The potential role of tumor deposits in the prognosis and TNM staging for colorectal cancer.

Background: Tumor deposits (TDs) can impact proper staging of cancer, which is crucial for discussing prognosis and determining the appropriate treatment plan. Our study aimed to correlate how TDs influence prognosis of resected colorectal cancer (CRC) and how to optimize tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging with respect to TDs for clinical decision-making.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 611 patients with CRC treated in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020 among whom 197 had TDs.

Reconfigurations of dynamic functional network connectivity after 1HZ repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in insomnia disorder.

Aims: The objective of the current study was to investigate the dynamic functional connectivity among large-scale brain networks in patients with insomnia, and to assess the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment in these individuals.

Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 62 insomnia patients and 69 healthy controls were used to compare differences in dynamic functional connectivity between the two groups. A total of 26 insomnia patients underwent rTMS for four weeks.

The association between dietary diversity and patterns in Chinese university students with abnormal uterine bleeding: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common gynecological issue during reproductive years. Researches on how dietary diversity and patterns influence AUB in Chinese university students are limited, with some studies not clearly defining irregular menstruation. This research investigated the incidence of AUB according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics criteria and sought to identify preventative factors via online questionnaires.

Topochemical synthesis of anion-intercalated transition metal dichalcogenide superconductor SWS.

We have successfully synthesized bulk single crystals of SWS using a topochemical method, confirming the successful intercalation of sulfur into the interlayer space of M-WS, which induces hole doping. The material exhibits superconductivity with a transition temperature of 6.5 K, making it the first anion-intercalated/hole-doped TMD material.

Scale-up construction of stable multifunctional hydrogel interfaces for large-scale purification of complex oil-water emulsions and oil recovery.

Inspired by the multi-level structure of grass clumps in nature, a novel filter with plexiform-structured hydrogel interface was constructed using sepiolite-derived silica nanofiber (SiNF) as the supporter and crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (cl-PVA) hydrogel as the coating. Experimental test, DFT and MD calculations have confirmed that the addition of SiNF can not only enhance oil-water separation efficiency, but also improve the stability of hydrogel coating. The hydrogel interface with excellent stability and superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobicity can be manufactured on a large copper mesh (1 m × 1.

Preparation of NaA zeolite with graphite tailings and its adsorption of ammonia nitrogen.

Environmental pollution caused by the accumulation of graphite tailings (GT) is a significant global challenge. In this study, GT was utilized as a raw material to synthesize NaA zeolite (GTA), with synthesis conditions optimized. The synthesized GTA was characterized by SEM, EDS, BET, XRD, and FTIR, and its ammonia nitrogen (AN) adsorption performance was investigated under varying conditions, including dosage, pH, adsorption time, and temperature.

The protective effect of rutin on sciatic nerve injury in acrylamide-exposed rats and its mechanisms.

Rutin (Rut) is a flavonoid with pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Acrylamide (ACR) is a toxic substance widely found in human life that can induce neurotoxicity. Some studies have confirmed that neurotoxicity caused by ACR induces myelin damage, which in turn causes neurological dysfunction.

Investigation of white matter functional networks in young smokers.

Aims: This study investigated the changes in the organizational and intrinsical activities of the white matter functional networks (WMFNs) in young smokers using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods: A data-driven approach was used to characterize the WMFNs of 30 young smokers and 30 non-smokers. We applied K-means clustering to the neuroimaging data to delineate the WMFNs.

Regulation of terrestrial input and ocean processes on the occurrence and transport of traditional and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the inner shelf of the East China Sea.

Coastal oceans, serving as transitional zones between land and sea, possess unique geographical features and complex hydrological conditions, functioning as regional reservoirs and crucial transport pathways for anthropogenic pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to the open ocean. This study comprehensively investigates traditional perfluoroalkyl carboxylic and sulphonic acids (PFCAs and PFSAs) and emerging perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic and sulfonic acids (PFECAs and PFESAs), fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTSAs) in seawater columns and surface sediments from the inner shelf of the East China Sea, by integrating hydrological and biogeochemical data. Comparable levels of traditional and emerging PFASs were observed in seawater samples, in contrast to higher concentrations of traditional PFASs in surface sediments.

Development of a new paradigm model for deciphering action mechanism of Danhong injection using a combination of isothermal shift assay and database interrogation.

Background: Identification of active components of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and their respective targets is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying TCM efficacy. However, there are still no effective technical methods to achieve this.

Methods: Herein, we have established a method for rapidly identifying targets of a specific TCM and interrogating the targets with their corresponding active components based on Isothermal Shift Assay (iTSA) and database interrogation.

Regulation of Ocean Surface Currents and Seasonal Sea Ice Variations on the Occurrence and Transport of Organophosphate Esters in the Central Arctic Ocean.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been observed in the remote Arctic Ocean, yet the influence of hydrodynamics and seasonal sea ice variations on the occurrence and transport of waterborne OPEs remains unclear. This study comprehensively examines OPEs in surface seawater of the central Arctic Ocean during the summer of 2020, integrating surface ocean current and sea ice concentration data. The results confirm significant spatiotemporal variations of the OPEs, with the total concentration of seven major OPEs averaging 780 ± 970 pg/L.

SZ-685C inhibits the growth of non-functioning pituitary adenoma by down-regulating miR-340-3p and inducing autophagy.

Background: SZ-685C, an anthracycline compound derived from the mangrove endophytic fungus sp. (No. 1403) collected from the South China Sea, has shown strong anticancer activities.

ParetoTracker: Understanding Population Dynamics in Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithms through Visual Analytics.

Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have emerged as powerful tools for solving complex optimization problems characterized by multiple, often conflicting, objectives. While advancements have been made in computational efficiency as well as diversity and convergence of solutions, a critical challenge persists: the internal evolutionary mechanisms are opaque to human users. Drawing upon the successes of explainable AI in explaining complex algorithms and models, we argue that the need to understand the underlying evolutionary operators and population dynamics within MOEAs aligns well with a visual analytics paradigm.

Comparative analysis of biomechanical characteristics between the new Tai Chi elastic band exercise for opening and closing movement and elastic band resistance training for the reverse fly movement.

Background: The objective of this study was to compare and analyze the representative opening and closing movement of Tai Chi elastic band exercise with the reverse fly movement of elastic band resistance training. The aim was to explore the biomechanical differences between the two exercises and provide theoretical support for the application of Tai Chi elastic band exercise in health intervention.

Methods: A total of 26 male participants were recruited and randomly divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio.

An Integrated Micro-Heating System for On-Chip Isothermal Amplification of African Swine Fever Virus Genes.

The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is widely used in the laboratory to facilitate rapid DNA or RNA detection with a streamlined operational process, whose properties are greatly dependent on the uniformity and rise rate of temperature in the reaction chambers and the design of the primers. This paper introduces a planar micro-heater equipped with an embedded micro-temperature sensor to realize temperature tunability at a low energy cost. Moreover, a control system, based on the Wheatstone bridge and proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) control, is designed to measure and adjust the temperature of the micro-heater.

Induction of apoptosis by oridonin in nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma cells.

Nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) is one of the major subtypes of pituitary adenomas (PA) and its primary treatment is surgical resection. However, normal surgery fails to remove lesions completely and there remains in lack of frontline treatment, so the development of new drugs for NFPA is no doubt urgent. Oridonin (ORI) has been reported to have antitumor effects on a variety of tumors, but whether it could exhibit the same effect on NFPA requires to be further investigated.

Vaccination coverage of hepatitis B and associated factors among health care workers in Gansu province.

The investigation was conducted to describe the status of coverage of HBV vaccination among the health care workers in Gansu province and to explore the associated factors of HBV vaccination in this study. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1544 health care workers from 64 hospitals in Gansu province. A self-designed questionnaire was used to interview the health care workers about HBV vaccination coverage.

Occurrence, sources and transport of triazine herbicides in the Antarctic marginal seas.

The extensively applied triazine herbicides are easily transported by ocean currents over long distances. This study analyzed ten triazine herbicides in the Antarctic marginal seas and the Southern Indian Ocean during the austral summer for the first time, addressing their largely unexplored behavior in remote marine environments. The total triazine herbicides showed great spatial heterogeneity, with a range of 20-790 pg/L and an average of 31 ± 66 pg/L.

Nano-Biochar Prepared from High-Pressure Homogenization Improves Thermal Conductivity of Ethylene Glycol-Based Coolant.

As an environmentally friendly material, biochar is increasingly being utilized in the field of heat transfer and thermal conduction. In this study, nano-biochar was prepared from high-pressure homogenization (HPH) using sesame stalks as the raw material. It was incorporated into ethylene glycol (EG) and its dispersion stability, viscosity, and thermal conductivity were investigated.

The effectiveness of natural reserves from the perspective of habitat quality in the southern section of the Hengduan Mountains, Southwestern China.

Natural reserves (NRs) play key roles in habitat integrity conservation and biodiversity loss mitigation, and the assessment of the conservation effectiveness of NRs is needed to better manage them. Habitat quality (HQ) comprehensively reflects habitat integrity and biodiversity, but the conservation effectiveness of NRs from the perspective of HQ has rarely been determined at high spatial resolution. Taking the southern section of the Hengduan Mountains (SSHM) in Southwest China as an example, combining an InVEST-HQ model and spatiotemporal change detection methods, the effectiveness of NRs from the perspective of HQ at 30-m spatial resolution was assessed in this study.

Effects of a Tai Chi rehabilitation program implemented using a hybrid online and offline mode on oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in patients with coronary heart disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in both developed and many developing countries. Exercise training is a fundamental component of cardiac rehabilitation programs for patients with CHD. This study aims to investigate the effects of a Tai Chi rehabilitation program, which is provided through a hybrid online and offline mode, on oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in patients with CHD.

The Arf-GAPs, AoAge1 and AoAge2, regulate diverse cellular processes, conidiation, trap formation, and secondary metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora.

Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins of the ADP ribosylation factor (Arf) family and their activating proteins (Arf-GAPs) are essential for diverse biological processes. Here, two homologous Arf-GAPs, Age1 (AoAge1) and Age2 (AoAge2), were identified in the widespread nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Our results demonstrated that AoAge1, especially AoAge2, played crucial roles in mycelial growth, sporulation, trap production, stress response, mitochondrial activity, DNA damage, endocytosis, reactive oxygen species production, and autophagy.