Synthesis of a 3D Flower-Like BiOCl/Bi-MOF Heterostructure for High-Performance Removal of Rhodamine B and Tetracycline Hydrochloride.

Semiconductor materials based on bismuth metal have been extensively explored for their potential in photocatalytic applications owing to their distinctive crystal structure. Herein, we present the development of a hybrid photocatalyst, CAU-17/BiOCl, featuring a flower-like nanosheet morphology tailored for the photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants such as rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). The composite material is obtained by growing thin CAU-17 layers directly onto the host flower-like BiOCl nanosheets under solvothermal conditions. The optimized CAU-17/BiOCl composite possesses excellent photocatalytic performance, achieving a notable 96.0% removal rate for RhB and 78.4% for TCH after 60 and 90 min of LED light irradiation, respectively. This boosted activity is attributed to the heightened absorption of visible light caused by BiOCl and the provision of additional reaction sites due to the thin CAU-17 layers. Furthermore, the establishment of an S-scheme heterojunction mechanism enables efficient charge separation between CAU-17 and BiOCl, facilitating the separation of photoinduced electrons (e-) and holes (h+). Analysis of the degradation mechanism of RhB and TCH reveals the predominant role of superoxide radicals (•O2-), e-, and h+ in the photocatalytic degradation process. Moreover, the removal efficiency of TCH can reach approximately 64.5% after four cycles of recycling of CAU-17/BiOCl. Our work provides a facile, effective solution and a theoretically explained approach for the effective degradation of pollutants using heterojunction photocatalysts.

Construction of BiOCl/bismuth-based halide perovskite heterojunctions derived from the metal-organic framework CAU-17 for effective photocatalytic degradation.

The designed synthesis of an S-scheme heterojunction has possessed a great potential for improving photocatalytic wastewater treatment by demonstrating increased the photoredox capacity and improved the charge separation efficiency. Here, we introduce the fabrication of a heterojunction-based photocatalyst comprising bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) and bismuth-based halide perovskite (BHP) nanosheets, derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Our composite photocatalyst is synthesized through a one-pot solvothermal strategy, where a halogenation process is applied to a bismuth-based metal-organic framework (CAU-17) as the precursor for bismuth sourcing. As a result, the rod-like structure of CAU-17 transforms into well-defined plate and nanosheet architectures after 4 and 8 h of solvothermal treatment, respectively. The modulation of the solvothermal reaction time facilitates the establishment of an S-scheme heterojunction, resulting in an increase in the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of rhodamine B (RhB) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The optimized BiOCl/BHP composite exhibits superior RhB and SMX degradation rates, achieving 99.8% degradation of RhB in 60 min and 75.1% degradation of SMX in 300 min. Also, the optimized BiOCl/BHP composite (CAU-17-st-8h sample) exhibited the highest rate constant (k = 3.48 × 10-3 min-1), nearly 6 times higher than that of the bare BHP in the photocatalytic degradation process of SMX. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency can be endorsed to various factors: (i) the in-situ formation of two-components BiOCl/BHP photocatalyst, derived from CAU-17, effectively suppresses the aggregation of pristine BHP and BiOCl particles; (ii) the S-scheme heterostructure establishes a closely-knit interfacial connection, thereby facilitating efficient pathways for charge separation/transfer; and (iii) the BiOCl/BHP heterostructure enhances its capacity to absorb visible light. Our investigation establishes an effective strategy for constructing heterostructured photocatalysts, offering significant potential for application in photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

[Optimization of prediction model for personalized water pills based on semantic analysis of traditional Chinese medicine materials].

This study aims to optimize the prediction model of personalized water pills that has been established by our research group. Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Leonuri Herba, Codonopsis Radix, Armeniacae Semen Amarum, and calcined Oyster were selected as model medicines of powdery, fibrous, sugary, oily, and brittle materials, respectively. The model prescriptions were obtained by uniform mixing design. With hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E5(HPMC-E5) aqueous solution as the adhesive, personalized water pills were prepared by extrusion and spheronizaition. The evaluation indexes in the pill preparation process and the multi-model statistical analysis were employed to optimize and evaluate the prediction model of personalized water pills. The prediction equation of the adhesive concentration was obtained as follows: Y_1=-4.172+3.63X_A+15.057X_B+1.838X_C-0.997X_D(adhesive concentration of 10% when Y_1<0, and 20% when Y_1>0). The overall accuracy of the prediction model for adhesive concentration was 96.0%. The prediction equation of adhesive dosage was Y_2=6.051+94.944X_A~(1.5)+161.977X_B+70.078X_C~2+12.016X_D~(0.3)+27.493X_E~(0.3)-2.168X_F~(-1)(R~2=0.954, P<0.001). Furthermore, the semantic prediction model for material classification of traditional Chinese medicines was used to classify the materials contained in the prescription, and thus the prediction model of personalized water pills was evaluated. The results showed that the prescriptions for model evaluation can be prepared with one-time molding, and the forming quality was better than that established by the research group earlier. This study has achieved the optimization of the prediction model of personalized water pills.

[Composite excipients for preparing concentrated water pills of personalized traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions by extruding-rounding method].

This study aims to optimize the composite excipients suitable for the preparation of concentrated water pills of personalized traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions by the extruding-rounding method and investigate the roles of each excipient in the preparation process. The fiber materials and powder materials were taken as the standard materials suitable as excipients in the preparation of personalized concentrated water pills without excipient. Water absorption properties and torque rheology were used as indicators for selecting the materials of composite excipients. The ratio of composite excipients was optimized by D-optimal mixture design. Moreover, to demonstrate the universal applicability of the optimal composite excipients, this study selected three traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions with low, medium, and high extraction rates to verify the optimal ratio. Finally, the effects of each selected excipient on the molding of personalized concentrated water pills were investigated with the four parameters of the pill molding quality as indicators. The optimized composite excipients were dextrin∶microcrystalline cellulose(MCC)∶low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose(L-HPC) at a ratio of 1∶2∶4. The composite excipients were used for the preparation of personalized concentrated water pills with stable process, good quality, and a wide range of application. Dextrin acted as a diluent and accelerated the speed of extruding. MCC mainly served as an adhesive, increasing the cohesion and viscosity of the pills. L-HPC as a water absorbent and disintegrating agent can absorb and hold the water of the concentrate and has a strong disintegration effect.

[Research practice and development direction of intelligent manufacturing of presonalized traditional Chinese medicine preparations].

In recent years, as people's living standards continue to improve, and the pace of life accelerates dramatically, the demand and quality of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) services from patients continue to rise. As an essential supplement to the existing forms of TCM application, such as Chinese patent medicine, decoction, and formulated granules, presonalized TCM preparations is facing an increasing market demand. Currently, manual and semi-mechanized production are the primary production ways in presonalized TCM preparations. However, the production process control level is low, and digitalization and informatization need to be improved, which restricts the automated and intelligent development of presonalized TCM preparations. Presonalized TCM preparations faces a significant opportunity and challenge in integrating with intelligent manufacturing through research and development of intelligent equipment and core technology. This paper overviews the connotation and characteristics of intelligent manufacturing and summarizes the application of intelligent manufacturing technologies such as "Internet of things" "big data", and "artificial intelligence" in the TCM industry. Based on the innovative research and development model of "intelligent classification of TCM materials, intelligent decision making of prescription and process, and online control and intelligent production" of presonalized TCM preparations, the research practice and achievements from our research group in the field of intelligent manufacturing of presonalized TCM preparations are introduced. Ultimately, the paper proposes the direction for developing intelligent manufacturing of presonalized TCM preparations, which will provide a reference for the research and application of automation and intelligence of presonalized TCM preparations.

[Intelligent material classification of traditional Chinese medicine based on semantic analysis].

A method for material classification of traditional Chinese medicines based on the physical properties of powder has been established by our research group. This method involves pre-treatment of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, powder preparation, and determination of physical properties, being cumbersome. In this study, the word segmentation logic of semantic analysis was adopted to establish the thesaurus and local standardized semantic word segmentation database with the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of 36 model traditional Chinese medicines as the basic data. The physical properties of these medicines have been determined and the classification of these medicines is clear in the cluster analysis. A total of 55 keywords for powdery, fibrous, sugary, oily, and brittle materials were screened by association rules and the set inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the weights of the keywords were calculated. Furthermore, the algorithms of the keyword matching scores and the computation rules of the single or multiple material classification were established for building the intelligent model of semantic analysis for the material classification. The semantic classification results of the other 35 TCMs except Pseudostellariae Radix(multi-material medicine) agreed with the clustering results based on the physical properties of the powder, with an agreement rate of 97.22%. In model validation, the prediction results of semantic classification of traditional Chinese medicines were consistent with the clustering results based on the physical properties of powder, with an agreement rate of 83.33%. The results showed that the method of material classification based on semantic analysis was feasible, which laid a foundation for the development of intelligent decision-making technology for personalized traditional Chinese medicine preparations.

[Preparation process selection of presonalized traditional Chinese medicine concentrated watered pills containing heat-unstable components].

In the process of preparing presonalized concentrated watered pills, the decoction needs to be concentrated by heat and mixed with medicinal slices or powder to prepare a wet mass. However, some of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) components are easily decomposed or transformed by heat. In order to optimize the preparation process of presonalized TCM concentrated watered pills and reduce the loss of heat-unstable components in prescriptions, this study uses five compound TCM prescriptions containing heat-unstable components as model prescriptions, namely the Linggui Zhugan Formula, Xiaochengqi Formula, Sanpian Formula, Xiaoer Qixing Formula, and Xiaoyao Formula. Based on the two kinds of preparation process of presonalized concentrated watered pills previously established by our research group, whole extract concentrated watered pills and concentrated watered pills without excipients are prepared, respectively. Characteristic maps are measured and compared with those of the corresponding decoction. The results show that the characteristic maps of the concentrated watered pills without excipients of the five model prescriptions are very close to those of the decoction, and the number of characteristic peaks and peak areas are higher than those of whole extract concentrated watered pills. In addition, the peak area of some peaks is higher than that of the corresponding decoction. Thus, it is recommended to select the preparation process of prescription-based concentrated watered pills without excipients based on the "unification of medicines and excipients" to preserve those heat-unstable components more effectively when the prescription contains a heat-unstable component of TCM. This study provides a basis for the subsequent reasonable development and application of presonalized TCM pills.

PDGFRα+ITGA11+ fibroblasts foster early-stage cancer lymphovascular invasion and lymphatic metastasis via ITGA11-SELE interplay.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) exhibit considerable heterogeneity in advanced cancers; however, the functional annotation and mechanism of CAFs in early-stage cancers remain elusive. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic, we identify a previously unknown PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAF subset in early-stage bladder cancer (BCa). Multicenter clinical analysis of a 910-case cohort confirms that PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs are associated with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and poor prognosis in early-stage BCa. These CAFs facilitate LVI and lymph node (LN) metastasis in early-stage BCa, as evidenced in a PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs-specific deficient mouse model. Mechanistically, PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs promote lymphangiogenesis via recognizing ITGA11 surface receptor SELE on lymphatic endothelial cells to activate SRC-p-VEGFR3-MAPK pathway. Further, CHI3L1 from PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs aligns the surrounding matrix to assist cancer cell intravasation, fostering early-stage BCa LVI and LN metastasis. Collectively, our study reveals the crucial role of PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs in shaping metastatic landscape, informing the treatment of early-stage BCa LVI.

An HGF-dependent positive feedback loop between bladder cancer cells and fibroblasts mediates lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a vital role in facilitating tumor progression through extensive reciprocal interplay with cancer cells. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are the critical mediators involved in the crosstalk between cancer cells and stromal cells, contributing to the metastasis of cancers. Yet, the biological mechanisms of tumor-derived EVs in triggering CAFs phenotype to stimulate the lymph node (LN) metastasis of bladder cancer (BCa) are largely unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the effects and molecular mechanisms of tumor-derived EV-mediated CAFs phenotype in regulating BCa LN metastasis. METHODS: The high-throughput sequencing was utilized to identify the crucial long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) associated with CAF enrichment in BCa. The functional role of the transition of fibroblasts to CAFs induced by LINC00665-mediated EVs was investigated through the in vitro and in vivo assays. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification assays, fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays, cytokine profiling and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model were performed to explore the underlying mechanism of LINC00665 in the LN metastasis of BCa. RESULTS: We found that CAFs are widely enriched in the tumor microenvironment of BCa, which correlated with BCa lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis. We then identified a CAF-associated long non-coding RNA, LINC00665, which acted as a crucial mediator of CAF infiltration in BCa. Clinically, LINC00665 was associated with LN metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with BCa. Mechanistically, LINC00665 transcriptionally upregulated RAB27B expression and induced H3K4me3 modification on the promoter of RAB27B through the recruitment of hnRNPL. Moreover, RAB27B-induced EVs secretion endowed fibroblasts with the CAF phenotype, which reciprocally induced LINC00665 overexpression to form a RAB27B-HGF-c-Myc positive feedback loop, enhancing the lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of BCa. Importantly, we demonstrated that blocking EV-transmitted LINC00665 or HGF broke this loop and impaired BCa lymphangiogenesis in a PDX model. CONCLUSION: Our study uncovers a precise mechanism that LINC00665 sustains BCa LN metastasis by inducing a RAB27B-HGF-c-Myc positive feedback loop between BCa cells and fibroblasts, suggesting that LINC00665 could be a promising therapeutic target for patients with LN metastatic BCa.

Mutant KRAS Mediates circARFGEF2 Biogenesis to Promote Lymphatic Metastasis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Circular RNAs (circRNA) contribute to cancer stemness, proliferation, and metastasis. The biogenesis of circRNAs can be impacted by the genetic landscape of tumors. Herein, we identified a novel circRNA, circARFGEF2 (hsa_circ_0060665), which was upregulated in KRASG12D pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and positively associated with KRASG12D PDAC lymph node (LN) metastasis. CircARFGEF2 overexpression significantly facilitated KRASG12D PDAC LN metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circARFGEF2 biogenesis in KRASG12D PDAC was significantly activated by the alternative splicing factor QKI-5, which recruited U2AF35 to facilitate spliceosome assembly. QKI-5 bound the QKI binding motifs and neighboring reverse complement sequence in intron 3 and 6 of ARFGEF2 pre-mRNA to facilitate circARFGEF2 biogenesis. CircARFGEF2 sponged miR-1205 and promoted the activation of JAK2, which phosphorylated STAT3 to trigger KRASG12D PDAC lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis. Importantly, circARFGEF2 silencing significantly inhibited LN metastasis in the KrasG12D/+Trp53R172H/+Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mouse PDAC model. These findings provide insight into the mechanism and metastasis-promoting function of mutant KRAS-mediated circRNA biogenesis. SIGNIFICANCE: Increased splicing-mediated biogenesis of circARFGEF2 in KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma activates JAK2-STAT3 signaling and triggers lymph node metastasis, suggesting circARFGEF2 could be a therapeutic target to inhibit pancreatic cancer progression.

Genetic and hosts characterization of hantaviruses in port areas in Hainan Province, P. R. China.

BACKGROUND: Hantaviruses (HVs) are major zoonotic pathogens in China that cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) posing a major threat to people's health. Hainan Province, an island located in Southeast China, is an ideal region for sea ports. The unique tropical monsoon climate in Hainan provides sufficient living conditions for rodents, which help spread HVs and other rodent-borne diseases. In the routine monitoring of hantavirus, there was no evidence that rodents in Hainan carried hantavirus. No patients infected with hantavirus were found in the past. However, the surveillance of HVs-carrying rodents covering the whole territory of Hainan has not stopped. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: For the monitoring of the prevalence of HVs in rodents and the search for theoretical reference for rodent control and HFRS prevention, a total of 60 rodents from 6 monitoring spots were trapped around main ports in Hainan between 2016 and 2019. HV positive samples were identified by a specific kit and sequenced. The data indicated that seven rodents (Rattus norvegicus) were positive for hantavirus with a positivity rate of 11.67%. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the two complete sequence strains HN1 and HN4 in this research were highly similar to the sequence strains GZRn36 and GZRn148 isolated in Guangdong Province, and they located in the same phylogenetic tree branch which belongs to S2 subtype. Although the two partial sequences HT1 and HT2 isolated in Xisha Islands belong to S2 subtype according to the phylogenetic tree of L segment, they showed a great nucleotide difference with HN1 and HN4. We also found 13 amino acid variations compared with SEOV 80-39 and 6 amino acid mutations related to epitope, and the variations may reduce the effectiveness of the current HFRS vaccines used in humans. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The study indicated HVs carried by rodents found in Hainan Province may be transmitted from Guangdong Province through trading ports and carriage of goods by sea. So it is of great significance to strengthen the surveillance of rodents in port areas especially capture and eliminate rodents on ship. Timely elimination of host animals of hantavirus in port areas is necessary to prevent an outbreak of HVs disease.

Cu2O/Fe3O4/MIL-101(Fe) nanocomposite as a highly efficient and recyclable visible-light-driven catalyst for degradation of ciprofloxacin.

Nowadays, the widespread production and use of antibiotics have increased their presence in wastewater systems, posing a potential threat to the environment and human health. The development of advanced materials for treating antibiotics in wastewater has always received special attention. This study aimed to synthesize a novel Cu2O/Fe3O4/MIL-101(Fe) nanocomposite and use it to degrade ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotics in an aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The optical, structural, and morphological attributes of the developed nanocomposite were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, TGA, DRS, BET, VSM, and UV-Vis techniques. Optimum circumstances for CIP photocatalytic degradation were acquired in 0.5 g L-1 of catalyst dosage, pH of 7, and CIP concentration of 20 mg L-1. The degradation efficiency was achieved 99.2% after 105 min of irradiation in optimum circumstances. The chemical trapping experiments confirmed that hydroxyl and superoxide radicals significantly contributed to the CIP degradation process. The results of this study indicated that Cu2O/Fe3O4/MIL-101(Fe) nanocomposite was a highly stable photocatalyst that could effectively remove antibiotics from aqueous solutions. The CIP degradation efficiency only decreased by 6% after five cycles, indicating the excellent recyclability of Cu2O/Fe3O4/MIL-101(Fe) nanocomposites.

The correlation between tumor-associated macrophage infiltration and progression in cervical carcinoma.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a particularly important role in the progression, invasion and metastasis of cervical carcinoma (CC). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are significant components of the tumor microenvironment in CC. However, the results of studies on the correlation between TAMs and progression in CC are still controversial. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between TAMs infiltration and progression in CC. A total of 100 patients with CC were included in the study. The correlation between TAMs and clinicopathologic features was studied. Besides, a systematic literature search was conducted from legitimate electronic databases to specifically evaluate the role of TAMs in TME of cervical carcinoma. In the meta-analysis, high stromal CD68+ TAMs density was relevant to lymph node metastasis (WMD = 11.89, 95% CI: 5.30-18.47). At the same time, CD163+ M2 TAM density was associated with lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.09-5.37; WMD = 39.37, 95% CI: 28.25-50.49) and FIGO stage (WMD = -33.60, 95% CI: -45.04 to -22.16). This was further confirmed in the experimental study of 100 tissues of cervical cancer. It supported a critical role of TAMs as a prospective predictor of cervical cancer. In conclusion, CD68+ TAM and CD163+ M2 TAM infiltration in CC were associated with tumor progression. And CD163+ M2 TAM infiltration was associated with more advanced FIGO stage and lymph node metastasis in CC.

A composite single-nucleotide polymorphism prediction signature for extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Current prognostic scoring systems based on clinicopathologic variables are inadequate in predicting the survival and treatment response of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) patients undergoing nonanthracyline-based treatment. We aimed to construct a classifier based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for improving predictive accuracy and guiding clinical decision making. Data from 722 patients with ENKTL from international centers were analyzed. A 7-SNP-based classifier was constructed using LASSO Cox regression in the training cohort (n = 336) and further validated in the internal testing cohort (n = 144) and in 2 external validation cohorts (n = 142 and n = 100). The 7-SNP-based classifier showed good prognostic predictive efficacy in the training cohort and the 3 validation cohorts. Patients with high- and low-risk scores calculated by the classifier exhibited significantly different progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (all P < .001). The 7-SNP-based classifier was further proved to be an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis, and its predictive accuracy was significantly better than clinicopathological risk variables. Application of the 7-SNP-based classifier was not affected by sample types. Notably, chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy significantly improved PFS and OS vs radiotherapy alone in high-risk Ann Arbor stage I patients, whereas there was no statistical difference between the 2 therapeutic modalities among low-risk patients. A nomogram was constructed comprising the classifier and clinicopathological variables; it showed remarkably better predictive accuracy than either variable alone. The 7-SNP-based classifier is a complement to existing risk-stratification systems in ENKTL, which could have significant implications for clinical decision making for patients with ENKTL.

circEHBP1 promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer via miR-130a-3p/TGFßR1/VEGF-D signaling.

Lymphatic metastasis constitutes a leading cause of recurrence and mortality in bladder cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates that lymphangiogenesis is indispensable to trigger lymphatic metastasis. However, the specific mechanism is poorly understood. In the present study, we revealed a pathway involved in lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer, in which a circular RNA (circRNA) facilitated lymphangiogenesis in a vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C)-independent manner. Novel circRNA circEHBP1 was markedly upregulated in bladder cancer and correlated positively with lymphatic metastasis and poor prognosis of patients with bladder cancer. circEHBP1 upregulated transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1) expression through physically binding to miR-130a-3p and antagonizing the suppression effect of miR-130a-3p on the 3' UTR region of TGFBR1. Subsequently, circEHBP1-mediated TGFßR1 overexpression activated the TGF-ß/SMAD3 signaling pathway, thereby promoting the secretion of VEGF-D and driving lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in bladder cancer. Importantly, administration of VEGF-D neutralizing antibodies remarkably blocked circEHBP1-induced lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in vivo. Our findings highlighted that the circEHBP1/miR-130a-3p/TGFßR1/VEGF-D axis contributes to lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer independent of VEGF-C, which might lead to the development of circEHBP1 as a potential biomarker and promising therapeutic target for lymphatic metastasis in bladder cancer.

The influence of Close Non-Match fingerprints similar in delta regions of whorls on fingerprint identification.

Fingerprint identification errors may be due to the high similarity of fingerprints from different sources, especially when queries are conducted in a large database with the application of the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). In this study, a database of ten-prints of 6.964 million individuals was used; 20 sets of 60 simulated fingermarks of different qualities were used and compared with fingerprints from the database. A total of 245 queries were conducted based on both the quality of each fingermark and the number of minutiae. Four types of results were obtained from these queries on the large database, and were categorized as follows: (A) Neither Same Source nor Close Non-Match appears in the candidate list, (B) Only Same Source appears, (C) Only Close Non-Matches appear, and (D) Both Same Source and Close Non-Matches appear. When the quality of the fingermark was improved, more minutiae could be identified, and the degree of accuracy of the placement as well as orientation was higher. As a result, highly Close Non-Match fingerprints appeared; this made it harder to distinguish these fingerprints from Same Source fingerprints, especially in the large database. We concluded that more highly Close Non-Matches might appear when the database is consistently expanded, and an increasing number of Close Non-Matches might be found with a higher ranking and score than the Same Source; this would make the identification harder for examiners and might increase the possibility of identification errors.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Expression and Prognosis for MCMs in Human Gastric Cancer.

PURPOSES: Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins play an important role in replication and cell cycle progression. Even so, their expression and prognostic roles in cancer remain controversial. METHODS: To address this issue, the study investigated the roles of MCMs in the prognosis of GC by using ONCOMINE, GEPIA2, UALCAN, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), the Human Protein Atlas, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, and DAVID databases. RESULTS: Over expressions of mRNA and cell lines were found in all members of the MCM family, and MCMs were found to be significantly associated with pathological tumor grades in GC patients. Besides, higher mRNA expressions of MCM1/5/7 were found to be significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (FP) in GC patients, while higher mRNA expression of MCM4/6/9 were connected with favorable OS and FP. Moreover, a high mutation rate of MCMs (68%) was also observed in GC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that MCM1/5/7 were potential targets of precision therapy for patients with GC. And MCM4/6/9 were new biomarkers for the prognosis of GC. The results of the study will contribute to supplement the existing knowledge, and help to explore therapeutic targets and enhance the accuracy of prognosis for patients with GC.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Aedes aegypti after massive vector control for dengue fever prevention in Yunnan border areas.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus. Aedes aegypti (Ae. Aegypti) is considered the primary vector of Dengue virus transmission in Yunnan Province, China. With increased urbanization, Ae. aegypti populations have significantly increased over the last 20 years. Despite all the efforts that were made for controlling the virus transmission, especially on border areas between Yunnan and Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar (dengue-endemic areas), the epidemic has not yet been eradicated. Thus, further understanding of the genetic diversity, population structure, and invasive strategies of Ae. aegypti populations in the border areas was vital to uncover the vector invasion and distribution dynamic, and essential for controlling the infection. In this study, we analyzed genetic diversity and population structure of eight adult Ae. Aegypti populations collected along the border areas of Yunnan Province in 2017 and 2018. Nine nuclear microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were used to achieve a better understanding of the genetic diversity and population structure. One hundred and fourteen alleles were found in total. The polymorphic information content value, together with the expected heterozygosity (He) and observed heterozygosity (Ho) values showed high genetic diversity in all mosquito populations. The clustering analysis based on Bayesian algorithm, the UPGMA and DAPC analysis revealed that all the eight Ae. aegypti populations can be divided into three genetic groups. Based on the mtDNA results, all Ae. aegypti individuals were divided into 11 haplotypes. The Ae. aegypti populations in the border areas of Yunnan Province presented with high genetic diversity, which might be ascribed to the continuous incursion of Ae. aegypti.

The Value of ABO Blood Group and Complete Blood Count for the Prognosis Analysis of Gastric Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of ABO blood group and complete blood count results in predicting the survival rate of patients with gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to collect 488 gastric cancer patients diagnosed in the Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University from January 2010 to December 2011. Relevant clinical data were collected by the medical record system, and the patients were followed up by the medical record follow-up system of the hospital. The follow-up was ended until the death of the patients, and the survival time of all patients was obtained. Survival curve and Cox regression analysis model were used to study the role of various indicators in the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. RESULTS: Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil monocyte ratio (NMR), lymphocyte monocyte ratio (LMR) and platelet distribution width (PDW) in blood routine test could predict the death outcome of gastric cancer patients, with the predicted thresholds of 1.95, 13.49, 5.22 and 11.25, respectively. Survival curve analysis showed that female patients, type O blood patients, LMR >5.22 patients, NMR >13.49 patients and NLR ≤1.95 patients had longer survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis model showed that gender and NLR were independent prognosis risk factors for gastric cancer, with HR values of 2.964 (95% CI of 2.258-3.891) and 1.103 (95% CI of 1.028-1.183), respectively. PLT and PDW were independent prognosis protective factors for gastric cancer, with HR values of 0.998 (95% CI of 0.997-1.000) and 0.891 (95% CI of 0.797-0.996), respectively. Compared with type O blood patients, patients with type A blood, type B blood and type AB blood had 3.472 times (95% CI 2.562-4.706), 3.368 times (95% CI 2.454-4.624) and 4.407 times (95% CI 2.871-6.766) increased risk of death. CONCLUSION: The results of NLR, PLT, PDW and ABO blood group can help to predict the survival of gastric cancer patients.

A COVID-19 case report from asymptomatic contact: implication for contact isolation and incubation management.

BACKGROUND: As of 2 March, 2020, at least 80 151 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were reported in China. Most of the patients had a history of visiting Hubei Province or contacting with people who had ever stayed in or passed by Hubei Province or were exposed to symptoms. Some patients got infected through only asymptomatic contact. This study aimed to report the epidemic features and lab identification of a patient confirmed with COVID-19 infection through only asymptomatic contact. CASE PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old man, who lived in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China until 6 March 2020, suffered from cough on 27 January 2020. Fever symptoms appeared on 28 January, with a maximum temperature of 38.8 °C, accompanied by cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, muscle ache, joint ache, and other symptoms. The symptoms continued until he was hospitalized on 30 January. Coronavirus conventional polymerase chain reaction assay was positive for the throat swab sample. The patient, along with his wife and son, drove from Nanchang to back to Honghu City, Hubei Province, on 23 January 2020. After staying with his parents and brother's family for 3 days, the patient drove back to Nanchang and arrived on 25 January. On the way back home, they stopped by Tongshan service area, Hubei Province, without any close contact with other people. After arriving home in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, none of them left their residence. In addition, his parents stayed at home for 20 days with his younger brother's family before they got back. His younger brother and one of his brother's children visited Wuhan on 5 January and came home on 6 January 2020. CONCLUSIONS: This report suggested that, in the early phase of COVID-19 pneumonia, routine screening could miss patients who were virus carriers. Highlighting travel history is of paramount importance for the early detection and isolation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 cases.