Canopy and understory nitrogen additions differently affect soil microbial residual carbon in a temperate forest.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition in forests can affect soil microbial growth and turnover directly through increasing N availability and indirectly through altering plant-derived carbon (C) availability for microbes. This impacts microbial residues (i.e., amino sugars), a major component of soil organic carbon (SOC). Previous studies in forests have so far focused on the impact of understory N addition on microbes and microbial residues, but the effect of N deposition through plant canopy, the major pathway of N deposition in nature, has not been explicitly explored. In this study, we investigated whether and how the quantities (25 and 50 kg N ha-1 year-1) and modes (canopy and understory) of N addition affect soil microbial residues in a temperate broadleaf forest under 10-year N additions. Our results showed that N addition enhanced the concentrations of soil amino sugars and microbial residual C (MRC) but not their relative contributions to SOC, and this effect on amino sugars and MRC was closely related to the quantities and modes of N addition. In the topsoil, high-N addition significantly increased the concentrations of amino sugars and MRC, regardless of the N addition mode. In the subsoil, only canopy N addition positively affected amino sugars and MRC, implying that the indirect pathway via plants plays a more important role. Neither canopy nor understory N addition significantly affected soil microbial biomass (as represented by phospholipid fatty acids), community composition and activity, suggesting that enhanced microbial residues under N deposition likely stem from increased microbial turnover. These findings indicate that understory N addition may underestimate the impact of N deposition on microbial residues and SOC, highlighting that the processes of canopy N uptake and plant-derived C availability to microbes should be taken into consideration when predicting the impact of N deposition on the C sequestration in temperate forests.

Functionalized MoS2-nanosheets with NIR-Triggered nitric oxide delivery and photothermal activities for synergistic antibacterial and regeneration-promoting therapy.

Bacterial infection in skin and soft tissue has emerged as a critical concern. Overreliance on antibiotic therapy has led to numerous challenges, including the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and adverse drug reactions. It is imperative to develop non-antibiotic treatment strategies that not only exhibit potent antibacterial properties but also promote rapid wound healing and demonstrate biocompatibility. Herein, a novel multimodal synergistic antibacterial system (SNO-CS@MoS2) was developed. This system employs easily surface-modified thin-layer MoS2 as photothermal agents and loaded with S-nitrosothiol-modified chitosan (SNO-CS) via electrostatic interactions, thus realizing the combination of NO gas therapy and photothermal therapy (PTT). Furthermore, this surface modification renders SNO-CS@MoS2 highly stable and capable of binding with bacteria. Through PTT's thermal energy, SNO-CS@MoS2 rapidly generates massive NO, collaborating with PTT to achieve antibacterial effects. This synergistic therapy can swiftly disrupt the bacterial membrane, causing protein leakage and ATP synthesis function damage, ultimately eliminating bacteria. Notably, after effectively eliminating all bacteria, the residual SNO-CS@MoS2 can create trace NO to promote fibroblast migration, proliferation, and vascular regeneration, thereby accelerating wound healing. This study concluded that SNO-CS@MoS2, a novel multifunctional nanomaterial with outstanding antibacterial characteristics and potential to promote wound healing, has promising applications in infected soft tissue wound treatment.

Ultrasound-assisted carbon nanoparticle suspension mapping versus dual tracer-guided sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early breast cancer (ultraCars): phase III randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate tracing methods for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) play a key role in accurate axillary staging. This prospective, non-inferiority, phase III RCT compared the feasibility and diagnostic performance of ultrasound-assisted carbon nanoparticle suspension (CNS) mapping with dual tracer-guided SLNB in patients with early breast cancer. METHODS: Eligible patients had primary breast cancer without nodal involvement (cN0), or had clinically positive lymph nodes (cN1) that were downstaged to cN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to undergo either ultrasound-assisted CNS sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping (UC group) or dual tracer-guided mapping with CNS plus indocyanine green (ICG) (GC group). The primary endpoint was the SLN identification rate. RESULTS: Between 1 December 2019 and 30 April 2021, 330 patients were assigned randomly to the UC (163 patients) or GC (167 patients) group. The SLN identification rate was 94.5 (95 per cent c.i. 90.9 to 98.0) per cent in the UC group and 95.8 (92.7 to 98.9) per cent in the GC group. The observed difference of -1.3 (-5.9 to 3.3) per cent was lower than the prespecified non-inferiority margin of 6 per cent (Pnon-inferiority = 0.024). No significant difference was observed in metastatic node rate (30.5 versus 24.4 per cent; P = 0.222), median number of SLNs harvested (3 (range 1-7) versus 3 (1-8); P = 0.181), or duration of surgery (mean(s.d.) 7.53(2.77) versus 7.63(3.27) min; P = 0.316) between the groups. Among the subgroup of patients who had undergone neoadjuvant treatment, the SLN identification rate was 91.7 (82.2 to 100) per cent in the UC group and 90.7 (81.7 to 99.7) per cent in the GC group. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance of ultrasound-assisted CNS mapping was non-inferior to that of dual tracer-guided SLN mapping with CNS plus ICG in patients with early breast cancer. REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04951245 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Inverse Association between Ambient Sulfur Dioxide Exposure and Semen Quality in Wuhan, China.

Evidence concerning the association between ambient gaseous air pollutant exposures and semen quality is sparse, and findings in previous studies remain largely inconsistent. We enrolled 1759 men and performed 2184 semen examinations at a large reproductive medical center in Wuhan, China, between 2013 and 2015. Inverse distance weighting interpolation was performed to estimate individual exposures to SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 during the entire period (lag 0-90 days) and key periods (lag 0-9, 10-14, 70-90 days) of sperm development. Linear mixed models were used to analyze exposure-response relationships. SO2 exposure with 0-90 days lag was significantly associated with monotonically decreased sperm concentration (ß for each interquartile range increase of exposure: -0.14; 95% CI: -0.23, -0.05), sperm count (-0.21; -0.30, -0.12) and total motile sperm count (-0.16; -0.25, -0.08). Significant associations were observed for total and progressive motility only when SO2 exposure was at the highest quintile (all Ptrend < 0.05). Similar trends were observed for SO2 exposure with 70-90 days lag. NO2, CO, or O3 exposure was not significantly associated with semen quality. Our results suggest that ambient SO2 exposure adversely affects semen quality and highlight the potential to improve semen quality by reducing ambient SO2 exposure during early stages of sperm development.

Influence of Sulfur on the Arsenic Phytoremediation Using Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara.

Influences of sulfur (S) on the accumulation and detoxification of arsenic (As) in Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara, an arsenic hyperaccumulating submerged aquatic plant, were investigated. At low sulfur levels (<20 mg/L), the thiols and As concentrations in the plant increased significantly with increasing sulfate nutrient supply. If sulfur levels were above 20 mg/L, the thiols and As concentrations in the plant did not increase further. There was a significant positive correlation between thiols and As in the plant. As(III) is the main form (>75%) present in the plant after exposure to As(V). Sulfur plays an important role in the arsenic translocation and detoxification, possibly through stimulating the synthesis of thiols and complexation of arsenite-phytochelatins. This suggests that addition of sulfur to the arsenic-contaminated water may provide a way to promote arsenic bioaccumulation in plants for phytoremediation of arsenic pollution.

In Vitro Profiling of Toxicity Effects of Different Environmental Factors on Skin Cells.

The skin is constantly exposed to a variety of environmental threats. Therefore, the influence of environmental factors on skin damage has always been a matter of concern. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of different environmental factors, including cooking oil fumes (COFs), haze (PM2.5), and cigarette smoke (CS), on epidermal HaCaT cells and dermal fibroblast (FB) cells. Cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, inflammatory cytokine levels, and collagen mRNA expression were used as toxicity endpoints. Additionally, the effects of ozone (O3) on cell viability and release of inflammatory cytokines in 3D epidermal cells were also examined. The results showed that the organic extracts of CS, COFs, and PM2.5 significantly inhibited the viability of HaCaT and FB cells at higher exposure concentrations. These extracts also increased intracellular ROS levels in FB cells. Furthermore, they significantly promoted the release of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1α and TNF-α, in HaCaT cells and down-regulated the mRNA expression of collagen I, III, IV, and VII in FB cells. Comparatively, SC organic extracts exhibited stronger cytotoxicity to skin cells compared to PM2.5 and COFs. Additionally, O3 at all test concentrations significantly inhibited the viability of 3D epidermal cells in a concentration-dependent manner and markedly increased the levels of TNF-α and IL-1α in 3D epidermal cells. These findings emphasize the potential cytotoxicity of COFs, PM2.5, CS, and O3 to skin cells, which may lead to skin damage; therefore, we should pay attention to these environmental factors and take appropriate measures to protect the skin from their harmful effects.

[Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Soil Organic Carbon and Its Fractions in Karst Farmland and Forest Ecosystems of China Based on Meta-analysis].

In recent decades, with the intensification of human activities, atmospheric nitrogen （N） deposition has been increasing. N deposition affects carbon （C） cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in fragile karst ecosystems. Karst ecosystems are considered to be an important C pool. To evaluate the impact of N deposition on soil organic C （SOC） and its fractions in karst ecosystems of China, we collected and collated 14 English literature published through the end of March 2023, yielding a total of 460 sets of experimental data. The meta-analysis examined the effect of N addition levels [low N: ≤50 kg·ï¼ˆhm2·a）-1, medium N: 50-100 kg·ï¼ˆhm2·a）-1, and high N: >100 kg·ï¼ˆhm2·a）-1, in terms of N] on SOC and its fractions [particular organic C （POC）, readily oxidized organic C （ROC）, microbial biomass C （MBC）, and dissolved organic C （DOC）]. The results showed that N addition levels significantly affected the responses of farmland and forest soil SOC and their active fractions to N addition. Specifically, low and high N additions significantly increased SOC concentration in farmland ecosystems, whereas medium N addition significantly increased SOC concentration in forest ecosystems. In addition, soil active C fraction concentrations increased under high N addition in farmland ecosystems and under low and medium N addition in forest ecosystems. Without considering the level of N addition, N addition significantly enhanced soil organic matter （SOM） mineralization in both farmland and forest ecosystems and increased the SOC concentration in farmland ecosystems but not forest ecosystems. The responses of different active C fractions to N addition were diverse. In farmland ecosystems, the POC and ROC concentrations increased, but DOC did not change with N addition. In forest ecosystems, the DOC and POC concentrations increased, but there was no significant effect on MBC. Moreover, the response ratios （RR） of SOC and its fractions in different ecosystems to N addition were influenced by different environmental factors. In farmland ecosystems, the response ratio of SOC was related to the annual average temperature and soil pH. The response ratio of DOC was affected by the annual average temperature, mean annual precipitation, and N addition rate. The POC response ratio was related to the N addition rate. In forest ecosystems, the effects of N addition on the SOC response ratio were significantly altered by the annual average temperature, mean annual precipitation, and soil pH. However, the response ratios of DOC, POC, and MBC were not affected by the annual average temperature, mean annual precipitation, soil pH, and N addition rate. Consequently, these findings indicate that N addition could enhance soil SOC concentration and promote soil C sequestration in farmland and forest ecosystems in karst regions, but this effect relies on the level of N addition. This provides a scientific basis for predicting the soil C sink function in karst ecosystems under climate change scenarios.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy With Immunotherapy Result in Different Tumor Shrinkage Patterns in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy with immunotherapy (NACI) leads to different tumor shrinkage patterns, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) alone in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Additionally, the study investigates the relationship between tumor shrinkage patterns and treatment efficacy was investigated. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with TNBC patients receiving NAC or NACI from January 2019 until July 2021 at our center. Pre- and post-treatment MRI results were obtained for each patient, and tumor shrinkage patterns were classified into three categories as follows: 1) concentric shrinkage (CS); 2) diffuse decrease; and 3) no change. Tumor shrinkage patterns were compared between the NAC and NACI groups, and the relevance of the patterns to treatment efficacy was assessed. RESULTS: Of the 99 patients, 65 received NAC and 34 received NACI. The CS pattern was observed in 53% and 20% of patients in the NAC and NACI groups, respectively. Diffuse decrease pattern was observed in 36% and 68% of patients in the NAC and NACI groups. The association between the treatment regimens (NAC and NACI) and tumor shrinkage patterns was statistically significant (p = 0.004). The postoperative pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 45% and 82% in the NAC and NACI groups (p < 0.001), respectively. In the NACI group, 17% of patients with the CS pattern and 56% of those with the diffuse decrease pattern achieved pCR (p = 0.903). All tumor shrinkage patterns were associated with achieved a high pCR rate in the NACI group. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the diffuse decrease pattern of tumor shrinkage is more common following NACI than that following NAC. Furthermore, our findings suggest that all tumor shrinkage patterns are associated with a high pCR rate in patients with TNBC treated with NACI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04909554.

Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction rapidly improves left ventricular function in rats with ischemic cardiac dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) in the treatment of ischemic heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism by which UTMD improves ischemic HF. METHODS: An ischemic heart failure model was established using Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: sham group, HF group, HF + MB group, HF + ultrasound (US) group, HF + UTMD group, HF + UTMD+LY294002 group, and HF + LY294002 group. Serum BNP level and echocardiographic parameters were measured to evaluate cardiac function. PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway protein levels were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting. The concentrations of nitrous oxide (NO) and ATP were detected by ELISA, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate myocardial tissue. RESULTS: UTMD rapidly improved ejection fraction (EF) (HF: 37.16 ± 1.21% vs. HF + UTMD: 46.31 ± 3.00%, P < 0.01) and fractional shortening (FS) (HF: 18.53 ± 0.58% vs. HF + UTMD: 24.05 ± 1.84%, P < 0.01) in rats with ischemic HF. UTMD activated the PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway (HF vs. HF + UTMD, P < 0.01) and promoted the release of NO and ATP (HF vs. HF + UTMD, both, P < 0.05). Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway by LY294002 worsened EF (HF: 37.16 ± 1.21% vs. HF + LY294002: 32.73 ± 3.05%, P < 0.05), and the release of NO and ATP by UTMD (HF + UTMD vs. HF + UTMD+LY294002, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: UTMD can rapidly improve cardiac function in ischemic HF by activating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway and promoting the release of NO and ATP.

Closing the Gap Between Theory and Practice During Alternating Optimization for GANs.

Synthesizing high-quality and diverse samples is the main goal of generative models. Despite recent great progress in generative adversarial networks (GANs), mode collapse is still an open problem, and mitigating it will benefit the generator to better capture the target data distribution. This article rethinks alternating optimization in GANs, which is a classic approach to training GANs in practice. We find that the theory presented in the original GANs does not accommodate this practical solution. Under the alternating optimization manner, the vanilla loss function provides an inappropriate objective for the generator. This objective forces the generator to produce the output with the highest discriminative probability of the discriminator, which leads to mode collapse in GANs. To address this problem, we introduce a novel loss function for the generator to adapt to the alternating optimization nature. When updating the generator by the proposed loss function, the reverse Kullback-Leibler divergence between the model distribution and the target distribution is theoretically optimized, which encourages the model to learn the target distribution. The results of extensive experiments demonstrate that our approach can consistently boost model performance on various datasets and network structures.

Case report: solitary splenic metastasis occurring 19 months after primary treatment for occult breast cancer.

Occult breast cancer, commonly presenting with axillary lymphadenopathy, is an extremely rare entity of breast cancer. Metastasis to the spleen as a single site is rarely seen and has been little reported in literature. Herein we described a case of a 60-year-old patient who presented with an asymptomatic solitary splenic mass 19 months after axillary lymph node dissection, regional radiotherapy, and systemic therapy. Laparoscopic splenectomy was performed, and histopathological examination confirmed metastasis from occult breast cancer. Then, the patient was administered with oral vinorelbine and dual-targeted treatment. With over 10 months of follow-up, there is no evidence of recurrence or metastasis of malignancy. To our knowledge, this study reports the first case of solitary splenic metastasis from occult breast cancer and highlights the importance of considering splenic metastasis as the only site of recurrence during follow-up of primary cancer, regardless of its rarity. If possible, splenectomy may be a therapeutic strategy.

Mass Concentration, Source and Health Risk Assessment of Volatile Organic Compounds in Nine Cities of Northeast China.

From April 2008 to July 2009, ambient measurements of 58 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics, were conducted in nine industrial cities (Shenyang, Fushun, Changchun, Jilin, Harbin, Daqing, Huludao, Anshan and Tianjin) of the Northeast Region, China (NRC). Daqing had the highest concentration of VOCs (519.68 ± 309.88 µg/m3), followed by Changchun (345.01 ± 170.52 µg/m3), Harbin (231.14 ± 46.69 µg/m3), Jilin (221.63 ± 34.32 µg/m3), Huludao (195.92 ± 103.26 µg/m3), Fushun (135.43 ± 46.01 µg/m3), Anshan (109.68 ± 23.27 µg/m3), Tianjin (104.31 ± 46.04 µg/m3), Shenyang (75.2 ± 40.09 µg/m3). Alkanes constituted the largest percentage (>40%) in concentrations of the quantified VOCs in NRC, and the exception was Tianjin dominated by aromatics (about 52.34%). Although alkanes were the most abundant VOCs at the cities, the most important VOCs contributing to ozone formation potential (OFP) were alkenes and aromatics. Changchun had the highest OFP (537.3 µg/m3), Tianjin had the lowest OFP (111.7 µg/m3). The main active species contributing to OFP in the nine cities were C2~C6 alkanes, C7~C8 aromatic hydrocarbons, individual cities (Daqing) contained n-hexane, propane and other alkane species. Correlation between individual hydrocarbons, B/T ratio and principal component analysis model (PCA) were deployed to explore the source contributions. The results showed that the source of vehicle exhausts was one of the primary sources of VOCs in all nine cities. Additionally, individual cities, such as Daqing, petrochemical industry was founded to be an important source of VOCs. The results gained from this study provided a large of useful information for better understanding the characteristics and sources of ambient VOCs incities of NRC. The non-carcinogenic risk values of the nine cities were within the safe range recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (HQ < 1), and the lifetime carcinogenic risk values of benzene were 3.82 × 10−5~1.28 × 10−4, which were higher than the safety range specified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (R < 1.00 × 10−6). The results of risk values indicated that there was a risk of cancer in these cities.

Homologous recombination deficiency predicts the response to platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Recent studies have shown that homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) may be correlated with the pathological complete response (pCR) rate. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the predictive value of HRD for the pCR rate in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) receiving platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT). Methods: Published articles were searched in the PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases up to 1 June 2021, and studies reporting the pCR rate for HRD carriers on platinum-based NCT were selected. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined for the pCR rate, clinical response rate, and Grade 3 or higher adverse events (AEs) using the random-effects model. Bias risk was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration tool (PROSPERO, registration number CRD42021249874). Results: Seven studies were eligible. The results showed that HRD carriers had higher pCR rates than non-HRD carriers across all treatment arms (OR = 3.84, 95% CI = [1.93, 7.64], p = 0.0001). Among HRD carriers, the pCR rate was higher in patients on platinum-based NCT than in those without platinum exposure (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = [1.17, 3.23], p = 0.01). We did not observe marked pCR improvements in non-HRD carriers. Among HRD carriers, the pCR rates in the mutant and wild-type breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) groups did not differ significantly (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = [0.77, 5.23], p = 0.16), but HRD carriers with wild-type BRCA had a significant advantage over non-HRD carriers on platinum-based NCT (OR = 3.64, 95% CI = [1.83, 7.21], p = 0.0002). Conclusion: HRD is an effective predictor of increased pCR rates in platinum-based NCT, especially in wild-type BRCA patients. Adding platinum to NCT for non-HRD carriers can increase the incidence of AEs but may not improve the therapeutic effect.

Prevention of taxane-associated acute pain syndrome with etoricoxib for patients with breast cancer: A phase II randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: For patients with breast cancer who receive docetaxel chemotherapy, taxane-associated acute pain syndrome (T-APS), considered a form of neural pathology, is a significant clinical problem. We evaluated the effect of prophylactic etoricoxib on T-APS in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a phase II randomised trial including 144 patients with breast cancer receiving four cycles of docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Patients were randomised in the ratio 1:1 to receive prophylactic etoricoxib (60 mg, Day 1 to Day 8) or no prophylactic treatment. The primary end-point was the overall incidence of T-APS across all cycles. Secondary end-points included the incidence of severe pain (greater than 5 on a scale 0-10); severity and duration of T-APS; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast subscale; chronic sensory and motor neurotoxicity and adverse events. RESULTS: The overall incidence of T-APS across all cycles of chemotherapy in the etoricoxib group was 57.1%, while that in the control group was 91.5% (P < 0.001). The incidences of severe T-APS were 11.4% and 54.9% for the etoricoxib and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast subscale score of the etoricoxib group (103.79-107.24) was significantly higher than that of the control group (93.88-96.71) (P = 0.001 at cycle 1 and P < 0.001 at cycles 2-4). After four cycles of docetaxel chemotherapy, the etoricoxib group demonstrated a significantly higher mean Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment Neurotoxicity subscale score than the control group (38.46, 95% CI: 37.63-39.29; 34.59, 95% CI: 33.73-35.45, respectively; P < 0.001). Electromyography showed that most peripheral sensory nerves in the etoricoxib group had significantly improved action potential amplitudes and conduction velocities compared with those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic use of etoricoxib could significantly reduce the incidence and severity of docetaxel-induced acute pain syndrome and potentially decrease docetaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04565600.

A Model Incorporating Axillary Tail Position on Mammography for Preoperative Prediction of Non-sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Initial cN+ Breast Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop a model incorporating axillary tail position on mammography (AT) for the prediction of non-sentinel Lymph Node (NSLN) metastasis in patients with initial clinical node positivity (cN+). METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study reviewed a total of 257 patients with cN+ breast cancer who underwent both sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). A logistic regression model was developed based on these factors and the results of post-NAC AT and axillary ultrasound (AUS). RESULTS: Four clinical factors with p<0.1 in the univariate analysis, including ycT0(odds ratio [OR]: 4.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.13-11.91, p<0.001), clinical stage before NAC (OR: 2.68, 95%CI: 1.15-6.58, p=0.025), estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR: 3.29, 95%CI: 1.39-8.39, p=0.009), and HER2 status (OR: 0.21, 95%CI: 0.08-0.50, p=0.001), were independent predictors of NSLN metastases. The clinical model based on the above four factors resulted in the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82(95%CI: 0.76-0.88) in the training set and 0.83(95% CI: 0.74-0.92) in the validation set. The results of post-NAC AUS and AT were added to the clinical model to construct a clinical imaging model for the prediction of NSLN metastasis with AUC of 0.87(95%CI: 0.81-0.93) in the training set and 0.89(95%CI: 0.82-0.96) in the validation set. CONCLUSIONS: The study incorporated the results of post-NAC AT and AUS with other clinal factors to develop a model to predict NSLN metastasis in patients with initial cN+ before surgery. This model performed excellently, allowing physicians to select patients for whom unnecessary ALND could be avoided after NAC.

Influence of Rahnella aquatilis on arsenic accumulation by Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara for the phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated water.

Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara is a suitable submerged plant for the phytoremediation of As-contaminated water. Rahnella aquatilis is one of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Influences of R. aquatilis on the arsenic accumulation and detoxification of V. natans were investigated. The results showed that As accumulation by V. natans could be significantly improved after R. aquatilis inoculated at the lower level of As (< 2 mg/L). At 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L As levels, the As concentrations of V. natans with R. aquatilis were respectively 100.40%, 57.96%, and 22.62% higher than that of V. natans with no R. aquatilis. The concentration of As in V. natans was increased with the increasing the As concentration up to 1 mg/L, but it was decreased at 2 mg/L As. The correlation analysis showed that the As accumulated in the plant was positive correlated (R2 = 0.977, p < 0.01) with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) produced by R. aquatilis under different As levels. IAA may be the major factor affecting the As accumulation of V. natans. The results of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase, hydrogen peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase indicated that IAA produced by R. aquatilis had alleviated the arsenic stress on V. natans. The synthesis of IAA by R. aquatilis was related to the As levels. When the As was at 2 mg/L, the IAA that produced by R. aquatilis decreased and the promotion of R. aquatilis on As accumulation by V. natans reduced. However, R. aquatilis has a positive influence on the arsenic accumulation by V. natans at the lower As levels (< 2 mg/L), and it may be a potentially useful way to improve the removal of arsenic from contaminated water using submerged plants.

Rapid Separation and Efficient Removal of Cd Based on Enhancing Surface Precipitation by Carbonate-Modified Biochar.

The high buoyancy of biochar makes its application difficult in Cd removal. In this paper, the content of minerals was increased by modifying carbonate on the biochar surface using the vacuum impregnation method. Enhancing surface precipitation between minerals and Cd introduced a correspondingly great number of Cd precipitates on the biochar surface, leading to the rapid precipitation and separation of buoyant biochar. The physical and chemical properties of carbonate-modified biochar and the adsorption mechanism of Cd were comprehensively studied by jar tests, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the adsorption of Cd by carbonate-modified biochar was controlled by multiple mechanisms, including surface precipitation, surface complexation, and Cd-π interaction. Surface precipitation dominated the removal of Cd. The contributions of Cd removal mechanisms indicated that the contribution proportions of minerals increased from 89.73 to 97.9% when the pyrolysis temperature increased from 300 to 600 °C, while the contribution proportions of Cd-π binding decreased from 9.99 to 2.08%. Meanwhile, oxygen functional groups have only a marginal effect on Cd adsorption. Besides, the results revealed that the higher surface hydrophobicity and the lower polarity were conducive to biochar separation from water. The Cd removal method can provide efficient adsorption and rapid separation, making it possible to use biochar in water treatment.

Visualization positioning-guided biopsy of suspicious breast microcalcifications: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: At present, most histological evaluations of microcalcifications without a mass are performed using X-ray guided hook wire localization or vacuum-assisted stereotactic biopsy (VASB), but there are still several limitations to these techniques. Therefore, we designed a visualization positioning technique based on three directions of mammography to accurately locate suspected microcalcifications to guide the biopsy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with suspicious microcalcifications who underwent visualization positioning-guided biopsy (VPB) from June 1, 2016, to June 1, 2021. The visualization positioning technique was performed using an electronic ruler to measure the vertical distance from the microcalcification core to the vertical lines on mammography. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients (median age 46 years; range, 22-87 years) who underwent VPB were included in our study. Among the 133 cases of microcalcifications based on pathological results, 104 were benign, 14 were high risk, and 15 were malignant. In 124 (93.2%) patients, microcalcification was confirmed during the first round of VPB specimen analysis. Only 6 (4.5%) and 3 (2.3%) patients underwent second and third extended resections, respectively, as the resected specimens did not contain microcalcifications. Four patients (3.0%) with malignant biopsy results underwent a subsequent operation. Two patients with DCIS underwent mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy because of diffuse calcification. One patient had no residual cancer, and the other was upgraded to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Two patients with IDC underwent breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: VPB can be used to evaluate breast microcalcifications when a mass is not present, making it an effective diagnostic technique.

Effects of Surgery on Prognosis of Young Women With Operable Breast Cancer in Different Marital Statuses: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The influence of surgical approaches [including mastectomy, breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and post-mastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) on prognosis of young women (<40 years old) with operable breast cancer has not been determined yet, and this might vary in patients with different marital statuses. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of surgery on survival outcomes for young women with operable breast cancer in different marital statuses. METHODS: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify young women with operable breast cancer between 2004 and 2016, who underwent mastectomy, BCT or PMBR. We assessed overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) using the Kaplan-Meier method and hazard ratios using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULTS: Compared to mastectomy, both of BCT and PMBR conferred better OS (BCT: HR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.69-0.90, p <0.001; PMBR: HR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.63-0.78, p <0.001) and BCSS (BCT: HR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.69-0.91, p = 0.001; PMBR: HR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.65-0.81, p <0.001), but there was no significant difference of survival between BCT and PMBR group. The survival benefit of BCT compared to mastectomy remained significant in unmarried young women (OS: HR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.55-0.83, p <0.001; BCSS: HR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.56-0.86, p = 0.001) but not in the married (OS: HR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.75-1.05, p = 0.177; BCSS: HR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.75-1.05, p = 0.161), while no matter married or not, PMBR group had better OS and BCSS than mastectomy group but not BCT group. CONCLUSION: Both of BCT and PMBR had improved survival compared to mastectomy for young women with operable breast cancer. The survival benefit of BCT compared to mastectomy remained significant in unmarried patients but not in married patients.

Leaf litter contributes more to soil organic carbon than fine roots in two 10-year-old subtropical plantations.

Although many reports assume a strong relationship between plant litter inputs and soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation, there is limited experimental evidence in support of this relationship. The Detritus Input and Removal Transfer (DIRT) experiment was conducted in two subtropical plantations, an Acacia crassicarpa monoculture (AC) and a Eucalyptus urophylla monoculture (EU), to assess the importance of leaf litter and fine roots for SOC content over a 6-year period. The SOC content in 0-10 cm soil layer was significantly reduced by litter removal (NL) or by removal of both litter and roots (NI), but the influence of root removal (NR) was only marginal. The AC forest had a much higher annual rate of litter production and a lower decomposition rate than the EU forest, but carbon release from plant litter did not significantly differ between the two forests. These results help explain why the SOC content did not differ between the two forests. Our findings suggest that plant leaf litter is more important than roots in maintaining the balance of the SOC pool in subtropical forest plantations.