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Abstract License plate recognition is crucial in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for vehicle management, traffic monitoring, and security inspection. In highway scenarios, this task faces challenges such as diversity, blurriness, occlusion, and illumination variation of license plates. This article explores Recurrent Neural Networks based on Connectionist Temporal Classification (RNN‐CTC) for license plate recognition in challenging highway conditions. Four neural network models: ResNet50, ResNeXt, InceptionV3, and SENet, all combined with RNN‐CTC are comparatively evaluated. Furthermore, a novel architecture named ResNet50 Deep Fusion Network using Connectionist Temporal Classification (ResNet50‐DFN‐CTC) is proposed. Comparative and ablation experiments are conducted using the Highway License Plate Dataset of Southeast University (HLPD‐SU). Results demonstrate the superior performance of ResNet50‐DFN‐CTC in challenging highway conditions, achieving 93.158% accuracy with a processing time of 7.91 ms, outperforming other tested models. This research contributes to advancing license plate recognition technology for real‐world highway applications under adverse conditions.

This paper investigates the corrosion behavior of Fe-SG series metals with different graphite nodule counts to molten Al by using the ultrasonic vibration hot-dip aluminum experimental method. Fe-SG series metals to aluminum melt exhibited a much better corrosion resistance compared to H13 tool steel. As the graphite nodule count increases, the hot melting loss rate of Fe-SG series metals gradually decreases, indicating an improvement in corrosion resistance to aluminum melt. Scanning and EDS analysis of the samples after hot-dip aluminum testing revealed that the thickness of the product layer increased progressively with the extension of hot-dip aluminum time. Through the analysis of the structure and composition of the product layer, it was found that the corrosion products in H13 steel were composed of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3. In addition to the two phases, the product layer of the Fe-SG series metals also contained granularly distributed Fe–Al–Si intermetallic compounds within the Fe2Al5 phase. This resulted in a better corrosion resistance to aluminum melt.

Artemisia sylvatica Maximowicz 1859 is one of the medicinal herbs in Artemisia. This study presents the complete chloroplast genome of A. sylvatica, sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The genome is 151,161 bp in length, featuring a GC content of 38%. It consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,892 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,353 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 24,958 bp each. In total, the genome contains 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis positions A. sylvatica within the subgenus Artemisia, highlighting its evolutionary relationships within this diverse genus. The first chloroplast genome of A. sylvatica was reported in this work contributes to the enrichment of genomic data for the genus Artemisia.

Abstract Inulin, a polysaccharide predominantly composed of fructose molecules, possesses a linear chain structure with β-(2 → 1) linkages between fructose units and usually has a glucose molecule at one end of the chain. It is not only an edible natural functional polysaccharide, but also a soluble dietary fiber, with a variety of physiological functions such as antioxidant, promoting the growth of gut flora and maintaining its homeostasis, enhancing gut immune function, promoting nutrient absorption, lowering glycemia, as well as providing anti-carcinogenic, weight loss and constipation relief. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research advances in the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and bioactivities. It is intended to lay the theoretical and research foundations to enable further exploration and effective progress in the advancement towards the production of inulin. Graphical abstract

We aimed to assess the effect of osthole on the inflammatory responses of mice suffering from primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS). Fifty naive non‐obese diabetic (NOD/Ltj) mice were included to establish a spontaneous model of PSS and assigned into a control group, a 20 mg/kg osthole group, a 30 mg/kg osthole group, a 40 mg/kg osthole group and a 50 mg/kg osthole group in a random manner. Osthole (20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/kg, once a day) together with normal saline (every day) in an equal volume were injected into osthole treatment groups and control group, respectively. Compared with the control group, the inflammatory cells in salivary gland tissues of NOD/Ltj mice manifested gradually ameliorated infiltration, the destruction of acinar cells was relieved gradually (P

Abstract A new rapid dual detection method was established to distinguish Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. (BS) and Bupleurum chinense DC. (BC) simultaneously using the proofreading enzyme-mediated probe cleavage coupled with ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (proofman–LMTIA). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of BS and BC were selected as targets for designs of proofman–LMTIA primers and proofman fluorescence probes labeled with FAM or JOE. The reaction temperature optimization, repeatability and reliability assessment, specificity assessment and sensitivity assessment of the proofman–LMTIA performed for dual detection of BS and BC and its application. The results showed that the optimal reaction temperature of the proofman–LMTIA method was at 63℃, which had strongly specificity, repeatability and reliability, as well as sensitivity, and the detection was completed within 20 min with a detection sensitivity of 1 pg/μL. The proofman–LMTIA method realized dual rapid detection of BS and BC, which showed a strong practical value. The 4 kinds were BC, 1 kind was BS, and 2 kinds were counterfeit in the detection of 7 kinds of BS or BC samples from different habitats. Our study successfully established a new approach for dual rapid detection of BS and BC using the proofman–LMTIA, which will provide an effective technique or method for the authenticity detection of authentic Chinese medicinal materials and present a very important practical significance. Graphical Abstract

Abstract The tunable properties of halide perovskite/two dimensional (2D) semiconductor mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures offer high flexibility for innovating optoelectronic and photonic devices. However, the general and robust growth of high-quality monocrystalline halide perovskite/2D semiconductor heterostructures with attractive optical properties has remained challenging. Here, we demonstrate a universal van der Waals heteroepitaxy strategy to synthesize a library of facet-specific single-crystalline halide perovskite/2D semiconductor (multi)heterostructures. The obtained heterostructures can be broadly tailored by selecting the coupling layer of interest, and can include perovskites varying from all-inorganic to organic-inorganic hybrid counterparts, individual transition metal dichalcogenides or 2D heterojunctions. The CsPbI2Br/WSe2 heterostructures demonstrate ultrahigh optical gain coefficient, reduced gain threshold and prolonged gain lifetime, which are attributed to the reduced energetic disorder. Accordingly, the self-organized halide perovskite/2D semiconductor heterostructure lasers show highly reproducible single-mode lasing with largely reduced lasing threshold and improved stability. Our findings provide a high-quality and versatile material platform for probing unique optoelectronic and photonic physics and developing further electrically driven on-chip lasers, nanophotonic devices and electronic-photonic integrated systems.

Reducing CO2 emissions represents a global challenge, and the mobility sectors account for a considerable portion of total emissions, with marked disparities across diverse economies. Viewed from a macroscopic perspective, countries and regions around the world can be categorized in various ways. However, relying on a single or a few indicators often proves inadequate to meet the classification requirements for carbon reduction and sustainable development. In this study, employing machine learning and guided by 10 economic indicators, we classified 188 countries/regions into 6 identifiable clusters. Subsequently, by applying ratio analysis and random forest methodologies, we conducted a matrix-based analysis that elucidates the distinct emission characteristics of each mobility sector. Feature importance analysis revealed that for highly developed economies, the total population's contribution was significant, especially in domestic and international aviation, accounting for 50% and 25% of emissions, respectively. In contrast, for lower-middle-income countries and regions, while the total population still played a pivotal role, its influence was most pronounced in railway transportation, reaching 67%. For rapidly developing economies, domestic aviation emissions reached a peak influence of 61%. These insights emphasize the necessity for strategies tailored to the unique attributes of economic entities.

Abstract Background Childbirth is a long-lasting physiological stress. As one of the main stressors, labor pain exists throughout the whole process. Childbirth self-efficacy is the confidence, or belief that they can manage pain during childbirth. This sense of self-efficacy determines how pregnant women deal with labor pain and enables them to regulate their behavior and actively deal with childbirth. However, the difference in pain sensitivity between single births (primiparas) and multiple births (multiparas) has rarely been investigated. Objectives This study is aimed at investigating self-efficacy, fear of childbirth, labor pain of primiparas and multiparas and exploring factors related to the perceived labor pain intensity of pregnant women. Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting(s) Labour and delivery in a large academic specialized hospital in Guangzhou, China. Participants A total of 347 women, (182 primiparas and 165 multiparas) were enrolled in the data analysis. Pain was assessed before cervical dilatation (cervical dilatation ≤ 3 cm for the first delivery and ≤ 2 cm for the second delivery). Method The general information of participants was obtained by questionnaire and obstetrical records of the subjects were obtained from the electronic medical records extracted from the electronic medical record system (EMRS). Childbirth self-efficacy, fear of childbirth (FOC) and labor pain were compared between primiparas and multiparas. Paired t-test, chi-square test, Mann–Whitney test, univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze labor pain between the two groups and investigate factors related perceived labor pain intensity. Results The total scores related to fear of childbirth, fetal health, self-control, and labor pain injury of multiparas were notably reduced compared with primiparas (all P

Abstract Purpose To analyze the association between scoliosis and vertebral refracture after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 269 patients meeting the criteria from January 2014 to October 2022. All patients underwent PKP with complete data and were followed-up for > 12 months. First, it was verified that scoliosis was a risk factor in 269 patients. Second, patients with scoliosis were grouped based on the Cobb angle to evaluate the impact of the post-operative angle. The cox proportional hazards regression analysis and survival analysis were used to calculate the hazard ratio and recurrence time. Results A total of 56 patients had scoliosis, 18 of whom experienced refractures after PKP. The risk factors for vertebral refractures included a T-score

This article presents three detailed case reports and a brief review of the literature on a rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) known as Pseudo-Pseudo Meigs' Syndrome (PPMS). The patients' condition was characterized by elevated CA-125 levels, massive ascites andpleural effusion which is typically associated with ovarian malignancies but can also present in various non-malignant conditions, including SLE. A thorough literature review was conducted, summarizing similar cases and their clinical outcomes to provide a broader understanding of this uncommon syndrome. The findings emphasize the need for heightened awareness and consideration of pseudo-pseudo Meigs' syndrome in patients with SLE presenting with unexplained ascites and pleural effusion.

Liposomes have been widely studied as drug carriers for clinical application, and the key issue is how to achieve effective delivery through targeting strategies. Even though certain cell-level targeting or EPR effect designs have been developed, reaching sufficient drug concentration in intracellular regions remains a challenge due to the singularity of functionality. Herein, benefiting from the unique features of tumor from tissue to cell, a dual-thermosensitive and dual-targeting liposome (DTSL) was creatively fabricated through fine microstructure tailoring, which holds intelligent both tissue-regulated active-to-passive binding and membrane-derived homologous-fusion (HF) properties. At the micro level, DTSL can actively capture tumor cells and accompany the enhanced HF effect stimulated by self-constriction, which achieves a synergistic promotion effect targeting tissues to cells. As a result, this first active-then passive targeting process makes drug delivery more accurate and effective, and after dynamic targeting into cells, the nucleus of DTSL undergoes further thermally responsive contraction, fully releasing internal drugs. In vivo experiments showed that liposomes with dual targeting and dual thermosensitive features almost completely inhibited tumor growth. Summarized, these results provide a reference for a rational design and microstructural tailoring of the liposomal co-delivery system of drugs, suggesting that active-to-passive dual-targeting DTSL can function as a new strategy for cancer treatment.

Abstract T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive subtype of ALL characterized by its high heterogeneity and unfavorable clinical features. Despite improved insights in genetic and epigenetic landscapes of T-ALL, the molecular mechanisms that drive malignant T-cell development remain unclear. BTB and CNC homology 2 (BACH2) is a lymphoid-specific transcription repressor recognized as a tumor suppressor in B-cell malignancies, but little is known about its function and regulatory network in T-ALL. Here we found extremely low levels of BACH2 in T-ALL clinical samples and cell lines compared to normal T cells. Overexpression of BACH2 in T-ALL cells not only induced cell growth retardation but also inhibited cancer progression and infiltration in xenografts. Further RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed significant alterations in regulation of defense and immune responses in T-ALL cells upon BACH2 overexpression. Strikingly, CD28 and CD40LG, two essential stimulatory molecules on T cells, were for the first time identified as novel downstream targets repressed by BACH2 in T-ALL cells. Interestingly, both CD28 and CD40LG were indispensable for T-ALL survival, since largely or completely silencing CD28 and CD40LG led to rapid cell death, whereas partial knockdown of them resulted in cell-cycle arrest and enhanced apoptosis. More importantly, BACH2-mediated CD28 and CD40LG signals contributed to cell migration and dissemination of T-ALL cells to the bone marrow, thus adding a new layer to the BACH2-mediated tumor immunoregulation in T-cell malignancies.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of rTMS in the treatment of poststroke epilepsy and the effect of rTMS on patients’ cognitive function and depressive status. Methods One hundred and twenty-one poststroke epilepsy patients with mild cognitive impairment and depressive status admitted to the Department of Neurology of the Second People’s Hospital of Nanning from January 1, 2017, to April 31, 2023, were selected and divided into the rTMS treatment group (treated group) and the control group. MMSE scores and HAMD scores were recorded before and after treatment. The frequency of EEG spiky waves recorded before and after treatment within 24 h and the frequency of any clinical seizure form (the number of clinical seizures within 1 month after treatment) and changes in observed indices before and after treatment were calculated. The differences between the data of the two groups were analyzed, to further assess the efficacy of rTMS in the treatment of poststroke epilepsy and the rTMS’ effects on cognition and depression. Results Compared with drug treatment alone, rTMS significantly decreased clinical seizures and epileptiform discharges after stroke, especially in patients with lesions in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Compared with drug treatment alone, rTMS treatment can effectively reduce cognitive impairment and mood disorders, such as depression, especially for patients with lesions in the frontal and temporal lobes. The results of this experiment suggest that rTMS treatment does not increase adverse effects. Conclusion rTMS reduces clinical seizures while improving cognitive impairment and depression in patients with epilepsy. Therefore, we suggest that low-frequency rTMS can be used as an adjunctive treatment for patients with epilepsy and provide some ideas and references for the treatment of epilepsy with cognitive impairment and depression.

Abstract Seminoma is the most common malignant solid tumor in 14 to 44 year-old men. However, its molecular features and tumor microenvironment (TME) is largely unexplored. Here, we perform a series of studies via genomics profiling (single cell multi-omics and spatial transcriptomics) and functional examination using seminoma samples and a seminoma cell line. We identify key gene expression programs share between seminoma and primordial germ cells, and further characterize the functions of TFAP2C in promoting tumor invasion and migration. We also identify 15 immune cell subtypes in TME, and find that subtypes with exhaustion features were located closer to the tumor region through combined spatial transcriptome analysis. Furthermore, we identify key pathways and genes that may facilitate seminoma disseminating beyond the seminiferous tubules. These findings advance our knowledge of seminoma tumorigenesis and produce a multi-omics atlas of in situ human seminoma microenvironment, which could help discover potential therapy targets for seminoma.

Objective: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathologies are prevalent, affecting approximately 40% of the worldwide population, with nearly 80% involving intracapsular disorders. Despite this, standardized treatment protocols are lacking. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of conservative and surgical approaches in managing intracapsular TMJ disorders. Methods: Eighty-six patients diagnosed with intracapsular TMJ disorders were included in the study, with 40 males and 46 females, averaging 52.4 ± 4.7 years. Patients were recruited from polyclinics in Beijing, China (n = 36), and Kyiv, Ukraine (n = 50). A comprehensive examination protocol was conducted, including assessment of patient complaints, medical history, jaw mobility measurements, TMJ palpation, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening. Results: The main outcomes of our study revealed significant improvements in patients undergoing surgical intervention for intracapsular TMJ disorders, particularly in cases of disc displacement. Conservative mouth guard/occlusal splint treatment showed limited effectiveness, primarily improving joint effusion and disc displacement. Surgical intervention led to notable enhancements in various TMJ parameters, with significant improvements observed in joint function and pain reduction. Based on these findings, orthodontic rehabilitation was recommended to ensure long-term efficacy, focusing on optimizing occlusion and restoring TMJ function. These results highlight the importance of tailored treatment approaches for managing intracapsular TMJ disorders, emphasizing the role of surgical intervention coupled with comprehensive rehabilitation strategies. Conclusions: Future research should consider demographic factors and explore innovative examination methods, such as optical systems, to enhance understanding and management of intracapsular TMJ disorders.

Abstract Peptides with suitable aggregation behavior and electrical properties are potential siRNA delivery vectors. However, identifying suitable peptides with ideal delivery and safety features is difficult owing to the variations in amino acid sequences. Here, a holistic program based on computer modeling and single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) is used to identify ideal siRNA delivery peptides. Stage one of this program consists of a sequential screening process for candidates with ideal assembly and delivery ability; stage two is a cell subtype‐level analysis program that screens for high in vivo tissue safety. The leading candidate peptide selected from a library containing 12 amino acids showed strong lung‐targeted siRNA delivery capacity after hydrophobic modification. Systemic administration of these compounds caused the least damage to liver and lung tissues and has little impact on macrophage and neutrophil numbers. By loading STAT3 siRNA, strong anticancer effects are achieved in multiple models, including patient‐derived xenografts (PDX). This screening procedure may facilitate the development of peptide‐based RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics.

Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) introduces considerable uncertainties in its relationship with carbon emissions, posing challenges to nature-based climate mitigation. The effective establishment and protection of carbon sinks through land use management lack clarity. To address this challenge, this study utilized top-down interannual grided CO2 data from satellite observations, revealing a 7 % decline in carbon sinks in mainland China from 2016 to 2019. Faced with this anomaly, we proposed a novel approach that combined machine learning with traditional regression analysis, to investigate the nonlinear relationship between annual spatiotemporal variations in net carbon exchange and LULCC. Sentinel-2 imagery was employed for high-resolution (10 m) LULC classification based on uniform rules. Particularly, time-series LULC class probabilities were considered and estimated using a deep learning framework via the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform, which allows us to access the effects of dynamic LULCC. GIS methods were applied to enhance machine learning interpretability, integrating multi-source remote sensing datasets, particularly for capturing nonlinear features in spatiotemporal aspects of LULCC and carbon emissions. Threshold effects revealed how LULCC transformed areas were associated with carbon sinks or sources. The results mapped carbon sink shrinkage locations, highlighting correlations with significant reductions in snow cover (−6.25 %), changing water patterns (−1.3 %), urban expansion (1 %), and mixed forest changes (regrowth of 4 % and deforestation of −1%). This research aims to advance understanding of carbon emissions through remote sensing, bridging different Earth observation data within a geostatistical context, and expects to provide a new validation method for the bottom-up approach.

Introduction Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a global chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and the poor efficacy of currently available pharmacological regimens makes the management of UC a great challenge. Moxibustion has shown great potential in the management of UC. However, its effectiveness and safety are still controversial. The purpose of this study is to synthesise the latest evidence regarding the clinical efficacy and safety of moxibustion for UC.Methods and analysis The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed databases will be searched from inception to July 2023, to identify all randomised controlled trials with moxibustion for UC. The primary outcome will be clinical efficacy, as measured by validated scales. The serum inflammatory factor, colonoscopy results, quality of life, recurrence rate and adverse events will be the secondary outcomes. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool will be used to assess the methodological quality of each included trial. All data extraction will be carried out independently by two investigators. RevMan V.5.4 software will be used for data analysis and Cochran’s Q statistic and I2 test will be used to assess heterogeneity between studies. In addition, we will perform subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and publication bias if the available data are sufficient. The strength of evidence will be graded using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval is not required for this review. Our findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023425481.

Abstract Despite the remarkable success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), primary resistance to ICIs causes only subsets of patients to achieve durable responses due to the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Oncolytic viruses (OVs) can overcome the immunosuppressive TME and promote systemic antitumor immunity in hosts. Engineered OVs armed with ICIs would likely have improved effectiveness as a cancer therapy. According to the diverse immune cell landscapes among different types of tumors, we rationally and precisely generated three recombinant oncolytic adenoviruses (OAds): OAd-SIRPα-Fc, OAd-Siglec10-Fc and OAd-TIGIT-Fc. These viruses were designed to locally deliver SIRPα-Fc, Siglec10-Fc or TIGIT-Fc fusion proteins recognizing CD47, CD24 or CD155, respectively, in the TME to achieve enhanced antitumor effects. Our results suggested that OAd-SIRPα-Fc and OAd-Siglec10-Fc both showed outstanding efficacy in tumor suppression of macrophage-dominated tumors, while OAd-TIGIT-Fc showed the best antitumor immunity in CD8+ T-cell-dominated tumors. Importantly, the recombinant OAds activated an inflammatory immune response and generated long-term antitumor memory. In addition, the combination of OAd-Siglec10-Fc with anti-PD-1 significantly enhanced the antitumor effect in a 4T1 tumor model by remodeling the TME. In summary, rationally designed OAds expressing ICIs tailored to the immune cell landscape in the TME can precisely achieve tumor-specific immunotherapy of cancer.

Abstract Background The gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been found to influence sarcopenia, but whether there are potential bacteria that can alleviate sarcopenia has been under‐investigated, and the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Methods To investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome, fecal metabolites and sarcopenia, subjects were selected from observational multi‐ethnic study conducted in Western China. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2014. The gut microbiome was profiled by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the differences in fecal metabolites. We investigated bacterium with the greatest relative abundance difference between healthy individuals and sarcopenia patients, and the differences in metabolites associated with the bacteria, to verify its effects on muscle mass and function in a mouse model. Results The study included 283 participants (68.90% females, mean age: 66.66 years old) with and without sarcopenia (141 and 142 participants, respectively) and from the Han (98 participants), Zang (88 participants) and Qiang (97 participants) ethnic groups. This showed an overall reduction (15.03% vs. 20.77%, P = 0.01) of Prevotella copri between the sarcopenia and non‐sarcopenia subjects across the three ethnic groups. Functional characterization of the differential bacteria showed enrichment (odds ratio = 15.97, P = 0.0068) in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism in non‐sarcopenia group. A total of 13 BCAA and their derivatives have relatively low levels in sarcopenia. In the in vivo experiment, we found that the blood BCAA level was higher in the mice gavaged with live P. copri (LPC) (P

Soil acidification is a global environmental problem with significant impacts on agricultural production, environmental protection, and ecosystem health. Soil acidification is widespread in China, affecting crop yields, agricultural product quality, and biodiversity. Since the 1980s, much work has been done on acidic soils in China, but it is controversial whether excessive nitrogen fertilizer application can lead to soil acidification mechanisms. To address the above issues, we conducted a meta-analysis of 115 published papers to integrate and analyze the effects of N fertilizer application on soil acidification and biological properties from 1980 to 2024. We also quantified the effect of nitrogen fertilization on soil acidification and biological changes under different climatic conditions. The results showed that under long-term application of nitrogen fertilizers in China from 1980 to 2024, soil pH decreased by an average of 15.27%, and the activities of soil urease, nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, catalase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and glutamate synthetase decreased by an average of 9.82–22.37%. The soil microbial community richness (Chao1 index) increased by 6.53%, but the community diversity (Shannon index) decreased by 15.42%. Among the dominant soil microorganisms, the relative abundance of bacteria decreased by an average of 9.67–29.38% and the abundance of gene expression of nifH, amoA-AOA, amoA-AOB, and qnorB decreased by 9.92–19.83%. In addition, we found that the mean annual temperature and rainfall impacted soil acidification via their effect on soil microbial diversity and community composition. This study provides a scientific basis for an in-depth understanding of the spatial and temporal variation of soil acidification and biological properties in China.

Abstract Uniparental disomy (UPD) is when all or part of the homologous chromosomes are inherited from only one of the two parents. Currently, UPD has been reported to occur for almost all chromosomes. In this study, we report two cases of UPD for chromosome 2 (UPD2) encountered during prenatal diagnosis. The ultrasound findings of the fetuses from two unrelated families showed intrauterine growth restriction. The karyotype analyses were normal. The two fetuses both had complete paternal chromosome 2 uniparental disomy detected by whole-exome sequencing, but their clinical outcomes were significantly different, with fetal arrest in case 1 and birth in case 2. In this report, we analyzed and discussed the phenotypes of the fetuses in these two cases and reviewed the literature on UPD2.

Abstract Backgroud To predict the malignancy of 1–5 cm gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) by machine learning (ML) on CT images using three models - Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT) and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT). Methods 231 patients from Center 1 were randomly assigned into the training cohort (n = 161) and the internal validation cohort (n = 70) in a 7:3 ratio. The other 78 patients from Center 2 served as the external test cohort. Scikit-learn software was used to build three classifiers. The performance of the three models were evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the curve (AUC). Diagnostic differences between ML models and radiologists were compared in the external test cohort. Important features of LR and GBDT were analyzed and compared. Results GBDT outperformed LR and DT with the largest AUC values (0.981 and 0.815) in the training and internal validation cohorts and the greatest accuracy (0.923, 0.833 and 0.844) across all three cohorts. However, LR was found to have the largest AUC value (0.910) in the external test cohort. DT yielded the worst accuracy (0.790 and 0.727) and AUC values (0.803 and 0.700) in both the internal validation cohort and the external test cohort. GBDT and LR performed better than radiologists. Long diameter was demonstrated to be the same and most important CT feature for GBDT and LR. Conclusions ML classifiers, especially GBDT and LR with high accuracy and strong robustness, were considered to be promising in risk classification of 1–5 cm gastric GISTs based on CT. Long diameter was found the most important feature for risk stratification.

Livestock presence impacts plant biodiversity (species richness) in grassland ecosystems, yet extent and direction of grazing impacts on biodiversity vary greatly across inter-annual periods. In this study, an 8-year (2014-2021) grazing gradient experiment with sheep was conducted in a semi-arid grassland to investigate the impact of grazing under different precipitation variability on biodiversity. The results suggest no direct impact of grazing on species richness in semi-arid Stipa grassland. However, increased grazing indirectly enhanced species richness by elevating community dominance (increasing the sheltering effect of Stipa grass). Importantly, intensified grazing also regulates excessive community biomass resulting from increased inter-annual wetness (SPEI), amplifying the positive influence of annual humidity index on species richness. Lastly, we emphasize that, in water-constrained grassland ecosystems, intra-annual precipitation variability (PCI) was the most crucial factor driving species richness. Therefore, the water-heat synchrony during the growing season may alleviate physiological constraints on plants, significantly enhancing species richness as a result of multifactorial interactions. Our study provides strong evidence for how to regulate grazing intensity to increase biodiversity under future variable climate patterns. We suggest adapting grazing intensity according to local climate variability to achieve grassland biodiversity conservation.

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is an important cash crop. In the context of climate change, analyzing the current distribution of tea trees and climate change environmental variables to predict the potential distribution area of tea trees in the future can help decision-makers make appropriate planting decisions and promote sustainable management. In this study, an optimized MaxEnt model was used to predict the limiting factors of tea tree growth and distribution under current and future climate change scenarios. The climate soil mixing model [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.934] performed excellently. The results showed that precipitation, temperature, slope, and soil factors all affected the distribution of suitable habitats for tea trees. Compared with the current distribution area of tea trees, under three shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585), the area of highly suitable habitats for tea trees will expand, especially in 2061–2080 and 2081–2100 years, and the suitable area will extend overall to the north of China, indicating that future climate change may create more new suitable habitats for tea production, especially in Shandong, Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces. This study will provide important scientific insights for tea production decision-making, tea garden location selection, and future adaptation methods, and will help in the cultivation and transplantation of tea trees in the future.

Research has shown a connection between inflammation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), however the relationship between inflammation mediators and COPD causation remains unknown. To investigate the causal relationship of mediators of inflammation and COPD, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. In our study, we incorporated 41 regulators of inflammation from 8293 Finnish individuals from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of COPD corresponding to GWAS summary data for 2115 cases and 454,233 healthy individuals in Europe. Our research validated that higher levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) are related with a decrease occurrence of COPD (OR = 0.795, 95 % CI = 0.642–0.984, p = 0.035) but that elevated levels of interleukin 18(IL-18) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) may be connected to an amplified risk of COPD (OR = 1.247, 95 % CI = 1.011–1.538; p = 0.039; OR = 1.257, 95 % CI = 1.037–1.523, p = 0.020, respectively). According to our research, cytokines play a crucial role in the development of COPD, and further investigation is necessary to explore the potential of utilizing these cytokines as targets for treatment and prevention of COPD.

[Objective] The curve-passing performance of a new-model single-axle straddle monorail vehicle on small-radius non-linear curve tracks and linear curve tracks is researched and analyzed. [Method] A dynamics simulation analysis model is established using multi-body dynamics software. Suitable evaluation indicators are selected based on the vehicle structural characteristics. The minimum curve radius is determined using a method of combining statics and dynamics. Through dynamics simulation, various vehicle dynamics performance parameters such as monorail vehicle tire stress condition, running wheel flange angle, and overturning coefficient are calculated for different working conditions. The stress situation of the vehicle is obtained for both small-radius non-linear curve segments and linear segments with different curve radii. [Result & Conclusion] The new generation single-axle monorail vehicle demonstrates excellent curve-passing performance on small radius non-linear curve tracks and linear tracks with various curve radii.

IntroductionContinuous identification and application of novel resistance genes against stripe rust are of great importance for wheat breeding. Wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, has adapted to a broad range of environments and is a valuable genetic resource that harbors important beneficial traits, including resistance to stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). However, there has been a lack of systematic exploration of genes against Pst races in wild emmer wheat.MethodsGenome-wide transcriptome profiles were conducted on two wild emmer wheat genotypes with different levels of resistance to (Pst (DR3 exhibiting moderate (Pst resistance, and D7 displaying high (Pst resistance). qRT-PCR was performed to verify findings by RNA-seq.ResultsA higher number of DEGs were identified in the moderately (Pst-resistant genotype, while the highly (Pst-resistant genotype exhibited a greater enrichment of pathways. Nonetheless, there were consistent patterns in the enrichment of pathways between the two genotypes at the same time of inoculation. At 24 hpi, a majority of pathways such as the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism exhibited significant enrichment in both genotypes. At 72 hpi, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and circadian rhythm-plant pathways were notably and consistently enriched in both genotypes. The majority of (WRKY, MADs , and AP2-ERF families were found to be involved in the initial stage of response to Pst invasion (24 hpi), while the MYB, NAC, TCP, and b-ZIP families played a role in defense during the later stage of Pst infection (72 hpi).DiscussionIn this present study, we identified numerous crucial genes, transcription factors, and pathways associated with the response and regulation of wild emmer wheat to Pst infection. Our findings offer valuable information for understanding the function of crucial Pst-responsive genes, and will deepen the understanding of the complex resistance mechanisms against Pst in wheat.

The marine flora and fauna along the China seas include the Indo-West Pacific warm-water fauna and the North Pacific temperate fauna. The latitude of 32°N is recognized as the ecological barrier for benthic fauna in the China Seas. However, the ecological barrier on macrobenthos community gradually weakened because of global warming. Microeukaryotes are major components of marine food webs and can quickly response to environmental changes. We hypothesis that microeukaryotic benthos can stride over the ecological barrier of 32°N from the East China Sea (ECS) to the Yellow Sea (YS) under the global change, but their distribution is still limited by depth gradients between the South China Sea (SCS) and the ESC. Therefore, we investigated the distribution of benthic microeukaryotes in the China Seas using RNA metabarcoding. Higher OTU richness and phylogenetic diversity were detected in the SCS than those in the YS and ECS. The YS and ECS communities clustered together firstly and then clustered with the SCS community. Unexpectedly, communities from the 33°N in the YS clustered with those from the ECS. Similar pattern was also detected for Cercozoa, Diatomea, Amoebozoa and Fungi. These findings indicated that microeukaryotic benthos strode over the ecological barrier of 32°N under the global change. Source-sink analyses indicated more than 50% sources of the 33°N community were attributed to the ECS community, while only 12.5% from the YS community. Depth, temperature and latitude showed significant influence on communities in the China Seas. This study highlights the response of active microeukaryotes to the global warming in the coastal sediments.

Abstract Studies have shown that antidiabetic drugs can alter the gut microbiota. The hypoglycemic effects of the drugs can be attributed in part to certain species in the gut microbiome that help the drugs work more effectively. In addition, increasing energy expenditure via the induction of adipose tissue browning has become an appealing strategy to treat obesity and associated metabolic complications. Currently, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1 RA) treatment for metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes has been widely studied. To determine the mechanism of a long‐acting GLP‐1 RA affects adipose tissue browning and the gut microbiome, we treated high‐fat diet mice with GLP‐1 RA and demonstrated that the drug can regulate adipose tissue browning. 16S rRNA and untargeted metabolomics assays suggested that it increased the abundance of bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri and decreased serum ceramide levels in mice. L. reuteri was negatively correlated with ceramide. We found that the mechanism of ceramide decline was alkaline ceramidase 2 (Acer2) overexpression. Moreover, L. reuteri can play a therapeutic synergistic role with GLP‐1 RA, suggesting that gut microbiota can be used as a part of the treatment of diabetes.

Ferrite-martensite (F/M) dual-phase ductile iron with different relative amounts of martensite was fabricated via intercritical quenching in the present study. The mechanical properties and tribological behavior were investigated. The strength of ductile iron increased linearly with the increase of martensite level, while the ductility decreased rapidly. Fracture surface morphology analysis indicated that ductile fracture was predominant when the proportion of martensite in ductile iron was less than 20%. However, the samples with more than 40% martensite exhibited brittle fractures. Wear tests indicated that F/M dual-phase ductile iron exhibited a significantly lower friction coefficient compared with directly quenched ductile iron. Additionally, the martensite amounts affected the tribological behavior of ductile iron significantly. Abrasive wear was predominant in ductile iron with small amounts of martensite, while delamination wear was the main wear mechanism in case of ductile iron with high amounts of martensite.

Abstract Background Hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the main causes of disability worldwide and occurs mostly in the older adults. Total hip or knee arthroplasty is the most effective method to treat OA. However, severe postsurgical pain leading to a poor prognosis. So, investigating the population genetics and genes related to severe chronic pain in older adult patients after lower extremity arthroplasty is helpful to improve the quality of treatment. Methods We collected blood samples from elderly patients who underwent lower extremity arthroplasty from September 2020 to February 2021 at the Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School. The enrolled patients provided measures of pain intensity using the numerical rating scale on the 90th day after surgery. Patients were divided into the case group (Group A) and the control group (Group B) including 10 patients respectively by the numerical rating scale. DNA was isolated from the blood samples of the two groups for whole-exome sequencing. Results In total, 661 variants were identified in the 507 gene regions that were significantly different between both groups (P

Driven by continuously evolving precipitation shifts and temperature increases, the frequency and intensity of droughts have increased. There is an obvious need to accurately monitor drought. With the popularity of machine learning, many studies have attempted to use machine learning combined with multiple indicators to construct comprehensive drought monitoring models. This study tests four machine learning model frameworks, including random forest (RF), convolutional neural network (CNN), support vector regression (SVR), and BP neural network (BP), which were used to construct four comprehensive drought monitoring models. The accuracy and drought monitoring ability of the four models when simulating a well-documented Inner Mongolian grassland site were compared. The results show that the random forest model is the best among the four models. The R2 range of the test set is 0.44–0.79, the RMSE range is 0.44–0.72, and the fitting accuracy relationship could be described as RF > CNN > SVR ≈ BP. Correlation analysis between the fitting results of the four models and SPEI found that the correlation coefficient of RF from June to September was higher than that of the other three models, though we noted the correlation coefficient of CNN in May was slightly higher than that of RF (CNN = 0.79; RF = 0.78). Our results demonstrate that comprehensive drought monitoring indices developed from RF models are accurate, have high drought monitoring ability, and can achieve the same monitoring effect as SPEI. This study can provide new technical support for comprehensive regional drought monitoring.

Abstract In situ vaccination is a desirable strategy for cancer immunotherapy due to its convenience and capacity to target tumor antigens. Here, an in situ nanovaccine based on a cationic peptide with cholesterol‐modified, DP7‐C, for cancer immunotherapy is rationally designed, and developed a cancer nanovaccine that is easy to preparate. The nanovaccine includes cocktail small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and immunologic adjuvant CpG ODNs, has synergistic effect in the cancer treatment. This nanovaccine can induce tumor cell death, promote antigen presentation and relieve immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Moreover, this nanovaccine is administered to CT26 (hot) and B16F10 (cold) tumor model mice, in which it targeted the primary tumors and induced systemic antitumor immunity to inhibit metastasis. It is validated that the nanovaccine can convert cold tumors into hot tumors. Furthermore, the nanovaccine increased the immune response to anti‐PD‐1 therapy by modulating the TME in both CT26‐ and B16F10‐tumor‐bearing mice. The siRNA cocktail/CpG ODN/self‐assembling peptide nanovaccine is a simple and universal tool that can effectively generate specific tumor cell antigens and can be combined with immuno‐oncology agents to enhance antitumor immune activity. The versatile methodology provides an alternative approach for developing cancer nanovaccines.

Faulty LED lamps can cause a decrease in light efficiency, lead to flicker, and have a negative impact on creating a reliable, stable, and healthy light environment. However, many LED lamps’ faults are difficult to detect by electrical parameter measurements or naked-eye observation. Consequently, in this paper, a novel fault diagnosis strategy is proposed by analyzing light output time-frequency characteristics of LED lamps. The proposed fault diagnosis strategy contains three stages: (1) collecting the light output signal of LED lamps, (2) extracting the light output time-frequency characteristics of LED lamps by VMD and energy entropy calculation, and (3) employing SVM to construct the fault diagnosis model which used to identify the faulty LED lamps. To validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed fault diagnosis strategy, simulation experiments are conducted, and the light output signals of LED lamps are collected as experiment datasets using the 10 kHz sampling frequency. The results demonstrate that the proposed fault diagnosis strategy can identify faults effectively, and average accuracy rate can reach to over 92%. This study can help promote the development of large-scale LED lamp maintenance management technology, and bring great benefits for the reliable and healthy operation of large-scale LED lamps particularly.

Objective Therapy of very severe osteoporotic compression fractures (VSOVCF) has been a growing challenge for spine surgeons. Opinions vary regarding the optimal surgical procedure for the treatment of VSOVCF and which internal fixation method is more effective is still under debate, and research on this topic is lacking. This retrospective study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of various pedicle screw fixation methods for treating VSOVCF. Methods This single‐center retrospective comparative study was conducted between January 2015 and September 2020. Two hundred and one patients were divided into six groups according to different surgical methods: 45 patients underwent long‐segment fixation (Group 1); 39 underwent short‐segment fixation (Group 2); 30 received long‐segment fixation with cement‐reinforced screws (Group 3); 32 received short‐segment fixation with cement‐reinforced screws (Group 4); 29 had long‐segment fixation combined with kyphoplasty (PKP) (Group 5); and 26 cases had short‐segment fixation combined with PKP (Group 6). The clinical records were reviewed and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score were used for clinical evaluation. The vertebral height (VH), fractured vertebral body height (FVBH), and Cobb's angle were objectively calculated and analyzed on lateral plain radiographs. Student's t‐tests and one‐way ANOVA among groups were conducted to analyze the continuous, and the chi‐squared test was used to compare the dichotomous or categorical variables. The difference was considered statistically significant when the P‐value was less than 0.05. Results The six groups had similar distributions in age, gender, course of the disease, follow‐up period, and injured level. In the postoperative assessment of the VAS score, the surgical intervention most likely to rank first in terms of pain relief was the short‐segment fixation with cement‐reinforced screws (Group 4). For the functional evaluation, the surgical intervention that is most likely to rank first in terms of ODI score was a short‐segment fixation with cement‐reinforced screws (Group 4), followed by long‐segment fixation (Group 1). The long‐segment fixation with cement‐reinforced screws was the first‐ranked surgical intervention for the maintenance of Cobb's angle and vertebral height, whereas the short‐segment fixation performed the worst. The highest overall complication rate was in Group 6 with an incidence of 42.3% (11/26), followed by Group 2 with an incidence of 38.5% (15/39). Conclusion For the treatment of VSOVCF, the short‐segment fixation with cement‐reinforced screws is the most effective and optimal procedure, and should be used as the preferred surgical method if surgeons are proficient in using cemented screws; otherwise, directly and unquestionably use long‐segment fixation to achieve satisfactory clinical results.

Abstract Temperature has an important influence on plant growth and development. In protected agriculture production, accurate prediction of temperature environment is of great significance. However, due to the time series, nonlinear and multi coupling characteristics of temperature, it is difficult to achieve accurate prediction. We proposed a method for building a solar greenhouse temperature prediction model based on a timeseries analysis, that considers the time series characteristics and dynamic temperature changes in the greenhouse system. The method would predict the temperature of greenhouse, and provide reference for the temperature change law in protected agriculture. A parameter analysis was performed on the nonlinear autoregressive exogenous (NARX) neural network, and a solar greenhouse temperature time series prediction model was established using the NARX regression neural network. The results showed that the proposed model depicted a maximum absolute error of 0.67 °C, and model correlation coefficient of 0.9996. Compared with the wavelet and BP neural networks, the NARX regression neural network accurately predicted and significantly outperformed in the solar greenhouse temperature prediction model. Moreover, the prediction model can accurately predict temperature trends within the solar greenhouse and is pivotal to obtaining precise control of solar greenhouse temperature.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a versatile method to synthesize 2D materials, but usually requires high growth temperatures. Here, the authors report a BiOCl-assisted CVD approach to grow 2D nanosheets from 27 different layered and nonlayered materials at temperatures

Purpose While the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) has significantly improved over the last decade because of new treatment options, it remains incurable. Aetiological explanations and biological targets based on genomics may provide additional help for rational disease intervention. Materials and Methods Three microarray datasets associated with MM were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. GSE125364 and GSE39754 were used as the training set, and GSE13591 was used as the verification set. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from the training set, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to annotate their functions. The hub genes were derived from the combined results of a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of hub genes were plotted to evaluate their clinical diagnostic value. Biological processes and signaling pathways associated with hub genes were explained by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results A total of 1759 DEGs were identified. GO and KEGG pathway analyses suggested that the DEGs were related to the process of protein metabolism. RPN1, SEC61A1, SPCS1, SRPR, SRPRB, SSR1 and TRAM1 were proven to have clinical diagnostic value for MM. The GSEA results suggested that the hub genes were widely involved in the N-glycan biosynthesis pathway. Conclusion The hub genes identified in this study can partially explain the potential molecular mechanisms of MM and serve as candidate biomarkers for disease diagnosis.

Objective Prevention of fragility fractures is one of the public health priorities worldwide, whilst the incidence of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) continues to rise and lacks the corresponding accurate prediction model. This study aimed to screen potential causes and risk factors for primary non‐traumatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (NTOVCF) in the elderly by characterizing a patient population with NTOVCF and comparing it with a population of osteoporotic patients. Methods Between January 2013 and January 2022, 208 elderly patients with unequivocal evidence of bone fragility manifested as painful NTOVCF were enrolled, and compared with 220 patients with osteoporosis and no fractures. The demographic data, bone turnover markers, blood routine, serum biochemical values, and radiological findings were investigated. Differences between the fracture and non‐fracture groups were analyzed, and variables significant in univariate analysis and correlation analysis were included in the logistic analysis to build the risk prediction model for osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Univariate analysis using student's t‐tests for continuous variables or a chi‐squared test for categorical variables was conducted to identify risk factors. Results No significant differences were revealed regarding age, gender, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, blood glucose, propeptide of type I procollagen (P1NP), and N‐terminal middle segment osteocalcin (N‐MID) (P > 0.05). Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), 25(OH)D, serum albumin (ALB), hemoglobin (HB), bone mineral density (BMD), and cross‐sectional area (CSA) of the paraspinal muscle in the fracture group were significantly lower than those in the control group; however, b‐C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β‐CTX), total cholesterol (TC), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), non‐prostatic acid phosphatase (NACP), and fatty degeneration ratio (FDR) were significantly higher than those in the control group (P

Abstract Intestinal organoids, derived from intestinal stem cell self-organization, recapitulate the tissue structures and behaviors of the intestinal epithelium, which hold great potential for the study of developmental biology, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. The intestinal epithelium is exposed to dynamic mechanical forces which exert profound effects on gut development. However, the conventional intestinal organoid culture system neglects the key role of mechanical microenvironments but relies solely on biological factors. Here, we show that adding cyclic stretch to intestinal organoid cultures remarkably up-regulates the signature gene expression and proliferation of intestinal stem cells. Furthermore, mechanical stretching stimulates the expansion of SOX9+ progenitors by activating the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling. These data demonstrate that the incorporation of mechanical stretch boosts the stemness of intestinal stem cells, thus benefiting organoid growth. Our findings have provided a way to optimize an organoid generation system through understanding cross-talk between biological and mechanical factors, paving the way for the application of mechanical forces in organoid-based models.

In the context of environmental protection, researches on thermal performance of buildings represent a growing field, most of which use a variety of linked calculating algorithms to maximize performance metrics. However, previous studies have done little to investigated in balancing energy consumption and indoor thermal comfort of industrial buildings. With various combinations of architecture design parameters, this paper aims to optimize the comprehensive thermal performance of clean plants. Matlab software was used for data preparation, deployment, and sampling. Two thousand simulations based on the different combinations were performed using Monte Carlo technique. The most appropriate combinations of sensitive factors were then analyzed to offer a reference for the architecture design, with the uncertainties of the original alternative parameters being substituted by mathematical statistics and data filtering. The result shows that the total thermal discomfort hours (TTD) increase by 14.95% and the total energy consumption (TEC) increases by 35.19% when the heating setpoint temperature is raised from 14 °C to 24 °C. The TTD increase by 3.93% and the TEC decreases by 21.68% when the cooling setpoint temperature is raised from 20 °C to 28 °C, respectively. The findings can contribute to understanding of the parameter combinations enhancing the comprehensive thermal performance of industrial buildings.

The balance between memory Th17 cells (mTh17) and memory Treg cells (mTreg) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), and TIGIT signaling is involved in the differentiation of mTh17/mTreg cells. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) has good immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Here, the regulatory effects and potential mechanisms of APS on mTh17/mTreg cells in UC are explored. A UC model was induced with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and treated simultaneously with APS (200 mg/kg/day) for 10 days. After APS treatment, the mice showed a significant increase in colonic length and a significant decrease in colonic weight, colonic weight index and colonic weight/colonic length, and more intact mucosa and lighter inflammatory cell infiltration. Notably, APS significantly down-regulated the percentages of Th17 (CD4+CCR6+), cmTh17 (CD4+CCR7+CCR6+) and emTh17 (CD4+CCR7−CCR6+) cells and significantly up-regulated the percentages of cmTreg (CD4+CCR7+Foxp3+) and emTreg (CD4+CCR7−Foxp3+) cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes of the colitis mice. Importantly, APS reversed the expression changes in the TIGIT molecule on mTh17/mTreg cells in the colitis mice with fewer CD4+CCR6+TIGIT+, CD4+CCR7−CCR6+TIGIT+ and CD4+CCR7−CCR6+TIGIT+ cells and more CD4+Foxp3+TIGIT+, CD4+CCR7−Foxp3+TIGIT+ and CD4+CCR7−Foxp3+TIGIT+ cells. Meanwhile, APS significantly inhibited the protein expression of the TIGIT ligands CD155, CD113 and CD112 and downstream proteins PI3K and AKT in the colon tissues of the colitis mice. In conclusion, APS effectively alleviated DSS-induced UC in mice by regulating the balance between mTh17/mTreg cells, which was mainly achieved through regulation of the TIGIT/CD155 signaling pathway.

Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability is a basic fluid interface instability that widely exists in nature and in the engineering field. To investigate the impact of the initial inclined interface on compressible RT instability, the two-component discrete Boltzmann method is employed. Both the thermodynamic non-equilibrium (TNE) and hydrodynamic non-equilibrium (HNE) effects are studied. It can be found that the global average density gradient in the horizontal direction, the non-organized energy fluxes, the global average non-equilibrium intensity and the proportion of the non-equilibrium region first increase and then reduce with time. However, the global average density gradient in the vertical direction and the non-organized moment fluxes first descend, then rise, and finally descend. Furthermore, the global average density gradient, the typical TNE intensity and the proportion of non-equilibrium region increase with increasing angle of the initial inclined interface. Physically, there are three competitive mechanisms: (1) As the perturbed interface elongates, the contact area between the two fluids expands, which results in an increasing gradient of macroscopic physical quantities and leads to a strengthening of the TNE effects. (2) Under the influence of viscosity, the perturbation pressure waves on both sides of the material interface decrease with time, which makes the gradient of the macroscopic physical quantity decrease, resulting in a weakening of the TNE strength. (3) Due to dissipation and/or mutual penetration of the two fluids, the gradient of macroscopic physical quantities gradually diminishes, resulting in a decrease in the intensity of the TNE.

Aims: There is an increasing concern of osteoporotic fractures in the ageing population. Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV) was shown to significantly enhance osteoporotic fracture healing through alteration of osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network (LCN). Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) in osteocytes is known to be responsible for maintaining the LCN and mineralization. This study aimed to investigate the role of osteocyte-specific DMP1 during osteoporotic fracture healing augmented by LMHFV. Methods: A metaphyseal fracture was created in the distal femur of ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were randomized to five different groups: 1) DMP1 knockdown (KD), 2) DMP1 KD + vibration (VT), 3) Scramble + VT, 4) VT, and 5) control (CT), where KD was performed by injection of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into marrow cavity; vibration treatment was conducted at 35 Hz, 0.3 g; 20 minutes/day, five days/week). Assessments included radiography, micro-CT, dynamic histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry on DMP1, sclerostin, E11, and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). In vitro, murine long bone osteocyte-Y4 (MLO-Y4) osteocyte-like cells were randomized as in vivo groupings. DMP1 KD was performed by transfecting cells with shRNA plasmid. Assessments included immunocytochemistry on osteocyte-specific markers as above, and mineralized nodule staining. Results: Healing capacities in DMP1 KD groups were impaired. Results showed that DMP1 KD significantly abolished vibration-enhanced fracture healing at week 6. DMP1 KD significantly altered the expression of osteocyte-specific markers. The lower mineralization rate in DMP1 KD groups indicated that DMP1 knockdown was associated with poor fracture healing process. Conclusion: The blockage of DMP1 would impair healing outcomes and negate LMHFV-induced enhancement on fracture healing. These findings reveal the importance of DMP1 in response to the mechanical signal during osteoporotic fracture healing. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(7):465–476.

Abstract The clinical efficacy of personalized cancer vaccines still needs to be improved due to their insufficient immune effect. The development of innovative adjuvants and lymph node‐targeted delivery systems is the key to improving the clinical efficacy of personalized vaccines. However, there is still a lack of an adjuvant delivery system that is simple in preparation and capable of mass production and integrates adjuvant and lymph node targeted delivery functions. Here, this work reports that a simple dendrimer polypeptide (KK2DP7) nanoparticle enhances the immune efficacy of an OVA/neoantigen‐based vaccine. Due to its multiple functions as a delivery vehicle, immune adjuvant, and facilitator of dendritic cell migration, KK2DP7 efficiently increases the efficiency of antigen uptake and cross‐presentation by antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) and delivers antigens to lymph nodes via APCs. Strikingly, the antitumor effect of KK2DP7/OVA is superior to that of commonly used adjuvants such as poly(I:C), CpG, and aluminum adjuvant combined with OVA. Furthermore, KK2DP7/OVA combined with anti‐PD‐1 antibody is able to prevent tumor recurrence in a postoperative recurrent tumor model. Thus, KK2DP7‐based cancer vaccines alone or in combination with immune checkpoint blockade therapies to treat tumors or postoperative tumor recurrence are a powerful strategy to enhance antitumor immunity.

ObjectKnowledge about the risk factors of in-hospital mortality for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) patients who received total arch procedure is limited. This study aims to investigate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors of in-hospital mortality of these patients.MethodsFrom May 2014 to June 2018, 372 ATAAD patients received the total arch procedure in our institution. These patients were divided into survival and death groups, and patients` in-hospital data were retrospectively collected. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was adopted to determine the optimal cut-off value of continuous variables. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to detect independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality.ResultsA total of 321 patients were included in the survival group and 51 in the death group. Preoperative details showed that patients in the death group were older (55.4 ± 11.7 vs. 49.3 ± 12.6, P = 0.001), had more renal dysfunction (29.4% vs. 10.9%, P = 0.001) and coronary ostia dissection (29.4% vs. 12.2%, P = 0.001), and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (57.5 ± 7.9% vs. 59.8 ± 7.3%, P = 0.032). Intraoperative results showed that more patients in the death group experienced concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (35.3% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.001) with increased cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (165.7 ± 39.0 vs. 149.4 ± 35.8 min, P = 0.003), cross-clamp time (98.4 ± 24.5 vs. 90.2 ± 26.9 min, P = 0.044), and red blood cell transfusion (913.7 ± 629.0 vs. 709.7 ± 686.6 ml, P = 0.047). Logistic regression analysis showed that age >55 years, renal dysfunction, CPB time >144 min, and RBC transfusion >1,300 ml were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with ATAAD.ConclusionIn the present study, we identified that older age, preoperative renal dysfunction, long CPB time, and intraoperative massive transfusion were risk factors for in-hospital mortality in ATAAD patients with the total arch procedure.

PurposeThe Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale was adapted into Chinese for the purposes of this study, and then the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of the DoCCA scale were confirmed in chronic conditions.MethodsA total of 434 patients with chronic diseases were recruited from three Chinese cities. A cross-cultural adaptation procedure was used to translate the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale into Chinese. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability were used to verify the scale's reliability. Content validity indices, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to confirm the scale's validity.ResultsThe Chinese DoCCA scale includes five domains: demands, unnecessary tasks, role clarity, needs support, and goal orientation. The S-CVI was 0.964. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor structure that explained 74.952% of the total variance. According to the confirmatory factor analysis results, the fit indices were within the range of the reference values. Convergent and discriminant validity both met the criteria. Also, the scale's Cronbach's alpha coefficient is 0.936, and the five dimensions' values range from 0.818 to 0.909. The split-half reliability was 0.848, and the test-retest reliability was 0.832.ConclusionsThe Chinese version of the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale had high levels of validity and reliability for chronic conditions. The scale can assess how patients with chronic diseases feel about their service of care and provide data to optimize their personalized chronic disease self-management strategies.

Abstract Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has recently achieved unprecedented clinical benefits, becoming a critical treatment for patients with cancer. However, a set of patients are resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, likely due to the limited presence or lack of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes in their tumors. Increasing data indicate that antiangiogenic therapy substantially reduces cancer‐induced immunosuppression and is an effective way to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies by combination with ICIs. Endostatin, an angiogenesis inhibitor, has been widely used as an antiangiogenic therapy for cancer. We showed that combined therapy with an adenovirus encoding human endostatin, named Ad‐E, and programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) blockade dramatically abrogated tumor growth, inhibited microvessel density, and promoted tumor apoptosis, compared to treatment with the single agents. Further investigation using flow cytometry showed that combined therapy significantly increased CD8+ T‐cell infiltration into tumors and promoted the level of CD8+ IFN‐γ+ T cells. Moreover, combined therapy effectively reduced the frequencies of CD11b+ F4/80+ tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and slightly increased M1/M2 ratio in the tumors. RNA‐seq analysis of tumor tissue following combined therapy also demonstrated upregulated expression of genes associated with the antitumor immune response. These data support the rationale for combining antiangiogenic and ICIs for cancer therapy.