Dual-chirp-based photonic THz-ISAC system with adaptive frequency synchronization.

Recent advancements have brought significant attention to photonic terahertz (THz)-integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems. In this work, we present an adaptive frequency offset (FO) compensation method for dual-chirp-based ISAC waveforms, using the fractional Fourier transform (FrFT) method. The proposed scheme can enable frequency synchronization without a need for training preambles and exhibit robustness against system noise. We validate this approach through an experimental demonstration in a 300 GHz photonic THz-ISAC system with 20 Gbps quadrature-phase shift keying (QPSK) data transmission and 1.5 cm range resolution. The experiment successfully compensates for frequency offsets ranging from -5 to 5 GHz, achieving an estimation error of less than 0.08% and a chirp-pilot power overhead of 0.5%.

Fast 3D positioning based on a simplified THz photonic stereo ISAR system.

In this work, a THz stereo inverse synthetic aperture radar scheme based on photonics is proposed, and proof-of-concept experimentally demonstrated, achieving high resolution and fast three-dimensional (3D) positioning of multiple targets. An optical frequency comb and a uni-traveling carrier photodiode are employed to photonically generate a linear frequency-modulation signal at 300-320 GHz. By two incoherent measurements at different angles with one pair of antennas, 3D positioning of plane reflectors over a distance of 0.6 m is successfully accomplished, achieving a resolution of 7.5 mm for both range and azimuth dimensions, and a maximum experimental height error of 4 mm.

Pathological response and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel as a neoadjuvant treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer compared to docetaxel combined with anti-HER2 therapy: a real-world study.

Background: This study aimed to retrospectively analyse the pathological response and safety of combining albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) or docetaxel with anti-HER2 therapy as a neoadjuvant treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer. Methods: From June 2020 to August 2023, 225 HER2-positive breast cancer patients who underwent radical surgery following neoadjuvant treatment were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the drugs they received: the nab-paclitaxel group (n=166, receiving nab-paclitaxel + platinum along with trastuzumab and pertuzumab) and the docetaxel group (n=59, receiving docetaxel + platinum along with trastuzumab and pertuzumab). The pathological response and adverse events related to the drugs were collected and evaluated in both groups. Results: In the nab-paclitaxel group, the rates of breast and total pathological complete response (bpCR and tpCR) were significantly greater than those in the docetaxel group (69.27% vs. 47.45%, P=0.003; 68.67% vs. 45.76%, P=0.002). For patients who did not achieve pCR after chemotherapy, the pathological response of chemotherapy was analysed using MP grading and RCB grading. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that therapeutic drugs, clinical stage, ER status, and Ki-67 level were independent predictors of pCR. The nab-paclitaxel group had a significantly greater proportion of patients with peripheral sensory neuropathy than did the docetaxel group (58.43% vs. 38.98%, P=0.035), while the docetaxel group had a greater proportion of patients with allergies and elevated ALT (31.93% vs. 69.49%, P=0.000; 23.49% vs. 40.68%, P=0.021). Conclusions: Our real-world study revealed that nab-paclitaxel combined with anti-HER2 therapy was an effective neoadjuvant therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. The multivariate analysis revealed that chemotherapy drugs, clinical stage, ER status, and Ki-67 level was the significant factor influencing treatment outcome. These findings offer a valuable reference for the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

High resolution terahertz ATR frequency-domain spectroscopy for monitoring spinal cord injury in rats.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to permanent neurological impairment, underscoring the urgency of regular therapeutic intervention and monitoring. In this study, we propose a new strategy for monitoring spinal cord injury through serum based on high-resolution THz attenuated total reflection frequency domain spectroscopy (THz-ATR-FDS). We demonstrated serum spectral differences at different time points after experimental SCI in rats. We also studied the relationship between serum lipid concentration and the time of SCI, which revealed the potential of lipid molecules as biomarkers of SCI. In addition, based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and least squares regression (LSR) models, the quantitative relationship between the refractive index spectrum and lipid concentration in serum was automatically analyzed. This work highlights terahertz spectroscopy as a promising tool for label-free, periodic, and efficient monitoring of SCI.

Terahertz flexible multiplexing chip enabled by synthetic topological phase transitions.

Flexible multiplexing chips that permit reconfigurable multidimensional channel utilization are indispensable for revolutionary 6G terahertz communications, but the insufficient manipulation capability of terahertz waves prevents their practical implementation. Herein, we propose the first experimental demonstration of a flexible multiplexing chip for terahertz communication by revealing the unique mechanism of topological phase (TP) transition and perseveration in a heterogeneously coupled bilayer valley Hall topological photonic system. The synthetic and individual TPs operated in the coupled and decoupled states enable controllable on-chip modular TP transitions and subchannel switching. Two time-frequency interleaved subchannels support 10- and 12-Gbit/s QAM-16 high-speed data streams along corresponding paths over carriers of 120 and 130 GHz with 2.5- and 3-GHz bandwidths, respectively. This work unlocks interlayer heterogeneous TPs for inspiring ingenious on-chip terahertz-wave regulation, allowing functionality-reconfigurable, compactly integrated and CMOS-compatible chips.

Chronic stress-induced immune dysregulation in breast cancer: Implications of psychosocial factors.

Chronic stress refers to continuous emotional changes and psychological pressure that individuals experience when they are unable to adjust and stabilize the internal environment over an extended period. It can increase the pressure on endocrine mediators and cytokines in the circulation, as well as tissues throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenaline (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS); thus, evolving the internal environment of the tumor. This review assesses several key issues, involving psychosocial factors, and integrates clinical, cellular, and molecular studies-as well as the latest research progress-to provide a mechanistic understanding regarding breast oncopsychology. We propose that chronic stress contributes to large individual diferences in the prognosis of breast cancer survivors because they change the basic physiological processes of the endocrine and immune systems, which in turn regulate tumor growth. The study of psychological and physiological reactions of breast cancer patients suggests a new idea for psychological intervention and clinical treatment for breast cancer patients.

A machine learning model to predict efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer based on dynamic changes in systemic immunity.

OBJECTIVE: Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) has been widely implemented as an essential treatment to improve therapeutic efficacy in patients with locally-advanced cancer to reduce tumor burden and prolong survival, particularly for human epidermal growth receptor 2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer. The role of peripheral immune components in predicting therapeutic responses has received limited attention. Herein we determined the relationship between dynamic changes in peripheral immune indices and therapeutic responses during NAT administration. METHODS: Peripheral immune index data were collected from 134 patients before and after NAT. Logistic regression and machine learning algorithms were applied to the feature selection and model construction processes, respectively. RESULTS: Peripheral immune status with a greater number of CD3+ T cells before and after NAT, and a greater number of CD8+ T cells, fewer CD4+ T cells, and fewer NK cells after NAT was significantly related to a pathological complete response (P < 0.05). The post-NAT NK cell-to-pre-NAT NK cell ratio was negatively correlated with the response to NAT (HR = 0.13, P = 0.008). Based on the results of logistic regression, 14 reliable features (P < 0.05) were selected to construct the machine learning model. The random forest model exhibited the best power to predict efficacy of NAT among 10 machine learning model approaches (AUC = 0.733). CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant relationships between several specific immune indices and the efficacy of NAT were revealed. A random forest model based on dynamic changes in peripheral immune indices showed robust performance in predicting NAT efficacy.

[Role of transforming growth factor-ß1 in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of mesothelial cells and its effect on peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the role of transforming growth factor-beta1(TGF-ß1) in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of mesothelial cells and peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer. METHODS: HMrSV5 cells, a human peritoneal mesothelial cell line, were incubated with TGF-ß1, and their morphological changes were observed by phase contrast microscopy. Expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), vimentin, cytokeratin, E-cadherin, phosphorylated-Smad2 and Smad2 were examined by Western blotting. After fibroblastic-like mesothelial cells were co-incubate with HSC-39 cells(gastric cancer cell line), the adhesion and invasion potential of HSC-39 were evaluated by adhesion and invasion assay in vitro. RESULTS: Few mesothelial cells converted to spindle fibroblast-like morphology for 24 h, and remarkable phenotypic changes were observed at 72 h of TGF-ß1 activation. TGF-ß1 could induce α-SMA and vimentin expression, and down-regulate cytokeratin and E-cadherin expression in mesothelial cells (P<0.05). TGF-ß1 induced phosphorylation of Smad2 within 15 min of stimulation, reached a maximum at 30 min after treatment and remained high level during the experiment without affecting total Smad2 expression(P>0.05). The percentage of HSC-39 gastric cancer cells adhered were significantly increased as compared to the control. When the mesothelial cells were treated by TGF-ß1 for 72 h, the increased adhesion percentage was(146±17)%(P<0.05). After fibroblastic-like mesothelial cells co-incubated with HSC-39 cells for 48 h, more cancer cells [(61.1±11.4) cells/view field] invaded the coated membrane as compared to the control group [(31.9±8.1) cells/view field] (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TGF-ß1 can induce the transition of mesothelial cells into myofibroblasts and Smad2 signal pathway may play a role in this transition, which is associated with increased adhesion and invasiveness of gastric cancer cells, and provides favorable environment for the dissemination of gastric cancer.