Activin A receptor type 1C single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk in Chinese population.

Background: Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. Activin A receptor type 1C (ACVR1C) is a TGF-β type I receptor that is involved in tumorigenesis through binding to different ligands.

Aim: To evaluate the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ACVR1C and susceptibility to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Chinese Han population.

Physiological and transcriptomic analysis of the effect of overexpression of the NTPIP2;4 gene on drought tolerance in tobacco.

Aquaporins are widely present in the plant kingdom and play important roles in plant response to abiotic adversity stresses such as water and temperature extremes. In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of NTPIP2;4 on drought tolerance in tobacco at physiological and transcriptional levels. In this experiment, we constructed an NtPIP2;4 overexpression vector and genetically transformed tobacco variety 'K326' to investigate the mechanism of NtPIP2;4 gene in regulating drought tolerance in tobacco at physiological and transcriptomic levels.

Volume and Distribution of Early Knee Effusion After TKA with a PEEK-Based Knee Prosthesis: Correlation with Changes in Serum Inflammation Marker Levels, Knee Functional Score, and Range of Motion.

Background: Early knee effusion is a common phenomenon after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), with potential clinical implications. Unlike traditional alloy knee prostheses, the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) knee system has radiographic transparency on magnetic resonance (MR) scans, which allows analysis of prosthetic knee effusion. We aimed to identify the distribution and volume of knee effusion after TKA with the PEEK prosthesis with use of MR imaging and to analyze whether dynamic changes in effusion were correlated with serum inflammatory marker changes and knee function recovery.

Evaluation of Inflammatory Activity of Extraocular Muscles in Thyroid Associated Orbitopathy by [Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT.

Purpose: The accurate assessment of inflammatory activity of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is crucial for formulating subsequent treatment strategies and prognostic judgments. This study aims to explore the efficacy of using [Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT to assess the inflammatory activity of EOMs in TAO patients.

Procedures: This study enrolled 22 TAO patients and 6 healthy volunteers, all of whom underwent orbital [Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT.

Fire-retardant and thermally conductive polyacrylonitrile-based separators enabling the safety of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have broad application prospects in many fields because of their high energy density. However, the poor heat resistance of polyolefin membranes and uneven lithium deposition result in battery failure and even infamous thermal runaway behavior. To improve the intrinsic safety of batteries, fire-retardant, thermally conductive, electrospinning strategies are employed to acquire a functional polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber separator (PAN@FBN/TPP) containing modified boron nitride (FBN) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP).