Genetic stability in the lower Yangtze River basin from Song to Qing Dynasty.

Background: The lower Yangtze River basin holds a pivotal role in Chinese history. As previous genetic research in this region has primarily focused on modern population datasets, the limited availability of ancient human genomes has hindered our capacity to reconstruct detailed ancient population histories and evaluate the genetic impact of Yellow River-related groups.  RESULTS: Here, we present the first set of ancient human genomes from the lower Yangtze River basin, comprising eight individuals from the Song to Qing Dynasties (960-1921 CE).

Network toxicology reveals collaborative mechanism of 4NQO and ethanol in esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis.

Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption are significant risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), with their Collaborative interaction amplifying carcinogenic risks. To elucidate the role and underlying mechanisms of tobacco-alcohol co-exposure in ESCC pathogenesis, we treated the immortalized human normal esophageal epithelial cell line NE-1 and C57BL/6 mice with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO, a tobacco carcinogen analog) combined with ethanol. Results demonstrated that 4NQO-ethanol co-exposure accelerated esophageal squamous carcinogenesis.

Mechanism of in the treatment of oesophageal cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental validation.

Bioinformatics databases were utilised to screen targets of and oesophageal cancer. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed for both cross-targets. The core targets were obtained by protein-protein interaction analysis (PPI), and the core targets were AKT1, TP53, EGFR, MYC, and ERBB2, and the cross-targets were mainly enriched in the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Ancient genomes in Southwest China revealed genetic interactions among diverse populations in the historical period.

Background: Southwest China has been pivotal for agricultural spread, ethnic formation, and cultural diffusion. However, the genetic diversity and population structure of this area remain insufficiently explored, especially during the historical period.

Results: Here, we report genome-wide data of eight ancient individuals from the Songshan site in Guizhou dating back to the Song and Ming Dynasty.

CSANet: Context-Spatial Awareness Network for RGB-T Urban Scene Understanding.

Semantic segmentation plays a critical role in understanding complex urban environments, particularly for autonomous driving applications. However, existing approaches face significant challenges under low-light and adverse weather conditions. To address these limitations, we propose CSANet (Context Spatial Awareness Network), a novel framework that effectively integrates RGB and thermal infrared (TIR) modalities.

Changes in bilateral tear film and corneal nerve stability in patients with unilateral neurotrophic keratitis.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the bilateral stability of the tear film in patients with unilateral neurotrophic keratitis and to observe changes in corneal nerve and immune cells under confocal microscopy.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study included 63 patients with confirmed neurotrophic keratitis (NK) and 40 normal controls of similar sex and age. NK patients were divided into stage 1 and stage 2 based on the severity of the disease.

An X-ray bone age assessment method for hands and wrists of adolescents in Western China based on feature fusion deep learning models.

The epiphyses of the hand and wrist serve as crucial indicators for assessing skeletal maturity in adolescents. This study aimed to develop a deep learning (DL) model for bone age (BA) assessment using hand and wrist X-ray images, addressing the challenge of classifying BA in adolescents. The results of this DL-based classification were then compared and analyzed with those obtained from manual assessment.

The effect of a whole-heart motion correction algorithm on image quality, calcium score, and risk category classification of non-contrast-enhanced cardiac CT.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a whole-heart motion correction algorithm (Snapshot freeze 2, SSF2) on image quality, calcium score, and risk category classification of non-contrast-enhanced cardiac CT.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-one coronary calcium scoring scans performed on a 256-row detector CT were included. Images of standard reconstruction without motion-corrected (STD) and with SSF2 were compared.

Genome diversity and signatures of natural selection in mainland Southeast Asia.

Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) has rich ethnic and cultural diversity with a population of nearly 300 million. However, people from MSEA are underrepresented in the current human genomic databases. Here we present the SEA3K genome dataset (phase I), generated by deep short-read whole-genome sequencing of 3,023 individuals from 30 MSEA populations, and long-read whole-genome sequencing of 37 representative individuals.

Gray matter atrophy in the middle frontal gyrus mediates post-traumatic stress symptoms in post-kidney transplant patients: The role of elevated urea levels.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) face numerous stressors including the risk of graft rejection, life-threatening infections, and long-term immunosuppressive therapy, which often contribute to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) that significantly impair psychological well-being and recovery. While there is evidence linking PTSS to brain gray matter volume (GMV), research on KTR populations remains limited. Additionally, most transplanted kidneys fail to recover completely and cannot function at the level of kidneys in healthy individuals, with evidence indicating consequent neurotoxic effects.

Dual-engineered Ni-LiMnO microsheets for sustainable lithium mining: Accelerated ion transport and robust electrochemical extraction in brine.

The surging demand for lithium in energy storage necessitates sustainable and efficient electrochemical lithium recovery from salt lakes. Herein, we develop Ni-doped LiMnO microsheets (LNMO-MS) via a green bio-templated synthesis that integrates 2D morphology engineering and Ni-doping using chitosan biopolymer as a structural guide. This dual modulation addresses intrinsic limitations of conventional LiMnO.

The impact of fine particulate matter on depression: Evidence from social media in China.

Depression is a significant public health issue in China that imposes a heavy economic burden on society and families. Using a dataset of 8.54 million Weibo posts from 284 prefecture-level cities across China between 2016 and 2019, we calculate the depression tendency index for residents in each city.

The role of TRAF2 in pan-cancer revealed by integrating informatics and experimental validation.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor-2 (TRAF2) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and scaffolding protein that contribute to the progression of various malignant tumors. However, the role of TRAF2 expression in epigenetic, cancer prognosis, and immune responses in tumor microenvironment is unclear.

Methods: We used The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, TIMER 2.

Forensic age estimation using Vieth classification in adolescents of northern China based on the knee MRI.

To investigate the applicability of the Vieth classification and characteristics of ossification age in knee joint in adolescents of northern China. A retrospective study was conducted on a total of 1517 MRI images of knee joints from patients aged 10 to 20 years in the northern China. Vieth classification was used to assess the ossification age of distal femur and proximal tibia.

Strongyloides stercoralis infection in a DLBCL patient treated with rituximab and BTK inhibitor: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a common subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma characterized by high malignancy, rapid onset and aggressive clinical behavior. The disease exhibits considerable heterogeneity, which influences clinical and immunophenotypic characteristics, which in turn affect treatment outcomes and prognosis. Recently, targeted therapies have been introduced, offering improved therapeutic efficacy but with risks such as immunosuppression and opportunistic infections.

Corneal nerve abnormalities in early-stage diabetic retinopathy evaluated by corneal confocal microscopy.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the correlation between the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and the changes in corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SNP) and corneal dendritic cells (DCs).

Methods: 58 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy participants underwent assessment of the corneal nerve. The DR group was divided into no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) and 29 eyes with mild to moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Population expansion from central plain to northern coastal China inferred from ancient human genomes.

The population history of the northern coastal Chinese is largely unknown due to the lack of ancient human genomes from the Neolithic to historical periods. In this study, we reported 14 newly generated ancient genomes from Linzi, one of China's densely populated and economically prosperous cities from the Zhou to Han Dynasties. The ancient samples in this study were dated to the Warring States period to the Eastern Han Dynasty (∼2,000 BP).

RJ-TinyViT: an efficient vision transformer for red jujube defect classification.

Compared to the surface defect detection of industrial products produced according to specified processes, the detection of surface defects in naturally grown red jujubes poses unique and significant challenges for researchers. The high diversity of surface defects, subtle distinctions from the background, low contrast, varying scales, and the presence of high levels of noise in images are among the factors that greatly amplify the complexity of defect detection tasks. Existing methods show some deficiencies in addressing these issues, mainly due to insufficient feature extraction capabilities and overly complex network structures, leading to limitations in model efficiency and practical application performance.

Knockdown of Gas6 Exerts Anti-Esophageal Cancer Effects by Inhibiting the PI3K/AKT Pathway.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a malignant tumor of the digestive tract with strong migratory and invasive abilities. Gas6 is closely associated with the progression of many malignant tumors; however, the role of Gas6 in the progression of esophageal cancer is unclear. Here, we report that the knockdown of Gas6 inhibited esophageal cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Blue photoluminescence of wide-bandgap polystyrenesulfonate materials.

For the first time, polystyrene sulfonic acid solution (PSS) was observed to emit blue fluorescence. The photoluminescence (PL) behavior of PSS under different concentrations, pH values and magnetic field strengths was investigated, revealing the diversity and tunability of its PL properties. PSS possesses remarkable down-conversion properties and strong responsiveness to external magnetic fields.

Ultrathin Self-Assembled Monolayer for Effective Silicon Solar Cell Passivation.

Passivation technology is crucial for reducing interface defects and impacting the performance of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Concurrently, maintaining a thin passivation layer is essential for ensuring efficient carrier transport. With an ultrathin passivated contact structure, both Silicon Heterojunction (SHJ) cells and Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cells achieve an efficiency surpassing 26%.

Monoenergetic reconstructions and iodine density maps for visualization of coronary artery stents using 8-cm dual-layer detector spectral computed tomography: an phantom study.

Background: The effectiveness of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography in assessing stent restenosis is hindered by heavy metal artifacts. This study aimed to evaluate the image quality of monoenergetic reconstructions and iodine density map for coronary stent imaging using an 8-cm dual-layer detector spectral CT.

Methods: In this study, 8 stents with a diameter <3 mm (group A) and 10 with a diameter ≥3 mm (group B) were placed in plastic tubes filled with iodinated contrast media and scanned.

Therapeutic Potential of Terpenoids in Cancer Treatment: Targeting Mitochondrial Pathways.

Background: In recent decades, natural compounds have been considered a significant source of new antitumor medicines due to their unique advantages. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have focused on the effect of terpenoids on apoptosis mediated by mitochondria in malignant cells.

Recent Findings: In this review article, we focused on six extensively studied terpenoids, including sesquiterpenes (dihydroartemisinin and parthenolide), diterpenes (oridonin and triptolide), and triterpenes (betulinic acid and oleanolic acid), and their efficacy in targeting mitochondria to induce cell death.