Broadband Negative Photoconductive Response in Carbon Nanodots.

Due to the broadband response and low selectivity of external light, negative photoconductivity (NPC) effect holds great potential applications in photoelectric devices. Herein, different photoresponsive carbon nanodots (CDs) are prepared from diverse precursors and the broadband response from the NPC CDs are utilized to achieve the optoelectronic logic gates and optical imaging for the first time. In detail, the mcu-CDs which are prepared by the microwave-assisted polymerization of citric acid and urea possess the large specific surface area and abundant hydrophilic groups as sites for the adsorption of H2O molecules and thereby present a high conductivity in dark. Meanwhile, the low affinity of mcu-CDs to H2O molecules permits the light-induced desorption of H2O molecules by heat effect and thus endow the mcu-CDs with a low conductivity under illumination. The easy absorption and desorption of H2O molecules contribute to the extraordinary NPC of mcu-CDs. With the broadband NPC response in CDs, the optoelectronic logic gates and flexible optical imaging system have been established, achieving the applications of "NOR" or "NAND" logic operations and high-quality optical images. These findings unveil the unique optoelectronic properties of CDs, and have the potential to advance the applications of CDs in optoelectronic devices. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

External Validation of the International IgA Nephropathy Prediction Tool in Older Adult Patients.

Purpose: The International IgA Nephropathy Prediction Tool (IIgAN-PT) can predict the risk of End-stage renal disease (ESRD) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline ≥ 50% for adult IgAN patients. Considering the differential progression between older adult and adult patients, this study aims to externally validate its performance in the older adult cohort. Patients and Methods: We analyzed 165 IgAN patients aged 60 and above from six medical centers, categorizing them by their predicted risk. The primary outcome was a ≥50% reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or kidney failure. Evaluation of both models involved concordance statistics (C-statistics), time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and calibration plots. Comparative reclassification was conducted using net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: The study included 165 Chinese patients (median age 64, 60% male), with a median follow-up of 5.1 years. Of these, 21% reached the primary outcome. Both models with or without race demonstrated good discrimination (C-statistics 0.788 and 0.790, respectively). Survival curves for risk groups were well-separated. The full model without race more accurately predicted 5-year risks, whereas the full model with race tended to overestimate risks after 3 years. No significant reclassification improvement was noted in the full model without race (NRI 0.09, 95% CI: -0.27 to 0.34; IDI 0.003, 95% CI: -0.009 to 0.019). Conclusion: : Both models exhibited excellent discrimination among older adult IgAN patients. The full model without race demonstrated superior calibration in predicting the 5-year risk.

A prospective and consecutive study assessing short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of Chinese domestically manufactured 3D printing trabecular titanium acetabular cup for primary total hip arthroplasty: evaluation of 236 cases.

Purpose: We prospectively evaluate the short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of the only Chinese domestically produced trabecular titanium acetabular cup(3D ACT™ cup) in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), aiming to provide evidence-based support for its clinical application. Methods: A total of 236 patients, who underwent primary THA using 3D ACT™ cup in the Department of Joint Surgery at our hospital between January 2017 and June 2019, were included in this study. General patient data, imaging information, functional scores, and complications were collected to evaluate the early clinical efficacy. Results: All patients were followed up for 33-52 months, with an average of (42.2 ± 9.2) months. At the last follow-up, the preoperative HHS score increased significantly from 43.7 ± 6.8 to 85.6 ± 9.3 points (P < 0.01). Similarly, the preoperative WOMAC scores showed significant improvement from 59.2 ± 5.8 to 13.1 ± 3.5 points (P < 0.01). 92.3% of the patients expressed satisfaction or high satisfaction with the clinical outcome. Furthermore, 87.7% of the acetabular cups were positioned within the Lewinnek safe zone, achieving successful reconstruction of the acetabular rotation center. The cup survival rate at the last follow-up was 100%. Conclusions: The utilization of the only Chinese domestically manufactured 3D printing trabecular titanium acetabular cup in primary THA demonstrated favorable short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes. The acetabular cup exhibits excellent initial stability, high survival rate, and favorable osseointegration, leading to a significant enhancement in pain relief and functional improvement. In the future, larger sample sizes and multicenter prospective randomized controlled trials will be required to validate the long-term safety and effectiveness of this 3D ACT™ cup.

Toripalimab Plus Bevacizumab as First-line Treatment for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm, Phase II Trial.

PURPOSE: This phase II, multicenter, prospective, single-arm study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of toripalimab plus bevacizumab in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Treatment-naïve patients with advanced HCC received toripalimab 240 mg plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks. Primary endpoints included safety and tolerability, and objective response rate (ORR) assessed by the investigator per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were enrolled between Apr 17, 2020 and Dec 11, 2020. As assessed by the investigator according to RECIST v1.1, the ORR was 31.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19.5-45.6] and the lower bound of the 95% CI was above the pre-specified boundary of 10%. The independent review committee (IRC) assessed ORR according to modified RECIST (mRECIST) was 46.3% (95% CI, 32.6-60.4). The median progression-free survival were 8.5 months (95% CI, 5.5-11.0) and 9.8 months (95% CI, 5.6-not evaluable) assessed by the investigator according to RECIST v1.1 and IRC according to mRECIST criteria, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was not reached, and the 12- and 24-month OS rates were 77.3% and 63.5%, respectively. Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 27 patients (50.0%). The most common TEAEs were proteinuria (59.3%), hypertension (38.9%), aspartate aminotransferase increased (33.3%), amylase increased (29.6%), platelet count decreased (27.8%), and bilirubin increased (27.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Toripalimab plus bevacizumab showed a favorable efficacy and safety profile, supporting further studies of this combination regimen as a first-line treatment of advanced HCC.

Overexpression of cry1c* Enhances Resistance against to Soybean Pod Borer (Leguminivora glycinivorella) in Soybean.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], an essential staple food and oil crop worldwide, boasts abundant vegetable proteins and fats beneficial for both human and animal consumption. However, the soybean pod borer (Leguminivora glycinivorella) (SPB) stands as the most destructive soybean insect pest in northeast China and other northeastern Asian regions, leading to significant annual losses in soybean yield and economic burden. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the introduction of a previously tested codon-optimized cry1c gene, cry1c*, into the soybean genome and assess its effect on the SPB infestation by generating and characterizing stable transgenic soybeans overexpressing cry1c*. The transgenic soybean lines that constitutively overexpressed cry1c* exhibited a significant reduction in the percentage of damaged seeds, reaching as low as 5% in plants under field conditions. Additionally, feeding transgenic leaves to the larvae of S. exigua, S. litura, and M. separta resulted in inhibited larval growth, decreased larval body weight, and lower survival rates compared to larvae fed on wild-type leaves. These findings showed that the transgenic lines maintained their resistance to SPB and other lepidopteran pests, especially the transgenic line KC1. Southern blotting and genome-wide resequencing analysis revealed that T-DNA integration occurred as a single copy between loci 50,868,122 and 50,868,123 of chromosome 10 in the transgenic line KC1. Therefore, the transgenic line KC1, overexpressing high levels of cry1c* in leaves and seeds, holds strong potential for commercial use in the integrated management of SPB and other lepidopteran pests.

[Diffuse Hepatoid Adenocarcinoma in the Peritoneal Cavity:Report of One Case].

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a rare and unique type of adenocarcinoma,resembling hepatocellular carcinoma in histopathology.Most cases occur in the stomach,lacking specific clinical and imaging manifestations,which leads to high rates of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.Hepatoid adenocarcinoma in the peritoneal cavity is even rarer.This article reports a case of hepatoid adenocarcinoma with the manifestation of diffuse peritoneal thickening,aiming to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Predictive value of CDC37 gene expression for targeted therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: CDC37 is a key determinant of client kinase recruitment to the HSP90 chaperoning system. We hypothesized that kinase-specific dependency on CDC37 alters the efficacy of targeted therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two independent mCRC cohorts were analyzed to compare the survival outcomes between CDC37-high and CDC37-low patients (stratified by the median cutoff values): the CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial (226 and 207 patients receiving first-line bevacizumab- and cetuximab-containing chemotherapies, respectively) and Japanese retrospective (50 refractory patients receiving regorafenib) cohorts. A dataset of specimens submitted to a commercial CLIA-certified laboratory was utilized to characterize molecular profiles of CDC37-high (top quartile, N = 5055) and CDC37-low (bottom quartile, N = 5055) CRCs. RESULTS: In the bevacizumab-treated group, CDC37-high patients showed significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) (median 13.3 vs 9.6 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44-0.79, p < 0.01) than CDC37-low patients. In the cetuximab-treated group, CDC37-high and CDC37-low patients had similar outcomes. In the regorafenib-treated group, CDC37-high patients showed significantly better overall survival (median 11.3 vs 6.0 months, HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.11-0.54, p < 0.01) and PFS (median 3.5 vs 1.9 months, HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28-0.94, p = 0.03). Comprehensive molecular profiling revealed that CDC37-high CRCs were associated with higher VEGFA, FLT1, and KDR expressions and activated hypoxia signature. CONCLUSIONS: CDC37-high mCRC patients derived more benefit from anti-VEGF therapies, including bevacizumab and regorafenib, but not from cetuximab. Molecular profiles suggested that such tumors were dependent on angiogenesis-relating pathways.

Osiris17 is essential for stable integrin localization and function during insect wing epithelia remodeling.

The dynamic adhesion between cells and their extracellular matrix is essential for the development and function of organs. During insect wing development, two epithelial sheets contact each other at their basal sites through the interaction of ßPS integrins with the extracellular matrix. We report that Osiris17 contributes to the maintenance of ßPS integrins localization and function in developing wing of Drosophila and locust. In flies with reduced Osiris17 expression the epithelia sheets fail to maintain the integrity of basal cytoplasmic junctional bridges and basal adhesion. In contrast to the continuous basal integrin localization in control wings, this localization is disrupted during late stages of wing development in Osiris17 depleted flies. In addition, the subcellular localization revealed that Osiris17 co-localizes with the endosomal markers Rab5 and Rab11. This observation suggests an involvement of Osiris17 in endosomal recycling of integrins. Indeed, Osiris17 depletion reduced the numbers of Rab5 and Rab11 positive endosomes. Moreover, overexpression of Osiris17 increased co-localization of Rab5 and ßPS integrins and partially rescued the detachment phenotype in flies with reduced ßPS integrins. Taken together, our data suggest that Osiris17 is an endosome related protein that contributes to epithelial remodeling and morphogenesis by assisting basal integrins localization in insects.

Biomechanical Research of Three Parallel Cannulated Compression Screws in Oblique Triangle Configuration for Fixation of Femoral Neck Unstable Fractures.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical treatment with internal fixation, specifically percutaneous fixation with three cannulated compression screws (CCSs), is the preferred choice for young and middle-aged patients. The mechanical advantage of the optimal spatial configuration with three screws provides maximum dispersion and cortical support. We suspect that the spatial proportion of the oblique triangle configuration (OTC) in the cross-section of the femoral neck isthmus (FNI) may significantly improve shear and fatigue resistance of the fixed structure, thereby stabilizing the internal fixation system in femoral neck fracture (FNF). This study aims to explore the mechanical features of OTC and provide a mechanical basis for its clinical application. METHODS: Twenty Sawbone femurs were prepared as Pauwels type III FNF models and divided equally into two fixation groups: OTC and inverted equilateral triangle configuration (IETC). Three 7.3 mm diameter cannulated compression screws (CCSs) were used for fixation. The specimens of FNF after screw internal fixation were subjected to static loading and cyclic loading tests, respectively, with five specimens for each test. Axial stiffness, 5 mm failure load, ultimate load, shear displacement, and frontal rotational angle of two fragments were evaluated. In the cyclic loading test, the load sizes were 700 N, 1400 N, and 2100 N, respectively, and the fracture end displacement was recorded. Results were presented as means ± SD. Data with normal distributions were compared by the Student's t test. RESULTS: In the static loading test, the axial stiffness, ultimate load, shear displacement, and frontal rotational angle of two fragments were (738.64 vs. 620.74) N/mm, (2957.61 vs. 2643.06) N, (4.67 vs. 5.39) mm, and (4.01 vs. 5.52)° (p < 0.05), respectively. Comparison between the femoral head displacement after 10,000 cycles of 700N cyclic loading and total displacement after 20,000 cycles of 700-1400N cyclic loading showed the OTC group was less than the IETC group (p < 0.05). A comparison of femoral head displacement after 10,000 cycles of 1400N and 2100N cycles and total displacement after 30,000 cycles of 700-2100N cycles showed the OTC group was less than another group, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: When three CCSs are inserted in parallel to fix FNF, the OTC of three screws has obvious biomechanical advantages, especially in shear resistance and early postoperative weight-bearing, which provides a mechanical basis for clinical selection of ideal spatial configuration for unstable FNF.

CCR5 and CCL5 gene expression in colorectal cancer: comprehensive profiling and clinical value.

BACKGROUND: The C-C motif chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)/C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) axis plays a major role in colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to characterize the molecular features associated with CCR5/CCL5 expression in CRC and to determine whether CCR5/CCL5 levels could impact treatment outcomes. METHODS: 7604 CRCs tested with NextGen Sequencing on DNA and RNA were analyzed. Molecular features were evaluated according to CCR5 and CCL5 tumor gene expression quartiles. The impact on treatment outcomes was assessed in two cohorts, including 6341 real-world patients and 429 patients from the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)/SWOG 80405 trial. RESULTS: CCR5/CCL5 expression was higher in right-sided versus left-sided tumors, and positively associated with consensus molecular subtypes 1 and 4. Higher CCR5/CCL5 expression was associated with higher tumor mutational burden, deficiency in mismatch repair and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels. Additionally, high CCR5/CCL5 were associated with higher immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of MMR proficient tumors. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed upregulation of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy pathway, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling, and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) signaling in cytotoxic T lymphocytes, whereas several inflammation-related pathways were downregulated. Low CCR5/CCL5 expression was associated with increased benefit from cetuximab-FOLFOX treatment in the CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial, where significant treatment interaction was observed with biologic agents and chemotherapy backbone. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show a strong association between CCR5/CCL5 gene expression and distinct molecular features, gene expression profiles, TME cell infiltration, and treatment benefit in CRC. Targeting the CCR5/CCL5 axis may have clinical applications in selected CRC subgroups and may play a key role in developing and deploying strategies to modulate the immune TME for CRC treatment.

Anode-Free Sodium Metal Pouch Cell Using Cu3P Nanowires In Situ Grown on Current Collector.

Anode-free sodium metal battery (AFSMB) promises high energy density but suffers from the difficulty of maintaining high cycling stability. Nonuniform sodium (Na) deposition on the current collector is largely responsible for capacity decay in the cycling process of AFSMB. Here, a unique copper phosphide (Cu3P) nanowire is constructed on copper (Cu3P@Cu) as a sodium deposition substrate by an in situ growth method. Superior electrochemical performance of Cu3P@Cu anode is delivered in asymmetric cells with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.8% for over 800 cycles at 1 mA cm-2 with 1 mA h cm-2. The symmetric cell of Cu3P@Cu displayed a cycling lifespan of over 2000 h at 2 mA cm-2 with 1 mA h cm-2. Cryo-transmission electron microscope characterization and first principles calculation revealed that the low Na+ absorption energy and low Na+ diffusion energy barrier on Na3P promoted uniform Na nucleation and deposition, thus enhancing the Na surface stability. Moreover, anode-free Na3V2(PO4)3//Cu3P@Cu full pouch cell delivered a considerable cycling capacity of ≈15 mA h in 170 cycles, demonstrating its practical feasibility.

[Analysis on Driving Factors, Reduction Potential, and Environmental Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer Input in Chongqing].

In this study, we sought to quantify the effect of planting structure change on fertilizer input and environmental cost in Chongqing and develop scientific and rational strategies for chemical fertilizer reduction. Based on the crop fertilizer quota standard and large sample farmer survey data under the medium productivity level in Chongqing, we evaluated and analyzed the application reduction potential and environmental benefits of fertilizer with the difference method and life cycle assessment. The results showed that:① since Chongqing became a municipality directly under the central government (1997), Chongqing crop planting structure had greatly changed, and the proportion of food crop (rice, corn, wheat, bean, and potato) decreased by 21%. The area of fruits and vegetables increased from 3.36×105 hm2 to 1.05×106 hm2, and their proportion increased by 20%. ② Nearly 55% of fertilizers had been consumed by vegetable (37%) and citrus production systems, and 11%, 12%, and 12% of fertilizers were consumed by rice, corn, and potato, respectively. ③ The total fertilizer reduction of the Chongqing planting industry could reach up to 1.69×105 tons during the period of "the 14th Five-Year Plan," with a fertilizer reduction potential of 18.6%. The fertilizer reduction potential (reduction amount) of rice, corn, citrus, and vegetables would reach 0.3% (2.9×102 tons), 12% (1.45×104 tons), 21% (3.65×104 tons), and 30% (1.18×105 tons), respectively. On the other hand, the rape system was insufficient in phosphorus potassium fertilizers, and the corn tended to be insufficient in potash fertilizer. ④ The current production level was low, and the nitrogen loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and eutrophication potential in the planting industry of Chongqing reached 1.81×105 tons (N), 1.43×107 tons (CO2-eq), and 1.74×105 tons (PO4-eq). With the increase in the realization degree of the crop quota standard (60%-100%), the reactive nitrogen loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and eutrophication potential decreased by 14.9%-24.9%, 10.1%-16.7%, and 13.8%-23%, respectively. The structure of the planting industry in Chongqing significantly changed, the total fertilizer consumption in Chongqing tended to decline gradually, and the fertilization intensity of commercial crops stayed at a high level. The agricultural fertilizer reduction potential and the reactive nitrogen and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential were large, especially for citrus and vegetable production systems. However, it is also necessary to pay attention to insufficient corn potash fertilizer and rape phosphorus potassium fertilizer investment and carry out collaborative promotion of fertilizer reduction.

Alterations of oral and gut viromes in hypertension and/or periodontitis.

The microbiota plays an important role in both hypertension (HTN) and periodontitis (PD), and PD exacerbates the development of HTN by oral and gut microbiota. Previous studies have focused on exploring the importance of the bacteriome in HTN and PD but overlooked the impact of the virome, which is also a member of the microbiota. We collected 180 samples of subgingival plaques, saliva, and feces from a cohort of healthy subjects (nHTNnPD), subjects with HTN (HTNnPD) or PD (PDnHTN), and subjects with both HTN and PD (HTNPD). We performed metagenomic sequencing to assess the roles of the oral and gut viromes in HTN and PD. The HTNnPD, PDnHTN, and HTNPD groups all showed significantly distinct beta diversity from the nHTNnPD group in saliva. We analyzed alterations in oral and gut viral composition in HTN and/or PD and identified significantly changed viruses in each group. Many viruses across three sites were significantly associated with blood pressure and other clinical parameters. Combined with these clinical associations, we found that Gillianvirus in subgingival plaques was negatively associated with HTN and that Torbevirus in saliva was positively associated with HTN. We found that Pepyhexavirus from subgingival plaques was indicated to be transferred to the gut. We finally evaluated viral-bacterial transkingdom interactions and found that viruses and bacteria may cooperate to affect HTN and PD. Correspondingly, HTN and PD may synergize to improve communications between viruses and bacteria.IMPORTANCEPeriodontitis (PD) and hypertension (HTN) are both highly prevalent worldwide and cause serious adverse outcomes. Increasing studies have shown that PD exacerbates HTN by oral and gut microbiota. Previous studies have focused on exploring the importance of the bacteriome in HTN and PD but overlooked the impact of the virome, even though viruses are common inhabitants in humans. Alterations in oral and gut viral diversity and composition contribute to diseases. The present study, for the first time, profiled the oral and gut viromes in HTN and/or PD. We identified key indicator viruses and their clinical implications in HTN and/or PD. We also investigated interactions between viruses and bacteria. This work improved the overall understanding of the viromes in HTN and PD, providing vital insights into the role of the virome in the development of HTN and PD.

Identification and fungicide sensitivity of Microdochiumchrysopogonis (Ascomycota, Amphisphaeriaceae), a new species causing tar spot of Chrysopogonzizanioides in southern China.

Vetiver grass (Chrysopogonzizanioides) has received extensive attention in recent years due to its diverse applications in soil and water conservation, heavy metal remediation, as well as essential oil and phenolic acids extraction. In 2019, the emergence of tar spot disease on C.zizanioides was documented in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China. Initially, the disease manifested as black ascomata embedded within leaf tissue, either scattered or clustered on leaf surfaces. Subsequently, these ascomata became surrounded by fisheye lesions, characterised by brown, elliptical, necrotic haloes, which eventually coalesced, resulting in leaf withering. Koch's postulates demonstrated that the fungus isolated from these lesions was the causal agent. Microscopic examination showed that the pathogen morphologically belonged to Microdochium. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the combined ITS, LSU, tub2 and rpb2 sequences revealed the three isolates including GDMCC 3.683, LNU-196 and LNU-197 to be a novel species of Microdochium. Combining the results of phylogenetic, pathogenicity and morphological analyses, we propose a new species named M.chrysopogonis as the causal agent of C.zizanioides in southern China. The optimum growth temperature for M.chrysopogonis was determined to be 30 °C. The in vitro fungicide sensitivity of M.chrysopogonis was determined using a mycelial growth assay. Four demethylation-inhibiting (DMI) fungicides, including difenoconazole, flusilazole, propiconazole and tebuconazole and one methyl benzimidazole carbamate (MBC) fungicide, carbendazim, were effective against M.chrysopogonis, with mean 50% effective concentration (EC50) values of 0.077, 0.011, 0.004, 0.024 and 0.007 µg/ml, respectively. These findings provide essential references for the precise diagnosis and effective management of M.chrysopogonis.

Endoscopic versus minimally invasive surgical approach for infected necrotizing pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Acute pancreatitis is a common condition of the digestive system, but sometimes it develops into severe cases. In about 10-20% of patients, necrosis of the pancreas or its periphery occurs. Although most have aseptic necrosis, 30% of cases will develop infectious necrotizing pancreatitis. Infected necrotizing pancreatitis (INP) requires a critical treatment approach. Minimally invasive surgical approach (MIS) and endoscopy are the management methods. This meta-analysis compares the outcomes of MIS and endoscopic treatments. METHODS: We searched a medical database until December 2022 to compare the results of endoscopic and MIS procedures for INP. We selected eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported treatment complications for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Five RCTs comparing a total of 284 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Among them, 139 patients underwent MIS, while 145 underwent endoscopic procedures. The results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the risk ratios (RRs) for major complications (RR: 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49-0.97), new onset of organ failure (RR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.11-0.82), surgical site infection (RR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.07-0.92), fistula or perforation (RR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.12-0.64), and pancreatic fistula (RR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.05-0.45). The hospital stay was significantly shorter for the endoscopic group compared to the MIS group, with a mean difference of 6.74 days (95% CI: -12.94 to -0.54). There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the RR for death, bleeding, incisional hernia, percutaneous drainage, pancreatic endocrine deficiency, pancreatic exocrine deficiency, or the need for enzyme use. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic management of INP performs better compared to surgical treatment due to its lower complication rate and higher patient life quality.

A One-Bit Programmable Multi-Functional Metasurface for Microwave Beam Shaping.

In this paper, we demonstrate a multi-functional metasurface for microwave beam-shaping application. The metasurface consists of an array of programmable unit cells, and each unit cell is integrated with one varactor diode. By turning the electrical bias on the diode on and off, the phase delay of the microwave reflected by the metasurface can be switched between 0 and π at a 6.2 GHz frequency, which makes the metasurface 1-bit-coded. By programming the 1-bit-coded metasurface, the generation of a single-focus beam, a double-focus beam and a focused vortex beam was experimentally demonstrated. Furthermore, the single-focus beam with tunable focal lengths of 54 mm, 103 mm and 152 mm was experimentally observed at 5.7 GHz. The proposed programmable metasurface manifests robust and flexible beam-shaping ability which allows its application to microwave imaging, information transmission and sensing applications.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity via inhibition of S100a8/a9-mediated cardiac recruitment of neutrophils.

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity limits its broad use as a chemotherapy agent. The development of effective and non-invasive strategies to prevent DOX-associated adverse cardiac events is urgently needed. We aimed to examine whether and how low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) plays a protective role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Male C57BL/6J mice were used to establish models of both acute and chronic DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. Non-invasive LIPUS therapy was conducted for four consecutive days after DOX administration. Cardiac contractile function was evaluated by echocardiography. Myocardial apoptosis, oxidative stress, and fibrosis were analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining, dihydroethidium (DHE) staining, and picrosirius red staining assays. RNA-seq analysis was performed to unbiasedly explore the possible downstream regulatory mechanisms. Neutrophil recruitment and infiltration in the heart were analyzed by flow cytometry. The S100a8/a9 inhibitor ABR-238901 was utilized to identify the effect of S100a8/a9 signaling. We found that LIPUS therapy elicited a great benefit on DOX-induced heart contractile dysfunction in both acute and chronic DOX models. Chronic DOX administration increased serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels, as well as myocardial apoptosis, all of which were significantly mitigated by LIPUS. In addition, LIPUS treatment prevented chronic DOX-induced cardiac oxidative stress and fibrosis. RNA-seq analysis revealed that LIPUS treatment partially reversed alterations of gene expression induced by DOX. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the downregulated genes between DOX-LIPUS and DOX-Sham groups indicated that inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis might be involved in the protective effects of LIPUS therapy. Flow cytometry analysis illustrated the inhibitory effects of LIPUS on DOX-induced neutrophil recruitment and infiltration in the heart. Moreover, S100 calcium binding protein A8/A9 (S100a8/a9) was identified as a potential key target of LIPUS therapy. S100a8/a9 inhibition by ABR-238901 showed a similar heart protective effect against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy to LIPUS treatment. LIPUS therapy prevents DOX-induced cardiotoxicity through inhibition of S100a8/a9-mediated neutrophil recruitment to the heart, suggesting its potential application in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with DOX.

Fast and Stable Zinc Anode-Based Electrochromic Displays Enabled by Bimetallically Doped Vanadate and Aqueous Zn2+/Na+ Hybrid Electrolytes.

Vanadates are a class of the most promising electrochromic materials for displays as their multicolor characteristics. However, the slow switching times and vanadate dissolution issues of recently reported vanadates significantly hinder their diverse practical applications. Herein, novel strategies are developed to design electrochemically stable vanadates having rapid switching times. We show that the interlayer spacing is greatly broadened by introducing sodium and lanthanum ions into V3O8 interlayers, which facilitates the transportation of cations and enhances the electrochemical kinetics. In addition, a hybrid Zn2+/Na+ electrolyte is designed to inhibit vanadate dissolution while significantly accelerating electrochemical kinetics. As a result, our electrochromic displays yield the most rapid switching times in comparison with any reported Zn-vanadate electrochromic displays. It is envisioned that stable vanadate-based electrochromic displays having video speed switching are appearing on the near horizon.

Occurrence of Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum fructicola on Ficus hirta in Southern China.

Ficus hirta Vahl. is a Moraceae plant, named for its palm-like leaves. It is a widely used traditional medicinal material with definite curative effect. At the same time, it is also a commonly used soup material among the folk in South China. In March 2022, a serious leaf spot disease with symptoms similar to anthracnose was observed on F. hirta in several plantations in Qinzhou and Zhanjiang City of China, with an incidence of 32~65%. The early symptoms of infected leaves were small, round, yellow spots that further expanded into larger, brown, irregular, necrotic lesions surrounded by dark brown edges, which eventually led to leaf wilt. Twenty symptomatic leaves were collected from three plantations with a total area of about 10 hm2. Fragments (2×2 mm) from the 20 infected leaves were surface sterilized, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 28°C. After 3 days, isolates with similar cultural morphology were obtained and three representative isolates (WZMT-1, WZMT-3 and WZMT-8) were randomly selected for following study. The colonies by single-spore purification on PDA were initially cottony, pale white and became grayish green with age. The conidia were hyaline, abundant, cylindrical, with rounded ends, 14.4~18.2 µm×4.6~6.0 µm (av. 16.2 µm×5.4 µm, n=100). Conidiogenous cells hyaline, cylindrical or ampulliform, 6.2~22.7 µm × 2.7~5.0 µm (av. 12.9 µm×3.8 µm, n=50). Appressoria were brown to dark brown, ovoid to clavate, elliptical or irregular, 7.9~13.4 µm × 5.6~9.2 µm (av. 10.6 µm×7.9 µm, n=50). The morphology of the fungus resembled Colletotrichum fructicola (Prihastuti et al. 2009). For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT), beta-tubulin 2 (TUB2), calmodulin (CAL), partial manganese superoxide dismutase (sod2), partial Apn2-Mat1-2 intergenic spacer and partial mating type (Mat1-2) (ApMat) genes were amplified from genomic DNA for the isolates using the primers described by Silva et al. (2012) and Weir et al. (2012). The sequences of the above seven loci of the three isolates (accession nos. OQ121661 to OQ121663 and OQ133400 to OQ133417) were obtained and showed over 99% identity with the existing sequences of ex-type culture ICMP 18581 of Colletotrichum fructicola (Weir et al. 2012). A multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the seven loci concatenated sequences using the maximum likelihood method revealed that the isolates belong to C. fructicola. To confirm pathogenicity, five 3-month-old potted plants were used for inoculation with each representative isolate. Tested plants were sprayed with 10 ml of a conidial suspension (1 × 108 conidia/ml) , and the controls plants were sprayed with sterile water. All the plants were incubated in a growth chamber at 26 ± 2°C with 95% relative humidity. After 10 days, typical lesions like those observed on the field plants appeared on all inoculated plants, while the control remained healthy. The same fungal pathogen was reisolated and the identity was confirmed by morphological characterization and molecular analysis, confirming Koch's postulates. The pathogen has been reported as the causal agent of anthracnose on a wide range of plant hosts worldwide (Marquez-Zequera et al. 2018; Horfer et al. 2021; Jiang et al. 2022; Li et al. 2023). To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose on F. hirta caused by C. fructicola in southern China.