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In this work the ability of pure surfactant Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS), Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) and their mixed surfactants for graphene dispersion in aqueous solution was investigated. The uniform and stable dispersion solution was obtained for graphene with the mixtures of SDS and CTAB at lower concentration as compared to the pure one. The SDS-based surfactants exhibited better dispersion as compared to CTAB-based surfactants due to smaller-sized graphene as was investigated via Zeta potential measurements. Zeta potential was utilized to characterize the colloidal stability of surface charges within the mixtures. The mixed surfactants utilized in the present study showed a better ability to disperse graphene and its derivatives and hence are well suited for practical applications.

Loop closure detection based on a residual network (ResNet) and a capsule network (CapsNet) is proposed to address the problems of low accuracy and poor robustness for mobile robot simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in complex scenes. First, the residual network of a feature coding strategy is introduced to extract the shallow geometric features and deep semantic features of images, reduce the amount of image noise information, accelerate the convergence speed of the model, and solve the problems of gradient disappearance and network degradation of deep neural networks. Then, the dynamic routing mechanism of the capsule network is optimized through the entropy peak density, and a vector is used to represent the spatial position relationship between features, which can improve the ability of image feature extraction and expression to optimize the overall performance of networks. Finally, the optimized residual network and capsule network are fused to retain the differences and correlations between features, and the global feature descriptors and feature vectors are combined to calculate the similarity of image features for loop closure detection. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve loop closure detection for mobile robots in complex scenes, such as view changes, illumination changes, and dynamic objects, and improve the accuracy and robustness of mobile robot SLAM.

Traditional tumor diagnosis methods rely on tissue biopsy, which can be invasive and unsuitable for long-term monitoring of tumor dynamics. The advent of liquid biopsy has notably improved the overall management of patients with cancer. Liquid biopsy techniques primarily involve detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). The present review focuses on ctDNA because of its significance in tumor diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. The use of ctDNA-based liquid biopsy offers several advantages, including non-invasive or minimally invasive collection methods, the ability to conduct repeated assessment and comprehensive insights into tumor biology. It serves crucial roles in disease management by facilitating screening of high-risk patients, dynamically monitoring therapeutic responses and diagnosis. Furthermore, ctDNA can be used to demonstrate pseudo-progression, monitor postoperative tumor status and guide adaptive treatment plans. The present study provides a comprehensive review of ctDNA, exploring its origins, metabolism, detection methods, clinical role and the current challenges associated with its application.

Background Ischemic stroke (IS) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but traditional risk factors do not fully explain its pathophysiology. Neuronal death in IS is influenced by multiple pathways, including sphingolipid metabolism, which plays a significant role in neuronal function and survival. Ceramides, key sphingolipid molecules, are involved in various neuronal processes, including cell death. This study aims to explore the relationship between sphingolipid metabolism and neuron death in IS using bulk and single‐cell transcriptomics. Methods We obtained sphingolipid metabolism gene sets from the GeneCard database and analyzed differential gene expression in IS datasets from the GEO database, including human peripheral blood bulk data (GSE16561) and MCAO mouse peripheral blood scRNA sequencing data (GSE225948). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), immune infiltration analysis using CIBERSORT, and protein‐protein interaction network construction were performed. Single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) data were used to identify key genes and analyze cellular heterogeneity, differentiation, and cell interactions. In vivo validation of key gene expression was conducted in MCAO rats. Results GSEA revealed significant changes in the sphingolipid metabolism pathway in IS patients. Immune infiltration analysis showed altered immune cell profiles, with decreases in CD8 T cells and increases in monocytes and neutrophils. Enrichment analysis of sphingolipid metabolism‐related genes highlighted pathways such as the sphingolipid signaling pathway and ceramide metabolism. Protein‐protein interaction network analysis identified 19 key genes linked to sphingolipid metabolism and neuron death. scRNA‐seq analysis revealed significant changes in sphingolipid metabolism in monocytes and neutrophils, with the App gene showing notable differential expression. Pseudotime analysis suggested diverse differentiation trajectories in monocytes, and cell interaction analysis indicated potential communication between monocytes and B cells. In vivo validation confirmed higher App gene expression in MCAO rats compared to sham controls. Conclusion This study provides comprehensive insights into the role of sphingolipid metabolism in ischemic stroke, identifying key genes and cellular mechanisms involved in neuron death. The findings suggest that sphingolipid metabolism, particularly through the App gene, may be a potential therapeutic target for IS. Further exploration of the molecular mechanisms and cellular interactions involving sphingolipids could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke. First, we evaluated of differences in sphingolipid metabolism using peripheral blood samples from IS patients and healthy controls. Then, we identify the hub genes linking sphingolipid metabolism and neuronal death via modular analysis of protein‐protein interaction networks. Next, we verify the expression differences in hub genes linking sphingolipid metabolism and neuronal death using scRNA and evaluate the sphingolipid metabolism in cells. Finally, we explore the App gene function and validate the expression of the App gene in vivo.

High agglomeration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in neuroblastoma (NB) impeded therapeutic effects. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of targeted inhibition of MDSCs by low-dose doxorubicin (DOX) to enhance immune efficacy in NB. Bagg albino (BALB/c) mice were used as tumor-bearing mouse models by injecting Neuro-2a cells, and MDSCs were eliminated by DOX or dopamine (DA) administration. Tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 2.5 mg/kg DOX, 5.0 mg/kg DOX, 50.0 mg/kg DA, and control groups (n = 20). The optimal drug and its concentration for MDSC inhibition were selected according to tumor inhibition. NB antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) were prepared. Tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into DOX, CTL, anti-ganglioside (GD2), DOX+CTL, DOX+anti-GD2, and control groups. Following low-dose DOX administration, immunotherapy was applied. The levels of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-I, CD8, interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-γ in peripheral blood, CTLs, T-helper 1 (Thl)/Th2 cytokines, perforin, granzyme and tumor growth were compared among the groups. The Wilcoxon two-sample test and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used to analyze results. The slowest tumor growth (F = 6.095, P = 0.018) and strongest MDSC inhibition (F = 14.632, P = 0.001) were observed in 2.5 mg/kg DOX group. Proliferation of T cells was increased (F = 448.721, P < 0.001) and then decreased (F = 2.047, P = 0.186). After low-dose DOX administration, HLA-I (F = 222.489), CD8 (F = 271.686), Thl/Th2 cytokines, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, granzyme (F = 2376.475) and perforin (F = 488.531) in tumor, IL-2 (F = 62.951) and IFN-γ (F = 240.709) in peripheral blood of each immunotherapy group were all higher compared with the control group (all of P values < 0.05). The most significant increases in the aforementioned indexes and the most notable tumor growth inhibition were observed in DOX+anti-GD2 and DOX+CTL groups. Low-dose DOX can be used as a potent immunomodulatory agent that selectively impairs MDSC-induced immunosuppression, thereby fostering immune efficacy in NB.

Using an environmentally friendly acid-alcohol system solution for electrochemical polishing of 3D printed titanium alloy, a typical U-I polarization curve was obtained, and explained the mechanism of electrochemical polishing. In this paper, the influence of electrochemical polishing factors (electrolyte temperature, polishing distance, and polishing time) on the surface roughness of Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) was studied, and optimized the process parameters to obtain a surface roughness of 0.3 μ m (1 mm × 1 mm). Electrochemical polishing can reach the level of mechanical grinding and polishing, meeting the requirements for subsequent assembly and use.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in gene regulation, but their impact on the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer and the biological function of cancer cells is unclear. In this study, we used next‐generation sequencing to study the differences in the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in colorectal cancer tissues. We analyzed the differentially expressed genes by Gene Ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (GO/KEGG) enrichment and predicted new lncRNA functions. Our results revealed that compared with lncRNAs and mRNAs in nontumor colorectal tissues, 1019 lncRNAs (512 upregulated, 507 downregulated) and 3221 mRNAs (1606 upregulated, 1615 downregulated) were differentially expressed in tumor colorectal tissues (fold change >2 and P < 0.05). We validated some of these genes by qPCR. Furthermore, we identified some new lncRNAs differently expressed in colorectal cancer samples from patients in northern China. We confirmed the function of lncRNA‐FIRRE‐201 and SLCO4A1‐AS1‐202 in colorectal cancer cells to provide an experimental basis for studies on their roles in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer and in the regulation of networks. In this study, we used next‐generation sequencing to study the differences in the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in colorectal cancer tissues. We analyzed the differentially expressed genes by GO/KEGG enrichment and predicted the new lncRNA functions.

The algorithm of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for automatic target recognition consists of two stages: feature extraction and classification. The quality of extracted features has significant impacts on the final classification performance. This paper presents a SAR automatic target classification method based on the wavelet-scattering convolution network. By introducing a deep scattering convolution network with complex wavelet filters over spatial and angular variables, robust feature representations can be extracted across various scales and angles without training data. Conventional dimension reduction and a support vector machine classifier are followed to complete the classification task. The proposed method is then tested on the moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) benchmark data set and achieves an average accuracy of 97.63% on the classification of ten-class targets without data augmentation.

Background Acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide tribenuron-methyl (TBM) is an efficient gametocide that can cause rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.) to become male sterile and outcrossing. To find the reason the TBM treatment leads to male sterility, an integrated study using cytological, physiological, and transcriptomic methods was conducted. Results Some temporary symptoms, including the discoloration of young leaves and a short halt of raceme elongation, were observed in the rapeseed plants exposed to TBM at an application rate of 1 μg per plant. Both chloroplasts in young leaves and plastids in anthers were deformed. TBM also reduced the leaf photosynthetic rate and the contents of chlorophyll, soluble sugar and pyruvate. Both the tapetal cells and uni-nucleate microspores in the treated plants showed large autophagic vacuoles, and the tissue degenerated quickly. A transcriptomic comparison with the control identified 200 upregulated and 163 downregulated differential expression genes in the small flower buds of the TBM treatment. The genes encoding functionally important proteins, including glucan endo-1,3-beta-glucosidase A6, QUARTET3 (QRT3), ARABIDOPSIS ANTHER 7 (ATA7), non-specific lipid-transfer protein LTP11 and LTP12, histone-lysine N-methyltransferase ATXR6, spermidine coumaroyl-CoA acyltransferase (SCT), and photosystem II reaction centre protein psbB, were downregulated by TBM exposure. Some important genes encoding autophagy-related protein ATG8a and metabolic detoxification related proteins, including DTX1, DTX6, DTX35, cytosolic sulfotransferase SOT12, and six members of glutathione S-transferase, were upregulated. In addition, several genes related to hormone stimulus, such as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase 8 ( ACS8 ), ethylene-responsive factor ERF1A, ERF1, ERF71, CRF6, and RAP2-3 , were also upregulated. The transcriptional regulation is in accordance with the functional abnormalities of pollen wall formation, lipid metabolism, chloroplast structure, ethylene generation, cell cycle, and tissue autophagy. Conclusion The results suggested that except for ALS, the metabolic pathways related to lipid metabolism, pollen exine formation, photosynthesis and hormone response are associated with male sterility induced by TBM. The results provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of inducing male sterility by sulfonylurea.

The manifestations of bullous pemphigoid (BP) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection are similar in oral mucosa, and the laboratory detection of HSV has some limitations, making it difficult to identify the HSV infection in oral lesions of BP. In addition, the treatments for BP and HSV infection have contradictory aspects. Thus, it is important to identify the HSV infection in BP patients in time. To identify the prevalence and clinical markers of HSV infection in oral lesions of BP. This prospective cross-sectional descriptive analytical study was conducted on 42 BP patients with oral lesions. A total of 32 BP patients without oral lesions and 41 healthy individuals were enrolled as control groups. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect HSV. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with HSV infection were compared with those without infection. A total of 19 (45.2%) BP patients with oral lesions, none (0.0%) BP patients without oral lesions, and four (9.8%) healthy individuals were positive for HSV on oral mucosa. Among BP patients with oral lesions, the inconsistent activity between oral and skin lesions (p=0.001), absence of blister/blood blister in oral lesions (p=0.020), and pain for oral lesions (p=0.014) were more often seen in HSV-positive than HSV-negative BP patients; the dosage of glucocorticoid (p=0.023) and the accumulated glucocorticoid dosage in the last 2 weeks (2-week AGC dosage) (p=0.018) were higher in HSV-positive BP patients. Combining the above five variables as test variable, the AUC was 0.898 (p<0.001) with HSV infection as state variable in ROC analysis. The absence of blister/blood blister in oral lesions (p=0.030) and pain for oral lesions (p=0.038) were found to be independent predictors of HSV infection in multivariable analysis. A total of 14 (73.7%) HSV-positive BP patients were treated with 2-week famciclovir and the oral mucosa BPDAI scores significantly decreased (p<0.001). HSV infection is common in BP oral lesions. The inconsistent activity between oral and skin lesions, absence of blister in oral lesions, pain for oral lesions, higher currently used glucocorticoid dosage, and higher 2-week AGC dosage in BP patients should alert physicians to HSV infection in oral lesions and treat them with 2-week famciclovir in time.