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Background and Aim: Glioma is one of the most prevalent and refractory brain cancers with a high recurrence rate. Current limitations of experimental in vitro models include their inability to remodel the heterogeneity of the parental tumors and their incapacity to effectively reflect antitumor effects and mechanisms observable in vivo. Organoid models, as a new technology developed in recent years, can preserve the histological characteristics, cellular diversity, and gene expression of parental tumors to the fullest extent, thereby delivering more reliable data. This study intends to construct a simple organoid model developed from glioma patient material. Materials and Methods: Glioma samples were taken intraoperatively and cultured in the organoid medium using a continuous horizontal shaker. Sample collection and scientific research were authorized and approved by the Ethics Committee of Kowloon Hospital, China (Approval No. KY-2021-007). Immunofluorescence was applied to identify CD31 and Sox2 protein expression in the organoid model. The differences between primary glioblastomas and transplanted organoid tumors were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot assay were used to analyze the Sox2, Ki67, and CD31 protein expression levels. Results: The success rate of establishing organoid models was 90.9% in the primary glioblastomas, 75.0% in the WHO Grade III gliomas, and 42.9% in the Grade I–II gliomas. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that in vitro cultured organoids expressed CD31 and Sox2. Similarly, IHC and Western blot assay showed that orthotopically transplanted organoid tumors could exhibit high expressions of Sox2, Ki67, and CD31. There were no significant differences regarding the pathological features of primary glioblastomas and glioma organoid model as judged by H and E staining. Conclusions: This study presents a simple in vitro organoid model established from glioma patient samples. The success rate of constructing an organoid model is correlated with the degree of glioma malignancy. The established organoid model displays original model properties and simplifies the development of new experimental platforms that can support preclinical glioma treatment studies.

Study designRetrospective Cohort Study.ObjectivesTo explore the feasibility and assess the efficacy of pedicle fixation with the Wiltse approach in the thoracic spine.Summary of background dataThe current application of Wiltse approach is mainly practiced in the lumbar and thoracolumbar spines. Its application in the thoracic spine, however, has received little attention, especially in cases that requires only pedicel screw fixation without spinal decompression.MethodsThe study analyzed the clinical records of consecutive patients with thoracic diseases who underwent pedicle fixation with either Wiltse or the conventional transmuscular approach (Wiltse group: 60 cases; Transmuscular group: 48 cases). Perioperative parameters, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, accuracy of pedicle screw placement, dead space between the muscles, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) appearance, electrophysiological changes in the multifidus muscle were compared between the two groups.ResultsCompared with the transmuscular group, the Wiltse group was significantly better in blood loss and postoperative VAS scores. No difference was observed in incision length, operation time, and hospital stay. The dead space between the muscle cross-sectional region in the transmuscular group was 315 ± 53 mm2, and no dead space was found in the Wiltse group. On MRI images, the multifidus cross-sectional area (CSA) in the Wiltse group between the preoperative period and the last follow-up reduced by only 10.1%, while transmuscular group showed 46.1% CSA reduction. Electrophysiologically, the median frequency slope of the transmuscular group grew by 47.8% with average amplitude reduced by 16.4% between the preoperative period and 12-month postoperative.ConclusionThe Wiltse approach for pedicle fixation in the thoracic spine is a feasible and effective treatment, with fewer traumas and reliable clinical results. In particular, the Wiltse approach reduces postoperative dead space between the muscles and causes less atrophy in the multifidus muscle.

Due to the characteristics of low stiffness, low air source pressure, and easy fluid saturation of the pneumatic servo system, the energy dissipation of the system during the working process is large, the system is easily affected by friction, and the compensation effect is not obvious. Especially, the "Flat roof phenomenon" will become stronger when changing the speed direction. It seriously affects the tracking accuracy of the pneumatic servo system. In this paper, the independent metering valve control structure is proposed to eliminate the energy dissipation caused by the coupling of two chambers, so that the air fluid characteristics are within the linear range as far as possible. The nonlinear adaptive robust control method is designed for the uncertainty of some parameters in the friction, external disturbances, and dynamic loads in the pneumatic system. At the same time, the stiffness adjustment and adaptive robust control of the system are coordinated to improve the dynamic performance of the pneumatic position servo system. The simulation and experimental results show that the adaptive robust controller with stiffness adjustment can effectively reduce the energy dissipation of the system, improve the position tracking accuracy of the system, and weaken the "Flat roof phenomenon" caused by friction.

The growing prevalence of hyperuricemia necessitates the urgent development of more potent treatments. This study aimed to develop, optimize, and evaluate the safety and efficacy of porcine–human recombinant uricase (PHRU) both in vitro and in vivo. The study employed gene editing of PHRU through site-directed mutagenesis, with recombinant proteins expressed in vitro utilizing Escherichia coli. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) approach was employed to augment uricase stability and diminish immunogenicity. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of PHRU were tested in vitro and in Sprague Dawley rats. Successful expression of the fusion protein in E. coli and the development of the PEGylated drug were achieved. In vitro experiments confirmed the efficacy of PEG-PHRU in degrading uric acid, with PEGylation not markedly affecting the biological activity of PHRU. Animal studies revealed that PEG-PHRU significantly lowered plasma uric acid levels and mitigated hyperuricemia-induced renal damage in rats. Both drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics exhibited favorable characteristics without observable adverse effects in experimental animals. This novel fusion protein shows the potential for ameliorating hyperuricemia and related renal complications, highlighting it as a promising drug candidate with substantial market applications.

The relationship between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI), a comprehensive measure of individual dietary antioxidants, and the prevalence and mortality of metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unknown. We aimed to explore these relationships in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We explored these relationships using two independent cohorts. First, we addressed CDAI and the prevalence of MetS in the general population; second, we explored the association between CDAI and mortality in patients with MetS by following NHANES 2001–2018 participants through December 31, 2019. In addition, restricted cubic spline (RCS), stratified analysis, and sensitivity analysis were used for further interpretation. We included 24,514 participants aged 20–85 years, in which the prevalence of MetS was 27.61 %. CDAI was negatively and dose-responsively associated with the prevalence of MetS, however it was not associated with mortality in patients with MetS. In addition, CDAI was associated with a reduced prevalence of certain components of MetS, including dyslipidemia and central obesity. RCS showed a linear correlation between CDAI and MetS and the above components. Stratified analyses indicated that alcohol consumption was a significant influence of CDAI-MetS and that socioeconomic status and lifestyle specificity existed. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the results. CDAI was protective against the development of MetS in the general population, but not against mortality in patients with MetS. Clinicians need to develop individualized prevention strategies to reduce the development of MetS by modifying CDAI.

Unconsolidated sand reservoirs containing heavy oil play a significant role in hydrocarbon resources, characterized by high porosity and permeability alongside abundant movable fines. During production, these fines can detach and migrate with the reservoir fluids, causing pore plugging and reduced productivity. Visualizing and quantitatively evaluating the evolution of pore structure caused by fines migration under various influencing factors at the microscale is fundamental for devising effective prevention and mitigation measures. This study employs on-line NMR experiments and CFD-DEM simulations to investigate fines migration processes and their effects on physical properties and pore structure at the pore scale. Results indicate that fines migration initiates the formation of a preferential network of migration pathways. The evolution of pore structure demonstrates zonal characteristics along the flow direction, with fines plugging and residual accumulation primarily occurring in the middle/rear section of the core. As the core’s skeleton porosity decreases, fines plugging intensifies; however, at high injection velocity, new dominant flow channels may emerge, leading to a transition from a single-peak to a double-peak T2 spectrum. Below the critical velocity (0.5–1 mL/min), an increase in flow velocity exacerbates severe fines plugging. Conversely, above the critical velocity, an increase in flow velocity results in a more pronounced enhancement of permeability.

BackgroundNegative symptoms and cognitive impairments are highly frequent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), associated with adverse functional outcomes and quality of life. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been considered a promising therapeutic option in SSD. However, placebo effects of rTMS on these symptoms remained unclear.ObjectiveTo investigate placebo effects of rTMS on alleviating negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in patients with SSD and to explore potential moderators.MethodsWe systematically searched five electronic databases up to 15 July 2023. Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trials investigating effects of rTMS on negative symptoms or cognition in patients with SSD were included. The pooled placebo effect sizes, represented by Hedges’ g, were estimated using the random-effects model. Potential moderators were explored through subgroup analysis and meta-regression.ResultsForty-four randomized controlled trials with 961 patients (mean age 37.53 years; 28.1% female) in the sham group were included. Significant low-to-moderate pooled placebo effect sizes were observed for negative symptoms (g=0.44, p

Abstract ‘Urban Dry (Wet) Islands’ (UDI/UWI) represents microclimate change that impacts ecosystems and human well-being. However, causes of the UDI (UWI) phenomena are not fully understood due to the lack of empirical data. Here, we quantify UDI (UWI) using global observations of atmospheric humidity, evapotranspiration (ET), and land surface characteristics across 25 large urban agglomerations. We show that UDI (17) and UWI (8) are closely tied to local ET, global warming, and ‘Urban Heat Islands’ through intertwined linkages with water and energy balances. UDI is most pronounced in humid vegetated regions where mean urban-rural annual ET differences are as high as 215 mm, whereas UWI is found in arid regions or in climates with dry summers. We conclude that ET can be used as a single variable to explain emerging urban environmental changes. Our study supports a concerted strategy of restoring nature’s ET power as effective ‘Nature-based Solutions’ to mitigate the negative environmental effects of urbanization.

Polypyrrole (PPy) has attracted widespread attention due to its excellent environmental stability, high conductivity, simple synthesis, good biocompatibility, and reversible redox properties. PPy derivatives not only inherit the advantages of polypyrrole, but also have some unique properties. The side and N-site substitution of PPy can not only yield polymers with good solubility, but it also endows polymers with special functionalities by controlling the introduced functional groups. The performance of copolymers can also be adjusted by the type of monomer or polymerization ratio. In this review, an overview of the different types, main preparation methods, and the application prospects of PPy derivatives reported to date are summarized and presented. The current challenges and future opportunities in this research area are also prospected.

Abstract Objective This research aimed to evaluate the influence of Modic changes (MCs) on disc degeneration at the same and adjacent cephalad levels in the cervical spine. Methods This research retrospectively reviewed 1036 patients with neck pain, upper limb pain, or numbness who were treated at our out-patient clinic and underwent cervical MRI and cervical anteroposterior/lateral radiography from Jan, 2016 to Jan, 2021. MCs and disc degeneration parameters at same and nearby cephalad levels of MCs were evaluated. Discs were divided into the MCs, adjacent, and control groups, and the association between MCs and disc degeneration at the same and adjacent cephalad levels was investigated. Results Of the 1036 patients whose MRI scans were reviewed, 986 met the inclusion criteria (503 women and 483 men; average age, 62.8 years; scope of 35–79 years). The prevalence of MCs in the cervical spine was 13.0% (128/986). Type I, II, III changes were observed in 38 (29.69%), 82 (64.06%), and 8 (6.25%) patients, respectively. MCs were most frequently identified at the C5–6 (59/986; 5.98%) and C6–7 (38/986; 3.85%) levels. Disc with MCs showed worse outcomes with regard to disc degeneration grade, anterior osteophyte formation than the adjacent and control groups (p

Quantifying the spatiotemporal dynamic of potential evapotranspiration (PET) in topographically complex country are often limited by the scarcity and difficulty in obtaining ground-based measured climate data. Remote sensing products have multiple advantage, which allows rapid acquisition of information and status over large areas and long time series. This study compared and explored the spatiotemporal variation of PET across Nepal using three widely-used remote sensing and reanalysis data PET products (CRU_PET, MODIS_PET and PML_PET), and PET estimation using Hargreaves-Samani method based on CHIRTS datasets. On the basis of this, the spatiotemporal dynamic at seasonal and annual level and the periodical change of PET and meteorological aridity index AI (precipitation P/PET) were identified using Mann-Kendall test and Morlet Wavelet method. These PET products showed general spatial consistency over most areas in Nepal with higher PET in the south and less in the north. However, great differences were also found in PET values for four different products. Compared with the three remote sensing and reanalysis data products, CHIRTS_PET performs better in Nepal. The AI based on CHIRTS_PET showed an insignificant increasing (wetting) trend in the western and southern regions, while an insignificant decreasing (drying) trend in the central and northeastern region, which is generally consistent with the spatial pattern of precipitation. In the western and southern regions, the positive impact of increasing precipitation on AI masked the negative effect of increasing PET, and thus making this region getting humid. However, in the central and northeastern region, the increase in PET aggravates the impact of reduced precipitation on the drying trend. Our investigation have broad implications for sustainable water resources management under climate change in a topographically complex country like Nepal.

The sub-grains coarsening and low melting point eutectic are the internal causes of cracking of single crystal super-alloys in welding. Aiming to overcome two internal causes, in this paper, the effect of ultrasonic pulse arc welding on the grains, sub-grains and the precipitations of single crystal super-alloys (IN738) has been comprehensively studied, and the microstructure evolution of IN738 in ultrasonic pulse arc welding has been systematically revealed. The results show that (1) the combined effect of ultrasonic vibration and electromagnetic oscillation not only realizes the synchronous refinement of grains and sub-grains in WMZ (weld metal zone), and the polycrystalline transformation of single crystal super-alloys. A novel 3D schematic model of sub-grains is established to evaluate the size and orientation of sub-grains in 3D direction. (2) The ultrasonic vibration and electromagnetic field induced by ultrasonic pulse current can effectively reduce the microstructural segregation of welds. With the increase of ultrasonic pulse frequency, the size and volume fraction of harmful precipitations (η + δ eutectic, mixed eutectic and MC carbides) decrease greatly, especially the morphology and distribution characteristics of γ′ in HAZ (heat affected zone). Thanks to the above outstanding advantages, ultrasonic pulse arc welding has great application value in single crystal super-alloys.

Here, we review the quality of life and functional outcomes of patients with bladder cancer after treatment and assess potential contributing factors. For current scoring systems, we highlighted the most commonly used specificity scores. In addition, we discuss the impact and bias on the quality of life of patients undergoing urinary diversion modalities, robotic surgery, perioperative rehabilitation, and bladder-preserving radiochemotherapy. Through this review, clinicians will gain better insights regarding the importance of improving patients' quality of life with the goal of restoring their patients’ normal function and participating in social activities.

Cities consume a large amount of energies owing to their high population density and centralized economy, and have high concentration of various risks. Energy and transportation are key areas for carbon emission reduction in urban areas and significant components of urban lifeline engineering. Therefore, the integrated development of energy and transportation systems is crucial for the low-carbon and resilient construction of cities. This study first reviews the low-carbon and resilient development status of urban rail transit and energy systems, covering three aspects: low-carbon development of urban rail transit, resilience assessment and improvement, and security protection and risk assessment of energy storage systems. Moreover, the concept of an underground-spacesupported multi-energy-integrated urban rail transit system is proposed, elaborating the operating modes of the system in normal times and extreme conditions. Subsequently, benefits of the proposed system are analyzed from the perspectives of environment, economy,and society, and future research directions and key problems to be solved are introduced. Furthermore, the following suggestions are proposed: (1) improving the policy mechanism for the multi-energy-integrated urban rail transit system and promoting coordinated governance by multiple departments, (2) constructing a technology innovation system for the system to realize low-carbon, safe, and efficient operation of urban rail transit, and (3) promoting the development of a coordinated management system for urban power grids and rail transit to enhance urban resilience.

Abstract The present study investigated ice accretion thickness under non‐incoming flow icing conditions on the ground using an infrared thermography system that converts infrared radiation temperature. Two back propagation (BP) neural network models were developed to measure ice thickness. Both theoretical model and polynomials were employed to fit the icing surface temperature elevation sequence to extract the pixel‐level temperature attenuation characteristics, which were served as the input to the BP neural networks. The prediction method of ice thickness by the BP neural network was analysed from three perspectives of sensitivity, dimension, and precision. In addition, K‐nearest neighbour (KNN) and support vector regression (SVR) algorithms were compared with BP neural network. In terms of prediction effect, the BP neural network performed the best. The verification of the BP neural network based on the characteristics of the theoretical model proved that the method can effectively predict the thickness of ice accretion, and its prediction error does not exceed 10%.

Abstract The NF-κB signaling pathway is overactivated in tumor cells, and the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway releases a large number of inflammatory factors, which enhance tumor immunosuppression and promote tumor metastasis. The cytochrome P450 (CYP450) system consists of important metabolic enzymes present in different tissues and progressive tumors, which may lead to changes in the pharmacological action of drugs in inflammatory diseases such as tumors. In this study, the anticancer effect of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), an active metabolite of curcumin, on breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanism were investigated. Result showed that THC selectively inhibited proliferation and triggered apoptosis in breast cancer cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, THC-induced cell apoptosis via a mitochondria-mediated pathway, as indicated by the upregulated ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction. In addition, THC could affect the CYP450 enzyme metabolic pathway and inhibit the expression of CYP1A1 and activation of the NF-κB pathway, thereby inhibiting the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, after overexpression of CYP1A1, the inhibitory effects of THC on the proliferation, metastasis, and induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells were weakened. The knockdown of CYP1A1 significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of THC on the proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis induction of breast cancer cells. Notably, THC exhibited a significant tumor growth inhibition and anti-pulmonary metastasis effect in a tumor mouse model of MCF-7 and 4T1 cells by regulating the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Collectively, these results showed that TH could effectively trigger apoptosis and inhibit the migration of breast cancer cells via the CYP1A1/NF-κB signaling pathway, indicating that THC serves as a potential candidate drug for the treatment of breast cancer.

In this paper, two arc modes of gas shielded metal arc welding (GMAW), a new pulsed mode (microMIG) and a non-pulsed mode (microMIG-CC), were used to melt ER5356 aluminum alloy wire for thin-wall fabrication. The influence of both arc modes on the melt–drop transition pattern, thin–wall properties, porosity, microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated at the same heat input. The microMIG mode adds SKS-based current time based on conventional pulsed GMAW for short-circuiting the transition, which leads to a faster spread of melt pool temperature. The rapid cooling of the melt pool contributed to the increase of grain nucleation rate and inhibited grain growth, resulting in smaller grain size in the microMIG mode specimens. In addition, the low porosity of microMIG specimens is attributed to the high voltage of the micro-MIG mode resulting in an unfocused heat source, which leads to a shallow penetration depth of the specimens and a reduced hydrogen escape distance. Compared with the microMIG-CC mode, the microMIG mode specimens have smaller grain size and lower porosity, therefore higher tensile strength is obtained. The isotropic property of thin walls is due to the existence of equiaxed grains and the random distribution of grain orientation. However, the aggregation of dislocations and the increase of precipitates make microMIG-CC have higher hardness. Overall, the mechanical properties of the thin wall specimens of WAAM 5356 aluminum alloy are higher than those of the as-cast specimens.

Coal dust deposition in boiler tail gas pipelines can significantly affect boilers’ thermal and energy efficiency. This study investigates the deposition characteristics of coal dust particles in boiler tail gas tubes in variable cross-section tubes. Numerical simulations were performed using the Reynolds Stress Model and the Discrete Particle Model. User-defined functions coding is used to construct the particle deposition model in the particle deposition model. The study analyses the distribution of turbulent kinetic energy locations in the gradient tube, compares the distribution of particle deposition on its wall, and concludes that the deposition distribution of coal dust particles in the gradient tube is slightly different for different particle sizes. Smaller particles have a higher deposition efficiency in equal cross-section pipes than larger particles. Particle size also has a significant effect on pipe taper and expansion. The results of this study can provide theoretical guidance for optimising the design of boiler tail gas pipelines, improving energy efficiency, and reducing environmental pollution.

Countries around the world are paying increasing attention to greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Under the guidance of “dual carbon” strategy in China, the development of the new energy vehicle industry as an important means of carbon emission reduction in the transportation sector has become a trend. At the same time, the Tianjin New Energy Vehicle Monitoring Platform has recorded real-time big data on the operation of new energy vehicles since 2017, covering vehicle ownership and mileage data, which can support the calculation of carbon emission reduction contributions during usage stage of new energy vehicles. Based on the big data of the platform, this article calculates the carbon emission reduction contribution of new energy vehicles in Tianjin during usage stage, and analyzes the carbon emission reduction contributions under different technology types, vehicle types, vehicle classes, and usage scenarios. Moreover, an analysis was conducted on the top ten enterprises in Tianjin that contribute to carbon emission reduction. The reasons for the carbon emission reduction contributions of different enterprises are slightly different, mainly due to high ownership or actual driving mileage.

Due to their rapid and uncontrolled proliferation, cancer cells are characterized by overexpression of glutathione (GSH), which impairs reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based therapy and weakens the chemotherapeutic agent-induced toxification. Extensive efforts have been made in the past few years to improve therapeutic outcomes by depleting intracellular GSH. Special focus has been given to the anticancer applications of varieties of metal nanomedicines with GSH responsiveness and exhaustion capacity. In this review, we introduce several GSH-responsive and -exhausting metal nanomedicines that can specifically ablate tumors based on the high concentration of intracellular GSH in cancer cells. These include inorganic nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and platinum-based nanomaterials. We then discuss in detail the metal nanomedicines that have been extensively applied in synergistic cancer therapy, including chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT), ferroptotic therapy, and radiotherapy. Finally, we present the horizons and challenges in the field for future development.

Objective To study the distribution of pathogenic infection and relevance in combined periodontal-endodontic lesions of periodontal origin,and provide the basis for clinical treatment. Methods Totally 43 cases of combined periodontal-endodontic lesions of periodontal origin from Jan. 2018 to Jun. 2020 treated in the hospital were selected, including a total of 43 teeth as the experimental group. Another 41 teeth from 41 cases with severe periodontitis during the same period were set as the control group. subgingival plaque samples and root canal samples of ill teeth were made for test. Quantitative Real-time PCR was used to detect the quantity of Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), Treponema denticola (Td), Digestive streptococcus (Ds), Enterococcus faecalis (Ef), Porphyromanus endodontics (Pe). Results There was no significant difference in the quantity of Digestive streptococcus and Porphyromanus endodontics in the root canal tissue and subgingival plaque of the experimental group (Ρ>0.05), other six pathogenic bacteria in the subgingival plaque samples was significantly higher than that from the root canal tissue (P

With the improvement of medical technology, the quality of life and prognosis of patients with malignant tumors have been greatly improved, and surgical treatment strategies for patients with spinal metastatic tumors have received extensive attention. Traditional open surgery for spinal metastases has problems such as large trauma, slow recovery, and influence on subsequent systemic treatment. Minimally invasive spine surgery has similar clinical outcomes to traditional open surgery, but minimally invasive spine surgery is less invasive and has a shorter recovery time. Minimally invasive spine surgery was initially applied to non-neoplastic diseases such as spinal degeneration and trauma, and was gradually applied to the treatment of spinal metastatic tumors and spinal deformities. For patients with spinal metastases, a shorter recovery time is helpful for early postoperative radiotherapy, thereby achieving a more satisfactory tumor control effect. This review discusses the application of minimally invasive spine surgery in the treatment of spinal metastatic tumors from the concept, surgical purpose, indications, and surgical selection, so as to provide reference for clinical practice.

MYC is one of the well-known oncogenes, and its important role in cancer still remains largely unknown. We obtained lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) multi-omics data including genome, transcriptome, and single-cell sequencing data from multiple cohorts. We calculated the GSVA score of the MYC target v1 using the ssGSEA method, and obtained the genes highly correlated with this score by Spearman correlation analysis. Subsequent hierarchical clustering divided these genes into two gene sets highly associated with MYC signaling (S1 and S2). Unsupervised clustering based on these genes divided the LUAD samples into two distinct subgroups, namely, the MYC signaling inhibition group (C1) and activation group (C2). The MCP counter package in R was used to assess tumor immune cell infiltration abundance and ssGSEA was used to calculate gene set scores. The scRNA-seq was used to verify the association of MYC signaling to cell differentiation. We observed significant differences in prognosis, clinical characteristics, immune microenvironment, and genomic alterations between MYC signaling inhibition and MYC signaling activation groups. MYC-signaling is associated with genomic instability and can mediate the immunosuppressive microenvironment and promote cell proliferation, tumor stemness. Moreover, MYC-signaling activation is also subject to complex post-transcriptional regulation and is highly associated with cell differentiation. In conclusion, MYC signaling is closely related to the genomic instability, genetic alteration and regulation, the immune microenvironment landscape, cell differentiation, and disease survival in LUAD. The findings of this study provide a valuable reference to revealing the mechanism of cancer-promoting action of MYC in LUAD.

Ice detection is an important issue in the field of icing prevention and de-icing. In this study, an experimental platform was built for ice detection using flash pulse infrared thermal wave detection, followed by a quantitative recognition approach for identifying the three-dimensional shape of ice. The new method was combined the edge recognition with thickness calculation of inverse heat transfer problem. And the edge of the ice was based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Canny algorithm. Thus, by processing the ice edges and giving an initial thickness, the finite element model of the ice was established to numerically simulate the temperature distribution for ice thickness inversion based on the forward heat transfer problem. Meanwhile, the thickness of the ice was inversed by the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method based on the inverse heat transfer problem. The resulting edges and thickness of the ice were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed methods. This paves the way to explore an effective accurate and quantitative identification method for three-dimensional ice shape detection in infrared thermal wave detection.

ObjectiveThe pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is not completely clear. With further studies, smoking is toxic to the pancreas. This study classified smoking-related CP as a new etiology of CP and defined the cutoff of smoking.DesignPatients with CP admitted from January 2000 to December 2013 were included in the study. The characteristics were compared between smoking patients, drinking patients, and a group of patients who never smoke or drink (control group). The cumulative rates of steatorrhea, diabetes mellitus (DM), pancreatic pseudocyst (PPC), pancreatic stone, and biliary stricture after the onset of CP were calculated, respectively.ResultsA total of 1,324 patients were included. Among them, 55 were smoking patients, 80 were drinking patients, and 1,189 were controls. The characteristics of smokers are different from the other two groups, especially in age at the onset and diagnosis of CP, initial manifestation, and type of pain. The development of DM (P = 0.011) and PPC (P = 0.033) was significantly more common and earlier in the smokers than in the other two groups. Steatorrhea also developed significantly more in the smokers than in the controls (P = 0.029). Smokers tend to delay the formation of pancreatic stones and steatorrhea.ConclusionThe clinical characteristics of smoking-related CP is different from CP of other etiologies. A new type of CP, smoking-related CP, was put forward. Smoking-related CP should be separated from idiopathic CP and defined as a new independent subtype of CP different from alcoholic CP or idiopathic CP.

To select an appropriate notch prefabrication method and notch length for obtaining relatively accurate and reliable rock mode I fracture toughness (KIC), as well as to improve understanding of macro fracture process and meso-fracture characteristics in the rock three-point bending test, three methods, i.e., wire cutting, saw blade cutting and water jet cutting were used to prefabricate notch in granite and marble specimens for three-point bending test. The comparison of micro fracture characteristics among three different cutting methods was conducted with the application of scanning electronic microscopic. The test results show that the effect of wire cutting method on KIC is the smallest. In addition, three-point bending tests on granite and marble containing dimensionless notch length of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 show that KIC tends to increase firstly and then decrease with increasing notch length. The dimensionless notch length of α = 0.3 is recommended for obtaining the representative KIC. The macroscopic failure of rock specimen undergoes a process of initiation of localization zone, development of localization zone, crack initiation, and finally fracture propagation. The acoustic emission process of rock specimen is observed with an obvious brittle characteristic, the crack opening displacement curve is consistent with the trend of cumulative acoustic emission curve, and the evolution of crack opening displacement curve can be regarded as a macroscopic characterization of the specimen internal failure development process.

The Xinjiang water conveyance tunnel is a shallow buried mudstone stratum. After the water absorption, the strength of the surrounding rock softens and large deformation occurs. The support is difficult and the risk is high, which has a great impact on the progress of the project. In this paper, the mudstone of a water conveyance tunnel in Xinjiang is taken as the research object. Based on the XRD test analysis of the mudstone in the tunnel, the uniaxial compression and SEM analysis of the mudstone under different water content conditions are carried out, and the internal fissures of the rock sample are revealed. The variation of the pore structure clarifies the strength softening characteristics. The results show that the clay mineral content of the tunnel is as high as 50 %, and the proportion of montmorillonite is close to 90 %, which is easy to absorb water and soften. As the water content increases, the interior of the rock sample will undergo the process of micro-crack development, development and penetration, accompanied by the loss of pore water and internal minerals. By analyzing its saturated water absorption curve, the water absorption process is divided into three stages: rapid water absorption, decelerating water absorption and uniform water absorption stage. The Boltzmann prediction function is used to fit the rock sample strength variation curve after water absorption, and its strength can be changed. It is divided into three states: non-destructive strength, rapid softening and softening and rest state. The critical point for obtaining the softening of water absorption strength of this type of mudstone is 6 % water content; the comprehensive analysis shows that the water softening law is: the clay minerals in mudstone, mainly montmorillonite, have strong water absorption capacity. With the increase of water absorption, the free water content in the mudstone pores is significantly increased, the skeleton strength is gradually reduced, and an unstable state is formed, which is easily deformed and destroyed when subjected to external force. Based on this, the principles of stability control of such soft rock engineering are proposed, which is to determine the soft rock type and deformation mechanics mechanism, formulate targeted stability control strategies, and adopt the support of mechanical properties such as constant resistance, large deformation and high prestress material. The research results are of great significance for understanding the strength and softening characteristics of the mudstone in the water conveyance tunnel, the deformation and failure mechanism of the tunnel surrounding rock and the support design.

Non-fused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) potentially have lower synthetic costs than their fused counterparts. However, the low backbone planarity and the presence of bulky substituents adversely affect the crystallinity of NFREAs, impeding charge transport and the formation of bicontinuous morphology in organic solar cells. Here we show that a binary solvent system can individually control the crystallization and phase separation of the donor polymer (for example, D18) and the NFREA (for example, 2BTh-2F-C2). We select solvents such as chloroform and o-xylene that evaporate at different temperatures and rates and have different solubility for D18. Upon evaporation of chloroform, D18 starts to assemble into fibrils. Then, the evaporation of o-xylene induces the rapid formation of a fibril network that phase segregates 2BTh-2F-C2 into pure domains and leads to a bicontinuous morphology. The well-defined interpenetrating network morphology affords an efficiency of 19.02% on small-area cells and 17.28% on 1 cm2 devices.

Abstract Objective To investigate the relationship between Modic changes (MCs) and recurrent lumbar disc herniation (rLDH) and that between the herniated disc component and rLDH following percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD). Methods We included 102 (65 males, 37 females, aged 20–66 years) inpatients who underwent PELD from August 2013 to August 2016. All patients underwent CT and MRI preoperatively. The presence and type of Modic changes were assessed. During surgery, the herniated disc component of each patient was classified into two groups: nucleus pulposus group and hyaline cartilage group. The association of herniated disc component with Modic changes was investigated. The incidence of rLDH was assessed based on a more than 2-year follow-up. Results In total, 11 patients were lost to follow-up; the other 91 were followed up during 24–60 months. Of the 91 patients, 99 discs underwent PELD; 28/99 (28.3%) had MCs. Type I and II MCs were seen in 9 (9.1%) and 19 (19.2%), respectively; no type III MCs were found. Among 28 endplates with MCs, according to the herniated disc component, 18/28 (64.3%) showed evidence of hyaline cartilage in the intraoperative specimens, including 6/9 and 12/19 endplates with type I and II MCs, respectively. Among 71 endplates without MCs, 14/71 (19.7%) showed evidence of hyaline cartilage in the intraoperative specimens. Hyaline cartilage was more common in patients with MCs (P < 0.05). We found 2 cases of rLDH in the non-MC group (n = 71); 6 cases of rLDH were found in the MC group (n = 28), including 2 and 4 cases for types I and II, respectively. There was no significant difference between types I and II (P > 0.05). rLDH was more common in patients with MCs (P < 0.05). We found 5 rLDH cases in the hyaline cartilage group (n = 32); 3 rLDH cases were found in the nucleus pulposus group (n = 67). rLDH was more common in the hyaline cartilage group (P < 0.05). Conclusions rLDH following PELD preferentially occurs when MCs or herniated cartilage are present.

The Himalaya Plateau including Nepal is ‘greening up’ that has important implications to ecosystem services such as water supply, carbon sequestration, and local livelihoods. Understanding the combined causes behind greening is critical for effective policy makings in forest management and climate change adaptation towards achieving sustainable development goals. This national scale study comprehensively examined the natural and anthropogenic drivers of the long-term trend of vegetation dynamics across Nepal by correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. We integrated multiple sources of data including global satellite-based leaf area index (LAI), climate data, landcover data, and forest land management information. Our study reveals a remarkable annual mean LAI increase of 22% (0.009 m ^2 m ^−2 yr ^−1 ) ( p < 0.05) from 1982 to 2020, with an acceleration in the rate of increase to 0.016 m ^2 m ^−2 yr ^−1 ( p < 0.05) after 2004. The community forestry (CF) program, forest area changes, and soil moisture availability accounted for 40%, 12%, and 10% of LAI temporal variability, respectively. Our analysis found soil moisture and forest area changes to be the primary drivers of the greening trend before 2004, while CF and forest expansion were the dominant factors thereafter. Additionally, interannual vegetation dynamics were significantly influenced by winter precipitation, incoming solar radiation, and pre-monsoon soil moisture. The projections based on four Earth System Models from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 suggest that Nepal’s greening trend is expected to continue at a rate of 0.009 m ^2 m ^−2 yr ^−1 ( p < 0.05) throughout the 21st century. We conclude that forest management program (CF) amid climate change that alters water and energy conditions have enhanced land greening, posing both opportunities and risks to ecosystem services in Nepal. This study provides much needed national-level information for developing forest management policies and designing Nature-based Solutions to respond to climate change and increasing demands for ecosystem services in Nepal.

Despite the climate commitments made by countries in the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015 and reinforced during COP 21 and with notably less success during COP 22, world carbon emissions increased in both 2021 and 2022. It is increasingly unlikely that the world will achieve the targeted 50% carbon reduction by 2030, the reduction approximately needed for reducing global temperature rise since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to less than 1.5 deg. C. At the same time, there remain nearly 2 billion people in the world who have no or highly unreliable access to power. In developed countries, access to both clean energy and energy efficiency investment in residences within low to moderate income communities has also lagged. This paper provides a review of the “Productive Use of Energy (PUE)”, which is a means to add value to solar energy mini- and micro-grids to ensure investment worthiness and add more value to the communities being served. In this context, it posits an opportunity to leverage Bitcoin mining as a common PUE strategy applicable to new solar installations. Several actual pilot cases are described to demonstrate this potential throughout the world and at multiple scales. These include: (i) existing micro-grids with significant stranded energy to generate income that could be used to reduce the cost per kWh for the community; (ii) new solar micro-grids optimized to meet community load and mining operations; (iii) dedicated solar-powered Bitcoin mining mini-grids developed solely to create a funding stream for self-investment by communities for their benefit; and (iv) a low-income residential solar-powered Bitcoin miner to reduce the energy cost burden for residents. Several of these scenarios show significant potential to aid investment worthiness.

Abstract Background Despite pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (P-ESWL) is a minimally invasive treatment for pancreatic stones, complications exist. Case presentation A 37-year-old male was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and admitted to our hospital for recurrent acute pancreatitis. After the first P-ESWL session, the patient complained of a new type of pain different from the previous pain pattern. Computerized tomography and colonoscopy were arranged and colonic hematoma was found. Since the patient had stable vital signs, no special treatment was given focusing on the colonic hematoma. Five days later, P-ESWL treatment was repeatedly performed for four consecutive days. Two days after the last P-ESWL session, the patient underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. At the three-month follow up visit, the colonic hematoma disappeared and pancreatic stones decreased significantly. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, colonic hematoma after P-ESWL for pancreatic stones has never been reported. Here, we present the only case of colonic hematoma after P-ESWL, which was coincidentally found in more than 6000 P-ESWL sessions in our hospital. As the symptoms of colonic hematoma are mild, we believe the incidence of colonic hematoma has been underestimated. Many people with colonic hematoma after P-ESWL may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Treatment for colonic hematoma depends on whether there is severe clinical state. Exploration of more precise location method for pancreatic stones may reduce the probability of P-ESWL complication.

In the past decade, nanostructured polypyrrole (PPy) has been widely studied because of its many specific properties, which have obvious advantages over bulk-structured PPy. This review outlines the main structures, preparation methods, physicochemical properties, potential applications, and future prospects of PPy nanomaterials. The preparation approaches include the soft micellar template method, hard physical template method and templateless method. Due to their excellent electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, environmental stability and reversible redox properties, PPy nanomaterials have potential applications in the fields of energy storage, biomedicine, sensors, adsorption and impurity removal, electromagnetic shielding, and corrosion resistant. Finally, the current difficulties and future opportunities in this research area are discussed.

3D printing technology is one of the additive manufacturing technologies for rapid process and manufacture of complex geometric components. Based on the three-dimensional data model, the material is accumulated layer by layer controlled by computer, and eventually forms the solid object. Compared to the traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing technology has many advantages, such as time saving, low cost, easy operation, no mold and strong controllability of component geometry, etc. Along with the development of this technology, several types of 3D printing technologies, such as fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, stereo lithography, digital light processing and solvent casting molding, have been produced according to the core of the printing technology, applicable materials and equipment composition. The principles and characteristics of the four most representative 3D printing forming processes were introduced in this paper, and the research progress of carbon nanotubes to reinforce polymer composites with different types of 3D printing forming processes applied in recent years was summarized. At the same time, it was predicted that the 3D printing molding technology will be developed towards the direction of high precision, industrialization, popularization and high integration in this field, and the research and development of 3D printing materials will also have more prospects.

Abstract Background Autoimmune factor was regarded as one of the risk factors in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially for autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). However, whether autoimmune factor plays a role in non-AIP CP or not was unknown. Methods Hospitalized patients with non-AIP CP from January 2010 to October 2016 were detected for 22 autoantibodies at the time of hospital admission. Autoantibodies with frequency > 0.5% were enrolled to calculate the frequency in historial healthy controls through literature search in PubMed. Differentially expressed autoantibodies were determined between patients and historial healthy controls, and related factors were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results In a total of 557 patients, 113 cases were detected with 19 kinds of positive autoantibodies, among them anti-β2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI) antibody was most frequent (9.16%). Compared with historial healthy controls, the frequencies of serum β2-GPI and anti SS-B antibody in patients were significantly higher, while frequencies of anti-smooth muscle antibody and anticardiolipin antibody were significantly lower (all P

The hydrocyanation of 2-arylmethyleneindan-1,3-diones with potassium hexacyanoferrate(II) as a nontoxic cyanating agent to synthesize 2-(1,3-dioxoindan-2-yl)-2-arylacetonitriles in the presence of benzoyl chloride as a promoter and potassium carbonate as a base by a one-pot procedure is described. The use of nontoxic and inexpensive cyanide source, high yield and simple workup procedures are the advantages of this protocol.

Purpose: To analyse the presence of endplate sclerosis in patients with various types of Modic changes (MCs) and to confirm the results using a rabbit model. Methods: Participants in the clinical study included 1023 consecutive inpatients with lumbar degenerative disease who attended the Department of Orthopaedics between August 2011 and August 2015. All patients underwent computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine. In those patients with MCs, endplate sclerosis was evaluated from sagittally reconstructed CT images. In addition to the clinical study, MCs type I, II and III were initiated using a previously developed rabbit model of MCs. Specimens of MCs type I, II and III and normal endplates were harvested, bone mineral density and bone volume/tissue volume of “treated” vertebrae were evaluated using μCT and osteogenic protein expressions of runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin were assessed using immunohistochemical staining. Measurements were compared between vertebrae with normal endplates and those with different types of MCs. Results: Of 1023 patients, 214 (20.9%) had MCs in one or more endplates; these changes affected 1044 (10.2%) of 10230 endplates. Type I, II and III MCs were seen in 164 (1.6%), 838(8.2%) and 40 (0.4%) endplates, respectively. Of 1044 endplates with MCs, 274 (26.2%) showed evidence of sclerosis on CT images including: 26/164 endplates (15.8%) with type I MCs, 208/838 (24.8%) with type II and 40/40 (100%) with type III. HU (CT value) ratios for sclerotic and nonsclerotic endplates with MCs were 2.0 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.1, respectively. In the animal study, the bone mineral density, bone volume/tissue volume and expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin of endplates with type I and II MCs were higher than those of normal endplates and lower than those of endplates with type III MCs. Conclusion: Sclerosis can occur in endplates with any type of MCs. However, the clinical and animal study suggests that sclerosis is greatest in endplates showing type III MCs. The translational potential of this article: The study showed that sclerosis can occur in endplates with MCs type I, II and III. In patients with endplate sclerosis on plain radiographs or CT scans, the endplate can still represent an inflammatory process associated with chronic lower back pain. Keywords: Computed tomography, Endplate sclerosis, Magnetic resonance imaging, Modic changes

Abstract Background Pediatric patients always suffer from chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially those with steatorrhea. This study aimed to identify the incidence of and risk factors for steatorrhea in pediatric CP. To our best knowledge, there is no pediatric study to document the natural history of steatorrhea in CP. Methods CP patients admitted to our center from January 2000 to December 2013 were enrolled. Patients were assigned to the pediatric (