Impact of intelligent convolutional neural network -based algorithms on head computed tomography evaluation and comprehensive rehabilitation acupuncture therapy for patients with cerebral infarction.

This work was to evaluate the impacts of comprehensive rehabilitation acupuncture therapy on the recovery of neurological function in cerebral infarction (CI) patients and to utilize convolutional neural network (CNN) intelligent algorithms to optimize head computed tomography (CT) images and improve lesion localization accuracy. 98 CI patients were divided into a control group (Ctrl group) and an experimental group (Exp group), with 48 patients in each group. The patients in the Ctrl group received CT evaluation combined with comprehensive rehabilitation acupuncture therapy. While, those in the Exp group received CT evaluation with the use of CNN algorithms for optimization, along with comprehensive rehabilitation acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture therapy included selecting acupoints on the patient's head, selecting two horizontal needling needles from top to bottom at the acupoints on the front side of the lesion, and then horizontal needling along the top midline. The differences in treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups based on Fugl-Meyer upper limb assessment (FMA) scores, Barthel Index (BI) scores, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS4) scores, Modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian Stroke Scale (MESSS) scores, and hemodynamics. Simultaneously, the CT images were optimized using CNN intelligent algorithms to improve image quality and lesion localization accuracy. The results showed that the CI CT images processed by the CNN-based intelligent algorithm showed significant improvements in clarity and contrast compared to conventional CT images. The CNN-based intelligent algorithm demonstrated higher sensitivity (97.5 %, 93.8 %), higher PSNR (30.14 dB, 24.72 dB), and lower missed detection rate (0.52 %, 1.88 %) in detecting CI lesions. The total effective rate in the Exp group was 95.83 %, which was significantly higher than the 85.42 % in the Ctrl group (P < 0.05). The Exp group showed significantly higher levels in FMA and BI scores (P < 0.05). After treatment, the NIHSS4 and MESSS scores in the Exp group were lower than those in the Ctrl group (P < 0.05). Additionally, post-treatment, the plasma concentrations and whole-blood viscosity (low shear and high shear) in the Exp group were lower than those in the Ctrl group, and the plasma concentration and whole-blood viscosity (high shear) were also lower than those in the Ctrl group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, comprehensive rehabilitation acupuncture therapy had a positive impact on the recovery of neurological function in CI patients. By applying CNN-based intelligent algorithms to optimize head CT images, lesion localization accuracy can be improved, thereby guiding rehabilitation treatment more effectively.

CAZ Composite Photocatalysts for H2 Production and Degradation under Visible Light.

g-C3N4/Ag-ZnO (CAZ) composite photocatalysts were synthesized successfully by the hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts was assessed through experiments measuring both hydrogen (H2) production and the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The H2 production rate of 60% CAZ reached 2.450 mmol·g-1·h-1, which was 8.5 times that of g-C3N4. 25% CAZ degraded 99.14% of MB dye within 40 min, and its degradation rate constant was 12.4 times that of g-C3N4. CAZ composite photocatalysts have good synergistic properties in degradation and hydrogen production and exhibit better photocatalytic performance. A Z-scheme photocatalytic system mechanism of CAZ has been proposed for the enhanced H2 production and photocatalytic degradation rate.

Efficacy and safety of SBRT combined with sintilimab and IBI305 in patients with advanced HCC and previously failed immunotherapy: study protocol of a phase 2 clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in China. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and antiangiogenic drugs, such as bevacizumab and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, has been recommended as first-line treatment for advanced HCC. However, two-thirds of patients did not benefit from this form of immunotherapy. Currently, data on the subsequent regimen for patients previously treated with ICIs are lacking. Studies have shown that the combination of radiotherapy (RT) and ICIs is a potentially effective second-line therapy for HCC. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of combined therapy with stereotactic body RT (SBRT), sintilimab and IBI305 (a biosimilar of bevacizumab) in patients with HCC following the progression of first-line ICI therapy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is an open-label, single-arm, single-centre, phase 2 trial of 21 patients with advanced HCC in whom previous ICI therapy has failed. Participants will receive approximately 30-40 Gy/5-8F SBRT, followed by 200 mg sintilimab and 15 mg/kg IBI305 intravenously every 3 weeks. Treatment will continue until the development of unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. We will use Simon's two-stage design, with the objective response rate (ORR) as the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints include ORR of lesions without RT, disease control rate, progression-free survival, overall survival and safety. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was authorised by the Medical Ethics Committee. Dissemination of results will occur via a peer-reviewed publication and other relevant media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200056068.

Long-term risks of cardiovascular death among older patients with major hematological malignancies: a population-based cohort study from SEER database.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related death in older patients with major hematological malignancies (HM). METHODS: This study included 103,102 older patients diagnosed with 7 major types of HM between 1975 and 2018 (median follow-up: 2.7 years) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. The proportion of deaths, Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazards regression model, standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and absolute excess risk (AER) were used to evaluate the risk of CVD-related death. RESULTS: For older patients with HM, CVD-related death ranked as the second leading cause of death, surpassed only by primary malignancy. Compared to the general older population, older patients with HM had higher SMR and AER of CVD-related deaths (SMR: 1.16-1.81; AER: 41.24-308.99), heart disease-related deaths (SMR: 1.19-1.90; AER: 39.23-274.69), and cerebrovascular dis-ease-related deaths (SMR: 0.99-1.66; AER: -0.35 -24.15). The proportion of deaths and cumulative mortality increased with the passage of survival time, especially in Hodgkin lymphoma patients with stage I/II and those aged ≥85 years with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, surpassing primary malignancy. The risk of CVD-related death varied among different HM types. CONCLUSIONS: For older patients with HM, long-term cardiovascular risk management needs to be focused on while addressing the primary malignancy. IMPACT: Our results emphasize the need to manage long-term cardiovascular risk in older patients with HM, especially in those identified as high-risk cases.

Flexible transparent and hydrophobic SiNCs/PDMS coatings for anti-counterfeiting applications.

Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) have attracted considerable attention in many advanced applications due to silicon's high natural abundance, low toxicity, and impressive optical properties. However, little attention has been paid to fluorescence anti-counterfeiting applications based on lipophilic silicon nanocrystals. Moreover, it is also a challenge to fabricate aging-resistant anti-counterfeiting coatings based on silicon nanocrystals. Herein, this paper presents a demonstration of aging-resistant fluorescent anti-counterfeiting coatings based on red fluorescent silicon nanocrystals. In this work, lipophilic silicon nanocrystals (De-SiNCs) with red fluorescence were prepared first by thermal hydrosilylation between hydrogen-terminated silicon nanocrystals (H-SiNCs) and 1-decene. Subsequently, a new SiNCs/PDMS coating (De-SiNCs/DV) was fabricated by dispersing De-SiNCs into reinforcing PDMS composites with vinyl-capped silicone resin. Interestingly, the De-SiNCs/DV composites exhibit superior transparency (up to 85%) in the visible light range, outstanding fluorescence stabilities with an average lifetime of 20.59 µs under various conditions including acidic/alkaline environments, different organic solvents, high-humidity environments and UV irradiation. Meanwhile, the encapsulation of De-SiNCs is beneficial to enhancing the mechanical properties and thermal stability of De-SiNCs/DV composites. Additionally, the De-SiNCs/DV coating exhibits an excellent anti-counterfeiting effect on cotton fabrics when used as an ink in screen-printing. These findings pave the way for developing innovative flexible multifunctional anti-counterfeiting coatings in the future.

Coupling Antisite Defect and Lattice Tensile Stimulates Facile Isotropic Li-Ion Diffusion.

Despite widely used as a commercial cathode, the anisotropic 1D channel hopping of lithium ions along the [010] direction in LiFePO4 prevents its application in fast charging conditions. Herein, an ultrafast nonequilibrium high-temperature shock technology is employed to controllably introduce the Li-Fe antisite defects and tensile strain into the lattice of LiFePO4. This design makes the study of the effect of the strain field on the performance further extended from the theoretical calculation to the experimental perspective. The existence of Li-Fe antisite defects makes it feasible for Li+ to move from the 4a site of the edge-sharing octahedra across the ab plane to 4c site of corner-sharing octahedra, producing a new diffusion channel different from [010]. Meanwhile, the presence of a tensile strain field reduces the energy barrier of the new 2D diffusion path. In the combination of electrochemical experiments and first-principles calculations, the unique multiscale coupling structure of Li-Fe antisite defects and lattice strain promotes isotropic 2D interchannel Li+ hopping, leading to excellent fast charging performance and cycling stability (high-capacity retention of 84.4% after 2000 cycles at 10 C). The new mechanism of Li+ diffusion kinetics accelerated by multiscale coupling can guide the design of high-rate electrodes.

Effects of Seed Size and Frequency on Seed Dispersal and Predation by Small Mammals.

Frequency-dependent predation is common in predator-prey interactions. Size is an important characteristic of seeds and is crucial in the regeneration stage of plant seeds. However, the frequency dependence of animal predation on seed size has not been reported. In this study, we conducted a field experiment and used different sizes of Liaodong oak (Quercus wutaishanica) seeds to test the frequency dependence of intraspecific seed size selection in rodents. We used the number ratio of large to small seeds as the frequency. The results show that the rate of small seeds being eaten in situ was significantly higher than that of large seeds (p < 0.05). The rates of different-sized seeds being eaten after removal decreased with increasing frequencies, and there was no significant difference between frequencies except for 1:9 and 9:1. The rates of large seeds being scatter-hoarded were significantly higher than those of small seeds at different frequencies (p < 0.05). The eating distances after removal of large seeds were significantly longer than those of small seeds at the same frequencies (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the scatter-hoarding distances of large seeds were significantly longer than those of small seeds at three frequencies (1:9, 3:7, and 9:1) (p < 0.05). That is, rodents consumed more small seeds in situ, dispersed and scatter-hoarded more large seeds, and dispersed large seeds over longer distances. Rodents exhibited a negative frequency dependence for small seeds and a positive frequency dependence for large seeds on being eaten in situ. Moreover, rodents exhibited a negative frequency dependence for large seeds and a positive frequency dependence for small seeds on being eaten after removal and scatter-hoarding. These results reveal the frequency dependence of rodent selection on seed size and provide new insights into animal-mediated seed dispersal and the regeneration of plant populations.

Novel High-Entropy FeCoNiMoZn-Layered Hydroxide as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The exploration of catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with high activity and acceptable price is essential for water splitting to hydrogen generation. High-entropy materials (HEMs) have aroused increasing interest in the field of electrocatalysis due to their unusual physicochemical properties. In this work, we reported a novel FeCoNiMoZn-OH high entropy hydroxide (HEH)/nickel foam (NF) synthesized by a facile pulsed electrochemical deposition method at room temperature. The FeCoNiMoZn-OH HEH displays a 3D porous nanosheet morphology and polycrystalline structure, which exhibits extraordinary OER activity in alkaline media, including much lower overpotential (248 mV at 10 mA cm-2) and Tafel slope (30 mV dec-1). Furthermore, FeCoNiMoZn-OH HEH demonstrates excellent OER catalytic stability. The enhanced catalytic performance of the FeCoNiMoZn-OH HEH primarily contributed to the porous morphology and the positive synergistic effect between Mo and Zn. This work provides a novel insight into the design of HEMs in catalytic application.

Water-Soluble, Self-Healing, and Debonding Primer for the Interface between Silicone Leather and Polydimethylsiloxane Composites.

The exceptional hydrophobicity and antifouling properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites have attracted extensive interest as a result of low surface energy. However, PDMS composites are hardly bound by common primers, greatly limiting their practical applications. To address this issue, an EPMS/VTMS (EV) primer synthesized by hydrolytic polycondensation of 3-[(2,3)-epoxypropoxypropyl]methyldiethoxysilane (EPMS) and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) in acidic conditions is proposed. Interestingly, the EV primer exhibits exceptional reactivity, self-healing capabilities, and strong adhesion to various substrates, including metals, plastics, and glass. The bonding aluminum plates are easily debonded by immersion in water without any residue left. Subsequently, the EV primer has been applied to the interface between silicone leather and the PDMS composite. Results show that the bonding strength for the silicone leather coated with the EV/PDMS composite is 16 times higher than that of the silicone leather modified with the PDMS composite. Meanwhile, the modified silicone leather exhibits impressive antifouling performance, including aqueous and oily stains, appreciable breathability, and excellent wear resistance, even if suffering from 20 000 cycles of abrasion. These excellent advantages for the modified silicone leather should be attributable to the synergistic effect of the EV primer and the PDMS composite. These findings pave the way to develop an ecofriendly debonding primer for PDMS composites, greatly facilitating applications of silicone leather.

Evolutionary Dynamics of Chromatin Structure and Duplicate Gene Expression in Diploid and Allopolyploid Cotton.

Polyploidy is a prominent mechanism of plant speciation and adaptation, yet the mechanistic understandings of duplicated gene regulation remain elusive. Chromatin structure dynamics are suggested to govern gene regulatory control. Here, we characterized genome-wide nucleosome organization and chromatin accessibility in allotetraploid cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (AADD, 2n = 4X = 52), relative to its two diploid parents (AA or DD genome) and their synthetic diploid hybrid (AD), using DNS-seq. The larger A-genome exhibited wider average nucleosome spacing in diploids, and this intergenomic difference diminished in the allopolyploid but not hybrid. Allopolyploidization also exhibited increased accessibility at promoters genome-wide and synchronized cis-regulatory motifs between subgenomes. A prominent cis-acting control was inferred for chromatin dynamics and demonstrated by transposable element removal from promoters. Linking accessibility to gene expression patterns, we found distinct regulatory effects for hybridization and later allopolyploid stages, including nuanced establishment of homoeolog expression bias and expression level dominance. Histone gene expression and nucleosome organization are coordinated through chromatin accessibility. Our study demonstrates the capability to track high-resolution chromatin structure dynamics and reveals their role in the evolution of cis-regulatory landscapes and duplicate gene expression in polyploids, illuminating regulatory ties to subgenomic asymmetry and dominance.

Towards better predicting the settling velocity of film-shaped microplastics based on experiment and simulation data.

The properties of microplastics determine their settling velocities and affect the fates and migration pathways of microplastics. This paper has simulated the settling velocities of film-shaped microplastics, which are present in natural aquatic environments. The numerical results provided more data to fit the terminal settling velocities of film-shaped microplastics. Comparison between the particle definition and the equivalent spherical diameter confirmed that the particle definition is more suitable for film-shaped microplastics. In the transitional flow regime, CD decreases linearly with Re. As Re further increases, CD gradually converges at approximately 1.20. By integrating the experimental and simulated data, a new explicit formula for predicting the settling velocity of film-shaped microplastics has been presented with the optimal shape parameter f. The presented formula achieves better performance (MAPE = 6.6 %, RMSE = 16.8 %, and R2 = 0.99) than the existing formulas for settling velocity for film-shaped microplastics, closely rivaling that of the ensemble learning algorithm.

METTL3-mediated deficiency of lncRNA HAR1A drives non-small cell lung cancer growth and metastasis by promoting ANXA2 stabilization.

We previously reported lncRNA HAR1A as a tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the delicate working mechanisms of this lncRNA remain obscure. Herein, we demonstrated that the ectopic expression of HAR1A inhibited the proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells and enhanced paclitaxel (PTX) sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. We identified the oncogenic protein annexin 2 (ANXA2) as a potential interacting patterner of HAR1A. HAR1A overexpression enhanced ANXA2 ubiquitination and accelerated its degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. We further uncovered that HAR1A promoted the interaction between E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM65 and ANXA2. Moreover, the ANXA2 plasmid transfection could reverse HAR1A overexpression-induced decreases in proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells and the activity of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Finally, we found that HAR1A loss in NSCLC might be attributed to the upregulated METTL3. The m6A modification levels of HAR1A were increased in cancer cells, while YTHDF2 was responsible for recognizing m6A modification in the HAR1A, leading to the disintegration of this lncRNA. In conclusion, we found that METTL3-mediated m6A modification decreased HAR1A in NSCLC. HAR1A deficiency, in turn, stimulated tumor growth and metastasis by activating the ANXA2/p65 axis.

Photoactivated full-API nanodrug (FAND): harnessing transition metal complexes and MTH1 inhibitor for enhanced DNA damage in cancer cells.

The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been greatly restricted by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and the susceptible resistance of monotherapy. Although nanodrugs based on transition metal complexes capable of integrating PDT with photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) have garnered tremendous attention as promising candidates for overcoming the above limitations, the therapeutic efficacy of these nanodrugs is still hampered by inadequate loading of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and the inherent ability of cancer cells to repair damaged DNA. Herein, we developed a photoactivated full-API nanodrug, Ru-T FAND, by one-step self-assembly of RuDPB and TH287. By virtue of its 100 wt% API content and favorable stability in water, the Ru-T FAND exhibited improved cellular uptake behavior and intracellular 1O2 generation. Attractively, the Ru-T FAND with triple anti-cancer modalities can photogenerate 1O2, photo-release DPB ligand and inhibit the repair of DNA damage, ultimately enhancing its phototherapeutic effect on cancer cells. Importantly, the uncaged DPB ligand from RuDPB emits red fluorescence, enabling real-time monitoring of the drug's absorption, distribution and efficacy. Collectively, the presented photoactivated Ru-T FANDs with multiple anti-cancer mechanisms will expand new horizons for the development of safe, efficient and synergistic tumor phototherapy strategies.

TOB1 modulates neutrophil phenotypes to influence gastric cancer progression and immunotherapy efficacy.

Introduction: The ErbB-2.1(TOB1) signaling transducer protein is a tumor-suppressive protein that actively suppresses the malignant phenotype of gastric cancer cells. Yet, TOB1 negatively regulates the activation and growth of different immune cells. Understanding the expression and role of TOB1 in the gastric cancer immune environment is crucial to maximize its potential in targeted immunotherapy. Methods: This study employed multiplex immunofluorescence analysis to precisely delineate and quantify the expression of TOB1 in immune cells within gastric cancer tissue microarrays. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to assess the influence of clinical-pathological parameters, immune cells, TOB1, and double-positive cells on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Subsequent experiments included co-culture assays of si-TOB1-transfected neutrophils with AGS or HGC-27 cells, along with EdU, invasion, migration assays, and bioinformatics analyses, aimed at elucidating the mechanisms through which TOB1 in neutrophils impacts the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Results: We remarkably revealed that TOB1 exhibits varying expression levels in both the nucleus (nTOB1) and cytoplasm (cTOB1) of diverse immune cell populations, including CD8+ T cells, CD66b+ neutrophils, FOXP3+ Tregs, CD20+ B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD68+ macrophages within gastric cancer and paracancerous tissues. Significantly, TOB1 was notably concentrated in CD66b+ neutrophils. Survival analysis showed that a higher density of cTOB1/nTOB1+CD66b+ neutrophils was linked to a better prognosis. Subsequent experiments revealed that, following stimulation with the supernatant of tumor tissue culture, the levels of TOB1 protein and mRNA in neutrophils decreased, accompanied by enhanced apoptosis. HL-60 cells were successfully induced to neutrophil-like cells by DMSO. Neutrophils-like cells with attenuated TOB1 gene expression by si-TOB1 demonstrated heightened apoptosis, consequently fostering a malignant phenotype in AGS and HCG-27 cells upon co-cultivation. The subsequent analysis of the datasets from TCGA and TIMER2 revealed that patients with high levels of TOB1 combined neutrophils showed better immunotherapy response. Discussion: This study significantly advances our comprehension of TOB1's role within the immune microenvironment of gastric cancer, offering promising therapeutic targets for immunotherapy in this context.

Smilax China L. polysaccharide prevents HFD induced-NAFLD by regulating hepatic fat metabolism and gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: The increasing incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has urged the development of new therapeutics. NAFLD is intimately linked to gut microbiota due to the hepatic portal system, and utilizing natural polysaccharides as prebiotics has become a prospective strategy for preventing NAFLD. Smilax china L. polysaccharide (SCP) possesses excellent hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activity. However, its protective effects on NAFLD remains unclear. PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to explore the protective effects of SCP on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mice by regulating hepatic fat metabolism and gut microbiota. METHODS: Extraction and isolation from Smilax china L. rhizome to obtain SCP. C57BL/6 J mice were distributed to six groups: Control (normal chow diet), HFD-fed mice were assigned to HFD, simvastatin (SVT), and low-, medium-, high-doses of SCP for 12 weeks. The body, liver, and different adipose tissues weights were detected, and lipids in serum and liver were assessed. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the hepatic fat metabolism-related genes and proteins. Gut microbiota of cecum contents was profiled through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: SCP effectively reversed HFD-induced increase weights of body, liver, and different adipose tissues. Lipid levels of serum and liver were also significantly reduced after SCP intervention. According to the results of RT-PCR and western blot analysis, SCP treatment up-regulated the genes and proteins related to lipolysis were up-regulated, while lipogenesis-related genes and proteins were down-regulated. Furthermore, the HFD-induced dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota was similarly repaired by SCP intervention, including enriching beneficial bacteria and depleting harmful bacteria. CONCLUSION: SCP could effectively prevent HFD-induced NAFLD, might be considered as a prebiotic agent due to its excellent effects on altering hepatic fat metabolism and maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis.

Emerging roles of SIRT1 activator, SRT2104, in disease treatment.

Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) is a NAD+-dependent class III deacetylase that plays important roles in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, positioning it as a prime candidate for therapeutic intervention. Among its modulators, SRT2104 emerges as the most specific small molecule activator of SIRT1, currently advancing into the clinical translation phase. The primary objective of this review is to evaluate the emerging roles of SRT2104, and to explore its potential as a therapeutic agent in various diseases. In the present review, we systematically summarized the findings from an extensive array of literature sources including the progress of its application in disease treatment and its potential molecular mechanisms by reviewing the literature published in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. We focuses on the strides made in employing SRT2104 for disease treatment, elucidating its potential molecular underpinnings based on preclinical and clinical research data. The findings reveal that SRT2104, as a potent SIRT1 activator, holds considerable therapeutic potential, particularly in modulating metabolic and longevity-related pathways. This review establishes SRT2104 as a leading SIRT1 activator with significant therapeutic promise.