Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of HyperArc stereotactic radiotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer brain metastasis.

This study assessed the efficacy and safety of HyperArc (HA) stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in 48 patients with lung cancer brain metastases (LCBM) while identifying prognostic factors and high-risk predictors for symptomatic cerebral radiation necrosis (sCRN). We enrolled 48 patients diagnosed with LCBM at the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University between February 2021 and February 2025, assigning 44 to the SRT group and 4 to the WBRT-boost group. Clinical data were collected, and all patients underwent HA stereotactic radiotherapy.

Pervasive but biome-dependent relationship between fragmentation and resilience in forests.

The relationship between landscape fragmentation and vegetation resilience is uncertain. Here we use multiple satellite-based tree cover data and vegetation indices to quantify the apparent effects of fragmentation on global forest resilience and potential mechanisms thereof. We measure fragmentation as edge density, patch density and mean patch area of tree cover patches, and measure resilience as one-lag temporal autocorrelation of vegetation indices.

Increasing severity of large-scale fires prolongs recovery time of forests globally since 2001.

Ongoing and sharply increased global forest fires, especially extreme large-scale fires (LFs) with their greater destructiveness, have significantly altered forest structures and functions. However, long-term variations in the severity of LFs and corresponding effects on the natural post-LF recovery time of global forests remain unclear. Here, we rigorously identified 3,281 global large-scale (>10 km) single-time fire events (LSFs) from 2001 to 2021, and used multiple indicators to understand the post-LSF recovery dynamics from different perspectives and comprehensively reveal major driving factors across regions and forests types based on multiple models.

Nitrogen deposition favors later leaf senescence in woody species.

China has experienced an unprecedented increase in nitrogen deposition over recent decades, threatening ecosystem structure, functioning, and resilience. However, the impact of elevated nitrogen deposition on the date of foliar senescence remains widely unexplored. Using 22,780 in situ observations and long-term satellite-based date of foliar senescence measures for woody species across China, we find that increased nitrogen deposition generally delays date of foliar senescence, with strong causal evidence observed at site-to-region scales.

Delayed leaf green-up is associated with fine particulate air pollution in China.

Climate warming has led to earlier leaf green-up dates (GUD) with a greening trend of land surfaces in spring, yet the influence of multi-source particle pollution is not well understood. Using ground records and satellite observations of green-up date and fine particulate matter below 2.5 μm (PM) over the last two decades in China, here we show that PM pollution is associated with reduced plant carbon uptake and delayed green-up dates.

Radiation Dose-Volume Effects on Negative Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes Affected T-cell Activation and Prognosis in Esophageal Cancer with Chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: A preclinical model found that elective nodal irradiation attenuated the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) and radio-immunotherapy. However, limited clinical studies have explored the correlation between radiation dose-volume parameters of negative tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN) and T-cell activation/prognosis for patients with cancer treated with definitive radiochemotherapy.

Experimental Design: Patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) were selected from two prospective trials.

Identification of biomarkers for tumor regression grade in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Esophageal cancer is a highly invasive malignancy. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy not only increases the rate of complete resection but also improves the median survival. However, a sensitive biomarker is urgently needed in clinical practice.

Declining precipitation frequency may drive earlier leaf senescence by intensifying drought stress and enhancing drought acclimation.

Precipitation is an important factor influencing the date of foliar senescence, which in turn affects carbon uptake of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the temporal patterns of precipitation frequency and its impact on foliar senescence date remain largely unknown. Using both long-term carbon flux data and satellite observations across the Northern Hemisphere, we show that, after excluding impacts from of temperature, radiation and total precipitation by partial correlation analysis, declining precipitation frequency may drive earlier foliar senescence date from 1982 to 2022.

Postoperative tumor bed radiation versus T-shaped field radiation in the treatment of locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a phase IIb multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is crucial for patients with thoracic locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC, pT3-4aN0-3M0) following esophagectomy. However, the appropriate radiation volume has not been well established. This study aimed to determine the optimal PORT volume for LA-ESCC patients.

Flowering in the Northern Hemisphere is delayed by frost after leaf-out.

Late spring frosts, occurring after spring phenological events, pose a dire threat to tree growth and forest productivity. With climate warming, earlier spring phenological events have become increasingly common and led to plants experiencing more frequent and severe frost damage. However, the effect of late spring frosts after leaf-out on subsequent flowering phenology in woody species remains unknown.

Earlier peak photosynthesis timing potentially escalates global wildfires.

More intense fire weather due to climate change is implicated as a key driver of recent extreme wildfire events. As fuel stock, the role of vegetation and its phenology changes in wildfire dynamics, however is not fully appreciated. Using long-term satellite-based burned areas and photosynthesis observations, we reveal that an earlier peak photosynthesis timing (PPT) potentially acts to escalate subsequent wildfires, with an increase in the global average burned fraction of 0.

Dominant role of the non-forest woody vegetation in the post 2015/16 El Niño tropical carbon recovery.

The extreme dry and hot 2015/16 El Niño episode caused large losses in tropical live aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks. Followed by climatic conditions conducive to high vegetation productivity since 2016, tropical AGC are expected to recover from large losses during the El Niño episode; however, the recovery rate and its spatial distribution remain unknown. Here, we used low-frequency microwave satellite data to track AGC changes, and showed that tropical AGC stocks returned to pre-El Niño levels by the end of 2020, resulting in an AGC sink of Pg C year during 2014-2020.

Signal Denoising of Traffic Speed Deflectometer Measurement Based on Partial Swarm Optimization-Variational Mode Decomposition Method.

To accurately identify the deflection data collected by a traffic speed deflectometer (TSD) and eliminate the noise in the measured signals, a TSD signal denoising method based on the partial swarm optimization-variational mode decomposition (PSO-VMD) method is proposed. Initially, the VMD algorithm is used for modal decomposition, calculating the correlation coefficients between each decomposed mode and the original signal for modal selection and signal reconstruction; Then, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is utilized to optimize the number of modes K and the value α for the VMD algorithm, adopting fuzzy entropy as the affinity function to circumvent effects from sequence decomposition and forecasting accuracy, thus identifying the optimal combination of hyperparameters. Finally, the analysis on simulated signals indicates that the PSO-VMD method secures the best parameters, showing a clear advantage in denoising.

Effect of Raltitrexed on ECA109 Cellular Radiosensitivity and its Mechanism in Esophageal Cancer.

Background: To investigate the effect of raltitrexed + X-ray irradiation on esophageal cancer ECA109 cells and analyze the potential action mechanism.

Methods: The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to analyze the inhibitory effect of raltitrexed on cell proliferation. The effect of raltitrexed on radiosensitivity was studied through a clone-forming experiment.

Intranational synergies and trade-offs reveal common and differentiated priorities of sustainable development goals in China.

Accelerating efforts for the Sustainable Development Goals requires understanding their synergies and trade-offs at the national and sub-national levels, which will help identify the key hurdles and opportunities to prioritize them in an indivisible manner for a country. Here, we present the importance of the 17 goals through synergy and trade-off networks. Our results reveal that 19 provinces show the highest trade-offs in SDG13 (Combating Climate Change) or SDG5 (Gender Equality) consistent with the national level, with other 12 provinces varying.

Weakening warming on spring freeze-thaw cycle caused greening Earth's third pole.

The Tibetan Plateau, recognized as Earth's third pole and among the most responsive regions to climate shifts, profoundly influences regional and even global hydrological processes. Here, we discerned a significant weakening in the influence of temperature on the initiation of surface freeze-thaw cycle (the Start of Thawing, SOT), which can be ascribed to a multitude of climatic variables, with radiation emerging as the most pivotal factor. Additionally, we showed that the diminishing impact of warming on SOT yields amplified soil moisture within the root zone.

Critical role of water conditions in the responses of autumn phenology of marsh wetlands to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.

The Tibetan Plateau, housing 20% of China's wetlands, plays a vital role in the regional carbon cycle. Examining the phenological dynamics of wetland vegetation in response to climate change is crucial for understanding its impact on the ecosystem. Despite this importance, the specific effects of climate change on wetland vegetation phenology in this region remain uncertain.

Analysis of the risk factors of radiation pneumonitis in patients after radiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To predict the risk factors of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who received radiotherapy.

Methods: From January 2015 to October 2021, 477 ESCC patients were enrolled and were assessed retrospectively. All these patients received radiotherapy for primary lesions or mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes.

Intensification of compound temperature extremes by rapid urbanization under static and dynamic Urban-rural division: A comparative case study in Hunan Province, Central-South China.

Climate extremes, notably compound extremes, pose significant risks to human society and environmental systems. These extremes, heightened by urbanization-a hallmark of modern socioeconomic progression-inflict persistent, intense thermal conditions. The comprehension of urbanization's impact on compound temperature extremes, particularly in Central-South China, a region with rapid urbanization and a subtropical climate, remains limited.

Hydrogel-based molecular tension fluorescence microscopy for investigating receptor-mediated rigidity sensing.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity serves as a crucial mechanical cue impacting diverse biological processes. However, understanding the molecular mechanisms of rigidity sensing has been limited by the spatial resolution and force sensitivity of current cellular force measurement techniques. Here we developed a method to functionalize DNA tension probes on soft hydrogel surfaces in a controllable and reliable manner, enabling molecular tension fluorescence microscopy for rigidity sensing studies.