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Objectives: This study aims to assess the efficacy of narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy in utilizing radiomics for predicting radiosensitivity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and to explore the associated molecular mechanisms. Materials: The study included 57 NPC patients who were pathologically diagnosed and underwent RNA sequencing. They were categorized into complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) groups after receiving radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy. We analyzed 267 NBI images using ResNet50 for feature extraction, obtaining 2048 radiomic features per image. Using Python for deep learning and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator for feature selection, we identified differentially expressed genes associated with radiomic features. Subsequently, we conducted enrichment analysis on these genes and validated their roles in the tumor immune microenvironment through single-cell RNA sequencing. Results: After feature selection, 54 radiomic features were obtained. The machine learning algorithm constructed from these features showed that the random forest algorithm had the highest average accuracy rate of 0.909 and an area under the curve of 0.961. Correlation analysis identified 30 differential genes most closely associated with the radiomic features. Enrichment and immune infiltration analysis indicated that tumor-associated macrophages are closely related to treatment responses. Three key NBI differentially expressed immune genes (NBI-DEIGs), namely CCL8, SLC11A1, and PTGS2, were identified as regulators influencing treatment responses through macrophages. Conclusion: NBI-based radiomics models introduce a novel and effective method for predicting radiosensitivity in NPC. The molecular mechanisms may involve the functional states of macrophages, as reflected by key regulatory genes.

IntroductionHypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) is one of the malignant tumors with the worst prognosis in head and neck cancers. The transformation from normal tissue through low-grade and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia to cancerous tissue in HSCC is typically viewed as a progressive pathological sequence typical of tumorigenesis. Nonetheless, the alterations in diverse cell clusters within the tissue microenvironment (TME) throughout tumorigenesis and their impact on the development of HSCC are yet to be fully understood.MethodsWe employed single-cell RNA sequencing and TCR/BCR sequencing to sequence 60,854 cells from nine tissue samples representing different stages during the progression of HSCC. This allowed us to construct dynamic transcriptomic maps of cells in diverse TME across various disease stages, and experimentally validated the key molecules within it.ResultsWe delineated the heterogeneity among tumor cells, immune cells (including T cells, B cells, and myeloid cells), and stromal cells (such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells) during the tumorigenesis of HSCC. We uncovered the alterations in function and state of distinct cell clusters at different stages of tumor development and identified specific clusters closely associated with the tumorigenesis of HSCC. Consequently, we discovered molecules like MAGEA3 and MMP3, pivotal for the diagnosis and treatment of HSCC.DiscussionOur research sheds light on the dynamic alterations within the TME during the tumorigenesis of HSCC, which will help to understand its mechanism of canceration, identify early diagnostic markers, and discover new therapeutic targets.

Two new Cortinarius species in subgenus Leprocybe, Cortinarius hengduanensis and C. yadingensis, are proposed based on a combination of morphological and molecular evidence. Cortinarius hengduanensis has distinct olive tinged basidiomata, a squamulose pileus, and small, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores, the ITS sequence differs from that of C. flavifolium by at least 28 substitutions and independent positions. Cortinarius yadingensis has a squamulose pileus and subglobose to broadly ellipsoid coarsely verrucose basidiospores, the ITS sequence has at least 11 substitutions and index position deviations from the other members of the Leprocybe section. Both new species were found in mixed forests of southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quasi-steady-state model for accurately predicting the detailed diffusion-dominated dissolution process of polydisperse spheroidal (prolate, oblate and spherical) particle systems was presented in Part I of this study. In the present paper, the dissolution characteristics of typical polydisperse spheroidal particle systems have been extensively investigated. The effects of the distributions of particle size and shape have been studied by examining the detailed dissolution processes, such as the size reduction rates of individual particles, the increase in bulk concentration and the dissolution time of the polydisperse systems. Some important factors controlling the dissolution process, including initial particle concentration, smallest and largest particle sizes, and the smallest and largest Taylor shape parameters, have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quad charts are a genre frequently used in scientific and technical environments, yet little prior work has evaluated their potential for reinforcing technical communication fundamentals. This article provides background information about quad charts and notes the benefits of implementing quad charts in the classroom. In particular, introducing engineering students to this genre appeals to their tendency to outline information and incorporate visuals in the planning stages of the composing process. The authors share their approach for integrating quad charts within a collaborative project in a fluid dynamics course and note the ways in which the genre facilitated effective project planning and communication within student teams.

This article provides information about the integration of innovative hands-on activities within a sophomore-level Fluid Mechanics course at New Mexico Tech. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of fluid mechanics with emphasis on teaching key equations and methods of analysis for solving real-world problems. Strategies and examples for moving beyond a traditional lecture-based course are shared, with links highlighting various media used in the course. Implementation of an end-of-semester survey, examples of student performance on select assignments, and qualitative feedback from students indicate the effectiveness of these hands-on activities designed to increase student engagement.

Ag3PO4 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized via a simple precipitation method. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized Ag3PO4 was evaluated through the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light illumination. Photodegradation efficiency was up to 98.36% within 20 min. Ag3PO4 had good stability and the contribution of active species during degradation was: h+ > ·O2− > ·OH. This work would provide a new perspective for improving the application of environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous studies of shock compression, pressure P , specific volume v , specific internal energy e , shock velocity U s , and particle velocity u p have typically been presented in a dimensional form. For different materials, the plots of P − v , P − u p , or U s − u p , often called Hugoniot curves, are different. Here, we predict the behavior of shock-compressed liquids through proper scaling of the Rankine–Hugoniot (RH) equations and dimensionless Hugoniot curves. The characteristic density and velocity scales are the density ρ 0 and bulk speed of sound c b 0 of the undisturbed liquid, respectively. Two dimensionless numbers arise from the scaled RH equations, one for the initial condition of pressure and the other for the initial condition of internal energy. Under normal conditions, these two numbers do not affect the solutions of the dimensionless RH equations. The dimensionless Hugoniot curves P / (ρ 0 c b 0 2) vs v ρ 0 , U s / c b 0 vs u p / c b 0 , and P / (ρ 0 c b 0 2) vs u p / c b 0 of different liquids merge reasonably well onto a single curve. The dimensionless Hugoniot curve v ρ 0 vs U s / c b 0 or v ρ 0 vs u p / c b 0 , often omitted in the previous work, is thus found to be useful in the understanding of shock compression. The v ρ 0 vs U s / c b 0 curve clearly shows that the dependence of the specific volume ratio v ρ 0 on U s / c b 0 is different for moderate and strong shocks. For a moderate strength shock (U s / c b 0 ≲ 10), a new approximation relation is proposed for shock velocity U s and particle velocity u p as (U s − u p) / c b 0 ≈ (U s / c b 0 ) n , where the exponent is determined empirically as n = 0.55 − 0.6. This new approximation relation is different from the commonly used linear relation between U s and u p and better predicts the behavior of shock-compressed liquids. Using the new approximation relation, the ratio v ρ 0 under moderate strength shocks can be approximated by a power law v ρ 0 ≈ (U s ∗) n − 1 . For stronger shocks, the decrease in the specific volume ratio is slower and is bounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a combination of integral and self-similarity analyses, the generalized analytical solutions for the mean transverse velocity and Reynolds shear stress are rigorously derived for the first time for the far field of planar turbulent wakes under arbitrary pressure gradients. Specifically, by assuming self-similarity for the mean axial velocity, the analytical formulation for the mean transverse velocity is obtained from the integral of the mean continuity equation, and the analytical formulation for the Reynolds shear stress is obtained from the integral of the momentum equation. The generalized analytical formulations for the mean transverse velocity and Reynolds shear stress consist of multiple components, each with its unique scale and physical mechanism. In the zero pressure gradient limit, the generalized formulations recover the single-scale equations reported by Wei, Liu, and Livescu. Furthermore, simpler approximate formulations for the mean transverse velocity and Reynolds shear stress are also obtained, and show excellent agreement with the experimental measurements. The findings provide new insights into the properties of planar turbulent wakes under pressure gradients, filling some long-standing gaps in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]