Search

Abstract Background Women with breast cancer are known to suffer from disease and treatment, and the generic measurement tools may underestimate their frailty. A specific instrument comprehensively measuring frailty among women with breast cancer has not yet been developed. This study aims to develop and validate the tool of breast cancer comprehensive frailty scale (BCCFS). Methods A descriptive and explorative study design was used. We collected the data through systematic literature and modified Delphi method. After an initial search and screening process, a total of 33 articles were included for review and consideration in the item design. Ten experts were invited to generate and validate initial items. The validity was assessed using a sample of 205 women with breast cancer in Taiwan. Its validity was then tested using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity and areas under the receiver-operating characteristic, while its reliability was evaluated through internal consistencies and test-retest analyses. Results A three-factor solution with 16 items was chosen and accounted for approximately 58.57% of the total variance by exploratory factor analysis (KMO = 0.85; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: χ2 = 2881.34, p

ObjectiveTo produce estimates of the global burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) caused by high body mass index (high BMI) and its impact for 2021 and projections for 2045.MethodsWe downloaded data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021(GBD 2021) to estimate the disease burden of T2DM caused by high BMI. Secondary analyses were performed by year, age, gender, region, and socio-demographic index (SDI).ResultsGlobally, the all-ages number of T2DM-related deaths has increased significantly from 238.1 thousand to 723.7 thousand, representing a 203.9% increase since 1990. And the all-ages number of T2DM-raleted DALYs has raised from 10.4 million to 39.3 million, increased by 276.7% from 1990. The burden was expected to continue to increase to 1296.7 thousand by 2045 for all-ages number of deaths, and 85.5 million by 2045 for all-ages number of DALYs. The curves of T2DM-related burden showed an intersection for different genders around the age of 60, beyond which women exhibit a higher burden, compared to men. The disease burden of T2DM caused by high BMI shows a significant upward trend across all SDI groups, with a heavier burden on women, especially in the postmenopausal female population. In 2021, among the 204 countries and territories, the top 3 largest number of T2DM-related burden caused by high BMI occurred in China, India, and United States. The top three countries with highest T2DM-related rate caused by high BMI were Fiji, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati.ConclusionOur study reveals that the disease burden of T2DM caused by high BMI is significantly increasing and is expected to continue rising in the future. Women bear a heavier burden, particularly postmenopausal women, and there are significant differences in the disease burden across different geographical regions, and socioeconomic statuses. Targeted considerations and specific strategies are essential to address these disparities, thereby improving public health and reducing the burden.

ObjectiveTo use bibliometric methods to analyze the prospects and development trends of artificial intelligence(AI) in oncology nursing from 1994 to 2024, providing guidance and reference for oncology nursing professionals and researchers.MethodsThe core set of the Web of Science database was searched for articles from 1994 to 2024. The R package “Bibliometrix” was used to analyze the main bibliometric features, creating a three-domain chart to display relationships among institutions, countries, and keywords. VOSviewer facilitated co-authorship analysis and its visualization was used for co- occurrence analysis. CiteSpace calculated citation bursts and keyword occurrences.ResultsA total of 517 articles were retrieved, representing 80 countries/regions. The United States had the highest number of publications, with 188 articles (36.4%), followed by China with 79 articles (15.3%). The top 10 institutions in terms of publication output were all U.S.-based universities or cancer research institutes, with Harvard University ranking first. Prominent research teams, such as those led by Repici, Aerts, and Almangush, have made significant contributions to studies on AI in tumor risk factor identification and symptom management. In recent years, the keywords with the highest burst strength were “model” and “human papillomavirus.” The most studied tumor type was breast cancer. While Cancers published the highest number of articles, journals such as CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and PLOS ONE had higher impact and citation rates.ConclusionBy analyzing the volume of AI literature in oncology nursing, combined with the statistical analysis of institutions, core authors, journals, and keywords, the research hotspots and trends in the application of AI in oncology nursing over the past 30 years are revealed. AI in oncology nursing is entering a stage of rapid development, providing valuable reference for scholars and professionals in the field.

Satellite navigation interference monitoring is an important means to effectively evaluate interference and ensure the normal operation of global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Once interference is detected, this monitoring can identify the type of it, perform direction-finding and localization, evaluate its impact on GNSS, and guide the implementation of effective countermeasures. With the continuous progress of interference technology, the power required to cause the same jamming effect to the navigation system is getting smaller and smaller. Traditional radio monitoring system has been unable to meet the needs of the current satellite navigation monitoring in terms of sensitivity and accuracy. It is of great significance to develop and improve the dedicated satellite navigation monitoring system. This paper introduces the basic concept of satellite navigation interference monitoring and the composition of the system, analyzes the key technologies and finally gives an outlook on the development trends in this field.

Overhead line planning is an essential component of modern infrastructure construction in human society and a fundamental prerequisite for the transportation and distribution of resources, with extensive application scenarios particularly in the fields of power grids and communication construction. Current overhead line planning primarily relies on manual labor, and existing automated algorithms have low adaptability, making it difficult to efficiently accomplish path planning tasks under various environments and objectives. This paper explores a new approach DSOP (Deep reinforcement learning Soft actor-critic Overhead route Planning) that utilizes the interaction between an agent and the environment to adapt to different environments and planning tasks. This approach is mainly based on an assumption: the process of overhead line planning is a continuous trial-and-error process, and a relatively reasonable path can eventually be obtained through the continuous optimization of multiple objectives while meeting constraint conditions. Experimental verification of real data shows that compared with existing algorithms, the DSOP method is not only more consistent with the manual line selection effect (improved by more than 3%), but also has a high success rate. In terms of path length, number of intermediate points, and tortuosity coefficient indicators in overhead line planning, the road results given by DSOP are more economical overall than traditional solutions. This research provides a new direction for the model design of overhead line planning in continuous domains.

Abstract Cancer stem cells (CSCs), with their ability of self-renewal, unlimited proliferation, and multi-directional differentiation, contribute to tumorigenesis, metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to conventional therapy and immunotherapy. Eliminating CSCs has long been thought to prevent tumorigenesis. Although known to negatively impact tumor prognosis, research revealed the unexpected role of iron metabolism as a key regulator of CSCs. This review explores recent advances in iron metabolism in CSCs, conventional cancer therapies targeting iron biochemistry, therapeutic resistance in these cells, and potential treatment options that could overcome them. These findings provide important insights into therapeutic modalities against intractable cancers.

Previous laboratory-scale studies have consistently shown that carbon-based conductive materials can notably improve the anaerobic digestion of food waste, typically employing reactors with regular capacity of 1–20 L. Furthermore, incorporating riboflavin-loaded conductive materials can further address the imbalance between fermentation and methanogenesis in anaerobic systems. However, there have been few reports on pilot-scale investigation. In this study, a 10 m2 of riboflavin modified carbon cloth was incorporated into a pilot-scale (2 m3) food waste anaerobic reactor to improve its treatment efficiency. The study found that the addition of riboflavin-loaded carbon cloth can increase the maximum organic loading rate (OLR) by 40% of the pilot-scale reactor, compared to the system using carbon cloth without riboflavin loading, while ensuring efficient operation of the reaction system, effectively alleviating system acidification, sustaining methanogen activity, and increasing daily methane production by 25%. Analysis of the microbial community structure revealed that riboflavin-loaded carbon cloth enriched the methanogenic archaea in the genera of Methanothrix and Methanobacterium, which are capable of extracellular direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET). And metabolic pathway analysis identified the methane production pathway, highly enriched on the reduction of acetic acid and CO2 at riboflavin-loaded carbon cloth sample. The expression levels of genes related to methane production via DIET pathway were also significantly upregulated. These results can provide important guidance for the practical application of food waste anaerobic digestion engineering.

Current ammonia sensors exhibit cross-sensitivity to water vapor, leading to false alarms. We developed a core–shell nanofiber (CSNF) structure to address these issues, using conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as the core and hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) as the shell. The PEDOT-PVDF CSNF, with a diameter of ~500 nm and a 300 nm thick PVDF layer, showed a superior sensitivity and humidity resistance compared to conventional PEDOT membranes for ammonia concentrations of 10–100 ppm. In humid environments, CSNF sensors outperformed membrane sensors, exhibiting a tenfold increase in performance at 51% relative humidity (RH). This study highlights the potential of CSNF sensors for practical ammonia detection, maintaining a high performance under varying humidity levels.

ObjectiveAnalyzing the association between sociodemographic status and the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related risks in China to reduce the disease burden of T2DM.MethodsWe downloaded data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to estimate the disease burden of T2DM in China. Secondary analyses were performed by year, age, gender, summary exposure value (SEV), and sociodemographic index (SDI).ResultsIn China, it is estimated that 3.74 (3.44–4.10) million incidence, 90.0 (82.3–98.5) million prevalence, 168.4 (143.2–194.0) thousand deaths, and 9.6 (7.6–11.9) million DALYs occurred in 2019, showing an increase of 96.8, 156.7, 162.8, and 145.4% compared to 1990. An inverse U-shaped curve was observed for the correlations between T2DM-related burden and SDI. A heavier burden was found in males. The top four risk factors were high body mass index (HBMI), dietary risks, air pollution and tobacco. HBMI, as the key risk, accounted for half of the disease burden of T2DM in China. Lower degree of SEV and higher level of attributable T2DM-related burden could be found in main risks, meaning their critical role of them in the development and progression of T2DM. An inverse U-shaped curve could be found in the association between age-standardized incidence, mortality, DALYs rate, and SDI.ConclusionThe disease burden of T2DM has rapidly increased in China. Gender disparities, different age distributions and inconsistent socioeconomic levels all played an important role in it. The key risk was HBMI. With the improvement of socioeconomic level, the main risk factors for T2DM have changed from environmental factors to lifestyle factors. Targeted control and preventative strategies to address adjustable risk factors could put an end to this soaring burden.

Soft crawling robots have been widely studied and applied because of their excellent environmental adaptability and flexible movement. However, most existing soft crawling robots typically exhibit a single-motion mode and lack diverse capabilities. Inspired by Drosophila larvae, this paper proposes a compact soft crawling robot (weight, 13 g; length, 165 mm; diameter, 35 mm) with multimodal locomotion (forward, turning, rolling, and twisting). Each robot module uses 4 sets of high-power-density shape memory alloy actuators, endowing it with 4 degrees of motion freedom. We analyze the mechanical characteristics of the robot modules through experiments and simulation analysis. The plug-and-play modules can be quickly assembled to meet different motion and task requirements. The soft crawling robot can be remotely operated with an external controller, showcasing multimodal motion on various material surfaces. In a narrow maze, the robot demonstrates agile movement and effective maneuvering around obstacles. In addition, leveraging the inherent bistable characteristics of the robot modules, we used the robot modules as anchoring units and installed a microcamera on the robot’s head for pipeline detection. The robot completed the inspection in horizontal, vertical, curved, and branched pipelines, adjusted the camera view, and twisted a valve in the pipeline for the first time. Our research highlights the robot’s superior locomotion and application capabilities, providing an innovative strategy for the development of lightweight, compact, and multifunctional soft crawling robots.

Abstract Tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in tumor progression, metastasis and therapy resistance. Remodeling the TME has recently been deemed an attractive tumor therapeutic strategy. Due to its complexity and heterogeneity, remodeling the TME still faces great challenges. With the great advantage of drug loading ability, tumor accumulation, multifactor controllability, and persistent guest molecule release ability, mesoporous nanodrug delivery systems (MNDDSs) have been widely used as effective antitumor drug delivery tools as well as remolding TME. This review summarizes the components and characteristics of the TME, as well as the crosstalk between the TME and cancer cells and focuses on the important role of drug delivery strategies based on MNDDSs in targeted remodeling TME metabolic and synergistic anticancer therapy. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the associations of thyroid hormones with body fat content and lipid metabolism in euthyroid male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods In January 2017, a cross sectional study, 66 male patients with T2DM who met the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria of 1999 who were ≥ 18.0 years and had normal thyroid function were recruited at a tertiary hospital. The categories of thyroid hormones (free triiodothyronine [FT3], free thyroxine [FT4], and thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]) were divided into three groups according to tertiles of thyroid hormones. Results The mean FT3, FT4, and TSH of the patients were 2.56 pg/mL, 1.03 ng/dL, and 1.50 μIU/mL, respectively. Increased FT3 were associated with higher body mass index (BMI) (P

Microbial electrochemical CO2 reduction and in-situ biogas upgrading can effectively reduce the CO2 content in biogas produced during anaerobic digestion, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and achieving carbon reduction. pH is an important indicator in this process as it can significantly change the solubility and forms of CO2 in the aquatic phase. This study comprehensively evaluated the optimal pH value from the perspectives of methane upgrading performance and electron utilization efficiency and observed and analyzed the morphology of the biofilm on the electrode surface and the microbial community in the cathodic region under optimal conditions. The results showed that the optimal pH was 6.5; methane content reached ~88.3% in the biogas; methane production reached a maximum of 22.1 ± 0.1 mmol·d−1, with an increase in methane production compared to the control group reaching a maximum of 1.7 mmol·d−1; and CO2 conversion rate reached ~22.9%. A dense biofilm with a thickness of 51.3 μm formed on the electrode surface, with Methanobacterium being the dominant genus, with a high relative abundance of 69.3%, and Geobacter had a relative abundance of 20.1%. The above findings have important guiding significance for the practical application of methane upgrading.

Exploring halogen engineering is of great significance for reducing the density of defect states in crystals of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites and hence improving the crystal quality. Herein, high-quality single crystals of PEA2PbX4 (X = Cl, Br, I) and their para-F (p-F) substitution analogs are prepared using the facile solution method to study the effects of both p-F substitution and halogen anion engineering. After p-F substitution, the triclinic PEA2PbX4 (X = Cl, Br) and cubic PEA2PbX4 (X = I) crystals unifies to monoclinic crystal structure for p-F-PEA2PbX4 (X = Cl, Br, I) crystals. The p-F substitution and halogen engineering, together with crystal structure variation, enable the tunability of optoelectrical properties. Experimentally, after the p-F substitution, the energy levels are lowered with increased Fermi levels, and the bandgaps of p-F-PEA2PbX4 (X = Cl, Br, I) are slightly reduced. Benefitting from the enhancement of the charge transfer and the reduced trap density by p-F substitution and halogen anion engineering, the average carrier lifetime of the p-F-PEA2PbX4 is obviously reduced. Compared with PEA2PbI4, the X-ray detector based on p-F-PEA2PbI4 perovskite single-crystal has a higher sensitivity of 119.79 μC Gyair-1·cm-2. Moreover, the X-ray detector based on p-F-PEA2PbI4 single crystals exhibits higher radiation stability under high-dose X-ray irradiation, implying long-term operando stability.

Objective The present study aimed to investigate the effect of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) on recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation. Methods This prospective cohort study comprised 107 patients with PAF. The patients were divided into the FMR and non-FMR groups. FMR was assessed by Doppler echocardiography before index ablation. All patients initially underwent circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) and were followed up for 12 months after ablation. PAF, atrial tachycardia, or atrial flutter served as the endpoint indicator. Results The median duration of PAF was 24 (3–60) months. Binary logistic univariate and multivariate analyses showed that FMR was not a risk factor for recurrence of catheter ablation for PAF (hazard ratio=0.758, 95% confidence interval: 0.191–3.004; hazard ratio=0.665, 95% confidence interval: 0.134–3.300, respectively). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the groups. Fifteen (15/107, 14%) cases of PAF were triggered by the pulmonary vein. Three (3/107, 2.8%) cases of PAF were triggered by the superior vena cava. Conclusions FMR is not an independent risk factor for predicting recurrence of catheter ablation for PAF. FMR does not affect patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation for PAF.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) on cerebral injury using the ischemia-reperfusion rat model. In total, 36 SD rats were divided into three groups: pseudo-surgery group (sham group), ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group (CIR group), and CIH intervention group (CIH group). The IR model was established using the suture-occluded method. CIH intervention was performed starting at 12 weeks prior to the establishment of the IR model for rats in the CIH group. Ultra-microstructure was examined using an electron microscope. Expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in rat brain tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods and western blot assays. The neurological deficit scores of rats in the CIH group were higher than those in the CIR group (p < 0.05). Using electron microscopy, we observed more severe edema around the capillaries of the rat brain that resulted in more pressure on the vascular wall of the capillaries in the CIH group compared to the CIR group. The expression of ICAM-1 and VEGF in rat brain tissue was rare in the sham group, but was significantly elevated in the CIR group (p < 0.05) and even higher in the CIH group, compared to the CIR group. Hence, the brain injury in ischemia-reperfusion rat models following CIH intervention may be related to the increased expression of ICAM-1 and VEGF.

Vicia sepium L., as a pan-temperate species, it is suitable as a constituent part of grazed grasslands because it can be resistant to winter kill and it contains abundant proteins. In this study, complete chloroplast genome of V. sepium was explored and phylogenetic analysis was done. The result showed that the whole genome was 124,095 bp long with IR loss. The overall GC content was 35.03%. A total of 109 genes were identified, including 80 protein-coding, 30 transfer RNA, and four ribosome RNA genes. Similar to most of the IRLC plastoms, rpl22, rps16 and one intron of clpP were lost. The phylogenetic analysis of protein-coding genes from 25 Fabaceae species belonging to IRLC showed that V. sepium was similar to V. sativa. The chloroplast genome reported here will promote our understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of the genus Vicia.

Objective: To compare islet β-cell function in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients with different glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and diabetes durations., Methods: We examined body parameters, biochemical profiles and islet autoantibodies in a total of 803 T2DM patients admitted in the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between December, 2014 and April, 2016. The patients were stratified by HbA1c level and disease course and underwent steamed bun test to evaluate islet β-cell function and insulin resistance., Results: Linear correlation analysis showed that in T2DM patients, HbA1c level was negatively correlated with HOMA2-IR, HOMA2-%β, DI30 and DI180 ( P =0.000), and disease course was negatively correlated with HOMA2-IR, HOMA2-% β, and DI180 ( P &lt; 0.05). The patients with different HbA1c levels showed significantly different HOMA2-IR, HOMA2-%β, DI30 and DI180 ( P =0.000); HOMA2-%β, DI30 and DI180 were significantly higher in patients with HbA1c levels &lt; 7.8%, and HOMA2-% β was significantly decreased in patients with HbA1c levels above 9.8%. The patients with different disease courses also had significant differences in HOMA2-IR, HOMA2-%β, DI30, and DI180 ( P =0.000), and as the disease course extended, DI30 and DI180 tended to decrease progressively. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that HbA1c, diabetes duration, and body mass index (BMI) were all independent factors affecting islet β- cell function in T2DM patients., Conclusions: The secretion function of islet β cells decreases progressively with the increase of HbA1c level or disease course in T2DM patients, but the disease course does not appear to have an effect as strong as that of HbA1c level on islet β cell function.

Background: The Cavernous Angioma in Posterior Sagittal Sinus is exceedingly rare., Methods: We report for the case of a 10-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with Cavernous Angioma in Posterior Sagittal Sinus., Results: Our case is the second reported case of Cavernous Angioma in Posterior Sagittal Sinus in the world., Conclusions: It is very rare for the cavernous hemangioma to occur in the sinus, preoperative conventional MR scan lacks specificity and easily leads to misdiagnosis. Head MR enhancement, MRBTI, and SWI can provide more useful diagnostic information. The final diagnosis depends on the pathology examination.