Occult peritoneal metastasis (PM) in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients is highly possible to be missed on computed tomography (CT) images. Patients with occult PMs are subject to late detection ...or even improper surgical treatment. We therefore aimed to develop a radiomic nomogram to preoperatively identify occult PMs in AGC patients.
A total of 554 AGC patients from 4 centers were divided into 1 training, 1 internal validation, and 2 external validation cohorts. All patients’ PM status was firstly diagnosed as negative by CT, but later confirmed by laparoscopy (PM-positive n = 122, PM-negative n = 432). Radiomic signatures reflecting phenotypes of the primary tumor (RS1) and peritoneum region (RS2) were built as predictors of PM from 266 quantitative image features. Individualized nomograms of PM status incorporating RS1, RS2, or clinical factors were developed and evaluated regarding prediction ability.
RS1, RS2, and Lauren type were significant predictors of occult PM (all P < 0.05). A nomogram of these three factors demonstrated better diagnostic accuracy than the model with RS1, RS2, or clinical factors alone (all net reclassification improvement P < 0.05). The area under curve yielded was 0.958 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.923–0.993, 0.941 (95% CI 0.904–0.977), 0.928 (95% CI 0.886–0.971), and 0.920 (95% CI 0.862–0.978) for the training, internal, and two external validation cohorts, respectively. Stratification analysis showed that this nomogram had potential generalization ability.
CT phenotypes of both primary tumor and nearby peritoneum are significantly associated with occult PM status. A nomogram of these CT phenotypes and Lauren type has an excellent prediction ability of occult PM, and may have significant clinical implications on early detection of occult PM for AGC.
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum is an alpine medicinal plant that produces the anticancer compound podophyllotoxin (PPT). Although a positive relationship between PPT content and altitude has been proved ...and low temperature enhances plant growth and PPT accumulation has also been revealed, the role of UV radiation in regulating growth and PPT accumulation is still unclear
In this study, morphophysiological traits, metabolites content and related genes expression were investigated by exposing S. hexandrum seedlings to treatment with UV‐B radiation.
The results showed that the contents of soluble sugars and flavonoids, and the expression levels of genes involved in glycometabolism (XET and β‐1,3‐glucanase) and flavonoid biosynthesis (PAL,C4H,4CL,CHS1 and DTX41) were enhanced in response to UV‐B compared to CK. Moreover, genes involved in stress tolerance (MYB, WRKY,APX3 and EX2) were also upregulated in response to UV‐B radiation. Although the whole plant biomass exhibited slightly increased values that depended largely on root development, the contents of chlorophyll and PPT and the expression levels of genes involved in photosynthesis (matK, ndhF,rbcL and ycf5) and PPT biosynthesis (C3H,CCoAMT,CCR,CAD, DPO, PLR,SDH, CPY719A23,OMT3,CYP71CU1,OMT1and 2‐ODD) were significantly decreased in response to UV‐B compared to CK.
It can be concluded that UV‐B radiation promotes soluble sugars and flavonoids accumulation, but inhibits PPT biosynthesis in S. hexandrum.
UV‐B radiation promotes flavonoids accumulation and root length, while inhibits anticancer compound podophyllotoxin (PPT) biosynthesis and plant growth
In the wake of constant improvements in sequencing technologies, numerous insect genomes have been sequenced. Currently, 1219 insect genome‐sequencing projects have been registered with the National ...Center for Biotechnology Information, including 401 that have genome assemblies and 155 with an official gene set of annotated protein‐coding genes. Comparative genomics analysis showed that the expansion or contraction of gene families was associated with well‐studied physiological traits such as immune system, metabolic detoxification, parasitism and polyphagy in insects. Here, we summarize the progress of insect genome sequencing, with an emphasis on how this impacts research on pest control. We begin with a brief introduction to the basic concepts of genome assembly, annotation and metrics for evaluating the quality of draft assemblies. We then provide an overview of genome information for numerous insect species, highlighting examples from prominent model organisms, agricultural pests and disease vectors. We also introduce the major insect genome databases. The increasing availability of insect genomic resources is beneficial for developing alternative pest control methods. However, many opportunities remain for developing data‐mining tools that make maximal use of the available insect genome resources. Although rapid progress has been achieved, many challenges remain in the field of insect genomics.
Plastic crystal neopentylglycol (NPG) exhibits colossal barocaloric effects (BCEs) with record-high entropy changes, offering exciting prospects for the field of solid-state cooling through the ...application of moderate pressures. Here, we show that the intermolecular hydrogen bond plays a key role in the orientational order of NPG molecules, while its broken due to thermal perturbation prominently weakens the activation barrier of orientational disorder. The analysis of hydrogen bond strength, rotational entropy free energy and entropy changes provides insightful understanding of BCEs in order-disorder transition. External pressure reduce the hydsrogen bond length and enhance the activation barrier of orientational disorder, which serves as a route of varying intermolecular interaction to tune the order-disorder transition. Our work provides atomic-scale insights on the orientational order-disorder transition of NPG as the prototypical plastic crystal with BCEs, which is helpful to achieve superior caloric materials by molecular designing in the near future.
Summary
Aims
This systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluated the associations between shift work patterns and risks of specific types of obesity.
Methods
PubMed was searched until March 2017 for ...observational studies that examined the relationships between shift work patterns and obesity. Odds ratio for obesity was extracted using a fixed‐effects or random‐effects model. Subgroup meta‐analyses were carried out for study design, specific obesity types and characteristics of shift work pattern.
Results
A total of 28 studies were included in this meta‐analysis. The overall odds ratio of night shift work was 1.23 (95% confidence interval = 1.17–1.29) for risk of obesity/overweight. Cross‐sectional studies showed a higher risk of 1.26 than those with the cohort design (risk ratio = 1.10). Shift workers had a higher frequency of developing abdominal obesity (odds ratio = 1.35) than other obesity types. Permanent night workers demonstrated a 29% higher risk than rotating shift workers (odds ratio 1.43 vs. 1.14).
Conclusion
This meta‐analysis confirmed the risks of night shift work for the development of overweight and obesity with a potential gradient association suggested, especially for abdominal obesity. Modification of working schedules is recommended, particularly for prolonged permanent night work. More accurate and detailed measurements on shift work patterns should be conducted in future research.
Tea is the world's most popular non-alcoholic beverage. China and India are known to be the largest tea producing countries and recognized as the centers for the domestication of the tea plant ...(Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). However, molecular studies on the origin, domestication and relationships of the main teas, China type, Assam type and Cambod type are lacking.
Twenty-three nuclear microsatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic diversity, relatedness, and domestication history of cultivated tea in both China and India. Based on a total of 392 samples, high levels of genetic diversity were observed for all tea types in both countries. The cultivars clustered into three distinct genetic groups (i.e. China tea, Chinese Assam tea and Indian Assam tea) based on STRUCTURE, PCoA and UPGMA analyses with significant pairwise genetic differentiation, corresponding well with their geographical distribution. A high proportion (30%) of the studied tea samples were shown to possess genetic admixtures of different tea types suggesting a hybrid origin for these samples, including the Cambod type.
We demonstrate that Chinese Assam tea is a distinct genetic lineage from Indian Assam tea, and that China tea sampled from India was likely introduced from China directly. Our results further indicate that China type tea, Chinese Assam type tea and Indian Assam type tea are likely the result of three independent domestication events from three separate regions across China and India. Our findings have important implications for the conservation of genetic stocks, as well as future breeding programs.
Literature supports a strong relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental illness but most studies reviewed are cross-sectional and/or use recall to assess maltreatment and are thus prone ...to temporality and recall bias. Research on the potential prospective impact of maltreatment reduction on the incidence of psychiatric disorders is scarce.
Electronic databases and grey literature from 1990 to 2014 were searched for English-language cohort studies with criteria for depression and/or anxiety and non-recall measurement of childhood maltreatment. Systematic review with meta-analysis synthesized the results. Study quality, heterogeneity, and publication bias were examined. Initial screening of titles and abstracts resulted in 199 papers being reviewed. Eight high-quality articles met eligibility criteria. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) estimated potential preventive impact.
The pooled odds ratio (OR) between any type of maltreatment and depression was 2.03 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-3.01 and 2.70 (95% CI 2.10-3.47) for anxiety. For specific types of maltreatment and depression or anxiety disorders, the ORs were: physical abuse (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.25-3.19), sexual abuse (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.88-3.75), and neglect (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.35-2.23). PAFs suggest that over one-half of global depression and anxiety cases are potentially attributable to self-reported childhood maltreatment. A 10-25% reduction in maltreatment could potentially prevent 31.4-80.3 million depression and anxiety cases worldwide.
This review provides robust evidence of childhood maltreatment increasing the risk for depression and anxiety, and reinforces the need for effective programs and policies to reduce its occurrence.
The ferroelectric perovskite Na
0.5
Bi
0.5
TiO
3
, NBT, can exhibit three types of electrical behaviour,
i.e.
oxide-ion conduction (type I), mixed ionic-electronic conduction (type II) and ...insulating/dielectric (type III) based on various defect mechanisms. Here we review how to tune the electrical properties of NBT
via
several mechanisms, including A-site Na or Bi non-stoichiometry, isovalent substitution, and acceptor- and donor-doping. The diversity of the electrical behaviour in the NBT lattice is attributed to the high level of oxide-ion conductivity originating from highly mobile oxygen ions which can be fine-tuned to optimise or suppress ionic conduction. High oxide-ion conductivity can be obtained by manipulating the starting Na/Bi ≥1 and by acceptor-doping to make NBT a potential electrolyte material for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). In contrast, the oxide-ion conduction can be partially or fully suppressed by having a starting (nominal) composition with Na/Bi <1, donor-doping, or utilising the trapping effect between oxygen vacancies and some B-site acceptor dopants. This significantly reduces the dielectric loss and makes NBT-based materials excellent candidates as high-temperature dielectrics for capacitor applications.
We review the diversity of the electrical behaviour of NBT induced by various defect mechanisms, including A-site Na or Bi non-stoichiometry, isovalent-substitution, and acceptor- and donor-doping.
We report the first results of a light weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) search from the CDEX-10 experiment with a 10 kg germanium detector array immersed in liquid nitrogen at the China ...Jinping Underground Laboratory with a physics data size of 102.8 kg day. At an analysis threshold of 160 eVee, improved limits of 8×10^{-42} and 3×10^{-36} cm^{2} at a 90% confidence level on spin-independent and spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross sections, respectively, at a WIMP mass (m_{χ}) of 5 GeV/c^{2} are achieved. The lower reach of m_{χ} is extended to 2 GeV/c^{2}.
"Horizontal strokes should be level and vertical strokes should be straight" is a common guideline in the teaching of Chinese handwriting. Measuring deviations in level horizontal and straight ...vertical strokes in students' Chinese handwriting is usually assessed manually. However, this task is time-consuming and may have inconsistent outcomes when judged by different people. In this paper, we aim to formulate a method to automatically evaluate the tilt and slant degrees of students' Chinese handwriting using digital handwriting tablets. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between the tilt and slant features of students' Chinese handwriting and other demographic and handwriting features.
Five hundred and ninety-one primary school students from grades 1 to 6 were recruited in Hong Kong. Before the assessment, a grid paper was attached to a digital handwriting tablet. The participants were then asked to copy 90 Chinese characters from a template to the grid paper. Their handwriting processes were recorded as two-dimensional points and then analyzed. The tilt and slant of the students' handwriting were calculated based on the inclination level of their horizontal and vertical strokes. Linear regressions between slant/tilt degree of the manuscripts and other handwriting features were performed. The students' demographic information was also explored.
Slant was found to be significantly correlated to Gender (p < 0.001) and tilt×standard deviation of pen pressure (p < 0.001). Tilt was found to be significantly correlated to ground time (p < 0.001), slant (p < 0.001) and slant×special education need (p = 0.021).
Our results demonstrate the relationship between slant, tilt and Chinese handwriting performance in primary school children. Slant and tilt can be adopted as an indicator in students' special education need diagnosis, as tilt level in the students' Chinese handwriting was related to ground time and slant× special education need, while slant is related to tilt×standard deviation of pen pressure and female students. These findings may also inspire ways to increase special education need students' writing speed.
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