Principal Component Analysis and t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding Analysis in the Study of Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm Entangled and Non-Entangled Mixing Operators.

In this paper, we employ PCA and t-SNE analyses to gain deeper insights into the behavior of entangled and non-entangled mixing operators within the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) at various depths. We utilize a dataset containing optimized parameters generated for max-cut problems with cyclic and complete configurations. This dataset encompasses the resulting RZ, RX, and RY parameters for QAOA models at different depths (1L, 2L, and 3L) with or without an entanglement stage within the mixing operator. Our findings reveal distinct behaviors when processing the different parameters with PCA and t-SNE. Specifically, most of the entangled QAOA models demonstrate an enhanced capacity to preserve information in the mapping, along with a greater level of correlated information detectable by PCA and t-SNE. Analyzing the overall mapping results, a clear differentiation emerges between entangled and non-entangled models. This distinction is quantified numerically through explained variance in PCA and Kullback-Leibler divergence (post-optimization) in t-SNE. These disparities are also visually evident in the mapping data produced by both methods, with certain entangled QAOA models displaying clustering effects in both visualization techniques.

Quantum Information Entropy for Another Class of New Proposed Hyperbolic Potentials.

In this work, we investigate the Shannon entropy of four recently proposed hyperbolic potentials through studying position and momentum entropies. Our analysis reveals that the wave functions of the single-well potentials U0,3 exhibit greater localization compared to the double-well potentials U1,2. This difference in localization arises from the depths of the single- and double-well potentials. Specifically, we observe that the position entropy density shows higher localization for the single-well potentials, while their momentum probability density becomes more delocalized. Conversely, the double-well potentials demonstrate the opposite behavior, with position entropy density being less localized and momentum probability density showing increased localization. Notably, our study also involves examining the Bialynicki-Birula and Mycielski (BBM) inequality, where we find that the Shannon entropies still satisfy this inequality for varying depths u¯. An intriguing observation is that the sum of position and momentum entropies increases with the variable u¯ for potentials U1,2,3, while for U0, the sum decreases with u¯. Additionally, the sum of the cases U0 and U3 almost remains constant within the relative value 0.01 as u¯ increases. Our study provides valuable insights into the Shannon entropy behavior for these hyperbolic potentials, shedding light on their localization characteristics and their relation to the potential depths. Finally, we extend our analysis to the Fisher entropy F¯x and find that it increases with the depth u¯ of the potential wells but F¯p decreases with the depth.

Quantum Information Entropy for a Hyperbolic Double Well Potential in the Fractional Schrödinger Equation.

In this study, we investigate the position and momentum Shannon entropy, denoted as Sx and Sp, respectively, in the context of the fractional Schrödinger equation (FSE) for a hyperbolic double well potential (HDWP). We explore various values of the fractional derivative represented by k in our analysis. Our findings reveal intriguing behavior concerning the localization properties of the position entropy density, ρs(x), and the momentum entropy density, ρs(p), for low-lying states. Specifically, as the fractional derivative k decreases, ρs(x) becomes more localized, whereas ρs(p) becomes more delocalized. Moreover, we observe that as the derivative k decreases, the position entropy Sx decreases, while the momentum entropy Sp increases. In particular, the sum of these entropies consistently increases with decreasing fractional derivative k. It is noteworthy that, despite the increase in position Shannon entropy Sx and the decrease in momentum Shannon entropy Sp with an increase in the depth u of the HDWP, the Beckner-Bialynicki-Birula-Mycielski (BBM) inequality relation remains satisfied. Furthermore, we examine the Fisher entropy and its dependence on the depth u of the HDWP and the fractional derivative k. Our results indicate that the Fisher entropy increases as the depth u of the HDWP is increased and the fractional derivative k is decreased.

Quantum Information Entropy of Hyperbolic Potentials in Fractional Schrödinger Equation.

In this work we have studied the Shannon information entropy for two hyperbolic single-well potentials in the fractional Schrödinger equation (the fractional derivative number (0

Entanglement Property of Tripartite GHZ State in Different Accelerating Observer Frames.

According to the single-mode approximation applied to two different mo des, each associated with different uniformly accelerating reference frames, we present analytical expression of the Minkowski states for both the ground and first excited states. Applying such an approximation, we study the entanglement property of Bell and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states formed by such states. The corresponding entanglement properties are described by studying negativity and von Neumann entropy. The degree of entanglement will be degraded when the acceleration parameters increase. We find that the greater the number of particles in the entangled system, the more stable the system that is studied by the von Neumann entropy. The present results will be reduced to those in the case of the uniformly accelerating reference frame.

Alpha-Beta Hybrid Quantum Associative Memory Using Hamming Distance.

This work presents a quantum associative memory (Alpha-Beta HQAM) that uses the Hamming distance for pattern recovery. The proposal combines the Alpha-Beta associative memory, which reduces the dimensionality of patterns, with a quantum subroutine to calculate the Hamming distance in the recovery phase. Furthermore, patterns are initially stored in the memory as a quantum superposition in order to take advantage of its properties. Experiments testing the memory's viability and performance were implemented using IBM's Qiskit library.

Quantum Information Entropies on Hyperbolic Single Potential Wells.

In this work, we study the quantum information entropies for two different types of hyperbolic single potential wells. We first study the behaviors of the moving particle subject to two different hyperbolic potential wells through focusing on their wave functions. The shapes of these hyperbolic potentials are similar, but we notice that their momentum entropy densities change along with the width of each potential and the magnitude of position entropy density decreases when the momentum entropy magnitude increases. On the other hand, we illustrate the behaviors of their position and momentum entropy densities. Finally, we show the variation of position and momentum entropies Sx and Sp with the change of the potential well depth u and verify that their sum still satisfies the BBM inequality relation.

The Efficacy and Safety of Anlotinib in Neoadjuvant Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer: A Single-Arm Phase II Clinical Trial.

Background: Surgery is the primary treatment for locally advanced thyroid cancer. For some cases, R0/R1 resection could not be achieved at initial diagnosis and neoadjuvant treatment would be an option. Anlotinib is a multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which demonstrated antitumor activity in radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer and medullary thyroid cancer. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib in locally advanced thyroid cancer in the neoadjuvant setting. Methods: This single-arm phase II study investigated the efficacy and safety of anlotinib (12 mg orally daily, 2 weeks on/1 week off) for 2-6 cycles in patients with locally advanced thyroid cancer in the neoadjuvant setting. The key eligibility criteria included age 14-80 years old; locally advanced thyroid cancer that would benefit from surgery, and at least one measurable lesion. Operable patients received surgery after neoadjuvant treatment. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Results: A total of 13 patients were enrolled and received an average of 3.5 cycles of anlotinib treatment. The ORR of anlotinib was 76.9% (95% confidence interval: 46.2-95.0%). The R0/R1 resection rate in the intent-to-treat population was 61.5% and in the per-protocol population was 72.7%. The median time to response was 61.5 days, and the disease control rate at 18 weeks was 92.3%. No patients had blood transfusion or tracheotomy. Most adverse events (AEs) were grade 1 or 2 and tended to discontinue when neoadjuvant treatment ceased. Common AEs of all grades were hypertension (76.9%), hypertriglyceridemia (69.2%), proteinuria (53.8%), thyrotropin increase (53.8%), cholesterol elevation (53.8%), and hand-foot syndrome (38.5%). Conclusions: Anlotinib demonstrated antitumor activity in the neoadjuvant treatment and the majority of patients achieved R0/R1 resection. AEs were consistent with the known anlotinib AE profile. These results suggest that anlotinib neoadjuvant treatment represents a new option for locally advanced thyroid cancer. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04309136.

Constructing Ni12P5/Ni2P Heterostructures to Boost Interfacial Polarization for Enhanced Microwave Absorption Performance.

Heterostructures with a rich phase boundary are attractive for surface-mediated microwave absorption (MA) materials. However, understanding the MA mechanisms behind the heterogeneous interface remains a challenge. Herein, a phosphine (PH3) vapor-assisted phase and structure engineering strategy was proposed to construct three-dimensional (3D) porous Ni12P5/Ni2P heterostructures as microwave absorbers and explore the role of the heterointerface in MA performance. The results indicated that the heterogeneous interface between Ni12P5 and Ni2P not only creates sufficient lattice defects for inducing dipolar polarization but also triggers uneven spatial charge distribution for enhancing interface polarization. Furthermore, the porous structure and proper component could provide an abundant heterogeneous interface to strengthen the above polarization relaxation process, thereby greatly optimizing the electromagnetic parameters and improving the MA performance. Profited by 3D porous heterostructure design, P400 could achieve the maximum reflection loss of -50.06 dB and an absorption bandwidth of 3.30 GHz with an ultrathin thickness of 1.20 mm. Furthermore, simulation results confirmed its superior ability (14.97 dB m2 at 90°) to reduce the radar cross section in practical applications. This finding may shed light on the understanding and design of advanced heterogeneous MA materials.

Exact solutions of the harmonic oscillator plus non-polynomial interaction.

The exact solutions to a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator plus a non-polynomial interaction a x 2 + b x 2/(1 + c x 2) (a > 0, c > 0) are given by the confluent Heun functions H c (α, ß, γ, δ, η;z). The minimum value of the potential well is calculated as V min ( x ) = - ( a + | b | - 2 a | b | ) / c at x = ± [ ( | b | / a - 1 ) / c ] 1 / 2 (|b| > a) for the double-well case (b < 0). We illustrate the wave functions through varying the potential parameters a, b, c and show that they are pulled back to the origin when the potential parameter b increases for given values of a and c. However, we find that the wave peaks are concave to the origin as the parameter |b| is increased.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) in Chinese oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC): A strong predilection for the tonsil.

OBJECTIVE: Compared with Occident's data, the incidence of Human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) had been reported as relatively low in Mainland China. The objective of this study was to report the integrated prevalence of HPV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and further evaluate the different behaviors of HPV-positive and -negative OPSCCs in eastern China. METHODS: In a cohort of 170 nonmetastatic OPSCCs treated from January 2007 to July 2019, p16 protein expression, HPV genotypes, and Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER) were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH). The clinical and pathologic findings were further collected and analyzed to comprehensively reveal the behaviors of Chinese OPSCCs. RESULTS: Out of the 170 tumor tissues evaluated, 57.6% (98) samples had positive p16 expressions. A total of 65.1% (99/152) samples had positive HPV genotypes, besides HPV16 (92/152), HPV11, 18, 33, 53, and 58 were also detected. The positive rate of EBER was 7.2% (9/124), and the co-infection rate of EBV/HPV was 4.0%. Related to the unequal distributions of p16 expression, HPV-related tumors arisen from tonsillar and non-tonsillar accounted for 68.8% (75/109) and 37.7% (23/61) of their cases, respectively (P < .001). With a median follow-up time of 13.1 months, significant survival advantages of HPV-related OSPCC were observed; 1-year OS, PFS, RFS, and MFS were 83.2% vs 96.7% (P < .001), 71.6% vs 96.2% (P < .001), 77.7% vs 96.2% (P = .002), and 90.4% vs 100.0% (P = .024) in p16-negative and -positive cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The relative percent of HPV-positive OPSCCs in this study is close to the positive rate in many Western countries and a strong predilection was discovered for the tonsillar. The EBV infection and co-infection of HPV/EBV were largely low. The prognosis of HPV-positive OSPCCs was more favorable than its negative counterpart.

Labilibacter sediminis sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and facultatively anaerobic strain, designated CG51T, was isolated from marine sediment collected from a coastal area in Weihai, PR China. Strain CG51T grew at 4-37 °C (optimum, 28-30 °C), with 1.0-6.0 % (w/v) NaCl (2.0-3.0 %) and at pH 6.0-8.5 (pH 7.0-7.5). The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C14 : 0. Major polar lipids included an unidentified lipid and a phospholipid. The respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the genomic DNA G+C content was 35.9 mol%. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain CG51T in the genus Labilibacter with the close relatives being Labilibacter marinus Y11T and Labilibacter aurantiacus HQYD1T, exhibiting 96.5 and 96.3 % 16S rRNA pairwise similarity, values which are clearly below the 98.7 % threshold value recommended for species demarcation. Based on the phylogenetic, physiological, chemotaxonomic and genetic data, strain CG51T represents a novel species within the genus Labilibacter, for which the name Labilibacter sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CG51T (=MCCC 1K03739T=JCM 33138T).

The application of selective neck dissection while preserving the cutaneous branches of cervical plexus in the surgical treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer-experiences from thousands of cases.

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is associated with the highest propensity for lymph node metastases, given the significant morbidity associated with sacrificing the spinal accessory nerve, surgeons increasingly looked to minimizing functional deficits while maintaining oncologic outcome. We have detailed the technique of a selective neck dissection with more attention to preserving the cervical sensory nerves since 1999 in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. We found that the radical dissection with preservation of the cutaneous branches including the great auricular nerve, the less occipital nerve and the supraclavicular nerve can maximally decrease the complications of paresthesia and dysesthesia postoperatively in the lower neck, the shoulders and the area around the ear in DTC cases when indications were allowed. As long as the principles of cancer surgery are strictly followed, our approach guarantees radical tumor removal and exhibit more functional preservation.

Effects of tumor size on prognosis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma smaller than 2 cm.

Benefits of subdividing small-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (sDTC) by tumor size are controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate whether tumor size is associated with prognosis of sDTC. PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to September 2018. The identified studies according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria were analyzed using fixed/random-effects models. Data were calculated and results of the meta-analysis were expressed as odd ratio (OR). sDTC was classified as S1 (≤1 cm) and S2 (>1 cm and ≤2 cm). A systematic analysis was performed to compare the difference of recurrence, survival and clinicopathological factors between the two subgroups of sDTC (S1 vs. S2). A total of 21 studies published between 2004 and 2017 enrolling 219,291 patients were included. Findings showed that, S2 was associated with higher recurrence risk compared with S1 (OR=1.575, 95% CI=1.428-1.738; P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in survival between S1 and S2, but significant statistical heterogeneity (OR=1.160, 95% CI=0.810-1.662; P=0.448; I2=75.8%). Meta-regression analysis revealed publication year potentially caused the heterogeneity (P<0.05). Comparison of small papillary thyroid carcinoma alone agreed with the results of sDTC. T1b increased the risk of recurrence (OR=1.520; 95% CI=1.072-2.155; P<0.05) and death (OR=1.504; 95% CI 1.353-1.672; P<0.05) compared with T1a. S2 associated with extrathyroidal extension (OR=2.575; 95% CI=1.603-4.135; P<0.05), bilaterality (OR=2.278; 95% CI=1.905-2.723; P<0.05), vascular invasion (OR=4.494; 95% CI=2.812-7.183; P<0.05) and lymph node metastases (OR=1.12; 95% CI=1.10-1.14; P<0.05). Our analysis suggested it is necessary to subdivide sDTC into S1 and S2 owing to their different effects on prognosis, especially recurrence.

Motilimonas pumila sp. nov., isolated from the gut of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

A facultatively anaerobic and Gram-negative bacterium, designated strain PLHSC7-2T, was isolated from the gut of sea cucumber Apostichopusjaponicus that had been collected from the coastal area of Yantai, China. The cells were rod-shaped and motile by means of polar flagella. The novel isolate grew optimally at 28-30 °C, in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl and at pH 7.0-7.5. The sole respiratory quinone was Q-8 and the major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and C17 : 0. The predominant polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain PLHSC7-2T was phylogenetically affiliated with the genus Motilimonas, and exhibited sequence similarity of 96.2 % toMotilimonas eburnea YH6T. The DNA G+C content was 45.5 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic , phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, strain PLHSC7-2T (=MCCC 1K03522T=KCTC 62589T) was classified as a novel species within the genus Motilimonas, for which the name Motilimonas pumila sp. nov. is proposed.

NRG1 regulates redox homeostasis via NRF2 in papillary thyroid cancer.

Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine cancer, of which papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a glycoprotein mediating cell­cell signaling, plays vital roles in cellular activities; however, its role in PTC progression remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed immunohistochemistry in 196 samples from patients and found that NRG1, a potential prognostic marker is highly expressed in PTC compared with adjacent normal tissues. Cell Counting kit­8 (CCK­8) and clone formation assays indicated that NRG1 is essential for PTC cell viability and proliferation, probably by regulating redox homeostasis, which was implied by ROS generation analysis and intracellular GSH activity assay. Western blot analysis and RT­qPCR revealed that NRG1 regulates ERK pathway and the pivotal regulator of cellular redox status, nuclear factor E2­related factor 2 (NRF2), which maintains moderate reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels through a set of antioxidant response element (ARE)­containing genes. The immunohistochemical scoring of 196 PTC samples and the analysis of the data of 490 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) reveled a positive association between the expression of NRG1 and NRF2. Since the presence of NRG1 regulates redox homeostasis through NRF2, protecting PTC cells from the accumulation of ROS and ROS­induced cell death, NRG1 may thus prove to be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of thyroid cancer.

Verteporfin inhibits papillary thyroid cancer cells proliferation and cell cycle through ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Verteporfin, a FDA approved second-generation photosensitizer, has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity in various tumors, but not including papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). In current pre-clinical pilot study, we investigate the effect of verteporfin on proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and tumor growth of PTC. Our results indicate verteporfin attenuates cell proliferation, arrests cell cycle in G2/S phase and induces apoptosis of PTC cells. Moreover, treatment of verteporfin dramatically suppresses tumor growth from PTC cells in xenograft mouse model. We further illustrate that exposure to MEK inhibitor U0126 inactivates phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and MEK in verteporfin-treated PTC cells. These data suggest verteporfin exhibits inhibitory effect on PTC cells proliferation and cell cycle partially via ERK1/2 signalling pathway, which strongly encourages the further application of verteporfin in the treatment against PTC.

Histone methyltransferase KMT5A gene modulates oncogenesis and lipid metabolism of papillary thyroid cancer in vitro.

KMT5A (known as PR-Set7/9, SETD8 and SET8), a member of the SET domain containing methyltransferase family specifically targeting H4K20 for methylation, has been implicated in multiple biological processes. In the present study, we identified that KMT5A was elevated in 50 pairs of papillary thyroid cancer tissue samples and in cell lines K1 and TPC-1 by qRT-PCR and western blotting, as well as by immunohistochemical staining. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometric analysis revealed that inhibition of KMT5A attenuated proliferation and induced apoptosis. Transwell assays revealed that cell migration and invasion were suppressed in KMT5A-knockdown cells. Moreover, the inhibition of KMT5A arrested the cell cycle in the G1/S phase of papillary thyroid cancer cells. The TCGA data revealed that elevated KMT5A expression was significantly correlated with extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis and advanced pathological stage of papillary thyroid cancer. Furthermore, we observed that inhibition of KMT5A suppressed the expression of SREBP1, SCD, FASN and ACC, key molecules involved in lipid metabolism and decreased the level of malondialdehyde in papillary thyroid cancer cells. In conclusion, KMT5A may be a novel oncogenic factor, specifically a regulator for lipid metabolism in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Aberrant hypermethylation of the HOXD10 gene in papillary thyroid cancer with BRAFV600E mutation.

Epigenetic abnormalities as well as genetic abnormalities may play a vital role in the tumorigenesis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The present study aimed to analyze the function and methylation status of the HOXD10 gene in PTC and aimed to identify relationships between HOXD10 methylation, HOXD10 expression, BRAF mutation and clinicopathological characteristics of PTC. A total of 152 PTC patients were enrolled in the present study. The methylation status of the HOXD10 promoter was analyzed by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (Q-MSP). BRAFV600E mutation status was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by DNA sequencing. HOXD10 mRNA expression level was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). 5-Aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) treatment was performed in 4 PTC cell lines to observe the change in HOXD10 expression. Transwell, cell cycle and apoptosis assays were then performed in an HOXD10-overexpressing PTC cell line. Furthermore, we analyzed the associations between HOXD10 methylation, HOXD10 expression, BRAF mutation and clinicopathological characteristics in PTC. Overexpression of HOXD10 suppressed the migration of PTC cells, and promoted cell apoptosis. Q-MSP showed that methylation levels of the HOXD10 promoter were significantly higher in PTC tissues than levels in the adjacent normal thyroid tissues (P=0.02). In addition, expression of HOXD10 was decreased in the PTC cell lines and PTC tissues compared with that noted in the adjacent normal thyroid tissues (P=0.008). However, BRAFV600E mutation was detected in 42.1% of PTC patients enrolled. In addition, the BRAF mutation status was associated with the methylation and expression level of HOXD10 in PTC. We then observed that 5-Aza treatment could revert the expression of HOXD10 in PTC cell lines. Moreover, the hypermethylation of HOXD10 was associated with invasion of the primary tumor and age >45. In conclusion, the HOXD10 gene may act as a tumor suppressor in PTC. The aberrant hypermethylation and decreased expression of the HOXD10 gene were shown in PTC patients, particularly in those with BRAFV600E mutation. The epigenetic suppression of the HOXD10 gene may play a role in the tumorigenesis of PTC, and it is a prospective biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of PTC.

Mediastinal Lymph Node Metastases in Thyroid Cancer: Characteristics, Predictive Factors, and Prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Mediastinal lymph node metastases (MLNM) have not been extensively studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics, predictive factors, and prognosis of MLNM in thyroid cancer. METHODS: This is a retrospective study based on the thyroid cancer patients with MLNM at our institution from 2008 to 2015. RESULTS: In total, 73 thyroid cancer patients with positive MLNM were included in this study. It contained sixty patients (82.2%) with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), twelve (16.4%) with medullary thyroid carcinoma, and one (1.4%) with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Forty-eight patients had the surgery as initial treatment. Fifty-three (72.6%) patients remained disease-free, and fifteen (20.5%) developed a regional recurrence. Distant metastases occurred in four (5.5%) patients and five (6.8%) patients died. Five-year overall survival rate and disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the PTC patients for initial treatment are 95.4% and 77.2%, respectively. Extrathyroidal extension and multiple lymph nodes involved were associated with DFS in PTC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Initial therapeutic control is very important for the thyroid cancer patients. Extrathyroidal extension and multiple mediastinal lymph nodes involved were the influence factors of prognosis in the thyroid cancer patients with MLNM.