A Visual Measurement Method for Deep Holes in Composite Material Aerospace Components.

The visual measurement of deep holes in composite material workpieces constitutes a critical step in the robotic assembly of aerospace components. The positioning accuracy of assembly holes significantly impacts the assembly quality of components. However, the complex texture of the composite material surface and mutual interference between the imaging of the inlet and outlet edges of deep holes significantly challenge hole detection. A visual measurement method for deep holes in composite materials based on the radial penalty Laplacian operator is proposed to address the issues by suppressing visual noise and enhancing the features of hole edges. Coupled with a novel inflection-point-removal algorithm, this approach enables the accurate detection of holes with a diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 50 mm in composite material components, achieving a measurement precision of 0.03 mm.

Error Analysis of Normal Surface Measurements Based on Multiple Laser Displacement Sensors.

The robotic drilling of assembly holes is a crucial process in aerospace manufacturing, in which measuring the normal of the workpiece surface is a key step to guide the robot to the correct pose and guarantee the perpendicularity of the hole axis. Multiple laser displacement sensors can be used to satisfy the portable and in-site measurement requirements, but there is still a lack of accurate analysis and layout design. In this paper, a simplified parametric method is proposed for multi-sensor normal measurement devices with a symmetrical layout, using three parameters: the sensor number, the laser beam slant angle, and the laser spot distribution radius. A normal measurement error distribution simulation method considering the random sensor errors is proposed. The measurement error distribution laws at different sensor numbers, the laser beam slant angle, and the laser spot distribution radius are revealed as a pyramid-like region. The influential factors on normal measurement accuracy, such as sensor accuracy, quantity and installation position, are analyzed by a simulation and verified experimentally on a five-axis precision machine tool. The results show that increasing the laser beam slant angle and laser spot distribution radius significantly reduces the normal measurement errors. With the laser beam slant angle ≥15° and the laser spot distribution radius ≥19 mm, the normal measurement error falls below 0.05°, ensuring normal accuracy in robotic drilling.

Poor serum uric acid control increases risk for developing hypertension: a retrospective cohort study in China.

Background: Serum uric acid (SUA) has been suggested as a contributor of hypertension. However, reports on the relationship between changes in SUA and hypertension are limited. Hence, we aimed to investigate the potential impact of SUA, especially its change over time, on hypertension incidence. Methods: This dynamic cohort included 6052 participants without hypertension at baseline. Participants were categorized into six grades based on whether baseline SUA was high and whether changes in SUA progressed to hyperuricemia or decreased to normal levels. Grades 1 to 6 represented the participants' SUA control from best to worst. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to explore the association of the grades of SUA control and hypertension incidence. Results: During a median follow-up of 6 years, 2550 (42.1%) participants developed hypertension. After adjusting confounding factors, compared to grade 1 with the best control of SUA, the odds ratios for grades 2 to 6 with worse control were 1.347 (1.109-1.636), 1.138 (0.764-1.693), 1.552 (1.245-1.934), 1.765 (1.170-2.663), and 2.165 (1.566-2.993), respectively. RCS indicated a linear correlation between the risk of hypertension and changes in SUA, and an elevated risk in participants with baseline hyperuricemia. Subgroup analyses showed that grades of SUA control had an interaction with systolic (P = 0.003) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses further determined the robustness of the result that participants with poor SUA control have a higher risk of developing hypertension. Conclusion: Poor SUA control, an increase in SUA over time, rises the risk of developing hypertension regardless of whether the initial SUA is normal or not. Initial hyperuricemia will exacerbate this risk. Effective SUA control should be an important measure for primary prevention of hypertension.

The influence of minimally invasive esophagectomy on wound infection in patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery: A meta-analysis.

The impacts of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) in comparison with open esophagectomy (OE) on postoperative complications, wound infections and hospital length of stay in patients with esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) using meta-analysis to provide reliable evidence for clinical practice. A search strategy was developed and computer searches were performed on Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for clinical studies that reported the effects of MIE in comparison with OE in patients with ESCA. The retrieval time was from their inception to October 2023. Two authors independently performed literature screening, and data extraction and literature quality evaluation were performed separately for the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 17.0 software. Overall, 26 studies with 2427 ESCA patients were included in this study, of which 1203 were in the MIE group and 1224 were in the OE group. The results showed that, compared with OE, ESCA patients who underwent MIE were less likely to develop postoperative wound infections (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 0.20-0.49, p < 0.001) and complications (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.18-0.30, p < 0.001) and have a shorter hospital stay (standardized mean difference = -1.93, 95% CI: -2.38 to -1.48, p < 0.001). MIE has advantages over OE in terms of shorter hospital stay and reduced incidence of postoperative wound infections and complications.

Descriptions of two new species of the botiid genus Leptobotia Bleeker, 1870 (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) from South China.

Two new species of Leptobotia are here described as L. rotundilobus from the Xin'an-Jiang of the upper Qiantang-Jiang basin in both Anhui and Zhejiang Provinces and the Cao'e-Jiang in Zhejiang Province, and L. paucipinna from the Qing-Jiang of the middle Chang-Jiang basin in Hubei Province, South China. Both have a plain brown body as found in L. bellacauda Bohlen & Slechtová, 2016, L. microphthalma Fu & Ye, 1983, L. posterodorsalis Chen & Lan, 1992 and L. tientainensis (Wu, 1930). The two new species are distinct from these species in vertebral counts, further from L. posterodorsalis in vent placement and further from the other three species in pectoral-fin length. Both differ in caudal-fin coloration and shape, and dorsal-fin location and coloration, and also in internal morphology. Their validity is confirmed by their own monophyly recovered in a phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cyt b and COI genes.

A method to protect the endometrium for microwave ablation treating types 1-3 uterine fibroids: a preliminary comparative study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility of percutaneous intrauterine instillation of chilled saline to protect the endometrium during microwave ablation (MWA) treating types 1-3 uterine fibroids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with types 1-3 uterine fibroids were prospectively enrolled in an intrauterine saline instillation group (study group). The same number of patients with types 1-3 uterine fibroids who previously received MWA without endometrial protection were retrospectively included in a control group. Endometrial impairment was evaluated by hysteroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: In the study group, hysteroscopy revealed an intact endometrium in 17 patients, congestion and reddening of the endometrium due to heat in 8 patients, and a burnt necrosis with a size < 1 cm on the functional layer of the endometrium in 1 patient. On MRI, in the study group, there were 17 (65.4%), 6 (23.1%), and 3 (11.5%) patients with grades 0, 1, and 2 endometrial impairment, respectively, but no grade 3 endometrial impairment. In the control group, there were 8 (30.8%), 8 (30.8%), 7 (26.9%), and 3 (11.5%) patients with grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 endometrial impairment, respectively. Endometrial impairment in the study group was significantly better than that in the control group (p = 0.006). One patient had puncture tunnel bleeding and no other complications occurred in the study group. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative percutaneous intrauterine instillation of chilled saline may be effective and safe in reducing the thermal damage to the endometrium caused by MWA for treating types 1-3 uterine fibroids.

Systematic Analysis of the Prognostic Significance and Roles of the Integrin Alpha Family in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer malignancies and the principal cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) account for more than 80% of all lung cancer cases. Recent studies showed that the genes of the integrin alpha (α) (ITGA) subfamily play a fundamental role in various cancers. However, little is known about the expression and roles of distinct ITGA proteins in NSCLCs. METHODS: Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis and UALCAN (University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer) web resources and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), ONCOMINE, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource databases were used to evaluate differential expression, correlations between the expression levels of individual genes, the prognostic value of overall survival (OS) and stage, genetic alterations, protein-protein interactions, and the immune cell infiltration of ITGAs in NSCLCs. We used R (v. 4.0.3) software to conduct gene correlation, gene enrichment, and clinical correlation of RNA sequencing data of 1016 NSCLCs from TCGA. To evaluate the expression of ITGA5/8/9/L at the expression and protein levels, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were performed, respectively. RESULTS: Upregulated levels of ITGA11 messenger RNA and downregulated levels of ITGA1/3/5/7/8/9/L/M/X were observed in the NSCLC tissues. Lower expression of ITGA5/6/8/9/10/D/L was discovered to be expressively associated with advanced tumor stage or poor patient prognosis in patients with NSCLC. A high mutation rate (44%) of the ITGA family was observed in the NSCLCs. Gene Ontology functional enrichment analyses results revealed that the differentially expressed ITGAs could be involved in roles related to extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, collagen-containing ECM cellular components, and ECM structural constituent molecular functions. The results of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that ITGAs may be involved in focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, and amoebiasis; the expression of ITGAs was significantly correlated with the infiltration of diverse immune cells in NSCLCs. ITGA5/8/9/L was also highly correlated with PD-L1 expression. The validation results for marker gene expression in NSCLC tissues by qRT-PCR, IHC, and H&E staining indicated that the expression of ITGA5/8/9/L decreased compared with that in normal tissues. CONCLUSION: As potential prognostic biomarkers in NSCLCs, ITGA5/8/9/L may fulfill important roles in regulating tumor progression and immune cell infiltration.

Combined fine-needle aspiration with core needle biopsy for assessing thyroid nodules: a more valuable diagnostic method?

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of combined fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with core needle biopsy (CNB) in thyroid nodules. METHODS: FNA and CNB were performed simultaneously on 703 nodules. We compared the proportions of inconclusive results and the diagnostic performance for malignancy among FNA, CNB, and combined FNA/CNB for different nodule sizes. RESULTS: Combined FNA/CNB showed lower proportions of inconclusive results than CNB for all nodules (2.8% vs. 5.7%, P<0.001), nodules ≤1.0 cm (4.9% vs. 7.3%, P=0.063), nodules >1.0 cm (2.0% vs. 5.0 %, P<0.001), nodules ≤1.5 cm (3.8% vs. 7.9 %, P<0.001), and nodules >1.5 cm (2.1% vs. 3.9 %, P=0.016). The sensitivity of combined FNA/CNB in predicting malignancy was significantly higher than that of CNB (89.0% vs. 80.0%, P<0.001) and FNA (89.0% vs. 58.1%, P<0.001) for all nodules. Within American College of Radiology Thyroid and Imaging Reporting and Data System grades 4-5, in the subgroup of nodules ≤1.5 cm, combined FNA/ CNB showed the best sensitivity in predicting malignancy (91.4%), significantly higher than that of CNB (81.0%, P<0.001) and FNA (57.8%, P<0.001). However, in the subgroup of nodules >1.5 cm, the difference between combined FNA/CNB and CNB was not significant (84.2% vs. 78.9%, P=0.500). CONCLUSION: Regardless of nodule size, combined FNA/CNB tended to yield lower proportions of inconclusive results than CNB or FNA alone and exhibited higher performance in diagnosing malignancy. The combined FNA/CNB technique may be a more valuable diagnostic method for nodules ≤1.5 cm and nodules with a risk of malignancy than CNB and FNA alone.

[Retracted] Oxidized­low density lipoprotein accumulates cholesterol esters via the PKCα­adipophilin­ACAT1 pathway in RAW264.7 cells.

Following the publication of the above paper, a concerned reader drew to the Editor's attention that the "con" and "ox­LDL" panels in Fig. 1E on p. 3602, and various data panels included in Figs. 3 and 5 on p. 3604, contained apparent anomalies, including what appeared to be matching patternings of cellular data either within the same figure panels or comparing among the data panels. After having conducted an independent investigation in the Editorial Office, the Editor of Molecular Medicine Reports has determined that the above paper should be retracted from the Journal on account of a lack of confidence in the overall authenticity of the data. After having consulted the authors in this regard, they agreed with the decision to retract this paper. The Editor deeply regrets any inconvenience that has been caused to the readership of the Journal. [Molecular Medicine Reports 12: 3599­3606, 2015; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3864.

Ultrasound features affecting the sample adequacy after fine-needle aspiration of thyroid nodules with different risk stratification.

BACKGROUND: The inadequacy samples caused by the internal characteristic structure of thyroid nodules are difficult to be solved. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ultrasound features affecting the sample adequacy after fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules with different risk stratification. METHODS: 592 thyroid nodules that underwent ultrasound-guided FNA were included in this retrospective study. The sample obtained by FNA were classified as inadequacy and adequacy according to the cytopathological results. Ultrasound features (ie., size, position, cystic predominance, composition, echo, shape, margin, and superficial annular calcification status) of the nodules were recorded and compared between the inadequacy sample group and adequacy sample group. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression shows that preponderant cystic proportion (OR, 0.384; P = 0.041), extremely hypoechogenicity and hypoechogenicity (OR, 6.349; P = 0.006) were the independent influencing factors of inadequate samples after FNA in benign expected nodules. In addition, nodule size ≤10 mm (OR, 1.960; P = 0.010) and superficially annular calcification (OR, 4.600; P < 0.001) were independent influencing factors for inadequate samples after FNA in malignant expected nodules. CONCLUSION: The ultrasound features of hypoechogenicity or high cystic proportion in benign expected nodules and that of small size or annular calcification in malignant expected nodules were the risk factors for inadequacy samples by US-guided FNA.

IGF2 inhibits hippocampal over-activated microglia and alleviates depression-like behavior in LPS- treated male mice.

Over-activated microglia and inflammatory mediators are found in patients with depression, while manipulation of the microglia function might represent a potential therapeutic strategy. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) has been implicated in bacterial infections and autoimmune disorders, but the role of IGF2 on the active phenotype of microglia and neuroinflammation has not been well established. IGF2 influences in modulating microglia responding to neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide（LPS）challenge will be carefully examined. In the current study, we verified that systemic IGF2 treatment could produce an anti-depression effect in LPS-treated mice. Particularly, we found that systemic IGF2 treatment inhibited microglia over-activation and prevented its transformation to a pro-inflammatory phenotype, thereby protecting hippocampal neurogenesis. Since microglia reactive to neuroinflammation is a common feature of neuropsychiatric disorders, the discoveries from the present study may provide therapeutic innovation for these diseases.

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of gastric cardia cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Aberrant DNA methylation has been found in various cancer types including gastric cancer, yet the genome-wide DNA methylation profile of gastric cardia cancer (GCC) remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to profile the DNA methylation pattern of GCC and identify promising diagnostic epigenetic biomarkers. METHODS: We investigated the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern in eight pairs of GCC and adjacent normal tissues using Illumina 850K microarrays. Subsequently, bisulfite-pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were performed on eight pairs of GCC-adjacent normal tissues for validation. Finally, we performed immunohistochemistry to examine ADHFE1 expression on 126 pairs of GCC-adjacent normal samples. RESULTS: DNA methylome analysis showed global hypomethylation and local hypermethylation of promoter cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) islands (CGIs) in GCC tissues compared with gastric cardia normal mucosa (P < 2.2 × 10-16 ). Differential methylation analysis identified a total of 91 723 differentially-methylated probes (DMPs), and the candidate gene with the largest average DNA methylation difference mapped to ADHFE1 (mean Δß = 0.53). Subsequently, three DMPs in the ADHFE1 promoter were validated by pyrosequencing. Notably, the mean methylation level of the three candidate DMPs (ADHFE1_cg08090772, ADHFE1_cg19283840, and ADHFE1_cg20295442) was negatively associated with ADHFE1 mRNA expression level (Spearman rho = -0.64, P = 0.01). Moreover, both mRNA (P = 0.0213) and protein (P < 0.0001) expression of ADHFE1 were significantly decreased in GCCs compared with the adjacent normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal DNA methylation aberrations in GCC and that ADHFE1 gene DNA methylation contributes to the risk of GCC, thus providing novel mechanistic insights into gastric cardia cancer carcinogenesis.

Hyperactivation of TRPV4 causes the hippocampal pyroptosis pathway and results in cognitive impairment in LPS-treated mice.

Pyroptosis, a newly discovered proinflammatory programmed cell death, is involved in the regulation of cognitive dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's disease. Exploring potential drug targets that prevent pyroptotic procedures might benefit the development of a cure for these diseases. In the present study, we explored whether the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) blocker HC067047 and knockdown of TRPV4 in the hippocampus could improve cognitive behavior through the inhibition of pyroptosis in a mouse model developed using systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that systemic administration of HC067047 or knockdown of hippocampal TRPV4 prevented the activation of canonical and noncanonical pyroptosis in the hippocampus of LPS-treated mice. Consistent with the inhibition of the hippocampal pyroptosis pathway, a knockdown of hippocampal TRPV4 lowered expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-18, and IL-6. Furthermore, we verified that the main pyroptosis cell type might be a neuron, indicated by reduced neuronal marker expression. Mechanically, we also found that knockdown of hippocampal TRPV4 might inhibit phosphorylation of CamkⅡα which results in NFκb mediated inflammasome reduction in the hippocampus of LPS-treated mice. More interestingly, mice intraperitoneally injected with HC067047 or the hippocampus injected with TRPV4 shRNA showed improved cognitive behavior, as indicated by the enhanced discrimination ratio in the NORT, NOPT, and SNPT. Collectively, we consider that HC067047 might be a small molecular drug that prevents pyroptosis, and TRPV4 could be an effective therapeutic target for preventing pyroptosis-induced cognitive dysfunction.

Molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death in methamphetamine-induced neuronal damage.

Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as METH, is a highly addictive psychostimulant and one of the most commonly misused drugs on the planet. Using METH continuously can increase your risk for drug addiction, along with other health complications like attention deficit disorder, memory loss, and cognitive decline. Neurotoxicity caused by METH is thought to play a significant role in the onset of these neurological complications. The molecular mechanisms responsible for METH-caused neuronal damage are discussed in this review. According to our analysis, METH is closely associated with programmed cell death (PCD) in the process that causes neuronal impairment, such as apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. In reviewing this article, some insights are gained into how METH addiction is accompanied by cell death and may help to identify potential therapeutic targets for the neurological impairment caused by METH abuse.

An Analysis of the Effect of Abrasive/Tool Wear on the Ductile Machining of Fused Silica from the Perspective of Stress.

Understanding the influence mechanism of abrasive/tool wear on machining is the key to realize high-efficiency ultra-precision machining of fused silica. To explore the effect of abrasive/tool wear on ductile machining, the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) cutting models with different edge radii are established. Through the analysis of equivalent rake angle, hydrostatic pressure, cutting force and maximum principal stress with the Flamant's formula, the influence of edge radii on ductile-brittle transition (DBT) is discussed for the first time. The simulation results show that when the edge radius increases from less to larger than the cutting depth, the equivalent rake angle changes from positive to negative, and the maximum hydrostatic pressure gradually increases, which is beneficial to promote the ductile processing. Meanwhile, with the rise of edge radius (i.e., abrasive/tool wear), both the cutting force and crack initiation angle increase, while the friction coefficient and normalized maximum principal decrease. When the value of normalized maximum principal stress exceeds 2.702, the crack in the workpiece begins to initiate, and its initiation angle calculated by the Flamant's formula is in good agreement with the simulation results as well as less than 50°. Finally, the nano-scratch experiment was carried out, and the material removal mechanism and friction coefficient f similar to the simulation were obtained, which further proved the accuracy of SPH model. This study is meaningful for understanding the effect of abrasive/tool wear on the removal mechanism of brittle materials and improving the quality and efficiency of cutting and grinding.

Comparisons of prognosis prediction accuracy between modified and unmodified versions of 8th edition ypTNM.

Background: The prognostic value of the existing 8th edition post-neoadjuvant treatment (ypTNM) appears to be limited, and necessary reassessment and modification should be carried out as needed. This study aimed to compare the prognosis prediction accuracy of modified and unmodified versions of the 8th edition ypTNM. Methods: Esophageal cancer patients who had received neoadjuvant therapy from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included in this observational longitudinal study. The median follow-up time was 26 months. All-cause mortality was the outcome variable. Demographic and clinical variables were collected as covariates. Kaplan-Meier (log-rank test) and Cox proportional hazards models were conducted for developing modified ypTNM staging. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to analyze the discriminative ability of modified ypTNM staging. Results: Overall, 3,595 patients met inclusion criteria. The 8th edition staging was not able to significantly discriminate between patients with ypT1- and ypT2-, ypT3- and ypT4-, ypN2- and ypN3- disease, respectively. Using the modified staging, we found that patients with ypT0-2 [hazard ratio (HR) =1.232; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.053-1.441] and ypT3-4 (HR =1.257; 95% CI: 1.136-1.390) with grade III + IV had a significant risk of death compared to those with grade I + II. As was the case for the ypN0 (HR =1.295; 95% CI: 1.073-1.562) group with middle and upper tumor locations compared to those with low tumor location. The modified staging possessed better homogeneity in terms of the chi-square likelihood ratio (143.443 vs. 102.044), Akaike information criterion (AIC) (32,683.716 vs. 32,719.115), and Schwarz's Bayesian criterion (SBC) (32,723.496 vs. 32,741.847), as well as better discriminatory ability (C-index of 0.577 vs. 0.560, P=0.045) compared to the 8th edition staging. Conclusions: Although the modified ypTNM staging system we created by incorporating tumor grade and location to the original T and N displayed certain prognosis prediction accuracy compared with the 8th edition ypTNM staging, a larger sample size and prospective studies are needed to explore.

Betaine attenuate chronic restraint stress-induced changes in testicular damage and oxidative stress in male mice.

SCOPE: Male fertility and sperm quality are negatively affected by psychological stress. Chronic restraint stress (CRS) is a common psychological stress that has a negative effect on sperm. Betaine (BET), an active ingredient isolated from Lycium barbarum, has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological activities. This study aims to explore whether betaine has a therapeutic effect on sperm deformity and vitality under CRS and its mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Chronic restraint stress was induced in 8-week-old male C57BL/6 J mice by fixation for 6 h a day for 35 days. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with betaine (BET) or normal saline (NS) for 14 days. Thirty-five days later, the animals were sacrificed. The results showed that the detrimental effects of CRS on testes as evident by disrupted histoarchitecture, increased oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis that compromised male fertility. BET injections can reverse these symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: BET can improve spermatogenesis dysfunction caused by CRS, which may provide potential dietary guidance.

CircPLK1 Acts as a Carcinogenic Driver to Promote the Development of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma by Governing the miR-1294/HMGA1 Pathway.

The deregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is involved in cancer development. CircRNA polo-like kinase 1 (circPLK1) was reported to promote breast cancer development. However, the role of circPLK1 in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is unclear. The expression of circPLK1, miR-1294, and high mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Colony formation ability was monitored by colony formation assay. Cell proliferation was detected by EdU assay. Cell migration and cell invasion were monitored by transwell assay. Cancer cell stemness was investigated by sphere formation assay. The protein levels of marker proteins and HMGA1 expression were measured by western blot analysis. The binding relationship between miR-1294 and circPLK1 or HMGA1 was validated by pull-down assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay or RIP assy. Animal study was performed to disclose the role of circPLK1 in vivo. Exosomes were identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). CircPLK1 was upregulated in MPM tumor tissues and cell lines. CircPLK1 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness of MPM cells. CircPLK1 contained a binding site for miR-1294 and thus bound to miR-1294 to sequester its expression. Inhibition of miR-1294 reversed the effects of circPLK1 knockdown. HMGA1 was a target of miR-1294, and circPLK1 bound to miR-1294 to increase the expression of HMGA1. MiR-1294 restoration also suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness of MPM cells, while these effects were abolished by HMGA1 overexpression. In addition, circPLK1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in vivo. CircPLK1 was overexpressed in exosomes derived from serum of MPM patients. CircPLK1 knockdown inhibited MPM cell proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness by targeting the miR-1294/HMGA1 pathway.

An in situ TEM nanoindentation-induced new nanostructure in cadmium zinc telluride.

Phase transformations occurring in a solid govern the structural and physical properties significantly. Nevertheless, deformation-induced phase transition in a soft-brittle solid has not been demonstrated yet. Soft-brittle cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) based instruments have produced technological breakthroughs in the semiconductor industry, and therefore their phase transformations have been widely investigated during the past 60 years. In this study, in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanoindentation was performed on CZT, and it was found that no brittle fracture occurred at a peak load of 41.9 µN, corresponding to a stress of 1.75 GPa. A new nanostructure induced by in situ TEM nanoindentation was observed, consisting of a single crystal, slip bands, stacking faults, a superlattice, a new tetragonal phase, and Moiré fringes. The new tetragonal phase was formed by partial Cd and Te atoms in the (111[combining macron]) plane slipping along the [1[combining macron]21[combining macron]] orientation, which was elucidated by ab initio simulations. It belongs to a tetragonal crystal system, and the lattice distances along the X and Y axes were 0.382 and 0.376 nm, respectively. Our findings provide new insights into the deformation-induced phase transformation for a soft-brittle solid, and have application potential in solar cells, radiation detectors, and medical imaging, quantum, flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Comparison of radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation for benign thyroid nodules: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). METHODS: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched up to September 11, 2020. Volume reduction rate (VRR), symptomatic and cosmetic scores analysed by standardized mean difference (SMD), and complications analysed by risk difference (RD) were performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RFA and MWA for treating BTNs. RESULTS: Five eligible studies were included. 899 patients with 956 BTNs and 869 patients with 938 BTNs received RFA and MWA, respectively. RFA and MWA have the similar pooled 3-month (56.0% vs. 53.9%, p = .668) and 6-month (80.8% vs. 74.9%, p = .080) VRRs. But RFA showed a significantly higher VRR than MWA after 12 months (86.2% vs. 80.0%, p = .036). The pooled symptomatic and cosmetic scores decreased significantly after 6 and 12 months in both RFA and MWA. The improvements of symptoms were equivalent between two groups at 6 (SMD: 1.17 vs. 1.12, p = .930) and 12 (SMD: 1.46 vs. 1.45, p = .930) months. No significant differences in cosmetic scores were found between two groups at 6 (SMD: 0.87 vs. 0.94, p = 0. 334) and 12 (SMD: 1.21 vs. 1.15, p = 0. 872) months. Major (RD = -0.02, P = .107) and minor (RD = 0.00, p = .661) complications did not significantly differ between RFA and MWA. CONCLUSIONS: RFA and MWA are effective and safe treatment modalities for BTNs. But RFA showed a superior 12-month VRR. RFA may have a better long-term effect on volume reduction of nodules compared with MWA.