Three-dimensional analysis of mandibular morphology asymmetry and temporomandibular joint position in patients with unilateral Brodie bite

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have shown unilateral posterior crossbite is associated with mandibular asymmetry in morphology and position. However, it remains unclear whether unilateral Brodie bite plays a similar role in mandibular development. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the morphological and positional symmetry of mandibles in patients with unilateral Brodie bite by three-dimensional anaylsis.

METHODS

Fourteen patients with unilateral Brodie bite (mean age 18.43 ± 4.24 years) and fourteen sex- and age-matched patients with normal occlusion (mean age 18.07 ± 5.48 years) underwent cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. 3D surface mesh models of their mandibles were established using Mimics Research 19.0. The surface matching percentage was compared between the original and mirrored mandible by Geomagic Control X software. Furthermore, the dimension and position of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) were determined for both groups using InVivoDental 5.0.

RESULTS

For surface-to-surface deviation analysis, the percentage of mismatch in patients with unilateral Brodie bite was significantly higher than the control group at ±0.50 mm, ±0.75 mm, and ±1.00 mm tolerance (P < .001). In patients with unilateral Brodie syndrome, the condyles on the scissors-bite side showed a significantly more anterior position (P = .03), greater medial inclination (P < .01), and larger posterior TMJ space (P = .01) than the non-scissors-bite side.

CONCLUSION

Patients with unilateral Brodie bite exhibit a more asymmetrical mandibular morphology, with a greater anterior condylar position and posterior joint space on the scissors-bite side, indicating that early diagnosis and treatment may be necessary for patients with unilateral Brodie bite.

NAC transcription factor ATAF1 negatively modulates the PIF-regulated hypocotyl elongation under a short-day photoperiod

Day length modulates hypocotyl elongation in seedlings to optimize their overall fitness. Variations in cell growth-associated genes are regulated by several transcription factors. However, the specific transcription factors through which the plant clock increases plant fitness are still being elucidated. In this study, we identified the no apical meristem, Arabidopsis thaliana-activating factor (ATAF-1/2), and cup-shaped cotyledon (NAC) family transcription factor ATAF1 as a novel repressor of hypocotyl elongation under a short-day (SD) photoperiod. Variations in day length profoundly affected the transcriptional and protein levels of ATAF1. ATAF1-deficient mutant exhibited increased hypocotyl length and cell growth-promoting gene expression under SD conditions. Moreover, ATAF1 directly targeted and repressed the expression of the cycling Dof factor 1/5 (CDF1/5), two key transcription factors involved in hypocotyl elongation under SD conditions. Additionally, ATAF1 interacted with and negatively modulated the effects of phytochrome-interacting factor (PIF), thus inhibiting PIF-promoted gene expression and hypocotyl elongation. Taken together, our results revealed ATAF1-PIF as a crucial pair modulating the expression of key transcription factors to facilitate plant growth during day/night cycles under fluctuating light conditions.

A review of volatile fatty acids production from organic wastes: Intensification techniques and separation methods

High value-added products from organic waste fermentation have garnered increasing concern in modern society. VFAs are short-chain fatty acids, produced as intermediate products during the anaerobic fermentation of organic matter. VFAs can serve as an essential organic carbon source to produce substitutable fuels, microbial fats and oils, and synthetic biodegradable plastics et al. Extracting VFAs from the fermentation broths is a challenging task as the composition of suspensions is rather complex. In this paper, a comprehensive review of methods for VFAs production, extraction and separation are provided. Firstly, the methods to enhance VFAs production and significant operating parameters are briefly reviewed. Secondly, the evaluation and detailed discussion of various VFAs extraction and separation technologies, including membrane separation, complex extraction, and adsorption methods, are presented, highlighting their specific advantages and limitations. Finally, the challenges encountered by different separation technologies and novel approaches to enhance process performance are highlighted, providing theoretical guidance for recycling VFAs from organic wastes efficiently.

Adjoint Algorithm Design of Selective Mode Reflecting Metastructure for BAL Applications

Broad-area lasers (BALs) have found applications in a variety of crucial fields on account of their high output power and high energy transfer efficiency. However, they suffer from poor spatial beam quality due to multi-mode behavior along the waveguide transverse direction. In this paper, we propose a novel metasurface waveguide structure acting as a transverse mode selective back-reflector for BALs. In order to effectively inverse design such a structure, a digital adjoint algorithm is introduced to adapt the considerably large design area and the high degree of freedom. As a proof of the concept, a device structure with a design area of 40 × 20 μm2 is investigated. The simulation results exhibit high fundamental mode reflection (above 90%), while higher-order transverse mode reflections are suppressed below 0.2%. This is, to our knowledge, the largest device structure designed based on the inverse method. We exploited such a device and the method and further investigated the device's robustness and feasibility of the inverse method. The results are elaborately discussed.

Effect of Naoxintong Capsule on Microglia and Proteomics of Cortex After Myocardial Infarction in Rats

Neuroinflammation caused by microglia in the central nervous system (CNS) is observed after myocardial infarction (MI). However, the inflammatory response mechanism remains unclear. BuChang Naoxintong capsule (NXT) is a Chinese medicine for treating ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, requiring more studies to understand the pharmacodynamic mechanism. Permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was performed in rats. Additionally, histopathological staining in the left ventricular (LV) and immunofluorescence within the brain cortex after 1 d and 7 d of MI were performed to determine the NXT pharmacodynamic action and best administration dosage. Proteomics helped obtain the essential proteins related to neuroinflammation and MI in the heart and brain tissue after 7 d of MI. Based on TTC, HE, Masson, and immunofluorescence staining results of CD206 and IBA-1, NXT demonstrated a better pharmacodynamic action towards myocardial injury and neuroinflammation after 7 d of MI. Moreover, the human equivalent dosage of NXT (220 mg/kg) became the best administration dose. The proteome bioinformatics analysis in the LV and brain cortex was performed. Thus, the elongation of very long-chain fatty acids protein 5 (ELOVL5) and ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 4 (ABCG4) became critical proteins related to MI and neuroinflammation. The western blotting results indicated that ABCG4 expression possessed the same trend as the proteomics results. The auto-dock results revealed that ABCG4 had a good binding ability with Ferulic acid, Paeoniflorin, and Tanshinone II A, the key ingredients of NXT. The cellular thermal shift assay results demonstrated that ABCG4 showed better thermal stability post-NXT treatment. NXT can improve myocardial injury, such as heart infarct size, pathological injury, myocardial fibrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Additionally, brain neuroinflammation induced by microglia after MI affects the expression and structure of ABCG4. Thus, ABCG4 could be the key protein associated with MI and neuroinflammation.

Sub-region based radiomics analysis for prediction of isocitrate dehydrogenase and telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations in diffuse gliomas

AIM

To enhance the prediction of mutation status of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter, which are crucial for glioma prognostication and therapeutic decision-making, via sub-regional radiomics analysis based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted on 401 participants with adult-type diffuse gliomas. Employing the K-means algorithm, tumours were clustered into two to four subregions. Sub-regional radiomics features were extracted and selected using the Mann-Whitney U-test, Pearson correlation analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, forming the basis for predictive models. The performance of model combinations of different sub-regional features and classifiers (including logistic regression, support vector machines, K-nearest neighbour, light gradient boosting machine, and multilayer perceptron) was evaluated using an external test set.

RESULTS

The models demonstrated high predictive performance, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.918 to 0.994 in the training set for IDH mutation prediction and from 0.758 to 0.939 for TERT promoter mutation prediction. In the external test sets, the two-cluster radiomics features and the logistic regression model yielded the highest prediction for IDH mutation, resulting in an AUC of 0.905. Additionally, the most effective predictive performance with an AUC of 0.803 was achieved using the four-cluster radiomics features and the support vector machine model, specifically for TERT promoter mutation prediction.

CONCLUSION

The present study underscores the potential of sub-regional radiomics analysis in predicting IDH and TERT promoter mutations in glioma patients. These models have the capacity to refine preoperative glioma diagnosis and contribute to personalised therapeutic interventions for patients.

Analysis of the evolution of water culture and water security in the Weihe River Basin over a 100 year-period

The significance of water culture in addressing water crises and ensuring water security has garnered considerable attention, emerging as a focal point in global change and water science research. Water culture is a societal adaptation to changes in hydrological systems. However, this needs to be acknowledged within contemporary discourse on water security governance. This study utilized historical policy document data from many sources, including local municipal records from Shaanxi and Gansu, and water conservancy records. It aimed to identify the significant nodes and stages of policy transformation in the Weihe River Basin (WRB) during the last century (1949-2020). This study employed a content analysis method to elucidate the evolutionary patterns of water culture in the study region during the previous century. Drawing on the co-evolution framework, our investigation delved into the reciprocal relationship between changes in water culture and the evolution of water security in the WRB. Our findings indicated that water culture transformation in the WRB has undergone four significant stages: the Disaster-Resistant Hydraulic (1949-1966), Irrigation Hydraulic (1967-1998), Resources Hydraulic (1999-2010), and Ecological Hydraulic (2011-2020) phases. Water security assessment showed that policy attention varied across the different stages. The disaster-resistant hydraulic phase primarily addressed water-related disaster concerns, whereas the irrigation hydraulic phase emphasized the scarcity of water resources. The resource hydraulic phase focused on ensuring the security of the water environment, while the ecological hydraulic phase placed emphasis on safeguarding water sustainability. Moreover, we found that prevailing water policies prioritize resolving isolated issues; however, water security is a multifaceted systemic matter that requires a comprehensive approach. This study has the potential to offer policy makers a more comprehensive and systematic perspective, enabling them to enhance their understanding of the underlying nature of the problems. Additionally, this study can assist in developing future water security policies.

Extraction methods, multiple biological activities, and related mechanisms of Momordica charantia polysaccharide: A review

Momordica Charantia Polysaccharide (MCP) is a key bioactive compound derived from bitter melon fruit. This review summarizes the advancements in MCP research, including extraction techniques, biological activities, and mechanisms. MCP can be extracted using various methods, and has demonstrated hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory effects. Research suggests that MCP may regulate metabolic enzymes, oxidative stress reactions, and inflammatory pathways. The review highlights the potential applications of MCP in areas such as anti-diabetes, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory research. Future research should focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of MCP and optimizing extraction methods. This review provides a foundation for further research and utilization of MCP.

A review of lipid accumulation by oleaginous yeasts: Culture mode

Microbial lipids have attracted considerable interest owing to their favorable environmental sustainability benefits. In laboratory-scale studies, the factors impacting lipid production in oleaginous yeasts, including culture conditions, nutrients, and low-cost substrates, have been extensively studied. However, there were several different modes of microbial lipid cultivation (batch culture, fed-batch culture, continuous culture, and other novel culture modes), making it difficult to comprehensively analyze impacting factors under different cultivation modes on a laboratory scale. And only few cases of microbial lipid production have been conducted at the pilot scale, which requires more technological reliability assessments and environmental benefit evaluations. Thus, this study summarized the different culture modes and cases of scale-up processes, highlighting the role of the nutrient element ratio in regulating culture mode selection and lipid accumulation. The cost distribution and environmental benefits of microbial lipid production by oleaginous yeasts were also investigated. Our results suggested that the continuous culture mode was recommended for the scale-up process because of its stable lipid accumulation. More importantly, exploring the continuous culture mode integrated with other efficient culture modes remained to be further investigated. In research on scale-up processes, low-cost substrate (organic waste) application and optimization of reactor operational parameters were key to increasing environmental benefits and reducing costs.

Advances in Semiconductor Lasers Based on Parity-Time Symmetry

Semiconductor lasers, characterized by their high efficiency, small size, low weight, rich wavelength options, and direct electrical drive, have found widespread application in many fields, including military defense, medical aesthetics, industrial processing, and aerospace. The mode characteristics of lasers directly affect their output performance, including output power, beam quality, and spectral linewidth. Therefore, semiconductor lasers with high output power and beam quality are at the forefront of international research in semiconductor laser science. The novel parity-time (PT) symmetry mode-control method provides the ability to selectively modulate longitudinal modes to improve the spectral characteristics of lasers. Recently, it has gathered much attention for transverse modulation, enabling the output of fundamental transverse modes and improving the beam quality of lasers. This study begins with the basic principles of PT symmetry and provides a detailed introduction to the technical solutions and recent developments in single-mode semiconductor lasers based on PT symmetry. We categorize the different modulation methods, analyze their structures, and highlight their performance characteristics. Finally, this paper summarizes the research progress in PT-symmetric lasers and provides prospects for future development.

Proteomic study of left ventricle and cortex in rats after myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) induces neuroinflammation indirectly, chronic neuroinflammation may cause neurodegenerative diseases. Changes in the proteomics of heart and brain tissue after MI may shed new light on the mechanisms involved in neuroinflammation. This study explored brain and heart protein changes after MI with a data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode proteomics approach. Permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was performed in the heart of rats, and the immunofluorescence of microglia in the brain cortex was performed at 1d, 3d, 5d, and 7d after MI to detect the neuroinflammation. Then proteomics was accomplished to obtain the vital proteins in the heart and brain post-MI. The results show that the number of microglia was significantly increased in the Model-1d group, the Model-3d group, the Model-5d group, and the Model-7d group compared to the Sham group. Various proteins were obtained through DIA proteomics. Linking to key targets of brain disease, 14 proteins were obtained in the brain cortex. Among them, elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 5 (ELOVL5) and ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 4 (ABCG4) were verified through western blotting (WB). The results of WB were consistent with the proteomics results. Therefore, these proteins may be related to the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation after MI.

HMGA2 alleviates ferroptosis by promoting GPX4 expression in pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant tumor types and is characterized by high metastasis ability and a low survival rate. As a chromatin-binding protein, HMGA2 is widely overexpressed and considered an oncogene with various undefined regulatory mechanisms. Herein, we demonstrated that HMGA2 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues, mainly distributed in epithelial cells, and represents a subtype of high epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Deletion of HMGA2 inhibits tumor malignancy through cell proliferation, metastasis, and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, HMGA2 enhanced the cellular redox status by inhibiting reactive oxygen species and promoting glutathione production. Importantly, ferroptotic cell death was significantly ameliorated in cells overexpressing HMGA2. Conversely, HMGA2 deletion exacerbated ferroptosis. Mechanistically, HMGA2 activated GPX4 expression through transcriptional and translational regulation. HMGA2 binds and promotes cis-element modification in the promoter region of the GPX4 gene by enhancing enhancer activity through increased H3K4 methylation and H3K27 acetylation. Furthermore, HMGA2 stimulated GPX4 protein synthesis via the mTORC1-4EBP1 and -S6K signaling axes. The overexpression of HMGA2 alleviated the decrease in GPX4 protein levels resulting from the pharmacologic inhibition of mTORC1. Conversely, compared with the control, HMGA2 deletion more strongly reduced the phosphorylation of 4EBP1 and S6K. A strong positive correlation between HMGA2 and GPX4 expression was confirmed using immunohistochemical staining. We also demonstrated that HMGA2 mitigated the sensitivity of cancer cells to combination treatment with a ferroptosis inducer and mTORC1 inhibition or gemcitabine. In summary, our results revealed a regulatory mechanism by which HMGA2 coordinates GPX4 expression and underscores the potential value of targeting HMGA2 in cancer treatment.

Deep Neural Network-Based Phase-Modulated Continuous-Wave LiDAR

LiDAR has high accuracy and resolution and is widely used in various fields. In particular, phase-modulated continuous-wave (PhMCW) LiDAR has merits such as low power, high precision, and no need for laser frequency modulation. However, with decreasing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the noise on the signal waveform becomes so severe that the current methods to extract the time-of-flight are no longer feasible. In this paper, a novel method that uses deep neural networks to measure the pulse width is proposed. The effects of distance resolution and SNR on the performance are explored. Recognition accuracy reaches 81.4% at a 0.1 m distance resolution and the SNR is as low as 2. We simulate a scene that contains a vehicle, a tree, a house, and a background located up to 6 m away. The reconstructed point cloud has good fidelity, the object contours are clear, and the features are restored. More precisely, the three distances are 4.73 cm, 6.00 cm, and 7.19 cm, respectively, showing that the performance of the proposed method is excellent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that employs a neural network to directly process LiDAR signals and to extract their time-of-flight.

A biosensor for D-2-hydroxyglutarate in frozen sections and intraoperative assessment of IDH mutation status

The oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2-HG) has emerged as a valuable biomarker in tumors with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations. Efficient detection methods are required and rapid intraoperative determination of D-2-HG remains a huge challenge. Herein, D-2-HG dehydrogenase from Achromobacter xylosoxidans (AX-D2HGDH) was found to have high substrate specificity. AX-D2HGDH dehydrogenizes D-2-HG and reduces flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) bound to the enzyme. Interestingly, the dye resazurin can be taken as another substrate to restore FAD. AX-D2HGDH thus catalyzes a bisubstrate and biproduct reaction: the dehydrogenation of D-2-HG to 2-ketoglutarate and simultaneous reduction of non-fluorescent resazurin to highly fluorescent resorufin. According to steady-state analysis, a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism has been concluded. The Km values for resazurin and D-2-HG were determined as 0.56 μM and 10.93 μM, respectively, suggesting high affinity to both substrates. On the basis, taking AX-D2HGDH and resazurin as recognition and fluorescence transducing element, a D-2-HG biosensor (HGAXR) has been constructed. HGAXR exhibits high sensitivity, accuracy and specificity for D-2-HG in different biological samples. With the aid of HGAXR and the matched low-cost palm-size detecting device, D-2-HG levels in frozen sections of resected brain tumor tissues can be measured in a direct, simple and accurate manner with a fast detection (1-3 min). As the technique of frozen section is familiar to surgeons and pathologists, HGAXR and the portable device can be easily integrated into the current workflow, having potential to provide rapid intraoperative pathology for IDH mutation status and guide decision-making during surgery.

A Novel Approach for Position Verification and Dose Calculation through Local MVCT Reconstruction

Traditional positioning verification using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) may incur errors due to potential misalignments between the isocenter of CBCT and the treatment beams in radiotherapy. This study introduces an innovative method for verifying patient positioning in radiotherapy. Initially, the transmission images from an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) are acquired from 10 distinct angles. Utilizing the ART-TV algorithm, a sparse reconstruction of local megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) is performed. Subsequently, this MVCT is aligned with the planning CT via a three-dimensional mutual information registration technique, pinpointing any patient-positioning discrepancies and facilitating corrective adjustments to the treatment setup. Notably, this approach employs the same radiation source as used in treatment to obtain three-dimensional images, thereby circumventing errors stemming from misalignment between the isocenter of CBCT and the accelerator. The registration process requires only 10 EPID images, and the dose absorbed during this process is included in the total dose calculation. The results show that our method's reconstructed MVCT images fulfill the requirements for registration, and the registration algorithm accurately detects positioning errors, thus allowing for adjustments in the patient's treatment position and precise calculation of the absorbed dose.

Polarization-separated feedback spectral beam combining source

A novel, to the best of our knowledge, structure for spectral beam combining (SBC) is proposed, utilizing a polarization-separated feedback (PSF). A polarization separation element is introduced to separate the laser beam into a TE-polarized light and a TM-polarized light. The lower-power light is selected as the external feedback to adjust the resonant wavelength, while the other light is combined spectrally. Compared to the conventional SBC source with a similar feedback, the power and efficiency of the PSFSBC are improved by approximately 20%. Additionally, the beam quality in the non-SBC direction is optimized by 10%, and the power on the output coupler is reduced to nearly one-third. This provides an effective method for achieving an optimized SBC performance.

DACH1 attenuated PA-induced renal tubular injury through TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad signalling pathway

BACKGROUND

Palmitic acid (PA), the major saturated fatty acid in the blood, often induces the initiation and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. DACH1 is an important regulator of kidney functions. Herein, we investigated the roles of DACH1 in PA-induced kidney injury.

METHODS

Clinical data from the NHANES database were subjected to analyse the association between serum PA (sPA), blood glucose and kidney function. Molecular docking of PA was performed with DACH1. Immunohistochemistry, cell viability, annexin V/7-AAD double staining, TUNEL assay, immunofluorescent staining, autophagic flux analysis, qRT-PCR and western blot were performed.

RESULTS

Clinical data confirmed that sPA was increased significantly in the pathoglycemia individuals compared with controls and correlated negatively with renal function. Our findings suggested that PA could dock with DACH1. DACH1 enhances cell viability by inhibiting apoptosis and attenuating autophagy blockage induced by PA. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that DACH1 ameliorated inflammation and fibrosis through TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad signalling pathway in PA-treated renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2).

CONCLUSIONS

This study proved that sPA presents a risk factor for kidney injuries and DACH1 might serve as a protective target against renal function deterioration in diabetic patients.

A Design of High-Efficiency: Vertical Accumulation Modulators Based on Silicon Photonics

On-chip optical modulators, which are capable of converting electrical signals into optical signals, constitute the foundational components of photonic devices. Photonics modulators exhibiting high modulation efficiency and low insertion loss are highly sought after in numerous critical applications, such as optical phase steering, optical coherent imaging, and optical computing. This paper introduces a novel accumulation-type vertical modulator structure based on a silicon photonics platform. By incorporating a high-K dielectric layer of ZrO2, we have observed an increase in modulation efficiency while maintaining relatively low levels of modulation loss. Through meticulous study and optimization, the simulation results of the final device structure demonstrate a modulation efficiency of 0.16 V·cm, with a mere efficiency-loss product of 8.24 dB·V.

[Periodic dynamic observation and analysis of cellular and humoral immunity indexes of adults infected with Omicron BA.1]

Objective: To analyze the immunological characteristics and antibody changes of patients infected with the Omicron BA.1 and evaluate the possibility of secondary infection. Methods: A total of 104 patients infected with Omicron BA.1 in the Jinnan District of Tianjin from January 8 to February 2, 2022, were included in the study. The control group and case group were matched 1∶1 based on age, sex and vaccination status. Serum was collected from the case group and control group at 3, 6 and 9 months after infection. The serum levels of interleukin4 (IL-4), IL-5 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), as well as the positive rates of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2, were detected by ELISA. Results: The highest concentration of IFN-γ in the case group at 6 months after infection was 145.4 pg/ml, followed by a decrease in concentration. The concentrations of IL-4 and IL-5 began to decrease at 6 months after infection (all P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the IgG2 positive rate between the case group and the control group at 6 months after BA.1 infection. However, at 9 months, there was a significant decrease compared to the control group (P=0.003). The ratio of IFN-γ/IL4 at 3 months after infection in the case group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the ratio between the case group and the control group at 9 months after infection. Conclusion: The cellular immune function has been impaired at 3 months after infection with BA.1, and the specific cellular immune and humoral immune functions decrease significantly after 6 months, and the risk of secondary infection increases.

Protective effects and mechanisms of Momordica charantia polysaccharide on early-stage diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes

Momordica charantia polysaccharide (MCP) is a potential drug for the prevention and alleviation of diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of MCP on early-stage DR and explore the underlying mechanisms. The model group (DM group) and treatment group (D+H group) were established by inducing type 1 DM using a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) at 60 mg/kg. After modeling, the D+H group was orally administered a 500 mg/kg dose of MCP solution once daily for 12 weeks. Monitoring of systemic indicators (FBG, body weight, general condition) and retinal tissue inflammation and apoptosis (HE staining, IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-α, VEGF, NF-κB, Caspase-3) in this study demonstrated that MCP intervention alleviated both DM and DR. MCP improved the body weight and general condition of DM rats by reducing FBG levels. It also enhanced the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic capabilities of retinal neurons and microvessels by modulating the actions of cytokines, thereby further regulating the inflammation and apoptosis of retinal neurons and microvessels. The underlying mechanisms may be associated with the downregulation of NF-κB and Caspase-3 pathway protein expression, as well as the downregulation of mRNA expression of NF-κB and Caspase-3 pathway genes. Further research is needed to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of MCP on DR. MCP may emerge as a selective medication for the prevention and alleviation of DM and a novel natural medicine for the prevention and alleviation of DR.

Potentially suitable distribution areas of Populus euphratica and Tamarix chinensis by MaxEnt and random forest model in the lower reaches of the Heihe River, China

Populus euphratica and Tamarix chinensis play a vital role in windbreak and sand fixation, maintaining species diversity and ensuring community stability. Managing and protecting the P. euphratica and T. chinensis forests in the Heihe River's lower reaches is an urgent issue to maintain the desert region's ecological balance. In this study, based on the distribution points of P. euphratica and T. chinensis species and environmental data, MaxEnt and random forest (RF) models were used to characterize the potential distribution areas of P. euphratica and T. chinensis in the lower reaches of the Heihe River. The results showed that the accuracy of the RF model was much higher than that of the MaxEnt model. Both the RF and MaxEnt models showed that the distance to the river greatly influenced the distribution of P. euphratica and T. chinensis. Furthermore, the RF model predicted significantly larger highly suitable areas for both P. euphratica and T. chinensis than the MaxEnt model. Our study enhances the understanding of the species' spatial distribution, offering valuable insights for practical management and conservation strategies.

Interpretation and Prediction of the CO2 Sequestration of Steel Slag by Machine Learning

The utilization of steel slag for CO2 sequestration is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. The reactivity of steel slag in CO2 sequestration depends mainly on material and process parameters. However, there are many puzzles in regard to practical applications due to the different evaluations of process parameters and the lack of investigation of material parameters. In this study, 318 samples were collected to investigate the interactive influence of 12 factors on the carbonation reactivity of steel slag by machine learning with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Multilayer perceptron (MLP), random forest, and support vector regression models were built to predict the slurry-phase CO2 sequestration of steel slag. The MLP model performed well in terms of prediction ability and generalization with comprehensive interpretability. The SHAP results showed that the impact of the process parameters was greater than that of the material parameters. Interestingly, the iron ore phase of steel slag was revealed to have a positive effect on steel slag carbonation by SHAP analysis. Combined with previous literature, the carbonation mechanism of steel slag was proposed. Quantitative analysis based on SHAP indicated that steel slag had good carbonation reactivity when the mass fractions of "CaO + MgO", "SiO2 + Al2O3", "Fe2O3", and "MnO" varied from 50-55%, 10-15%, 30-35%, and <5%, respectively.

Delta-Radiomics Guides Adaptive De-Intensification after Induction Chemotherapy in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the IMRT Era

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

In the setting of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and induction chemotherapy (IC), the benefits from concurrent chemotherapy remained controversial for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). This study aimed to construct a delta-radiomics model for benefit prediction and patient selection for omitting concurrent chemotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Between December 2009 and December 2015, a total of 718 patients with LANPC treated with IC+IMRT or IC+concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) were retrospectively enrolled and randomly assigned to a training set (n = 503) and a validation set (n = 215). Radiomic features were extracted from magnetic resonance images of pre-IC and post-IC. Interclass correlation coefficients and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to select robust radiomic features. After univariate Cox analysis, a delta-radiomics signature was built using the LASSO-Cox regression. A nomogram incorporating the delta-radiomics signature and clinical prognostic factors was then developed and evaluated for calibration and discrimination. Risk stratification by the nomogram was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier methods. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

The delta-radiomics signature, which comprised 19 selected features, was independently associated with prognosis. It yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71 to 0.82) for the training set and 0.71 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.81) for the validation set. The nomogram composed of the delta-radiomic signature, age, T category, N category, pre-treatment Epstein-Barr virus DNA, and treatment showed great calibration and discrimination performance with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.85) for the training set and 0.75 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.85) for the validation set. Risk stratification by the nomogram excluding the treatment variable resulted in two risk groups with distinct OS. Significant better outcomes were observed in the high-risk patients with IC+CCRT compared to those with IC+IMRT (5-year OS: 73.8% vs. 61.4% in the training set and 85.8% vs. 65.6% in the validation set; all log-rank p < 0.05), while comparable outcomes between IC+CCRT and IC+IMRT were shown for the low-risk patients (95.8% vs. 95.8% in the training set and 92.2% vs. 88.3% in the validation set; all log-rank p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The delta-radiomics signature was identified as an independent indicator of LANPC. Integrating clinical predictors with the delta-radiomics signature, the radiomics-based nomogram could predict individual's survival outcomes and benefits from concurrent chemotherapy after IC for LANPC. Low-risk patients with LANPC determined by the nomogram may be potential candidates for omission of concurrent chemotherapy following IC in the IMRT era.

Rapid Unpaired CBCT-Based Synthetic CT for CBCT-Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Quantitative cone beam CT (CBCT) is the foundation for image-guided radiation therapy, improving treatment setup, tumor delineation and dose calculation. However, CBCT images suffer from severe artifacts, limiting clinical utility. Deep learning can overcome these limitations, boosting radiographic and dosimetric quality critical for online adaptive radiotherapy (ART). We hypothesize adapted contrastive unpaired translation (CUT), a recent method for image-to-image translation of photographic images, can improve CBCT quality while reducing compute time, demonstrating utility for ART.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Same-day CBCT and quality assurance CT (QACT) images acquired from 79 patients receiving proton therapy for prostate cancer between 2019 and 2020 at a single institution were retrospectively collected. QACT images were acquired for quality assurance in accordance with institutional policy. Seventy-nine patients yielded 102 non-contrast CBCT-QACT image sets. Each QACT image was rigidly registered to the corresponding CBCT and resampled to 1 × 1 × 2 mm to establish uniform voxel size and spacing. CBCT images were randomly shuffled prior to input to the CUT model for unsupervised training and QACT-quality synthetic CT images were generated as outputs. We compared mean absolute error (MAE), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and Fréchet inception distance (FID) against same-day QACT.

RESULTS

MAE, SSIM, and FID were compared for the CycleGAN and CUT data relative to input QACT and are reported as the mean across five-fold cross-validation ± standard error. CUT achieved superior performance in MAE (19.5 ± 3.9 HU vs. cycleGAN 47.1 ± 25.4) and FID (31.5 ± 6.6 vs cycleGAN 75.9 ± 41.3). MAE indicates pixel-level correspondence to QACT HU intensity values, making the synthetic outputs of CUT useful for dose calculations during ART. FID further demonstrates perceptual visual similarity. SSIM for CycleGAN (0.7 ± 0.2) and CUT (0.8 ± 0.0) were similar, indicating acceptable reproducibility of global structure. CUT was faster and lighter than CycleGAN. CycleGAN contained a total of 28,286,000 parameters; CUT contained 14,703,000, approximately half that of CycleGAN. As a result, CycleGAN computes on a single CT image slice over 0.33s while CUT requires just 0.18s.

CONCLUSION

The contrastive method investigated here was demonstrated to be faster and more accurate than CycleGAN, requiring fewer networks and parameters to achieve superior performance. We demonstrated anatomic boundary preservation and HU fidelity superior to cycleGAN while significantly reducing compute time. We plan to investigate the use of these synthetic CT images in automated segmentation prior to exploration of CUT in a prospective setting.

Initial Experience with the Commercial Electron FLASH Research Extension

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The purpose of this study was to introduce a new commercial electron FLASH system that has the potential to become widely available for FLASH researchers globally. In this study, we first present the initial acceptance and commissioning tests for the FLASH system, and second, we highlight preliminary FLASH effect results from our cell studies.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A linear accelerator was converted into a commercial research platform with the FLASH Research Extension, enabling the generation of a powerful 16 MeV electron FLASH beam. The dosimetric and stability tests were conducted using various dosimeters (i.e., radiochromic film, optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs), and a plane-parallel ionization chamber). To evaluate the FLASH effect, normal and cancer cell lines were FLASH irradiated using different pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) of 18 pulses/s and 180 pulses/s.

RESULTS

The electron FLASH mode was able to generate over 1 Gy per pulse at the isocenter and a dose rate of up to 690 Gy/s near the accessory mount of the Linac gantry head. The charge collected by the plane-parallel ionization chamber at the highest PRF (i.e., 180 pulses/s) showed a linear relationship with the delivered number of pulses (i.e., 1 to 99 pulses) with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9996. The absorbed dose measured using radiochromic film and OSLDs agreed within 3%, on average, and followed an inverse square law as the source-to-axis distance (SAD) varied for which the R2 values were 0.9972 and 0.9955 for radiochromic film and OSLDs, respectively. The profile of the FLASH beam was symmetrical but was not as flat as the conventional 16 MeV electron beam due to the use of a thinner custom scattering foil to reduce the degradation of the ultra-high dose rate. The depth-dose curve beyond the build-up region for the FLASH beam was similar to the conventional 16 MeV electron beam for which the range at 50% the maximum dose (R50) agreed within 0.5 mm. The FLASH beam output remained consistent over a 4-month period with a variation of 2.5%, on average. The FLASH sparing effect was observed in vitro for healthy human pancreatic cells. Furthermore, we observed that the highest PRF beam (180 pulses/s) was more effective at destroying pancreatic cancerous cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells compared to the lowest PRF beam (18 pulses/s).

CONCLUSION

The novel commercial FLASH Research Extension system was dosimetrically characterized for pre-clinical FLASH research, and preliminary in vitro results demonstrated the FLASH effect. Given the prevalence of linear accelerators, this new commercial system has the potential to greatly increase the access to FLASH research.

Commissioning and Initial Validation of Commercial Treatment Planning System for the Electron FLASH Research Extension

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of commissioning the 16 MeV electron FLASH beam in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) for pre-clinical research purposes. The delivery system consisted of a new commercial solution for which a linear accelerator was modified into a FLASH Research Extension platform. Additionally, preliminary radiation biology results were highlighted to showcase the future use of this system.

MATERIALS/METHODS

To commission a commercial electron Monte Carlo (MC) for dose calculation of a 16 MeV FLASH beam in the TPS, radiochromic film was used to measure the vendor-required beam data, e.g., profiles and percent depth dose (PDD) curves for cone sizes of 6 × 6 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2, and 15 × 15 cm2 as well as an in-air profile for a 40 × 40 cm2 open field (no cone). Once the electron MC beam model was generated, additional measurements were collected for validation and compared against the calculated dose from the TPS. A treatment planning comparison between the newly commissioned FLASH beam and the conventional electron beam was conducted. Specifically, the dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for target volumes and organs at risk were investigated for skin cancer cases previously treated with conventional electron beams. Lastly, the FLASH dose distribution predicted by the electron MC for an in vitro cell study setup was validated with radiochromic film measurements, and initial radiobiology tests were conducted using FLASH and conventional dose-rate electron beams.

RESULTS

The electron MC calculated dose for the 16 MeV electron FLASH beam agreed with measured PDDs within 1% for all field sizes. The beam profile characteristics, such as penumbra, shape, and full width at half maximum, demonstrated good agreement with less than 0.5 mm difference between the TPS and measurements. There were noticeable differences in the profiles of large fields between the FLASH and conventional dose-rate beam models due to the more forward-peaked FLASH beam. For treatment planning, Regarding DVH, the FLASH dose-rate plan provided comparable plan quality to the conventional dose-rate plan, achieving adequate coverage for the target volumes and sparing the healthy organs and tissues. The electron MC dose prediction for the FLASH beam was also found to be in good agreement with the film measurements of the in vitro cell study setup. Furthermore, the FLASH beam was observed to be more effective with a 20 % increase in killing pancreatic cancer cells compared to the conventional dose rate.

CONCLUSION

The study successfully incorporated the 16 MeV electron FLASH Research Extension into the commercial TPS using electron Monte Carlo for dose calculation. This will be valuable for pre-clinical cell and animal studies. This research also enables FLASH treatment planning studies, a key component for the future implementation of FLASH into clinical care. Further research is necessary to incorporate the radiation biology effect of FLASH into the treatment planning system.

A Review of High-Power Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers in the 1550 nm Band

The 1550 nm band semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) has great potential for applications such as optical communication. Its wide-gain bandwidth is helpful in expanding the bandwidth resources of optical communication, thereby increasing total capacity transmitted over the fiber. Its relatively low cost and ease of integration also make it a high-performance amplifier of choice for LiDAR applications. In recent years, with the rapid development of quantum-well (QW) material systems, SOAs have gradually overcome the shortcomings of polarization sensitivity and high noise. The research on quantum-dot (QD) materials has further improved the noise characteristics and transmission loss of SOAs. The design of special waveguide structures-such as plate-coupled optical waveguide amplifiers and tapered amplifiers-has also increased the saturation output power of SOAs. The maximum gain of the SOA has been reported to be more than 21 dB. The maximum saturation output power has been reported to be more than 34.7 dBm. The maximum 3 dB gain bandwidth has been reported to be more than 120 nm, the lowest noise figure has been reported to be less than 4 dB, and the lowest polarization-dependent gain has been reported to be 0.1 dB. This study focuses on the improvement and enhancement of the main performance parameters of high-power SOAs in the 1550 nm band and introduces the performance parameters, the research progress of high-power SOAs in the 1550 nm band, and the development and application status of SOAs. Finally, the development trends and prospects of high-power SOAs in the 1550 nm band are summarized.

Research Progress of Horizontal Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser

The horizontal cavity surface emitting laser (HCSEL) boasts excellent properties, including high power, high beam quality, and ease of packaging and integration. It fundamentally resolves the problem of the large divergence angle in traditional edge-emitting semiconductor lasers, making it a feasible scheme for realizing high-power, small-divergence-angle, and high-beam-quality semiconductor lasers. Here, we introduce the technical scheme and review the development status of HCSELs. Firstly, we thoroughly analyze the structure, working principles, and performance characteristics of HCSELs according to different structures, such as the structural characteristics and key technologies. Additionally, we describe their optical properties. Finally, we analyze and discuss potential development prospects and challenges for HCSELs.

HMGA1 and FOXM1 Cooperate to Promote G2/M Cell Cycle Progression in Cancer Cells

HMGA1 is a chromatin-binding protein and performs its biological function by remodeling chromatin structure or recruiting other transcription factors. However, the role of abnormally high level of HMGA1 in cancer cells and its regulatory mechanism still require further investigation. In this study, we performed a prognostic analysis and showed that high level of either HMGA1 or FOXM1 was associated with poor prognosis in various cancers based on the TCGA database. Furthermore, the expression pattern of HMGA1 and FOXM1 showed a significant strong positive correlation in most type of cancers, especially lung adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer. Further analysis of the biological effects of their high correlation in cancers suggested that cell cycle was the most significant related pathway commonly regulated by HMGA1 and FOXM1. After knockdown of HMGA1 and FOXM1 by specific siRNAs, an obvious increased G2/M phase was observed in the siHMGA1 and siFOXM1 groups compared to the siNC group. The expression levels of key G2/M phase regulatory genes PLK1 and CCNB1 were significantly downregulated. Importantly, HMGA1 and FOXM1 were identified to form a protein complex and co-located in the nucleus based on co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Thus, our results provide the basic evidence that HMGA1 and FOXM1 cooperatively accelerate cell cycle progression by up-regulating PLK1 and CCNB1 to promote cancer cell proliferation.

[Effect of miR-96-5p targeting IRS1 on apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by aluminum maltol]

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of miR-96-5p on apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by maltol aluminum. Methods: In January 2021, PC12 cells at logarithmic growth phase were divided into blank control group and low, medium and high dose group. Cells in each group were treated with 0, 100, 200 and 400 μmol/L maltol aluminum for 24 hours respectively. Cells were collected and cell apoptosis rates were detected by flow cytometry, miR-96-5p and insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) mRNA expressions were detected by qRT-PCR, and the protein expression levels of cysteine protease 3 (Caspase3) 、activated cysteine protease 3 (Cleaved-caspase3) 、IRS1、phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) and phosphorylated glucose synthesis kinase 3β (p-GSK3β) were detected by western blotting. The target binding relationship between miR-96-5p and IRS1 was detected by double luciferase reporter gene experiment. The miR-96-5p inhibitor cells and negative control cells were constructed after transfecting PC12 cells with miR-96-5p inhibitor for 24 hours. The cells were divided into blank control group, negative control group, aluminum exposure group, aluminum exposure+negative control group, aluminum exposure+miR-96-5p inhibition group, and miR-96-5p inhibition group. After transfecting PC12 cells with miR-96-5p inhibition and IRS1 siRNA for 24 h, the cells were divided into aluminum exposure+miR-96-5p inhibition+negative control group and aluminum exposure+miR-96-5p inhibition+IRS1 inhibition group. The control group was cultured in complete culture medium, and cells in the aluminum exposure group were treated with 200 μmol/L maltol aluminum for 24 hours. Cells in each group were collected and the apoptosis rate, miR-96-5p and IRS1 mRNA expression levels, as well as protein expression levels of Caspase3, Cleaved-caspase3, IRS1, p-AKT, and p-GSK3β were measured. Results: After 24 hours of exposure, compared with blank control group and low-dose group, the apoptosis rates, relative expressions of Caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase3 proteins, and relative expressions of miR-96-5p in the medium and high-dose groups of PC12 cells were significantly increased, while the relative expression levels of IRS1 mRNA, IRS1, p-AKT and p-GSK3β proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Targetscan prediction and double luciferase report experiment both proved that IRS1 was a direct target gene of miR-96-5p. In the transfection experiment, compared with the aluminum exposure group, the apoptosis rate, the relative expressions of Caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase3 proteins, the relative expression of miR-96-5p in the aluminum exposure+miR-96-5p inhibition group were significantly decreased, while the relative expression levels of IRS1 mRNA and IRS1, p-AKT and p-GSK3β proteins were significantly increased (P<0.05). In the IRS1 low expression experiment, compared with the aluminum exposure+miR-96-5p inhibition+negative control group, the apoptosis rate, the relative expressions of Caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase3 proteins in the aluminum exposure+miR-96-5p inhibition+IRS1 inhibition group were significantly increased, while the relative expression levels of IRS1 mRNA and IRS1, p-AKT and p-GSK3β proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The increased expression of miR-96-5p and the targeted inhibition of IRS1 may be one of the mechanisms of apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by maltol aluminum exposure.

Optically Active Telecom Defects in MoTe2 Fewlayers at Room Temperature

The optical and electrical properties of semiconductors are strongly affected by defect states. The defects in molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) show the potential for quantum light emission at optical fiber communication bands. However, the observation of defect-related light emission is still limited to cryogenic temperatures. In this work, we demonstrate the deep defect states in MoTe2 fewlayers produced via a standard van der Waal material transfer method with a heating process, which enables light emission in the telecommunication O-band. The optical measurements show evidence of localized excitons and strong interaction among defects. Furthermore, the optical emission of defects depends on the thickness of the host materials. Our findings offer a new route for tailoring the optical properties of two-dimensional materials in optoelectronic applications.

Release of Interface Confined Water Significantly Improves Dentin Bonding

Water residue and replacement difficulty cause insufficient adhesive infiltration in demineralized dentin matrix (DDM), which produces a defective hybrid layer and thus a bonding durability problem, severely plaguing adhesive dentistry for decades. In this study, we propose that the unique properties of a highly hydrated interface of the porous DDM can give rise to 1 new type of interface, confined liquid water, which accounts for most of the residue water and may be the main cause of insufficient infiltration. To prove our hypothesis, 3 metal ions with increasing binding affinity and complex stability (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and Cu²⁺) were introduced respectively to coordinate negatively charged groups such as -PO₄^3-, -COO^- abundant in the DDM interface. Strong chelation of Ca²⁺ and Cu²⁺ rapidly released the confined water, significantly improving penetration of hydrophobic adhesive monomers, while Na⁺ had little effect. A significant decrease of defects in the hybrid layer and a much decreased modulus gap between the hybrid layer and the adhesive layer greatly optimized the microstructure and micromechanical properties of the tooth-resin bonding interface, thus improving the effectiveness and durability of dentin bonding substantially. This study paves the way for a solution to the core scientific issue of contemporary adhesive dentistry: water residue and replacement in dentin bonding, both theoretically and practically.

[Honokiol reduces oxidative stress by activating the SIRT3-MnSOD2 pathway to alleviate hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To determine how honokiol affects the sirtuin-3 (SIRT3)-MnSOD2 pathway and oxidative stress in rats with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTGP).

METHODS

Thirty 4-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into two groups for normal feeding and high-fat feeding for 4 weeks, after which the rats with normal feeding were randomized into control group and acute pancreatitis (AP) group (n=6), and those with high-fat feeding were divided into hypertriglyceridemia group, HTGP group, and honokiol treatment group (n=6). In AP, HTGP, and honokiol groups, AP models were established by intraperitoneal injection of cerulean; in honokiol group, the rats received an intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg honokiol 15 min after cerulean injection. Serum TG, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were measured 24 h after the treatments, and pathological changes in the pancreas were observed with HE staining; The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) were measured, and SIRT3 and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD2) expressions were detected using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the ultrastructure of pancreatic acinar cells and mitochondria.

RESULTS

Compared with the those with normal feeding, the rats with high-fat feeding had significantly elevated serum TG level (P < 0.05). The rat models of AP showed significantly increased serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA and decreased GSH level and expressions of SIRT3 and MnSOD2, with obvious edema and inflammatory cell infiltration and enhanced ROS fluorescence intensity in the pancreas and ultrastructural damages of the acinar cells and mitochondria. In rats with HTGP, honokiol treatment significantly decreased serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA, increased GSH level and SIRT3 and MnSOD2 expressions, reduced ROS production, and alleviated ultrastructural damage of the acinar cells and mitochondria in the pancreas.

CONCLUSION

Honokiol reduce oxidative stress and alleviates pancreatic injuries in HTGP rats possibly by activating the SIRT3-MnSOD2 pathway.

Arbitrary-Shaped Text Detection with B-Spline Curve Network

Text regions in natural scenes have complex and variable shapes. Directly using contour coordinates to describe text regions will make the modeling inadequate and lead to low accuracy of text detection. To address the problem of irregular text regions in natural scenes, we propose an arbitrary-shaped text detection model based on Deformable DETR called BSNet. The model differs from the traditional method of directly predicting contour points by using B-Spline curve to make the text contour more accurate and reduces the number of predicted parameters simultaneously. The proposed model eliminates manually designed components and dramatically simplifies the design. The proposed model achieves F-measure of 86.8% and 87.6% on CTW1500 and Total-Text, demonstrating the model's effectiveness.

Formation of Re-Aggregated Neonatal Porcine Islet Clusters Improves In Vitro Function and Transplantation Outcome

Neonatal porcine islet-like cell clusters (NPICCs) are a promising source for islet cell transplantation. Excellent islet quality is important to achieve a cure for type 1 diabetes. We investigated formation of cell clusters from dispersed NPICCs on microwell cell culture plates, evaluated the composition of re-aggregated porcine islets (REPIs) and compared in vivo function by transplantation into diabetic NOD-SCID IL2rγ-/- (NSG) mice with native NPICCs. Dissociation of NPICCs into single cells and re-aggregation resulted in the formation of uniform REPI clusters. A higher prevalence of normoglycemia was observed in diabetic NSG mice after transplantation with a limited number (n = 1500) of REPIs (85.7%) versus NPICCs (n = 1500) (33.3%) (p < 0.05). Transplanted REPIs and NPICCs displayed a similar architecture of endocrine and endothelial cells. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests revealed an improved beta cell function after transplantation of 1500 REPIs (AUC glucose 0-120 min 6260 ± 305.3) as compared to transplantation of 3000 native NPICCs (AUC glucose 0-120 min 8073 ± 536.2) (p < 0.01). Re-aggregation of single cells from dissociated NPICCs generates cell clusters with excellent functionality and improved in vivo function as compared to native NPICCs.

[Analysis of risk factors for decompensated cirrhosis complicated with sepsis]

Objective: To investigate the related risk factors in patients with decompensated cirrhosis complicated with sepsis. Methods: 1 098 cases with decompensated cirrhosis were collected from January 2018 to December 2020. A total of 492 cases with complete data meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Among them, the sepsis group (240 cases) was complicated with sepsis and the non-sepsis group (252 cases) was not complicated with sepsis. Albumin, cholinesterase, total bilirubin, prothrombin activity, urea, creatinine, international normalized ratio and other indicators of the two groups of patients were collected. Child-Pugh classification and MELD score were performed on two groups of patients. Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed measurement data, and rank sum test for grade data. Logistic regression analysis was performed on sepsis-related factors that may affect patients with decompensated cirrhosis complicated with sepsis. Results: 162 cases of gram negative bacteria, 76 cases of gram positive bacteria and 2 cases of Candida were detected. Child-Pugh grade C was mainly in the sepsis group, and Child- Pugh grade A and B was mainly in the non-sepsis group (z=-13.01, P＜0.05). MELD score was significantly higher in patients with sepsis than that of patients without sepsis (z=-12.30, P＜0.05). Neutrophils percentage, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and total bilirubin in patients with decompensated cirrhosis complicated with sepsis were 86.90% (79.00%, 91.05%), 48.48 (17.63, 97.55) mg/l,1.34 (0.40, 4.52) ng/l, and 78.50 (32.75149.80) μmol/L, which were significantly higher than that of patients without sepsis [69.55% (58.58%, 75.90%), 5.34 (5.00, 14.94) mg/l, 0.11(0.06,0.24) ng/l, 22.50(15.10,37.55) respectively] μmol/L, P＜0.05], while the albumin level, prothrombin activity level, and the cholinesterase level in sepsis patients were 27.30 (24.45, 30.60) g/L, 46.00% (33.50%, 59.00%), and 1.87 (1.29, 2.66) kU/L, respectively, which was significantly lower than the non-sepsis group [32.65 (28.95, 37.23) g/l, 73.00(59.75～84.85)%, 3.13(2.23～4.59) kU/L, P＜0.05]. Logistic regression analysis showed that serum total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin activity level and diabetes mellitus were the independent risk factors for complicated sepsis. Conclusion: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis with poor liver function and higher MELD scores are more likely to be complicated with sepsis. Therefore, during the clinical diagnosis and treatment course, patients with decompensated cirrhosis with poor liver reserve function should be actively and dynamically monitored for infection-related indicators such as neutrophil percentage, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, in an attempt to detect possible potential infections and sepsis, and improve early treatment and prognosis.

[Effects of composite laser technique combined with multipoint microinjection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of hypertrophic scars in burn children]

Objective: To explore the effects of pulsed dye laser (PDL) and ultra-pulsed fractional carbon dioxide laser (UFCL) combined with multipoint microinjection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of red hypertrophic scar at early stage in burn children. Methods: A retrospective cohort before-after control study in the same patients was conducted. From February 2019 to December 2020, a total of 67 burn children who met the inclusion criteria (32 males and 35 females, aged 1 to 12 years) with red hyperplastic scar at early stage, were treated in Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (1st Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University). All the children were treated with composite laser technique (PDL and UFCL) combined with triamcinolone acetonide (hereinafter referred to as combined treatment). After 2 months, they received the second combined treatment. Before the first combined treatment and 6 months after the last combined treatment, the scar of children was evaluated with the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) by physicians and family members. Six months after the last combined treatment, the satisfaction of the patients' family members with the efficacy was recorded and the overall satisfaction rate was calculated. Adverse reactions were recorded throughout the treatment process. Data were statistically analyzed with paired sample t test. Results: Six months after the last combined treatment, the POSAS scores of children on the thickness, blood vessels distribution, color, surface roughness, texture, scope, and overall evaluation of scar evaluated by the physicians, and the POSAS scores of children on the color, degree of pain, degree of itching, hardness, thickness, shape and size, and overall evaluation of scar evaluated by the family members were significantly lower than those before the first combined treatment (with t values of 17.32, 16.73, 15.00, 14.91, 19.62, 28.74, 29.83, 17.43, 20.52, 29.01, 28.82, 24.91, 20.30, and 42.13, respectively, P<0.01). Six months after the last combined treatment, 62 (93%), 3 (4%), and 2 (3%) children's family members were very satisfied, satisfied, and relatively satisfied with the treatment effect, respectively, and the overall satisfaction rate was 97% (65/67). Six months after the last combined treatment, no scar thickening or infection occurred in all the wounds of children. Conclusions: Composite laser technique combined with multipoint microinjection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of red hypertrophic scar at early stage in burn children can improve the appearance and texture of scar, reduce scar pain and pruritus, with high satisfaction of children's family members to the treatment effect and less adverse reactions.

Spectral beam combining of diode lasers extended into the non-SBC direction

An extended spectral beam combining (SBC) configuration that folds the optical path of the combining laser into the non-SBC direction and doubly narrows the SBC spectrum by introducing a right angular prism is proposed. Similar combined power and beam quality but half of the spectral width and a smaller size are demonstrated by comparing the standard SBC with the proposed SBC of the same 800nm laser bar. It provides an effective way to miniaturize the SBC size, improve the SBC stability and compress the SBC spectrum simultaneously. As far as we know, this study is also the first to report on folding the SBC optical path to the non-SBC direction, which provides a new idea for the SBC source.

Temporal and Spatial Variation and Driving Forces of Soil Erosion on the Loess Plateau before and after the Implementation of the Grain-for-Green Project: A Case Study in the Yanhe River Basin, China

To curb soil erosion, the Grain-for-Green Project has been implemented in the Loess Plateau region, and there have been few quantitative evaluations of the impact of ecological engineering on the spatial distribution of soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. In this paper, we used ArcGIS software, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model and the Geographic Detector (GeoDetector) model to investigate the changes in the spatial distribution of soil erosion and driving forces before and after the implementation of the Grain-for-Green Project in Yanhe River Basin, a typical area on the Loess Plateau. After the implementation of the Grain-for-Green Project, the soil erosion showed a decreasing trend over time and from local improvement to global optimization in space. The implementation of the Grain-for-Green Project led to changes in the dominant driving force of the spatial distribution of soil erosion, with the dominant driving force changing from the slope factor to the vegetation coverage factor. The main driving force of the two-factor interaction on soil erosion spatial differentiation changed from the slope factor and other factors to the vegetation coverage and other factors. The Grain-for-Green Project mainly influenced soil erosion by increasing the vegetation cover. The effect of the Grain-for-Green Project on the spatial distribution of soil erosion had hysteresis and spatial differences, and the direct and indirect driving forces generated by ecological engineering reached more than 50% on average.

[Comparison of efficacy and safety between new oral anticoagulants and traditional anticoagulants in patients with liver cirrhosis requiring anticoagulant therapy]

Objective: To compare the advantages and disadvantages of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) with traditional anticoagulants, in an attempt to evaluate their efficacy and safety in patients with liver cirrhosis requiring anticoagulant therapy. Methods: Relevant literatures were searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, HowNet, Wanfang, VIP and other databases by computer retrieval. The literatures quality was evaluated by NOS. The extracted data were meta-analyzed by RevMan5.3 software. Results: A total of seven studies were included, including one randomized controlled trial and six retrospective cohort studies with a total of 3042 cases. Among them, 1677 and 1365 cases used NOACs and traditional anticoagulants. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the traditional anticoagulant group, the NOACs group had a lower incidence of massive hemorrhage [OR=0.56, 95%CI (0.37-0.85), P＜0.01] and a higher thrombotic recanalization rate [OR=7.77, 95%CI (3.48~17.34), P＜0.01], and the difference was statistically significant, while there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in comparison to all-cause bleeding rates [OR=0.72, 95%CI (0.13-3.91), P=0.07], all-cause mortality [OR=0.72, 95%CI (0.25-2.07), P=0.54], recurrent embolism and stroke rates [OR=0.90, 95%CI (0.59-1.39), and P=0.64]. Conclusion: Compared with traditional anticoagulants, NOACs have higher safety and better efficacy in the treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis, but it has not been widely used in China. Therefore, large-scale randomized controlled trials and prospective studies are further needed to confirm it in the future.

[The role of RUNX1 in the apoptosis of epithelial cells in nasal polyps]

Objective: To explore the expression of Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) in nasal polyps (NPs) tissues and the potential role on apoptosis of primary human nasal epithelial cells (pHNECs) in NPs. Methods: The expression level of RUNX1 in NPs tissues was determined by Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). In vitro, TNF-α (20 ng/ml) was used to stimulate pHNECs to establish the apoptosis injury model. Hoechst staining was performed to observe pHNECs apoptosis by kit. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and WB were utilized to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), BCL2-associated X (BAX) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3) to assess the level of apoptosis. The plasmid of sh-RUNX1-6 was transfected into the pHNECs apoptosis model, then the effect of RUNX1 silence on apoptosis was evaluated by WB and flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was performed by the SPSS 19.0 and GraphPad Prism5 software. Results: The expression of RUNX1 in NPs tissue was significantly higher than that in inferior turbinates, and the difference was statistically significant (0.274±0.042 vs 0.110±0.027, t=9.675, P<0.05). Compared with the inferior turbinates, BAX and Caspase-3 expressions were increased whereas BCL-2 was decreased in NPs, and the differences were statistically significant (BAX 0.346±0.032 vs 0.302±0.037, Caspase-3 0.228±0.061 vs 0.158±0.065, BCL-2 0.090±0.047 vs 0.276±0.057, t value was 2.680, 2.361 and 7.575, respectively, all P<0.05). The expression levels of RUNX1 and apoptosis in pHNECs increased in a time-dependent manner after TNF-α exposure (P<0.05). Plasmid of sh-RUNX1-6 transfected silenced the expression of RUNX1 in pHNECs treated by TNF-α. After silencing RUNX1 in pHNECs apoptosis model, the protein levels of BAX and Caspase-3 were decreased, while the expression of BCL-2 was increased, the rate of apoptosis was decreased (P<0.05). Conclusions: RUNX1 is increased in NPs. Silencing RUNX1 can inhibit the apoptosis and reduce cell inflammatory damage of pHNECs induced by TNF-α.

Cloning, genome structure and expression analysis of MHC class I gene in Korean quail

1. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a highly polymorphic region of the genome essential to immune responses and animal health. However, avian MHC genetic structure is different from that of mammals. In this study, the structure and expression of Korean quail MHC class I gene was analysed.2. The quail MHC gene consisted of eight exons and seven introns. The open reading frame of the cDNA was 353 amino acids, and the molecular weight was about 38.91 kDa. Exons 1 and 2 coded for leading peptides and alpha 1 regions, respectively. Exons 3 and 4 encoded alpha 2 and alpha 3 regions. Exons 5 to 8 coded for connecting peptides and transmembrane regions/cytoplasmic regions (TM/CY). The Korean quail MHC class I amino acid sequence shared 87% to 99% homology with Japanese quail and 71% to 75% with chicken. The amino acid shared 40% and 43% homology with humans and mice, respectively.3. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that MHC-I was highly expressed in immune tissues such as the bursa of Fabricius. Moreover, the constructed evolutionary tree was consistent with accepted evolutionary pathways.4. MHC-I is closely related to the host's immune system, and these findings may help to better understand the role of Korean quail MHC-I in the immune system.

De novo ALX4 variant detected in child with non-syndromic craniosynostosis

Current understanding of the genetic factors contributing to the etiology of non-syndromic craniosynostosis (NSC) remains scarce. The present work investigated the presence of variants in ALX4, EFNA4, and TWIST1 genes in children with NSC to verify if variants within these genes may contribute to the occurrence of these abnormal phenotypes. A total of 101 children (aged 45.07±40.94 months) with NSC participated in this cross-sectional study. Parents and siblings of the probands were invited to participate. Medical and family history of craniosynostosis were documented. Biological samples were collected to obtain genomic DNA. Coding exons of human TWIST1, ALX4, and EFNA4 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequenced. Five missense variants were identified in ALX4 in children with bilateral coronal, sagittal, and metopic synostosis. A de novo ALX4 variant, c.799G>A: p.Ala267Thr, was identified in a proband with sagittal synostosis. Three missense variants were identified in the EFNA4 gene in children with metopic and sagittal synostosis. A TWIST1 variant occurred in a child with unilateral coronal synostosis. Variants were predicted to be among the 0.1% (TWIST1, c.380C>A: p. Ala127Glu) and 1% (ALX4, c.769C>T: p.Arg257Cys, c.799G>A: p.Ala267Thr, c.929G>A: p.Gly310Asp; EFNA4, c.178C>T: p.His60Tyr, C.283A>G: p.Lys95Glu, c.349C>A: Pro117Thr) most deleterious variants in the human genome. With the exception of ALX4, c.799G>A: p.Ala267Thr, all other variants were present in at least one non-affected family member, suggesting incomplete penetrance. Thus, these variants may contribute to the development of craniosynostosis, and should not be discarded as potential candidate genes in the diagnosis of this condition.

[Progress of researches on symbionts in the management of mosquito-borne infectious diseases]

Mosquitoes are the main vectors of many infectious diseases, including malaria and yellow fever, which seriously threaten human health across the world. In addition to the use of chemical insecticides, genetic control is a new attempt to currently available interventions used for mosquito vector control. In terms of ecological safety, however, symbiotic control as a novel approach has been proposed for mosquito control. Since there are multiple symbiotic microflora inhabiting in a variety of tissues of mosquitoes, including the digestive tract, they may affect the transmission of mosquito-borne infectious diseases through affecting the lifespan, reproductive competence, and vector competence of the host. In this review, the interactions between symbionts in mosquitoes were summarized, and the research progress of mosquito-associated symbionts in the management of mosquitoborne infectious diseases was reviewed.