Search

Abstract Based on deep mediatization theory and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this study explores the effective improvement of museums’ social media communication by applying Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) technology. Firstly, the social media content from four different museums is collected, a dataset containing tens of thousands of images is constructed, and a CNN-based model is designed for automatic identification and classification of image content. The model is trained and tested through a series of experiments, evaluating its performance in enhancing museums’ social media communication. Experimental results indicate that the CNN model significantly enhances user participation, access rates, retention rates, and sharing rates of content. Specifically, user participation increased from 15 to 25%, reflecting a 66.7% rise. Content coverage increased from 20 to 35%, showing a 75% increase. User retention rate rose from 10 to 20%, indicating a 100% increase. Content sharing rate increased from 5 to 15%, reflecting a 200% rise. Additionally, the study discusses the model’s performance across various museum types, batch sizes, and learning rate settings, verifying its robustness and wide applicability.

Abstract Compared with the general urban rail transit, some of the current rapid urban rail transit can reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h when the train is running, which exceeds the speed level of the general urban rail transit. To consider the influence of different speeds and loads on the vibration of viaducts and the surrounding soil environment, this paper establishes a three-dimensional finite element model of rail-viaduct soil. The results show that: the frequency domain acceleration of each measurement point increases with the increase of train speed; except for the measurement point which is 20 m away from the centerline of the track, the frequency domain speed of each measurement point increases with the increase of train speed; the frequency domain speed under the low-frequency component of the viaduct measurement point increases with the increase of train loading, and the growth rate is obviously larger than that of the middle and high frequency bands, and the frequency domain speed of the measurement points in the site also increases with the increase of train loading, and the growth rate of the low-frequency band is obviously larger than that of the middle and high frequency bands. The frequency domain velocity at each measurement point of the site also increases with the increase of train load, and the growth rate of the low-frequency band is obviously larger than that of the middle and high-frequency bands.

Abstract The accuracy of ZPW-2000 frequency shift signal demodulation is related to the safety and efficiency of high-speed trains. This paper proposed a kind of ZPW-2000 frequency-shift signal detection algorithm based on improved Relaxation algorithm (ZFSD-IR) to address the issue of low accuracy in detecting ZPW-2000 frequency shift signal under strong noise interference, as the traditional fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectrum analysis methods are susceptible to fence effects and spectrum leakage effects. Firstly, the principle of ZPW-2000 jointless track circuit was analyzed, and then the ideal and simplified models of ZPW-2000 frequency shift signal were established, respectively. Finally, the simulation experiments were conducted on ZPW-2000 frequency shift signal detection under different sampling durations and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was verified through comparative analysis with the traditional algorithms. The research results indicated that the ZFSD-IR algorithm has better accuracy in carrier-frequency and low-frequency estimation than traditional algorithms, and can achieve accurate detection of ZPW-2000 frequency shift signal under the lower SNR conditions. It has high detection accuracy and good anti-interference ability, ensuring the safe operation of high-speed trains.

Abstract Prostate cancer (PC) is an epithelial malignancy occurring in the prostate. PC ranks second in incidence among all male malignancies globally by the latest statistics from the World Health Organization. Notably, China has seen a more rapid increase in PC incidence compared to developed European and American nations. By 2022, the newly reported cases and deaths due to PC in China increased to 134,200 and 47,500, respectively. Thus, early diagnosis and standardized treatment for prostate cancer in China remain far-reaching objectives. Burgeoning research on advanced PC and castration-resistant prostate cancer in recent years have paved the way for a new era of integrated treatment methods including novel endocrine drugs, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Future therapies involve precision treatment guided by genetic testing and individualized integrated treatment as part of a multidisciplinary integrated diagnosis and treatment model for PC. The Genitourinary Oncology Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association (CACA-GU) has invited multidisciplinary experts across fields including surgery, oncology, pathology, radiology, herbal medicine, physiatry, and psychology to collaboratively write, discuss, and revise guidelines on managing PC. The CACA Guidelines for Holistic Integrative Management of Prostate Cancer includes epidemiology, screening and diagnosis, treatment for localized PC, diagnosis and treatment of PC recurrence after radical prostatectomy, management of metastatic PC, traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment of PC, and rehabilitation from PC. This guideline aims to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment management of PC in China. It is more aligned with China’s clinical practice, highlights Chinese characteristics, and bears significant clinical importance.

Abstract To investigate the vibration isolation effect of composite vibration isolation walls on surface vibrations in suburban railway deep tunnels under various influencing factors, an integrated numerical model of the train was initially developed. This model solved the wheel-rail interaction force and was applied to a three-dimensional volume coupling model of the track soil. Subsequently, the model's reliability was validated through comparison with measured data. Afterward, the vibration isolation effects of various types of EPS material vibration isolation walls were examined, with a focus on exploring the impact of thickness, material proportion, and relative positioning of the materials within the vibration isolation wall composed of EPS material and concrete. Research indicates that with an increase in the burial depth of a single material vibration isolation wall, its effective vibration isolation frequency range gradually widens. When the burial depth of the vibration isolation wall exceeds the tunnel burial depth, the vibration isolation effect is optimal. Composite vibration isolation walls, with thicknesses smaller than single-material vibration isolation walls, exhibit superior vibration isolation effects compared to their single-material counterparts. The effective vibration isolation frequency band of composite vibration isolation walls differs from that of single-material vibration isolation walls. Using the optimal-size vibration isolation wall of a single material as a composite vibration isolation wall enhances the vibration isolation effect of peak acceleration in the frequency domain by 16.58% and peak velocity by 16.95%. Moreover, frequency domain peak displacement experiences a 30.73% improvement in the vibration isolation effect.

Abstract Background The proposed trial is to examine the feasibility of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-guided cytoreduction plus apalutamide and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) at oligometastatic state. Methods CHAMPION (NCT05717582) is an open-label, single-arm, phase II trial, planning to enroll newly diagnosed mHSPC cases with oligometastases (≤ 10 distant metastatic sites in conventional imaging). Patients will receive 6 cycles of apalutamide plus ADT. Patients with oligometastatic disease at PSMA PET/CT after 3 treatment cycles will receive cytoreductive radical prostatectomy. PSMA PET/CT-guided metastasis-directed external radiation therapy will be determined by the investigators. Apalutamide plus ADT will be continued for 2 weeks postoperatively. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA), no disease progression, and no symptom deterioration after 6 cycles of apalutamide plus ADT. Secondary endpoints include the percentage of patients with PSA ≤ 0.2 ng/mL and oligometastases by the end of 3 treatment cycles, PSA response rate, and safety. Fleming’s two-stage group sequential design will be adopted in the study, where the null hypothesis is that the rate of patients with an undetectable PSA is ≤ 40% after 6 cycles of treatment, while the alternate hypothesis is an undetectable PSA of > 60%; with one-sided α = 0.05, power = 0.80, and an assumed dropout rate of 10%, the required number of patients for an effective analysis is 47. Enrolment in the study commenced in May 2023. Discussion The multi-modal therapy based on treatment response may improve the prognosis of newly diagnosed mHSPC patients with oligometastases. Trial registration The study is registered with Clinical Trials.Gov (NCT05717582). Registered on 8th February 2023.

Abstract This study aims to explore the optimal driving speed for ground vibration in suburban railway underground sections. We focused on the ground surface of suburban railway underground sections and developed a 3D finite element dynamic coupling model for the tunnel–soil system. Subsequently, considering factors such as train speed and passenger load, we analyzed the propagation characteristics of ground vibration responses in urban railway underground sections. The research results indicate a significant amplification phenomenon in the peak power spectrum of measurement points near the tunnels in underground sections. The high-frequency components of the power spectrum between measurement points are noticeably higher between the two tunnels. Furthermore, as the train speed increases, this amplification phenomenon becomes more pronounced, and the power spectrum of each measurement point mainly concentrates on several frequency bands, with the amplitude of the power spectrum near the prominent frequencies also increasing. However, when the train speed is between 100 and 120 km/h, the impact on the amplitude of the power spectrum at measurement points above the running tunnel is minimal. Additionally, the amplitude of the middle-to-high frequency components in the power spectrum increases with the increase in passenger numbers. The impact on the peak acceleration amplitude at each measurement point is minimal when the train speed is 80 km/h or below. However, once the train speed exceeds 80 km/h, the peak acceleration amplitude above the running tunnel rapidly increases, reaching its maximum value at 113 km/h, and then gradually decreasing.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of the combined application of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and enhanced T2*-weighted angiography (ESWAN) for preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and methods76 patients with pathologically confirmed HCC were retrospectively enrolled and divided into the MVI-positive group (n=26) and MVI-negative group (n=50). Conventional MRI, IVIM, and ESWAN sequences were performed. Three region of interests (ROIs) were placed on the maximum axial slice of the lesion on D, D*, and f maps derived from IVIM sequence, and R2* map derived from ESWAN sequence, and intratumoral susceptibility signal (ITSS) from the phase map derived from ESWAN sequence was also automatically measured. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the ability for predicting MVI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to screen independent risk predictors in clinical and imaging information. The Delong’s test was used to compare the differences between the area under curves (AUCs).ResultsThe D and D* values of MVI-negative group were significantly higher than those of MVI-positive group (P=0.038, and P=0.023), which in MVI-negative group were 0.892×10-3 (0.760×10-3, 1.303×10-3) mm2/s and 0.055 (0.025, 0.100) mm2/s, and in MVI-positive group were 0.591×10-3 (0.372×10-3, 0.824×10-3) mm2/s and 0.028 (0.006, 0.050)mm2/s, respectively. The R2* and ITSS values of MVI-negative group were significantly lower than those of MVI-positive group (P=0.034, and P=0.005), which in MVI-negative group were 29.290 (23.117, 35.228) Hz and 0.146 (0.086, 0.236), and in MVI-positive group were 43.696 (34.914, 58.083) Hz and 0.199 (0.155, 0.245), respectively. After univariate and multivariate analyses, only AFP (odds ratio, 0.183; 95% CI, 0.041–0.823; P = 0.027) was the independent risk factor for predicting the status of MVI. The AUCs of AFP, D, D*, R2*, and ITSS for prediction of MVI were 0.652, 0.739, 0.707, 0.798, and 0.657, respectively. The AUCs of IVIM (D+D*), ESWAN (R2*+ITSS), and combination (D+D*+R2*+ITSS) for predicting MVI were 0.772, 0.800, and, 0.855, respectively. When IVIM combined with ESWAN, the performance was improved with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 92.0% (cut-off value: 0.502) and the AUC was significantly higher than AFP (P=0.001), D (P=0.038), D* (P=0.023), R2* (P=0.034), and ITSS (P=0.005).ConclusionThe IVIM and ESWAN parameters showed good efficacy in prediction of MVI in patients with HCC. The combination of IVIM and ESWAN may be useful for noninvasive prediction of MVI before clinical operation.

This paper proposes a novel multivariate performance diagnostic approach for the Oracle database systems to detect performance degradation and crashes during database operations and maintenance. It was based on three technologies: image encoding, image concatenation, and deep convolutional network. Instantaneous variation and magnitude information of the time series were acquired by Heatmap and Recurrence Plot (RP) from databases. Moreover, the Heatmap and RP were concatenated in order to fully extract complementary information. Finally, the concatenated images of Heatmap and RP were used to train the VGG16 model for database performance diagnosis. The quantitative analysis demonstrated a good increment of accuracy in Heatmap and RP based on the same deep learning networks compared with other image encodings of Gramian Angular Difference Field (GADF), Gramian Angular Summation Fields (GASF), and Markov Transition Fields (MTF). Meanwhile, concatenated images of Heatmap and RP can improve the accuracy by 1% compared to single Heatmap input. The result of the trained model applied to multivariate database diagnosis shows an accuracy of 95.3%. Thus, our method can more effectively and accurately diagnose the performance of the Oracle database systems.

IntroductionCordyceps cicadae is a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus known for its rich production of bioactive substances, particularly cyanidin, an anthocyanin commonly found in plants with notable anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. This study revealed two key genes, CcDFR and CcOMT9, affecting cyanidin biosynthesis in C. cicadae.MethodsThe roles of these genes in cyanidin production, growth, and development were elucidated through the gene knockout method, phenotypic analysis, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.ResultsCcDFR deletion led to reduced cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), suppressed expression of cyanidin biosynthesis genes, impaired synnemata formation, decreased polysaccharide and adenosine content, and diminished chitinase activity. Meanwhile, the ΔCcOMT9 mutant exhibited an increase in C3G production, promoted expression of cyanidin biosynthesis genes and rising bioactive compounds, suppressed RNA methylation, and led to phenylalanine accumulation with no effect on fruiting body formation.DiscussionWe revealed a distinct anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in C. cicadae and identified two genes with opposite functions, laying the foundation for future genetic modification of cyanidin-producing strains using modern biological techniques. This will shorten the production period of this valuable compound, facilitating the industrial-scale production of cyanidin.

Beat-by-beat monitoring of hemodynamic parameters in the left ventricle contributes to the early diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, valvular heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases. Current accurate measurement methods for ventricular hemodynamic parameters are inconvenient for monitoring hemodynamic indexes in daily life. The objective of this study is to propose a method for estimating intraventricular hemodynamic parameters in a beat-to-beat style based on non-invasive PCG (phonocardiogram) and PPG (photoplethysmography) signals. Three beagle dogs were used as subjects. PCG, PPG, electrocardiogram (ECG), and invasive blood pressure signals in the left ventricle were synchronously collected while epinephrine medicine was injected into the veins to produce hemodynamic variations. Various doses of epinephrine were used to produce hemodynamic variations. A total of 40 records (over 12,000 cardiac cycles) were obtained. A deep neural network was built to simultaneously estimate four hemodynamic parameters of one cardiac cycle by inputting the PCGs and PPGs of the cardiac cycle. The outputs of the network were four hemodynamic parameters: left ventricular systolic blood pressure (SBP), left ventricular diastolic blood pressure (DBP), maximum rate of left ventricular pressure rise (MRR), and maximum rate of left ventricular pressure decline (MRD). The model built in this study consisted of a residual convolutional module and a bidirectional recurrent neural network module which learnt the local features and context relations, respectively. The training mode of the network followed a regression model, and the loss function was set as mean square error. When the network was trained and tested on one subject using a five-fold validation scheme, the performances were very good. The average correlation coefficients (CCs) between the estimated values and measured values were generally greater than 0.90 for SBP, DBP, MRR, and MRD. However, when the network was trained with one subject’s data and tested with another subject’s data, the performance degraded somewhat. The average CCs reduced from over 0.9 to 0.7 for SBP, DBP, and MRD; however, MRR had higher consistency, with the average CC reducing from over 0.9 to about 0.85 only. The generalizability across subjects could be improved if individual differences were considered. The performance indicates the possibility that hemodynamic parameters could be estimated by PCG and PPG signals collected on the body surface. With the rapid development of wearable devices, it has up-and-coming applications for self-monitoring in home healthcare environments.

The escalating global population has led to an increased demand for both quantity and quality in food production. Throughout history, plant diseases have posed significant threats to agricultural output by causing substantial food losses annually while also compromising product quality. Accurate identification of pathogens, clarifying the pathogenic mechanism of pathogens, and understanding the interaction between pathogens and hosts are important for the control of plant diseases. This Special Issue, “Research Progress on Pathogenicity of Fungi in Crops”, belongs to the section “Pest and Disease Management” of Agronomy. It contains research papers on the identification and phylogeny of fungal pathogens, the molecular genetics of plant fungal pathogens, the molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogenicity, and the molecular basis of the interaction between fungi and crops. These studies encapsulate efforts to understand disease systems within current genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies, highlighting research findings that could be future targets for crop disease and pest control. The studies presented in this Special Issue promote the progress of fungal pathogenicity research in crops and provide a scientific basis for future disease control, which is of great significance for sustainable agricultural development and global food security.

With the accelerated deployment of 5G new infrastructure, terminal application business has been gradually extended to various vertical industries.Although 5G technology can also adapt to the differentiated communication requirement for power industry, the power industry currently lacks a kind of 5G module that not only meets the security access requirement for power grid, but also has the advantage of low hardware upgrade cost, flexibility and scalability.Therefore, a 5G lightweight hardware encryption module for power terminals was designed and developed.The module is connected with the power terminal in the form of pluggable interface, and the capability of 5G communication and encryption authentication could be quickly realized just by terminal software upgrade.The test results show that the module has chip-level security authentication capability, and can take into account 5G communication and security mechanism, which not only improves the security of terminal access to the power intranet, but also reduces the difficulty of terminal transformation and 5G communication hardware upgrade cost.

Osteoclasts are crucial in the events leading to bone metastasis of lung cancer. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) affects osteogenesis by regulating the survival of osteoclast precursors (OCPs) and is enriched in lung cancer cells. However, how factors derived from tumor cells that metastasize to bone affect osteoclastogenesis remains poorly understood. We examined whether IL-17A derived from lung cancer cells affects osteoclast differentiation by regulating OCP apoptosis. IL-17A expression was inhibited in A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells using RNA interference. Compared with conditioned medium (CM) from A549 cells (A549-CM), CM from IL-17A-deficient A549 cells (A549-si-CM) suppressed osteoclastogenesis. The mRNA expression of osteoclast-specific genes was downregulated following A549-si-CM treatment. Furthermore, A549-si-CM promoted osteoclast precursor apoptosis at an early stage of osteoclastogenesis, which was related to the promotion of caspase-3 expression by A549-si-CM during osteoclast differentiation. In vivo experiments also showed that inhibition of IL-17A expression in A549 cells reduced osteoclast activation and bone tissue destruction. Collectively, our results indicate that IL-17A deficiency inhibits lung cancer-induced osteoclast differentiation by promoting apoptosis of osteoclast precursors in the early stage of osteoclast formation and that IL-17A is a potential therapeutic target for cancer-associated bone resorption in patients with lung cancer.

Insufficiently studied, the phenomenon of twisted wind is prevalent in mountainous regions. This study focuses on investigating the characteristics and aerodynamics of a single high-rise building subjected to a twisted wind field (TWF). By comparing the 0° conventional wind field (CWF) with two TWFs (TWF15 and TWF 30) with maximum twisted angle of 15° and 30°, both wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are employed. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to examine the differences between TWFs and CWF in terms of wind profiles, turbulence, aerodynamic characteristics of single high-rise buildings, and wake vortex morphology. The results demonstrate notable disparities between TWF and CWF. Particularly, the twisted wind induces inflection in the wind profile, leading to significant acceleration or deceleration. Moreover, the twisted effect generates an asymmetric distribution of average building surface pressure, thereby introducing the potential for asymmetric or torsional loading extremes. Phenomenologically, the twisted effect weakens shear layer separation, creates squeezed separation bubbles, and promotes premature reattachment, resulting in distinct flow field morphologies compared to CWF. Furthermore, as the wind twisted angle increases, the energy concentration associated with Bernard-Karman shedding diminishes, thereby significantly altering the wake characteristics.

Abstract Background The lipopeptide herbicolin A (HA) secreted by the biocontrol agent Pantoea agglomerans ZJU23 is a promising antifungal drug to combat fungal pathogens by targeting lipid rafts, both in agricultural and clinical settings. Improvement of HA production would be of great significance in promoting its commercialization. This study aims to enhance the HA production in ZJU23 by combining fermentation optimization and strain engineering. Results Based on the results in the single-factor experiments, corn steep liquor, temperature and initial pH were identified as the significant affecting factors by the Plackett–Burman design. The fermentation medium and conditions were further optimized using the Box-Behnken response surface method, and the HA production of the wild type strain ZJU23 was improved from ~ 87 mg/mL in King’s B medium to ~ 211 mg/mL in HA induction (HAI) medium. A transposon library was constructed in ZJU23 to screen for mutants with higher HA production, and two transcriptional repressors for HA biosynthesis, LrhA and PurR, were identified. Disruption of the LrhA gene led to increased mRNA expression of HA biosynthetic genes, and subsequently improved about twofold HA production. Finally, the HA production reached ~ 471 mg/mL in the ΔLrhA mutant under optimized fermentation conditions, which is about 5.4 times higher than before (~ 87 mg/mL). The bacterial suspension of the ΔLrhA mutant fermented in HAI medium significantly enhanced its biocontrol efficacy against gray mold disease and Fusarium crown rot of wheat, showing equivalent control efficacies as the chemical fungicides used in this study. Furthermore, HA was effective against fungicide resistant Botrytis cinerea. Increased HA production substantially improved the control efficacy against gray mold disease caused by a pyrimethanil resistant strain. Conclusions This study reveals that the transcriptional repressor LrhA negatively regulates HA biosynthesis and the defined HAI medium is suitable for HA production. These findings provide an extended basis for large-scale production of HA and promote biofungicide development based on ZJU23 and HA in the future. Graphical Abstract

Despite the large demand for dental restoration each year, the design of crown restorations is mainly performed via manual software operation, which is tedious and subjective. Moreover, the current design process lacks biomechanics optimization, leading to localized stress concentration and reduced working life. To tackle these challenges, we develop a fully automated algorithm for crown restoration based on deformable model fitting and biomechanical optimization. From a library of dental oral scans, a conditional shape model (CSM) is constructed to represent the inter-teeth shape correlation. By matching the CSM to the patient’s oral scan, the optimal crown shape is estimated to coincide with the surrounding teeth. Next, the crown is seamlessly integrated into the finish line of preparation via a surface warping step. Finally, porous internal supporting structures of the crown are generated to avoid excessive localized stresses. This algorithm is validated on clinical oral scan data and achieved less than 2 mm mean surface distance as compared to the manual designs of experienced human operators. The mechanical simulation was conducted to prove that the internal supporting structures lead to uniform stress distribution all over the model.

Background The incorporation of noncoplanar beam arrangements has been proposed in liver radiotherapy modalities, which can reduce the dose in normal tissues compared to coplanar techniques. Noncoplanar radiotherapy techniques for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment based on the Linac design have a limited effective arc angle to avoid collisions. Purpose To propose a novel noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system and investigate its performance in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Methods The computed tomography was deflected 90° to meet the structure of a cage-like radiotherapy system and design the noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system plan in the Pinnacle3 planning system. An noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system plan was customized for each of 10 included hepatocellular carcinoma patients, with 6 dual arcs ranging from −30° to 30°. Six couch angles were set with an interval of 36° and distributed along with the longest diameter of planning target volume. The dosimetric parameters of noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system plan were compared with the noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy plan. Results The 3 radiotherapy techniques regarding planning target volume were statistically different for D98%, D2%, conformity index, and homogeneity index with χ 2 = 9.692, 14.600, 8.600, and 12.600, and P = .008, .001, .014, and .002, respectively. Further multiple comparisons revealed that noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system significantly reduced the mean dose ( P = .005) and V5 ( P = .005) of the normal liver, the mean dose ( P = .005) of the stomach, and V30 ( P = .028) of the lung compared to noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy. Noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system significantly reduced the mean dose ( P = .005) and V5 ( P = .005) of the normal liver, the mean dose ( P = .017) of the spinal cord, V50 ( P = .043) of the duodenum, the maximum dose ( P = .007) of the esophagus, and V30 ( P = .047) of the whole lung compared to volumetric modulated arc therapy. The results indicate that noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system protects the normal liver, stomach, and lung better than noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy and protects the normal liver, spinal cord, duodenum, esophagus, and lung better than volumetric modulated arc therapy. Conclusions The noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system technique with the arrangement of noncoplanar arcs provided optimal dosimetric gains compared with noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy, except for the heart. Noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy technique based on a cage-like radiotherapy system should be considered in more clinically challenging cases.

The transmission ratio of NN reducer is discrete and nonlinear, and the gear matching method determines the volume and stability of a reducer. In previous studies， most scholars tried to find out the key parameters affecting the change of transmission ratio or the change rule of transmission ratio. However， the search method is complicated and tooth matching method is single. An improved differential evolution algorithm is proposed to search the transmission ratio. The constraint variables of the teeth in the transmission ratio are analyzed， and the global search of the transmission ratio and the matching method within the specified range is carried out by using the four-fold cyclic logic. An adaptive differential evolution algorithm is improved， and the forced intervention differential evolution algorithm based on the change of the optimal trait is proposed， which adjusts the mutation operator timely based on the change process of the optimal trait in each evolutionary period. Taking the solution of the maximum transmission ratio as an example and based on the global search results， the possibility of using differential evolution algorithm to solve the transmission ratio problem of NN reducer is verified.

Abstract Background Plants can recruit beneficial microbes to enhance their ability to defend against pathogens. However, in contrast to the intensively studied roles of the rhizosphere microbiome in suppressing plant pathogens, the collective community-level change and effect of the phyllosphere microbiome in response to pathogen invasion remains largely elusive. Results Here, we integrated 16S metabarcoding, shotgun metagenomics and culture-dependent methods to systematically investigate the changes in phyllosphere microbiome between infected and uninfected citrus leaves by Diaporthe citri, a fungal pathogen causing melanose disease worldwide. Multiple microbiome features suggested a shift in phyllosphere microbiome upon D. citri infection, highlighted by the marked reduction of community evenness, the emergence of large numbers of new microbes, and the intense microbial network. We also identified the microbiome features from functional perspectives in infected leaves, such as enriched microbial functions for iron competition and potential antifungal traits, and enriched microbes with beneficial genomic characteristics. Glasshouse experiments demonstrated that several bacteria associated with the microbiome shift could positively affect plant performance under D. citri challenge, with reductions in disease index ranging from 65.7 to 88.4%. Among them, Pantoea asv90 and Methylobacterium asv41 identified as “recruited new microbes” in the infected leaves, exhibited antagonistic activities to D. citri both in vitro and in vivo, including inhibition of spore germination and/or mycelium growth. Sphingomonas spp. presented beneficial genomic characteristics and were found to be the main contributor for the functional enrichment of iron complex outer membrane receptor protein in the infected leaves. Moreover, Sphingomonas asv20 showed a stronger suppression ability against D. citri in iron-deficient conditions than iron-sufficient conditions, suggesting a role of iron competition during their antagonistic action. Conclusions Overall, our study revealed how phyllosphere microbiomes differed between infected and uninfected citrus leaves by melanose pathogen, and identified potential mechanisms for how the observed microbiome shift might have helped plants cope with pathogen pressure. Our findings provide novel insights into understanding the roles of phyllosphere microbiome responses during pathogen challenge. Video abstract

Bone is a frequent target of tumor metastasis, with high incidence rate and poor prognosis. Osteoclasts play a key role in the process of tumor bone metastasis. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is an inflammatory cytokine, highly expressed in a variety of tumor cells, that can alter the autophagic activity of other cells, thereby causing corresponding lesions. Previous studies have shown that low concentration IL-17A can promote osteoclastogenesis. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of low concentration IL-17A promoting osteoclastogenesis by regulating autophagic activity. The results of our study showed that IL-17A could promote the differentiation of osteoclast precursors (OCPs) into osteoclasts in the presence of RANKL, and increase the mRNA levels of osteoclast-specific genes. Moreover, IL-17A increased the expression of Beclin1 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK and mTOR, leading to enhanced autophagy of OCPs, accompanied by decreased OCP apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of Beclin1 and suppression of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly attenuated the enhanced osteoclastogenesis induced by IL-17A. In summary, these results indicate that low concentration IL-17A enhances the autophagic activity of OCPs through the ERK/mTOR/Beclin1 pathway during osteoclastogenesis, and further promotes osteoclast differentiation, suggesting that IL-17A may serve as a potential therapeutic target for cancer-related bone resorption in cancer patients.

The Isaria cicadae, is well known highly prized medicinal mushroom with great demand in food and pharmaceutical industry. Due to its economic value and therapeutic uses, natural sources of wild I. cicadae are over-exploited and reducing continuously. Therefore, commercial cultivation in controlled environment is an utmost requirement to fulfill the consumer’s demand. Due to the lack of knowledge on fruiting body (synnemata) development and regulation, commercial cultivation is currently in a difficult situation. In the growth cycle of macrofungi, such as mushrooms, light is the main factor affecting growth and development, but so far, specific effects of light on the growth and development of I. cicadae is unknown. In this study, we identified a blue light receptor white-collar-1 (Icwc-1) gene homologue with well-defined functions in morphological development in I. cicadae based on gene knockout technology and transcriptomic analysis. It was found that the Icwc-1 gene significantly affected hyphal growth and fruiting body development. This study confirms that Icwc-1 acts as an upstream regulatory gene that regulates genes associated with fruiting body formation, pigment-forming genes, and related genes for enzyme synthesis. Transcriptome data analysis also found that Icwc-1 affects many important metabolic pathways of I. cicadae, i.e., amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. The above findings will not only provide a comprehensive understanding about the molecular mechanism of light regulation in I. cicadae, but also provide new insights for future breeding program and improving this functional food production.

Safe, economical and high-quality storage of huge amount of grain for a longer duration under COVID-19 is a challenge and underground storage is a good alternative due to stable temperature, less cooling consumption and better pest control effect. However, the underground silo has very high requirement of waterproof and the performance of underground silo under combined compression and water pressure was rarely studied. In this study, a new composite structure, polypropylene – concrete wall (PPCW) for underground silo was proposed. Total three PPCWs with different size were manufactured to test the waterproofing features under joint effect of compression and hydropower of water. The strains, lateral displacement and cracking conditions of PPCWs were investigated. According to the experimental results, the PP board and concrete presented very good performance of interaction working under compression. The maximum water pressure of the specimens with stud spacing of 250mm increased by about 15.7% compared with that of the specimens with stud spacing of 350mm. The welding and strength of PP board has the greatest influence on the ultimate performance of PPCW. Based on the empirical coefficient method of concrete flat-slab and tested results, a new modified method was proposed to predict the bending moment at mid-span of PPCW by using an adjustment coefficient, Rm. Considering this experimental case only, the adopting a Rm = 0.64 could control the relative errors between test and analysis under 15.6%.

Tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), an emerging environmental pollutant, has been frequently detected in natural waters. The objective of this study was to investigate possible parental transfer of TCEP and transgenerational effects on the early development and thyroid hormone homeostasis in F1 larvae following parental whole life-cycle exposure to TCEP. To this end, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.8, 4, 20 and 100 μg/L) of TCEP for 120 days until sexual maturation. Parental exposure to TCEP resulted in significant levels of TCEP, developmental toxicity including decreased survival and final hatching rates, accelerated heart rate and elevated malformation rate, as well as induction of oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in F1 offspring. In F1 eggs, declined thyroxin (T4) levels were observed, consistent with those in plasma of F0 adult females, indicating the maternal transfer of thyroid endocrine disruption to the offspring. In addition, mRNA levels of several genes along the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis were significantly modified in F1 larvae, which could be linked to transgenerational developmental toxicity and thyroid hormone disruption. For the first time, we revealed that the parental exposure to environmentally relevant levels of TCEP could cause developmental toxicity and thyroid endocrine disruption in subsequent unexposed generation.

Measurement(s) brain metabolism measurement Technology Type(s) FDG-Positron Emission Tomography Factor Type(s) age • sex Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens Sample Characteristic - Location China Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16382418

Nowadays, with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), entrepreneurship education has attracted more and more attention from society. To this end, it is necessary to gradually transform the traditional teaching mode into a new type of teaching that is more innovative, practical, and inclusive and in line with entrepreneurship education. The focus of the teaching mode change is on the optimization of the teaching environment. For this purpose, a method derived from distributed virtual reality (DVR) technology is specially designed. It refers to the fact that multiple users can join together through a computer network and participate in a virtual space at the same time to experience the virtual experience together. Based on this, the distributed 3D interior design is innovatively proposed. The innovation is mainly reflected in the application of VR technology, which is different from traditional software design. According to the functions and needs of the entrepreneurship teaching environment, first, the distributed feature information is collected, and second, the corresponding color image model is constructed by the fusion method, and edge contour detection and corresponding feature data extraction are carried out for the distributed image. Using a Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) color decomposition method, the pixel feature decomposition of spatially distributed image color is performed. And the feature reorganization of the 3D point cloud is combined to optimize the color space and color features of the combined design. On this basis, the distributed 3D interior design system is designed with VR and visual simulation technology. Finally, the Three-Dimensional Studio Max (3ds MAX) is used to establish 3D modeling, and the modeling software Multigen Creator is adopted to carry out the hierarchical structural design. The test results manifest that the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and information saturation of the distributed 3D interior design are reduced by 0.2 compared with the traditional design, the time overhead is shortened to one-sixth of the original, and the effect is more in line with the design requirements. It is hoped that this design method can provide new ideas and new perspectives for the optimization of the entrepreneurship teaching environment.

The vibration of the heart valves’ closure is an important component of the heart sound and contains important information about the mechanical activity of a heart. Stenosis of the distal pulmonary artery can lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH). Therefore, in this paper, the relationship between the vibration sound of heart valves and the pulmonary artery blood pressure was investigated to contribute to the noninvasive detection of PH. In this paper, a lumped parameter circuit platform of pulmonary circulation was first set to guide the establishment of a mock loop of circulation. By adjusting the distal vascular resistance of the pulmonary artery, six different pulmonary arterial pressure states were achieved. In the experiment, pulmonary artery blood pressure, right ventricular blood pressure, and the vibration sound of the pulmonary valve and tricuspid valve were measured synchronously. Features of the time domain and frequency domain of two valves’ vibration sound were extracted. By conducting a significance analysis of the inter-group features, it was found that the amplitude, energy and frequency features of vibration sounds changed significantly. Finally, the continuously varied pulmonary arterial blood pressure and valves’ vibration sound were obtained by continuously adjusting the resistance of the distal pulmonary artery. A backward propagation neural network and deep learning model were used, respectively, to estimate the features of pulmonary arterial blood pressure, pulmonary artery systolic blood pressure, the maximum rising rate of pulmonary artery blood pressure and the maximum falling rate of pulmonary artery blood pressure by the vibration sound of the pulmonary and tricuspid valves. The results showed that the pulmonary artery pressure parameters can be well estimated by valve vibration sounds.

This exploration aims to promote the organic integration of innovation and entrepreneurship education and art education, further promote the reform of college Students’ cultural and aesthetic education, improve college Students’ aesthetic perception ability, and help contemporary colleges establish a correct political morality. This thesis aims to further promote the reform of college Students’ cultural and aesthetic education, improve college Students’ aesthetic perception ability, and help contemporary colleges establish correct political and moral values. First, the connotation of college Students’ aesthetic education and the definition of cultural aesthetics are introduced, which is based on the characteristics of two-way interaction, multiple selectivity, timeliness and popularization of film and television media in the new media era; then, the way of questionnaire is adopted. With five universities as the research object, 250 questionnaires are distributed, and 235 valid questionnaires are collected, with a valid response rate of 94%. Finally, through the six questions, it is concluded that 68.9% of the students watch 3–5 h a day, and 4.3% of the students watch more than 7 h; 89.4% of the students hold that the same products as stars in film and television will exert an impact on consumption. Film and television culture and art have a positive and negative impact on college Students’ cultural aesthetic perception. The positive impact is that the film and television media not only provides a good way to cultivate the aesthetic perception ability of contemporary college students, but also helps them to establish the correct aesthetic values. The negative impact is mainly reflected in two levels, namely, the vulgarization of film and television media works and the consumption of aesthetic concepts. The advantage of this exploration is to put forward the reform measures of college Students’ cultural and artistic aesthetic education under the current educational background in China to help colleges better carry out college Students’ cultural and artistic aesthetic education. Based on this, the reform measures of college Students’ cultural aesthetic education under the current education in China were put forward, so as to help colleges and universities better carry out college Students’ cultural aesthetic education.

PurposeThe computed tomography fat attenuation index (FAI) is an ideal quantifiable imaging factor to identify the inflammation degree of peri-tumor adipose tissue. We aimed to verify whether FAI could reflect peri-tumor adipose inflammation, predict the survival outcome of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and discover transcriptomic features of tumor tissues and adjacent adipocytes.Materials and MethodsTwo clinical cohorts (Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center [FUSCC] cohort [n=129] and TCGA cohort [n=218]) were used to explore the association between FAI and clinical outcome. A prospective cohort (n = 19) was used to discover the molecular phenotyping of peri-tumor adipose tissue and tumor tissue according to their FAI value. A clinical cohort (n = 32) in which patients received cyto-reductive surgery was used to reveal the dynamic change of FAI.ResultsA high peri-tumor FAI was significantly associated with a worse outcome in both the FUSCC (HR = 2.28, p = 0.01) and the TCGA cohort (HR = 2.24, p

The golden–needle mushroom Flammulina filiformis is one of the most precious cultivated edible fungi in the world. Despite recent progress in the study of F. filiformis, there is still a gap in the regulation of the mitochondrial genome during browning, which poses a serious threat to the golden–needle mushroom industry. Comparative transcriptome analysis of two isonuclear alloplasmic strains showed that changes in the mitochondrial genome lead to different gene expression and key biological pathways at different stages in the two isonuclear alloplasmic strains. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed that the mitochondrial genome has a significant role in the regulation of a multitude of critical metabolic pathways relating to the browning of F. filiformis fruiting bodies. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in many vital processes of mitochondria, mitochondrial membrane, and multiple amino acid metabolisms of F. filiformis. Taken together, the current study highlights the crucial role of the mitochondrial genome in the growth of F. filiformis and could be beneficial to genetic breeding of elite varieties of edible fungi.

In population-oriented ergonomics product design and musculoskeletal kinetics analysis, digital spine models of different shape, pose and material property are in great demand. The purpose of this study was to construct a parameterized finite element spine model with adjustable spine shape and material property. We used statistical shape model approach to learn inter-subject shape distribution from 65 CT images of training subjects. Second order polynomial regression was used to model the age-dependent changes in vertebral material property derived from spatially aligned CT images. Finally, a parametric spine generator was developed to create finite element instances of different shapes and material properties. For quantitative analysis, the generalization ability to emulate spine shapes of different people was evaluated by fitting into 17 test CT images. The median fitting accuracy was 0.8 for Dice coefficient and 0.43 mm for average surface distance. The age-dependent bone density regression curve was also proved to well agree with large population statistics data. Finite element simulation was performed to compare how shape parameters influenced the biomechanics distribution of spine. The proposed parametric finite element whole spine model will assist the design process of new devices and biomechanical simulation towards a wide range of population.

Background End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the final stage during the development of renal failure. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in patients with ESRD, which in turn aggravates the progression of renal failure, however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal the pathogenesis and to discover novel peripheral biomarkers for ESRD patients with depression through metabolomic analysis. Methods Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was used to explore changes of serum metabolites among healthy controls, ESRD patients with or without depression. The differential metabolites between groups were subjected to clustering analysis, pathway analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results A total of 57 significant serum differential metabolites were identified between ESRD patients with or without depression, which were involved in 19 metabolic pathways, such as energy metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, and glutamate-centered metabolism. Moreover, the area under the ROC curve of gentisic acid, uric acid, 5-hydroxytryptamine, 2-phosphoglyceric acid, leucyl-phenylalanine, propenyl carnitine, naloxone, pregnenolone, 6-thioxanthene 5'-monophosphate, hydroxyl ansoprazole, zileuton O-glucuronide, cabergoline, PA(34:2), PG(36:1), probucol and their combination was greater than 0.90. Conclusions Inflammation, oxidative stress and energy metabolism abnormalities, glycerolipid metabolism, and glutamate-centered metabolism are associated with the pathogenesis of ESRD with depression, which may be promising targets for therapy. Furthermore, the identified differential metabolites may serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of ESRD patients with depression.

Isaria cicadae is a famous edible and medicinal fungus in China and Asia. The molecular basis of morphogenesis and synnemal formation needs to be understood in more detail because this is the main source of biomass production in I. cicadae. In the present study, a fruiting body formation-related gene with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring protein (GPI-Ap) gene homolog IcFBR1 was identified by screening random insertion mutants. Targeted deletion of IcFBR1 resulted in abnormal formation of synnemata, impairing aerial hyphae growth and sporulation. The IcFBR1 mutants were defective in the utilization of carbon sources with reduced polysaccharide contents and the regulation of amylase and protease activities. Transcriptome analysis of ΔIcfbr1 showed that IcFBR1 deletion influenced 49 gene ontology terms, including 23 biological processes, 9 molecular functions, and 14 cellular components. IcFBR1 is therefore necessary for regulating synnemal development, secondary metabolism, and nutrient utilization in this important edible and medicinal fungus. This is the first report illustrating that the function of IcFBR1 is associated with the synnemata in I. cicadae.

Background: Urea, the end product of protein metabolism, has been considered to have negligible toxicity for a long time. Our previous study showed a depression phenotype in urea transporter (UT) B knockout mice, which suggests that abnormal urea metabolism may cause depression. The purpose of this study was to determine if urea accumulation in brain is a key factor causing depression using clinical data and animal models. Methods: A meta-analysis was used to identify the relationship between depression and chronic diseases. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) brain scans and common biochemical indexes were compared between the patients and healthy controls. We used behavioural tests, electrophysiology, and molecular profiling techniques to investigate the functional role and molecular basis in mouse models. Findings: After performing a meta-analysis, we targeted the relevance between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and depression. In a CKD mouse model and a patient cohort, depression was induced by impairing the medial prefrontal cortex. The enlarged cohort suggested that urea was responsible for depression. In mice, urea was sufficient to induce depression, interrupt long-term potentiation (LTP) and cause loss of synapses in several models. The mTORC1-S6K pathway inhibition was necessary for the effect of urea. Lastly, we identified that the hydrolysate of urea, cyanate, was also involved in this pathophysiology. Interpretation: These data indicate that urea accumulation in brain is an independent factor causing depression, bypassing the psychosocial stress. Urea or cyanate carbamylates mTOR to inhibit the mTORC1-S6K dependent dendritic protein synthesis, inducing impairment of synaptic plasticity in mPFC and depression-like behaviour. CKD patients may be able to attenuate depression only by strict management of blood urea. Keywords: Urea, Depression, LTP, Carbamylation, mTOR

Statistical shape models (SSMs) have been established as robust anatomical priors for medical image segmentation, registration and anatomy modelling. To construct an SSM which accurately models the inter-subject anatomical variations, it is crucial to compute accurate shape correspondence between the training samples. To achieve this goal, the state-of-the-art shape correspondence computation methods always require tedious segmentation of the training images, while they seldom pay enough attention to the correspondence accuracy of key anatomical landmarks like the bone joints, vessel bifurcations, etc. As a result, the computation of shape correspondence is time-consuming and the correspondence accuracy is imperfect. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a novel shape correspondence computation approach which eliminates the need for image segmentation by registering an organ shape template to the training images. This method allows the human expert to specify key anatomical landmarks in the training images to define the correspondence of the crucial landmarks. An intensity-and-landmark-combined strategy is implemented to utilized both the image intensity and expert landmarks to obtain accurate shape correspondence. This method is evaluated for the construction of head anatomy SSM and spine SSM based on computed tomography (CT) images. The SSMs constructed using the proposed method demonstrates better shape correspondence accuracy than other state-of-the-arts correspondence methods. In particular, this method obtains pixel-level surface correspondence accuracy (1.38 mm) for the skull and sub-pixel level accuracy (0.92 mm) for the spine. The generalisability and specificity of the SSMs constructed using our method are also superior to SSMs constructed using other compared correspondence methods. With this method, we propose a novel approach which takes less human intervention and produces higher quality SSM with better shape modelling accuracy.

Urea transporter B (UT-B) is a membrane channel protein widely distributed in mammals, and plays a significant physiological role by regulating urea and water transportation in different tissues. More and more studies have found that UT-B is related to neurological diseases, including myelinopathy and depression. When urea accumulates in the brains of UT-B knockout mice, the synaptic plasticity of neurons is reduced, and the morphology and function of glial cells are also changed. However, the distribution and expression change of UT-B remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the expression characteristics of UT-B in the brain. Through single-cell RNA sequencing, UT-B was found to express universally and substantially throughout the various cells in the central nervous system except for endothelial and smooth muscle cells. UT-B was detected in the third cerebral ventricular wall, granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, and other parts of the hippocampal, cerebral cortex, substantia nigra, habenular, and lateral hypothalamic nucleus by immunohistochemistry. Compared with the membrane expression of UT-B in glial cells, the subcellular localization of UT-B is in the Golgi apparatus of neurons. Further, the expression of UT-B was regulated by osmotic pressure in vitro. In the experimental traumatic brain injury model (TBI), the number of UT-B positive neurons near the ipsilateral cerebral cortex increased first and then decreased over time, peaking at the 24 h. We inferred that change in UT-B expression after the TBI was an adaptation to changed urea levels. The experimental data suggest that the UT-B may be a potential target for the treatment of TBI and white matter edema.

ABSTRACT Environmental strains of the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis have valuable applications in agriculture, industry, and biotechnology; however, environmental strains are genetically less accessible. This reduced accessibility is in sharp contrast to laboratory strains, which are well known for their natural competence, and a limitation in their applications. In this study, we observed that robust biofilm formation by environmental strains of B. subtilis greatly reduced the frequency of competent cells in the biofilm. By using model strain 3610, we revealed a cross-pathway regulation that allows biofilm matrix producers and competence-developing cells to undergo mutually exclusive cell differentiation. We further demonstrated that the competence activator ComK represses the key biofilm regulatory gene sinI by directly binding to the sinI promoter, thus blocking competent cells from simultaneously becoming matrix producers. In parallel, the biofilm activator SlrR represses competence through three distinct mechanisms involving both genetic regulation and cell morphological changes. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of limiting competence in a bacterial biofilm. IMPORTANCE The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis can form robust biofilms, which are important for its survival in the environment. B. subtilis also exhibits natural competence. By investigating competence development in B. subtilis in situ during biofilm formation, we reveal that robust biofilm formation often greatly reduces the frequency of competent cells within the biofilm. We then characterize a cross-pathway regulation that allows cells in these two developmental events to undergo mutually exclusive cell differentiation during biofilm formation. Finally, we discuss potential biological implications of limiting competence in a bacterial biofilm.

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) and prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating mast cells (TIMC) in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Methods The gene expression profiles of ACC were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE90713, GSE12368). The abundance of TIICs in ACC samples was calculated by CIBERSORT algorithm and immunohistochemistry was used to identify mast cells of 39 tumor samples from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by LIMMA package using R software. Survival analysis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models. Results The abundance of mast cells (p = .008) was positively correlated with ACC patients’ outcome in TCGA cohort and was also positively correlated with both overall survival (p

To date, many digital atlases of the human head have been developed, but few incorporate the anatomical variations of the population. In this paper, for the first time, we constructed two digital head atlases (DHAs) of Chinese male and female adults, which can be deformed to simulate the inter-subject anatomical variations. The atlases were developed to assist with personalized medical treatment, population based radio magnetic simulation, and medical imaging device design. The statistical shape model approach was used to construct the atlases based on a training set of 65 computed tomography (CT) images (including those of 46 males and 19 females). To evaluate the accuracy of anatomy modeling, we compared the atlas morphometry parameters with the reference values of the Chinese population and observed the reasonable agreement between them. Compared with the existing digital human head atlases, a unique feature of the DHA is the capability of emulating individual head anatomy via model deformation. This feature is validated by registering the DHAs to patient CT images. The registered atlases provide complete anatomy of the target subjects, including the structures that are not clearly visible in the CT images.

With the development of smart grid and the increasing of network application within the electric power information network,electric power CDN plays an important role of network acceleration technology,traffic load balancing and network security.However,facing the rapidly changing of application requirements,electric power CDN was required to response to the application deployment quickly and possess flexible application extensibility.In addition,there are some problems on electric power CDN node expansion,such as complex operations management and low utilization rate of resources.It is necessary to reform the traditional power CDN architecture,SDN and NFV technique can support.The data control can be extracted and transmitted by SDN from the network data,so it is conducive to expand a variety of application in power CDN rapidly.And NFV can expand the CDN node capacity and schedule node resources based on the application.It can effectively reduce the capital ecpenditure,storage and power consumption.

Trunk anatomy education is critical in the training of the surgeon. Most trunk anatomy education systems use a personal or synthetic anatomical model. It remains difficult to obtain appropriate population anatomy information and create individualized anatomy customization based on a quantity of diverse data. Furthermore, the naked-eye virtual reality modality provides advantages in immersive learning and meta-information transmission. In this study, we present a novel VR torso anatomy teaching environment with naked-eye three-dimensional visualization and free-hand interaction. This article allows us for comprehensive modeling, visualization, and interaction of torso anatomy for human anatomical variation education. In particular, we derive the genuine shape of Chinese male and female torso organs based on the statistical shape model generated from 129 healthy Chinese individuals. The following visual information is given with interaction: 1) Anatomy for human torso organs from CT imaging: geometric modeling, visualization, and interaction of male and female torso organs, including skin, muscle, torso skeleton, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys; 2) morphological differences of trunk organs from meta-information: motion deformation modeling, visualization, and interaction of male and female deformable torso model; 3) instant personalized customization: real-time interaction and visualization for personalized customization with shape mode coefficients and soft body simulation.

PBRM1 is a novel tumor suppressor gene that can inhibit cancer cell proliferation and predict the outcome of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but its biological role needs further elucidation. We examined expression of the PBRM1 gene in RCC cell lines and the effect of PBRM1 on cell proliferation and cell cycle in RCC ACHN cells. Microarray processing and analysis was used to explore novel pathways involved in tumorigenesis related to PBRM1 knockdown. PBRM1 was expressed at high levels in RCC ACHN cells and lentivirus-mediated PBRM1 knockdown in these cells caused an increase in the proportion of cells in S phase of the cell cycle and promoted in vitro proliferation and migration. In vivo experiments showed that downregulation of PBRM1 promoted tumorigenesis in nude mice. In pathway gene chip analysis, the chemokine/chemokine receptor interaction pathway showed the greatest difference in gene expression upon PBRM1 knockdown. Protein levels of IL6ST and CCL2 were increased, whereas levels of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, and CXCL2 were decreased, in knockdown cells. Re-expression of IL-8 in PBRM1 knockdown ACHN cells could significantly decrease cell proliferation/migration and induced cell arrest in the G2/M phase. These findings indicate that PBRM1 alters cell cycle progression and inhibits proliferation and migration of ACHN cells through the chemokine/chemokine receptor pathway.

Objective: In this study, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was chosen as the coating for ellagic acid to prepare ellagic acid microspheres, and the effect of microspheres on the growth of HepG2 cells was observed. Methods: Scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and release rate analysis were used to identify the formation of ellagic acid microspheres. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of ellagic acid microspheres on tumor cell proliferation at 6, 12, 24 and 36 h, and cell morphology and quantity were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Single-cell gel electrophoresis was used to observe the effect of ellagic acid microspheres on the DNA damage of HepG2 cells, and the Olive tail moment and the mRNA expression of tumor suppressor protein gene p53 was measured. Results: β-CD could be used as wrapping material of ellagic acid to prepare ellagic acid microspheres. HepG2 cell proliferation could be inhibited by 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 g/L of ellagic acid microspheres in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the mechanism of proliferation inhibition was related to DNA damage and cell apoptosis. Conclusion: Preparing ellagic acid microspheres with β-CD is feasible, and ellagic acid microspheres have potential therapeutic value (anticancer).

BACKGROUND:To evaluate the association between various components of body composition and overall survival of patients treated with targeted therapies for advanced renal cell carcinoma. METHODS:This retrospective study included 124 Chinese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who had been treated with targeted therapy from 2008 to 2012 at Fudan University Cancer Center. The L3 plane from a computed tomography scan was analyzed. Area and density were recorded as quantitative and quality measures. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportion hazard regression models were constructed to calculate the crude and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of various components of body composition for overall survival. X-tile software was used to search for optimal cutoffs for male and female patients and the concordance index evaluated incremental changes in prognostication. RESULTS:After adjusting for age, sex and Heng risk stratification, only visceral adipose tissue index (HR 0.981, p = 0.002) and subcutaneous adipose tissue index (HR 0.987, p = 0.048) were independently associated with overall survival. Visceral adipose tissue remained a significant prognostic factor (HR 0.997, p = 0.005) when the influence of body mass index was included. Using defined cutoffs, patients with low VAT had double the death rate (p = 0.007). Visceral adipose tissue also added significant benefit to Heng risk stratification. Further exploratory analysis revealed that visceral adipose tissue may be an indicator of nutritional status in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION:Radiologic measurement of VAT is an independent prognostic factor for Asian patients treated with targeted therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Quetiapine (Que), a commonly used atypical antipsychotic drug (APD), can prevent myelin from breakdown without immune attack. Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune reactive inflammation demyelinating disease, is triggered by activated myelin-specific T lymphocytes (T cells). In this study, we investigated the potential efficacy of Que as an immune-modulating therapeutic agent for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model for MS. Que treatment was initiated on the onset of MOG(35-55) peptide induced EAE mice and the efficacy of Que on modulating the immune response was determined by Flow Cytometry through analyzing CD4(+)/CD8(+) populations and the proliferation of effector T cells (CD4(+)CD25(-)) in peripheral immune organs. Our results show that Que dramatically attenuates the severity of EAE symptoms. Que treatment decreases the extent of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell infiltration into the spinal cord and suppresses local glial activation, thereby diminishing the loss of mature oligodendrocytes and myelin breakdown in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Our results further demonstrate that Que treatment decreases the CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell populations in lymph nodes and spleens of EAE mice and inhibits either MOG(35-55) or anti-CD3 induced proliferation as well as IL-2 production of effector T cells (CD4(+)CD25(-)) isolated from EAE mice spleen. Together, these findings suggest that Que displays an immune-modulating role during the course of EAE, and thus may be a promising candidate for treatment of MS.

Conjugate gradient method is verified to be efficient for nonlinear optimization problems of large-dimension data. In this paper, a penalized linear and nonlinear combined conjugate gradient method for the reconstruction of fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) is presented. The algorithm combines the linear conjugate gradient method and the nonlinear conjugate gradient method together based on a restart strategy, in order to take advantage of the two kinds of conjugate gradient methods and compensate for the disadvantages. A quadratic penalty method is adopted to gain a nonnegative constraint and reduce the illposedness of the problem. Simulation studies show that the presented algorithm is accurate, stable, and fast. It has a better performance than the conventional conjugate gradient-based reconstruction algorithms. It offers an effective approach to reconstruct fluorochrome information for FMT.