The role of sarcopenic obesity for the prediction of prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) in patients with gastrointestinal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, as well as the diagnostic cut-off value of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer among Chinese population. METHODS: We conducted a consecutive cohort study. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 289 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer were included in our study. Skeletal muscle area, total fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were measured by CT scan. All patients were followed up for 5 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were adopted to determine the cut-off values of visceral fat obesity for the prediction of sarcopenia. Based on the cut-off values, patients with sarcopenia combined with visceral fat obesity were divided into the SO group, and the others were divided into the non-sarcopenic obesity (NSO) group. Kaplan-Meier curves and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the associations of body composition profiles with 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival. RESULTS: Obtained from Youden's Index for ROC for the prediction of 5-year survival, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) ≤40.02 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥ 126.30 cm2 in men and SMI ≤32.05 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥72.42 cm2 in women indicate a risk of poor prognosis in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Patients with SO had poorer 5-year overall survival (OS) than patients with NSO (6.74% vs. 82.84%, p < 0.001), and poorer 5-year DFS (6.74% vs. 81.82%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, we found that the long-term mortality risk was approximately 13-fold higher among patients in the SO group compared to those with no conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative assessment of SO is useful not only for monitoring nutritional status but also for predicting 5-year OS in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Spatial-temporal variation and source analysis of heavy metals in different land use types in Beilun District (2015 and 2022).

The soil environment plays an important role in urban ecosystems. To study the heavy metal contamination of soil in Beilun District, Ningbo, we collected soil samples from 60 points in urban and peri-urban areas of Beilun District and analyzed the spatiotemporal variation and sources of heavy metal pollution in various land-use types. The results shown that the heavy metal contents in 2015 and 2022 were higher than the background soil values of Ningbo city, and there was an accumulation of heavy metals over these 7 years. The contents of heavy metals in green belts and woodland in 2022 were higher than those in 2015, while there was no significant change in agricultural land. The heavy metal contents in both years were mainly in the order green belts > agricultural land > woodland. The spatiotemporal distribution of heavy metal content showed that heavy metal pollution in Beilun District was concentrated in five industrial areas, and there was a trend toward the disappearance of highly polluted points. But the single-factor pollution index, pollution load index (PLI), and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated that there was no significant heavy metal pollution in Beilun District, and individual elements at specific points showed slight pollution. The source analysis results showed that the main source of Hg is chemical, As is mainly derived from agricultural, Cr, Ni and Cu are mainly derived from natural, the main sources of Zn and Cd are electroplating and machinery activities, and the main source of Pb is traffic. These results specify a reference for future investigation on urban soil heavy metals, and the source apportionment results provide a scientific foundation for subsequent soil heavy metal pollution treatment.

[Progress in enrichment methods for protein N-phosphorylation].

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most common and important post-translational modifications that regulates almost all life processes. In particular, protein phosphorylation regulates the development of major diseases such as tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. For example, excessive phosphorylation of Tau protein can cause neurofibrillary tangles, leading to Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, large-scale methods for identifying protein phosphorylation must be developed. Rapid developmentin efficient enrichment methods and biological mass spectrometry technologies have enabled the large-scale identification of low-abundance protein O-phosphorylation modifications in, allowing for a more thorough study of their biological functions. The N-phosphorylation modifications that occur on the side-chain amino groups of histidine, arginine, and lysine have recently received increased attention. For example, the biological function of histidine phosphorylation in prokaryotes has been well studied; this type of modification regulates signal transduction and sugar metabolism. Two mammalian pHis kinases (NME1 and NME2) and three pHis phosphatases (PHPT1, LHPP, and PGAM5) have been successfully identified using various biological methods. N-Phosphorylation is involved in multiple biological processes, and its functions cannot be ignored. However, N-phosphorylation is unstable under acidic and thermal conditions owing to the poor chemical stability of the P-N bond. Unfortunately, the current O-phosphorylation enrichment method, which relies on acidic conditions, is unsuitable for N-phosphorylation enrichment, resulting in a serious lag in the large-scale identification of protein N-phosphorylation. The lack of enrichment methods has also seriously hindered studies on the biological functions of N-phosphorylation. Therefore, the development of efficient enrichment methods that target protein N-phosphorylation is an urgent undertaking. Research on N-phosphorylation proteome enrichment methods is limited, hindering functional research. Thus, summarizing such methods is necessary to promote further functional research. This article introduces the structural characteristics and reported biological functions of protein N-phosphorylation, reviews the protein N-phosphorylation modification enrichment methods developed over the past two decades, and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each method. In this study, both antibody-based and nonantibody-dependent methods are described in detail. Owing to the stability of the molecular structure of histidine, the antibody method is currently limited to histidine phosphorylation enrichment research. Future studies will focus on the development of new enrichment ligands. Moreover, research on ligands will promote studies on other nonconventional phosphorylation targets, such as two acyl-phosphates (pAsp, pGlu) and S-phosphate (pCys). In summary, this review provides a detailed analysis of the history and development directions of N-phosphorylation enrichment methods.

Melatonin Ameliorates Depressive-Like Behaviors in Ovariectomized Mice by Improving Tryptophan Metabolism via Inhibition of Gut Microbe Alistipes Inops.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is reported to improve mood disorders in perimenopausal women and gut microbiome composition is altered during menopausal period. The possible role of microbiome in the treatment effect of melatonin on menopausal depression remains unknown. Here, it is shown that melatonin treatment reverses the gut microbiota dysbiosis and depressive-like behaviors in ovariectomy (OVX) operated mice. This effect of melatonin is prevented by antibiotic cocktails (ABX) treatment. Transferring microbiota harvested from adolescent female mice to OVX-operated mice is sufficient to ameliorate depressive-like behaviors. Conversely, microbiota transplantation from OVX-operated mice or melatonin-treated OVX-operated mice to naïve recipient mice exhibits similar phenotypes to donors. The colonization of Alistipes Inops, which is abundant in OVX-operated mice, confers the recipient with depressive-like behaviors. Further investigation indicates that the expansion of Alistipes Inops induced by OVX leads to the degradation of intestinal tryptophan, which destroys systemic tryptophan availability. Melatonin supplementation restores systemic tryptophan metabolic disorders by suppressing the growth of Alistipes Inops, which ameliorates depressive-like behaviors. These results highlight the previously unrecognized role of Alistipes Inops in the modulation of OVX-induced behavioral disorders and suggest that the application of melatonin to inhibit Alistipes Inops may serve as a potential strategy for preventing menopausal depressive symptoms.

Anti-Obesity Activity of Sanghuangporus vaninii by Inhibiting Inflammation in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Obesity is an unhealthy condition associated with various diseases characterized by excess fat accumulation. However, in China, the prevalence of obesity is 14.1%, and it remains challenging to achieve weight loss or resolve this issue through clinical interventions. Sanghuangpours vaninii (SPV) is a nutritional fungus with multiple pharmacological activities and serves as an ideal dietary intervention for combating obesity. In this study, a long-term high-fat diet (HFD) was administered to induce obesity in mice. Different doses of SPV and the positive drug simvastatin (SV) were administered to mice to explore their potential anti-obesity effects. SPV regulated weight, serum lipids, and adipocyte size while inhibiting inflammation and hepatic steatosis. Compared with the vehicle-treated HFD-fed mice, the lowest decreases in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were 9.72%, 9.29%, and 12.29%, respectively, and the lowest increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was 5.88% after treatment with different doses of SPV. With SPV treatment, the analysis of gut microbiota and serum lipids revealed a significant association between lipids and inflammation-related factors, specifically sphingomyelin. Moreover, Western blotting results showed that SPV regulated the toll-like receptor (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in HFD-diet mice, which is related to inflammation and lipid metabolism. This research presents empirical proof of the impact of SPV therapy on obesity conditions.

ß-Cyclodextrin/dialdehyde glucan-coated keratin nanoparticles for oral delivery of insulin.

Successful oral insulin administration can considerably enhance the quality of life (QOL) of diabetes patients who must frequently take insulin injections. However, Oral insulin administration is seriously hampered by gastrointestinal enzymes, wide pH range, mucus and mucosal layers, which limit insulin oral bioavailability to ≤2 %. Herein, we developed a simple, inexpensive and safe dual ß-cyclodextrin/dialdehyde glucan-coated keratin nanoparticle (ß-CD-K-IN-DG). The resulted ß-CD-K-IN-DG not only gave the ultra-high insulin loading (encapsulation efficiency (98.52 %)), but also protected insulin from acid and enzymatic degradation. This ß-CD-K-IN-DG had a notable hypoglycemic effect, there was almost 80 % insulin release after 4 h of incubation under hyperglycemic conditions. Ex vivo results confirmed that ß-CD-K-IN-DG possessed high mucus-penetration ability. Transepithelial transport and uptake mechanism studies revealed that bypass transport pathway and endocytosis promoted ß-CD-K-IN-DG entered intestinal epithelial cells, thus increased the bioavailability of insulin (12.27 %). The improved stability of insulin during in vivo transport implied that ß-CD-K-IN-DG might be a potential tool for the effective oral insulin administration.

Developing and validating a Modified Cachexia Index to predict the outcomes for colorectal cancer after radical surgery.

BACKGROUND: It was reported that the cachexia index (CXI: ALB * SMI NLR ) was an essential index for predicting the prognosis of tumor patients. However, since for SMI needs to be measured by CT imaging methods and its calculation was inconvenient. Thus, we developed a modified cachexia index (mCXI: ALB NLR * UCR ). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between mCXI and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: An analysis of 215 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer was carried out retrospectively. An optimal cut-off value of mCXI was established by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for predicting prognosis. Prognostic implications of mCXI were investigated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis. A comparative assessment of the predictive capacity between mCXI and the CXI was performed using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: Patients were classified into two groups based on the cut-off value of mCXI: the LOW mCXI group (n = 60) and the HIGH mCXI group (n = 155). The 3-year Overall survival (OS) (76.6% vs 96.7%, p < 0.01) and 3-year Recurrence-free survival (RFS) (68.3% vs 94.1%, p < 0.01) were significantly worse in the LOW mCXI group in contrast to that in the HIGH mCXI group. In Cox multivariate regression analysis, mCXI was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 8.951, 95%CI: 3.105-25.807, <0.01). Moreover, compared with CXI (AUC = 0.723), mCXI (AUC = 0.801) has better predictive efficacy, indicating that mCXI is more suitable for prognostic assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The mCXI significantly correlated with survival outcomes for colorectal cancer patients after radical surgery.

Cerebral cortex functional reorganization in preschool children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss: a resting-state fMRI study.

Purpose: How cortical functional reorganization occurs after hearing loss in preschool children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (CSNHL) is poorly understood. Therefore, we used resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to explore the characteristics of cortical reorganization in these patents. Methods: Sixty-three preschool children with CSNHL and 32 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited, and the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scores were determined at the 6-month follow-up after cochlear implantation (CI). First, rs-fMRI data were preprocessed, and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated. Second, whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed using bilateral primary auditory cortex as seed points. Finally, Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the differential ALFF, ReHo and FC values and the CAP score. Results: ALFF analysis showed that preschool children with CSNHL had lower ALFF values in the bilateral prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus than HCs, but higher ALFF values in the bilateral thalamus and calcarine gyrus. And correlation analysis showed that some abnormal brain regions were weak negatively correlated with CAP score (p < 0.05). The ReHo values in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, part of the prefrontal cortex and left insular gyrus were lower, whereas ReHo values in the bilateral thalamus, right caudate nucleus and right precentral gyrus were higher, in children with CSNHL than HCs. However, there was no correlation between ReHo values and the CAP scores (p < 0.05). Using primary auditory cortex (PAC) as seed-based FC further analysis revealed enhanced FC in the visual cortex, proprioceptive cortex and motor cortex. And there were weak negative correlations between the FC values in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, occipital lobe, left postcentral gyrus and right thalamus were weakly negatively correlated and the CAP score (p < 0.05). Conclusion: After auditory deprivation in preschool children with CSNHL, the local functions of auditory cortex, visual cortex, prefrontal cortex and somatic motor cortex are changed, and the prefrontal cortex plays a regulatory role in this process. There is functional reorganization or compensation between children's hearing and these areas, which may not be conducive to auditory language recovery after CI in deaf children.

Mitochondrial protein isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase 2 in tumor cells as a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Objective: Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (IARS2) is crucial for mitochondrial activity and function in cancer cells. Cervical cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy affecting the female reproductive system on a global scale. This research investigates the expression and potential roles of IARS2 in cervical cancer cells. Material and Methods: Initially, we examined the IARS2 expression profile in cervical cancer cells using Western blot technique and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction methodologies. Subsequently, cervical cancer cell models with IARS2 silencing and overexpression were constructed using Short Hairpin RNA (ShRNA) (IARS2) and pcMV-FLAG-IARS2, respectively. The impact of IARS2 silencing or overexpression on Hela cell mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial complex I, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, reactive oxygen species activity, viability, proliferation, migration, apoptosis-related proteins, and apoptosis levels was examined through fluorescence staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cell counting kit-8 assay, Transwell experiments, Western blot technique, and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay techniques. Results: The expression of IARS2 is upregulated in cervical cancer cells. Silencing IARS2 with ShRNA (IARS2) disrupts mitochondrial function in cervical cancer cells, resulting in mitochondrial depolarization, heightened oxidative stress, suppression of mitochondrial complex I, and a decrease in ATP levels. Moreover, the depletion of IARS2 significantly impedes the viability, proliferation, and migration of cervical cancer cells, inducing apoptotic processes. In contrast, the overexpression of IARS2 augments the proliferation, migration, and ATP levels in cervical cancer cells. Conclusion: IARS2 plays a pivotal role as a mitochondrial protein in fostering the growth of cervical cancer cells, presenting itself as an innovative target for tumor diagnosis and treatment.

SVDF: enhancing structural variation detect from long-read sequencing via automatic filtering strategies.

Structural variation (SV) is an important form of genomic variation that influences gene function and expression by altering the structure of the genome. Although long-read data have been proven to better characterize SVs, SVs detected from noisy long-read data still include a considerable portion of false-positive calls. To accurately detect SVs in long-read data, we present SVDF, a method that employs a learning-based noise filtering strategy and an SV signature-adaptive clustering algorithm, for effectively reducing the likelihood of false-positive events. Benchmarking results from multiple orthogonal experiments demonstrate that, across different sequencing platforms and depths, SVDF achieves higher calling accuracy for each sample compared to several existing general SV calling tools. We believe that, with its meticulous and sensitive SV detection capability, SVDF can bring new opportunities and advancements to cutting-edge genomic research.

Long-term exposure to dimefluthrin inhibits the growth of Acrossocheilus fasciatus.

Dimefluthrin (DIM) is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide commonly used for the control of pests, particularly for mosquitoes and other flying insects. However, the effects of DIM on non-target aquatic organisms are not known. In this study, we evaluated the long-term effects of DIM on juvenile Acrossocheilus fasciatus (a species of teleost fish) by exposing them to two different concentrations (0.8 µg/L and 4 µg/L) for 60 days. After 60 d of exposure, DIM induced a significant decrease in body weight and irregular, diffused villi in the intestines of A. fasciatus, accompanied by alterations in the expression of immune-related genes. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), all downregulated genes were enriched in processes such as small molecule/cellular amino acid metabolism, generation of precursor metabolites and energy, and phosphatase activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that the downregulated genes were associated with processes such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, intestinal immune network for IgA production, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and antigen processing and presentation. In contrast, upregulated DEGs were linked to processes such as necroptosis, phototransduction, and Hippo signaling pathway. These results demonstrate the potential toxicity of DIM to non-target aquatic organisms, indicating the broader ecological implications of its use.

Enhanced Optical Limiting of Gold Nanoparticles/Porous Carbon Nanocomposites.

With the wide application of laser weapons, the requirements of laser protection technology are becoming more and more strict. Therefore, it is important to find ideal optical limiting (OL) materials to protect human eyes and detectors. In this work, the nonlinear optical responses of gold nanoparticles/porous carbon (Au NPs/PC) nanocomposites prepared by the reduction method were studied using the nanosecond Z-scan technique. Compared with porous carbon, the Au NPs/PC nanocomposites show a lower damage threshold, a bigger optical limiting index and a wider absorption spectrum. The interaction between gold nanoparticles and porous carbon enhances the nonlinear scattering effect of suspended bubbles. These results indicate that Au NPs composites have potential applications in the protection of human eyes and detectors.

Neural activation signatures in individuals with subclinical depression: A task-fMRI meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (task-fMRI) investigations have documented abnormal brain activation associated with subclinical depression (SD), defined as a clinically relevant level of depressive symptoms that does not meet the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. However, these task-fMRI studies have not reported consistent conclusions. Performing a voxel-based meta-analysis of task-fMRI studies may yield reliable findings. METHODS: We extracted the peak coordinates and t values of included studies and analyzed brain activation between individuals with SD and healthy controls (HCs) using anisotropic effect-size signed differential mapping (AES-SDM). RESULTS: A systematic literature search identified eight studies, including 266 individuals with SD and 281 HCs (aged 14 to 25). The meta-analysis showed that individuals with SD exhibited significantly greater activation in the right lenticular nucleus and putamen according to task-fMRI. The meta-regression analysis revealed a negative correlation between the proportion of females in a group and activation in the right striatum. LIMITATIONS: The recruitment criteria for individuals with SD, type of tasks and MRI acquisition parameters of included studies were heterogeneous. The results should be interpreted cautiously due to insufficient included studies. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that individuals with SD exhibit increased activation in the right lenticular nucleus, putamen and striatum, which may indicate a compensatory increase in response to an impairment of insular and striatal function caused by depression. These results provide valuable insights into the potential pathophysiology of brain dysfunction in SD.

Region-specific Cerebral Metabolic Alterations in Parkinson's Disease Patients With/without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho) and creatine (Cr) are brain metabolites involved in some key neuronal functions within the brain, such as cognitive function. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Parkinson's disease (PD) with different cognitive status induces regional brain metabolite differences. 38 diagnosed PD patients, including 18 PD patients with normal cognitive (PDN), 20 PD subjects with cognitive impairment (PDMCI) and 25 healthy controls (HC) participated in this study. All subjects underwent a single-voxel proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) on a 3T scanner. 1H-MRS were obtained from bilateral PCC, left thalamus and PFC regions in all subjects, respectively. Region-specific cerebral metabolic alterations existed in PD patients with different cognitive status. PDMCI patients showed a significant reduction of NAA, Cho and tCr in the PCC and left thalamus, compared to healthy controls; whereas lower levels of NAA and Cho in thalamus were found in PDN patients. Moreover, Cho and tCr levels were positively correlated with MMSE scores. Both NAA and tCr in PCC levels were positively correlated with MMSE and MoCA scores. The combination of thalamic and PCC metabolites showed a 75.6% accuracy in distinguishing PDMCI patients from PDN patients. This study provides preliminary evidence that thalamic, PCC and PFC neurometabolic alterations occur in PD patients with cognition decline. Findings of this study indicate that NAA and tCr abnormalities in PCC and thalamus might be used as a biomarker to track cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease in clinical settings.

Association of systemic inflammation response index with mortality risk in older patients with hip fracture: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.

Objective: With a rapidly aging global population, the assessment of mortality risk following hip fracture in older adults has received increasing attention. Recently, the system inflammation response index (SIRI) has been identified as a novel prognostic marker to reflect both systemic inflammation and immune status. However, it is not yet known whether SIRI is a potential predictor of subsequent death in hip fracture patients. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between SIRI and mortality in older patients with hip fracture. Methods: A total of 1,206 older hip fracture patients undergoing surgery between January 2013 and December 2022 were consecutively derived from our longitudinal database. Patients were divided into three groups according to SIRI tertiles, calculated as neutrophil × monocyte / lymphocyte. Survival status was obtained from medical records or telephone interviews, and the study outcome was all-cause mortality after hip fracture at the longest follow-up. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression model were used to evaluate the association between SIRI and mortality. Moreover, a series of sensitivity analyses were conducted to further validate the robustness of the association. Results: During a median follow-up of 43.85 months, 337 patients (27.94%) died. After full adjustment, each unit increase in SIRI was significantly associated with a 2.2% increase in overall mortality (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.042, p = 0.029). Similarly, compared with the first tertile of SIRI, the second and third tertile showed a 1.335-fold (95% CI: 1.011-1.762, p = 0.042) and 1.447-fold (95% CI, 1.093-1.917, p = 0.010) higher risk of death. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the association. Moreover, RCS analysis revealed a positive non-linear relationship between SIRI and mortality (P for nonlinearity = 0.021). Conclusion: High SIRI level at admission was significantly and positively associated with an increased risk of death, suggesting that SIRI may be an independent predictor of mortality in older patients with hip fracture.

Artificial cellulosic leaf with adjustable enzymatic CO2 sequestration capability.

Developing artificial leaves to address the environmental burden of CO2 is pivotal for advancing our Net Zero Future. In this study, we introduce EcoLeaf, an artificial leaf that closely mimics the characteristics of natural leaves. It harnesses visible light as its sole energy source and orchestrates the controlled expansion and contraction of stomata and the exchange of petiole materials to govern the rate of CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere. Furthermore, EcoLeaf has a cellulose composition and mechanical strength similar to those of natural leaves, allowing it to seamlessly integrate into the ecosystem during use and participate in natural degradation and nutrient cycling processes at the end of its life. We propose that the carbon sequestration pathway within EcoLeaf is adaptable and can serve as a versatile biomimetic platform for diverse biogenic carbon sequestration pathways in the future.

Fiber Bragg gratings fabricated in fibers with different geometries by femtosecond laser written through the coating and their applications in strain sensing and fiber laser.

Applications of the type-I fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) written through the coating (TTC) in strain sensing and tunable distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber lasers were demonstrated. We reported the principle of selecting the distance between the fiber and the phase mask when writing type-I TTC FBGs. Type-I TTC FBGs written in commercially available acrylate-coated fibers with various geometries and their strain responses were demonstrated. Results showed that the strain sensitivity of FBGs increases as the core-diameter decreases, probably due to the waveguide effect. In addition, a continuously tunable DBR fiber laser based on TTC FBGs was achieved with a wavelength tuning range of 19.934 nm around 1080 nm, by applying a strain of 0-21265.8 µÉ› to the laser resonant cavity. The wavelength tuning range was limited by the splice point between the gain fiber and the passive fiber for transmitting pump and signal lasers. When the pump power was 100 mW, the relative intensity noises were -97.334 dB/Hz at the relaxation oscillation peak of 880 kHz and -128 dB/Hz at frequencies greater than 3 MHz. The results open a potential scheme to design and implement continuously tunable fiber lasers and fiber laser sensors for strain sensing with a higher resolution.

Influence of anti-seasonal inundation on geochemical processes of arsenic speciation in the water-level-fluctuation zone soil of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

Since the completion of Three Gorges Dam, the water-level-fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) experiences the periodic anti-seasonal inundation. However, knowledge for mechanisms of mobilization and transformation of arsenic (As) in WLFZ soils of the TGR remains scarce. To address this gap, a combination of field observation and simulated flooding experiments attempts to illustrate the As mobilization, the transformation between As(V) and As(III), and the factors driving these processes. The study revealed that anti-seasonal inundation (with a temperature at 13 â„ƒ) mitigated As release from submerged soils. Interestingly, the total As and ratio of As(III) (the more toxic form of As) concentrations in porewater at 13 â„ƒ was lower, and the prevalence of As(III) occurred later than those at 32 °C (imitate the seasonal inundation condition). The results indicated that the As reduction and the corresponding toxic risks in submerged soils were alleviated under anti-seasonal inundation. The study proposes the reduction of As-bearing manganese (Mn) mineral assemblages and competitive adsorption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as primary mechanisms for As mobilization. Furthermore, microorganism-mediated detoxification/reduction processes involving DOC, nitrogen, and Mn (oxyhydr)oxides were identified as central pathways for As(III) enrichment under anti-seasonal inundation. This study enhances understandings of the biogeochemical processes and fate of As in WLFZ soils influenced by artificial regulation of the reservoir.

The prognostic impact of pathogenic stromal cell-associated genes in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) stands as the most prevalent subtype among lung cancers. Interactions between stromal and cancer cells influence tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. However, the regulatory mechanisms of stromal cells in the lung adenocarcinoma tumor microenvironment remain unclear. This study seeks to elucidate the regulatory connections among critical pathogenic genes and their associated expression variations within distinct stromal cell subtypes. METHOD: Analysis and investigation were conducted on a total of 114,019 single-cell RNA data and 346 The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) LUAD-related samples using bioinformatics and statistical algorithms. Differential gene expression analysis was performed for tumor samples and controls, followed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Differential genes between stromal cells and other cell clusters were identified and intersected with the differential genes from TCGA. We employed a combination of LASSO regression and multivariable Cox regression to identify the ultimate set of pathogenic gene. Survival models were trained to predict the relationship between patient survival and these pathogenic genes. Analysis of transcription factor (TF) cell specificity and pseudotime trajectories within stromal cell subpopulations revealed that vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and matrix cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key in regulation of the prognosis-associated genes CAV2, COL1A1, TIMP1, ETS2, AKAP12, ID1 and COL1A2. RESULTS: Seven pathogenic genes associated with LUAD in stromal cells were identified and used to develop a survival model. High expression of these genes is linked to a greater risk of poor survival. Stromal cells were categorized into eight subtypes and one unannotated cluster. Mesothelial cells, vascular endothelial cells (ECs), and matrix cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) showed cell-specific regulation of the pathogenic genes. CONCLUSIONS: The seven disease-causing genes in vascular ECs and matrix CAFs can be used to detect the survival status of LUAD patients, providing new directions for future targeted drug design.

An innovative cell-based transplantation therapy for an immature permanent tooth in an adult: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Immature teeth with necrotic pulps present multiple challenges to clinicians. In such cases, regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) may be a favorable strategy. Cells, biomaterial scaffolds, and signaling molecules are three key elements of REPs. Autologous human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) play an important role in pulp regeneration. In addition, autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) have recently been demonstrated as effective biomaterial scaffolds in regenerative dentistry, whereas the latest generation of APCs-concentrated growth factor (CGF), especially liquid phase CGF (LPCGF)-has rarely been reported in REPs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 31-year-old woman presented to our clinic with the chief complaint of occlusion discomfort in the left mandibular posterior region for the past 5 years. Tooth #35 showed no pulp vitality and had a periodontal lesion, and radiographic examination revealed that the tooth exhibited extensive periapical radiolucency with an immature apex and thin dentin walls. REP was implemented via transplantation of autologous hDPCs with the aid of LPCGF. The periodontal lesion was managed with simultaneous periodontal surgery. After the treatment, the tooth was free of any clinical symptoms and showed positive results in thermal and electric pulp tests at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. At 12-month follow-up, radiographic evidence and three-dimensional models, which were reconstructed using Mimics software based on cone-beam computed tomography, synergistically confirmed bone augmentation and continued root development, indicating complete disappearance of the periapical radiolucency, slight lengthening of the root, evident thickening of the canal walls, and closure of the apex. CONCLUSION: hDPCs combined with LPCGF represents an innovative and effective strategy for cell-based regenerative endodontics.