Improper lung volume-dose parameters are risk factors for acute fatal radiation pneumonitis among esophageal cancer patients receiving chemoradiotherapy: a case-control study.

Background: Definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (DCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced unresectable esophageal cancer (EC). However, acute fatal radiation pneumonitis (AFRP) is one of the most harmful complications and it is still controversial which factors pose a greater risk.

Aim: This case-control study aims to investigate the relationship between AFRP and lung volume-dose parameters in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing DCRT.

Influences of age and sex on the diagnostic accuracy of human epididymis secretory protein 4 for malignant pleural effusion.

Previous studies have suggested that the presence of human epididymal protein 4 (HE4) in pleural fluid can be used to diagnose malignant pleural effusion (MPE) with moderate accuracy. However, the factors that affect the diagnostic accuracy of HE4 remain unknown. This study aimed to examine how age and sex influence the diagnostic accuracy of HE4.

Synthesis and Phase Evolution of a Nanocrystalline FeCrNiAl (x = 1.0, 0.5, 0.25) High-Entropy Alloys by Mechanical Alloying.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) with ultrafine grained and high strength can be prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) followed by sintering. Therefore, MA, as a unique solid powder processing method, has many effects on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the sintered bulk HEAs. This work focused on the alloying behavior, morphology, and phase evolution of FeCrNiAl (x = 1.

Source Causal Connectivity Noninvasively Predicting Surgical Outcomes of Drug-Refractory Epilepsy.

Aims: Drug-refractory epilepsy (DRE) refers to the failure of controlling seizures with adequate trials of two tolerated and appropriately chosen anti-seizure medications (ASMs). For patients with DRE, surgical intervention becomes the most effective and viable treatment, but its success rate is unsatisfactory at only approximately 50%. Predicting surgical outcomes in advance can provide additional guidance to clinicians.

Non-parametric full cross mapping (NFCM): a highly-stable measure for causal brain network and a pilot application.

Measuring causal brain network from neurophysiological signals has recently attracted much attention in the field of neuroinformatics. Traditional data-driven algorithms are computationally time-consuming and unstable due to parameter settings.To resolve these limits, we proposed a novel parameter-free technique, called 'non-parametric full cross mapping (NFCM)'.

Brook-Oxidation Reaction of Acylsilanes: General Access to α-Ketoamides and α-Ketothioamides.

A novel chemoselective Brook-oxidation reaction of acylsilanes initiated by the carbamoyl anion has been successfully developed for the first time. This method enables the synthesis of diverse α-ketoamides and α-ketothioamides under transition metal-free and strong oxidant-free conditions with high yields and high chemoselectivity. It also demonstrates tolerance toward a wide range of functional groups.

Recent Developments in Personal Glucose Meters as Point-of-Care Testing Devices (2020-2024).

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is a contemporary diagnostic approach characterized by its user-friendly nature, cost efficiency, environmental compatibility, and lack of reliance on professional experts. Therefore, it is widely used in clinical diagnosis and other analytical testing fields to meet the demand for rapid and convenient testing. The application of POCT technology not only improves testing efficiency, but also brings convenience and benefits to the healthcare industry.

Unveiling Unexpected Selfless Collectivism: Exploring Variances in Moral Beliefs Across Cultural Values.

Purpose: The impact of moral beliefs on individuals' moral judgments, particularly within the framework of contrasting cultural values such as collectivism and individualism, continues to be a subject of interest. This research delves into whether individuals with distinct values display differences in moral beliefs, with a specific focus on selflessness.

Methods: Through experiment 1 and 2, we scrutinize the moral judgments of individuals with diverse values concerning pro-social behaviors driven by selflessness and in-group favoritism.

The chromosome-level genome assembly of Cananga odorata provides insights into its evolution and terpenoid biosynthesis.

Cananga odorata is known as a natural perfume tree of the Annonaceae family in Magnoliales. However, its phylogenetic position and the molecular mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis of the floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remain unclear. Here, by combining a variety of sequencing platforms, we present a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome of C.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Hippophae rhamnoides variety.

Fructus hippophae (Hippophae rhamnoides spp. mongolica×Hippophae rhamnoides sinensis), a hybrid variety of sea buckthorn that Hippophae rhamnoides spp. mongolica serves as the female parent and Hippophae rhamnoides sinensis serves as the male parent, is a traditional plant with great potentials of economic and medical values.

A telomere-to-telomere gap-free reference genome assembly of avocado provides useful resources for identifying genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis and disease resistance.

Avocado ( Mill.) is an economically valuable plant because of the high fatty acid content and unique flavor of its fruits. Its fatty acid content, especially the relatively high unsaturated fatty acid content, provides significant health benefits.

ICE1 interacts with IDD14 to transcriptionally activate QQS to increase pollen germination and viability.

In flowering plants, sexual reproductive success depends on the production of viable pollen grains. However, the mechanisms by which QUA QUINE STARCH (QQS) regulates pollen development and how transcriptional activators facilitate the transcription of QQS in this process remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION 1 (ICE1), a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, acts as a key transcriptional activator and positively regulates QQS expression to increase pollen germination and viability in Arabidopsis thaliana by interacting with INDETERMINATE DOMAIN14 (IDD14).

LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 mediates breast cancer cell proliferation and migration through the miR-21/PTEN axis.

LncRNAs play various effects, mostly by sponging with miRNAs. Based on public databases integrating bioinformatics analyses and further validation in breast cancer (BC) tissue and cell lines, the effect of lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 on breast cancer cell proliferation and migration was verified. It might work via the miR-21/PTEN axis.

Blood Coagulation-Inspired Fibrin Hydrogel for Portable Detection of Thrombin Based on Personal Glucometer.

As one of the biomarkers of coagulation system-related diseases, the detection of thrombin is of practical importance. Thus, this study developed a portable biosensor based on a personal glucometer for rapid detection of thrombin activity. Fibrinogen was used for the detection of thrombin, and the assay principle was inspired by the blood coagulation process, where thrombin hydrolyzes fibrinogen to produce a fibrin hydrogel, and the amount of invertase encapsulated in the fibrin hydrogel fluctuates in accordance with the activity of thrombin in the sample solution.

Unveiling the Paradox of Selflessness: Exploring Perceptions of Hypocrisy and Priority Outgroup in Intergroup Moral Dilemmas.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of prioritizing the out-group in intergroup moral dilemmas. The research aims to achieve three primary objectives: 1) investigating the relationship between out-group prioritization and perceptions of hypocrisy, 2) exploring the influence of perceived hypocrisy and negative emotions on moral judgments, and 3) uncovering the underlying reasons for perceiving outgroup prioritization as hypocritical.

Methods: Experiments 1, 2 and 3 involved presenting Chinese participants with out-group rescuers and in-group rescuers and asking them to rate the two on three dimensions: level of hypocrisy, level of morality, and negative emotions toward the rescuers.

Chemoselective Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Dithioacetals through Sequential Carbene Insertion and Acetal Exchange of Acylsilanes and Thiols under Visible Light Irradiation.

Dithioacetals are a frequently used motif in synthetic organic chemistry, and most existing reports discuss only symmetrical dithioacetals. Examples of unsymmetrical dithioacetals are scarce, and few general methods for the selective synthesis of these compounds exists. An intriguing visible-light-induced strategy has been established in this work for sequential reactions of S-H insertion and acetal exchange between acylsilanes and two different thiols that deliver a wide variety of unsymmetrical dithioacetals in moderate yields.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Hippophae gyantsensis.

Hippophae gyantsensis, which is a native tree species in China, is ideal for windbreak and sand-fixing forests. It is an economically and ecologically valuable tree species distributed exclusively in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. In our study, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of H.

Recent Developments in Paper-Based Sensors with Instrument-Free Signal Readout Technologies (2020-2023).

Signal readout technologies that do not require any instrument are essential for improving the convenience and availability of paper-based sensors. Thanks to the remarkable progress in material science and nanotechnology, paper-based sensors with instrument-free signal readout have been developed for multiple purposes, such as biomedical detection, environmental pollutant tracking, and food analysis. In this review, the developments in instrument-free signal readout technologies for paper-based sensors from 2020 to 2023 are summarized.

Development of a new candidate vaccine against piglet diarrhea caused by .

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) is an important type of pathogenic bacteria that causes diarrhea in humans and young livestock. The pathogen has a high morbidity and mortality rate, resulting in significant economic losses in the pig industry. To effectively prevent piglet diarrhea, we developed a new tetravalent genetically engineered vaccine that specifically targets ETEC.

Real-world treatment patterns and effectiveness of cladribine tablets in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis in the United States.

Background: Real-world evidence on the use of cladribine tablets (CladT) for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS) in the United States is emerging. The objective of this study was to assess the real-world treatment patterns and effectiveness of CladT in RMS.

Methods: Adults with RMS initiating CladT were selected from the Symphony Integrated Dataverse.

A study of dynamic emoji emotional responses based on rhythms and motion effects.

Dynamic emojis are a form of nonverbal communication used in social programs to express emotions during conversations. Studies have shown that different dynamic effects can influence users' emotional perceptions. Previous studies have focused on the emotional responses elicited by static emojis, while the emotional responses to dynamic emojis have not been thoroughly explored.