Establishment of efficient system for bagasse bargaining: Combining fractionation of saccharides, recycling of high-viscosity solvent and dismantling.

Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) has a recalcitrant structure, which hinders its component dismantling and subsequent high value utilization. Some organic solvents are favorable to dismantle lignocellulose, but their high viscosity prevents separation of components and reuse of solvents. Herein, ethylene glycol phenyl ether (EGPE)-acid system is used as an example to develop green and efficient methods to dismantle SCB, purify polysaccharides and lignin, and reuse solvents. Results show that dismantling SCB at 130 °C, 0.5 % H2SO4, and 100 min can obtain 85.5 % cellulose recovery, 94.1 % hemicellulose removal and 83.7 % lignin removal. Different molecular weight saccharides are separated by membranes filtration and centrifugation, and lignin recovered by antisolvent precipitation. The solvent recovered by distillation, achieving high dismantling efficiency of 89.2 % cellulose recovery, 94.1 % hemicellulose removal and 94.4 % lignin removal after four recycles. Results show a promising approach for the closed-loop process of dismantling lignocellulose, fractionating saccharides, and reusing solvents in high-viscosity systems.

Postoperative Radiotherapy in Curatively Resected Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Occult Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Lymph Node Metastasis.

OBJECTIVES: Surgery is the mainstream treatment for early-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and occult recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node metastasis (RLNM) is not uncommon among those with R0 resection. The clinical value of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with RLNM only is still controversial. METHODS: Consecutive patients with early-stage ESCC treated with R0 resection and pathologically confirmed RLNM only from June 2012 to July 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. PORT, covering the supraclavicular and superior mediastinum area (small T-field) at a dose of 50.4 Gy for 28 fractions, was performed in some patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the baseline characteristics between patients with or without PORT. Pattern of failure, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared. RESULTS: Among the 189 patients identified, 69 (35.5%) received PORT and the other 120 (63.5%) did not. After PSM, 154 patients were included in the matched cohort, including 62 in the PORT group and 92 in the non-PORT group. With a median follow-up of 48 (95% CI: 40.3-55.7) months, 69 patients developed their initial disease recurrence in the whole population and PORT significantly decreased the frequency of local recurrence (61.2% vs 21.4%) among those with recurrent disease. Additionally, in the PSM matched cohort, PORT significantly prolonged patients' DFS (HR 0.393, P = 0.002) and OS (HR 0.462, P = 0.020). Moreover, PORT remained as the independent factor associated with improved DFS (HR 0.360, P = 0.001) and OS (HR 0.451, P = 0.021) after multivariate Cox analyses. In addition, tumor location and pathological TNM stage were found to be independent prognostic factors associated with survival outcomes. CONCLUSION: PORT is associated with improved DFS and OS in ESCC patients with R0 resection and RLNM only, which warrants future validation.

[Effects of Continuous Cropping on the Physiochemical Properties, Pesticide Residues, and Microbial Community in the Root Zone Soil of Lycium barbarum].

Continuous cropping is a common obstacle limiting the high quality and yield of Lycium barbarum （wolfberry）. To clarify the response of soil characteristics of the wolfberry root zone to continuous cropping years, we systematically determined the physicochemical properties and pesticide residues of soils in the wolfberry root zone with different continuous cropping years. In addition, soil bacterial and fungal communities were characterized using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results were as follows： The content of total salt and imidacloprid in the root zone of wolfberry increased with increasing years of continuous cropping. Compared to that with 2 and 9 years, the total salt content in the root zone of wolfberry with 15 years of continuous cropping increased by 51.97% and 54.33%, respectively, and the imidacloprid content increased by 39.58% and 36.61%, respectively. Alkaline nitrogen and available potassium showed an increasing and then decreasing trend. Compared to that with 2 and 15 years, alkaline nitrogen and available potassium in the root-soil of wolfberry with 9 years of continuous cropping increased by 16.94%-28.09% and 18.31%-18.34%, respectively. The diversity and abundance of bacterial communities and the abundance of fungal communities were higher in the root-soil of wolfberry with 9 years of continuous cropping compared to that with 15 years of continuous cropping. In addition, the increase in continuous cropping years also increased the accumulation of harmful plant pathogens such as Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Actinomucor, and Trichoderma in the root zone of L. barbarum. Soil total salinity, organic matter, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen, and available potassium were the main factors influencing the distribution of bacterial communities. Soil alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen, available potassium, and ammonium nitrogen were the main factors influencing the distribution of fungal communities. In addition, the soil bacteria in the root zone of L. barbarum were dominated by metabolic functions； in particular, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism were most abundant in the root soil of wolfberry with 9 years of continuous cropping, whereas the highest abundance of functional genes related to membrane translocation was found in the root-soil of wolfberry with 15 years of continuous cropping. The soil fungi were all dominated by saprophytic trophic types, followed by pathogenic cross-nutrients in the root zone of L. barbarum. In conclusion, long-term continuous cropping induced changes in the soil microenvironment in the root zone of L. barbarum, increased soil residues of harmful pesticides and the enrichment of plant pathogens, and reduced the diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities. Therefore, it is necessary to control the rate of application of soil nutrients and pesticides in the management of L. barbarum and to carry out deep ploughing and deep tilling in good time, and the turnover of old plants in the cultivation of L. barbarum.

Scatterer spacing based on Gabor atoms matched from harmonic ultrasound echoes to improve assessment of microwave-induced thermal lesions.

BACKGROUND: Microwave ablation (MWA) is a minimally invasive alternative for the treatment of unresectable liver tumors. To verify the effectiveness and safety of MWA, it is critical to measure the temperature variation and assess the regions of the microwave-induced thermal lesions. PURPOSE: Recent studies have indicated that the locations of optimally matched Gabor atoms (LOMGA) from ultrasound radiofrequency (RF) echo signals allow accurate and stable scatterer spacing estimation. Herein, a harmonic-based LOMGA method is proposed to estimate the scatterer spacing for improving the assessment of microwave-induced thermal lesions. METHODS: The mean scatterer spacing (MSS) is estimated via the LOMGA method incorporating the selection of concise atoms from separated second-harmonic RF echo signals with the pulse-inversion algorithm for thermal lesion evaluation. In vitro experiments, 10 fresh porcine liver samples were ablated at different time nodes during the ablation period, and 200 sets of second-harmonic and fundamental RF echo signals were randomly selected from the regions of interest in the coagulated liver samples for MSS estimation. The means and standard deviations of the MSSs, as well as the linear regression for the mean MSSs, were calculated from fundamental and second-harmonic signals for comparison and evaluation, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the 200 sets of fundamental-based and harmonic-based MSS estimates from the 10 liver samples at five pairs of adjacent time nodes were calculated, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were performed for the five pairs of adjacent time nodes. The fundamental and harmonic-based p-values in the ANOVA tests and the areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were calculated to statistically analyze the differences in the MSSs between adjacent time nodes. RESULTS: The harmonic-based increments in the intensity variation and coherent components were larger than the fundamental-based increments with the increasing ablation time. The harmonic-based MSSs from the 10 liver samples at five pairs of adjacent time nodes were found to be highly statistically significant (p < 0.01). Thus, the harmonic-based MSSs had greater variations. Compared with the fundamental-based results, for the five preset ST values, the average increment in the harmonic-based mean slopes was 69.22% and the average decrement in the mean standard deviations was 11.67% for the linear-fitting MSS results, and the results were statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Harmonic-based MSSs are more sensitive and robust to variations in coagulated tissues, which is advantageous for the assessment of microwave-induced thermal lesions.

Targeted discovery of gut microbiome-remodeling compounds for the treatment of systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a severe inflammatory response that can lead to organ dysfunction and death. Modulating the gut microbiome is a promising therapeutic approach for managing SIRS. This study assesses the therapeutic potential of the Xuanfei Baidu (XFBD) formula in treating SIRS. The results showed that XFBD administration effectively reduced mortality rates and inflammation in SIRS mice. Using 16S rRNA sequencing and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), we substantiated that the therapeutic effects of XFBD are partly attributed to gut microbiota modulation. We conducted in vitro experiments to accurately assess the gut microbiome remodeling effects of 51 compounds isolated from XFBD. These compounds exhibited varying abilities to induce a microbial structure that closely resembles that of the healthy control group. By quantifying their impact on microbial structure and clustering their regulatory patterns, we devised multiple gut microbiome remodeling compound (GMRC) cocktails. GMRC cocktail C, comprising aucubin, gentiopicroside, syringic acid, gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, para-hydroxybenzoic acid, and isoimperatorin, demonstrated superior efficacy in treating SIRS compared to a single compound or to other cocktails. Finally, in vitro experiments showcased that GMRC cocktail C effectively rebalanced bacteria composition in SIRS patients. This study underscores XFBD's therapeutic potential in SIRS and highlights the importance of innovative treatment approaches for this disease by targeting the gut microbiota.IMPORTANCEDeveloping effective treatment strategies for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is crucial due to its severe and often life-threatening nature. While traditional treatments like dexamethasone have shown efficacy, they also come with significant side effects and limitations. This study makes significant strides by demonstrating that the Xuanfei Baidu (XFBD) formula can substantially reduce mortality rates and inflammation in SIRS mice through effective modulation of the gut microbiota. By quantitatively assessing the impact of 51 compounds derived from XFBD on the gut microbiome, we developed a potent gut microbiome remodeling compound cocktail. This cocktail outperformed individual compounds and other mixtures in efficacy against SIRS. These findings highlight the potential of XFBD as a therapeutic solution for SIRS and underscore the critical role of innovative strategies targeting the gut microbiota in addressing this severe inflammatory condition.

An evidence map on traditional medicine across health outcomes.

Background: Traditional medicine (TM) plays a significant role in healthcare either as part of the primary healthcare system or as an adjunct to conventional medicine. This study aimed to map systematic reviews (SRs) of TM modalities across health conditions and identify gaps in the research literature to facilitate priority setting in future TM research. Methods: We searched 17 databases from January 2018 to December 2022. Reviewers in pairs independently performed the database search, screened each record for inclusion, extracted data, and performed quality assessments using the AMSTAR 2 - A Measurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews. To be included in this evidence map, the studies had to be SRs of clinical studies that evaluated the effectiveness of a TM modalities. The included SRs were analyzed according to TM modality, ICD-11 disease classification, and health outcomes, and visualized using graphical plots. Results: We retrieved 241,509 records. After excluding duplicate records, 181,616 titles and abstracts were screened and 20,856 records were selected for full-text assessment, of which 18,137 records were further excluded. The final 2719 included SRs were primarily in adults (2591) with only 128 SRs in the pediatric population. The most commonly evaluated health conditions were diseases of the digestive system, circulatory system, and genitourinary system, with herbal medicine (n = 1867) and acupuncture (n = 471) being the most investigated TM modalities in treating these illnesses. Based on AMSTAR 2 criteria, the methodology quality of the included SRs is considerably low. Conclusion: This evidence map provides a comprehensive overview of the extent and nature of the available research onTM modalities across health conditions. It provides an initial step towards characterizing the global evidence base and outlining gaps in the existing evidence. We regard this study as laying the basis for future research of TM modalities. Registration: The protocol of this map is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023416355).

5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy is a safe and effective treatment for female patients with intractable vulvar lichen sclerosus.

BACKGROUND: Female vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of the vulva and its etiology is unknown. The main clinical symptoms are itching, burning and dyspareunia, and there is a lack of effective treatment. METHODS: Clinical and follow-up data of women with VLS who underwent 5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) from January 2023 to December 2023 in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, were retrospectively analyzed. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 36 patients with VLS who received ineffective conventional treatment (intractable VLS) were enrolled. Objective signs and subjective symptoms of vulvar lesions were recorded before treatment and 6 months after the end of treatment according to corresponding scoring criteria. Quality of life was evaluated using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). RESULTS: All patients received six sessions of ALA-PDT treatment and follow-up visits. After ALA-PDT treatment, 24 of 36 (66.67 %) patients' itching symptoms completely disappeared, 10 of 36 (27.78 %) patients' itching symptoms were relieved from severe to mild, and only 2 of 36 (5.56 %) patients' symptoms were not significantly relieved. 16 of 36 (44.4 %) patients' itching symptoms completely disappeared, 9 of 36 (25 %) patients' itching symptoms were relieved from severe to mild, and only 2 of 36 (5.56 %) patients still had severe pain. Compared to 22 patients with dyspareunia before treatment, only 9 patients still had dyspareunia with varying degrees of dyspareunia relief after treatment. Clinical signs improved significantly in the patients after ALA-PDT treatment. The total scores of clinical signs were (5.31 ± 1.67 vs 3.67 ± 1.71) before and after treatment. All patients showed improvement in DLQI after treatment. The main side effects of ALA-PDT were pain, erythema and swelling which were transient and tolerable. All patients were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the results of the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: ALA-PDT is a safe and effective treatment for women with intractable vulva lichen sclerosus.

[Establishment and content validity assessment of evaluation index system for development value of traditional Chinese medicine preparations in medical institutions].

The development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations as an incubator for new drugs in medical institutions has flourished, while an evaluation index system remains to be established for comprehensively assessing the development value of these prescriptions. This study established an item pool through literature research, employed the Delphi method to determine the content of evaluation indexes, and adopted the superiority chart to determine the weight of each index. Two-level evaluation index system for the development value of TCM preparations in medical institutions was established, which included 7 first-level items and 36 se-cond-level items, demonstrating scientific validity. The first-level items(weight) were inheritance(10.61%), effectiveness(23.22%), safety(22.71%), innovation(13.21%), economy(10.00%), suitability(8.57%), and accessibility(11.68%). The top three second-level items in terms of weight distribution were adverse reaction monitoring(6.73%), evidence of therapeutic effect(5.71%), and clinical response rate(4.75%). The bottom three second-level items were production advantages(0.86%), medicinal dosage(0.48%), and medicinal smell or taste(0.18%). The content validity of the established system was assessed, which revealed that the index system was reliable, with the overall and average content validity indexes of 0.47 and 0.90, respectively. Furthermore, the established evaluation index system was used to evaluate six TCM preparations in a city-level hospital of TCM in Sichuan Province, which demonstrated that the system had operability. The results indicate that the evaluation index system is scientific, reliable, and operable, providing a reference for developers to selectively develop TCM preparations in medical institutions. In practical application, the system can be adjusted regarding the index weights according to actual conditions.

The influence of soil salinization, induced by the backwater effect of the Yellow River, on microbial community dynamics and ecosystem functioning in arid regions.

Irrigation practices and groundwater levels are critical factors contributing to soil salinization in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the impact of soil salinization resulting from Yellow River water irrigation and recharge on microbial communities and their functions in the Huinong District has not been thoroughly documented. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to analyze the diversity, composition, and structure of bacterial and fungal communities across a gradient of salinized soils. The results indicated that the alpha diversity of bacterial communities was significantly higher in slightly saline soils compared to highly saline soils. Soil salinization notably influenced the composition of both bacterial and fungal communities. Highly salinized soils were enriched with bacterial taxa such as Halomonas, Salinimicrobium, Pseudomonas, Solibacillus, and Kocuria, as well as fungal taxa including Emericellopsis, Alternaria, and Podospora. In these highly saline soils, bacterial taxa associated with iron respiration, sulfur respiration, and hydrocarbon degradation were more prevalent, whereas fungal taxa linked to functions such as soil animal pathogens, arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, endophytes, dung saprotrophy, leaf saprotrophy, soil saprotrophy, fungal parasitism, and plant pathogenicity were less abundant. Random forest analysis identified nine bacterial and eighteen fungal taxa as potential biomarkers for salinity discrimination in saline soils. Symbiotic network analysis further revealed that soil salinization pressure reduced the overall complexity and stability of bacterial and fungal communities. Additionally, bacterial community assembly showed a tendency shift from stochastic to deterministic processes in response to increasing salinity, while fungal community assembly remained dominated by deterministic processes. provide robust evidence that soil salinity is a major inhibitor of soil biogeochemical processes in the Huinong District and plays a critical role in shaping bacterial and fungal communities, their symbiotic networks, and their assembly processes.

Exploring the Analgesic Efficacy and mechanisms of low-dose esketamine in pregnant women undergoing cesarean section: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Postoperative pain is a prevalent concern following a cesarean section. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of low-dose (0.1 mg/kg) esketamine on postoperative pain management in pregnant women undergoing cesarean sections, specifically in cases where both patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) and patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) were employed. Methods: Pregnant women intending to undergo elective cesarean section were divided into four subgroups based on the intravenous administration of esketamine and the specific analgesia methods employed: E1 (0.1 mg/kg esketamine + PCEA), E2 (0.1 mg/kg esketamine + PCIA), C1 (saline + PCEA), and C2 (saline + PCIA). The primary outcome was the maximum pain score within 24 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the pressure pain threshold and tolerance at 30 min and 24 h postoperatively, along with the inflammation and adverse event index scores. Results: A total of 118 pregnant women were assigned to the four groups: E1 (n = 29), E2 (n = 29), C1 (n = 30), and C2 (n = 30). Compared with those in the control groups (C1 + C2), the maximum postoperative pain scores within 24 h in the esketamine groups (E1 + E2) were significantly lower (4 [2-5] vs. 4 [4-6], P = 0.002), and the E1 group exhibited superior analgesic effects compared with other groups. No significant differences were observed in postoperative hyperalgesia or inflammation across the four groups. Notably, esketamine combined with PCIA increased the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (7 [25 %] vs. 0 [0 %]; P = 0.005). Conclusion: The administration of low-dose (0.1 mg/kg) esketamine effectively alleviates pain following cesarean section, and the analgesic effect is notably enhanced in combination with PCEA. Importantly, these effects do not appear to be mediated through anti-inflammatory mechanisms or the inhibition of hyperalgesia. Clinical trial registration number: NCT05414006.

Current state of research on acupuncture for the treatment of post-stroke dysphagia: a scoping review.

Objective: Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) is a common complication of stroke. Acupuncture as one of the traditional therapies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), can change the excitability of cerebral cortical nerve cells, and promote the recovery of neurological and swallowing functions. Several clinical primary studies (including RCTs, cohort studies, etc.) and systematic reviews have demonstrated its efficacy and safety in patients with PSD. The positive effects of acupuncture on PSD are also mentioned in international clinical and treatment guidelines, while there is no synthesis of this evidence. This scoping review aims to summarize the evidence from clinical primary studies, reviews, systematic reviews, and guidelines on acupuncture for the treatment of PSD and explore the breadth of this evidence, provide an overview of the range and characteristics of existing evidence, research gaps, and future research priorities in treating PSD with acupuncture. Method: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, Wan Fang Data, and VIP databases were searched from inception until June 12, 2024. The relevant data were presented through bubble diagrams, line graphs, and structured tables along with descriptive statistics and analysis. This scoping review was conducted based on the PRISMA-ScR Checklist. Results: A total of 1,130 studies were included. Most of the studies were conducted in China, with the number increasing over time. The studies included 254 reviews, 815 clinical studies (678 RCTs,107 nRCTs, 12 case reports, 14 cohort studies, and four case series), 51 systematic reviews, and 10 guidelines. Acupuncture interventions included manual acupuncture (MA), electroacupuncture (EA), and MA/EA combined with acupuncture-related methods (such as scalp acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, warm acupuncture, etc.). The most frequently used acupoint was RN23. Acupuncture is often applied in combination with other treatments, such as herbal medicine, Western medicine, rehabilitation training, swallowing training, or catheter balloon dilatation. Effective rates and WTS were the most frequently used outcomes. Most studies reported significant efficacy and only a few studies explicitly reported adverse events. Acupuncture received positive recommendations in nine guidelines for the treatment of PSD. Conclusion: As a convenient and safe traditional Chinese medicine therapy with its characteristics, acupuncture can improve different stages and types of dysphagia without causing serious adverse reactions. In the future, more standardized international cooperative clinical research is needed to identify the influence of different acupuncture intervention times on the curative effect and dose-effect relationship of acupuncture; standardize the clinical acupoint selection scheme of acupuncture; develop a COS with TCM characteristics to improve the quality of outcome reporting, This will enable different research data to be summarized and compared, reduce resource waste, and provide more high-quality evidence.

Effects of the combination of red yeast rice-containing commercial Chinese polyherbal preparation with statins for dyslipidemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Significant challenges are associated with the pharmacological management of dyslipidemia, an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Limited reliable evidence exists regarding the efficacy of red yeast rice (RYR)-containing commercial Chinese polyherbal preparation (CCPP), despite their widespread use in China. Purpose: We aimed to investigate the efficacy of RYR-containing CCPPs combined with statins in treating dyslipidemia. Methods: Eight databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from database inception date to November 2023. Outcome measures, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions, were assessed. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was used for quality evaluation, and the meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 15.1. Results: Thirty-three studies involving 4,098 participants were included. The combination of RYR-containing CCPP, such as Xuezhikang (XZK), Zhibitai (ZBTAI), or Zhibituo (ZBTUO) with statins had a significant effect on the increase in clinical efficacy [RR:1.16, 95%CI (1.13, 1.19), p < 0.00001]. In addition, they also improved blood lipid profile parameters by increasing HDL-C levels [MD:0.21, 95%CI(0.17, 0.25), p < 0.00001], and decreasing TC [MD: 0.60, 95%CI(-0.76, -0.45), p < 0.00001], TG [MD: 0.33, 95%CI(-0.39, -0.26), p < 0.00001] and LDL-C levels [MD: 0.45, 95%CI(-0.54, -0.36), p < 0.00001]. No significant adverse reactions was observed in the RYR-containing CCPPs. Notably, ZBTAI and XZK significantly reduced the incidence of gastrointestinal disturbances and muscular adverse reactions. However, subgroup analyses suggested that the type of CCPPs, dose, and treatment duration might affect the efficacy of RYR-containing CCPPs. Conclusion: RYR-containing CCPPs combined with statins appears to improve lipid profiles and clinical efficacy in patients with dyslipidemia. However, due to the poor quality of the included studies, and some studied showing negative findings was unpublished. The results should be interpreted with caution until further confirmation by well-designed RCTs. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=487402, identifier CRD42023487402.

An ultrasensitive DNA-enhanced amplification method for detecting cfDNA drug-resistant mutations in non-small cell lung cancer with selective FEN-assisted degradation of dominant somatic fragments.

OBJECTIVES: Blood cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be a new reliable tool for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the currently reported cfDNA assays have a limited role in detecting drug-resistant mutations due to their deficiencies in sensitivity, stability, or mutation detection rate. METHODS: We developed an Archaeoglobus fulgidus-derived flap endonuclease (Afu FEN)-based DNA-enhanced amplification system of mutated cfDNA by designing a pair of hairpin probes to anneal with wild-type cfDNA to form two 5'-flaps, allowing for the specific cleavage of wild-type cfDNA by Afu FEN. When the dominant wild-type somatic cfDNA fragments were cleaved by structure-recognition-specific Afu FEN, the proportion of mutated cfDNA in the reaction system was greatly enriched. As the amount of mutated cfDNA in the system was further increased by PCR amplification, the mutation status could be easily detected through first-generation sequencing. RESULTS: In a mixture of synthetic wild-type and T790M EGFR DNA fragments, our new assay still could detect T790M mutation at the fg level with remarkably high sensitivity. We also tested its performance in detecting low variant allele frequency (VAF) mutations in clinical samples from NSCLC patients. The plasma cfDNA samples with low VAF (0.1 and 0.5 %) could be easily detected by DNA-enhanced amplification. CONCLUSIONS: This system with enhanced amplification of mutated cfDNA is an effective tool used for the early screening and individualized targeted therapy of NSCLC by providing a rapid, sensitive, and economical way for the detection of drug-resistant mutations in tumors.

[Estimation of soil moisture and organic matter content in saline alkali farmland by using CARS algorithm combined with covariates]. / 利用CARS算法联合协变量估算盐碱农田土壤水分和有机质含量.

Rapid acquisition of the data of soil moisture content (SMC) and soil organic matter (SOM) content is crucial for the improvement and utilization of saline alkali farmland soil. Based on field measurements of hyperspectral reflectance and soil properties of farmland soil in the Hetao Plain, we used a competitive adaptive reweighted sampling algorithm (CARS) to screen sensitive bands after transforming the original spectral reflectance (Ref) into a standard normal variable (SNV). Strategies Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ were used to model the input variables of Ref, Ref SNV, Ref-SNV+ soil covariate (SC), and digital elevation model (DEM). We constructed SMC and SOM estimation models based on random forest (RF) and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and then verified and compared the accuracy of the models. The results showed that after CARS screening, the sensitive bands of SMC and SOM were compressed to below 3.3% of the entire band, which effectively optimized band selection and reduced redundant spectral information. Compared with the LightGBM model, the RF model had higher accuracy in SMC and SOM estimation, and the input variable strategy Ⅲ was better than Ⅱ and Ⅰ. The introduction of auxiliary variables effectively improved the estimation ability of the model. Based on comprehensive analysis, the coefficient of determination (Rp2), root mean square error (RMSE), and relative analysis error (RPD) of the SMC estimation model validation based on strategy Ⅲ-RF were 0.63, 3.16, and 2.01, respectively. The SOM estimation models based on strategy Ⅲ-RF had Rp2, RMSE, and RPD of 0.93, 1.15, and 3.52, respectively. The strategy Ⅲ-RF model was an effective method for estimating SMC and SOM. Our results could provide a new method for the rapid estimation of soil moisture and organic matter content in saline alkali farmland.

The use of Panax notoginseng saponins injections after intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: As a bioactive metabolite preparation widely used in acute ischemic stroke (AIS), the efficacy and safety of Panax notoginseng saponins injections (PNSI) in patients with AIS after intravenous thrombolysis remain to be evaluated. Methods: This study included randomized controlled trials published before 26 April 2024 in 8 databases. AIS patients who received intravenous thrombolysis were included. The control group receiving conventional treatment and the treatment group receiving additional PNSI. Primary outcomes were selected as mortality, disability, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were selected as all-cause mortality, improvement of neurological deficit, quality of life, and cerebral injury indicators. The revised Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess risk of bias. Risk ratio (RR) and mean differences (MD) were calculated for binary variables and continuous variables, respectively, based on a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 20 trials involving 1,856 participants were included. None of them reported mortality or disability. There was no significant difference in the adverse events [RR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.60 to 1.81] and hemorrhagic transformation [RR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.36 to 2.70] between the two groups. Compared to the control group, the treatment group had a better effect in neurological improvement assessed by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [MD: -2.91; 95% CI: -4.76 to -1.06], a better effect in activities of daily living changes in Barthel Index [MD: 9.37; 95% CI: 1.86 to 16.88], and a lower serum neuron-specific enolase level [MD: -2.08; 95% CI: -2.67 to -1.49]. Conclusion: For AIS patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis, the use of PNSI improved neurological deficits and enhanced activity of daily living in the short term without increasing the occurrence rate of adverse events. However, due to the moderate to very low certainty of evidence, it is advisable to conduct high-quality clinical trials to validate the findings of this study. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=466851, Identifier CRD42023466851.

[Skin lesion classification with multi-level fusion of Swin-T and ConvNeXt].

Skin cancer is a significant public health issue, and computer-aided diagnosis technology can effectively alleviate this burden. Accurate identification of skin lesion types is crucial when employing computer-aided diagnosis. This study proposes a multi-level attention cascaded fusion model based on Swin-T and ConvNeXt. It employed hierarchical Swin-T and ConvNeXt to extract global and local features, respectively, and introduced residual channel attention and spatial attention modules for further feature extraction. Multi-level attention mechanisms were utilized to process multi-scale global and local features. To address the problem of shallow features being lost due to their distance from the classifier, a hierarchical inverted residual fusion module was proposed to dynamically adjust the extracted feature information. Balanced sampling strategies and focal loss were employed to tackle the issue of imbalanced categories of skin lesions. Experimental testing on the ISIC2018 and ISIC2019 datasets yielded accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-Score of 96.01%, 93.67%, 92.65%, and 93.11%, respectively, and 92.79%, 91.52%, 88.90%, and 90.15%, respectively. Compared to Swin-T, the proposed method achieved an accuracy improvement of 3.60% and 1.66%, and compared to ConvNeXt, it achieved an accuracy improvement of 2.87% and 3.45%. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed method accurately classifies skin lesion images, providing a new solution for skin cancer diagnosis.

Comparison of lactic and propionic acid hydrolysis for production of xylo-oligosaccharides and ethanol from polysaccharides in Toona sinensis branch.

Xylan-type hemicellulose hydrolysis by an organic acid solution for the production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) is efficient and eco-friendly, but the effects of different organic acids on XOS production from Toona sinensis branch (TB) biomass is limited. In this work, under the conditions of 170 °C for 60 min, 33.1 % and 38.7 % XOS yields were obtained from polysaccharides present in TB by 2 % lactic acid (LA) and 6 % propionic acid (PA), respectively. Then 77 % of the lignin was removed by hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid pretreatment system, and 39.5 % and 44.7 % XOS yield were obtained from polysaccharides in delignification TB by 2 % LA and 6 % PA, respectively. It was found that PA hydrolysis, especially from delignified TB, resulted in higher XOS yield and purity compared to LA hydrolysis. Moreover, the content of byproducts (xylose, hydroxymethyl-furfural and furfural) in PA hydrolysate was lower. Following the hydrolysis process, the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of the TB solid residue achieved an ethanol yield of 71.5 %. This work proposed an integrated process to preferentially convert the TB hemicellulose into valuable XOS and then convert the cellulose into ethanol. This process had the advantages of eliminating the need for isolation and purification of xylan, and the potential to obtain multiple products from the same raw material.

Isolation of the inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria Lysinibacillus sphaericus and assessing its role in promoting rice growth.

Soluble phosphorus scarcity severely limits plant growth and crop yield. In this study, a strain of inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, was isolated from rice rhizosphere soil. The available phosphorus content in liquid inorganic phosphorus identification medium and in L. sphaericus-inoculated soil increased from 204.28 mg/L to 1124.68 mg/L and from 4.75 mg/kg to 7.04 mg/kg, respectively. The pH decreased significantly from 6.87 to 6.14. Incubation with L. sphaericus significantly increased malic and succinic acid content in the liquid inorganic phosphorus identification medium and increased acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity in the soil. Inoculation with L. sphaericus significantly increased rice growth, chlorophyll a/b content, and photosynthesis by increasing the soluble phosphorus content in the rice rhizosphere soil under phosphorus-deficient conditions. Further analysis revealed that L. sphaericus improved soil phosphorus release by decreasing soil pH and promoting acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity. This study supports the production of microbial fertilizers to improve rice yield in phosphorus-deficient conditions.

Ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and breast cancer risk in a population-based Canadian case-control study.

PURPOSE: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of ubiquitous pollutants recognized as established human carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. PAHs have seldom been modeled at the population-level in epidemiological studies. Fluoranthene is a prevalent PAH in urban settings and correlates with the occurrence of other PAHs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations between long-term residential exposure to ambient PAHs and breast cancer risk, both pre- and post-menopausal, in Canada. METHODS: Using the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System (NECSS), a national-scale Canadian population-based case-control study, annual fluoranthene exposures were estimated using the GEM-MACH-PAH chemical transport model on the basis of geocoded residential histories throughout a 20-year exposure window. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) controlling for potential confounders were estimated using logistic regression. Separate analyses were conducted for Ontario and national samples given a finer-resolution exposure surface and additional risk factor information available for Ontario. RESULTS: Positive associations were observed between fluoranthene exposure and premenopausal breast cancer, with inconsistent findings for postmenopausal breast cancer. For premenopausal breast cancer, adjusted ORs of 2.48 (95% CI: 1.29, 4.77) and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.11, 2.29) were observed when comparing the second highest category of exposure to the lowest, among the Ontario and national samples, respectively. For postmenopausal breast cancer, adjusted ORs were 1.10 (95% CI: 0.67, 1.80) and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.73). Associations for the highest level of exposure, across both samples and menopausal strata, were non-significant. CONCLUSION: This study provides support for the hypothesis that ambient PAH exposures increase the risk of premenopausal breast cancer.

Thermal and Mechanical Stress Analysis in Aircraft Hybrid Panels with Multi-Bolt Joints.

This study investigates the thermal stress and bolt load distribution in a hybrid panel structure of an aircraft mechanical joint under extreme temperatures. The hybrid panel structure comprises two aluminum alloy splices, six T-shaped composite stringers, and two composite skins, secured together with 96 bolts. This study analyzed the strain induced by thermal stress on composite materials and metals within the structure across temperatures, employing temperature environment tests ranging from room temperature to -54 °C, alongside a carrying capacity test at -54 °C. Furthermore, a three-dimensional simulation model of the panel structure was developed, incorporating considerations for contact, metal elastoplasticity, and the progressive damage failure of composite materials. This model facilitated the determination of thermal stress and bolt load distribution patterns. The results indicate a strong consistency between the finite element analysis outcomes and the experimental data. Temperature variations exacerbate the uneven distribution of bolt loads, concentrating the load near the edges of the hybrid structure while diminishing it in the center. The bolt load distribution parallel to the mechanical load direction forms an "M" shape, with a maximum load magnitude of approximately 31 kN. Perpendicular to the mechanical load, the bolt load undergoes significant changes, especially at the edges, reaching a maximum of about 20 kN, which warrants attention. The bolt-load distribution of the structure with the increase in mechanical load at -54 °C tends to be consistent with that at room temperature.