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Abstract Background The Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI) is a novel indicator of obesity that accurately reflects body composition. However, the association between WWI and depression in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. This study aims to explore this relationship through a nationally representative cross-sectional analysis. Methods This study included adult participants diagnosed with NAFLD from NHANES 2017–2020. WWI was calculated as the waist circumference (cm) divided by the square root of body weight (kg). NAFLD diagnosis relied on vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) with a controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) exceeding 248 dB/m to indicate hepatic steatosis. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with scores ≥ 10 indicating the presence of major depression. Results After adjusting for all covariates, a significant positive association was found between WWI and depression in NAFLD (OR = 1.725, 95% CI: 1.442–2.063, p

Sharding is a critical technology for enhancing blockchain scalability. However, existing sharding blockchain protocols suffer from a high cross-shard ratio, high transaction latency, limited throughput enhancement, and high account migration. To address these problems, this paper proposes a sharding blockchain protocol for enhanced scalability and performance optimization through account transaction reconfiguration. Firstly, we construct a blockchain transaction account graph network structure to analyze transaction account correlations. Secondly, a modularity-based account transaction reconfiguration algorithm and a detailed account reconfiguration process is designed to minimize cross-shard transactions. Finally, we introduce a transaction processing mechanism for account transaction reconfiguration in parallel with block consensus uploading, which reduces the reconfiguration time overhead and system latency. Experimental results demonstrate substantial performance improvements compared to existing shard protocols: up to a 34.7% reduction in cross-shard transaction ratio, at least an 83.2% decrease in transaction latency, at least a 52.7% increase in throughput and a 7.8% decrease in account migration number. The proposed protocol significantly enhances the overall performance and scalability of blockchain, providing robust support for blockchain applications in various fields such as financial services, supply chain management, and industrial Internet of Things. It also enables better support for high-concurrency scenarios and large-scale network environments.

Abstract Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor and is highly prone to metastasis. OS can metastasize to the lymph node (LN) through the lymphatics, and the metastasis of tumor cells reestablishes the immune landscape of the LN, which is conducive to the growth of tumor cells. However, the mechanism of LN metastasis of osteosarcoma and remodeling of the metastatic lymph node (MLN) microenvironment is not clear. Methods Single-cell RNA sequencing of 18 samples from paracancerous, primary tumor, and lymph nodes was performed. Then, new signaling axes closely related to metastasis were identified using bioinformatics, in vitro experiments, and immunohistochemistry. The mechanism of remodeling of the LN microenvironment in tumor cells was investigated by integrating single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. Results From 18 single-cell sequencing samples, we obtained 117,964 cells. The pseudotime analysis revealed that osteoblast(OB) cells may follow a differentiation path from paracancerous tissue (PC) → primary tumor (PT) → MLN or from PC → PT, during the process of LN metastasis. Next, in combination of bioinformatics, in vitro and in vivo experiments, and immunohistochemistry, we determined that ETS2/IBSP, a new signal axis, might promote LN metastasis. Finally, single-cell and spatial dissection uncovered that OS cells could reshape the microenvironment of LN by interacting with various cell components, such as myeloid, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and NK/T cells. Conclusions Collectively, our research revealed a new molecular mechanism of LN metastasis and clarified how OS cells influenced the LN microenvironment, which might provide new insight for blocking LN metastasis.

Reinforced concrete (RC) bent structures are widely used in single-story industrial buildings, with a considerable portion of them located in high-intensity seismic areas. Therefore, it is significant to study the seismic performance of the RC bent column while keeping construction costs in mind. To evaluate the seismic performance of the RC bent column from an economic perspective, pseudo-static tests combined with construction cost analysis were first carried out on three RC bent columns designed according to different versions of Chinese codes. A numerical simulation method based on the extended finite element method (XFEM) for the RC bent column was then established and verified. Subsequently, the relationship between the local damage index related to the apparent damage characteristics and the overall damage index was established by conducting numerical analysis on RC bent columns with different design parameters. Based on the established relationship between the local and overall damage indexes, a calculation method for the residual bearing capacity based on apparent damage was developed. The results show that, when compared to the constructional requirements in the Chinese code for seismic design of industrial and civil buildings published in 1978 (TJ11–78), the constructional requirements in the Chinese code for seismic design of buildings published in 1989 (GBJ11–89) can effectively reduce the stress concentration at the column bottom and delay the formation of the plastic hinge with minimal cost increase, while the constructional requirements in the Chinese code for seismic design of buildings published in 2016 (GB50011–2010) can further effectively reduce the damage to the upper column. Besides, the constructional requirements in GBJ11–89 and GB50011–2010 can improve the energy dissipation and maximum bearing capacity of the RC bent column while decrease the cost/ductility coefficient by more than 5.0 %. The proposed calculation method can effectively predict the residual bearing capacity of earthquake-damaged RC bent columns by comparing the calculation results to the test results.

In an attempt to reduce the consumption of natural resources, much research has focused on the development of mix designs with waste aggregates. While this research has demonstrated feasibility, investigations into the broader mechanical properties of concrete with various types of waste aggregates have been limited. To this end, this paper studies a wide variety of concrete properties with plastic, rubber, slag, glass and recycled concrete aggregates by analysing a large database of 5321 concrete mixes. The effects of waste aggregate type and replacement ratio on mechanical properties, workability and durability are investigated and relationships between the mechanical properties of concrete with various types of waste aggregates are quantified and compared to the existing design codes. The findings from this study can be used to assist in identifying optimum waste aggregate type and replacement ratio based on intended use and the databases compiled will assist in future data-driven modelling approaches.

Abstract Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone tumor with high malignancy and the mechanism of hematogenous metastasis in OS is still not clear. The plasma exosomes derived from osteosarcoma play a key role in the process of tumor metastasis. Here, we established RNA-seq dataset for lncRNAs, circRNAs and mRNAs in plasma exosomes from 10 OS patients and 5 healthy donors. A total of 329.52 Gb of clean data was obtained. Besides, 1754 lincRNAs, 7096 known and 1935 new circRNA was identified. Finally, gene expression profiles and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed among these 15 samples. There were 331 DEGs of mRNA, 132 of lincRNA and 489 of circRNA was obtained, respectively. This data set provides a significant resource for relevant researchers to excavate potential dysregulated lncRNAs, circRNAs and mRNAs of plasma exosomes in OS versus normal conditions.

There is limited research on robotic systems designed for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures using a side-view duodenoscope. The unique structure of the duodenoscope presents challenges to safely and precisely control the distal end pose. Control methods applied can reduce potential medical risks. We have redesigned the control section of the duodenoscope to facilitate its manipulation by a robotic system. An orthogonal compensator is employed to rectify the motion planes to standard planes. A hysteresis compensator based on the Prandtl-Ishlinskii model enables precise control of the distal pose of the duodenoscope. Furthermore, we utilize a contact force prediction model to prevent excessive contact force at the distal end. The performance of the modified duodenoscope is comparable to that of the standard duodenoscope. Following orthogonal compensation, the deviation angles of the motion planes is reduced by 32% to 98%. Post-hysteresis compensation, the root mean square error (RMSE) of the output angle of the distal end is decreased from 8.347° to 4.826°. The accuracy of distal end contact force prediction was approximately ±25% under conditions of high contact force. In conclusion, the modification and control strategy we proposed can achieve relatively safe and precise control of bending section, laying the foundation for the subsequent roboticization of duodenoscope systems for ERCP procedures.

BackgroundEducation, intelligence and cognition affect occupational performance and socioeconomic status and may influence virous diseases development. However, the impact of these factors on gastrointestinal diseases and their mediating risk factors remains unclear.MethodsWe utilized genome-wide association studies from European ancestry populations to perform two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses, aiming to estimate genetic instruments associated with education, intelligence, or cognition in relation to 24 gastrointestinal diseases Subsequently, we evaluated 14 potential mediators of this association and calculated the corresponding mediated proportions through two-step Mendelian randomization analyses.ResultAs the dominant factor in gastrointestinal diseases, education had a statistically significant association with 2 gastrointestinal diseases (acute pancreatitis, gastroesophageal reflux) and a suggestive association with 6 diseases (cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer). Of the 14 mediators, smoking and adiposity traits played a major role in mediating the effects.ConclusionThe study demonstrated the causal, independent impact of education on specific gastrointestinal diseases. Smoking and adiposity traits emerged as primary mediators, illuminating potential avenues for targeted interventions for prevention of them.

This paper presents a novel smeared fiber-matrix pullout strength model for predicting the mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC). The model, developed within the fiber bridging stress framework, uniquely accounts for various fiber types (straight, hooked-end, and twisted) and their interaction with the cementitious matrix. The approach integrates critical factors including fiber orientation, embedment length, and matrix strength to provide a comprehensive understanding of the fiber bridging mechanism. Based on a database of 965 single-fiber pullout tests, formulas were we derived for predicting both tensile and compressive strengths of SFRC with single or hybrid steel fiber configurations. The model’s effectiveness is validated using separate databases containing 321 tensile and 1595 compressive strength test results across a wide range of concrete strengths (16.7–262 MPa). The model demonstrates adequate predictive capability, particularly for straight and hooked-end fibers, while showing some limitations for twisted fibers and fiber volume fractions above 3 %. This physically-significant approach not only provides a reliable tool for designing and optimizing SFRC materials but also offers new insights into the mechanisms of fiber reinforcement in concrete.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of preoperative C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting overall survival (OS) of osteosarcoma, to establish a nomogram of an individualized prognostic prediction model for osteosarcoma. Methods Two hundred thirty-five patients with osteosarcoma from multiple centers were included in this study. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Youden index were used to determine the optimal cutoff values ​​for CAR, NLR, and PLR. Univariate analysis using COX proportional hazards model to identify factors associated with OS in osteosarcoma, and multivariate analysis of these factors to identify independent prognostic factors. R software (4.1.3-win) rms package was used to build a nomogram, and the concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve were used to assess model accuracy and discriminability. Results Univariate analysis revealed that the OS of osteosarcoma is significantly correlated (P

Abstract Cauliflower is one of the most important vegetable crops grown worldwide. However, the lack of genetic diversity information and efficient molecular markers hinders efforts to improve cauliflower. This study aims to construct DNA fingerprints for 329 cauliflower cultivars based on SNP markers and the KASP system. After rigorous filtering, a total of 1662 candidate SNPs were obtained from nearly 17.9 million SNP loci. The mean values of PIC, MAF, heterozygosity and gene diversity of these SNPs were 0.389, 0.419, 0.075, and 0.506, respectively. We developed a program for in silico simulations on 153 core germplasm samples to generate ideal SNP marker sets from the candidates. Finally, 41 highly polymorphic KASP markers were selected and applied to identify 329 cauliflower cultivars, mainly collected from the public market. Furthermore, based on the KASP genotyping data, we performed phylogenetic analysis and population structure analysis of the 329 cultivars. As a result, these cultivars could be classified into three major clusters, and the classification patterns were significantly related to their curd solidity and geographical origin. Finally, fingerprints of the 329 cultivars and 2D barcodes with the genetic information of each sample were generated. The fingerprinting database developed in this study provides a practical tool for identifying the authenticity and purity of cauliflower seeds and valuable genetic information about the current cauliflower cultivars.

Mix design optimization is challenging because the properties of concrete depend on both the chemical and physical properties of the components and their relative proportions. In this paper a mix design optimization approach based on the application of artificial intelligence, genetic algorithm optimisation, life-cycle assessment to quantify global warming potential (GWP) and simple economic modeling is developed and applied to identify the optimal use of fly ash and granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in concretes with blended binders. A database including 892 mixes with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) is used to predict the concrete compressive strength and slump. Five case studies are presented investigating the influence of: chemical makeup of cement and SCMs, minimum cement content, regional transportation, emissions allocation, and binder type on the GWP and cost of optimal mix designs. The results show that the tool developed can reduce GWP by up to 60% and cost by up to 40% when compared to experimental results with equivalent strength.

Abstract Background To date, Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (ST-II AEG) can be removed radically utilizing either the abdominal-transhiatal (TH) or the right thoracoabdominal (RTA) approaches. Because of a paucity of high-quality direct evidence, the appropriate surgical approach for ST-II AEG remains debatable. In the present, only several retrospective studies are available, representing ambiguous results. Thus, prospective randomized clinical trials are demanded to compare the survival, oncological outcomes, safety and efficiency and life quality between the TH and RTA approach in patients with resectable AEG of Siewert type II. Methods A prospective, multicenter, open, randomized, and parallel controlled study named S2AEG will be conducted. Three hundred and twelve patients who match the inclusion criteria but not the exclusion criteria will be participating in the trial and randomly divided into the TH (156) and RTA (156) cohorts. The primary efficacy endpoint is the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) following the operation. The rate of R0-resection, the number and site of lymph nodes infiltrated and dissected, postoperative complications, hospital days and life quality are the second endpoints. Discussion This study is the first prospectively randomized controlled trial aiming to compare the surgical outcomes between TH and RTA approaches in patients with resectable ST-II AEG. It is hypothesized that patients in the TH cohort would harvest equivalent oncological results and survival while maintaining acceptable life quality when compared to patients in the RTA cohort. Our findings will provide high-level clinical evidence for clinical decision-making on the appropriate surgical approach for patients with ST-II AEG. Embarked in November 2019, this research will be completed 3 years after the final participant’s enrolment date. Trial registration Clinical Trial.gov ID: NCT04910789 May 29, 2021. Name: S2AEG.

The accuracy of fish farming and real-time monitoring are essential to the development of “intelligent” fish farming. Although the existing instance segmentation networks (such as Maskrcnn) can detect and segment the fish, most of them are not effective in real-time monitoring. In order to improve the accuracy of fish image segmentation and promote the accurate and intelligent development of fish farming industry, this article uses YOLOv5 as the backbone network and object detection branch, combined with semantic segmentation head for real-time fish detection and segmentation. The experiments show that the object detection precision can reach 95.4% and the semantic segmentation accuracy can reach 98.5% with the algorithm structure proposed in this article, based on the golden crucian carp dataset, and 116.6 FPS can be achieved on RTX3060. On the publicly available dataset PASCAL VOC 2007, the object detection precision is 73.8%, the semantic segmentation accuracy is 84.3%, and the speed is up to 120 FPS on RTX3060.

BackgroundGuanine nucleotide binding (G) protein subunit γ 4 (GNG4) is closely related to the malignant progression and poor prognosis of various tumours. However, its role and mechanism in osteosarcoma remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the biological role and prognostic value of GNG4 in osteosarcoma.MethodsOsteosarcoma samples in the GSE12865, GSE14359, GSE162454 and TARGET datasets were selected as the test cohorts. The expression level of GNG4 between normal and osteosarcoma was identified in GSE12865 and GSE14359. Based on the osteosarcoma single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset GSE162454, differential expression of GNG4 among cell subsets was identified at the single-cell level. As the external validation cohort, 58 osteosarcoma specimens from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were collected. Patients with osteosarcoma were divided into high- and low-GNG4 groups. The biological function of GNG4 was annotated using Gene Ontology, gene set enrichment analysis, gene expression correlation analysis and immune infiltration analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was conducted and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to determine the reliability of GNG4 in predicting prognostic significance and diagnostic value. Functional in vitro experiments were performed to explore the function of GNG4 in osteosarcoma cells.ResultsGNG4 was generally highly expressed in osteosarcoma. As an independent risk factor, high GNG4 was negatively correlated with both overall survival and event-free survival. Furthermore, GNG4 was a good diagnostic marker for osteosarcoma, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of more than 0.9. Functional analysis suggested that GNG4 may promote the occurrence of osteosarcoma by regulating ossification, B-cell activation, the cell cycle and the proportion of memory B cells. In in vitro experiments, silencing of GNG4 inhibited the viability, proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells.ConclusionThrough bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification, high expression of GNG4 in osteosarcoma was identified as an oncogene and reliable biomarker for poor prognosis. This study helps to elucidate the significant potential of GNG4 in carcinogenesis and molecular targeted therapy for osteosarcoma.

This paper investigates the eco-, economic- and mechanical- properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) containing recycled coarse aggregates generated from prefabricated concrete rejects (PRA) or construction and demolition wastes (CRA). A total of 720 specimens from 36 unique SCC mixes are prepared and tested. The effects of the key parameters including, water-to-binder ratio (w/b), fly ash replacing ordinary Portland cement weight ratio, recycled coarse aggregate replacing natural coarse aggregate volume ratio, heat curing temperature, mixing method or the addition of steel fibers, on the fresh and hardened properties of SCC are experimentally explored. In addition to the experimental study, cradle-to-gate life cycle cost (LCC) analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) of the SCC are carried out, where these are done through considering different levels of functional units. Based on the results of the experimental work, LCA and LCC, it is found that the PRA based concrete shows ecological-, environmental- and economic- benefits over conventional SCC with slightly compromised rheological and mechanical properties. When considering only the volumetric equivalence, it is observed that a higher w/b, the inclusion of higher amount of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), or fly ash, or using a lower curing temperature can efficiently reduce the cost and environmental impacts of SCC with PRA. PRA concrete products are more eco-friendly and less cost intensive than those associated with the CRA ones due mainly to the shorter distance to transport PRA compared to CRA. Beyond the volumetric functional unit, the results of LCC and LCA show that, as indicated by carbon dioxide equivalent-, embodied energy- or cost- intensity, a higher w/b, the incorporation of higher content of RCA or fly ash, and using a lower curing temperature no longer benefit the eco-, environmental and mechanical performance of recycled coarse aggregate SCC (RCASCC) and the effect of curing temperature becomes ambiguous.

Abstract The short-faced moles (Scaptochirus moschata) are unique Chinese mammal that live in burrows for life. They have complex ecological adaptation mechanisms to adapt to perennial underground life. Intestinal microbes play an important role in the ecological adaptation of wild animals. The gut microbiota diversity and its function in short-faced moles’ ecological adaptation is a scientific issue worth exploring. In this study, the Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform was used to sequence the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genes of 22 short-faced moles’ intestinal samples to study the composition and functional structure of their intestinal microbiota. The results showed that in the short-faced moles’ intestine, there are four main phyla, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidete. At the family level, Peptostreptococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae have the highest abundance. At the genus level, Romboutsia is the genus with the highest microbial abundance. According to the KEGG database, the main functions of short-faced mole gut microbes are metabolism, genetic information processing, environmental information processing, and cellular processes. The function of short-faced mole intestinal microbiota is suitable for its long-term burrowing life. No gender difference is found in the composition and function of the short-faced mole intestinal microbiota. There are significant differences in the composition and functional structure of the short-faced mole gut microbiota between samples collected from different habitats. We conferred that this is related to the different environment factors in which they live, especially to the edaphic factors.

Osteoporosis is among the major contributors of pathologic fracture in postmenopausal women, which is caused by the bone metabolic disorder owing to the over-activation of osteoclasts. Inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and maturation has become a mainstream research interest in the prevention of osteoporosis. Isoliensinine (Iso) is a dibenzyl isoquinoline alkaloid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. However, whether it can be used as a potential treatment for osteoporosis remains undiscovered. Here, we investigated whether Iso might suppress the differentiation of osteoclasts in vitro and in vivo to play an anti-osteoporosis role. Our results showed that Iso inhibits the formation of mature multinuclear osteoclasts induced by RANKL, the bone resorption, and the osteoclast-specific genes expression by blocking the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, and the effect was in a dosage-dependent way. Furthermore, we investigated the therapeutic effect of Iso on osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. We found that Iso attenuated bone loss in the OVX mice and significantly promoted BS, Conn. DN, Tb.Th, TB.N, and BV/TV Index. All in all, Iso showed a prominent effect of osteoclast inhibition, with great promise for treating osteoporosis.

Objective: Angiogenesis plays a vital role in tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we aimed to find novel efficient antiangiogenic molecules targeting vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA ) at the transcriptional level to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: We used a cell-based seryl tRNA synthetase (SerRS) promoter-driven dual-luciferase reporter system to screen an in-house library of 384 naturally occurring small molecules and their derivatives to find candidate molecules that could upregulate the expression of SerRS, a potent transcriptional repressor of VEGFA. The levels of SerRS and VEGFA were examined by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and/or ELISAs in TNBC cells after candidate molecule administration. Zebrafish, the Matrigel plug angiogenesis assay in mice, the TNBC allograft, and xenograft mouse models were used to evaluate the in vivo anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer activities. Furthermore, the potential direct targets of the candidates were identified by proteomics and biochemical studies. Results: We found the most active compound was 3-(4-methoxyphenyl) quinolin-4(1H)-one (MEQ), an isoflavone derivative. In TNBC cells, MEQ treatment resulted in increased SerRS mRNA (P < 0.001) and protein levels and downregulated VEGFA production. Both the vascular development of zebrafish and Matrigel plug angiogenesis in mice were inhibited by MEQ. MEQ also suppressed the angiogenesis in TNBC allografts and xenografts in mice, resulting in inhibited tumor growth and prolonged overall survival (P < 0.05). Finally, we found that MEQ regulated SerRS transcription by interacting with MTA2 (Metastasis Associated 1 Family Member 2). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the MTA2/SerRS/VEGFA axis is a drug-treatable anti-angiogenic target, and MEQ is a promising anti-tumor molecule that merits further investigation for clinical applications.

The demand for pipeline inspection has promoted the development of pipeline robots and associated localization and communication technologies. Among these technologies, ultra-low-frequency (30–300 Hz) electromagnetic waves have a significant advantage because of their strong penetration, which can penetrate metal pipe walls. Traditional low-frequency transmitting systems are limited by the size and power consumption of the antennas. In this work, a new type of mechanical antenna based on dual permanent magnets was designed to solve the above problems. An innovative amplitude modulation scheme that involves changing the magnetization angle of dual permanent magnets is proposed. The ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic wave emitted by the mechanical antenna inside the pipeline can be easily received by the antenna outside to localize and communicate with the robots inside. The experimental results showed that when two N38M-type Nd–Fe–B permanent magnets with a volume of 3.93 cm3 each were used, the magnetic flux density reached 2.35 nT at 10 m in the air and the amplitude modulation performance was satisfactory. Additionally, the electromagnetic wave was effectively received at 3 m from the 20# steel pipeline, which preliminarily verified the feasibility of using the dual-permanent-magnet mechanical antenna to achieve localization of and communication with pipeline robots.

Stocking density presents a key factor affecting livestock and poultry production on a large scale as well as animal welfare. However, the current manual counting method used in the hemp duck breeding industry is inefficient, costly in labor, less accurate, and prone to double counting and omission. In this regard, this paper uses deep learning algorithms to achieve real-time monitoring of the number of dense hemp duck flocks and to promote the development of the intelligent farming industry. We constructed a new large-scale hemp duck object detection image dataset, which contains 1500 hemp duck object detection full-body frame labeling and head-only frame labeling. In addition, this paper proposes an improved attention mechanism YOLOv7 algorithm, CBAM-YOLOv7, adding three CBAM modules to the backbone network of YOLOv7 to improve the network’s ability to extract features and introducing SE-YOLOv7 and ECA-YOLOv7 for comparison experiments. The experimental results show that CBAM-YOLOv7 had higher precision, and the recall, mAP@0.5, and mAP@0.5:0.95 were slightly improved. The evaluation index value of CBAM-YOLOv7 improved more than those of SE-YOLOv7 and ECA-YOLOv7. In addition, we also conducted a comparison test between the two labeling methods and found that the head-only labeling method led to the loss of a high volume of feature information, and the full-body frame labeling method demonstrated a better detection effect. The results of the algorithm performance evaluation show that the intelligent hemp duck counting method proposed in this paper is feasible and can promote the development of smart reliable automated duck counting.

Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is benign tumor that can cause significant osteolysis and bone destruction at the epiphysis of long bones. Osteoclasts are thought to be highly associated with osteolysis in GCTB. However, the migration of osteoclasts in GCTB remains unclear. A deeper understanding of the complex tumor microenvironment is required in order to delineate the migration of osteoclasts in GCTB. In this study, samples were isolated from one patient diagnosed with GCTB. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to detect the heterogeneity of GCTB. Multiplex immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate the cell subtypes identified by scRNA-seq. A total of 8,033 cells were obtained from one patient diagnosed with GCTB, which were divided into eight major cell types as depicted by a single-cell transcriptional map. The osteoclasts were divided into three subsets, and their differentiation trajectory and migration status were further analyzed. Osteoclast migration may be regulated via a series of genes associated with cell migration. Furthermore, four signaling pathways (RANKL, PARs, CD137 and SMEA3 signaling pathway) were found to be highly associated with osteoclast migration. This comprehensive single-cell transcriptome analysis of GCTB identified a series of genes associated with cell migration as well as four major signaling pathways that were highly related to the migration of osteoclasts in GCTB. Our findings broaden the understanding of GCTB bionetworks and provides a theoretical basis for anti-osteolysis therapy against GCTB in the future.

Introduction Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) is regarded as a standard treatment for patients with clinical stage I–III gastric cancer. With the popularisation of the Da Vinci robotic system in the 21st century, robotic distal gastrectomy has been increasingly applied, and its potential advantages over LDG have been proved by several studies. Intraperitoneal anastomosis is a hot topic in research as it highlights the superiority of minimally invasive surgery and is safe and feasible. We intend to conduct this randomised clinical trial to focus on short-term outcomes and quality of life (QOL) in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) and totally robotic distal gastrectomy (TRDG) for patients with clinical stage I–III gastric cancer.Methods and analysis This study is a prospective, multi-institutional, open-label randomised clinical trial that will recruit 722 patients with a 1:1 ratio (361 patients in the TLDG group and 361 patients in the TRDG group) from eight large-scale gastrointestinal medical centres in China. The primary endpoint is 30-day postoperative morbidity. The secondary endpoints include QOL, 30-day severe postoperative morbidity and mortality, anastomotic-related complication rate, conversion to open surgery rate, intraoperative and postoperative indicators, operative and total costs during hospitalisation, 1-year overall survival and disease-free survival. QOL is determined by the The European Organization for Reasearch and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnare-Core 30 and Stomach22 (EORTC QLQ-C30 and STO22) questionnaires which are completed before surgery and 1, 3, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. χ2 test will be used for the primary endpoint, while analysis of covariance will be used to compare the overall changes of QOL between the two groups.Ethics and dissemination This trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Chinese PLA General Hospital. The trial’s results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference presentations.Trial registration number ChiCTR2000032670.

BackgroundPlatelet activating factor acetylhydrolase 1b catalytic subunit 3 (PAFAH1B3) is associated with a variety of human diseases. However, its function in gastric cancer remains uncertain.MethodsPAFAH1B3 expression was analyzed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and genotype-tissue expression pan-cancer data. The association between PAFAH1B3 expression and patient prognosis was evaluated using TCGA clinical survival data. Enrichment analysis of PAFAH1B3 was performed using the clusterProfiler R software package. Moreover, the correlation between PAFAH1B3 expression and immune cell infiltration were evaluated by analyzing TCGA database. CCK8 assay and colony-formation assay were performed to assess the effect of PAFAH1B3 on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the impact of PAFAH1B3 on gastric cancer cell migration. Western blot was performed to evaluate the role of PAFAH1B3 on signaling pathways in gastric cancer cells.ResultsPAFAH1B3 was highly expressed in many types of tumors including gastric cancer. High PAFAH1B3 expression was significantly correlated with proliferation-related gene sets involved in DNA replication, the cell cycle, and cell cycle checkpoints. Further analysis showed that high PAFAH1B3 expression was associated with high M1 macrophage and CD8-positive T cell infiltration scores. PAFAH1B3 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration, and the activation of oncogenic signaling in gastric cancer cells.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that PAFAH1B3 may be an oncogene in gastric cancer.

BackgroundDual-specificity phosphatase 9 (DUSP9) belongs to the dual-specificity protein phosphatase subfamily. Recently, increasing attention has been paid on the role of DUSP9 in a variety of cancers. However, its functional role in tumor development is still unclear, especially in colorectal cancer (CRC).MethodsThe functional role of DUSP9 in inhibiting the progression of CRC was verified using colony formation assay, wound healing assay, nude mice xenograft model, etc. RNA-seq was performed to assess the gene expression profiling in SW480 cells with DUSP9 stable knockdown and shControl cells. Bisulfite sequencing (BSE) was performed to reveal the methylation status of CpG island in the promoter of DUSP9.ResultsDUSP9 was significantly downregulated in tumor tissues compared with peritumor tissues. Mechanistically, the high methylation status of CpG island in the promoter of DUSP9 may lead to the downregulation of DUSP9 in CRC. Clinically, low DUSP9 expression in CRC was closely associated with depth of invasion, metastasis (TNM) stage, and poor survival, indicating that DUSP9 may be involved in the progression of CRC. Functional study revealed that DUSP9 inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome profiling studies revealed that Erk signaling was involved in the tumor progression mediated by DUSP9 silencing, which is confirmed by cell experiments and clinical tissue sample staining analysis.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that DUSP9 plays a critical role in the progression of CRC, and therapeutic intervention to increase the expression or activity of DUSP9 may be a potential target for CRC treatment in the future.

Soyasaponin Ab (SA) is a typical oleanane triterpene saponin isolated from soybean and represents effects of antioxidation and anti-inflammation. In this study, we found the expressions of some phase II detoxifying enzymes were stimulated by SA via the signaling pathway of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in HepG2 cells. Luciferase assay results demonstrated that SA promoted the Nrf2 transcription via binding to the antioxidant response element. In addition, a combining of luciferase assay and Western blotting suggested that SA activated ERK1/2 signaling pathways, and made Nrf2 translocated from cytoplasm to nucleus. SA also upregulated some Nrf2-related antioxidant enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), and glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC). Inhibition of si-Nrf2 resisted expressions of SA-induced antioxidant genes. Collectively, these results suggest that SA exerted its protection against oxidative stress via the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathways.

Tendon-driven endoscopes are mainly used in the current practice. Their flexible bodies may change frequently during the processes of biopsy, endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection. These changes lead to backlash hysteresis and nonlinear friction effects, which make it difficult to achieve accurate control. To address this problem, a mixed control scheme based on the combination of discrete and continuous models was proposed and quantitatively compared with a conventional feedback control scheme, a feedforward control scheme and an adaptive control scheme. These experiments were conducted using a robotic gastroscope. The results showed that our control scheme can achieve more accurate tracking performance when the configuration changes frequently, with mean square error of tracking performance decreased by 50–75%.