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ABSTRACT Background Young lung cancer is a rare subgroup accounting for 5% of lung cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the causes of death (COD) among lung cancer patients of different age groups and construct a nomogram to predict cancer‐specific survival (CSS) in young patients with advanced stage. Methods Lung cancer patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and stratified into the young (18–45 years) and old (> 45 years) groups to compare their COD. Young patients diagnosed with advanced stage (IVa and IVb) from 2010 to 2015 were reselected and divided into training and validation cohorts (7:3). Independent prognostic factors were identified through the Fine‐Gray's test and further integrated to the competing risk model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), consistency index (C‐index), and calibration curve were applied for validation. Results The proportion of cancer‐specific death (CSD) in young patients was higher than that in old patients with early‐stage lung cancer (p

Abstract Visual observation and therapeutic intervention against tumors hold significant appeal for tumor treatment, particularly in meeting the demands of intraoperative navigation. From a clinical perspective, the naked‐eye visualization of tumors provides a direct and convenient approach to identifying tumors and navigating during surgery. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing need to develop effective solutions in this frontier. Genetically engineered microorganisms are promising as living therapeutics for combatting malignant tumors, leveraging precise tumor targeting and versatile programmed functionalities. Here, genetically modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) MG1655 bacterial cells are introduced, called MelaBac cells, designed to express tyrosinase continuously. This bioengineered melanogenesis produces melanin capable of pigmenting both subcutaneous CT26 xenografts and chemically induced colorectal cancer (CRC). Additionally, MelaBac cells demonstrate the initiation of photonic hyperthermia therapy and immunotherapy against tumors, offering promising selective therapeutic interventions with high biocompatibility.

Abstract The increasing prevalence of wearable devices has sparked a growing interest in real‐time health monitoring and physiological parameter tracking. This study focuses on the development of a cost‐effective sweat analysis device, utilizing microfluidic technology and selective electrochemical electrodes for non‐invasive monitoring of glucose and potassium ions. The device, through real‐time monitoring of glucose and potassium ion levels in sweat during physical activity, issues a warning signal when reaching experimentally set thresholds (K+ concentration at 7.5 mM, glucose concentrations at 60 μM and 120 μM). This alerts users to potential dehydration and hypoglycemic conditions. Through the integration of microfluidic devices and precise electrochemical analysis techniques, the device enables accurate and real‐time monitoring of glucose and potassium ions in sweat. This advancement in wearable technology holds significant potential for personalized health management and preventive care, promoting overall well‐being, and optimizing performance during physical activities.

The Himawari-8 satellite has the capability to rapidly retrieve sea surface temperature (SST) data at a high frequency of 10 min, demonstrating significant potential for various scientific applications. However, the presence of cloud often results in missing SST data at cloud locations, or can reduce the accuracy of retrieved SST. In contrast to the method of reconstructing missing SST data, this study focuses on exploring the potential of inverting SST under all-sky conditions. This study proposes a three-layer stacked machine learning model (TLSM), specifically designed for SST under all-sky conditions. The model integrates cloud properties into its input features to effectively account for the influence of cloud cover. Validation using 30 % match-up pairs generated an overall root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.71 °C, a Bias of −0.01 °C, and an R2 of 0.91 based on 6383 samples. For clear-sky conditions, TLSM demonstrates a noteworthy enhancement in SST inversion accuracy (R2 = 0.98, RMSE=0.35 °C) compared to the official SST product (R2 = 0.86, RMSE=0.88 °C). In cases of optically thin clouds and clouds with low cloud top pressure, TLSM exhibits commendable proficiency in the inversion of SST. The Bias and RMSE for these cloud types indicate better performance compared to the official clear-sky SST data. While including cloud samples may reduce the overall accuracy of the TLSM, it substantially enhances the spatial coverage of the inverted SST. Considering the performance for each cloud type, TLSM may serve as an alternative approach for SST retrieve under thin clouds.

ABSTRACT: The chicken comb is an essential secondary sexual characteristic to measure sexual maturity and is closely related to reproductive performance. Pendulous comb (PC) and upright comb (UC) are 2 common comb phenotypes in hens, which have been highly associated with egg production performance. However, the reasons for the formation of PC remain undetermined. In this study, we first characterized the PC and UC chicken at start (at 175 d age), peak (at 217 d age), and postlaying (at 300 d age) and found that PC and UC could transform for each other. Furthermore, we suggested that PC chicken demonstrated better egg production performance than UC chicken, especially characterizing comb type in the start-laying period. Moreover, we performed histological evaluation of PC and UC tissue, which suggested that the low density of collagen fibers and acid mucopolysaccharides might lead to the formation of PC. To further explore the possible reasons for PC formation, we performed an untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum between PC and UC chicken in the start, peak, and postlaying periods. The enrichment analysis of period-unique differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between PC and UC showed that the different metabolic pathways and nutritional levels might contribute to the formation of PC in the different laying periods. Our research provided critical insights into the phenotypic diversity of chicken comb, establishing a foundation for early selection of chicken egg production performance.

Mild thermal stimulation plays an active role in bone tissue repair and regeneration. In this work, a bioactive polydopamine/Ti3C2/poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) (PDA/Ti3C2/P(VDF-TrFE)) nanocomposite coating with excellent near-infrared light (NIR)-triggered photothermal effect was designed to improve the osteogenic ability of implants. By incorporating dopamine (DA)-modified Ti3C2 nanosheets into the P(VDF-TrFE) matrix and combining them with alkali initiated in situ polymerization, the resulting PDA/Ti3C2/P(VDF-TrFE) nanocomposite coating gained high adhesion strength on Ti substrate, excellent tribological and corrosion resistance properties, which was quite important for clinical application of implant coatings. Cell biology experiments showed that NIR-triggered mild thermal stimulation on the coating surface promoted cell spreading and growth of BMSCs, and also greatly upregulated the osteogenic markers, including Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2 (RUNX2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCN). Simultaneously, the synthesis of heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) was significantly promoted by the mild thermal stimulation, which strengthened the specific interaction between HSP47 and collagen Ⅰ (COL-Ⅰ), thereby activating the integrin-mediated MEK/ERK osteogenic differentiation signaling pathway. In addition, the results also showed that the mild thermal stimulation induced the polarization of macrophages towards M2 phenotype, which can attenuate the inflammatory response of injured bone tissue. Antibacterial results indicated that the coating exhibited an outstanding antibacterial ability against S. aureus and E. coli. Conceivably, the versatile implant bioactive coatings developed in this work will show great application potential for implant osseointegration.

Mangroves play a pivotal role in the attainment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Leaf equivalent water thickness (EWT) and leaf mass per area (LMA) are vital functional trait parameters for monitoring heath status of mangroves. However, their inherent spectral response characteristics remain unclear, which presents a challenge for high-precision estimating EWT and LMA using remote sensing images. In this study, we attempted to synergistic retrieval of mangrove EWT and LMA using field hyperspectral and satellite data. Specifically, we proposed a novel Fractional-order assisted Spectral angle Analysis (FSA) approach to accurately identify sensitive spectral domains of EWT and LMA for three mangrove species based on in situ full-spectrum hyperspectral (350–2500 nm) data. We constructed a new spectral matching index (SMI) to screen the satellite-based sensitive spectral bands based on the field-based spectral domains, and further verified their feasibility of estimating EWT and LMA using three optical satellite sensors (Sentinel-2A, SDGSAT-1, and OHS-3D). Finally, we explored the effectiveness of combining SAR and thermal infrared (TIR) images with sensitive spectral bands on improving retrieval performance in estimating EWT and LMA, respectively. Results indicated that FSA approach could capture the sensitive spectral domains of EWT (1125–1868 nm) and LMA (1419–1999 nm) for three mangrove species. The SMI could effectively realize the spectral matching between field-based sensitive domains and satellite-based bands, and perform the synergistic retrieval of mangrove EWT (R2 = 0.65) and LMA (R2 = 0.70). Intriguing finding is that the additional TIR bands significantly enhanced the EWT and LMA inversion accuracy (R2 increased by 9.8 %–68.3 %) when compared to SAR images. We confirmed that EWT displayed an inverse trend of LMA with the flooding frequency increasing. Our works provide a scientific basis for protection and sustainable management of mangroves.

3D concrete printing technology has enabled the construction of full-scale bridges. However, structural carbon emissions due to higher cement content and limitations of embedded reinforcement have limited its widespread adoption. This paper presents a non-reinforced 3D printed concrete box arch bridge and describes its design, construction, dismantlement, and reconstruction, as well as evaluation of the carrying capacity of reconstructed primary arch ring. The bridge adheres to current technical principles and bridge engineering specifications. By taking into account the mechanical anisotropy and primary stress characteristics of the arch, the design negates the need for reinforcement. The study showcases the reusability and potential carbon emission reduction through block printing, on-site assembly, block removal, and secondary usage. The safety of the reconstructed arch bridge was confirmed through an in-situ load test.

This study aimed to depict the mineral deposition on the cellulose extracted from mineral-rich Lycium barbarum L. leaves by the basic base/acid treatment. Alkali treatment made the cellulose fluffy, and the leaf phytoliths changed to liquid silicon, depositing onto the fluffy cellulose in crystalline forms, with the mineral content (mainly Si, Ca, and Al) reaching 9.41 % in cellulose after 24 h alkali treatment. Acid treatment decreased the deposited minerals affecting the cellulose crystallinity. Sulfuric acid (SA) mainly eroded the cellulosic amorphous zone and the attached minerals, and crystallized minerals (mainly quartz-SiO2) remained in the crystalline zone, increasing the cellulose crystallinity (66.8 %). Hydrofluoric acid (HF) indiscriminately removed nearly all minerals regardless of crystalline and amorphous zones, thus lowering the crystallinity. Further application research showed that the ability of the SA-refining cellulose to stabilize emulsion (89.8 %) was much stronger than that of the HF counterpart (62.6 %), and the mineral-relevant cellulose crystallinity determined the emulsion stability. These findings might help in understanding the impact of the basic extraction on cellulosic mineralization and quality and shed light on the development of novel functional cellulose.

ABSTRACT: Coccidiosis, a protozoan disease that substantially impacts poultry production, is characterized by an intracellular parasite. The study utilized 48 one-day-old Horro chickens, randomly divided into the infected (I) and control (C) groups. The challenge group of chickens were administered Eimeria maxima oocysts via oral gavage at 21-days-old, and each chicken received 2 mL containing 7×104 sporulated oocysts. The total RNAs of chicken jejunum and cecum tissues were isolated from three samples, each from I and C groups. Our study aimed to understand the host immune-parasite interactions and compare immune response mRNA profiles in chicken jejunum and cecum tissues at 4 and 7 days postinfection with Eimeria maxima. The results showed that 823 up- and 737 down-regulated differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in jejunum at 4 d infection and control (J4I vs. J4C), and 710 up- and 368 down-regulated DEmRNAs in jejunum at 7 days infection and control (J7I vs. J7C) were identified. In addition, DEmRNAs in cecum tissue, 1424 up- and 1930 down-regulated genes in cecum at 4 days infection and control (C4I vs. C4C), and 77 up- and 191 down-regulated genes in cecum at 7 days infection and control (C7I vs. C7C) were detected. The crucial DEmRNAs, including SLC7A5, IL1R2, GLDC, ITGB6, ADAMTS4, IL1RAP, TNFRSF11B, IMPG2, WNT9A, and FOXF1, played pivotal roles in the immune response during Eimeria maxima infection of chicken jejunum. In addition, the potential detection of FSTL3, RBP7, CCL20, DPP4, PRKG2, TFPI2, and CDKN1A in the cecum during the host immune response against Eimeria maxima infection is particularly noteworthy. Furthermore, our functional enrichment analysis revealed the primary involvement of DEmRNAs in small molecule metabolic process, immune response function, inflammatory response, and toll-like receptor 10 signaling pathway in the jejunum at 4 and 7 days postinfection. Similarly, in the cecum, DEmRNAs at 4 and 7 days postinfection were enriched in processes related to oxidative stress response and immune responses. Our findings provide new insights and contribute significantly to the field of poultry production and parasitology.

Summary: In categorical data visualization, appropriate color arrangements can avoid perceptual ambiguity and help perceive underlying data patterns. We introduce a protocol to assign contrastive colors to neighboring categories using both Python and R packages. We describe steps for calculating the interlacement between clusters and generating a proper color palette and calculating color contrast. We then detail procedures for aligning cluster interlacement and color contrast to get an optimized cluster-color assignment, achieving clear categorical visualization.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jing et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Professional school counselors are charged with preparing students to be college and career ready and students may depend on their school counselor to provide them with a comprehensive plan for post-secondary options. Unfortunately, even with adequate access to academic knowledge and skills, not all students may be career and college ready due to the lack of confidence in their ability to succeed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the self-efficacy of high school graduates regarding their preparedness to succeed in a post-secondary education. Using a univariate of analysis of variance, the data collected from a sample of 154 college students were analyzed. Results indicated that when it comes to positive personal characteristics, Asian American students had statistically lower scores. Additional analysis also revealed that students from rural schools had lower academic competence regarding their self-efficacy. The article presents implications for school counselors, school counselors in-training, and counseling programs.