A log odds of positive lymph nodes-based predictive model effectively forecasts prognosis and guides postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy duration in stage III colon cancer: a multi-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) was considered a superior staging system to N stage in colon cancer, yet its value in determining the optimal duration of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer patients has not been evaluated. This study aims to assess the prognostic value of a model that combines LODDS with clinicopathological information for stage III colon cancer patients and aims to stratify these patients using the model, identifying individuals who could benefit from varying durations of adjuvant chemotherapy. METHOD: A total of 663 consecutive patients diagnosed with stage III colon cancer, who underwent colon tumor resection between November 2007 and June 2020 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and Longyan First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, were enrolled in this study. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression. Nomograms were developed to forecast patient DFS, with the Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic (timeROC) and calibration plots utilized to assess the accuracy and reliability of the nomograms. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis revealed that perineural invasion (HR = 1.776, 95% CI: 1.052-3.003, P = 0.032), poor tumor differentiation (HR = 1.638, 95% CI: 1.084-2.475, P = 0.019), and LODDS groupings of 2 and 1 (HR = 1.920, 95% CI: 1.297-2.842, P = 0.001) were independent predictors of disease-free survival (DFS) in the training cohort. Nomograms constructed from LODDS, perineural invasion, and poor tumor differentiation demonstrated robust predictive performance for 3-year and 5-year DFS in both training (3-year AUC = 0.706, 5-year AUC = 0.678) and validation cohorts (3-year AUC = 0.744, 5-year AUC = 0.762). Stratification according to this model showed that patients in the high-risk group derived significant benefit from completing 8 cycles of chemotherapy (training cohort, 82.97% vs 67.17%, P = 0.013; validation cohort, 89.49% vs 63.97%, P = 0.030). CONCLUSION: The prognostic model, integrating LODDS, pathological differentiation, and neural invasion, demonstrates strong predictive accuracy for stage III colon cancer prognosis. Moreover, stratification via this model offers valuable insights into optimal durations of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

MCT4 is an independent prognostic factor and affects immune cell infiltration in patients with colorectal liver oligometastases.

BACKGROUND: Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is a novel biomarker related to the level of immune cell infiltration, but its impact on tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of colorectal liver oligometastases (CLO) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess MCT4 expression in primary tumor and liver oligometastases, investigate its impact on immune cell infiltration and its prognostic value for CLO patients undergoing liver resection. METHODS: We retrospectively selected 135 CLO patients who underwent curative liver resection between June 1999 and December 2016, and samples included 74 primary tumor tissues and 122 liver metastases. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect MCT4 expression in paraffin-embedded specimens and tyramine signal amplification (TSA) was used to detect the density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, including CD3 + , CD8 + and Foxp3 + . Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, and independent prognostic factors were identified with Cox regression modeling. RESULTS: Survival analysis indicated that CLO patients with low MCT4 expression had better 3-year RFS and 3-year OS rates than those with high MCT4 expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that high MCT4 expression was independently associated with poor RFS and OS. High MCT4 expression was associated with a lower number of intratumoral CD3 + /CD8 + T cells and was associated with higher Foxp3 + T cells infiltration. Patients with low MCT4 expression and high levels of differential immune infiltration had longer survival. CONCLUSIONS: MCT4 overexpression was associated with an unfavorable prognosis in patients with CLO and MCT4 expression level had an impact on intratumoral immune infiltration degree. A novel parameter that combined MCT4 expression level and differential immune infiltration level was constructed to stratify patients with CLO into different risk groups.

Role of bacterial pathogens in microbial ecological networks in hydroponic plants.

Plant-associated microbial communities are crucial for plant growth and health. However, assembly mechanisms of microbial communities and microbial interaction patterns remain elusive across vary degrees of pathogen-induced diseases. By using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology, we investigated the impact of wildfire disease on the microbial composition and interaction network in plant three different compartments. The results showed that pathogen infection significantly affect the phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial community. We found that the primary sources of microbial communities in healthy and mildly infected plants were from the phyllosphere and hydroponic solution community. Mutual exchanges between phyllosphere and rhizosphere communities were observed, but microbial species migration from the leaf to the root was rarely observed in severely infected plants. Moreover, wildfire disease reduced the diversity and network complexity of plant microbial communities. Interactions among pathogenic bacterial members suggested that Caulobacter and Bosea might be crucial "pathogen antagonists" inhibiting the spread of wildfire disease. Our study provides deep insights into plant pathoecology, which is helpful for the development of novel strategies for phyllosphere disease prediction or prevention.

In Situ Vanadium Modification Induced a Back Interfacial Field Passivation Effect toward Efficient Kesterite Solar Cells beyond 11% Efficiency.

Realization of a high-quality back electrode interface (BEI) with suppressed recombination is crucial for Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells. To achieve this goal, the construction of a traditional chemical passivation effect has been widely adopted and investigated. However, there is currently a lack of reports concerning the construction of a field passivation effect (FPE) for the BEI. Herein, considering the characteristic of the negligible difference in ionic radius between Mo (0.65 Å) and V (0.64 Å) as well as the presence of one less valence electron compared to Mo, vanadium (V) was employed and in situ incorporated into the MoSe2 interfacial layer during the deposition of the Mo:V electrode and selenization process. This allowed for the establishment of a desirable in situ VI-FPE interface with p-MoSe2:V/p-CZTSSe at the BEI. The p-type characteristic in MoSe2:V is attributed to the presence of the VMo acceptor; notably, the Fermi energy level of MoSe2:V has shifted downward by 0.62 eV compared to MoSe2, thereby facilitating the formation of an optimized band alignment between MoSe2:V and the absorber. Consequently, the photovoltaic parameters of the cell-FPE have experienced a significant increase due to the enhanced carrier transportation efficiency compared to cell-ref, resulting in a remarkable improvement in efficiency from 8.28 to 11.11%.

Molecular mechanism of regulating tat protein expression of pingganjiedu TCM in the treatment of AIDS based on network pharmacology.

AIDS is a serious disease with impaired immune function caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The treatment of AIDS has always been the focus of global scientific research, and Tat protein is a key regulatory protein in the process of HIV infection. Its high expression is closely related to virus replication, disease progression, etc. The aim of this study is to explore the molecular mechanism of regulating Tat protein expression by using network pharmacology based traditional Chinese medicine for calming the liver and detoxifying. 129 AIDS patients were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into HAART combined with PGJDP treatment and HAART alone treatment groups. The virological response rate, immunological response status (CD4 + T cell level, CD4/CD8) and incidence of abnormal liver function were observed before and 48 weeks after treatment. Using the TCMSP database to obtain the chemical components and targets of the main traditional Chinese medicine components in PGJDP, clinical results indicate that the combination of HAART and PGJDP treatment can improve the virological response rate (P > 0.05); Increase the number of CD4 + T lymphocytes (P > 0.05); Significantly increased CD4/CD8 ratio (P < 0.01); Simultaneously, it significantly reduced the incidence of liver dysfunction (P < 0.01). After screening and analysis, the Chinese herbal medicine for calming liver and detoxifying has the potential to significantly regulate the expression of Tat protein. These Chinese herbal compounds can reduce the expression of Tat protein by affecting key pathways and regulating the expression of related genes, which has potential therapeutic effects on the treatment of AIDS.

Advancing primate surveillance with image recognition techniques from unmanned aerial vehicles.

Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveys on thermostatic animals has gained prominence due to their ability to provide practical and precise dynamic censuses, contributing to developing and refining conservation strategies. However, the practical application of UAVs for animal monitoring necessitates the automation of image interpretation to enhance their effectiveness. Based on our past experiences, we present the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) as a case study to illustrate the effective use of thermal cameras mounted on UAVs for monitoring monkey populations in Qinling, a region characterized by magnificent biodiversity. We used the local contrast method for a small infrared target detection algorithm to collect the total population size. Through the experimental group, we determined the average optimal grayscale threshold, while the validation group confirmed that this threshold enables automatic detection and counting of target animals in similar datasets. The precision rate obtained from the experiments ranged from 85.14% to 97.60%. Our findings reveal a negative correlation between the minimum average distance between thermal spots and the count of detected individuals, indicating higher interference in images with closer thermal spots. We propose a formula for adjusting primate population estimates based on detection rates obtained from UAV surveys. Our results demonstrate the practical application of UAV-based thermal imagery and automated detection algorithms for primate monitoring, albeit with consideration of environmental factors and the need for data preprocessing. This study contributes to advancing the application of UAV technology in wildlife monitoring, with implications for conservation management and research.

[Effects of acupuncture on endothelial active factors and related autonomic neurotransmitters in spontaneous hypertension rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupuncture at "antihypertensive acupoint prescription" on endothelial active factors and related autonomic neurotransmitters in spontaneous hypertension rats, and explore the vascular regulation and central regulation mechanisms of acupuncture for anti-hypertension. METHODS: Thirty SPF grade male spontaneous hypertension rats were randomly divided into a model group (15 rats) and an acupuncture group (15 rats). Besides, 15 Wistar Kyoto rats were collected as a blank control group (normal group). In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was delivered at the "antihypertensive acupoint prescription" (bilateral "Renying" [ST 9], "Quchi" [LI 11], "Zusanli" [ST 36], "Taichong" [LR 3] and "Neiguan" [PC 6]), with needles retained for 30 min, once daily. The duration of intervention was 28 days. Every week, using the the irritation scale, the sign of sympathetic irritation was evaluated dynamically. The arterial blood pressure of the rats tail was determined, using non-invasive blood pressure measurement system. ELISA was adopted to detect the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the serum. DAB chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) was provided to detect the mRNA expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the internal carotid artery and the arcuate nucleus (ARC), and that of CGRP in the paraventricular nucleus posterior (PVP) and the ventrolateral medulla (VLM). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to detect the levels of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) in the paraventricular nucleus anterior (PVA). RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the irritation scores, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were increased at each time point in the model group (P<0.05). When compared with the model group, the irritation scores after the intervention for 3 and 4 weeks, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure after intervention for 2, 3 and 4 weeks were reduced in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). In comparison with the normal group, the serum CGRP and NO levels of the rats were decreased (P<0.05), and the serum ET-1 and NPY levels, as well as E and EN levels in PVA were increased (P<0.05) in the model group. The levels of serum CGRP and NO were elevated (P<0.05), and the serum ET-1 and NPY levels, as well as E and EN levels of PVA were reduced (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group when compared with those of the model group. In the model group, the media of internal carotid artery exhibited thickening and remodeling, while the neuron volume in ARC was small. In the acupuncture group, every layer of internal carotid artery was acceptably arranged, and the parvicellular neuron of ARC was moderate in volume. For the in situ hybridization of eNOS mRNA for the rats of each group, the smooth muscle cells were predominantly expressed in each layer of the internal carotid artery, whereas the expression of parvicellular neurons was dominated in ARC. In the model group, the large and small neurosecretory cells were distributed sparsely in the nerves of PVP; in the acupuncture group, the cells of these two species were distributed regularly; and there were few species of glial cell in the VLM of either the model group or the acupuncture group. In each group, for the in situ hybridization of CGRP mRNA, the small neurosecretory cells were expressed predominately in the PVP, while, the expression of glial cell nuclei and the cell cytoplasm was dominated in the VLM. Compared with the normal group, the mRNA expression of eNOS in the internal carotid artery and ARC and that of CGRP mRNA in the PVP and VLM was decreased in the model group (P<0.05). In the acupuncture group, when compared with the model group, the mRNA expression of eNOS in the internal carotid artery and ARC and that of CGRP in the PVP and VLM was increased in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at "antihypertensive acupoint prescription" can upregulate the level of vascular relaxing factors, downregulate the level of contracting factors, enhance the response of relaxing factors in targeting blood vessels and regulating the center. The mechanism may be related to the modulation of the sympathetic-adrenergic autonomic neurotransmitters in the paraventricular nucleus in spontaneous hypertension rats.

Integration of PSAd and multiparametric MRI to forecast biopsy outcomes in biopsy-naïve patients with PSA 4~20 ng/ml.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate whether the transrectal ultrasound-guided combined biopsy (CB) improves the detection rates of prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant PCa (csPCa) in biopsy-naïve patients. We also aimed to compare the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS v2.1) score, ADC values, and PSA density (PSAd) in predicting csPCa by the combined prostate biopsy. Methods: This retrospective and single-center study included 389 biopsy-naïve patients with PSA level 4~20 ng/ml, of whom 197 underwent prebiopsy mpMRI of the prostate. The mpMRI-based scores (PI-RADS v2.1 scores and ADC values) and clinical parameters were collected and evaluated by logistic regression analyses. Multivariable models based on the mpMRI-based scores and clinical parameters were developed by the logistic regression analyses to forecast biopsy outcomes of CB in biopsy-naïve patients. The ROC curves measured by the AUC values, calibration plots, and DCA were performed to assess multivariable models. Results: The CB can detect more csPCa compared with TRUSB (32.0% vs. 53%). The Spearman correlation revealed that Gleason scores of the prostate biopsy significantly correlated with PI-RADS scores and ADC values. The multivariate logistic regression confirmed that PI-RADS scores 4, 5, and prostate volume were important predictors of csPCa. The PI-RADS+ADC+PSAd (PAP) model had the highest AUCs of 0.913 for predicting csPCa in biopsy-naïve patients with PSA level 4~20 ng/ml. When the biopsy risk threshold of the PAP model was greater than or equal to 0.10, 51% of patients could avoid an unnecessary biopsy, and only 5% of patients with csPCa were missed. Conclusion: The prebiopsy mpMRI and the combined prostate biopsy have a high CDR of csPCa in biopsy-naïve patients. A multivariable model based on the mpMRI-based scores and PSAd could provide a reference for clinicians in forecasting biopsy outcomes in biopsy-naïve patients with PSA 4~20 ng/ml and make a more comprehensive assessment during the decision-making of the prostate biopsy.

Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Carbonylation Reaction: Synthesis of Fused Isoindolinones.

A palladium-catalyzed cascade carbonylation reaction of 2-bromo-N-(2-iodophenyl)benzamides with benzylidenecyclopropanes for the synthesis of fused isoindolinone derivatives has been developed. A broad range of 6/5/6/6 tetracyclic isoindolinone products were efficiently prepared in moderate to good yields with diverse substitution. Two carbonyl groups were incorporated into the substrates in a single step with the formation of four carbon-carbon bonds and two carbon-heteroatom bonds.

High temperature heat flux sensor with ITO/In2O3 thermopile for extreme environment sensing.

Hypersonic vehicles and aircraft engine blades face complex and harsh environments such as high heat flow density and high temperature, and they are generally narrow curved spaces, making it impossible to actually install them for testing. Thin-film heat flux sensors (HFSs) have the advantages of small size, fast response, and in-situ fabrication, but they are prone to reach thermal equilibrium and thus fail during testing. In our manuscript, an ITO-In2O3 thick film heat flux sensor (HFS) is designed, and a high-temperature heat flux test system is built to simulate the working condition of a blade subjected to heat flow impact. The simulation and test results show that the test performance of the thick-film HFS is improved by optimizing the structure and parameters. Under the condition of no water cooling, the designed HFS can realize short-time heat flux monitoring at 1450 °C and long-term stable monitoring at 1300 °C and below. With a maximum output thermopotential of 17.8 mV and an average test sensitivity of 0.035 mV/(kW/m2), the designed HFS has superior high-temperature resistance that cannot be achieved by other existing thin (thick) film HFSs. Therefore, the designed HFS has great potential for application in harsh environments such as aerospace, weaponry, and industrial metallurgy.

New cembranoid with potent anti-inflammatory effect isolated from Boswellia sacra by inactivating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Boswellia sacra has the properties of activating blood circulation, fixing pain, subduing swelling and promoting muscle growth. However, the anti-inflammatory active ingredients and molecular mechanisms of Boswellia sacra are still not clearly explored. Boswellia sacra was grounded and extracted using 95% ethanol, the extracts were separated by column chromatography preparation to give compounds. Spectral analysis and quantum calculations confirmed the structures of compounds and identified compound 1 as a new compound. Compounds 1-3 showed potent inhibitory activities and their effects on inflammatory mediator NO and inflammatory cytokines were examined by ELISA assay. Furthermore, their modulatory mechanism on inflammatory signal pathways was explored.

Fire effects on soil CH4 and N2O fluxes across terrestrial ecosystems.

Fire, as a natural disturbance, significantly shapes and influences the functions and services of terrestrial ecosystems via biotic and abiotic processes. Comprehending the influence of fire on soil greenhouse gas dynamics is crucial for understanding the feedback mechanisms between fire disturbances and climate change. Despite work on CO2 fluxes, there is a large uncertainty as to whether and how soil CH4 and N2O fluxes change in response to fire disturbance in terrestrial ecosystems. To narrow this knowledge gap, we performed a meta-analysis synthesizing 3615 paired observations from 116 global studies. Our findings revealed that fire increased global soil CH4 uptake in uplands by 23.2 %, soil CH4 emissions from peatlands by 74.7 %, and soil N2O emissions in terrestrial ecosystems (including upland and peatland) by 18.8 %. Fire increased soil CH4 uptake in boreal, temperate, and subtropical forests by 20.1 %, 38.8 %, and 30.2 %, respectively, and soil CH4 emissions in tropical forests by 193.3 %. Additionally, fire negatively affected soil total carbon (TC; -10.3 %), soil organic carbon (SOC; -15.6 %), microbial biomass carbon (MBC; -44.8 %), dissolved organic carbon (DOC; -27 %), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN; -24.7 %), soil water content (SWC; -9.2 %), and water table depth (WTD; -68.2 %). Conversely, the fire increased soil bulk density (BD; +10.8 %), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N; +46 %), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N; +54 %), pH (+4.4 %), and soil temperature (+15.4 %). Our meta-regression analysis showed that the positive effects of fire on soil CH4 and N2O emissions were significantly positively correlated with mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP), indicating that climate warming will amplify the positive effects of fire disturbance on soil CH4 and N2O emissions. Taken together, since higher future temperatures are likely to prolong the fire season and increase the potential of fires, this could lead to positive feedback between warming, fire events, CH4 and N2O emissions, and future climate change.

Wolbachia mediates crosstalk between miRNA and Toll pathways to enhance resistance to dengue virus in Aedes aegypti.

The obligate endosymbiont Wolbachia induces pathogen interference in the primary disease vector Aedes aegypti, facilitating the utilization of Wolbachia-based mosquito control for arbovirus prevention, particularly against dengue virus (DENV). However, the mechanisms underlying Wolbachia-mediated virus blockade have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report that Wolbachia activates the host cytoplasmic miRNA biogenesis pathway to suppress DENV infection. Through the suppression of the long noncoding RNA aae-lnc-2268 by Wolbachia wAlbB, aae-miR-34-3p, a miRNA upregulated by the Wolbachia strains wAlbB and wMelPop, promoted the expression of the antiviral effector defensin and cecropin genes through the Toll pathway regulator MyD88. Notably, anti-DENV resistance induced by Wolbachia can be further enhanced, with the potential to achieve complete virus blockade by increasing the expression of aae-miR-34-3p in Ae. aegypti. Furthermore, the downregulation of aae-miR-34-3p compromised Wolbachia-mediated virus blockade. These findings reveal a novel mechanism by which Wolbachia establishes crosstalk between the cytoplasmic miRNA pathway and the Toll pathway via aae-miR-34-3p to strengthen antiviral immune responses against DENV. Our results will aid in the advancement of Wolbachia for arbovirus control by enhancing its virus-blocking efficiency.

Suppression of coffee rings by controllable nanoparticle enrichment through superhydrophobicity-enabled dynamic evaporation.

Coffee rings formed by evaporation of analyte-containing droplets are widely observed in micropatterning, bio-arrays, and trace detection. The coffee-ring effect caused by contact line pinning significantly affects the detection uniformity and sensitivity. Here, we propose a simple and operable method to effectively suppress coffee rings through controllable nanoparticles aggregation by superhydrophobicity-enabled dynamic evaporation. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) deposition footprint formed after dynamic evaporation on an integrated superhydrophobic surface was reduced by ∼3 orders of magnitude compared to that of non-interventional evaporation. Detailed experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical studies have revealed that substrate wettability, temperature and droplet motion behaviors play significant roles in suppressing coffee-ring effect. More critically, based on the force mechanism of AuNPs at the interface/contact line, universal mathematical models and regime maps were established to classify the different deposition modes for AuNPs under different evaporation conditions by introducing dimensionless parameter G, revealing the enrichment mechanism of AuNPs in droplets under superhydrophobicity-enabled dynamic evaporation. The accuracy of the theoretical model and enrichment mechanism was demonstrated through the single-molecule detection of rhodamine 6G with excellent sensitivity (10-17 M, enhancement factor ∼1013) and perfect uniformity (relative standard deviation ∼5.57 %), which provides a valuable guide for research and applications of nanoparticle aggregation.

Soil methane emissions from plain poplar (Populus spp.) plantations with contrasting soil textures.

The forest soil methane (CH4) flux exhibits high spatiotemporal variability. Understanding these variations and their driving factors is crucial for accurately assessing the forest CH4 budget. In this study, we monitored the diurnal and seasonal variations in soil CH4 fluxes in two poplar (Populus spp.) plantations (Sihong and Dongtai) with different soil textures using the static chamber-based method. The results showed that the annual average soil CH4 flux in the Sihong and Dongtai poplar plantations was 4.27 ± 1.37 kg CH4-C ha-1 yr-1 and 1.92 ± 1.07 kg CH4-C ha-1 yr-1, respectively. Both plantations exhibited net CH4 emissions during the growing season, with only weak CH4 absorption (-0.01 to -0.007 mg m-2 h-1) during the non-growing season. Notably, there was a significant difference in soil CH4 flux between the clay loam of the Sihong poplar plantation and the sandy loam of the Dongtai poplar plantation. From August to December 2019 and from July to August and November 2020, the soil CH4 flux in the Sihong poplar plantation was significantly higher than in the Dongtai poplar plantation. Moreover, the soil CH4 flux significantly increased with rising soil temperature and soil water content. Diurnally, the soil CH4 flux followed a unimodal variation pattern at different growing stages of poplars, with peaks occurring at noon and in the afternoon. However, the soil CH4 flux did not exhibit a consistent seasonal pattern across different years, likely due to substantial variations in precipitation and soil water content. Overall, our study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal variations in forest soil CH4 flux with different soil textures. This understanding is vital for developing reasonable forest management strategies and reducing uncertainties in the global CH4 budget.

Combination of DNA ploidy, stroma, and nucleotyping predicting prognosis and tailoring adjuvant chemotherapy duration in stage III colon cancer.

Introduction: DNA ploidy (P), stroma fraction (S), and nucleotyping (N) collectively known as PSN, have proven prognostic accuracy in stage II colorectal cancer (CRC). However, few studies have reported on the prognostic value of the PSN panel in stage III colon cancer patients receiving capecitabine and oxaliplatin adjuvant chemotherapy. Objectives: This study aimed to validate PSN's prognostic impact on stage III colon cancer, identifying candidates for optimized adjuvant chemotherapy duration. Design: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of stage III colon cancer patients from April 2008 to June 2020. Methods: Postoperative pathological samples from stage III colon cancer patients who underwent radical surgery and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were retrospectively collected. Automated digital imaging assessed PSN, categorizing risk groups. Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis compared model validity. Results: Significant differences in 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were noted among PSN-based low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups (DFS: 92.10% versus 83.62% versus 79.80%, p = 0.029; OS: 96.69% versus 93.99% versus 90.12%, p = 0.016). PSN emerged as an independent prognostic factor for DFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.409, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.002-1.981, p = 0.049] and OS (HR = 1.720, 95% CI: 1.127-2.624, p = 0.012). The PSN model, incorporating perineural invasion and tumor location, displayed superior area under the curve for 5-year (0.692 versus 0.553, p = 0.020) and 10-year (0.694 versus 0.532, p = 0.006) DFS than TNM stage. In the PSN high-risk group, completing eight cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved 5-year DFS and OS compared to four to seven cycles (DFS: 89.43% versus 71.52%, p = 0.026; OS: 96.77% versus 85.46%, p = 0.007). Conclusion: The PSN panel effectively stratifies stage III colon cancer, aiding in optimized adjuvant chemotherapy duration determination.

Interface Passivation of a Pyridine-Based Bifunctional Molecule for Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently been demonstrated to be promising renewable harvesters because of their prominent photovoltaic power conversion efficiency (PCE), although their stability and efficiency still have not reached commercial criteria. Trouble-oriented analyses showcase that defect reduction among the grain boundaries and interfaces in the prepared perovskite polycrystalline films is a practical strategy, which has prompted researchers to develop functional molecules for interface passivation. Herein, the pyridine-based bifunctional molecule dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (DPDC) was employed as the interface between the electron-transport layer and perovskite layer, which achieved a champion PCE of 21.37% for an inverted MAPbI3-based PSC, which was greater than 18.64% for the control device. The mechanistic studies indicated that the significantly improved performance was mainly attributed to the remarkably enhanced fill factor with a value greater than 83%, which was primarily due to the nonradiative recombination suppression offered by the passivation effect of DPDC. Moreover, the promoted carrier mobility together with the enlarged crystal size contributed to a higher short-circuit current density. In addition, an increase in the open-circuit voltage was also observed in the DPDC-treated PSC, which benefited from the improved work function for reducing the energy loss during carrier transport. Furthermore, the DPDC-treated PSC showed substantially enhanced stability, with an over 80% retention rate of its initial PCE value over 300 h even at a 60% relative humidity level, which was attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the DPDC molecule and effective defect passivation. This work is expected not only to serve as an effective strategy for using a pyridine-based bifunctional molecule to passivate perovskite interfaces to enhance photovoltaic performance but also to shed light on the interface passivation mechanism.

Construction and optimization of non-parametric analysis model for meter coefficients via back propagation neural network.

This study addresses the drawbacks of traditional methods used in meter coefficient analysis, which are low accuracy and long processing time. A new method based on non-parametric analysis using the Back Propagation (BP) neural network is proposed to overcome these limitations. The study explores the classification and pattern recognition capabilities of the BP neural network by analyzing its non-parametric model and optimization methods. For model construction, the study uses the United Kingdom Domestic Appliance-Level Electricity dataset's meter readings and related data for training and testing the proposed model. The non-parametric analysis model is used for data pre-processing, feature extraction, and normalization to obtain the training and testing datasets. Experimental tests compare the proposed non-parametric analysis model based on the BP neural network with the traditional Least Squares Method (LSM). The results demonstrate that the proposed model significantly improves the accuracy indicators such as mean absolute error (MAE) and mean relative error (MRE) when compared with the LSM method. The proposed model achieves an MAE of 0.025 and an MRE of 1.32% in the testing dataset, while the LSM method has an MAE of 0.043 and an MRE of 2.56% in the same dataset. Therefore, the proposed non-parametric analysis model based on the BP neural network can achieve higher accuracy in meter coefficient analysis when compared with the traditional LSM method. This study provides a novel non-parametric analysis method with practical reference value for the electricity industry in energy metering and load forecasting.

Naringenin restricts the colonization and growth of Ralstonia solanacearum in tobacco mutant KCB-1.

Bacterial wilt severely jeopardizes plant growth and causes enormous economic loss in the production of many crops, including tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Here, we first demonstrated that the roots of bacterial wilt-resistant tobacco mutant KCB-1 can limit the growth and reproduction of Ralstonia solanacearum. Secondly, we demonstrated that KCB-1 specifically induced an upregulation of naringenin content in root metabolites and root secretions. Further experiments showed that naringenin can disrupt the structure of R. solanacearum, inhibit the growth and reproduction of R. solanacearum, and exert a controlling effect on bacterial wilt. Exogenous naringenin application activated the resistance response in tobacco by inducing the burst of reactive oxygen species and salicylic acid deposition, leading to transcriptional reprogramming in tobacco roots. Additionally, both external application of naringenin in CB-1 and overexpression of the Nicotiana tabacum chalcone isomerase (NtCHI) gene, which regulates naringenin biosynthesis, in CB-1 resulted in a higher complexity of their inter-root bacterial communities than in untreated CB-1. Further analysis showed that naringenin could be used as a marker for resistant tobacco. The present study provides a reference for analyzing the resistance mechanism of bacterial wilt-resistant tobacco and controlling tobacco bacterial wilt.

Significant improvement of physicians' knowledge and clinical practice: an opportune, effective, and convenient continuing medical education program on functional dyspepsia.

Aims: This cohort study aimed to explore the effect of a one-day online continuing medical education (CME) on the improvement of physicians' knowledge and clinical practice on functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods: Physicians were invited to participate in this CME via medical education applications. FD training videos made in advance were sent to participants via a weblink. Before and after training, participants were required to finish the FD knowledge test and provide case information of FD patients. McNemar test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Freidman test, Chi-square test, quantile regression, and generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to perform statistical analysis. Results: There were 397 of 430 (92.33%) physicians finished this CME program. The total score of the FD knowledge test after training was significantly higher compared with before training [488.3 (468.3-510.0) vs. 391.7 (341.7-450.0), p < 0.001]. Particularly, physicians from primary hospitals show more increase in total scores than physicians from secondary and tertiary hospitals. According to the GEE model, receiving this online training was an independent predictor of physicians' choice of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients with FD [OR 1.73, 95%CI (1.09-2.73), p = 0.020], especially in PDS. Also, it was an independent predictor of physicians' choice of acid-suppressive drugs in patients with FD [OR 1.30, 95%CI (1.03-1.63), p = 0.026], especially in EPS and PDS overlapping EPS. Conclusion: This one-day online CME program effectively and conveniently improved physicians' knowledge and clinical practice, providing new ideas for future CME and facilitating precise clinical management of FD patients with different subtypes especially in primary hospitals.