Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of IC-ICCRT-IO With CT-CCRT for Unresectable Locally Advanced ESCC: A Retrospective Analysis.

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy combined with a PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) plus sintilimab and subsequent maintenance (IC-ICCRT-IO) in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC) compared with induction chemotherapy followed by CCRT without PD-1 inhibitors (CT-CCRT) using propensity score matching (PSM). Data collected from patients with histologically confirmed, inoperable ESCC treated with IC-ICCRT-IO or CT-CCRT were retrospectively analyzed-a 1:1 PSM with a caliper of 0.05 balanced potential biases.

Improving the reconstruction accuracy of tomographic absorption spectroscopy sensor by optimizing laser beam arrangements.

Tomographic absorption spectroscopy (TAS) typically employs multiple projections to reconstruct the spatial distribution of temperature and species concentration, making it a promising method for combustion diagnostics. However, the geometric arrangement of the laser beams significantly affects its accuracy, especially under limited beam conditions. In this work, we propose a beam arrangement optimization method to maximize the utilization efficiency of limited beams, thereby improving reconstruction accuracy in a simpler and more intuitive manner.

Novel Diaryl-Substituted Pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidines as Tubulin/CDC5L Dual-Targeting Ligands: Discovery, Potent Antitumor Activity, and Good Metabolic Stability.

Tubulin and cell division cycle 5-like (CDC5L) protein are both implicated in various biological processes, particularly in mitosis, and represent promising targets for developing antitumor agents. Herein, a series of novel diaryl-substituted pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidines were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against multiple cancer cells, including drug-resistant ones. Among these, compounds and demonstrated potent antitumor activity with relatively low cytotoxicity toward normal cells.

Design, analysis and experimental research of a novel single-phase driven rod-type rotary piezoelectric actuator.

Piezoelectric actuators operated by single-phase excitation are widely studied for precision drive applications, attributed to their reduced control complexity, adaptable design, and small form factor. Nevertheless, these actuators are primarily designed for linear motion, which is plagued by structural complexity, severe wear, and frequency drift. Monophase-driven rotational piezoelectric actuators face challenges in the construction of operating mode, actuation stability, and bidirectional rotation.

How precise is excision and reconstruction using 3D printing technology for total sacrectomy: accuracy validation in 9 consecutive cases.

Background: With 3D printing technology, we can now use preoperative imaging for precise surgical plan. We can also use patient-specific surgical jig to improve the accuracy of osteotomy and 3D-printed custom-made endoprostheses combined with a screw-rod system to restore lumbosacral stability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3D printing technology for precise osteotomy during total sacrectomy.

Resource-Efficient Cotton Network: A Lightweight Deep Learning Framework for Cotton Disease and Pest Classification.

Cotton is the most widely cultivated natural fiber crop worldwide, yet it is highly susceptible to various diseases and pests that significantly compromise both yield and quality. To enable rapid and accurate diagnosis of cotton diseases and pests-thus supporting the development of effective control strategies and facilitating genetic breeding research-we propose a lightweight model, the Resource-efficient Cotton Network (RF-Cott-Net), alongside an open-source image dataset, CCDPHD-11, encompassing 11 disease categories. Built upon the MobileViTv2 backbone, RF-Cott-Net integrates an early exit mechanism and quantization-aware training (QAT) to enhance deployment efficiency without sacrificing accuracy.

The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master's nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation.

Objective: To determine whether psychological resilience and achievement motivation are significant mediators in the relationship between creative anxiety and professional identity among master's nursing students.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 366 master's nursing students from four universities in Shaanxi Province. The survey used the General Information Questionnaire, Creative Anxiety Scale, Professional Identity Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Achievement Motivation Scale.

Inhalable Artificial Polymeric Nucleases Degrading Neutrophil Extracellular Trap-DNAs and Alleviating Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis resulting from recurrent lung inflammation due to pathogen infection may lead to serious problems and death. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), consisting of DNAs and proteins released by neutrophils in response to infection, are major pathogenesis factors for pathogen-associated pulmonary fibrosis. By mimicking nucleic acid hydrolase, polymeric artificial DNases bearing imidazole units (PEG-PIm) are developed to degrade the DNAs and thus deconstruct NETs, inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis.

Peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis caused by acremonium sclerotigenum: a case report.

Background: Acremonium sclerotigenum exhibits antagonistic properties against various detrimental organisms, including bacteria, nematodes, and mites. As the predominant species within the Acremonium genus, it is characterized as an opportunistic pathogenic fungus that commonly inhabits soil and plants as a saprotroph. Additionally, it has been identified as the etiological agent of superficial infections, such as onychomycosis, and, less frequently, invasive infections.

A Comprehensive Review of Deep Learning Applications in Cotton Industry: From Field Monitoring to Smart Processing.

Cotton is a vital economic crop in global agriculture and the textile industry, contributing significantly to food security, industrial competitiveness, and sustainable development. Traditional technologies such as spectral imaging and machine learning improved cotton cultivation and processing, yet their performance often falls short in complex agricultural environments. Deep learning (DL), with its superior capabilities in data analysis, pattern recognition, and autonomous decision-making, offers transformative potential across the cotton value chain.

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of mammotome minimally invasive rotary cutting surgery in the treatment of benign breast tumors: a comparative study.

Benign breast tumors, while noncancerous, can cause significant distress and necessitate efficient treatment methods. Mammotome minimally invasive rotary cutting surgery has emerged as a potential alternative to traditional approaches, promising reduced invasiveness and improved outcomes. This retrospective study, conducted from January 2022 to December 2023 at Ezhou Central Hospital, involved a comparative analysis between two groups: the observation group, treated with Mammotome minimally invasive rotary cutting surgery, and the control group, treated with conventional surgical methods.

Targeting inflammation with chimeric antigen receptor macrophages using a signal switch.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy has shown great success in clinical cancer, bringing hope to apply CAR strategies to other clinical settings. Here we developed a CAR macrophage (CAR-M) that recognizes the major inflammatory molecule tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and activates an intracellular IL-4 signalling pathway, thereby programming engineered macrophages for an anti-inflammatory function. CAR-M therapy has exhibited efficacy in mouse models of both acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Fibrinogen/albumin ratio is associated with first-ever cardiovascular events in patients with peritoneal dialysis.

Objective: The fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) is a novel inflammatory indicator, which has been associated with cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between FAR and cardiovascular event (CVE) in patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains unclear. This study aims to clarify the relationship between FAR and first-ever CVE in patients with PD.

Understanding drug release mechanisms of risperidone in situ forming implant depots in rabbits.

Injectable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based in situ forming implants are a promising long-acting drug delivery system. They are liquid formulations that solidify through solvent exchange to form drug-PLGA depots that become isolated from the surrounding tissue following injection. There have been limited studies focusing on in vivo drug release mechanisms for this dosage form.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting depression risk in patients with chronic kidney disease based on NHANES 2005-2018.

Background: Depression is common among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with poor outcomes. This study aims to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting depression risk in patients with CKD.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database.

Explainable machine learning algorithm to predict cardiovascular event in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Objective: To compare the performance of predictive models for cardiovascular event (CVE) in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) based on machine learning algorithm and Cox proportional hazard regression.

Methods: This study included patients underwent PD catheterization in our center from January 1, 2010, to July 31, 2022. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation sets in a 7:3 ratio.

Regulating mRNA endosomal escape through lipid rafts: A review.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics, enabled by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) delivery systems, have revolutionized modern medicine by facilitating the delivery of genetic cargo to target cells. However, the efficient release of mRNA from LNPs within the endosomal pathways into the cytosol remains a major bottleneck in this field. Revisiting the formulation and function of mRNA-LNPs, it has been found that lipid rafts formed by cholesterol and distearoylphosphatidylcholine during the self-assembly process plan an essential role in the intracellular delivery and endosomal escape of mRNA-LNPs.

Aging-induced microstructural evolution in risperidone loaded PLGA microspheres.

This study demonstrates the application of innovative imaging-based characterization techniques to quantify structural changes as a function of ageing for poly (lactic-co glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres. Aging of polymers can potentially alter the performance of polymer-based therapeutics and therefore an understanding of the impact of aging on microsphere structure is important. Correlative focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and X-ray microscopy (XRM) were used to quantify the change in structural critical quality attributes (CQAs) of risperidone loaded microspheres at the single microsphere scale and overall batch scale.

From Traditional Efficacy to Drug Design: A Review of Astragali Radix.

Astragali Radix (AR), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is derived from the dried roots of (Fisch.) Bge. var.

Rational cyclodextrin formulation design through insights into drug release mechanism in the gastrointestinal tract via molecular dynamics simulations.

Cyclodextrin formulations are crucial for enhancing the solubility of drugs. Bile salts are recognized as potential agents for displacing drugs from cyclodextrin formulations in intestinal fluids. However, the mechanism underlying this displacement remains unclear.

TIP2-UDT1-OsUPEX1/2 module regulates tapetum development and function in rice.

The tapetum in the anther wall is essential for plant fertility, secreting many components essential for pollen development. Development of the tapetum is controlled by multiple transcription factors and signaling pathways. UDT1, TIP2, TDR, and EAT1 constitute a sequential regulatory cascade crucial for tapetal differentiation in rice, but UDT1- and TIP2-dependent regulatory networks, particularly in early anther development, remain largely unknown.

Relationship between glucose to lymphocyte ratio and the first peritonitis episode in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis.

This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between baseline glucose to lymphocyte ratio (GLR) levels and the first episode of peritonitis in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). A total of 314 patients treated with PD were included and divided into three groups based on GLR tertiles: tertile 1 (GLR ≤ 4.23); tertile 2 (4.

Early clinical predictors of infected pancreatic necrosis: a multicentre cohort study.

Background: Infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) exacerbates complications in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), increasing mortality rates if not treated promptly. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of clinical characteristics within 24 hours of admission for IPN prediction.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre cohort study including 3005 patients with AP from eight hospitals in China.

Discovery and Optimization of a Series of Novel Morpholine-Containing USP1 Inhibitors.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1), a well-known member of the deubiquitinating enzymes, serves as a key regulator in DNA damage repair (DDR) processes. Herein, we utilized ring-opening and cyclization strategies based on KSQ-4279 to design a novel series of USP1 inhibitors featuring a morpholine scaffold. Notably, compound exhibited a more potent enzymatic and cellular inhibition activity compared to KSQ-4279.

Emerging Physics in Magnetic Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Systems.

The hybrid magnetic heterostructures and superlattices, composed of organic and inorganic materials, have shown great potential for quantum computing and next-generation information technology. Organic materials generally possess designable structural motifs and versatile optical, electronic, and magnetic properties, but are too delicate for robust integration into solid-state devices. In contrast, inorganic systems provide robust solid-state interface and excellent electronic properties but with limited customization space.