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Abstract Recently it was proposed that, the AdS/BCFT correspondence can be simulated by a holographic Weyl transformed CFT2, where the cut-off brane plays the role of the Karch-Randall (KR) brane [1]. In this paper, we focus on the Weyl transformation that optimizes the path integral computation of the reduced density matrix for a single interval in a holographic CFT2. When we take the limit that one of the endpoint of the interval goes to infinity (a half line), such a holographic Weyl transformed CFT2 matches the AdS/BCFT configuration for a BCFT with one boundary. Without taking the limit, the induced cutoff brane becomes a circle passing through the two endpoints of the interval. We assume that the cutoff brane also plays the same role as the KR brane in AdS/BCFT, hence the path-integral-optimized purification for the interval is in the island phase. This explains the appearance of negative mutual information observed in [2]. We check that, the entanglement entropy and the balanced partial entanglement entropy (BPE) calculated via the island formulas, exactly match with the RT formula and the entanglement wedge cross-section (EWCS), which are allowed to anchor on the cutoff brane.

Abstract We explored physiological effects of the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor empagliflozin on intact experimentally hypertrophic murine hearts following transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Postoperative drug (2–6 weeks) challenge resulted in reduced late Na+ currents, and increased phosphorylated (p-)CaMK-II and Nav1.5 but not total (t)-CaMK-II, and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger expression, confirming previous cardiomyocyte-level reports. It rescued TAC-induced reductions in echocardiographic ejection fraction and fractional shortening, and diastolic anterior and posterior wall thickening. Dual voltage- and Ca2+-optical mapping of Langendorff-perfused hearts demonstrated that empagliflozin rescued TAC-induced increases in action potential durations at 80% recovery (APD80), Ca2+ transient peak signals and durations at 80% recovery (CaTD80), times to peak Ca2+ (TTP100) and Ca2+ decay constants (Decay30–90) during regular 10-Hz stimulation, and Ca2+ transient alternans with shortening cycle length. Isoproterenol shortened APD80 in sham-operated and TAC-only hearts, shortening CaTD80 and Decay30–90 but sparing TTP100 and Ca2+ transient alternans in all groups. All groups showed similar APD80, and TAC-only hearts showed greater CaTD80, heterogeneities following isoproterenol challenge. Empagliflozin abolished or reduced ventricular tachycardia and premature ventricular contractions and associated re-entrant conduction patterns, in isoproterenol-challenged TAC-operated hearts following successive burst pacing episodes. Empagliflozin thus rescues TAC-induced ventricular hypertrophy and systolic functional, Ca2+ homeostatic, and pro-arrhythmogenic changes in intact hearts.

Abstract For patients presenting with prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 3/4 findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, the standard recommendation typically involves undergoing a biopsy for pathological assessment to ascertain the nature of the lesion. This course of action, though essential for accurate diagnosis, invariably amplifies the psychological distress experienced by patients and introduces a host of potential complications associated with the biopsy procedure. However, [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging emerges as a promising alternative, demonstrating considerable diagnostic efficacy in discerning benign prostate lesions from malignant ones. This study aims to explore the diagnostic value of [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging for prostate cancer in patients with PI-RADS 3/4 lesions, assisting in clinical decision-making to avoid unnecessary biopsies. 30 patients diagnosed with PI-RADS 3/4 lesions through mpMRI underwent [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging, with final biopsy pathology results as the “reference standard”. Diagnostic performance was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of molecular imaging PSMA (miPSMA) visual analysis and semi-quantitative analysis in [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging. Lesions were assigned miPSMA scores according to the prostate cancer molecular imaging standardized evaluation criteria. Among the 30 patients, 13 were pathologically confirmed to have prostate cancer. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of visual analysis in [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging for diagnosing PI-RADS 3/4 lesions were 61.5%, 88.2%, 80.0%, 75.0%, and 76.5%, respectively. Using SUVmax 4.17 as the optimal threshold, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for diagnosis were 92.3%, 88.2%, 85.7%, 93.8%, and 90.0%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for semi-quantitative analysis was 0.94, significantly higher than visual analysis at 0.80. [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging accurately diagnosed benign lesions in 15 (50%) of the PI-RADS 3/4 patients. For patients with PI-RADS 4 lesions, the positive predictive value of [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging reached 100%. [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging provides potential preoperative prediction of lesion nature in mpMRI PI-RADS 3/4 patients, which may aid in treatment decision-making and reducing unnecessary biopsies.

Abstract As the span of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) arch bridges increases, the hydration heat temperature effect of concrete inside steel tube becomes more severe, which increases the safety risk during the construction process. Therefore, a numerical simulation of the mechanical response of a long-span CFST arch bridge under the influence of hydration heat was carried out. First, based on the hydration heat conduction theory, a finite element model of the transient temperature field of a CFST arch rib was established. The temperature distribution of the CFST arch rib and its variation with time were revealed, and an approximate formula for the distribution of the hydration heat temperature along the radial direction of the CFST was provided. Subsequently, the variation law of the thermal stress of a CFST during hydration heat release was investigated. Finally, based on the principle of temperature equivalence, a finite element model of the overall CFST arch rib was established to examine the effect of hydration heat on the deformation of the arch rib. The results reveal that the hydration heat temperature field of the CFST arch rib exhibits nonlinear and axisymmetric characteristics. The maximum temperature of the section and the maximum temperature difference can reach 73.5 °C and 33.2 °C, respectively. Because of the influence of the hydration heat, there is a significant stress gradient in the cross section of the arch rib. A maximum radial stress of 2.08 MPa is attained, indicating a risk of concrete cracking. Additionally, the displacement along the transverse and vertical directions of the chord tube exhibits an initial increase, followed by a decrease over time. The maximum transverse displacement of the chord tube reaches 70.6 mm, while the vertical displacement reaches 117.8 mm.

Abstract Background This study developed a nomogram model using CT-based delta-radiomics features and clinical factors to predict pathological complete response (pCR) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). Methods The study retrospectively analyzed 232 ESCC patients who underwent pretreatment and post-treatment CT scans. Patients were divided into training (n = 186) and validation (n = 46) sets through fivefold cross-validation. 837 radiomics features were extracted from regions of interest (ROIs) delineations on CT images before and after nCRT to calculate delta values. The LASSO algorithm selected delta-radiomics features (DRF) based on classification performance. Logistic regression constructed a nomogram incorporating DRFs and clinical factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analyses evaluated nomogram performance for predicting pCR. Results No significant differences existed between the training and validation datasets. The 4-feature delta-radiomics signature (DRS) demonstrated good predictive accuracy for pCR, with α-binormal-based and empirical AUCs of 0.871 and 0.869. T-stage (p = 0.001) and differentiation degree (p = 0.018) were independent predictors of pCR. The nomogram combined the DRS and clinical factors improved the classification performance in the training dataset (AUCαbin = 0.933 and AUCemp = 0.941). The validation set showed similar performance with AUCs of 0.958 and 0.962. Conclusions The CT-based delta-radiomics nomogram model with clinical factors provided high predictive accuracy for pCR in ESCC patients after nCRT.

Abstract Recently, certain holographic Weyl transformed CFT2 is proposed to capture the main features of the AdS3/BCFT2 correspondence [1, 2]. In this paper, by adapting the Weyl transformation, we simulate a generalized AdS/BCFT set-up where the fluctuation of the Karch-Randall (KR) brane is considered. In the gravity dual of the Weyl transformed CFT, the so-called cutoff brane induced by the Weyl transformation plays the same role as the KR brane. Unlike the non-fluctuating configuration, in the 2d effective theory the additional twist operator is inserted at a different place, compared with the one inserted on the brane. Though this is well-understood in the Weyl transformed CFT set-up, it is confusing in the AdS/BCFT set-up where the effective theory is supposed to locate on the brane. This confusion indicates that the KR brane may be emergent from the boundary CFT2 via the Weyl transformations. We also calculate the balanced partial entanglement (BPE) in the fluctuating brane configurations and find it coincide with the entanglement wedge cross-section (EWCS). This is a non-trivial test for the correspondence between the BPE and the EWCS, and a non-trivial consistency check for the Weyl transformed CFT set-up.

Abstract Heart failure (HF) is a prevalent cardiovascular disease with significant morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Due to the intricate structure of the heart, diverse cell types, and the complex pathogenesis of HF, further in‐depth investigation into the underlying mechanisms is required. The elucidation of the heterogeneity of cardiomyocytes and the intercellular communication network is particularly important. Traditional high‐throughput sequencing methods provide an average measure of gene expression, failing to capture the “heterogeneity” between cells and impacting the accuracy of gene function knowledge. In contrast, single‐cell sequencing techniques allow for the amplification of the entire genome or transcriptome at the individual cell level, facilitating the examination of gene structure and expression with unparalleled precision. This approach offers valuable insights into disease mechanisms, enabling the identification of changes in cellular components and gene expressions during hypertrophy associated with HF. Moreover, it reveals distinct cell populations and their unique roles in the HF microenvironment, providing a comprehensive understanding of the cellular landscape that underpins HF pathogenesis. This review focuses on the insights provided by single‐cell sequencing techniques into the mechanisms underlying HF and discusses the challenges encountered in current cardiovascular research.

Abstract We give a scheme to geometrize the partial entanglement entropy (PEE) for holographic CFT in the context of AdS/CFT. More explicitly, given a point x we geometrize the two-point PEEs between x and any other points in terms of the bulk geodesics connecting these two points. We refer to these geodesics as the PEE threads, which can be naturally regarded as the integral curves of a divergenceless vector field V x μ $$ {V}_{\textbf{x}}^{\mu } $$ , which we call PEE thread flow. The norm of V x μ $$ {V}_{\textbf{x}}^{\mu } $$ that characterizes the density of the PEE threads can be determined by some physical requirements of the PEE. We show that, for any static interval or spherical region A, a unique bit thread configuration can be generated from the PEE thread configuration determined by the state. Hence, the non-intrinsic bit threads are emergent from the intrinsic PEE threads. For static disconnected intervals, the vector fields describing a divergenceless flow is no longer suitable to reproduce the RT formula. We weight a PEE thread with the number of times it intersects with any homologous surface. Instead, the RT formula is perfectly reformulated by the minimization of the summation of PEE threads with all possible assignment of weights.

Abstract Background Up to the present time, there has remained a lack of strong evidence as to whether sentinel lymph node biopsy can replace lymphadenectomy for early endometrial cancer. The traditional surgery for endometrial cancer includes pelvic lymphadenectomy and paraaortic lymph node resection, but complications often seriously affect patients’ quality of life. Two randomized controlled trials with large samples have proved that lymphadenectomy does not improve the overall recurrence rate and survival rate of patients. On the contrary, it increases the incidence of complications and even mortality. The current trial is designed to clarify whether sentinel lymph node biopsy can replace lymphadenectomy for early endometrial cancer patients with negative lymph nodes. Methods This study is a randomized, open-label, multicenter and non-inferiority controlled clinical trial in China. Potential participants will be patients with pathologically confirmed endometrial cancer at the Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, and the First Hospital of Jiaxing in China. The total sample size for this study is 722. Patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to two groups. Patients in one group will undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy + total hysterectomy + bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy ± paraaortic lymph node resection. Patients in the other group will undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy + total hysterectomy + bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy + pelvic lymphadenectomy ± paraaortic lymph node resection. The 3-year disease-free survival rate, overall survival rate, quality of life (use EORTC QLQ-C30 + QLQ-CX24), and perioperative related indexes of the two groups will be compared. Results We expect to find that for patients with early endometrial cancer, the 3-year disease-free survival rate following sentinel lymph node biopsy with indocyanine green combined with near-infrared fluorescence imaging is similar to that following lymphadenectomy. The operation time, as well as incidence of pelvic lymphocyst, lymphedema of lower limb, and edema of vulva in patients who only undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy are expected to be significantly lower than in patients who undergo lymphadenectomy. The quality of life of patients who undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy alone will be significantly better than that of patients who undergo lymph node dissection. Conclusion This will prove that the prognosis of sentinel lymph node biopsy alone with indocyanine green combined with near-infrared fluorescence imaging is not inferior to that of sentinel lymph node biopsy plus lymphadenectomy for early stage endometrial cancer with negative nodal assessment intraoperatively. In addition, sentinel lymph node biopsy alone with indocyanine green combined with near-infrared fluorescence imaging results in fewer surgical complications and gives patients better quality of life. Trial registration chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR1900023161. Registered 14 May 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=38659&htm=4 .

Hepatic portal venous gas is often referred to as the “sign of death” because it signifies a very poor prognosis if appropriate treatments are not promptly administered. The etiologies of hepatic portal venous gas are diverse and include severe complex abdominal infections, mesenteric ischemia, diving, and complications of endoscopic surgery, and the clinical manifestations are inconsistent among individual patients. Thus, whether emergency surgery should be performed remains controversial. In this report, we present three cases of hepatic portal venous gas. The patients initially exhibited symptoms consistent with severe shock of unknown etiology and were treated in the intensive care unit upon admission. We rapidly identified the cause of each individual patient’s condition and selected problem-directed intervention measures based on active organ support, antishock support, and anti-infection treatments. Two patients recovered and were discharged without sequelae, whereas one patient died of refractory infection and multiple organ failure. We hope that this report will serve as a valuable reference for decision-making when critical care physicians encounter similar patients.

Numerous studies have examined the impact of the built environment on mental health, yet there remains an underexplored area concerning how microenvironments within educational buildings affect students’ mental well-being from a physical environment standpoint. This paper fills this gap by utilizing data from 440 valid questionnaires to develop regression models that assess students’ perceptions of physical environment factors in college teaching buildings and their impact on anxiety likelihood. This study examined the physical environment of the teaching building’s interior, courtyard, and semi-outdoor areas. Findings indicate that students’ perceptions of specific physical environment factors—such as classroom ventilation (p < 0.01, OR = 0.330), lighting (p < 0.01, OR = 0.444), noise conditions (p < 0.01, OR = 0.415), courtyard thermal comfort (p < 0.01, OR = 0.504), and the views from semi-outdoor areas (p < 0.01, OR = 2.779)—significantly influence the likelihood of experiencing anxiety. Optimal physical conditions are linked to reduced student anxiety. The suitability of the physical environment of teaching buildings is interrelated, and it is urgently necessary to address issues related to unsuitable lighting in window areas of classrooms, as well as problems with ventilation, lighting, and noise caused by the corridor layout within teaching buildings. These insights are crucial for the design and renovation of academic buildings to enhance students’ mental well-being.

Bike-sharing has a significant impact on commuters’ rational planning of their travel times, which can lead to an advance or delay in the peak passenger flow of the subway system during the morning peak. To explore the impact of bike-sharing on subway commuters’ choices of departure times, we developed a departure time choice model considering the effect of bike-sharing. This model considers both constant and linear marginal-activity utility and compares it with traditional departure time choice models. Research indicates that within the timeframe that ensures on-time arrival at work, models not accounting for bike-sharing services underestimate both the departure rate and the total number of commuters compared to actual figures. Specifically, under the constant marginal-activity utility, about 6.76% of commuters actually choose to depart earlier, while under the linear marginal-activity utility, this figure is 6.91%. Conversely, during the departure timeframes that lead to late arrival at work, the traditional model overestimates both the departure rate and total number of commuters. Finally, through case analysis, we further revealed the dynamic relationship between commuter departure rates, commuting fatigue, and number of bike-sharing and calculated the actual commuting costs for different proportions of bike-sharing. The results indicate that when the number of bike-sharing reaches 30% of the commuting demand, it can maximally reduce the commuting costs for commuters by approximately 23.32%. These findings offer a crucial basis for optimizing management strategies for morning peak subway commuting.

Abstract Background Recently, many studies have been conducted to examine immune response modification at epigenetic level, but the candidate effect of RNA 5‐methylcytosine (m5C) modification on tumor microenvironment (TME) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still unknown at present. Methods We assessed the patterns of m5C modification among 417 AML cases by using nine m5C regulators. Thereafter, we associated those identified modification patterns with TME cell infiltration features. Additionally, stepwise regression and LASSO Cox regression analyses were conducted for quantifying patterns of m5C modification among AML cases to establish the m5C‐score. Meanwhile, we validated the expression of genes in the m5C‐score model by qRT‐PCR. Finally, the present work analyzed the association between m5C‐score and AML clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes. Results In total, three different patterns of m5C modification (m5C‐clusters) were identified, and highly differentiated TME cell infiltration features were also identified. On this basis, evaluating patterns of m5C modification in single cancer samples was important for evaluating the immune/stromal activities in TME and for predicting prognosis. In addition, the m5C‐score was established, which showed a close relation with the overall survival (OS) of test and training set samples. Moreover, multivariate Cox analysis suggested that our constructed m5C‐score served as the independent predicting factor for the prognosis of AML (hazard ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.38–1.79, p

Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among all cancers. A persistent chronic inflammatory microenvironment is highly correlated with lung cancer. However, there are no anti‐inflammatory agents effective against lung cancer. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) plays an important role in the inflammatory response. Here, it is found that CYP2E1 is significantly higher in the peritumoral tissue of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and lung tumor growth is significantly impeded in Cyp2e1−/− mice. The novel CYP2E1 inhibitor Q11, 1‐(4‐methyl‐5‐thialzolyl) ethenone, is effective in the treatment of lung cancer in mice, which can inhibit cancer cells by changing macrophage polarization rather than directly act on the cancer cells. It is also clarify that the benefit of Q11 may associated with the IL‐6/STAT3 and MAPK/ERK pathways. The data demonstrate that CYP2E1 may be a novel inflammatory target and that Q11 is effective on lung cancer by regulation of the inflammatory microenvironment. These findings provide a molecular basis for targeting CYP2E1 and illustrate the potential druggability of the CYP2E1 inhibitor Q11.

Arrhythmia is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. The search for new drugs to suppress various types of cardiac arrhythmias has always been the focus of attention. In the past decade, the screening of antiarrhythmic active substances from plants has received extensive attention. These natural compounds have obvious antiarrhythmic effects, and chemical modifications based on natural compounds have greatly increased their pharmacological properties. The chemical modification of botanical antiarrhythmic drugs is closely related to the development of new and promising drugs. Therefore, the structural characteristics and action targets of natural compounds with antiarrhythmic effects are reviewed in this paper, so that pharmacologists can select antiarrhythmic lead compounds from natural compounds based on the disease target - chemical structural characteristics.

Abstract Background The evergreen broadleaved forest (EBLF) is an iconic vegetation type of East Asia, and it contributes fundamentally to biodiversity-based ecosystem functioning and services. However, the native habitat of EBLFs keeps on decreasing due to anthropogenic activities. Ormosia henryi is a valuable rare woody species in EBLFs that is particularly sensitive to habitat loss. In this study, ten natural populations of O. henryi in southern China were sampled, and then genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was applied to elucidate the standing genetic variation and population structure of this endangered species. Results In ten O. henryi populations, 64,158 high-quality SNPs were generated by GBS. Based on these markers, a relatively low level of genetic diversity was found with the expected heterozygosity (He) ranging from 0.2371 to 0.2901. Pairwise F ST between populations varied from 0.0213 to 0.1652, indicating a moderate level of genetic differentiation. However, contemporary gene flow between populations were rare. Assignment test and principal component analysis (PCA) both supported that O. henryi populations in southern China could be divided into four genetic groups, and prominent genetic admixture was found in those populations located in southern Jiangxi Province. Mantel tests and multiple matrix regression with randomization (MMRR) analyses suggested that isolation by distance (IBD) could be the possible reason for describing the current population genetic structure. In addition, the effective population size (Ne) of O. henryi was extremely small, and showed a continuous declining trend since the Last Glacial Period. Conclusions Our results indicate that the endangered status of O. henryi is seriously underestimated. Artificial conservation measures should be applied as soon as possible to prevent O. henryi from the fate of extinction. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism that leading to the continuous loss of genetic diversity in O. henryi and help to develop a better conservation strategy.

Poor wind conditions in metropolitan areas can result in inadequate ventilation and degradation of the thermal environment. Several researches have demonstrated that the building ground floor elevation (BGFE) enhances the wind conditions surrounding buildings. Further investigation is required to thoroughly examine the BGFE’s impact on the wind conditions in the courtyard area. We researched how the various overhead placements affect the ventilation of a U-shaped school building’s courtyard space in different wind directions. We performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation experiments on 93 overhead scenarios based on field measurements and validation. The statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the BGFE had significant effects on reducing the mean air age (p < 0.001), standard deviation of air age (p < 0.01), standard deviation of wind speed (p < 0.001), and mean wind speed (p < 0.01) in the courtyard space. The BGFE in the northeastern zone of the U-shaped school building significantly increased the mean air age (p < 0.05), while the BGFE in the middle and southwestern zones significantly decreased the mean air age (p < 0.001), and the BGFE in the southeastern zone significantly decreased the mean wind speed (p < 0.05). The BGFE facilitates the entry of fresh air and offers even ventilation while significantly reducing wind speed. Choose sites C and D to enhance the U-shaped courtyard’s ventilation and avoid locations B and E. This paper’s findings provide theoretical guidance for designing the elevation of courtyard space from a ventilation perspective and for the green rehabilitation of existing buildings.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for breast cancer (BC). However, current reliance on immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of PD-L1 expression alone has limited predictive capability, resulting in suboptimal efficacy of ICIs for some BC patients. Hence, developing novel predictive biomarkers is indispensable to enhance patient selection for immunotherapy. In this context, utilizing liquid biopsy (LB) can provide supplementary or alternative value to PD-L1 IHC testing for identifying patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy and exhibit favorable responses. This review discusses the predictive and prognostic value of LB in breast cancer immunotherapy, as well as its limitations and future directions. We aim to promote the individualization and precision of immunotherapy in BC by elucidating the role of LB in clinical practice.

Abstract Camellia chekiangoleosa is a popular variety of Oil-camellia that has high oil production and ornamental value. Microsatellite (SSR) markers are the preferred tool for the molecular marker-assisted breeding of C. chekiangoleosa. By focusing on the problems of the low development efficiency of polymorphic SSR markers and the lack of available functional markers in Oil-camellia, we identified 97,510 SSR loci based on the full-length transcriptome sequence of C. chekiangoleosa. An analysis of SSR characteristics showed that mononucleotide (51.29%) and dinucleotide (34.36%) SSRs were the main repeat types. The main SSR distribution areas based on proportion covered were ordered as follows: 5'UTR > 3'UTR > CDS. By comparing our data with those in databases such as GO and KEGG, we obtained functional annotations of unigene sequences containing SSR sites. The data showed that the amplification efficiency of the SSR primers was 51.72%, and the development efficiency of polymorphic SSR primers was 26.72%. Experiments verified that dinucleotide and pentanucleotide SSRs located in UTR regions could produce more polymorphic markers. An investigation into the genetic diversity of several C. chekiangoleosa populations also suggested that the developed SSR markers had higher levels of polymorphism. This study will provide a reference and high-quality markers for the large-scale development of functional SSR markers and genetic research in Oil-camellia.

Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant tumor which threatens human’s health. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in many cancers, including PC, but their mechanisms in PC have not yet been entirely clarified. We focused on revealing the potential function of lncRNA SOX21-AS1 in PC. Methods Functional assays assessed SOX21-AS1 function on PC progression. Bioinformatics analysis, along with mechanism assays were taken to unmask the regulatory mechanism SOX21-AS1 may exert in PC cells. Results SOX21-AS1 possessed a high expression level in PC cells. SOX21-AS1 absence suppressed PC cell proliferation, migration, stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) while elevated cell apoptosis. SOX21-AS1 positively regulated its nearby gene SRY-box transcription factor 21 (SOX21) at post-transcriptional level. Through mechanism assays, we uncovered that SOX21-AS1 sponged SOX21-AS1 to elevate SOX21 mRNA and recruited ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) to deubiquitinate and stabilize SOX21 protein. Moreover, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) could transcriptionally activate SOX21-AS1 and SOX21 expression. Conclusions SOX21-AS1 aggravated the malignant development of PC, which might provide the utility value for PC treatment.

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating inflammation‐related cancer for which novel therapeutic targets are urgently required. Previous studies of the authors indicate Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) as a novel inflammatory target and develop a specific inhibitor Q11. Here it is demonstrated that CYP2E1 overexpression is closely related to higher malignancy in GBM patients. CYP2E1 activity is positively correlated with tumor weight in GBM rats. Significantly higher CYP2E1 expression accompanied by increased inflammation is detected in a mouse GBM model. Q11, 1‐(4‐methyl‐5‐thialzolyl) ethenone, a newly developed specific inhibitor of CYP2E1 here remarkably attenuates tumor growth and prolongs survival in vivo. Q11 does not directly affect tumor cells but blocks the tumor‐promoting effect of microglia/macrophage (M/Mφ) in the tumor microenvironment through PPARγ‐mediated activation of the STAT‐1 and NF‐κB pathways and inhibition of the STAT‐3 and STAT‐6 pathways. The effectiveness and safety of targeting CYP2E1 in GBM are further supported by studies with Cyp2e1 knockout rodents. In conclusion, a pro‐GBM mechanism in which CYP2E1‐PPARγ‐STAT‐1/NF‐κB/STAT‐3/STAT‐6 axis fueled tumorigenesis by reprogramming M/Mφ and Q11 as a promising anti‐inflammatory agent for GBM treatment is uncovered.

PurposeThis study aimed to compare the diagnostic efficiency of 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT imaging and 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT bone imaging for the detection of bone metastases in prostate cancer.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 31 patients with confirmed prostate cancer between September 2020 and September 2022 at China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University. All patients underwent 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT and 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT bone imaging. The gold standard was the pathology or Best Valuable Comparator (BVC) result based on clinical follow-up. Diagnostic performance indicators, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), were analyzed at both the patient and lesion levels. The paired sample chi-square test was used to compare the two imaging methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for each method. The AUC values were compared using the Z-test, and a p-value

A destructive debris flow broke out in Meilong gully, Danba County, on June 17, 2020, discharging almost 427000 cubic meters of solid material, triggering a disaster chain consisting of debris flow, debris-flow dam, outburst flood, and landslide, forcing more than 5100 households and 21200 people to transfer and causing direct economic losses of 800 million yuan. The authors analyzed the causes and mechanism of the Meilong gully debris flow based on on-site investigation, aerial photography, and remote sensing interpretation, and elucidated the influence of material source, rainfall and terrain on the formation of debris flow. The results are shown as follows: (1) The Meilong gully debris flow was formed by the interaction of accumulated rainfall and short-term heavy rainfall. (2) The source of the debris flow in Meilonggou is in Dashibao ditch, which was caused by the collapse of the ditch bank. (3) The cascade blocking effect caused by the recharge of material and the three massive landslides named Dongfeng Shed, Meilong village, and Dayi village further amplifies the quantity of the debris flow. A large amount of solid material rushed out of the ditch mouth as a result. (4) The disaster chain consisted of debris-flow dam, outburst flood, and landslide at the mouth of the ditch, which further enhanced the risk of the debris flow. (5) The abundance of material in the Meilong ditch and lower rain threshold will tend to trigger destructive debris flow in the rain season. It is recommended to take comprehensive prevention and control measures in time.

Determining accurate PM2.5 pollution concentrations and understanding their dynamic patterns are crucial for scientifically informed air pollution control strategies. Traditional reliance on linear correlation coefficients for ascertaining PM2.5-related factors only uncovers superficial relationships. Moreover, the invariance of conventional prediction models restricts their accuracy. To enhance the precision of PM2.5 concentration prediction, this study introduces a novel integrated model that leverages feature selection and a clustering algorithm. Comprising three components—feature selection, clustering, and integrated prediction—the model first employs the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III) to identify the most impactful features affecting PM2.5 concentration within air pollutants and meteorological factors. This step offers more valuable feature data for subsequent modules. The model then adopts a two-layer clustering method (SOM+K-means) to analyze the multifaceted irregularity within the dataset. Finally, the model establishes the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) weak learner for each classification, integrating multiple weak learners using the AdaBoost algorithm to obtain a comprehensive prediction model. Through feature correlation enhancement, data irregularity exploration, and model adaptability improvement, the proposed model significantly enhances the overall prediction performance. Data sourced from 12 Beijing-based monitoring sites in 2016 were utilized for an empirical study, and the model’s results were compared with five other predictive models. The outcomes demonstrate that the proposed model significantly heightens prediction accuracy, offering useful insights and potential for broadened application to multifactor correlation concentration prediction methodologies for other pollutants.

Abstract Although there are many studies on the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and the incidence of diseases, mechanisms are rarely known. We report the mechanism by which signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (stat4) rs7574865 promotes the occurrence and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that the GG genotype at stat4 rs7574865 was a risk genotype, and STAT4 levels in serum and peritumoral tissue from HCC patients with the GG genotype were significantly higher than those found in TT or TG carriers. Furthermore, HCC patients with the GG genotype or elevated STAT4 levels had poor prognoses. In vitro experiments demonstrated that STAT4 silencing promoted apoptosis and inhibited the invasion and migration of HepG2 and L02 cells. Proteomic analysis of HCC peritumors identified 273 proteins related to STAT4, of which CYP2E1 activity and FGL2 content exhibited the highest positive correlation. The relationship between CYP2E1 and FGL2 was also confirmed in cyp2e1 −/− mice and in CYP2E1 inhibitor-treated mice. In conclusion, this study elucidates the mechanism by which the stat4 rs7574865 polymorphism promotes the occurrence and progression of HCC via the Stat4/CYP2E1/FGL2 pathway.

Abstract The effect of the cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) rs10954732 (G > A) polymorphism on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility is unknown. Here we found that A allele carriers showed a 69% decrease in susceptibility to HCC with overall survival (OS) prolonged to 199%, accompanied by lower activity for cytochrome P450 2E1. A total of 222 differentially expressed proteins were mainly enriched in neutrophil and T cell activation and involved in the immune and inflammatory responses, constituting the altered immune tumor microenvironment related with A allele by proteomics analysis. Hepsin (HPN) showed significant down-regulation in HCC and up-regulation in A allele carriers. A lower HPN level was associated with increased susceptibility to HCC and a worse prognosis. Moreover, HPN is a potential independent prognostic biomarker for HCC and is strongly associated with clinicopathological features, tumor-infiltrating status of immune cells both in our discovery cohort and database surveys. Our findings provide a new potential mechanism by which HPN may play an important role in the susceptibility of rs10954732 A allele carriers to HCC and their prognosis through tumor immune infiltration, thus offering potential insights for future studies on tumor immunotherapy.

In this paper, the image sensor compensation frameworks are established based on the correlation of pixel response characteristics; The pixel response model is established, and a method to measure the crosstalk of adjacent pixels of color image sensor under flat field light is proposed; at the same time, an artificial neural network training set is constructed by using the measured values and theoretical values of pixel response generated by combined exposures; a compensation method of using neural network compensation framework to replace high-dimensional neural network to traverse the image is proposed, which reduces the scale and training complexity of neural network; Finally, the corresponding spatial arrangement data of pixels are transformed into the frequency domain through the Fourier expansion algorithm, and the compensation effect is evaluated according to the change of high-frequency components. According to the experimental results, this method can effectively suppress color aliasing and crosstalk noise of the color image sensor. This paper provides a new method to compensate color aliasing and crosstalk noise.

The molecular mechanisms of freezing tolerance are unresolved in the perennial trees that can survive under much lower freezing temperatures than annual herbs. Since natural conditions involve many factors and temperature usually cannot be controlled, field experiments alone cannot directly identify the effects of freezing stress. Lab experiments are insufficient for trees to complete cold acclimation and cannot reflect natural freezing-stress responses. In this study, a new method was proposed using field plus lab experiments to identify freezing tolerance and associated genes in subtropical evergreen broadleaf trees using Camellia oleifera as a case. Cultivated C. oleifera is the dominant woody oil crop in China. Wild C. oleifera at the high-elevation site in Lu Mountain could survive below −30°C, providing a valuable genetic resource for the breeding of freezing tolerance. In the field experiment, air temperature was monitored from autumn to winter on wild C. oleifera at the high-elevation site in Lu Mountain. Leave samples were taken from wild C. oleifera before cold acclimation, during cold acclimation and under freezing temperature. Leaf transcriptome analyses indicated that the gene functions and expression patterns were very different during cold acclimation and under freezing temperature. In the lab experiments, leaves samples from wild C. oleifera after cold acclimation were placed under −10°C in climate chambers. A cultivated C. oleifera variety “Ganwu 1” was used as a control. According to relative conductivity changes of leaves, wild C. oleifera showed more freezing-tolerant than cultivated C. oleifera. Leaf transcriptome analyses showed that the gene expression patterns were very different between wild and cultivated C. oleifera in the lab experiment. Combing transcriptome results in both of the field and lab experiments, the common genes associated with freezing-stress responses were identified. Key genes of the flg22, Ca2+ and gibberellin signal transduction pathways and the lignin biosynthesis pathway may be involved in the freezing-stress responses. Most of the genes had the highest expression levels under freezing temperature in the field experiment and showed higher expression in wild C. oleifera with stronger freezing tolerance in the lab experiment. Our study may help identify freezing tolerance and underlying molecular mechanisms in trees.

The Baqu glacial lakes outburst debris flow is close to a station of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, which may threaten the construction and running of the railway. In this paper, the methods of in-site investigation and remote sensing were used to identify the basic geological characteristics of the Baqu gully. The kinetics parameters of debris flow were calculated by using the code-design-formulae method. Meanwhile, the stability of barrier dams of 7 glacial lakes in Baqu was evaluated based on the dimensionless blockage index (DBI). The results show that the DBI value of the 1# barrier dam was in the unstable region, and the DBI value of the 3#, 4# and 6# barrier dams were between the unstable region and the stable region, and there was a possibility of outburst. In this paper, we used RAMMS, a single-phase flow numerical method, to simulate and analyse the evolution process of glacial lakes outburst in the Baqu gully under 4 scenarios. The simulation results show that the evolution process is divided into 4 stages: initiation, confluence, runout and deposition, which lasted for 4.5 hours. The results also show that the maximum velocity, depth and discharge of the debris flow at the mouth of the channel were 5.92 m/s, 4.35 m and 1 954.42 m3/s (5.1 times of that of the rainstorm debris flow), respectively, under the condition of glacial lake 1#—4# and 6# outburst. In addition, the influence area of outburst flood in 4 scenarios affected the proposed station, and the maximum depth was 1.91 m, 3.36 m, 1.53 m and 4.35 m, respectively. Therefore, in the design of the station, it is necessary to take engineering measures such as drainage canal or diversion dike for protection and treatment, so as to ensure the safe running of the station. The above results can provide reference for the line selection of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway and the prevention and control of glacial lakes outburst debris flow in the Eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

BackgroundOnline health care services have been encouraged by the Chinese government in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed the rapid growing of internet hospitals. As an integral part of online health care services, little is known about the economic value and characteristics of cloud pharmacy especially for children. This study aimed to reveal the economic value and comprehensive characteristics of pediatric cloud pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary children's hospital in western China.MethodsA total of 33,254 online prescriptions over the course of February 2020 through December 2021 were analyzed with respect to the user profiles, diseases, consulting behaviors, distribution of departments, delivery region and distance, drug information and degree of satisfaction. The cost savings for patients calculated lost wages and the high-speed railway fees for transport to and from hospital.ResultsA total of 33,254 prescriptions, including 56,216 drugs were delivered to 27 provinces and municipalities of China. The internet cloud pharmacy saved a total of more than RMB 11.17 million in financial costs for patients. Of the 33,254 delivered prescriptions, 50.40% were sent to Chongqing Province, the top 5 provinces for out-of-province prescription deliveries were Sichuan (37.77%), Guizhou (8.00%), Yunnan (1.18%), Hubei (0.66%) and Guangdong (0.42%). In terms of department distribution, neurology (31.7%), respiratory (15.0%) and endocrinology (14.6%) were the top three departments. Epilepsy (16.2%), precocious puberty (10.3%) and asthma (8.7%) were the top three frequently consulted diseases. The peak times of day for online prescriptions occurred at 9 AM and 8 PM. 99.67% of users gave full marks for their internet counseling.ConclusionThe pediatric cloud pharmacy is efficient, cost-saving and convenient for children with chronic disease or mild symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The widespread use of this pediatric cloud pharmacy can help alleviating pressure on offline hospitals and facilitated people's lives beyond geographical and time-related limitations. Further efforts are needed to be made to improve the quality and acceptance of pediatric cloud pharmacy, as well as to regulate and standardize the management of this novel online health care service.

Background: Ticagrelor and clopidogrel are commonly used antiplatelet agents, and we conducted a pharmacovigilance analysis using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to provide a reference for safe and reasonable clinical use.Methods: Data were collected in FAERS from 2012 Q1 to 2022 Q2 for data cleaning. We used system organ classes (SOCs) and prefer terms (PTs) from the Medical Dictionary of Regulatory Activity (MedDRA version 25.1). Adverse event reports were retrieved at the PT level. Adverse reaction (ADR) signals of ticagrelor and clopidogrel were mined by calculating reporting odds ratios (ROR), proportional reporting ratios (PRR), information component (IC) and empirical Bayesian geometric mean (EBGM). After that, further analysis of the hemorrhagic signals and their clinical information were performed.Results: The number of ADR reports where the primary suspect (PS) drugs were 15,133 for ticagrelor and 23,860 for clopidogrel. Significant ADR signals were identified by the SOC analysis for ticagrelor including cardiac disorders (ROR 4.87, PRR 4.46), respiratory disorders (ROR 2.45, PRR 2.28), and vascular disorders (ROR 2.22, PRR 2.16). Clopidogrel included blood disorders (ROR 2.86, PRR 2.77), vascular disorders (ROR 2.71, PRR 2.61), and cardiac disorders (ROR 2.29, PRR 2.22). At the PT level, the more frequent ADR signals for ticagrelor were dyspnoea, contusion, and haemorrhage, while clopidogrel were gastrointestinal haemorrhage, anaemia, and drug interaction. The hemorrhagic signals of both were mainly focused on the SOC level of gastrointestinal disorders, injury disorders and vascular disorders and nervous system disorders. The death and life-threatening rate of ticagrelor was 7.76 percentage higher than that of clopidogrel.Conclusion: Clinicians need to pay attention to not only common ADRs but also be alert to new ADR signals when choosing to use ticagrelor and clopidogrel. This study provides a reference for the reasonable and safe clinical use of ticagrelor and clopidogrel.

Abstract Background The distribution and genetic characteristics of copy number variations (CNVs) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the distribution and transmission of CNVs of uncertain significance in fetuses. Methods Low‐coverage massively parallels CNV sequencing of 105 families (parents and their fetuses) was performed to identify fetal CNVs of uncertain significance. Results In the 105 fetuses, 176 CNVs of uncertain significance were detected, and the average number of CNVs carried by fetuses was 1.68 ± 0.80. Among the CNVs carried by the fetuses, 79.8% were inherited (~90.0% of the fetuses) and 20.2% were new mutations (~30.0% of the fetuses). We found that 58.9% CNVs were of maternal origin and 41.1% were of paternal origin. Among the CNV subtypes, de novo CNV distribution was significantly different from inherited CNV distribution. There was no difference in the distribution of maternal and paternal CNV subtypes in the fetuses. The proportion of microdeletions (36.7%) and microduplications (63.3%) was similar in the fetuses and parents. Furthermore, we found that when parents carried more CNVs of uncertain significance, the chance of passing them on to their offspring decreased. Conclusion This study deepens our understanding of the genetic mechanisms associated with CNV transmission to assist clinicians in prenatal counseling.

Abstract Background Although an association between the cytochrome P4502D6 (CYP2D6) *10 (100C>T) polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known, the mechanism remains unclear. Here we aimed to explore mechanisms of CYP2D6*10 (100C>T) polymorphism conferring to HCC, and screen markers for HCC. Methods Label-free global proteome profiling with 34 normal livers and peritumor tissue from 61 HCC patients was performed, and angiopoietin-like protein-6 (ANGPTL6) was evaluated in 2 liver samples validation cohorts and 2 blood specimens validation cohorts. Results We found a significantly decreased frequency of TT in HCC patients which reduced HCC susceptibility by 69.2% and was accompanied by lowered enzymatic activity for CYP2D6. Proteomic analysis revealed 1342 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that were associated with HCC and 88 DEPs were identified as 100 TT-related proteins, likely underlying the susceptibility to HCC. Twenty-two upregulated DEPs and 66 downregulated DEPs were mainly related to lipid metabolism and the extracellular matrix, respectively. High ANGPTL6 was associated with a higher risk to HCC and worse prognosis. ANGPTL6 was both an independent risk factor and an independent prognostic factor for HCC and exhibited strong potential for predicting HCC occurrence, with comparable AUC values and higher sensitivity compared with alpha-fetoprotein. Conclusions The TT genotype-associated decreased risk of HCC appears to be related to lowered CYP2D6 activity and altered protein expression in the tumor microenvironment, and ANGPTL6 is a promising new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HCC. Our findings reveal new mechanistic insights for polymorphisms related to HCC risk and provide avenues for screening for HCC.

BackgroundThe genomic features of cancer cells may confer the metastatic ability of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) to metastasize to specific organs. We aimed to identify the differences in genomic alterations between patients with primary LUAD with and without metastases and to elucidate the metastatic biology that may help developing biomarker-directed therapies for advanced or metastatic disease.MethodsA retrospective cohort of 497 patients with LUAD including 388 primary tumors (PR), 53 bone metastases (MT-bone), 30 liver metastases (MT-liver), and 26 brain metastases (MT-brain) was tested for genomic alterations by a next-generation sequencing assay.ResultsThe EGFR, TP53, TERT, LRP1B, CDKN2A, ERBB2, ALK, and KMT2C genes had a high frequency of mutations, and the mutations were shared by PR and metastases groups. TP53 and EGFR were the most common mutated genes. In comparison with PR, KRAS, STK11, ATM, NPM1, and ROS1 were significantly mutated in MT-brain, and TP53, MYC, RSPO2, CDKN2a, and CDKN2B were significantly mutated in MT-liver. The frequencies of TP53, CDKN2A, MTAP, PRKCI, and APC mutations were higher in MT-bone than that in PR. The ERBB, phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT), cell cycle, Fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and homologous recombination deficiency signaling pathways were affected in both PR and metastases, and there is higher frequency of mutations in metastases. Moreover, the co-mutations in patients with PR and metastasis were respectively analyzed. In addition, the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level was obviously related to tumor stage and tumor metastases, and the tumor mutational burden was correlated to clinicopathological features including age, gender, pathological stages, and tumor metastases. FGFR1, KAT6A, MYC, RAD21, TP53, and DAXX were also dramatically correlated to the tumor mutational burden.ConclusionMetastases are the most devastating stage of tumors and the main cause of cancer-related deaths. Our results provided a clinically relevant view of the tumor-intrinsic mutational landscape of patients with metastatic LUAD.

Abstract In this article we define a new information theoretical quantity for any bipartite mixed state ρ AB . We call it the balanced partial entanglement (BPE). The BPE is the partial entanglement entropy, which is an integral of the entanglement contour in a subregion, that satisfies certain balance requirements. The BPE depends on the purification hence is not intrinsic. However, the BPE could be a useful way to classify the purifications. We discuss the entropy relations satisfied by BPE and find they are quite similar to those satisfied by the entanglement of purification. We show that in holographic CFT2 the BPE equals to the area of the entanglement wedge cross section (EWCS) divided by 4G. More interestingly, when we consider the canonical purification the BPE is just half of the reflected entropy, which also directly relate to the EWCS. The BPE can be considered as an generalization of the reflected entropy for a generic purification of the mixed state ρ AB . We interpret the correspondence between the BPE and EWCS using the holographic picture of the entanglement contour.

Abstract Shell-color polymorphism is a common phenomenon in several mollusk species and has been associated with thermal capacity, developmental stability, shell strength, and immunity. Shell-color polymorphism has been related to the differential expression of genes in several signal transduction pathways; however, the functions of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in shell-color formation remain unclear. In the present study, we compared high-quality, small-RNA transcriptomes in three strains of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum with specific shell-color patterns, artificially selected for six generations. Totals of 114 known and 208 novel miRNAs were identified by high-throughput sequencing, of which nine known and one novel miRNA were verified by stem-loop quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction. Predicted miRNA targets were subjected to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. miR-137 and miR-216b and the Hedgehog signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway were identified as being potentially involved in pigment formation and regulation in R. philippinarum. These results may help to clarify the role of miRNAs in shell coloration and shed light on the mechanisms regulating color formation in bivalve shells.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used in the treatment of inflammatory pain, such as in osteoarthritis. Ketorolac tromethamine is considered to be an NSAID with strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic potency, however, traditional applications, such as oral administration and injections, often induce high systemic exposure, leading to adverse events such as gastric ulceration and bleeding. To address this key limitation, herein we designed and fabricated a topical delivery system for ketorolac tromethamine via cataplasm, which is based on a three-dimensional mesh structure formed by the cross-linking of dihydroxyaluminum aminoacetate (DAAA) and sodium polyacrylate. The viscoelasticity of the cataplasm was characterized by rheological methods and exhibited a “gel-like” elastic property. The release behavior showed a Higuchi model characteristic with a dose dependence. To enhance the skin permeation, permeation enhancers were added and screened utilizing ex vivo pig skin, in which 1,2-propanediol was found to have the optimal permeation-promoting effect. The cataplasm was further applied to a rat carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain model, which showed comparable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects with oral administration. Finally, the biosafety of the cataplasm was tested in healthy human volunteers, and reduced side effects were achieved as compared to the tablet formulation, which can be ascribed to less systemic drug exposure and lower blood drug concentrations. Therefore, the constructed cataplasm can reduce the risk of adverse events while maintaining efficacy, thus serving as a better alternative for the treatment of inflammatory pain, including osteoarthritis.

Elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2) generally increases plant growth by improving photosynthesis, but it is unclear whether eCO2 can alleviate the negative effects of elevated temperatures, especially in high-temperature years. Manipulative experiments with elevated [CO2] and temperature were conducted in North China to understand the effect of elevated CO2 concentration and temperature on wheat. The photosynthesis, An–PAR and A–Ci curve parameters, growth period, biomass, yield component, and yield of wheat were investigated under different [CO2] (around 400 and 600 ppm) and temperatures (ambient temperature and ambient temperature +2 °C) for 3 years by using controlled chambers. Results showed that elevated temperature significantly shortened the growth period and decreased the yield and biomass of wheat. Elevated [CO2] significantly increased the maximum net photosynthetic rate (Anmax) but reduced the maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) and the maximum electron transport rate (Jmax). The extremely high temperature during the grain filling period in 2019 exerted a serious negative impact on wheat production. Elevated [CO2] stimulated photosynthesis, increased kernel number per spike, and extended the duration of the grain filling period, which consequently increased biomass and grain yield under elevated temperatures in normal years (2018 and 2020). Although the combination of CO2 and temperature reduced photosynthesis and biomass, it also alleviated the negative impact of elevated temperatures on grain yield to some extent under extremely high temperature during the grain filling period in 2019. The mitigative effect of eCO2 under extreme high temperature is limited, and planting early-maturing cultivars or increasing the genotypes of kernel number per spike help to escape the extreme high temperature of the critical growth period.

Camellia semiserrata is a woody plant that produces excellent edible oil and is a common landscaping species in South China. The complete chloroplast genome of C. semiserrata was sequenced, assembled, annotated, and characterized using the Illumina MiSeq platform in this study. The chloroplast genome is 156,968 bp (37.32% GC) and contains a large single copy (LSC) region (86,634 bp), a small single copy (SSC) region (18,272 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,031 bp). It encodes a total of 117 genes, including 81 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes, and 32 transfer RNA genes. The phylogenetic tree fully resolved C. semiserrata in a clade with C. reticulata, C. mairei, and C. pitardii. This study contributes to bioinformatics and further phylogeny and conservation studies as well as provides a theoretical basis for the molecular identification of C. semiserrata.

The coexistence of single-crystallinity with a multidomain morphology is a paradoxical crystallographic phenomenon. Here, the authors introduce a crystallographic morphology never reported before. The single-crystals with a curved and hollow morphology offer opportunities to generate a class of synthetic multidomain crystals.

BackgroundThe combination of immunotherapy and chemoradiotherapy has become the standard therapeutic strategy for patients with unresected locally advance-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and induced treatment-related adverse effects, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (CIP) and radiation pneumonitis (RP). The aim of this study is to differentiate between CIP and RP by pretreatment CT radiomics and clinical or radiological parameters.MethodsA total of 126 advance-stage NSCLC patients with pneumonitis were enrolled in this retrospective study and divided into the training dataset (n =88) and the validation dataset (n = 38). A total of 837 radiomics features were extracted from regions of interest based on the lung parenchyma window of CT images. A radiomics signature was constructed on the basis of the predictive features by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. A logistic regression was applied to develop a radiomics nomogram. Receiver operating characteristics curve and area under the curve (AUC) were applied to evaluate the performance of pneumonitis etiology identification.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the training and the validation datasets for any clinicopathological parameters in this study. The radiomics signature, named Rad-score, consisting of 11 selected radiomics features, has potential ability to differentiate between CIP and RP with the empirical and α-binormal-based AUCs of 0.891 and 0.896. These results were verified in the validation dataset with AUC = 0.901 and 0.874, respectively. The clinical and radiological parameters of bilateral changes (p < 0.001) and sharp border (p = 0.001) were associated with the identification of CIP and RP. The nomogram model showed good performance on discrimination in the training dataset (AUC = 0.953 and 0.950) and in the validation dataset (AUC = 0.947 and 0.936).ConclusionsCT-based radiomics features have potential values for differentiating between patients with CIP and patients with RP. The addition of bilateral changes and sharp border produced superior model performance on classifying, which could be a useful method to improve related clinical decision-making.

Camellia brevistyla is an economic plant that can produce high-value edible oil in southern China. Using a combination of PacBio RS and Illumina sequencing platforms, the complete chloroplast genome of C. brevistyla was assembled and annotated. This newly deciphered chloroplast genome was 2,731 bp shorter in the ycf1 gene than the previously published C. brevistyla genome. The phylogenetic analysis fully resolved C. brevistyla in a clade with C. kissii, C. chkeiangoleosa, and C. japonica. The results not only supported the proposal to merge the sections Oleifera and Paracamellia, but also showed the close relationship between them and section Camellia.

Abstract Prediction of the height of a water-flowing fracture zone (WFFZ) is the foundation for evaluating water bursting conditions on roof coal. By taking the Binchang mining area as the study area and conducting an in-depth study of the influence of coal seam thickness, burial depth, working face length, and roof category on the height of a WFFZ, we proposed that the proportion of hard rock in different roof ranges should be used to characterise the influence of roof category on WFFZ height. Based on data of WFFZ height and its influence index obtained from field observations, a prediction model is established for WFFZ height using a combination of a genetic algorithm and a support-vector machine. The reliability and superiority of the prediction model were verified by a comparative study and an engineering application. The results show that the main factors affecting WFFZ height in the study area are coal seam thickness, burial depth, working face length, and roof category. Compared with multiple-linear-regression and back-propagation neural-network approaches, the height-prediction model of the WFFZ based on a genetic-algorithm support-vector-machine method has higher training and prediction accuracy and is more suitable for WFFZ prediction in the mining area.

Abstract The Entanglement contour function quantifies the contribution from each degree of freedom in a region A $$ \mathcal{A} $$ to the entanglement entropy S A $$ {S}_{\mathcal{A}} $$ . Recently in [1] the author gave two proposals for the entanglement contour in two-dimensional theories. The first proposal is a fine structure analysis of the entanglement wedge, which applies to holographic theories. The second proposal is a claim that for general two-dimensional theories the partial entanglement entropy is given by a linear combination of entanglement entropies of relevant subsets inside A $$ \mathcal{A} $$ . In this paper, we further study the partial entanglement entropy proposal by showing that it satisfies all the rational requirements proposed previously. We also extend the fine structure analysis from vacuum AdS space to BTZ black holes. Furthermore, we give a simple prescription to generate the local modular flows for two-dimensional theories from only the entanglement entropies without refer to the explicit Rindler transformations.

Abstract Background Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is the standard care for inoperable early stage non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of our study was to investigate whether a prediction model based on cone‐beam CT (CBCT) plus pretreatment CT radiomics features could improve the prediction of tumor control and lung toxicity after SBRT in comparison to a model based on pretreatment CT radiomics features alone. Methods A total of 34 cases of stage I NSCLC patients who received SBRT were included in the study. The pretreatment planning CT and serial CBCT radiomics features were analyzed using the imaging biomarker explorer (IBEX) software platform. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted for the association between progression‐free survival (PFS), lung toxicity and features. The predictive capabilities of the models based on CBCT and CT features were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Five CBCT features and two planning CT features were correlated with disease progression. Six CBCT features and two planning CT features were related to lung injury. The ROC curves indicated that the model based on the CBCT plus planning CT features might be better than the model based on the planning CT features in predicting lung injury. The other ROC curves indicated that the model based on the planning CT features was similar to the model based on the CBCT plus planning CT features in predicting disease progression. Conclusions Both pretreatment CT and CBCT radiomics features could predict disease progression and lung injury. A model with CBCT plus pretreatment CT radiomics features might improve the prediction of lung toxicity in comparison with a model with pretreatment CT features alone. Key points Significant findings of the study: A model with cone‐beam CT radiomics features plus pre‐treatment CT radiomics features might improve the prediction of lung toxicity after SBRT in stage I NSCLC patients. What this study adds: In the prediction of PFS and lung toxicity in early‐stage NSCLC patients treated with SBRT, CBCT radiomics could be another effective method.

Single image de-raining is challenging especially in the scenarios with dense rain streaks. Existing methods resolve this problem by predicting the rain streaks of the image, which constrains the network to focus on local rain streaks features. However, dense rain streaks are visually similar to mist or fog (with large intensities), in this case, the training objective should be shifted to image recovery instead of extracting rain streaks. In this paper, we propose a coupled rain streak and background estimation network that explores the intrinsic relations between two tasks. In particular, our network produces task-dependent feature maps, each part of the features correspond to the estimation of rain streak and background. Furthermore, to inject element-wise attention to all the convolutional blocks for better understanding the rain streaks distribution, we propose a Separable Element-wise Attention mechanism. In this way, dense element-wise attention can be obtained by a sequence of channel and spatial attention modules, with negligible computation. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-arts on 5 existing synthesized rain datasets and the real-world scenarios, without extra multi-scale or recurrent structure.

Purpose The present study retrospectively evaluated the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) to treat multiple synchronous ground-glass opacities (GGOs) of the lung. Materials and Methods From October 2016 to May 2019, 33 patients (9 males and 24 females, mean age: 59.6 ± 10.0 years) with multiple GGOs (103 GGOs with mean size 12.3 ± 6.3 mm) were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent 66 procedures of CT-guided percutaneous MWA. The feasibility, safety, local progression-free survival, and overall survival were evaluated. Results The technical success and technique efficacy rate were 100% and no MWA procedure-related deaths were reported. The median follow-up period was 18.1 (range: 6.8–37.7) months. Major complications included pneumothorax (11/66, 16.7%), pleural effusion (2/66, 3.0%), pneumonia (3/66, 4.5%), and nerve injury (1/66, 1.5%), which were well controlled by appropriate treatment. Minor complications included pneumothorax (38/66, 57.6%), pleural effusion (43/66, 65.2%), hemoptysis (13/66, 19.7%), subcutaneous emphysema (4/66, 6.1%), and hemothorax (2/66, 3.0%). Currently, all patients are alive without local progression or tumor recurrence, despite the relatively insufficient follow-up time. Conclusion CT-guided percutaneous MWA for the treatment of multiple synchronous lung GGOs is feasible, safe, and efficacious over short-term follow-up. It may also be employed as an alternative approach for nonsurgical candidates. A longer follow-up is warranted to evaluate the oncologic outcomes.