Prognostic Factors and Outcomes in Elderly Esophagectomy Patients with Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Choosing the appropriate treatment for elderly patients with esophageal cancer remains a contentious issue. While surgery is still a valid option, we aimed to identify predictors and outcomes in elderly esophagectomy patients with esophageal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed characteristics, surgical outcomes, survival rates, cause-specific mortality, and recurrence in 120 patients with stage I-IV esophageal cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 31 months, with 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates standing at 45.2% and 41.5%, respectively. Notably, lower body mass index (BMI ≤ 22 kg/m2) and reduced preoperative albumin levels (pre-ALB < 40 g/L) led to a significant decrease in OS rates. Postoperative pulmonary complications resulted in higher in-hospital and 90-day mortality rates. After about 31 months post-surgery, the rate of cancer-specific deaths stabilized. The most common sites for distant metastasis were the lungs, supraclavicular lymph nodes, liver, and bone. The study identified lower BMI, lower pre-ALB levels, and postoperative pulmonary complications as independent risk factors for poorer EFS and OS outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Esophagectomy remains a safe and feasible treatment for elderly patients, though the prevention of postoperative pulmonary infection is crucial. Factors such as lower BMI, lower pre-ALB levels, advanced tumor stage, postoperative pulmonary complications, and certain treatment modalities significantly influence the outcomes in elderly esophagectomy patients. These findings provide critical insights into the characteristics and outcomes of this patient population.

Conditional Survival of Patients with Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer After Surgery: A National Real-World Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) after surgery usually is estimated at diagnosis, but how the prognosis actually evolves over time for patients who survived for a predefined time is unknown. METHODS: Data on patients with a diagnosis of LS-SCLC after surgery between 2004 and 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The 5-year conditional cancer-specific survival (CCSS) and conditional overall survival (COS) were calculated. RESULTS: This study analyzed 997 patients (555 women, 55.7%) with a median age, of 67 years (interquartile range [IQR], 60-73 years). The 5-year CCSS and COS increased from 44.7% and 38.3%, respectively, at diagnosis to 83.7% and 67.9% at 5 years after diagnosis. Although there were large differences with different stages (stages I, II, and III) at diagnosis (respectively 59.5%, 28.4%; 28.1% for CCSS and 50.6%, 24.8%, and 23.6% for COS), the gap decreased with time, and the rates were similar after 5 years (respectively 85.0%, 80.3%, and 79.4% for CCSS; 65.6%, 56.9%, and 61.3% for COS). The 5-year conditional survival for the patients who received lobectomy was better than for those who received sublobectomy or pneumonectomy. Multivariable analyses showed that only age and resection type were independent predictors for CCSS and COS, respectively, throughout the period. CONCLUSION: Conditional survival estimates for LS-SCLC generally increased over time, with the most significant improvement in patients with advanced stage of disease. Resection type and old age represented extremely important determinants of prognosis after a lengthy event-free follow-up period.

Cell spray printing combined with Lycium barbarum glycopeptide promotes repair of corneal epithelial injury.

The corneal epithelium, located as the outermost layer of the cornea, is inherently susceptible to injuries that may lead to corneal opacities and compromise visual acuity. Rapid restoration of corneal epithelial injury is crucial for maintaining the transparency and integrity of the cornea. Cell spray treatment emerges as an innovative and effective approach in the field of regenerative medicine. In our study, a cell spray printing platform was established, and the optimal printing parameters were determined to be a printing air pressure of 5 PSI (34.47 kPa) and a liquid flow rate of 30 ml/h. Under these conditions, the viability and phenotype of spray-printed corneal epithelial cells were preserved. Moreover, Lycium barbarum glycopeptide (LBGP), a glycoprotein purified from wolfberry, enhanced proliferation while simultaneously inhibiting apoptosis of the spray-printed corneal epithelial cells. We found that the combination of cell spray printing and LBGP facilitated the rapid construction of multilayered cell sheets on flat and curved collagen membranes in vitro. Furthermore, the combined cell spray printing and LBGP accelerated the recovery of the rat corneal epithelium in the mechanical injury model. Our findings offer a therapeutic avenue for addressing corneal epithelial injuries and regeneration.

Construction and validation of a risk-scoring model to predict lymph node metastasis in T1b-T2 esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node status is an important factor in determining preoperative treatment strategies for stage T1b-T2 esophageal cancer (EC). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in T1b-T2 EC and to establish and validate a risk-scoring model to guide the selection of optimal treatment options. METHODS: Patients who underwent upfront surgery for pT1b-T2 EC between January 2016 and December 2022 were analyzed. On the basis of the independent risk factors determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis, a risk-scoring model for the prediction of LNM was constructed and then validated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess the discriminant ability of the model. RESULTS: The incidence of LNM was 33.5% (214/638) in our cohort, 33.4% (169/506) in the primary cohort and 34.1% (45/132) in the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis confirmed that primary site, tumor grade, tumor size, depth, and lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors for LNM (all P < 0.05), and patients were grouped based on these factors. A 7-point risk-scoring model based on these variables had good predictive accuracy in both the primary cohort (AUC, 0.749; 95% confidence interval 0.709-0.786) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.738; 95% confidence interval 0.655-0.811). CONCLUSION: A novel risk-scoring model for lymph node metastasis was established to guide the optimal treatment of patients with T1b-T2 EC.

Dish spliced concentrator with both uniform and focused performance through a variable focal length.

We present a dish spliced concentrator (DSC) featuring hexagonal spherical sub-mirrors of uniform size. The DSC offers advantages over traditional parabolic dish concentrators, including a compact layout, cost-effectiveness, higher concentration ratio, and improved light uniformity. Its versatility allows for both uniform and focused light concentration by adjusting parameters like the focal length of the DSC, making it suitable for concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) and concentrating solar thermal (CST) applications. We design the DSC using three-dimensional (3D) vector rotation theory, implementing ray tracing and transmission characteristic analysis based on three-dimensional vector reflection theory. We establish a simulation model to evaluate the impact of geometric parameters on the DSC's optical performance.

Osteosarcoma-targeted Cu and Ce based oxide nanoplatform for NIR II fluorescence/magnetic resonance dual-mode imaging and ros cascade amplification along with immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: As the lethal bone tumor, osteosarcoma often frequently occurs in children and adolescents with locally destructive and high metastasis. Distinctive kinds of nanoplatform with high therapeutical effect and precise diagnosis for osteosarcoma are urgently required. Multimodal optical imaging and programmed treatment, including synergistic photothermal-chemodynamic therapy (PTT-CDT) elicits immunogenetic cell death (ICD) is a promising strategy that possesses high bio-imaging sensitivity for accurate osteosarcoma delineating as well as appreciable therapeutic efficacy with ignorable side-effects. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, mesoporous Cu and Ce based oxide nanoplatform with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) anchoring is designed and successfully constructed. After loading with indocyanine green, this nanoplatform can be utilized for precisely targeting and efficaciously ablating against osteosarcoma via PTT boosted CDT and the closely following ICD stimulation both in vitro and in vivo. Besides, it provides off-peak fluorescence bio-imaging in the second window of near-infrared region (NIR II, 1000-1700 nm) and Magnetic resonance signal, serves as the dual-mode contrast agents for osteosarcoma tissue discrimination. CONCLUSION: Tumor targeted Cu&Ce based mesoporous nanoplatform permits efficient osteosarcoma suppression and dual-mode bio-imaging that opens new possibility for effectively diagnosing and inhibiting the clinical malignant osteosarcoma.

Sigma-Bond Metathesis as an Unusual Asymmetric Induction Step in Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantiodivergent Synthesis of C-N Axially Chiral Biaryls.

Mechanistic understanding of asymmetric induction plays a crucial role in designing new catalytic asymmetric reactions. Reported herein is atroposelective access to C-N axially chiral isoquinolones via rhodium-catalyzed C-H activation of N-alkoxy benzamides and annulation with imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides. The coupling system proceeded with excellent functional group tolerance, and different conditions were identified to afford one or the other enantiomeric product each in excellent enantioselectivity for a representative class of the sulfoxonium ylide reagent, thus making both enantiomers readily available using the same catalyst. Experimental and computational studies revealed a pathway of C-H alkylation and enantio-determining formal nucleophilic substitution-C-N cyclization that is mediated by the rhodium catalyst via σ-bond metathesis as the asymmetric induction mechanism. Computational studies indicated that the solvent-dependent enatiodivergence originated from different levels of σ-bond metathesis mediated by neutral versus cationic rhodium species.

Cyclic Ruthenium-Peptide Conjugates as Integrin-Targeting Phototherapeutic Prodrugs for the Treatment of Brain Tumors.

To investigate the potential of tumor-targeting photoactivated chemotherapy, a chiral ruthenium-based anticancer warhead, Λ/Δ-[Ru(Ph2phen)2(OH2)2]2+, was conjugated to the RGD-containing Ac-MRGDH-NH2 peptide by direct coordination of the M and H residues to the metal. This design afforded two diastereoisomers of a cyclic metallopeptide, Λ-[1]Cl2 and Δ-[1]Cl2. In the dark, the ruthenium-chelating peptide had a triple action. First, it prevented other biomolecules from coordinating with the metal center. Second, its hydrophilicity made [1]Cl2 amphiphilic so that it self-assembled in culture medium into nanoparticles. Third, it acted as a tumor-targeting motif by strongly binding to the integrin (Kd = 0.061 µM for the binding of Λ-[1]Cl2 to αIIbß3), which resulted in the receptor-mediated uptake of the conjugate in vitro. Phototoxicity studies in two-dimensional (2D) monolayers of A549, U87MG, and PC-3 human cancer cell lines and U87MG three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroids showed that the two isomers of [1]Cl2 were strongly phototoxic, with photoindexes up to 17. Mechanistic studies indicated that such phototoxicity was due to a combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) effects, resulting from both reactive oxygen species generation and peptide photosubstitution. Finally, in vivo studies in a subcutaneous U87MG glioblastoma mice model showed that [1]Cl2 efficiently accumulated in the tumor 12 h after injection, where green light irradiation generated a stronger tumoricidal effect than a nontargeted analogue ruthenium complex [2]Cl2. Considering the absence of systemic toxicity for the treated mice, these results demonstrate the high potential of light-sensitive integrin-targeted ruthenium-based anticancer compounds for the treatment of brain cancer in vivo.

In Vivo NIR-II Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Whole-Body Vascular Using High Quantum Yield Lanthanide-Doped Nanoparticles.

Second near infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) fluorescence lifetime imaging is a powerful tool for biosensing, anti-counterfeiting, and multiplex imaging. However, the low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of fluorescence probes in NIR-II region limits its data collecting efficiency and accuracy, especially in multiplex molecular imaging in vivo. To solve this problem, lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (NPs) ß-NaErF4 : 2%Ce@NaYbF4 @NaYF4 with high PLQY and tunable PL lifetime through multi-ion doping and core-shell structural design, are presented. The obtained internal PLQY can reach up to 50.1% in cyclohexane and 9.2% in water under excitation at 980 nm. Inspired by the above results, a fast NIR-II fluorescence lifetime imaging of whole-body vascular in mice is successfully performed by using the homebuilt fluorescence lifetime imaging system, which reveals a murine abdominal capillary network with low background. A further demonstration of fluorescence lifetime multiplex imaging is carried out in molecular imaging of atherosclerosis cells and different organs in vivo through NPs conjugating with specific peptides and different injection modalities, respectively. These results demonstrate that the high PLQY NPs combined with the homebuilt fluorescence lifetime imaging system can realize a fast and high signal-to-noise fluorescence lifetime imaging; thus, opening a road for multiplex molecular imaging of atherosclerosis.

High Myopia Normative Database of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness to Detect Myopic Glaucoma in a Chinese Population.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate the performance of a high myopia (HM)-specific normative database of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness in differentiating HM from highly myopic glaucoma (HMG). DESIGN: Cross-sectional multicenter study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1367 Chinese participants (2325 eyes) with nonpathologic HM or HMG were included from 4 centers. After quality control, 1108 eyes from 694 participants with HM were included in the normative database; 459 eyes from 408 participants (323 eyes with HM and 136 eyes with HMG) and 322 eyes from 197 participants (131 eyes with HM and 191 eyes with HMG) were included in the internal and external validation sets, respectively. Only HMG eyes with an intraocular pressure > 21 mmHg were included. METHODS: The pRNFL thickness was measured with swept-source (SS) OCT. Four strategies of pRNFL-specified values were examined, including global and quadrantic pRNFL thickness below the lowest fifth or the lowest first percentile of the normative database. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the HM-specific normative database for detecting HMG. RESULTS: Setting the fifth percentile of the global pRNFL thickness as the threshold, using the HM-specific normative database, we achieved an accuracy of 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.95) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89), and, using the first percentile as the threshold, we acheived an accuracy of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.88) and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.65-0.75) in detecting HMG in the internal and external validation sets, respectively. The fifth percentile of the global pRNFL thickness achieved high sensitivities of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.67-0.82) and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.68-0.81) and specificities of 1.00 (95% CI, 0.99-1.00) and 1.00 (95% CI, 0.97-1.00) in the internal and external validation datasets, respectively. Compared with the built-in database of the OCT device, the HM-specific normative database showed a higher sensitivity and specificity than the corresponding pRNFL thickness below the fifth or first percentile (P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The HM-specific normative database is more capable of detecting HMG eyes than the SS OCT built-in database, which may be an effective tool for differential diagnosis between HMG and HM. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder Using Machine Learning Based on Multisequence MRI Neuroimaging Features.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found qualitative structural and functional brain changes in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. However, most studies ignored the complementarity of multisequence MRI neuroimaging features and cannot determine accurate biomarkers. PURPOSE: To evaluate machine-learning models combined with multisequence MRI neuroimaging features to diagnose patients with MDD. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: A training cohort including 111 patients and 90 healthy controls (HCs) and a test cohort including 28 patients and 22 HCs. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3.0 T/T1-weighted imaging, resting-state functional MRI with echo-planar sequence, and single-shot echo-planar diffusion tensor imaging. ASSESSMENT: Recruitment and integration were used to reflect the dynamic changes of functional networks, while gray matter volume and fractional anisotropy were used to reflect the changes in the morphological and anatomical network. We then fused features with significant differences in functional, morphological, and anatomical networks to evaluate a random forest (RF) classifier to diagnose patients with MDD. Furthermore, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier was used to verify the stability of neuroimaging features. Linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships among multisequence neuroimaging features and the suicide risk of patients. STATISTICAL TESTS: The comparison of functional network attributes between patients and controls by two-sample t-test. Network-based statistical analysis was used to identify structural and anatomical connectivity changes between MDD and HCs. The performance of the model was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: The performance of the RF model integrating multisequence neuroimaging features in the diagnosis of depression was significantly improved, with an AUC of 93.6%. In addition, we found that multisequence neuroimaging features could accurately predict suicide risk in patients with MDD (r = 0.691). DATA CONCLUSION: The RF model fusing functional, morphological, and anatomical network features performed well in diagnosing patients with MDD and provided important insights into the pathological mechanisms of MDD. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 1. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

A Diode-Like Dye-Cu Anisotropic Junction in a Coordination Polymer as a Logic State Ratchet for Intratumor Redox Photomodulation.

Redox logic materials offer new avenues to modulate intracellular pathologic redox environment area-specifically, but the unambiguity of redox logic states and their unidirectional and repetitive switchability are challenging to realize. By merging a bistable diisophthalic phenazine dye ligand with CuII salt, a multistable coordination polymer (CP) was constructed, of which the dye-Cu anisotropic junction achieved the diode-like unidirectional electron transfer and logic state ratchet for the first time. Radical cationic CP maintained OFF status with low toxicity in healthy tissues, but was reduced to the neutral SERVO state by the overexpressed glutathione (GSH) in hypoxic tumors. After photoirradiation, the stabilized charge-separated ON status promoted photo-Fenton reaction for reactive oxygen species (ROS) signal transduction, and simultaneously recovered the initial state for catalytic signal amplification of ROS, furnishing intratumor redox photomodulation for therapy.

Classification of Visual Field Abnormalities in Highly Myopic Eyes without Pathologic Change.

PURPOSE: To develop a classification system of visual field (VF) abnormalities in highly myopic eyes with and without glaucoma. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of VF data from a longitudinal cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eight hundred ninety-three VF tests from 1302 eyes (825 individuals). METHODS: All participants underwent VF testing (Humphrey 24-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm standard program; Carl Zeiss Meditec) and detailed ophthalmic examination. A comprehensive set of VF defect patterns was defined via observation of the 1893 VF reports, literature review, and consensus meetings. The classification system comprised 4 major types of VF patterns, including normal type, glaucoma-like defects (paracentral defect, nasal step, partial arcuate defect, arcuate defect), high myopia-related defects (enlarged blind spot, vertical step, partial peripheral rim, nonspecific defect), and combined defects (nasal step with enlarged blind spot). A subset (n = 1000) of the VFs was used to evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver agreement and weighted κ values of the classification system by 2 trained readers. The prevalence of various VF patterns and their associated factors were determined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The classification of VF in highly myopic eyes and its associated risk factors. RESULTS: We found that normal type, glaucoma-like defects, high myopia-related defects, and combined defects accounted for 74.1%, 10.8%, 15.0%, and 0.1% of all unique VF tests, respectively. The interobserver and intraobserver agreements were > 89%, and the corresponding κ values were 0.86 or more between readers. Both glaucoma-like and high myopia-related VF defects were associated with older age (odds ratios [ORs], 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.10; P < 0.001] and 1.06 [95% CI, 1.04-1.10; P < 0.001]) and longer axial length (ORs, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.32-2.07; P < 0.001] and 1.37 [95% CI, 1.11-1.68; P = 0.003]). Longer axial length showed a stronger effect on the prevalence of glaucoma-like VF defects than on the prevalence of high myopia-related VF defects (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: We propose a new and reproducible classification system of VF abnormalities for nonpathologic high myopia. Applying a comprehensive classification system will facilitate communication and comparison of findings among studies.

Multimodal Machine Learning Using Visual Fields and Peripapillary Circular OCT Scans in Detection of Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a multimodal artificial intelligence algorithm, FusionNet, using the pattern deviation probability plots from visual field (VF) reports and circular peripapillary OCT scans to detect glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Two thousand four hundred sixty-three pairs of VF and OCT images from 1083 patients. METHODS: FusionNet based on bimodal input of VF and OCT paired data was developed to detect GON. Visual field data were collected using the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). OCT images were collected from 3 types of devices (DRI-OCT, Cirrus OCT, and Spectralis). Two thousand four hundred sixty-three pairs of VF and OCT images were divided into 4 datasets: 1567 for training (HFA and DRI-OCT), 441 for primary validation (HFA and DRI-OCT), 255 for the internal test (HFA and Cirrus OCT), and 200 for the external test set (HFA and Spectralis). GON was defined as retinal nerve fiber layer thinning with corresponding VF defects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic performance of FusionNet compared with that of VFNet (with VF data as input) and OCTNet (with OCT data as input). RESULTS: FusionNet achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.950 (0.931-0.968) and outperformed VFNet (AUC, 0.868 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.834-0.902]), OCTNet (AUC, 0.809 [95% CI, 0.768-0.850]), and 2 glaucoma specialists (glaucoma specialist 1: AUC, 0.882 [95% CI, 0.847-0.917]; glaucoma specialist 2: AUC, 0.883 [95% CI, 0.849-0.918]) in the primary validation set. In the internal and external test sets, the performances of FusionNet were also superior to VFNet and OCTNet (FusionNet vs VFNet vs OCTNet: internal test set 0.917 vs 0.854 vs 0.811; external test set 0.873 vs 0.772 vs 0.785). No significant difference was found between the 2 glaucoma specialists and FusionNet in the internal and external test sets, except for glaucoma specialist 2 (AUC, 0.858 [95% CI, 0.805-0.912]) in the internal test set. CONCLUSIONS: FusionNet, developed using paired VF and OCT data, demonstrated superior performance to both VFNet and OCTNet in detecting GON, suggesting that multimodal machine learning models are valuable in detecting GON.

Efficacy of Corsi Block Tapping Task training for improving visuospatial skills: a non-randomized two-group study.

Even though impaired visuospatial abilities can negatively affect daily functioning, there are very few training programs that attempt to improve visuospatial abilities. The purpose of this study was to examine if a single training session with a computerized version of the Corsi Block Tapping Task could improve mental rotation skills. Fifty-three young adults were assigned to one of two groups: (1) control group (mean age = 21.4; 10 females), who had 20 min of rest after their baseline assessment, or (2) training group (mean age = 21.5; 17 females), who had 20 min of training on the Corsi Block Tapping Task after their baseline assessment. The primary outcome was reaction time on a computer-based mental rotation task, and it was assessed both before and after the rest or training. There was a significant interaction between time (pre vs. post) and group (control vs. training) on mental rotation performance (p = 0.04), with the training group performing on average 124 ms faster on accurate trials than the control group at post-test. This preliminary study suggested that improving mental rotation may be feasible through targeted cognitive training. Future studies will consider multiple sessions of Corsi Block Tapping Task training to maximize training benefits (i.e., dose-response), as well as longer term retention in cognitively intact and impaired individuals.

Fabrication of tumor targeting rare-earth nanocrystals for real-time NIR-IIb fluorescence imaging-guided breast cancer precise surgery.

The near-infrared fluorescence imaging has been integrated into the operating room to guide tumor resection, potentially reducing the positive margin rates in breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Relative to the widely used first near-infrared fluorescence imaging, imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region possesses higher contrast and deeper tissue penetration, particularly in the NIR-IIb window, offering many new opportunities for imaging-guided BCS. Here, we fabricated the c(RGDfC) functionalized erbium-based rare-earth nanoparticles (ErNPs@cRGD) with superior optical property in NIR-IIb region. Owing to deeper tissue penetration and efficient tumor targeting, ErNPs@cRGD-based NIR-IIb fluorescence imaging achieved enhanced signal-to-background ratios in tumor visualization, which was able to guide more complete tumor resection, identify multiple microtumors and distinguish malignant lesions from normal tissues in various mice models. Based on these, this NIR-IIb imaging strategy for surgical navigation can significantly reduce positive margin rates and improve prognosis, laying a foundation for the clinical resection of breast cancer.

Effects of different colored polyethylene mulching films on bacterial communities from soil during enrichment incubation.

Studies have shown that mulching agricultural fields with plastic residues can influence microbial communities in the environment, but few studies have investigated the differences in the soil microbial communities in distinct areas under mulching with different colored plastic products. Thus, in this study, we explored how different colored polyethylene mulching films (PMFs) might affect soil bacterial communities during enrichment incubation. We found significant differences in the bacterial communities under different colored PMFs after incubation. Treatment with the same colored PMF obtained more similar bacterial community compositions. For instance, at the class level, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidia were most abundant with black PMF, whereas Actinobacteria and Bacteroidia were most abundant with white PMF. The most abundant genera were Acinetobacter and Chryseobacterium with black PMF but Rhodanobacter and Paenarthrobacter with white PMF. Polyethylene- and hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were the core members detected under both treatments, and the bacterial communities were predicted to have the potential for the biodegradation and metabolism of xenobiotics after enrichment culture according to the Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) tool. In addition, the bacterial communities in soil from Xinjiang treated with white PMF and in soil from Yangling treated with black PMF were strongly correlated and stable. Our results suggest that the color of the PMF applied affected the soil bacterial communities, where plastics with the same color may have recruited similar species of microorganisms, although the origins of these microorganisms were not the same.

A Novel Yolk-Shell Fe3O4@ Mesoporous Carbon Nanoparticle as an Effective Tumor-Targeting Nanocarrier for Improvement of Chemotherapy and Photothermal Therapy.

Owing to their good stability and high photothermal conversion efficiency, the development of carbon-based nanoparticles has been intensively investigated, while the limitation of unsatisfactory cellular internalization impedes their further clinical application. Herein, we report a novel strategy for fabrication of Fe3O4 yolk-shell mesoporous carbon nanocarriers (Fe3O4@hmC) with monodispersity and uniform size, which presented significantly higher cell membrane adsorption and cellular uptake properties in comparison with common solid silica-supported mesoporous carbon nanoparticles with core-shell structure. Moreover, the MRI performance of this novel Fe-based nanoparticle could facilitate precise tumor diagnosis. More importantly, after DOX loading (Fe3O4@hmC-DOX), owing to synergistic effect of chemo-phototherapy, this therapeutic agent exhibited predominant tumor cell ablation capability under 808 nm NIR laser irradiation, both in vitro and in vivo. Our work has laid a solid foundation for therapeutics with hollowed carbon shell for solid tumor diagnosis and therapy in clinical trials.

Megahertz repetition rate satellite laser ranging demonstration at Graz observatory.

Using ultra-high repetition rate lasers (≥100kHz) is one of the most promising strategies for the next generation of satellite laser ranging (SLR) systems. We present successful 1 MHz repetition rate SLR to targets up to inclined geosynchronous orbits at nighttime. Among those, a maximum return rate of up to 53% was achieved, equivalent to 265 k returns per second for the satellite Swarm-B. In addition, daytime megahertz (MHz) SLR was realized by utilizing a propagated MHz range gate to reduce the massive background noise. In the future, MHz SLR will greatly improve current technology with respect to data amount and data precision, shorter acquisition time, target signature detection, and attitude determination.

Age-related differences in functional tool-use are due to changes in movement quality and not simply motor slowing.

Age-related declines in fine motor control may impact tool-use and thereby limit functional independence. Most previous research has, however, focused on the effect of aging on gross motor tasks. Few studies have investigated the effects of aging on the strategy or quality of fine motor skills, especially in tool-use, which may better reflect how age impacts complex movement capability. Twenty-two young (ages 19-35) and 18 older adults (ages 58-87) performed a timed upper extremity task using a tool to acquire and transport objects to different locations. Overall task performance was divided into two phases based on 3-D position of the tool: a gross motor phase (object transport) and a fine motor phase (object acquisition). Overall, older adults took longer to complete the task. A linear model indicated that this was due to the duration of the fine motor phase more so than the gross motor phase. To identify age-related differences in the quality of the fine motor phase, we fit three-dimensional ellipsoids to individual data and the calculated the ellipsoid volume. Results demonstrated a significant volume-by-age interaction, whereby increased ellipsoid volume (space the tool occupied) related to increased mean dwell time for the older adult group only; younger adults did not demonstrate this relationship. Additionally, older adults with longer movement times during the fine motor phase also had lower cognitive scores. No age-related differences were observed for the gross motor phase, suggesting that age-related declines in tool-use may be due to changes in fine motor control and cognitive status.