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Abstract The rapid failure of organic coatings in deep-sea environments complicates accurate lifetime prediction. Given the rapid cracking characteristic on the coating surface in this environment, a comprehensive “performance-structure” failure model was established. Initially, a targeted image recognition approach containing convolutional neural network (CNN) and post-processing was constructed for the crack area detection. An overall precision of 82.81% demonstrated the network’s good accuracy. The length distribution and the statistical evolution of cracks were extracted from SEM images to obtain the kinetic equation of the cracks related to coating structure degradation. In addition, the kinetics of water diffusion and coating adhesion were examined, as they represent critical parameters of coating performance. Based on this achievement, a failure model incorporating three dominant factors was integrated by the gray relational analysis method. The average prediction error of the model was 2.60%, which lays the groundwork for developing image-based methods to predict coating life.

Abstract Enhancing farmers’ adoption of agricultural green production technology (AGPT) is crucial for the green transformation of the agricultural sector. Obtaining additional income is the primary motivation for farmers to adopt AGPTs. Therefore, clarifying the relationship between AGPTs’ adoption degree and income will facilitate the possibility of farmers’ adoption of AGPTs. Based on research data obtained from 805 citrus farmers in Sichuan Province, this study examines the impact of the degree of AGPT adoption on farmers’ income and its mechanisms using the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) model. These findings indicate: (1) The greater the degree of adoption of AGPTs by farmers, the more pronounced the impact on income increase. Using 1, 2, and 3 AGTs can increase farmers’ income from citrus sales by 7.1, 10.5, and 19.8 percentage points, respectively. (2) The adoption of AGPTs leads to increased income through higher yields and sales prices, which offset the incurred costs. (3) Market channels and farmers’ operating scales can affect the revenue effect of AGPT adoption. (4) Factors (i.e., education level, physical health status, and cultivation area) can affect farmers’ adoption of AGPTs. This study presents policy recommendations based on the above conclusions, aiming to guide the government in promoting AGPTs and advancing agricultural green transformation.

Abstract Objective To conduct a bibliometric analysis of the prospects and obstacles associated with dual- and multi-energy CT in thoracic disease, emphasizing its current standing, advantages, and areas requiring attention. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection was queried for relevant publications in dual- and multi-energy CT and thoracic applications without a limit on publication date or language. The Bibliometrix packages, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used for data analysis. Bibliometric techniques utilized were co-authorship analyses, trend topics, thematic map analyses, thematic evolution analyses, source’s production over time, corresponding author’s countries, and a treemap of authors’ keywords. Results A total of 1992 publications and 7200 authors from 313 different sources were examined in this study. The first available document was published in November 1982, and the most cited article was cited 1200 times. Siemens AG in Germany emerged as the most prominent author affiliation, with a total of 221 published articles. The most represented scientific journals were the “European Radiology” (181 articles, h-index = 46), followed by the “European Journal of Radiology” (148 articles, h-index = 34). Most of the papers were from Germany, the USA, or China. Both the keyword and topic analyses showed the history of dual- and multi-energy CT and the evolution of its application hotspots in the chest. Conclusion Our study illustrates the latest advances in dual- and multi-energy CT and its increasingly prominent applications in the chest, especially in lung parenchymal diseases and coronary artery diseases. Photon-counting CT and artificial intelligence will be the emerging hot technologies that continue to develop in the future. Critical relevance statement This study aims to provide valuable insights into energy-based imaging in chest disease, validating the clinical application of multi-energy CT together with photon-counting CT and effectively increasing utilization in clinical practice. Key Points Bibliometric analysis is fundamental to understanding the current and future state of dual- and multi-energy CT. Research trends and leading topics included coronary artery disease, pulmonary embolism, and radiation dose. All analyses indicate a growing interest in the use of energy-based imaging techniques for thoracic applications. Graphical Abstract

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It encompasses conditions such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, chronic hepatitis with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Numerous recent studies have demonstrated the critical role of oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, various forms of cell death (including apoptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis), intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, liver immune response, cell autophagy, and epigenetic abnormalities in the pathogenesis of ALD. Currently, abstinence, corticosteroids, and nutritional therapy are the traditional therapeutic interventions for ALD. Emerging therapies for ALD mainly include the blockade of inflammatory pathways, the promotion of liver regeneration, and the restoration of normal microbiota. Summarizing the advances in animal models of ALD will facilitate a more systematic investigation of the pathogenesis of ALD and the exploration of therapeutic targets. This review summarizes the latest insight into the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of ALD, as well as the pros and cons of ALD rodent models, providing a basis for further research on therapeutic strategies for ALD.

BackgroundAlcoholic hepatitis is a severe inflammatory liver disease. In recent years, the incidence of AH has been on the rise, leading to an increasingly severe disease burden. Currently, there is a lack of specific biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of AH in clinical practice. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to identify biomarkers closely associated with the progression of AH, to address the shortcomings in pathological diagnosis, and to identify potential therapeutic targets.MethodsBioinformatics and machine learning methods were used to comparatively study the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between AH patients and healthy individuals by analyzing four mRNA microarray data sets obtained from the GEO database. Subsequently, the role of potential biomarkers in AH and their mechanism of action were further confirmed by AH patients and in vitro and in vivo experiments.ResultsUsing differential analysis and WGCNA of the data set, a total of 167 key genes that may be related to AH were obtained. Among 167 genes, the LASSO logistic regression algorithm identified four potential biomarkers (KCNJ10, RPL21P23, ADRB2, and AC025279.1). Notably, ADRB2 showed biomarker potential in GSE28619, GSE94397, and E-MTAB-2664 datasets, and clinical liver samples. Furthermore, AH patients and in vivo experiments demonstrated ADRB2 inhibition and suppression of SIRT1/PPARα/PGC-1α signaling pathways, accompanied by elevated inflammatory factors and lipid deposition. In vitro experiments showed that ADRB2 overexpression mitigated the inhibition of the SIRT1/PPARα/PGC-1α signaling pathway, reversing the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and lipid deposition induced by alcohol exposure. Besides, the results also showed that ADRB2 expression in AH was negatively correlated with the levels of inflammatory factors (e.g., CCL2, CXCL8, and CXCL10).ConclusionThis study points to ADRB2 as a promising biomarker with potential diagnostic and prognostic value in clinical cohort data. In addition, in AH patients, in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed the key role of ADRB2 in the progression of AH. These findings suggest that ADRB2 may alleviate AH by activating the SIRT1/PPARα/PGC-1α pathway. This finding provides a new perspective for the diagnosis and treatment of AH.

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant pediatric central nervous system tumor that is prone to leptomeningeal metastasis. Currently, apart from magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology, there are no reliable biomarkers for MB progression. Cytokines are key proteins in signaling pathways in the tumor microenvironment and are closely related to tumor recurrence and progression. This study aimed to investigate the CSF cytokine profile in pediatric patients with MB to identify biomarkers of tumor progression and metastasis. Methods: In total, 10 patients were recruited for this study. Five patients had nonmetastatic MB and five had metastatic MB. A cytokine antibody array was used to detect the expression of 120 cytokines in the CSF, and differentially expressed cytokines were screened by integrated bioinformatics analysis. Results: Twenty-seven cytokines were upregulated in patients with MB compared to control individuals. Of these, eight were upregulated by > 1.5-fold (CCL2, BMP-4, beta-NGF, FGF-7, IL-12p40, eotaxin-2, M-CSF, and NT-4). Twelve cytokines were differentially expressed between patients with metastatic MB and nonmetastatic (nine cytokines were upregulated and three were downregulated). Among them, NAP-2, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 were upregulated by more than two-fold. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that the upregulated cytokines were enriched mainly in “epithelial cell proliferation” and “chemotaxis,” and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated the enrichment of the “MAPK,” “PI3K-Akt,” and “Ras” signaling pathways. Conclusions: The present study investigated cytokine profiles in the CSF of pediatric patients with MB. Our results suggest that these differentially expressed cytokines may serve as novel markers for detecting MB, especially for assessing the risk of progression and metastasis.

Abstract Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Traditionally, colorectal cancer has been recognized as a disease caused by genetic mutations. However, recent studies have revealed the significant role of epigenetic alterations in the progression of colorectal cancer. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition, a critical step in cancer cell metastasis, has been found to be closely associated with the tumor microenvironment and immune factors, thereby playing a crucial role in many kinds of biological behaviors of cancers. In this review, we explored the impact of N6-methyladenosine and post-translational modifications (like methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, glycosylation, etc.) on the process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer and the epigenetic regulation for the transcription factors and pathways correlated to epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, we emphasized that the complex regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition by epigenetics can provide new strategies for overcoming drug resistance and improving treatment outcomes. This review aims to provide important scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer based on epigenetic modifications.

Abstract The middle reaches of the Lancang‐Mekong River Basin (M‐LMRB) experienced a record‐breaking drought event in 2019, resulting in significant economic losses of approximately 650 million dollars and affecting a population of 17 million. However, the anomalous circulation and transportation processes of water vapor, which may have played a crucial role in inducing the extreme drought, have not been fully studied. In this study, we analyze the water vapor circulation during the 2019 drought event using the land‐atmosphere water balance and a backward trajectory model for moisture tracking. Our results indicate that the precipitation in the M‐LMRB from May to October 2019 was only 71.9% of the long‐term climatological mean (1959–2021). The low precipitation during this drought event can be attributed to less‐than‐normal external water vapor supply. Specifically, the backward trajectory model reveals a decrease in the amount of water vapor transported from the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Pacific Ocean, which are the main moisture sources for precipitation in the region. Comparing the atmospheric circulation patterns in 2019 with the climatology, we identify anomalous anticyclone conditions in the Bay of Bengal, anomalous westerlies in the Northeast Indian Ocean, and an anomalous cyclone in the Western Pacific Ocean, collectively facilitating a stronger export of water vapor from the region. Therefore, the dynamic processes played a more significant role than thermodynamic processes in contributing to the 2019 extreme drought event.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing focus towards infant immunity. The development and maintenance of the immune system are significantly influenced from birth, and is shaped by early-life infant feeding behavior. Hence, the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of parents play a crucial role in shaping the immune system of infants. A total of 2369 parents across 19 cities in China were surveyed using a self-designed online questionnaire. The KAP questionnaire assessed three domains: immunity, gut microbiota, and biotics (prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics). The questionnaire also included questions on infant health. An overwhelming majority of parents (97.90%) placed high value on their children’s immunity, and 40.40% of them reported an increased level of concern following the COVID-19 pandemic. Diarrhea (78.80%), colds (75.70%), nighttime crying (73.80%), regurgitation (71.70%) and food retention (66.50%) were the major health issues reported. Knowledge scores toward immunity and gut microbiota were positively correlated to attitude and practice scores, respectively. Attitude scores toward immunity, gut microbiota and biotics were positively correlated to their respective practice scores. Parental knowledge score on immunity was negatively correlated with diarrhea, colds, regurgitation and food retention. On the other hand, parental practice scores toward immunity were negatively correlated with food retention. In regards to gut microbiota, parental knowledge score was negatively correlated with diarrhea, regurgitation and food retention; parental attitude score was negatively correlated with nighttime crying whereas practice score was negatively correlated with diarrhea, regurgitation, food retention and nighttime crying. Attitude score toward biotics was negatively correlated with nighttime crying and practice scores toward biotics was negatively correlated with colds, food retention and nighttime crying. This study demonstrated that significant gaps and misunderstandings exist among parents regarding immunity, gut microbiota health, and biotics. Both public education and interventions are crucial to enhance parental knowledge and practices, thereby improving infant immunity.

Non terrestrial network (NTN) has been regarded as an important component of beyond 5G communication. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has officially started studies on NTN for the purpose of integrating satellites with New Radio (NR) terrestrial networks. However, the NR defined orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform is susceptible to doubly selective fading and nonlinear distortions in the NTN uplink, thus leading to severe performance loss. In this paper, a type of block scalable OFDM (BS-OFDM) waveform is proposed, which has modified subcarrier and sub-symbol segmentation when compared to the conventional NR defined OFDM. With our proposed framework, block scalable discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (BS-DFT-s-OFDM) and block scalable orthogonal time frequency space (BS-OTFS) can also be implemented. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of different waveforms, performance metrics concerning peak to average power ratio (PAPR), total degradation (TD), bit error rate (BER), and complexity are presented. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed block scalable waveforms can obtain better performance and lower complexity than existing NR waveforms in different NTN uplink scenarios, and can therefore be promising candidate waveforms for NR NTN.

Abstract Butyl butyrate is a short‐chain fatty acid ester (C8) with a fruity aroma. It has broad prospects in the fields of foods, cosmetics and biofuels. At present, butyl butyrate is produced by chemical synthesis in the industry, but it is highly dependent on petroleum‐based products. The growing concerns regarding the future scarcity of fossil fuels have been strongly promoted the transition from traditional fossil fuels and products to renewable bioenergy and biochemicals. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a green biochemical technology to replace traditional petroleum‐based materials. In recent years, microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Clostridium have been engineered to serve as cell factories for the sustainable one‐pot production of short‐chain fatty acid esters, including butyl butyrate. This opinion highlights the recent development in the use of lipases and alcohol acyltransferases (AATs) for butyl butyrate production in microbial fermentation, as well as future perspectives.

BackgroundThis study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and patient benefits of uncut Roux-en-Y (URY) anastomosis and Billroth-II with Braun (BB) anastomosis after distal gastrectomy.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent URY or BB anastomosis after distal gastrectomy between March 2015 and December 2017. Clinical characteristics, survival data, postoperative recovery data, and long-term outcomes were recorded and compared between the two groups.ResultsA total of 231 patients were included, with 167 in the URY group and 64 in the BB group. Kaplan–Meier curves for overall survival showed no differences after propensity score matching (p = 0.488). Long-term postoperative quality of life evaluation also showed no significant differences. Compared to the BB group, patients in the URY group had a significantly shorter time to start a liquid diet after propensity score matching (67.6 h vs. 46.5 h, p = 0.003), and a lower occurrence of bile reflux on follow-up gastroscopy (p

In recent years, the domestic live pig price has risen and fallen rapidly and fluctuated frequently, which has greatly impacted the live pig industry. The level of price volatility in the pig market has served as a significant indication of the progress of the agricultural sector. Identifying the dominant factors affecting the fluctuation of pig prices has become more important. Based on the monthly data of the pig industry from February 2009 to December 2022, this paper constructs an index system of influencing factors of pig price from four aspects: uncertain impact, supply factors, demand factors, and macro-environment factors. By using the transfer model of the Markov regime (MS-VAR), we obtained the probability plot of zone transition for pig price volatility, the impulse response effect diagram of factors affecting pig price, and the cumulated impulse response effect diagram of factors affecting pig price, and analyze the reasons for the ups and downs of pig price according to the above results. The findings indicate prominent features of zone transition in the price fluctuation of China's pig market. From 2017 to 2022, the domestic pig price frequently switches between rising and falling zones, and the "falling pig price stage" and "rising pig price stage" in the non-stationary state last for a relatively short and discontinuous period. There is little probability that the price of live pigs will directly change from rising to falling, and there will be a smooth buffer stage in the price rise and fall process. Among the factors that affect the fluctuation of live pig prices, the dominant factor of frequent and large fluctuation of pig prices is the pig epidemic situation in external factors. Among the internal influencing factors, the changes in farming costs have the greatest significant influence on the fluctuation of pig prices. These results provide a decision-making reference for legislators to carry out epidemic risk prevention and control better, stabilize the market pig price, and provide empirical evidence for market participants to accurately avoid price risks through multiple channels and ways and ensure stable profitability.

Abstract Salivary gland malignancies are rare and are often acompanied by poor prognoses. So, identifying the populations with risk factors and timely intervention to avoid disease progression is significant. This study provides an effective prediction model to screen the target patients and is helpful to construct a cost‐effective follow‐up strategy. We enrolled 249 patients diagnosed with salivary gland tumors and analyzed prognostic risk factors using Cox proportional hazard univariable and multivariable regression models. The patients' data were split into training and validation sets on a 7:3 ratio, and the random survival forest (RSF) model was established using the training sets and validated using the validation sets. The maximally selected rank statistics method was used to determine a cut point value corresponding to the most significant relation with survival. Univariable Cox regression suggested age, smoking, alcohol consumption, untreated, neural invasion, capsular invasion, skin invasion, tumors larger than 4 cm, advanced T and N stage, distant metastasis, and non‐mucous cell carcinoma were risk factors for poor prognosis, and multivariable analysis suggested that female, aging, smoking, untreated, and non‐mucous cell carcinoma were risk factors. The time‐dependent ROC curve showed the AUC of the RSF prediction model on 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year survival were 0.696, 0.779, and 0.765 respectively in the validation sets. Log‐rank tests suggested that the cut point 7.42 risk score calculated from the RSF was most effective in dividing patients with significantly different prognoses. The prediction model based on the RSF could effectively screen patients with poor prognoses.

Objective To explore the intention of voluntary blood donation in students from a middle vocational school in Jinhua and its influencing factors. Methods A total of 400 students were enrolled from a middle vocational school in Jinhua by convenience sampling, and a self-designed questionnaire was issued to each student to investigate the cognition, intention and attitude of voluntary blood donation. The influencing factors of voluntary blood donation intention were analyzed by Logistic regression. Results A total of 394 valid questionnaires(98.50%) were collected. For 394 surveyed students, the average score of cognition of voluntary blood donation was (7.27±2.69) points, and the overall rate of intention to voluntary blood donation was 21.32%. Logistic regression analysis equation consisted of family support, better cognition, feeling happy about blood donation and worrying about blood donation, with risk ratios(OR) as 31.78, 188.69, 26.27 and 0.01, respectively(all P

Abstract In highly urbanized and industrialized areas, the demand for construction land is expanding, which should have an impact on the water environment. Taking the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and considering chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) as characteristic pollutants, this study investigated the spatial–temporal characteristics of water pollutant emissions at the county level, optimized the spatial lag model (SLM) to estimate the spatial interaction of urban expansion and water pollutant emissions through direct and indirect effects. The results show that from 2011 to 2015, water pollutant emissions in the YRD decreased significantly and that the high-emissions pattern changed from a contiguous to a scattered distribution. The emissions of COD and NH3-N in counties at various distances from the Yangtze River and coastline show a logarithmic curve relationship. The association between urban expansion and water pollutant emissions was significant and stable. In 2015, every 1% increase in the scale of urban expansion resulted in 0.299% and 0.340% increases in local COD and NH3-N emissions, respectively, and emissions in the adjacent counties synchronously increased by 0.068% and 0.084%, respectively. The results show that to break the association and spatial interaction between urban expansion and water pollutant emissions and alleviate the environmental stress on the YRD, in addition to delimiting an urban expansion boundary and strictly restraining the scale of expansion, improvement in the regional environmental carrying capacity through urban water pollutant treatment facilities and pipe network construction is urgently needed.

Abstract Land development intensity (LDI) is an important indicator of how much human exploitation of land resources. Against the background of rapid urbanization and industrialization, in order to curb the over-occupation of agricultural and ecological space by urbanized space, China has proposed the Major Functional Zoning Planning (MFZP) as a new spatial governance model, which attempts to implement differentiated LDI control according to the functional positioning of different regions. To observe the spatio-temporal evolution and drivers of LDI in the first five years since the implementation of the MFZP, we chose the Yangtze River Delta, the most urbanized region in China, as a case area. The multi-scale distribution pattern of LDI was analyzed by combining macro and micro scales, and a new spatial measurement method integrating global and local regression models was developed to quantitatively deconstruct the natural-human drivers of LDI in different functional zones. Results demonstrate that LDI decreases in a gradient of the urbanized zone (UZ) > main agricultural production zone (MAPZ) > key ecological function zone (KEFZ). In the UZ, LDI is influenced by natural-human multi factors, e.g., terrain conditions (SLP), proportion of cultivated land area (PCL), proportion of ecologically important area (EID), population urbanization rate (PUR), GDP per capita (PGDP), fixed asset investment size per land (FAI) and fiscal expenditure as a percentage of GDP (FD). The LDI in the MAPZ is mainly affected by the facilitating role of PCL, EID, FAI, and the prominent role of FD, while that in the KEFZ is mainly inhibited by SLP, EID, and driven by the PGDP. The diverse drivers of LDI in different functional zones remind us to implement differentiated spatial control according to functional positioning and to adopt refined policy tools of zoning and classification to ensure that land resources within each type of functional zone can be used sustainably.

Abstract The integrated travel demand has promoted the interconnection of multimode rail transit. As different rail transit systems are separately modeled, current network and resilience evaluation methods are limited in addressing interconnected characteristics and various travel demands. In this study, a multilayer network was constructed to validly understand the interconnected characteristics of the multimode regional rail transit system (MRRTS). A weighted multilayer regional rail transit network (W‐MRRTN) was presented to describe the travel demands and choices from an overall system perspective. Based on the W‐MRRTN combined with topological and operational features, a novel performance indicator was proposed, explicitly considered travel delays and rerouting. Furthermore, a specific definition, performance‐based metric, and simulation approach for resilience evaluation that characterized the absorptive, adaptive, and restorative capacities, was proposed. The consequences of accumulative and rerouted passengers were expressly considered to quantify the time‐dependent resilience under different disruptions. The proposed framework was applied to MRRTS in Chongqing metropolitan area, China. The results identify the stations with the highest impact on network connectivity and passenger flow, thereby proving the assortative and heterogeneous ability of the network. The comprehensive performance indicator evaluates the system more accurately than that using a single indicator. Moreover, the system under the disruption of 10, 20, and 35 min have no adaptive capacity, indicating that MRRTN is non‐resilient. The development of adaptive capacity can improve system resilience. In addition, attention should be paid to the transfer stations located near the disrupted stations. The methods and results presented in this study can be adopted as a support multimode system by transport planners, managers, and policymakers.

The GacS-GacA type two-component system (TCS) positively regulates pathogenicity-related phenotypes in many plant pathogens. In addition, Dickeya oryzae EC1, the causative agent of soft rot disease, produces antibiotic‐like toxins called zeamines as one of the major virulence factors that inhibit the germination of rice seeds. The present study identified a GacS-GacA type TCS, named TzpS-TzpA, that positively controls the virulence of EC1, mainly by regulating production of the toxin zeamines. RNA-seq analysis of strain EC1 and its tzpA mutant showed that the TCS regulated a wide range of virulence genes, especially those encoding zeamines. Protein-protein interaction was detected between TzpS and TzpA through the bacterial two-hybrid system and pull-down assay. In trans expression of tzpA failed to rescue the defective phenotypes in both the ΔtzpS and ΔtzpSΔtzpA mutants. Furthermore, TzpA controls target gene expression by direct binding to DNA promoters that contain a Gac-box motif, including a regulatory RNA rsmB and the vfm quorum-sensing system regulator vfmE. These findings therefore suggested that the EC1 TzpS-TzpA TCS system mediates the pathogenicity of Dickeya oryzae EC1 mainly by regulating the production of zeamines.[Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Abstract Five severe floods occurred in the Yangtze River Basin, China, between July and August 2020, and the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) located in the middle Yangtze River experienced the highest inflow since construction. The world’s largest cascade-reservoir group, which counts for 22 cascade reservoirs in the upper Yangtze River, cooperated in real time to control floods. The cooperation prevented evacuation of 600,000 people and extensive inundations of farmlands and aquacultural areas. In addition, no water spillage occurred during the flood control period, resulting in a world-record annual output of the TGR hydropower station. This work describes decision making challenges in the cooperation of super large reservoir groups based on a case-study, controlling the 4th and 5th floods (from Aug-14 to Aug-22), the efforts of technicians, multi-departments, and the state, and reflects on these. To realize the full potential of reservoir operation for the Yangtze River Basin and other basins with large reservoir groups globally, we suggest: (i) improve flood forecast accuracy with a long leading time; (ii) strengthen and further develop ongoing research on reservoir group cooperation; and (iii) improve and implement institutional mechanisms for coordinated operation of large reservoir groups.

Amomum villosum is widely planted as a cash crop and medicinal plant. Recent reports of leaf diseases that result in yield reduction of Amomum villosum fruits raise concerns, which may play an important role in yield losses. Understanding the aetiology of current and new diseases of Amomum villosum is important to address production issues and to formulate effective disease control measures. An organizational separation method was used to isolate phytopathogen from leaves. Ten fungi were isolated from the diseased leaves. Among the selected microorganisms, fungi AP5 showed typical pathogenic symptoms and fulfilling Koch’s requirements. The rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) with primers ITS1/ITS4, 28S ribosomal RNA gene (LSU) with primers NL1/NL4, RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB II) with primers fRPB2-5f/fRPB2-7cR, and beta-tubulin (tub2) with primers BT2a/BT2b of pathogenic strain were amplified and sequenced. AP5 was identified as Epicoccum thailandicum based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. This is the first report that Epicoccum thailandicum is the pathogenic fungi infecting Amomum villosum leaves.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in NSCLC.MethodsWe retrospectively collected data for NSCLC patients who received thoracic surgery after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy from May 2020 to August 2022. Surgery details, pathological response, and perioperative outcome were compared between video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) group and RATS group. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to equal the baseline characteristics.ResultsA total of 220 patients were divided into 78 VATS patients and 142 RATS patients. There was no 90-day mortality in either group. RATS patients demonstrated better results in conversion rate to thoracotomy (VATS vs. RATS: 28.2% vs. 7.5%, P < 0.001), number of lymph node stations harvested (5.63 ± 1.75 vs. 8.09 ± 5.73, P < 0.001), number of lymph nodes harvested (13.49 ± 9.325 vs. 20.35 ± 10.322, P < 0.001), yield pathologic-N (yp-N) assessment (yp-N0, 88.5% vs. 67.6%; yp-N1, 7.6% vs. 12.6%; yp-N2, 3.8% vs. 19.7%; P < 0.001), and visual analog scale pain score after surgery (4.41 ± 0.93 vs. 3.77 ± 1.21, P=0.002). However, there were no significant differences in pathological response evaluation for neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (P = 0.493) and complication rate (P = 0.803). After IPTW-adjustment, these results remained constant.ConclusionsRATS reduced the risk of conversion to thoracotomy, provided a better yp-N stage evaluation, and improved pain score; this suggests that RATS is safe and feasible for NSCLC patients after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy.

Closed reduction is a common treatment method for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in children aged 6–18 months. Residual acetabular dysplasia (RAD) is the most common complication associated with closed reduction. Residual limbus inversion (RLI) is a common condition following DDH closed reduction. Previously, we confirmed that when limbus inversion exceeds 32.2% of the acetabular depth after closed reduction, RLI persists and leads to RAD; however, this was based on a small cohort with a short-term follow-up period. The long-term fate of RLI and the correlation between RLI and RAD have yet to be verified. Therefore, this multicenter clinical study protocol was designed in three parts to investigate the effect of RLI on acetabular development after closed reduction of DDH (a multicenter retrospective cohort study), effect of RLI clearance on acetabular development (a multicenter retrospective and prospective randomized controlled study), and influence of inverted limbus clearance on acetabular development during DDH reduction (a multicenter prospective cohort study). Statistical analysis was performed by assessing the basic measures of acetabular development including the acetabular index and central-edge angle using frontal pelvic radiographs; the magnitude of limbus inversion, cartilaginous acetabular index, and T1ρ mapping values were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The multicenter retrospective cohort studies required 5 years of follow-up period at minimum, and the prospective randomized controlled studies required reviews of frontal pelvic radiographs every 6 months as well as data pooling every 2 years to compare the short- and mid-term outcomes of hip joint morphological development between the two groups of pediatric patients. This research program is expected to verify that RLI following closed reduction of DDH can affect acetabular development and that limbus excision during DDH reduction can improve postoperative RAD. Therefore, the indication and timing of surgical intervention for RLI after closed reduction of DDH provide a basis for revising the acceptable criteria for utilizing closed reduction of DDH to reduce the incidence of osteoarthritis caused by RAD following DDH treatment.Clinical Trial:http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=35045 (ChiCTR1900020996)

Purpose: The neurometabolic timecourse of healthy aging is not well-established, in part due to diversity of quantification methodology. In this study, a large structured cross-sectional cohort of male and female subjects throughout adulthood was recruited to investigate neurometabolic changes as a function of age, using consensus-recommended magnetic resonance spectroscopy quantification methods. Methods: 102 healthy volunteers, with approximately equal numbers of male and female participants in each decade of age from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, were recruited with IRB approval. MR spectroscopic data were acquired on a 3T MRI scanner. Metabolite spectra were acquired using PRESS localization (TE=30 ms; 96 transients) in the centrum semiovale (CSO) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Water-suppressed spectra were modeled using the Osprey algorithm, employing a basis set of 18 simulated metabolite basis functions and a cohort-mean measured macromolecular spectrum. Pearson correlations were conducted to assess relationships between metabolite concentrations and age for each voxel; Spearman correlations were conducted where metabolite distributions were non-normal. Paired t-tests were run to determine whether metabolite concentrations differed between the PCC and CSO. Finally, robust linear regressions were conducted to assess both age and sex as predictors of metabolite concentrations in the PCC and CSO and separately, to assess age, signal-noise ratio, and full width half maximum (FWHM) linewidth as predictors of metabolite concentrations. Results: Data from four voxels were excluded (2 ethanol; 2 unacceptably large lipid signal). Statistically-significant age*metabolite Pearson correlations were observed for tCho (r(98)=0.33, p0.20). Age associations for tCho, tCr, mI and sI in the CSO and for NAAG, tCho, and tCr in the PCC remained when controlling for sex in robust regressions. CSO NAAG and Asp, as well as PCC tNAA, sI, and Lac were higher in women; PCC Gln was higher in men. When including an age*sex interaction term in robust regression models, a significant age*sex interaction was seen for tCho (F(1,96)=11.53, p=0.001) and GSH (F(1,96)=7.15, p=0.009) in the CSO and tCho (F(1,96)=9.17, p=0.003), tCr (F(1,96)=9.59, p=0.003), mI (F(1,96)=6.48, p=0.012), and Lac (F(1,78)=6.50, p=0.016) in the PCC. In all significant interactions, metabolite levels increased with age in females, but not males. There was a significant positive correlation between linewidth and age. Age relationships with tCho, tCr, and mI in the CSO and tCho, tCr, mI, and sI in the PCC were significant after controlling for linewidth and FWHM in robust regressions. Conclusion: The primary (correlation) results indicated age relationships for tCho, tCr, mI, and sI in the CSO and for NAAG, tCho, tCr, and Gln in the PCC, while no age correlations were found for tNAA, NAA, Glx, Glu, GSH, PE, Lac, or Asp in either region. Our results provide a normative foundation for future work investigating the neurometabolic time course of healthy aging using MRS.

BackgroundCongenital medulloblastoma is very rare, and many cases involve germline mutations that can lead to inherited syndromes. Here, we first report two brothers with congenital medulloblastoma who were diagnosed with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome caused by SUFU mutation.Clinical presentationMedulloblastoma was detected in two brothers at 2 and 3 months of age, with very similar imaging features. Genetic testing revealed that both children and their mother carried SUFU gene germline mutations, and both brothers were diagnosed with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome.ConclusionGorlin-Goltz syndrome-associated congenital medulloblastoma with SUFU germline mutation is very rare. Pathological types mostly involve desmoplastic/nodular or extensive nodularity; chemotherapy is the main treatment, and studies revealing prognostic data are scarce.

Effective biosecurity measures are crucial in controlling and preventing major pig diseases, ultimately ensuring farm income and social stability. This study extracted data from 205 farmer surveys in Sichuan Province, China, to construct a biosecurity index system for pig farms. The biosecurity levels of pig farms were evaluated using a projection pursuit method to identify weak areas. The Tobit model was then utilized to determine the factors that influenced the biosecurity levels. The results indicated that the overall biosecurity levels of the pig farms were low. The study found that the average biosecurity score among farms was 0.61, with a minimum score of 0.37 and a maximum score of 0.89 (on a scale of 0 to 1). These results suggest that there are significant differences in biosecurity levels among the farms. The study also found that the scores for first-level indicators related to breeding environment management, as well as second-level indicators related to personnel management and awareness of African swine fever prevention and control, were significantly lower than scores for other indicators in the farmers’ biosecurity systems. This study investigated the factors influencing biosecurity on farms and found that technical training, farm size, income share, production organization, and government inspections had a significant impact on the level of biosecurity implemented. This study emphasizes the significance of biosecurity in enhancing pig farm biosecurity and its role in improving farm resilience to major animal diseases like African swine fever. It also provides valuable insights for policymakers to make informed decisions regarding related policies.

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly infectious disease, severely affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. It has significantly contributed to economic losses within the pig farming industry. As a critical component of biosecurity measures, the selection of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures is a dynamic and long-term decision that demands a deeper knowledge base among pig farmers. This study uses a binary logit model to explore the effect of epidemic prevention training on the adoption of C&D procedures among pig farmers with irregular and regular C&D procedures based on micro-survey data obtained from 333 pig farmers from Sichuan. The endogeneity issue was handled using propensity score matching, resulting in solid conclusions. In addition, the critical mediating impact of biosecurity cognition was investigated using a bootstrap analysis. The empirical study demonstrated that epidemic prevention training encourages pig farmers to adopt C&D procedures, with biosecurity cognition significantly mediating. Furthermore, epidemic prevention training was more likely to promote the adoption of C&D procedures among pig farmers with shorter breeding experiences and those having breeding insurance. Our study emphasized the importance of implementing epidemic prevention training to improving pig farmers’ biosecurity cognition and promoting the adoption of C&D procedures. The results included suggested references for preventing ASF and the next epidemic of animal diseases.

Abstract Background According to the diagnosis criteria of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), sensitive responses to cold and/or heat tests of suspected teeth compared with those of control teeth can be used for the diagnosis of pulpitis, but the role of electric pulp test (EPT) is not mentioned. It is believed that EPT has some limitations in determining the vitality of the pulp. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the difference in EPT values and the differential diagnoses of reversible pulpitis (RP) and symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIRP) caused by dental caries. Methods A total of 203 cases with pulpitis caused by dental caries were included. A diagnosis of pulpitis was made on the basis of the diagnostic criteria of AAE. Patient demographic and clinical examination data were collected. The EPT values of the suspected teeth and control teeth were measured, and the differences between them were calculated. The correlation between the difference in the EPT values and diagnosis of pulpitis was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results In the 203 cases (78 males and 125 females; 115 cases of RP, 88 cases of SIRP; 9 anterior teeth, 59 premolars, and 135 molars), the mean patient age was 34.04 ± 13.02 (standard deviation) years. The unadjusted (crude) model, model 1 (adjusted for age), model 2 (adjusted for age and sex), and model 3 (adjusted for age, sex, and tooth type) were established for the statistical analyses. In model 3 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.025; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002–1.050; P = 0.035], the difference in EPT values between RP and SIRP was statistically significant. However, the areas under the curve of predictive probability of the crude model, model 1, model 2, and model 3 were 0.565, 0.570, 0.585, and 0.617, respectively, showing that the model accuracy was low. The P-value for the trend in differences between the EPT values as a categorical variable showed that the differences in the EPT values, comparing RP and SIRP, were not statistically significant. Conclusions Based on the present data, the difference in EPT values was not sufficient to differentiate RP from SIRP.

Abstract Unlike the other studies on emotional design in multimedia learning, the present study differentiated the two confounding variables of visual interface design and structured content to manipulate the instructional material. Specifically, we investigated how the visual aesthetics of positive emotional interface design influenced learners’ cognitive processes, emotional valences, learning outcomes, and subjective experience. Eighty-one college students took part in the experimental study. They were divided into the three experimental groups: a holistic layout of positive emotional design group (HPED), a local layout of positive emotional design group (LPED), and a neutral emotional design group (ND). By using a mixed approach of questionnaires and eye tracking, we further explored the differences among the three groups in cognitive processing, learning outcomes, and subjective experience. Results indicated that the LPED group invested higher cognitive effort, put more attentional focus in the relevant knowledge content module, and achieved better learning performance (i.e., retention and transfer tests) in contrast to the HPED group and the ND group. However, no significant difference in dynamic changes of emotional state among the three groups was detected. The analytical results can provide researchers and practitioners with valuable insights into the positive emotional design of multimedia learning, which allows for the facilitation of mental engagement, learning outcomes and subjective perception.

ObjectiveStage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous group of diseases. For this subset of patients, clinical management is still under debate and prognosis remains poor so far. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in stage III NSCLC.MethodsA real-world prospective cohort study was performed in a single-center setting from April 2021 to May 2022. Patients who were diagnosed with resectable or potentially resectable stage IIIA–B NSCLC and received neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by robotic-assisted thoracic surgery were enrolled. Pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, treatment-related adverse events, and surgical outcomes of these patients were evaluated.ResultsA total of 44 patients who underwent robotic-assisted thoracic surgery after three doses of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy were included in this study. Of these, 36 of 44 (81.8%) patients had a major pathological response, and 26 (59.1%) had a pathological complete response based on pathological examination of surgical specimen. Eight patients (18.2%) suffered grade 3 treatment-related adverse events, including neutropenia (n = 4), increased aminotransferases (n = 3), anemia (n = 1), and cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (n = 1). Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery was performed subsequently, and R0 resection was achieved in all patients. Only two (4.5%) patients required conversion to thoracotomy. Surgical complications occurred in five (11.4%) patients, including air leak (n = 3), chylothorax (n = 2), and surgical site infection (n = 1). There was no re-surgery or postoperative mortality within 90 days.ConclusionRobotic-assisted thoracic surgery following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy showed good feasibility and safety in stage III NSCLC. It was not associated with unexpected perioperative morbidity or mortality and may be a promising therapeutic option in stage III NSCLC. These results need further confirmation by more large-scale clinical trials.

Abstract Background Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a complex hip joint deformity with effects ranging from acetabulum malformation to irreversible hip dislocation. Previous studies suggest a significant association of four variations, teneurin transmembrane protein 3 (TENM3, OMIM * 610083) (chr4:183721398), heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (HSPG2, OMIM * 142461) (chr1:22201470), ATPase plasma membrane Ca2+ transporting 4 (ATP2B4, OMIM * 108732) (chr1:203682345), and prostaglandin F receptor (PTGFR, OMIM * 600563) (chr1:79002214), with DDH susceptibility in families with segregating DDH. However, the association was not validated in sporadic cases and remains controversial. To confirm the association of the reported variations in these four genes with DDH, we conducted replicative verification in 250 sporadic samples with DDH from a Chinese Han population. Methods We conducted Sanger sequencing after amplifying the variation sites. The results were compared with the reference sequence from the GRCh37 assembly in UCSC ( http://genome.ucsc.edu ). Results Replication analysis of 250 sporadic samples by Sanger sequencing indicated that the four variations, TENM3 (OMIM * 610083, chr4:183721398), HSPG2 (OMIM * 142461, chr1:22201470), ATP2B4 (OMIM * 108732, chr1:203682345), and PTGFR (OMIM * 600563, chr1:79002214), were not associated with the susceptibility to DDH in the Chinese Han population. Conclusions Further studies should be performed to identify other variations of these four genes that are potentially associated with DDH by whole-exome sequencing and the results should be verified in different populations.

Biomimetic foods are expected to have potential health benefits for the management and prevention of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the current research, two commercially available and affordable plant proteins (soy protein isolate—SPI and pea protein isolate—PPI) at two levels (5%, 10%) were added to the Yangyu jiaotuan with the objective of developing a product with reduced glycaemic properties and high protein content while maintaining its original taste and texture. The results showed that several important textural properties such as hardness and chewiness did not change significantly during the refrigerated storage. The storage modulus G′ increased with refrigerated storage time for different samples, but there were significant differences among the five samples (with and without protein addition) with respect to frequency dependence during rheological measurements. The in vitro starch digestion experiments showed that the starch hydrolysis of Yangyu jiaotuan decreased considerably (by up to 42.08%) with the increase in PPI content and during refrigerated storage due to starch retrogradation. Protein has protected the microstructure and there was less damage when compared to samples without protein. The bimodal peaks of the particle size distribution curves showed that the newly developed Yangyu jiaotuan contains two different sizes of particles; the smaller particles (~30 μm) corresponded to PPI and starch granules, while the larger particles corresponded to the fragments of the gel network of the starch matrix. Based on the above results, Yangyu jiaotuan mixed with pea protein is a convenient potato staple food product, which complies with the biomimetic potato food very well.

Automatic modulation classification (AMC) is a key technology of cognitive radio used in non-cooperative communication. Recently, deep learning has been applied to AMC tasks. In this paper, an AMC scheme based on deep learning is proposed, which combines random erasing and attention mechanism to achieve high classification accuracy. Firstly, we propose two data augmentation methods, random erasing at sample level and random erasing at amplitude/phase (AP) channel level. The former replaces training samples with noise information, while the latter replaces AP channel information of training samples with noise information. Erased data segments are randomly stitched to enable training data expansion. Training data of different qualities enables deep learning model to have stronger generalization capability and higher robustness. Then, we propose a single-layer Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model based on attention mechanism. In the first part of this model, we propose the signal embedding, which enables the input to contain modulation information more comprehensively and accurately. Then hidden state output by LSTM is input into the attention module, and weighting is applied to the hidden state to help the LSTM model capture the temporal features of modulated signals. Compared to a model without attention mechanism, this model has faster convergence speed and better classification performance. Lastly, we propose a random erasing-based test time augmentation (RE-TTA) method. Test data is randomly erased for multiple times and classification results are comprehensively evaluated, in order to further improve classification accuracy. Experimental results on dataset RML2016.10a show that classification accuracy of the proposed scheme is competitive compared with the state-of-the-art methods.

Summary Sexual mating of compatible sporida is essential for Sporisorium scitamineum to form dikaryotic mycelia and then cause infection on sugarcane. Our previous work identified a Pseudomonas sp. ST4 from a soil sample, which showed a promising biocontrol potential by inhibiting the mating of S. scitamineum sporida and hyphal growth. In this study, we set to isolate the active compounds from Pseudomonas sp. ST4 through solid fermentation. High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation coupling with bioassay showed that Pseudomonas sp. ST4 produced a range of antimicrobial compounds. Two of the major components were purified following acetate extraction, silica gel and HPLC separation. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) analysis identified these active compounds are 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde and indole‐3‐carbaldehyde respectively. Further analysis showed that the former compound only inhibited the hyphal growth of the fungus at a concentration of 3 mM, while the latter interfered the fungal sexual mating at a concentration of 0.6 mM and affected hyphal growth at a concentration of 2 mM. Treatment of corn plants with 3 mM indole‐3‐carbaldehyde significantly inhibited corn smut infection, with a control rate up to 94%. Further analysis of the structure and activity relationship revealed that indole has a much stronger inhibitory activity against the fungal sexual mating than indole‐3‐carbaldehyde. The results from this study provide new agents for control and prevention of the sugarcane smut disease, and the active compounds could also be used to probe the molecular mechanisms of fungal sexual mating.

LncRNAs are a group of non-coding RNA transcripts with lengths of over 200 nucleotides and can interact with DNA, RNA, and proteins to regulate gene expression of malignant tumors in human tissues. LncRNAs participate in vital processes, such as chromosomal nuclear transport in the cancerous site of human tissue, activation, and the regulation of proto-oncogenes, the differentiation of immune cells, and the regulation of the cellular immune system. The lncRNA metastasis-associated lung cancer transcript 1 (MALAT1) is reportedly involved in the occurrence and development of many cancers and serves as a biomarker and therapeutic target. These findings highlight its promising role in cancer treatment. In this article, we comprehensively summarized the structure and functions of lncRNA, notably the discoveries of lncRNA-MALAT1 in different cancers, the action mechanisms, and the ongoing research on new drug development. We believe our review would serve as a basis for further research on the pathological mechanism of lncRNA-MALAT1 in cancer and provide evidence and novel insights into its application in clinical diagnoses and treatments.

In VANETs, owing to the openness of wireless communication, it is necessary to change pseudonyms frequently to realize the unlinkability of vehicle identity. Moreover, identity authentication is needed, which is usually completed by digital certificates or a trusted third party. The storage and the communication overhead are high. This paper proposes a triple pseudonym authentication scheme for VANETs based on the Cuckoo Filter and Paillier homomorphic encryption (called TriNymAuth). TriNymAuth applies Paillier homomorphic encryption, a Cuckoo Filter combining filter-level and bucket-level, and a triple pseudonym (homomorphic pseudonym, local pseudonym, and virtual pseudonym) authentication to the vehicle identity authentication scheme. It reduces the dependence on a trusted third party and ensures the privacy and security of vehicle identity while improving authentication efficiency. Experimental results show that the insert overhead of the Cuckoo Filter is about 10 μs, and the query overhead reaches the ns level. Furthermore, TriNymAuth has significant cost advantages, with an OBU enrollment cost of only 0.884 ms. When the data rate in VANETs dr≤ 180 kbps, TriNymAuth has the smallest total transmission delay cost and is suitable for shopping malls and other places with dense traffic.

The corrosion behavior of N80 steel in Multiple thermal fluid environment containing O2 and CO2 was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. The results showed that, the corrosion products formed on N80 steel showed double layer structure. The outer layer are loose and porous, providing little protection. The inner layer are mainly FeCO3 crystals, and a small amount of Fe2O3 and FeOOH composition. The formation of Fe oxide on the inner layer of the film destroyed the integrity of the inner layer, resulting in localized corrosion. During the development of pitting, Cl− is enriched only at the tip of the pitting hole, which is the main cause of pitting corrosion and eventually leads to the formation of dendritic localized corrosion. The difference between internal and external potentials, the O2 concentration and the decrease of pH in the pitting holes combined to increase the corrosion process.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the morphologic features and neurodevelopmental outcomes of individuals prenatally diagnosed with a periventricular pseudocyst (PVPC).Methods: Pregnant women with a fetus prenatally diagnosed with PVPC by MRI were enrolled in this retrospective study. The fetuses with PVPCs were divided into group 1 (isolated PVPC) and group 2 (PVPC with additional findings). The surviving infants underwent brain MRI examinations and the Gesell Developmental Scale (GDS) test after birth. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare the differences in the developmental quotient (DQ) between group 1 and group 2. We also analyzed the correlations among the DQ, location (unilateral/bilateral), size (diameter), and number (single/multiple) of the PVPCs in group 1 using Lasso regression.Results: In total, 131 infants (group 1: 78 infants, group 2: 53 infants) underwent MRI examinations after birth, and 97 infants (group 1: 59 infants, group 2: 38 infants) underwent the GDS test. Upon follow-up, the sizes of the cysts had become smaller or disappeared after birth. The average DQ in group 2 was lower than that in group 1 (all with p < 0.001). In group 1, the location (unilateral/bilateral), size (diameter), and number (single/multiple) of the PVPC did not affect the DQ.Conclusions: The PVPCs became smaller or disappeared after birth. Isolated PVPCs usually have a normal presentation after birth regardless of the location, number, or size. For PVPCs with additional findings, the neurodevelopmental outcomes were inferior to those in isolated PVPCs.

Abstract Background Detailed cost estimates are not widely available for esophageal cancer. Our study estimates phase‐specific costs for esophageal cancer by age, year, histology, stage, and treatment for older patients in the United States and compares these costs within stage and treatment modalities. Methods We identified 8061 esophageal cancer patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare database for years 1998‐2013. Total, cancer‐attributable, and patient‐liability costs were calculated based on separate phases of care—staging (or surgery), initial, continuing, and terminal. We estimated costs by treatment modality within stage and phase for esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma separately. We fit linear regression models using log transformation to determine cost by age and calendar year. All costs are reported in 2018 US dollars. Results Overall, mean (95% CI) monthly total cost estimates were high during the staging ($8953 [$8385‐$9485]) and initial phases ($7731 [$7492‐$7970]), decreased over the continuing phase ($2984 [$2814‐$3154]), and increased substantially during the 6‐month terminal phase ($18 150 [$17 211‐$19 089]). This pattern of high staging and initial phase costs, decreasing continuing phase costs, and increasing terminal phase costs was seen in all stages. The highest staging costs were in stages III ($9249, $8025‐$10 474) and II ($9171, $7642‐$10 699). The highest initial phase cost was in stage IV, $9263 ($8758‐49 768), the lowest continuing phase cost was in stage I, $2338 ($2160‐$2517), and the highest terminal phase costs were in stages II ($20 533, $17 772‐$23 293) and III ($20 599, $18 268‐$22 929). The linear regression models showed that cancer‐attributable costs remained stable over the study period and were unaffected by age for most histology, stage, and treatment modality subgroups. Conclusions Our estimates demonstrate that esophageal cancer costs can vary widely by histology, stage, and treatment. These cost estimates can be used to guide future resource allocation for esophageal cancer care and research.

Background: Anesthesia for pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) has always been one of the challenges of anesthesia. As one of the leading cardiothoracic institutions in Southeast Asia, our hospital has vast interest in this subject. A local multidisciplinary team was deployed to an expert center in the United Kingdom (UK), and the experience was then integrated to the care of our patients. We present a case series of ten patients undergoing anesthesia for PEA, a first for our institution, and discuss techniques as well as potential complications. Methods: Patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension were reviewed by a multidisciplinary team, and those who were suitable for surgical intervention subsequently underwent PEA. A total of ten patients were identified and operated on. The perioperative management and conduction of anesthesia for all patients followed a protocol adapted from the expert center in the UK, with revisions to cater to our Asian population. Results: In the ten patients operated on, eight of them were successfully extubated on the first postoperative day. Apart from one incident of prolonged ventilator usage due to reperfusion lung injury and pneumonia, there were no major respiratory or hemodynamic complications. Certainly, six of the ten patients developed subdural hemorrhage after the commencement of enoxaparin, although none of them sustained any permanent neurological deficits. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that with careful planning and a well-outlined protocol, anesthesia for PEA in an Asian population can be achieved with favorable outcomes. Further fine-tuning of the protocol is still required based on local expertise.

China has seen a transition from impulsive industrial development-driven urban expansion to urban planning and government control since the start of the 21st century. Urban planning attempts to ensure the sustainable development of cities and the rational use of land resources. The dual-track urbanization process does, however, often result in a significant gap between planning and actual development. This paper contends that a comprehensive dual-track urbanization research perspective is better suited for investigating urban sprawl in peri-urban areas in post-reform market economy-active regions. Taking Xiaoshan District, the peri-urban area of Hangzhou, China, as a case study, this research utilizes land use raster data from 1985, 2000, 2010, and 2020 to identify the dynamic changes in urban construction land and examines the driving elements through the logistic regression model. Based on the results, the mechanisms of market-incented and government-controlled impacts on urban expansion are explained. This study aims to (1) analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of Xiaoshan’s urban expansion during 1985–2020; (2) compare the compositional characteristics of three types of urban growth (edge growth, infilling, and leapfrog development) in each phase of Xiaoshan; (3) identify the natural environment, accessibility factors, and socioeconomic aspects that promote Xiaoshan’s urban expansion in 2000–2020; (4) discuss Xiaoshan’s dual-track urbanization from four perspectives: regional development, private business, government control, and major events. This study advanced our knowledge of the driving mechanisms of urban land expansion in small towns, from peri-urban areas to metropolitan sub-centers, and, thus, has important implications for Chinese urban planning and the management of metropolitan suburbs, especially those located in the Yangtze River Delta.

Objective: The technology, network pharmacology and molecular docking technology of the ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) were used to explore the potential molecular mechanism of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) in the treatment of lung cancer (LC).Methods: UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology was used to analyze the ingredients of PG and the potential LC targets were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, and the Analysis Platform (TCMSP), GeneCards and other databases. The interaction network of the drug-disease targets was constructed with the additional use of STRING 11.0. The pathway enrichment analysis was carried out using Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) in Metascape, and then the “Drug-Ingredients-Targets-Pathways-Disease” (D-I-T-P-D) network was constructed using Cytoscape v3.7.1. Finally, the Discovery Studio 2016 (DS) software was used to evaluate the molecular docking.Results: Forty-seven compounds in PG, including triterpenoid saponins, steroidal saponins and flavonoids, were identified and nine main bioactive components including platycodin D were screened. According to the method of data mining, 545 potential drug targets and 2,664 disease-related targets were collected. The results of topological analysis revealed 20 core targets including caspase 3 (CASP3) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) suggesting that the potential signaling pathway potentially involved in the treatment of LC included MAPK signaling pathway and P13K-AKT signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking proved that the bound of the ingredients with potential key targets was excellent.Conclusion: The results in this study provided a novel insight in the exploration of the mechanism of action of PG against LC.

Purpose: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a major cause of drug-resistant epilepsy; however the underlying epileptogenic mechanisms of FCD metabolism in epilepsy patients remain unclear. The aim of this study is to detect alterations of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutathione (GSH), and the composite of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) in MRI-typical and neuropathologically confirmed FCD-associated epilepsy using Hadamard Encoding and Reconstruction of Mega-Edited Spectroscopy (HERMES). Materials and methods: Fourteen epileptic patients suspected to be caused by FCD and 14 healthy controls were enrolled prospectively in this study; all subjects underwent a 3 T MRI scan, including 3D T1 weighted imaging and HERMES. The GABA signal detected by HERMES also contains signals from macromolecules and homocarnosine, so it is referred as GABA+. Signals of GABA+, GSH and Glx detected by HERMES from tumor foci, contralateral cerebral regions, and healthy controls were quantified using Gannet. Fitting errors and signal to noise ratios (SNRs) of GABA + signals were also recorded. Differences of GABA+, GSH, Glx, fitting error and SNR of GABA + among three groups were analyzed using linear mixed effects models. Results: Twelve FCD-associated epilepsy patients (7 females, aged 21.9 ± 9.3 years) and 12 matched healthy controls (7 females, aged 22.8 ± 9.8 years) were finally enrolled in this study. ANOVA results indicated that GABA levels were significantly increased in FCD foci compared with contralateral regions (p = 0.008) and with healthy controls (p = 0.003), while no difference was found in GSH and Glx levels. No difference of fitting errors or SNR of GABA + was found among FCD foci, contralateral regions and healthy controls. Conclusions: Increased GABA levels were found in FCD foci that indicated GABA may play a central role in the pathophysiology of FCD patients with epilepsy.

ABSTRACT Dickeya zeae is an important and aggressive bacterial phytopathogen that can cause substantial economic losses in banana and rice plantations. We previously showed that c-di-GMP signaling proteins (cyclases/phosphodiesterases) in D. zeae strain EC1 play a significant role in the bacterial sessile-to-motile transition. To determine whether there is any synergistic effect among these c-di-GMP signaling proteins, we prepared a series of mutant strains by generating consecutive in-frame deletions of the genes encoding diguanylate cyclases (which make c-di-GMP) and phosphodiesterases (which break down c-di-GMP), respectively, using EC1 as a parental strain. The results showed that the complete deletion of all the putative diguanylate cyclases resulted in significantly increased bacterial motility and abrogated biofilm formation but did not appear to affect pathogenicity and virulence factor production. In contrast, the deletion of all the c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase genes disabled motility and prevented the invasion of EC1 into rice seeds. By measuring the c-di-GMP concentrations and swimming motility of all the mutants, we propose that c-di-GMP controlled swimming behavior through a multitiered program in a c-di-GMP concentration-dependent manner, which could be described as an L-shaped regression curve. These features are quite different from those that have been shown for other bacterial species such as Salmonella and Caulobacter crescentus. Further analysis identified three c-di-GMP signaling proteins, i.e., PDE10355, DGC14945, and PDE14950, that play dominant roles in influencing the global c-di-GMP pool of strain EC1. The findings from this study highlight the complexity and plasticity of c-di-GMP regulatory circuits in different bacterial species. IMPORTANCE Dickeya zeae is the etiological agent of bacterial foot rot disease, which can cause massive economic losses in banana and rice plantations. Genome sequence analysis showed that D. zeae strain EC1 contains multiple c-di-GMP turnover genes, but their roles and regulatory mechanisms in bacterial physiology and virulence remain vague. By generating consecutive in-frame deletion mutants of the genes encoding c-di-GMP biosynthesis and degradation, respectively, we analyzed the individual and collective impacts of these c-di-GMP metabolic genes on the c-di-GMP global pool, bacterial physiology, and virulence. The significance of our study is in identifying the mechanism of c-di-GMP signaling in strain EC1 more clearly, which expands the c-di-GMP regulating patterns in Gram-negative species. The methods and experimental designs in this research will provide a valuable reference for the exploration of the complex c-di-GMP regulation mechanisms in other bacteria.

Background. End-stage liver disease (ESLD) patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) care before liver transplantation (LT) often experience significant muscle mass loss, which has been associated with mortality. In this exploratory study, we primarily aimed to assess the feasibility of serial ultrasound (US) rectus femoris muscle area (RFMA) measurements for the evaluation of progressive muscle loss in ICU-bound potential LT candidates and describe the rate of muscle loss as assessed by sequential US RFMA measurements. Secondarily, we sought to identify patient characteristics associated with muscle loss and determine how muscle loss is associated with survival. Methods. We prospectively enrolled 50 ESLD adults (≥18 y old) undergoing evaluation for LT candidacy in the ICU. A baseline computed tomography measurement of psoas muscle area (PMA) and serial bedside US measurements of RFMA were obtained. The associations between patient characteristics, PMA, RFMA, ICU stay, and survival were analyzed. Results. Rapid decline in muscle mass by RFMA measurements was ubiquitously present and correlated to baseline PMA and length of ICU stay. RFMA normalized by body surface area decreased by 0.013 cm2/m2 (95% confidence interval, 0.010-0.016; P

BackgroundOur study analyzed disparities in utilization and phase-specific costs of care among older colorectal cancer patients in the United States. We also estimated the phase-specific costs by cancer type, stage at diagnosis, and treatment modality.MethodsWe used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to identify patients aged 66 or older diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer between 2000-2013, with follow-up to death or December 31, 2014. We divided the patient's experience into separate phases of care: staging or surgery, initial, continuing, and terminal. We calculated total, cancer-attributable, and patient-liability costs. We fit logistic regression models to determine predictors of treatment receipt and fit linear regression models to determine relative costs. All costs are reported in 2019 US dollars.ResultsOur cohort included 90,023 colon cancer patients and 25,581 rectal cancer patients. After controlling for patient and clinical characteristics, Non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely to receive treatment but were more likely to have higher cancer-attributable costs within different phases of care. Overall, in both the colon and rectal cancer cohorts, mean monthly cost estimates were highest in the terminal phase, next highest in the staging phase, decreased in the initial phase, and were lowest in the continuing phase.ConclusionsRacial/ethnic disparities in treatment utilization and costs persist among colorectal cancer patients. Additionally, colorectal cancer costs are substantial and vary widely among stages and treatment modalities. This study provides information regarding cost and treatment disparities that can be used to guide clinical interventions and future resource allocation to reduce colorectal cancer burden.

Osteoclasts mediate bone disruption in a number of degenerative bone diseases. Here, the authors show that miR-182 regulates osteoclastogenesis via PKR and IFN-beta signaling, is correlated with rheumatoid arthritis, and that its ablation or inhibition is protective against bone erosion in mouse models of osteoporosis or inflammatory arthritis.

ABSTRACT Zeamines are a family of polyamino phytotoxins produced by Dickeya zeae EC1. These phytotoxins are also potent antibiotics against a range of microorganisms. To understand how D. zeae EC1 can protect itself from the antimicrobial activity of zeamines, we tested whether the ABC transporter genes within the zms (zeamine synthesis) gene cluster were related to zeamine resistance. Our results ruled out the possible involvement of these ABC transporters in zeamine resistance and instead unveiled an RND (resistance-nodulation-cell division) efflux pump, DesABC, which plays an important role in zeamine resistance in D. zeae EC1. The desAB genes are located next to the zms gene cluster, but desC is at a distant location in the bacterial genome. Null mutation of the desABC genes in a zeamine-minus derivative of strain EC1 led to about an 8- to 32-fold decrease in zeamine tolerance level. This efflux pump was zeamine specific and appeared to be conserved only in Dickeya species, which may explain the high potency of zeamines against a wide range of bacterial pathogens. Significantly, expression of the desAB genes was abolished by deletion of zmsA, which encodes zeamine biosynthesis but could be induced by exogenous addition of zeamines. The results suggest that sophisticated and coordinated regulatory mechanisms have evolved to govern zeamine production and tolerance. Taken together, these findings documented a novel signaling role of zeamines and the first resistance mechanism against zeamines, which is a family of potent and promising antibiotics against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. IMPORTANCE Zeamines are a family of newly identified phytotoxins and potent antibiotics produced by D. zeae EC1. Unlike most bacterial organisms, which are highly sensitive, D. zeae EC1 is tolerant to zeamines, but the mechanisms involved are unknown. Our study showed, for the first time, that a new RND efflux pump, DesABC, is indispensable for D. zeae EC1 against zeamines. We found that the DesABC efflux pump was zeamine specific and appeared to be conserved only in the Dickeya species, which may explain the high potency of zeamines against a wide range of bacterial pathogens. We also showed that expression of DesABC efflux system genes was induced by zeamines. These findings not only provide an answer to why D. zeae EC1 is much more tolerant to zeamines than other bacterial pathogens but also document a signaling role of zeamines in modulation of gene expression.

More than 50% of the world's lung cancer cases occur in Asia and more than 20% of cancer deaths in Asia are attributable to lung cancer. The U.S. National Lung Screening Trial has shown that lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT) can reduce lung cancer deaths. Using the Lung Cancer Policy Model-Asia (LCPM-Asia), we estimated the potential mortality reduction achievable through the implementation of CT-based lung cancer screening in China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. The LCPM-Asia was calibrated to the smoking prevalence of each of the aforementioned countries based on published national surveys and to lung cancer mortality rates from the World Health Organization. The calibrated LCPM-Asia was then used to simulate lung cancer deaths under screening and no-screening scenarios for the four countries. Using screening eligibility criteria recommended by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which are based on age and smoking history, we estimated the lung cancer mortality reduction from screening through year 2040. By 2040, lung cancer screening would result in 91,362 life-years gained and 4.74% mortality reduction in South Korea; 290,325 life-years gained and 4.33% mortality reduction in Japan; 3,014,215 life-years gained and 4.22% mortality reduction in China; and 8,118 life-years gained and 3.76% mortality reduction in Singapore. As for mortality reduction by smoker type, current smokers would have the greatest mortality reduction in each country, ranging from 5.56% in Japan to 6.86% in Singapore. Among the four countries, lung cancer screening under CMS eligibility criteria was most effective in South Korea and least effective in Singapore. Singapore's low smoking prevalence and South Korea's aging population and higher smoking prevalence may partially explain the discrepancy in effectiveness. CT screening was shown to be promising as a means of reducing lung cancer mortality in the four countries.