Variability of Target Volumes and Organs at Risk Delineation in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy: Quality Assurance Results of the Pretrial Benchmark Case for the POTENTIAL Trial.

Purpose: To estimate the variations in clinical target volumes (CTVs) and organs at risk delineation within the quality assurance (QA) program of the POTENTIAL trial, which is a multicenter, randomized phase 3 trial evaluating postmastectomy radiation therapy (RT), with or without internal mammary nodal irradiation, for patients with high-risk breast cancer.

Methods And Materials: The simulating computed tomography scan data set of a benchmark case was sent to the participating centers, and the delineation of CTVs and organs at risk was required to be completed by the investigators following protocol guidelines. All submitted contours were reviewed and compared with the reference contours created by the QA team, using quantitative geometric analysis regarding volume and the Jaccard Index (JCI), Dice similarity coefficient, Geographic Miss Index, Discordance Index, and mean distance to agreement.

Diode-pumped SESAM mode-locked Tm:ScSiO laser.

We report a diode-pumped passively mode-locked Tm:ScSiO (Tm:SSO) laser for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The stable continuous-wave (CW) mode-locking is achieved with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). Operating at the eye-safe wavelength of 1967.

Sequential Hypofractionated versus Concurrent Twice-Daily Radiotherapy for Limited-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Background: As there are no randomized trials comparing twice-daily with sequential hypofractionated (sequential hypo) radiotherapy regimens for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). This study aimed to compare these two regimens for LS-SCLC by propensity score-matched analysis (PSM). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 108 LS-SCLC patients between January 2015 and July 2019.

Molecular Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance, Virulence and Capsular Serotypes of Carbapenemase-Carrying in China.

This study analyzed genomic data of 4643 strains of carbapenemase-carrying (KPN) in China by using the Kleborate software package. The data showed rich diversity in carbapenemase-carrying KPN genomes, which contain not only 152 sequence types but also 90 capsular serotypes. In 2013, the transfer of carbapenemase to hypervirulent (HvKP) of KL1 and KL2 occurred, and since 2014, the propagation of carbapenemase into mammals, poultry, and insects has been detected.

A comprehensive evaluation of flowering plant diversity and conservation priority for national park planning in China.

Establishment of a national park protection system in China, including the latest target proposed to protect at least 30% of the land area, calls for a comprehensive exploration of conservation priorities incorporating multiple diversity facets. We herein evaluate the spatial distribution of Chinese flowering plants from the perspectives of richness, uniqueness, vulnerability, and evolutionary history, by integrating three mega-phylogenies and comprehensive distribution data. We detect significantly high consistency among hotspots of different diversity measures for Chinese flowering plants, suggesting that multiple facets of evolutionary diversity are concentrically distributed in China.

Construction of Ultrathin S-Scheme Heterojunctions of Single Ni Atom Immobilized Ti-MOF and BiVO for CO Photoconversion of nearly 100% to CO by Pure Water.

To rationally design single-atom metal-organic framework (MOF)-involving photocatalysts remains an ongoing challenge for efficient CO conversion. Here, cuppy microstructures, consisting of a Ti(IV)-oxo node and three linked carboxylic moieties, in the single-coordination-layer Ti (H dobdc) MOF (NTU-9) are exploited to immobilize abundant single Ni(II) sites (Ni@MOF). The coupling of Ni@MOF with BiVO (BVO) nanosheets by H-bonding-induced assembly process obtains wide-spectrum 2D heterojunctions.

Catalase-Like Nanozymes: Classification, Catalytic Mechanisms, and Their Applications.

The field of nanozymes has developed rapidly over the past decade. Among various oxidoreductases mimics, catalase (CAT)-like nanozyme, acting as an essential part of the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), has attracted extensive research interest in recent years. However, CAT-like nanozymes are not as well discussed as other nanozymes such as peroxidase (POD)-like nanozymes, etc.

Tunable multiple light emissions of core-shell structures based on rare earth ions doped on the surfaces of organic cocrystals.

The charge transfer (CT) interactions play a vital role in tuning the luminescence of organic crystals. The enhanced energy transfer (ET) effect in rare earth (RE) ions is a significant method to achieve long-lifetime fluorescence. These studies are of great significance in the fields of photoelectric functional materials.

Efficient Tb-to-Eu energy transfer for colorimetric luminescence sensing.

State-of-the-art Tb-to-Eu energy transfer (TEET) efficiency (>90%) under ultralow Eu proportion (<6%) has been achieved in Eu/Tb bimetallic lanthanide coordination polymers (LnCPs). The yellow-light-emitting sample as sensor exhibits micromolar l-phenylalanine (l-Phe) in water and serum via obvious yellow-to-green luminometric behavior, meanwhile nanomolar-level detection limits are determined in terms of an updated Stern-Volmer equation with high selectivity and competitiveness. Excited-state inter-ligand photon transfer (ESILPT) greatly contributes to superior TEET property and outstanding luminometric behavior.

Transcriptome and genome sequencing investigating the molecular characteristics of patients with varicocele infertility.

The prevalence of varicoceles in male infertility is increasing; however, the exact mechanism is unknown, and no direct studies of varicose spermatic veins have been conducted. Three patients with varicocele infertility were included to explore the possible factors that cause varicocele infertility, and varicose and nearby normal veins were harvested by varicocelectomy. RNA sequencing was performed on six vascular samples, followed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses of the screened differential expressed genes which were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and Safety Analysis of Superficial Esophageal Cancer Patients Treated with Definitive or Adjuvant Radiotherapy.

(1) Background: The role of radiotherapy (RT) in superficial esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remains unclear. The objective of our study was to perform a detailed outcome and safety analysis of RT as a definitive or adjuvant treatment for T1N0M0 staged ESCC patients. (2) Methods: A total of 55 patients treated with endoscopic resection (ER) + RT/concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or RT/CCRT from January 2011 to June 2021 were included in this study.

Co-fermented cow milk protein by Lactobacillus helveticus KLDS 1.8701 and Lactobacillus plantarum KLDS 1.0386 attenuates its allergic immune response in Balb/c mice.

Milk protein is one of the major food allergens. As an effective processing method, fermentation may reduce the potential allergenicity of allergens. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of co-fermented milk protein using Lactobacillus helveticus KLDS 1.

Overexpression of phosphomannomutase increases the production and bioactivities of Ganoderma exopolysaccharides.

In this study, we explored a novel approach to enhancing the production and bioactivities of Ganoderma exopolysaccharides. The homologous phosphomannomutase gene (PMM1) was cloned and overexpressed in Ganoderma for the first time. As a result, the maximum production of exopolysaccharides by the PMM1 transformant was 1.

Infant formula supplemented with 1,3-olein-2-palmitin regulated the immunity, gut microbiota, and metabolites of mice colonized by feces from healthy infants.

Infant formula is currently an important food to cope with insufficient breastfeeding. Although 1,3-olein-2-palmitin (OPO) has been used in infant formula, its effects on the immune system, gut microbiota, and metabolites for infants remain unclear. This study constructed a mouse model of colonizing healthy infant feces using antibiotic treatment and fecal microbial transplantation.

The necrosis-inducing protein (NIP) gene contributes to Penicillium expansum virulence during postharvest pear infection.

Penicillium expansum is the causative fungus of blue mold decay in postharvest pears resulting in substantial economic losses. Investigating P. expansum-pear fruit interactions is necessary to help develop P.

Aspirin modulates succinylation of PGAM1K99 to restrict the glycolysis through NF-κB/HAT1/PGAM1 signaling in liver cancer.

Aspirin as a chemopreventive agent is able to restrict the tumor growth. Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) is a key enzyme of glycolysis, playing an important role in the development of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism by which aspirin inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells is poorly understood.

Impairment of root auxin-cytokinins homeostasis induces collapse of incompatible melon grafts during fruit ripening.

The factors underlying the plant collapse of certain melon-pumpkin graft combinations are not fully understood. Our working hypothesis was that impairment of photoassimilates transport in incompatible combinations induces an imbalance in the homeostasis of root auxin (indole-3-acetic acid; IAA) and of cytokinins, probably triggering plant collapse. Root IAA and cytokinins levels in the presence and absence of fruit and changes in root and scion metabolites were investigated in compatible and incompatible combinations.

Workplace Violence and Turnover Intention Among Psychiatrists in a National Sample in China: The Mediating Effects of Mental Health.

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare has received much attention worldwide. However, scarce data are available on its impact on turnover intention among psychiatrists, and the possible mechanisms between WPV and turnover intention have not been explored in China.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among psychiatrists in 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals from 29 provinces and autonomous regions in China.

CT-based radiomics nomogram may predict local recurrence-free survival in esophageal cancer patients receiving definitive chemoradiation or radiotherapy: A multicenter study.

Background And Purpose: To establish and validate a contrast-enhanced computed tomography-based hybrid radiomics nomogram for prediction of local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients receiving definitive (chemo)radiotherapy in a multicenter setting.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 302 ESCC patients from Xijing Hospital receiving definitive (chemo)radiotherapy, which were randomly assigned to the training (n = 201) and internal validation sets (n = 101). And 74 and 21 ESCC patients from the other two centers were used as the external validation set (n = 95).

ROS and cGMP signaling modulate persistent escape from hypoxia in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The ability to detect and respond to acute oxygen (O2) shortages is indispensable to aerobic life. The molecular mechanisms and circuits underlying this capacity are poorly understood. Here, we characterize the behavioral responses of feeding Caenorhabditis elegans to approximately 1% O2.

Fumarate suppresses B-cell activation and function through direct inactivation of LYN.

Activated B cells increase central carbon metabolism to fulfill their bioenergetic demands, yet the mechanistic basis for this, as well as metabolic regulation in B cells, remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that B-cell activation reprograms the tricarboxylic acid cycle and boosts the expression of fumarate hydratase (FH), leading to decreased cellular fumarate abundance. Fumarate accumulation by FH inhibition or dimethyl-fumarate treatment suppresses B-cell activation, proliferation and antibody production.

Acrylamide fragment inhibitors that induce unprecedented conformational distortions in enterovirus 71 3C and SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

RNA viruses are critically dependent upon virally encoded proteases to cleave the viral polyproteins into functional proteins. Many of these proteases exhibit a similar fold and contain an essential catalytic cysteine, offering the opportunity to inhibit these enzymes with electrophilic small molecules. Here we describe the successful application of quantitative irreversible tethering (qIT) to identify acrylamide fragments that target the active site cysteine of the 3C protease (3C) of Enterovirus 71, the causative agent of hand, foot and mouth disease in humans, altering the substrate binding region.

Efficient Protein-Protein Couplings Mediated by Small Molecules under Mild Conditions.

Protein-protein coupling reactions under physiological conditions that do not impact the three-dimensional structures of the proteins are in high demand. Owing to the combination of phenylsulfonyl and aldehyde groups in 5-fluoro-4-(phenylsulfonyl)picolinaldehyde (FPPA), the fluorine substituent shows high reactivity toward free thiols. In FPPA, the fluorine is more reactive than phenylsulfonyl for free thiols.

Speckle-tracking echocardiography for detecting myocardial dysfunction in sepsis and septic shock patients: A single emergency department study.

Background: Septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) occurs in the early stage of sepsis and septic shock, which has implications for treatment strategies and prognosis. Additionally, myocardial involvement in the early stages of sepsis is difficult to identify. Here, we assess subclinical myocardial function using laboratory tests and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE).