预防鼻咽癌根治性放疗后甲状腺功能减退的剂量-体积限制参数的外部验证

目的:验证既往研究报道的甲状腺剂量-体积限制参数是否影响患者放疗后原发性甲状腺功能减退(hypothyroidism,HT)的发生。方法:选取2018年3月至2019年12月福建省肿瘤医院就诊的符合纳入排除标准的92例鼻咽癌患者,末次随访时间为2022年9月,主要结局为原发性HT,单因素和多因素Cox回归分析既往研究报道的甲状腺剂量-体积限制参数与放疗后HT风险之间的关联。结果:中位随访时间为34个月。多因素Cox回归分析显示,调整了年龄、性别和放疗技术后,治疗前甲状腺体积越大(<16 cm^(3)vs.≥16 cm^(3)),45 Gy下甲状腺的绝对体积(the absolute volumes of thyroid spared from 45 Gy,VS45)越大(<5 cm^(3)vs.≥5 cm^(3))、VS50越大(<8 cm^(3)vs.≥8 cm^(3))以及VS60越大(<10 cm^(3)vs.≥10 cm^(3))能够降低放疗后HT的风险[HR(95%CI)分别为0.290(0.099~0.847)、0.320(0.132~0.772)、0.267(0.113~0.633)和0.376(0.163~0.869)]。结论:治疗前甲状腺体积<16 cm^(3)应谨慎放疗后HT的发生,甲状腺VS45≥5 cm^(3)、VS50≥8 cm^(3)和VS60≥10 cm^(3)可以作为甲状腺受照剂量限制推荐参数。

Evaluation of facial temperature distribution changes during meditation using infrared thermal imaging:An experimental,cross-over study

Objective:To investigate the differences between meditation and resting states using infrared thermal imaging(IRTI)to determine facial temperature distribution features during meditation and annotate the patterns of facial temperature changes during meditation from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine facial diagnosis.Methods:Each participant performed 10 min meditation and 10 min resting but in different sequences.A concentration test was set as the task load,followed by a meditation/resting or resting/meditation session,during which the participants'facial temperatures were observed using IRTI.Participants were scored on the Big Five Inventory(BFI)and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale(MAAS).Results:Forehead temperatures decreased more during meditation than during the resting state.The chin temperature increased only during meditation(P<.0001).For the subjects with meditation experience,there were significant differences in the temperatures of the left forehead(P<.01),right forehead(P<.01)and chin(P<.05)between the meditation and resting state at the 10~(th)min.In the nontask state,the BFI-Extraversion showed a negative correlation with the temperature of the left forehead(R=-0.41,P=.03).In the post-task state,the temperature of the left forehead was negatively correlated with scores on the MAAS(R=-0.42,P=.02).Conclusion:Using IRTI to study meditation offers a practical solution to the challenges in meditation research.The results indicate that an increase in chin temperature may be a representative feature of a meditation state,and forehead temperature is also a potential indicator.

儿童鼻咽癌的治疗进展

鼻咽癌在儿童疾病中较罕见,在儿童恶性肿瘤中发病率<5%,遗传易感性可能是儿童鼻咽癌发病特性。放化疗综合治疗是局部晚期鼻咽癌的主要治疗模式,调强放疗是目前儿童鼻咽癌首选放疗方式。化疗同样选择铂类为基础的诱导化疗、同步化疗或辅助化疗。84%的鼻咽癌患儿放疗后产生不同程度的放射性损伤,目前仍缺乏最佳放疗剂量、化疗和放化疗联合方案,以期减少并发症,改善远期生存质量。此外,新型靶向治疗、免疫治疗等是未来研究方向,对儿童鼻咽癌治疗需要前瞻性多中心试验进一步探讨。本文就目前儿童鼻咽癌的临床科研成果和未来研究方向进行论述。

Warming decreases photosynthates and yield of soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merrill] in the North China Plain

Understanding the responses of field crops such as soybean to climate warming is critical for economic development and adaptive management of food security. A field warming experiment was conducted using infrared heaters to investigate the responses of soybean phenology, photosynthetic characteristics, and yield to climate warming in the North China Plain. The results showed that 0.4 °C and 0.7 °C increases in soybean canopy air and soil temperature advanced anthesis stage by 3.8 days and shortened the length of entire growth stage by 4.5 days. Warming also decreased the leaf photosynthetic rate by 6.6% and 10.3% at the anthesis and seed filling stages, respectively, but increased the leaf vapor pressure deficit by 9.4%, 15.7%, and 14.1% at the anthesis, pod setting, and seed filling stages,respectively. However, leaf soluble sugar and starch were decreased by 25.6% and 20.5%,respectively, whereas stem soluble sugar was reduced by 12.2% at the anthesis stage under experimental warming. The transportation amount of leaf soluble sugar and contribution rate of transportation amount to seed weight were reduced by 58.2% and 7.7%, respectively,under warming. As a result, warming significantly decreased 100-seed weight and soybean yield by 20.8% and 45.0%, respectively. Our findings provide better mechanistic understanding of soybean yield response to climate warming and could be helpful for forecasting soybean yield under future climate warming conditions.

An Effective Long String Searching Algorithm towards Component Security Testing

In the execution of method invocation sequences to test component security,abnormal or normal information is generated and recorded in a monitor log. By searching abnormal information from monitor log,the exceptions that the component has can be determined. To facilitate the searching process,string searching methods could be employed. However,current approaches are not effective enough to search long pattern string. In order to mine the specific information with less number of matches,we proposed an improved Sunday string searching algorithm in this paper. Unlike Sunday algorithm which does not make use of the already matched characters,the proposed approach presents two ideas — utilizing and recycling these characters. We take advantage of all matched characters in main string,if they are still in the matchable interval compared with pattern string,to increase the distance that pattern string moves backwards. Experimental analysis shows that,compared to Sunday algorithm,our method could greatly reduce the matching times,if the scale of character set constituting both main string and pattern string is small,or if the length of pattern string is long. Also,the proposed approach can improve the search effectiveness for abnormal information in component security testing.

Atmospheric corrosion behavior of Nb-and Sb-added weathering steels exposed to the South China Sea

The atmospheric corrosion behavior of new-type weathering steels(WSs)was comparatively studied,and the effects of Nb and Sb during corrosion were clarified in detail through field exposure and characterization.The results showed that the addition of Nb and Sb played positive roles in corrosion resistance,but there was a clear difference between these two elements.Nb addition slightly improved the rust property of conventional WS but could not inhibit the electrochemical process.In contrast,Sb addition significantly improved the corrosion resistance from the aspects of electrochemistry and rust layer.Compared with only 0.06wt%Nb,the combination of 0.05wt%Sb and 0.06wt%Nb could better optimize the rust structure,accelerate the formation of a high proportion of dense and protectiveα-FeOOH,repel the invasion of Cl^(−),and retard the localized acidification at the bottom of the pit.

Consensus on potential biomarkers developed for use in clinical tests for schizophrenia

Background Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting approximately 20 million individuals globally.Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the illness.If left undiagnosed and untreated,schizophrenia results in impaired social function,repeated hospital admissions,reduced quality of life and decreased life expectancy.Clinical diagnosis largely relies on subjective evidence,including self-reported experiences,and reported behavioural abnormalities followed by psychiatric evaluation.In addition,psychoses may occur along with other conditions,and the symptoms are often episodic and transient,posing a significant challenge to the precision of diagnosis.Therefore,objective,specific tests using biomarkers are urgently needed for differential diagnosis of schizophrenia in clinical practice.Aims We aimed to provide evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations,with a summary of laboratory measurements that could potentially be used as biomarkers for schizophrenia,and to discuss directions for future research.Methods We searched publications within the last 10 years with the following keywords:‘schizophrenia’,‘gene’,‘inflammation’,‘neurotransmitter’,‘protein marker’,‘gut microbiota’,‘pharmacogenomics’and‘biomarker’.A draft of the consensus was discussed and agreed on by all authors at a round table session.Results We summarised the characteristics of candidate diagnostic markers for schizophrenia,including genetic,inflammatory,neurotransmitter,peripheral protein,pharmacogenomic and gut microbiota markers.We also proposed a novel laboratory process for diagnosing schizophrenia in clinical practice based on the evidence summarised in this paper.Conclusions Further efforts are needed to identify schizophrenia-specific genetic and epigenetic markers for precise diagnosis,differential diagnosis and ethnicity-specific markers for the Chinese population.The development of novel laboratory techniques is making it possible to use these biomarkers clinically to diagnose disease.

Linear polarization holography

Polarization holography is a newly researched field,that has gained traction with the development of tensor theory.It primarily focuses on the interaction between polarization waves and photosensitive materials.The extraordinary capabil-ities in modulating the amplitude,phase,and polarization of light have resulted in several new applications,such as holo-graphic storage technology,multichannel polarization multiplexing,vector beams,and optical functional devices.In this paper,fundamental research on polarization holography with linear polarized wave,a component of the theory of polariz-ation holography,has been reviewed.Primarily,the effect of various polarization changes on the linear and nonlinear po-larization characteristics of reconstructed wave under continuous exposure and during holographic recording and recon-struction have been focused upon.The polarization modulation realized using these polarization characteristics exhibits unusual functionalities,rendering polarization holography as an attractive research topic in many fields of applications.This paper aims to provide readers with new insights and broaden the application of polarization holography in more sci-entific and technological research fields.

Effects of deuteration on the structure of NH_4H_2PO_4 crystals characterized by neutron diffraction

A series of deuterated ammonium dihydrogen phosphate(DADP) crystals were grown and their structures were investigated by using powder neutron diffraction method. In the entire composition range, the deuterated level in the crystals is lower compared with the aqueous growth solution. The deuterium segregation coefficient in the crystals decreases with increasing deuterium content of the solution. The deuterium content in the NH_4^+ group is higher than that in H_2PO_4^- group.In addition, the variations of lattice parameters are shown here.

Benefit Discovery Level and Influencing Factors of Postoperative Breast Cancer Patients

Objective:To investigate the level and influencing factors of benefit discovery in patients with breast cancer after operation.Methods:Convenient sampling method was used to evaluate the change of benefit discovery level of 60 patients with breast cancer after operation in a cancer ward of a hospital by using Chinese version of benefit discovery rating scale and general information questionnaire.Results:The level of benefit discovery of breast cancer patients at different stages was statistically different(P<0.05).Age and education level entered the multiple linear stepwise regression equation of influencing factors of benefit discovery level of breast cancer patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:Targeted nursing measures should be taken to improve the quality of life of patients with breast cancer.

Microfluidic separation of particles by synergistic effect of geometry-induced hydrodynamics and magnetic field

Microfluidic combined with magnetic field have been demonstrated to be the promising solutions for fast and low-damage particles separation.However,the difficulties in the precise layout of magnets and accurate prediction of particle trajectories lead to under and over separation of target particles.A novel particle separation lab-on-chip(LOC)prototype integrated with microstructures and micropolar arrays is designed and characterized.Meanwhile,a numerical model for the separation of magnetic particles by the synergistic effect of geometry-induced hydrodynamics and magnetic field is constructed.The effect of geometry and magnetic field layout on particle deflection is systematically analyzed to implement accurate prediction of particle trajectories.It is found that the separation efficiency of magnetic particles increased from 50.2%to 91.7%and decreased from 88.6%to 85.7%in the range of depth factors from 15µm to 27µm and width factors from 30µm to 60µm,respectively.In particular,the combined effect of the offset distance of permanent magnets and the distance from the main flow channel exhibits a significant difference from the conventional perception.Finally,the developed LOC prototype was generalized for extension to arbitrary systems.This work provides a new insight and robust method for the microfluidic separation of magnetic particles.

A lateral-immobilization zebrafish microfluidic chip-based system for in vivo real-time evaluation of antithrombotic agents

Thrombosis remains a major global health concern mainly characterized by high rates of morbidity and mortality.Animal models serve as an indispensable tool to understand the underlying pathogenesis of thrombosis and assess the efficacy of novel antithrombotic drugs.Currently,zebrafish has emerged as a valuable model organism for thrombosis research.However,the traditional method of studying zebrafish thrombosis requires a laborious and time-consuming procedure,including anesthesia and manual immobilization of zebrafish.In this study,based on hydrodynamic force,a lateral-immobilization zebrafish microfluidic chip(LIZMC)was designed to evaluate the cardiovascular system of multiple larvae within a single microscope field of view.Specifically,coupling with microscope imaging,real-time monitoring of the peripheral blood circulation in the tail of phenylhydrazine(PHZ)-induced zebrafish thrombosis was enabled.Furthermore,the reliability of LIZMC for in vivo evaluation of antithrombotic agents in zebrafish was verified using aspirin.Collectively,this novel LIZMC-based system can be used for in vivo zebrafish thrombosis studies and rapid screening of antithrombotic agents.

Advancements in life-on-a-chip: The impact of “Beyond Limits Manufacturing” technology

This review explores the concept of life-on-a-chip,which involves the creation of miniaturized biological systems,such as organs,tissues,and model organisms,on microscale platforms called microfluidic chips.These chips consist of intricately etched channels,wells,and chambers that enable precise control and observation of fluids,cells,and biochemical reactions,facilitating the simulation of various aspects of human or animal physiology and the study of responses to different stimuli,drugs,or disease conditions.The review highlights the application of a novel technology,“Beyond Limit Manufacturing”(BLM),in the development of sophisticated three-dimensional cell models and model organism microchips.Modelorganism-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip(OoC)are among the thriving developments in the field of microfluidics,allowing for the reconstruction of living microenvironments and implementation of multiple stimuli.The review discusses the latest advancements in life-on-a-chip technology using BLM and outlines potential future research directions,emphasizing the significant role of these chips in studying complex biological processes in a controlled and scalable manner.

Hydrogel-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbon framework with vanadium nitride decoration for supercapacitors with superior cycling performance

Transition metal nitrides(TMNs)and their composites with carbon materials hold tremendous potential for supercapacitor(SC)electrodes because of their excellent electronic conductivity and electrochemical activity.However,realizing cycling stable TMN/carbon-based supercapacitors with economically viable and environmentally-friendly approaches remains a significant challenge.Significantly,polyacrylamide(PAM)hydrogel,as a water-soluble linear polymer electrolyte,is expected to be a remarkable candidate precursor for preparing N-doped porous carbon(NPC)due to the high contents of carbon and nitrogen elements.In this study,vanadium nitride(VN)embedded in PAM hydrogel-derived NPC was fabricated successfully via an ammonia-free process.The VN/NPC delivers a high specific capacitance of 198.3 F g^(−1)at a current density of 1 A g^(−1),with a remarkable cycling stability of 107%after 16,000 cycles.The electrochemical performances of VN/NPC compared to bare VN nanoparticles are strongly improved due to the composite structure.Additionally,the VN/NPC-based solid-state symmetric device delivers an excellent energy density of 21.97µWh cm^(−2)at a power density of 0.5 mW cm^(−2),and an outstanding cycling durability of 90.9%after 18,000 cycles.This work paves the way to design metal nitride/porous carbon materials,which also opens up unique horizons for the recovery of hydrogel electrolyte.

Clinical characteristics of hypersensitivity pneumonitis:non-fibrotic and fibrotic subtypes

Background:The presence of fibrosis is a criterion for subtype classification in the newly updated hypersensitivity pneumonitis(HP)guidelines.The present study aimed to summarize differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis of non-fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis(NFHP)and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis(FHP)and explore factors associated with the presence of fibrosis.Methods:In this prospective cohort study,patients diagnosed with HP through a multidisciplinary discussion were enrolled.Collected data included demographic and clinical characteristics,laboratory findings,and radiologic and histopathological features.Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore factors related to the presence of fibrosis.Results:A total of 202 patients with HP were enrolled,including 87(43.1%)NFHP patients and 115(56.9%)FHP patients.Patients with FHP were older and more frequently presented with dyspnea,crackles,and digital clubbing than patients with NFHP.Serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen,carbohydrate antigen 125,carbohydrate antigen 153,gastrin-releasing peptide precursor,squamous cell carcinoma antigen,and antigen cytokeratin 21-1,and count of bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL)eosinophils were higher in the FHP group than in the NFHP group.BAL lymphocytosis was present in both groups,but less pronounced in the FHP group.Multivariable regression analyses revealed that older age,<20%of lymphocyte in BAL,and≥1.75%of eosinophil in BAL were risk factors for the development of FHP.Twelve patients developed adverse outcomes,with a median survival time of 12.5 months,all of whom had FHP.Conclusions:Older age,<20%of lymphocyte in BAL,and≥1.75%of eosinophil in BAL were risk factors associated with the development of FHP.Prognosis of patients with NFHP was better than that of patients with FHP.These results may provide insights into the mechanisms of fibrosis in HP.

Novel and potent inhibitors targeting DHODH are broad-spectrum antivirals against RNA viruses including newly-emerged coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses occasionally cause epidemics and pandemics worldwide,such as the on-going outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.Herein,we identified two potent inhibitors of human DHODH,S312 and S416,with favorable drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic profiles,which all showed broad-spectrum antiviral effects against various RNA viruses,including influenza A virus,Zika virus,Ebola virus,and particularly against SARS-CoV-2.Notably,S416 is reported to be the most potent inhibitor so far with an EC5o of 17 nmol/L and an SI value of 10,505.88 in infec-ted cells.Our results are the first to validate that DHODH is an attractive host target through high antiviral efficacy in vivo and low virus replication in DHODH knock-out cells.This work demonstrates that both S312/S416 and old drugs(Leflunomide/Teriflunomide)with dual actions of antiviral and immuno-regulation may have clinical potentials to cure SARS-CoV-2 or other RNA viruses circulating worldwide,no matter such viruses are mutated or not.

Bph30confers resistance to brown planthopperby fortifying sclerenchyma in rice leaf sheaths

Phloem-feeding insects cause massive losses in agriculture and horticulture.Host plant resistance to phloem-feeding insects is often mediated by changes in phloem composition,which deter insect settling and feeding and decrease viability.Here,we report that rice plant resistance to the phloem-feeding brown planthopper(BPH)is associated with fortification of the sclerenchyma tissue,which is located just beneath the epidermis and a cell layer or two away from the vascular bundle in the rice leaf sheath.We found that BPHs prefer to feed on the smooth and soft region on the surface of rice leaf sheaths called the long-cell block.We identified Bph30 as a rice BPH resistance gene that prevents BPH stylets from reaching the phloem due to the fortified sclerenchyma.Bph30 is strongly expressed in sclerenchyma cells and enhances cellulose and hemicellulose synthesis,making the cell walls stiffer and sclerenchyma thicker.The structurally fortified sclerenchyma is a formidable barrier preventing BPH stylets from penetrating the leaf sheath tissues and arriving at the phloem to feed.Bph30 belongs to a novel gene family,encoding a protein with two leucine-rich domains.Another member of the family,Bph40,also conferred resistance to BPH.Collectively,the fortified sclerenchyma-mediated resistance mechanism revealed in this study expands our understanding of plant-insect interactions and opens a new path for controlling planthoppers in rice.

椎管内分娩镇痛对经阴道分娩初产妇产后早期盆底功能的影响

目的探讨椎管内分娩镇痛对经阴道分娩初产妇产后早期(产后42 d)盆底功能的影响。方法采用倾向性评分匹配方法,选取2020年3月至2021年6月,产后42 d于烟台毓璜顶医院进行盆底功能检查的242例经阴道分娩初产妇为研究对象。根据初产妇经阴道分娩时是否采取椎管内分娩镇痛,将其分为研究组(n=121,采取椎管内分娩镇痛)和对照组(n=121,未采取分娩镇痛措施)。采用成组t检验、Mann-Whitney U检验和χ2检验,对2组初产妇产后42 d盆底三维超声检查与盆底表面肌电图(sEMG)检测结果,以及膀胱脱垂、子宫脱垂、压力性尿失禁(SUI)与产后尿滁留(PUR)发生率进行比较。本研究遵循的程序符合2013年新修订的《世界医学协会赫尔辛基宣言》要求。2组初产妇身高与分娩时体重、人体质量指数(BMI)、年龄、孕龄及第二产程时间、胎儿出生体重等一般临床资料比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结果①研究组初产妇PUR发生率为13.2%(16/121),高于对照组的5.8%(7/121),并且差异有统计学意义(χ2=3.892,P=0.049)。2组初产妇产后早期不同程度膀胱脱垂、子宫脱垂构成比及SUI发生率等分别比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。②2组初产妇盆底三维超声检查结果显示,最大Valsalva动作时尿道内口打开、肛门括约肌不完整发生率,膀胱后壁最低点、宫颈外口最低点、直肠壶腹部下缘距耻骨联合下缘的垂直距离,肛提肌裂孔面积与膀胱颈移动度等分别比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。③2组初产妇盆底sEMG检测结果显示,前静息阶段盆底肌肌电平均值、快速收缩阶段盆底肌肌电最大值及紧张收缩阶段、耐力收缩阶段与后静息阶段盆底肌肌电平均值分别比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论经阴道分娩初产妇采取椎管内分娩镇痛,除导致产后早期PUR发生风险增高外,膀胱脱垂、子宫脱垂、SUI及盆底肌损伤发生风险并未增高。

Modeling study of source contributions and emergency control effects during a severe haze episode over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area

In February 2014, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH) area experienced a weeklong episode of heavy haze pollution. Cities such as Beijing(BJ) and Shijiazhuang(SJZ) issued heavy pollution alerts for the first time and took emergency control measures. This study employed the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System(NAQPMS) to simulate and analyze the three-dimensional structure of the source contributions of PM2.5 in the BTH area during this pollution episode and quantitatively assessed the effects of the emergency control measures. The results showed that during the polluted period(February 19–26), surface PM2.5 mainly originated from local sources(48%–72%). In the entire BTH area, southern Hebei(SHB) represented the largest internal contribution(33%), while the main external contributions came from Shandong(SD)(10%) and Henan(HN)(4%). Vertically, the local contribution was constrained below the near-ground layer, and rapidly decreased with altitude. The regional transport path from SHB and Shanxi(SX) to BJ appeared at 0.5–1.5 and 1.5–2.5 km, with contributions of 32%–42% and 13%–27%, respectively. The non-local source regions for the BTH area were SD below 1 km and mainly SX and HN above 1 km. Compared to the non-polluted period(February 27–28), the contribution from regional transport increased during the polluted period, indicating the key role of regional transport in the pollution formation. The emergency control measures had a relatively large effect on NOx and SO2 concentrations, but a limited effect on PM2.5. The stronger regional transport during the polluted period may have weakened the effects of the local emergency control measures. These results indicated that a coordinated emission control should be implemented not only over the BTH area but also over its surrounding provinces(e.g. SD, HN).

Cloning and characterization of rice RH3 gene induced by brown planthopper

Experiments have showed that the histone H3 gene is correlated with development, cell speciality and stress response. The RH3 full-length cDNA was isolated from the cDNA library of rice infested by brown planthopper (BPH) with EST (Accession no. BU572343) screened from rice SSH library as probe. This gene encodes histone H3 protein in-cluding 136 amino acids, with one amino acid different from a kind of disease resistance-related protein in rice (AF467728). At the position 126, the aspartic acid is replaced by lysine. The time course results showed that the expression of the RH3 began to increase at 8 h after BPH-feeding, and got to its peak at 96 h. Regulations of the gene expression in treatments with stress/defense signal molecules were ana-lyzed by Northern blot. Water deficit and Pyricularia grisea increased the expression of RH3 while ABA down-regulated the gene. The enhanced accumulation of RH3 transcripts in the vascular bundle and short cell of stem after BPH feeding was revealed by RNA in situ hybridization. It is the first time to report that RH3 is correlated with the response of rice to BPH.