Commissioning of a commercial treatment planning system for scanned carbon-ion radiotherapy.

Purpose: To commission the RayStation (RS) TPS (treatment planning system) for scanned CIRT (carbon-ion radiotherapy) utilizing pencil beam algorithms (PBv4.2).

Methods: The beam model commissioning entailed employing 1D single beams and 2D monoenergetic fields to validate spot profiles with films, assess beam range using Peakfinder measurements, and evaluate fragment spectra through dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETd) calculations.

GPER1 signaling restricts macrophage proliferation and accumulation in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Sex hormones and their related receptors have been reported to impact the development and progression of tumors. However, their influence on the composition and function of the tumor microenvironment is not well understood. We aimed to investigate the influence of sex disparities on the proliferation and accumulation of macrophages, one of the major components of the tumor microenvironment, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Spectra-based color correction method of liquid crystal displays.

Reproducing colors under different ambient illumination conditions is a critical issue for monitors. This paper proposes a spectral-based color correction method for liquid crystal displays. The method establishes a model linking RGB values to display emission spectra and its inverse process.

Construction and application of the emergency resilience capability evaluation scale and model for grassroots medical workers: a cross-sectional study in Guangzhou, China.

Objective: Public health emergencies pose a serious challenge to the ability of medical personnel to respond. We aimed to establish a scientific and effective resilience capability assessment scale for grassroots medical workers and explore the way to improve resilience.

Research Design: Developed a resilience ability assessment scale and applied it on the medical personnel who worked in community health service centers for more than 1 year.

Analysis of deliquescent chloride salt by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with controlled uniform precipitation.

Background: The electrolytic efficiency in magnesium (Mg) production by molten salt electrolysis is mainly affected by the chloride content, which is determined by the metal content in the cooled molten salt. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a potential element detection method in cooled molten salt element detection. However, the cooled molten chloride salt is easily deliquescent, which greatly affects the LIBS detection results.

Longitudinal lipidomic profiles of left ventricular mass and left ventricular hypertrophy in American Indians.

BACKGROUNDLeft ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and dyslipidemia are strong, independent predictors for cardiovascular disease, but their relationship is less well studied. A longitudinal lipidomic profiling of left ventricular mass (LVM) and LVH is still lacking.METHODSUsing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we repeatedly measured 1,542 lipids from 1,755 unique American Indians attending 2 exams (mean, 5 years apart).

A Review on Pulsed Laser Preparation of Quantum Dots in Colloids for the Optimization of Perovskite Solar Cells: Advantages, Challenges, and Prospects.

In recent years, academic research on perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has attracted remarkable attention, and one of the most crucial issues is promoting the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability of PSCs. Generally, modification of the electron or hole transport layers between the perovskite layers and electrodes via surface engineering is considered an effective strategy because the inherent structural defects between charge carrier transport layers and perovskite layers can be reshaped and modified by adopting the functional nanomaterials, and thus the charge recombination rate can be naturally decreased. At present, large amounts of available nanomaterials for surface modification of the perovskite films are extensively investigated, mainly including nanocrystals, nanorods, nanoarrays, and even colloidal quantum dots (QDs).

Enhancing mechanical performance of hydroxyapatite-based bone implants via citric acid post-processing in binder jetting additive manufacturing.

Binder jetting is a promising technology in the additive manufacturing of bone implants, particularly for printing brittle bioceramics that are susceptible to thermal residual stresses. However, challenges in this field include low strength and undesirable size changes due to post-sintering treatments, as well as the absence of necessary organic matter like Glycosaminoglycans, citric acid, etc. To address these issues, a novel approach was introduced using citric acid (CA) as a post-processing agent to enhance the mechanical performance of green samples and add organic matter, with boric acid (BA) as a control.

Fragmentation Characteristics of Bubbles in a Throttling Hole Pipe.

To enhance the performance of tubular microbubble generators, the Volume of Fluid (VOF) multiphase flow model in COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the bubble fragmentation characteristics within a throttling hole microbubble generator. The effects of the inlet speed of the throttling hole pipe, the diameter of the throttling hole, and the length of the expansion section on bubble fragmentation performance were analyzed. The results indicated that an increase in the inlet speed of the throttling hole pipe gradually improved the bubble fragmentation performance.

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential is associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Introduction: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and dementia disproportionately burden patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association between CHIP and cognitive impairment in CKD patients is unknown.

Methods: We conducted time-to-event analyses in up to 1452 older adults with CKD from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort who underwent CHIP gene sequencing.

Dynamically visualizing profibrotic maladaptive repair after acute kidney injury by fibroblast activation protein imaging.

A major challenge in prevention and early treatment of organ fibrosis is the lack of valuable tools to assess the evolving profibrotic maladaptive repair after injury in vivo in a non-invasive way. Here, using acute kidney injury (AKI) as an example, we tested the utility of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) imaging for dynamic assessment of maladaptive repair after injury. The temporospatial pattern of kidney FAP expression after injury was first characterized.

Ferulic acid-arabinoxylan conjugates: Synthesis, characterization and applications in antibacterial film formation.

A novel antibacterial film based on arabinoxylan (AX) was prepared by introducing ferulic acid (FA) to AX through a laccase-catalyzed procedure. The ferulic acid-arabinoxylan conjugates (FA-AX conjugates) have been characterized. Results showed that FA was successfully grafted onto the AX chains by covalent linkages, likely through nucleophilic addition between O-Ph in the phenolic hydroxyl group of FA, or through Michael addition via O-quinone intermediates.

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to 23 genes.

Novel Metabolites Associated With Blood Pressure After Dietary Interventions.

Background: The blood pressure (BP) etiologic study is complex due to multifactorial influences, including genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and their intricate interplays. We used a metabolomics approach to capture internal pathways and external exposures and to study BP regulation mechanisms after well-controlled dietary interventions.

Methods: In the ProBP trail (Protein and Blood Pressure), a double-blinded crossover randomized controlled trial, participants underwent dietary interventions of carbohydrate, soy protein, and milk protein, receiving 40 g daily for 8 weeks, with 3-week washout periods.

Association between lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and prostate cancer in men: A population-based study.

Using the novel inflammatory biomarker lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), this work aimed to look into any potential connections between LMR and prostate cancer (PCa). A cross-sectional research investigation was conducted on 7706 male participants involved in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2010. Multivariate logistic regression modeling investigated the relationship between LMR levels and PCa risk.

Apolipoprotein O modulates cholesterol metabolism via NRF2/CYB5R3 independent of LDL receptor.

Apolipoprotein O (APOO) plays a critical intracellular role in regulating lipid metabolism. Here, we investigated the roles of APOO in metabolism and atherogenesis in mice. Hepatic APOO expression was increased in response to hyperlipidemia but was inhibited after simvastatin treatment.

Cancer cell genetics shaping of the tumor microenvironment reveals myeloid cell-centric exploitable vulnerabilities in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Myeloid cells are abundant and plastic immune cell subsets in the liver, to which pro-tumorigenic, inflammatory and immunosuppressive roles have been assigned in the course of tumorigenesis. Yet several aspects underlying their dynamic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remain elusive, including the impact of distinct genetic mutations in shaping a cancer-permissive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, in newly generated, clinically-relevant somatic female HCC mouse models, we identify cancer genetics' specific and stage-dependent alterations of the liver TME associated with distinct histopathological and malignant HCC features.

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to genes involved in neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways.

Remote photoplethysmography based on reflected light angle estimation.

. In previous studies, the factors affecting the accuracy of imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) heart rate (HR) measurement have been focused on the light intensity, facial reflection angle, and motion artifacts. However, the factor of specularly reflected light has not been studied in detail.

C/EBPα mediates the maturation and antitumor functions of macrophages in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Recent studies have suggested that therapeutic upregulation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) prevents hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the mechanisms underlying this outcome are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the expression and functional roles of C/EBPα in human HCC, with a focus on monocytes/macrophages (Mφs).

Structural basis of antiphage immunity generated by a prokaryotic Argonaute-associated SPARSA system.

Argonaute (Ago) proteins are ubiquitous across all kingdoms of life. Eukaryotic Agos (eAgos) use small RNAs to recognize transcripts for RNA silencing in eukaryotes. In contrast, the functions of prokaryotic counterparts (pAgo) are less well known.

Corrigendum: Case report: Abruptio placentae and epileptic seizure after occurrence of perinatal hyperglycaemia in woman with gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.

Hyperglycolysis in endothelial cells drives endothelial injury and microvascular alterations in peritoneal dialysis.

Background: Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction leading to microvascular alterations is a hallmark of technique failure in peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, the mechanisms underlying EC dysfunction in PD are poorly defined.

Methods: We combined RNA sequencing with metabolite set analysis to characterize the metabolic profile of peritoneal ECs from a mouse model of PD.