases and 47 patients had synchronous extracranial metastases (ECM). Multivariate logistic regression suggested EGFR‐sensitive mutation and male sex were positively correlated to brain‐only recurrence (OR = 2.59, 95%CI 1.04–6.84 and OR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.05–6.75), while higher clinical stage was associated with synchronous ECM (stage II (OR = 0.33, 95%CI 0.09–1.14) or stage IIIA (OR = 0.54, 95%CI 0.20–1.38) versus stage I). No other pathological feature (lymphovascular invasion, visceral pleural invasion, low tumor differentiation, etc.) or adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with intracranial‐only relapse after complete resection of primary tumor. Conclusion Among patients with brain relapse after resection of lung adenocarcinoma, patients with EGFR mutations might have intracranial relapse only without synchronous extracranial metastases. Further prospective studies are warranted to verify this.

Abstract F-box/LRR-repeat protein 7 (FBXL7) was predicted as a differentially expressed E3 ubiquitin ligase in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which has been suggested to influence cancer growth and metastasis. In this study, we aimed to decipher the function of FBXL7 in NSCLC and delineate the upstream and downstream mechanisms. FBXL7 expression was verified in NSCLC cell lines and GEPIA-based tissue samples, after which the upstream transcription factor of FBXL7 was bioinformatically identified. The substrate PFKFB4 of the FBXL7 was screened out by tandem affinity purification coupled with mass-spectrometry (TAP/MS). FBXL7 was downregulated in NSCLC cell lines and tissue samples. FBXL7 ubiquitinated and degraded PFKFB4, thus suppressing glucose metabolism and malignant phenotypes of NSCLC cells. Hypoxia-induced HIF-1α upregulation elevated EZH2 and inhibited FBXL7 transcription and reduced its expression, thus promoting PFKFB4 protein stability. By this mechanism, glucose metabolism and the malignant phenotype were enhanced. In addition, knockdown of EZH2 impeded tumor growth through the FBXL7/PFKFB4 axis. In conclusion, our work reveals that the EZH2/FBXL7/PFKFB4 axis plays a regulatory role in glucose metabolism and tumor growth of NSCLC, which is expected to be potential biomarkers for NSCLC.

The exploration of optical and photonic phenomena, particularly the modulation of pulse signals and the ultrafast control of light fields at extreme temporal and spatial scales, substantially enhances our understanding of light–matter interactions and broadens the scope of potential applications inspired by metamaterials and metasurfaces. In this perspective, we highlight advancements in ultrafast metaphotonics by introducing ultrafast pulse shaping and control using metadevices. We begin with a detailed exposition of the principles of metasurfaces and evaluate their role in manipulating light fields in high-frequency and terahertz bands, emphasizing the importance of metasurfaces in ultrafast optics. We then present several methods for controlling the output response of metadevices using external physical fields or phase-change materials to achieve active metadevices. Finally, we anticipate the prospects of this field in terms of fundamental research and practical applications. The integration of these 2 disciplines will drive vibrant developments across multiple fields, including biology, chemistry, and materials science.

The amplitude modulation method was used to generate a non-Gaussian road profile with prescribed power spectral density (PSD) and kurtosis. The vehicle vibration fatigue damage potential has been proven to be closely related to the amplitude modulation signal (AMS) and kurtosis of vehicle response. In this paper, the iterative method of AMS modelling based on absolute standard Gaussian distribution is first reviewed. To address the long iteration time problem, a closed-form formulation is presented to construct the AMS directly. Furthermore, by proving that the vehicle response under a slowly varying non-Gaussian road profile excitation can be regarded as the product of the same AMS and vehicle response under a Gaussian road profile excitation with the same PSD, the theoretical relationship between fatigue damage spectrum (FDS) of vehicle response under non-Gaussian and corresponding Gaussian road profiles is formulated based on the AMS. A case study is used to verify the proposed approach. The results show that a wide range of specified kurtosis of road profile can be achieved and the kurtosis of vehicle response is the same as for the road profile. Given kurtosis and fatigue exponent, the extra fatigue damage caused by non-Gaussian road profile can be derived easily from the corresponding Gaussian road profile without calculating the vehicle response, which lays the foundation for a significantly simplified and more accurate fatigue test of vehicle vibration under non-Gaussian road profile.

Abstract Background Previous studies have shown that high level of TILs in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is associated with poor prognosis, contrary to that in TNBC and HER2‐positive breast cancer. Methods The densities of six immune cell markers and three immune checkpoints in the ILC microenvironment were detected by computational pathology analysis. Then, the LASSO cox regression model was used to construct an immune score (IS) and further evaluate its prognostic value. Results In our ILC cohort, the low density of CD4, CD8, CD20, CD56, CD68, FOXP3, PD‐1, and PD‐L1 had significantly longer disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS); however, the low density of CTLA‐4 was associated with shorter DFS and OS. Based on this, an IS was constructed, and patients with low‐IS had significantly prolonged DFS (p

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising technique for predicting curative effects and monitoring tumor recurrence. The utility of ctDNA for gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination remains elusive. Objectives: To assess the feasibility of ctDNA in predicting tumor response to chemotherapy in gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination. Design: This was a prospective study. Methods: We enrolled 30 patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis, treated with intraperitoneal and intravenous paclitaxel plus S-1. Peripheral blood samples of patients were prospectively collected at baseline, after treatment initiation accompanied by computed tomography scan and disease progression. Mutational profiles from ctDNA were analyzed to evaluate its association with chemotherapeutic response. Results: Tumor protein 53 ( TP53 ) was the most frequently altered gene at baseline blood samples. Although baseline TP53 mutation was not related to therapeutic response, patients with TP53 mutation had worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Additionally, baseline ctDNA content fraction (CCF) was found to be significantly lower in responders than non-responders. Meanwhile, patients with high CCF had a trend of worse PFS and OS. Combining TP53 alteration and CCF, the prognosis of TP53 -wt patients could be further stratified. Patients with CCF-low_ TP53 -wt had markedly longer survival than those with CCF-high_ TP53 -wt. Conclusion: Our study highlighted the significance of ctDNA in predicting potential clinical outcomes in gastric cancer patients during chemotherapy. Trial registration: ChiCTR-IIR-16009802 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry).

Background: Pyrotinib, an irreversible pan-human epidermal growth (HER) inhibitor, has proven its antitumor efficacy as a second-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2+ MBC) when combined with capecitabine. However, real-world data concerning the pyrotinib, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy (PyroHC) combination remains scarce. Objectives: Our study is to report the treatment patterns, efficacy, and safety of the PyroHC combination in a real-world setting. Design: This study enrolled patients with HER2+ MBC from five institutions in China, treated with PyroHC between June 2017 and January 2023 (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05839288). Methods: We evaluated progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), toxicity profile, and utilized treatment regimens. Results: Of the 135 patients in our cohort, 91.9% had prior trastuzumab exposure and 52.2% underwent at least two systematic therapy lines before receiving PyroHC. The most prevalent chemotherapies paired with PyroH were capecitabine (36.3%). Patients receiving PyroHC achieved a median PFS of 8.67 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.84–10.51] and an ORR of 51.3% (95% CI: 42.1–61.5%). The first-line treatment with PyroHC led to a median PFS of 14.46 months (95% CI: 6.35–22.56). Patients with brain metastases showed a median PFS of 9.03 months (95% CI: 6.56–11.50), achieving an ORR of 52.17% (95% CI: 51.74–83.39). Longer previous trastuzumab (⩾6.37 months) or lapatinib (⩾10.05 months) therapies could indicate improved PFS, while prior pyrotinib exposure negatively influenced PFS. Notably, the most common grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhea (37.8%), which were generally manageable. Conclusion: PyroHC shows promising efficacy and a satisfactory safety profile for treating HER2+ MBC, both as a first-line option and for heavily treated patients, including those with brain metastasis. Our findings suggest the duration and history of anti-HER2 therapy as potential predictors for PyroHC efficacy in advanced settings.

ObjectivePyrotinib and pertuzumab are effective treatment options for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2+ MBC). Our study was to directly compare the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib plus trastuzumab (PyroH) and pertuzumab plus trastuzumab (HP) in patients with HER2+ MBC.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective examination of HER2+ MBC patients who received PyroH plus chemotherapy or HP plus chemotherapy between 2017 and 2022 at five institutions in China. Our primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsThis study involved 333 patients, among which 161 received PyroH and 172 received HP. The utilization of PyroH as a first-line therapy for MBC was more prevalent among older patients, those with a shorter duration of disease-free interval, or those who had previously been treated with trastuzumab. Although in the first-line advanced treatment HP cohort showed numerically longer PFS (median PFS: 14.46 vs. 22.90 months, p=0.057), in the second-line or later treatments, there was no significant difference in PFS between the PyroH and HP groups (median PFS: 8.67 vs. 7.92 months, p=0.286). Despite HP showing a longer PFS in the overall cohort (median PFS: 9.30 vs. 13.01 months, p=0.005), it did not serve as an independent predictor of PFS in the multivariate analysis (HR 1.134, 95% CI 0.710-1.811, p=0.598). Without taxane, PyroH demonstrated a longer PFS than HP (median PFS: 10.12 vs. 8.15 months, p=0.017). PyroH group displayed a numerically longer median PFS in patients with brain metastases compared to the HP group, though not statistically significant (median PFS: 9.03 vs. 8.15 months, p=0.976). PyroH had higher incidence of grade 3/4 diarrhea (34.3% vs. 3.0%) but similar overall adverse events.ConclusionIn conclusion, PyroH is comparable in second-line or later treatment and during brain metastasis, even having superior efficacy without taxane in real-world setting. Toxicities were tolerable in both groups. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05572645)

A fresh wave of technical change is seen as one of the most effective ways to achieve sustainable agricultural development due to the declining carrying capacity of resources and the environment. China, a nation with a sizable population, has drawn immense research attention over the following question: How can China promote agricultural transformation and achieve high-quality agricultural development through technological innovation? Based on the panel data that considers 28 provincial-level administrative regions in mainland China from 2010 to 2018, the study utilizes two-way fixed models; thus, it tests the impact of domestic agricultural research and development on high-quality agricultural development. Furthermore, it utilizes the moderating effect to verify the relationship between the two aforementioned factors under the influence of foreign technology introduction, human capital, and financial support. We observed the following: First, the high-quality agricultural development that characterized all the Chinese regions exhibited a steady upward trend. The industrial system, ecological system, and management system exhibited considerable development, whereas the development of the production system was lagging. Second, domestic agricultural research and development has promoted high-quality agricultural development. Third, under the moderating effect of foreign technology introduction, human capital, and financial support, the promotion effect of domestic agricultural research and development on high-quality agricultural development has gradually weakened. This study presents various proposals; thus, it strengthens the role of domestic agricultural research and development in promoting high-quality agricultural development.

The degradation of high molecular weight organic matter (HMWOM) is a core process of oceanic carbon cycle, which is determined by the activity of microbial communities harboring hundreds of different species. Illustrating the active microbes and their interactions during HMWOM processing can provide key information for revealing the relationship between community composition and its ecological functions. In this study, the genomic and transcriptional responses of microbial communities to the availability of alginate, an abundant HMWOM in coastal ecosystem, were elucidated. The main degraders transcribing alginate lyase (Aly) genes came from genera Alteromonas, Psychrosphaera and Colwellia. Meanwhile, some strains, mainly from the Rhodobacteraceae family, did not transcribe Aly gene but could utilize monosaccharides to grow. The co-culture experiment showed that the activity of Aly-producing strain could promote the growth of Aly-non-producing strain when alginate was the sole carbon source. Interestingly, this interaction did not reduce the alginate degradation rate, possibly due to the easily degradable nature of alginate. This study can improve our understanding of the relationship between microbial community activity and alginate metabolism function as well as further manipulation of microbial community structure for alginate processing.

The feed conversion rate (FCR) is a crucial economic trait in aquaculture fish, as feed costs account for the vast majority of aquaculture costs. Given the importance of this trait, there have little efforts to unravel the genomic architecture of FCR and identify key genes or genomic regions useful as selection makers. This situation may stem from the inherent swimming behavior of fish, which presents challenges in obtaining individual FCRs. In this work, we developed a specialized small cage culture system. Through this system, the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of 300 individuals was successfully determined, marking the first successful determination of individual FCRs for turbot. The results revealed a range of FCR values from 35.3% to 192.6%, with an average of 126.5% ± 23.5%. On this basis, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with FCR. A total of 2613,115 SNPs on 22 chromosomes were selected for GWAS analysis by Efficient Mixed-Model Association eXpedited (EMMAX) software. A linear mixed model was employed to test the association between each SNP and FCR, considering population structure and genetic relatedness among individuals. Two significant SNPs on Chr6 were identified to be correlated with FCR. According to their localization in genome, four candidate genes were identified on Chr6, including uncharacterized protein KIAA1755, Kinesin Family Member 21B (KIF21B), Discs large homolog-associated protein 4B (DLGAP4B), and Copine 5B (CPNE5B), all of which are closely located in the genome and exhibit significant functional similarities. Our results will facilitate the implementation of marker-assisted selection in breeding programs and serve as a foundation for future research in this area.

ABSTRACTObjective: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignant disease with unclear molecular mechanisms. This integrated bioinformatic study aimed to identify key genes, pathways and immune cell infiltration pattern in MM.Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE6477 and GSE16558 dataset were filtrated with R package ‘limma’, whose function were explored by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The key genes were selected from Protein–protein interaction network (PPI) and logistic regression model. The correlation between key genes and survival in MM was evaluated using the survival and survminer package. Additionally, immune filtration analysis was accomplished by CIBERSORT tools.Results: 118 DEGs (92 up-regulated and 26 down-regulated) from two GSE datasets were identified, which were closely related with B cell receptor signaling pathway and Epstein-Barr virus infection. Furthermore, CD24 and PTPRC of five hub genes identified in PPI network were further screened out by the logistic regression model. Besides, CD24 and PTPRC expression were significantly correlated to the survival time in MM patients. Finally, MM might cause different infiltrating immune cell compositions, including increased infiltrations of B cells memory, Plasma cells, T cells CD4 memory resting, T cells follicular helper, Tregs, NK cells resting, Macrophages(M0/M1), Dendritic cells resting and Mast cells activating, and lower proportions of B cells naïve, T cells CD4 naïve, Macrophages M2 and Neutrophils.Conclusion: Targeting CD24 and PTPRC as molecular markers of MM is valuable to MM therapy. Moreover, the immune cell infiltration will provide new insights into MM immunopathology.

The incidence of cervical cancer ranks third among all female tumours globally and second in developing countries. However, the role of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit D (EIF3D) in cervical carcinoma is unknown. This study investigated the effects of EIF3D on cell progression of cervical carcinoma and its underlying mechanism in vivo and vitro models. There were increases of EIF3D expression mRNA and protein expression levels in patients with cervical carcinoma. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall surviva (OS) of EIF3D lower expression in patients with cervical carcinoma was higher than those of EIF3D higher expression. EIF3D mRNA expression levels in cervical carcinoma cell lines (AV3, Hela229, CaSki and Hela cells) were up-regulated, compared with cervical normal cell line (UVECs). EIF3D promoted cell growth and Warburg effect in vitro model of cervical carcinoma. EIF3D interacting with GRP78 to reduce the activity of GRP78 in vitro model of cervical carcinoma. The inhibition of GRP78 reduced the effects of EIF3D on Warburg effect in vitro model of cervical carcinoma. Our work identifies EIF3D promoted cell growth and Warburg effect in vitro model of cervical carcinoma and the inhibition of EIF3D represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cervical carcinoma.IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? The incidence of cervical cancer ranks third among all female tumours globally and second in developing countries. What do the results of this study add? This study investigated the effects of EIF3D on cell progression of cervical carcinoma and its underlying mechanism in vivo and vitro models. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? EIF3D promoted cell growth and Warburg effect in vitro model of cervical carcinoma and the inhibition of EIF3D represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cervical carcinoma.

AbstractPurpose To assess the prognostic significance of skin involvement in breast cancer patients with chest wall recurrence (CWR).Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data of breast cancer patients with CWR who were diagnosed pathologically between January 2000 and April 2020. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the time from radical resection for CWR to disease recurrence. Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from the diagnosis of locally unresectable CWR to the first sign of disease progression. Persistent chest wall progression was defined as three consecutive chest wall progressions with no distant organ involvement.Results A total of 476 patients with CWR were included in this study. Skin involvement was confirmed in 345 patients. Skin involvement was significantly correlated with a high T stage (p = 0.003), more positive nodes at initial examination (p

The extent of gut inflammation depends largely on the gut barrier’s integrity and enteric neuroimmune interactions. However, the factors and molecular mechanisms that regulate inflammation-related changes in the enteric nervous system (ENS) remain largely unexplored. Eph/ephrin signaling is critical for inflammatory response, neuronal activation, and synaptic plasticity in the brain, but its presence and function in the ENS have been largely unknown to date. This review discusses the critical role of Eph/ephrin in regulating gut homeostasis, inflammation, neuroimmune interactions, and pain pathways. Targeting the Eph/ephrin system offers innovative treatments for gut inflammation disorders, offering hope for enhanced patient prognosis, pain management, and overall quality of life.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of AR in HER2+ nonmetastatic breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and its relationship with the immune microenvironment. HER2+ nonmetastatic breast IDC patients diagnosed by pathology who underwent surgery at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from 2016 to 2017 were included. AR+ and AR− breast IDC samples were matched 1:1 in age, T stage, and N stage for immune infiltration analysis. A total of 554 patients with HER2+ nonmetastatic breast cancer were included in this retrospective study, regardless of HR status. The cut-off value for AR was set at 10%. ER+ (p

Abstract Background Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) worsens the prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). While concomitant mitral valve surgery (MVS) is recommended for severe FMR during aortic valve replacement (AVR), the optimal treatment of moderate FMR, especially in those with HFpEF, remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MVS in patients with moderate FMR and HFpEF undergoing AVR. Methods A total of 212 consecutive patients (AVR: 34.0%, AVR-MVS: 66.0%) during 2010 and 2019 were enrolled. Survival outcomes were compared. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the baseline characteristics. Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test were applied to compare the survival outcomes. The primary endpoint was the overall mortality. Results The mean age was 58.9 $$\pm$$ ± 11.9 years, and 27.8% of them were female. During a median follow-up of 16.4 months, AVR-MVS did not reduce the risk of mid-term MACCE (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57–4.17, Plog-rank = 0.396), while it showed a tendency toward higher MACCE risk in the IPTW analysis (HR: 2.62, 95% CI: 0.84–8.16, Plog-rank = 0.096). In addition, AVR-MVS increased the risk of mortality as compared to isolated AVR (0 vs. 10%, Plog-rank = 0.016), which was sustained in the IPTW analysis (0 vs. 9.9%, Plog-rank

Abstract This study reveals the inconsistencies between the negative externalities of carbon emissions and the recognition condition of accounting statements. Hence, the study identifies that heavily polluting enterprises in China have severe off-balance sheet carbon reduction risks before implementing the carbon emission trading system (CETS). Through the staggered difference-in-difference (DID) model and the propensity score matching-DID model, the impact of CETS on reducing the risk of stock price crashes is examined using data from China’s A-share heavily polluting listed companies from 2007 to 2019. The results of this study are as follows: (1) CETS can significantly reduce the risk of stock price crashes for heavily polluting companies in the pilot areas. Specifically, CETS reduces the skewness (negative conditional skewness) and down-to-up volatility of the firm-specific weekly returns by 8.7% and 7.6%, respectively. (2) Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the impacts of CETS on the risk of stock price crashes are more significant for heavily polluting enterprises with the bear market condition, short-sighted management, and intensive air pollution. (3) Mechanism tests show that CETS can reduce analysts’ coverage of heavy polluters, reducing the risk of stock price crashes. This study reveals the role of CETS from the stock price crash risk perspective and helps to clarify the relationship between climatic risk and corporate financial risk.

Abstract Background Cyanide is a toxic chemical that inhibits cellular respiration. In plants, cyanide can be produced by themselves, especially under stressful conditions. Cyanoalanine synthase (CAS) is a key enzyme involved in plant cyanide detoxification. There are three genes encoding CAS in Arabidopsis thaliana, but the roles of these genes in the plant’s response to stress are less studied. In addition, it is known that alternative oxidase (AOX) mediates cyanide-resistant respiration, but the relationship between CAS and AOX in regulating the plant stress response remains largely unknown. Results Here, the effects of the overexpression or mutation of these three CAS genes on salt stress tolerance were investigated. The results showed that under normal conditions, the overexpression or mutation of the CAS genes had no significant effect on the seed germination and growth of Arabidopsis thaliana compared with wild type (WT). However, under 50, 100, and 200 mM NaCl conditions, the seeds overexpressing CAS genes showed stronger salt stress resistance, i.e., higher germination speed than WT seeds, especially those that overexpressed the CYS-C1 and CYS-D1 genes. In contrast, the seeds with CAS gene mutations exhibited salt sensitivity, and their germination ability and growth were significantly damaged by 100 and 200 mM NaCl. Importantly, this difference in salt stress resistance became more pronounced in CAS-OE, WT, and mutant seeds with increasing salt concentration. The CAS-OE seeds maintained higher respiration rates than the WT and CAS mutant seeds under salt stress conditions. The cyanide contents in CAS mutant seeds were approximately 3 times higher than those in WT seeds and more than 5 times higher than those in CAS-OE seeds. In comparison, plants overexpressing CYS-C1 had the fastest detoxification of cyanide and the best salt tolerance, followed by those overexpressing CYS-D1 and CYS-D2. Furthermore, less hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was observed in CAS-OE seedlings than in WT seedlings under long-term salt stress conditions. Nonetheless, the lack of AOX impaired CAS-OE-mediated plant salt stress resistance, suggesting that CAS and AOX interact to improve salt tolerance is essential. The results also showed that CAS and AOX contributed to the reduction in oxidative damage by helping maintain relatively high levels of antioxidant enzyme activity. Conclusion In summary, the findings of the present study suggest that overexpression of Arabidopsis CAS family genes plays a positive role in salt stress tolerance and highlights the contribution of AOX to CAS-mediated plant salt resistance, mainly by reducing cyanide and H2S toxicity.

Highlights The design, preparation and application of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/ceramic composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) are summarized from “ceramic in polymer” and “polymer in ceramic”. The summary and outlook on existing challenges and future research directions of PEO/ceramic CSEs for lithium metal batteries are proposed.

In order to explore the effect of piperine-corn starch complex on its structure and physicochemical properties at sub-gelatinization temperature, corn starch was used in this study to prepare sub-gelatinized corn starch-piperine complexes at 60 °C. Gelatinization viscometer, differential scanning calorimetry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the complex. The results showed that piperine was successfully loaded on the sub-gelatinized corn starch with the loading rate of 39.45%. The scanning electron microscope results showed that piperine was successfully loaded in the swelled cracks of starch granules. The particle size increased from 15.20 μm (natural corn starch) to 25.80 μm (sub-gelatinized corn starch) and 81.90 μm (sub-gelatinized corn starch-piperine complex). The addition of piperine reduced the peak viscosity and trough viscosity of the sub-gelatinized corn starch. No new group or chemical bond was observed in the infrared spectrum of the complex while the addition of piperine enhanced the intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding between corn starch and piperine. X-ray diffraction showed that the relative crystallinity was increased from 23.52% (native corn starch) to 28.15% (sub-gelatinized corn starch-piperine complex) while the crystalline structure of the corn starch was not changed during the sub-gelatinized treatment. Compared to the native corn starch, the gelatinization enthalpy of the sub-gelatinized corn starch and the sub-gelatinized corn starch-piperine complex significantly decreased. The addition of piperine showed little effect on the structure of the sub-gelatinized corn starch, but it showed a significant impact on its physicochemical properties. This study would provide an important basis for the interaction and complex mechanism between starch and piperine.

Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK) stimulated activation of the PI3K-Akt signaling is one of the major mechanisms in promoting cell survival after stroke. However, the underlying mediators remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the docking protein of ginsenoside CK mediating the neuroprotective effects. Materials and methods: Molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance, and cellular thermal shift assay were performed to explore ginsenoside CK interacting proteins. Neuroscreen-1 cells and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats were utilized as in-vitro and in-vivo models. Results: Ginsenoside CK interacted with recombinant human PTP1B protein and impaired its tyrosine phosphatase activity. Pathway and process enrichment analysis confirmed the involvement of PTP1B and its interacting proteins in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. PTP1B overexpression reduced the tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) in neuroscreen-1 cells. These regulations were confirmed in the ipsilateral ischemic hemisphere of the rat brains after MCAO/R. Ginsenoside CK treatment reversed these alterations and attenuated neuronal apoptosis. Conclusion: Ginsenoside CK binds to PTP1B with a high affinity and inhibits PTP1B-mediated IRS1 tyrosine dephosphorylation. This novel mechanism helps explain the role of ginsenoside CK in activating the neuronal protective PI3K-Akt signaling pathway after ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Abstract GPR20 is a class-A orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and a potential therapeutic target for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) owing to its differentially high expression. An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) containing a GPR20-binding antibody (Ab046) was recently developed in clinical trials for GIST treatment. GPR20 constitutively activates Gi proteins in the absence of any known ligand, but it remains obscure how this high basal activity is achieved. Here we report three cryo-EM structures of human GPR20 complexes including Gi-coupled GPR20 in the absence or presence of the Fab fragment of Ab046 and Gi-free GPR20. Remarkably, the structures demonstrate a uniquely folded N-terminal helix capping onto the transmembrane domain and our mutagenesis study suggests a key role of this cap region in stimulating the basal activity of GPR20. We also uncover the molecular interactions between GPR20 and Ab046, which may enable the design of tool antibodies with enhanced affinity or new functionality for GPR20. Furthermore, we report the orthosteric pocket occupied by an unassigned density which might be essential for exploring opportunities for deorphanization.

Abstract Background Histone deacetylases (HDAC) contribute to oncogenic program, pointing to their inhibitors as a potential strategy against cancers. We, thus, studied the mechanism of HDAC inhibitor ITF2357 in resistance of mutant (mut)-KRAS non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to pemetrexed (Pem). Methods We first determined the expression of NSCLC tumorigenesis-related HDAC2 and Rad51 in NSCLC tissues and cells. Next, we illustrated the effect of ITF2357 on the Pem resistance in wild type-KARS NSCLC cell line H1299, mut-KARS NSCLC cell line A549 and Pem-resistant mut-KARS cell line A549R in vitro and in xenografts of nude mice in vivo. Results Expression of HDAC2 and Rad51 was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cells. Accordingly, it was revealed that ITF2357 downregulated HDAC2 expression to diminish the resistance of H1299, A549 and A549R cells to Pem. HDAC2 bound to miR-130a-3p to upregulate its target gene Rad51. The in vitro findings were reproduced in vivo, where ITF2357 inhibited the HDAC2/miR-130a-3p/Rad51 axis to reduce the resistance of mut-KRAS NSCLC to Pem. Conclusion Taken together, HDAC inhibitor ITF2357 restores miR-130a-3p expression by inhibiting HDAC2, thereby repressing Rad51 and ultimately diminishing resistance of mut-KRAS NSCLC to Pem. Our findings suggested HDAC inhibitor ITF2357 as a promising adjuvant strategy to enhance the sensitivity of mut-KRAS NSCLC to Pem.

Due to underlying surface changes (USCs), the changes in the Taojiang River Basin’s flood generation conditions could impact the flooding process in the basin. However, most studies have typically focused on either land-use changes (LUCs) or soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) to assess the impact of the USCs on floods, which may not provide a more comprehensive understanding of the response of floods to the USCs. To investigate how the USCs have altered the floods in the Taojiang River Basin, located upstream of Poyang Lake, China, the HEC-HMS model, which incorporates the influence of the USCs into the parameter calibration, is established in this study to investigate the flood processes on an hourly scale. The flood peak and the maximum 72 h flood volume are selected as two indexes and are applied to analyze the changes in floods caused by the USCs. The 1981–2020 period is divided into three sub-periods (i.e., 1981–1992, 1993–2007, and 2008–2020) based on the conditions of the USCs. It is found that the two indexes have exhibited decreasing trends, mainly due to the USCs during 1981–2020. Benchmarked against the baseline period of 1981–1992, the two indexes decreased by 3.06% (the flood peak) and 4.00% (the maximum 72 h flood volume) during 1993–2007 and by 5.92% and 7.58% during 2008–2020. Moreover, the impacts of the LUCs and SWCMs are separated through parameter adjustments in the model, revealing that the SWCMs played a dominant role in the USCs in the Taojiang River Basin. The quantification and assessment of the impact of the USCs on floods of different magnitudes revealed that the influence decreases with increasing flood magnitude. The results of this study improve our understanding of how USCs affect the flooding process and therefore provide support for flood control management under changing environments.

Astaxanthin was encapsulated in liposomes by a thin layer dispersion and ultrasound method using soybean phospholipid. The digestion properties of liposomes for encapsulating astaxanthin were investigated in light of particle size, size distribution, zeta potential, and microstructure during in vitro digestion as a function of time. These results exhibited that the average particle size increased gradually with liposomal vesicles retained round shapes and a fairly uniform distribution after passage through the simulated gastric fluid digestion. The result revealed that astaxanthin-loaded liposomes were stable in low pH conditions. It was also found that the mixed micelles formed in a simulated intestinal fluid. The zeta potential of astaxanthin-loaded liposomes had a decrease in negativity after digestion. In comparison with free astaxanthin, there was an appreciable increase in the bioaccessibility of astaxanthin after encapsulation in liposomes. This enhancement can be attributed to more soluble astaxanthin in the mixed micelles for astaxanthin-loaded liposomes. It indicated that the barrier of the liposomal bilayer could inhibit astaxanthin fading and leaking after encapsulation in liposomes. These results provide useful information for designing more stable delivery systems in the gastrointestinal tract and improving the bioaccessibility of lipophilic nutraceuticals.

A miniature and highly sensitive fiber-optic liquid flowmeter based on Fabry–Perot interferometry (FPI) is proposed and demonstrated for fluid-flow micro-channel testing. The diaphragm deformation and pressure of the proposed sensor for flow rate detection are obtained from numerical and finite element method simulations of the theoretical model. The FPI flowmeter can be applied in real time to measure the ultra-wide dynamic range from 0 mL/min to 90 mL/min, with a response time of hundreds of milliseconds, controlling the flow rate with a resolution of 1.08 mL/min, which is 1.2% of the full scale. The quadratic functional relation between dip wavelength shifts and flow rates is verified by the flow calibration curves of the FPI flowmeter under dynamic pressure conditions. In addition, the effective temperature compensation is realized by connecting an FBG temperature sensor for variable temperature flow detection, and the measured error is reduced by nearly 25-times. The proposed sensor has the potential to measure the liquid flow rate in various applications.

The star-shaped trans-shipment network causes the retailer’s bargaining power to be different, which leads to the misalignment of trans-shipment profit. Aimed at this, we take retailers and the trans-shipment paths as the nodes and edges of the trans-shipment network. Based on this, we model the multilateral negotiations between the central retailer and the local retailer and adopt the Generalized Nash Bargaining game to derive the optimal solution of the value function for the incomplete trans-shipment network under the bargaining mechanism. Furthermore, we reveal the convexity of the optimal trans-shipment value function and give the condition that the allocation of the bargaining mechanism is in the core. Based on this, we introduce the concept of pairwise Nash equilibrium and show the star-shaped trans-shipment network is the optimal endogenous formation of the trans-shipment network. In practice, the central retailer should introduce as many local retailers as possible to join this trans-shipment alliance, which will achieve Pareto improvement. Meanwhile, the central retailer should order as many as possible. Finally, it is more appropriate to establish a star-shaped trans-shipment network when one retailer has stronger negotiation power compared to other retailers in a distribution system, which not only ensures the stability of the allocation of trans-shipment profits but also the stability of the trans-shipment network.

Silica (SiO2), accounting for the main component of fly ash, plays a vital role in the heterogeneous formation of polychlorinated thianthrenes/dibenzothiophenes (PCTA/DTs) in high-temperature industrial processes. Silica clusters, as the basic units of silica, provide reasonable models to understand the general trends of complex surface reactions. Chlorothiophenols (CTPs) are the most crucial precursors for PCTA/DT formation. By employing density functional theory, this study examined the formation of 2-chlorothiophenolate from 2-CTP adsorbed on the dehydrated silica cluster ((SiO2)3) and the hydroxylated silica cluster ((SiO2)3O2H4). Additionally, this study investigated the formation of pre-PCTA/DTs, the crucial intermediates involved in PCTA/DT formation, from the coupling of two adsorbed 2-chlorothiophenolates via the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) mechanism and the coupling of adsorbed 2-chlorothiophenolate with gas-phase 2-CTP via the Eley–Rideal (E–R) mechanism on silica clusters. Moreover, the rate constants for the main elementary steps were calculated over the temperature range of 600–1200 K. Our study demonstrates that the 2-CTP is more likely to adsorb on the termination of the dehydrated silica cluster, which exhibits more effective catalysis in the formation of 2-chlorothiophenolate compared with the hydroxylated silica cluster. Moreover, the E–R mechanism mainly contributes to the formation of pre-PCTAs, whereas the L–H mechanism is prone to the formation of pre-PCDTs on dehydrated and hydroxylated silica clusters. Silica can act as a relatively mild catalyst in facilitating the heterogeneous formation of pre-PCTA/DTs from 2-CTP. This research provides new insights into the surface-mediated generation of PCTA/DTs, further providing theoretical foundations to reduce dioxin emission and establish dioxin control strategies.

As a natural flavoring agent, vanilla essential oil has a special aroma and flavor, but its volatility and instability limit its value. Therefore, in this study, vanilla essential oil was compounded with cinnamon essential oil to prepare nano-emulsions (composite nano-emulsions called C/VT and C/VM), and the stability of the composite essential oil emulsions was investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the nano-emulsions were spherical in shape and some flocs were observed in C/VM and C/VT. The results showed that the average droplet sizes of C/VM and C/VT increased only by 14.99% and 15.01% after heating at 100 °C for 20 min, and the average droplet sizes were less than 120 nm after 24 days of storage at 25 °C. Possibly due to the presence of reticulated flocs, which have a hindering effect on the movement of individual droplets, the instability indices of C/VM and C/VT were reduced by 34.9% and 39.08%, respectively, in comparison to the instability indices of C/VM and C/VT. In addition, the results of antioxidant experimental studies showed that the presence of composite essential oil flocs had no significant effect on the antioxidant capacity. These results indicate that the improved stability of the composite essential oil nano-emulsions is conducive to broadening the application of vanilla essential oil emulsions.

This study investigated the immunoprotective effects of the extract of Vanilla planifolia Andrew (EVPA) on cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced immunosuppression in mice. The results show that EVPA administration significantly alleviated the immune damage induced by Cy, as evidenced by an improved body weight, organ index, and colonic injury. A further analysis of microbial diversity revealed that the EVPA primarily increased the abundance of the beneficial bacteria Verrucomicrobiota, Lactobacillaceae, and Lactobacillus while decreasing Akkermansiaceae, Akkermansia, Romboutsia, and Lactococcus, thereby ameliorating the microbial dysbiosis caused by Cy. A metabolomic analysis revealed significant alterations in the microbial metabolite levels after EVPA treatment, including urobilinogen, formamidopyrimidine nucleoside triphosphate, Cer (d18:1/18:0), pantetheine, and LysoPC (15:0/0:0). These altered metabolites are associated with pathways related to sphingolipid metabolism, carbapenem biosynthesis, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between certain microbial groups and the differential metabolites. These findings provide new insights into the immunomodulatory effects of EVPA on the intestinal microbiota and metabolism, laying the foundation for more extensive utilization.

Our previous study has reported that metastasis-associated protein 2 (MTA2) plays essential roles in tumorigenesis and aggressiveness of gastric cancer (GC). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of MTA2-mediated GC and its upstream regulation mechanism remain elusive. In this study, we identified a novel circular RNA (circRNA) generated from the MTA2 gene (circMTA2) as a crucial regulator in GC progression. CircMTA2 was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines, and circMTA2 promoted the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circMTA2 interacted with ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L3 (UCHL3) to restrain MTA2 ubiquitination and stabilize MTA2 protein expression, thereby facilitating tumor progression. Moreover, circMTA2 was mainly encapsulated and transported by exosomes to promote GC cell progression. Taken together, these findings uncover that circMTA2 suppresses MTA2 degradation by interacting with UCHL3, thereby promoting GC progression. In conclusion, we identified a cancer-promoting axis (circMTA2/UCHL3/MTA2) in GC progression, which paves the way for us to design and synthesize targeted inhibitors as well as combination therapies.

Pressure sensing plays an important role in many industrial fields; conventional electronic pressure sensors struggle to survive in the harsh environment. Recently microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fiber-optic Fabry–Perot (FP) pressure sensors have attracted great interest. Here we review the basic principles of MEMS fiber-optic FP pressure sensors and then discuss the sensors based on different materials and their industrial applications. We also introduce recent progress, such as two-photon polymerization-based 3D printing technology, and the state-of-the-art in this field, e.g., sapphire-based sensors that work up to 1200 °C. Finally, we discuss the limitations and opportunities for future development.

AIM: To investigate the differences in squint angle measured by right angle prism and isosceles angle prism.METHODS: Case control study. A total of 176 cases of concomitant strabismus admitted to our hospital from June 2021 to April 2022 were selected, among which 79 cases were concomitant esotropia and 97 cases were concomitant exotropia. The squint angle of all patients was measured respectively by alternating cover right angle prism and isosceles angle prism.RESULT: For patients with concomitant esotropia, the right angle prism degree was 49.167△±13.573△ and the isosceles angle prism degree was 38.250△±10.756△ (P0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The squint angle measured by different shaped prisms is different. The degree measured by right angle prism is larger than that by isosceles angle prism.

The effect of a partial time delay on the response to external weak input signals in a bistable oscillator with anormal diffusive coupling was studied. Periodic resonance or anti-resonance in the signal response with time delay was observed, and the resonance period equals the period of the external input signal. Specifically, for the negative mean-field density parameter, the signal response can be improved through time delay, which is a resonance phenomenon. Conversely, for the positive mean-field density parameter, no such enhancement effect was observed, suggesting the presence of an anti-resonance phenomenon. As the probability of a partial time delay increases, the width of the time delay of the optimal signal response becomes narrower. When the probability of a partial time delay is large enough, the response of the system is optimal only when the time delay closely approximates integer or half-integer multiples of the external signal period. These numerical findings provide a new approach for weak signal detection that could be applied to the extraction of weak feature information within relevant fields.

Objectives To investigate the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components with socioeconomic status (SES) among general and gender-specific adult population in Nanjing municipality, China.Design Cross-sectional study.Participants 13287 participants completed the survey. A participant: (1) must be a local registered resident, (2) aged 18+ years, (3) had no literal or physical/mental problems and (4) was not pregnant.Study measures MetS was the outcome variable, which was defined based on the diagnostic criteria released by the Chinese Diabetes Society. SES was the main explanatory measure, which was indicated with educational attainment and family average income (FAI), separately.Results The prevalence of MetS was 19.7% (95% CI=19.0% to 20.4%) among overall participants, and 24.6% (95% CI=23.5% to 25.6%) and 15.5% (95% CI=14.7% to 16.4%) for men and women, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, participants with either college level (OR=0.51, 95% CI=0.43 to 0.60) or high school level education (OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.70 to 0.90) were at lower odds to experience MetS compared with those with primary education, while only those within upper FAI tertile were at significantly lower risk of MetS relative to their counterparts within lower FAI category (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.76 to 0.97) among overall participants. Meanwhile, with respect to the five components of MetS, higher educational level predicted lower waist circumference (WC), triglycerides, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and fasting glucose concentration among all participants. And higher FAI was associated with lower WC and SBP and DBP in women, and with lower SBP and DBP in men.Conclusions Education and FAI each were inversely associated with MetS and its components at the present stage of economic development in Nanjing Municipality of China. It has important public health implications that the tailored prevention strategies for MetS should be put into consideration of the intervention of MetS components and subgroups of people with different SES.

BackgroundAs the SARS-CoV-2 attenuates and antibodies from the COVID-19 vaccine decline, long-term attention should be paid to the durability of primary booster administration and the preventive effect of the second or multiple booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the durability of primary booster administration and the preventive effect of second or multiple booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. MethodsWe established a bidirectional cohort in Guizhou Province, China. Eligible participants who had received the primary booster dose were enrolled for blood sample collection and administration of the second booster dose. A retrospective cohort for the time of administration was constructed to evaluate antibody attenuation 6-12 months after the primary booster dose, while a prospective cohort on the vaccine effect of the second booster dose was constructed for 4 months after the second administration. ResultsBetween September 21, 2022, and January 30, 2023, a total of 327 participants were included in the final statistical analysis plan. The retrospective cohort revealed that approximately 6-12 months after receiving the primary booster, immunoglobulin G (IgG) slowly declined with time, while immunoglobulin A (IgA) remained almost constant. The prospective cohort showed that 28 days after receiving the second booster, the antibody levels were significantly improved. Higher levels of IgG and IgA were associated with better protection against COVID-19 infection for vaccine recipients. Regarding the protection of antibody levels against post–COVID-19 symptoms, the increase of the IgG had a protective effect on brain fog and sleep quality, while IgA had a protective effect on shortness of breath, brain fog, impaired coordination, and physical pain. ConclusionsThe IgG and IgA produced by the second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines can protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection and may alleviate some post–COVID-19 symptoms. Further data and studies on secondary booster administration are required to confirm these conclusions.