[Bacterial community diversity in human Demodex mites]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the bacterial community diversity in human Demodex mites, so as to provide insights into unraveling the role of human Demodex mites in them caused infectious diseases.

METHODS

From June to July 2023, Demodex mites were collected from the faces of college students in a university in Wuhu City using the adhesive tape method, and the V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene of nuclear ribosomal DNA were amplified on an Illumina PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform. Sequencing data were spliced according to the overlapping relations and filtered to yield effective sequences, and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was clustered. The diversity index of obtained OUTs was analyzed, and the structure of the bacterial community was analyzed at various taxonomic levels.

RESULTS

A total of 57 483 valid sequences were obtained using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and 159 OUTs were classified according to similarity. Then, OUTs at a 97% similarity were included for taxonomic analyses, and the bacteria in Demodex mites belonged to 14 phyla, 20 classes, 51 orders, 72 families, and 94 genera. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum, and Vibrio, Bradyrhizobium and Variovorax were dominant genera. A total of 56 362 valid sequences were obtained using ITS gene sequencing, and 147 OTUs were obtained, which belonged to 5 phyla, 17 classes, 34 orders, 68 families, and 93 genera and were annotated to Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Chytridiomycota, with Ascomycota as the dominant phylum, and Alternaria alternata, Epicoccum, Penicillium, and Sarocladium as dominant genera.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high diversity in the composition of bacterial communities in human Demodex mites, with multiple types of microorganisms and high species abundance.

Classification of breast edema on T2-weighted imaging for predicting sentinel lymph node metastasis and biological behavior in breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether preoperative classification of breast edema on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) is useful for predicting sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis and biological behavior in patients with early-stage breast cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved 341 women with breast cancer who underwent breast MRI from January 2019 to March 2022. Breast edema was scored on a scale of 1-4 on T2WI (1, no edema; 2, peritumoral edema; 3, prepectoral edema; and 4, subcutaneous edema). A logistic regression model was employed for univariate and multivariate analyses. A clinicopathological model was established using independent influencing factors identified in the multivariate analyses, excluding breast edema score (BES). Subsequently, BES was incorporated into this model to establish a combined BES model. The AUC and Delong test were used to examine the additional predictive value of the BES.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analysis showed that breast edema was an independent risk factor for SLN metastasis. The combined BES model significantly improved the predictive performance of SLN metastasis compared with the clinicopathological model alone (AUC, 0.77 vs. 0.71; p=0.005). In addition, the BES was significantly positively correlated with the tumor diameter (p<0.001), histologic grade (p=0.001), Ki-67 index (p<0.001), and non-luminal subtypes (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The BES on T2WI is useful for predicting SLN metastasis. A higher grade of breast edema is associated with breast cancer aggressiveness and increases the probability of SLN metastasis.

Impact of Geometric Phase on Dynamics of Complex-Forming Reactions: H + O2 → OH + O

Reaction dynamics on the ground electronic state might be significantly influenced by conical intersections (CIs) via the geometric phase (GP), as demonstrated for activated reactions (i.e., the H + H2 exchange reaction). However, there have been few investigations of GP effects in complex-forming reactions. Here, we report a full quantum dynamical study of an important reaction in combustion (H + O2 → OH + O), which serves as a proving ground for studying GP effects therein. The results reveal significant differences in reaction probabilities and differential cross sections (DCSs) obtained with and without GP, underscoring its strong impact. However, the GP effects are less pronounced for the reaction integral cross sections, apparently due to the integral of the DCS over the scattering angle. Further analysis indicated that the cross section has roughly the same contributions from the two topologically distinct paths around the CI, namely, the direct and looping paths.

[Endoscopic response evaluation in gastrointestinal cancers after neoadjuvant chemora- diotherapy]

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has emerged as the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer, esophageal cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer which can not only improve the rate of local control but also induce pathological complete response in some patients. For patients who have achieved clinical complete response after neoadjuvant therapy, the watch & wait strategy and organ preservation could reduce unnecessary surgery and minimize the risk of postoperative complications, meanwhile greatly improve patients' quality of life without affecting the oncologic outcome. At present, a variety of methods, including white light endoscopy, endoscopic forceps biopsy, image enhanced endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration, endoscopic submucosal dissection, artificial intelligence assisted technology, etc., have become important assistance for the evaluation of tumor response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and have been widely used in clinical practice. This review will briefly introduce the application of the endoscopic approaches mentioned above and some novel endoscopic techniques and developing trends in response evaluation for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, esophageal cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

[Prognostic performance of pulmonary effective arterial elastance in patients with heart failure]

Objective: To explore the predictive value of pulmonary effective arterial elastance (Ea) in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, which retrospectively included 284 patients with HF who underwent right heart catheterization at Heart Failure Center in Fuwai Hospital between September 2013 and February 2022. Data regarding baseline clinical characteristics, hemodynamic profiles, and prognosis were collected. Ea was calculated as mean pulmonary arterial pressure/stroke volume. Patients were divided into Ea<0.555 group and Ea≥0.555 group according to the median value of Ea (0.555 mmHg/ml, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). The primary outcome was the primary clinical event, set as the first occurrence of a series of composite events, including all-cause death, heart transplantation, left ventricular assist device implantation, and HF rehospitalization. Event-free survival was defined as the absence of primary clinical events. Spearman correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between Ea and parameters reflective of right heart function. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the different groups for the estimation of outcomes with the log-rank test. We used Cox proportional-hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for primary clinical event. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the age, gender, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, presence of pulmonary hypertension, and serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) values. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) of Ea for predicting event-free survival in patients with HF. Results: The median age was 51 years, and 206 (72.5%) patients were male. Ea and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were significantly correlated (r=0.698, P<0.001). The correlation between Ea and pulmonary arterial elastance (PAC) were even more significant (r=-0.888, P<0.001). Compared with Ea<0.555 group, Ea≥0.555 group presented with higher serum NT-proBNP values (4 443 (1 792, 8 554) ng/L vs. 1 721 (480, 4 528)ng/L,P<0.001), higher PVR (3.4 (2.5, 4.7) Wood vs. 1.4 (0.9, 2.2) Wood, P<0.001), lower cardiac output (3.0 (2.3, 3.9) L/min vs. 4.3 (3.8, 4.9) L/min, P<0.001), and lower PAC (1.6 (1.3, 2.0) ml/mmHg vs. 4.0 (3.0, 6.0) ml/mmHg, P<0.001). The median follow-up time was 392 (166, 811) days. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated a lower event-free survival rate in the Ea≥0.555 group compared to the Ea<0.555 group (Plog-rank<0.001). After multivariate adjustment, Ea (HR=1.734, P<0.001) remained significantly associated with the primary outcome. Subgroup analysis indicated that Ea was associated with the primary outcome across all subgroups. The AUC was 0.724 (P<0.001) for Ea to predict event-free survival calculated from ROC analysis. Conclusions: Ea is closely related to parameters reflective of right ventricular afterload. Increased Ea is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with HF.

[A transcriptomic analysis of correlation between mitochondrial function and energy metabolism remodeling in mice with myocardial fibrosis following myocardial infarction]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes of mitochondrial respiratory function during myocardial fibrosis in mice with myocardial infarction (MI) and its correlation with the increase of glycolytic flux.

METHODS

Forty C57BL/6N mice were randomized into two equal groups to receive sham operation or ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery to induce acute MI. At 28 days after the operation, 5 mice from each group were euthanized and left ventricular tissue samples were collected for transcriptomic sequencing. FPKM method was used to calculate gene expression levels to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MI mice, which were analyzed using GO and KEGG databases to determine the pathways affecting the disease process. Heat maps were drawn to show the differential expressions of the pathways and the related genes in the enrichment analysis. In primary cultures of neonatal mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), the changes in mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis levels in response to treatment with the pro-fibrotic agonist TGF-β1 were analyzed using Seahorse experiment.

RESULTS

The mouse models of MI showed significantly increased diastolic and systolic left ventricular diameter (P < 0.05) and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (P < 0.0001). A total of 124 up-regulated and 106 down-regulated DEGs were identified in the myocardial tissues of MI mice, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in fatty acid metabolism, organelles and other metabolic pathways and in the mitochondria. Heat maps revealed fatty acid beta oxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction and increased glycolysis levels in MI mice. In the primary culture of CFs, treatment with TGF-β1 significantly reduced the basal and maximum respiratory levels and increased the basal and maximum glycolysis levels (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

During myocardial fibrosis, energy metabolism remodeling occurs in the CFs, manifested by lowered mitochondrial function and increased energy generation through glycolysis.

Extreme terahertz magnon multiplication induced by resonant magnetic pulse pairs

Nonlinear interactions of spin-waves and their quanta, magnons, have emerged as prominent candidates for interference-based technology, ranging from quantum transduction to antiferromagnetic spintronics. Yet magnon multiplication in the terahertz (THz) spectral region represents a major challenge. Intense, resonant magnetic fields from THz pulse-pairs with controllable phases and amplitudes enable high order THz magnon multiplication, distinct from non-resonant nonlinearities such as the high harmonic generation by below-band gap electric fields. Here, we demonstrate exceptionally high-order THz nonlinear magnonics. It manifests as 7th-order spin-wave-mixing and 6th harmonic magnon generation in an antiferromagnetic orthoferrite. We use THz two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy to achieve high-sensitivity detection of nonlinear magnon interactions up to six-magnon quanta in strongly-driven many-magnon correlated states. The high-order magnon multiplication, supported by classical and quantum spin simulations, elucidates the significance of four-fold magnetic anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya symmetry breaking. Moreover, our results shed light on the potential quantum fluctuation properties inherent in nonlinear magnons.

Airborne antibiotic and metal resistance genes - A neglected potential risk at e-waste recycling facilities

Heavy metal-rich environments can promote the selection of metal-resistance genes (MRGs) in bacteria, often leading to the simultaneous selection of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) through a process known as co-selection. To comprehensively evaluate the biological pollutants at electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling facilities, air, soil, and river samples were collected at four distinct Swiss e-waste recycling facilities and analyzed for ARGs, MRGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), endotoxins, and bacterial species, with correlations drawn to heavy metal occurrence. To our knowledge, the present work marks the first attempt to quantify these bio-pollutants in the air of e-waste recycling facilities, that might pose a significant health risk to workers. Although ARG and MRG's profiles varied among the different sample types, intl1 consistently exhibited high relative abundance rates, identifying it as the predominant MGE across all sample types and facilities. These findings underscore its pivol role in driving diverse bacterial adaptations to extreme heavy metal exposure by selection and dissemination of ARGs and MRGs. All air samples exhibited consistent profiles of ARGs and MRGs, with blaTEM emerging as the predominant ARG, alongside pbrT and nccA as the most prevalent MRGs. However, one facility, engaged in batteries recycling and characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of heavy metals, showcased a more diverse resistance gene profile, suggesting that bacteria in this environment required more complex resistance mechanisms to cope with extreme metal exposure. Furthermore, this study unveiled a strong association between gram-negative bacteria and ARGs and less with MRGs. Overall, this research emphasizes the critical importance of studying biological pollutants in the air of e-waste recycling facilities to inform robust safety measures and mitigate the risk of resistance gene dissemination among workers. These findings establish a solid foundation for further investigations into the complex interplay among heavy metal exposure, bacterial adaptation, and resistance patterns in such distinctive ecosystems.

[Comparison of efficacy between short-term personalized vestibular rehabilitation supervised by special personnel and fixed vestibular rehabilitation on recurrent peripheral vertigo]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of short-term personalized vestibular rehabilitation supervised by special personnel (ST-PVR) versus fixed vestibular rehabilitation (FVR) on decompensated recurrent peripheral vertigo. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out. Patients diagnosed with decompensated recurrent vertigo in the clinic of Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University from January to December 2018 were randomly allocated into FVR and ST-PVR groups via computer-generated randomization. The FVR group received fixed scheme involving gaze stabilization exercises, habituation exercises, balance and gait training, while the ST-PVR group received individualized training programs based on symptoms and vestibular function examination results, with adjustments made according to the progress of recovery. Patient symptoms and vestibular function improvement were assessed using the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), activities-specific balance confidence (ABC), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), caloric test, and sensory organization test (SOT) at 2, 4, and 8 weeks of treatment. Results: A total of 44 patients were included, including 16 males and 28 females, with an average age of (50.6±13.5) years. There were 21 cases in the FVR group and 23 cases in the ST-PVR group. In the ST-PVR group, DHI score (49.5±26.8 vs 61.3±21.4, P=0.046) and SAS score (39.1±7.8 vs 44.3±6.6, P=0.021) significantly improved after 2 weeks of treatment, while significant improvement occurred only after 8 weeks of treatment in the FVR group (DHI score: 28.1±15.9 vs 53.1±18.5, P=0.001; SAS score: 35.3±6.7 vs 43.1±8.4, P=0.010). There was no significant change of ABC score in the FVR group after 8 weeks of treatment (86.5±12.9 vs 83.4±18.1, P=0.373), while a significant improvement was observed in the ST-PVR group after 4 weeks of treatment (83.6±15.2 vs 78.4±15.1, P=0.015). The caloric test results showed that after 8 weeks of treatment, the proportion of patients with unilateral weakness<25% increased in both groups [FVR group: 57.1% (12/21) vs 9.5% (2/21), P=0.001; ST-PVR group: 52.2% (12/23) vs 17.4% (4/23), P=0.014]. In the ST-PVR group, the proportion of patients with dominant preference≤25% significantly increased [91.3% (21/23) vs 60.9% (14/23), P=0.016], while there was no significant change in the FVR group [61.9 (13/21) vs 57.1% (12/21), P=0.500]. The proportion of patients with SOT score≥70 in the ST-PVR group increased significantly after 2 weeks of treatment [69.6% (16/23) vs 30.4% (7/23), P=0.009], while the FVR group showed a significant increase only after 8 weeks of treatment [81.0% (17/21) vs 42.9% (9/21), P=0.012]. Conclusion: Both FVR and ST-PVR effectively promote vestibular compensation by improving objective vestibular functions and relieving subjective symptoms and anxiety of the patients with decompensation recurrent vertigo, while ST-PVR might shorten the recovery time and increase balance confidence.

[Efficacy evaluation of short-term personalized vestibular rehabilitation in the treatment of acute unilateral vestibulopathy]

Objective: To explore the efficacy and effective node of short-term personalized vestibular rehabilitation (ST-PVR) in treating acute unilateral vestibulopathy (AUVP). Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out. The AUVP patients who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2022 to March 2023 were selected and randomized to the vestibular rehabilitation (VR) group and control group via computer-generated randomization. Standard care was the medical treatment with betahistine and prednisolone. Meanwhile, the VR group received ST-PVR. All the patients completed the baseline assessment and underwent follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months after the treatment. The assessments were consisted of spontaneous nystagmus (NYS), Romberg test (ROM), head thrust test (HTT), visual analogue scale (VAS) for vertigo, dizziness handicap inventory scale (DHI), activities-specific balance confidence scale (ABC), caloric test using video-electronystagmograph (VNG), and video-head impulse test (vHIT). The measurement data that did not conform to normal distribution were represented by M (Q1, Q3). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to analyze the influence of the ST-PVR on the values of these clinical indicators and the VR grading score. The values of clinical indicators and the VR grading score were compared between the two groups at each follow-up point. Results: Seventy-one AUVP patients were included, with 35 cases in the VR group [14 males and 21 females, aged 51 (33, 55) years] and 36 cases in control group [17 males and 19 females, aged 46 (34, 59) years]. There were statistically significant differences in the impact of ST-PVR on the values of clinical indicators between the two groups (ABC: β=10.89, P<0.001; VAS: β=-1.64, P<0.001; DHI: β=-8.70, P<0.001; NYS: β=26.73, P<0.001; vHIT: β=1.41, P=0.047; the VR grading score: β=1.03, P=0.045). The assessments of the VR group in the positive rate of NYS [14.3% (5/35) vs 50.0% (18/36), P<0.001], ROM [48.6% (17/35) vs 55.6% (20/36), P<0.001], directional preponderance (DP) [34.3% (12/35) vs 75.0% (27/36), P<0.001] and DHI [26 (22, 32) vs 36 (30, 60), P=0.001] were significantly lower than that of the control group at 1 month after the treatment. The results showed a statistically significant difference in ABC [88 (80, 90) vs 76 (61, 88), P<0.001], VAS [2 (1, 3) vs 3 (2, 5), P<0.001] at 3-months after the treatment. The VR grading score of the VR group was improved significantly than those of the control group at 1 month after treatment [21 (17, 21) vs 16 (13, 20), P=0.001]. Conclusion: ST-PVR could improve the results of clinical indicators and VR grading score of the AUVP patients effectively after 1 month of the systematical treatment, and alleviate the symptoms and signs of dizziness in the acute phase as early as possible.

[Preliminary observation of wearable balance diagnosis and treatment system in evaluating dynamic and static balance function in patients with vestibular vertigo]

A newly developed wearable balance diagnosis and treatment system was studied to evaluate the indexes of the abnormal balance function in patients with vestibular vertigo. A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 30 patients diagnosed with non-acute vestibular vertigo in the outpatient department of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from July 2022 to May 2023 were selected as the vertigo group, including 13 males and 17 females, and aged (45.7±13.9) years. Meanwhile, 20 healthy controls (8 males and 12 females) were included as the control group, with a mean age of (43.6±8.0) years. The static balance and limits of stability (LOS) function of all subjects were assessed with wearable balance diagnosis and treatment system developed under the leadership of Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University. In the static balance test, the ratio of eyes open with cushions to eyes open without cushions in the vertigo group was less than that of the control group[1.20% (0.92%, 1.53%) vs 1.49% (1.22%, 1.81%), P=0.008], indicating that patients with non-acute vestibular vertigo may compensate static balance ability earlier. In vertigo group, the directional control in 8 directions, the maximum excursion in anterior, posterior, right anterior and right posterior directions, the endpoint excursion in the posterior, right posterior, and left posterior directions were all smaller than those of the control group (all P<0.05). The reaction time in the left posterior direction of vertigo group was longer than that of the control group (all P<0.05). Those results indicated that the directional control, maximum excursion and endpoint excursion of LOS could be considered as important reference indexes for dynamic balance function.

[The causes and coping strategies for refractory vertigo]

Refractory vertigo is a disease entity characterized by uncontrollable recurrent vertigo and/or persistent dizziness instability, which can be caused by various diseases. The main pathogenesis may be related to recurrent episodes of the primary disease and compensatory dysfunction of the vestibular system. Understanding the common causes and pathological mechanisms of refractory vertigo, and comprehensively analyzing the relevant factors that cause symptoms, can facilitate accurate diagnosis and effective differentiation, and then provide comprehensive treatment targeting various factors such as etiology, symptoms, functional status, and psychological problems, ultimately achieving the goal of controlling the occurrence and development of refractory vertigo. Based on the characteristics of symptoms, this article focuses on analyzing possible mechanisms, relative factors, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of common diseases that lead to refractory vertigo, effective coping strategies, key issues that need attention, and future prospects, in order to improve clinical diagnostic accuracy and treatment effectiveness.

Immunoregulatory role of the gut microbiota in inflammatory depression

Inflammatory depression is a treatment-resistant subtype of depression. A causal role of the gut microbiota as a source of low-grade inflammation remains unclear. Here, as part of an observational trial, we first analyze the gut microbiota composition in the stool, inflammatory factors and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in plasma, and inflammatory and permeability markers in the intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory depression (ChiCTR1900025175). Gut microbiota of patients with inflammatory depression exhibits higher Bacteroides and lower Clostridium, with an increase in SCFA-producing species with abnormal butanoate metabolism. We then perform fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and probiotic supplementation in animal experiments to determine the causal role of the gut microbiota in inflammatory depression. After FMT, the gut microbiota of the inflammatory depression group shows increased peripheral and central inflammatory factors and intestinal mucosal permeability in recipient mice with depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. Clostridium butyricum administration normalizes the gut microbiota, decreases inflammatory factors, and displays antidepressant-like effects in a mouse model of inflammatory depression. These findings suggest that inflammatory processes derived from the gut microbiota can be involved in neuroinflammation of inflammatory depression.

[Clinical efficacy of induction chemoimmunotherapy for locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective phase Ⅱ study]

Objective: To evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) of induction chemoimmunotherapy with camrelizumab plus TPF (docetaxel, cisplatin, and capecitabine) for locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LA HSCC) and potential predictive factors for ORR. Methods: A single-center, prospective, phase 2 and single-arm trial was conducted for evaluating antitumor activity of camrelizumab+TPF(docetaxel+cisplatin+capecitabine) for LA HSCC between May 21, 2021 and April 15, 2023, patients admitted to the Eye & ENT Hospital affiliated with Fudan University. The primary endpoint was ORR, and enrolled patients with LA HSCC at T3-4N0-3M0 received induction chemoimmunotherapy for three cycles: camrelizumab 200 mg day 1, docetaxel 75 mg/m2 day 1, cisplatin 25 mg/m2 days 1-3, and capecitabine 800 mg/m2 days 1-14. Patients were assigned to radioimmunotherapy when they had complete response or partial response (PR)>70% (Group A), or assigned to surgery plus adjuvant radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy when they had PR≤70% (Group B), and the responses were defined by using tumor volume evaluation system. Tumor diameter was also used to assess the treatment responses by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. Use SPSS 23.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 51 patients were enrolled who underwent the induced chemoimmunotherapy for three cycles, and all were males, aged 35-69 years old. After three cycles of induction immunochemotherapy, 42 (82.4%) patients existed in Group A (complete response or PR>70%) and 9 patients (17.6%) in Group B (PR≤70%), the ORR was 82.4%. The primary endpoint achieved expected main research objectives. Compared to the patients of Group A, the patients of Group B showed the higher T stage and the larger volume of primary tumor before induced immunochemotherapy, and also had the less regression of tumor volume after induced immunochemotherapy (all P<0.05). The optimal cutoff value of pre-treatment tumor volume for predicting ORR was 39 cm3. The T stage (OR=12.71, 95%CI: 1.4-112.5, P=0.022) and the volume (OR=7.1, 95%CI: 1.4-36.8, P=0.018) of primary tumor were the two main factors affecting ORR rate of induction chemoimmunotherapy. Conclusion: The induction chemoimmunotherapy with camrelizumab plus TPF shows an encouraging antitumor efficacy in LA HSCC.

A DNA circuit that records molecular events

Characterizing the relative onset time, strength, and duration of molecular signals is critical for understanding the operation of signal transduction and genetic regulatory networks. However, detecting multiple such molecules as they are produced and then quickly consumed is challenging. A MER can encode information about transient molecular events as stable DNA sequences and are amenable to downstream sequencing or other analysis. Here, we report the development of a de novo molecular event recorder that processes information using a strand displacement reaction network and encodes the information using the primer exchange reaction, which can be decoded and quantified by DNA sequencing. The event recorder was able to classify the order at which different molecular signals appeared in time with 88% accuracy, the concentrations with 100% accuracy, and the duration with 75% accuracy. This simultaneous and highly programmable multiparameter recording could enable the large-scale deciphering of molecular events such as within dynamic reaction environments, living cells, or tissues.

Antiviral effect of palmatine against infectious bronchitis virus through regulation of NF-κB/IRF7/JAK-STAT signalling pathway and apoptosis

1. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a gamma-coronavirus, can infect chickens of all ages and leads to an acute contact respiratory infection. This study evaluated the anti-viral activity of palmatine, a natural non-flavonoid alkaloid, against IBV in chicken embryo kidney (CEK) cells.2. The half toxic concentration (CC50) of palmatine was 672.92 μM, the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of palmatine against IBV was 7.76 μM and the selection index (SI) was 86.74.3. Mode of action assay showed that palmatine was able to directly inactivate IBV and inhibited the adsorption, penetration and intracellular replication of IBV.4. Palmatine significantly upregulated TRAF6, TAB1 and IKK-β compared with the IBV-infected group, leading to the increased expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α in the downstream NF-κB signalling pathway.5. Palmatine significantly up-regulated the levels of MDA5, MAVS, IRF7, IFN-α and IFN-β in the IRF7 pathway, inducing type I interferon production. It up-regulated the expression of 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthase (OAS) in the JAK-STAT pathway.6. IBV infection induced cell apoptosis and palmatine-treatment delayed the process of apoptosis by regulation of the expression of apoptosis-related genes (BAX, BCL-2, CASPASE-3 and CASPASE-8).7. Palmatine could exert anti-IBV activity through regulation of NF-κB/IRF7/JAK-STAT signalling pathways and apoptosis, providing a theoretical basis for the utilisation of palmatine to treat IBV infection.

Research on duck egg recognition algorithm based on improved YOLOv4

1. The following study addressed the problem of small duck eggs as challenging to detect and identify for pick up in complex free-range duck farm environments. It introduces improvements to the YOLOv4 convolutional neural network target detection algorithm, based on the working conditions of egg-picking robots.2. Specifically, one scale of anchor boxes was removed from the prediction network, and a duck egg labelling dataset was established to make the improved algorithm YOLOv4-ours better match the working state of egg-picking robots and enhance detection performance.3. Through multiple comparative experiments, the YOLOv4-ours object detection algorithm exhibited superior overall performance, achieving a precision of 98.85%, recall of 96.67%, and an average precision of 98.60% and F1 score increased to 97%. Compared to the original YOLOv4 model, these improvements represented increases of 1.89%, 3.41%, 1.32%, and 1.04%, respectively. Furthermore, detection time was reduced from 0.26 seconds per image to 0.20 seconds.4. The enhanced model accurately detected duck eggs in free-range duck housing, effectively meeting the real-time egg identification and picking requirements.

Seedlings of Poncirus trifoliata exhibit tissue-specific detoxification in response to NH4 + toxicity

Ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N) is essential for fruit tree growth, but the impact of excess NH4 +-N from fertilizer on evergreen citrus trees is unclear. In a climate chamber, 8-month-old citrus plants were exposed to five different hydroponic NH4 +-N concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mm) for 1 month to study effects of NH4 +-N on growth characteristics, N uptake, metabolism, antioxidant enzymes and osmotic regulatory substances. Application of 10 mm NH4 +-N adversely affected root plasma membrane integrity, root physiological functions, and plant biomass. MDA, CAT, POD, APX and SOD content were significantly correlated with leaf N metabolic enzyme activity (GOGAT, GDH, GS and NR). GDH was the primary enzyme involved in NH4 +-N assimilation in leaves, while the primary pathway involved in roots was GS-GOGAT. Under comparatively high NH4 + addition, roots were the main organs involved in NH4 + utilization in citrus seedlings. Our results demonstrated that variations in NH4 + concentration and enzyme activity in various organs are associated with more effective N metabolism in roots than in leaves to prevent NH4 + toxicity in evergreen woody citrus plants. These results provide insight into the N forms used by citrus plants that are important for N fertilizer management.

Subsurface hydrological connectivity controls nitrate export flux in a hilly catchment

Subsurface runoff represents the main pathway of nitrate transport in hilly catchments. The magnitude of nitrate export from a source area is closely related to subsurface hydrological connectivity, which refers to the linkage of separate regions of a catchment via subsurface runoff. However, understanding of how subsurface hydrological connectivity regulates catchment nitrate export remains insufficient. This study conducted high-frequency monitoring of shallow groundwater in a hilly catchment over 17 months. Subsurface hydrological connectivity of the catchment over 38 rainfall events was analyzed by combining topography-based upscaling of shallow groundwater and graph theory. Moreover, cross-correlation analysis was used to evaluate the time-series similarity between subsurface hydrological connectivity and nitrate flux during rainfall events. The results showed that the maximum subsurface hydrological connectivity during 32 out of 38 rainfall events was below 0.5. Although subsurface flow paths (i.e., the pathways of lateral subsurface runoff) exhibited clear dynamic extension and contraction during rainfall events, most areas in the catchment did not establish subsurface hydrological connectivity with the stream. The primary pattern of nitrate export was flushing (44.7%), followed by dilution (34.2%), and chemostatic behavior (21.1%). A threshold relationship between subsurface hydrological connectivity and nitrate flux was identified, with nitrate flux rapidly increasing after the subsurface connectivity strength exceeded 0.121. Moreover, the median value of cross-correlation coefficients reached 0.67, which indicated subsurface hydrological connectivity exerts a strong control on nitrate flux. However, this control effect is not constant and it increases with rainfall amount and intensity as a power function. The results of this study provide comprehensive insights into the subsurface hydrological control of catchment nitrate export.

MRI-based bone marrow radiomics for predicting cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma

AIM

To develop a radiomics signature applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-images to predict cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed MM were enrolled retrospectively from March 2019 to September 2022. They were categorised into the high-risk cytogenetics (HRC) group and standard-risk cytogenetics (SRC) group. The patients were allocated randomly at a ratio of 7:3 into training and validation cohorts. Volumes of interest (VOI) was drawn manually on fat suppression T2-weighted imaging (FS-T2WI) and copied to the same location of the T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) sequence. Radiomics features were extracted from two sequences and selected by reproducibility and redundant analysis. The least absolute shrinkage selection operation (LASSO) algorithm was applied to build the radiomics signatures. The performance of the radiomics signatures to distinguish HRC with SRC was evaluated by ROC curves. The area under the curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity were also calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 105 MM patients were enrolled in this study. The four and 11 most significant and relevant features were selected separately from T1WI and FS-T2WI sequences to build the radiomics signatures based on the training cohort. Compared to the T1WI sequence, the radiomics signature based on the FS-T2WI sequence achieved better performance with AUCs of 0.896 and 0.729 in the training and validation cohorts respectively. A sensitivity of 0.833, specificity of 0.667, and Youden index of 0.500 were achieved for the FS-T2WI radiomics signature in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The radiomics signature based on MRI provides a non-invasive and convenient tool to predict cytogenetic abnormalities in MM patients.

Pteropox infection in a juvenile grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

A juvenile grey-headed flying fox (GHFF) (Pteropus poliocephalus) presented to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital after a wildlife carer found the animal hanging on the outside of an aviary. On presentation, the animal was emaciated and moribund with disseminated, multifocal, depigmented and proliferative lesions on the wing membranes and skin of the neck. Histopathology revealed multiple, well-circumscribed proliferative epidermal lesions with intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies. A poxvirus was identified via transmission electron microscopy and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Analysis of sequences obtained demonstrated 99% nucleotide identity to Pteropox virus strain Australia (GenBank KU980965). To the authors' knowledge, this paper describes the first case of Pteropox virus infection in a GHFF.

Forb stability, dwarf shrub stability and species asynchrony regulate ecosystem stability along an experimental precipitation gradient in a semi-arid desert grassland

Precipitation pattern changes may affect plant biodiversity, which could impact ecosystem stability. However, the effects of changes in precipitation regime on ecosystem stability and their potential mechanisms are still unclear. We conducted a 3-year field manipulation experiment with five precipitation treatments (-40%, -20%, 0% (CK), +20% and +40% of ambient growing season precipitation) in a semi-arid desert grassland to examine the effects of precipitation alterations on functional group stability, species asynchrony, and diversity, and the underlying mchanisms of ecosystem stability using structural equation modelling. Alterations in precipitation had different effects on community biomass and functional group biomass. Moreover, ecosystem stability was mainly driven by forb stability (path coefficient = 0.79). Changes in precipitation had significant effects on soil dissolved inorganic N (P < 0.01) further affecting ecosystem stability through species asynchrony (path coefficient = 0.25). Dwarf shrubs had a stabilizing effect on ecosystem stability (path coefficient = 0.32), mainly via deep roots. Ecosystem stability tended to be lower in the -40% (4.72) and +40% (2.74) precipitation treatments. The common reduction in species asynchrony and stability of forb and dwarf shrub functional groups resulted in lower ecosystem stability under the -40% treatment. The lower stability under the +40% treatment might be ascribed to unimproved dwarf shrub stability. Higher dwarf shrub and forb stability contributed to higher ecosystem stability under normal precipitation changes (±20% treatments) and CK. Species diversity was not a crucial driver of ecosystem stability. Our results indicate that precipitation alteration can regulate ecosystem stability via functional group stability (e.g. forb stability, dwarf shrub stability) and species asynchrony in a semiarid desert grassland.

Deep learning-based facial analysis for predicting difficult videolaryngoscopy: a feasibility study

While videolaryngoscopy has resulted in better overall success rates of tracheal intubation, airway assessment is still an important prerequisite for safe airway management. This study aimed to create an artificial intelligence model to identify difficult videolaryngoscopy using a neural network. Baseline characteristics, medical history, bedside examination and seven facial images were included as predictor variables. ResNet-18 was introduced to recognise images and extract features. Different machine learning algorithms were utilised to develop predictive models. A videolaryngoscopy view of Cormack-Lehane grade of 1 or 2 was classified as 'non-difficult', while grade 3 or 4 was classified as 'difficult'. A total of 5849 patients were included, of whom 5335 had non-difficult and 514 had difficult videolaryngoscopy. The facial model (only including facial images) using the Light Gradient Boosting Machine algorithm showed the highest area under the curve (95%CI) of 0.779 (0.733-0.825) with a sensitivity (95%CI) of 0.757 (0.650-0.845) and specificity (95%CI) of 0.721 (0.626-0.794) in the test set. Compared with bedside examination and multivariate scores (El-Ganzouri and Wilson), the facial model had significantly higher predictive performance (p < 0.001). Artificial intelligence-based facial analysis is a feasible technique for predicting difficulty during videolaryngoscopy, and the model developed using neural networks has higher predictive performance than traditional methods.

Amplitude Analysis of the B^{0}→K^{*0}μ^{+}μ^{-} Decay

An amplitude analysis of the B^{0}→K^{*0}μ^{+}μ^{-} decay is presented using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7  fb^{-1} of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the coefficients associated to short-distance physics effects, sensitive to processes beyond the standard model, are extracted directly from the data through a q^{2}-unbinned amplitude analysis, where q^{2} is the μ^{+}μ^{-} invariant mass squared. Long-distance contributions, which originate from nonfactorizable QCD processes, are systematically investigated, and the most accurate assessment to date of their impact on the physical observables is obtained. The pattern of measured corrections to the short-distance couplings is found to be consistent with previous analyses of b- to s-quark transitions, with the largest discrepancy from the standard model predictions found to be at the level of 1.8 standard deviations. The global significance of the observed differences in the decay is 1.4 standard deviations.