Search Results (1,616)

Background/Objectives: Mechanisms underlying treatment resistance in hematopoietic malignancies such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) include (1) enhanced activity of anticancer drug efflux mechanisms (MRP1); (2) suppressed activity of anticancer drug influx mechanisms (ENT-1); (3) enhanced drug detoxification activity (AKR1B10, AKR1C3, CYP3A4); (4) influence of the tumor microenvironment (GRP94), etc. We conducted this study to comprehensively and clinically examine treatment resistance due primarily to a decrease in the tumor intracellular anticancer drug concentrations. Methods: The subjects were 19 ALL patients who underwent initial induction therapy with alternating Hyper CVAD/MA therapy. Antibodies against 23 types of treatment resistance-associated proteins were used for immunohistochemical analysis of tumor specimens obtained from the patients, and correlations between the results of immunohistochemistry and the overall survival (OS) were retrospectively analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Based on the patterns of expression of the enzymes involved in treatment resistance, we classified the patients (Urayasu classification for ALL, which we believe would be very useful for accurately stratifying patients with ALL according to the predicted prognosis), as follows: Good prognosis group, n = 1, 5%: AKR1B1(+)/AKR1B10(−), 5-year overall survival (OS), 100%; Intermediate prognosis-1 group, n = 9, 5%: AKR1B1(−)/AKR1B10(−) plus MRP1(−), 5-year OS, 68%; Intermediate-2 prognosis group, n = 6.3%: AKR1B1(−)/AKR1B10(−) plus MRP1(+), median survival, 17 months, 5-year OS, 20%; and Poor prognosis group, n = 3, 16%: AKR1B1(−)/AKR1B10(+), median survival, 18 months, 5-year OS, 0%. n = 2. Conclusions: The Urayasu classification for ALL is considered reliable for predicting the prognosis of patients with ALL after the initial Hyper CVAD/MA remission induction therapy. Full article

Isodonis Excisoidis Herba (IEH) is a newly discovered herbal medicine used to treat esophageal cancer, chronic pharyngitis, and hepatitis, and ent-kaurane diterpenoids are its main active components. However, systematic studies on the chemical profile of ent-kaurane diterpenoids are lacking. In this study, UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS was performed to investigate the fragmentation behaviors of three different types of ent-kaurane diterpenoids from IEH. Bridgehead-unsubstituted 7,20-epoxy-ent-kaurane diterpenoids yielded ions with typical losses of R₇H, R₁H, R₁₄H, CH₂O, CO, and R₆H. The [M + NH₄ − NH₃ − R₂₀]⁺ precursor ions at 331.1895 and the characteristic ions at m/z 313.1792, 295.1686, 285.1842, 277.1581, 267.1737, and 249.1632 were the most possible fragmentation pathways for bridgehead-substituted 7,20-epoxy-ent-kaurane diterpenoids. Fragmentation with the successive loss of multiple 18, 42, or 60 Da occurring in the OH groups and OAc groups is characteristic of 7,20-non-epoxy-kaurane diterpenoids. Using accurate mass measurements for each precursor ion and the subsequent fragmented ions, a total of 94 ent-kaurane diterpenoids were identified or tentatively characterized in IEH, including 48 potentially new ent-kaurane diterpenoids. Full article

Investigating plant responses to climate change is critical for understanding phylogeography and devising conservation strategies. This study focuses on the Lycoris aurea (L’Hér.) Herb. complex in East Asia, a system characterized by high cytotype diversity (2n = 12–16), to test whether ecological niche differentiation drives its spatio-temporal evolution. We integrated dynamic niche modeling to reconstruct distribution dynamics from the Last Interglacial (LIG) to the future (2100). Results indicate that mainland China populations have expanded northward since the LIG, establishing their current patterns, while island populations (Taiwan, Ryukyu) remained relatively stable due to geographic constraints. Under future warming scenarios, the complex is projected to further expand northward. We identified key migration corridors, with high inter-cytotype connectivity in the Sichuan-Hubei region and intra-cytotype migration in the Yunnan Plateau and Nanling region. Although the two dominant cytotypes currently exhibit niche equivalency, they show distinct climatic sensitivities—Cytotype II is driven by precipitation and Cytotype IV by temperature—and are projected to diverge spatially in the future. These findings elucidate the evolutionary history of L. aurea and provide a reference for the conservation and utilization of Lycoris germplasm. Full article

Crabronid wasps (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) are ecologically important predators that provide various ecological services by regulating the arthropod populations, enhancing soil processes through nesting, serving as sensitive indicators of habitat condition, and providing pollen transfer for plants. However, as other invertebrates face biodiversity threats, these wasps might be under threat from environmental changes, and we need to assess the biodiversity patterns of these wasps in Yunnan Province. Unfortunately, no information is currently available about the pattern and factors responsible for the assemblages of these wasps within our study region. This study provides the first province-level assessment of habitat suitability, species richness, assemblage structure, and environmental determinants for Crabronidae in Yunnan by integrating species distribution modeling (SDM), multivariate clustering, and ordination analyses. More than 50 species were studied to assess habitat suitability in Yunnan using MaxEnt. Model performance was robust (AUC > 0.7). Suitability patterns varied distinctly among regions. Species richness peaked in southern Yunnan, particularly in the counties of Jinghong, Mengla, Menghai, and Jiangcheng Hani & Yi. Land use/land cover (LULC) variables were the dominant predictors for 90% of species, whereas precipitation-related variables contributed most strongly to the remaining 10%. Ward’s hierarchical clustering grouped the 125 counties into three community assemblage zones, with Zone III comprising the most significant area. A unique species composition was found within a particular zone, and clear separation among zones based on environmental variation was supported by Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which explained more than 70% variability among zones. Furthermore, Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that both LULC and climatic factors shaped community structure assemblages, with axes 1 and 2 explaining 70% of variance (p = 0.001). The most relevant key factors in each zone were precipitation variables (bio12, bio14, bio17), which were dominant in Zone I; for Zone II, temperature and vegetation variables were most important; and urban, wetland, and water variables were most important in Zone III. Full article

Photovoltaic (PV) power generation is essential for achieving carbon neutrality and advancing renewable energy development. In Northwest China, the rapid expansion of PV installations requires accurate and timely spatial data to support effective monitoring and planning. Addressing the limitations of existing datasets in spatiotemporal resolution and driver analysis, this study develops a scalable solar facility inventory framework on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The framework integrates Sentinel-1 SAR, Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery, and interpretable machine learning. Feature redundancy is first assessed using correlation-based metrics, after which a Random Forest classifier is applied to generate a 10 m resolution distribution map of utility-scale photovoltaic power plants as of December 2023. To elucidate model behavior, SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) is used to identify key predictors, and MaxEnt is incorporated to provide a preliminary quantitative assessment of spatial drivers of PV deployment. The RFECV-optimized model, retaining 44 key features, achieves an overall accuracy of 98.4% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.96. The study region contains approximately 2560 km² of PV installations, with pronounced clusters in northern Ningxia, central Shaanxi, and parts of Xinjiang and Gansu. SHAP analysis highlights the Enhanced Photovoltaic Index (EPVI), the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Sentinel-2 Band 8A, and related texture metrics as primary contributors to model predictions. High EPVI, NDBI, and Sentinel-2 Band 8A values contribute positively to PV classification, whereas vegetation-related indices (e.g., NDVI) exhibit predominantly negative contributions; these results indicate that PV mapping relies on the integrated discrimination of multiple spectral and texture features rather than on a single dominant variable. MaxEnt results indicate that grid accessibility and land-use constraints (e.g., nighttime light intensity reflecting human activity) are dominant drivers of PV clustering, often exerting more influence than solar irradiance alone. This framework provides robust technical support for PV monitoring and offers high-resolution spatial distribution data and driver insights to inform sustainable energy management and regional renewable-energy planning. Full article

In struggling against invasive species ravaging riverscape ecosystems, gaps in dispersal pathway knowledge and fragmented approaches across scales have long stalled effective riparian management worldwide. To reduce these limitations and enhance invasion management strategies, selecting appropriate alien species as models for in-depth pathway analysis is essential. Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. (alligator weed) emerges as an exemplary model species, boasting an invasion record of around 120 years spanning five continents worldwide, supported by genetic evidence of repeated introductions. In addition, the clonal reproduction of A. philoxeroides supports swift establishment, while its amphibious versatility allows occupation of varied riparian environments, with spread driven by natural water-mediated dispersal (hydrochory) and human-related vectors at multiple scales. Thus, leveraging A. philoxeroides, this review proposes a comprehensive multi-scale framework, which integrates monitoring with remote sensing, environmental DNA, Internet of Things, and crowdsourcing for real-time detection. Also, the framework can further integrate, e.g., MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy Model) for climatic suitability and mechanistic simulations of hydrodynamics and human-mediated dispersal to forecast invasion risks. Furthermore, decision-support systems developed from the framework can optimize controls like herbicides and biocontrol, managing uncertainties adaptively. At the global scale, the dispersal paradigm can employ AI-driven knowledge graphs for genetic attribution, multilayer networks, and causal inference to trace pathways and identify disruptions. Based on the premise that our multi-scale framework can bridge invasion ecology with riverscape management using A. philoxeroides as a model, we contend that the implementation of the proposed framework tackles core challenges, such as sampling biases, shifting environmental dynamics, eco–evolutionary interactions using stratified sampling, and adaptive online algorithms. This methodology is purposed to offer scalable tools for other aquatic invasives, evolving management from reactive measures to proactive, network-based approaches that effectively interrupt dispersal routes. Full article

This paper establishes a comprehensive statistical framework for analyzing quantum teleportation protocols under realistic noisy conditions. We develop novel mathematical tools to characterize the complete statistical distribution of teleportation fidelity, including both mean and variance, for systems experiencing decoherence and channel imperfections. Our analysis demonstrates that the teleportation fidelity follows a characteristic distribution $F\sim \mathcal{P}(F_{\mathrm{avg}},\mathrm{\Delta }{F}^2)$ where the variance $\mathrm{\Delta }{F}^2$ depends crucially on entanglement quality and channel noise. We derive the optimal resource allocation condition $\partial E_{\mathrm{ent}}/\partial F/\partial C_{\mathrm{classical}}/\partial F=\beta /\alpha$ that minimizes total resource consumption while achieving target fidelity. Furthermore, we introduce a Bayesian adaptive protocol that enhances robustness against noise through real-time statistical estimation. The theoretical framework is validated through numerical simulations and provides practical guidance for experimental implementations in quantum communication networks. Full article

Background: The main cause of chronic nasal obstruction in ENT practice is represented by the deviated nasal septum. Septoplasty remains the gold standard treatment, performed using either conventional or endoscopic techniques. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar for studies published between May 1999 and October 2024. Eligible studies included adult patients (≥16 years) undergoing conventional or endoscopic septoplasty, with at least one reported outcome measure: NOSE, VAS, or SNOT-22 scores; operative time; or complication rates. Results: Across multiple clinical studies, both conventional and endoscopic septoplasty provided significant improvements in nasal airflow and symptom relief. Endoscopic septoplasty was consistently associated with superior intraoperative visualization, more precise correction of posterior deformities and isolated septal spurs, and lower rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications. Complication rates were low overall for both approaches. Conclusions: Current evidence supports both conventional and endoscopic septoplasty as effective treatments for nasal obstruction due to septal deviation. However, endoscopic septoplasty offers distinct advantages in terms of visualization, operative efficiency, and safety, making it an increasingly preferred technique. Full article

Compared with other forest vegetation, bamboo forests have a stronger carbon sequestration capacity, which plays a vital role in achieving the national goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Global warming has profoundly impacted the adaptive distribution and landscape fragmentation of bamboo forests. This study utilized an optimized MaxEnt model to calculate the current habitat range of Neosinocalamus affinis (Rendle) Keng f. forests across China and project their potential distribution under three future climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP370, SSP585) for the 2050s and 2090s and analyzed the landscape fragmentation of their land use using landscape indices. The results reveal that Neosinocalamus affinis forests are currently primarily distributed in Chongqing Municipality, eastern and southeastern Sichuan Province, and northern Guizhou Province. The key environmental factors influencing their distribution are identified as: mean diurnal temperature range (Bio2), precipitation of warmest quarter (Bio18), and precipitation of wettest quarter (Bio16). Across the three future scenarios, the suitable habitat area for Neosinocalamus affinis forests demonstrates an overall expanding trend. Rising CO₂ concentrations correlate with a reduction in suitable habitat. The habitat centroid shifts southward in the 2050s and northeastward in the 2090s. In the future, the fragmentation degree of highly suitable areas for Neosinocalamus affinis forests will be higher than at present and show an increasing trend, with forest fragmentation significantly intensifying and overall landscape quality further declining. The predictive results of this study provide a scientific basis for the effective conservation and management of Neosinocalamus affinis forests, thereby contributing to the sustainable utilization of bamboo forest resources. Full article

Background: Postoperative pain levels and opioid requirements vary considerably, even among patients undergoing similar surgical interventions. The pupillary pain index—a pupillometry-derived measure of nociception-antinociception balance—may help individualize postoperative analgesia. We therefore tested the hypothesis that a pupillary pain index-guided opioid titration at the end of surgery reduces postoperative pain and opioid consumption compared with standard care. Methods: At the end of surgery, a portable infrared pupilometer was used to measure pupillary dilation reflex during stepwise tetanic stimulation (10–60 mA), generating a pupillary pain index score. Adult patients undergoing elective ear-nose-throat surgery under general anesthesia were randomized to pupillary pain index-guided opioid therapy or standard care. Opioid administration in the pupillary pain index group followed predefined pupillary pain index cutoffs; in the control group, analgesia was managed per routine practice. Postoperative opioid consumption and pain—assessed using a numerical rating scale (NRS, 0–10)—were recorded every 30 min for 2 h in the post-anesthesia care unit. Linear models with covariates including remifentanil, weight, nose surgery, and sex were calculated to compare outcomes between groups. Results: Mean (±SD) opioid consumption during the first 2 postoperative hours was 4.9 ± 4.3 mg in the pupillary pain index-guided group and 6.5 ± 4.3 mg in the control group (adjusted p = 0.12). Mean pain scores were 2.0 ± 1.1 and 2.6 ± 1.4, respectively (adjusted p = 0.10). Conclusions: Pupillary pain index-guided analgesia resulted in a nearly 25% reduction in opioid consumption and lower pain scores, although not statistically significant. This suggests that PPI-guided analgesia is not inferior to standard care in terms of pain management. Full article

The genus Dysosma, a group of perennial herbaceous plants with significant medicinal value and a relatively narrow ecological niche, is potentially at risk due to the combined pressures of habitat degradation and climate change. As their habitats continue to degrade, all species of this genus have been included in the National Key Protected Wild Plants List (Category II). Investigating the impacts of climate change on the distribution of Dysosma resources is vital for their sustainable utilization. In this study, the potential distribution dynamics of seven Dysosma species under current and three future climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP585) were quantified using 534 occurrence points and 25 environmental variables in a MaxEnt model, accompanied by the ecological niche overlap index (Schoener’s D), dynamic metrics (relative change rate [RCR], change intensity [CI], stability index [SI], spatial displacement rate [SDR]), and centroid migration analysis. The results indicated that (1) areas of high habitat suitability were consistently concentrated in the mountainous and hilly regions of southwestern Guizhou, Chongqing, and Hubei, with the minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6) and the mean diurnal temperature range (Bio2) being identified as the primary driving factors. (2) The future suitable habitat areas remained highly stable overall (SI > 97.89%), though dynamic changes varied across scenarios. Under SSP126, only slight fluctuations were observed, with an average CI of approximately 3.78% and RCR ranging from −0.46% to 1.97%. Under the SSP245 scenario, suitable habitat areas showed a continuous, slight expansion (RCR = 0.45% to 1.54%), whereas under the high-emission SSP585 scenario, a typical “mid-term expansion–late-term contraction” pattern was observed, with RCR shifting from positive (1.32%, 1.44%) to negative (−0.92%). The SI reached its lowest value of 97.89% in the late term, and the spatial displacement rate increased, signaling a reorganization of the distribution pattern. (3) High ecological niche differentiation was observed within the genus, with the highest overlap index being only 0.562, and approximately one-third of species pairs exhibiting completely non-overlapping niches. (4) Dysosma tsayuensis, a niche-specialist species, exhibited a distribution that was highly dependent on the annual mean ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB, contribution rate 52.9%), displaying an adaptation strategy markedly different from that of conservative species. (5) Centroid analysis indicated that, although the overall centroid remained stable in Guizhou, the presence of niche-specialist species under the high-emission SSP585 scenario resulted in migration paths opposite to those observed under other scenarios. The findings reveal the potential vulnerability and differential response patterns of Dysosma species under rapid climate warming, thereby providing a scientific basis for targeted conservation, in situ and ex situ conservation strategies, and population restoration. Full article

This study specifies and validates a three-layer Structural Equation Model (SEM) that accounts for how tourists’ evaluations of destination attributes translate into loyalty; the model is based on UN Tourism’s sustainability pillars. Guided by service-science and Customer Experience (CX) logics, and adopting a Tourist Experience (TX) framework that treats Tourist Experience as a domain-specific case of CX, we define five first-order antecedents—Emotions (EMS), Local Culture (CTL), Authenticity (AUT), Entertainment (ENT), and Servicescape (SVS)—that load onto a higher-order appraisal, Global Perception (GEN), which in turn drives Destination Loyalty (LOY). Using ordinal indicators and a robust diagonally weighted least squares estimator (WLSMV), the model exhibits a good global fit (CFI/TLI = 0.970/0.968; SRMR = 0.049; RMSEA = 0.073 [90% CI = 0.070–0.076]). Standardized effects indicate that GEN is primarily explained by Emotions (β = 0.445, p < 0.001), Authenticity (β = 0.271, p < 0.001), and Servicescape (β = 0.241, p < 0.001), whereas CTL and ENT are not significant when competing with these other predictors. GEN strongly predicts LOY (β = 0.967, p < 0.001), mediating sizable indirect effects from EMS, AUT, and SVS to LOY. The findings corroborate a parsimonious mediational chain in which affective, meaning-related, and infrastructural inputs cohere into a single global appraisal that is proximal to loyalty. Our study provides a decision-focused blueprint for designing emotion-rich, authenticity-protecting, and well-orchestrated servicescapes to enhance GEN and, consequently, LOY; it adheres to established SEM reporting standards and articulates a holistic transactional conceptualization grounded in recent tourism literature. Improvements in GEN reflect not only better experiences but also designs consistent with long-run destination sustainability. Full article

Examining the long-term spatiotemporal distribution of grassland types and their transitions is crucial for better understanding regional and global changes. Most research in this field has examined the spatial distribution, temporal dynamics of grasslands, and their causes as a unified entity. This study predicted the distribution of nine major grassland types in Xinjiang under three climate change scenarios from 2041 to 2100 based on 1980s grassland maps, field data in 2023, and 28 factors. The total area of the nine grassland types showed a decreasing trend from 2041 to 2100. The lowland meadow (LM), temperate meadow steppe (TMS), temperate steppe desert (TSD), temperate desert steppe (TDS), and mountain meadow (MM) expanded, while significant declines occurred in alpine meadow (AM), alpine steppe (AS), temperate desert (TD), and temperate steppe (TS). Among cumulative contribution rate of the 28 factors examined in this study, NDVI, vegetation type, slope, elevation, soil_symbol, soil_ph, Bio1, Bio5, Bio8, Bio9, Bio10, Bio12, Bio13, Bio15, and Bio18 played important roles in most grassland types. LM, TD, and AS grassland were found to be more sensitive to E (environment), while AM, TDS, and TSD were more influenced by T (temperature). The distributions of MM and TMS are significantly influenced by the combined effects of all three categories of factors. For TS, the impacts of both temperature and environmental factors are substantial. These findings provided a robust foundation for conservation planning and the sustainable management of grassland ecosystems in temperate and alpine regions. Full article

Background: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is one of the top health concerns. Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative bacterium that commonly causes severe infections. However, this research exposed its antibiotic-producing potential. Methods: Rifampicin-resistant mutants of E. coli C91 were generated to activate cryptic BGCs. Mutants (C91-R1, R2 and R3) were tested for antimicrobial production using agar-well diffusion assays. Metabolite profiling was performed by LC-MS/MS. Siderophore production was tested by construction of a Δycao deletion mutant. Growth of this mutant was assessed under iron-limited conditions versus iron-rich conditions using dipyridyl. qRT-PCR was used to analyze gene expression entB, mcmA and mchF. Genome mining was performed using antiSMASH and BAGEL4. Results: Compared to the wild type, Mutant C91-R1(S531L) displayed clear antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. LC-MS/MS revealed unique metabolites, including a novel peak at m/z 410.5, specific to the mutant C91-R1. A reduction in siderophore production of 61% was demonstrated in the Δycao mutant, and downregulation of entB, mcmA and mchF. Conclusions: Genome mining predicted non-ribosomal peptide, thiopeptide and polyketide BGCs. E. coli C91 offers antibiotic-producing potential that can be activated through ribosome-engineering-type approaches. Moreover, E. coli C91-R1 has unique metabolites and is considered as a promising candidate for novel antibiotic discovery. Full article

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to evaluate changes in olfactory sensitivity with Sniffin’ Sticks^® (Burghart Messtechnik, Germany) in patients undergoing palatal expansion. Methods: The study sample consisted of 20 patients enrolled from the Department of Paediatric Dentistry (0–14 years old) at the Policlinico of Rome “Tor Vergata”, according to the following inclusion criteria: negative posterior transverse interarch discrepancy ≥ 4 mm, mixed dentition phase with first permanent molars erupted and prepubertal skeletal maturation stage (CS1-2), evaluated on a lateral radiograph through the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) method. Each patient underwent a dental examination, orthopantomography and lateral cephalometric X-rays were requested, and dental impressions were taken using digital scanner. Every patient was treated with maxillary rapid expander and underwent ear, nose, and throat (ENT) assessment before and after treatment. Moreover, questionnaires before and after treatment to obtain a subjective assessment of their olfactory perception were given to all participants. Results: About odor identification, the analyses revealed an increase in mean scores of 1.28; however, this change, although slight, did not reach statistical significance (Z = −1.85; p = 0.064). In contrast, about odor discrimination, the test results indicated a statistically significant increase in the children’s scores of 3.41 (Z = −2.87; p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that rapid maxillary expansion (RME) can improve olfactory function by enhancing nasal airway dimensions and airflow. Further studies are required to confirm these results. Full article