Search

A significant number of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) exhibit language difficulties. Here, we examined the language-related brain morphometry in 59 participants (7 participants with TSC and comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (TSC + ASD), 13 with TSC but no ASD (TSC-ASD), 10 with ASD-only (ASD), and 29 typically developing (TD) controls). A hemispheric asymmetry was noted in surface area and gray matter volume of several cortical language areas in TD, ASD, and TSC-ASD groups, but not in TSC + ASD group. TSC + ASD group demonstrated increased cortical thickness and curvature values in multiple language regions for both hemispheres, compared to other groups. After controlling for tuber load in the TSC groups, within-group differences stayed the same but the differences between TSC-ASD and TSC + ASD were no longer statistically significant. These preliminary findings suggest that comorbid ASD in TSC as well as tuber load in TSC is associated with changes in the morphometry of language regions. Future studies with larger sample sizes will be needed to confirm these findings.

[Objective] The study aims to explore the growth and physiological response of Canavalia maritima seedlings to water stress, and provide a reference for water management during the seedling stage and for the cultivation of high-quality plants in coastal sandy lands. [Methods] One-year-old C. maritima seedlings were subjected to simulated drought stress (soil relative water content at 20%, 40%, and 60%), suitable water condition (80%, control), and waterlogging (100%) with water control experiment in pots. Their growth and physiological indices were analyzed. [Results] Under both drought and waterlogging stress, leaf dry weight was decreased, while leaf relative water content was increased. Seedling height and leaf area were increased under waterlogging but decreased under severe drought stress. Total root length, total root surface area, total root volume, and mean root diameter were increased under drought stress and decreased under waterlogging. The content of malondialdehyde and the activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were increased, while the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was relatively stable. Soluble protein content was decreased, whereas soluble sugar and proline contents were increased under water stress. The chlorophyll content was decreased under severe drought stress. Initial fluorescence was increased, while maximum fluorescence, maximum photochemical efficiency, and maximum quantum yield were decreased under water stress. [Conclusion] C. maritima seedlings demonstrate strong tolerance to drought and waterlogging stress by altering water accumulation and distribution patterns, increasing the activities of CAT and POD, and enhancing soluble sugar and proline contents.

This paper investigates the effect of Freeze-Thaw (FT) environments on the fatigue behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites under extreme conditions. The effect of FT cycles on CFRP fatigue life has not been previously studied. In this paper, three types of specimens (open-hole, transverse, and shear) were subjected to FT cycles: freezing at −60 °C and thawing at 30 °C. Open-hole specimens (OHS) were subjected to 0, 50, and 100 FT cycles before being tested at stress ratios R = 10 and R = −1, while transverse (TS) and shear specimens (SS) were exposed to 0 and 100 FT cycles and tested under R = −1. Fracture surfaces were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM observations revealed that the FT cyclic environment weakened the fiber-matrix bond across all specimens. However, the fatigue life of CFRP is primarily governed by dominant failure mechanisms, which depend on the stress ratio and laminate configuration. In SS, where fiber-matrix debonding is the primary failure mechanism, the FT environment directly affected fatigue life, significantly reducing fatigue resistance. In contrast, the fatigue life of OHS and TS was predominantly determined by the specific failure mechanisms characteristic of each laminate rather than being directly influenced by the FT environment.

Objective Long-term re-intervention after ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) ablation was reported, and the prediction of non-perfusion volume ratio (NPVR) in differently aged patients with uterine fibroids (UFs) was explored.Materials and Methods Patients with UFs who underwent USgHIFU ablation from January 2012 to December 2019 were enrolled and divided into < 40-year-old and ≥ 40-year-old groups. Cox regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of re-intervention rate, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the correlation between NPVR and re-intervention rate.Results A total of 2141 patients were enrolled, and 1558 patients were successfully followed up. The 10-year cumulative re-intervention rate was 21.9%, and the < 40-year-old group had a significantly higher rate than the ≥ 40-year-old group (30.8% vs. 19.1%, p

Background Focused ultrasound ablation surgery (FUAS) has been widely employed to treat patients with uterine fibroid (UF). This study aimed to estimate myometrial stiffness changes in patients who received FUAS for UFs or myomectomy (ME) and compare the recovery of surrounding myometrium between FUAS and ME groups. Our results may provide more evidence for guiding the proper conception timing in patients with UF.Methods This study enrolled 173 patients from May 2022 to August 2023. Shear wave elastography (SWE) was used to dynamically monitor myometrial elasticity changes in patients before and after surgery. Moreover, our study monitored and analyzed the stiffness changes in the targeted fibroid after FUAS, as well as in the myometrium around after FUAS or ME.Results The stiffness of the myometrium around the resected fibroid was significantly higher than at the preoperative level until 6 months. Conversely, the stiffness of the surrounding myometrium was only temporarily increased 1 day after FUAS. The comparison between FUAS and ME groups regarding the stiffness of the surrounding myometrium showed that nonsignificant differences were detected between the two groups before the treatment. The stiffness of the surrounding myometrium in the ME group was statistically significantly higher than that of the FUAS group 1 day as well as 1, 3, and 6 months after the treatment, respectively.Conclusion The FUAS had less impact on the surrounding myometrium than the ME, which may be more conducive to the recovery of myometrial elasticity in patients with UF.

Generally, when fabricating porous filters using metal powder, about 1 to 2 wt% of a binder is added to increase the formability of the metal powder. If the binder is not completely removed through a debinding and sintering process, however it can cause defects such as discoloration and the generation of fine particles. In this study, a study was conducted to fabricate a plate-type porous stainless steel powder filter with a different pore structure without the use of a biner. First, the metal powder is charged into a ceramic mold to form a plate-shaped powder filter, and then covered with a ceramic top plate. In order to observe the pore properties according to the pressure, the unpressurized specimen and the specimen pressurized with a pressure of 30 MPa were then sintered at 1050℃ for one hour in a high vacuum atmosphere furnace. The microstructure of the sintered plate-shaped powder filter was observed through an optical microscope and in order to analyze its pore properties as a filter, gas permeability and porosity were measured using a capillary flow porometer and Archimedes’ law.

Abstract N 6-adenosine methylation (m6A) is critical for controlling cancer cell growth and tumorigenesis. However, the function and detailed mechanism of how m6A methyltransferases modulate m6A levels on specific targets remain unknown. In the current study, we identified significantly elevated levels of RBM15, an m6A writer, in basal-like breast cancer (BC) patients compared to nonbasal-like BC patients and linked this increase to worse clinical outcomes. Gene expression profiling revealed correlations between RBM15 and serine and glycine metabolic genes, including PHGDH, PSAT1, PSPH, and SHMT2. RBM15 influences m6A levels and, specifically, the m6A levels of serine and glycine metabolic genes via direct binding to target RNA. The effects of RBM15 on cell growth were largely dependent on serine and glycine metabolism. Thus, RBM15 coordinates cancer cell growth through altered serine and glycine metabolism, suggesting that RBM15 is a new therapeutic target in BC.

Managing excessive phytoplankton biomass is a pressing issue worldwide and requires precise predictions and efficient water quality control. In this study, we employed the random forest approach to build a practical predictive model for phytoplankton biomass as determined by chlorophyll (CHL-a) levels. Using an integrative 15-year dataset, we obtained insights into CHL-a dynamics and identified important factors influencing it. Seasonal dynamics were crucial for shaping water quality, with meteorological and hydrological fluctuations playing pivotal roles. Elevated suspended solids and phosphorus levels during the summer monsoon indicated increased runoff and nutrient loading, contributing to fluctuations in nutrient ratios. CHL-a was also responsive to seasonal variations in nutrient availability, particularly in phosphorus and ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N). These results suggest the importance of nutrient management strategies for controlling and mitigating eutrophication risk. The random forest model had practical accuracy (R2 = 0.66, RMSE = 1.85) for predicting long-term CHL-a variation and identified phosphate-phosphorus, water temperature, and NH4-N as the most important predictors. However, our findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive analyses to identify the factors driving CHL-a variation. Combining the strengths of machine learning with multifaceted insights would enhance prediction accuracy and efficiency, ultimately facilitating informed decision-making for reservoir management and environmental conservation efforts.

IntroductionChildhood obesity is a growing global health concern, but few studies have investigated dietary factors specifically related to obesity and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents. Herein, we aimed to identify the dietary factors affecting childhood obesity in Korean children and adolescents.MethodsData from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) VIII were analyzed using K-means clustering analysis to identify distinct clusters based on nine variables related to dietary habit, nutritional status, and nutritional education. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between incident obesity risk and the different clusters. We enrolled 2,290 participants aged 6-18 years, and separated them into two distinct clusters; Healthy and Unhealthy Dietary Habit Groups, clusters 1 and 2, respectively.ResultsCluster 1 was characterized by a lower obesity prevalence, healthier dietary habits (regular breakfast consumption; fruit and vegetable, reduced total energy, and lower protein and fat intakes), and greater nutritional education than Cluster 2. After adjusting for confounders, compared with Cluster 1, Cluster 2 demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence (OR [95% CI]) of both general and abdominal obesity (1.49 [1.05–2.13], p=0.027 and 1.43 [1.09–1.88], p=0.009).DiscussionMaintaining optimal dietary quality and patterns are crucial to prevent childhood obesity. Further research is warranted to explore specific dietary interventions tailored to different clusters to effectively address childhood obesity.

Abstract Acquiring reliable microstructure datasets is a pivotal step toward the systematic design of materials with the aid of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) approaches. However, obtaining three-dimensional (3D) microstructure datasets is often challenging due to high experimental costs or technical limitations, while acquiring two-dimensional (2D) micrographs is comparatively easier. To deal with this issue, this study proposes a novel framework called ‘Micro3Diff’ for 2D-to-3D reconstruction of microstructures using diffusion-based generative models (DGMs). Specifically, this approach solely requires pre-trained DGMs for the generation of 2D samples, and dimensionality expansion (2D-to-3D) takes place only during the generation process (i.e., reverse diffusion process). The proposed framework incorporates a concept referred to as ‘multi-plane denoising diffusion’, which transforms noisy samples (i.e., latent variables) from different planes into the data structure while maintaining spatial connectivity in 3D space. Furthermore, a harmonized sampling process is developed to address possible deviations from the reverse Markov chain of DGMs during the dimensionality expansion. Combined, we demonstrate the feasibility of Micro3Diff in reconstructing 3D samples with connected slices that maintain morphologically equivalence to the original 2D images. To validate the performance of Micro3Diff, various types of microstructures (synthetic or experimentally observed) are reconstructed, and the quality of the generated samples is assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The successful reconstruction outcomes inspire the potential utilization of Micro3Diff in upcoming ICME applications while achieving a breakthrough in comprehending and manipulating the latent space of DGMs.

Abstract Establishing dependable, cost-effective electrical connections is vital for enhancing device performance and shrinking electronic circuits. MXenes, combining excellent electrical conductivity, high breakdown voltage, solution processability, and two-dimensional morphology, are promising candidates for contacts in microelectronics. However, their hydrophilic surfaces, which enable spontaneous environmental degradation and poor dispersion stability in organic solvents, have restricted certain electronic applications. Herein, electrohydrodynamic printing technique is used to fabricate fully solution-processed thin-film transistors with alkylated 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine functionalized Ti3C2T x (AD-MXene) as source, drain, and gate electrodes. The AD-MXene has excellent dispersion stability in ethanol, which is required for electrohydrodynamic printing, and maintains high electrical conductivity. It outperformed conventional vacuum-deposited Au and Al electrodes, providing thin-film transistors with good environmental stability due to its hydrophobicity. Further, thin-film transistors are integrated into logic gates and one-transistor-one-memory cells. This work, unveiling the ligand-functionalized MXenes’ potential in printed electrical contacts, promotes environmentally robust MXene-based electronics (MXetronics).

Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor monotherapies are selectively effective in patients with pancreatic, breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers with BRCA1 mutations. Cancer patients with more frequent wild-type BRCA show poor responses to PARP inhibitors. Moreover, patients who are initially sensitive to these inhibitors eventually respond poorly to drugs. In the present study, we discover that abrogation of Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) significantly inhibits homologous recombination, which is the main mechanism for DNA double-stranded repair. Furthermore, the downregulation of KLF5 expression promotes the DNA damage induced by olaparib and significantly reduces the IC50 of the RARP inhibitor in pancreatic cancer cells. Overexpression of BRCA1 reverses the above effects caused by silencing of KLF5. Olaparib combined with a KLF5 inhibitor has an enhanced cytotoxic effect. Mechanistically, we identify BRCA1 as a KLF5 target gene. BRCA1 is positively correlated with KLF5 in PDAC tissue. Our results indicate that inhibition of KLF5 may induce BRCAness in a larger pancreatic cancer subset with proficient BRCA. The combination of KLF5 inhibitors and PARP inhibitors provides a novel treatment strategy to enhance the sensitivity of BRCA1-proficient pancreatic cancer to PARP inhibitors.

To identify the reference ecosystem conditions of a damaged forest, we developed a community development scenario using a syntaxonomic approach. To facilitate this choice, we sought to provide a framework based on ecological theory, specifically on the relationship between vegetation and environmental properties. We identified forest composition species in 216 sample plots from Mt. Gariwang, a representative temperate deciduous forest in South Korea, and divided them into 13 species groups, including the Quercus mongolica Fisch.-Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance community and eight vegetation types. In addition, nine major environmental properties that explain community composition, including elevation, were identified through multivariate analysis. A physiognomy map enabled the identification that the area must be large and the habitat must be continuous to help determine the reference ecosystem. In conclusion, plant–environmental interaction analysis is a valuable tool for identifying reference communities or source locations for seed migration in relation to various habitats. These reference ecosystems provide insights into the restoration of damaged areas and an overview of important considerations for restoring the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function.