Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor for PD-L1 Inhibitor Treatment in Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be treated as a simple indicator of patients' immune status by representing the state of the systemic inflammatory response. Immunotherapy now is the accepted second-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC). However, the significance of NLR in patients with R/M NPC undergoing treatment with PD-L1 (programmed cell death-ligand 1) inhibitors is still uncertain.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Cis-Prenyltransferase (CPT) Gene Family in Provides Insights into Its Expression Patterns in Response to Hormonal Treatments.

(TKS) is a natural rubber (NR)-producing plant with great development prospects. Accurately understanding the molecular mechanism of natural rubber biosynthesis is of great significance. Cis-prenyltransferase (CPT) and cis-prenyltransferase-like (CPTL) proteins catalyze the elongation of natural rubber molecular chains and play an essential role in rubber biosynthesis.

Mitigating ice sheets and mountain glaciers melt with geoengineering.

The inadequacy of current emission reduction measures necessitates exploring innovative approaches to address the critical issue of ice sheet and mountain glacier melting. Geoengineering emerges as a potential solution to mitigate severe cryospheric changes. This review systematically examines geoengineering techniques tailored to ice sheets and mountain glaciers, analyzing their efficacy, risks, and limitations based on existing literature.

The Estrogen-Autophagy Axis: Insights into Cytoprotection and Therapeutic Potential in Cancer and Infection.

Macroautophagy, commonly referred to as autophagy, is an essential cytoprotective mechanism that plays a significant role in cellular homeostasis. It has emerged as a promising target for drug development aimed at treating various cancers and infectious diseases. However, the scientific community has yet to reach a consensus on the most effective approach to manipulating autophagy, with ongoing debates about whether its inhibition or stimulation is preferable for managing these complex conditions.

Revealing defect-bound excitons in WS monolayer at room temperature by exploiting the transverse electric polarized wave supported by a SiN/Ag heterostructure.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers are promising materials for light-emitting devices due to their excellent electric and optical properties. However, defects are inevitably introduced in the fabrication of TMDC monolayers, significantly influencing their emission properties. Although photoluminescence (PL) is considered as an effective tool for investigating the defects in TMDC monolayers.

Dynamic control of the directional scattering of single Mie particle by laser induced metal insulator transitions.

Interference between the electric and magnetic dipole-induced in Mie nanostructures has been widely demonstrated to tailor the scattering field, which was commonly used in optical nano-antennas, filters, and routers. The dynamic control of scattering fields based on dielectric nanostructures is interesting for fundamental research and important for practical applications. Here, it is shown theoretically that the amplitude of the electric and magnetic dipoles induced in a vanadium dioxide nanosphere can be manipulated by using laser-induced metal-insulator transitions, and it is experimentally demonstrated that the directional scattering can be controlled by simply varying the irradiances of the excitation laser.

Comparative Analysis of Intestinal Morphology and Gut Microbiota of Under Different Aquaculture Systems.

Fish gut health is influenced by various factors, with the environment being a significant one. is a key aquaculture species in China, yet research on the impact of different aquaculture systems on its intestinal health remains limited. This study aims to explore the changes in intestinal morphology and gut microbiota of under two aquaculture systems.

Comparative Plastome Analysis Between Endangered Mangrove Species and Relatives Provides Insights into Its Origin and Adaptive Evolution.

is a typical true mangrove species with great ecological and medicinal values. However, it has become endangered in China. Moreover, because of the similar morphology and distribution, it is commonly confused with the congeneric mangrove species, , which poses challenges to the protection and proper medicinal utilization of .

Genome-Wide Identification of the Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate Synthase (GGPS) Gene Family Associated with Natural Rubber Synthesis in L. Rodin.

Rodin (TKS) is a recognized alternative source of natural rubber comparable to the rubber tree. The geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GGPS) catalyzed the synthesis of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), which is an important enzyme in the secondary metabolism pathway. In this study, we present the first analysis of the gene family in TKS, where a total of seven family members were identified.

Comparison of organelle genomes between endangered mangrove plant to terrestrial relative provides insights into its origin and adaptative evolution.

is a mangrove associate with high medicinal and ecological values. However, due to the dual-pressure of climate change and human activities, has become endangered in China. Moreover, misidentification between and its terrestrial relative poses further challenges to field protection and proper medicinal usage of .

Targeting the GTPase RAN by liposome delivery for tackling cancer stemness-emanated therapeutic resistance.

Cancer therapeutic resistance as a common hallmark of cancer is often responsible for treatment failure and poor patient survival. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are one of the main contributors to therapeutic resistance, cancer relapse and metastasis. Through screening from our in-house library of natural products, we found polyphyllin II (PPII) as a potent anti-CSC compound for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Evidence for the Contribution of the miR-206/BDNF Pathway in the Pathophysiology of Depression.

Depression is a complex disorder with substantial impacts on individual health and has major public health implications. Depression results from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, microRNAs (miRNAs), and histone modifications, can produce heritable phenotypic changes without a change in DNA sequence and recently were proven to mediate lasting increases in the risk of depression following exposure to adverse life events.

Association Analysis of 23 Gene Polymorphisms with Reproductive Traits in Kele Pigs.

Methyltransferase-like 23 (23) is a kind of RNA methyltransferase that catalyzes the methylation transfer to the N6-adenosine of RNA, serving as one of the key mediators in this process. However, the 23 gene has been poorly researched in pigs. In this study, we investigated the genetic effects of 23 single-nucleotide polymorphism(SNPs) on reproductive traits in Kele pigs.

Ammonium enhances rice resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae through HO accumulation.

Nitrogen (N) is essential for the physiological processes of plants. However, the specific mechanisms by which different nitrogen forms influence rice blast pathogenesis remain poorly understood. This study used hydroponic assays to explore how ammonium (NH) and nitrate (NO) affect rice after inoculation with Magnaporthe oryzae (M.

Integrative Transcriptomic and Metabolic Analyses Reveal That Flavonoid Biosynthesis Is the Key Pathway Regulating Pigment Deposition in Naturally Brown Cotton Fibers.

Brown cotton is a major cultivar of naturally colored cotton, and brown cotton fibers (BCFs) are widely utilized as raw materials for textile industry production due to their advantages of being green and dyeing-pollution-free. However, the mechanisms underlying the pigmentation in fibers are still poorly understood, which significantly limits their extensive applications in related fields. In this study, we conducted a multidimensional comparative analysis of the transcriptomes and metabolomes between brown and white fibers at different developmental periods to identify the key genes and pathways regulating the pigment deposition.

Mechanical Properties and Interfacial Characterization of Additive-Manufactured CuZrCr/CoCrMo Multi-Metals Fabricated by Powder Bed Fusion Using Pulsed Wave Laser.

In this study, CoCrMo cuboid samples were deposited on a CuZrCr substrate using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technology to investigate the influence of process parameters and laser remelting strategies on the mechanical properties and interface characteristics of multi-metals. This study found that process parameters and laser scanning strategies had a significant influence on the mechanical properties and interface characteristics. Samples fabricated with an EV ≤ 20 J/mm showed little tensile ductility.

Microhardness and Tensile Strength Analysis of SS316L/CuCrZr Interface by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

Metallic joints within tokamak devices necessitate high interface hardness and superior bonding properties. However, conventional manufacturing techniques, specifically the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) diffusion joining process, encounter challenges, including the degradation of the SS316L/CuCrZr interface and CuCrZr hardness. To address this, we explore the potential of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology.

Oncogenic fatty acid oxidation senses circadian disruption in sleep-deficiency-enhanced tumorigenesis.

Circadian disruption predicts poor cancer prognosis, yet how circadian disruption is sensed in sleep-deficiency (SD)-enhanced tumorigenesis remains obscure. Here, we show fatty acid oxidation (FAO) as a circadian sensor relaying from clock disruption to oncogenic metabolic signal in SD-enhanced lung tumorigenesis. Both unbiased transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal that FAO senses SD-induced circadian disruption, as illustrated by continuously increased palmitoyl-coenzyme A (PA-CoA) catalyzed by long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1).

Intelligence level evaluation and influencing factors analysis of equipment manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta.

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) bears the vital task of driving the growth of China's equipment manufacturing industry (EMI) intelligence as an advanced region. Fostering the transformation and upgrading of the EMI in the YRD and constructing a modern production mode is vital to developing and reforming China's manufacturing industry. This paper uses industrial robot data to assess the level of intelligence (LoI) in the EMI from 2016 to 2019.

Azimuthal polarized quasi-bound states in the continuum based on rotational symmetry breaking.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) allow to obtain an ultrahigh-quality-factor optical cavity. Nevertheless, BICs must be extended in one or more directions, substantially increasing the device footprint. Although super-cavity mode quasi-BICs supported by single nanopillars have been demonstrated recently, their low-quality factor and localized electromagnetic field inside the dielectric nanopillar are insufficient for high-sensitivity refractive index sensing applications.

Facile Tailoring of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-Driven Enhancement in Perovskite Photovoltaics.

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has demonstrated its potential to enhance the light energy utilization ratio of perovskite solar cells by interacting with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and perovskite layers. However, comprehensive investigations into how MOF design and synthesis impact FRET in perovskite systems are scarce. In this work, nanoscale HIAM-type Zr-MOF (HIAM-4023, HIAM-4024, and HIAM-4025) is meticulously tailored to evaluate FRET's existence and its influence on the perovskite photoactive layer.