GALNT6 promotes bladder cancer malignancy and immune escape by epithelial-mesenchymal transition and CD8+ T cells.

Bladder cancer (BC) ranks as the sixth cancer in males and the ninth most common cancer worldwide. Conventional treatment modalities, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, have limited efficacy in certain advanced instances. The involvement of GALNT6-mediated aberrant O-glycosylation modification in several malignancies and immune evasion is a subject of speculation. However, its significance in BC has not been investigated. Through the integration of bioinformatics analysis and laboratory experimentation, we have successfully clarified the role of GALNT6 in BC. Our investigation revealed that GALNT6 has significant expression in BC, and its high expression level correlates with advanced stage and high grade, leading to poor overall survival. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate a strong correlation between elevated levels of GALNT6 and tumor growth, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, there is a negative correlation between elevated GALNT6 levels, the extent of CD8+ T cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, and the prognosis of patients. Functional experiments have shown that the increased expression of GALNT6 could enhance the malignant characteristics of cancer cells by activating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway. In brief, this study examined the impact of GALNT6-mediated abnormal O-glycosylation on the occurrence and progression of bladder cancer and its influence on immune evasion. It also explored the possible molecular mechanism underlying the interaction between tumor cells and immune cells, as well as the bidirectional signaling involved. These findings offer a novel theoretical foundation rooted in glycobiology for the clinical application of immunotherapy in BC.

AESurv: autoencoder survival analysis for accurate early prediction of coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Accurate time-to-event CHD prediction models with high-dimensional DNA methylation and clinical features may assist with early prediction and intervention strategies. We developed a state-of-the-art deep learning autoencoder survival analysis model (AESurv) to effectively analyze high-dimensional blood DNA methylation features and traditional clinical risk factors by learning low-dimensional representation of participants for time-to-event CHD prediction. We demonstrated the utility of our model in two cohort studies: the Strong Heart Study cohort (SHS), a prospective cohort studying cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among American Indians adults; the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a prospective cohort study including randomized clinical trials and observational study to improve postmenopausal women's health with one of the main focuses on cardiovascular disease. Our AESurv model effectively learned participant representations in low-dimensional latent space and achieved better model performance (concordance index-C index of 0.864 ± 0.009 and time-to-event mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve-AUROC of 0.905 ± 0.009) than other survival analysis models (Cox proportional hazard, Cox proportional hazard deep neural network survival analysis, random survival forest, and gradient boosting survival analysis models) in the SHS. We further validated the AESurv model in WHI and also achieved the best model performance. The AESurv model can be used for accurate CHD prediction and assist health care professionals and patients to perform early intervention strategies. We suggest using AESurv model for future time-to-event CHD prediction based on DNA methylation features.

Stabilization effect of nano-SiO2@iron-phosphorus on ferrallisols, calcareous soil and organic soil heavily polluted by heavy metals: A fast reaction curing stabilization process.

The remediation of soil pollution by heavy metals (HMs) presents a significant challenge in environmental restoration. Stabilization remediation technology has proven effective in treating HMs contaminated soil. However, its development is constrained by drawbacks such as slow reaction kinetics and low adsorption capacity. This research synthesized a nano-SiO2@iron­phosphorus (FPOH) material by SiO32- encapsulating the iron-phosphate precipitate obtained from Fe ion and phosphate. In addition, this research applied this material to ferrallisols, calcareous soils and organic soils with three different levels of high pollution by Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn. The experimental results indicate that all experimental soils stabilized rapidly within 1 day and met the requirements of remediation engineering standards (ChinaMEE HJ 1282-2023). Analysis of the possible mechanisms suggests that the FPOH material effectively fills voids with phosphate mineral formation, preventing the secondary release of HMs. During the stabilization process, FPOH involves the adsorption of free ions and small organic molecules in the soil, which does not affect its high reactivity. The development and utilization of FPOH offer valuable insights for soil stabilization remediation.

Tumor-Targeted CO Nanodelivery System Design and Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

In recent years, carbon monoxide (CO) has garnered increased attention as a novel green therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. However, the CO donor is still limited in clinical application due to its lack of targeted ability and unstable release rate. Here, self-assembled amphiphilic nanomicelles glucose-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-lipoic acid (LA)-Fe2(CO)6 (Glu-Fe2(CO)6) are first designed as a CO donor and synthesized via a chemical method, combining glucose with Fe2(CO)6 through PEG-LA. Some advantages of this tumor-targeted Glu-Fe2(CO)6 delivery system include (I) good water-solubility, (II) the glutathione responsive CO slow release, (III) the active tumor-targeted ability of glucose as targeted ligands, and (IV) outstanding efficacy of antitumor and safety of CO therapy of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that Glu-Fe2(CO)6 nanomicelles hold promise for enhancing antitumor therapeutic capabilities, presenting a novel tumor-targeted delivery strategy in gas therapy for HCC treatment.

Understanding the relationships among adolescents' internet dependence, reward, cognitive control processing, and learning burnout: a network perspective in China.

Alterations in the reward and cognitive control systems are commonly observed among adolescents with internet dependence (ID), and this impairment is often accompanied by social dysfunctions, such as academic burnout. However, the intercorrelations among ID, reward, cognitive control processing, and learning burnout remain unclear. We recruited 1074 Chinese adolescents to investigate the complex interrelationships among these variables using network analysis. The resulting network revealed patterns that connected ID to the behavioral inhibition/activation system (BIS/BAS), self-control, and learning burnout; these results exhibited reasonable stability and test-retest consistency. Throughout the network, the node of BAS-drive was the critical influencing factor, and the node of self-control was the protection factor. In addition, several symptoms of learning burnout and ID were positively associated with sensitivity to punishment. As revealed by the network comparison test, the network constructed among internet dependent (ID) group differed from the network constructed among internet nondependent (IND) group not only in the edges between BIS and learning burnout but also in terms of the edges associated with learning burnout. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the complex mechanisms underlying ID among adolescents from the perspective of the network relationships between core influencing factors and negative consequences. It validates the dual-system model of risky behavior among adolescents and offers a foundation for early warning and interventions for ID in this context.

Meta-regression of idiopathic full-thickness macular holes diameter and anatomical closure rate: Implications to intraoperative technique.

Purpose: Primary surgery failure of macular holes causes poor visual acuity outcomes. Several studies indicate that small-medium idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (iFTMH) have consistent and high anatomical closure rates after vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, regardless of iFTMH diameters. However, there is no systematic analysis examining the relationship between iFTMH diameters and anatomical closure rates. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-regression, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases on October 24th, 2022. We included studies regarding iFTMH, with ILM peeling/inverted flap technique, long-lasting gas tamponade, and face-down position after surgery. Univariable meta-regression with a restricted cubic spline model and component-plus-residual plot after covariables adjustment were used to explore non-linear association. Results: A total of 7257 participants from 19 randomized controlled trials and 49 observational studies were included in this meta-analysis. In ILM peeling group, every 100-µm increment in diameter was associated with a 3.8 % (95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.8%-5.7 %, P < 0.001) relatively lower anatomical closure rate. Yet, among studies using the inverted flap technique, baseline iFTMH diameter was not associated with a lower anatomical closure rate (0.2 %, 95%CI, -4.2 %-4.5 %, P > 0.9). The restricted cubic spline model and component-plus-residual plot controlling for age, sex, and symptom duration prior to surgery showed no evident non-linearity in both surgical techniques. Conclusions: The iFTMH diameter is linear and inversely associated with the anatomical closure rate after the ILM peeling technique, but not with the inverted flap technique. The present study supports the use of advanced techniques, e.g., inverted flap technique, in small-medium iFTMH to improve anatomical closure rates.

Extracellular Vesicle-Encapsulated microRNAs and Respiratory Health Among American Indians in the Strong Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: American Indian populations have experienced marked disparities in respiratory disease burden. Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) are a novel class of biomarkers that may improve recognition of lung damage in indigenous populations. RESEARCH QUESTION: Are plasma EV-miRNAs viable biomarkers of respiratory health in American Indian populations? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The Strong Heart Study (SHS) is a prospective cohort study that enrolled American Indians aged 45 to 74 years. EV-miRNA expression was measured in plasma (1993-1995). Respiratory health outcomes, including pre-bronchodilator FEV1, FVC, and respiratory symptom burden, were ascertained in the same study visit. Club cell secretory protein (CC-16), an antiinflammatory pneumoprotein implicated in COPD pathogenesis, was measured in serum. Linear and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. Biological pathway analyses were used to elucidate gene targets of significant EV-miRNAs. RESULTS: Among 853 American Indian adults, three EV-miRNAs were associated with FEV1, four EV-miRNAs were associated with FVC, and one EV-miRNA was associated with FEV1/FVC (P < .05). Increased miR-1294 expression was associated with higher odds of airflow limitation (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.07-1.55), whereas increased expression of miR-1294 (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.07-1.63) and miR-532-5p (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.02-2.40) was associated with higher odds of restriction. Increased miR-451a expression was associated with lower odds of exertional dyspnea (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.85). Twenty-two EV-miRNAs were associated with serum CC-16 levels (q < 0.05), suggesting that EV-miRNAs may play a role in the pathway linking CC-16 to COPD pathogenesis. A pathway analysis showed key EV-miRNAs targeted biological pathways that modulate inflammation, immunity, and structural integrity in the lungs. INTERPRETATION: Circulating EV-miRNAs are novel mechanistic biomarkers of respiratory health and may facilitate the early detection and treatment of lung damage in American Indian populations that have been disproportionately affected by chronic lung diseases.

Combined systemic inflammatory immune index and prognostic nutrition index as chemosensitivity and prognostic markers for locally advanced gastric cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis nutritional index (PNI) and the systemic inflammatory immunological index (SII) are characteristic indicators of the nutritional state and the systemic inflammatory response, respectively. However, there is an unknown combined effect of these indicators in the clinic. Therefore, the practicality of using the SII-PNI score to predict prognosis and tumor response of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) following chemotherapy was the main focus of this investigation. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 181 patients with LAGC who underwent curative resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a prospective study (NCT01516944). We divided these patients into tumour regression grade(TRG) 3 and non-TRG3 groups based on tumor response (AJCC/CAP guidelines). The SII and PNI were assessed and confirmed the cut-off values before treatment. The SII-PNI values varied from 0 to 2, with 2 being the high SII (≥ 471.5) as well as low PNI (≤ 48.6), a high SII or low PNI is represented by a 1 and neither is represented by a 0, respectively. RESULTS: 51 and 130 samples had TRG3 and non-TRG3 tumor responses respectively. Patients with TRG3 had substantially higher SII-PNI scores than those without TRG3 (p < 0.0001). Patients with greater SII-PNI scores had a poorer prognosis (p < 0.0001). The SII-PNI score was found to be an independent predictor of both overall survival (HR = 4.982, 95%CI: 1.890-10.234, p = 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR = 4.763, 95%CI: 1.994-13.903, p = 0.001) in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The clinical potential and accuracy of low-cost stratification based on SII-PNI score in forecasting tumor response and prognosis in LAGC is satisfactory.

Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Biological Aging During Pregnancy and in Newborns.

Importance: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), potentially traumatic experiences occurring before the age of 18 years, are associated with epigenetic aging later in life and may be transmitted across generations. Objective: To test evidence of the transmission of biological embedding of life experience across generations by analyzing maternal ACEs and epigenetic clocks measured in mothers during pregnancy and in their children at birth. Design, Setting, and Participants: For this cross-sectional study, data from the Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies (ARIES) substudy of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were analyzed. The ALSPAC study recruited 14 541 women who gave birth in the Avon Health District in the UK between April 1, 1991, and December 31, 1992. The ARIES substudy comprised 1018 mother-offspring dyads based on the availability of DNA samples profiled in 2014. Epigenetic age was estimated using DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks (including Horvath, Hannum, GrimAge, PhenoAge, and DunedinPACE) in mothers during pregnancy and the Knight and Bohlin cord blood epigenetic clocks in newborns. Analyses were performed between October 1, 2022, and November 30, 2023. Exposures: A composite measure of maternal ACEs was the primary exposure in both maternal and offspring models; as a secondary analysis, individual ACEs were measured separately. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to investigate depression during pregnancy as an exposure. Main Outcomes and Measures: Changes in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) were investigated as the primary outcome in maternal models during pregnancy. Changes in epigenetic gestational age acceleration (GAA) were the primary outcome in offspring analyses. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the association between maternal ACEs and both outcomes. Results: This study included 883 mother-child dyads. The mean (SD) maternal age at delivery was 29.8 (4.3) years. Pregnant women with higher ACE scores exhibited higher GrimAge EAA (ß, 0.22 [95% CI, 0.12 to 0.33] years; P < .001). Maternal ACEs were not associated with GAA in newborns using P < .05 as a cutoff to determine statistical significance. Depression was associated with higher GrimAge EAA (ß, 0.06 [95% CI, 0.02 to 0.10] years; P = .01) in mothers during pregnancy, but not in newborns, and did not mediate the association between ACEs and EAA. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this study suggest that maternal ACEs may be associated with epigenetic aging later in life, including during pregnancy, supporting a role for maternal ACEs in offspring development and health later in life.

Labeled sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor based on Ti3C2Tx/AuNP and Ti3C2Tx/HKUST-1/TB composites for early liver cancer detection.

A novel sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of the liver cancer marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in human serum is proposed. The two-dimensional MXene material Ti3C2Tx was first prepared using etching and ultrasonic stripping, and then Ti3C2Tx was used to reduce chloroauric acid to form Ti3C2Tx/AuNP composites which were modified on the surface of the glassy carbon electrodes to form probe-type sensors. The Ti3C2Tx/AuNPs provide a large number of binding sites for the AFP capture antibody (Ab1) and increase the electrochemical reaction active site. The Ti3C2Tx/copper metal-organic frameworks HKUST-1 composite was also prepared by solvothermal method and combined with toluidine blue (TB) and AFP detection antibody (Ab2) to form a labeled sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor. The sensor achieved trace detection of AFP from 0.1 to 100 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.073 pg/mL and possesses good selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. The sensor performs well in clinical samples and has good potential for clinical applications.

The association between toenail metals and extracellular MicroRNAs (ex-miRNAs) among the participants of the Normative Aging study (NAS).

BACKGROUND: Mechanistic studies of the effects of environmental risk factors have been exploring the potential role of microRNA(miRNAs) as a possible pathway to clinical disease. In this study we examine whether levels of toenail metals are associated with changes in extracellular miRNA(ex-miRNA) expression. METHODS: We used data derived from the Normative Aging Study from 1996 to 2014 to conduct our analyses. We looked at associations between measured toenail metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, and mercury and 282 ex-miRNAs in this population using canonical correlation analyses (CCAs) and longitudinal median regression. We adjusted for covariates such as age, education, body mass index, drinking and smoking behaviors, diabetes, and where available, seafood consumption. The p-values obtained from regression analyses were corrected for multiple comparisons. Ex-miRNAs identified to be associated with toenail metal levels were further examined using pathway analyses. RESULTS: Our dataset included 937 observations from 589 men with an average age of 72.9 years at baseline. Both our correlation and regression analyses identified lead and cadmium as exposures most strongly associated with ex-miRNA expression. Numerous ex-miRNAs were identified as being associated with toenail metal levels. miR-27b-3p, in particular, was found to have high correlation with the first canonical dimension in the CCA and was significantly associated with cadmium in the regression analysis. Pathway analyses revealed messenger RNA (mRNA) targets for the ex-miRNAs that were associated with a number of clinical disorders including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders, etc. CONCLUSION: Toenail metals were associated with changes in ex-miRNA levels in both correlational and regression analyses. The ex-miRNAs identified can be linked to a variety of clinical disorders. Further studies are required to validate these findings.

Eco-friendly film with highly efficient sterilization for food preservation by incorporating natural products into starch/polyvinyl alcohol matrix.

An advanced biodegradable packaging film with antimicrobial and fresh-maintaining functions was constructed by incorporating berberine and L-arginine into the starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film matrix. The film was endowed with a dual antibacterial capacity thanks to the intrinsic antibacterial capability of berberine and cascaded photodynamic sterilization. The aggregated berberine presents an excellent photodynamic activity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which further triggers the NO release from L-arginine. Under the synergetic action of ROS and NO, the as-prepared film not only has an antibacterial efficiency of over 99 % against both S. aureus and E. coli but also delays fruit ripening through antagonistic effects on ethylene to extend the shelf life of food. Meanwhile, the as-prepared film presents UV-shielding properties, thermal stability, and considerable mechanical properties. Specifically, the packaging film exhibits good biocompatibility and is biodegradable, with a degradation rate of 56 % within 16 days, which has great potential for improving food safety and environmental events.

Extracellular microRNAs associated with psychiatric symptoms in the Normative Aging Study.

Earlier studies have revealed microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers for neurological conditions, however, such evidence on psychiatric outcomes is limited. We utilized the Normative Aging Study (NAS) cohort to investigate the associations between extracellular miRNAs (ex-miRNA) and psychiatric symptoms among a group of older male adults, along with the targeted genes and biological pathways. We studied 569 participants with miRNA profile primarily measured in extracellular vesicles isolated from plasma, and psychiatric symptoms reported over 1996-2014 with repeated measures. Global and dimension scales of psychiatric symptoms were measured via the administration of Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) per visit covering nine aspects of psychiatric health, such as anxiety, depression, hostility, psychoticism, etc. Ex-miRNAs were profiled using small RNA sequencing. Associations of expression of 395 ex-miRNAs (present in >70% samples) with current mental status were assessed using single-miRNA as well as Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO)-based multi-miRNAs linear mixed effects models adjusting for key demographic and behavioral factors. Biological functions were explored using pathway analyses. We identified ex-miRNAs associated with each BSI scale. In particular, hsa-miR-320d was consistently identified for two global scales. Similar overlapping miRNAs across global and dimension scores included hsa-miR-379-3p, hsa-miR-1976, hsa-miR-151a-5p, hsa-miR-151b, hsa-miR-144-3p, etc. Top KEGG pathways for identified miRNAs included p53 signaling, Hippo signaling, FoxO signaling, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum and several pathways related with cancer and neurological diseases. This study provided early evidence supporting the associations between extracellular miRNAs and psychiatric conditions. MiRNAs may serve as biomarkers of subclinical psychiatric illness in older adults.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy is associated with reduced live birth rates in fresh but not frozen donor oocyte in vitro fertilization cycles: an analysis of 18,562 donor cycles reported to Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) on first transfer live birth rate (LBR) and cumulative LBR (CLBR) in donor oocyte in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System database. SETTING: Fertility centers reporting to Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. PATIENT(S): A total of 11,348 fresh and 7,214 frozen-thawed donor oocyte IVF cycles were analyzed. INTERVENTION(S): The first reported donor stimulation cycle per patient between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2015, and all linked embryo transfer cycles between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016, were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Live birth rate was compared for patients using fresh and frozen-thawed donor oocytes, with or without PGT-A. Logistic regression models were adjusted for age, body mass index, gravidity, infertility etiology, and prior IVF cycles. RESULT(S): Among patients who had blastocysts available for transfer or PGT-A, the use of PGT-A was associated with a decreased first transfer LBR (46.9 vs. 53.2%) and CLBR (58.4 vs. 66.6%) in fresh oocyte donor cycles compared with no PGT-A. Live birth rate in frozen-thawed oocyte donor cycles with PGT-A were nominally higher than those without PGT-A (48.3% vs. 40.5%) but were not statistically significant in multivariable logistic regression models. Early pregnancy loss was not significantly different with and without PGT-A. Multiple gestation, preterm birth, and low birth weight infants were all reduced with the addition of PGT-A in fresh donor oocyte cycles, although these outcomes were not significantly different when comparing single embryo transfers in fresh oocyte cycles and also not significantly different among frozen-thawed donor oocyte cycles. CONCLUSION(S): Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy in fresh oocyte donor cycles was associated with decreased LBR and CLBR, whereas effects on frozen-thawed oocyte donor cycles were clinically negligible. Obstetric benefits associated with PGT-A in fresh donor cycles appear linked to increased single embryo transfer.

A retrospective comparison of the impact of industry payments on assisted reproductive technology practice and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether industry payments to physicians are associated with a difference in assisted reproductive technology practices and outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Assisted reproductive technology centers. PATIENT(S): Patients undergoing asissted reproduction. INTERVENTION(S): Industry payments reported to the Open Payments 2020 database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The live birth rate, frozen embryo transfer (FET) rate, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) rate, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) rate, and percentage of patients aged >40 years were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020 database. Linear regression analysis was performed comparing the percentage of physicians per center receiving industry payments to clinic-level outcomes. RESULT(S): A total of 873 reproductive endocrinology and infertility physicians received payments in the 2020 database. At least one physician received a payment in 80.5% (437/543) of in vitro fertilization centers. Of 1,724 reproductive endocrinology and infertility physicians, 873 (50.6%) received at least one payment in 2020. The live birth, ICSI, FET, and PGT rates and percentage of patients aged >40 years did not significantly differ between centers by percentage of physicians receiving industry payments. However, in the subanalysis of 99 large centers (defined as ≥5 physicians), each increase in the percentage of physicians receiving industry payments was associated with increases of 0.20% (95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.39) and 0.14% (95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.24) in the PGT and FET rates, respectively. The live birth, ICSI rates and percentage of patients aged >40 years were not associated with increased industry payment rates to physicians. CONCLUSION(S): Industry payments were not associated with differences in in vitro fertilization center outcomes overall. However, large centers with more physicians receiving industry payments may be more likely to use additional procedures such as PGT and FET, without improvement in the final outcomes such as the live birth rate. Further research is needed to determine whether these differences reflect the industry payment influence vs. individual center/provider practice habits in larger practices.

Prediction of As and Cd dissolution in various soils under flooding condition.

Although the mobility of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in soils during the flooding-drainage process has been intensively studied, predicting their dissolution among various soils still remains a challenge. After comprehensively monitoring multiple parameters related to As and Cd dissolution in 8 soils for a 60-day anaerobic incubation, the redundancy analysis (RDA) and structural equation model (SEM) were employed to identify the key factors and influencing pathways controlling the dynamic release of As and Cd. Results showed that pH alone explained 90.5 % Cd dissolution, while the dissolved-Fe(II) and 5 M-HCl extractable Fe(II) jointly only explained 50.6 % As dissolution. After data normalization, the ratio of Fe(II) to 5 M-HCl extracted total Fe (i.e. FetotII/Fetot) significantly improved the correlation to R2 = 0.824 (p < 0.001) with a fixed slope of 0.393 among the 8 soils. Our results highlight the crucial role played by the reduction degree of total iron contents in determining both the reduction and dissolution of As during flooding. In contrast, dissolved-Fe(II) was too vulnerable to soil properties to be a stable indicator of As dissolution. Therefore, we propose to replace the dissolved-Fe(II) with this novel ratio as the key index to quantitatively assess the kinetic change of As solubility potential across various soils under flooding conditions.

Biofunctional photoelectrochemical/electrochemical immunosensor based on BiVO4/BiOI-MWCNTs and Au@PdPt for alpha-fetoprotein detection.

A biofunctional immunosensor combining photoelectrochemical (PEC) and electrochemical (EC) was proposed for the quantitative detection of the liver cancer marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in human blood. BiVO4/BiOI-MWCNTs photoactive materials were first prepared on conductive glass FTO, and the photoelectrode was functionalized by chitosan and glutaraldehyde. Then, the AFP capture antibody (Ab1) was successfully modified on the photoelectrode, and the label-free rapid detection of AFP antigen was achieved by PEC. In addition, Au@PdPt nanospheres were also used as a marker for binding to AFP detection antibody (Ab2). Due to the excellent catalytic properties of Au@PdPt in EC reaction, a signal increase in the EC response can be achieved when Ab2 binds to the AFP antigen, which ensures high sensitivity for the detection of AFP. The detection limits of PEC and EC are 0.050 pg/mL and 0.014 pg/mL, respectively. The sensor also possesses good specificity, stability and reproducibility, shows excellent performance in the detection of clinical samples and has good clinical applicability.

Exploring the Association between Serum B Vitamins, Homocysteine and Mental Disorders: Insights from Mendelian Randomization.

Previous studies show that B vitamins and homocysteine (Hcy) may be associated with mental disorders, but the accurate causal relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the potential causal relationship of serum B vitamins and Hcy levels with five common mental disorders through a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. In this MR analysis, 50 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)-13 related to folate, 17 to vitamin B6, 8 to vitamin B12 and 12 to Hcy-were obtained from a large-scale Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) database and employed as instrumental variables (IVs). The MR analyses were conducted using the inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median (WM), MR-Egger methods and sensitivity analyses were further performed to test the robustness. This MR study found a suggestive causal relationships between serum vitamin B12 levels and the risk of anxiety disorders (odds ratio (OR): 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.78, p = 0.046) and bipolar affective disorders (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.16-2.96, p = 0.010). However, folate, vitamin B6 and Hcy levels may not be causally associated with the risk of mental disorders. In conclusion, this study reveals that elevated serum vitamin B12 levels might suggestively increase the risk of anxiety and bipolar affective disorders, even though horizontal pleiotropy cannot be completely eliminated. The potential implications of our results warrant validation in larger GWAS based on diverse populations.

Adaptive assessment based on fractional CBCT images for cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: Anatomical and other changes during radiotherapy will cause inaccuracy of dose distributions, therefore the expectation for online adaptive radiation therapy (ART) is high in effectively reducing uncertainties due to intra-variation. However, ART requires extensive time and effort. This study investigated an adaptive assessment workflow based on fractional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. METHODS: Image registration, synthetic CT (sCT) generation, auto-segmentation, and dose calculation were implemented and integrated into ArcherQA Adaptive Check. The rigid registration was based on ITK open source. The deformable image registration (DIR) method was based on a 3D multistage registration network, and the sCT generation method was performed based on a 2D cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN). The auto-segmentation of organs at risk (OARs) on sCT images was finished by a deep learning-based auto-segmentation software, DeepViewer. The contours of targets were obtained by the structure-guided registration. Finally, the dose calculation was based on a GPU-based Monte Carlo (MC) dose code, ArcherQA. RESULTS: The dice similarity coefficient (DSCs) were over 0.86 for target volumes and over 0.79 for OARs. The gamma pass rate of ArcherQA versus Eclipse treatment planning system was more than 99% at the 2%/2 mm criterion with a low-dose threshold of 10%. The time for the whole process was less than 3 min. The dosimetric results of ArcherQA Adaptive Check were consistent with the Ethos scheduled plan, which can effectively identify the fractions that need the implementation of the Ethos adaptive plan. CONCLUSION: This study integrated AI-based technologies and GPU-based MC technology to evaluate the dose distributions using fractional CBCT images, demonstrating remarkably high efficiency and precision to support future ART processes.

Monocular Pose Estimation Method for Automatic Citrus Harvesting Using Semantic Segmentation and Rotating Target Detection.

The lack of spatial pose information and the low positioning accuracy of the picking target are the key factors affecting the picking function of citrus-picking robots. In this paper, a new method for automatic citrus fruit harvest is proposed, which uses semantic segmentation and rotating target detection to estimate the pose of a single culture. First, Faster R-CNN is used for grab detection to identify candidate grab frames. At the same time, the semantic segmentation network extracts the contour information of the citrus fruit to be harvested. Then, the capture frame with the highest confidence is selected for each target fruit using the semantic segmentation results, and the rough angle is estimated. The network uses image-processing technology and a camera-imaging model to further segment the mask image of the fruit and its epiphyllous branches and realize the fitting of contour, fruit centroid, and fruit minimum outer rectangular frame and three-dimensional boundary frame. The positional relationship of the citrus fruit to its epiphytic branches was used to estimate the three-dimensional pose of the citrus fruit. The effectiveness of the method was verified through citrus-planting experiments, and then field picking experiments were carried out in the natural environment of orchards. The results showed that the success rate of citrus fruit recognition and positioning was 93.6%, the average attitude estimation angle error was 7.9°, and the success rate of picking was 85.1%. The average picking time is 5.6 s, indicating that the robot can effectively perform intelligent picking operations.