The interplay between persistent pathogen infections with tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy in cancer.

Background: Chronic infections by pathogenic microorganisms play a significant role in cancer development, disrupting the body's immune system and microenvironment. This interference impairs the body's ability to eliminate these microorganisms promptly, allowing them to persist by evading immune defenses.

Aims: This study aimed to explore how chronic pathogenic infections influence the immune microenvironment, impacting tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and treatment strategies.

Single center clinical analysis of macrophage activation syndrome complicating juvenile rheumatic diseases.

Background: Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), an example of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, is a potentially fatal complication of rheumatic diseases. We aimed to study the clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatment schemes, and outcomes of different rheumatic disorders associated with MAS in children. Early warning indicators of MAS have also been investigated to enable clinicians to make a prompt and accurate diagnosis.

Experimental Study on Monitoring Damage Progression of Basalt-FRP Reinforced Concrete Slabs Using Acoustic Emission and Machine Learning.

Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) reinforced concrete is a new alternative to conventional steel-reinforced concrete due to its high tensile strength and corrosion resistance characteristics. However, as BFRP is a brittle material, unexpected failure of concrete structures reinforced with BFRP may occur. In this study, the damage initiation and progression of BFRP-reinforced concrete slabs were monitored using the acoustic emission (AE) method as a structural health monitoring (SHM) solution.

Axial involvement in enthesitis-related arthritis: results from a single-center cohort.

Background: Axial involvement in children with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) has characteristics that differ from those of peripheral involvement. This study characterized their clinical characteristics and treatment.

Methods: Patients with ERA at the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2018 and December 2020 were included.

Physicochemical Characteristics and Flavor Properties of Texturized Dual-Proteins Extrudates: Effect of Surimi to Soybean Flour Ratio.

This study investigated the effects of surimi to soybean flour ratio (0:10, 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6) on the physicochemical characteristics and flavor properties of dual-proteins extrudates. The increasing ratio of surimi improved the color of extrudates and raised the apparent viscosity of the mixed raw materials, which led to the decrease of extrudates' thickness. The excess ratio of surimi and soybean flour (more than 2:8) was bad for extrudates' physicochemical characteristics with sharply decreased tensile strength, macroscopic longitudinal fracture, broken and unevenly distributed microstructure, increased water mobility and decreased free water content.

Experimental Study of the Pore Structure and Gas Desorption Characteristics of a Low-Rank Coal: Impact of Moisture.

Coal-water interactions have a prominent impact on the prediction of coal mine gas disasters and coalbed methane extraction. The change of characteristics in the microscopic pores of coal caused by the existence of water is an important factor affecting the diffusion and migration of gas in coal. The low-pressure nitrogen adsorption experiments and gas desorption experiments of a low-rank coal with different equilibrium moisture contents were conducted.

Effect of modified washing process on water usage, composition and gelling properties of grass carp surimi.

Background: Washing is an essential process in surimi production, from which a large amount of wastewater is generated. Due to the increasing pressure of environmental protection, it is an urgent technical requirement for surimi manufacturers to reduce water usage while maintaining the quality of surimi. In this study, composition, structure and gelling properties of grass carp surimi prepared with a modified washing process (MWP) were investigated.

Robust Bayesian growth curve modelling using conditional medians.

Growth curve models have been widely used to analyse longitudinal data in social and behavioural sciences. Although growth curve models with normality assumptions are relatively easy to estimate, practical data are rarely normal. Failing to account for non-normal data may lead to unreliable model estimation and misleading statistical inference.