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Abstract The ability to realize high-fidelity quantum communication is one of the many facets required to build generic quantum computing devices. In addition to quantum processing, sensing, and storage, transferring the resulting quantum states demands a careful design that finds no parallel in classical communication. Existing experimental demonstrations of quantum information transfer in solid-state quantum systems are largely confined to small chains with few qubits, often relying upon non-generic schemes. Here, by using a superconducting quantum circuit featuring thirty-six tunable qubits, accompanied by general optimization procedures deeply rooted in overcoming quantum chaotic behavior, we demonstrate a scalable protocol for transferring few-particle quantum states in a two-dimensional quantum network. These include single-qubit excitation, two-qubit entangled states, and two excitations for which many-body effects are present. Our approach, combined with the quantum circuit’s versatility, paves the way to short-distance quantum communication for connecting distributed quantum processors or registers, even if hampered by inherent imperfections in actual quantum devices.

Abstract Background PIN-FORMED genes (PINs) are crucial in plant development as they determine the directionality of auxin flow. They are present in almost all land plants and even in green algae. However, their role in fern development has not yet been determined. This study aims to investigate the function of CrPINMa in the quasi-model water fern Ceratopteris richardii. Results CrPINMa possessed a long central hydrophilic loop and characteristic motifs within it, which indicated that it belonged to the canonical rather than the non-canonical PINs. CrPINMa was positioned in the lineage leading to Arabidopsis PIN6 but not that to its PIN1, and it had undergone numerous gene duplications. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing had been performed in ferns for the first time, producing diverse mutations including local frameshifts for CrPINMa. Plants possessing disrupted CrPINMa exhibited retarded leaf emergence and reduced leaf size though they could survive and reproduce at the same time. CrPINMa transcripts were distributed in the shoot apical meristem, leaf primordia and their vasculature. Finally, CrPINMa proteins were localized to the plasma membrane rather than other cell parts. Conclusions CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is feasible in ferns, and that PINs can play a role in fern leaf development.

Objective Preoperative frailty in elderly patients with colorectal cancer was evaluated using six frailty assessment tools, frailty phenotype (FP), frailty scale (FRAIL), clinical frailty scale (CFS), Tilburg frailty index (TFI), Edmonton frailty scale (EFS) and Groningen frailty index (GFI). The predictive levels of each scale for short-term adverse outcomes after surgery were compared. Methods A total of 290 elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer in Cancer Hospital Affiliated of Guangxi Medical University from June 2021 to February 2023 were selected as the study subjects. FP, FRAIL, CFS, TFI, EFS, and GFI were used to assess the patient ‘s frailty status. Baseline data and postoperative disability, complications, prolonged hospital stay, and increased treatment costs were collected. The predictive levels of 6 scales for short-term adverse outcomes after surgery were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The evaluation of FP, FRAIL, CFS, TFI, EFS and GFI showed that the frailty rate was 41.3%, 29.6%, 38.6%, 65.5%, 37.9% and 38.6%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the detection rates of the six attenuation tools (χ2=88.510, P＜0.01). The maximum AUC for postoperative disability and increased treatment costs were 0.814 and 0.661 predicted by FP. The maximum AUC for postoperative complications and prolonged hospital stay were 0.741 and 0.754 predicted by FRAIL. Conclusion Different frailty tools have significant differences in the detection rate of frailty, with poor consistency; Based on the characteristics and advantages of the tool, taking into account both time and cost, FRAIL is the best predictor of short-term adverse outcomes after surgery.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recognized globally as an opportunistic pathogen of considerable concern due to its high virulence and pathogenicity, especially in immunocompromised individuals. While research has identified several endogenous quorum sensing (QS) signaling molecules that enhance the virulence and pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa, investigations on exogenous QS signaling molecules or modulating factors remain limited. This study found that dopamine serves as an exogenous QS signaling molecule or modulating factor of P. aeruginosa PAO1, enhancing the production of virulence factors and biofilms. Compared to the control group, treatment with 40 μM dopamine resulted in a 33.1 % increase in biofilm formation, 68.1 % increase in swimming mobility, 63.1 % increase in swarming mobility, 147.2 % increase in the signaling molecule 3-oxo-C12-HSL, and 50.5 %, 28.5 %, 27.0 %, and 33.2 % increases in the virulence factors alginate, rhamnolipids, protease, and pyocyanin, respectively. This study further explored the mechanism of dopamine regulating the biofilm formation and virulence of P. aeruginosa PAO1 through transcriptome and metabolome. Transcriptomic analysis showed that dopamine promoted the expression of virulence genes psl, alg, lasA, rhlABC, rml, and phz in P. aeruginosa PAO1. Metabolomic analysis revealed changes in the concentrations of tryptophan, pyruvate, ethanolamine, glycine, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and alizarin. Furthermore, KEGG enrichment analysis of altered genes and metabolites indicated that dopamine enhanced phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan in P. aeruginosa PAO1. The results of this study will contribute to the development of novel exogenous QS signaling molecules or modulating factors and advance our understanding of the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the host environment.

The toxin-antitoxin (TA) system plays a key role in bacteria escaping antibiotic stress with persistence, however, the mechanisms by which persistence is controlled remain poorly understood. Weissella cibaria, a novel probiotic, can enters a persistent state upon encountering ciprofloxacin stress. Conversely, it resumes from the persistence when ciprofloxacin stress is relieved or removed. Here, it was found that PemIK TA system played a role in transitioning between these two states. And the PemIK was consisted of PemK, an endonuclease toxic to mRNA, and antitoxin PemI which neutralized its toxicity. The PemK specifically cleaved the U↓AUU in mRNA encoding enzymes involved in glycolysis, TCA cycle and respiratory chain pathways. This cleavage event subsequently disrupted the crucial cellular processes such as hydrogen transfer, electron transfer, NADH and FADH2 synthesis, ultimately leading to a decrease in ATP levels and an increase in membrane depolarization and persister frequency. Notably, Arg24 was a critical active residue for PemK, its mutation significantly reduced the mRNA cleavage activity and the adverse effects on metabolism. These insights provided a clue to comprehensively understand the mechanism by which PemIK induced the persistence of W. cibaria to escape ciprofloxacin stress, thereby highlighting another novel aspect PemIK respond for antibiotic stress.

With the strong support of national and local policies, the construction of general practice education system and personnel training have been developed in Guangdong Province for nearly 30 years. Since 1996, general practice education in Guangdong Province has gone through four stages, including exploration and start, vigorous growth, development and perfection, comprehensive development. Colleges and universities in Guangdong Province, represented by Guangzhou Medical University, have explored and established a multi-level, multi-path, multi-form and multi-objective general practice education system of treatment-prevention integration, with interconnected academy education, job-transfer training, standardized training, postgraduate education and continuing education, and a standardized training model of general practitioners based on "5+3" has been basically established. The pass rate of the provincial training certificate examination of general practice training students has reached more than 85%. In 2020, there were 4 general practitioners per 10 000 residents, meeting the national requirement of 3 general practitioners per 10 000 residents in 2020. With the purpose to analyze the current situation of the development of general practice education in Guangdong Province, this paper comprehensively summarized the experience and lessons of discipline construction and education training of general practice, broadened the paths and modes of the quality of general practice personnel training, put forward relevant suggestions, to provide policy ideas and reference basis for the rapid development of general practice education in Guangdong Province and even in China in the future.

Quantum computing is an exciting field that uses quantum principles, such as quantum superposition and entanglement, to tackle complex computational problems. Superconducting quantum circuits, based on Josephson junctions, is one of the most promising physical realizations to achieve the long-term goal of building fault-tolerant quantum computers. The past decade has witnessed the rapid development of this field, where many intermediate-scale multi-qubit experiments emerged to simulate nonequilibrium quantum many-body dynamics that are challenging for classical computers. Here, we review the basic concepts of superconducting quantum simulation and their recent experimental progress in exploring exotic nonequilibrium quantum phenomena emerging in strongly interacting many-body systems, e.g., many-body localization, quantum many-body scars, and discrete time crystals. We further discuss the prospects of quantum simulation experiments to truly solve open problems in nonequilibrium many-body systems.

Aytoniaceae are one of the largest families of complex thalloid liverworts (Marchantiopsida), consisting of about 70 species, with most species being distributed in temperate areas. However, the phylogeny and evolution of the morphological character of Aytoniaceae are still poorly understood. Here, we employed two chloroplast loci, specifically, rbcL and trnL-F, along with a 26S nuclear ribosomal sequence to reconstruct the phylogeny and track the morphological evolution of Aytoniaceae. Our results reveal that Aytoniaceae are monophyletic, and five monophyletic clades were recovered (i.e., Asterellopsis-Cryptomitrium, Calasterella, Mannia, Reboulia-Plagiochasma, and Asterella). Asterella was divided into five clades (i.e., Asterella lindenbergiana, subg. Saccatae, subg. Phragmoblepharis, subg. Wallichianae, and subg. Asterella), except for Asterella palmeri, which is the sister of Asterellopsis grollei. Bayesian molecular clock dating indicates that the five primary clades within Aytoniaceae underwent divergence events in the Cretaceous period. Asterellopsis differentiated during the early Upper Cretaceous (c. 84.2 Ma), and Calasterella originated from the late Lower Cretaceous (c. 143.0 Ma). The ancestral Aytoniaceae plant is reconstructed as the absence of a pseudoperianth, lacking equatorial apertures, and having both male and female reproductive organs on the main thallus. At present, Asterellopsis consists of two species known in Asia and America with the new transfer of Asterella palmeri to Asterellopsis. A new subgenus, Asterella subg. Lindenbergianae, is proposed.

Objective: To investigate the incidence, mortality and survival of small intestine cancer in Shanghai from 2002 to 2016. Methods: Data of new small intestine cancer cases and deaths from 2002 to 2016 were obtained from the population-based cancer registry and Vital Statistics System of Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence and mortality of small intestine cancer stratified by year of diagnosis or death, gender and age-group were analyzed. Cases or deaths, proportion, crude rate, age-specific rate, age-standardized rate and others were calculated. Trends of cases or deaths, crude rate, age-specific rate and age-standardized rate of incidence and mortality with follow-up information were estimated. The annual percent change (APC) of age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality was estimated by Joinpoint analysis. The new cases and proportions with selected diagnostic character of small intestine cancer in different diagnosis years were also calculated. Age-standardized rates were calculated using Segi’s 1960 world standard population. The 1- to 5-year observed survival rates were calculated based on the life table. The probabilities of surviving from 0 to 99 years old were estimated according to the Elandt-Johnson model, and then the cumulative expected survival rates were calculated according to the Ederer Ⅱ method. Finally, the 1- to 5-year relative survival rates were calculated. Results: The age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality of small intestine cancer were stable in Shanghai from 2002 to 2016. The new average cases and deaths of small intestine cancer were 280 and 174 per year in Shanghai. The crude rate of incidence was 2.02/105, and the age-standardized rate was 0.96/105. The crude rate of mortality was 1.25/105, and the age-standardized rate was 0.54/105. The age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality in males were higher than those in females. The age-specific cases or deaths and rates of incidence and mortality increased with aging. Duodenum cancer was the dominant anatomical site. Adenocarcinoma was the most histopathological type, and the proportion of gastrointestinal stromal tumors was increasing. The 5-year observed survival rate of small intestine cancer diagnosed from 2002 to 2013 was 36.34% in Shanghai, and the 5-year relative survival rate was 39.98%. All survival rates of male were lower than those of female. The 5-year observed and relative survival rates were stable. And those decreased with the increase of diagnostic years and stages. Relative to other sites, the rates of the duodenum cancer were the lowest. Relative to other histopathological types, those of gastrointestinal stromal tumors were the highest. Conclusions: The diagnostic level of small intestine cancer has been improved in Shanghai, continuously. But the survival rates have not been improved with the times. The proportion of stage Ⅰ was low and without improvement for a long time. This study provides useful information to further research, control and prevention of small intestine cancer. Improvement of the surveillance and research on small intestine cancer will help to promote more efficient control and prevention strategies then decrease cancer burden.

Abstract Background The evidence of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in basilar artery occlusion (BAO) was limited. This study aimed to develop dynamic and visual nomogram models to predict the unfavorable outcome of MT in BAO online. Methods BAO patients treated with MT were screened. Preoperative and postoperative nomogram models were developed based on clinical parameters and imaging features. An independent dataset was collected to perform external validation. Web‐based calculators were constructed to provide convenient access. Results A total of 127 patients were included in the study, and 117 of them were eventually included in the analysis. The nomogram models showed robust discrimination, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of 0.841 (preoperative) and 0.916 (postoperative). The calibration curves showed good agreement. The preoperative predictors of an unfavorable outcome were previous stroke, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission, and the posterior circulation Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (pc‐ASPECTS). The postoperative predictors were previous stroke, NIHSS at 24 h, and pc‐ASPECTS. Conclusion Dynamic and visual nomograms were constructed and validated for the first time for BAO patients treated with MT, which provided precise predictions for the risk of an unfavorable outcome. The preoperative model may assist clinicians in selecting eligible patients, and the postoperative model may facilitate individualized poststroke management.

Bacillus cereus, a common food-borne pathogen, forms biofilms and generates virulence factors through a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. In this study, six compounds (dankasterone A, demethylincisterol A3, zinnimidine, cyclo-(L-Val-L-Pro), cyclo-(L-Ile-L-Pro), and cyclo-(L-Leu-L-Pro)) were isolated from the endophytic fungus Pithomyces sacchari of the Laurencia sp. in the South China Sea. Among them, demethylincisterol A3, a sterol derivative, exhibited strong QS inhibitory activity against B. cereus. The QS inhibitory activity of demethylincisterol A3 was evaluated through experiments. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of demethylincisterol A3 against B. cereus was 6.25 μg/mL. At sub-MIC concentrations, it significantly decreased biofilm formation, hindered mobility, and diminished the production of protease and hemolysin activity. Moreover, RT-qPCR results demonstrated that demethylincisterol A3 markedly inhibited the expression of QS-related genes (plcR and papR) in B. cereus. The exposure to demethylincisterol A3 resulted in the downregulation of genes (comER, tasA, rpoN, sinR, codY, nheA, hblD, and cytK) associated with biofilm formation, mobility, and virulence factors. Hence, demethylincisterol A3 is a potentially effective compound in the pipeline of innovative antimicrobial therapies.

Non-Gaussian states (NGSs) with higher-order correlation properties have wide-range applications in quantum information processing. However, the generation of such states with high quality still faces practical challenges. Here, we propose a protocol to faithfully generate two types of mechanical NGSs, i.e., Schrödinger cat states and Fock states, in open optomechanical systems, even when the cooperativity is smaller than one (g^{2}/κγ

Background and purpose: Oral mucosal malignant melanoma (OMM) is a highly malignant solid tumor with a distant metastasis rate of about 40%. The lung is the most common metastatic site. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and prognostic analysis of OMM with lung metastasis, in order to find the best treatment mode for OMM with lung metastasis. Methods: The data of the patients with lung metastasis diagnosed in the Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to the Medical College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from January 2017 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The imaging characteristics of chest computed tomography (CT) were summarized, and Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results: In this study, 88% of patients with OMM were diagnosed with lung metastasis within 2 years after operation, including 22 cases (52%) in the first year and 15 cases (36%) in the second year; 71% of patients showed multiple, round or oval nodules of different sizes on chest CT, and few single metastases (10%). Non-scheduled follow-up (P = 0.009), concurrent local recurrence (P = 0.037), concurrent pleural effusion (P = 0.042) and no immunotherapy (P = 0.000) could significantly reduce the survival time of patients. The response of patients with relapse to programmed death-1 (PD-1) immunotherapy was significantly reduced (P = 0.009), and the median overall survival (OS) of PD-1 single drug was only 10 months. After combination therapy with PD-1 and anti-vascular targeted drugs, the median OS could be increased to about 19 months (P = 0.019). Conclusion: OMM is prone to lung metastasis, and even tiny nodules less than 1cm can be metastatic foci. The metastasis of OMM most often occurs within 1-2 years after operation. Regular follow-up can detect early metastasis and significantly prolong the survival. The efficacy of immunotherapy alone for recurrent and metastatic OMM is also poor, and immunotherapy combined with anti-vascular targeted therapy is required.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of stomach cancer in 2016 and the trend of incidence during 2002-2016 in Shanghai. Methods: The data on new-diagnosed stomach cancer during 2002-2016 were obtained from population-based cancer registry in Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence of stomach cancer stratified by year of diagnosis, gender, and age-group were analyzed. The number, proportion, crude rate, age-specific rate, age-standardized and annual percentage change were calculated, and the trends of incidence were evaluated. Segi′s World Standard Population in 1960 was used to calculate age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality, and the Joinpoint was used to analyze the trend of incidence of stomach cancer. Results: The new stomach cancer cases in Shanghai were 5 979 in 2016. The crude rate of incidence was 41.29/105 and the age-standardized rate was 15.85/105. The stomach cancer was one the most common cancers and ranked fourth in Shanghai. The age-standardized rate in male (21.19/105) was higher than that in female (10.84/105). The age-standardized rate of stomach cancer decreased during 2002-2016 in both male and female, and the APC was -2.93% (-3.23%, -2.63%) in male and -2.70% (-2.98%, -2.42%) in female, respectively. The morbidity rates of stomach cancer increased with age, which was

Determining the dynamic processes of the subsurface ocean is a critical yet formidable undertaking given the sparse measurement resources available presently. In this study, using the light gradient boosting machine algorithm (LightGBM), we report for the first time a machine learning strategy for retrieving subsurface velocities at 1000 dbar depth in the Southern Ocean from information derived from satellite observations. Argo velocity measurements are used in the training and validation of the LightGBM model. The results show that reconstructed subsurface velocity agrees better with Argo velocity than reanalysis datasets. In particular, the subsurface velocity estimates have a correlation coefficient of 0.78 and an RMSE of 4.09 cm/s, which is much better than the ECCO estimates, GODAS estimates, GLORYS12V1 estimates, and Ora-S5 estimates. The LightGBM model has a higher skill in the reconstruction of subsurface velocity than the random forest and the linear regressor models. The estimated subsurface velocity exhibits a statistically significant increase at 1000 dbar since the 1990s, providing new evidence for the deep acceleration of mean circulation in the Southern Ocean. This study demonstrates the great potential and advantages of statistical methods for subsurface velocity modeling and oceanic dynamical information retrieval.