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Mollisols are highly fertile soils and function as significant carbon reservoirs. However, determining their ages and formation processes is challenging due to extensive pedoturbation, which undermines conventional dating methods. Here, we employed luminescence, a light‐sensitive property of minerals widely used in geological dating, to investigate and quantify soil mixing. We analyzed over 2,400 luminescence ages of individual K‐feldspar grains from a Mollisol profile in Northeast China, and for the first time, we were able to determine the intensity of pedoturbation in the Mollisol profile over the past 50,000 years. The results showed that the current pedoturbation can penetrate to a depth of approximately 80 cm, with the intensity decreasing with depth. By identifying a significant intensification in historical pedoturbation, we inferred that the paleoenvironment might be suitable for the formation of Mollisols 16,400 years before present. Plain Language Summary Mollisols, also known as a type of black soils, are highly fertile soils characterized by a thick, dark surface layer rich in soil organic matter. Mollisols are not only crucial for food security but also serve as a significant carbon pool. To predict the future evolution of these valuable soil resources, it is important to understand when and how they formed. However, due to intensive mixing by animals, plants, and freeze‐thaw processes, it is challenging to accurately obtain soil ages using traditional dating methods that rely on undisturbed sedimentation layers. Here, we utilized luminescence, a light‐sensitive property of minerals, to address the challenge of soil mixing. We analyzed more than 2,400 luminescence ages of individual K‐feldspar grains from a Mollisol profile in Northeast China. The results showed that the upper 80 cm of the soil body is currently mixed, with the mixing intensity being most intense at the soil surface and decreasing with depth. Additionally, we observed evidence of historical soil mixing over the past 50,000 years. The intensity of soil mixing increased around 16,400 years ago. We infer that the paleoenvironment might be favorable for forming Mollisols since then. Key Points Single‐grain luminescence was used to quantify the intensity of pedoturbation in the Mollisol profile over the past 50,000 years Dust accumulation fostered the formation of the thick, dark, humus‐rich surface layer of the Mollisol profile The formation processes of the Mollisol profile were traced back to 16,400 years before present

With advancements in mobile robot technology, wheel-legged robots have emerged as promising next-generation mobile solutions, reducing design costs and enhancing adaptability in unstructured environments. As underactuated systems, their balance control has become a prominent research focus. Despite there being numerous control approaches, challenges remain. Balance control methods for wheel-legged robots are influenced by hardware characteristics, such as motor friction, which can induce oscillations and hinder dynamic convergence. This paper presents a friction feedforward Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) balance control method. Specifically, a basic LQR controller is developed based on the dynamics model of the wheel-legged robot, and a Stribeck friction model is established to characterize motor friction. A constant-speed excitation trajectory is designed to gather data for friction identification, and the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to determine the optimal friction parameters. The identified friction model is subsequently incorporated as feedforward compensation for the LQR controller’s torque output, resulting in the proposed friction feedforward LQR balance control algorithm. The minimum standard deviation for friction identification is approximately 0.30, and the computed friction model values closely match the actual values, indicating effective and accurate identification results. Balance experiments demonstrate that under diverse conditions—such as flat ground, single-sided bridges, and disturbance scenarios—the convergence performance of the friction feedforward LQR algorithm markedly surpasses that of the baseline LQR, effectively reducing oscillations, accelerating convergence, and improving the robot’s stability and robustness.

As one of the essential cereal crops, wheat provides 20% of the calories and proteins consumed by humans. Due to population expansion, dietary shift and climate change, it is challenging for wheat breeders to develop new varieties for meeting wheat production requirements. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has distinct advantages over conventional selection in plant breeding, such as being time-saving, cost-effective and goal-oriented. This review makes attempts to give a description of different molecular markers: sequence tagged site (STS), simple sequence repeat (SSR), genotyping by sequencing (GBS), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, exome capture, Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP), cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS), semi-thermal asymmetric reverse PCR (STARP) and genotyping by target sequencing (GBTS). We also summarize some quantitative trait loci (QTL)/genes as well as their linked markers, which are potentially useful in MAS. This paper provides updated information on some markers linked to critical traits and their potential applications in wheat breeding programs.

We selected literature from the core collection of the Web of Science (WOS) database as the research object and used visualization bibliometric software to analyse the 1313 collected studies. We found that the research on the graphene-based adsorption of heavy metals from wastewater has received widespread attention in various countries around the world, especially developing countries, since 2015, and Chinese researchers have made significant contributions. The adsorption mechanisms, adsorbent materials, and advanced adsorption techniques for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater by graphene have been the focus and hotspots in the research in this field in recent years. Heavy metal removal from wastewater with graphene has strong application potential. In the future, researchers in this area can focus on exploring issues such as “new materials,” “recyclability,” and “interdisciplinarity” to break through existing technological bottlenecks, supplement the technical research and development of graphene materials, and promote advances in this field.

Background and objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival benefit of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) versus lenvatinib as first-line therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). Materials and methods 147 HCC patients with PVTT were included in this retrospective study, 70 were treated with SBRT and 77 of were treated with lenvatinib. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was employed to balance the differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR) were compared between the two groups. In addition, the safety of patients in both groups was also evaluated. Results After PSM, 38 patients were matched in each of the two groups. The median OS was 14.5 (95% CI: 10.1–18.9) and 11.1 (95% CI: 9.3–12.9) months in the SBRT and lenvatinib groups, respectively ( P  = 0.014). The median PFS was 6.8 (95% CI: 5.1–8.5) and 5.0 (95% CI: 3.0–7.0) months, respectively ( P  = 0.010). The 1-, 2-years OS rates in the two groups were 65.8% vs. 39.5% and 31.6% vs. 10.5%, respectively. The 6-, 12-months PFS rates in the two groups were 57.9% vs. 44.7% and 28.9% vs. 10.5%, respectively. In addition, the SBRT group had a better ORR than the lenvatinib group (52.6% vs. 23.7%, P  = 0.009). Patients with good response to SBRT had better survival. Cox proportional hazard model showed that SBRT was an important prognostic factor for OS and PFS. The incidence of hypertension (34.2% vs. 0%) was higher in the LEN group, however, both treatment modalities were well tolerated in the two groups of patients. Conclusion In HCC patients with PVTT, SBRT had a better survival benefit than Lenvatinib treatment as first-line therapy.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor with few biomarkers to guide treatment options. Carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA19.9), the most frequently used biomarker for PDAC, is not sensitive and specific enough for the detection of the disease. This study aimed to evaluate serum periostin (POSTN) and CA242 as potential diagnostic biomarkers complementing CA19.9 in detecting pancreatic cancer. Blood samples were from 362 participants, including 213 patients with different stages of PDAC, 75 patients with benign pancreatic disease, and 74 healthy individuals. All samples were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set. Carbohydrate antigen 19.9, CA242, POSTN, as well as carcinoembryonic antigen, were measured by ELISA or automated immunoassay. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the performance of CA19.9 in the validation group were improved by the marker panel composed of CA19.9, POSTN, and CA242, to discriminate early stage PDAC not only from healthy controls (area under the curve [AUC]CA19.9 = 0.94 vs AUCCA19.9 + POSTN + CA242 = 0.98, P < .05) but also from benign conditions (AUCCA19.9 = 0.87 vs AUCCA19.9 + POSTN + CA242 = 0.90, P < .05). In addition, POSTN retained significant diagnostic capabilities to distinguish PDAC CA19.9‐negative from healthy controls (AUCPOSTN = 0.87) as well as from benign conditions (AUCPOSTN = 0.84) in the whole set. This study suggested that POSTN and CA242 are potential diagnostic serum biomarkers complementing CA19.9 in detecting early pancreatic cancer. Serum levels of periostin (POSTN) were significantly increased in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Performances of carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA19.9) were improved by the marker panel composed of CA19.9, POSTN, and CA242, to discriminate early stage PDAC from control subjects. POSTN retained significant diagnostic capabilities to distinguish CA19.9‐negative PDAC from control subjects.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between peripheral blood transferrin receptor protein (TfR) and tumor cell ferroptosis, as well as bladder cancer invasion and metastasis, and further reveal the mechanism of action of TfR in bladder cancer progression. Fifteen patients with bladder cancer, treated at the Department of Urology in our hospital from February 2022 to August 2023, were recruited as research subjects. The patients were aged between 44 and 68 years, with an average age of 52.57 ± 4.38 years. General patient data were analyzed, and the level of peripheral blood TfR was detected at baseline (T0), 3 months (T1), 6 months (T2), and 9 months (T3) post-treatment using a repeated measures design. The levels of GPX4, Ferroportin, and transferrin receptor in the peripheral blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at T0, T1, T2, and T3. Tumor size and invasiveness were assessed using MRI imaging at the same time points. Protein expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and N-Cadherin were analyzed by Western blot at T0, T1, T2, and T3. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between TfR, GPX4, Ferroportin, transferrin receptor levels, and tumor invasion and metastasis. As treatment progressed, TfR levels at T3 and T2 were significantly lower than those at T1 and T0 ( P  < 0.05). Similarly, markers of tumor cell ferroptosis (GPX4, Ferroportin, and transferrin receptor) also showed significant decreases ( P  < 0.05). Tumor volume at T3 was smaller compared to T0, T1, and T2 ( P  < 0.05). The protein expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and N-Cadherin at T3 and T2 were significantly lower than those at T0 and T1 ( P  < 0.05). Increased peripheral blood TfR levels and reduced tumor cell ferroptosis were associated with higher cancer cell invasion and metastasis. A reduction in peripheral blood TfR levels is associated with the effectiveness of bladder cancer treatment. This reduction may decrease the invasiveness and migration ability of cancer cells by affecting the iron metabolism pathway. These findings may provide a basis for the development of new targeted therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients with bladder cancer.

Background The aberrant expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) plays vital roles in the advancement of human cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). In this study, the functions of circRNA ring finger protein 111 (circ-RNF111) in GC were investigated. Methods Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was performed for the levels of circ-RNF111, microRNA-876-3p (miR-876-3p) and krueppel-like factor 12 (KLF12) mRNA. RNase R assay was conducted for the feature of circ-RNF111. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, wound-healing assay, and transwell assay were applied for cell viability, colony formation, migration, and invasion, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis was used to analyze cell apoptosis and cell cycle process. The glycolysis level was examined using specific commercial kits. Western blot assay was carried out to measure the protein levels of hexokinase 2 (HK-2) and KLF12. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were employed to verify the combination between miR-876-3p and circ-RNF111 or KLF12. Murine xenograft model was constructed for the role of circ-RNF111 in vivo. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used for KLF12 level. Results Circ-RNF111 was higher expressed in GC tissues and cells than normal tissues and cells. Silencing of circ-RNF111 restrained cell viability, colony formation, migration, invasion, cell cycle process and glycolysis and induced apoptosis in GC cells in vitro. Circ-RNF111 positively regulated KLF12 expression via absorbing miR-876-3p. MiR-876-3p downregulation reversed the impacts of circ-RNF111 silencing on GC cell malignant phenotypes. MiR-876-3p overexpression repressed GC cell growth, metastasis and glycolysis, inhibited apoptosis and arrested cell cycle, while KLF12 elevation weakened the effects. Besides, circ-RNF111 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion Circ-RNF111 knockdown relieved the development of GC by regulating miR-876-3p/KLF12 axis.

Background Breast cancer (BCa) is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and metastasis prediction are essential to improve the prognosis of BCa. This study aimed to evaluate serum periostin (POSTN) as a novel biomarker complementing CA153 (carbohydrate antigen 153) and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) for BCa diagnosis and metastasis prediction. Methods To assess the potential of soluble POSTN as a circulating biomarker, 242 participants, including 173 patients with different stages of BCa and 69 healthy individuals, were enrolled in this study. Soluble POSTN, together with CA153 and CEA, were determined in serum by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Results Serum POSTN levels in locoregional BCa patients were significantly higher than that in healthy controls. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis revealed that, to distinguish health controls from locoregional BCa, POSTN was observed with the highest AUC ( area under curve ) (AUC POSTN  = 0.72 [0.65 – 0.79], AUC CA153  = 0.57 [0.49 – 0.64], AUC CEA  = 0.62 [0.55 – 0.69]), and both CA153 and CEA were observed with significantly improved AUCs by combination with POSTN (AUC POSTN + CA153  = 0.74 [0.67 – 0.80], P  < 0.001; AUC POSTN + CEA  = 0.77 [0.70 – 0.82], P  < 0.001). Moreover, the performances of the POSTN were comparable with that of CA153 in predicting distant metastasis of BCa (AUC POSTN  = 0.78 [0.71 – 0.84], AUC CA153  = 0.82 [0.76 – 0.88]). Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that elevated serum POSTN was associated with poor overall survival and progression-free survival. Conclusions This study suggested that soluble POSTN is a promising potential biomarker for diagnosis and metastasis prediction of BCa.

Background To explore the association between biologically effective dose (BED) and survival rates in Child-Pugh A classification (CP-A) small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods This retrospective study included 108 small HCC patients who were treated with SBRT between 2011 and 2014. The prescribed dose delivered to the tumor were 48Gy/8f, 49Gy/7f, 50Gy/5f and 54Gy/6f. The median biologically effective dose (BED 10 ) of the total prescribed dose was 100Gy (76.8–102.6Gy). Factors associated with the survival rate were examined using the Cox proportion hazards model, and the factors associated with radiation-induced liver injury (RILD) were examined by logistic regression analysis. Results For these patients, the median follow-up time was 42 months (6–77 months), and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 96.3, 89.8 and 80.6%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 85.2, 70.1 and 60.6%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year local control (LC) rates were 98.1, 96.2 and 95.1%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year distant metastasis- free survival (DMFS) rates were 86.1, 72.8 and 61.2%. The OS, PFS and DMFS were significantly higher in the BED 10  ≥ 100Gy group than in the BED 10  < 100Gy group (OS: p  = 0.020; PFS: p  = 0.017; DMFS: p  = 0.012). The PLT count was a predictive factor of RILD. Conclusions SBRT is a safe and effective option for CP-A HCC patients. A BED 10 value greater than 100Gy and lower CP score are associated with improved OS and PFS. Additionally, the peripheral PLT count are predictive factors of RILD.