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Abstract Extreme myopia (EM), defined as a spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ −10.00 diopters (D), is one of the leading causes of sight impairment. Known EM-associated variants only explain limited risk and are inadequate for clinical decision-making. To discover risk genes, we performed a whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 449 EM individuals and 9606 controls. We find a significant excess of rare protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in EM cases, enriched in the retrograde vesicle-mediated transport pathway. Employing single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and a single-cell polygenic burden score (scPBS), we pinpointed PI16 + /SFRP4+ fibroblasts as the most relevant cell type. We observed that KDELR3 is highly expressed in scleral fibroblast and involved in scleral extracellular matrix (ECM) organization. The zebrafish model revealed that kdelr3 downregulation leads to elongated ocular axial length and increased lens diameter. Together, our study provides insight into the genetics of EM in humans and highlights KDELR3’s role in EM pathogenesis.

Abstract Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common primary malignant tumors of bone in children, which develops from osteoblasts and typically occurs during the rapid growth phase of the bone. Recently, Super-Enhancers(SEs)have been reported to play a crucial role in osteosarcoma growth and metastasis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify specific targeted inhibitors of SEs to assist clinical therapy. This study aimed to elucidate the role of BRD4 inhibitor GNE-987 targeting SEs in OS and preliminarily explore its mechanism. Methods We evaluated changes in osteosarcoma cells following treatment with a BRD4 inhibitor GNE-987. We assessed the anti-tumor effect of GNE-987 in vitro and in vivo by Western blot, CCK8, flow cytometry detection, clone formation, xenograft tumor size measurements, and Ki67 immunohistochemical staining, and combined ChIP-seq with RNA-seq techniques to find its anti-tumor mechanism. Results In this study, we found that extremely low concentrations of GNE-987(2–10 nM) significantly reduced the proliferation and survival of OS cells by degrading BRD4. In addition, we found that GNE-987 markedly induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in OS cells. Further study indicated that VHL was critical for GNE-987 to exert its antitumor effect in OS cells. Consistent with in vitro results, GNE-987 administration significantly reduced tumor size in xenograft models with minimal toxicity, and partially degraded the BRD4 protein. KRT80 was identified through analysis of the RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data. U2OS HiC analysis suggested a higher frequency of chromatin interactions near the KRT80 binding site. The enrichment of H3K27ac modification at KRT80 was significantly reduced after GNE-987 treatment. KRT80 was identified as playing an important role in OS occurrence and development. Conclusions This research revealed that GNE-987 selectively degraded BRD4 and disrupted the transcriptional regulation of oncogenes in OS. GNE-987 has the potential to affect KRT80 against OS.

Abstract Background Despite the use of targeted therapeutic approaches, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is still associated with a high incidence of complications and a poor prognosis. Indisulam (also known as E7070), a newly identified molecular glue compound, has demonstrated increased therapeutic efficacy in several types of cancer through the rapid degradation of RBM39. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of indisulam in T-ALL, elucidate its underlying mechanisms and explore the role of the RBM39 gene. Methods We verified the anticancer effects of indisulam in both in vivo and in vitro models. Additionally, the construction of RBM39-knockdown cell lines using shRNA confirmed that the malignant phenotype of T-ALL cells was dependent on RBM39. Through RNA sequencing, we identified indisulam-induced splicing anomalies, and proteomic analysis helped pinpoint protein changes caused by the drug. Comprehensive cross-analysis of these findings facilitated the identification of downstream effectors and subsequent validation of their functional roles. Results Indisulam has significant antineoplastic effects on T-ALL. It attenuates cell proliferation, promotes apoptosis and interferes with cell cycle progression in vitro while facilitating tumor remission in T-ALL in vivo models. This investigation provides evidence that the downregulation of RBM39 results in the restricted proliferation of T-ALL cells both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that RBM39 is a potential target for T-ALL treatment. Indisulam’s efficacy is attributed to its ability to induce RBM39 degradation, causing widespread aberrant splicing and abnormal translation of the critical downstream effector protein, THOC1, ultimately leading to protein depletion. Moreover, the presence of DCAF15 is regarded as critical for the effectiveness of indisulam, and its absence negates the ability of indisulam to induce the desired functional alterations. Conclusion Our study revealed that indisulam, which targets RBM39 to induce tumor cell apoptosis, is an effective drug for treating T-ALL. Targeting RBM39 through indisulam leads to mis-splicing of pre-mRNAs, resulting in the loss of key effectors such as THOC1.

Abstract Background Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy of the hematopoietic system, and childhood AML accounts for about 20% of pediatric leukemia. ANP32B, an important nuclear protein associated with proliferation, has been found to regulate hematopoiesis and CML leukemogenesis by inhibiting p53 activity. However, recent study suggests that ANP32B exerts a suppressive effect on B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in mice by activating PU.1. Nevertheless, the precise underlying mechanism of ANP32B in AML remains elusive. Results Super enhancer related gene ANP32B was significantly upregulated in AML patients. The expression of ANP32B exhibited a negative correlation with overall survival. Knocking down ANP32B suppressed the proliferation of AML cell lines MV4-11 and Kasumi-1, along with downregulation of C-MYC expression. Additionally, it led to a significant decrease in H3K27ac levels in AML cell lines. In vivo experiments further demonstrated that ANP32B knockdown effectively inhibited tumor growth. Conclusions ANP32B plays a significant role in promoting tumor proliferation in AML. The downregulation of ANP32B induces cell cycle arrest and promotes apoptosis in AML cell lines. Mechanistic analysis suggests that ANP32B may epigenetically regulate the expression of MYC through histone H3K27 acetylation. ANP32B could serve as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for AML patients.

Abstract Temperature distribution in transformer windings is a crucial factor that influences the safe operation, and lifespan of an insulating system in an oil‐immersed power transformer. Thermal hydraulic network modelling (THNM) has been the subject of numerous studies because of its lower computation cost as compared to a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. This study proposes improvements to THNM, with primary focus on non‐uniformity of temperatures in the entry and exit vertical oil ducts, and the feasibility of using a piecewise fitting formula for Nusselt number (Nu) of convection heat transfer coefficient in transformer windings. The deviation of hot spot temperature was 0.3°C, and the location of hot spot for CFD and THNM was 34th disc and 35th disc, respectively. The calculation time of CFD and THNM was about 34 h and 35 s under the same computer hardware situations. This provides an acceptable THNM method for the rapid prediction of transformer hot spot temperature and location at low costs for digital twin.

BackgroundNecrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe neonatal intestinal disease, often occurring in preterm infants following the administration of hyperosmolar formula. It is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality in the NICU, and currently, there are no clear standards for surgical intervention, which typically depends on the joint discretion of surgeons and neonatologists. In recent years, deep learning has been extensively applied in areas such as image segmentation, fracture and pneumonia classification, drug development, and pathological diagnosis.ObjectiveInvestigating deep learning applications using bedside x-rays to help optimizing surgical decision-making in neonatal NEC.MethodsThrough a retrospective analysis of anteroposterior bedside chest and abdominal x-rays from 263 infants diagnosed with NEC between January 2015 and April 2023, including a surgery group (94 cases) and a non-surgery group (169 cases), the infants were divided into a training set and a validation set in a 7:3 ratio. Models were built based on Resnet18, Densenet121, and SimpleViT to predict whether NEC patients required surgical intervention. Finally, the model's performance was tested using an additional 40 cases, including both surgical and non-surgical NEC cases, as a test group. To enhance the interpretability of the models, the study employed 2D-Grad-CAM technology to describe the models’ focus on significant areas within the x-ray images.ResultsResnet18 demonstrated outstanding performance in binary diagnostic capability, achieving an accuracy of 0.919 with its precise lesion imaging and interpretability particularly highlighted. Its precision, specificity, sensitivity, and F1 score were significantly high, proving its advantages in optimizing surgical decision-making for neonatal NEC.ConclusionThe Resnet18 deep learning model, constructed using bedside chest and abdominal imaging, effectively assists clinical physicians in determining whether infants with NEC require surgical intervention.

Abstract One of the characteristics of leukemia is that it contains multiple rearrangements of signal transduction genes and overexpression of non-mutant genes, such as transcription factors. As an important regulator of hematopoietic stem cell development and erythropoiesis, LMO2 is considered an effective carcinogenic driver in T cell lines and a marker of poor prognosis in patients with AML with normal karyotype. LDB1 is a key factor in the transformation of thymocytes into T-ALL induced by LMO2, and enhances the stability of carcinogenic related proteins in leukemia. However, the function and mechanism of LMO2 and LDB1 in AML remains unclear. Herein, the LMO2 gene was knocked down to observe its effects on proliferation, survival, and colony formation of NB4, Kasumi-1 and K562 cell lines. Using mass spectrometry and IP experiments, our results showed the presence of LMO2/LDB1 protein complex in AML cell lines, which is consistent with previous studies. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that LDB1 is essential for the proliferation and survival of AML cell lines. Analysis of RNA-seq and ChIP-Seq results showed that LDB1 could regulate apoptosis-related genes, including LMO2. In LDB1-deficient AML cell lines, the overexpression of LMO2 partially compensates for the proliferation inhibition. In summary, our findings revealed that LDB1 played an important role in AML as an oncogene, and emphasize the potential importance of the LMO2/LDB1 complex in clinical treatment of patients with AML.

Abstract Introduction Phoropters are widely accepted for clinical use in refraction examination and visual function assessment. This study assessed the reliability of the new Inspection Platform of Visual Function (IPVF) in comparison with the conventional equipment phoropter (TOPCON VT-10) in visual function assessment. Methods This prospective study enrolled 80 eyes of 80 healthy subjects. The horizontal phoria at distance and near (Phoria_D and Phoria_N, respectively) was measured with the von Graefe method, negative/positive relative accommodation (NRA/PRA) was measured with the positive/negative lens method, and accommodative amplitude (AMP) was measured with the minus lens method. Data of three consecutive measurements with each instrument were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for repeatability, and the agreement of the two instruments was evaluated using a Bland–Altman plot. Results The ICCs of the three consecutive measurements for phoria, NRA/PRA, and AMP using the IPVF instrument were high (0.87–0.96), indicating high repeatability. The ICCs of the three consecutive measurements using the phoropter were high (0.914–0.983) for phoria, NRA, and AMP, indicating high repeatability, while that of PRA was 0.732 (between 0.4 and 0.75), indicating acceptable repeatability. The 95% limits of agreement of phoria, NRA/PRA, and AMP were narrow, indicating good agreement between the two instruments. Conclusion The repeatability of both instruments was high, and the IPVF instrument was slightly better in terms of PRA repeatability than the phoropter. The agreement of phoria, NRA/PRA, and AMP measured by the new IPVF instrument and phoropter was also satisfactory.

ABSTRACTIntroduction B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most prevalent malignant tumor affecting children. While the majority of B-ALL patients (90%) experience successful recovery, early relapse cases of B-ALL continue to exhibit high mortality rates. MZ1, a novel inhibitor of Bromodomains and extra-terminal (BET) proteins, has demonstrated potent antitumor activity against hematological malignancies. The objective of this study was to examine the role and therapeutic potential of MZ1 in the treatment of B-ALL.Methods In order to ascertain the fundamental mechanism of MZ1, a sequence of in vitro assays was conducted on B-ALL cell lines, encompassing Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay, Propidium iodide (PI) staining, and Annexin V/PI staining. Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were employed to examine protein and mRNA expression levels. Transcriptomic RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was utilized to screen the target genes of MZ1, and lentiviral transfection was employed to establish stably-expressing/knockdown cell lines.Results MZ1 has been observed to induce the degradation of Bromodomain Containing 4 (BRD4), Bromodomain Containing 3 (BRD3), and Bromodomain Containing 2 (BRD2) in B-ALL cell strains, leading to inhibited cell growth and induction of cell apoptosis and cycle arrest in vitro. These findings suggest that MZ1 exhibits cytotoxic effects on two distinct molecular subtypes of B-ALL, namely 697 (TCF3/PBX1) and RS4;11 (MLL-AF4) B-ALL cell lines. Additionally, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that MZ1 significantly downregulated the expression of Cyclin D3 (CCND3) gene in B-ALL cell lines, which in turn promoted cell apoptosis, blocked cell cycle, and caused cell proliferation inhibition.Conclusion Our results suggest that MZ1 has potential anti-B-ALL effects and might be a novel therapeutic target.

Objective: In this study, we aim to investigate the safety and feasibility of robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) in children by reporting our initial experience. Methods: Using the Da Vinci robotic system, we performed a successful RAKT on a 12-year-old child who had been on hemodialysis for 27 months. Results: The total operative time for the RAKT procedure was 245 min. The vascular anastomosis took 41 min, while the ureterovesical anastomosis lasted 18 min. The estimated blood loss during the surgery was 100.0 ml. Following the removal of the arterial and venous clamp, the kidney was well perfused, and no perioperative complications were observed. Conclusion: This study presents the first pediatric RAKT in China, proving the safety and feasibility of the robot-assisted technique for children awaiting kidney transplantation.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges for existing diagnostic tools to detect and monitor pathogens. Therefore, there is a need to develop point-of-care (POC) devices to perform fast, accurate, and accessible diagnostic methods to detect infections and monitor immune responses. Devices most amenable to miniaturization and suitable for POC applications are biosensors based on electrochemical detection. We have developed an impedimetric immunosensor based on an interdigitated microelectrode array (IMA) to detect and monitor SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human serum. Conjugation chemistry was applied to functionalize and covalently immobilize the spike protein (S-protein) of SARS-CoV-2 on the surface of the IMA to serve as the recognition layer and specifically bind anti-spike antibodies. Antibodies bound to the S-proteins in the recognition layer result in an increase in capacitance and a consequent change in the impedance of the system. The impedimetric immunosensor is label-free and uses non-Faradaic impedance with low nonperturbing AC voltage for detection. The sensitivity of a capacitive immunosensor can be enhanced by simply tuning the ionic strength of the sample solution. The device exhibits an LOD of 0.4 BAU/ml, as determined from the standard curve using WHO IS for anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins; this LOD is similar to the corresponding LODs reported for all validated and established commercial assays, which range from 0.41 to 4.81 BAU/ml. The proof-of-concept biosensor has been demonstrated to detect anti-spike antibodies in sera from patients infected with COVID-19 within 1 h. Photolithographically microfabricated interdigitated microelectrode array sensor chips & label-free impedimetric detection of COVID-19 antibody.

A 3-year-old girl with a chief complaint of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) for 3 years was admitted in our center. Urinary ultrasonography showed left hydronephrosis with ureteral dilatation and left solitary kidney. Voiding cystourethrography indicated left vesicoureteral reflux and trabeculated bladder wall. Urodynamics study revealed the low flow rate and high detrusor pressure. Cystoscopy showed trabeculated bladder wall with elevation of the bladder neck. Then we performed transurethral bladder neck incision tentatively. The patient recovered from LUTS and the upper urinary tract dilation disappeared postoperatively.

PurposeOcular pathology may be reduced by slowing myopia progression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of a novel custom-designed rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens to control high myopia by comparing the efficacy of multifocal RGP lenses and single-vision spectacles for high myopia control.MethodsThe medical records of children fitted with spectacles or multifocal rigid gas-permeable lenses between January 2018 and May 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Children (5–17 years) with non-cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction of ≤ −6.00 D or spherical equivalent refraction > − 6.00 D with baseline axial length ≥ 26.5 mm, and astigmatism of ≥ −2.00 D were included. Axial length and refraction were measured at baseline, before fitting the participants with multifocal rigid gas-permeable lenses or spectacles, and at 1- and 2-year follow-up visits. Changes in axial length were compared between the groups.ResultsAmong the 77 children with 1-year follow-up data, the mean axial elongation was 0.20 ± 0.17 mm and 0.21 ± 0.14 mm in the multifocal rigid gas-permeable and control groups, respectively, without significant differences between groups (F = 0.004, p = 0.835). Among the 41 patients who completed 2 years of follow-up, the mean axial elongation values in the multifocal rigid gas-permeable and control groups were 0.21 ± 0.15 mm and 0.24 ± 0.13 mm, respectively, at the 1-year follow-up, and 0.37 ± 0.27 mm and 0.43 ± 0.23 mm, respectively, at the 2-year follow-up, without significant between-group differences at either time point (p = 0.224).ConclusionAxial length increased at a similar rate in both the control (spectacles) and multifocal rigid gas-permeable lens groups, suggesting that multifocal rigid gas-permeable lenses have no significant impact on controlling high myopia progression compared with spectacles.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly cancerous and aggressive hematologic disease with elevated levels of drug resistance and relapse resulting in high mortality. Recently, bromodomains and extra-terminal (BET) protein inhibitors have been extensively researched in hematological tumors as potential anticancer agents. MZ1 is a novel BET inhibitor that mediates selective proteins degradation and suppression of tumor growth through proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTAC) technology. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the role and therapeutic potential of MZ1 in AML. In this study, we first identified that AML patients with high BRD4 expression had poor overall survival than those with low expression group. MZ1 inhibited AML cell growth and induced apoptosis and cycle arrest in vitro. MZ1 induced degradation of BRD4, BRD3 and BRD2 in AML cell strains. Additionally, MZ1 also initiated the cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), which showed cytotoxic effects on NB4 (PML-RARa), K562 (BCR-ABL), Kasumi-1 (AML1-ETO), and MV4-11 (MLL-AF4) cell lines representing different molecular subtypes of AML. In AML mouse leukemia model, MZ1 significantly decreased leukemia cell growth and increased the mouse survival time. According to the RNA-sequencing analysis, MZ1 led to c-Myc and ANP32B genes significant downregulation in AML cell lines. Knockdown of ANP32B promoted AML cell apoptosis and inhibited cell growth. Overall, our data indicated that MZ1 had broad anti-cancer effects on AML cell lines with different molecular lesions, which might be exploited as a novel therapeutic strategy for AML patients.

Abstract Background Abnormal lipid metabolism is one of the most prominent metabolic changes in cancer. Studies have shown that lipid metabolism also plays an important role in neuroblastoma. We recently discovered that the insulinoma-associated 2 gene (INSM2) could regulate lipid metabolism in neuroblastoma (NB) and is improperly controlled by super enhancers, a mammalian genome region that has been shown to control the expression of NB cell identity genes. However, the specific molecular pathways by which INSM2 leads to NB disease development are unknown. Results We identified INSM2 as a gene regulated by super enhancers in NB. In addition, INSM2 expression levels were significantly upregulated in NB and correlated with poor prognosis in patients. We found that INSM2 drives the growth of NB cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. Knocking down INSM2 inhibited fatty acid metabolism in NB cells. Mechanistically, INSM2 regulates the expression of SREBP1 by regulating the mTOR signaling pathway, which in turn affects lipid metabolism, thereby mediating the occurrence and development of neuroblastoma. Conclusion INSM2 as a super-enhancer-associated gene could regulates lipid metabolism by modulating mTOR signaling pathway in neuroblastoma.

Abstract Objectives Myopia is a major public health problem and it is essential to find safe and effective means to control its progression. The study design and baseline data are presented for a one-year prospective, double-masked, crossover, randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of single vision spectacle lenses with concentric rings of slightly aspherical contiguous lenslets technology (SAL) on myopia control. Methods One hundred 8- to 13-year old Chinese children with a refractive error of -0.75 D to -4.75 D were assigned to two groups. In Group 1, SAL and single vision lenses were each worn for 6 months, and Group 2 wore the lenses in the reversed order. Primary outcomes are axial length and spherical equivalent of cycloplegic refractive error. Secondary outcomes included corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, visual acuity, and lens adaptation. Results No significant differences in baseline parameters (cycloplegic spherical equivalent, axial length, age) were found between groups (0.49

Background Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is extremely rare in elderly patients. Thus, this study aimed to identify the incidence rate and develop nomogram models for predicting survival in elderly ACC patients. Methods Data of ACC patients aged >60 years from 1975 to 2016 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results dataset. The national incidence rate was estimated, and survival was subjected to Kaplan–Meier analysis. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to identify predictors of survival. Nomograms were generated to predict survival, calibrated and internally validated. Results We identified 583 cases. Univariate analysis showed that patients with younger age (≤67 years), female sex, lower tumor grade, surgical treatment performed, and earlier European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (ENSAT) stage had a better survival (P

Abstract Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common extracranial malignancy with high mortality in children. Recently, super-enhancers (SEs) have been reported to play a critical role in the tumorigenesis and development of NB via regulating a wide range of oncogenes Thus, the synthesis and identification of chemical inhibitors specifically targeting SEs are of great urgency for the clinical therapy of NB. This study aimed to characterize the activity of the SEs inhibitor GNE987, which targets BRD4, in NB. Results In this study, we found that nanomolar concentrations of GNE987 markedly diminished NB cell proliferation and survival via degrading BRD4. Meanwhile, GNE987 significantly induced NB cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Consistent with in vitro results, GNE987 administration (0.25 mg/kg) markedly decreased the tumor size in the xenograft model, with less toxicity, and induced similar BRD4 protein degradation to that observed in vitro. Mechanically, GNE987 led to significant downregulation of hallmark genes associated with MYC and the global disruption of the SEs landscape in NB cells. Moreover, a novel candidate oncogenic transcript, FAM163A, was identified through analysis of the RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data. FAM163A is abnormally transcribed by SEs, playing an important role in NB occurrence and development. Conclusion GNE987 destroyed the abnormal transcriptional regulation of oncogenes in NB by downregulating BRD4, which could be a potential therapeutic candidate for NB.

Abstract Recent studies uncovered the emerging roles of SAPCD2 (suppressor anaphase-promoting complex domain containing 2) in several types of human cancer. However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of SAPCD2 in the progression of neuroblastoma (NB) remain elusive. Herein, through integrative analysis of public datasets and regulatory network of GSK-J4, a small-molecule drug with anti-NB activity, we identified SAPCD2 as an appealing target with a high connection to poor prognosis in NB. SAPCD2 promoted NB progression in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, SAPCD2 could directly bind to cytoplasmic E2F7 but not E2F1, alter the subcellular distribution of E2F7 and regulate E2F activity. Among the E2F family members, the roles of E2F7 in NB are poorly understood. We found that an increasing level of nuclear E2F7 was induced by SAPCD2 knockdown, thereby affecting the expression of genes involved in the cell cycle and chromosome instability. In addition, Selinexor (KTP-330), a clinically available inhibitor of exportin 1 (XPO1), could induce nuclear accumulation of E2F7 and suppress the growth of NB. Overall, our studies suggested a previously unrecognized role of SAPCD2 in the E2F signaling pathway and a potential therapeutic approach for NB, as well as clues for understanding the differences in subcellular distribution of E2F1 and E2F7 during their nucleocytoplasmic shuttling.

The accurate and effective detection of SF6 decomposition components inside a gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) is crucial for equipment fault diagnosis and condition assessment. The current method for detecting SF6 decomposition components involves gas extraction at the GIS inlet, which only provides limited information on the decomposition component content. Therefore, there is a need to explore more effective ways to obtain internal gas component information within GIS. In this study, we propose a graphene-coated microfiber gas detection method for SO2. We establish a physical simulation model of the microfiber and analyze the sensing mechanism of the microfiber diameter and cladding refractive index changes in its evanescent field. A graphene-coated microfiber gas sensor was prepared using a drop-coating method, and a fiber loop ring-down (FLRD) gas detection system was constructed for the experimental studies on SO2 gas detection. The results demonstrated that the graphene-coated microfiber exhibits an excellent gas-sensitive response to SO2 and achieves trace-level detection at room temperature. The concentration range of 0 to 200 ppm showed good linearity, with a maximum detection error of 4.76% and a sensitivity of 1.24 ns/ppm for SO2. This study introduces an all-fiber method for detecting SF6 decomposition components, offering a new approach for online monitoring of SF6 decomposition components in GIS equipment using built-in fiber-optic sensors.

With the development of two-dimensional materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MXenes and MBenes, these materials have received extensive attention from scholars in the field of gas sensing due to their unique and superior properties. Based on first-principles calculations, the adsorption energy, charge transfer, density of states and deformation charge density of CrB, an MBene successfully synthesized under laboratory conditions, were investigated for the adsorption of the decomposition components (CF4, C3F6 and COF2) of an insulating medium, C4F7N. The calculation results revealed strong chemisorption with an adsorption energy as high as −3.336 eV between CrB and COF2, as well as physical adsorption with CF4 and C3F6. However, the excessive interaction strength makes it difficult for COF2 molecules to escape from the binding of the CrB substrate, making CrB more suitable as an adsorbent to remove COF2 gas. Compared with COF2 and CF4, CrB has appropriate adsorption energy and charge transfer for C3F6 adsorption, and its theoretical recovery performance is acceptable, indicating its potential as a sensor for detecting C3F6.

Objectives To compare the perioperative outcomes between robotic posterior retroperitoneal adrenalectomy (RPRA) with laparoscopic posterior retroperitoneal adrenalectomy (LPRA) for adrenal tumors and to identify which group of patients may benefit from RPRA. Methods A total of 401 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were collected and analyzed; among them, 86 and 315 patients underwent RPRA and LPRA, respectively. To adjust for potential baseline confounders, propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted at a 1:1 ratio. Patient demographics and perioperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results After matching, no differences were found between the two groups in patient demographics or tumor characteristics. The median length of postoperative stay (3 vs. 4 days, p = 0.001) was significantly shorter in the RPRA group, but this group also showed a higher median total hospitalization cost (8121.89 vs. 4107.92 $, p

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon endocrine malignancy associated with poor clinical outcome. As a novel form of cell death, ferroptosis is reliant on the accumulation of iron and reactive oxygen species and is involved in the pathogenesis of various tumors, including ACC. Our study aimed to identify and characterize the prognostic ferroptosis-related lncRNA signature (FerRLSig) in ACC.Methods: A regulatory network of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (FerRLs) and mRNAs was constructed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression assays were performed to construct the FerRLSig.Results: Twenty-four FerRLs were identified in the prognostic model, and the high-risk FerRLSig was related to the worse overall survival (OS) in ACC [hazard ratio (HR): 1.936 (1.484–2.526), p < 0.001]. The area under the curve (AUC) value of the FerRLSig was 0.936 according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, superior to other traditional clinicopathological features, further supported the utility in prognosis prediction of ACC. We further established a prognostic nomogram combining clinical factors with the FerRLSig, which showed favorable efficacy for survival prediction. Next, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that gene sets were involved in many immune regulatory biological processes related to malignancies. T-cell function of type II INF response and the immune checkpoints, including CD40, CD276, IDO2, NRP1, and CD80, were expressed with a significant difference between the low- and high-risk groups.Conclusion: This study offered new insights into the pathogenesis of ACC. The novel FerRLSig could be useful in predicting survival and may provide information of immunological research and treatment for ACC patients.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to introduce a novel technique of robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) with long proximal ureteral stricture in children.Materials and methodsClinical information on patients who underwent a modified RALP between July 2018 and May 2019 in our center was collected retrospectively. Our surgical modifications mainly include “double-flap” tailoring of the renal pelvis and anastomosis of spatulate ureter with the double-flap. Demographic, perioperative, postoperative, and follow-up information was recorded in detail.ResultsA total of 13 patients were included in the study. All the patients underwent a modified RALP without conversion to open surgery. They were followed up with a median time of 36 months. The anteroposterior diameter of the renal pelvis was 1.19 ± 0.21 at 6 months after the surgery, which was significantly lower than that on admission (3.93 ± 0.79). The split renal function of the children was also significantly improved from 0.37 ± 0.05) to 0.46 ± 0.02 at 6 months after surgery (p < 0.05). The diuretic renography revealed that all the patients have a T1/2 time less than 20 min postoperatively. The children were in good condition during the follow-up period.ConclusionsModified RALP is an effective surgical treatment for children with UPJO with long proximal ureteral stricture. The success rate of this modification has been preliminarily confirmed.

Autophagy has dual roles in cancer, resulting in cellular adaptation to promote either cell survival or cell death. Modulating autophagy can enhance the cytotoxicity of many chemotherapeutic and targeted drugs and is increasingly considered to be a promising cancer treatment approach. Cynaropicrin (CYN) is a natural compound that was isolated from an edible plant (artichoke). Previous studies have shown that CYN exhibits antitumor effects in several cancer cell lines. However, it anticancer effects against neuroblastoma (NB) and the underlying mechanisms have not yet been investigated. More specifically, the regulation of autophagy in NB cells by CYN has never been reported before. In this study, we demonstrated that CYN induced apoptosis and protective autophagy. Further mechanistic studies suggested that ER stress-induced autophagy inhibited apoptosis by activating the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathways. Finally, in vivo data showed that CYN inhibited tumour growth in xenografted nude mice. Overall, our findings suggested that CYN may be a promising candidate for the treatment of NB, and the combination of pharmacological inhibitors of autophagy may hold novel therapeutic potential for the treatment of NB. Our paper will contribute to the rational utility and pharmacological studies of CYN in future anticancer research.

A novel test strategy is proposed with dual-modality detection techniques for COVID-19 antibody detection. The full-length S protein of SARS-CoV-2 was chemically immobilized on a glass surface to capture anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in patient serum and was detected through either Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) or fluorescence imaging with labeled secondary antibodies. Gold nanoparticles conjugated with protein G were used as the probe and the bound GNP-G was detected through EIS measurements. Anti-human-IgG conjugated with the fluorescent tag Alexa Fluor 488 was used as the probe for fluorescence imaging. Clinical SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive serum and negative controls were used to validate both modalities. For fluorescence-based detection, a high sensitivity was noticed with a quantification range of 0.01–0.1 A.U.C. and a LOD of 0.004 A.U.C. This study demonstrates the possibility of utilizing different measurement techniques in conjunction for improved COVID-19 serology testing.

ObjectiveOur previous work found COX4I2 was associated with angiogenesis in pheochromocytoma. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of COX4I2 in regulating angiogenesis in pheochromocytoma.MethodsDistribution of COX4I2 was evaluated by scRNA-seq in one case of pheochromocytoma and the findings were verified by immunostaining. COX4I2 was further knocked down in target cells. Changes of angiogenesis-related genes were evaluated by qPCR in target cells.ResultsThe scRNA-seq revealed high mRNA expression of COX4I2 in fibroblasts rather than tumor cells. Immunostaining of COX4I2 confirmed its distribution in fibroblasts. Knocking down COX4I2 in NIH3T3 cell line led to significant reduction of angiogenesis-related genes, especially ANG1 and HGF.ConclusionsFibroblasts mediate the angiogenesis of pheochromocytoma by increasing COX4I2 expression, possibly by affecting ANG1 and HGF.

The identification of forest pests is of great significance to the prevention and control of the forest pests' scale. However, existing datasets mainly focus on common objects, which limits the application of deep learning techniques in specific fields (such as agriculture). In this paper, we collected images of forestry pests and constructed a dataset for forestry pest identification, called Forestry Pest Dataset. The Forestry Pest Dataset contains 31 categories of pests and their different forms. We conduct several mainstream object detection experiments on this dataset. The experimental results show that the dataset achieves good performance on various models. We hope that our Forestry Pest Dataset will help researchers in the field of pest control and pest detection in the future.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents an aggressive hematopoietic malignancy with a prognosis inferior to that of other leukemias. Recent targeted therapies offer new opportunities to achieve better treatment outcomes. However, due to the complex heterogeneity of AML, its prognosis remains dismal. In this study, we first identified the correlation between high expression of BRD4 and overall survival of patients with AML. Targeted degradation of BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4 proteins by dBET1, a proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) against the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family members, showed cytotoxic effects on Kasumi (AML1-ETO), NB4 (PML-RARa), THP-1 (MLL-AF9), and MV4-11 (MLL-AF4) AML cell lines representing different molecular subtypes of AML. Furthermore, we determined that dBET1 treatment arrested cell cycling and enhanced apoptosis and c-MYC was identified as the downstream target. Collectively, our results indicated that dBET1 had broad anti-cancer effects on AML cell lines with different molecular lesions and provided more benefits to patients with AML.

Hot spot temperature (HST) is an important parameter reflecting the working state of the traction transformer, and the load characteristics have a great influence on the HST. The current researches rarely consider the load characteristics of transformers in-depth, and most of the research on the temperature field focuses on steady load. Therefore, a prediction model of HST for the traction transformer considering the load characteristics is established by the finite element simulation in this paper. Considering the impact and nonlinearity of traction load, the influence of the load characteristics on the HST is studied. Analysis of the load curve revealed that the steady and step load combination could well simulate the traction load. Based on the analysis of traction transformer load characteristics, the temperature field coupling calculation of traction transformer is carried out according to the VI normative duty class. On this basis, the influence of load rate and time on HST is studied. The present findings show that the method can predict the HST of traction transformer under different working conditions and provide a reference for load dispatching of traction transformer. The simulation data are in good agreement with the test results, and the average relative error is 3.4%. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid tumor of the neural crest cell origin in children and has a poor prognosis in high-risk patients. The oncogene MYCN was found to be amplified at extremely high levels in approximately 20% of neuroblastoma cases. In recent years, research on the targeted hydrolysis of BRD4 to indirectly inhibit the transcription of the MYCN created by proteolysis targeting chimaera (PROTAC) technology has become very popular. dBET57 (S0137, Selleck, TX, USA) is a novel and potent heterobifunctional small molecule degrader based on PROTAC technology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of dBET57 in NB and its potential mechanism. In this study, we found that dBET57 can target BRD4 ubiquitination and disrupt the proliferation ability of NB cells. At the same time, dBET57 can also induce apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and decrease migration. Furthermore, dBET57 also has a strong antiproliferation function in xenograft tumor models in vivo. In terms of mechanism, dBET57 targets the BET protein family and the MYCN protein family by associating with CRBN and destroys the SE landscape of NB cells. Combined with RNA-seq and ChIP-seq public database analysis, we identified the superenhancer-related genes TBX3 and ZMYND8 in NB as potential downstream targets of dBET57 and experimentally verified that they play an important role in the occurrence and development of NB. In conclusion, these results suggest that dBET57 may be an effective new therapeutic drug for the treatment of NB.

Background. AML (acute myeloid leukemia) is a common hematological malignancy in children with poor treatment effects and poor prognosis. Recent studies have shown that as a novel BRD4 (bromodomain containing 4) PROTACs (proteolysis targeting chimeras) degrader, GNE-987 can slow down the growth of various tumors and increase apoptosis, with promising clinical prospects. However, the function and molecular mechanism of GNE-987 in AML remain unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the therapeutic effect of GNE-987 on AML and its underlying mechanism. Methods. The association between BRD4 and AML was assessed by studying public databases. After GNE-987 was added to AML cells, cell proliferation slowed down, the cycle was disturbed, and apoptosis increased. Western blotting was used to detect BRD2 (bromodomain containing 2), BRD3 (bromodomain containing 3), BRD4, and PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase) proteins. The effect of GNE-987 on AML cells was analyzed in vivo. RNA-seq (RNA sequencing) and ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing) validated the function and molecular pathways of GNE-987 in processing AML. Results. BRD4 expression was significantly elevated in pediatric AML samples compared with healthy donors. GNE-987 inhibited AML cell proliferation by inhibiting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4 were consistent with decreased VHL (Von Hippel Lindau) expression in AML cells. In an AML xenograft model, GNE-987 significantly reduced the hepatosplenic infiltration of leukemia cells and increased the mouse survival time. Based on analysis of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses, GNE-987 could target multiple SE- (super-enhancer-) related genes, including LYL1 (lymphoblastic leukemia 1), to inhibit AML. Conclusions. GNE-987 had strong antitumor activity in AML. GNE-987 could effectively inhibit the expression of SE-related oncogenes including LYL1 in AML. Our results suggested that GNE-987 had broad prospects in the treatment of AML.

ObjectiveSuppression of bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) proteins has a bright prospect to treat MYC-driven tumors. Bromodomain containing 4 (BRD4) is one of the BET proteins. ARV-825, consisting of a BRD4 inhibitor conjugated with a cereblon ligand using proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology, was proven to decrease the tumor growth effectively and continuously. Nevertheless, the efficacy and mechanisms of ARV-825 in gastric cancer are still poorly understood.MethodsCell counting kit 8 assay, lentivirus infection, Western blotting analysis, Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining, RNA sequencing, a xenograft model, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the efficacy of ARV-825 in cell level and animal model.ResultsThe messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of BRD4 in gastric cancer raised significantly than those in normal tissues, which suggested poor outcome of patients with gastric cancer. ARV-825 displayed higher anticancer efficiency in gastric cancer cells than OTX015 and JQ1. ARV-825 could inhibit cell growth, inducing cell cycle block and apoptosis in vitro. ARV-825 induced degradation of BRD4, BRD2, BRD3, c-MYC, and polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) proteins in four gastric cancer cell lines. In addition, cleavage of caspase 3 and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) was elevated. Knockdown or overexpression CRBN could increase or decrease, respectively, the ARV-825 IC50 of gastric cancer cells. ARV-825 reduced MYC and PLK1 expression in gastric cancer cells. ARV-825 treatment significantly reduced tumor growth without toxic side effects and downregulated the expression of BRD4 in vivo.ConclusionsHigh mRNA expression of BRD4 in gastric cancer indicated poor prognosis. ARV-825, a BRD4 inhibitor, could effectively suppress the growth and elevate the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells via transcription downregulation of c-MYC and PLK1. These results implied that ARV-825 could be a good therapeutic strategy to treat gastric cancer.

Accurate detection of the internal decomposition components of SF6 electrical equipment plays an important role in the evaluation of equipment status. However, gas samples are usually taken out for detection at present, which makes it difficult to understand the real situation inside the equipment. In this paper, a carbon nanotube-coated fiber gas sensor is proposed, which has the potential to be applied as a built-in gas sensor. The fiber loop ring-down (FLRD) gas detection system based on the carbon nanotube-coated fiber gas sensor was built, and the detectable decomposition components among the four typical SF6 decomposition components of SO2, SO2F2 and SOF2 and CO were analyzed. The results showed that the fiber gas sensor was most sensitive to CO. Based on density functional theory, it was found that single-walled carbon nanotubes had the best adsorption effect on CO molecules under the same conditions, with the adsorption energy reaching −0.150 Ha. The detection performance of the system for CO was studied, and the results showed that there was a good linear relationship between CO concentration and ring-down time: R2 was 0.984, the maximum inversion error of 0~200 ppm CO was 1.916 ppm, and the relative error was 4.10%. The sensitivity of the system was 0.183 ns/ppm, and the detection limit of the system was 19.951 ppm. The system had good stability, with the standard deviation of single-point repeatability being 0.00356, and the standard deviation of the long period of the experiment being 0.00606. The research results provide a new idea for the detection of SF6 decomposition components, and lay the foundation for the component detection method of built-in fiber sensor of SF6 electrical equipment.

Detection of Clostridioides difficile toxins in patients with gastroenteritis has increasingly been accomplished through the use of enteric multiplex syndromic panels. Comparisons of the performance of these panels to both direct-from-stool (DFS) and culture-enriched stools followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods in pediatric populations are limited. Here, we compare the performance of the Luminex xTAG® Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) to our DFS in-house real-time PCR (DFS RT-PCR) assay for the detection of C. difficile toxin gene, tcdB, using 2641 stool specimens collected from children enrolled in the Alberta Provincial Pediatric EnTeric Infection Team (APPETITE) study in Alberta, Canada. We used culture enrichment followed by in-house RT-PCR to resolve discordant results between the two assays. We found excellent agreement (k = 0.89) between the GPP and our DFS RT-PCR assay: the positive percent agreement between the two assays was 97%, and the negative percent agreement was 99%. GPP, a multi-analyte platform can easily be implemented into a routine diagnostic laboratory for detecting enteric pathogens including C. difficile.

We report electron transport studies of a thin InAs-Al hybrid semiconductor-superconductor nanowire device using a four-terminal design. Compared to previous studies, thinner InAs nanowire (diameter less than 40 nm) is expected to reach fewer subband regime. The four-terminal device design excludes electrode contact resistance, an unknown value, which has inevitably affected previously reported device conductance. Using tunneling spectroscopy, we find large zero bias peaks (ZBPs) in differential conductance on the order of 2e^{2}/h. At specific gate voltage settings, we find a magnetic-field-driven transition between a zero bias peak and a zero bias dip while the zero-bias conductance sticks close to 2e^{2}/h. We discuss a topologically trivial interpretation involving disorder, smooth potential variation and quasi-Majorana zero modes.

Objective: Up to 40% of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) patients may have adrenal cortical tumors. However, adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is rare. The clinical manifestations, prevalence, inheritance and prognosis of ACC associated with MEN1 remain unclear. Here we report the clinical manifestations and prevalence of ACC in patients with MEN1. Design and methods: A retrospective analysis of ACC associated with MEN1 patients at a single tertiary care center from December 2001 to June 2017. Genetic analysis of MEN1 and other ACC associated genes, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of MEN1 locus, immunohistochemistry staining of menin, P53 and β-catenin in ACC tissue were performed. Results: Two related patients had ACC associated with MEN1. The father had ENSAT stage IV tumor with excessive production of cortisol; the daughter had nonfunctional ENSAT stage I tumor. Both patients carried novel germline heterozygous mutation (c.400_401insC) of MEN1. The wild-type MEN1 allele was lost in the resected ACC tissue from the daughter with no menin staining. The ACC tissue had nuclear β-catenin staining, with heterozygous CTNNB1 mutation of 357del24 and P53 staining in only 20% cells. Conclusions: ACC associated with MEN1 is rare and may occur in familial aggregates.

As a new environmental-friendly gas insulating medium, perfluoroisobutyronitrile (C4F7N) has been widely concerned in recent years due to its relatively low global warming potential and excellent dielectric strength, which has the potential to replace the most greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride(SF6). However, there are a few systematic studies on the influence of gas pressure and mixing ratio on the dielectric strength of C4F7N/CO2 gas mixture at present. In this paper, the power frequency breakdown characteristics of C4F7N/CO2 gas mixture under different pressure and mixing ratio conditions were tested using the gas insulation performance test platform. The optimal mixing ratio and pressure range of C4F7N/CO2 gas mixture for engineering application were also discussed. It is found that the breakdown voltages of C4F7N/CO2 gas mixture show a saturated growth trend with gas pressure and mixing ratio. The breakdown voltage of the gas mixture with 10% C4F7N can reach 80% of pure SF6 under the same condition. The insulation performance of the gas mixture with 20% C4F7N can reach more than 95% of pure SF6. Relevant results indicate that the gas mixture with 4%–12% C4F7N has the potential to be applied to high-voltage gas-insulated equipment.

As an environment-friendly gas insulating medium, C4F7N has attracted great attention in recent years due to its excellent environmental protection and insulation performance. However, studies on the insulation performance of C4F7N/N2 gas mixture are not comprehensive at present. In this paper, the breakdown and partial discharge characteristics of the C4F7N/N2 gas mixture under highly non-uniform field were tested using the gas insulation performance test platform. The effects of gas pressure and mixing ratio on the negative partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV-), positive PDIV (PDIV+), and breakdown voltage of the gas mixture were analyzed. The engineering application potential of the C4F7N/N2 gas mixture was also discussed considering the limitation of liquefaction temperature. It is found that an increasing gas pressure or a mixing ratio can effectively improve the insulation performance of the C4F7N/N2 gas mixture. The breakdown properties of a gas mixture for a minimum operating temperature of -25°C at 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6MPa can reach 63.4%, 54.6%, 49%, and 56.4% of pure SF6, respectively, and the PDIV- can reach 80.4%, 66.9%, 62.8%, and 68.8% of pure SF6, respectively. Relevant results not only reveal the influence of the mixing ratio and pressure on insulation performance of the C4F7N/N2 gas mixture, but also provide significant guidance for its engineering application.

As an environmental friendly insulating medium, C(4)F(7)N has received extensive attention in the past two years. In this study, the partial discharge (PD) and breakdown characteristics of C(4)F(7)N/CO(2) gas mixture were investigated using the gas insulation performance test platform. The influence of gas pressure and mixing ratio on the PD initial voltage (PDIV) and breakdown voltage of C(4)F(7)N/CO(2) gas mixture in different electric fields was tested. It was found that the PDIV and breakdown voltage of gas mixture with 2–8% C(4)F(7)N in the highly non-uniform field showed a linear saturation increasing trend with the change of gas pressure and mixing ratio. The breakdown voltage of gas mixture increases linearly with gas pressure in the quasi-uniform electric field. The relative breakdown voltage of gas mixture in the highly non-uniform field under high-pressure conditions is inferior to those of low-pressure conditions. The C(4)F(7)N/CO(2) gas mixture containing 2–8% C(4)F(7)N is sensitive to the non-uniformity of electric field. According to the PD and breakdown tests results, C(4)F(7)N/CO(2) gas mixture with 2–8% C(4)F(7)N has the potential to replace SF(6) using in gas-insulated equipment.

Fluorocarbon gas has excellent environmental characteristics and insulation properties and has the potential of replacing SF6 for medium-voltage electrical equipment. While c-C4F8 will decompose under discharge or overheating faults conditions. At present, studies on the decomposition characteristics of c-C4F8 have made some achievements, but little attention has been paid to the influence of temperature and trace water. In this paper, the interaction between OH· and H· produced by H2O and c-C4F8 is analyzed based on the density functional theory (DFT) and plasma discharge decomposition experiment. The decomposition path, reaction enthalpy and activation energy, and the impact of temperature on the reaction path is discussed. It is found that the decomposition of c-C4F8 requires an endothermic heat of about 420 kJ/mol, and the decomposition of c-C4F8 to C2F4 is more likely to occur at high temperature. The H· and OH· generated by trace water will promote the decomposition of c-C4F8, which produces HF and low fluoride particles. The main decomposition products of c-C4F8 in the trace water environment are C2F4, CF4, CF3OH, CF3H, C2F6, CF2O and HF. Among them, CF2O and HF are toxic and corrosive substances, which pose a threat to the safety of operation and maintenance personnel. Relevant research results not only reveal the decomposition mechanism of c-C4F8, but also provide guidance for the application of c-C4F8 gas mixture.

Support vector machine (SVM), which serves as one kind of artificial intelligence technique, has been widely employed in transformer fault diagnosis when involving dissolved gas analysis (DGA). However, when using SVM, it is easy to misclassify samples which are located near the decision boundary, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of fault diagnosis. Given this issue, this paper proposed a genetic algorithm (GA) optimized probabilistic SVM (GAPSVM) integrated with the fuzzy three-ratio (FTR) method, in which the GAPSVM can judge whether a sample is near the decision boundary according to its output probabilities and diagnose the samples which are not near the decision boundary. Then, FTR is used to diagnose the samples which are near the decision boundary. Combining GAPSVM and FTR, the integrated model can accurately diagnose samples near the decision boundary of SVM. In addition, to avoid redundant and erroneous features, this paper also used GA to select the optimal DGA features. The diagnostic accuracy of the proposed GAPSVM integrated with the FTR fault diagnosis method reached 86.80% after 10 repeated calculations using 118 groups of IEC technical committee (TC) 10 samples. Moreover, the robustness is also proven through 30 groups of DGA samples from the State Grid Co. of China and 15 practical cases with missing values.

Norovirus is a major pathogen identified in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE), little is known about the strain’s diversity and their clinical severity. Stool and/or rectal swabs were collected from children ≤18 years of age recruited at emergency departments (ED), and a provincial nursing advice phone line due to AGE symptoms in the province of Alberta, Canada between December 2014 and August 2018. Specimens were tested using a reverse transcription real time PCR and genotyped by Sanger sequencing. The Modified Vesikari Scale score (MVS) was used to evaluate the disease severity. The objectives are to identify the Genogroup and Genotype distribution and to compare illness severity between the GI and GII genogroups and to complete further analyses comparing the GII genotypes identified. GII.4 was the genotype most commonly identified. Children with GII.4 had higher MVS scores (12.0 (10.0, 14.0; p = 0.002)) and more prolonged diarrheal (5 days (3.0, 7.8)) and vomiting (3.2 days (1.7, 5.3; p < 0.001)) durations compared to other non GII.4 strains. The predominant strain varied by year with GII.4 Sydney[P31] predominant in 2014/15, GII.4 Sydney[P16] in 2015/16 and 2017/18, and GII.3[P12] in 2016/17. Genogroup II norovirus strains predominated in children with AGE with variance between years; clinical severity associated with different strains varied with episodes being most severe among GII.4 infected children.

Background. We sought to develop diagnostic test guidance definitions for pediatric enteric infections to facilitate the interpretation of positive test results in the era of multianalyte molecular diagnostic test platforms. Methods. We employed a systematic, two-phase, modified Delphi consensus process consisting of three web-based surveys and an expert panel face-to-face meeting. In phase 1, we surveyed an advisory panel of North American experts to select pathogens requiring diagnostic test guidance definition development. In phase 2, we convened a 14-member expert panel to develop, refine, and select the final definitions through two web-based questionnaires interspersed with a face-to-face meeting. Both questionnaires asked panelists to rate the degree to which they agreed that if the definition is met the pathogen is likely to be causative of clinical illness. Results. The advisory panel survey identified 19 pathogens requiring definitions. In the expert panel premeeting survey, 13 of the 19 definitions evaluated were rated as being highly likely (“agree” or “strongly agree”) to be responsible for acute gastroenteritis symptoms by ≥67% of respondent panel members. The definitions for the remaining six pathogens (Aeromonas, Clostridium difficile, Edwardsiella, nonenteric adenovirus, astrovirus, and Entamoeba histolytica) were indeterminate. After the expert panel meeting, only two of the modified definitions, C. difficile and E. histolytica/dispar, failed to achieve the a priori specified threshold of ≥67% agreement. Conclusions. We developed diagnostic test guidance definitions to assist healthcare providers for 17 enteric pathogens. We identified two pathogens that require further research and definition development.

The healthy state of insulation in oil-impregnated bushings is traditionally evaluated by tanδ and capacitance at power frequency and mostly at 10 kV in the test standard. However, there has frequently been insulation accidents induced by moisture ingress (MI) for bushings that have passed the standard. The mechanism and new diagnostic features for MI into bushings were not distinct enough and an accurate test method is urgently needed research. To address this technical gap, a bushing model with a transparent sheath was designed and an ultrasonic humidifier device was adopted to simulate the environment of MI in bushings and recorded by digital camera. The parameters of dielectric dissipation factor, capacitance, partial discharge (PD), frequency domain response, and moisture content in oil were measured at room temperature with time. The results presented that both the increment dissipation factor at low frequency of 0.001 Hz and the increment dissipation factor of 1.2 Um could be used for detecting the earlier insulation defect of oil-impregnated paper (OIP) bushings. The phase resolved partial discharge (PRPD) can serve as the diagnostic basis of the severe state (S3) of insulation deterioration caused by MI into bushings around the phases of 0–117°, 151–303°, and 325–360°. The research findings would provide a useful reference for the condition diagnosis and maintenance of OIP bushings. Especially, the increment detection of Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS) at the frequency of 1 mHz and 10 kHz was recommended firstly for the operative bushings in real sites.

The SMC5/6 protein complex consists of the Smc5, Smc6 and Non-Smc-Element (Nse) proteins and is important for genome stability in many species. To identify novel components in the DNA repair pathway, we carried out a genetic screen to identify mutations that confer reduced resistance to the genotoxic effects of caffeine, which inhibits the ATM and ATR DNA damage response proteins. This approach identified inactivating mutations in CG5524 and MAGE, homologs of genes encoding Smc6 and Nse3 in yeasts. The fact that Smc5 mutants are also caffeine-sensitive and that Mage physically interacts with Drosophila homologs of Nse proteins suggests that the structure of the Smc5/6 complex is conserved in Drosophila. Although Smc5/6 proteins are required for viability in S. cerevisiae, they are not essential under normal circumstances in Drosophila. However, flies carrying mutations in Smc5, Smc6 and MAGE are hypersensitive to genotoxic agents such as ionizing radiation, camptothecin, hydroxyurea and MMS, consistent with the Smc5/6 complex serving a conserved role in genome stability. We also show that mutant flies are not compromised for pre-mitotic cell cycle checkpoint responses. Rather, caffeine-induced apoptosis in these mutants is exacerbated by inhibition of ATM or ATR checkpoint kinases but suppressed by Rad51 depletion, suggesting a functional interaction involving homologous DNA repair pathways that deserves further scrutiny. Our insights into the SMC5/6 complex provide new challenges for understanding the role of this enigmatic chromatin factor in multi-cellular organisms.