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The initial response process of PETN containing nanoscale spherical cavities under impact loading was investigated using the ReaxFF-lg force field combined with the molecular dynamic method. The impact-induced void collapse process, hot spot formation and growth, and chemical reaction processes were determined. The hot spot formation goes through four stages: (1) overall temperature rise due to initial impact compression; (2) temperature rise on the upper surface of the void caused by local plastic deformation; (3) rapid temperature rise caused by molecules entering the interior of the void colliding with the downstream surface of the void; and (4) thermal diffusion between the hot spot and the surrounding region, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the center of the hot spot and a slow increase in the temperature of the neighboring region. With weak impact, the void shape remains basically symmetric during the void collapse, and the void collapse is mainly caused by local plastic deformation. A strong impact will lead to a more intense material focusing. The void collapse caused by strong impact has a greater effect on the heating of the surrounding material, and the secondary compression formed by the collision between particles makes the hot spot area expand and the central region of the hot spot evolve into an approximate triangular cone. NO

Previous studies have shown that the Eurasian avian-like H1N1 (EA H1N1) swine influenza viruses circulated widely in pigs around the world and formed multiple genotypes by acquiring non-hemagglutinin and neuraminidase segments derived from other swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza control is not a priority for the pig industry in many countries, and it is worrisome that some strains may become more pathogenic and/or transmissible during their circulation in nature. Our routine surveillance indicated that the EA H1N1 viruses obtained different internal genes from different swine influenza viruses and formed various new genotypes. In this study, we found that a naturally isolated swine influenza reassortant, A/swine/Liaoning/265/2017 (LN265), a representative strain of one of the predominant genotypes in recent years, is lethal in mice and transmissible in ferrets. LN265 contains the hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and matrix of the EA H1N1 virus; the basic polymerase 2, basic polymerase 1, acidic polymerase (PA), and nucleoprotein of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus; and the nonstructural protein of the North American triple-reassortment H1N2 virus. By generating and testing a series of reassortants and mutants, we found that four gradually accumulated mutations in PA are responsible for the increased pathogenicity and transmissibility of LN265. We further revealed that these mutations increase the messenger RNA transcription of viral proteins by enhancing the endonuclease cleavage activity and viral RNA–binding ability of the PA protein. Our study demonstrates that EA H1N1 swine influenza virus became pathogenic and transmissible in ferrets by acquiring key mutations in PA and provides important insights for monitoring field strains with pandemic potential.

Conventional treatment to periodontal and many other bone defects requires the use of barrier membranes to guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and guided bone regeneration (GBR). However, current barrier membranes normally lack of the ability to actively regulate the bone repairing process. Herein, we proposed a biomimetic bone tissue engineering strategy enabled by a new type of Janus porous polylactic acid membrane (PLAM), which was fabricated by combining unidirectional evaporation-induced pore formation with subsequent self-assembly of a bioactive metal-phenolic network (MPN) nanointerface. The prepared PLAM-MPN simultaneously possesses barrier function on the dense side and bone-forming function on the porous side. In vitro, the presence of MPN nanointerface potently alleviated the proinflammatory polarization of rat bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), induced angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and enhanced the attachment, migration and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). The implantation of PLAM-MPN into rat periodontal bone defects remarkably enhanced bone regeneration. This bioactive MPN nanointerface within a Janus porous membrane possesses versatile capacities to regulate cell physiology favoring bone regeneration, demonstrating great potential as GTR and GBR membranes for clinical applications.

Aiming at the issue of how to improve the system transmission rate in a multiple Internet of things (IoT) device application scenario, we propose the resource allocation algorithm of the symbiotic radio communication system under multiple backscatter devices (BDs) assisted by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We consider the base station sends signals to cellular users, and multiple terrestrial BDs collect energy and backscatter the RF signals sent by the base station. The UAV receives the backscatter signals of all BDs and collects the data of them, that is, all BDs share the RF sources with the cellular users, forming a symbiotic radio system. We formulate the optimization problem of maximizing BDs’ sum rate by jointly optimizing the time allocation, BDs’ reflection coefficient and UAV location under constraints of BD’s harvested energy, quality of service (QoS) of cellular users and UAV. Since the optimum problem is non-convex, it is difficult to solve directly. Therefore, the iterative algorithm based on block coordinate descent (BCD) method can be adopted, which decomposes the optimization problem into three sub-problems: time allocation, reflection coefficients of BDs and UAV location. For non-convex sub-problems, we utilize the successive convex approximation (SCA) technique to transform it into convex optimization problems, and we prove that the conversion is convex optimization problems. Simulation results show that our proposed algorithm converges fast, and significantly improves system transmission rate compared with other schemes.

The H10 subtypes of avian influenza viruses pose a continual threat to the poultry industry and human health. The sporadic spillover of H10 subtypes viruses from poultry to humans is represented by the H10N8 human cases in 2013 and the recent H10N3 human infection in 2021. However, the genesis and characteristics of the recent reassortment H10N3 viruses have not been systemically investigated. In this study, we characterized twenty H10N3 viruses isolated in live poultry markets during routine nationwide surveillance in China from 2014 to 2021. The viruses in the recent reassortant genotype acquired their hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes from the duck H10 viruses and H7N3 viruses, respectively, whereas the internal genes were derived from chicken H9N2 viruses as early as 2019. Receptor-binding analysis indicated that two of the tested H10N3 viruses had a higher affinity for human-type receptors than for avian-type receptors, highlighting the potential risk of avian-to-human transmission. Animal studies showed that only viruses belonging to the recent reassortant genotype were pathogenic in mice; two tested viruses transmitted via direct contact and one virus transmitted by respiratory droplets in guinea pigs, though with limited efficiency. These findings emphasize the need for enhanced surveillance of H10N3 viruses. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Drivers usually appear to self-regulate their driving behaviors in situations considered to be challenging, such as mobile phone-distracted driving. It is important to clarify how drivers self-regulate their actual behaviors. In addition, few studies investigated driver distraction in active and responsive scenarios. Therefore, the present study aimed to gain a better understanding of drivers’ actual self-regulation of driving behaviors and phone use behaviors while mobile phone-distracted driving in active and responsive scenarios. The contribution of compensatory beliefs to self-regulation was also explored. This study was conducted using a 2 (mobile phone use behaviors: phone calling vs. WeChat messaging) × 2 (scenarios: active vs. responsive) within-group design. A total of 34 participants completed a driving simulation experiment. The dependent variables of drivers’ driving behaviors, phone use behaviors, and physiological data were collected. Participants’ compensatory belief was also measured. The results showed that the speed reduction in the stages with WeChat messaging was significantly greater than that in the stages with phone calls, and the speed reduction in the responsive scenario was significantly greater than that in the active scenario. Participants would adopt relatively equal phone-use-related self-regulatory behaviors in active and responsive scenarios. Participants with higher compensatory beliefs had relatively greater speed reduction in most scenarios, but fewer phone-use-related self-regulatory behaviors. In addition, the respiratory rate could contribute to evaluating the changes in drivers’ physiological status during phone calling-distracted driving. Participants would self-regulate driving behaviors and phone use behaviors according to different distracted driving tasks and scenarios. The driving-related self-regulation in WeChat messaging scenarios and responsive scenarios was greater. There was a trend in the effect of compensatory beliefs on actual self-regulatory behaviors, which needs to be further verified in the future. This study contributes to the verification of the different actual driving-related and phone-use-related self-regulatory behavior of drivers in active and responsive mobile phone distracted driving scenarios.

Porous polymer scaffolds are essential materials for tissue engineering because they can be easily processed to deliver stem cells or bioactive factors. However, scaffolds made of synthetic polymers normally lack a bioactive cell-material interface and undergo a burst release of growth factors, which may hinder their further application in tissue engineering. In this paper, a metal-phenolic network (MPN) was interfacially constructed on the pore surface of a porous poly(dl-lactide) (PPLA) scaffold. Based on the molecular gating property of the MPN supramolecular structure, the PPLA@MPN scaffold achieved the sustained release of the loaded molecules. In addition, the MPN coating provided a bioactive interface, thus encouraging the migration and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The PPLA@MPN scaffolds exhibited enhanced bone regeneration in a rat femoral defect model in vivo compared to PPLA, which is ascribed to the combined effect of sustained bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) release and the osteogenic ability of MPN. This nanodressing technique provides a viable and straightforward strategy for enhancing the performance of porous polymer scaffolds in bone tissue engineering.

An easy-to-understand course book, based on the authentic lectures and detailed research, conducted by the authors themselves, on information optics, holography and MATLAB. This book is the first to highlight the incoherent optical system, provide up-to-date, novel digital holography techniques, and demonstrate MATLAB codes to accomplish tasks such as optical image processing and pattern recognition. This title is a comprehensive introduction to the basics of Fourier optics as well as optical image processing and digital holography. A step-by-step guide which details the vast majority of the derivations, without omitting essential steps, to facilitate a clear mathematical understanding. This book also features exercises at the end of each chapter, providing hands-on experience and consolidating understanding. An ideal companion for graduates and researchers involved in engineering and applied physics, as well as interested in the growing field of information optics.

Object: To investigate the relationship between clinicopathological characteristics and survival prognosis of patients with colorectal medullary carcinoma (MC), and to compare the prognostic differences between MC, colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma (CRC-NEC) and colorectal neuroendocrine tumor (CRC-NET), in order to provide a more targeted treatment plan for colorectal cancer (CRC) and provide an evidence-based basis for evaluating the prognosis of patients. To provide a more targeted treatment plan for colorectal cancer (CRC) and an evidence-based basis for evaluating patient prognosis. Methods: From 2010 to 2019, 495 patients with pathological diagnosis of MC, 2440 patients with CRC-NEC and 9626 patients with CRC-NET were collected from the SEER database. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics between the groups were compared and the corresponding survival curves were plotted. 1:1 Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used to eliminate the differences in baseline information between the groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the survival rates of patients in different groups. Cox regression models were developed to assess the predictive value of potential predictors for patients' clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 495 patients with MC were included in this study, and Multivariate analysis revealed that AJCC stage III+IV (HR=2.514, 95%CI: 1.796-3.519, PP=0.004), undergoing surgical treatment (HR=0.16, 95%CI: 0.065-0.393, PPPPP>0.05). Conclusion: MC has unique clinicopathological features and its prognosis is better than that of CRC-NET and CRC-NEC.

ObjectiveSerum β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and serum cystatin C (CysC) are sensitive and reliable indicators of early renal impairment. Triglyceride glucose index (TyG) is an emerging vital indicator of insulin resistance and is associated with increased risk of hypertension. We aimed to analyze the relationship between TyG and early renal impairment in hypertensive patients.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 881 hypertensive patients treated in Qinghai Provincial People, s Hospital from March 2018 to March 2021, their clinical data and corresponding laboratory index values were recorded, and the TyG index was calculated. According to the TyG index, the patients were divided into a low TyG (L-TyG) group (TyG ≤ 8.50, n=306), medium TyG (M-TyG) group (8.51≤TyG ≤ 8.94, n=281), and high TyG (H-TyG) group (TyG>8.95, n=294) in sequence by using tertiles. Then, according to serum β2-MG and CysC levels, they were divided into a normal renal function group (β2-MG ≤ 2.4 mg/L, n=700 and CysC ≤ 1.25mg/L, n=721) and a renal function injury group (β2-MG>2.4 mg/L, n=181, and CysC>1.25 mg/L, n=160). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of serum β2-microglobulin and cystatin C. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the TyG index and early renal impairment in hypertensive patients. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the value of the TyG index in predicting early renal impairment in patients with hypertension.ResultAs the TyG index level increased, serum β2-MG and CysC levels also gradually increased. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that TyG index was the influencing factor of serum β2-MG (B=0.060, P=0.007) and serum CysC (B=0.096, P2.4 mg/L. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that for every 1 standard deviation increase in the TyG index, the risk of early renal impairment in hypertensive patients increased 1.53 times (OR=1.53, 95%CI 1.006-2.303).The ROC curves showed that the TyG index was not superior to TG in predicting early renal impairment in hypertensive patients. the AUC values were 0.623 and 0.617, respectively. Then, when CysC>1.25 mg/L was used as the renal damage group, the level of TyG was still higher than that in the normal group (8.94 ± 0.67 and 8.64 ± 0.60, PConclusionTyG index is an influential factor in serum β2-MG and CysC levels. The elevated TyG index levels are closely associated with the occurrence and development of early renal impairment in hypertensive patients, but it should be used cautiously in the prediction of early renal impairment.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6 viruses are widely circulating in poultry and wild birds, and have caused 38 human infections including 21 deaths; however, the key genetic determinants of the pathogenicity of these viruses have yet to be fully investigated. Here, we characterized two H5N6 avian influenza viruses – A/duck/Guangdong/S1330/2016 (GD/330) and A/environment/Fujian/S1160/2016 (FJ/160) – that have similar viral genomes but differ markedly in their lethality in mice. GD/330 is highly pathogenic with a 50% mouse lethal dose (MLD50) of 2.5 log10 50% egg infectious doses (EID50), whereas FJ/160 exhibits low pathogenicity with an MLD50 of 7.4 log10 EID50. We explored the molecular basis for the difference in virulence between these two viruses. By using reverse genetics, we created a series of reassortants and mutants in the GD/330 background and assessed their virulence in mice. We found that the HA gene of FJ/160 substantially attenuated the virulence of GD/330 and that the mutation of glycine (G) to tryptophan (W) at position 225 (H3 numbering) in HA played a key role in this function. We further found that the amino acid mutation G225W in HA decreased the acid and thermal stability and increased the pH of HA activation, thereby attenuating the H5N6 virus in mice. Our study thus identifies a novel molecular determinant in the HA protein and provides a new target for the development of live attenuated vaccines and antiviral drugs against H5 influenza viruses.

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (pC-ALCL) is distinguished from systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (S-ALCL) with cutaneous involvement. Although pC-ALCL is a unique entity with different genetics, clinical characteristics, and prognosis, its causes are unknown. Herein, we report the case of a Chinese woman with a 4-month history of a gradually enlarged ulcerative mass in her right forearm following an unidentified insect bite. Biopsy revealed an extensive infiltrate with patches of large anaplastic lymphoid cells. These cells were immunohistochemically positive for CD45, CD30, and TIA-1 and negative for CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD20, CD7, CD8, and ALK-1. DUSP22-IRF4 rearrangement was detected; on the other hand, TP63 rearrangement was not observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). No Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) were detected by ISH. Rearrangement of monoclonal TCR gene was found using BIOMED-2 polymerase chain reaction. No abnormality was found on the subsequent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. After five cycles of cyclophosphamide + doxorubicin + vincristine + prednisolone (CHOP) chemotherapy, the patient achieved complete remission. This is the first report of a unique pC-ALCL with DUSP22-IRF4 rearrangement following an insect bite other than S-ALCL involving the skin.

A novel sulfonated multi-wall carbon nanotubes (s-MWCNTs) filler is synthesized by ring-opening reaction. And then, a series of branched sulfonated polyimide (bSPI)/s-MWCNTs composite membranes are also prepared for application in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The optimized bSPI/s-MWCNTs-2% composite membrane has lower vanadium ion permeability (2.01 × 10−7 cm2 min−1) and higher proton selectivity (1.06 × 105 S min cm−3) compared to those of commercial Nafion 212 membrane. Moreover, the VRFB with bSPI/s-MWCNTs-2% composite membrane exhibits higher coulombic efficiencies (CEs: 96.0–98.2%) and energy efficiencies (EEs: 79.7–69.5%) than that with Nafion 212 membrane (CEs: 86.5–92.5% and EEs: 78.5–67.6%) at 80–160 mA cm−2. The VRFB with bSPI/s-MWCNTs-2% composite membrane has stable battery performance over 400 cycles at 100 mA cm−2, whose EE value is in the top level among previously reported SPI-based composite membranes. The results show that the bSPI/s-MWCNTs-2% composite membrane has a great prospect in VRFB application.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) accounts for approximately 35% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas and can progress to diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) at a rate of 2% per year. Here, we present a 56-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with grade 3a FL. Further pathological investigation revealed that the lymphoma had transformed into DLBCL following six courses of R-CHOP regimen, and further disease progression was observed after two courses of R2-GemOx. We ultimately failed to collect hematopoietic stem cells after two courses of R2-ICE. CD-22 CAR-T cell therapy salvaged the patient; however, a new soft tissue mass of 4.8 × 4.1 cm rapidly emerged in the patient's right lung. Following the observation of strong tissue staining of PD-L1 (90%), the patient was administered PD-1 inhibitor and 26 Gy of radiotherapy and has maintained progression-free survival at more than 15 months of follow-up. Transformed FL with strong PD-L1 expression showed a poor response to standard immunochemotherapy. Our findings support the potential benefit of PD-1 inhibitor and combination therapies in this type of transformed FL.

Clinical Practice Points • EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 mutations are typically considered to be mutually exclusive. EGFR and ALK double mutations are rare events, and patients who are positive for 3 driver genes (EGFR, ALK, and ROS1) are even rarer. • Although patients with co-mutation of EGFR/ALK or EGFR/ROS1 have been previously reported, no cases of co-mutation of EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 have been reported. • The patient described in this article was diagnosed with advanced NSCLC with mutations in EGFR (20ins), ALK, and ROS1. • First-line treatment with crizotinib resulted in 28 months of PFS, and second-line treatment with Brigatinib in an additional 8 months. OS was 38 months, slightly poorer than anticipated for patients with single driver gene mutations.

The mathematical models built based on space-fractional derivatives adequately describe the phenomena incorporating spatial heterogeneity, but their numerical simulation on general domains remains a difficult issue. In this study, we develop a local differential quadrature (DQ) formula based on radial basis functions (RBFs) to discretize Riesz fractional derivatives, which is defined by the functional values at the nodes located in the subdomain around the discrete node. The proposed formula overcomes the drawback of ill-conditioning associated with the global DQ method and enables us to approximate the fractional derivatives on irregular domain with high flexibility and good accuracy. Applying this local DQ formula in space and using weighted average (WA), predictor-corrector (PC) difference schemes in time, we then construct two linearized local RBFs-based DQ schemes for the two-dimensional nonlinear Riesz space-fractional advection-diffusion equations (ADEs). The validity of this local DQ formula is confirmed by numerical results. The feasibility and capability of both local RBFs-based DQ schemes are authenticated by the illustrative tests on some irregular domains and the numerical simulation of Gaussian pulse propagation.

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract, it is very important to find biomarkers that can accurately predict the therapeutic efficacy to accurately grasp the development of the disease, this study aims to investigate the expression and clinical significance of mismatch repair (MMR) protein and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) in samples from surgically resected colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods A total of 272 surgically resected CRC patients attending at Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine from January 2018 to May 2022 were retrospectively included in the study. Collect surgical excision samples from all patients and record in detail the general data, clinicopathological data, and imaging data of all subjects. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western Blot were used to detect the expression of MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, and PMS2 proteins in the tumor tissue and normal tissue adjacent to the cancer of the resected samples, respectively. X2 test was used to investigate the correlation between the expression of MMR protein and PD-L1 in CRC tumor tissues and the clinicopathological characteristics, then further analyzed the correlation between the deletion of four MMR proteins in CRC tumor tissues, and finally investigated the relationship between the expression of MMR protein and PD-L1 and the prognosis of CRC patients by survival curve and Log Rank test. Results 1. MMR protein expression deletion was correlated with tumor location, differentiation degree, and TNM stage (P P P P Conclusion Deletion of MMR protein expression and expression of PD-L1 are closely related to clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of CRC patients, maybe MMR and PD-L1can be potential biomarkers.

Timely formation of collagen-rich-scar is of importance to prevent ventricular rupture after myocardial infarction (MI). Chil1 (Chitinase 3-like 1) is a secreted protein associated with tissue remodeling response. However, its function in MI progression remains elusive. Chil1 was downregulated in the injured area overall post-MI. Overexpression of Chil1 markedly reduced cardiac rupture, increased wall thickness, and improved cardiac function post-MI due to collagen-rich-scar formation and extracellular matrix remodeling. In vitro, Chil1 induced the transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Mechanistically, a phosphoproteomics study revealed that Chil1 binded to the EGFR enhancing RAF/MEK1/ERK signaling pathway to exert cardiac protection function. The effects of Chil1 on fibroblasts transformation and cardiac protections after MI were partially abolished by co-treated with RAF inhibitor. Together, our findings identify Chil1 as a protection factor in MI progression through binding to EGFR which further activates RAF/MEK1/ERK signaling pathway.

Recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represented by programmed cell death 1(PD-1) monoclonal antibody (mAb) have revolutionized the treatment mode of malignant tumors, and have achieved long-lasting antitumor effects in a variety of solid tumors. However, this antitumor effect is limited to a small subset of specific colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, screening and identifying new immune checkpoint molecules are key points and hotspots in the research field of anti-tumor immunotherapy. The signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) family is mainly expressed by and regulates the functions of immune cells. Recent studies have shown that several SLAM family members are involved in the regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment, which are promising targets for anti-tumor immunotherapy. The signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 8 (SLAMF8) (B-lymphocyte activator macrophage expressed/CD353) is a type I cell surface glycoprotein and clusters on chromosome 1q21. Our previous studies have shown that SLAMF8 is a potential marker for predicting the efficacy of anti-PD1 immunotherapy in gastrointestinal tumors. To further illustrate the clinical value of SLAMF8 in CRC, we retrospectively analyzed the relationship between SLAMF8 expression and prognosis of CRC patients (CRCs), the associations of the expression levels of SLAMF8 and SLAM family other members and other classical immune checkpoint molecules, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, RNA sequencing dataset, tissue immunohistochemical staining, and systematic follow-up. In the present study, high SLAMF8 expression is associated with poor OS in CRCs. and the mRNA expression of SLAMF8 was positively correlated with the expression of multiple classical immune checkpoints (PDL1 PDL2, CTLA4, and LILRB4) and other SLAM family members. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis suggested that high SLAMF8 expression CRC tissues were significantly enriched in signaling pathways related to tumor and immune signal regulation

Peptide-based neoantigen vaccines hold tremendous potential for personalized tumor immunotherapy. However, effective delivery and controllable release of antigen peptides remain major challenges in stimulating robust and sustained immune responses. Programmable DNA nanodevices provide accurate fixed positions for antigens, which are convenient for the calculation of clinical dosage, and hold great potential as precise carriers. Here, a peptide-nucleic acid conjugate was prepared, which was driven by a propargyl sulfonium-based efficient and reversible bio-orthogonal reaction under weakly alkaline conditions, and folded into regular DNA nanodevice vaccines. The well-defined nanoplatform not only exhibits outstanding stability in serum, satisfactory safety, and effective internalization by antigen-presenting cells (RAW264.7 and BMDCs) but also obviously enhances cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12) secretion for further immune response.

Vanillin is a potent growth-inhibiting factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during lignocellulose biorefineries. Here, a haploid gene-deletion library was screened to search for vanillin-tolerant mutants and explain the possible tolerance mechanisms. Twenty-two deletion mutants were identified. The deleted genes in these mutants were involved in phosphate and inositol polyphosphate metabolism and intracellular sterol transport. Activation of the phosphate signaling pathway is not conducive to yeast against the pressure of vanillin. Furthermore, the findings indicate the role of inositol polyphosphates in altering vanillin tolerance by regulating phosphate metabolism. Meanwhile, reducing the transport of sterols from the plasma membrane enhanced tolerance to vanillin. In the presence of vanillin, the representative yeast deletions, pho84Δ and lam3Δ, showed good growth performance and promoted rapid ethanol production. Overall, this study identifies robust yeast strain alternatives for ethanol fermentation of cellulose and provides guidance for further genomic reconstruction of yeast strains.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is the critical regulator of physiological and pathological conditions in lens. The TGF-β signaling pathway is closely associated with high myopia patients. Thirty eyes from fifteen patients with high myopia who received sequential cataract surgery were enrolled in this prospective study. Ten cataract patients with non-myopia were chosen as a control group. Aqueous humor (AH) samples were used to detect the levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 in both groups. Compared with the non-myopic cataracts patient group, the highly myopic cataracts group had a significantly higher TGF-β2 (P = 0.019). Besides, the level of TGF-β2 of the second eye was significantly higher than that in the first eye in high myopia cataract patients group (P = 0.037). And TGF-β1 showed significant differences with age and axial length of high myopia cataract patients. Therefore, TGF-β2 may contribute to the development of high myopia and cataract surgery increased the expression of TGF-β2.

Background: Deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) improves image quality. We aimed to compare the measured diameter of pulmonary lesions and lymph nodes between DLIR-based ultra-low-dose CT (ULDCT) and contrast-enhanced CT. Methods: The consecutive adult patients with noncontrast chest ULDCT (0.07–0.14 mSv) and contrast-enhanced CT (2.38 mSv) were prospectively enrolled. Patients with poor image quality and body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 were excluded. The diameter of pulmonary target lesions and lymph nodes defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was measured. The measurement variability between ULDCT and enhanced CT was evaluated by Bland-Altman analysis. Results: The 141 enrolled patients (62 ± 12 years) had 89 RECIST-defined measurable pulmonary target lesions (including 30 malignant lesions, mainly adenocarcinomas) and 45 measurable mediastinal lymph nodes (12 malignant). The measurement variation of pulmonary lesions between high-strength DLIR (DLIR-H) images of ULDCT and contrast-enhanced CT was 2.2% (95% CI: 1.7% to 2.6%) and the variation of lymph nodes was 1.4% (1.0% to 1.9%). Conclusions: The measured diameters of pulmonary lesions and lymph nodes in DLIR-H images of ULDCT are highly close to those of contrast-enhanced CT. DLIR-based ULDCT may facilitate evaluating target lesions with greatly reduced radiation exposure in tumor evaluation and lung cancer screening.

In this work, we demonstrate the implementation of a nonreciprocal perfect absorber (NPA) made of composite magnetic metamaterials (MMs) consisting of an array of dielectric core loaded (DCL) ferrite rods with either hollow or dielectric cores. The NPA can be functionalized as a PA for the incident beam at a specified direction, while at the symmetric direction the absorption is very weak so that a strong reflection is observed due to the excitation of nonreciprocal magnetic surface plasmon. Interestingly, it is shown that the material loss might be beneficial to the absorption, but it will result in the degradation of nonreciprocal performance. For the delicately designed MMs, only a very small material loss is necessary and simultaneously ensures the high nonreciprocal performance of NPA. To interpret the high quality of NPA, we developed a generalized effective-medium theory for the composite MMs, which shows the direct consequence of the DCL ferrite rods with optimized core size and core permittivity. The partial wave analysis indicates that the nonreciprocal dipole resonance in DCL ferrite rod plays a crucial role in improving the nonreciprocity. The narrow band feature and the angular sensitivity make the NPA promising for the diode-like functionalities. In addition, by controlling the magnitude and orientation of bias magnetic field both the operating frequency and the nonreciprocity can be flexibly controlled, adding an additional degree of freedom. The concept proposed in this research is promising for microwave photonics and integrated photonics.

Aims: The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Culture of Care Barometer in health care organizations. Background: There is a lack of tools to gauge the caring culture in Chinese hospitals. The Culture of Care Barometer is a psychometrically sound measure for caring culture developed in Western settings. Methods: This study was guided by Sousa and Rojjanasrira's methodological approach. A total of 2365 staff were recruited from two tertiary hospitals. The Barometer was administered with the Hospital Culture Evaluation Index and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: The content validity index was calculated as 0.99. The goodness-of-fit indices, apart from the model chi-square, which was statistically significant, all exceeded established thresholds for adequate fit. The internal consistency was very satisfactory. Pearson's correlation indicated that the tool has good concurrent and convergent validity. Conclusions: The Barometer is a reliable and valid instrument to assess front-line staff perspectives on a caring culture in Chinese hospitals. Implications for Nursing Management: Nursing managers can use the Barometer to gauge the caring culture in China. Tailored interventions can be designed to address specific domains, and additional support can be provided to more vulnerable departments or staff groups.