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ObjectiveAlthough the robotic surgical system has accumulated rich experience in the development of thoracic surgery, its application in Tibet area is relatively late. We report our experience concerning da Vinci Xi system in thoracic surgery and observe its practicability and surgical effect.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 26 patients who underwent robotic thoracic surgery including: twelve lung resection, two esophagectomies, ten mediastinal surgeries and two rib mass resection. The data of patient characteristics, operative time, perioperative complications were collected.ResultsOf the 26 patients, 22 cases were completed with da Vinci system successfully, including 7 segmentectomies, 4 lobectomies, 1 subsegmentectomy, 2 esophagectomies, 10 mediastinal surgeries (6 thymic resections, 3 posterior mediastinal tumor resection, 1 mediastinal cyst resection) and 2 rib mass resection. In which, 3 cases of lung resection begun with robotic technique were converted to thoracoscopic surgery (due to calcification of hilar lymph node), 1 case of bilobectomy was converted to thoracotomy due to thoracic adhesion. All the operations went well and no patients need blood transfusion. All patients had satisfactory postoperative recovery.ConclusionIt is safe, reliable and effective to carry out robotic thoracic surgery on the plateau. On the premise of carefully and seriously discussing the indications of surgery, we should actively carry out the application of da Vinci robotic surgery system in Tibet Plateau.

The research on the propagation and evolution of the second-mode internal solitary waves(ISWs) is receiving more and more attention. In this study, second-mode internal solitary waves in continuous stratification are physically simulated in a laboratory-stratified fluid flume. Meanwhile, the second-mode ISWs and their induced flow field in the same stratification environment are solved based on the eigenvalue problem of the TG equation (Taylor-Goldstein), combined with the weakly non-linear ISW theoretical models. The experimental and theoretical results show that the symmetry of the second-mode ISW wave-flow field can be improved as the thickness ratio of the upper fluid layer and lower one approaches 1. The ISW speed and horizontal and vertical velocity range values in the continuous pycnocline are positively correlated with the changing ISW amplitude, while only the wavelength is negatively correlated with the iSW amplitude. The waveflow fields of the second-mode ISWs calculated by Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) and extended KdV (eKdV) models in the large amplitude cases are more consistent with the experimental results than those in the small amplitude cases. The two theoretical models used to describe second-mode ISWs can be significantly improved when the thickness ratio of the upper and lower fluid layers approaches 1. In this case, the eKdV model is more applicable than the KdV model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N1-methyladenosine (m1A) modification is an epigenetic change that occurs on RNA molecules, regulated by a suite of enzymes including methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m1A-recognizing proteins (readers). This modification significantly impacts the function of RNA and various biological processes by affecting the structure, stability, translation, metabolism, and gene expression of RNA. Thereby, m1A modification is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of cancer. This review aims to explore the role of m1A modification in tumor immunity. m1A affects tumor immune responses by directly regulating immune cells and indirectly modulating tumor microenvironment. Besides, we also discuss the implications of m1A-mediated metabolic reprogramming and its nexus with immune checkpoint inhibitors, unveiling promising avenues for immunotherapeutic intervention. Additionally, the m1AScore, established based on the expression patterns of m1A modification, can be used to predict tumor prognosis and guide personalized therapy. Our review underscores the significance of m1A modification as a burgeoning frontier in cancer biology and immuno-oncology, with the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pod counting of rapeseed is a critical step in breeding, cultivation, and agricultural machinery research. Currently, this process relies entirely on manual labor, which is both labor-intensive and inefficient. This study aims to develop a semi-automatic counting instrument based on transmission image processing and proposes a new algorithm for processing transmission images of pods to achieve non-destructive, accurate, and rapid determination of the seed count per pod. Initially, the U-NET network was used to segment and remove the stem and beak from the pod image; subsequently, adaptive contrast enhancement was applied to adjust the contrast of the G-channel image of the pod to an appropriate range, effectively eliminating the influence of different varieties and maturity levels on the translucency of the pod skin. After enhancing the contrast, the Sauvola algorithm was employed for threshold segmentation to remove the pod skin, followed by thinning and dilation of the binary image to extract and remove the central ridge lines, detecting the number and area of connected domains. Finally, the seed count was determined based on the ratio of each connected domain's area to the mean area of all connected domains. A transmission imaging device that mimics the human eye's method of counting seeds was designed, incorporating an LED transmission light source, photoelectric switch-triggered imaging slot, an industrial camera, and an integrated packaging frame. Human–machine interaction software based on PyQt5 was developed, integrating functions such as communication between upper and lower machines, image acquisition, storage, and processing. Operators simply need to place the pod in an upright position into the imaging device, where its transmission image will be automatically captured and processed. The results are displayed on a touchscreen and stored in Excel spreadsheets. The experimental results show that the instrument is accurate, user-friendly, and significantly reduces labor intensity. For various varieties of rapeseed pods, the seed counting accuracy reached 97.2% with a throughput of 372 pods/h, both of which are significantly better than manual counting and have considerable potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of aquaculture feed within a rice–crayfish coculture system significantly enhances nitrogen cycling, thereby diminishing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. However, this benefit is often overlooked in practice, and farmers continue to use large quantities of chemical fertilizers to maximize production, resulting in excessive soil fertility and water nitrogen pollution. Thus, avoiding nitrogen pollution in rice–crayfish coculture systems has become a pressing issue. In this study, we conducted a two-year experiment with two rice cultivars, and a 33.3% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer in a rice–crayfish coculture system (RC), to systematically analyze the overall nitrogen balance, rice nitrogen nutrition, and soil fertility, as compared with a rice monoculture system (RM). Our findings revealed the following: (1) Under the 33.3% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer, the nitrogen surplus in the rice–crayfish coculture system was comparable to that in the rice monoculture, and was controlled at an environmental safety level. (2) Nitrogen utilization efficiency and the accumulation of nitrogen in the rice–crayfish coculture were comparable to those in the rice monoculture. The nitrogen cycle in this system was able to provide the nitrogen required for rice growth after nitrogen fertilizer reduction. (3) The rice–crayfish coculture significantly improved the overall soil fertility and the effectiveness of soil nitrogen nutrition. Furthermore, cutting off the application of nitrogen fertilizer after the mid-tillering stage effectively controlled the total nitrogen content in soil after rice maturity. In conclusion, reducing nitrogen fertilizer in a rice–crayfish coculture system is feasible and beneficial. It ensures rice production, reduces the risk of excessive nitrogen surplus and surface pollution, and promotes a greener, more environmentally friendly paddy field ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important oilseed crop, known for its rich nutritional content and high-quality protein. To address the shortage of feed protein resources and better utilize soybeans as a raw material, this study investigated the feasibility of using whole-plant soybean (WPS) as silage. As the ensiling period is a critical fermentation parameter, identifying the optimal fermentation duration was a key objective. The research involves fermenting WPS for silage production, conducted over five fermentation durations: 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days. The fermentation quality, microbial community, and metabolome of WPS silage were analyzed across these different time points. WPS silage fermented for 30 days exhibited optimal fermentation characteristics, with the highest lactic acid (LA) content observed at 30 days (p < 0.05), while butyric acid (BA) was detected only at 60 and 90 days. At 30 days, Enterococcus genera reached its peak relative abundance and was identified as the dominant genus. Random forest analysis highlighted Pantoea genera as the most influential biomarker. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of essential amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine were significantly enhanced during the later stages of fermentation compared to the earlier stages. Under natural fermentation conditions, the optimal fermentation period for WPS silage is approximately 30 days. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of WPS and the subsequent optimization of fermentation quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]