[Analysis of ultrasound images features and diagnostic model establishment of alveolar soft part sarcoma and intramuscular capillary-type hemangiomas]

Objective: The ultrasonography features of alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) and intramuscular capillary-type hemangiomas (ICTH) were analyzed, and the diagnostic model of ASPS was established. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. The clinical data of 52 patients [28 males and 24 females, aged (20.7±15.1) years] with pathologically confirmed ASPS and ICTH admitted to People's Hospital of Henan Province from January 2005 to February 2023 were included in the study. According to pathological types, the patients were divided into ASPS group and ICTH group. Clinical data of patients were retrospectively collected, and meaningful indicators in the univariate analysis were included in the regression analysis for screening. After comprehensive consideration of clinical significance and statistical significance, eligible indicators were selected for inclusion in the regression analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to screen the factors that distinguished the pathological types of ASPS and ICTH, and the diagnostic model was established. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of the diagnostic model in distinguishing ASPS from ICTH. Results: There were 20 patients in ASPS group, 10 males and 10 females, aged (26.9±13.5) years, and 32 patients in ICTH group, 18 males and 14 females, aged (16.8±15.0) years. The age difference between the ASPS group and the ICTH group was statistically significant (P<0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in the ultrasound imaging features of "clear boundary" "peripheral lobe" "thin blood vessels inside the lesion are straight and out of shape" "intra-lesion liquification" "peripheral thick blood vessels" and "peripheral muscle fiber disruption" between the two groups (all P<0.001).Variables with clinical and statistical significance were selected as independent variables. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that peripheral muscle fiber interruption (OR=97.358, 95%CI:6.833-1 387.249) and internal thin blood vessels were flat and out of shape (OR=0.052, 95%CI:0.003-0.921) was the correlation factor to distinguish the pathological types of ASPS and ICTH. Two ultrasonic image features of "peripheral muscle fiber interruption" and "internal thin blood vessels are straight and out of shape" were used to establish the diagnostic model. The sensitivity of "peripheral muscle fiber interruption" diagnostic model was 81.3%, and the specificity was 95.0%. The AUC was 0.811(95%CI: 0.761-0.954). The sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the diagnosis model of "internal thin vessels with flat misshape" were 90.0%, 96.9% and 0.934(95%CI: 0.830-0.984). The sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the combined diagnosis model of "peripheral muscle fiber interruption" and "internal thin blood vessel straight out of shape" were 96.9%, 90.0% and 0.974(95%CI:0.877-0.999). Conclusion: Ultrasonography can be used to distinguish ASPS from ICTH, and the combined diagnostic model based on the two ultrasonic imaging features of "peripheral muscle fiber interruption" and "internal thin blood vessel straight out of shape" can further improve the diagnostic efficiency.

Quantitative CT features on admission combined with laboratory biomarkers for predicting severe acute pancreatitis

AIM

To assess the association of quantitative computed tomography (CT) features on admission with acute pancreatitis (AP) severity, and to explore the performance of combined CT and laboratory markers for predicting severe AP (SAP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 208 AP patients were reviewed retrospectively. Pancreas volume, the area of extrapancreatic inflammation, extrapancreatic fluid collection volume, and number were calculated based on CT images on admission. Laboratory biomarkers within 24 h of admission were collected. Interobserver agreement for CT measurements was measured by calculating interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The associations of quantitative CT features with AP severity were evaluated. Predictive models for SAP were constructed based on CT and laboratory markers. Performances of single marker and the models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC curve (AUC).

RESULTS

Pancreas volume, area of extrapancreatic inflammation, extrapancreatic fluid collection volume, and number were significantly different between severe and non-severe AP groups. In predicting SAP, the AUCs of quantitative CT indicators ranged from 0.72 to 0.79; the AUCs of laboratory biomarkers were between 0.53 and 0.66. The combined model of area of extrapancreatic inflammation, serum calcium, and haematocrit yielded an AUC of 0.84, significantly higher than that of the laboratory model, single CT, or laboratory marker. Interobserver agreements for quantitative CT indicators were excellent, with ICC ranging from 0.91 to 0.98.

CONCLUSION

Quantitative CT features on admission were significantly associated with AP severity; the combination of extrapancreatic inflammation area, serum calcium, and haematocrit could be taken as a new method for predicting SAP.

Precision therapy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A case report on adjuvant treatment in a recurrent patient after surgery and literature review

A 37-year-old female patient was diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), with the lesion located in the right lobe of the liver. Despite radical resection, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and a combination of adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the patient continued to experience multiple instances of intrahepatic tumor metastases. Furthermore, the patient exhibited significant adverse reactions to systemic chemotherapy and had poor treatment tolerance. Guidance from paraffin section fluorescence in situ hybridization gene sequencing was used to select a combination of immunotherapy and targeted therapy treatments with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand 1 antibody durvalumab and the targeted drug pemigatinib. The patient tolerated the treatment and has continued to survive for 28 months. According to imaging evaluations, the lesions continued to decrease, with some disappearing completely. The tumor marker carbohydrate antigen 19-9 remained normal for >9 weeks during the treatment. This report described the patient's treatment process in detail and briefly reviewed relevant literature on the treatment progress of postoperative patients with ICC.

Diamond-Like Carbon: A Surface for Extreme, High-Wear Environments

In this study, we present an in-depth characterization of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film, using a range of techniques to understand the structure and chemistry of the film both in the interior and particularly at the DLC/air surface and DLC/liquid interface. The DLC film is found to be a combination of sp2 and sp3 carbon, with significant oxygen present at the surface. The oxygen seems to be present as OH groups, making the DLC somewhat hydrophilic. Quartz-Crystal Microbalance (QCM) isotherms and complementary neutron reflectivity data indicate significant adsorption of a model additive, bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) surfactant, onto the DLC from water solutions and indicate the adsorbed film is a bilayer. This initial study of the structure and composition of a model surfactant is intended to give a clearer insight into how DLC and additives function as antiwear systems.

Beyond Vision: A View from Eye to Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

With the aging of the global population, the health care burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia is considered to increase dramatically in the coming decades. Given the insufficiency of effective interventions for AD and dementia, clinical research on identifying potentially modifiable risk factors and early diagnostic biomarkers becomes a public health priority. Currently, extracerebral manifestations with a large proportion of ocular involvement are usually recognized to precede the symptoms of AD and dementia. Growing epidemiologic evidence also suggests that eye disorders, such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and so on, are closely associated with and even have a higher incidence of AD and dementia. The eye, as an extension of the central nervous system, therefore has the potential to provide a feasible approach to detecting structural and functional abnormalities of the brain. Numerous new imaging modalities are developed and give novel insights into the detection of several neurodegenerative, vascular, neuropathological, and other ocular abnormalities of AD and dementia in scientific research and clinical application. This review provides an overview of the epidemiologic associations between eye disorders and AD or dementia and summarizes the recent advances in ocular examinations and techniques employed for the detection of AD and dementia. With more brain-and-eye interconnections being identified, the eye is becoming a noninvasive and easily accessible window for the early diagnosis and prevention of AD and dementia.

Comparison of Callisphere Drug-Eluting Beads Transarterial Chemoembolization and Conventional Transarterial Chemoembolization for the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective

To compare the efficacy of CalliSphere drug-eluting beads (DEBs) and conventional (c) transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 125 patients with HCC who had received treatment in Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from January 2018 to February 2019. Sixty-one patients underwent DEB-TACE (observation group) and 64 patients underwent cTACE (control group). The clinical efficacies, overall survivals, and incidence of postoperative adverse reactions between the two groups were compared.

Results

The objective response rate in the observation group (85.25%) was higher than that in the control group (70.31%; P<0.05). The disease control in the observation group (96.72%) was higher than that in the control group (85.94%; P<0.05). The median survival time of the observation group (24.85 months) was significantly higher than that in the control group (18.18 months; P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group (4.92%) was lower than that in the control group (17.19%, P<0.05).

Conclusions

In the treatment of HCC, Callisphere DEB-TACE has better efficacy and longer patient survival with fewer adverse reactions compared to cTACE.

Factors influencing the detection rate of fumarate peak in 1H MR spectroscopy of fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma at 3 T MRI

AIM

To identify factors that may be associated with fumarate detection rate in 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-RCC).

MATERIALS AND MEHODS

Between February 2018 and March 2022, 16 FH-RCC patients with 30 lesions underwent 1H-MRS. Detection results were classified as having a detected fumarate peak (n=12), undetected peak (n=10), or technical failure (n=8). Factors including tumour size, tumour location, treatment history, and metastasis status were collected and analysed. A Bayesian logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the association between these factors and the detection result.

RESULTS

Bayesian analysis demonstrated significant associations between fumarate detection results and the following factors: long-axis diameter (odds ratio [OR] of 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] of 1.07-2.53), short-axis diameter (OR of 1.90; 95% CI of 1.19-3.06), voxel size (OR of 2.85; 95% CI of 1.70-4.75), treatment history (OR of 0.35; 95% CI of 0.21-0.58), non-metastatic state (OR of 2.45; 95% CI of 1.48-4.06), and lymph node metastasis (OR of 0.35; 95% CI of 0.21-0.58). Technical failure results were associated with factors such as treatment history (OR of 2.59; 95% CI of 1.37-4.66), non-metastatic state (OR of 0.36; 95% CI of 0.19-0.66), and lymph node metastasis (OR of 2.61; 95% CI of 1.39-4.74).

CONCLUSION

Tumour size, treatment history, and metastasis character were associated with the detection of abnormal fumarate accumulation. This finding will serve as a reference for interpreting 1H-MRS results and for selecting suitable scenarios to evaluate FH-RCC.

Clonal hematopoiesis related TET2 loss-of-function impedes IL1β-mediated epigenetic reprogramming in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is defined as a single hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) gaining selective advantage over a broader range of HSPCs. When linked to somatic mutations in myeloid malignancy-associated genes, such as TET2-mediated clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential or CHIP, it represents increased risk for hematological malignancies and cardiovascular disease. IL1β is elevated in patients with CHIP, however, its effect is not well understood. Here we show that IL1β promotes expansion of pro-inflammatory monocytes/macrophages, coinciding with a failure in the demethylation of lymphoid and erythroid lineage associated enhancers and transcription factor binding sites, in a mouse model of CHIP with hematopoietic-cell-specific deletion of Tet2. DNA-methylation is significantly lost in wild type HSPCs upon IL1β administration, which is resisted by Tet2-deficient HSPCs, and thus IL1β enhances the self-renewing ability of Tet2-deficient HSPCs by upregulating genes associated with self-renewal and by resisting demethylation of transcription factor binding sites related to terminal differentiation. Using aged mouse models and human progenitors, we demonstrate that targeting IL1 signaling could represent an early intervention strategy in preleukemic disorders. In summary, our results show that Tet2 is an important mediator of an IL1β-promoted epigenetic program to maintain the fine balance between self-renewal and lineage differentiation during hematopoiesis.

Roxadustat protects rat renal tubular epithelial cells from hypoxia-induced injury through the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Roxadustat is used to treat renal anemia. The renoprotective effect of roxadustat needs to be further confirmed, and the mechanism of action is unknown. This study aims to evaluate the effect and mechanism of roxadustat in hypoxia-related nephropathy with the renal tubular epithelial cell line NRK-52E.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was employed to assess cellular proliferation in the current investigation. Flow cytometry was used to conduct cell apoptosis analysis. The utilization of electron microscopy facilitated the identification of changes in cellular ultrastructure. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression trend of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). The connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), Smad family member 3 (Smad3), p-Smad3, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, and HIF-1α were assessed by western blotting. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure TGF-β1 and Smad3 mRNA.

RESULTS

Significant growth inhibition and increased apoptosis were observed in NRK-52E cells cultured under hypoxic conditions (1% and 5% O2), which can be rescued by roxadustat. From a morphological perspective, it has been observed that roxadustat can counteract cellular damage features produced by hypoxia. These features include the contraction of the nuclear envelope and an increase in the formation of apoptotic bodies. Roxadustat increases HIF-1α expression acutely at 24 h, followed by a gradual reduction of HIF-1α expression to levels significantly below that of the hypoxia group by 72 h. Roxadustat can also inhibit hypoxia-induced increased expression of CTGF, TGF-β1, p-Smad3, α-SMA, collagen I, and HIF-1α. Combined treatment with roxadustat and siRNA against TGF-β1 synergistically reduced the expression of CTGF and HIF-1α, while the effect on TGF-β1 and p-Smad3 were comparable to that of the individual treatment alone. Comparably, the combined administration of roxadustat and siRNA targeting Smad3 had a synergistic impact on diminishing the expression of CTGF.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that roxadustat attenuates experimental renal fibrosis likely by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathways, while its effect on CTGF and HIF-1α may involve other signaling pathways.

Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated APOC1 silencing to inhibit MAPK/ERK and NF-κB pathway and suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors with high mortality and poor prognosis in women. There is an urgent need to discover new therapeutic targets for breast cancer metastasis. Herein, we identified that Apolipoprotein C1 (APOC1) was up-regulated in primary tumor of breast cancer patient that recurrence and metastasis by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Kaplan-Meier Plotter database showed that high levels of APOC1 in breast cancer patients were strongly associated with worse overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). Mechanistically, APOC1 silencing significantly inhibits MAPK/ERK kinase pathway and restrains the NF-κB to decrease the transcription of target genes related to growth and metastasis in vitro. Based on this regulatory mechanism, we developed these findings into potential therapeutic drugs, glutathione (GSH) responsive nano-particles (NPs) were used for systemic APOC1 siRNA delivery, NPs (siAPOC1) silenced APOC1 expression, and subsequently resulted in positive anti-tumor effects in orthotopic and liver metastasis models in vivo. Taken together, GSH responsive NP-mediated siAPOC1 delivery was proved to be effective in regulating growth and metastasis in multiple tumor models. These findings show that APOC1 could be a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients and NP-mediated APOC1 silencing could be new strategies for exploration of new treatments for breast cancer metastasis.

Design of a high counting efficiency sensor for 1.0 cubic feet per minute laser particle counter

Based on the theory of Mie scattering, an optical sensor for a 1.0 cubic feet per minute laser particle counter is developed in this paper. First, an illumination optical path relying on aspherical lens and cylindrical lens for laser shaping was designed, and a narrow optical spot with the illumination in the vertical direction of the photosensitive area approximately distributed as a flat top was obtained. Second, the scattering light path was designed by using the theory of Mie scattering and geometric optics method. Then, the structure of the sampling air path was designed with reference to the principle of Laval nozzle, and the particle flow trajectory was verified by simulation using the fluid dynamics software Ansys Fluent. Finally, the performance of the optical sensor was measured with polystyrene latex (PSL) particles, and the results showed that the counting efficiency of the 0.3 μm particle size channel met the requirement of 50% ± 20% and the 0.5 μm particle size channel met the requirement of 100% ± 10%, which complied with the ISO 21501-4 standard.

Artificial reefs reduce the adverse effects of mud and transport stress on behaviors of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Poor survival of seeds reduces the production efficiency of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus in pond culture. We investigated the effects of sea mud on the movement-related behaviors of A. japonicus with different body sizes. Mud significantly decreased crawling behavior and wall-reaching behavior in small seeds (~ 1 g of body weight), but not in the large ones (~ 2.5 g of body weight). These behaviors were significantly greater in the large seeds of A. japonicus than those in the small individuals when they were both on the mud. This clearly suggests that mud has negative effects on the movement-related behaviors of small seeds, but not on large individuals. We further assessed the effects of inevitable transport stress on the movement-related behaviors of A. japonicus on mud. Significantly poorer performances in crawling behavior, wall-reaching behavior and struggling behavior were observed in stressed A. japonicus (both sizes) than those in unstressed groups. These new findings indicate that transport stress further increases the adverse effects on the movement-related behaviors of A. japonicus on mud. Moreover, we investigated whether adverse effects can be reduced when individuals are directly seeded onto artificial reefs. Crawling behavior, wall-reaching behavior and struggling behavior in stressed A. japonicus (both sizes) seeded onto artificial reefs were significantly greater than those on mud, whereas artificial reefs did not significantly improve the crawling and struggling behaviors of unstressed small seeds. These results collectively indicate that mud and transport stress show negative impacts on the movement-related behaviors of sea cucumbers. Artificial reefs greatly reduce these adverse effects and probably contribute to improving the production efficiency of sea cucumbers in pond culture.

Improved Power Conversion Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells Induced by Molecular Interaction with Poly(ionic liquid) Additives

Ionic liquid (IL) additives proved to have a positive effect on the device efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. However, since ILs are small molecules and undergo Coulomb interactions, they can easily aggregate and evaporate over long times, which would cause instabilities during a long-term device operation. To overcome these problems, we polymerize ILs into macromolecules and incorporate them into perovskite films as well as into the corresponding solar cells. Both cations and anions of the used poly[1-(2-acryloylethyl)-3-methylimidazolium] bis (trifluoromethane) sulfonamides (PAEMI-TFSIs) are designed to coordinate with the Pb and I of PbI₆^2- octahedra, respectively, which changes the crystallization behavior of the perovskite films. Importantly, the PAEMI-TFSI efficiently passivates electronic defects on the grain boundaries and thereby enhances the charge-carrier transport in the perovskite film. As a result, PAEMI-TFSI-modified MAPbI₃ solar cells show a high power conversion efficiency of 22.4% and an excellent storage stability (92% of the initial efficiency remains after 1200 h operation in a nitrogen atmosphere for nonencapsulated devices).

Remodeling Serine Synthesis and Metabolism via Nanoparticles (NPs)-Mediated CFL1 Silencing to Enhance the Sensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Sorafenib

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors represented by sorafenib are the first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the low response rate of HCC patient has become a clinical pain-point. Emerging evidences have revealed that metabolic reprogramming plays an important role in regulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to various chemotherapeutics including sorafenib. However, the underlying mechanisms are very complex and are not fully elucidated. By comparing the transcriptome sequencing data of sorafenib-sensitive and -insensitive HCC patients, it is revealed that cofilin 1 (CFL1) is highly expressed in the tumor tissues of sorafenib-insensitive HCC patients and closely correlated with their poor prognosis. Mechanically, CFL1 can promote phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase transcription and enhance serine synthesis and metabolism to accelerate the production of antioxidants for scavenging the excessive reactive oxygen species induced by sorafenib, thereby impairing the sorafenib sensitivity of HCC. To translate this finding and consider the severe side effects of sorafenib, a reduction-responsive nanoplatform for systemic co-delivery of CFL1 siRNA (siCFL1) and sorafenib is further developed, and its high efficacy in inhibiting HCC tumor growth without apparent toxicity is demonstrated. These results indicate that nanoparticles-mediated co-delivery of siCFL1 and sorafenib can be a new strategy for the treatment of advanced HCC.

Response of Vicia faba to short-term uranium exposure: chelating and antioxidant system changes in roots

Uranium (U) phytotoxicity is an inherently difficult problem in the phytoremediation of U-contaminated environments. Plant chelating and antioxidant systems play an authoritative role in resistance to abiotic stress. To reveal the toxicity of U, the changes of chelating system, osmoregulatory substances and antioxidant systems in Vicia faba roots were studied after short-term (24 h) U exposure. The results indicated that the development of lateral roots and root activity of V. faba were significantly inhibited with U accumulation. Compared with the control, plant chelating systems showed significant positive effects after U exposure (15 - 25 μM). Osmoregulatory substances (proline and soluble protein) increasingly accumulated in roots with increasing U concentration, and O2- and H2O2 rapidly accumulated after U exposure (15 - 25 μM). Thus, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, were also significantly increased. Antioxidant systems were activated after U exposure but were inhibited at higher U concentrations (15 - 25 μM). In summary, although the chelating, osmotic regulation and antioxidant systems in V. faba were activated after short-term U exposure, the antioxidases (CAT, SOD and POD) were inhibited at higher U concentrations (15 - 25 μM). Therefore, the root cells were severely damaged by peroxidation, which eventually resulted in inhibited activity and arrested root development.

Synthesis of biologically derived poly(pyrogallol) nanofibers for antibacterial applications

Herein, we present the facile synthesis of poly(pyrogallol) biopolymers and their application as antibacterial agents. Pyrogallol is a class of phenolic compounds that can be found in various plants. Polymerization was performed by the auto-oxidation of pyrogallol under a hydrated condition. The microscopic image of poly(pyrogallol) shows a highly homogenous nanofibrous structure with a diameter of 100.3 ± 16.3 nm. Spectroscopic analysis by FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS corroborated the formation of ether (C-O-C) bonds between the hydroxyl group and adjacent carbons of pyrogallol during polymerization. The FT-IR and XPS spectra also revealed redox-active gallol functional groups on poly(pyrogallol) nanofibers, which can be used to release free electrons and protons during oxidation followed by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The generated ROS from poly(pyrogallol) was used to inhibit the growth of bacteria, Escherichia coli, at a inhibition rates of 56.3 ± 9.7% and 95.5 ± 2.0% within 0.5 and 2 h, respectively. This finding suggests that poly(pyrogallol) can be used as a naturally occurring antibacterial agent for various biomedical and environmental applications.

Towards texture accurate slice interpolation of medical images using PixelMiner

Quantitative image analysis models are used for medical imaging tasks such as registration, classification, object detection, and segmentation. For these models to be capable of making accurate predictions, they need valid and precise information. We propose PixelMiner, a convolution-based deep-learning model for interpolating computed tomography (CT) imaging slices. PixelMiner was designed to produce texture-accurate slice interpolations by trading off pixel accuracy for texture accuracy. PixelMiner was trained on a dataset of 7829 CT scans and validated using an external dataset. We demonstrated the model's effectiveness by using the structural similarity index (SSIM), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), and the root mean squared error (RMSE) of extracted texture features. Additionally, we developed and used a new metric, the mean squared mapped feature error (MSMFE). The performance of PixelMiner was compared to four other interpolation methods: (tri-)linear, (tri-)cubic, windowed sinc (WS), and nearest neighbor (NN). PixelMiner produced texture with a significantly lowest average texture error compared to all other methods with a normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) of 0.11 (p < .01), and the significantly highest reproducibility with a concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) ≥ 0.85 (p < .01). PixelMiner was not only shown to better preserve features but was also validated using an ablation study by removing auto-regression from the model and was shown to improve segmentations on interpolated slices.

Investigating the intention of purchasing private pension scheme based on an integrated FBM-UTAUT model: The case of China

The newly established private pension scheme in China has received great attention as it would be an important supplement to China’s social safety net and corporate annuity amid an aging population. It provides a way of helping to address the challenge of ensuring adequate retirement income, and the scheme is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. This study investigates factors affecting the intention of purchasing the private pension scheme using a conceptual model based on the integration of Fogg Behavioral Model (FBM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The questionnaire-based data from a sample of 462 respondents had been analyzed. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess validity. The hypothesized relationships in the integrated FBM-UTAUT model were tested using structural equation modeling. The research findings indicate that anticipation, social influence, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, side benefits and facilitating conditions have significant positive impacts on intention to purchase. According to the exploratory factor analysis, the integrated FBM-UTAUT model can explain more than 70% of the total variance. Meanwhile, effort expectancy can be affected by time effort, thought effort and physical effort collectively, while performance expectancy can be affected by risk and trust. It is revealed that the integrated FBM-UTAUT model can be effective in explaining purchase intentions in a private pension scheme context, and this study is expected to offer helpful advice on the design of pension products and the reform of pension policies.

Comprehensive landscape of the IPAF inflammasomes in pan-cancer: A bulk omics research and single-cell sequencing validation

BACKGROUND

IPAF (ICE-protease Activating Factor) is a nucleotide-binding/leucine-rich repeat (NLR) protein known as the cysteine-associated recruitment domain 12 (CARD12). Previous studies only discuss the role of IPAF inflammasomes in specific tumors. The role of IPAF inflammasomes in pan-cancer is still unclear. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive analysis of IPAF inflammasome in 33 tumors.

METHODS

We used databases like The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) from the UCSC XENA (http://xena.ucsc.edu/) to retrieve and analyze gene expression. The influence of IPAF inflammasome on the prognosis of tumor patients was analyzed using univariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Furthermore, we conducted the following analysis: Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, single-cell level functional state analysis, single-cell sequencing, immune cell infiltration analysis, and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score.

RESULTS

First, the differential expression of IPAF inflammasome-related genes (IPAF-RGs) in 33 tumors were analyzed. The results revealed that IPAF-RGs were significantly and differentially expressed in eight tumors. The prognostic significance of IPAF inflammasome scores was different in different tumors. A positive correlation was observed between IPAF inflammasomes scores and CD8+ T cells in most tumors. Further analysis revealed that IPAF inflammasome might affect tumor immunity mainly by mediating effector T cell recruitment via the expression of chemokines such as CXCL9, CXCL10, and CCL5. The analysis of TIDE and IPAF inflammasome scores revealed a significant negative correlation between IPAF inflammasome and TIDE scores in 11 tumors.

CONCLUSION

A pan-cancer analysis of IPAF inflammasome in various tumors was performed. The results highlight the potential value of IPAF inflammasome in response to immunotherapy in patients and provide a new direction for future immunotherapy.

Identification of novel characteristic biomarkers and immune infiltration profile for the anaplastic thyroid cancer via machine learning algorithms

PURPOSE

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare and lethal malignant cancer. In recent years, the application of molecular-driven targeted therapy and immunotherapy has markedly improved the prognosis of ATC. This study aimed to identify characteristic genes for ATC diagnosis and revealed the role of ATC characteristic genes in drug sensitivity and immune cell infiltration.

METHODS

We downloaded ATC RNA-sequencing data from the GEO database. Following the combination and normalization of the dataset, we first divided the combined datasets into the training cohort and the validation cohort. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ATC by differential expression analysis in the training cohort. We used two machine learning algorithms, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) to identify ATC characteristic genes. The CIBERSORT algorithm was performed to calculate the abundance of various immune cells in ATC. Finally, we validated the expression of ATC characteristic genes by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) in ATC cell lines and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTS

A total of 425 DEGs were identified in the training cohort, including 240 upregulated genes and 185 downregulated genes. Four ATC characteristic genes (ADM, PXDN, MMP1, and TFF3) were identified, and their diagnostic value was validated in the validation cohort (AUC in ROC analysis > 0.75). We established a practical gene expression-based nomogram to accurately predict the probability of ATC. We also found that ATC characteristic biomarkers are associated with the tumor immune microenvironment and drug sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

ADM, PXDN, MMP1, and TFF3 might serve as potential ATC diagnostic biomarkers and may be helpful for ATC molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Effects of strontium on the morphological and photosynthetic physiological characteristics of Vicia faba seedlings

The adaptation of plants to strontium (Sr) stress requires a more systematic understanding. In the present study, the morphological and photosynthetic physiological characteristics of Vicia faba seedlings under Sr stress (⁸⁸Sr, 0-1,000 mg·L^-1) were analyzed in solution culture. The results showed that Sr treatment decreased the biomass and root activity of V. faba seedlings significantly, but fortunately, there was almost no root necrosis. In plant morphology, the taproot length, lateral root number, plant height, branching number and internodes number of V. faba were significantly inhibited, thus the apical dominance of taproot and terminal bud was more obvious. The accumulation of Sr resulted in the decrease of leaf area, dry weight, stomatal density and stomatal aperture, while the guard cell length increased, and the specific leaf weight (SLW) increased first and then decreased. These changes in stomatal morphology may be a positive regulation to reduce water loss. In addition, V. faba increased the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and the activities of peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) to protect the photosynthetic structure. Low concentration of Sr (250 mg·L^-1) promoted the photochemical efficiency and electron transfer of PSII (e.g., increased F_v/F_m, Φ_PSII, qP and ETR). However, Sr (250-1,000 mg·L^-1) inhibited the net photosynthetic rate (P_n), transpiration rate (T_r) and stomatal conductance (G_s) in leaves. In general, the P_n was affected by both stomatal and non-stomatal factors. Since Sr did not cause significant damage to the PSII function, the non-stomatal factor may be the dark reaction in photosynthesis affected, but this needs to be proved by further studies.

Hypoxia-Induced miR-210 Promotes Endothelial Cell Permeability and Angiogenesis via Exosomes in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Exosomes have been proven to play important diagnostic, regulatory, or communication roles in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, or metastasis; in recent studies, lots of molecules, including miRNAs, were found to be aberrantly expressed in tumor exosomes and were correlated with tumor development. However, studies about the expression, relationship, or control mechanisms of miRNAs in exosomes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are scarce and urgently needed. The aim of this article was to identify and investigate abnormally expressed miRNAs in PDAC exosomes in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS

Microarray studies were used to detect aberrantly expressed miRNAs in PDAC exosomes, and miR-210 expression in cells or exosomes was further analyzed by qRT-PCR. Bioinformatics analyses, dual-luciferase assays, WB, and other assays were utilized to explore the miRNA molecular mechanisms. The living cell coculture model and immunofluorescence analysis were employed to image the communication between PDAC cells and endothelial cells. Other biological experiments in the study include a real-time intravital imaging system, EdU, transwell, xenograft models, and so on.

RESULTS

miR-210 is significantly expressed in PDAC exosomes and malignant cells. High miR-210 significantly facilitated tumor angiogenesis, cell invasion, and proliferation in PDAC cells. Further mechanistic detection revealed that miR-210 negatively regulated EFNA3 expression and participated in the PI3K/AKT/VEGFA or Wnt/Β-catenin/RHOA pathways, thus promoting tumor angiogenesis and cellular permeability. PDAC cells promote endothelial angiogenesis or permeability via miR-210 transmission by tumor exosomes. Exosomal miR-210 promotes PDAC progression in vivo. Further detection of PDAC plasma exosomal miR-210 suggests that exosomal miR-210 expression was high and significantly associated with vascular invasion and TNM stage and was an independent risk factor for PDAC overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

PDAC cell-secreted exosomes could promote angiogenesis and cellular permeability of neighboring endothelial angiogenesis or permeability via miR-210 transmission. Exosomal miR-210 may play important roles in tumor biology and may be a useful prognostic marker in PDAC.

[Application of branch-first technique in total thoracic aorta replacement: short and medium term effect of 11 cases]

Objective: To examine the short and medium term effect of branch-first technique in total thoracic aorta replacement. Methods: The clinical data of eleven patients with ascending aortic aneurysms or type A aortic dissection+Crawford Ⅰ or Ⅱ total thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm who were treated at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery in Henan Province Chest Hospital from January 2018 to July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 7 males and 4 females, aging (38±5) years (range: 28 to 45 years), 7 cases of whom were diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, 1 case was diagnosed with coarctation of aorta. Operations were performed under mild hypothermic and branch-first technique. Firstly, the middle and small incision in the chest was combined with the 6th intercostal incision in the left posterior lateral side. Secondly, four branches artificial blood vessels were anastomosed with the brachiocephalic artery to ensure the blood supply to the brain. After the circulation was blocked, intracardiac and aortic proximal operations were performed. Intercostal artery reconstruction and thoracic descending aorta replacement were completed after opening circulation. Results: The operative time of this group was (645.9±91.7) minutes (range: 505 to 840 minutes). One case had cerebral infarction and 1 case had chylothorax. The patients were followed up 4 to 47 months, 1 patient underwent thoracic and abdominal aorta+iliac artery resection and replacement due to the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm 3 months after operation. Intercostal artery obstruction occurred in 2 cases, and the rest lived well. Conclusions: One-stage whole thoracic aorta replacement with branch-first technique has satisfactory results in the short and medium term, with no risk of residual aortic aneurysm rupture. It is an effective treatment for young and organs function well patients with complex aortic lesions.

Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis identifies cellular senescence as a new therapeutic target for cancer: multi-omics analysis and single-cell sequencing validation

Although cellular senescence has long been recognized as an anti-tumor mechanism, mounting evidence suggests that in some circumstances, senescent cells promote tumor growth and malignancy spread. Therefore, research into the exact relationship between cellular senescence and tumor immunity is ongoing. We analyzed changes in the expression, copy number variation, single-nucleotide variation, methylation, and drug sensitivity of cellular senescence-related genes in 33 tumor types. The cellular senescence score was calculated using the single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis. The correlations between cellular senescence score and prognosis, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and expression of tumor immune-related genes were comprehensively analyzed. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing data were used to assess the activation state of cellular senescence in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The expression of cellular senescence-associated hub genes varied significantly across cancer types. In these genes, missense mutation was the major type of single nucleotide polymorphism, and heterozygous deletion and heterozygous amplification were the major types of copy number variation. Moreover, the cellular senescence pathway in tumors was sensitive to drugs such as XMD13-2, TPCA-1, methotrexate, and KIN001-102. Furthermore, the cellular senescence score was significantly higher in most cancer types, related to poor prognosis. The expression of immune checkpoint molecules such as NRP1, CD276, and CD44 was significantly correlated with the cellular senescence score. Monocyte cellular senescence was significantly higher in the TME of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma cells than in normal tissues. The findings of this study provide insights into the important role of cellular senescence in the TIME of human cancers and the effect of immunotherapy.

P15.11.A 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT to distinguish radiation necrosis from tumour progression in brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery: results of a prospective pilot study

Background

Amino acid PET radiopharmaceutical, 18F-fluciclovine, shows increased uptake in brain tumors relative to normal tissue and may be a useful tool for detecting recurrent brain metastases. Here, we report results from a prospective pilot study evaluating the use of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT to distinguish radiation necrosis from tumour progression among patients with brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Material and Methods

The primary objective was to estimate the accuracy of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT in distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumour progression. The trial included adults with brain metastases who underwent SRS and presented with a follow up MRI brain (with DSC MR perfusion) which was equivocal for radiation necrosis versus tumour progression. Within 30 days of equivocal MRI brain, patients underwent an 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT (Siemens mCT) acquired 5-15 min post-injection with images generated by PSF reconstruction. Quantitative metrics for each lesion were documented and lesion to normal brain SUVmean ratios were calculated. The reference standard for diagnosis of radiation necrosis vs tumour progression was clinical follow up with MRI brain every 2-4 months until multidisciplinary consensus or tissue confirmation.

Results

Of 16 patients enrolled between 7/2019-11/2020, 1 patient died prior to diagnosis, allowing 15 evaluable subjects with 20 lesions. Primary histology was NSCLC in 9 (45%) lesions, breast in 7 (35%), melanoma in 3 (15%), and endometrial in 1 (5%). The final diagnosis was radiation necrosis in 16 (80%) lesions and tumour progression in 4 (20%). SUVmax was a statistically significant predictor of tumour progression (P = 0.011), with higher SUVmax values indicative of tumour progression. The area under the ROC curve was 0.833 (95% CI: 0.590, 1.0). A cutoff of 4.3 provided a sensitivity to identify tumour progression of 1.0 (4/4) and specificity to rule out tumour progression of 0.63 (10/16). SUVmean (P = 0.018), SUVpeak (P = 0.007), and SUVpeak/normal (P = 0.002) also reached statistical significance as predictors of tumour progression, with higher SUVmax values indicative of tumour progression. SUVmax/normal (P = 0.1) and SUVmean/normal (P = 0.5) were not statistically significant. The AUC for SUVmax was not significantly higher than the AUCs for the other quantitative variables (P-values &gt; 0.2).

Conclusion

In this prospective pilot study, 18F Fluciclovine PET/CT demonstrated promising accuracy to distinguish radiation necrosis from tumour progression among patients with brain metastases previously treated with SRS. Using SUVmax, a cutpoint of 4.3 provided a sensitivity of 1.0 and specificity of 0.63. Confirmatory phase II and III studies are ongoing.

Arabidopsis SUMO E3 ligase SIZ1 enhances cadmium tolerance via the glutathione-dependent phytochelatin synthesis pathway

Sumoylation is a posttranslational modification (PTM) in which SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) is covalently conjugated to protein substrates via a range of enzymes. SUMO E3 ligase SIZ1 is involved in mediating several essential or nonessential element-responsive SUMO conjugations in Arabidopsis. However, whether SIZ1 is involved in the cadmium (Cd) response remains to be identified. In this study, we found that SIZ1 positively regulates plant Cd tolerance. The loss-of-function siz1-2 mutant exhibited impaired resistance to Cd exposure and accumulated more reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, the transcription of GSH1, GSH2, PCS1, and PCS2 was suppressed while the accumulation of Cd was enhanced in the siz1-2 mutant under Cd exposure. Further analysis revealed that the higher Cd sensitivity of the siz1-2 mutant was partially rescued by the overexpression of GSH1. Consistently, Cd stress stimulated the accumulation of SUMO1 conjugates in wild-type plants but not in the siz1-2 mutant. Together, our results demonstrate that Cd-induced SIZ1 activates GSH- and PC synthesis-related gene expression to increase the synthesis of GSH- and PCs, thereby leading to higher Cd tolerance in plants.

Research on factors affecting people’s intention to use digital currency: Empirical evidence from China

In the era of FinTech, many countries are currently exploring the viability of their own digital currencies due to the vast potential in terms of efficiency, security and accessibility. Some digital currencies have been under rapid development and real-world trials have recently been deployed. The purpose of this paper is to understand the main factors that could affect people’s intention to use digital currency via an empirical study. A survey was employed to collect data and the final sample consisted of 408 respondents in China. The responses were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results showed that financial knowledge, perceived value, openness to innovation and perceived convenience positively impact people’s intention to use digital currency. It was also found that perceived value can be significantly anteceded by perceived monetary value, perceived functional value, and perceived emotional value. In addition, the mediating effect of perceived value on the influencing path between financial knowledge and intention to use was also confirmed. The findings can be utilized by governmental related authorities or FinTech companies to enhance the perception of users and develop effective strategies for increasing their intention to use digital currency.

SnO2 Passivation and Enhanced Perovskite Charge Extraction with a Benzylamine Hydrochloric Interlayer

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained much attention because of their expressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 25.5%. A good contact and a well-aligned energy level at the buried interfaces between electron transport layers (ETLs) and perovskite films play an essential role in promoting charge-carrier collection and suppressing nonradiative recombination. Currently, low-temperature-processed SnO₂ thin films are widely used as the ETLs to achieve efficient and stable planar PSCs. However, fabricating proper SnO₂/perovskite interfaces with a good contact and a well-aligned energy level is necessary but implies a great challenge. Herein, we modify the SnO₂ ETL using benzylamine hydrochloride (BH), which is expected to facilitate the energy level alignment and to enhance perovskite crystallization. Moreover, the BH interlayer is found to effectively reduce the trap-state density and thereby improve the charge-carrier extraction between the ETL and the perovskite layer. Consequently, the PSC with BH modification yields a higher PCE, a lower hysteresis, and better stability than the device without a BH interlayer. This study highlights the key role of molecule modification of ETLs in designing efficient and stable PSCs.

Effects of U on the growth, reactive oxygen metabolism and osmotic regulation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Uranium (U) is a non-essential and toxic element, so it is necessary to study the physiological mechanism of plant response to U stress. The present study evaluated the growth status, reactive oxygen metabolism and osmotic regulation system in radish (Raphanus sativus) under U stress (0, 25, 50 and 100 μM). The results showed that U had no significant effect on the germination of radish seeds but inhibited the growth of seedlings, such as reduced root activity and increased plasma membrane permeability. U is mainly distributed in radish roots, so it poisons the roots more than the aboveground parts. When U concentration was 25 μM, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities in radish were increased to cope with the oxidative stress caused by U stress, and the accumulation of proline and soluble sugar was increased to maintain cell turgor. However, under high concentration (100 μM), the damage of radish root was serious; thus, the SOD, CAT and soluble sugar could not respond to U stress. In conclusion, the identification and characterization of U-stress responses in genuine U-tolerant plants would improve our knowledge on the detoxification of this radionuclide.

3D-Stacked Multistage Inertial Microfluidic Chip for High-Throughput Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells

Whether for cancer diagnosis or single-cell analysis, it remains a major challenge to isolate the target sample cells from a large background cell for high-efficiency downstream detection and analysis in an integrated chip. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a 3D-stacked multistage inertial microfluidic sorting chip for high-throughput enrichment of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and convenient downstream analysis. In this chip, the first stage is a spiral channel with a trapezoidal cross-section, which has better separation performance than a spiral channel with a rectangular cross-section. The second and third stages adopt symmetrical square serpentine channels with different rectangular cross-section widths for further separation and enrichment of sample cells reducing the outlet flow rate for easier downstream detection and analysis. The multistage channel can separate 5 μm and 15 μm particles with a separation efficiency of 92.37% and purity of 98.10% at a high inlet flow rate of 1.3 mL/min. Meanwhile, it can separate tumor cells (SW480, A549, and Caki-1) from massive red blood cells (RBCs) with a separation efficiency of >80%, separation purity of >90%, and a concentration fold of ~20. The proposed work is aimed at providing a high-throughput sample processing system that can be easily integrated with flowing sample detection methods for rapid CTC analysis.

A Three-Stage Dynamic Assessment Framework for Industrial Control System Security Based on a Method of W-HMM

Industrial control systems (ICS) are applied in many fields. Due to the development of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data analysis inducing more cyberattacks, ICS always suffers from the risks. If the risks occur during system operations, corporate capital is endangered. It is crucial to assess the security of ICS dynamically. This paper proposes a dynamic assessment framework for industrial control system security (DAF-ICSS) based on machine learning and takes an industrial robot system as an example. The framework conducts security assessment from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, combining three assessment phases: static identification, dynamic monitoring, and security assessment. During the evaluation, we propose a weighted Hidden Markov Model (W-HMM) to dynamically establish the system's security model with the algorithm of Baum-Welch. To verify the effectiveness of DAF-ICSS, we have compared it with two assessment methods to assess industrial robot security. The comparison result shows that the proposed DAF-ICSS can provide a more accurate assessment. The assessment reflects the system's security state in a timely and intuitive manner. In addition, it can be used to analyze the security impact caused by the unknown types of ICS attacks since it infers the security state based on the explicit state of the system.

Molecular simulation of linear octacosane via a CG10 coarse grain scheme

Following our previous work on the united-atom simulation on octacosane (C₂₈H₅₈) (Dai et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 21262-21271), we developed a coarse grain scheme (CG10), which is able to reproduce the pivotal phase characteristics of octacosane with highly improved computational efficiency. The CG10 octacosane chain was composed of 10 consecutive beads, maintaining the fundamental zigzag chain morphology. When the potential functions were set up and the coefficients were parameterized, our CG10 models yielded solid phase diagrams and transitions during an annealing process. We also detected the melting point by various means: direct observation, bond order, density tracking, and an enthalpy plot. Furthermore, our CG10 successfully reproduced the liquid density with only 2% underestimation, indicating its applicability across the solid and liquid phases. Therefore, with the ability to reproduce critical structure and property characteristics, our CG10 scheme provides an effective means of numerically modelling octacosane with highly improved computational efficiency.

Effect and Mechanism of LncRNA HOTAIR on Migration, Apoptosis and Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

<sec> <title>Objective:</title> This study was designed to probe the influence and mechanism of lncRNA HOTAIR on migration, apoptosis and proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. </sec> <sec> <title>Methods:</title> We evaluated LncRNA HOTAIR expression in HCC tissues and adjacent tissues, and serum of HCC patients and healthy controls. Later, we knocked down lncRNA HOTAIR, and utilized CCK-8 to determine Hep3B cell proliferation, flow cytometry for prospecting Hep3B cell apoptosis, and cell scratch assay for observing Hep3B cell migration.We anticipated the direct target of lncRNA HOTAIR, and adopted luciferase reporter assay to verify. Moreover, we inhibitedmiR-126-5p expression, and rescue experiment for evaluating the influence of si-HOTAIR+miR-126-5p inhibitors on Hep3B cell migration, apoptosis as well as proliferation. </sec> <sec> <title>Results:</title> Our results showed that lncRNA HOTAIR expression in tumor tissues and serum was significantly increased. Moreover, lncRNA HOTAIR inhibition significantly decreased the Hep3B cell proliferation rate, elevated Hep3B cell apoptosis rate, and inhibited Hep3B cell migration. Luciferase reporter assay suggested that miR-126-5p was the direct target of lncRNA HOTAIR. Furthermore, co-transfection of si-HOTAIR+miR-126-5p inhibitor could diminishthe effects of HOTAIR silencing on apoptosis, proliferation and migration. </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusion:</title> Silencing of lncRNA-HOTAIR can inhibit the HCC cell migration and proliferation, and increase the apoptosis by up-regulating miR-126-5p expression. </sec>

Alterations of the rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and metabolite profiles of Zea mays by polyethylene-particles of different molecular weights

Polyethylene film is the most widely used plastic film in agricultural production activities, and its depolymerization products are mainly polyethylene-particles (PE-particles) of different molecular weights. However, the impact of the molecular weights of the PE-particles on soil-crop microenvironment has not been elucidated. In this study, a potted microcosmic simulation system was used to evaluate the impact of low, medium and high molecular weight PE-particles on soil metabolism, microbial community structure, and crop growth. There were obvious differences in the shape and surface microstructure of PE-particles with different molecular weights. Soil sucrase and peroxidase had significant responses to PE-particles of different molecular weights. In the rhizosphere, the number of microorganisms and the microbial alpha diversity index increased with increasing PE-particles molecular weight. Rhizobacter, Nitrospira, and Sphingomonas were the dominant microorganisms induced by PE-particles to regulate the metabolism of elements. Carbohydrate and amino acid contents in rhizosphere soils were the key factors affecting the species abundance of Lysobacter, Polyclovorans, Rhizobacter, and Sphingomonas. In plants, PE-particles treatment reduced the plant biomass and photosynthetic rate and disrupted normal mineral nutrient metabolism. Different molecular weight PE-particles may therefore have adverse effects on the soil-plant system.

Large Culprit Plaque and More Intracranial Plaques Are Associated with Recurrent Stroke: A Case-Control Study Using Vessel Wall Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intracranial atherosclerotic plaque features are potential factors associated with recurrent stroke, but previous studies only focused on a single lesion, and few studies investigated them with perfusion impairment. This study aimed to investigate the association among whole-brain plaque features, perfusion deficit, and stroke recurrence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with ischemic stroke due to intracranial atherosclerosis were retrospectively collected and categorized into first-time and recurrent-stroke groups. Patients underwent high-resolution vessel wall imaging and DSC-PWI. Intracranial plaque number, culprit plaque features (such as plaque volume/burden, degree of stenosis, enhancement ratio), and perfusion deficit variables were recorded. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent factors associated with recurrent stroke.

RESULTS

One hundred seventy-five patients (mean age, 59 [SD, 12] years; 115 men) were included. Compared with the first-time stroke group (n = 100), the recurrent-stroke group (n = 75) had a larger culprit volume (P = .006) and showed more intracranial plaques (P < .001) and more enhanced plaques (P = .003). After we adjusted for other factors, culprit plaque volume (OR, 1.16 per 10-mm³ increase; 95% CI, 1.03-1.30; P = .015) and total plaque number (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.13-1.52; P < .001) were independently associated with recurrent stroke. Combining these factors increased the area under the curve to 0.71.

CONCLUSIONS

Large culprit plaque and more intracranial plaques were independently associated with recurrent stroke. Performing whole-brain vessel wall imaging may help identify patients with a higher risk of recurrent stroke.