[Immune reconstitution and influencing factors in HIV infected men who have sex with men with access to antiviral therapy in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2005 to 2021]

Objective: To analyze immune reconstitution and influencing factors in HIV infected men who have sex with men (MSM) with access to antiviral therapy (ART) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) during 2005-2021. Methods: The data were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The study subjects were HIV infected MSM with access to the initial ART for ≥24 weeks in Guangxi from 2005 to 2021 and HIV RNA lower than the detection limit within 24 months. The proportion of infected MSM who had immune reconstitution after ART was calculated. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of immune reconstitution. Software SPSS 24.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 3 200 HIV infected MSM were enrolled, in whom 15.56 % (498/3 200) had no immune reconstitution, 14.78% (473/3 200) had moderate immune reconstitution, and the rate of complete immune reconstitution was 69.66% (2 229/3 200). The M (Q1, Q3) of ART time for immune reconstitution was 12 (5, 27) months. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression model analysis results showed that compared with those with initial ART at age ≥30 years, WHO clinical stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ illness, baseline BMI <18.50 kg/m2 and baseline CD4+T lymphocyte (CD4) counts <200 cells/µl, HIV infected MSM with initial ART at age <30 years, WHO clinical stageⅠ/Ⅱ illness, baseline BMI≥24.00 kg/m2 and baseline CD4 counts ≥200 cells/µl were more likely to have complete immune reconstitution. Conclusions: In the HIV infected MSM in Guangxi, failures to achieve moderate and complete immune reconstitution were observed. Surveillance and ART regimen should be improved for key populations, such as those with older age and low baseline CD4 counts.

Eu3+ doped CaWO4 nanophosphor for high sensitivity optical thermometry

Eu3+ doped calcium tungstate phosphors were obtained by using sodium citrate as chelating agent in hydrothermal process. The structure and morphology of the samples were indicated by XRD and the FE-SEM. The samples prepared by us are scheelite structure. In addition, the particle size of sample decreases with sodium citrate dosage increasing, and finally reaches the nanoscale. The average particle size is 90 nm. The temperature measurement properties of phosphors were tested. It can be seen from test results that the thermal quenching behavior of Eu3+ and WO42- luminescence has obvious difference. Hence, the FIR of Eu3+ and WO42- can be used to express temperature. The maximum relative sensitivity increases with the decrease of particle size and the maximum is 4.3% K-1 (303 K, 90 nm). Moreover, the color of sample luminescence altered continuously from blue to pink-red as the temperature increased. The luminous color of the sample can be used to roughly estimate the temperature. Therefore, the CaWO4: Eu3+ nanophosphor are promising materials for optical thermometry.

Impact of Practical Online Lessons on Chinese Medical Students' Perception of Radiation Oncology

Radiotherapy is an essential component of oncology treatment. It is imperative that clinicians and medical students have a fundamental understanding of radiotherapy. However, radiation oncology education is deficient worldwide. This study introduced an hour-long online Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) as a supplement to the basic curriculum for 8-year medical students at Peking Union Medical College and Tsinghua University in China. The students' personal opinions and comprehension of radiation oncology therapy were assessed through pre- and post-test questionnaires before and after the MOOC study. The results indicated that the percentage of students interested in radiotherapy increased, and their knowledge of radiotherapy significantly improved after the online MOOC study, suggesting that short-term MOOC study may stimulate students' interest in learning and improving their knowledge of radiation therapy. The study suggests that the combination of online and offline teaching may be a feasible way to develop radiation oncology education in the future.

Optical Temperature Sensing Based on Linear Change of Luminescence Intensity Ratio in Y2O3: Tm3+, Eu3+ Phosphors

In this work, Y2O3: Tm3+, Eu3+ phosphors were made by homogeneous precipitation with urea as precipitator. The emission spectra varying with temperature of Y2O3: Tm3+, Eu3+ phosphors were measured and analyzed. Analysis show that the luminescence of Eu3+ represents a normal thermal quenching change, while that of Tm3+ exhibits slow thermal enhancement phenomenon. In the temperature range of 303-503 K, the luminescence of Tm3+ showed a trend of first strengthening and then weakening. The reason for this phenomenon of Tm3+ is that there is energy transfer from Eu3+ to Tm3+, and the energy transfer efficiency increases gradually with temperature. Meanwhile, the luminescence of Tm3+ also have thermal quenching effect. Under the combined influence of thermal quenching and energy transfer, the luminescence of Tm3+ first becomes stronger and then then becomes weaker. According to the calculation, the luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) of Tm3+ and Eu3+ conforms to the linear empirical formula with increasing temperature. The relative sensitivity of phosphors decreases with Eu3+ concentration increased, and the maximum Sr reaches 0.460% K-1 (1% Tm3+, 0.3% Eu3+, at 303 K). Moreover, the temperature cycle test present that the LIR of phosphors has good repeatability.

Synthesis and Characterization of U≡C Triple Bonds in Fullerene Compounds

Despite decades of efforts, the actinide-carbon triple bond has remained an elusive target, defying synthesis in any isolable compound. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of uranium-carbon triple bonds in carbide-bridged bimetallic [U≡C-Ce] units encapsulated inside the fullerene cages of C72 and C78. The molecular structures of UCCe@C2n and the nature of the U≡C triple bond were characterized through X-ray crystallography and various spectroscopic analyses, revealing very short uranium-carbon bonds of 1.921(6) and 1.930(6) Å, with the metals existing in their highest oxidation states of +6 and +4 for uranium and cerium, respectively. Quantum-chemical studies further demonstrate that the C2n cages are crucial for stabilizing the [UVI≡C-CeIV] units through covalent and coordinative interactions. This work offers a new fundamental understanding of the elusive uranium-carbon triple bond and informs the design of complexes with similar bonding motifs, opening up new possibilities for creating distinctive molecular compounds and materials.

Potential Application of Orofacial MSCs in Tissue Engineering Nerve Guidance for Peripheral Nerve Injury Repair

Injury to the peripheral nerve causes potential loss of sensory and motor functions, and peripheral nerve repair (PNR) remains a challenging endeavor. The current clinical methods of nerve repair, such as direct suture, autografts, and acellular nerve grafts (ANGs), exhibit their respective disadvantages like nerve tension, donor site morbidity, size mismatch, and immunogenicity. Even though commercially available nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have demonstrated some clinical successes, the overall clinical outcome is still suboptimal, especially for nerve injuries with a large gap (≥ 3 cm) due to the lack of biologics. In the last two decades, the combination of advanced tissue engineering technologies, stem cell biology, and biomaterial science has significantly advanced the generation of a new generation of NGCs incorporated with biological factors or supportive cells, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which hold great promise to enhance peripheral nerve repair/regeneration (PNR). Orofacial MSCs are emerging as a unique source of MSCs for PNR due to their neural crest-origin and easy accessibility. In this narrative review, we have provided an update on the pathophysiology of peripheral nerve injury and the properties and biological functions of orofacial MSCs. Then we have highlighted the application of orofacial MSCs in tissue engineering nerve guidance for PNR in various preclinical models and the potential challenges and future directions in this field.

Feedstock optimization with rice husk chicken manure and mature compost during chicken manure composting: Quality and gaseous emissions

This study investigated the impact of mature compost input on compost quality, greenhouse gases (GHGs, i.e. methane and nitrous oxide) and ammonia emissions during chicken manure and rice husk chicken manure co-composting. The experiment used different volumes of mature compost: 10% (T1), 20% (T2), and 30% (T3) to replace rice husk chicken manure. Results showed that mature compost enhanced compost maturity by promoting the activities of Bacillus, Caldicoprobacter, Thermobifida, Pseudogracilibacillus, Brachybacterium, and Sinibacillus. Compared to CK, T1, T2, and T3 reduced NH3 emission by 32.07%, 33.64%, and 56.12%, and mitigated 14.97%, 16.57%, and 26.18% of total nitrogen loss, respectively. Additionally, T2 and T3 reduced CH4 emission by 40.98% and 62.24%, respectively. The N2O emissions were positive correlation with Lactobacillus, Pseudogracilibacillus and ammonium nitrogen (p < 0.05), while T2 reducing total greenhouse effects. Therefore, replacing rice husk chicken manure with 20% mature compost is an efficient and promising approach for composting.

Actinide-lanthanide single electron metal-metal bond formed in mixed-valence di-metallofullerenes

Understanding metal-metal bonding involving f-block elements has been a challenging goal in chemistry. Here we report a series of mixed-valence di-metallofullerenes, ThDy@C2n (2n = 72, 76, 78, and 80) and ThY@C2n (2n = 72 and 78), which feature single electron actinide-lanthanide metal-metal bonds, characterized by structural, spectroscopic and computational methods. Crystallographic characterization unambiguously confirmed that Th and Y or Dy are encapsulated inside variably sized fullerene carbon cages. The ESR study of ThY@D3h(5)-C78 shows a doublet as expected for an unpaired electron interacting with Y, and a SQUID magnetometric study of ThDy@D3h(5)-C78 reveals a high-spin ground state for the whole molecule. Theoretical studies further confirm the presence of a single-electron bonding interaction between Y or Dy and Th, due to a significant overlap between hybrid spd orbitals of the two metals.

Bayesian linear mixed model with multiple random effects for family-based genetic studies

Motivation: Family-based study design is one of the popular designs used in genetic research, and the whole-genome sequencing data obtained from family-based studies offer many unique features for risk prediction studies. They can not only provide a more comprehensive view of many complex diseases, but also utilize information in the design to further improve the prediction accuracy. While promising, existing analytical methods often ignore the information embedded in the study design and overlook the predictive effects of rare variants, leading to a prediction model with sub-optimal performance. Results: We proposed a Bayesian linear mixed model for the prediction analysis of sequencing data obtained from family-based studies. Our method can not only capture predictive effects from both common and rare variants, but also easily accommodate various disease model assumptions. It uses information embedded in the study design to form surrogates, where the predictive effects from unmeasured/unknown genetic and environmental risk factors can be modelled. Through extensive simulation studies and the analysis of sequencing data obtained from the Michigan State University Twin Registry study, we have demonstrated that the proposed method outperforms commonly adopted techniques. Availability: R package is available at https://github.com/yhai943/FBLMM.

Temporal Structures in Positron Spectra and Charge-Sign Effects in Galactic Cosmic Rays

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic positron fluxes in the rigidity range from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on 3.4×10^{6} positrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The positron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the electron fluxes at short and long timescales. A hysteresis between the electron fluxes and the positron fluxes is observed with a significance greater than 5σ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. On the contrary, the positron fluxes and the proton fluxes show similar time variation. Remarkably, we found that positron fluxes are modulated more than proton fluxes with a significance greater than 5σ for rigidities below 7 GV. These continuous daily positron fluxes, together with AMS daily electron, proton, and helium fluxes over an 11-year solar cycle, provide unique input to the understanding of both the charge-sign and mass dependencies of cosmic rays in the heliosphere.

Corrigendum: Use of autologous cord blood mononuclear cells infusion for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm neonates: a study protocol for a placebo-controlled randomized multicenter trial [NCT03053076]

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00136.].

[Analysis of late-diagnosis and associated factors in newly reported HIV infections among men who have sex with men in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2005-2021]

Objective: To analyze the trend of late-diagnosis of HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) before and after the AIDS Conquering Project in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) and its influencing factors, in order to find out the population groups that need priority intervention at the present stage. Methods: The HIV-infected MSM in Guangxi from 2005-2021 were selected from the National Integrated HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention Data System. The Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software was used to test the time trend of late-diagnosis and non-late-diagnosis cases, and logistic regression was applied to analyze the factors influencing the proportion of late-diagnosis at each stage. Results: From 2005 to 2021, 5 764 HIV-infected MSM were reported in Guangxi from 2005 to 2021, with an overall late-diagnosis of 28.45% (1 640 cases). Under the 2015 baseline data as the boundary, the proportion of late-diagnosis cases showed a trend of sharp decline followed by stabilization from 2005 to 2015, average annual percent change= -6.90% (P<0.001). The effect of factors such as resident population, occupation as a farmer or worker, and sample originating from medical consultation on late-diagnosis changed considerably before and after the implementation of the project, and the factors influencing late-diagnosis at this stage were age, resident population, occupation as a farmer, worker or student. The factors influencing late-diagnosis at this stage are age, resident population, and occupation as a farmer, worker and a student. Conclusions: The proportion of late diagnosis cases of HIV-infected MSM in Guangxi decreased significantly before and after the project. However, late-diagnosis should not be neglected and precise prevention and control should be carried out for the resident population, farmers, workers or students.

Efficacy of Nimotuzumab plus Concurrent Chemo-Radiotherapy for Unresectable Esophageal Cancer: A Real-World Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The esophageal cancer ranked 7th in the morbidity of malignant cancer and the 6th contributed to carcinoma deaths. Most patients are diagnosed of advanced stage at first visiting. The 5-year survival rate of unresectable esophageal cancer is about 20% after the standard treatment of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. Nimotuzumab, a humanized anti-EGFR antibody, has shown good efficacy and low toxicity in epithelial tumors. This two-center, real-world study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Totally 503 eligible unresectable ESCC patients from Jan 2014 to Dec 2020 were included. 1:2 nearest neighbor propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to match the Nimo group (nimotuzumab plus concurrent chemo-radiotherapy) and CRT group (concurrent chemo-radiotherapy), and the covariates included age, gender, tumor location, lesion length, TNM stage, clinical stage, and radiotherapy dose. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR).

RESULTS

A total of 61 patients were in Nimo group which received nimotuzumab (200 mg/w, 4-6 weeks) combined with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (chemotherapy: S-1/FP/TP/DP for 2-4 cycles; radiotherapy: 2DRT,3D-CRT or IMRT, 50-70 Gy in 25-35 fractions) and 107 patients in CRT group only received concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. The baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. The efficacy of Nimo group was better than that of CRT group. The ORR was 85.2% vs. 71.0%, (P=0.037), the DCR was 98.4% vs. 91.6%, (P>0.05). The median PFS was 28.07 months vs. 19.54 months, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year PFS rates were 78.2% vs. 72.9%, 37.5% vs. 28.3%, and 29.1% vs. 21.3%, respectively (HR: 0.6860, 95% CI: 0.4902-0.9600, P=0.034). The median OS was 34.93 months vs. 24.30 months and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 88.5% vs. 81.3%, 46.8% vs. 35.2% and 37.4% vs. 28.0%, respectively (HR: 0.6701, 95% CI: 0.4792-0.9372, P=0.024). The adverse events including radiation esophagitis, radiation pneumonitis, bone marrow suppression, nausea, vomiting, and rash were no significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Nimotuzumab combined with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy improved the ORR, and prolonged PFS and OS in unresectable ESCC patients with a good tolerance.

Room-Temperature, Multigram-Scale Synthesis and Conversion Mechanism of Highly Luminescent Lead Sulfide Quantum Dots

PbS quantum dots (QDs) are attractive near-infrared (NIR) materials, but traditional synthetic methods require inert atmosphere and/or high temperature. Herein we develop a facile, room-temperature synthetic route for in situ halide passivated PbS QDs through controllable reactions between lead halide, N,N'-diphenyl thiourea, and oleyamine (OLA) in toluene. Contrast experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that the OLA plays a bifunctional role as a mild base to initiate the formation of PbS monomers and as a dynamic ligand to control the crystallization of PbS QDs and further ligand exchange. The oleic acid-capped PbS QDs exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields up to 45%. The scaled-up synthesis on multigram scales shows great batch-to-batch consistency. We further demonstrate high-power NIR light-emitting diodes using the PbS QDs as color converters, delivering NIR optical power of 9.2 mW at 160 mA. This work provides a simple and versatile synthetic route for high-quality PbS QDs and boosts the applications of NIR materials.

Prophylactic Extended-Field Irradiation Versus Pelvic Irradiation in Patients With Cervical Cancer With 2018 FIGO Stage IIIC1 Disease

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to compare the survival rates and toxicities of prophylactic extended-field radiation therapy (EFRT) and pelvic radiation therapy (PRT) among patients with cervical cancer with 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIC1 disease.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively analyzed patients with 2018 FIGO stage IIIC1 disease who were treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy at our institute between 2011 and 2015. A dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions was delivered to the pelvic region (by PRT) or the pelvic plus para-aortic lymph node region (by EFRT) with intensity modulated radiation therapy. The first-line regimen of concurrent chemotherapy was weekly cisplatin.

RESULTS

A total of 280 patients were included, with 161 patients treated with PRT and 119 patients treated with EFRT. After propensity score matching (1:1), 71 pairs of patients were selected. The respective 5-year rates of the patients treated with PRT and EFRT were 61.9% and 85.0% for overall survival (P = .025) and 53.0% and 77.9% for disease-free survival (DFS) (P = .004), respectively, after matching. In the subgroup analysis, patients were grouped into a high-risk group (122 patients) and a low-risk group (158 patients) based on 3 factors: positive common iliac lymph nodes, ≥3 pelvic lymph nodes, and 2014 FIGO stage IIIB disease. In both the high-risk and low-risk groups, EFRT significantly improved DFS compared with PRT. The rates of grade ≥3 chronic toxicities were 1.2% and 5.9% in the PRT and EFRT groups, respectively (P = .067).

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison to PRT, prophylactic EFRT was associated with improved overall survival, DFS, and para-aortic lymph node control in patients with cervical cancer with FIGO stage IIIC1 disease. The incidence of grade ≥3 toxicities was higher in the EFRT group than in the PRT group, although the difference was not significant.

Novaferon gene modification promotes NK92 cell anti-tumor activity

With significant developments in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, adoptive immunotherapy has unlocked new levels of treatment for malignancies. Natural killer (NK) cells are promising alternative immune effector cells for this strategy. Multiple anti-tumor therapies are largely dependent on type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Type I IFNs enhance NK cell cytotoxicity. Novaferon (nova) is an unnatural, novel IFN-like protein produced by gene shuffling of IFN-α with strong biological activity. To augment the antitumor activity of NK cells, we generated NK92-nova cells that stably express nova. We found that NK92-nova cells mediated enhanced pan-cancer antitumor activity compared to NK92-vec cells. The increased antitumor activity was associated with the enhanced secretion of cytokines, such as IFN-γ, perforin, and granzyme B. Meanwhile, most of the activating receptors were upregulated in the NK92-nova cells. After co-culture with NK92-nova cells, the expression of NKG2D ligands on the HepG2 cells increased, resulting in an enhanced susceptibility of HepG2 cells to NK92 cell-mediated cytolysis. NK92-nova cells significantly inhibited HepG2 tumor growth in a xenograft model without systemic toxicity. Therefore, NK92-nova cells are a novel and safe strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

Targeted inhibition of eIF5Ahpu suppresses tumor growth and polarization of M2-like tumor-associated macrophages in oral cancer

Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 (eIF5A2) is overexpressed in many types of cancer, and spermidine-mediated eIF5A hypusination (eIF5Ahpu) appears to be essential to most of eIF5A's biological functions, including its important role in regulating cancer cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties as well as immune cell functions. Here we investigated the role of eIF5Ahpu in the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (OSCCs) and OSCC-induced polarization of M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TCGA dataset analysis revealed an overall upregulation in the mRNA expression of eIF5A2 and several key enzymes involved in polyamine (PA) metabolism in HNSCC, which was confirmed by Western blot and IHC studies. Blocking eIF5Ahpu by GC-7 but not the upstream key enzyme activities of PA metabolism, remarkably inhibited cell proliferation and the expression of EMT- and CSC-related genes in OSCC cells. In addition, blocking eIF5Ahpu robustly inhibited OSCC-induced M2-like TAM polarization in vitro. More Importantly, blocking eIF5Ahpu dramatically retarded tumor growth and infiltration/polarization of M2-like TAM in a syngeneic orthotopic murine tongue SCC model. Thus, eIF5Ahpu plays dual functions in regulating tumor cell growth and polarization of M2-TAMs in OSCC.

U@Cs(4)-C82: A Different Cage Isomer with Reactivity Controlled by U-Sumanene Interaction

Actinide endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) are a fullerene family that possess unique actinide-carbon cage host-guest molecular and electronic structures. In this work, a novel actinide EMF, U@Cs(4)-C82, was successfully synthesized and characterized, and its chemical reactivity was investigated. Crystallographic analysis shows that U@Cs(4)-C82, a new isomer of U@C82, has a Cs(4)-C82 cage, which has never been discovered in the form of empty or endohedral fullerenes. Its unique chemical reactivities were further revealed through the Bingel-Hirsch reaction and carbene addition reaction studies. The Bingel-Hirsch reaction of U@Cs(4)-C82 shows exceptionally high selectivity and product yield, yielding only one major addition adduct. Moreover, the addition sites for both reactions are unexpectedly located on adjacent carbon atoms far away from the actinide metal, despite the nucleophilic (Bingel-Hirsch) and electrophilic (carbene addition) nature of either reactant. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that this chemical behavior, unprecedented for EMFs, is directed by the unusually strong interaction between U and the sumanene motif of the carbon cage in U@Cs(4)-C82, which makes the energy increase when it is disrupted. This work reveals remarkable chemical properties of actinide EMFs originating from their unique electronic structures and highlights the key role of actinide-cage interactions in the determination of their chemical behaviors.

Comparing myopic error in patients with basic and convergence insufficiency intermittent exotropia in China

PURPOSE

To compare the degree of myopia between the dominant and non-dominant eyes in teenagers with intermittent exotropia (IXT) in China.

METHODS

A total of 199 IXT patients with myopia were included in this retrospective study and were divided into two groups according to the difference between near and distance exodeviation: basic IXT and convergence insufficiency (CI) IXT. Refractive errors were analyzed by spherical equivalent (SE) values. Patients were further stratified into anisometropia group and non-anisometropia group based on binocular SE values difference greater than 1.0D or not.

RESULTS

There were 127 patients in the CI IXT group, with a near deviation of 46.94 ± 20.53 prism diopters (PD) and a distance deviation of 28.36 ± 14.34 PD, and there were 72 (36.2%) patients in the basic IXT group, with a near deviation of 37.68 ± 22.21 PD and a distance deviation angle of 33.21 ± 23.96 PD. The near exodeviation was significantly larger in the CI group than in the basic IXT group(P < 0.001). In the CI IXT group, the mean SE was - 2.09 ± 1.45 diopters (D) in the dominant eye and - 2.53 ± 1.44D in the non-dominant eye, while in the basic IXT group, the mean SE was - 2.46 ± 1.56D in the dominant eye and - 2.89 ± 1.37D in the non-dominant eye. The anisometropia group included 43 patients, while non-anisometropia group included 156 patients. The near and distance exodeviation in the anisometropia group were 45.26 ± 24.41 PD and 33.53 ± 23.31 PD, respectively, and those in the non-anisometropia group were 43.42 ± 20.69 PD and 29.07 ± 16.84 PD, respectively. There were no significant differences in near and distance deviation (P = 0.78 and P = 0.73 respectively) between the two groups. The SE of the dominant eye was less myopic than of the non-dominant eyes in both the CI and anisometropia groups (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that convergence insufficiency IXT is more common than the basic type in pediatric myopic population and is characterized by higher inter-eye differences of myopia. The dominant eye was found to be less myopic in IXT patients, particularly in those with convergence insufficiency and anisometropia.

Properties of Cosmic-Ray Sulfur and Determination of the Composition of Primary Cosmic-Ray Carbon, Neon, Magnesium, and Sulfur: Ten-Year Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

We report the properties of primary cosmic-ray sulfur (S) in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on 0.38×10^{6} sulfur nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment (AMS). We observed that above 90 GV the rigidity dependence of the S flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of Ne-Mg-Si fluxes, which is different from the rigidity dependence of the He-C-O-Fe fluxes. We found that, similar to N, Na, and Al cosmic rays, over the entire rigidity range, the traditional primary cosmic rays S, Ne, Mg, and C all have sizeable secondary components, and the S, Ne, and Mg fluxes are well described by the weighted sum of the primary silicon flux and the secondary fluorine flux, and the C flux is well described by the weighted sum of the primary oxygen flux and the secondary boron flux. The primary and secondary contributions of the traditional primary cosmic-ray fluxes of C, Ne, Mg, and S (even Z elements) are distinctly different from the primary and secondary contributions of the N, Na, and Al (odd Z elements) fluxes. The abundance ratio at the source for S/Si is 0.167±0.006, for Ne/Si is 0.833±0.025, for Mg/Si is 0.994±0.029, and for C/O is 0.836±0.025. These values are determined independent of cosmic-ray propagation.

Prognostic immunogenic characteristics of iron pendant disease modifiers in colon cancer

Background

We explored the prognostic and immunogenic characteristics of iron pendant disease regulators in colon cancer to provide a scientific basis for the prediction of tumor prognosis-related markers and potential immunotherapeutic drug targets.

Methods

RNA sequencing and matched complete clinical information of colon cancer (COAD) were retrieved from the UCSC Xena database, and genomic and transcriptomic data of colon cancer from the TCGA database were downloaded. Then univariate and multifactorial Cox regression were used to process these data. The prognostic factors were analyzed by single-factor and multi-factor Cox regression, followed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves with the aid of R software "survival" package. Then we use FireBrowse online analysis tool to analyze the expression variation of all cancer genes, and draw a histogram according to the influencing factors to predict the 1, 3, and 5 year survival rates of patients.

Results

The results show that age, tumor stage and iron death score were significantly correlated with prognosis (p<0.05). Further multivariate cox regression analysis confirmed that age, tumor stage and iron death score were still significantly correlated with prognosis (p<0.05); The calibration curve results show that the deviation between the predicted values of 1 year, 3 years and 5 years and the diagonal of the figure is very small; the ROC curve results show that the AUC values of the 1-year and 5-year ROC curves of the bar graph are high; the DCA curve results show that the net yield of the bar graph is the largest; The scores of T cells and B cells in the high iron death score group were significantly lower than those in the low iron death score group, and the activities of immune related pathways were significantly reduced. There was a significant difference in the iron death score between the iron death molecular subtype and the gene cluster subtype.

Conclusions

The model showed a superior response to immunotherapy in the high-risk group, revealing a potential relationship between iron death and tumor immunotherapy, which will provide new ideas for the treatment and prognostic assessment of colon cancer patients.

Temporal Structures in Electron Spectra and Charge Sign Effects in Galactic Cosmic Rays

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic electron fluxes in the rigidity interval from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on 2.0×10^{8} electrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The electron fluxes exhibit variations on multiple timescales. Recurrent electron flux variations with periods of 27 days, 13.5 days, and 9 days are observed. We find that the electron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the proton fluxes. Remarkably, a hysteresis between the electron flux and the proton flux is observed with a significance of greater than 6σ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. Furthermore, significant structures in the electron-proton hysteresis are observed corresponding to sharp structures in both fluxes. This continuous daily electron data provide unique input to the understanding of the charge sign dependence of cosmic rays over an 11-year solar cycle.

Anti-swellable cellulose hydrogel for underwater sensing

Underwater sensing is of great significance in ocean exploration by divers to monitor their movements and keep in touch with the shore. However, unique sensors are required to apply in the marine environment that is quite different from the land circumstance. Herein, we reported a cellulose-skeleton-based composite hydrogel that is constraint to expand underwater under the effect of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) and features advantages of high swelling resistance, structural durability, mechanical robustness, medium flexibility, high gauge factor (2.33) and long-term stability in water as a highly efficient wearable underwater sensor. This cellulose-based anti-swellable underwater hydrogel sensor showed tremendous potentials in underwater sensing applications for posture monitoring, communication, and marine biological research, etc.

TXNRD1 knockdown inhibits the proliferation of endothelial cells subjected to oscillatory shear stress via activation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase/apoptosis pathway

Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular disease, and fluid shear stress is a key factor regulating its occurrence and development. Oscillatory shear stress (Oss) is an important pro-atherosclerosis factor. Oss mainly occurs in areas that are susceptible to atherosclerosis, but the exact mechanism of atherosclerosis induction remains unclear. Therefore, starting from the atheroprone phenotype that Oss stimulates abnormal vascular endothelial cell proliferation, this study aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of Oss-induced atherosclerosis formation and to identify new targets for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. In this study, the gene encoding thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1), which is closely related to atherosclerosis development and cell proliferation, was screened by analyzing the transcriptome sequencing data of static and Oss-treated human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Moreover, this study successfully verified that TXNRD1 mRNA and protein were significantly upregulated in Oss-treated HAECs. Oss significantly promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of HAECs, whereas TXNRD1 knockdown impaired the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of Oss-treated HAECs, and this process was mainly achieved via activation of the apoptosis pathway. To further clarify whether Oss-sensitive TXNRD1 affects the apoptosis rate and proliferative ability of HAECs by regulating the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway, we used NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to inhibit eNOS activity and nitric oxide (NO) production. L-NAME significantly reversed the promoting effect of TXNRD1 knockdown on Oss-treated HAEC apoptosis, and it also abolished the inhibitory effect of TXNRD1 knockdown on the proliferation and S + G2 phase cell mass of Oss-treated HAECs. In conclusion, this study showed that TXNRD1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of HAECs exposed to Oss by activating the eNOS/apoptosis pathway, revealing that TXNRD1 is involved in the dysregulation of Oss-induced endothelial cell proliferation. These findings provide new directions and insights into the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

USc2C2 and USc2NC Clusters with U-C Triple Bond Character Stabilized Inside Fullerene Cages

The chemistry of f-block metal-carbon multiple bonds is underdeveloped compared to well-established carbene complexes of the d-block transition metals. Herein, we report two new actinide-rare earth mixed metal carbides and nitrogen carbide cluster fullerenes, USc2C2@D5h(6)-C80 and USc2NC@D5h(6)-C80, which contain U-C bonds with triple bond character and were successfully synthesized and characterized by mass spectrometry, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and DFT calculations. Crystallographic studies show that the two previously unreported clusters, USc2C2 and USc2NC, are stabilized in the D5h(6)-C80 carbon cage and adopt unique trifoliate configurations, in which C2/NC units are almost vertically inserted into the plane defined by the U and two Sc atoms. Combined experimental and theoretical studies further reveal the bonding structure of USc2C2 and USc2NC, which contain C═U(VI)═C and C═U(V)═N bonding motifs. The electronic structures of the two compounds are determined as U6+(Sc2)6+(C4-)2@D5h(6)-C804- and U5+(Sc2)6+(N)3-(C)4-@D5h(6)-C804-, respectively. Quantum-chemical studies confirm that the U-C bonds in both molecules show unprecedented multicenter triple-bond character. The discovery of this unique U-C multiple bond offers a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of uranium chemistry.

Measures for Controlling Gaseous Emissions during Composting: A Review

Composting is a promising technology for treating organic solid waste. However, greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide) and odor emissions (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, etc.) during composting are practically unavoidable, leading to severe environmental problems and poor final compost products. The optimization of composting conditions and the application of additives have been considered to mitigate these problems, but a comprehensive analysis of the influence of these methods on gaseous emissions during composting is lacking. Thus, this review summarizes the influence of composting conditions and different additives on gaseous emissions, and the cost of each measure is approximately evaluated. Aerobic conditions can be achieved by appropriate process conditions, so the contents of CH4 and N2O can subsequently be effectively reduced. Physical additives are effective regulators to control anaerobic gaseous emissions, having a large specific surface area and great adsorption performance. Chemical additives significantly reduce gaseous emissions, but their side effects on compost application must be eliminated. The auxiliary effect of microbial agents is not absolute, but is closely related to the dosage and environmental conditions of compost. Compound additives can reduce gaseous emissions more efficiently than single additives. However, further study is required to assess the economic viability of additives to promote their large-scale utilization during composting.

Correction: ThC2@C82 versus Th@C84: unexpected formation of triangular thorium carbide cluster inside fullerenes

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D2SC04846A.].

Conductive Cellulose-Derived Carbon Nanofibrous Membranes with Superior Softness for High-Resolution Pressure Sensing and Electrophysiology Monitoring

Here, a strategy to overcome the stiff and brittle nature of cellulose-derived carbon nanofibrils (CCNFs) is proposed through a facile, low-cost, and scalable approach. Flexible and conformal CCNFs with a low bending rigidity below 55.4 mN and tunable conductivities of 0.14-45.5 S m^-1 are developed by introducing silanol as a multieffect additive in the electrospun hybrid nanofibrous network and subsequent carbonization at a relatively high temperature (900 °C) and chemical vapor deposition of polypyrrole (PPy) on the hybrid carbon nanofibril surface. Silica acts as a lubricant in each rigid carbon fiber to improve flexibility of the CCNF structure as well as a template during cellulose carbonization to prevent the melting of carbon nanofibrils. Meanwhile, the uniform coating of PPy leads to an improvement in electrical conductivity while conserving the porous structure and compressibility of the CCNF nets. These conductive hybrid CCNF films are evaluated as mechanoreceptors and physiological sensors, which are demonstrated to be applied in intelligent electronics including electronic skin, human-machine interfaces, and epidermic electrodes. The design or working principles of the hybrid CCNFs for achieving optimum applicable effects when applied in different scenarios are revealed.

Image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with FIGO IIIC1 cervical cancer: efficacy, toxicity and prognosis

Background: To investigate the efficacy, toxicity and prognosis of image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) in patients with FIGO IIIC1 cervical cancer. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of patients with FIGO IIIC1 cervical cancer treated with definitive IG-IMRT in our institute from January 2008 to December 2017. A dose of 50.4Gy in 28 fractions was prescribed to at least 95% of PCTV, the positive pelvic lymph nodes received a dose of 56-61.6Gy in 28 fractions with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB). Weekly cone beam compute tomography (CBCT) and daily megavoltage CT (MVCT) was performed before treatment. Both 2D brachytherapy and 3D brachytherapy were allowed in our study. Weekly Cisplatin (30-40mg/m2) was the first line regimen for concurrent chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), local control (LC) and local regional control (LRC) was calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard model was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 502 patients were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up duration was 42.1 months (range: 2.3-137.3 months). The 3-year and 5-year estimated OS, DFS, LC, LRC were 81.7% and 75.5%, 71.4% and 68.6%, 89.9% and 89.9%, 86.1% and 84.3%, respectively. The incidences of chronic grade 3 or greater gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were 2.7 % and 0.8%, respectively. Pelvic lymph nodes recurrence occurred in 21 patients (4.2%). Advanced T stage was identified as adverse factor for OS and LC. More positive lymph nodes (≥2) were associated with worse OS, DFS and LRC. The cycles of concurrent chemotherapy significantly affected OS, DFS and LRC. Conclusion: For patients with FIGO IIIC1 cervical cancer, IG-IMRT was well tolerated with excellent survivals. T stage and number of positive lymph nodes significantly influenced the survivals indicating the heterogeneity of stage IIIC1 cervical cancer patients. Adequate cycles of chemotherapy (≥4 cycles) was of great value for this group of patients.

Desensitization design method of a freeform optical system based on local curve control

In this Letter, an error sensitivity evaluation function of freeform optical systems is proposed, and a desensitization design method is established. This method adopts the idea of micro-elements and, based on geometric optics theory, studies the relationship between the local curve of the freeform surface and the change of the wavefront error (ΔWE) when the optical system is disturbed by the position error, and realizes the desensitization design of the optical system. By simply changing the evaluation function, the method can be applied to the desensitization design of any optical system with any surface (spherical, aspheric, and freeform surface).

U-shaped association between dietary thiamine intake and new-onset diabetes: a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

The association between dietary thiamine intake and the risk of diabetes remains unknown.

AIM

We aimed to evaluate the relation of dietary thiamine intake with new-onset diabetes and examine possible effect modifiers.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

METHODS

A total of 16 272 participants who were free of diabetes at baseline were enrolled from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Dietary nutrients intake information was collected by 3-day dietary recalls in addition to using a 3-day food-weighed method to assess cooking oil and condiment consumption. New-onset diabetes was defined as a fasting blood glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l or a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or diagnosed by a physician during the follow-up.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up duration of 9.0 years, new-onset diabetes occurred in 1101 participants. Overall, the association between dietary thiamine intake and new-onset diabetes followed a U-shape (P for non-linearity <0.001). Consistently, when thiamine intake was assessed as quartiles, compared with those in the 2-3 quartiles (0.75 to 1.10 mg/day), the significantly higher risks of new-onset diabetes were found in participants in the first quartile [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 1.61] and the fourth quartile (adjusted HR, 1.39; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.67). Similar results were found when further adjusting for the intake of other major nutrients or food groups; or using the propensity score weighting to control the imbalance of covariates.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that there was a U-shape association between dietary thiamine intake and new-onset diabetes in general Chinese adults, with a minimal risk at 0.75-1.10 mg/day.

Characteristics and aqueous dye removal ability of novel biosorbents derived from acidic and alkaline one-step ball milling of hickory wood

New classes of biosorbents are needed for various environment remediation applications. Thus, a facile and benign approach to synthesize porous biosorbents was developed using acidic or alkaline one-step ball milling of hickory wood biomass (AcBH and AlBH, respectively) without any external heat treatment, and their properties were compared. AcBH and AlBH were richer in O-containing functional groups, had enhanced porous structure and greater ability to remove crystal violet (CV, 476.4 mg g^-1) and Congo red (CR, 221.8 mg g^-1) dyes from aqueous solution, respectively, relative to hickory wood ball milled at neutral pH. Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second order kinetic models best fitted CR and CV adsorption onto biosorbents, indicating a mainly surface complexation adsorption mechanism. Further, both sorbents exhibited excellent stability and dye adsorption reusability. These results demonstrate that acidic and alkaline one-step ball milling is a facile and efficient approach for converting wood biomass into environmentally friendly biosorbents.

A charged diatomic triple-bonded U≡N species trapped in C82 fullerene cages

Actinide diatomic molecules are ideal models to study elusive actinide multiple bonds, but most of these diatomic molecules have so far only been studied in solid inert gas matrices. Herein, we report a charged U≡N diatomic species captured in fullerene cages and stabilized by the U-fullerene coordination interaction. Two diatomic clusterfullerenes, viz. UN@C_s(6)-C₈₂ and UN@C₂(5)-C₈₂, were successfully synthesized and characterized. Crystallographic analysis reveals U-N bond lengths of 1.760(7) and 1.760(20) Å in UN@C_s(6)-C₈₂ and UN@C₂(5)-C₈₂. Moreover, U≡N was found to be immobilized and coordinated to the fullerene cages at 100 K but it rotates inside the cage at 273 K. Quantum-chemical calculations show a (UN)²⁺@(C₈₂)²⁻ electronic structure with formal +5 oxidation state (f¹) of U and unambiguously demonstrate the presence of a U≡N bond in the clusterfullerenes. This study constitutes an approach to stabilize fundamentally important actinide multiply bonded species.

Diatomic actinide molecules are ideal models for studying rare multiple-bond motifs. Here, the authors report host-guest structures of metastable charged U≡N diatoms confined in fullerene cages and stabilized by coordinative electron transfer.

Acorane sesquiterpenes from the deep-sea derived Penicillium bilaiae fungus with anti-neuroinflammatory effects

Acorane-type sesquiterpenes comprise a unique class of natural products with a range of pharmaceutical effects. Genome sequencing and gene annotation, along with qRT-PCR detection, demonstrate that the deep-sea derived Penicillium bilaiae F-28 fungus shows potential to produce acorane sesquiterpenes. Chromatographic manipulation resulted in the isolation of 20 acorane sesquiterpenes from the large-scale fermented fungal strain. Their structures were established by the interpretation of spectroscopic data, together with X-ray diffraction, chemical conversion, and ECD data for configurational assignments. A total of 18 new sesquiterpenes, namely, bilaiaeacorenols A-R (1-18), were identified. Bilaiaeacorenols A and B represent structurally unique tricyclic acoranes. Compound 18 exhibited efficient reduction against NO production in LPS-induced BV-2 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner, and it abolished LPS-induced NF-κB in the nucleus of BV-2 microglial cells. In addition, marked reductions of iNOS and COX-2 in protein and mRNA levels were observed. This study extends the chemical diversity of acorane-type sesquiterpenoids and suggests that compound 18 is a promising lead for anti-neuroinflammation.

ThC2@C82 versus Th@C84: unexpected formation of triangular thorium carbide cluster inside fullerenes

Synthesis of the first thorium-containing clusterfullerenes, ThC₂@C _s (6)-C₈₂ and ThC₂@C₂(5)-C₈₂, is reported. These two novel actinide fullerene compounds were characterized by mass spectrometry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction crystallography, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. Crystallographic studies reveal that the encapsulated ThC₂ clusters in both C _s (6)-C₈₂ and C₂(5)-C₈₂ feature a novel bonding structure with one thorium metal center connected by a C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C unit, forming an isosceles triangular configuration, which has not been hitherto observed for endohedral fullerenes or for solid phase thorium carbides. Electronic structure calculations assign a formal electronic structure of [Th⁴⁺(C₂)^2-]²⁺@[C₈₂]^2-, with pronounced donation bonding from (C₂)^2- to Th⁴⁺, secondary backbonding from the fullerene to thorium and Th-C double bond character in both compounds. This work presents a new family of endohedral fullerenes, MC₂@C_2n-2, being unexpected isomers of MC_2n , and provides broader understanding of thorium bonding.

Comprehensive genomic profiling of colorectal cancer patients reveals differences in mutational landscapes among clinical and pathological subgroups

With the widespread of colonoscopy, colorectal cancer remains to be one of the most detrimental types of cancer. Though there were multiple studies investigating the genomic landscape of colorectal cancer, a comprehensive analysis uncovering the differences between various types of colorectal cancer is still lacking. In our study, we performed genomic analysis on 133 patients with colorectal cancer. Mutated FAT1 and PKHD1 and altered Hippo pathway genes were found to be enriched in early-onset colorectal cancer. APOBEC signature was prevalent in microsatellite stable (MSS) patients and was related to lymph node metastasis. ZNF217 mutations were significantly associated with early-stage colorectal cancer. In all, this study represents a comprehensive genomic analysis uncovering potential molecular mechanisms underneath different subgroups of colorectal cancer thus providing new targets for precision treatment development.

CREPT Disarms the Inhibitory Activity of HDAC1 on Oncogene Expression to Promote Tumorigenesis

Simple Summary

It has been proposed that highly expressed HDAC1 (histone deacetylases 1) removes the acetyl group from the histones at the promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes to block their expression in tumors. We here revealed the underlying mechanism that HDAC1 differentially regulates the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. In detail, we found that HDAC1 is unable to occupy the promoters of oncogenes but maintains its occupancy with the tumor suppressors due to its interaction with an oncoprotein, CREPT (cell cycle-related and expression-elevated protein in tumor).

Abstract

Histone deacetylases 1 (HDAC1), an enzyme that functions to remove acetyl molecules from ε-NH3 groups of lysine in histones, eliminates the histone acetylation at the promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes to block their expression during tumorigenesis. However, it remains unclear why HDAC1 fails to impair oncogene expression. Here we report that HDAC1 is unable to occupy at the promoters of oncogenes but maintains its occupancy with the tumor suppressors due to its interaction with CREPT (cell cycle-related and expression-elevated protein in tumor, also named RPRD1B), an oncoprotein highly expressed in tumors. We observed that CREPT competed with HDAC1 for binding to oncogene (such as CCND1, CLDN1, VEGFA, PPARD and BMP4) promoters but not the tumor suppressor gene (such as p21 and p27) promoters by a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) qPCR experiment. Using immunoprecipitation experiments, we deciphered that CREPT specifically occupied at the oncogene promoter via TCF4, a transcription factor activated by Wnt signaling. In addition, we performed a real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis on cells that stably over-expressed CREPT and/or HDAC1, and we propose that HDAC1 inhibits CREPT to activate oncogene expression under Wnt signaling activation. Our findings revealed that HDAC1 functions differentially on tumor suppressors and oncogenes due to its interaction with the oncoprotein CREPT.

Optimized photoelectric characteristics of MAPbCl3and MAPbBr3composite perovskite single crystal heterojunction photodetector

MAPbBr₃single crystal (SC) thin layer was successfully grown on MAPbCl₃SC substrate to form perovskite SC heterojunction. Planar structure electrodes are deposited by thermal evaporation on the surfaces of MAPbCl₃, MAPbBr₃, and SCs heterojunction, respectively to evaluate their photoelectric performance. The SC heterojunction device exhibits excellent unidirectional conductivity in the voltage-current curves. Meanwhile, the current-time curves prove that SC heterojunction devices can effectively utilize the advantages of MAPbCl₃and MAPbBr₃, possessing relatively low dark current (∼300 nA), which is comparable to the dark current of MAPbCl₃, but very high photocurrent (∼3500 nA), which is equivalent to the photocurrent of MAPbBr₃. Rather than the photocurrent overshot and decay occurring at the exposure of light illumination in the MAPbBr₃device, the photocurrent is extremely stable without overshot and decay in the SC heterojunction device. The light-to-dark ratio of the SC heterojunction device is twice that of MAPbCl₃device and three times that of MAPbBr₃device. Furthermore, the detectivity of the heterojunction device reaches as high as∼7×1011 Jones, an order of magnitude higher than MAPbCl₃and MAPbBr₃. The excellent characteristics of SC heterojunction further expand the practical application prospect of perovskite materials.

Explainable deep transfer learning model for disease risk prediction using high-dimensional genomic data

Building an accurate disease risk prediction model is an essential step in the modern quest for precision medicine. While high-dimensional genomic data provides valuable data resources for the investigations of disease risk, their huge amount of noise and complex relationships between predictors and outcomes have brought tremendous analytical challenges. Deep learning model is the state-of-the-art methods for many prediction tasks, and it is a promising framework for the analysis of genomic data. However, deep learning models generally suffer from the curse of dimensionality and the lack of biological interpretability, both of which have greatly limited their applications. In this work, we have developed a deep neural network (DNN) based prediction modeling framework. We first proposed a group-wise feature importance score for feature selection, where genes harboring genetic variants with both linear and non-linear effects are efficiently detected. We then designed an explainable transfer-learning based DNN method, which can directly incorporate information from feature selection and accurately capture complex predictive effects. The proposed DNN-framework is biologically interpretable, as it is built based on the selected predictive genes. It is also computationally efficient and can be applied to genome-wide data. Through extensive simulations and real data analyses, we have demonstrated that our proposed method can not only efficiently detect predictive features, but also accurately predict disease risk, as compared to many existing methods.

Accurate disease risk prediction is an essential step towards precision medicine. Deep learning models have achieved the state-of-the-art performance for many prediction tasks. However, they generally suffer from the curse of dimensionality and lack of biological interpretability, both of which have greatly limited their applications to the prediction analysis of whole-genome sequencing data. We present here an explainable deep transfer learning model for the analysis of high-dimensional genomic data. Our proposed method can detect predictive genes that harbor genetic variants with both linear and non-linear effects via the proposed group-wise feature importance score. It can also efficiently and accurately model disease risk based on the detected predictive genes using the proposed transfer-learning based network architecture. Our proposed method is built at the gene level, and thus is much more biologically interpretable. It is also computationally efficiently and can be applied to whole-exome sequencing data that have millions of potential predictors. Through both simulation studies and the analysis of whole-exome data obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, we have demonstrated that our method can efficiently detect predictive genes and it has better prediction performance than many existing methods.

Development of the prediction model based on clinical-imaging omics: molecular typing and sentinel lymph node metastasis of breast cancer

Background

Imageology uses high-throughput and automatic computing methods to transform medical image data into quantitative data with feature space, and then makes accurate quantitative analysis, extracts features and builds models, which can intuitively observe the overall features of lesions and the surrounding tissues, and provide rich invisible information. At present, the research on the imaging features of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to predict the molecular typing value has achieved results, but the imaging model based on DWI and DCE-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not enough to predict the molecular subtypes, and the prediction value of the prediction model based on the three-dimensional volume of interest of the lesion to the four molecular subtypes of breast cancer has not been fully studied.

Methods

The clinical data of 202 breast cancer patients at our hospital from October 2020 to November 2021 were collected. All patients were examined with multimodal MRI before surgery. Base on immunohistochemical recombinant Ki-67 protein (Ki-67), estrogen receptor (ER), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) and progesterone receptor (PR) results, the tumors were divided into four types According to the results of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies, the patients were divided into SLN (+) and SLN (−) groups. 3-dimensional (3D) Slicer software was used to outline the region of interest (ROI), and AMni-Kinetics software was used for feature extraction. The imaging characteristics were screened using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Logistic regression model using R statistical software, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn using “pROC” software package to evaluate the prediction efficiency of the model.

Results

The most efficacious model at predicting SLN (+) in breast cancer patients with different molecular subtypes and SLN metastasis was the model based on the imageological characteristics of fat inhibition, and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), T1-weighted imaging + C (T1WI-C), and DWI combined sequences at the tumor + 2 mm periphery. AUC (sensitivity, specificity) of the validation group were 0.831 (0.856, 0.891), 0.832 (0.660, 0.877), 0.801 (0.772, 0.765), 0.904 (0.769, 0.873), and 0.819 (0.810, 0.500) respectively when the tumor was 2 mm around the tumor.

Conclusions

The imaging features extracted from multi-parameter DWI, T1WI+C, and T2WI in breast cancer have certain value at predicting different molecular types and SLNs of breast cancer.

Laminar shear stress alleviates monocyte adhesion and atherosclerosis development via miR-29b-3p/CX3CL1 axis regulation

Laminar shear stress (Lss) is an important anti-atherosclerosis (anti-AS) factor, but its mechanism network is not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify how Lss acts against AS formation from a new perspective. In this study, we analyzed high-throughput sequencing data from static and Lss-treated human aortic and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HAECs and HUVECs, respectively) and found that the expression of CX3CL1, which is a target gene closely related to AS development, was lower in the Lss group. Lss alleviated the inflammatory response in TNF-α (also known as TNF)-activated HAECs by regulating the miR-29b-3p/CX3CL1 axis, and this was achieved by blocking nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling. In complementary in vivo experiments, a high-fat diet (HFD) induced inflammatory infiltration and plaque formation in the aorta, both of which were significantly reduced after injection of agomir-miRNA-29b-3p via the tail vein into HFD-fed ApoE^−/− mice. In conclusion, this study reveals that the Lss-sensitive miR-29b-3p/CX3CL1 axis is an important regulatory target that affects vascular endothelial inflammation and AS development. Our study provides new insights into the prevention and treatment of AS.

Summary: The laminar shear stress-sensitive miR-29b-3p/CX3CL1 axis significantly inhibits monocyte adhesion to activated human aortic endothelial cells, and alleviates local inflammation and plaque formation in ApoE^−/− mice fed a high-fat diet.

Properties of Daily Helium Fluxes

We present the precision measurement of 2824 daily helium fluxes in cosmic rays from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 in the rigidity interval from 1.71 to 100 GV based on 7.6×10^{8} helium nuclei collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The helium flux and the helium to proton flux ratio exhibit variations on multiple timescales. In nearly all the time intervals from 2014 to 2018, we observed recurrent helium flux variations with a period of 27 days. Shorter periods of 9 days and 13.5 days are observed in 2016. The strength of all three periodicities changes with time and rigidity. In the entire time period, we found that below ∼7  GV the helium flux exhibits larger time variations than the proton flux, and above ∼7  GV the helium to proton flux ratio is time independent. Remarkably, below 2.4 GV a hysteresis between the helium to proton flux ratio and the helium flux was observed at greater than the 7σ level. This shows that at low rigidity the modulation of the helium to proton flux ratio is different before and after the solar maximum in 2014.

Nomograms Predicting Survival of Cervical Cancer Patients Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Based on the 2018 FIGO Staging System

Background

In 2018, a revised staging system was released for cervical cancer, which defined pelvic and paraaortic lymph node metastasis as stages IIIC1 and IIIC2, respectively. In this study, we constructed and validated nomograms to predict the 3- and 5-year survival of patients with cervical cancer based on the revised International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system.

Methods

We retrospectively examined patients with 2009 FIGO stage IB–IVA cervical cancer who were treated at our institute between 2011 and 2015. Patients were randomized into the model development and validation cohorts (2:1). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted for the model development cohort to identify prognostic factors. In the multivariate analysis, nomograms were built to predict overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) using significant variables. The nomograms were assessed based on the discrimination and calibration in both cohorts. Discrimination was assessed using the concordance index. Calibration was performed by comparing the mean nomogram estimated survival and the mean observed survival.

Results

We included 1,192 patients, with 795 and 397 patients in the model development and validation cohorts, respectively. In the model development cohort, the median follow-up period was 49.2 months. After multivariate analysis, age, histology, 2018 FIGO stage, and pelvic lymph node number were independent factors for OS. Histology, 2018 FIGO stage, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and pelvic lymph node number were significant predictors of DFS. The nomograms constructed to predict OS and DFS were based on these factors. In both model cohorts, the concordance index for the nomogram-predicted OS and DFS was 0.78 and 0.75 and 0.74 and 0.67, respectively. The calibration curve revealed good agreement between the nomogram predictions and actual values.

Conclusion

We constructed robust nomograms to predict the OS and DFS of patients with cervical cancer undergoing treatment with concurrent chemoradiotherapy based on the 2018 FIGO staging system.

Informed substitution of hazardous chemicals through the lens of California's Safer Consumer Products Alternatives Analysis: Best practices, challenges, and opportunities

California adopted the Safer Consumer Products (SCP) regulations in 2013, which mandate that companies that manufacture specific products containing designated chemicals of concern complete an Alternatives Analysis. Alternatives Analysis is a process to avoid regrettable substitution by identifying, comparing, and selecting safer alternatives based on technical functions, hazards, exposure pathways, life-cycle multimedia impacts, and economic impacts. The SCP Alternatives Analysis builds upon and expands existing frameworks for alternatives assessments (AAs). The aim of this study was to identify practices from AA that facilitate the robust assessment of alternatives and that align with SCP requirements and identify gaps in the practice. We evaluated completed AAs for methods regarding transparency and careful documentation of information sources, data gaps, uncertainty, criteria, and justification for decision-making. The AAs in this review demonstrate some of the challenges in the field. Most AAs have a constrained scope and only consider chemical substitutes rather than a broad array of functional alternatives. Their scopes were also limited in the hazard endpoints that were evaluated. This was most noted with ecotoxicity endpoints, which were generally confined to aquatic toxicity. The majority of AAs do not explicitly explain their decision-making methods or adequately discuss tradeoffs across the adverse impacts. The AAs also lack the analysis in the exposure, life-cycle impacts, and economic impacts that are required in the SCP Alternatives Analysis process. Further, we recommend strategies and research opportunities to address these challenges and strengthen the practice of AAs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1007-1019. © 2021 SETAC.

Circular RNA circ_0006089 regulates the IGF1R expression by targeting miR-143-3p to promote gastric cancer proliferation, migration and invasion

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) figure prominently in regulating the progression of a variety of human malignancies. This study was performed to probe how circ_0006089 functioned in gastric cancer (GC). CircRNA expression profile GSE83521 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and circRNAs and analyzed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure circ_0006089, microRNA-143-3p (miR-143-3p) and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) mRNA expressions in GC tissues and cell lines. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to detect the relationship between circ_0006089 expression and overall survival time of GC patients. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) assays were employed to detect the proliferative ability of GC cells after circ_0006089 was overexpressed or knocked down. Wound healing assay and Transwell assay were executed to examine the migration and invasion ability of GC cells. Western blot was adopted to detect IGF1R protein expressions. Circ_0006089 expression was up-regulated in GC samples and cell lines. And high circ_0006089 expression was associated with shorter survival time in GC patients. Circ_0006089 overexpression in GC cells significantly accelerated GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas circ_0006089 knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Additionally, miR-143-3p was validated as a downstream target of circ_0006089, and circ_0006089 could positively regulate IGF1R expression via repressing miR-143-3p. Circ_0006089 is highly expressed in GC, and it promotes the malignancy of GC cells via modulating miR-143-3p/IGF1R axis, suggesting that circ_0006089 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for GC.