Radiomics analysis for prediction and classification of submucosal tumors based on gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasonography.

Objectives: To identify and classify submucosal tumors by building and validating a radiomics model with gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) images. Methods: A total of 144 patients diagnosed with submucosal tumors through gastrointestinal EUS were collected between January 2019 and October 2020. There are 1952 radiomic features extracted from each patient's EUS images. The statistical test and the customized least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used for feature selection. Subsequently, an extremely randomized trees algorithm was utilized to construct a robust radiomics classification model specifically tailored for gastrointestinal EUS images. The performance of the model was measured by evaluating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The radiomics model comprised 30 selected features that showed good discrimination performance in the validation cohorts. During validation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was calculated as 0.9203 and the mean value after 10-fold cross-validation was 0.9260, indicating excellent stability and calibration. These results confirm the clinical utility of the model. Conclusions: Utilizing the dataset provided curated from gastrointestinal EUS examinations at our collaborating hospital, we have developed a well-performing radiomics model. It can be used for personalized and non-invasive prediction of the type of submucosal tumors, providing physicians with aid for early treatment and management of tumor progression.

High-resolution MR vessel wall imaging and cardiovascular health for evaluating the occurrence of ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of high-resolution MR vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) based plaque characteristics combined with cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics in the risk evaluation of ischemic stroke attributed to middle cerebral artery (MCA) atherosclerotic stenosis. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 209 participants with middle cerebral atherosclerosis, 146 patients with high signal in the MCA area on DWI were included in the symptomatic group, and 63 patients were included in the asymptomatic group. The degree of stenosis, enhancement ratio, plaque burden, remodeling index, and intraplaque hemorrhage were measured and compared between groups. Seven CVH metrics and other clinical data were obtained. The association between these factors and ischemic stroke was investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The degree of stenosis [OR, 1.036 (95 % CI, 1.014-1.058); P = 0.001], plaque burden [OR, 0.958 (95 % CI, 0.928-0.989); P = 0.009], intraplaque hemorrhage [OR, 3.530 (95 % CI, 1.233-10.110); P = 0.019], physical activity [OR, 4.321 (95 % CI, 1.526-12.231); P = 0.006], and diet [OR, 8.986 (95 % CI, 2.747-29.401); P < 0.001] were the independent characteristics associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke. ROC curve showed that the combination of plaque characteristics, diet, and physical activity achieved the highest AUC of 0.828 (95 % CI 0.770-0.877; P < 0.001), with sensitivity and specificity being 86.30 % and 66.67 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: Plaque characteristics combined with CVH metrics may identify high-risk populations for ischemic stroke and offer novel insights into risk evaluation and stratification.

[Ultrasonographic features of Castleman disease in the head and neck: a report of 7 cases].

PURPOSE: To summarize the ultrasonographic features of head and neck Castleman disease (CD), and to clarify its diagnostic key points. METHODS: Seven patients with head and neck CD confirmed by histopathology were collected from Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The clinical features and ultrasound findings of the patients were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 7 patients (1 male and 6 females), the mean age at diagnosis was 31.4 years (7-60 years). All the cases were hyaline vascular type. On ultrasound, 3 lesions (42.9%) were located in the parotid gland, 4 lesions(57.1%) in the neck. All the lesions presented as a solitary, well-defined and solid mass without calcification. The echogenicity was markedly hypoechoic in 1 case(14.3%) and hypoechoic in 6 cases (85.7%). Of the 7 CD cases, 4 cases (57.1%) were heterogeneous masses with linear echogenic septa. All lesions had mixed pattern in vascularity on color Doppler sonography. CONCLUSIONS: Most CDs in the head and neck represent as a markedly hypoechoic or hypoechoic lesion with mixed pattern in vascularity. The neoplasm may be characterized by the presence of linear echogenic septa within the mass.

New Sweet-Tasting Gypenosides from "Jiaogulan" (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) and Their Interactions with the Homology Model of Sweet Taste Receptors.

Gynostemma pentaphyllum has been used as an herbal tea, vegetable, and dietary supplement for hundreds of years in East Asia. The sweet variety, grown in large areas in Fujian Province, China, is an essential source of "Jiaogulan" herbal tea. However, its sweet components are unknown. To investigate the sweet constituents of Fujian "Jiaogulan" and discover new natural high-potency sweeteners, phytochemical and sensory evaluations were combined to obtain 15 saponins, of which 11 (1-11) were sweet-tasting, including 2 new ones with sweetness intensities 20-200 times higher than that of sucrose, and four (12-15) were bitter-tasting. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS, IR, UV), hydrolysis, and comparison with literature data. The contents of the 15 saponins were quantitatively analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The contents of 1 and 2 sweet-tasting gypenosides were 9.913 ± 1.735 and 35.852 ± 1.739 mg/kg, respectively. The content of the sweetest compound (6) was 124.969 ± 0.961 mg/kg. Additionally, compound 4 was the most abundant sweet component (422.530 ± 3.702 mg/kg). Furthermore, molecular docking results suggested interactions of sweet saponins with sweet taste receptors. In general, this study revealed the material basis of the Fujian "Jiaogulan" taste.

Comprehensive compositional analysis of liquid organic product prepared by industrialized hydrothermal cracking of biomass waste and its potential application as fertilizer.

Hydrothermal cracking involves the conversion of organic waste into efficient fertilizer through hydrolysis at temperatures ranging from 180 to 220 °C and pressures of 1.5 to 2.45 MPa, which offers significant advantages in shortening the production cycle, enhancing efficiency, and decomposing antibiotics. As a result, it holds immense practical value for promoting organic fertilizer manufacturing processes globally. The products derived from hydrothermal cracking can be categorized into solid and liquid components. Extensive research has focused on the composition and use of solids, while studies on liquids have mainly examined basic characteristics. The study aimed to comprehensively analyze the components in liquid products prepared through hydrothermal cracking and evaluate their suitability as liquid fertilizers. Specifically, we employed rigorous analytical techniques to accurately identify and quantify medium and trace elements, organic acids, amino acids, and plant growth regulators. Furthermore, we carried out a planting experiment to assess the yield and soil changes following the application of liquid products in maize cultivation. The experimental data revealed that the liquid product contained abundant medium and trace elements, along with 6.22 g/L free amino acids and 9.22 g/L organic acids. It is noteworthy that this liquid product contained 1.22 × 105 pg/ml ABA, 6.26 × 103 pg/ml IAA, 1.07 × 102 pg/ml IBA, and 3.60 × 10-2 pg/ml GA3. The utilization of this liquid product has the potential to enhance the disease resistance of maize crops and promote the accumulation of nitrate nitrogen in the soil. By understanding the composition of liquid products via hydrothermal cracking, valuable insights can be gained into their potential benefits for agricultural and ecological applications.

Effects of undescribed iridoids in Patrinia punctiflora on insulin resistance in HepG2 cells.

Patrinia punctiflora is a medical and edible Chinese herb with high nutritional and medicinal value. The continuing study of its chemical constituents led to the isolation of six iridoids, which were previously unreported compounds, patriscabioins PU (1-6). Their structures were characterized and confirmed with NMR (1D & 2D), HRMS, IR and UV. Among them, compound 5 was screened to evaluate its insulin resistance activity on an IR-HepG-2 cell model. Compound 5 had no cytotoxicity compared with the control group and could promote glucose uptake in IR-HepG-2 cells. Through further mechanism studies, the undescribed compound 5 could increase the expression levels of PI-3 K, p-AKT, GLUT4 and p-GSK3ß proteins. Moreover, the expression of PEPCK and G6Pase proteins, which are key gluconeogenic enzymes, was also inhibited. Thus, compound 5 promotes the transfer of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane by activating the PI-3 K/AKT signaling pathway, at the same time, promotes glycogen synthesis and inhibits the onset of gluconeogenesis, which in turn ameliorates insulin resistance.

A novel NIR-II fluorescent probe for hydrogen peroxide detection in drug-induced liver injury.

The synthesis of H2O2-activatable small molecules in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window remains challenging. We present the NIR-II probe Z-1065 for real-time detection of H2O2. Z-1065 demonstrates high sensitivity and selectivity towards H2O2in vitro and effectively monitors H2O2 generation in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) mouse models.

25.71%-Efficiency FACsPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by A Thiourea-based Isomer.

Various isomers have been developed to regulate the morphology and reduce defects in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells. To insight the structure-function-effect correlations for the isomerization of thiourea derivatives on the performance of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs), we developed two thiourea derivatives [(3,5-dichlorophenyl)amino]thiourea (AT) and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)hydrazinecarbothioamide (HB). Supported by experimental and calculated results, it was found that AT can bind with undercoordinated Pb2+ defect through synergistic interaction between N1 and C=S group with a defect formation energy of 1.818 eV, which is much higher than that from the synergistic interaction between two -NH- groups in HB and perovskite (1.015 eV). Moreover, the stronger interaction between AT and Pb2+ regulates the crystallization process of perovskite film to obtain a high-quality perovskite film with high crystallinity, large grain size, and low defect density. Consequently, the AT-treated FACsPbI3 device engenders an efficiency of 25.71% (certified as 24.66%), which is greatly higher than control (23.74%) and HB-treated FACsPbI3 devices (25.05%). The resultant device exhibits a remarkable stability for maintaining 91.0% and 95.2% of its initial efficiency after aging 2000 h in air condition or tracking at maximum power point for 1000 h, respectively.

A photoelectrochemical sensor based on In2S3/AgInS2 in situ Z-type heterojunction with "photo-modulated interface charge" for sensitive detection of Programmed Death-Ligand 1.

The construction of heterostructure photoelectrodes can enhance the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors. However, it is still a critical challenge to achieve efficient transfer of interface carriers. In this paper, we propose a strategy of "photo-modulated interface charge" to design a PEC sensor based on a hollow hexagonal tubular In2S3/AgInS2 in situ Z-type heterojunction for the susceptible detection of Programmed Death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). The hollow structured In2S3/AgInS2 is ingeniously synthesized employing indium-sourced MIL-68 as a sacrificial template and in situ cation exchange technique. This composite material has close contact interfaces due to in situ growth, which facilitates the spontaneous establishment of a robust and stable built-in electric field between the interfaces. Moreover, the inner cavity structure promotes multiple light refractions and scatterings, significantly enhancing light trapping capability. Under the influence of both light irradiation and electric field force, the migration direction of the interfacial charge is reversed, forming a Z-transfer path, which effectively delays the compounding of the electron-hole pairs (e-/h+) and further improves the sensitivity of the sensor. The minimum detection threshold of the PEC sensor is 26.58 fg/mL, and the feasibility of real samples is investigated, providing new insights for early diagnosis and prognostic treatment of diseases.

Efficacy and safety of KRAS G12C inhibitor IBI351 monotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: results from a phase 2 pivotal study.

INTRODUCTION: KRAS G12C mutation is a well-recognized and increasingly promising therapeutic target with significant unmet clinical needs in NSCLC patients. IBI351 is a potent covalent and irreversible inhibitor of KRAS G12C. Here, we present the efficacy and safety of IBI351 from an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 pivotal study. METHODS: Eligible NSCLC patients with KRAS G12C who failed standard therapy were enrolled. IBI351 was orally administered at a dose of 600 mg twice daily. Primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate (ORR) assessed by independent radiological review committee (IRRC) as per RECIST v1.1. Other endpoints were safety, IRRC-confirmed disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: As of December 13, 2023, 116 pts were enrolled (ECOG PS 1: 91.4%; brain metastasis: 30.2%; prior treatments with both anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapy: 84.5%). As per IRRC assessment, confirmed ORR was 49.1% (95% CI: 39.7-58.6), and DCR was 90.5% (95% CI: 83.7-95.2). The median DoR was not reached while disease progression or death events occurred in 22 (38.6%) pts, and the median PFS was 9.7 months (95% CI: 5.6-11.0). OS data was immature. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 107 (92.2%) pts while 48 (41.4%) pts had grade≥3 TRAEs. Common TRAEs were anemia (44.8%), alanine aminotransferase increased (28.4%), aspartate aminotransferase increased (27.6%), asthenia (26.7%) and protein urine present (25.0%). TRAEs leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in 9 (7.8%) pts. In biomarker evaluable pts (n=95), all pts had positive KRAS G12C in tissue while 72 pts were blood positive and 23 pts were blood negative for KRAS G12C. Pts with KRAS G12C in both blood and tissue had higher tumor burden at baseline (p <0.05) and worse PFS (p <0.05). Tumor mutation profiling identified TP53 (45.3%), STK11 (30.5%) and KEAP1 (21.1%) as the most common genes co-mutated with KRAS G12C. Among 13 genes with mutation frequency ≥5%, mutations of 6 genes (STK11, KEAP1, PIK3CG, POLE, SMAD4, and BRINP3) were significantly associated with worse PFS (p <0.05). Mutation in STK11 also showed significant association with higher tumor burden at baseline and lower response rate (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IBI351 monotherapy demonstrated promising and sustained efficacy with manageable safety, supporting its potential as a new treatment option for KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC.

Screening for biomarkers of tuberous sclerosis complex-associated epilepsy: a bioinformatics analysis.

Background: The optimal biomarkers for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated epilepsy are not yet clear. This study identifies the crucial genes involved in the pathophysiology of TSC-associated epilepsy via a bioinformatics analysis. These genes may serve as novel therapeutic targets. Methods: Gene chip data sets (GSE62019 and GSE16969) comprising the data of patients with TSC-associated epilepsy and healthy control participants were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the GEO database were identified using the GEO2R gene expression analysis tool. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, Gene Ontology function, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses were then conducted. The results were analyzed using R language, and are presented in volcano plots, Venn diagrams, heatmaps, and enrichment pathway bubble charts. A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), was conducted to examine the KEGG pathways and crucial genes linked to TSC-associated epilepsy. The potential genes were compared with the genes listed in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database and analyzed against the literature to determine their clinical significance. Finally, the expression of the key genes in the TSC-associated epilepsy mice cerebral cortex was examined through immunohistochemical staining. Results: The intersection of the GSE62019 and GSE16969 data sets revealed 151 commonly upregulated DEGs. The KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that these DEGs affected the occurrence and development of TSC-associated epilepsy by modulating complement and coagulation cascades, glycosaminoglycans in cancer, and extracellular matrix-receptor interactions. Four high-scoring clusters emerged, and podoplanin (PDPN) was identified as a key gene through the construction of a PPI network of the common DEGs using the Cytoscape software. A GSEA of the DEGs revealed that the common DEG PDPN was enriched in both data sets in pathways related to platelet activation, aggregation, and the glycoprotein VI (GPVI)-mediated activation cascade. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a significant elevation in PDPN expression in the cerebral cortex of mice with TSC-associated epilepsy. Conversely, the control group mice did not display any significantly positive neurons. Conclusions: The discovery of these crucial genes and signaling pathways extends understanding of the molecular processes underlying the development of TSC-associated epilepsy. Additionally, our findings may provide a theoretical basis for research into targeted clinical treatments.

Efficacy of atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 on composite LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 electrode for Li-ion batteries.

LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) is a popular cathode material for Li-ion batteries, yet degradation and side reactions at the cathode-electrolyte interface pose significant challenges to their long-term cycling stability. Coating LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 (NMC) with refractory materials has been widely used to improve the stability of the cathode-electrolyte interface, but mixed results have been reported for Al2O3 coatings of the Ni-rich NMC811 materials. To elucidate the role and effect of the Al2O3 coating, we have coated commercial-grade NMC811 electrodes with Al2O3 by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Through a systematic investigation of the long-term cycling stability at different upper cutoff voltages, the stability against ambient storage, the rate capability, and the charger transfer kinetics, our results show no significant differences between the Al2O3-coated and the bare (uncoated) electrodes. This highlights the contentious role of Al2O3 coating on Ni-rich NMC cathodes and calls into question the benefits of coating on commercial-grade electrodes.

Efficacy and Safety of Thermal Ablation for Solitary Low-Risk T2N0M0 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation in treating solitary low-risk T2N0M0 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and compare the outcomes of microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective, single center study involved 34 patients (age: 40.0 ± 13.9 years; 28 female) who had low-risk T2N0M0 PTC with a maximum diameter >2 cm and ≤4 cm and underwent MWA (n = 15) or RFA (n = 19) from November 2016 to April 2023. The primary outcomes were the cumulative rate of disease progression and delayed surgery rates. In contrast, the secondary outcomes included changes in tumor size, cumulative rate of complete tumor disappearance, and complication rates. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 18.0 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 9.0-40.0 months). At 12 months, the median volume reduction rate of the ablation zone was 74.2% (IQR: 53.7%-86.0%). Disease progression was noted in two patients within 1 year, including one patient with local tumor progression post-RFA and one with a new tumor post-MWA, resulting in a constant cumulative disease progression rate of 8.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0%-19.8%) throughout the remaining follow-up period. Both patients were subsequently treated with additional ablation and did not require surgery. The cumulative rates of complete tumor disappearance at 1, 3, and 5 years were 4.0% (95% CI: 0%-11.4%), 26.8% (95% CI: 2.7%-44.9%), and 51.2% (95% CI: 0%-79.1%), respectively. No significant differences were observed in the disease progression (P = 0.829) or complete tumor disappearance (P = 0.633) rates between the MWA and RFA groups. Complications occurred in 14.7% (5/34) of patients presenting with transient hoarseness. RFA had a higher but not statistically significant complication rate than MWA did (21.1% [4/19] vs. 6.7% [1/15]; P = 0.355). CONCLUSION: Both MWA and RFA demonstrated promising short-term outcomes in terms of efficacy and safety in treating solitary low-risk T2N0M0 PTC, with no significant differences.

Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Nanoparticle Delivery of Small Interfering Ribonucleic Acid Targeting Olfactory Receptor 2 for Atherosclerosis Theranostics.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by arterial intimal lipid plaques. Small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-based therapies, with their ability to suppress specific genes with high targeting precision and minimal side effects, have shown great potential for AS treatment. However, targets of siRNA therapies based on macrophages for AS treatment are still limited. Olfactory receptor 2 (Olfr2), a potential target for plaque formation, was discovered recently. Herein, anti-Olfr2 siRNA (si-Olfr2) targeting macrophages was designed, and the theranostic platform encapsulating si-Olfr2 to target macrophages within atherosclerotic lesions was also developed, with the aim of downregulating Olfr2, as well as diagnosing AS through photoacoustic imaging (PAI) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window with high resolution. By utilization of a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocarrier system, the expression of Olfr2 on macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques was effectively downregulated, leading to the inhibition of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and interleukin-1 ß (IL-1ß) secretion, thereby reducing the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. As manifested by decreased Olfr2 expression, the lesions exhibited a significantly alleviated inflammatory response that led to reduced lipid deposition, macrophage apoptosis, and a noticeable decrease in the necrotic areas. This study provides a proof of concept for evaluating the theranostic nanoplatform to specifically deliver si-Olfr2 to lesional macrophages for AS diagnosis and treatment.

Decoding of Salty/Saltiness-Enhancing Peptides Derived from Goose Hemoglobin and the Interaction Mechanism with TMC4 Receptor.

Amid the growing concern for health-oriented food choices, salt reduction has received widespread attention, particularly in the exploitation of salt alternatives. Peptides with a saltiness-enhancing effect may provide an alternative method for salt reduction. The objective of this study was to isolate and extract novel peptides with salt-reducing effects by fermenting goose blood using a Lactobacillus plantarum strain. Five potential target peptides were screened by a virtual database prediction and molecular docking. Sensory evaluation and E-tongue analysis showed that five peptides (NEALQRM, GDAVKNLD, HAYNLRVD, PEMHAAFDK, and AEEKQLITGL) were identified as target peptides. Particularly, the results of E-tongue showed that GDAVKNLD can increase the saltiness intensity (2.87 ± 0.02) in the complex system. The sensory evaluation results also indicated an increase in saltiness intensity (46.67 ± 4.67 mmol/L NaCl) after adding GDAVKNLD. The results of molecular dynamics simulation indicated that five peptides have good ability to bind tightly to TMC4 receptor, thereby stimulating it to exert an active effect. And these peptides interacted with the TMC4 receptor via hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions. This research lays a theoretical foundation for discovering novel salty/saltiness-enhancing peptides and provides meaningful contributions to efforts in salt reduction.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses regarding airway clearance in neurocritical illness patients: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: We aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding airway clearance among nurses and explore the factors affecting the knowledge, attitudes and practices. DESIGN: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. BACKGROUND: Airway clearance is an important method of eliminating excess secretions. In neuroscience nursing, nurses are important executors of airway management, and their knowledge, attitudes and practices can influence the effectiveness of airway clearance. METHODS: This study was conducted from July to September 2023 in four hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China. A structured questionnaire about airway clearance was designed and used to collect the data. The nurses used this questionnaire to self-rate. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed. RESULTS: The age, work experience, highest educational attainment and technical title of the nurses can significantly influence their knowledge. The age, highest educational attainment and technical title of the nurses can significantly impact their attitudes. Practice scores were significantly influenced by age, work experience, technical title, whether the nurses had received any training on airway clearance techniques, and whether the department developed procedures for implementing the airway clearance technology. Nurses' attitudes were significantly associated with knowledge and practice, and there was no significant correlation between knowledge and practice. CONCLUSION: This study showed that age, work experience, highest educational attainment and training were related to knowledge, attitudes and practices. These findings suggest that nursing managers can conduct airway clearance training according to age group, working experience and education level of the nurses. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. IMPACT: The findings show that the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices related to airway clearance in neuroscience nursing among nurses were acceptable, which means that nurses can better perform airway management on patients. These findings serve as a significant reference for designing an airway clearance education for nurses and meet the needs of nurses in clinical nursing practice.

Peer-to-peer validation of Ki-67 scoring in a pathology quality circle as a tool to assess interobserver variability: are we better than we thought?

Ki-67, a nuclear protein expressed in all stages of cellular proliferation, is a valuable tool to assess tumor proliferation and has been linked to more aggressive tumor behavior. However, interlaboratory staining heterogeneity and inter-observer variability challenge its reproducibility. Round Robin tests are a suitable tool to standardize and harmonize immunohistochemical and molecular analyses in histopathology. The study investigates the interrater and interlaboratory reproducibility of Ki-67-scoring using both manual and automated approaches. Unstained TMA slides comprising diverse tumor types (breast cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, lymphomas, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) were distributed to six pathology laboratories, each employing their routine staining protocols. Manual and automated scoring methods were applied, and interrater and interlaboratory agreement assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The results highlight good-to-excellent reliability overall, with automated scoring demonstrating higher consistency (ICC 0.955) than manual scoring (ICC 0.871). Results were more variable when looking at the individual entities. Reliability remained good for lymphomas (ICC 0.878) and breast cancer (ICC 0.784) and was poor in well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (ICC 0.354). This study clearly advocates standardized practices and training to ensure consistency in Ki-67-assessment, and it demonstrates that this can be achieved in a peer-to-peer approach in local quality-circles.

Complete genome analysis of a novel hypovirus in the phytopathogenic fungus Monilinia fructicola.

Monilinia fructicola is one of the most devastating fungal diseases of rosaceous fruit crops, both in the field and postharvest, causing significant yield losses. Here, we report the discovery of a novel positive single-stranded RNA virus, Monilinia fructicola hypovirus 3 (MfHV3), in a strain (hf-1) of the phytopathogenic fungus Monilinia fructicola. The complete genome of MfHV3 is 9259 nucleotides (nt) in length and contains a single large open reading frame (ORF) from nt position 462 to 8411. This ORF encodes a polyprotein with three conserved domains, namely UDP-glycosyltransferase, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and DEAD-like helicase. The MfHV3 polyprotein shares the highest similarity with Colletotrichum camelliae hypovirus 1. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that MfHV3 clustered with members of the genus Betahypovirus within the family Hypoviridae. Taken together, the results of genomic organization comparisons, amino acid sequence alignments, and phylogenetic analysis convincingly show that MfHV3 is a new member of the genus Betahypovirus, family Hypoviridae.

Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of Si-stereogenic silacycles.

A strong and confined Brønsted acid catalyzed enantioselective cyclization of bis(methallyl)silanes provides enantioenriched Si-stereogenic silacycles. High enantioselectivities of up to 96.5:3.5 er were obtained for a range of bis(methallyl)silanes. NMR and ESI-MS studies reveal that the formation of a covalent adduct irreversibly inhibits turnover. Remarkably, we found that acetic acid as an additive promotes the collapse of this adduct, enabling full turnover. Experimental investigation and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to elucidate the origin of this phenomenon and the observed enantioselectivity.

Mobile phone short video use negatively impacts attention functions: an EEG study.

The pervasive nature of short-form video platforms has seamlessly integrated into daily routines, yet it is important to recognize their potential adverse effects on both physical and mental health. Prior research has identified a detrimental impact of excessive short-form video consumption on attentional behavior, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unexplored. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of short-form video use on attentional functions, measured through the attention network test (ANT). A total of 48 participants, consisting of 35 females and 13 males, with a mean age of 21.8 years, were recruited. The mobile phone short video addiction tendency questionnaire (MPSVATQ) and self-control scale (SCS) were conducted to assess the short video usage behavior and self-control ability. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded during the completion of the ANT task. The correlation analysis showed a significant negative relationship between MPSVATQ and theta power index reflecting the executive control in the prefrontal region (r = -0.395, p = 0.007), this result was not observed by using theta power index of the resting-state EEG data. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was identified between MPSVATQ and SCS outcomes (r = -0.320, p = 0.026). These results suggest that an increased tendency toward mobile phone short video addiction could negatively impact self-control and diminish executive control within the realm of attentional functions. This study sheds light on the adverse consequences stemming from short video consumption and underscores the importance of developing interventions to mitigate short video addiction.