TREM2 promotes the proliferation and invasion of renal cell carcinoma cells by inhibiting the P53 signaling pathway.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a prevalent malignancy characterized by poor prognosis and high mortality. The role of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) in RCC progression has been increasingly recognized, yet its underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of TREM2 on RCC cells and its potential mechanisms. Lentiviral transfection was used to knockdown and overexpress TREM2 in RCC cells, and the expression level of TREM2 was evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays were used to assess the proliferation of the RCC cells. Cell migration and invasion was evaluated using the wound healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Western blotting was used to assess the expression levels of TREM2, P53, p-P53, P21 and p-P21 in TREM2 knockdown or overexpression RCC cells. The results demonstrated that the expression level of TREM2 was significantly higher in cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. The results of the CCK-8 and EdU assays demonstrated that knockdown of TREM2 significantly inhibited the proliferation of RCC cells, whilst overexpression of TREM2 enhanced the proliferation of RCC cells. The results of the wound healing and Transwell assay revealed that, compared with the control group, the overexpression of TREM2 significantly increased the migration and invasion of RCC cells, whereas knockdown of TREM2 significantly decreased the migration of RCC cells. In addition, western blotting demonstrated that the phosphorylation levels of P53 and P21 proteins were significantly increased after TREM2 knockdown in RCC cells. In conclusion, TREM2 is highly expressed in RCC tissues and promotes the migration of RCC cells by inhibiting the P53 signaling pathway. The present study provides new insights into the regulatory effect of TREM2 on RCC and further reveals the potential of TREM2 as a therapeutic target for RCC.

Interfacial defect capture-induced abnormal fluorescence decay lifetime of CsPbBr3/CsPbBr3 nanodisks.

We employed a two-step temperature-controlled strategy to obtain assembled CsPbBr3/CsPbBr3 nanodisks. Compared with conventional CsPbBr3 quantum dots, surface-state characterizations and exciton dynamics suggested that the interface defect prevented the rapid recombination of excitons, and extended the fluorescence lifetime by nearly 10-times.

Association of metabolic syndrome and frailty with postoperative complications in older gastric cancer patients: A body composition perspective.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the characteristics of body compositions between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and frailty, and determine the independent and overlapping of MetS and frailty with postoperative complications among older patients with gastric cancer. DESIGN: A prospectively observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and eighty six older patients from 60 to 80 years undergoing radical gastrectomy for the first time. MEASUREMENTS: MetS was diagnosed by the criteria from the 2020 edition of Chinese guideline for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and frailty was defined by frailty phenotype. An InBody770 impedance analyzer was used to measure body compositions and with 10 fat- and muscle-related indicators being included in this study. Based on the presence of frailty and MetS, patients were divided into the frailty group, MetS group, frailty+MetS group, and normal group, and the body compositions indicators of these groups were compared. Clavien-Dindo classification was used to grade the severity of postoperative complications. Univariate and multivariate regression models were performed to explore the independent and joint association of MetS and frailty with postoperative complications. RESULTS: The incidence rate of MetS, frailty, and frailty+MetS being 20.3%, 15.7%, and 4.2% respectively. Compared with the normal group, both fat and muscle compositions were decreased significantly in the frailty group (p < 0.05), while the statistically significant difference of fat-to-muscle mass ratio (FMR) and skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat area ratio (SVR) were not observed (p > 0.05). In contrast, except SVR, the other indicators of the MetS group were higher than the normal group (p < 0.05). As to the frailty+MetS group, there was a significant increase in fat compositions and FMR, as well as a significant decline in SVR (p < 0.05), while the difference of muscle compositions was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). There was an association of frailty with postoperative total (OR = 3.068, 95% CI: 1.402-6.713) and severe (OR = 9.423, 95% CI: 2.725-32.589) complications, but no association was found of MetS alone. MetS coexisting with frailty was associated with the highest risk of both total (OR = 3.852, 95% CI: 1.020-14.539) and severe (OR = 12.096, 95% CI: 2.183-67.024) complications. CONCLUSIONS: Both frailty and MetS coexisting with frailty had adverse effects on postoperative complications, which appeared greatly different characteristics in body compositions and therefore reinforced the importance of targeted nutritional or metabolic intervention. Although MetS alone were not significantly associated with postoperative complications, it is essential to focus on the causal relationship and development trend between MetS and frailty to prevent MetS from shifting into frailty, considering the highest risk in their coexistence state.

[Pollution Characterization and Source Apportionment of Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Odor-causing Species in Industrial Parks].

To improve the phenomenon of the volatile organic compounds （VOCs） odor pollution nuisance in industrial parks and to promote the synergistic control of atmospheric VOCs and their odor-causing substances, based on the field observation of atmospheric VOCs in residential living areas and five different types of industrial clusters in industrial parks, we analyzed the pollution characteristics of atmospheric VOCs and their odor-causing volatile organic compounds （O-VOCs） in the residential living areas and each industrial cluster, evaluated the characteristics of the odor activity of the O-VOCs in the industrial parks, and identified the key odor-causing species and their main sources. The results showed that the mean values of atmospheric φ （TVOCs） and φ（O-VOCs） in the residential living area of the industrial park were 102.57×10-9 and 72.33×10-9, respectively. φ（TVOCs） and φ（O-VOCs） were significantly higher in the industrial clusters of basic chemical industry and pharmaceutics than in the other industrial clusters, and the sum （OAVsum） and maximum （OAVmax） of the odor activity values of these two clusters were relatively high, with a potential risk of odor nuisance. Overall, the O-VOCs species with higher odor intensity were similar in residential living areas and the five industrial clusters, and effective control of O-VOCs species such as acrolein, p-diethylbenzene, p-xylene, and 1,3-diethylbenzene is essential to mitigate or eliminate organic odor pollution. The results of the source apportionment of O-VOCs in the residential area showed that the sources of O-VOCs in the residential area were mainly influenced by natural gas chemical and pharmaceutics, and the coefficients of divergence （CDO-VOCs） between the O-VOC chemical profiles from residential areas and those from natural gas chemical and pharmaceutics were 0.31 and 0.38, respectively. Principal component analysis （PCA） also confirmed this result, with residential O-VOCs mainly originating from natural gas chemicals and pharmaceutics, followed by iron and steel manufacturing and automobile manufacturing, with the lowest contribution from the basic chemicals.

Time course of remnant cholesterol and the risk of heart failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Previous studies have shown that remnant cholesterol (RC) was associated with heart failure (HF). However, lack of evidence regarding the long-term trend of RC with HF risk. We aimed to investigate the association between cumulative RC exposure with incident HF and to further explore the modulating effects of the time course of RC accumulation. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 41,168 participants free of CVD from the Kailuan Study who completed the first three health examinations from 2006 to 2010. Cumulative RC exposure included cumulative RC and time-weighted cumulative RC. The combination of cumulative RC and RC slope over time was characterized as the time course of RC accumulation. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for HF risk. We also considered non-HF-related death as a competing event by performing competing risk models as a sensitivity analysis. During 8.84 years, 839 participants developed HF events. Cumulative RC exposure increased the HF risk, with HRs for cumulative RC of 1.72 (1.41-2.10) and for time-averaged cumulative RC of 1.54 (1.25-1.89). There was a nonlinear relationship between cumulative RC exposure and HF risk. Participants with higher cumulative RC and negative slope had the highest HF risk (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.16-1.83). CONCLUSIONS: Both cumulative long-term exposure and the time course of RC accumulation were associated with HF risk. Early RC accumulation resulted in a greater increase in risk compared to later accumulation. This finding suggests that long-term exposure to RC may be useful in identifying individuals at high risk of developing HF and highlights the need for early initiation of appropriate RC control to prevent or reduce incident HF.

Polygala fallax Hemsl. ameliorated high glucose-induced podocyte injury by modulating mitochondrial mPTP opening through the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the effects and molecular mechanism of PF on high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury. Results found that PF increased proliferation activity, decreased apoptosis, LDH, and caspase-3 levels, and increased nephrin and podocin expression in HG-induced cells. Similarly, PF improved HG-induced mitochondrial damage, decreased Ca2+ and ROS content, alleviated oxidative stress, inhibited mPTP opening, increased mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased the expressions of Drp1, Bak, Bax, and Cytc in cytoplasm, increased the expressions of SIRT1, PGC-1α, HSP70, HK2, and Cytc in mitochondria of podocytes. The use of mPTP agonist/blocker and SIRT1 inhibitor confirmed that PF alleviates HG-induced podocyte injury by regulating mitochondrial mPTP opening through SIRT1/PGC-1α. In addition, PF affected HK2-VDAC1 protein binding to regulate mPTP opening via the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. In conclusion, PF-regulated HK2-VDAC1 protein binding affected mitochondrial mPTP opening and improved HG-induced podocyte injury through the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway.

Self-Standing Covalent Organic Polymer Membrane with High Stability and Enhanced Ion-Sieving Effect for Flow Battery.

Fabrication of ion-conducting membranes with continuous sub-nanometer channels holds fundamental importance for flow batteries in achieving safe integration of renewable energy into grids. Self-standing covalent organic polymer (COP) membranes provide feasibility due to their rapid and selective ion transport. However, the development of a scale-up possible, mechanically robust and chemically stable membranes remains a significant challenge. Herein, using irreversible strong secondary amine linkage, we propose a self-standing COP membrane with sub-nanometer pores ranging from 4.5 to 6.4 Å, by a simple and efficient in-situ polymerization approach. This membrane exhibits enhanced selectivity for proton and vanadium ions, especially excellent electrochemical stability, delivering an energy efficiency of over 80% at the current density of 200 mA cm-2 over 1000 cycles for an all-vanadium redox flow battery (VFB). This study provides novel insights for COP-based ion-sieving membranes in sustainable energy fields.

Early onset of hyperuricemia is associated with the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease across life course.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hyperuricemia is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), whereas whether the association differed by hyperuricemia onset age remained unclear. This study sought to investigate the associations of hyperuricemia onset age with the risk of incident NAFLD across adulthood. METHODS AND RESULTS: Based on Kailuan prospective cohort, our analysis comprised 3318 new-onset hyperuricemia cases from 2006 to 2015 and 3318 age- and sex-matched controls who were randomly selected from the general population. The risk of NAFLD across the onset age groups (<45, 45-54, 55-64, and ≥65 years) were compared using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models. During a median follow-up of 6.78 years, 744 (22.42%) hyperuricemia participants and 586 (17.66%) normouricemia participants were diagnosed with incident NAFLD. After adjusted for potential confounders, the risk of NAFLD was gradually attenuated with each decade increase in hyperuricemia onset age. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.62 (1.33-1.97) for hyperuricemia onset age <45 years, 1.26 (1.01-1.57) for age of 45-54 years, 1.24 (1.00-1.59) for age of 55-64 years, and 1.19 (0.90-1.71) for age ≥65 years, respectively. The trend remained robust among the multiple sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The relative risk of incident NAFLD differed across hyperuricemia onset age-group, and the association was more evident in those with a younger age of hyperuricemia onset, highlighting the importance of performing early strategies on the prevention of NAFLD.

Theory-based and evidence-based nursing interventions for the prevention of ICU-acquired weakness in the intensive care unit: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To synthesise and map the evidence of a theory- and evidence-based nursing intervention for the prevention of ICU-acquired weakness and evaluate its effectiveness in terms of the incidence of ICU-acquired weakness, incidence of delirium, and length of hospital stay. METHODS: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library from database inception to November 2023. The eligible studies focused on critically ill patients in the intensive care unit, used a theory- and evidence-based nursing intervention, and reported the incidence of ICU-acquired weakness and/or used the Medical Research Council Scale. The methodological quality of the included studies was critically appraised by two authors using the appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool for randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and cohort studies. Additionally, the weighted kappa coefficient was used to assess inter-rater agreement of the quality assessment. Data were reported using a narrative synthesis. This systematic review was registered by the International Prospective Register of Systematic Review (PROSPERO; CRD42023477011). RESULTS: A total of 5162 studies were initially retrieved, and 9 studies were eventually included after screening. This systematic review revealed that preventive nursing interventions for ICU-acquired weakness mainly include (a) physiotherapy, including neuromuscular electrical stimulation and early rehabilitation, and (b) nutritional support. In addition, (c) airway management, (d) sedation and analgesia management, (e) complication prevention (delirium, stress injury and deep vein thrombosis prevention), and (f) psychological care were also provided. The theories are dominated by goal-oriented theories, and the evidence is mainly the ABCDE bundle in the included studies. The results show that theory- or evidence-based nursing interventions are effective in reducing the incidence of ICU-acquired weakness (or improving the Medical Research Council Scale scores), decreasing the incidence of delirium, shortening the length of hospital stay, and improving patients' self-care and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Theory- and evidence-based nursing interventions have good results in preventing ICU-acquired weakness in critically ill patients. Current nursing interventions favour a combination of multiple interventions rather than just a single intervention. Therefore, preventive measures for ICU-acquired weakness should be viewed as complex interventions and should be based on theory or evidence. This systematic review is based on a small number of trials. Thus, more high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to draw definitive conclusions about the impact of theory- and evidence-based nursing interventions on the prevention of ICU-acquired weakness.

Interfacial and Vacancy Engineering on 3D-Interlocked Anode Catalyst Layer for Achieving Ultralow Voltage in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer.

Developing a high-efficiency and stable anode catalyst layer (CL) is crucial for promoting the practical applications of anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolyzers. Herein, a hierarchical nanosheet array composed of oxygen vacancy-enriched CoCrOx nanosheets and dispersed FeNi layered double hydroxide (LDH) is proposed to regulate the electronic structure and increase the electrical conductivity for improving the intrinsic activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The CoCrOx/NiFe LDH electrodes require an overpotential of 205 mV to achieve a current density of 100 mA cm-2, and they exhibit long-term stability at 1000 mA cm-2 over 7000 h. Notably, a breakthrough strategy is introduced in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication by transferring CoCrOx/NiFe LDH to the surface of an AEM, forming a 3D-interlocked anode CL, significantly reducing the overall cell resistance and enhancing the liquid/gas mass transfer. In AEM water electrolysis, it exhibits an ultralow cell voltage of 1.55 Vcell to achieve a current density of 1.0 A cm-2 in 1 M KOH, outperforming the state-of-the-art Pt/C//IrO2. This work provides a valuable approach to designing high-efficiency electrocatalysts at the single-cell level for advanced alkaline water electrolysis technologies.

In-cell bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based assay uncovers ceritinib and CA-074 as SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease inhibitors.

Papain-like protease (PLpro) is an attractive anti-coronavirus target. The development of PLpro inhibitors, however, is hampered by the limitations of the existing PLpro assay and the scarcity of validated active compounds. We developed a novel in-cell PLpro assay based on BRET and used it to evaluate and discover SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors. The developed assay demonstrated remarkable sensitivity for detecting the reduction of intracellular PLpro activity while presenting high reliability and performance for inhibitor evaluation and high-throughput screening. Using this assay, three protease inhibitors were identified as novel PLpro inhibitors that are structurally disparate from those previously known. Subsequent enzymatic assays and ligand-protein interaction analysis based on molecular docking revealed that ceritinib directly inhibited PLpro, showing high geometric complementarity with the substrate-binding pocket in PLpro, whereas CA-074 methyl ester underwent intracellular hydrolysis, exposing a free carboxyhydroxyl group essential for hydrogen bonding with G266 in the BL2 groove, resulting in PLpro inhibition.

Overexpression of long noncoding RNA DUXAP8 inhibits ER-phagy through activating AKT/mTOR signaling and contributes to preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening pregnancy-specific complication with controversial mechanisms and no effective treatment except delivery is available. Currently, increasing researchers suggested that PE shares pathophysiologic features with protein misfolding/aggregation disorders, such as Alzheimer disease (AD). Evidences have proposed defective autophagy as a potential source of protein aggregation in PE. Endoplasmic reticulum-selective autophagy (ER-phagy) plays a critical role in clearing misfolded proteins and maintaining ER homeostasis. However, its roles in the molecular pathology of PE remain unclear. We found that lncRNA DUXAP8 was upregulated in preeclamptic placentae and significantly correlated with clinical indicators. DUXAP8 specifically binds to PCBP2 and inhibits its ubiquitination-mediated degradation, and decreased levels of PCBP2 reversed the activation effect of DUXAP8 overexpression on AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Function experiments showed that DUXAP8 overexpression inhibited trophoblastic proliferation, migration, and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo and JAR cells. Moreover, pathological accumulation of swollen and lytic ER (endoplasmic reticulum) was observed in DUXAP8-overexpressed HTR8/SVneo cells and PE placental villus trophoblast cells, which suggesting that ER clearance ability is impaired. Further studies found that DUXAP8 overexpression impaired ER-phagy and caused protein aggregation medicated by reduced FAM134B and LC3II expression (key proteins involved in ER-phagy) via activating AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The increased level of FAM134B significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of DUXAP8 overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of trophoblasts. In vivo, DUXAP8 overexpression through tail vein injection of adenovirus induced PE-like phenotypes in pregnant rats accompanied with activated AKT/mTOR signaling, decreased expression of FAM134B and LC3-II proteins and increased protein aggregation in placental tissues. Our study reveals the important role of lncRNA DUXAP8 in regulating trophoblast biological behaviors through FAM134B-mediated ER-phagy, providing a new theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis of PE.

Systolic blood pressure time in target range within 24 hours and incident heart failure: insights from the real-world setting.

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) time in target (TTR) over months were associated with lower risk of adverse clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients, whether short-term of 24-h SBP TTR was effective in predicting heart failure (HF) risk in the general population remained unclear. This prospective study aimed to investigate the association of 24-h SBP TTR with HF in the real-world settings. Based on Kailuan study, 24-h SBP target range defined as 110-140 mmHg was calculated with linear interpolation. Among 5152 participants included in the analysis, 186 (3.61%) cases of incident HF occurred during a median follow-up of 6.96 years. Compared with participants with SBP TTR of 0 to <25%, those with TTR of 75% to 100% had 47% lower risk of HF (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.89). The restricted spline curve depicted an inverse relationship between SBP TTR and incident HF. Additionally, the addition of SBP TTR, rather than mean SBP and SBP variation, to a conventional risk model had an incremental effect on the predictive value for HF, with integrated discrimination improvement value of 0.31% (P = 0.0003) and category-free net reclassification improvement value of 19.79% (P = 0.0081). Higher SBP TTR was associated with a lower risk of incident HF. Efforts to attain SBP within 110 to 140 mmHg may be an effective strategy to prevent HF.

Causal Association of Arterial Stiffness With the Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Previous studies on the direction of the association between arterial stiffness (AS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were inconsistent, leaving a knowledge gap in understanding the temporal sequence of the association. Objectives: This study sought to assess the temporal and longitudinal relationship between AS and CKD. Methods: The temporal relationship between AS measured by brachial ankle pulse wave velocity and CKD measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was analyzed among 7,753 participants with repeated examinations in the Kailuan study using cross-lagged panel analysis. The longitudinal associations of AS status and vascular aging (VA) phenotype with incident CKD were analyzed among 10,535 participants. Results: The adjusted cross-lagged path coefficient (ß 1 = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.01; P < 0.0001) from baseline brachial ankle pulse wave velocity to follow-up eGFR was significantly greater than the path coefficient (ß 2 = -0.01; 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.01; P = 0.6202) from baseline eGFR to follow-up brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (P < 0.0001 for the difference). During a median follow-up of 8.48 years, 953 cases of incident CKD (9.05%) occurred. After adjustment for confounders, borderline (HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.08-1.38) and elevated AS (HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.12-1.72) was associated a higher risk of CKD, compared with normal AS. Consistently, supernormal VA (HR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66-0.86) was associated with a decreased and early VA (HR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.29-1.43) was associated with an increased risk of CKD, compared with normal VA. Conclusions: AS appeared to precede the decrease in eGFR. Additionally, increased AS and early VA were associated with an increased risk of incident CKD.

Association of postoperative delirium with hypotension in critically ill patients after cardiac surgery: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium (POD), an acute and variable disturbance in cognitive function, is an intricate and elusive phenomenon that occurs after cardiac surgery. Despite progress in surgical techniques and perioperative management, POD remains a formidable challenge, imposing a significant burden on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems. METHODS: This prospective observational study involved 307 patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Data on the occurrence of delirium, clinical parameters, and postoperative characteristics were collected. A multivariate analysis was performed to assess the relationship between POH and POD. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients (21%) developed delirium, with an average onset of approximately 5 days postoperatively and a duration of approximately 6 days. On multivariate analysis, POH was significantly associated with POD, and the adjusted odds ratios indicated that patients with POH were more likely to develop delirium (OR, 5.61; p = 0.006). Advanced age (OR, 1.11; p = 0.002), emergency surgery (OR, 8.31; p = 0.001), and on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were identified as risk factors of POD. Patients who developed delirium were typically older, more likely to be male, and had higher morbidity rates than those who did not. CONCLUSION: POH is significantly associated with delirium in critically ill patients after cardiac surgery. Surgical complexity and advanced age contribute to the risk of developing POD and poor postoperative outcomes.

Integrating a deep neural network and Transformer architecture for the automatic segmentation and survival prediction in cervical cancer.

Background: Automated tumor segmentation and survival prediction are critical to clinical diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to develop deep-learning models for automatic tumor segmentation and survival prediction in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cervical cancer (CC) by combining deep neural networks and Transformer architecture. Methods: This study included 406 patients with CC, each with comprehensive clinical information and MRI scans. We randomly divided patients into training, validation, and independent test cohorts in a 6:2:2 ratio. During the model training, we employed two architecture types: one being a hybrid model combining convolutional neural network (CNN) and ransformer (CoTr) and one of pure CNNs. For survival prediction, the hybrid model combined tumor image features extracted by segmentation models with clinical information. The performance of the segmentation models was evaluated using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95). The performance of the survival models was assessed using the concordance index. Results: The CoTr model performed well in both contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (ceT1W) and T2-weighted (T2W) imaging segmentation tasks, with average DSCs of 0.827 and 0.820, respectively, which outperformed other the CNN models such as U-Net (DSC: 0.807 and 0.808), attention U-Net (DSC: 0.814 and 0.811), and V-Net (DSC: 0.805 and 0.807). For survival prediction, the proposed deep-learning model significantly outperformed traditional methods, yielding a concordance index of 0.732. Moreover, it effectively divided patients into low-risk and high-risk groups for disease progression (P<0.001). Conclusions: Combining Transformer architecture with a CNN can improve MRI tumor segmentation, and this deep-learning model excelled in the survival prediction of patients with CC as compared to traditional methods.

Dual-Phase Glass Ceramics Containing ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ and NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ Nanocrystals for Dual-Mode Optical Thermometry.

Currently, developing luminescent materials for dual-mode optical thermometry has been becoming a rising topic, and concurrent temperature-sensitive optical parameters hold the key. Still, it is a serious challenge, since distinct activators are generally needed and energy transfer (ET) processes among activators inevitably occur, further leading to severe luminescence quenching. Herein, a spatial separation strategy is proposed for designing dual-phase glass ceramics (GCs) containing ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ and NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanocrystals (NCs) for dual-mode optical thermometry, in order to integrate diversified activators into one. Structural, morphological, and optical characterizations are examined to verify the partition of Cr3+ into ZnGa2O4 and Er3+ into the NaYF4 lattice in the dual-phase GC. Benefiting from such a spatial separation strategy, the adverse ET processes between Cr3+ and Er3+ could be cut off in the dual-phase GC, contributing to downshifting (DS) and upconversion (UC) luminescence. Furthermore, dual-mode optical thermometry is performed based on the lifetime of Cr3+ and fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of Er3+, with high relative sensitivities of 0.95% K-1@450 K and 1.24% K-1@303 K, respectively. It is evidenced that the dual-phase GC holds great potential for dual-mode optical thermometry, and this work also offers a prospective pathway for expanding the practical applications of GC luminescent materials.

Changes in Time Perception and Coping Strategies in Young Adults With Cancer: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: A cancer diagnosis is a traumatic event. Youths, in the most crucial stage in a person's life course, are more susceptible to the influence of cancer. The diagnosis disrupts the original life and time plans of young adults with cancer, resulting in a reconstruction of time perception and changes in coping strategies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the changes in time perception and coping strategies in young adults with cancer. METHODS: A phenomenological research methodology was used in the qualitative study. Thirty-one young adults with cancer were recruited. Semistructured interviews were conducted with them, and the interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi's 7-step analysis method. RESULTS: The study revealed 3 themes related to changes in time perception: perceived alterations in the speed of time, changes in remaining available time, and shifts in time preferences. Five themes were identified regarding coping strategies for changes in time perception: self-regulation of emotions, establishing spiritual beliefs, planning time effectively, returning to family life, and closure of the inner self. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying changes in time perception among young adults with cancer through the speed of time, remaining available time, and time preference and guiding patients in adopting positive coping strategies can offer more effective cancer support and care for patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals should pay attention to the changes in time perception in young adults with cancer and guide them to cope positively.

Generation of an infectious cDNA clone for NADC30-like PRRSV.

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a highly significant infectious disease that poses a substantial threat to the global pig industry. In recent years, the NADC30-like strain has gradually emerged as prevalent in China, causing a profound impact on the country's pig farming industry. Therefore, it is important to conduct an in-depth study on the characteristics and gene functions of the NADC30-like strain. An infectious cDNA clone is an indispensable tool for investigating the functions of viral genes. In this current study, we successfully isolated a NADC30-like strain and constructed its full-length infectious cDNA clone. The utilization of this clone will facilitate our investigation into the viral replication, pathogenesis, and immune response associated with the PRRSV NADC30-like strain.

Novel self-powered sandwich type Aptamer sensor for estrogen detection assisted with peroxidase mimic Cu-MOF.

A novel self-powered and flexible enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC)-based aptasensor was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of 17 ß-estradiol (E2). A flexible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-tannic acid­carbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide (PTCR) substrate was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and thiolated aptamer 1 (Apt1) to yield Apt1@AuNPs/PTCR. A copper-based metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) with peroxidase mimicking activity was employed to anchor glucose oxidase (GOD) and Apt2, forming the Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 tag. When E2 was recognized by Apt1, the anchored E2 quantitatively recognized Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 to create a Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2-E2-Apt1 sandwich structure for glucose oxidation to generate electrical power. Increased E2 concentrations enhanced Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 capture and amplified the electrical signal. The electrical power increased linearly as the E2 concentration increased from 1.0 pM to 1.0 nM. The sensor was successfully applied to various food samples and blood serum detection. This work promoted the application of novel self-powered biosensors for food safety analysis.