[Clinical study on the incidence of femoral head posterior tilt angle in non-displaced femoral neck fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurrence of posterior femoral head tilt after clinical non-displaced femoral neck fracture, and to provide a reference basis for clinical surgery and improvement of disease prognosis. METHODS: Total of 165 patients with non-displaced femoral neck fractures of Garden typeⅠandⅡfrom January 2018 to June 2022 were selected as study subjects including 48 males and 117 females, with an average age of (71.5±8.5) years old ranging from 53 to 89, involving 97 cases of typeⅠand 68 of typeⅡ. On the patient's preoperative sagittal or axial CT film of the hip, the angle formed by the radius line of the femoral head and the midline of the femoral neck was used as the posterior tilt angle of the femoral head (α), and the posterior tilt femoral head angle was measured using the method proposed by Palm. The measured data were divided into 6 groups:α<0°, 0°<α< 5°, 5°≤α<10°, 10°≤α<15°, 15°≤α<20°, α≥20°, and the incidence of different ranges of posterior tilt angle was compared. The sex composition ratio of 165 patients were analyzed and compared, and the age of 65 was used as the cut-off point to compare the incidence of fractures between genders. Patients were divided into the posterior tilt <20° group for 135 cases and the posterior tilt ≥20°group for 30 cases according to the preoperative posterior tilt angle, the differences between two groups in terms of gender and age were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 165 patients with non-displaced femoral neck fractures, 143 cases with poaterior tilt of the femoral head occurred with an incidence of 86.7%. Posterior tilt 0°<α<5° accounted for 36 cases with an incidence of 21.8%;5°≤α<10° accounted for 40 cases with an incidence of 24.2%;10°≤α<15° accounted for 27 cases with an incidence of 16.4%;15°≤α<20° accounted for 10 cases with an incidence of 6.1%;posterior tilt angle α≥20° accounted for 30 cases, the incidence was 18.2%, of which the maximum posterior tilt angle was 42.7°. Statistical analysis showed that the percentage of fractures in the 165 patients selected for this study was significantly higher in female than in male, and that the female group was more likely to have fractures before the age of 65 years compared to the male group. However, gender, age and fracture subtypes (GardenⅠ, Ⅱ) were not influential factors for femoral neck fractures with a preoperative posterior femoral head tilt angle >20°(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The incidence of femoral head posterior tile in non-displaced femoral neck fractures is relatively high, in which severe posterior tile occurs, and the femoral head posterior tile angle≥20° can reach 18.2%. In patients with closed reduction internal fixation, the fracture end needs to be repositioned as much as possible to reduce the risk of postoperative avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In order to prevent femoral neck fractures, special attention should be paid to anti-osteoporosis treatment for female. Preoperative assessment of posterior tilt is critical for patients of different ages, genders and fracture subtypes (GardenⅠ, Ⅱ).

The Time-Dependent Interfacial Adhesion between Artificial Rock and Fresh Mortar Modified by Nanoclay.

The time-dependent interfacial adhesion between rock and fresh mortar is key for printing concrete linings in mountain tunnels. However, a scientific deficit exists in the time-dependent evolution of the interfacial adhesion, which can cause adhesion failure when printing tunnel lining. Nanoclay has the potential to increase the interfacial adhesion and eliminate the adhesion failure. Before the actual printing of tunnel linings, the time-dependent interfacial adhesion between artificial rock and fresh mortar modified by nanoclay should be understood. This paper studied the time-dependent interfacial adhesion based on fast tack tests, fast shear tests, and isothermal calorimetry tests. With the addition of nanoclay, the maximum tensile stress and the maximum shear stress increased. Compared with a reference series, the maximum interfacial tensile stress in a 0.3% nanoclay series increased by 106% (resting time 1 min) and increased by 209% (resting time 32 min). A two-stage evolution of the interfacial adhesion was found with the addition of nanoclay. In the first stage, the time-dependent interfacial adhesion increased rapidly. A 0.3% NC series showed an increase rate six times higher than that of the reference series. As the matrices aged, the increase rate slowed down and followed a linear pattern of increase, still higher than that of the reference series. The stiffening of fresh matrices resulted in the interface failure mode transition from a ductile failure to a brittle failure. The effect of nanoclay on flocculation and on accelerating the hydration contributed to the time-dependent interfacial adhesion between artificial rock and fresh mortar.

Potential role of lncRNA LOXL1-AS1 in human cancer development: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of non-coding RNAs consisting of more than 200 nucleotides that are widely involved in various physiological and pathobiological processes in the body. LncRNA plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis and development with its unique functions, such as playing a role in a variety of biological processes of malignant tumors as a cancer-promoting factor or a cancer-suppressor factor. Lysyl oxidase-like protein 1-antisense RNA1 (LOXL1-AS1) is a novel functional lncRNA recently reported. This article reviews the current findings on the role of LOXL1-AS1 in cancer, and discusses the potential clinical significance and application prospects, in order to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the clinical diagnosis, treatment and screening of prognostic markers for malignant tumors. Methods: The PubMed and Embase databases were searched using the keywords "cancer" or "tumor" or "neoplasm" and "LOXL1-AS1" for publications from 2018 to the present. The English literature was searched, with a focus on relevant articles. These articles validated the role and mechanism of LOXL1-AS1 in different cancers. Key Content and Findings: LOXL1-AS1 is a recently reported novel lncRNA, which is abnormally expressed and upregulated in more than ten cancers, and is positively correlated with adverse clinical features and poor prognosis in cancer patients. LOXL1-AS1 competently binds to a variety of microRNAs to regulate the expression of downstream target genes and regulate related signaling pathways, including proliferation, migration, invasion and inhibition of malignant biological behaviors such as apoptosis. Conclusions: LOXL1-AS1 is expected to become a novel biomarker for cancer diagnosis and treatment, with great potential as an independent prognostic indicator.

Expression of lncRNA LINC00943 in lung squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship with tumor progression.

BACKGROUND: Molecular biology has been applied to the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of various diseases, and long noncoding RNA LINC00943 (lncRNA LINC00943; LINC00943) plays an important role in a variety of cancers. Therefore, this study explored the prognostic role of LINC00943 in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and understood its impact on the development of LUSC. METHODS: There are 89 LUSC patients were involved in current assay. By detecting the expression of LINC00943 and miR-196b-5p in tissues and cells, LINC00943 and its correlation with the characteristics of clinical data were analyzed. The biological function of LINC00943 was studied by Transwell migration and invasion assays. In addition, Pearson correlation coefficient and luciferase activity experiments were chosen to characterize the relationship between LINC00943 and miR-196b-5p and explore the mechanism of LINC00943. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, LINC00943 expression in LUSC tissues and cells was significantly reduced, miR-196b-5p was markedly increased, there was a negative correlation between LINC00943 and miR-196b-5p. According to the in vitro cell experiments, migration and invasion of LUSC cells were suppressed by overexpression of LINC00943. Besides, LINC00943 was demonstrated to have prognostic power and targeting miR-196b-5p was involved in the progression of LUSC. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of LINC00943 was molecular sponge for miR-196b-5p that controlled the deterioration of LUSC, which had great potential as a prognostic biomarker for LUSC.

[Land Change Simulation and Grassland Carbon Storage in the Loess Plateau Based on SSP-RCP Scenarios].

Exploring the spatial distribution of land use/coverage (LUCC) and ecosystem carbon reserves in the future of climate change can provide a scientific basis for optimizing the distribution of land resources and formulating social economic sustainable development policies. In this study, we integrated the plaques generating land use simulation (PLUS) model and ecosystem services and weighing comprehensive evaluation (InVEST) model. Based on the CMIP6-based sharing socio-economic path and representative concentration path (SSP-RCP), we evaluated the Loess Plateau for time and space dynamic changes in LUCC and ecosystem carbon reserves, analyzed the impact of driving factors on different regions, and explored the correlation between carbon reserves in various regions. The results showed:① In the future, the three scenarios were similar to the LUCC changes. The area of cultivated land, grassland, and unused land would be reduced to varying degrees, and the construction land had expanded sharply. The increase in the three scenarios was 29.23%-53.56% (SSP126), 34.59%-63.28% (SSP245), and 42.80%-73.27% (SSP585). ② Compared with that in 2020, the carbon reserves of SSP126 sites in 2040 increased by 1.813 8×106 t, and in the remaining scenarios it would continue to decline. By 2060, the grassland carbon reserves in the three scenarios decreased by 13.391×106, 33.548×106, and 85.871×106 t, respectively. ③ From the perspective of space correlation, the carbon reserves of the Loess Plateau were correlated between cities. The difference in future scenarios was not significant. The hotspots were distributed in the middle and north of the research area. There was no obvious cold spot area. ④ The changes in land use were predicted to increase or lose carbon reserves. Forestry, cultivated land, and grassland had more carbon reserves those in than other land types. Increasing their area and restrictions on the conversion of other land types should increase the ecosystem carbon reserves.

Comprehensive analysis of the potential pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection and liver cancer.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of clinical examples suggest that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appears to have an impact on the treatment of patients with liver cancer compared to the normal population, and the prevalence of COVID-19 is significantly higher in patients with liver cancer. However, this mechanism of action has not been clarified. AIM: To investigate the disease relevance of COVID-19 in liver cancer. METHODS: Gene sets for COVID-19 (GSE180226) and liver cancer (GSE87630) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After identifying the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of COVID-19 and liver cancer, functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction network construction and screening and analysis of hub genes were performed. Subsequently, the validation of the differential expression of hub genes in the disease was performed and the regulatory network of transcription factors and hub genes was constructed. RESULTS: Of 518 common DEGs were obtained by screening for functional analysis. Fifteen hub genes including aurora kinase B, cyclin B2, cell division cycle 20, cell division cycle associated 8, nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1, etc., were further identified from DEGs using the "cytoHubba" plugin. Functional enrichment analysis of hub genes showed that these hub genes are associated with P53 signalling pathway regulation, cell cycle and other functions, and they may serve as potential molecular markers for COVID-19 and liver cancer. Finally, we selected 10 of the hub genes for in vitro expression validation in liver cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a common pathogenesis of liver cancer and COVID-19. These common pathways and key genes may provide new ideas for further mechanistic studies.

Light-Quality-Adapted Carotenoid Photoprotection in the Photosystem of Roseiflexus castenholzii.

The photosystem of filamentous anoxygenic phototroph Roseiflexus (Rfl.) castenholzii comprises a light-harvesting (LH) complex encircling a reaction center (RC), which intensely absorbs blue-green light by carotenoid (Car) and near-infrared light by bacteriochlorophyll (BChl). To explore the influence of light quality (color) on the photosynthetic activity, we compared the pigment compositions and triplet excitation dynamics of the LH-RCs from Rfl. castenholzii was adapted to blue-green light (bg-LH-RC) and to near-infrared light (nir-LH-RC). Both LH-RCs bind γ-carotene derivatives; however, compared to that of nir-LH-RC (12%), bg-LH-RC contains substantially higher keto-γ-carotene content (43%) and shows considerably faster BChl-to-Car triplet excitation transfer (10.9 ns vs 15.0 ns). For bg-LH-RC, but not nir-LH-RC, selective photoexcitation of Car and the 800 nm-absorbing BChl led to Car-to-Car triplet transfer and BChl-Car singlet fission reactions, respectively. The unique excitation dynamics of bg-LH-RC enhances its photoprotection, which is crucial for the survival of aquatic anoxygenic phototrophs from photooxidative stress.

Time to sputum culture conversion and its associated factors among drug-resistant tuberculosis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the sputum culture conversion time of DR-TB patients and its related factors. METHODS: PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, CNKI, Wan Fang, CBM and VIP databases were electronically searched to collect studies on sputum culture conversion time in patients with DR-TB. Meta-analysis was performed by using the R 4.3.0 version and Stata 16 software. RESULTS: A total of 45 studies involving 17373 patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that the pooled median time to sputum culture conversion was 68.57 days (IQR 61.01,76.12). The median time of sputum culture conversion in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis was different in different WHO regions, countries with different levels of development and different treatment schemes. And female (aHR = 0.59,95%CI: s0.46,0.76), alcohol history (aHR = 0.70,95%CI:0.50,0.98), smoking history (aHR = 0.58,95%CI:0.38,0.88), history of SLD use (aHR = 0.64,95%CI:0.47,0.87), BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (aHR = 0.69,95%CI:0.60,0.80), lung cavity (aHR = 0.70,95%CI:0.52,0.94), sputum smear grading at baseline (Positive) (aHR = 0.56,95%CI:0.36,0.87), (grade 1+) (aHR = 0.87,95%CI:0.77,0.99), (grade 2+) (aHR = 0.81,95%CI:0.69,0.95), (grade 3+) (aHR = 0.71,95%CI:0.61,0.84) were the related factor of sputum culture conversion time in patients with DR-TB. CONCLUSION: Patients with DR-TB in Europe or countries with high level of economic development have earlier sputum culture conversion, and the application of bedaquiline can make patients have shorter sputum culture conversion time. Female, alcohol history, smoking history, history of SLD use, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2, lung cavity, sputum smear grading at baseline (Positive, grade 1+, grade 2+, grade 3+) may be risk factors for longer sputum culture conversion time. This systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO, the registration number is CRD42023438746.

Key Role of Asymmetric Photothermal Effect in Selectively Chiral Switching of Plasmonic Dimer Driven by Circularly Polarized Light.

Strong interaction between circularly polarized light and chiral plasmonic nanostructures can enable controllable asymmetric photophysical processes, such as selective chiral switching of a plasmonic nanorod-dimer. Here, we uncover the underlying physics that governs this chiral switching by theoretically investigating the interplay between asymmetric photothermal and optomechanical effects. We find that the photothermally induced local temperature rises could play a key role in activating the dynamic chiral configurations of a plasmonic dimer due to the temperature-sensitive molecular linkages located at the gap region. Importantly, different temperature rises caused by the opposite handedness of light could facilitate selective chiral switching of the plasmonic dimer driven by asymmetric optical torques. Our analyses on the wavelength-dependent selectively chiral switching behaviors are in good agreement with the experimental observations. This work contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the physical mechanism involved in the experimentally designed photoresponsive plasmonic nanosystems for practical applications.

Analysis of the potential biological value of pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit ß in human cancer.

BACKGROUND: The pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit ß (PDHB) gene which regulates energy metabolism is located in mitochondria. However, few studies have elucidated the role and mechanism of PDHB in different cancers. AIM: To comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of PDHB was performed based on bioinformatics approaches to explore its tumor diagnostic and prognostic value and tumor immune relevance in cancer. In vitro experiments were performed to examine the biological regulation of PDHB in liver cancer. METHODS: Pan-cancer data related to PDHB were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Analysis of the gene expression profiles of PDHB was based on TCGA and Genotype Tissue Expression Dataset databases. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier methods were used to assess the correlation between PDHB expression and survival prognosis in cancer patients. The correlation between PDHB and receiver operating characteristic diagnostic curve, clinicopathological staging, somatic mutation, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), DNA methylation, and drug susceptibility in pan-cancer was also analyzed. Various algorithms were used to analyze the correlation between PDHB and immune cell infiltration and tumor chemotaxis environment, as well as the co-expression analysis of PDHB and immune checkpoint (ICP) genes. The expression and functional phenotype of PDHB in single tumor cells were studied by single-cell sequencing, and the functional enrichment analysis of PDHB-related genes was performed. The study also validated the level of mRNA or protein expression of PDHB in several cancers. Finally, in vitro experiments verified the regulatory effect of PDHB on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of liver cancer. RESULTS: PDHB was significantly and differently expressed in most cancers. PDHB was significantly associated with prognosis in patients with a wide range of cancers, including kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, breast invasive carcinoma, and brain lower grade glioma. In some cancers, PDHB expression was clearly associated with gene mutations, clinicopathological stages, and expression of TMB, MSI, and ICP genes. The expression of PDHB was closely related to the infiltration of multiple immune cells in the immune microenvironment and the regulation of tumor chemotaxis environment. In addition, single-cell sequencing results showed that PDHB correlated with different biological phenotypes of multiple cancer single cells. This study further demonstrated that down-regulation of PDHB expression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion functions of hepatoma cells. CONCLUSION: As a member of pan-cancer, PDHB may be a novel cancer marker with potential value in diagnosing cancer, predicting prognosis, and in targeted therapy.

Towards Human-Centered Explainable AI: A Survey of User Studies for Model Explanations.

Explainable AI (XAI) is widely viewed as a sine qua non for ever-expanding AI research. A better understanding of the needs of XAI users, as well as human-centered evaluations of explainable models are both a necessity and a challenge. In this paper, we explore how human-computer interaction (HCI) and AI researchers conduct user studies in XAI applications based on a systematic literature review. After identifying and thoroughly analyzing 97 core papers with human-based XAI evaluations over the past five years, we categorize them along the measured characteristics of explanatory methods, namely trust, understanding, usability, and human-AI collaboration performance. Our research shows that XAI is spreading more rapidly in certain application domains, such as recommender systems than in others, but that user evaluations are still rather sparse and incorporate hardly any insights from cognitive or social sciences. Based on a comprehensive discussion of best practices, i.e., common models, design choices, and measures in user studies, we propose practical guidelines on designing and conducting user studies for XAI researchers and practitioners. Lastly, this survey also highlights several open research directions, particularly linking psychological science and human-centered XAI.

Cells use multiple mechanisms for cell-cycle arrest upon withdrawal of individual amino acids.

Amino acids are required for cell growth and proliferation, but it remains unclear when and how amino acid availability impinges on the proliferation-quiescence decision. Here, we used time-lapse microscopy and single-cell tracking of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) activity to assess the response of individual cells to withdrawal of single amino acids and found strikingly different cell-cycle effects depending on the amino acid. For example, upon leucine withdrawal, MCF10A cells complete two cell cycles and then enter a CDK2-low quiescence, whereas lysine withdrawal causes immediate cell-cycle stalling. Methionine withdrawal triggers a restriction point phenotype similar to serum starvation or Mek inhibition: upon methionine withdrawal, cells complete their current cell cycle and enter a CDK2-low quiescence after mitosis. Modulation of restriction point regulators p21/p27 or cyclin D1 enables short-term rescue of proliferation under methionine and leucine withdrawal, and to a lesser extent lysine withdrawal, revealing a checkpoint connecting nutrient signaling to cell-cycle entry.

Development of an LFD-RPA Assay for Rapid Detection of Pentatrichomonas hominis Infection in Dogs.

Pentatrichomonas hominis is a trichomonad protozoan that infects the cecum and colon of humans and other mammals. It is a zoonotic pathogen that causes diarrhea in both animals and humans. As companion animals, dogs infected with P. hominis pose a risk of transmitting it to humans. Current methods, such as direct smears and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), used for P. hominis detection have limitations, including low detection rates and the need for specialized equipment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop rapid, sensitive, and simple detection methods for clinical application. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) has emerged as a technology for rapid pathogen detection. In this study, we developed a lateral flow dipstick (LFD)-RPA method based on the highly conserved SPO11-1 gene for detecting P. hominis infection by optimizing the primers, probes, and reaction conditions, and evaluating cross-reactivity with genomes of Giardia duodenalis and other parasites. The LFD-RPA method was then used to test 128 dog fecal samples collected from Changchun. The results confirmed the high specificity of the method with no cross-reactivity with the five other parasites. The lowest detection limit of the method was 102 copies/µL, and its sensitivity was 100 times higher than that of the conventional PCR method. Consistent with the positivity rate observed using nested PCR, 12 samples (out of 128) tested positive using this method (positivity rate, 9.38%). In conclusion, the LFD-RPA method developed in this study represents a simple and sensitive assay that allows for the rapid detection of P. hominis infection in dogs, especially in this field.

The Functions and Mechanisms of Long Non-coding RNA SNHGs in Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Despite significant advancements in surgical and adjuvant treatments, patient prognosis remains unsatisfactory. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that lack protein-coding capacity but can participate in various mechanisms of tumor malignancy. Among them, small nucleolar host genes (SNHGs) represent a subgroup of lncRNAs. Studies have revealed their involvement not only in gastric cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT), and apoptosis but also in chemotherapy resistance and tumor stemness. This review comprehensively summarizes the biological functions, molecular mechanisms, and clinical significance of SNHGs in gastric cancer. It provides novel insights into potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the exploration of gastric cancer.

Efficient macrocyclization facilitated by skeleton preorganization.

Reported here is the efficient macrocyclization facilitated by skeleton preorganization. A pyridylcarbazole macrocycle and a phenylpyridylcarbazole macrocycle was synthesized in yield up to 75%. Single-crystal structures and theoretic computation uncovered that the skeleton preorganization promoted the formation of cyclization-favorable conformation of noncyclic precursors via π⋯π interactions. This result provided a new approach for the efficient syntheses of macrocycles.

[Research progress of caput femoris posterior tilt and its impact on prognosis in nondisplaced femoral neck fractures].

There are still many unresolved problems in the treatment and prognosis of nondisplaced femoral neck fractures, such as nonunion and avascular necrosis of the caput femoris .In order to reduce the risk of various complications after non-displaced femoral neck fractures, the caput femoris posterior tilt of femoral neck fractures and its impact on prognosis have attracted more and more attention. A large number of scholars' studies have found that when the posterior tilt exceeds 20°, the risk of internal fixation failure increases significantly. Based on this concept, we can choose to use primary artificial joint replacement instead of three-screw internal fixation according to the different posterior tilt angles of patients to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. At the same time, our analysis found that comminution of the posterior segment of the femoral neck would lead to an increase in the posterior inclination angles. The purpose of this review was to investigate the relationship between caput femoris posterior tilt of femoral neck fractures and surgical outcome, and to introduce a new method for measuring caput femoris posterior tilt of the femoral neck.