Integrative analysis of chloroplast genome, chemicals, and illustrations in Bencao literature provides insights into the medicinal value of Peucedanum huangshanense

The genus Peucedanum L. (Apiaceae) is a large group comprising more than 120 species distributed worldwide. Many plants of the genus Peucedanum have been studied and used in traditional Chinese medicine. In 2020, a new species, Peucedanum huangshanense Lu Q. Huang, H. S. Peng & S. S. Chu, was found in the Huangshan Mountains of Anhui Province, China. However, little is known about its medicinal properties. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the potential medicinal value of P. huangshanense and its relationship with other Peucedanum species. Through textual research on illustrations of Qianhu in Bencao literature, it can be inferred that at least five species of genus Peucedanum have been used in Chinese medicine. Therefore, we chose these five species of Peucedanum and P. huangshanense together for subsequent research. We conducted morphological, chloroplast genome, and chemical analyses of six Peucedanum species, including the newly discovered P. huangshanense. The chloroplast genomes of Peucedanum showed a typical tetrad structure, and the gene structure and content were similar and conservative. There were significant differences in genome size and the expansion of the inverted repeat boundary. Through nucleotide polymorphism analysis, we screened 14 hotspot mutation regions that have the potential to be used as specific molecular markers for the taxonomy of Peucedanum. Our results showed an inversion of the trnD-trnY-trnE gene in the P. huangshanense chloroplast genome, which can be developed as a specific molecular marker for species identification. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the phylogenetic trees had high support and resolution, which strongly supports the view that Peucedanum is not a monophyletic group. P. huangshanense had the closest genetic relationship to P. ampliatum K. T. Fu, followed by P. harry-smithii Fedde ex Wolff. Furthermore, the main coumarins of P. huangshanense were most similar to those of P. japonicum Thunb. and P. harry-smithii. In summary, our research lays a foundation for the systematic classification of Peucedanum and sheds light on the medicinal value of P. huangshanense

Acetate favors more phosphorus accumulation into aerobic granular sludge than propionate during the treatment of synthetic fermentation liquor

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an efficient biotechnology widely applied for energy and resource recovery from organic waste and wastewater treatment. The effluent from AD or fermentation liquor containing organic substances like volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and mineral nutrients (such as N and P), however, will trigger serious environmental issues if not properly dealt with. In this study two identical sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), namely Ra and Rp were used to cultivate aerobic granules for P recovery from synthetic fermentation liquor, respectively using acetate and propionate as additional carbon source. Larger and more stable granules were achieved in Ra with higher P removal capability (9.4 mg P/g-VSS·d) and higher anaerobic P release (6.9 mg P/g-VSS·h). In addition to much higher P content (78 mg P/g-SS), bioavailable P in Ra-granules increased to 45 mg P/g-SS, approximately 2-times those of seed sludge and Rp-granules. Microbial community analysis indicated that more GAOs were accumulated in Rp-granules

Prognostic analysis of cT1-3N1M0 breast cancer patients who have responded to neoadjuvant therapy undergoing various axillary surgery and breast surgery based on propensity score matching and competitive risk model

BackgroundSentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer patients with positive clinical axillary lymph nodes (cN1+) remains a topic of controversy. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of various axillary and breast surgery approaches on the survival of cN1+ breast cancer patients who have responded positively to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).MethodsPatients diagnosed with pathologically confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma of breast between 2010 and 2020 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. To mitigate confounding bias, propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was employed. Prognostic factors for both overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were evaluated through COX regression risk analysis. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Furthermore, cumulative incidence and independent prognostic factors were assessed using a competing risk model.ResultsThe PSM analysis matched 4,890 patients. Overall survival (OS) and BCSS were slightly worse in the axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) group (HR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.91-1.31, p = 0.322 vs. HR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.87-1.29, p = 0.545). The mastectomy (MAST) group exhibited significantly worse OS and BCSS outcomes (HR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.04-1.50, p = 0.018 vs. HR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.12-1.68, p = 0.002). The combination of different axillary and breast surgery did not significantly affect OS (p = 0.083) but did have a significant impact on BCSS (p = 0.019). Competing risk model analysis revealed no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of breast cancer-specific death (BCSD) in the axillary surgery group (Grey’s test, p = 0.232), but it showed a higher cumulative incidence of BCSD in the MAST group (Grey’s test, p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age ≥ 70 years, black race, T3 stage, ER-negative expression, HER2-negative expression, and MAST were independent prognostic risk factors for both OS and BCSS (all p < 0.05).ConclusionFor cN1+ breast cancer patients who respond positive to NAT, the optimal surgical approach is combining breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with SLNB. This procedure improves quality of life and long-term survival outcomes

Dynamic modeling and simulation of an integral bipropellant propulsion double-valve combined test system

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11101023) and the China Scholarship Council (No. 201203070237)

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs

The global retinoblastoma outcome study : a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

DATA SHARING : The study data will become available online once all analyses are complete.BACKGROUND : Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival. METHODS : We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models. FINDINGS : The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope). INTERPRETATION : This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Wellcome Trust.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/homeam2023Paediatrics and Child Healt

Effect of Soil Reinforcement on Tunnel Deformation as a Result of Stress Relief

Adjacent geotechnical engineering activities, such as deep excavation, may adversely affect or even damage adjacent tunnels. Ground reinforcement before excavation may be an effective approach to reduce tunnel heave as a result of stress relief. However, there are few quantitative studies on the effect of soil reinforcement on tunnel deformation. Moreover, the reinforcement mechanism of the reinforced soil and the reinforcement depth are not fully understood. In order to investigate the effect of reinforcing the ground on the tunnel response, a finite element analysis was conducted based on a previously reported centrifugal model test with no ground reinforcement. The effect of the Young’s modulus and depth of the reinforced soil on tunnel deformation was analyzed. Soil stresses around the tunnel were also considered to explain the tunnel response. The results revealed that the Young’s modulus of the reinforced soil and the reinforcement depth had a significant impact on tunnel deformation as a result of basement excavation. The tunnel heave in the longitudinal direction decreased by 18% and 27% for modulus of the reinforced soil, five times and ten times higher than that of the non-reinforced soil, respectively. The reinforcement depth was effective with regard to controlling the tunnel heave caused by stress relief. This is because the reinforced soil blocked the stress transfer and thus reduced the tunnel heave caused by excavation unloading. It is expected that this study will be useful with regard to taking effective measures and ensuring the safety and serviceability of existing metro tunnels during adjacent excavation

A Self-calibration Bundle Adjustment Algorithm Based on Block Matrix Cholesky Decomposition Technology

In this study, the problem of bundle adjustment was revisited, and a novel algorithm based on block matrix Cholesky decomposition was proposed to solve the thorny problem of self-calibration bundle adjustment. The innovation points are reflected in the following aspects: ① The proposed algorithm is not dependent on the Schur complement, and the calculation process is simple and clear; ② The complexities of time and space tend to O(n) in the context of world point number is far greater than that of images and cameras, so the calculation magnitude and memory consumption can be reduced significantly; ③ The proposed algorithm can carry out self-calibration bundle adjustment in single-camera, multi-camera, and variable-camera modes; ④ Some measures are employed to improve the optimization effects. Experimental tests showed that the proposed algorithm has the ability to achieve state-of-the-art performance in accuracy and robustness, and it has a strong adaptability as well, because the optimized results are accurate and robust even if the initial values have large deviations from the truth. This study could provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the image-based positioning and 3D reconstruction in the fields of photogrammetry, computer vision and robotics

Optimization Model for Multi-Vehicle-Type Structure in Urban Bus Systems

Nowadays, bus lines commonly share terminals, especially in urban areas, because an independent operation of each line would cause a large waste of resources. In addition, if lines share terminal all lines can be monitored by unified management, while the vehicles of different sizes can complement each other. Although the dispatcher generally sets up fixed departure intervals for bus lines, there are differences between bus lines in terms of operating time distribution and line volume. Thus, a new optimization model for multi-vehicle-type structure in urban bus system is proposed in this paper. The optimization was conducted according to two main characteristics of bus systems, bus company expense and bus service quality. The optimization model was designed based on minimal possible expense and maximal possible quality. At the same time, we proposed a Markov method based on alternative relations to solve the model. The proposed model was verified by real urban bus system. Moreover, the simulations in MATLAB software environment have proven a high efficiency and applicability of the proposed method