Stereotactic central/core ablative radiation therapy: results of a phase I study of a novel strategy to treat bulky tumor.

Purpose: Bulky tumor remains as a challenge to surgery, chemotherapy and conventional radiation therapy. Hence, in efforts to overcome this challenge, we designed a novel therapeutic paradigm via strategy of Stereotactic Central/Core Ablative Radiation Therapy (SCART).), which is based on the principles of SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy and spatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT).

Application value of F-FDG PET/CT in primary spleen angiosarcoma with liver metastasis: a case report and literature review.

Background: Primary splenic angiosarcoma (PSA) is a rare neoplasm. It is a malignant tumor derived from endothelial cells of the splenic sinuses. PSA has an unknown etiology, a high degree of malignancy, easy early metastasis, atypical clinical symptoms and imaging findings, and difficult early diagnosis.

Efficient thermophilic polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase enhanced by cross correlation-based accumulated mutagenesis strategy.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has caused significant pollution issues. Compared to chemical degradation with high energy consumption and cost, enzymatic degradation offers a sustainable solution for PET waste recycling. However, the hydrolytic activity of current PET hydrolases still requires improvement.

Investigating the causal relationship between thyroid dysfunction diseases and osteoporosis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction diseases (TDFDs) and osteoporosis (OP) is high. Previous studies have indicated a potential association between TDFDs and OP, yet the causal direction remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential causal relationship between TDFDs and the risk of developing OP and related fractures.

Callus-specific CRISPR/Cas9 system to increase heritable gene mutations in maize.

A callus-specific CRISPR/Cas9 (CSC) system with Cas9 gene driven by the promoters of ZmCTA1 and ZmPLTP reduces somatic mutations and improves the production of heritable mutations in maize. The CRISPR/Cas9 system, due to its editing accuracy, provides an excellent tool for crop genetic breeding. Nevertheless, the traditional design utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 with ubiquitous expression leads to an abundance of somatic mutations, thereby complicating the detection of heritable mutations.

Relationship between human serum metabolites and angina pectoris: a Mendelian randomization study.

Purpose: We aimed to explore the causal relationship between human serum metabolites and angina pectoris.

Methods: This study used two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the association between 486 serum metabolites and angina pectoris. The analytical methods employed to reduce study bias included inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median method.

Development and validation of risk prediction model for bacterial infections in acute liver failure patients.

Infections significantly increase mortality in acute liver failure (ALF) patients, and there are no risk prediction models for early diagnosis and treatment of infections in ALF patients. This study aims to develop a risk prediction model for bacterial infections in ALF patients to guide rational antibiotic therapy. The data of ALF patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University in China from January 2017 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed for training and internal validation.

Activation of Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Neurons Projecting to the Parabrachial Nucleus Promotes Emergence from Propofol Anesthesia in Male Rats.

Since the clinical introduction of general anesthesia, its underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and parabrachial nucleus (PBN) play pivotal roles in the mechanisms underlying general anesthesia. However, whether dopaminergic (DA) projections from the VTA to the PBN play a role in mediating the effects of general anesthesia is unclear.

Regulation of TAK-TAB Complex Activation through Ubiquitylation.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) activated kinase 1 (TAK1), also named mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 (MAPK7), forms a pivotal signaling complex with TAK1-binding proteins (TAB1, TAB2, and TAB3), orchestrating critical biological processes, including immune responses, cell growth, apoptosis, and stress responses. Activation of TAK1 by stimuli, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), underscores its central role in cellular signaling. Given the critical role of the TAK1-binding protein (TAK1-TAB) complex in cellular signaling and its impact on various biological processes, this review seeks to understand how ubiquitination thoroughly regulates the TAK1-TAB complex.

A Review of AIoT-based Human Activity Recognition: From Application to Technique.

This scoping review paper redefines the Artificial Intelligence-based Internet of Things (AIoT) driven Human Activity Recognition (HAR) field by systematically extrapolating from various application domains to deduce potential techniques and algorithms. We distill a general model with adaptive learning and optimization mechanisms by conducting a detailed analysis of human activity types and utilizing contact or non-contact devices. It presents various system integration mathematical paradigms driven by multimodal data fusion, covering predictions of complex behaviors and redefining valuable methods, devices, and systems for HAR.

Research Progress on Podocyte Pyroptosis in Diabetic Nephropathy.

Pyroptosis is a recently discovered type of lytic-programmed cell necrosis. The process involves cells assembling an inflammasome and cleaving gasdermin (GSDM) to trigger the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that eventually induce inflammatory cell death. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus, which leads to end-stage renal disease.

Association between breakfast patterns and executive function among adolescents in Shanghai, China.

Introduction: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between breakfast patterns and executive function among adolescents in Shanghai, China.

Methods: In 2022, we randomly recruited 3,012 adolescents aged 12-13 years from all administrative districts in Shanghai. Breakfast information was collected by parents using a one-day recall method.

Development and verification of a manganese metabolism- and immune-related genes signature for prediction of prognosis and immune landscape in gastric cancer.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) poses a global health challenge due to its widespread prevalence and unfavorable prognosis. Although immunotherapy has shown promise in clinical settings, its efficacy remains limited to a minority of GC patients. Manganese, recognized for its role in the body's anti-tumor immune response, has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of tumor treatment when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Complementary vitrification of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash from grate furnaces and fluidised bed incinerators via a co-reduction process.

The increasing application of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) emphasises the need for MSWI fly ash (FA) safe treatment. Based on the compositional complementarity of FA from grate furnaces (G-FA) and fluidised bed incinerators (F-FA), we proposed a co-reduction process to treat G-FA and F-FA together for producing vitrified slag and ferroalloys. The clean vitrified slag and Fe-Cr-Ni-Cu alloy were obtained with the mass ratios of 1:9 ∼ 6:4 (G-FA:F-FA) at 1300℃, which is about 300℃ lower than the conventional G-FA vitrification.

The effect of childhood harshness and unpredictability on Internet addiction among college students: The mediating effect of self-control.

College students are inevitably online and at risk of becoming addicted. Life history theory provides an explanatory framework for individual differences in Internet addiction, and childhood harshness and unpredictability may be important antecedents. However, it is unclear whether and how childhood harshness and/or unpredictability affect Internet addiction during college.

SATB1, senescence and senescence-related diseases.

Aging leads to an accumulation of cellular mutations and damage, increasing the risk of senescence, apoptosis, and malignant transformation. Cellular senescence, which is pivotal in aging, acts as both a guard against cellular transformation and as a check against cancer progression. It is marked by stable cell cycle arrest, widespread macromolecular changes, a pro-inflammatory profile, and altered gene expression.

Efficacy of a Soft Robotic Exoskeleton to Improve Lower Limb Motor Function in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Soft robotic exoskeletons (SREs) are portable, lightweight assistive technology with therapeutic potential for improving lower limb motor function in children with cerebral palsy. To understand the effects of long-term SRE-assisted walking training on children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP), we designed a study aiming to elucidate the effects of SRE-assisted walking training on lower limb motor function in this population.

Methods: In this randomized, single-blinded (outcome assessor) controlled trial, forty children diagnosed with SCP were randomized into the routine rehabilitation (RR) group (N = 20) and the SRE group (N = 20) for comparison.

Clinical study on the safety and feasibility of AiWalker-K for lower limbs exercise rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) devices are effective for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Many RAGT devices have been created and put into clinical rehabilitation treatment. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of a new RAGT for children with CP.

The Prognostic Value of Left Ventricular Entropy From T1 Mapping in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) entropy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of LV entropy from T1 mapping in HCM.

Methods: A total of 748 participants with HCM, who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), were consecutively enrolled.

Applications and characterization of anti-browning enzymatically modified potato starch (EPS) film associated with chitosan (CTS)/L-Cys/citric acid (CA) on fresh-cut potato slices.

This study explores the influence of incorporating L-cysteine (L-Cys), chitosan (CTS), and citric acid (CA) on the enzymatic modification of potato starch (EPS) films to enhance anti-browning properties. Four types of EPS composite films were evaluated for preserving fresh-cut potato slices at low temperatures to inhibit browning. Their thermal, physiochemical, mechanical, and digestibility properties were assessed.

Anti-Netrin-1 decorated nanoparticles combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.

Nanoparticle's success as drug delivery systems for cancer treatment has been achieved through passive targeting mechanisms. However, tumor heterogeneity and rapid drug clearance limit the treatment efficacy. Improved outcomes and selective drug release can be achieved by grafting ligands at the surface of nanocarriers that bind molecules overexpressed in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Disinfectant-induced ammonia oxidation disruption in microbial N-cycling process in aquatic ecosystem after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Anthropogenic activities significantly impact the elemental cycles in aquatic ecosystems, with the N-cycling playing a critical role in potential nutrient turnover and substance cycling. We hypothesized that measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission profoundly altered the nitrogen cycle in riverine ecosystems. To investigate this, we re-analyzed metagenomic data and identified 60 N-cycling genes and 21 host metagenomes from four urban reaches (one upstream city, Wuhan, and two downstream cities) along the Yangtze River.