Identification and validation of a pyroptosis-related prognostic model for colorectal cancer based on bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data

BACKGROUND Pyroptosis impacts the development of malignant tumors,yet its role in colorectal cancer(CRC)prognosis remains uncertain.AIM To assess the prognostic significance of pyroptosis-related genes and their association with CRC immune infiltration.METHODS Gene expression data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and single-cell RNA sequencing dataset GSE178341 from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO).Pyroptosis-related gene expression in cell clusters was analyzed,and enrichment analysis was conducted.A pyroptosis-related risk model was developed using the LASSO regression algorithm,with prediction accuracy assessed through K-M and receiver operating characteristic analyses.A nomo-gram predicting survival was created,and the correlation between the risk model and immune infiltration was analyzed using CIBERSORTx calculations.Finally,the differential expression of the 8 prognostic genes between CRC and normal samples was verified by analyzing TCGA-COADREAD data from the UCSC database.RESULTS An effective pyroptosis-related risk model was constructed using 8 genes-CHMP2B,SDHB,BST2,UBE2D2,GJA1,AIM2,PDCD6IP,and SEZ6L2(P<0.05).Seven of these genes exhibited differential expression between CRC and normal samples based on TCGA database analysis(P<0.05).Patients with higher risk scores demonstrated increased death risk and reduced overall survival(P<0.05).Significant differences in immune infiltration were observed between low-and high-risk groups,correlating with pyroptosis-related gene expression.CONCLUSION We developed a pyroptosis-related prognostic model for CRC,affirming its correlation with immune infiltration.This model may prove useful for CRC prognostic evaluation.

The manipulation of rectifying contact of Co and nitrogen-doped carbon hierarchical superstructures toward high-performance oxygen reduction reaction

Rational design and construction of oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)electrocatalysts with high activity,good stability,and low price are essential for the practical applications of renewable energy conversion devices,such as metal-air batteries.Electronic modification through constructing metal/semiconductor Schottky heterointerface represents a powerful strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance.Herein,we demonstrate a concept of Schottky electrocatalyst composed of uniform Co nanoparticles in situ anchored on the carbon nanotubes aligned on the carbon nanosheets(denoted as Co@N-CNTs/NSs hereafter)toward ORR.Both experimental findings and theoretical simulation testify that the rectifying contact could impel the voluntary electron flow from Co to N-CNTs/NSs and create an internal electric field,thereby boosting the electron transfer rate and improving the intrinsic activity.As a consequence,the Co@N-CNTs/NSs deliver outstanding ORR activity,impressive long-term durability,excellent methanol tolerance,and good performance as the air-cathode in the Zn-air batteries.The design concept of Schottky contact may provide the innovational inspirations for the synthesis of advanced catalysts in sustainable energy conversion fields.

Combined blasting for protection of gob-side roadway with thick and hard roof

The deformation control of surrounding rock in gobside roadway with thick and hard roof poses a significant challenge to the safety and efficiency of coal mining.To address this issue,a novel approach combining directional and non-directional blasting techniques,known as combined blasting,was proposed.This study focuses on the experimental investigation of the proposed method in the 122108 working face in Caojiatan Coal Mine as the engineering background.The initial phase of the study involves physical model experiments to reveal the underlying mechanisms of combined blasting for protecting gob-side roadway with thick and hard roof.The results demonstrate that this approach effectively accelerates the collapse of thick and hard roofs,enhances the fragmentation and expansion coefficient of gangue,facilitates the filling of the goaf with gangue,and provides support to the overlying strata,thus reducing the subsidence of the overlying strata above the goaf.Additionally,the method involves cutting the main roof into shorter beams to decrease the stress and disrupt stress transmission pathways.Subsequent numerical simulations were conducted to corroborate the findings of the physical model experiments,thus validating the accuracy of the experimental results.Furthermore,field engineering experiments were performed,affirming the efficacy of the combined blasting method in mitigating the deformation of surrounding rock and achieving the desired protection of the gob-side roadway.

Regulating intramolecular hydrogen bonds of p-phenylenediimidazole-based small-molecule compounds towards the enhanced lithium storage capacity

The use of redox-active organic electrode materials in energy storage is restricted due to their inferior solvent resistance,abysmal conductivity,and the resultant low practical capacity.To address these issues,a class of bipolar p-phenylenediimidazole-based small-molecule compounds are designed and fabricated.Theπ-conjugated backbone of these small molecules allows for electron delocalization on a big conjugation plane,endowing them with good conductivity and reaction reversibility.Furthermore,when the para-positions of phenylene are occupied by hydroxyl groups,as-formed intramolecular hydrogen bonds(N-H...O)between phenolic hydroxyl groups and the–NH groups of imidazole rings further enhance the structural planarity,resulting in higherπ-conjugation degree and better conductivity,and thus higher utilization of active sites and electrode capacity,proved by both experimental results and theoretical calculations.The optimized composite electrode DBNQ@rGO-45 shows a high specific capacity(∼308 mA h g^(−1)at 100 mA g^(−1))and a long cycling stability(112.9 mA h g^(−1)after 6000 cycles at 2000 mA g^(−1)).The significantly better electrochemical properties for hydroxyl group-containing compounds than those without hydroxyl groups attributed to intramolecular hydrogen bond-induced conjugation enhancement will inspire the structure design of organic electrodes for better energy storage.

Manipulating d-d orbital hybridization induced by Mo-doped Co_(9)S_(8) nanorod arrays for high-efficiency water electrolysis

Precisely refining the electronic structure of electrocatalysts represents a powerful approach to further optimize the electrocatalytic performance.Herein,we demonstrate an ingenious d-d orbital hybridization concept to construct Mo-doped Co_(9)S_(8) nanorod arrays aligned on carbon cloth(CC)substrate(abbreviated as Mo-Co_(9)S_(8)@CC hereafter)as a high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalyst toward water electrolysis.It has experimentally and theoretically validated that the 4d-3d orbital coupling between Mo dopant and Co site can effectively optimize the H_(2)O activation energy and lower H^(*)adsorption energy barrier,thereby leading to enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activities.Thanks to the unique electronic and geometrical advantages,the optimized Mo-Co_(9)S_(8)@CC with appropriate Mo content exhibits outstanding bifunctional performance in alkaline solution,with the overpotentials of 75 and 234 mV for the delivery of a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2),small Tafel slopes of 53.8 and 39.9 mV dec~(-1)and long-term stabilities for at least 32 and 30 h for HER and OER,respectively.More impressively,a water splitting electrolylzer assembled by the self-supported Mo-Co_(9)S_(8)@CC electrode requires a low cell voltage of 1.53 V at 10 mA cm^(-2)and shows excellent stability and splendid reversibility,demonstrating a huge potential for affordable and scalable electrochemical H_(2) production.The innovational orbital hybridization strategy for electronic regulation herein provides an inspirable avenue for developing progressive electrocatalysts toward new energy systems.

Cobalt phthalocyanine promoted copper catalysts toward enhanced electro reduction of CO_(2)to C_(2):Synergistic catalysis or tandem catalysis?

The activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)to C_(2)products on metal catalysts can be regulated by molecular surfactants.However,the mechanism behind it remains elusive and debatable.Herein,copper nanowires(Cu NWs)were fabricated and decorated with cobalt phthalocyanine(CoPc).The electronic interaction between the Cu NWs,CoPc,CO_(2) and CO_(2)RR intermediates were explored by density functional theory(DFT)calculations.It was found that the selectivity and activity of CO_(2)RR towards C_(2)products on Cu NWs were considerably enhanced from 35.2%to 69.9%by surface decoration of CoPc.DFT calculations revealed that CO_(2)RR can proceed in the interphase between Cu substrate and CoPc,and the CO_(2)RR intermediates could synergistically bond with both Cu and Co metal centre in CuNWs-CoPc,which favours the adsorption of CO_(2),CO and CO_(2)RR intermediates,thus reducing the free energy for CO-COcoupling towards C_(2)products.The synergistic interaction was further extended to phthalocyanine(Pc)and other metal phthalocyanine derivatives(MPc),where a relatively weaker synergistic interaction of COintermediates with MPc and Cu substrate and only a slight enhancement of CO_(2)RR towards C_(2) products were observed.This study demonstrates a synergistic catalysis pathway for CO_(2)RR,a novel perspective in interpreting the role of CoPc in enhancing the activity and selectivity of CO_(2)RR on Cu NWs,in contrast to the conventional tandem catalysis mechanism.

A step to the decentralized real-time timekeeping network

The composite time scale(CTS) provides an accurate and stable time-frequency reference for modern science and technology. Conventional CTS always features a centralized network topology, which means that the CTS is accompanied by a local master clock. This largely restricts the stability and reliability of the CTS. We simulate the restriction and analyze the influence of the master clock on the CTS. It proves that the CTS's long-term stability is also positively related to that of the master clock, until the region dominated by the frequency drift of the H-maser(averaging time longer than ~10~5s).Aiming at this restriction, a real-time clock network is utilized. Based on the network, a real-time CTS referenced by a stable remote master clock is achieved. The experiment comparing two real-time CTSs referenced by a local and a remote master clock respectively reveals that under open-loop steering, the stability of the CTS is improved by referencing to a remote and more stable master clock instead of a local and less stable master clock. In this way, with the help of the proposed scheme, the CTS can be referenced to the most stable master clock within the network in real time, no matter whether it is local or remote, making democratic polycentric timekeeping possible.

Development of Machine Learning Methods for Accurate Prediction of Plant Disease Resistance

The traditional method of screening plants for disease resistance phenotype is both time-consuming and costly.Genomic selection offers a potential solution to improve efficiency,but accurately predicting plant disease resistance remains a challenge.In this study,we evaluated eight different machine learning(ML)methods,including random forest classification(RFC),support vector classifier(SVC),light gradient boosting machine(lightGBM),random forest classification plus kinship(RFC_K),support vector classification plus kinship(SVC_K),light gradient boosting machine plus kinship(lightGBM_K),deep neural network genomic prediction(DNNGP),and densely connected convolutional networks(DenseNet),for predicting plant disease resistance.Our results demonstrate that the three plus kinship(K)methods developed in this study achieved high prediction accuracy.Specifically,these methods achieved accuracies of up to 95%for rice blast(RB),85%for rice black-streaked dwarf virus(RBSDV),and 85%for rice sheath blight(RSB)when trained and applied to the rice diversity panel I(RDPI).Furthermore,the plus K models performed well in predicting wheat blast(WB)and wheat stripe rust(WSR)diseases,with mean accuracies of up to 90%and 93%,respectively.To assess the generalizability of our models,we applied the trained plus K methods to predict RB disease resistance in an independent population,rice diversity panel II(RDPII).Concurrently,we evaluated the RB resistance of RDPII cultivars using spray inoculation.Comparing the predictions with the spray inoculation results,we found that the accuracy of the plus K methods reached 91%.These findings highlight the effectiveness of the plus K methods(RFC_K,SVC_K,and lightGBM_K)in accurately predicting plant disease resistance for RB,RBSDV,RSB,WB,and WSR.The methods developed in this study not only provide valuable strategies for predicting disease resistance,but also pave the way for using machine learning to streamline genome-based crop breeding.

Characteristic Study of Self-Powered Sensors Based on Native Protein Composite Film

Flexible electronic sensors composed of flexible film and conductive materials play an increasingly important role in wearable and internet information transmission.It has received more and more attention and made some progress over the decades.However,it is still a great challenge to prepare biocompatible and highly transparent conductive films.Egg white is a pure natural protein-rich material.Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose has a good compatibility and high transparency,which is an ideal material for flexible sensors.Here,we overcome the problem of poor mechanical flexibility and electrical conductivity of protein,and develop a high transparency and good flexibility hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose/egg white protein composite membrane-based triboelectric nanogenerator('X'-TENG).The experimental results show that the flexible pressure sensor based on'X'-TENG has a high sensitivity,fast response speed,and low detection limit.It can even be used as a touch/pressure sensing artificial electronic skin.It can also be made into an intelligent waffle keyboard for recording and tracking users of the keyboard.Our strategy may provide a new way to easily build flexible electronic sensors and move toward practical applications.

Theory and verification of moiréfringes for x-ray three-phase grating interferometer

Dual-phase and three-phase grating x-ray interference is a promising new technique for grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging.Dual-phase grating interferometers have been relatively completely studied and discussed.In this paper,the corresponding imaging fringe formula of the three-phase grating interferometer is provided.At the same time,the similarities and differences between the three-phase grating interferometer and the dual-phase grating interferometer are investigated and verified,and that the three-phase grating interferometer can produce large-period moiréfringes without using the analyzing grating is demonstrated experimentally.Finally,a simple method of designing three-phase grating and multi-grating imaging systems from geometric optics based on the thin-lens theory of gratings is presented.These theoretical formulas and experimental results provide optimization tools for designing three-phase grating interferometer systems.

Gas source of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation in the Zhongjiang large gas field of Western Sichuan Depression:Constraints from geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons

The Zhongjiang gas field is a typical large gas field in terrigenous strata of the Western Sichuan Depression.It remains debatable which member of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation served as the source rocks and how significant the member contributed to the gas accumulations in the Zhongjiang gas field.In this study,we analyzed the essential characteristics of the Lower Jurassic source rocks and the geochemical features of light hydrocarbons in natural gas from the 2nd(T_(3)χ^(2))and 4th members(T_(3)χ^(4))of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation(T_(3)χ),as well as the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao(J_(2)s)and Qianfoya(J_(2)q)formations.Based on this,we explored the sources of the natural gas in the Zhongjiang gas field and determined the natural gas migration patterns and their effects on the properties of light hydrocarbons in the natural gas.The results indicate that the Lower Jurassic lacustrine source rocks of the Zhongjiang gas field contain humic organic matter,with vitrinite reflectance(R_(0))values ranging from 0.86%to 0.98%.Samples meeting the criterion for effective source rocks[total organic carbon(TOC)content≥0.75%]exhibited an average TOC content of merely 1.02%,suggesting significantly lower hydrocarbon generation potential than source rocks in the underlying T3x,which show higher thermal maturity and TOC contents.For natural gas samples from T_(3)χ^(2),T_(3)χ^(4),J_(2)s,and J_(2)q reservoirs,their C_(5-7)iso-alkane content was significantly higher than their n-alkane content,and their methylcyclohexane(MCH)index ranged from 59.0%to 77.3%,indicating the predominance of methylcyclohexane in C_(7)light hydrocarbons.As indicated by the origin identification and gas-source correlation based on the geochemical features of light hydrocarbons,the natural gas in the Zhongjiang gas field is typical coal-derived gas.The gas from the primary pay zone of the Shaximiao Formation,with significantly high K_(1),(P_(2)+N_(2))/C_(7),and P_(3)/C_(7)values,predominantly originated from the 5th member of the T3x and migrated in the free phase,with a small amount possibly sourced from the Lower Jurassic source rocks.The dissolution and adsorption during gas migration led to a decrease in the aromatic content in C_(6-7)light hydrocarbons and an increase in the isoheptane values.Therefore,their effects must be considered when determining the gas origin and thermal maturity based on the aromatic content in C_(6-7) light hydrocarbons and iso-heptane values.

Neuroinflammation attenuation effects by celastrol and PDIA3 in the amygdala, hippocampus and dorsal raphe nucleus of obese mice

Nowadays,roughly 603.7 million people are bothered by obesity[1].More seriously,obesity brings inflammation to the peripheral and central nervous system,which compromises the comorbidity of obesity,major depression[2],and cognitive deficits[3].Drug competent in the comorbidity is still lacking.In 2015,Liu et al.[4]reported celastrol(CEL)as a powerful anti-obesity agent.In our previous study.

Acupuncture for cervical dystonia associated with anxiety and depression: A case report

BACKGROUND Cervical dystonia(CD)is a type of muscle tone disorder that usually occurs in the neck muscles.Due to the intermittent or continuous involuntary contraction of the neck muscles,the head and neck are twisted and skewed and some postural abnormalities occur.Long-term abnormal posture or pain can cause negative emotions in patients,which can affect their quality of life.CASE SUMMARY This case report included a 37-year-old woman who was diagnosed with CD associated with anxiety and depression;the accompanying symptoms were head and neck tilt of approximately 90°to the right and mental abnormality.After two courses of acupuncture treatment,the patient’s head and neck can be maintained in a normal position,and the negative emotions can be relieved.CONCLUSION This case indicates that acupuncture can effectively improve CD and the emotional state and quality of life of patients,making it an effective alternative treatment for the condition.

Comparison of ocular biometric parameters between two swept-source optical coherence tomography devices and Scheimpflug tomography in patients with cataract

AIM:To assess and compare the variations and agreements across different ocular biometric parameters using swept-source optical coherence tomography(SS-OCT)and Scheimpflug tomography in patients diagnosed with cataract.METHODS:This prospective case series was conducted at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital.In total,212 eyes from 212 patients scheduled for phacoemulsification were included.Eyes were evaluated preoperatively using two SSOCT devices(IOLMaster700 and CASIA2)and Scheimpflug tomography(Pentacam).Central corneal thickness(CCT),anterior chamber depth(ACD),aqueous depth(AQD),white-to-white distance(WTW),flat simulated keratometry(Kf),steep simulated keratometry(Ks),mean keratometry(Km),and total corneal keratometry(TKm)were measured.Intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC),95%confidence intervals(CI)and limits of agreement(LoA)widths were conducted to assess differences and correlations between devices.RESULTS:All parameters,except for Ks,were significantly different.Pairwise comparison revealed no significant differences between keratometry obtained by IOLMaster 700 and Pentacam.LoA widths of all paired comparisons for Ks were>0.80 D.Except for WTW between IOLMaster 700 and CASIA2 and between CASIA2 and Pentacam,other Pearson’s coefficients between devices showed a strong correlation(all r>0.95).The ICC of WTW(ICC=0.438,95%CI 0.167-0.625)showed poor reliability.The reliability of CCT,ACD,and AQD was excellent(all ICC>0.95),whereas that of TKm was good(ICC=0.827,95%CI 0.221-0.939).A significant linear correlation was also observed among devices.CONCLUSION:The ocular parameters derived from the use of IOLMaster700,CASIA2,and Pentacam exhibit significant discrepancies;as such,measurements from these devices should not be deemed as interchangeable.

Optimization of Extraction Process,Analysis of Polysaccharides from Morchella septimelata

Morchella septimelata polysaccharide(MSP)possesses multiple biological activities.In this study,double enzyme method was used to extract polysaccharides from Morchella septimelata.The basis of single factor experiment and response surface design was used to optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides.The optimal extraction conditions of polysaccharide were as follows:extraction time 2 h,extraction temperature 40.5℃,solid-liquid ratio 1:15(w/v),and the amount of double enzyme(cellulase:β-glucanase,mass ratio 1:2)2.0%.Under these conditions,the extraction yield of polysaccharide reached(14.86±0.12)%.

Up-Regulation of the Gap Junction Intercellular Communication by Tea Polyphenol in the Human Metastatie Lung Carcinoma Cell Line

Our previous study has proven that tea polyphenol has a role in lung neoplasms. The present communication was to investage the anti-proliferation effect of tea polyphenol on the PG cells, which was a high metastatic human lung carcinoma cell line, by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-diphenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) cell viability assay, and to study the change of intracellular calcium concentration, connexin43 (Cx43) expression, gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and cell cycle distribution after the tea polyphenol treatment by laser scanning confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The results showed that 1) tea polyphenol could kill the PG cells in a dose-depent manner via inhibiting the PG cell proliferation and blocking the PG cell cycle progression staying in G0/G1 phase and not transfering in S and G2/M phases to reduce the PG cell proliferation index;2) the increases of intracellular calcium concentration, GJIC and Cx43 expression were related with the tea polyphenol doses. The data suggested that tea polyphenol could inhibit the growth of PG cells, which mechanism was associated with the up-regulation of GJIC.

A real-time AI-assisted seismic monitoring system based on new nodal stations with 4G telemetry and its application in the Yangbi M_(S) 6.4 aftershock monitoring in southwest China

A rapidly deployable dense seismic monitoring system which is capable of transmitting acquired data in real time and analyzing data automatically is crucial in seismic hazard mitigation after a major earthquake.However,it is rather difficult for current seismic nodal stations to transmit data in real time for an extended period of time,and it usually takes a great amount of time to process the acquired data manually.To monitor earthquakes in real time flexibly,we develop a mobile integrated seismic monitoring system consisting of newly developed nodal units with 4G telemetry and a real-time AI-assisted automatic data processing workflow.The integrated system is convenient for deployment and has been successfully applied in monitoring the aftershocks of the Yangbi M_(S) 6.4 earthquake occurred on May 21,2021 in Yangbi County,Dali,Yunnan in southwest China.The acquired seismic data are transmitted almost in real time through the 4G cellular network,and then processed automat-ically for event detection,positioning,magnitude calculation and source mechanism inversion.From tens of seconds to a couple of minutes at most,the final seismic attributes can be presented remotely to the end users through the integrated system.From May 27 to June 17,the real-time system has detected and located 7905 aftershocks in the Yangbi area before the internal batteries exhausted,far more than the catalog provided by China Earthquake Networks Center using the regional permanent stations.The initial application of this inte-grated real-time monitoring system is promising,and we anticipate the advent of a new era for Real-time Intelligent Array Seismology(RIAS),for better monitoring and understanding the subsurface dynamic pro-cesses caused by Earth's internal forces as well as anthropogenic activities.

Three-dimensional velocity structure around the focal area of the 2021 MS6.4 Yangbi earthquake

On May 21,2021,an MS6.4 earthquake occurred in Yangbi,Yunnan province,China,which exhibited typical foreshock-mainshock-aftershock characteristics.To better understand the velocity structure of the focal area and adjacent fault zones,Pg/Sg travel times at 12 seismic stations for the local earthquakes with ML≥1.5 from 2009-2019 and the Yangbi sequence in May of 2021 were used to invert the three-dimensional(3D)structures for both vP and v_(P)/v_(S).The obtained structure extends deeply to 15 km for area(25°N-26.5°N,99.5°E-101°E)at a horizontal resolution of 10×10 km,and the accuracy of the v_(P) velocity was verified using airgun signals excited by the Binchuan Airgun Transmitting Seismic Station(BATSS).The resulting v_(P) and v^(P)/v_(S) images correlate with existing fault zones and the Yangbi sequence,including:(1)The shallow velocity structure at 0 km agrees with local topography,where the Binchuan basin exhibits low-v_(P) and high-v_(P)/v_(S) values.From 3-15 km,v_(P) and v_(P)/v_(S) show variations,and the boundaries are consistent with the main faults(e.g.,the Weixi-Qiaohou-Weishan,Honghe,and Chenghai faults).(2)The largest foreshock(M_(S)5.6),main-shock(MS6.4),and largest aftershock(M_(S)5.2)occurred near the boundaries where both vP and v_(P)/v_(S) have clear contrasts.(3)Small earthquakes are also concentrated in the transition zone between high-and low-vP and v_(P)/v_(S) anomalies,and are biased toward low-v_(P)/v_(S) zones.(4)Boundaries in v_(P) and v_(P)/v_(S) are observed at 20 km west of the Weixi-Qiaohou-Weishan fault,indicating that there may exist one hidden fault.

A sutureless subconjunctival M-shaped limbus incision for hard cataracts

Dear Editor,Iam Dr.Ping-Hong Lai,from the Jiangxi Eye Center,Jiangxi Provincial People＇s Hospital,Nanchang,Jiangxi Province,China.I would like to present the technique of subconjunctival M-shaped limbus incision for a series of cases with hard cataracts.

创新驱动创业的微观触发机制:基于决断的理论模型

创新驱动创业是把握并凝练创业时代特征的新兴构念。Zahra(2023)从创业研究领域发展角度进一步拓展并丰富了创新驱动创业的理论内涵和未来研究方向。本文沿着这一思路,进一步聚焦不确定性这一关键属性,聚焦创新驱动创业的微观触发机制开展延伸理论探讨,并结合中国情境特征提出了研究展望和建议,以期推动和丰富针对这一主题的国内相关研究进展。