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ObjectiveTo explore the clinical characteristics of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accompanied with KMT2D gene mutation and the impact of its co-mutated genes on prognosis. MethodsClinical data of 155 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients were obtained. The second-generation sequencing method was used to detect 475 hotspot genes, including KMT2D mutation. Patients were divided into the KMT2D mutation group and KMT2D wild-type group based on the presence or absence of KMT2D gene mutation. Clinical characteristics, differences in co-mutated genes, and survival differences between the two groups were compared. ResultsThe frequency of KMT2D mutation was 31%, which is predominantly observed in elderly patients (P=0.07) and less in the double-expressor phenotype (P=0.07). Compared with the KMT2D wild-type group, KMT2D gene mutation was associated with higher co-mutation rates of CDKN2A (OR=2.82, P=0.01) and BCL2 (OR=3.84, P=0.016), while being mutually exclusive with MYC gene mutation (OR=0.11, P=0.013). In univariate survival analysis, no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS) was found between the KMT2D mutation group and the wild-type group (P=0.54). Further analysis of the prognostic significance of KMT2D with other gene mutations indicated that patients with KMT2DmutBTG2mut had poorer OS than those with KMT2Dwt BTG2mut (P=0.07) and KMT2Dwt BTG2wt (P=0.05). On the contrary, patients with KMT2Dmut CD79Bmut had better OS than those with KMT2Dmut CD79Bwt (P=0.09), with no prognostic impact observed for other co-mutated genes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Ann Arbor stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ (HR=2.751, 95%CI: 1.169-6.472, P=0.02), elevated LDH levels (HR=2.461, 95%CI: 1.396-4.337, P=0.002), Ki-67 index>80% (HR=1.875, 95%CI: 1.066-3.299, P=0.029), and KMT2DmutBTG2mut(HR=4.566, 95%CI: 1.348-15.471, P=0.015) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with DLBCL (P

Abstract Background Superselective adrenal artery embolization (SAAE) represents a novel therapeutic strategy for managing primary aldosteronism (PA). Currently, the evaluation of its efficacy is primarily restricted to clinical indicators, with a notable deficiency in imaging evaluation methodologies. In recent years, several studies have investigated the application of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT for the classification of PA. However, there is a scarcity of specific research investigating the role of PET/CT in the evaluation of efficacy of this condition. Consequently, this study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of SAAE in patients with PA using 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT, with the objective of establishing imaging evaluation methodologies for assessing PA patients post-SAAE treatment. Results Of the 27 patients, 2 achieved complete clinical remission, while 25 experienced partial remission. Biochemically, 13 patients attained complete remission, 13 had partial remission, and 1 did not. For patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma, both visual and semi-quantitative analyses of PET/CT effectively assessed changes in radioactive uptake of the lesion. For idiopathic hyperaldosteronism patients, PET/CT parameters were more effective than visual analysis in evaluating SAAE efficacy. A significant difference in the ΔTLR-40 min parameter was observed across biochemical outcomes (P = 0.041), with patients having ΔTLR-40 min ≥ 0.07 showing better outcomes (AUC = 0.789, P = 0.041). Conclusions 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT enables timely assessment of therapeutic outcomes in patients with PA following SAAE, thereby improving clinical decision-making and patient management.

Abstract The mode mixing problem and inherent mode function selection bias in Fast Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (FEEMD) result in ineffective extraction of fault components during the denoising stage, the loss of coarse-grained information in Multiscale Fuzzy Dispersion Entropy (MFDE) reduces the stability of fault features, and the lack of adaptability of CatBoost hyperparameters leads to reduced diagnostic accuracy. Therefore, a complex variable operating condition fault diagnosis method based on Fast Complementary Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (FCEEMD) - Time-shift Multiscale Fuzzy Dispersion Entropy (TSMFDE) and adaptive Optuna-CatBoost is proposed. We introduce paired white noise with opposite signs in the construction of FCEEMD, effectively suppressing mode aliasing by neutralizing the residual noise generated during decomposition. Then, the Maximum Information Coefficient / Gini Index was introduced to construct a composite screening strategy, retaining the Intrinsic Mode Function (IMF) components that are strongly correlated with the original signal and have a fault impact to reconstruct the denoised signal. Secondly, time-shift multiscale is introduced into the coarse-grained process, and the constructed TSMFDE effectively extracts complete and stable fault features. Finally, with the introduction of the Optuna hyperparameter optimization framework, the adaptive Optuna-CatBoost can accurately diagnose bearing faults. The average fault diagnosis accuracy of the proposed method reached 99.76% and 99.33%, indicating that FCEEMD based on white noise can quickly and accurately decompose non-aliasing vibration modes, and the composite screening strategy can further filter out irrelevant noise modes and improve signal quality; The proposed TSMFDE can extract stable fault features, and its combination with Optuna-CatBoost can further improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis. This model is expected to be applied in more fields of feature extraction and pattern recognition.

Abstract Background The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) is used to screen patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and to quantify the severity of ankle instability. Neuromuscular deficits are common in CAI, including proprioception, strength, and balance issues. The relationship between CAIT scores and neuromuscular factors is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between ankle instability and ankle muscle strength, proprioception, and dynamic balance. Methods Thirty-four individuals with chronic ankle instability were included in this study. The participants’ CAIT scores, muscle strength (isokinetic) and proprioception in plantarflexion (PF), dorsiflexion (DF), inversion (IV), and eversion (EV), and dynamic balance (Star Excursion Balance Test in anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions) were assessed. Bivariate correlations were used to determine the relationship between CAIT scores and ankle muscle strength, proprioception, and dynamic balance. Results In terms of muscle strength, ankle PF (r = 0.378, 95%CI: 0.046–0.635, P = 0.027) and IV (r = 0.527, 95%CI: 0.233–0.736, P = 0.001) strength were positively correlated with CAIT Score, whereas ankle DF and EV strength had no significant correlation with CAIT Score. In terms of proprioception, ankle IV proprioception (r = -0.340, 95%CI: -0.608–0.002, P = 0.027) was negatively correlated with CAIT Score, while ankle PF, DF, and EV proprioception had no significant correlation with CAIT Score. In terms of dynamic balance, the SEBT posteromedial (r = 0.444, 95%CI: 0.124–0.680, P = 0.001) was positively correlated with CAIT Score. The SEBT anterior and posterolateral were not significantly correlated with the CAIT Score. Conclusion This study found that increasing ankle plantarflexion and inversion muscle strength, improving dynamic balance in the posteromedial direction, and decreasing ankle inversion proprioceptive thresholds may help improve the subjective stability of CAI. This provides data support for targeted ankle neuromuscular function rehabilitation training for patients. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100044089. Registered on 10 March 2021.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of suture fixation of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) by hysteroscope for the treatment of adenomyosis in patients at high risk of device expulsion, to provide a viable treatment option for these patients. Methods Twenty-one patients with large symptomatic adenomyosis were sewed and fixed with the LNG-IUD in the uterus by hysteroscopy to prevent the device expulsion. Results In this prospective case series, all 21 patients were successfully sewed and fixed with the LNG-IUD in the uterus by hysteroscopy. The amount of menstruation was significantly decreased and dysmenorrhea was significantly relieved in 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery compared with before surgery. Only one patient underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy due to dysmenorrhea which was not alleviated one month later. Serious IUD complications including expulsion and perforation were not observed. There was no development of new side effects than LNG-IUD insertion. Conclusion Our findings indicate that suture fixation of the LNG-IUD by hysteroscope is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive surgical procedure to prevent the device expulsion. It is a good solution for the treatment of large symptomatic adenomyosis and has shown to be effective in managing symptoms related to adenomyosis.

Abstract This study aimed to find the association between four common clinical biomarkers and subsequent ICICT, developing a risk scoring strategy to assess the ICICT risk. Three terminals for ICICT were : Terminal 1, cancer therapy-related cardiomyopathies; Terminal 2, myocarditis or heart failure; and Terminal 3, myocarditis, heart failure, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, atrial fibrillation, or death. The thresholds were : N-terminal-pro-B-type-natriuretic-peptide ≥ 125 pg/mL, cardiac troponin T ≥ 6 ng/L, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ≥ 3 mg/L, and coronary artery calcium score > 10 U. Each of the four abnormal biomarkers received 1 point. The links between biomarkers, score stage, and ICICT were analyzed. 375 patients with a mean follow-up of 1.91 years were included. All four biomarkers measured before immunotherapy were associated with a higher risk of developing ICICT. These scores were also associated with ICICT risk. The highest risk was the very high stage (score = 4) has 7.29, 8.83, and 7.02 folder higher risk compared to low risk group for Terminal 1–3, respectively. The cumulation of incidences also showed that the higher stages of score had an earlier onset and higher incidence of ICICT. 4 biomarkers and the scoring strategy enables clinicians to assess risk easily.

Abstract Objective Although an association exists between dietary habits and head and neck cancer (HNC), the direct cause‐and‐effect connection remains elusive. Our objective was to investigate the causal associations between dietary factors and the likelihood of developing HNC. Methods Genome‐wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for dietary habits were screened from the UK Biobank, the OncoArray Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer consortium, and the FinnGen biobank for HNC. A two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was utilized to establish causality. The primary method of analysis was inverse variance weighting (IVW). Results Clear evidence of an inverse association existed between dried fruit intake and HNC in both cohorts (OncoArray consortium: IVW OR = 0.183; 95% CI, 0.037–0.915; p = .03864; FinnGen: IVW OR = 0.281; 95% CI, 0.115–0.688; p = .00547). In addition, fresh fruit (IVW‐mre OR = 0.066; 95% CI, 0.011–0.413; p = .00369), beef (IVW OR = 15.094; 95% CI, 1.950–116.853; p = .00934), and lamb/mutton intakes (IVW OR = 5.799; 95% CI, 1.044–32.200; p = .0448) were significantly associated with HNC in the OncoArray consortium cohort. Conclusions Dried fruit intake may be a protective factor against HNC. The association of fresh fruit and red meat intakes with HNC warrants careful interpretation. Additional studies are necessary to explore potential mechanisms for further evidence. Level of evidence: III

Abstract Background Radiomics provided opportunities to quantify the tumor phenotype non-invasively. This study extracted contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) radiomic signatures and evaluated clinical features of bone metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the combination of the revealed radiomics and clinical features, the predictive modeling on bone metastasis in NSCLC was established. Methods A total of 318 patients with NSCLC at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital was enrolled between January 2009 and December 2019, which included a feature-learning cohort (n = 223) and a validation cohort (n = 95). We trained a radiomics model in 318 CECT images from feature-learning cohort to extract the radiomics features of bone metastasis in NSCLC. The Kruskal-Wallis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO) were used to select bone metastasis-related features and construct the CT radiomics score (Rad-score). Multivariate logistic regression was performed with the combination of the Rad-score and clinical data. A predictive nomogram was subsequently developed. Results Radiomics models using CECT scans were significant on bone metastasis prediction in NSCLC. Model performance was enhanced with each information into the model. The radiomics nomogram achieved an AUC of 0.745 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68,0.80) on predicting bone metastasis in the training set and an AUC of 0.808(95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71,0.88) in the validation set. Conclusion The revealed invisible image features were of significance on guiding bone metastasis prediction in NSCLC. Based on the combination of the image features and clinical characteristics, the predictive nomogram was established. Such nomogram can be used for the auxiliary screening of bone metastasis in NSCLC.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of bilateral superselective adrenal arterial embolization (SAAE) in patients with bilateral idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA), a subtype of PA. Methods Ninety-eight patients with bilateral IHA underwent bilateral SAAE between August 2022 and August 2023. Sixty-eight patients were followed up for up to 12 months. The study outcomes were evaluated using the criteria provided by the Primary Aldosteronism Surgical Outcome (PASO) guidelines. Results The mean reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 27.4 ± 21.3 mmHg and 23.1 ± 17.4 mmHg, respectively (p

Background: Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is commonly associated with cardiovascular diseases(CVD). Patients with ARAS typically present with cardiac structural and functional abnormalities, and the differences in cardiac structure and function compared to hypertensive patients without ARAS remain to be explored. Methods: A total of 499 hypertensive patients were included, of whom 134 had ARAS and 365 had no renal artery stenosis (RAS). Parameters about cardiac function and structure detected by echocardiography and other clinical data are collected. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression and mediation analysis were performed on the collected data. Results: Compared to hypertensive patients without ARAS, those with ARAS had significantly increased left ventricular (LV) internal diameter (LVIDd), posterior wall thickness (PWTd), LV geometric abnormalities, diastolic dysfunction, and a higher prevalence of LV hypertrophy (LVH). After adjustment, ARAS was significantly associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDF) (OR = 1.12, 95 %CI = 1.03–1.3), LVIDd (OR = 1.07, 95 %CI = 1.02–1.13), LV geometry (OR = 1.24, 95 %CI = 1.12–1.36), PWTd (OR = 1.2, 95 %CI = 1.09–1.31), and LV mass index (OR = 1.31, 95 %CI = 1.18–1.47). Mediation analysis identified hypersensitive C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) and serum creatinine (Scr) as significant mediators, accounting for 10.80 % to 59.54 % of the ARAS impact on LV abnormalities. Conclusion: ARAS appears to be an independent risk factor for abnormalities in cardiac function and structure, potentially mediated by Hs-CRP and Scr. Hypertensive patients with ARAS demonstrate a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and diastolic dysfunction, underscoring the importance of vigilant monitoring in this population.

Objective: To investigate the effect of a 16-week Tai Chi practice on strength, tactile sensation, kinesthesia, and static postural control among older adults of different age groups. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study. Thirteen participants aged 60–69 years (60–69yr), 11 aged 70–79 years (70–79yr), and 13 aged 80–89 years (80–89yr) completed 16 weeks of 24-form Tai Chi practice. Their ankle and hip peak torque, tactile sensation, ankle and knee kinesthesia, and the root mean square of the center of pressure (Cop-RMS) were measured before (week 0) and after (week 17) practice. Results: 80–89yr showed less ankle plantar/dorsiflexion and hip abduction peak torques (p = 0.003, p

PurposeThe primary cause of pulp and periapical diseases is the invasion of bacteria into the root canal, which results from the continuous destruction of dental hard tissues. Effective management of infections during root canal therapy necessitates effectively irrigation. This study aims to investigate the effects of two antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), buCaTHL4B and Im-4, on root canal biofilms in vitro.MethodsTwo-species biofilms (Enterococcus faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum) were selected and anaerobically cultivated. The following treatments were applied: 10 μg/mL buCaTHL4B, 10 μg/mL Im-4, 5 μg/mL buCaTHL4B, 5 μg/mL Im-4, 1 μg/mL buCaTHL4B, 1 μg/mL Im-4, 1% NaOCl, and sterile water. Each group was treated for 3 min. Subsequently, the two strains were co-cultured with 10 μg/mL buCaTHL4B, 10 μg/mL Im-4, 1% NaOCl, and sterile water for 24, 48, and 72 h. The biofilms were examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) with fluorescent staining, and the percentages of dead bacteria were calculated. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to assess the variations in bacterial proportions during biofilm formation.ResultsCompared to 1% NaOCl, 10 μg/mL buCaTHL4B or Im-4 exhibited significantly greater bactericidal effects on the two-species biofilms (p < 0.05), leading to their selection for subsequent experiments. Over a 48-hour period, 10 μg/mL Im-4 demonstrated a stronger antibiofilm effect than buCaTHL4B (p < 0.05). Following a 24-hour biofilm formation period, the proportion of F. nucleatum decreased while the proportion of E. faecalis increased in the sterile water group. In the buCaTHL4B and 1% NaOCl groups, the proportion of F. nucleatum was lower than that of E. faecalis (p < 0.05), whereas in the Im-4 group, the proportion of F. nucleatum was higher than that of E. faecalis (p < 0.05). The proportions of bacteria in the two AMPs groups gradually stabilized after 24 h of treatment.ConclusionbuCaTHL4B and Im-4 exhibited remarkable antibacterial and anti-biofilm capabilities against pathogenic root canal biofilms in vitro, indicating their potential as promising additives to optimize the effectiveness of root canal treatment as alternative irrigants.

We report the case of a 54-year-old healthy Han Chinese male presenting with fever, pallor, erythematous subcutaneous nodules on the limbs, and significant anemia as indicated by routine blood tests, with no response to antimicrobial therapy. Initial skin biopsy was inconclusive. The erythematous subcutaneous nodules on the limbs rapidly progressed to widespread subcutaneous nodules across the body, with worsening anemia. Bone marrow biopsy revealed multifocal fibroblastic proliferation with focal fibrosis, classified as MF-2, and positive for the JAK2V617F mutation alongside SRSF2 positivity. Whole-body PET-CT scans did not reveal any lymph nodes or suspect lesions with high SUV uptake. A subsequent skin biopsy identified the condition as nodular panniculitis (NP), leading to a final diagnosis of primary myelofibrosis(PMF)with NP. The patient initially received treatment with oral ruxolitinib and prednisone acetate, resulting in normalization of body temperature, resolution of erythematous nodules, and normalization of blood parameters.

Abstract Background Although Tai Chi (TC) is an evidence-based fall prevention training for older adults, its effective movements remain unclear, which may limit the practice of TC. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of TC lower extremity exercise (TC LEE), the 8-form Tai Chi (8-form TC), and a stretching control intervention for improving balance and functional mobility among older adults. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 102 participants (79 ± 6 years old) were recruited from assisted living facilities. All participants were randomly assigned to the TC LEE (n = 40), 8-form TC (n = 31), and stretching (n = 31) groups in which they received the respective interventions for 16 weeks. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and center of pressure (COP) measurements during quiet stance were collected prior to and following the 16-week interventions. Comparisons on all measurements were conducted among all groups. Results Significant improvements were found in BBS (P = 0.002), TUG test (P = 0.001), root mean square amplitude of COP displacement in the anterior–posterior (P = 0.001) and medial–lateral (P = 0.001) directions, and average COP speed in the anterior–posterior (P = 0.001) and medial–lateral (P = 0.001) directions after training in the TC intervention groups compared with the stretching group. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of differences in change scores on the BBS (-0.8 – 1.3 points) between the TC LEE group and the 8-form TC group was within equivalence margins (1.8 points), while the upper limit of the 95% CI of differences in change scores on the TUG test (0.1 – 2.1 s) exceeded the equivalence margin (0.7 s) with the TC LEE group having the larger change scores. Conclusion TC LEE can improve balance and functional mobility in older adults, and may have greater effect than the 8-form TC on improving functional mobility as measured by the TUG test. Trial registration ChiCTR2300070600 retrospectively registered.

Rolling bearings, as critical components of rotating machinery, significantly influence equipment reliability and operational efficiency. Accurate fault diagnosis is therefore crucial for maintaining industrial production safety and continuity. This paper presents a new fault diagnosis method based on FCEEMD multi-complexity low-dimensional features and directed acyclic graph LSTSVM. The Fast Complementary Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (FCEEMD) method is applied to decompose vibration signals, effectively reducing background noise. Nonlinear complexity features are then extracted, including sample entropy (SE), permutation entropy (PE), dispersion entropy (DE), Gini coefficient, the square envelope Gini coefficient (SEGI), and the square envelope spectral Gini coefficient (SESGI), enhancing the capture of the signal complexity. In addition, 16 time-domain and 13 frequency-domain features are used to characterize the signal, forming a high-dimensional feature matrix. Robust unsupervised feature selection with local preservation (RULSP) is employed to identify low-dimensional sensitive features. Finally, a multi-classifier based on DAG LSTSVM is constructed using the directed acyclic graph (DAG) strategy, improving fault diagnosis precision. Experiments on both laboratory bearing faults and industrial check valve faults demonstrate nearly 100% diagnostic accuracy, highlighting the method’s effectiveness and potential.

Abstract Background and aims Recent studies have shown that the negative effect of uric acid (UA) on coronary arteries determines the severity of atherosclerotic disease. This study aims to explore the relationship between serum UA level and Gensini score, which reflects the severity of coronary artery disease. Methods A total of 860 patients with suspected coronary heart disease who were admitted to hospital due to angina pectoris or myocardial ischemia related symptoms and received coronary angiography were selected. Based on the findings of the angiography, they were categorized into two groups: the coronary heart disease (CHD) group (n = 625) and the control group (n = 235). The uric acid levels and other clinical data were compared between these groups. Additionally, the prevalence of coronary heart disease and Gensini score were compared between the groups, considering gender-specific quartiles of uric acid levels. The clinical baseline data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk factors for coronary heart disease. Results Of 860 patients (mean age, 63.97 ± 11.87 years), 528 were men (mean age, 62.06 ± 11.5 years) and 332 were women (mean age, 66.99 ± 10.11 years). The proportion of smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in the coronary heart disease group was higher than that in the control group (P 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, hypertension, hsCRP and SUA levels increased the risk of coronary heart disease, and the difference was statistically significant(OR = 1.034,95%CI 1.016–1.052, P = 0.001; OR = 1.469,95%CI 1.007–2.142, P = 0.046;OR = 1.064,95%CI 1.026–1.105, P = 0.001; OR = 1.011,95%CI 1.008–1.014, P

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the test-retest reliability of fNIRS in measuring frontal and parietal cortices activation during straight walking and turning walking in older adults, in order to provide a theoretical foundation for selecting assessment tools for clinical research on motor control and some diseases such as Parkinson's disease in older adults. Methods: 18 healthy older participants (69.1 ± 0.7 years) were included in this study. The participants completed straight walking and figure-of-eight turning walking tasks at self-selected speeds. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman scatter plots were used to assess the test-retest reliability of oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) changes derived from fNIRS. p

【Objective】This study aims to explore the effects of Bacillus siamensis EM-1 and Pseudomonas rhodesiae MTD4-1 on the growth and development of tobacco seedlings at the seedling stage and root extending stage.【Method】Two microbial agents were added to the seedling substrate respectively to study their effects on the microbial diversity of rhizosphere seedling substrate and tobacco seedings root, as well as the morphological and physiological indexes of tobacco seedlings.【Result】Compared with control, the addition of EM-1 bacterial agent could significantly promote the microbial diversity of rhizosphere seedling substrate and tobacco root system at seedling stage, with the increase rates of 9.40% and 34.70%. During this stage, EM-1 bacterial agent can also significantly improve the phenotype and physiological indexes of tobacco seedlings. Compared with the control, its root dry weight, total root length, total root surface area, average root diameter, total root volume, shoot dry weight, seedling height, stem diameter, maximum leaf length, maximum leaf width, root activity, chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll content at the seedling stage increased by 68.81%, 42.55%, 58.08%, 10.10%, 75.83%, 36.27%, 46.63%, 33.56%, 31.10%, 37.97%, 27.04%, 40.00% and 32.14%, respectively. Similarly, the addition of MTD4-1 bacterial agent could also significantly promote the microbial diversity of tobacco root system at seedling stage, with the increase rates of 9.59%. MTD4-1 bacterial agent can also significantly improve the phenotype and physiological indicators of tobacco seedlings at root spreading stage. Compared with the control, the root dry weight, total root length, total root surface area, shoot dry weight, seedling height, stem diameter, maximum leaf length, and maximum leaf width at root extending stage increased by 45.35%, 118.94%, 65.89%, 27.12%, 34.56%, 23.90%, 26.58% and 32.94%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that a significant correlation between the root microbial diversity of tobacco seedlings and the microbial diversity of rhizosphere seedling substrate, total root length, average root diameter, chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll content of tobacco seedlings (P < 0.05). There was a highly significant correlation between root microbial diversity and total root surface area and total root volume (P < 0.01). The total root length of tobacco seedlings was significantly positively correlated with the total root surface area and chlorophyll content (P < 0.01).【Conclusion】EM-1 bacterial agent mainly promotes tobacco seedling growth by increasing the diversity of tobacco rhizosphere microorganisms at the seedling stage, while MTD4-1 bacterial agent mainly promotes tobacco seedling growth by increasing the diversity of tobacco rhizosphere microorganisms at the root extending stage. The quality of tobacco seedlings during the seedling cultivation period and after transplantation will be improved by adding EM-1 and MTD4-1 into substrate respectively.

In the process of fuel utilization, traditional combustion technologies result in the conversion of nitrogen elements in fuels into nitrogen oxides, which are released into the atmosphere, posing serious threats to the environment and human health. The chemical looping process (CLP) is an effective technology for reducing nitrogen-containing (N-containing) pollutants during fuel utilization. During the CLP, the oxygen carrier (OC) can oxidize nitrogen oxide precursors (NH3 and HCN) released from the fuel to N2, while the reduced OC can reduce nitrogen oxides to N2. The achievement of efficient nitrogen pollutant removal relies on the development of highly active oxygen carriers (OCs). This review summarizes the recent progress in the removal of nitrogen pollutants within chemical looping processes (CLPs). It delineates the formation pathways of N-containing pollutants (NH3, HCN, NO, NO2 and N2O) and highlights the performance of various OCs. The influence of reaction conditions and feedstock characteristics is also discussed. Ni-based OCs have demonstrated superior performance in the removal of N-containing pollutants, exhibiting strong oxidation capabilities and excellent catalytic properties. Moreover, iron ore, as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly feedstock, holds promise for wide-scale application. Future research should focus on further optimizing OCs strategies and refining reaction conditions to achieve more efficient and economical N-containing pollutant removal, thereby fostering the widespread application of chemical looping technology in the energy sector.

To achieve a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis of faults in rolling bearings, a method for diagnosing rolling bearing faults has been proposed. This method is based on Multivariate Variational Mode Decomposition (MVMD) signal reconstruction, Multivariate Multiscale Dispersion Entropy (MMDE)-Generalized Normal Distribution Optimization (GNDO), and Marine predators’ algorithm-based optimization support vector machine (MPA-SVM). Firstly, by using a joint evaluation function (energy*|correlation coefficient|), the multi-channel vibration signals of rolling bearings after MVMD decomposition are denoised and reconstructed. Afterward, MMDE is applied to fuse the information from the reconstructed signal and construct a high-dimensional fault feature set. Following that, GNDO is used to select features and extract a subset of low-dimensional features that are sensitive and easy to classify. Finally, MPA is used to realize the adaptive selection of important parameters in the SVM classifier. Fault diagnosis experiments are carried out using datasets provided by the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Paderborn University (PU). The MVMD signal reconstruction method can effectively filter out the noise components of each channel. MMDE-GNDO can availably mine multi-channel fault features and eliminate redundant (or interference) items. The MPA-SVM classifier can identify faults in different working conditions with an average accuracy of 99.72% and 100%, respectively. The results demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the proposed method.

Abstract Background Numerous of models have been developed to predict the bone metastasis (BM) risk; however, due to the variety of cancer types, it is difficult for clinicians to use these models efficiently. We aimed to perform the pan‐cancer analysis to create the cancer classification system for BM, and construct the nomogram for predicting the BM risk. Methods Cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2018 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to create the BM prevalence‐based cancer classification system (BM‐CCS). Multivariable logistic regression was applied to investigate the possible associated factors for BM and construct a nomogram for BM risk prediction. The patients diagnosed between 2017 and 2018 were selected for validating the performance of the BM‐CCS and the nomogram, respectively. Results A total of 50 cancer types with 2,438,680 patients were included in the construction model. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis classified the 50 cancer types into three main phenotypes, namely, categories A, B, and C. The pooled BM prevalence in category A (17.7%; 95% CI: 17.5%–17.8%) was significantly higher than that in category B (5.0%; 95% CI: 4.5%–5.6%), and category C (1.2%; 95% CI: 1.1%–1.4%) (p

The rotating machinery is composed of rolling bearing connection, so the fault identification of rolling bearing is a very critical task. We propose a bearing fault identification algorithm based on grey wolf optimizer (GWO) to address the common problems of high signal noise, inability of a single indicator to accurately reflect the true state of bearings, and optimization of support vector machine (SVM) prediction model parameters in bearing fault identification. First, the wavelet soft threshold is used to remove the noise of the original signal and then the empirical Fourier decomposition (EFD) is used in the decomposition and reconstruct signals. Second, in the aspect of feature extraction, the time and frequency domain features of the bearing data are selected to form the mixed domain features of the bearing signal. Finally, aiming at improving the bearing fault prediction accuracy, the GWO algorithm is used to optimize the parameters. Achievements: the signal-to-noise ratio can be effectively improved to 77.8 by using the wavelet denoising, and the parameter modeling optimized by the GWO algorithm can significantly improve the prediction accuracy, with an increase of about 3%–5%. It provides theoretical support for the optimization of bearing fault identification with this technology in the industrial field.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the clinical manifestations, related laboratory examinations and gene mutation of 20 patients with congenital Fibrinogen disorders (CFD) admitted to our hospital from February 2017 to December 2021, so as to improve the understanding of CFD diagnosis. Methods Clinical characteristics and laboratory examination of 20 CFD patients were collected, and common secondary hypoFibrinemia factors were excluded. Gene sequencing was performed on all exons and flanks of FGA, FGB and FGG genes of 20 patients to find gene mutation sites. The peripheral blood genomic DNA was collected from the family members of two CFD patients, and the genes of the corresponding mutation sites of the proband were detected. Results The 20 CFD patients had no history of bleeding; 11 female patients had no history of spontaneous abortion; all 20 patients had reduced Fib and prolonged thrombin time (TT). There were 13 gene mutations of different types in 20 patients, among which 90% (18/20) were missense mutations, 5% (1/20) was deletion mutation, and 5% (1/20) was frameshift mutation. Seven patients (35%) had Arg35His mutation at site 104 of the FGA chain, among which 3 new gene mutations have not been reported in China. Conclusion Most CFD patients with mild or asymptomatic symptoms can be diagnosed by genetic testing and screening. FGA chain Arg35His is a mutation hotspot in this region, and all of them are Uyghur. Whether the mutation of this site is related to ethnicity needs to be confirmed by further studies.

The vibration signal of rolling bearings is a nonlinear and non-stationary signal, which is affected by the working condition change and background noise, and the reliability of traditional feature extraction methods and fault identification methods is low. In order to effectively extract feature vectors and improve the accuracy and reliability of fault identification, we propose a new fault diagnosis method based on noise eliminated ensemble empirical mode decomposition and robust unsupervised feature selection with local preservation (NEEEMD-RUSLP) and binary tree least squares twin support vector machine (BTLSTSVM). Firstly, NEEEMD is introduced to suppress background noise and decompose the vibration signal into a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMF), and the wavelet packet energy entropy, packet energy coefficient, and Gini coefficient of each IMF are extracted to construct time-frequency domain features. Then, 16 time-domain features and 13 frequency-domain features of the original signal are extracted and combined with the time-frequency domain features of each IMF to construct a high-dimensional feature space. In order to reduce the feature dimension and improve the diagnostic accuracy of the model, the RUSLP feature selection method is introduced to select effective low-dimensional features from the high-dimensional features. In addition, the binary tree (BT) strategy is introduced into the LSTSVM binary classifier to construct the BTLSTSVM multi-classifier, which aims to improve the recognition accuracy of low-dimensional features. In the bearing fault diagnosis of Case Western Reserve University, the fault diagnosis accuracy obtained by the proposed method is improved by 10.67%. In the bearing fault diagnosis of the University of Ottawa, the fault diagnosis accuracy obtained by the proposed method is improved by 10%. In the fault diagnosis of check valve in the actual industrial production environment, the fault diagnosis accuracy obtained by the proposed method is improved by 22%. The results show that the proposed method can not only effectively extract and select the low-dimensional fault characteristics of the bearing, but also achieve competitive fault diagnosis accuracy. Therefore, this method can provide a new method reference for the field of fault diagnosis, and has great theoretical significance and application value.

Small-pore zeolites catalyze the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction via a dual-cycle mechanism, encompassing both olefin- and aromatic-based cycles. Zeolite topology is crucial in determining both the catalytic pathway and the product selectivity of the MTO reaction. Herein, we investigate the mechanistic influence of MCM-35 zeolite on the MTO process. The structural properties of the as-synthesized MCM-35 catalyst, including its confined cages (6.19 Å), were characterized, confirming them as the catalytic centers. Then, the MTO reactions were systematically performed and investigated over a MCM-35 catalyst. Feeding pure methanol to the reactor yielded minimal MTO activity despite the formation of some aromatic species within the zeolite. The results suggest that the aromatic-based cycle is entirely suppressed in MCM-35, preventing the simultaneous occurrence of the olefin-based cycle. However, cofeeding a small amount of propene in methanol can obviously enhance the methanol conversion under the same studied reaction conditions. Thus, the exclusive operation of the olefin-based cycle in the MTO reaction, independent of the aromatic-based cycle, was demonstrated in MCM-35 zeolite.

Abstract The immunity of patients who recover from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be long lasting but persist at a lower level. Thus, recovered patients still need to be vaccinated to prevent reinfection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or its mutated variants. Here, we report that the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine can stimulate immunity in recovered patients to maintain high levels of anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) and anti-nucleocapsid protein (NP) antibody titers within 9 months, and high neutralizing activity against the prototype, Delta, and Omicron strains was observed. Nevertheless, the antibody response decreased over time, and the Omicron variant exhibited more pronounced resistance to neutralization than the prototype and Delta strains. Moreover, the intensity of the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell response was also increased in recovered patients who received COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, the repeated antigen exposure provided by inactivated COVID-19 vaccination greatly boosted both the potency and breadth of the humoral and cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, effectively protecting recovered individuals from reinfection by circulating SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

Background/Objectives: The relationships of postural stability with its three potential contributing factors, namely, muscle strength, tactile sensation, and proprioception, have not been clarified at different ages among older adults. Differences in the relationships may explain the increased incidence of falls among older adults 75 and older. This study compared the postural stability and its three factors between the older adults younger or older than 75 and investigated their age-specific relationships. Methods: A total of 152 participants were recruited and divided into younger-old (65–74 years, n = 83) or older-old adults (≥75 years, n = 69) groups. Their Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) performance, muscle strength, tactile sensation, and proprioception were tested. The group differences and age-specific relationships of the performance with the three factors were examined. Results: Compared to the younger-older adults, the older-old adults had lower BBS and higher TUG scores, weaker muscle strength, and worse proprioception. Muscle strength and proprioception were correlated with BBS and TUG among the younger-older adults. Only muscle strength but not proprioception among the older-old adults was correlated with BBS and TUG. Conclusion: The older-old adults over 75 years have poorer postural stability, muscle strength, and proprioception compared to the younger-old adults aged 65–74 years. Proprioception provides information on postural stability among younger-old adults but not among older-old adults. Keeping proprioception from deteriorating with age could be a key to reducing falls in older-old adults.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease characterized by chronic pain, and the perception of pain is closely associated with brain function and neuropeptide regulation. Rehmannia is common plant herb with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that is used to treat OA. However, it is unclear whether Rehmannia alleviates OA-related pain via regulation of neuropeptides and brain function. We examined the pain relief regulatory pathway in OA after treatment with Rehmannia by verifying the therapeutic effect of Rehmannia alcohol extract in vivo and vitro and exploring of the potential mechanism underlying the analgesic effect of Rahmanian using functional magnetic resonance imaging and measuring neuropeptide secretion. Our results showed that Rehmannia alcohol extract and the related active ingredient, Rehmannioside D, can delay cartilage degradation and alleviate inflammation in OA rats. The Rehmannia alcohol extract can also relieve OA pain, reduce the secretion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP), and reverse the pathological changes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Our research results demonstrate that Rehmannia alleviates OA pain by protecting cartilage, preventing the stimulation of inflammatory factors on neuropeptide secretion, and influencing the relevant functional areas of the brain.

Background Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) has been shown to exacerbate atherosclerosis, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Adipose tissue is an energy storage organ and the largest endocrine organ in the human body, playing a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this research, it was hypothesized that CUMS may exacerbate the development of atherosclerosis by inducing the hypertrophy and dysfunction of white adipocytes. Methods The CUMS-induced atherosclerosis model was developed in Western diet-fed apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-/- mice. White adipose tissue (WAT), serum, aortic root, and the brachiocephalic trunk were collected and tested after 12 weeks of CUMS development. The mouse model of CUMS was evaluated for depression-like behavior using the open field test (OFT) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to detect serum noradrenaline and urine adrenaline protein levels. Serological assays were used to detect serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and oil red O were used to detect atherosclerotic plaque area, lipid deposition, and adipocyte size. The mRNA levels of genes related to aberrant adipose tissue function were determined using real-time PCR. Immunofluorescence assay and western blotting were conducted to examine the expression of proteins in the adipose tissue samples. Results CUMS aggravated vascular atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-/- mice. It decreased body weight while increasing the percentage of WAT. The serological results indicated that the concentration of HDL decreased in CUMS mice. Notably, adipocyte hypertrophy increased, whereas the mRNA levels of Pparg and its target genes (Slc2a4 (encodes for GLUT4), Adipoq, and Plin1) decreased. Further investigation revealed that CUMS increased subcutaneous inguinal WAT (iWAT) lipid synthesis and adipocyte inflammation while decreasing lipid hydrolysis and the expression of HDL-associated protein ApoA-I. Moreover, CUMS aggravated insulin resistance in mice and inhibited the insulin pathway in iWAT. Conclusions These findings indicated that CUMS induces adipose tissue dysfunction via a mechanism that leads to dyslipidemia, increased inflammation, and insulin resistance in the body, thereby exacerbating atherosclerosis. Notably, CUMS that is involved in decreasing the expression of HDL-associated proteins in adipose tissue may be a crucial link between adipose hypertrophy and advanced atherosclerosis. This study reveals a novel mechanism via which CUMS exacerbates atherosclerosis from the novel perspective of abnormal adipose function and identifies a novel potential therapeutic target for this disease.

Abstract Background Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication after cardiothoracic surgery or cardiac intervention. Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory agent that was associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes. However, its effect on POAF prevention was inconsistent across studies. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of colchicine in prevention of POAF. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library database and Google Scholar for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), using terms "atrial fibrillation” and “colchicine". The primary end point was the occurrence of clinically diagnosed atrial fibrillation. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were evaluated. Estimates were pooled using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. We also performed subgroup analyses based on the duration and dose of colchicine treatment. Results A total of 9 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis, enrolling a total of 2031 patients. Colchicine significantly reduces the incidence of POAF (RR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.52–0.74, P

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by pulmonary arterial remodeling that results in increased pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular failure, and premature death. It is a threat to public health globally. Autophagy, as a highly conserved self-digestion process, plays crucial roles with autophagy-related (ATG) proteins in various diseases. The components of autophagy in the cytoplasm have been studied for decades and multiple studies have provided evidence of the importance of autophagic dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension. The status of autophagy plays a dynamic suppressive or promotive role in different contexts and stages of pulmonary hypertension development. Although the components of autophagy have been well studied, the molecular basis for the epigenetic regulation of autophagy is less understood and has drawn increasing attention in recent years. Epigenetic mechanisms include histone modifications, chromatin modifications, DNA methylation, RNA alternative splicing, and non-coding RNAs, which control gene activity and the development of an organism. In this review, we summarize the current research progress on epigenetic modifications in the autophagic process, which have the potential to be crucial and powerful therapeutic targets against the autophagic process in pulmonary hypertension development.

Cases of disseminated visceral Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are very rare worldwide, and disseminated visceral KS is often rapidly progressive and life-threatening, especially in paediatric patients. Here, the case of a 6-year-old female patient with disseminated visceral KS after allogeneic HSCT for treating severe aplastic anaemia is presented. The authors encountered difficulties in making the diagnosis due to lack of experience, but the diagnosis was achieved relatively quickly and accurately using metagenomic next-generation sequencing. After tapering and withdrawal of immunosuppressant drugs, the patient's condition was controlled. In conclusion, although HSCT-related KS is very rare, it should be considered during differential diagnosis.

Abstract Background Gallstone disease (GSD) is a common and costly biliary disorder. Multiple studies have investigated the associations between blood lipid metabolism and GSD risk; however, the results are inconsistent. This research aimed to comprehensively evaluate the relationships among serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and GSD risk. Methods Firstly, a multi-center cross-sectional study was carried out. Subjects who participated in the health examination in three hospitals between January 2015 and May 2020 were recruited. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate blood lipid metabolism associated with GSD risk. Then, a meta-analysis was performed to verify the associations further. Medline and Embase databases were systematically searched before June 10, 2021. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effect model was utilized when the heterogeneity was high; otherwise, fixed-effect model was adopted. Results There were 548,934 eligible participants included in the multi-center study, and 45,392 of them were diagnosed with GSD. The results demonstrated that total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were negatively associated with GSD risk in both high vs. low model and per mmol/L increase model, while triglyceride was positively associated with GSD risk in the per unit increase model. In the meta-analysis, 104 studies with approximately 3 million participants were finally included. The results verified that HDL cholesterol [odds ratio (OR) = 0.636, P = 5.97 × 10− 16 in high vs low model; OR = 0.974, P = 6.07 × 10− 05 in per unit model] and triglyceride (OR = 1.192, P = 3.47 × 10− 05 in high vs. low model; OR = 1.011, P = 5.12 × 10− 05 in per unit model) were related to GSD risk in the two models. Conclusions The findings indicated that low HDL cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels were risk factors for GSD. This study provides a basis for identifying the population at high risk for GSD and implementing tertiary prevention strategies for GSD, thus contributing to GSD prevention as well as disease burden relief.

Abstract Maternal caretaking and transport of dead infants are widespread among nonhuman primates, having been reported in numerous species of monkeys and apes. By contrast, accounts of such behaviors toward dead juveniles are scarce. Here, we describe responses by the mother and other group members to the death of a juvenile in a wild, multi-level group of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). Following the juvenile’s fatal accident, his mother transported and cared for the corpse for four days. Immature monkeys belonging to the same one-male unit, and some individuals from other social units also showed interest in and tended the corpse. Comparisons of this case with those involving the deaths of infants and an adult female in the same population highlight possible effects of physiological, psychological and emotional factors in primate thanatological responses, and provide an additional perspective on the origin and evolution of compassionate acts.

Abstract Background Current guidelines indicate we can consider a bridging strategy that uses intravenous, reversible glycoprotein inhibitors for patients that required surgery following recent stent implantation. However, no strong clinical evidence exists that demonstrates the efficacy and safety of this treatment. Therefore, in this study, the efficacy and safety of a bridging strategy that uses intravenous platelet glycoprotein receptor inhibitors will be evaluated. Methods A meta-analysis was performed on preoperative bridging studies in patients undergoing coronary stent surgery. The primary outcome was the success rate of no major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The secondary outcomes were the success rate of no reoperations to stop bleeding. Results A total of 10 studies that included 382 patients were used in this meta-analysis. For the primary endpoint, the success rate was 97.7% (95% CI 94.4–98.0%) for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, 98.8% (95% CI 96.0–100%) for tirofiban (6 studies) and 95.8% (95% CI 90.4–99.4%) for eptifibatide (4 studies). For secondary endpoints, the success rate was 98.0% (95% CI 94.8–99.9%) for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, 99.7% (95% CI 97.1–100%) for tirofiban (5 studies), and 95.3% (95% CI 88.5–99.4%) for eptifibatide (4 studies). Conclusion The results of this study showed that the use of intravenous platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors as a bridging strategy might be safe and effective for patients undergoing coronary stent implantation that require surgery soon after.

Abstract Background Ankle instability limits physical activities and undermines a person’s quality of life. Tai Chi’s health benefits have been reported in different population groups. However, the effects of Tai Chi on neuromuscular function among young adults with functional ankle instability (FAI) remain unclear. Therefore, we aim to investigate the effect of Tai Chi on young adults with FAI. Methods This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial with blinded assessors. A total of 104 young adults with FAI will be recruited and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The participants in the simplified Tai Chi exercise program (STCEP) group will receive a 12-week Tai Chi training. The participants in the control group will receive a low-intensity exercise program and health education for 12 weeks. The primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. Primary outcome measures will include the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) score, kinematics/kinetics data, electromyography during single-leg landing tasks, and the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT). Secondary outcome measures will include the total time of Dynamic Leap and Balance Test (DLBT), ankle muscle strength, and ankle proprioception. Discussion This study will investigate the effects of Tai Chi exercise on the neuromuscular function of patients with FAI, as indicated by ankle joint biomechanics, ankle proprioception, balance, ankle muscle strength, and ankle muscle activation. Results will demonstrate that Tai Chi can be an effective exercise for young adults with FAI. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100044089 . Registered on 10 March 2021

Abstract Platelet-derived growth subunit A (PDGFA) plays critical roles in development of glioblastoma (GBM) with substantial evidence from TCGA database analyses and in vivo mouse models. So far, only platelet-derived growth receptor α (PDGFRA) has been identified as receptor for PDGFA. However, PDGFA and PDGFRA are categorized into different molecular subtypes of GBM in TCGA_GBM database. Our data herein further showed that activity or expression deficiency of PDGFRA did not effectively block PDGFA activity. Therefore, PDGFRA might be not necessary for PDGFA function.To profile proteins involved in PDGFA function, we performed co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and Mass Spectrum (MS) and delineated the network of PDGFA-associated proteins for the first time. Unexpectedly, the data showed that EPHA2 could be temporally activated by PDGFA even without activation of PDGFRA and AKT. Furthermore, MS, Co-IP, in vitro binding thermodynamics, and proximity ligation assay consistently proved the interaction of EPHA2 and PDGFA. In addition, we observed that high expression of EPHA2 leaded to upregulation of PDGF signaling targets in TCGA_GBM database and clinical GBM samples. Co-upregulation of PDGFRA and EPHA2 leaded to worse patient prognosis and poorer therapeutic effects than other contexts, which might arise from expression elevation of genes related with malignant molecular subtypes and invasive growth. Due to PDGFA-induced EPHA2 activation, blocking PDGFRA by inhibitor could not effectively suppress proliferation of GBM cells, but simultaneous inhibition of both EPHA2 and PDGFRA showed synergetic inhibitory effects on GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our study provided new insights on PDGFA function and revealed EPHA2 as a potential receptor of PDGFA. EPHA2 might contribute to PDGFA signaling transduction in combination with PDGFRA and mediate the resistance of GBM cells to PDGFRA inhibitor. Therefore, combination of inhibitors targeting PDGFRA and EHA2 represented a promising therapeutic strategy for GBM treatment.

Background: As a new noninvasive diagnostic technique, computed tomography (CT)-based fraction flow reserve (FFR) has been used to identify hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis. This meta-analysis used invasive FFR as the standard to evaluate the diagnostic performance of FFRCT. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane library, and EMBASE for articles published between January 2009 and January 2021. The synthesized sensitivity and specificity of invasive FFR and FFRCT were analyzed at both the patient and vessel levels. We generated a summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) and then calculated the area under the curve (AUC). Results: We included a total of 23 studies, including 2,178 patients and 3,029 vessels or lesions. Analysis at each patient level demonstrated a synthesized sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 79%, LR+ of 4.16, LR-of 0.15, and AUC of 0.89 for FFRCT. Analysis at the level of each vessel or lesion showed a synthesized sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 81%, LR+ of 4.44, LR-of 0.19, and AUC of 0.87 for FFRCT. Conclusion: Our research reveals that FFRCT has high diagnostic performance in patients with coronary artery stenosis, regardless of whether it is at the patient level or the vessel level.

As an important organ that coordinates the neuroendocrine system, the hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes reproductive hormones that act on the goat organism, thereby precisely regulating follicular development and reproductive processes in goats. However, it is still elusive to explore the mechanism of hypothalamic effects on goat fertility alone. Therefore, RNA-seq was used to analyze the gene expression in hypothalamic tissues of goats in high fertility group (HFG: litter size per litter ≥2) and low fertility group (LFG: litter size per litter = 1), and identified the differential lncRNAs and mRNAs and their associated pathways related to their fertility. The results showed that a total of 23 lncRNAs and 57 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the hypothalamic tissue of high and low fertility goats. GO terms and KEGG functional annotation suggest that DE lncRNAs and DE mRNAs were significantly enriched in hormone-related pathways regulating ovarian development, hormone synthesis and secretion, regulation of reproductive processes, Estrogen signaling pathway, Oxytocin signaling pathway and GnRH signaling pathway. And we constructed a co-expression network of lncRNAs and target genes, and identified reproduction-related genes such as NMUR2, FEZF1, and WT1. The sequencing results of the hypothalamic transcriptome have broadened our understanding of lncRNA and mRNA in goat hypothalamic tissue and provided some new insights into the molecular mechanisms of follicle development and regulation of its fertility in goats.

Soil moisture is an important factor affecting the change of land surface hydrological processes and the distribution of material and energy exchanges between the land and atmosphere and vegetation’s temporal and spatial distributions, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This paper focuses on soil moisture features across Northwest China, the core region of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Six soil moisture datasets from the period 1981–2020 were employed, which included ERA5 (the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Atmospheric Reanalysis 5), ESA-CCI (European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative), GLDAS (Global Land Data Assimilation System), MERRA-2 (The Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2), RSSSM (A Remote Sensing-based global 10-day resolution Surface Soil Moisture dataset), and SSM-Feng (Regional multimodal fusion of surface soil moisture data in China). The temporal and spatial variation of the linear trend and abrupt change characteristics at seasonal and annual scale were explored. The results are as follows: 1) ESA-CCI, GLDAS, and MERRA-2 showed a slow increase in annual soil moisture tendency at a rate of less than 0.001 m3/m3/year, while ERA5 and SSM-Feng showed a significant decreasing linear trend at a rate of 1.31 × 10−4 m3/m3/year and 1.01 × 10−4 m3/m3/year (p < 0.05), respectively. 2) In autumn and winter, only GLDAS and MERRA-2 showed significant increasing trends. In the growing season (i.e., from April to October), the soil moisture of ESA-CCI, GLDAS, and MERRA-2 significantly increased at the rates of 3.29 × 10−4 m3/m3/year, 3.30 × 10−4 m3/m3/year, and 6.64 × 10−4 m3/m3/year (p < 0.05), respectively. 3) ERA5 and ESA-CCI have frequent abrupt changes in 1984, 1987, and 2006 for ERA5, 2010–2012 and 2019–2020 for ESA-CCI. 4) In terms of spatial variations, most datasets show that soil moisture has increased across most regions. The ERA5, ESA-CCI, GLDAS, MERRA-2, and SSM-Feng datasets show decreased soil moisture in the Tarim Basin. The conclusions of this study deepen the understanding of temporal and spatial variation in soil moisture in arid areas of Northwest China. Through these conclusions, a certain theoretical basis can be provided for the complex water cycle process in the arid region.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of rituximab in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN).MethodsA total of 77 patients with IMN diagnosed in both our hospital and other hospitals were included in this study; the patients were divided into two groups: a treatment-naïve group (n = 19) and a refractory/relapsed group (n = 58). The clinical data of the patients, including urine examination, blood test, safety evaluation and efficacy evaluation results, were analysed retrospectively. The changes in clinical biochemical indexes and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of primary IMN and refractory recurrent membranous nephropathy was evaluated.ResultsOf the 77 patients included in this study, the average age was 48 years, and there was a male-to-female ratio of 61:16. There were 19 cases in the initial treatment group and 58 cases in the refractory/relapse group. The 24-hour urine protein quantification, cholesterol, B cell count and M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) results in the 77 patients with IMN after treatment were all lower than those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Serum albumin was higher than before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The total remission rate in the initial and refractory/relapsed treatment groups was 84.21% and 82.76%, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the total remission rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). During treatment, nine patients (11.69%) experienced infusion-related adverse reactions, which were relieved rapidly after symptomatic treatment. The anti-PLA2R antibody titre of the refractory/relapsed group was significantly negatively correlated with serum creatinine (r = −0.187, P = 0.045) and significantly correlated with 24-hour urine protein (r = −0.490, P < 0.001). There was a positive correlation and a significant negative correlation with serum albumin (r = −0.558, P < 0.001).ConclusionsRegardless of whether RTX is used as an initial therapy or refractory/relapsed membranous nephropathy, most patients with IMN have complete or partial remission after RTX treatment, with mild adverse reactions.

Objective Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Many studies in China and abroad have reported an association between the expression level of microRNA-155 and CAD; however, the results remain controversial. We aimed to comprehensively investigate this association based on a meta-analysis. Methods We first systematically searched eight Chinese and English databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, China Science and Technology Journal Database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library, to identify studies concerning the relationship between microRNA-155 levels and CAD published before February 7, 2021. The quality of the literature was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate the standard mean difference with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Sixteen articles with a total of 2069 patients with CAD and 1338 controls were included. All the articles were of high quality according to the NOS. The meta-analysis showed that the mean level of microRNA-155 was significantly lower in patients with CAD than in controls. Based on subgroup analyses, the level of microRNA-155 in the plasma of CAD patients and in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients was significantly lower than that in controls, whereas this level in CAD patients with mild stenosis was significantly higher than that in controls. Conclusion Our study indicates that the expression level of circulating microRNA-155 in patients with CAD is lower than that in a non-CAD group, suggesting a new possible reference index for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with CAD.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor with unique immunity predominated by myeloid cells. GBM cells have been implicated to evade immune attack through hijacking myeloid-affiliated transcriptional programs to establish an immunosuppressive microenvironment. However, molecular features of immune-evading GBM cells in heterogeneous GBMs and their interactions with immune cells remain unclear. Herein, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA-seq data to develop an in silico method for delineating GBM immune signature and identifying new molecular subsets for immunotherapy. We identified a new GBM cell subset, termed TC-6, that harbored immune-invading signature and actively interacted with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to orchestrate an immune-suppressive niche. Proinflammatory transcriptional factors STAT1, STAT2, IRF1, IRF2, IRF3, and IRF7 were identified as the core regulons defining TC-6 subsets. Further immune transcriptome analyses revealed three immune subtypes (C1, C2, and C3). C3 subtype GBMs were enriched with TC-6 cells and immunosuppressive TAMs, and exhibited an immunomodulatory signature that associated with reduced efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment. Interferon-related DNA damage resistance signaling was upregulated in C3 GBMs, predicting shortened survival of GBM patients who received chemo-radiation treatment. Treatment of OSI-930 as a molecular agent targeting c-kit and VEGFR2 tyrosine kinases may compromise the immunomodulatory signature of C3 GBMs and synergize with chemo-radiation therapy. We further developed a simplified 11-gene set for defining C3 GBMs. Our work identified TC-6 subset as an immune-evading hub that creates an immunomodulatory signature of C3 GBMs, gaining insights into the heterogeneity of GBM immune microenvironment and holding promise for optimized anti-GBM immunotherapy.