Preformation of Insoluble Solid-Electrolyte Interphase for Highly Reversible Na-Ion Batteries.

Stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) is crucial for cycling reversibility of Na-ion batteries by mitigating continuous side reactions. So far, the severe SEI dissolution leads to low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and short cycle life. Meanwhile, the quantified relationship between SEI components and their solubility remains unclear. In this work, we establish the direct correlation between SEI components and SEI solubility, and quantify that the solubility of organic-rich SEI is 3.26 times of inorganic-rich SEI. We further propose a feasible strategy to preform inorganic-rich insoluble SEI and demonstrate a practical hard carbon (HC)||NaMn0.33Fe0.33Ni0.33O2 full cell in commercial electrolyte of 1 M NaPF6 in propylene carbonate (PC) with 80.0% capacity retention for 900 cycles, and achieve a record-high average CE of 99.95% for a practical Na-ion full cell. This study provides an effective strategy of preforming insoluble SEI to suppress its dissolution towards highly reversible Na-ion batteries.

The Effects of Drug Exposure and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Aaptinib-Induced Severe Toxicities in Solid Tumors.

To investigate the value of drug exposure and host germline genetic factors in predicting apatinib (APA)-related toxicities. METHOD: In this prospective study, plasma APA concentrations were quantified using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, and 57 germline mutations were genotyped in 126 advanced solid tumor patients receiving 250 mg daily APA, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor II inhibitor. The correlation between drug exposure, genetic factors, and the toxicity profile was analyzed. RESULTS: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was more prone to APA-related toxicities and plasma concentrations of APA, and its main metabolite M1-1 could be associated with high-grade adverse events (AEs) (P < 0.01; M1-1, P < 0.01) and high-grade antiangiogenetic toxicities (APA, P = 0.034; P < 0.05), including hypertension, proteinuria, and hand-foot syndrome, in the subgroup of NSCLC. Besides, CYP2C9 rs34532201 TT carriers tended to have higher levels of APA (P < 0.001) and M1-1 (P < 0.01), whereas CYP2C9 rs1936968 GG carriers were predisposed to higher levels of M1-1 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Plasma APA and M1-1 exposures were able to predict severe AEs in NSCLC patients. Dose optimization and drug exposure monitoring might need consideration in NSCLC patients with CYP2C9 rs34532201 TT and rs1936968 GG. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Apatinib is an anti-VEGFR2 inhibitor for the treatment of multiple cancers. Though substantial in response, apatinib-induced toxicity has been a critical issue that is worth clinical surveillance. Few data on the role of drug exposure and genetic factors in apatinib-induced toxicity are available. Our study demonstrated a distinct drug-exposure relationship in NSCLC but not other tumors and provided invaluable evidence of drug exposure levels and single nucleotide polymorphisms as predictive biomarkers in apatinib-induced severe toxicities.

Highly Stable Perovskite Solar Cells Based on the Efficient Interaction between Pb2+ and Cyano Groups of 4-Aminophthalonitrile.

Defects present on the top surface of perovskite films have a pronounced detrimental impact on the photovoltaic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Consequently, the development of effective defect passivation strategies has become key in enhancing both the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of PSCs. In this study, a small molecule material, 4-Aminophthalonitrile (4-APN), was introduced as a means to mitigate surface defects within perovskite films. Obviously, 4-APN effectively passivates the defects at grain boundaries by combining cyano groups (-C≡N) with Pb2+ , significantly reducing the density of defect states, inhibiting non-radiative recombination at the interface, and promoting the charge transfer efficiency from the perovskite layer to the hole transport layer. The 4-APN modification led to a significant upswing in the PCE, while concurrently bolstering the overall device stability. Importantly, the devices on 4-APN as passivation additive exhibited negligible performance degradation aging for 1200 h.

A novel cell-wall polysaccharide derived from the stipe of Agaricus bisporus inhibits mouse melanoma proliferation and metastasis.

Malignant melanoma is an invasive and highly aggressive skin cancer that-if diagnosed-poses a serious threat to the patient's health and life. In this work, a novel purified cell-wall polysaccharide (termed Abwp) was obtained from the discarded stipe of Agaricus bisporus (A. bisporus) and characterized to be a novel homogeneous polysaccharide consisted of a ß-(1 â†’ 4)- glucosyl backbone with ß-(1 â†’ 2) and (1 â†’ 6)-d-glucosyl side-chains. The anti-melanoma effects of Abwp and its associated mechanisms in mice were then explored using in vitro and in vivo approaches. In vitro results showed that Abwp inhibited B16 melanoma cell proliferation and promoted their apoptosis in both time- and dose-dependent manners. In B16 cells induced with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), Abwp significantly decreased the protein expression of inflammatory-related signaling pathway (e.g., p38 MAPK and NF-κB) in time-, concentration-, and dose-dependent manners. Moreover, Abwp blocked nuclear entry of NF-κB-p65. In an in vivo mouse model featuring neoplasm transplantation with B16 melanoma cells, Abwp significantly inhibited the growth and proliferation of mouse melanoma. Hematoxylin staining showed that the invasion of melanoma cells into the lung tissue of the Abwp-treated group was significantly reduced. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), N-cadherin, MMP-9, and Snail in the lung of mouse was significantly inhibited. Immunofluorescence showed that Abwp significantly interfered with the nuclear transcription of NF-κB-p65 in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, these results showed that Abwp mediated p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways to inhibit the inflammatory response and malignant proliferation and metastasis of melanoma in mice.

Defect management by a cesium fluoride-modified electron transport layer promotes perovskite solar cells.

SnO2 is a candidate material for electron transport layers (ETLs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, a large number of defects at the SnO2/perovskite interface lead to notable non-radiative interfacial recombination. Moreover, the energy level arrangement between SnO2/perovskite does not match well. In this study, a SnO2/CsF-SnO2 double-layer ETL was prepared by doping CsF into SnO2, effectively passivating the defects of the SnO2 ETL and SnO2/perovskite interface. The formation of a good energy level arrangement with the perovskite layer reduces the interface non-radiative recombination and improves the performance of the interface charge extraction. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the optimal CsF-modified PSC reached 22.18%, owing to the significant increase in the open-circuit voltage to 1.180 V.

Agaricus bisporus-Derived Glucosamine Hydrochloride Facilitates Skeletal Injury Repair through Bmp Signaling in Zebrafish Osteoporosis Model.

Glucosamine hydrochloride (GAH), one of the most basic and important derivatives of chitin, is obtained by hydrolysis of chitin in concentrated hydrochloric acid. At present, little is known about how GAH functions in skeletal development. In this report, we demonstrate that GAH, extracted from the cell wall of Agaricus bisporus, acts in a dose-dependent manner to promote not only cartilage and bone development in larvae but also caudal fin regeneration in adult fish. Furthermore, GAH treatment causes a significant increase in expression of bone-related marker genes, indicating its important role in promoting skeletal development. We show that in both larval and adult osteoporosis models induced by high iron osteogenic defects are significantly ameliorated after treatment with GAH, which regulates expression of a series of bone-related genes. Finally, we demonstrate that GAH promotes skeletal development and injury repair through bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling, and it works at the downstream of the receptor level. Taken together, our findings not only provide a strong research foundation and strategy for the screening of natural osteoporosis drugs and product development using a zebrafish model but also establish the potential for the development of Agaricus bisporus-derived GAH as a new drug for osteoporosis treatment.

A Novel Diagnosis Method Based on Methylation Analysis of SHOX2 and Serum Biomarker for Early Stage Lung Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer (LC) is often accompanied by significant methylation abnormalities. This study aimed to develop a decision tree (DT) accompanied the stature homeobox 2 gene (SHOX2) / prostaglandin E receptor 4 (PTGER4) gene DNA methylation with traditional tumor marker in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodule. METHODS: We performed a study with 104 patients enrolled in the LC group and 36 patients in the benign lung diseases group. All the clinical data of these patients were collected through electronic medical record. Total Methylation (TM) status of both SHOX2 and PTGER4 was defined as methylation levels of SHOX2 plus methylation levels of PTGER4. One-way analysis was used to compare the concentrations of serum samples and t-test was used to compare pairwise mean values between groups. Receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic value. Furthermore, the strategy was validated in 19 LC patients and 11 patients with benign lung diseases. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the concentration of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin 19 fragments (CYFRA21 -1) and the methylation levels of SHOX2, PTGER4 and TM in lung benign diseases and cancer group. The AUCs of NSE, CEA, CYFRA21 -1, Methylation SHOX2, Methylation PTGER4 and TM were 0.721 (95% CI: 0.627-0.816), 0.753 (95% CI: 0.673-0.833) and 0.778(95% CI: 0.700-0.856), 0.851(0.786-0.916), 0.847(0.780-0.913) and 0.861(0.800-0.922) respectively. We developed a DT model with TM and CYFRA21 -1 used in this study, and the area under the curve (AUC) of DT was 0.921 and the sensitivity up to 0.856. In the validation cohort, the AUC of SHOX2, PTGER4 and TM was also much higher than traditional serum markers. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the DT model calculated from the TM and CYFRA21 -1 can accurately classify LC and benign diseases, which showed better diagnostic performance than traditional serum parameter.

Pedestrian Dead Reckoning-Assisted Visual Inertial Odometry Integrity Monitoring.

Visual inertial odometers (VIOs) have received increasing attention in the area of indoor positioning due to the universality and convenience of the camera. However, the visual observation of VIO is more susceptible to the environment, and the error of observation affects the final positioning accuracy. To address this issue, we analyzed the causes of visual observation error that occur under different scenarios and their impact on positioning accuracy. We propose a new method of using the short-time reliability of pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) to aid in visual integrity monitoring and to reduce positioning error. The proposed method selects optimized positioning by automatically switching between outputs from VIO and PDR. Experiments were carried out to test and evaluate the proposed PDR-assisted visual integrity monitoring. The sensor suite of experiments consisted of a stereo camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Results were analyzed in detailed and indicated that the proposed system performs better for indoor positioning within an environment that contains low illumination, little background texture information, or few moving objects.

Phospholipid Phosphatase 4 promotes proliferation and tumorigenesis, and activates Ca2+-permeable Cationic Channel in lung carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Phospholipid phosphatase 4 (PPAPDC1A or PLPP4) has been demonstrated to be involved in the malignant process of many cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and biological roles of PLPP4 in lung carcinoma. METHODS: PLPP4 expression was examined in 8 paired lung carcinoma tissues by real-time PCR and in 265 lung carcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical correlation between PLPP4 expression and clinicopathological features and survival in lung carcinoma patients. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to assess the biological roles of PLPP4 in lung carcinoma. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting, Western blotting and luciferase assays were used to identify the underlying pathway through which PLPP4 silencing mediates biological roles in lung carcinoma. RESULTS: PLPP4 is differentially elevated in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SQC) tissues. Statistical analysis demonstrated that high expression of PLPP4 significantly and positively correlated with clinicopathological features, including pathological grade, T category and stage, and poor overall and progression-free survival in lung carcinoma patients. Silencing PLPP4 inhibits proliferation and cell cycle progression in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo in lung carcinoma cells. Our results further reveal that PLPP4 silencing inhibits Ca2+-permeable cationic channel, suggesting that downregulation of PLPP4 inhibits proliferation and tumorigenesis in lung carcinoma cells via reducing the influx of intracellular Ca2+. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that PLPP4 may hold promise as a novel marker for the diagnosis of lung carcinoma and as a potential therapeutic target to facilitate the development of novel treatment for lung carcinoma.

Evaluation of HE4 in the Diagnosis and Follow Up of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of HE4 in the diagnosis and follow up in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Serum levels of HE4, CEA, and Cyfra 21-1 were analyzed in 146 patients suspected with NSCLC and 30 healthy subjects to evaluate their diagnostic performance. A one year follow up was performed in 61 patients confirmed with NSCLC after surgery eradication at the interval of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. RESULTS: Our results showed that the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of HE4 was 0.761, which was similar with CEA. The sensitivity and specificity of HE4 was 0.82 and 0.62, respectively, at the level of 75.0 pmol/L. The AUC of HE4 was 0.70, 0.81, and 0.90 at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery, respectively, which was significantly higher than CEA and Cyfra 21-1. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding indicates that HE4 is a potential marker for the diagnosis and follow up of NSCLC patients, which is complementary with CEA and Cyfra 21-1 and accurate in predicting NSCLC recurrence in early stage.

Does the effectiveness of core stability exercises correlate with the severity of spinal stenosis in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the effectiveness of core stability exercises correlates with the severity of spinal stenosis in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: Forty-two patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis treated in the department of orthopedics of our hospital between May 2013 and January 2016 were included in the study. All the patients performed core stability exercises once daily for six weeks, and the clinical outcomes were evaluated using Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and self-reported walking capacity. The anteroposterior osseous spinal canal diameter was measured to evaluate the severity of spinal stenosis. The correlation between the stenosis degree and the differences of Japanese Orthopaedic Association score or self-reported walking capacity at baseline and after treatment were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients were divided into three groups according to the spinal stenosis degree. In the three groups, there was no significant difference in JOA or self-reported walking distance at baseline (p>0.05) and after treatment (p>0.05). The JOA scores and self-reported walking distance were significantly increased after treatment (p<0.05) in any of the three groups when compared to the baseline. Also, there was no significant correlation between the stenosis degree and the difference of JOA (p>0.05) or self-reported walking distance (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no significantcorrelation between the effectiveness of core stability exercises and the severity of spinal stenosis in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.

The applied research of MRI with ASSET-EPI-FLAIR combined with 3D TOF MRA sequences in the assessment of patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Background To extend the time window for thrombolysis, reducing the time for diagnosis and detection of acute cerebral infarction seems to be warranted. Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of implementing an array spatial sensitivity technique (ASSET)-echo-planar imaging (EPI)-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) (AE-FLAIR) sequence into an acute cerebral infarction magnetic resonance (MR) evaluation protocol, and to assess the diagnostic value of AE-FLAIR combined with three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography (3D TOF MRA). Material and Methods A total of 100 patients (68 men, 32 women; age range, 44-82 years) with acute cerebral infarction, including 50 consecutive uncooperative and 50 cooperative patients, were evaluated with T1-weighted (T1W) imaging, T2-weighted (T2W) imaging, FLAIR, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), 3D TOF, EPI-FLAIR, and AE-FLAIR. Conventional FLAIR, EPI-FLAIR, and AE-FLAIR were assessed by two observers independently for image quality. The optimized group (AE-FLAIR and 3D TOF) and the control group (T1W imaging, T2W imaging, conventional FLAIR, DWI, and 3D TOF) were compared for evaluation time and diagnostic accuracy. Results One hundred and twenty-five lesions were detected and images having adequate diagnostic image quality were in 73% of conventional FLAIR, 62% of EPI-FLAIR, and 89% of AE-FLAIR. The detection time was 12 ± 1 min with 76% accuracy and 4 ± 0.5 min with 100% accuracy in the control and the optimized groups, respectively. Inter-observer agreements of κ = 0.78 and κ = 0.81 were for the optimized group and control group, respectively. Conclusion With reduced acquisition time and better image quality, AE-FLAIR combined with 3D TOF may be used as a rapid diagnosis tool in patients with acute cerebral infarction, especially in uncooperative patients.

Three Dimensional Microwave Data Inversion in Feature Space for Stroke Imaging.

Microwave imaging is a promising method for early diagnosing and monitoring brain strokes. It is portable, non-invasive, and safe to the human body. Conventional techniques solve for unknown electrical properties represented as pixels or voxels, but often result in inadequate structural information and high computational costs. We propose to reconstruct the three dimensional (3D) electrical properties of the human brain in a feature space, where the unknowns are latent codes of a variational autoencoder (VAE). The decoder of the VAE, with prior knowledge of the brain, acts as a module of data inversion. The codes in the feature space are optimized by minimizing the misfit between measured and simulated data. A dataset of 3D heads characterized by permittivity and conductivity is constructed to train the VAE. Numerical examples show that our method increases structural similarity by 14% and speeds up the solution process by over 3 orders of magnitude using only 4.8% number of the unknowns compared to the voxel-based method. This high-resolution imaging of electrical properties leads to more accurate stroke diagnosis and offers new insights into the study of the human brain.

Glucan from Oudemansiella raphanipes suppresses breast cancer proliferation and metastasis by regulating macrophage polarization and the WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Background: The glucan extract of Oudemansiella raphanipes (Orp) has multiple biological properties, similar to extracts of other natural edible fungi. Drugs traditionally used in cancer treatment are associated with several drawbacks, such as side effects, induction of resistance, and poor prognosis, and many recent studies have focused on polysaccharides extracted from natural sources as alternatives. Our study focuses on the therapeutic role and molecular mechanism of action of Orp in breast cancer progression. Methods: MMTV-PyMT transgenic mice were used as the spontaneous breast cancer mice model. Immunoblotting, hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the tumor behaviors in breast cancer. The inflammatory cell model was constructed using TNF-α. Macrophage activation and WNT/ß-catenin signaling were assayed using western blotting and immunofluorescence. Results: Orp management significantly inhibited tumor growth and promoted tumor cell apoptosis in MMTV-PyMT transgenic mice. Besides, the Orp challenge also attenuated the ability of breast tumors to metastasize into lung tissues. Mechanistically, Orp treatment restrained the polarization of M1 macrophages to M2 macrophages and suppressed WNT/ß-catenin signaling in mouse tumor tissues, which implied that Orp-mediated tumor inhibition partly occurred via regulating the inflammatory response. Findings from in vitro experiments confirmed that Orp inhibited the TNF-α-induced nuclear transportation of ß-catenin, thus preventing inflammation signaling and the expression of c-Myc in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion: Orp inhibits breast cancer growth and metastasis by regulating macrophage polarization and the WNT/ß-catenin signaling axis. The findings of this study suggest that Orp may be a promising therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

Screening for immune-related biomarkers associated with myasthenia gravis and dilated cardiomyopathy based on bioinformatics analysis and machine learning.

Background: We aim to investigate genes associated with myasthenia gravis (MG), specifically those potentially implicated in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Additionally, we seek to identify potential biomarkers for diagnosing myasthenia gravis co-occurring with DCM. Methods: We obtained two expression profiling datasets related to DCM and MG from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Subsequently, we conducted differential gene expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on these datasets. The genes exhibiting differential expression common to both DCM and MG were employed for protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Additionally, machine learning techniques were employed to identify potential biomarkers and develop a diagnostic nomogram for predicting MG-associated DCM. Subsequently, the machine learning results underwent validation using an external dataset. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and machine algorithm analysis were conducted on pivotal model genes to further elucidate their potential mechanisms in MG-associated DCM. Results: In our analysis of both DCM and MG datasets, we identified 2641 critical module genes and 11 differentially expressed genes shared between the two conditions. Enrichment analysis disclosed that these 11 genes primarily pertain to inflammation and immune regulation. Connectivity map (CMAP) analysis pinpointed SB-216763 as a potential drug for DCM treatment. The results from machine learning indicated the substantial diagnostic value of midline 1 interacting protein1 (MID1IP1) and PI3K-interacting protein 1 (PIK3IP1) in MG-associated DCM. These two hub genes were chosen as candidate biomarkers and employed to formulate a diagnostic nomogram with optimal diagnostic performance through machine learning. Simultaneously, single-gene GSEA results and immune cell infiltration analysis unveiled immune dysregulation in both DCM and MG, with MID1IP1 and PIK3IP1 showing significant associations with invasive immune cells. Conclusion: We have elucidated the inflammatory and immune pathways associated with MG-related DCM and formulated a diagnostic nomogram for DCM utilizing MID1IP1/PIK3IP1. This contribution offers novel insights for prospective diagnostic approaches and therapeutic interventions in the context of MG coexisting with DCM.

Enhancing the Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells by Bidirectional Modification of the Perovskite and Electron Transport Layer.

In perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the numerous defects present on the surface of the SnO2 electron transport layer (ETL) and the bottom of the perovskite film limit their power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability. In view of this, a bidirectional modification strategy is designed using formamidine acetate (FAAc) to passivate the defects on the SnO2 ETL surface and bottom of the perovskite simultaneously. FA+ cations act on the harmful hydroxyl groups on the SnO2 ETL surface, whereas Ac- anions act on the iodine vacancy defect at the bottom of the perovskite. Because the interface defect is well passivated by FAAc, the interfacial charge recombination is restrained. This results in a significant increase in the filling factor of the PSC to ∼0.83 and the consequent increase in PCE to 23.05%, which considerably improves the stability. Bidirectional modification technology is an effective strategy for improving the PCE and stability of PSCs.

Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Oncogene-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative immunotherapy has shed light on the management of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, whether neoadjuvant immunotherapy benefits patients with oncogene-positive NSCLC remains unknown. METHODS: Data were retrieved from 4 institutions in the period from August 2018 to May 2021. Eligible patients were aged ≥18 years with histologically confirmed stage IIA to stage IIIB (T1-2 N1-2 or T3-4 N0-2) NSCLC that was deemed to be surgically resectable. The neoadjuvant regimen included immune checkpoint inhibitors alone or in combination with platinum-based doublets. Surgical resection was performed 4 to 6 weeks after the first day of the last cycle of treatment. The primary end point was major pathologic response (MPR; ≤10% viable tumor cells). Analyses were categorized according to the patients' oncogene (EGFR, ALK, KRAS, MET, BRAF, ROS1, RET) status. RESULTS: Overall, 137 patients were identified; 46 (33%) patients had nonsquamous cell cancer, and 114 (83%) had stage IIIA/B disease. Oncogene alterations were identified in 22 (16%) patients, of whom only 2 patients (2/22 [9%]) had an MPR compared with 65 (65/115 [56.5%]) in the oncogene-negative population (P < .001). Similar results were retained after propensity score matching for age, sex, smoking status, histologic type, stage, and cycles of neoadjuvant treatment. Squamous cell carcinoma (odds ratio, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.08-5.99) and positive oncogene status (odds ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.64) were found to be indicators for MPR by logistic regression. The 1-year event-free survival rate was 75.4% in the oncogene-positive group, which was not significantly different from 85.5% in the oncogene-negative population (P = .23). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with stage II-III oncogene-positive NSCLCs respond less than patients with oncogene-negative NSCLCs after neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

Lentinan induces apoptosis of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the EGR1/PTEN/AKT signaling axis.

Lentinan (LNT) isolated from Lentinus edodes is a vital host defense potentiator previously utilized as an adjuvant in cancer therapy. The present study investigated the effect of LNT on the mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line Hepa1­6 and its possible mechanism. Mouse HCC apoptosis and its potential associated mechanism were then explored using in vitro and in vivo approaches. For in vitro approaches, the effect of LNT on the proliferation of Hepa1­6 cells was investigated by Cell Counting Kit­8 assay. Annexin V­FITC staining and flow cytometry were applied to explore HCC apoptosis. Western blotting was used to analyze related proteins, such as EGR1, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p­Akt), protein kinase B (Akt), B lymphocyte­2 (Bcl­2), Bcl2 family­associated X protein (Bax), etc. Cellular immunofluorescence staining was employed to assess the localization and expression of EGR1 and PTEN in nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions of Hepa1­6 cells. The association between EGR1 and PTEN was explored by EGR1 overexpression in cell lines. For in vivo methods, a mouse model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)­induced primary liver cancer was established using C57BL/6 mice to investigate the inhibitory effect of LNT on liver cancer. Histopathology of liver tissue from mice was detected by hematoxylin­eosin staining and immunohistochemical assay. In vitro and in vivo results showed that LNT can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of mouse HCC cells. Besides, LNT increased the expression of EGR1 in Hepa1­6 cells, which is translocated to the nucleus to function as a transcriptional factor. EGR1 then activates the expression of the tumor suppressor PTEN, thereby inhibiting the activation of the AKT signaling pathway. These data revealed a novel anti­tumor mechanism by which LNT can induce apoptosis to inhibit mouse HCC progression through the EGR1/PTEN/AKT axis. These results provide a scientific basis for the potential use of LNT in drug development and clinical applications associated with primary liver cancer.

3D laparoscopic treatment of bladder cancer with pelvic multi-organ invasion: a case report and literature review.

Introduction: Radical cystectomy with dissection of pelvic lymph nodes and urethral diversion is the standard surgical treatment for muscle-invasive non-metastatic bladder cancer. In rare cases where patients with bladder cancer without distant metastasis have pelvic multi-organ invasion, the cancer compresses or invades the ureter and, in severe cases, leads to bilateral upper urinary tract obstruction and renal damage. The treatment recommended by guidelines often cannot improve the patients' clinical symptoms immediately, and patients cannot complete the treatment owing to severe side effects, resulting in poor survival benefits. Case presentation: A 69-year-old woman with facial edema was treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University. The serum creatinine and potassium values were 1244 umol/L and 5.86 mmol/L, respectively. Pelvic magnetic resonance and abdominal computed tomography revealed that the bladder tumor had infiltrated the uterus, anterior vaginal wall, rectum, right ureter, right fallopian tube, and right ovary and metastasized to multiple pelvic lymph nodes. Tumor invasion of the right ureter resulted in severe hydronephrosis of the right kidney and loss of function and obstructive symptoms in the left kidney. Four days later, the patient's creatinine level decreased to 98 u mol/L, the general condition significantly improved, and the patient and family members strongly desired surgical treatment of the tumor. Through a comprehensive preoperative discussion, possible intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated. Right nephrectomy, right ureterectomy, total pelvic organ resection, extended pelvic lymph node dissection, and bowel and urinary diversion were conducted under 3D laparoscopy-assisted treatment. The patient was followed-up for 1.5 years and showed good tumor control, self-care, and mental status. Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery is a curative option for patients with bladder cancer with pelvic multi-organ invasion without distant metastasis. Surgeons should strictly control the indications for surgery and warn patients about the occurrence of related post-surgical complications.

Spatio-Temporal Classification of Lung Ventilation Patterns using 3D EIT Images: A General Approach for Individualized Lung Function Evaluation.

The Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) is a widely utilized and rigorous classification test for evaluating lung function, serving as a comprehensive diagnostic tool for lung conditions. Meanwhile, Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a rapidly advancing clinical technique that visualizes conductivity distribution induced by ventilation. EIT provides additional spatial and temporal information on lung ventilation beyond traditional PFT. However, relying solely on conventional isolated interpretations of PFT results and EIT images overlooks the continuous dynamic aspects of lung ventilation. This study aims to classify lung ventilation patterns by extracting spatial and temporal features from the 3D EIT image series. The study uses a Variational Autoencoder (VAE) with a MultiRes block to compress the spatial distribution in a 3D image into a one-dimensional vector. These vectors are then stacked to create a feature map for the exhibition of temporal features. A simple convolutional neural network is used for classification. Data from 137 subjects were utilized for the training phase. Initially, the model underwent validation through a leave-one-out cross-validation process. During this validation, the model achieved an accuracy and sensitivity of 0.96 and 1.00, respectively, with an f1-score of 0.98 when identifying the normal subjects. To assess pipeline reliability and feasibility, we tested it on 9 newly recruited subjects, with accurate ventilation mode predictions for 8 out of 9. In addition, we included 2D EIT results for comparison and conducted ablation experiments to validate the effectiveness of the VAE. The study demonstrates the potential of using image series for lung ventilation mode classification, providing a feasible method for patient prescreening and presenting an alternative form of PFT.