Formation of soil organic carbon pool is regulated by the structure of dissolved organic matter and microbial carbon pump efficacy: A decadal study comparing different carbon management strategies

To achieve long-term increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, it is essential to understand the effects of carbon management strategies on SOC formation pathways, particularly through changes in microbial necromass carbon (MNC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Using a 14-year field study, we demonstrate that both biochar and maize straw lifted the SOC ceiling, but through different pathways. Biochar, while raising SOC and DOC content, decreased substrate degradability by increasing carbon aromaticity. This resulted in suppressed microbial abundance and enzyme activity, which lowered soil respiration, weakened in vivo turnover and ex vivo modification for MNC production (i.e., low microbial carbon pump "efficacy"), and led to lower efficiency in decomposing MNC, ultimately resulting in the net accumulation of SOC and MNC. In contrast, straw incorporation increased the content and decreased the aromaticity of SOC and DOC. The enhanced SOC degradability and soil nutrient content, such as total nitrogen and total phosphorous, stimulated the microbial population and activity, thereby boosting soil respiration and enhancing microbial carbon pump "efficacy" for MNC production. The total C added to biochar and straw plots were estimated as 27.3-54.5 and 41.4 Mg C ha-1 , respectively. Our results demonstrated that biochar was more efficient in lifting the SOC stock via exogenous stable carbon input and MNC stabilization, although the latter showed low "efficacy". Meanwhile, straw incorporation significantly promoted net MNC accumulation but also stimulated SOC mineralization, resulting in a smaller increase in SOC content (by 50%) compared to biochar (by 53%-102%). The results address the decadal-scale effects of biochar and straw application on the formation of the stable organic carbon pool in soil, and understanding the causal mechanisms can allow field practices to maximize SOC content.

Low-Pass Genomic Sequencing Reveals Novel Subtypes of Pancreatic Cystic Neoplasms

BACKGROUND

Over the years, the detection rate of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) has significantly increased; however, the differential diagnosis and identification of high-risk PCNs remain challenging. We sought to investigate whether chromosomal instability (CIN) features in cell-free DNA in the cystic fluid of PCNs could help to identify high-risk PCNs.

METHODS

Pancreatic cystic fluid samples from 102 patients with PCNs were intraoperatively collected for detection of CIN using an ultrasensitive chromosomal aneuploidy detector. Clinical and imaging data were retrospectively collected, and statistical analysis was performed to assess the potential role of CIN in clinical practice.

RESULTS

CIN was investigated in a total of 100 patients. Sixteen of 26 serous cystic cystadenomas (SCAs) harbored deletions of chr3p and/or chr6p, whereas low rates of CIN were detected in mucinous cystic neoplasms. Most malignant PCNs presented with more than one type of CIN; amplification of chr1q and chr8q found in nine and seven of 11 malignant PCNs (81.8% and 63.6%), respectively, could aid in distinguishing high-risk IPMNs from low-risk ones, with a higher sensitivity than imaging. A combination of the mural nodule imaging feature and amplification of chr1q and chr8q achieved a sensitivity of 70.0% and a specificity of 82.4% in identifying high-risk IPMNs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work revealed the distinct CIN signature of different types of PCNs. Deletions of chr3p and chr6p defined a subtype of SCAs. Gains of chr1q and chr8q were associated with insidious malignant PCNs and helped identify high-risk IPMNs.

Correlation Between Intranodular Vessels and Tumor Invasiveness of Lung Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Ground-glass Nodules: A Deep Learning 3-Dimensional Reconstruction Algorithm-based Quantitative Analysis on Noncontrast Computed Tomography Images

PURPOSE

To evaluate the role of quantitative features of intranodular vessels based on deep learning in distinguishing pulmonary adenocarcinoma invasiveness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 512 confirmed ground-glass nodules from 474 patients with 241 precursor glandular lesions (PGL), 126 minimally invasive adenocarcinomas (MIA), and 145 invasive adenocarcinomas (IAC). The pulmonary blood vessels were reconstructed on noncontrast computed tomography images using deep learning-based region-segmentation and region-growing techniques. The presence of intranodular vessels was evaluated based on the automatic calculation of vessel prevalence, vascular categories, and vessel volume percentage. Further comparisons were made between different invasive groups by the Mantel-Haenszel χ 2 test, χ 2 test, and analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The detection rate of intranodular vessels in PGL (33.2%) was significantly lower than that of MIA (46.8%, P = 0.011) and IAC (55.2%, P < 0.001), while the vascular categories were similar (all P > 0.05). Vascular changes were more common in IAC and MIA than in PGL, mainly in increased vessel volume percentage (12.4 ± 19.0% vs. 6.3 ± 13.1% vs. 3.9 ± 9.4%, P < 0.001). The average intranodular artery and vein volume percentage of IAC (7.5 ± 14.0% and 5.0 ± 10.1%) was higher than that of PGL (2.1 ± 6.9% and 1.7 ± 5.8%) and MIA (3.2 ± 9.1% and 3.1 ± 8.7%), with statistical significance (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The quantitative analysis of intranodular vessels on noncontrast computed tomography images demonstrated that the ground-glass nodules with increased internal vessel prevalence and volume percentages had higher possibility of tumor invasiveness.

A Heavy-atom-free Molecular Motif Based on Symmetric Bird-like Structured Tetraphenylenes with Room-Temperature Phosphorescence (RTP) Afterglow over 8 s

In recent years, pure organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) with highly efficient and long-persistent afterglow has drawn substantial awareness. Commonly, spin-orbit coupling can be improved by introducing heavy atoms into pure-organic molecules. However, this strategy will simultaneously increase the radiative and non-radiative transition rate, further resulting in dramatic decreases in the excited state lifetime and afterglow duration. Here in this work, a highly symmetric bird-like structure tetraphenylene (TeP), and its three symmetrical halogenated derivatives (TeP-F, TeP-Cl and TeP-Br) are synthesized, while their RTP properties and mechanisms are systematically investigated by both theoretical and experimental approaches. As the results, the rigid, highly twisted conformation of TeP restricts the non-radiative processes of RTP and gives rise to the enhancement of electron-exchange, which can contribute to the RTP radiation process. Despite the faint RTP of the bromine and chlorine-substituted ones (TeP-Br, TeP-Cl), the fluoro-substituted TeP-F exhibited a long phosphorescent lifetime up to 890 ms, corresponding to an extremely long RTP afterglow over 8 s, which could be incorporated into the best series of non-heavy-atom RTP materials reported in previous literature.

Detection, distribution and environmental risk of metal-based nanoparticles in a coastal bay

Metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) attract increasing concerns because of their adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, their environmental concentrations and size distributions are largely unknown, especially in marine environments. In this work, environmental concentrations and risks of metal-based NPs were examined in Laizhou Bay (China) using single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS). First, separation and detection approaches of metal-based NPs were optimized for seawater and sediment samples with high recoveries of 96.7% and 76.3%, respectively. Spatial distribution results showed that Ti-based NPs had the highest average concentrations for all the 24 stations (seawater, 1.78 × 108 particles/L; sediments, 7.75 × 1012 particles/kg), followed by Zn-, Ag-, Cu-, and Au-based NPs. For all the NPs in seawater, the highest abundance occurred around the Yellow River Estuary, resulting from a huge input from Yellow River. In addition, the sizes of metal-based NPs were generally smaller in sediments than those in seawater (22, 20, 17, and 16 of 22 stations for Ag-, Cu-, Ti-, and Zn-based NPs, respectively). Based on the toxicological data of engineered NPs, predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs) to marine species were calculated as Ag at 72.8 ng/L < ZnO at 2.66 µg/L < CuO at 7.83 µg/L < TiO2 at 72.0 µg/L, and the actual PNECs of the detected metal-based NPs may be higher due to the possible presence of natural NPs. Station 2 (around the Yellow River Estuary) was assessed as "high risk" for Ag- and Ti-based NPs with risk characterization ratio (RCR) values of 1.73 and 1.66, respectively. In addition, RCRtotal values for all the four metal-based NPs were calculated to fully assess the co-exposure environmental risk, with 1, 20, and 1 of 22 stations as "high risk", "medium risk", and "low risk", respectively. This study helps to better understand the risks of metal-based NPs in marine environments.

Improved efficiency of AlGaN-based flip-chip deep-ultraviolet LEDs using a Ni/Rh/Ni/Au p-type electrode

Here, we propose a thermally stable and high-reflectivity Ni/Rh/Ni/Au p-type electrode for AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet (DUV) flip-chip light-emitting diodes (FCLEDs). We discover that the reflectance of Ni/Au electrode deteriorated significantly after rapid thermal annealing. Experiments show that Ni and Au agglomerate at high temperatures, and more incident photons traverse the gaps between the agglomerates, leading to a decrease in reflectance of Ni/Au after annealing. In contrast, the proposed Ni/Rh/Ni/Au p-type electrode shows remarkable thermal stability as a result of the suppression of Ni agglomeration by the Rh layer at high temperatures. Besides, due to the higher reflectivity of the Ni/Rh/Ni/Au electrode and its lower specific contact resistivity formed with p-GaN, the external quantum efficiency and wall-plug efficiency of a DUV FCLED with Ni/Rh/Ni/Au electrode are increased by 13.94% and 17.30% in comparison with the one with Ni/Au electrode at an injection current of 100 mA. The Ni/Rh/Ni/Au electrode effectively solves the long-standing dilemma of efficiency degradation of DUV FCLEDs with a Ni/Au electrode after high-temperature annealing.

Nanoimprinted patterned sapphire with silica array for efficient InGaN-based green mini-LEDs

Here, we propose nanoimprinted patterned sapphire with a silica array (PSSA) with the aim to promote the efficiency of InGaN-based green (∼520 nm) mini-LEDs. According to x-ray diffraction measurements, the threading dislocation density of GaN epitaxial layers grown on nanoimprinted PSSA demonstrates a pronounced reduction compared with the epilayers on the conventional patterned sapphire substrate (PSS). Consequently, a mini-LED on PSSA exhibits a significantly boosted light output power (LOP) in comparison to a mini-LED on PSS. At 10 mA, the LOP of the mini-LED on PSS is 6.0 mW, and this is further improved to 6.8 mW for the mini-LED on PSSA. Moreover, the peak external quantum efficiencies of the mini-LEDs on PSS and PSSA are 41% and 47%, respectively. A three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain simulation demonstrates that the PSSA contributes enhanced light extraction for photons emitted from the active region. It is also highly feasible to use this nanoimprinted PSSA technology in red and blue mini-LEDs for the realization of full-color displays.

Wet Deposition of Globally Transportable Microplastics (<25 μm) Hovering over the Megacity of Beijing

Microplastics of size <25 μm possess globally transportable features, but the impact of precipitation on their transport remains unclear. Here, microplastics were detected in all 10 studied rainfalls in Beijing, with <25 μm microplastics present in 8 rainfalls. Interestingly, microplastic abundance (7590-136,778 items·m^-3) was tentatively linked to maximum rainfall intensity, with <25 μm microplastics making up 39.6 (±27.5)% of the total count. The composition of <25 μm microplastics differed from that of larger microplastics, although both mainly comprised polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene. The microplastic communities differed among rainfalls, suggesting that atmospheric transport is a highly dynamic process. The first rainfall exhibited the highest microplastic abundance and community diversity after long-term exposure to dry atmospheric environment. The deposited microplastics were unstable and highly fragmented according to the conditional fragmentation model. The wet deposition rate of the microplastics was calculated as 2-463 μg·m^-2 (146-8629 items·m^-2) per rain, amounting to 25.44 tons per annum in Beijing. Although <25 μm microplastics represented a negligible proportion (0.00-1.24%) of the overall mass load of microplastics, their numerical abundance was high. Our results demonstrate that precipitation is an effective mechanism for removing airborne microplastics, which may enter urban soils and waters, exacerbate microplastic burdens in the environment, and cause potential risk for human health.

Survival differences between the USA and an urban population from China for all cancer types and 20 individual cancers: a population-based study

Background

The systematic comparison of cancer survival between China and the USA is rare. Here we aimed to assess the magnitude of survival disparities and disentangle the impact of the stage at diagnosis between a Chinese metropolitan city and the USA on cancer survival.

Methods

We included 11,046 newly diagnosed cancer patients in Dalian Cancer Registry, China, 2015, with the follow-up data for vital status until December 2020. We estimated age-standardised 5-year relative survival and quantified the excess hazard ratio (EHR) of death using generalised linear models for all cancers and 20 individual cancers. We compared these estimates with 17 cancer registries' data from the USA, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. We further estimated the stage-specific survival for five major cancers by region.

Findings

Age-standardised 5-year relative survival for all patients in Dalian was lower than that in the USA (49.9% vs 67.9%). By cancer types, twelve cancers with poorer prognosis were observed in Dalian compared to the USA, with the largest gap seen in prostate cancer (Dalian: 55.8% vs USA: 96.0%). However, Dalian had a better survival for lung cancer, cervical cancer, and bladder cancer. Dalian patients had a lower percentage of stage Ⅰ colorectal cancer (Dalian: 17.9% vs USA: 24.2%) and female breast cancer (Dalian: 40.9% vs USA: 48.9%). However, we observed better stage-specific survival among stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ lung cancer patients in Dalian than in the USA.

Interpretation

This study suggests that although the overall prognosis for patients was better in the USA than in Dalian, China, survival deficits existed in both countries. Improvement in cancer early detection and cancer care are needed in both countries.

Funding

National Key R&D Program (2021YFC2501900, 2022YFC3600805), Major State Basic Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021-I2M-1-010, 2021-I2M-1-046), and Talent Incentive Program of Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Single-cell transcriptome sequencing of B-cell heterogeneity and tertiary lymphoid structure predicts breast cancer prognosis and neoadjuvant therapy efficacy

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly heterogeneous disease, and although immunotherapy has recently increased patient survival in a number of solid and hematologic malignancies, most BC subtypes respond poorly to immune checkpoint blockade therapy (ICB). B cells, particularly those that congregate in tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), play a significant role in antitumour immunity. However, B-cell heterogeneity at single-cell resolution and its clinical significance with TLS in BC need to be explored further.

METHODS

Primary tumour lesions and surrounding normal tissues were taken from 14 BC patients, totaling 124,587 cells, for single-cell transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.

RESULTS

Based on the usual markers, the single-cell transcriptome profiles were classified into various clusters. A thorough single-cell study was conducted with a focus on tumour-infiltrating B cells (TIL-B) and tumour-associated neutrophils (TAN). TIL-B was divided into five clusters, and unusual cell types, such as follicular B cells, which are strongly related to immunotherapy efficacy, were identified. In BC, TAN and TIL-B infiltration are positively correlated, and at the same time, compared with TLS-high, TAN and TIL-B in TLS-low group are significantly positively correlated.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, our study highlights the heterogeneity of B cells in BC, explains how B cells and TLS contribute significantly to antitumour immunity at both the single-cell and clinical level, and offers a straightforward marker for TLS called CD23. These results will offer more pertinent information on the applicability and effectiveness of tumour immunotherapy for BC.

Development and Validation of Novel Models Including Tumor Micronecrosis for Predicting the Postoperative Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

The heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) leads to the unsatisfying predictive performance of current staging systems. HCC patients with pathological tumor micronecrosis have an immunosuppressive microenvironment. We aimed to develop novel prognostic models by integrating micronecrosis to predict the survival of HCC patients after hepatectomy more precisely.

Methods

We enrolled 765 HCC patients receiving curative hepatic resection. They were randomly divided into a training cohort (n= 536) and a validation cohort (n = 229). We developed two prognostic models for postoperative recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) based on independent factors identified through multivariate Cox regression analyses. The predictive performance was assessed using the Harrell concordance index (C-index) and the time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, compared with six conventional staging systems.

Results

The RFS and OS nomograms were developed based on tumor micronecrosis, tumor size, albumin-bilirubin grade, tumor number and prothrombin time. The C-indexes for the RFS nomogram and OS nomogram were respectively 0.66 (95% CI, 0.62-0.69) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.69-0.79) in the training cohort, which was significantly better than those of the six common staging systems (0.52-0.61 for RFS and 0.53-0.63 for OS). The results were further confirmed in the validation group, with the C-indexes being 0.66 and 0.77 for the RFS and OS nomograms, respectively.

Conclusion

The two nomograms could more accurately predict RFS and OS in HCC patients receiving curative hepatic resection, thereby aiding in formulating personalized postoperative follow-up plans.

Silicon Micromachined TSVs for Backside Interconnection of Ultra-Small Pressure Sensors

This paper presents an ultra-small absolute pressure sensor with a silicon-micromachined TSV backside interconnection for high-performance, high spatial resolution contact pressure sensing, including flexible-substrate applications. By exploiting silicon-micromachined TSVs that are compatibly fabricated with the pressure sensor, the sensing signals are emitted from the chip backside, thereby eliminating the fragile leads on the front-side. Such a design achieves a flat and fully passivated top surface to protect the sensor from mechanical damage, for reliable direct-contact pressure sensing. A single-crystal silicon beam-island structure is designed to reduce the deflection of the pressure-sensing diaphragm and improve output linearity. Using our group-developed microholes interetch and sealing (MIS) micromachining technique, we fabricated ultra-small piezoresistive pressure sensors with the chip size as small as 0.4 mm × 0.6 mm, in which the polysilicon-micromachined TSVs transfer the signal interconnection from the front-side to the backside of the wafer, and the sensor chips can be densely packaged on the flexible substrate via the TSVs. The ultra-small pressure sensor has high sensitivity of 0.84 mV/kPa under 3.3 V of supply voltage and low nonlinearity of ±0.09% full scale (FS) in the measurement range of 120 kPa. The proposed pressure sensors with backside-interconnection TSVs hold promise for tactile sensing applications, including flexible sensing of wearable wristwatches.

A mosquito mouthpart-like bionic neural probe

Advancements in microscale electrode technology have revolutionized the field of neuroscience and clinical applications by offering high temporal and spatial resolution of recording and stimulation. Flexible neural probes, with their mechanical compliance to brain tissue, have been shown to be superior to rigid devices in terms of stability and longevity in chronic recordings. Shuttle devices are commonly used to assist flexible probe implantation; however, the protective membrane of the brain still makes penetration difficult. Hidden damage to brain vessels during implantation is a significant risk. Inspired by the anatomy of the mosquito mouthparts, we present a biomimetic neuroprobe system that integrates high-sensitivity sensors with a high-fidelity multichannel flexible electrode array. This customizable system achieves distributed and minimally invasive implantation across brain regions. Most importantly, the system's nonvisual monitoring capability provides an early warning detection for intracranial soft tissues, such as vessels, reducing the potential for injury during implantation. The neural probe system demonstrates exceptional sensitivity and adaptability to environmental stimuli, as well as outstanding performance in postoperative and chronic recordings. These findings suggest that our biomimetic neural-probe device offers promising potential for future applications in neuroscience and brain-machine interfaces. A mosquito mouthpart-like bionic neural probe consisting of a highly sensitive tactile sensor module, a flexible microelectrode array, and implanted modules that mimic the structure of mosquito mouthparts. The system enables distributed implantation of electrode arrays across multiple brain regions while making the implantation minimally invasive and avoiding additional dural removal. The tactile sensor array can monitor the implantation process to achieve early warning of vascular damage. The excellent postoperative short-term recording performance and long-term neural activity tracking ability demonstrate that the system is a promising tool in the field of brain-computer interfaces.

Artificial intelligence can accurately distinguish IgA nephropathy from diabetic nephropathy under Masson staining and becomes an important assistant for renal pathologists

Introduction

Hyperplasia of the mesangial area is common in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and diabetic nephropathy (DN), and it is often difficult to distinguish them by light microscopy alone, especially in the absence of clinical data. At present, artificial intelligence (AI) is widely used in pathological diagnosis, but mainly in tumor pathology. The application of AI in renal pathological is still in its infancy.

Methods

Patients diagnosed as IgAN or DN by renal biopsy in First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University from September 1, 2020 to April 30, 2022 were selected as the training set, and patients who diagnosed from May 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 were selected as the test set. We focused on the glomerulus and captured the field of the glomerulus in Masson staining WSI at 200x magnification, all in 1,000 × 1,000 pixels JPEG format. We augmented the data from training set through minor affine transformation, and then randomly split the training set into training and adjustment data according to 8:2. The training data and the Yolov5 6.1 algorithm were used to train the AI model with constant adjustment of parameters according to the adjusted data. Finally, we obtained the optimal model, tested this model with test set and compared it with renal pathologists.

Results

AI can accurately detect the glomeruli. The overall accuracy of AI glomerulus detection was 98.67% and the omission rate was only 1.30%. No Intact glomerulus was missed. The overall accuracy of AI reached 73.24%, among which the accuracy of IgAN reached 77.27% and DN reached 69.59%. The AUC of IgAN was 0.733 and that of DN was 0.627. In addition, compared with renal pathologists, AI can distinguish IgAN from DN more quickly and accurately, and has higher consistency.

Discussion

We constructed an AI model based on Masson staining images of renal tissue to distinguish IgAN from DN. This model has also been successfully deployed in the work of renal pathologists to assist them in their daily diagnosis and teaching work.

PSME3 induces radioresistance and enhances aerobic glycolysis in cervical cancer by regulating PARP1

Cervical cancer (CC) ranks the fourth in gynecologic cancers. The incidence and mortality of CC has been decreased due to the cancer screening and early treatments in recent years, but the prognosis of CC patients at advanced stage is still sorrowful. Whether PSME3 exerted a role in the radioresistance of CC cells remains to be investigated. In this study, the expression of PSME3 in mRNA and protein levels was measured by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, and increased expression of PSME3 in CC tissues and cells was observed. CCK-8 and colony formation assay revealed that the cell viability and proliferation of Hela and CaSki cells treated with different doses of X-ray was reduced due to the depletion of PSME3, indicating that silencing of PSME3 enhanced the radiosensitivity of CC cells. In addition, repair on DNA damage in CC cells was enhanced by PSME3 and the damage was attenuated by PSME3. Besides, the expression of glycolysis-related proteins (GLUT1, PGC-1α, LDHA and HK2) were enhanced by PSME3 but reduced by silencing PSME3 in CC cells. PSME3 restraint attenuated the levels of glucose consumption and lactate production, suggesting PSME3 depletion suppressed abnormal glycolysis of CC cells. Mechanically, PSME3 increased the PARP1 expression via elevating c-myc. Finally, we observed PSME3 attenuation inhibited CC growth in vivo. In conclusion, PSME3 enhanced radioresistance and aerobic glycolysis in CC by regulating PARP1, which might shed a light into the function of PSME3 in CC treatment.

Quantum Simulation of Polarized Light-Induced Electron Transfer with a Trapped-Ion Qutrit System

Electron transfer within and between molecules is crucial in chemistry, biochemistry, and energy science. This study describes a quantum simulation method that explores the influence of light polarization on electron transfer between two molecules. By implementing precise and coherent control among the quantum states of trapped atomic ions, we can induce quantum dynamics that mimic the electron-transfer dynamics in molecules. We use three-level systems (qutrits), rather than traditional two-level systems (qubits), to enhance the simulation efficiency and realize high-fidelity simulations of electron-transfer dynamics. We treat the quantum interference between the electron coupling pathways from a donor with two degenerate excited states to an acceptor and analyze the transfer efficiency. We also examine the potential error sources that enter the quantum simulations. The trapped-ion systems have favorable scalings with system size compared to those of classical computers, promising access to richer electron-transfer simulations.

First Study of Reaction Ξ^{0}n→Ξ^{-}p Using Ξ^{0}-Nucleus Scattering at an Electron-Positron Collider

Using (1.0087±0.0044)×10^{10}  J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring, the process Ξ^{0}n→Ξ^{-}p is studied, where the Ξ^{0} baryon is produced in the process J/ψ→Ξ^{0}Ξ[over ¯]^{0} and the neutron is a component of the ^{9}Be, ^{12}C, and ^{197}Au nuclei in the beam pipe. A clear signal is observed with a statistical significance of 7.1σ. The cross section of the reaction Ξ^{0}+^{9}Be→Ξ^{-}+p+^{8}Be is determined to be σ(Ξ^{0}+^{9}Be→Ξ^{-}+p+^{8}Be)=(22.1±5.3_{stat}±4.5_{sys})  mb at the Ξ^{0} momentum of 0.818  GeV/c, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. No significant H-dibaryon signal is observed in the Ξ^{-}p final state. This is the first study of hyperon-nucleon interactions in electron-positron collisions and opens up a new direction for such research.

The prognostic impact of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

To investigate the prognostic impact of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma patients.

METHODS

A total of 952 patients who received surgery and underwent detection of oncogenic driver mutations were retrospectively collected. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared using Log-rank test. Adjusted hazard ratio with 95% confidence interval (aHR, 95%CI) of prognosticator was calculated by Cox proportional-hazards model, and cumulative incidence function was measured by competing risk regression model.

RESULTS

EGFR mutation was detected in 581(61.0%) patients, and was more frequent in females (63.9%), non-smokers (85.5%), and ground-glass nodule (GGN) (56.6%). EGFR mutation was not associated with recurrence and death in either the entire cohort or GGN cohort. However, for patients with radiologic pure-solid appearance, EGFR mutation was an independent risk factor for RFS (aHR, 1.623, 95%CI, 1.192-2.210) and distant-recurrence (aHR, 1.863, 95%CI, 1.311-2.650), but not OS. Subsequently, subgroup analysis based on EGFR mutation subtypes including 19-Del, L858R, and Rare-mutations in patients with radiologic pure-solid appearance, revealed that all three subtypes were have poorer RFS (19-Del: aHR, 1.424, 95%CI, 0.991-2.047; L858R: aHR, 1.708, 95%CI, 1.172-2.490; Rare-mutations: aHR, 2.500, 95%CI, 1.400-4.465) and higher prevalent distant-recurrence (19-Del: aHR, 1.595, 95%CI, 1.061-2.400; L858R: aHR, 2.073, 95%CI, 1.371-3.140; Rare-mutations: aHR, 2.657, 95%CI, 1.397-5.050) compared with wild-type.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma, EGFR mutation was associated with worse RFS and higher prevalent distant-recurrence in patients with radiologic pure-solid appearance, but not in patients with GGN.

Acupuncture for gait disturbance of patients with subacute and chronic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

INTRODUCTION

Hemiparetic gait is one of the most common sequelae of a stroke. Acupuncture has shown potential in correcting hemiplegic gait patterns and improving motor function recovery after stroke. However, controversial findings and a lack of supportive evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture for post-stroke hemiplegia. The intelligent gait analysis system provides a new perspective for the study of hemiparetic gait. This systematic review aims to collect relevant studies and critically evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in alleviating gait disturbance of post-stroke hemiplegia based on quantified gait parameters.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane stroke group trials register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, AMED, three Chinese databases (Chinese Biomedical Literatures database (CBM), National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan fang Digital Periodicals), four trails registries (The WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, The US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register, and The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry) will be conducted to identify randomised controlled trials of acupuncture for gait disturbance in post-stroke patients. No restrictions on language or publication status. The primary outcomes are gait temporospatial parameters (eg, step length, stride length, step width, step frequency (cadence), walking speed, etc), and gait kinematic parameters (eg, hip peak flex/extend angle, knee peak flex/extend angle, ankle peak dorsi/plantar-flexion angle, etc). We will assess bias using the approach recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. A meta-analysis will be conducted to synthesise the evidence for each outcome measure. The χ² test and I² statistic will be used for assessing heterogeneity between studies.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

No ethical approval is needed because no primary data is collected. Scientific conferences or peer-reviewed journals will publish the findings.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022384348.

Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles for NIR-Induced Photothermal Therapy of Potential Application in Cervical Cancer

Photothermal therapy (PTT) holds great promise for cancer treatment with its effective ablation of solid tumors. As the essential core point, photothermal agents (PTAs) with excellent photothermal properties and good biocompatibility could help to fulfill highly efficient PTT. Herein, a novel type of nanoplatform Fe₃O₄@PDA/ICG (FPI) nanoparticle (NP) was designed and synthesized, which was composed of magnetic Fe₃O₄ and near-infrared excitable indocyanine green via encapsulation of polydopamine. The FPI NPs showed spherical structures in shape with uniform distribution and good chemical stability. Under 793 nm laser irradiation, FPI NPs could generate hyperthermia of 54.1 °C and photothermal conversion efficiency of 35.21%. The low cytotoxicity of FPI NPs was further evaluated and confirmed on HeLa cells with a high survival rate (90%). Moreover, under laser irradiation (793 nm), FPI NPs showed effective photothermal therapeutic characteristics for HeLa cells. Therefore, FPI NPs, as one of the promising PTAs, have great potential in the field of PTT for tumor treatment.

Identification and characterization of 7-azaindole derivatives as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 spike-hACE2 protein interaction

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has become a global public health crisis. The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells is facilitated by the binding of its spike protein (S1-RBD) to the host receptor hACE2. Small molecule compounds targeting S1-RBD-hACE2 interaction could provide an alternative therapeutic strategy sensitive to viral mutations. In this study, we identified G7a as a hit compound that targets the S1-RBD-hACE2 interaction, using high-throughput screening in the SARS2-S pseudovirus model. To enhance the antiviral activity of G7a, we designed and synthesized a series of novel 7-azaindole derivatives that bind to the S1-RBD-hACE2 interface. Surprisingly, ASM-7 showed excellent antiviral activity and low cytotoxicity, as confirmed by pseudovirus and native virus assays. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that ASM-7 could stably bind to the binding interface of S1-RBD-hACE2, forming strong non-covalent interactions with key residues. Furthermore, the binding of ASM-7 caused alterations in the structural dynamics of both S1-RBD and hACE2, resulting in a decrease in their binding affinity and ultimately impeding the viral invasion of host cells. Our findings demonstrate that ASM-7 is a promising lead compound for developing novel therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2.

Reversible bonding of microfluidics: Review and applications

With the development of microfluidic technology, new materials and fabrication methods have been constantly invented in the field of microfluidics. Bonding is one of the key steps for the fabrication of enclosed-channel microfluidic chips, which have been extensively explored by researchers globally. The main purpose of bonding is to seal/enclose fabricated microchannels for subsequent fluid manipulations. Conventional bonding methods are usually irreversible, and the forced detachment of the substrate and cover plate may lead to structural damage to the chip. Some of the current microfluidic applications require reversible bonding to reuse the chip or retrieve the contents inside the chip. Therefore, it is essential to develop reversible bonding methods to meet the requirements of various applications. This review introduces the most recent developments in reversible bonding methods in microfluidics and their corresponding applications. Finally, the perspective and outlook of reversible bonding technology were discussed in this review.

Optimal transplantation strategy using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for acute myocardial infarction in nonhuman primates

Cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) have the potential to be a therapeutic option for myocardium restoration. However, hiPSC-CMs of varying maturation and transplantation routes exhibit different reactivity and therapeutic effects. We previously demonstrated that the saponin⁺ compound induces more mature hiPSC-CMs. The safety and efficacy of multi-route transplantation of saponin⁺ compound-induced hiPSC-CMs in a nonhuman primate with myocardial infarction will be investigated for the first time in this study. Our findings indicate that optimized hiPSC-CMs transplanted via intramyocardial and intravenous routes may affect myocardial functions by homing or mitochondrial transfer to the damaged myocardium to play a direct therapeutic role as well as indirect beneficial roles via anti-apoptotic and pro-angiogenesis mechanisms mediated by different paracrine growth factors. Due to significant mural thrombosis, higher mortality, and unilateral renal shrinkage, intracoronary transplantation of hiPSC-CMs requires closer attention to anticoagulation and caution in clinical use. Collectively, our data strongly indicated that intramyocardial transplantation of hiPSC-CMs is the ideal technique for clinical application; multiple cell transfers are recommended to achieve steady and protracted efficacy because intravenous transplantation's potency fluctuates. Thus, our study offers a rationale for choosing a therapeutic cell therapy and the best transplantation strategy for optimally induced hiPSC-CMs.

Precision Measurement of the Decay Σ^{+}→pγ in the Process J/ψ→Σ^{+}Σ[over ¯]^{-}

Using (10 087±44)×10^{6} J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector, the radiative hyperon decay Σ^{+}→pγ is studied at an electron-positron collider experiment for the first time. The absolute branching fraction is measured to be (0.996±0.021_{stat}±0.018_{syst})×10^{-3}, which is lower than its world average value by 4.2 standard deviations. Its decay asymmetry parameter is determined to be -0.652±0.056_{stat}±0.020_{syst}. The branching fraction and decay asymmetry parameter are the most precise to date, and the accuracies are improved by 78% and 34%, respectively.

A cross-sectional study of non-suicidal self-injury in a Chinese adolescent inpatient cohort

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant predictor of completed suicide and is increasingly recognized as a serious public health concern. Multiple factors, including social, familial, mental, and genetic factors could influence the occurrence of this behavior. Identifying the early risk factors is important for screening and preventing this behavior.

Methods

Here, we recruited a total of 742 adolescent inpatient participants from a mental health center and conducted a series of diagnostic interviews and questionnaires to assess NSSI behavior and other events. Bivariate analysis was used to detect differences between groups in NSSI and non-NSSI. Then, binary logistic regression was fitted to identify predictors of NSSI as a function of these questionnaire scores.

Results

Of the 742 adolescents examined, a total of 382 (51.5%) participants engaged in NSSI. Bivariate analysis showed that age, gender, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and childhood trauma was significantly associated with NSSI. Logistic regression results suggested that females had 2.43 higher odds of engaging in NSSI when compared to their male counterparts (OR = 3.43, 95%CI = 2.09-5.74, p = 1.70 × 10^-6). Depression was a primary risk predictor for NSSI with each additional increase in symptoms of depression increasing the odds of engaging in NSSI by 18% (OR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.12-1.25, p = 2.25 × 10^-8).

Conclusion

More than half of the adolescent inpatients with psychiatric disorders have NSSI experience. Depression and gender were the risk factors for NSSI. Age at a specific range had a high prevalence of NSSI.

[Comparison of the predictive value of Padua and the IMPEDE assessment scores for venous thromboembolism in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: A single institution experience]

Objective: To compare the predictive efficacy of the two thrombosis risk assessment scores (Padua and IMPEDE scores) in venous thromboembolism (VTE) within 6 months in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) in China. Methods: This study reviewed the clinical data of 421 patients with NDMM hospitalized in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from April 2014 to February 2022. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and Youden index of the two scores were calculated to quantify the thrombus risk assessment of VTE by the Padua and IMPEDE scores. The receiver operating characteristics curves of the two evaluation scores were drawn. Results: The incidence of VTE was 14.73%. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and Youden index of the Padua score were 100%, 0%, 14.7%, and 0% and that of the IMPEDE score was 79%, 44%, 49.2%, and 23%, respectively. The areas under the curve of Padua and IMPEDE risk assessment scores were 0.591 and 0.722, respectively. Conclusion: IMPEDE score is suitable for predicting VTE within 6 months in patients with NDMM.

Investigation into Photolithography Process of FPCB with 18 µm Line Pitch

Due to the widespread application of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs), attention is increasing being paid to photolithography simulation with the continuous development of ultraviolet (UV) photolithography manufacturing. This study investigates the exposure process of an FPCB with an 18 µm line pitch. Using the finite difference time domain method, the light intensity distribution was calculated to predict the profiles of the developed photoresist. Moreover, the parameters of incident light intensity, air gap, and types of media that significantly influence the profile quality were studied. Using the process parameters obtained by photolithography simulation, FPCB samples with an 18 µm line pitch were successfully prepared. The results show that a higher incident light intensity and a smaller air gap result in a larger photoresisst profile. Better profile quality was obtained when water was used as the medium. The reliability of the simulation model was validated by comparing the profiles of the developed photoresist via four experimental samples.

Chemical and microbiological characterization of pig manures and digestates

Livestock and poultry breeding modes, feed compositions and manure collection systems have regional characteristics, which can directly affect the composition of livestock and poultry breeding manure, energy production by anaerobic digestion and resource utilization of products. The chemical, heavy metal contents and microbiological characteristics of pig manures and digestates were characterized in five pig farms and biogas plants in Quzhou (Zhejiang Province) in this study. The results showed that hemicellulose and cellulose of pig manures could be partly degraded in anaerobic digestion, but lignin was difficultly degraded and accumulated in digestates. The content of Zn was highest in the pig manure and digestate samples, followed by Cu, Cr, As, Ni, Pb, Cd, T1 and Hg. The As content was 16.09-31.22 mg kg^-1 in the pig manure and digestate samples, which exceeded the standard limitation requirements in fertilizers in China (≤15 mg kg^-1). Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Spirochaetota dominated in the pig manure and digestate samples, with a relative abundance of 73.6%-99.4%. The microbial community structure in the pig manure samples was quite different among the five farms. The pH, contents of lignin, T1 and As had a significant effect on the microbial community structure in the pig manure samples, while the contents of total phosphorus, NO₃^--N, cellulose and Pb could significantly influence the microbial community structure in the digestate samples. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for recycling manure and improving biogas engineering in large-scale pig farms.

Identification of Dynamic Active Sites Among Cu Species Derived from MOFs@CuPc for Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction Reaction to Ammonia

Direct electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NITRR) is a promising strategy to alleviate the unbalanced nitrogen cycle while achieving the electrosynthesis of ammonia. However, the restructuration of the high-activity Cu-based electrocatalysts in the NITRR process has hindered the identification of dynamical active sites and in-depth investigation of the catalytic mechanism. Herein, Cu species (single-atom, clusters, and nanoparticles) with tunable loading supported on N-doped TiO2/C are successfully manufactured with MOFs@CuPc precursors via the pre-anchor and post-pyrolysis strategy. Restructuration behavior among Cu species is co-dependent on the Cu loading and reaction potential, as evidenced by the advanced operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and there exists an incompletely reversible transformation of the restructured structure to the initial state. Notably, restructured CuN4&Cu4 deliver the high NH3 yield of 88.2 mmol h-1 gcata-1 and FE (~ 94.3%) at - 0.75 V, resulting from the optimal adsorption of NO3- as well as the rapid conversion of *NH2OH to *NH2 intermediates originated from the modulation of charge distribution and d-band center for Cu site. This work not only uncovers CuN4&Cu4 have the promising NITRR but also identifies the dynamic Cu species active sites that play a critical role in the efficient electrocatalytic reduction in nitrate to ammonia.

A Single-Side Micromachined MPa-Scale High-Temperature Pressure Sensor

This paper proposes a piezoresistive high-temperature absolute pressure sensor based on (100)/(111) hybrid SOI (silicon-on-insulator) silicon wafers, where the active layer is (100) silicon and the handle layer is (111) silicon. The 1.5 MPa ranged sensor chips are designed with the size as tiny as 0.5 × 0.5 mm, and the chips are fabricated only from the front side of the wafer for simple, high-yield and low-cost batch production. Herein, the (100) active layer is specifically used to form high-performance piezoresistors for high-temperature pressure sensing, while the (111) handle layer is used to single-side construct the pressure-sensing diaphragm and the pressure-reference cavity beneath the diaphragm. Benefitting from front-sided shallow dry etching and self-stop lateral wet etching inside the (111)-silicon substrate, the thickness of the pressure-sensing diaphragm is uniform and controllable, and the pressure-reference cavity is embedded into the handle layer of (111) silicon. Without the conventionally used double-sided etching, wafer bonding and cavity-SOI manufacturing, a very small sensor chip size of 0.5 × 0.5 mm is achieved. The measured performance of the 1.5 MPa ranged pressure sensor exhibits a full-scale output of approximately 59.55 mV/1500 kPa/3.3 VDC in room temperature and a high overall accuracy (combined with hysteresis, non-linearity and repeatability) of 0.17%FS within the temperature range of -55 °C to 350 °C. In addition, the thermal hysteresis is also evaluated as approximately 0.15%FS at 350 °C. The tiny-sized high temperature pressure sensors are promising in various industrial automatic control applications and wind tunnel testing systems.

[Surface modification of multifunctional ferrite magnetic nanoparticles and progress in biomedicine]

Magnetic ferrite nanoparticles (MFNPs) have great application potential in biomedical fields such as magnetic resonance imaging, targeted drugs, magnetothermal therapy and gene delivery. MFNPs can migrate under the action of a magnetic field and target specific cells or tissues. However, to apply MFNPs to organisms, further modifications on the surface of MFNPs are required. In this paper, the common modification methods of MFNPs are reviewed, their applications in medical fields such as bioimaging, medical detection, and biotherapy are summarized, and the future application directions of MFNPs are further prospected.

Effects of Eggshell Thickness, Calcium Content, and Number of Pores in Erosion Craters on Hatching Rate of Chinese Alligator Eggs

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis), found only in a small region in southeastern Anhui Province, is listed as critically endangered (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its current declining population trend. Any abnormalities in the physical properties of an egg can decrease the hatching rate. In particular, eggshells play an essential role in embryo development, motivating us to analyze the microstructures of the eggshells of Chinese alligators. In this study, we categorized the eggshells into two groups, based on the hatching rates, and analyzed the relationship between the eggshell parameters (eggshell thickness, calcium content, and number of pores in erosion craters) and the hatching rate, as well as the relationships between the eggshell parameters. We found that the shells of the eggs with high hatching rates were thicker than those of the eggs with low hatching rates. There were also fewer erosion-crater pores on the surfaces of the eggs with high hatching rates than on the surfaces of the eggs with low hatching rates. Moreover, the shell Ca content was significantly higher in the eggs with high hatching rates than in the eggs with low hatching rates. Cluster modeling indicated that the highest hatching rate occurred when the eggshell thickness was 200-380 µm and there were 1-12 pores. These results suggest that eggs with adequate Ca contents, thicker shells, and less air permeability are more likely to hatch. Furthermore, our findings can inform future studies, which will be vital for the survival of the critically endangered Chinese alligator species.

Measurements of the Electric and Magnetic Form Factors of the Neutron for Timelike Momentum Transfer

We present the first measurements of the electric and magnetic form factors of the neutron in the timelike (positive q^{2}) region as function of four-momentum transfer. We explored the differential cross sections of the reaction e^{+}e^{-}→n[over ¯]n with data collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII accelerator, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 354.6  pb^{-1} in total at twelve center-of-mass energies between sqrt[s]=2.0-2.95  GeV. A relative uncertainty of 18% and 12% for the electric and magnetic form factors, respectively, is achieved at sqrt[s]=2.3935  GeV. Our results are comparable in accuracy to those from electron scattering in the comparable spacelike region of four-momentum transfer. The electromagnetic form factor ratio R_{em}≡|G_{E}|/|G_{M}| is within the uncertainties close to unity. We compare our result on |G_{E}| and |G_{M}| to recent model predictions, and the measurements in the spacelike region to test the analyticity of electromagnetic form factors.

Differences in structure and composition of soil humic substances and their binding for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different climatic zones

Humic substances (HSs) play important roles in the transport and bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in soils. The sorption of HOCs depends on the compositions and structures of HSs which may differ in different climatic zones, however, the sorption behavior of HOCs by HSs in soils from different climatic zones is poorly understood. In this study, different HS fractions (humic acids-HAs, fulvic acids-FAs and humin-HM) in soils from different climatic zones were extracted and used as sorbents for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results indicated that HSs (including HA, FA and HM fractions) from colder climatic zones contained more oxygen-containing functional groups and exhibited smaller molecular weight as well as higher aliphaticity and polarity than those from warmer climatic zones. The sorption affinity of HAs at the low given concentration (0.05 Sw) of naphthalene (Nap), phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr) and benz(α)anthracene (BaA) from warmer climatic zones to colder ones increased from 26.3 to 43.9, from 36.7 to 114.0, from 125.8 to 388.8, and from 322.5 to 876.1, respectively, and the same trends were obtained for FAs and HM at the same PAH concentration. The results indicated that HSs from colder climatic zones showed higher sorption affinity than those from warmer climatic zones. Moreover, the weighted contributions of FAs, HAs and HM to the overall sorption from different climatic zones were 9.1-28.4%, 13.5-59.2% and 23.4-76.9%, respectively. This indicates FA fraction, a previously neglected component, is also an important contributor to binding PAHs in soils. This study suggests that the difference in sorption behaviors of HOCs to HSs among different climatic zones should be considered when predicting HOC fates and bioavailability in soils.

Repair of Ramp Lesions of the Medial Meniscus With ACL Reconstruction Can Better Restore Knee Stability: A Cadaveric Study

Background

Ramp lesions of the medial meniscus have an impact on joint stability in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knees, but the impact of lesion length and repair is unclear.

Purpose/Hypothesis

The purpose of this cadaveric study was to evaluate the effect of medial meniscal ramp lesion repair on the biomechanics of ACL-deficient knee joints. It was hypothesized that (1) ramp lesions will increase the anterior tibial translation (ATT), internal rotation (IR), and external rotation (ER) in ACL-deficient knee joints; (2) increasing the length of the ramp lesion will further increase the ATT, IR, and ER; and (3) repairing the ramp lesion will reduce the ATT, IR, and ER after ACL reconstruction.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Included were 9 fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens (4 left knees, 5 right knees; 6 males and 3 females; mean age, 60 years [range, 40-73 years]). The specimens were tested on a biomechanical rig. Two external loading conditions were applied: a 134-N anterior tibial load and 5-N·m internal/external tibial torque with the knee at full extension and at 15°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of flexion. ATT was tracked via a high-speed video camera. The following knee states were tested: intact; ACL-deficient; ACL-deficient combined with a 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20 mm-long ramp lesion of the medial meniscus; ACL reconstruction; and ACL reconstruction combined with ramp lesion repair. The ATT, IR, and ER at all knee angles were analyzed by 1-way analysis of variance.

Results

The ATT, IR, and ER were significantly increased after cutting of the ACL (P < .05). The ATT, IR, and ER continued to increase when ACL deficiency was combined with ramp lesions of 5 to 20 mm in length (P < .05). The ATT, IR, and ER significantly decreased after ACL reconstruction and ACL reconstruction combined with ramp lesion repair (P < .05).

Conclusion

The laxity of knees with ACL deficiency combined with a ramp lesion of the medial meniscus increased more obviously as the ramp lesion increased in length. In a cadaveric model, ACL reconstruction combined with ramp repair improved knee joint stability.

Plastic responses lead to increased neurotoxin production in the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia under ocean warming and acidification

Ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA) are recognized as two major climatic conditions influencing phytoplankton growth and nutritional or toxin content. However, there is limited knowledge on the responses of harmful algal bloom species that produce toxins. Here, the study provides quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the acclimation and adaptation responses of the domoic acid (DA) producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries to rising temperature and pCO2 using both a one-year in situ bulk culture experiment, and an 800-day laboratory acclimation experiment. Ocean warming showed larger selective effects on growth and DA metabolism than ocean acidification. In a bulk culture experiment, increasing temperature +4 °C above ambient seawater temperature significantly increased DA concentration by up to 11-fold. In laboratory when the long-term warming acclimated samples were assayed under low temperatures, changes in growth rates and DA concentrations indicated that P. multiseries did not adapt to elevated temperature, but could instead rapidly and reversibly acclimate to temperature shifts. However, the warming-acclimated lines showed evidence of adaptation to elevated temperatures in the transcriptome data. Here the core gene expression was not reversed when warming-acclimated lines were moved back to the low temperature environment, which suggested that P. multiseries cells might adapt to rising temperature over longer timescales. The distinct strategies of phenotypic plasticity to rising temperature and pCO2 demonstrate a strong acclimation capacity for this bloom-forming toxic diatom in the future ocean.

Observation of Three Charmoniumlike States with J^{PC}=1^{--} in e^{+}e^{-}→D^{*0}D^{*-}π^{+}

The Born cross sections of the process e^{+}e^{-}→D^{*0}D^{*-}π^{+} at center-of-mass energies from 4.189 to 4.951 GeV are measured for the first time. The data samples used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 17.9  fb^{-1} and were collected by the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring. Three enhancements around 4.20, 4.47, and 4.67 GeV are visible. The resonances have masses of 4209.6±4.7±5.9  MeV/c^{2}, 4469.1±26.2±3.6  MeV/c^{2}, and 4675.3±29.5±3.5  MeV/c^{2} and widths of 81.6±17.8±9.0  MeV, 246.3±36.7±9.4  MeV, and 218.3±72.9±9.3  MeV, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The first and third resonances are consistent with the ψ(4230) and ψ(4660) states, respectively, while the second one is compatible with the ψ(4500) observed in the e^{+}e^{-}→K^{+}K^{-}J/ψ process. These three charmoniumlike ψ states are observed in the e^{+}e^{-}→D^{*0}D^{*-}π^{+} process for the first time.

Myocardin-related transcription factor A, regulated by serum response factor, contributes to diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice

AIMS

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a significant contributor to the global pandemic of heart failure. In the present study we investigated the involvement of myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTF-A), a transcriptional regulator, in this process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Diabetic cardiomyopathy was induced in mice by feeding with a high-fat diet (HFD) or streptozotocin (STZ) injection.

KEY FINDINGS

We report that MRTF-A was up-regulated in the hearts of mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy. MRTF-A expression was also up-regulated by treatment with palmitate in cultured cardiomyocytes in vitro. Mechanistically, serum response factor (SRF) bound to the MRTF-A gene promoter and activated MRTF-A transcription in response to pro-diabetic stimuli. Knockdown of SRF abrogated MRTF-A induction in cardiomyocytes treated with palmitate. When cardiomyocytes conditional MRTF-A knockout mice (MRTF-A CKO) and wild type (WT) mice were placed on an HFD to induce diabetic cardiomyopathy, it was found that the CKO mice and the WT mice displayed comparable metabolic parameters including body weight, blood insulin concentration, blood cholesterol concentration, and glucose tolerance. However, both systolic and diastolic cardiac function were exacerbated by MRTF-A deletion in the heart.

SIGNIFICANCE

These data suggest that MRTF-A up-regulation might serve as an important compensatory mechanism to safeguard the deterioration of cardiac function during diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Microbial community structure dynamics of invasive bullfrog with meningitis-like infectious disease

Meningitis-like infectious disease (MID) (also known as frog cataract and torticollis) is a disease prone to occur in amphibians and reptiles. It is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. In this study, we sampled and sequenced microbiomes from oral and intestinal samples of five normal and five diseased bullfrogs. The analysis found that the richness, uniformity, and abundance of the microbial community of the diseased bullfrogs were significantly higher than those of the normal bullfrogs in both the oral cavity and the gut. In the diseased group, the abundance of Elizabethkingia significantly increased and that of Lactococcus significantly decreased. It showed that the structure of the microbial community had changed a lot in diseased frogs. After the pathogenic bacteria infected the body, it might be make the decline in the immune function of the body declined, and resulting in some conditional pathogenic bacteria in the water body further infecting the body. As a result, the richness and composition of the microbial community significantly changed. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the control of MID of bullfrogs.

[Related factors of negative conversion time of nucleic acid in children with COVID-19]

Objective: To explore the related factors of negative conversion time (NCT) of nucleic acid in children with COVID-19. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 225 children who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to Changxing Branch of Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from April 3^rd to May 31^st 2022 were enrolled in the study. The infection age, gender, viral load, basic disease, clinical symptoms and information of accompanying caregivers were retrospectively analyzed. According to age, the children were divided into<3 years of age group and 3-<18 years of age group. According to the viral nucleic acid test results, the children were divided into positive accompanying caregiver group and negative accompanying caregiver group. Comparisons between groups were performed using Mann-Whitney U test or Chi-square test. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors of NCT of nucleic acid in children with COVID-19. Results: Among the 225 patients (120 boys and 105 girls) of age 2.8 (1.3, 6.2) years, 119 children <3 years and 106 children 3-<18 years of age, 19 cases were diagnosed with moderate COVID-19, and the other 206 cases were diagnosed with mild COVID-19. There were 141 patients in the positive accompanying caregiver group and 84 patients in the negative accompanying caregiver group.Patients 3-<18 years of age had a shorter NCT (5 (3, 7) vs.7 (4, 9) d, Z=-4.17, P<0.001) compared with patients <3 years of age. Patients in the negative accompanying caregiver group had a shorter NCT (5 (3, 7) vs.6 (4, 9) d,Z=-2.89,P=0.004) compared with patients in the positive accompanying caregiver group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that anorexia was associated with NCT of nucleic acid (OR=3.74,95%CI 1.69-8.31, P=0.001). Conclusion: Accompanying caregiver with positive nucleic acid test may prolong NCT of nucleic acid, and decreased appetite may be associated with prolonged NCT of nucleic acid in children with COVID-19.

Preoperative sintilimab plus transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma exceeding the Milan criteria: A phase II trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Many patients with HCC of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A exceeding the Milan criteria, or of BCLC stage B, can undergo resection after successful preoperative therapy, but an optimal approach has not been identified. We investigated preoperative drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) plus sintilimab, in this setting.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

In this prospective, phase II study (NCT04174781), adults with HCC of BCLC stage A exceeding the Milan criteria, or BCLC stage B, and ineligible for surgical resection, received sintilimab 200 mg and DEB-TACE. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival by modified RECIST. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate, pathologic response rate, and safety. At the data cutoff (July 2022), among 60 patients, the objective response rate was 62% (37/60) and 51 patients had undergone surgery. After a median follow-up of 26.0 months (range, 3.4-31.8), the median progression-free survival was 30.5 months (95% CI: 16.1-not reached). Among patients undergoing surgery, median progression-free survival was not reached and the 12-month progression-free survival rate was 76% (95% CI: 67-91). A pathologic complete response was achieved in 14% (7/51) of these patients. All patients experienced at least one adverse event, but these were generally manageable. Exploratory analyses showed an association between cytokeratin, V-domain Ig-containing Suppressor of T-cell Activation, CD68, CD169, and cluster 13 fibroblasts and recurrence after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Sintilimab plus DEB-TACE before surgery showed good efficacy and safety in patients with HCC of BCLC stage A exceeding the Milan criteria or BCLC stage B.

In Situ Self-Assembly of Nanoscale Particles into Macroscale Ordered Monolayers with Enhanced Memory Performance

In situ fabrication of macroscale ordered monolayers of nanoparticles (NPs) on targeted substrates is highly desirable for precision electronic and optical devices, while it remains a great challenge. In this study, a solution is provided to address this challenge by developing a colloidal ink formulation and employing the direct-ink-writing (DIW) technique, where on-demand delivery of ink at a targeted location and directional evaporation with controllable rate are leveraged to precisely guide the deposition of polystyrene-grafted gold NPs (Au@PS NPs) into a macroscale monolayer with an ordered Au NP array embedded in a PS thin film. A 2D steady-state diffusion-controlled evaporation model, which explains the parameter dependence of the experimental results and gives semiquantitative agreement with the experimental evaporation kinetics is proposed. The ordered monolayer is used as both nanocrystal floating gates and the tunneling layer for nonvolatile memory devices. It shows significantly enhanced performance compared with a disordered NP film prepared by spin coating. This approach allows for fine control of NP self-assembly to print macroscaleordered monolayers directly onto substrates, which has great promise for application in broad fields, including microelectronic and photoelectronic devices, sensors, and functional coatings.

A strategy for nitrogen conversion in aquaculture water based on poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis

Ammonia and nitrite are nitrogenous pollutants in aquaculture effluents, which pose a major threat to the health of aquatic animals. In this study, we developed a nitrogen conversion strategy based on synthesis of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) by Bacillus subtilis NX-2. The nitrogen removal efficiency of NX-2 was closely related to synthesizing γ-PGA, and was positively correlated with the inoculum level. The degradation rates of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite at 10⁴ CFU/mL were 84.42 % and 62.56 %, respectively. Through adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) experiment, we obtained a strain named ALE 5 M with ammonia degradation rate of 98.03 % and nitrite of 93.62 % at the inoculum level of 10⁴ CFU/mL. Transcriptome analysis showed that the strain was more likely to produce γ-PGA after ALE. By enzyme activity and qPCR analysis, we confirmed that ALE 5 M degraded ammonia nitrogen through γ-PGA synthesis, which provided a new way for nitrogen removal in aquaculture water.

Hydrothermal treatment enhances energy recovery from pig manure digestate and improves the properties of residues

Energy recovery from biowaste is of high significance for a sustainable society. Herein, hydrothermal treatment (HT) was applied to valorize pig manure digestate. The effects of hydrothermal operational parameters, including temperature (130-250 °C), residence time (15-90 min), and total solid (TS) concentration (10%-20%), on reducing sugar yield were investigated in this study. Among them, hydrothermal temperature was identified as the most important factor influencing reducing sugar yield, followed by the TS concentration and time. The optimal hydrothermal conditions for the pig manure digestate were 175.6 °C, 35.4 min and a TS concentration of 10% with a reduced sugar yield of 9.81 mg gTS^-1. The addition of hydrolysate could enhance methane production by 21.6-50.4% from the anaerobic digestion of pig manure than that without the hydrolysate addition. After HT, the hygienic quality, including fecal coliform number and ascaris egg mortality, was improved in the residual digestate. Antibiotics such as sulfamonomethoxine, oxytetracycline, doxycycline and sulfaclodazine in the pig manure digestate were decomposed during HT and decreased environmental risk. These findings indicated that the hydrothermal process might be an effective technique to recover energy from the digestate of livestock and poultry manure and to improve the residual digestate for subsequent utilization.