Urban ecosystem services, ecological security patterns and ecological resilience in coastal cities: The impact of land reclamation in Macao SAR.

Land reclamation from the sea is a common practice to create territorial space and accommodate urbanisation in coastal cities. However, previous studies did not adequately examine the changes in ecosystem service values, the spatial transformation of the ecological network and the ecological resilience at an urban scale in the context of land reclamation. This study uses Macao SAR, a fully urbanised city with two-thirds of its land reclaimed from the sea, as a case study.

Haptiknit: Distributed stiffness knitting for wearable haptics.

Haptic devices typically rely on rigid actuators and bulky power supply systems, limiting wearability. Soft materials improve comfort, but careful distribution of stiffness is required to ground actuation forces and enable load transfer to the skin. We present Haptiknit, an approach in which soft, wearable, knit textiles with embedded pneumatic actuators enable programmable haptic display.

USP20 mediates malignant phenotypic changes in bladder cancer through direct interactions with YAP1.

Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) has attracted attention for its potential in the treatment of various types of malignancies. The Hippo-YAP1 axis is inhibited in bladder cancer (BC), which is a major driver of BC progression and oncogenesis. Hippo pathway activity is controlled by the phosphorylation cascade in the MST1/2-LATS1/2-YAP1 axis, in addition to other modifications such as ubiquitination of the Hippo pathway proteins through the co-regulation of E3 ligases and deubiquitinases.

Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Microsatellite-Instability-High Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Patients with microsatellite-instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch-repair-deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer have poor outcomes with standard chemotherapy with or without targeted therapies. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab has shown clinical benefit in nonrandomized studies of MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer.

Methods: In this phase 3 open-label trial, we randomly assigned patients with unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer and MSI-H or dMMR status according to local testing to receive, in a 2:2:1 ratio, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, nivolumab alone, or chemotherapy with or without targeted therapies.

Multi-Strategy Enhanced Parrot Optimizer: Global Optimization and Feature Selection.

Optimization algorithms are pivotal in addressing complex problems across diverse domains, including global optimization and feature selection (FS). In this paper, we introduce the Enhanced Crisscross Parrot Optimizer (ECPO), an improved version of the Parrot Optimizer (PO), designed to address these challenges effectively. The ECPO incorporates a sophisticated strategy selection mechanism that allows individuals to retain successful behaviors from prior iterations and shift to alternative strategies in case of update failures.

ADAR1 enhances tumor proliferation and radioresistance in non-small cell lung cancer by interacting with Rad18.

Purpose: Posttranslational modification significantly contributes to the transcriptional diversity of tumors. Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) and its mediated adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing have been reported to influence tumorigenesis across various cancer types. Nevertheless, the relationship between ADAR1 and radioresistence remains to be elucidated.

Ultra-sensitivity in reconstructed exceptional systems.

Sensors are of fundamental importance and widely used in modern society, such as in industry and environmental monitoring, biomedical sample ingredient analysis and wireless networks. Although numerous sensors have been developed, there is a continuous demand for sensors with increased sensitivity, to detect signals that were previously undetectable. Recently, non-Hermitian degeneracies, also known as exceptional points (EPs), have attracted attention as a way of improving the responsiveness of sensors.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Anesthetic and Sedative Regimens for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of various anesthetic and sedative regimens for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until March 2024. Primary outcomes included procedure time, patient satisfaction, oxygen saturation (SpO2), incidence of SpO2 below 90%, and adverse events.

Utilizing an integrated bioinformatics and machine learning approach to uncover biomarkers linking ulcerative colitis to purine metabolism-related genes.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an increasing incidence of inflammatory disorder in the colon mucosa. One of the current research focuses is the alteration of metabolic networks in UC. One of the important aspects of this metabolic shift is the expression of purine metabolism genes (PMGs) vital for nucleic acid synthesis.

Risk Factors for Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infection in Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the distribution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms (MDROs) in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and to identify risk factors for MDRO infections.

Methods: Patients hospitalized with DFUs were enrolled, and ulcer swabs were cultured for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Hematology and blood biochemistry were also assessed.

The protein segregase VCP/p97 promotes host antifungal defense via regulation of SYK activation.

C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are essential to execute host defense against fungal infection. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular underpinnings of CLR signaling remains a work in progress. Here, we searched for yet-to-be-identified tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in Dectin-1 signaling and linked the stress-response protein valosin containing protein (VCP)/p97 to Dectin-1 signaling.

Theoretical mechanistic insights on the thermal and acid-catalyzed rearrangements of -methyl--nitroanilines.

The thermal and acid-catalyzed rearrangement mechanisms of -methyl--nitroanilines were theoretically investigated density functional theory (DFT) calculations for all possible proposed mechanisms. The results indicate that the thermal rearrangement of -methyl--nitroanilines undergoes a radical pair complex mechanism through the homolysis of their N-N bond to generate a radical pair complex and the recombination of the radical pairs followed by aromatization. For the acid-catalyzed rearrangements, -methyl--nitroanilines are first protonated on the nitrogen atom of their aniline moiety and then generate protonated -methyl--nitroso--phenylhydroxylamines through a three-membered spirocyclic oxadiaziridine transition state.

Associations between phenols, parabens, and phthalates and depressive symptoms: The role of inflammatory markers and bioinformatic insights.

Phenols, parabens, and phthalates are commonly found in consumer products, yet there is limited research on their individual and combined effects on depressive symptoms, particularly regarding the role of inflammation in these associations. This study aimed to evaluate these effects and explore potential molecular mechanisms, with a focus on inflammation as a mediator. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis involving 2766 adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2016.

The synthesis of aryl amines enabled by rearrangement and demethylaromatization of cyclohexadienimines.

The rearrangement and demethylaromatization of cyclohexadienimines (namely cyclohexadienone imines) were investigated in detail under metal-free conditions. Treating 4-aryl-4-methylcyclohexadienimines with acyl chloride at 100 °C in dichloromethane led to the smooth formation of -arylaniline derivatives in good to excellent yields, in which [1,2]-migration of the aryl group at C-4 occurred exclusively. The demethylaromatization of 4-aryl-4-methylcyclohexadienimines mediated by iodotriphenylphosphonium iodide ( prepared the reaction of triphenylphosphine with iodine) in toluene at 100 °C proceeded well, generating -arylanilines in moderate to good yields.

Liquid Biopsy in Lung Cancer: Nano-Flow Cytometry Detection of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Blood.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of global mortality, with current screening and diagnostic methods often lacking in sensitivity and specificity. In our endeavor to develop precise, objective, and easily accessible diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC, this study aimed to leverage rapidly evolving liquid biopsy techniques in the field of pathology to differentiate NSCLC patients from healthy controls by isolating peripheral blood samples and enriching extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing lung-derived proteins (thyroid transcription factor-1 [TTF-1] and surfactant protein B [SFTPB]), along with the cancer-associated protein CD151 EVs. Additionally, for practical applications, we established a nano-flow cytometry assay to detect plasma EVs readily.

Dual structure-aware image filterings for semi-supervised medical image segmentation.

Semi-supervised image segmentation has attracted great attention recently. The key is how to leverage unlabeled images in the training process. Most methods maintain consistent predictions of the unlabeled images under variations (e.

Telangiectasia Macularis Multiplex Acquisita and its Potential Association with Calcium Channel Blockers: A Retrospective Study of 46 Chinese Patients.

Telangiectasia macularis multiplex acquisita is an acquired cutaneous telangiectasis of unknown aetiology, and it lacks both effective and cost-efficient treatment. This study aims to identify a novel potential associated factor of the disease and explore feasible therapeutic interventions. In this retrospective case series study, 46 Chinese patients diagnosed with telangiectasia macularis multiplex acquisita between 1 January 2007 and 18 May 2023 were included.

Associations between multi-metal joint exposure and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in solar greenhouse workers: A study of a unique farmer group.

Background: Solar greenhouse workers, a unique farmer group, have been reported to have a higher risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared to the general population, possible due to exposure to multiple metals.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to multiple metals and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Northwest China.

Laboratory Investigation of Dodecylbenzene Detection in Seawater Via Fluorometric Index of Excitation-emission Matrix Spectra.

​Oil-filled submarine cables have come to dominate the reliable delivery of electrical power today, but oil leakages still remain a challenge. This work focuses on exploring the detection of dodecylbenzene (DDB) after leakage. DDB can be dispersed as small droplets in seawater, which the diameter of DDB droplets increased from 60 nm to 200 nm with the increase of the concentration from 10 ppm to 1000 ppm.

Quantum 2-Player Games and Realizations with Circuits.

Game theory problems are widely applied in many research areas such as computer science and finance, with the key issue being how to quickly make decisions. Here, we present a novel quantum algorithm for game theory problems based on a continuous quantum walk. Our algorithm exhibits quantum advantage compared to classical game algorithms.