Search Results (4,698)

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of the long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 02381 (LINC02381)/microRNA-let-7g-5p (let-7g-5p)/thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) signaling axis in osteosarcoma (OS). Methods: The expression levels of LINC02381, let-7g-5p, and THBS1 were quantified in OS and adjacent normal tissues via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Their correlations with clinicopathological features were analyzed. Expression patterns were further validated in OS cell lines (143B, U-2OS, Saos-2, MNNG-HOS, MG-63) and normal osteoblast cell line hFOB1.19. The molecular interaction between LINC02381 and let-7g-5p and the targeting relationship of let-7g-5p with THBS1 were verified via dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. Functional effects were assessed using cell counting kit-8, colony formation, Transwell migration, and xenograft tumor models. Results: Compared to adjacent normal tissues, LINC02381 and THBS1 were upregulated in OS tissues (fold change > 3.0, p < 0.001), while let-7g-5p was downregulated (fold change ≈ 0.038, p < 0.001). Similar expression trends were observed in U-2OS cells. Knockdown of LINC02381 or overexpression of let-7g-5p reduced cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, THBS1 expression, and tumor volume (p < 0.001). These inhibitory effects were partially reversed by let-7g-5p inhibitors, restoring cell viability and migration by approximately 70%. Mechanistically, LINC02381 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), directly binding to let-7g-5p and mitigating its suppression of THBS1. Conclusions:LINC02381 promotes OA progression by acting as a ceRNA for let-7g-5p, thereby upregulating THBS1 expression. This signaling axis represents a potential therapeutic target for OS. Full article

Urban agriculture in space-constrained cities requires compact, reproducible propagation systems. Therefore, the aim of this Technical Note is to design, implement, and functionally validate a low-cost, modular hydroponic chamber (SSHG) for early-stage vegetative propagation. This system couples DHT11-based temperature/RH monitoring with rule-based actuation—irrigation 4×/day and temperature-triggered ventilation—under the control of an Arduino Uno microcontroller; LED lighting was not controlled nor analyzed. Two 15-day trials with basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) yielded rooting rates of 61.7% (37/60) and 43.3% (26/60) under a deliberate minimal-input configuration without nutrient solutions or rooting hormones. Environmental summaries and spatial survival maps revealed edge-effect patterns and RH variability that inform irrigation layout improvements. The chamber, bill of materials, and protocol are documented to support replication and iteration. Thus, the SSHG provides a transferable baseline for educators and researchers to audit, reproduce, and improve small-footprint, controlled-environment propagation. Beyond its technical feasibility, the SSHG contributes to sustainability by leveraging low-cost, readily available components, enabling decentralized seedling production in space-constrained settings, and operating under a minimal-input configuration. In line with widely reported hydroponic efficiencies (e.g., lower water use relative to soil-based propagation), this open and replicable platform aligns with SDGs 2, 11, 12, and 13. Full article

Urban deep excavations conducted near operational tunnels necessitate stringent deformation control. This study investigates the Baiyun Station excavation by employing a three-dimensional finite-element model based on the Hardening Soil Small-strain (HSS) constitutive law, calibrated using Phase I field monitoring data on wall deflection, ground settlement, and tunnel displacement. Material parameters for the HSS model derived from the prior Phase I numerical simulation were held fixed and used to simulate the Phase II excavation, with peak errors of less than 5.8% for wall deflection and less than 2.9% for ground settlement. The model was subsequently applied to evaluate the impacts of Phase II excavation. The key contribution of this study is a monitoring-driven HSS modeling framework that integrates staged excavation simulation with field-based calibration, enabling quantitative assessment of tunnel responses—including settlement troughs, bow-shaped wall deflection patterns, and the distance-decay characteristics of lining displacement—to support structural safety evaluations and protective design measures. The results demonstrate that the predicted deformations and lining stresses in adjacent power and metro tunnels remain within permissible limits, offering practical guidance for excavation control in densely populated urban areas. Full article

Low-emissivity (Low-E) glass, crucial for thermal insulation, significantly attenuates wireless signals, hindering 5G communication. Metasurface technology offers a solution, but the existing designs often neglect the etching ratio constraint and lack physical interpretability. In this work, we propose a physically constrained search method that incorporates prior knowledge of the capacitive equivalent circuit to guide the design of metasurfaces on Low-E glass. First, the equivalent circuit type of the metasurface is determined as a capacitive structure through transmission line model analysis. Then, a random walk-based search is conducted within the solution space of topological patterns corresponding to capacitive structures, ensuring etching ratio constraints and maintaining structural continuity. Using this method, we design a metasurface pattern optimized for 5G communication, which demonstrates over 30 dB improvement in signal transmission compared with full-coating Low-E glass. A fabricated 300 mm × 300 mm prototype, etched with a ratio of 19.5%, demonstrates a minimum transmission loss of 2.509 dB across the 24–30 GHz band with a 3 dB bandwidth of 4.28 GHz, fully covering the 5G n258 band (24.25–27.5 GHz). Additionally, the prototype maintains a transmission coefficient reduction of no more than 3 dB under oblique incidence angles from 0° to 50°, enabling robust 5G connectivity. Full article

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) are a heterogeneous group of intracranial vascular anomalies characterized by abnormal arteriovenous shunting within the dura mater. While they are often considered acquired lesions—associated with trauma, surgery, venous sinus stenosis, or thrombosis—their precise etiology remains unclear in many cases. The clinical presentation of dAVFs varies widely depending on location and venous drainage patterns. Benign forms may manifest as pulsatile tinnitus or headache, whereas lesions with retrograde venous drainage and cortical venous reflux are considered aggressive and carry a heightened risk of hemorrhage and progressive neurological decline. Multiple classification systems, primarily based on angioarchitecture and venous outflow characteristics, have been developed to stratify risk and guide treatment strategies, as these features largely determine the natural history and clinical course of dAVFs. Endovascular embolization, microsurgical disconnection, and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) represent the mainstays of treatment, aiming to prevent hemorrhage or rebleeding and to alleviate symptoms related to venous congestion. Over the past two decades, advances in endovascular techniques have driven a paradigm shift in management, positioning embolization as the first-line therapy for most dAVFs. This review begins with a comprehensive overview of dAVF pathogenesis, classification systems, and angioarchitecture. It then focuses on the endovascular management of dAVFs, offering a detailed appraisal of current and emerging techniques, key technical considerations, and lesion-specific treatment strategies. Finally, we discuss the role of microsurgery and SRS. Full article

The automation of concrete constructions through 3D printing (3DP) has been increasingly developed and adopted in civil engineering due to its promising advantages over traditional construction methods. However, widespread implementation is hindered by uncertainties in quality control, homogeneity, and interlayer bonding, as well as the uniqueness of each printed component. Building upon our prior work in developing 3D-printable self-sensing cementitious materials by incorporating graphite powder and carbon microfibers into a cementitious matrix to enhance its piezoresistive properties, this study aims at enabling condition assessment of cementitious 3DP by integrating the self-sensing materials as sensing nodes within conventional components. Three different 3D-printed strip patterns, consisting of one, two, and three strip lines that mimic the pattern used in fabricating foil strain gauges were investigated as conductive electrode designs to impart strain sensing capabilities, and characterized from a series of quasi-static and dynamic tests. Results demonstrate that the three-strip design yielded the highest sensitivity (${\lambda }_{\mathrm{stat}}$ of 669, ${\lambda }_{\mathrm{dyn}}$ of 630), whereas the two-strip design produced the highest signal quality (SNR_stat = 9.5 dB, SNR_dyn = 10.8 dB). These findings confirm the feasibility of integrating 3D-printed self-sensing cementitious materials through hybrid manufacturing, enabling monitoring of print quality, detection of load path changes, and identification of potential defects. Full article

Cellular organisms store heritable information in two forms, genetic and epigenetic, the latter being largely dependent on cytosine methylation (5mC). Chargaff’s Second Parity Rule (CSPR) describes the nucleotide composition of cellular genomes in terms of intra-strand DNA symmetry. However, it remains unknown whether DNA methylation patterns display intra-strand DNA symmetry. Computational analysis was conducted of the DNA methylation patterns observed in human cell lines and in tissue samples from healthy donors. Analysis of 5mC marks in mutually reverse-complementary pairs of short oligomers, containing CpG dinucleotide in the middle, revealed deviations from CSPR and methylation asymmetry that can be observed for two non-overlapping mirror groups defined by CpG methylation values. Deviations from CSPR, together with combinatorial probabilities of pattern distributions and computer simulations, highlight the non-random nature of methylation processes and enabled us to identify specific cell types as outliers. Further analysis revealed a compensatory methylation asymmetry that reduces deviations from intra-strand symmetry and implies the existence of strand-specific methylation during cell differentiation. Among six pairs of reverse-complementary tetranucleotides, four pairs with specific sequence motifs display pronounced methylation asymmetry. This mirror asymmetry may be associated with chromosome folding and the formation of a complex three-dimensional landscape. Full article

Gene expression measurements of tissues, tumors, or cell lines taken over multiple time points are valuable for describing dynamic biological phenomena such as the response to growth factors. However, such phenomena typically involve multiple biological processes occurring in parallel, making it difficult to identify and discern their respective contributions at any time point. Here, we demonstrate the use of unsupervised machine learning to deconvolve a series of time-dependent gene expression measurements into its underlying temporal components. We first downloaded publicly available RNAseq data obtained from synchronized HeLa cells at consecutive time points following release from cell cycle arrest. Then, we used Fourier analysis and Topic modeling to reveal three underlying components and their relative contributions at each time point. We identified two temporal components with oscillatory behavior, corresponding to the G1-S and G2-M phases of the cell cycle, and a third component with a transient expression pattern, associated with the immediate early response gene program, regulation of cell proliferation, and cervical cancer. This study demonstrates the use of unsupervised machine learning to identify hidden temporal components in biological systems, with potential applications to early detection and monitoring of diseases and recovery processes. Full article

The protein SNAIL has been widely studied for its roles in promoting cancer invasion and resistance to apoptosis. There are multiple contributors to its expression, including self- and circadian regulation, and it has been posited that SNAIL oscillates in a circadian manner. Given the multiple factors involved, we sought to determine whether this is indeed the case. We developed a luciferase reporter that was used to demonstrate SNAIL’s rhythmic nature (SNAIL:luc) in the circadian model cell line, U2OS. Considering SNAIL’s relevance in breast cancer, we also assessed its oscillations in cellular models representing different levels of aggression. We incorporated the SNAIL:luc reporter in MCF10A breast epithelial cells, and MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, which are less and more aggressive, respectively. We found that SNAIL oscillations were present but weak in MCF7 and arrhythmic in MDA-MB-231 cells, correlating with those of core clock genes (BMAL1 and PER2) in these models. Surprisingly, MCF10A cells, whose core clock genes possess robust circadian expression patterns, did not have rhythmic oscillations of SNAIL. Our findings suggest that SNAIL is under circadian control, but this is cell line/tissue dependent, setting the stage for additional studies to better understand the impacts of various factors contributing to its expression. Full article

Objectives: To determine the prescribing prevalence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)- and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in Greece and examine patterns of first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) utilization and associated treatment costs using nationwide real-world data. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the national e-prescription database was performed, identifying patients initiating first-line treatment (FLT) for EGFR- or ALK-positive NSCLC between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022. Demographic characteristics, prescribing prevalence data, drug utilization patterns, total annual drug expenditures, and per patient treatment costs were assessed. All statistical analyses were performed using the statistical software SPSS-v.29. Results: Overall, 1188 EGFR-positive (mean age of 70.93 ± 11.6) and 246 (mean age of 64.26 ± 12.6) ALK-positive NSCLC patients initiated FLT during the three-year study period. EGFR mutations were slightly more common in females (53%), peaking in the 70–79 age group (35%). ALK mutations were also more common among females (52%), particularly within the 60–79 age group. In EGFR-positive patients, osimertinib usage markedly increased from 41% in 2020 to 63% in 2022, primarily displacing afatinib (from 32% to 22%) and erlotinib (from 24% to 14%), with gefitinib prescriptions falling below 2%. Among ALK-positive patients, crizotinib utilization declined significantly from 60% to 16%, whereas alectinib increased to 59% by 2022. Annual EGFR-related total drug expenditures remained stable (€11.5 million in 2020 vs. €11.9 million in 2022), driven primarily by increasing osimertinib usage. Similarly, ALK-related annual drug expenditures showed stability, with costs predominantly attributed to rising alectinib utilization. Conclusions: This nationwide analysis highlights the rapid adoption of second- and third-generation TKIs for EGFR- and ALK-positive NSCLC in Greece, reflecting evolving clinical practice patterns. Although the target patient populations are relatively small, the associated economic burden is considerable. To ensure long-term sustainability of the Greek healthcare system, policymakers should critically assess the cost-effectiveness of these innovative therapies and align resource allocation with value-based care principles. Full article

Background/Objectives: Speech perception is shaped by language experience, with listeners learning to selectively attend to acoustic cues that are informative in their language. This study investigates how language dominance, a proxy for long-term language experience, modulates cue weighting in highly proficient Spanish–English bilinguals’ perception of English lexical stress. Methods: We tested 39 bilinguals with varying dominance profiles and 40 monolingual English speakers in a stress identification task using auditory stimuli that independently manipulated vowel quality, pitch, and duration. Results: Bayesian logistic regression models revealed that, compared to monolinguals, bilinguals relied less on vowel quality and more on pitch and duration, mirroring cue distributions in Spanish versus English. Critically, cue weighting within the bilingual group varied systematically with language dominance: English-dominant bilinguals patterned more like monolingual English listeners, showing increased reliance on vowel quality and decreased reliance on pitch and duration, whereas Spanish-dominant bilinguals retained a cue weighting that was more Spanish-like. Conclusions: These results support experience-based models of speech perception and provide behavioral evidence that bilinguals’ perceptual attention to acoustic cues remains flexible and dynamically responsive to long-term input. These results are in line with a neurobiological account of speech perception in which attentional and representational mechanisms adapt to changes in the input. Full article

New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is common after cardiac and major noncardiac surgery and significantly associated with short- and long-term adverse events. Multiple management strategies have been described but the lack of evidence from large randomized controlled trials and the lack of consensus regarding best practices has led to major variations in practice patterns. Considering on the one hand its serious adverse effects and complex drug interactions, and on the other hand discrepancies among recent international guidelines, the indications of amiodarone to both prevent and treat POAF should be reserved to patients at high risk of POAF only, or patients with hemodynamic instability and/or severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Perioperative optimization of oral and intravenous cardio-selective beta-blockers to prevent POAF, and control heart rate when POAF occurs with a rapid ventricular response is the recommended first-line strategy, simultaneously with the treatment of associated factors. Given their efficient and safe profile, ultra-short-acting intravenous beta-blockers like esmolol or landiolol could be preferentially used in acute care patients. Besides waiting for the results of ongoing RCTs in cardiac and noncardiac surgery, the use of oral anticoagulation in patients with POAF should take into account the individualized thromboembolic/hemorrhagic risk ratio. Full article

To address the challenge of asymmetric deformation and failure in the surrounding rock of main roadways within extra-thick coal seams caused by level differences under intense mining disturbance, this study systematically analyzed the evolution laws of principal stress fields, deviatoric stress fields, and their impact on surrounding rock stability in upper-, middle-, and lower-level roadways within a 20 m extra-thick coal seam during mining retreat. The analysis employed numerical simulation, similarity simulation, and field monitoring. Key findings include the following: ① As the working face advances, the principal stress vector lines deflect following a bias-unloading pattern, while the peak value of the deviatoric stress field (PVDSF) exhibits asymmetric bias-loading characteristics. The lower-layer roadway emerges as the primary load-bearing layer controlling surrounding rock stability. ② The evolution trend of the maximum principal stress vector orientation is consistent across different layers. The deflection trajectory manifests as “the deflection of the goaf side → the near layer orientation → the deflection of the solid coal side”. ③ The deviatoric stress peak zones (DSPZs) at all layers exhibit a characteristic “three-stage” evolution. The deviatoric loading pattern for the lower-layer roadway surrounding rock is the following: initial state double peak region crescent-shaped non-layer distribution type → the range of the bimodal region and the extreme value increased simultaneously, distributed in a non-layer manner → the asymmetrical distribution type of steep drop in the peak area of non-mining deviator stress. ④ The junctions between the mining-side rib and floor and the non-mining-side rib and roof were identified as critical control zones. An innovative zonal asymmetric directional anchoring control technology, “anchor cable foundation support + concrete floor + asymmetric reinforcing anchor cable support”, along with a “One Directional Penetration and Three Synergies” control methodology, was proposed. Field monitoring confirmed the significant effectiveness of the optimized support system. Full article

Aphids remain exceptional models for symbiosis research due to their unique experimental advantages that extend beyond documenting symbiont-mediated phenotypes. Nine commonly occurring facultative bacterial symbionts provide well-characterized benefits, including defense against parasitoids, pathogens, and thermal stress. Yet the system’s greatest value lies in enabling diverse research applications across biological disciplines through experimental tractability combined with ecological realism. Researchers can create controlled experimental lines through symbiont manipulation, maintain clonal host populations indefinitely, and cultivate symbionts independently. This experimental power is complemented by extensive knowledge of symbiont dynamics in natural populations, including temporal and geographic distribution patterns—features generally unavailable in other insect-microbe systems. These advantages facilitate investigation of key processes in symbiosis, including transmission dynamics, mechanisms, strain-level functional diversity, multi-partner infections, and transitions from facultative to co-obligate relationships. Integration across biological scales—from genomics to field ecology—enables research on symbiont community assembly, ecological networks, coevolutionary arms races, and agricultural applications. This combination of experimental flexibility, comprehensive natural history knowledge, and applied relevance positions aphids as invaluable for advancing symbiosis theory while addressing practical challenges in agriculture and invasion biology. Full article

Background: This study aims to systematically evaluate the genetic divergence among 200 fresh maize inbred lines using both phenotypic and molecular markers, and to compare the efficacy of these two approaches for genetic classification. Methods: Phenotypic clustering analysis was conducted based on eight key agronomic traits, including plant height and ear length. Additionally, molecular analysis was performed using 40 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) primer pairs, resulting in the generation of 230 polymorphic alleles. The polymorphism information content (PIC) was calculated to evaluate the discriminatory power of the markers. Results: Phenotypic analysis categorized the inbred lines into four groups, comprising 25, 38, 97, and 40 lines, respectively, with benchmark lines distributed across Groups I and III. SSR analysis revealed a high level of genetic diversity, with an average of 5.75 alleles per locus and a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.70. Molecular grouping further divided the population into four distinct clusters, representing 26.5%, 51.0%, 14.0%, and 8.5% of the total, which exhibited different distribution patterns compared to the phenotypic grouping. The distribution of benchmark lines across various molecular groups confirmed their genetic divergence. Conclusions: SSR-based clustering demonstrated superior robustness and reliability compared to phenotypic grouping for genetic discrimination. These findings confirm the substantial genetic diversity present in fresh maize inbred lines and support the preferential use of SSR markers in maize breeding programs for precise genetic characterization. Full article