Science Progress最新文献

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) is a malignancy that most frequently originates in the salivary glands of the head and neck, though it may also rarely occur in other sites such as the trachea or breast. It is characterized by its slow-growing nature in the early stages, along with distinctive features of perineural invasion and a tendency for late metastasis, particularly to the lungs. Recurrence or metastasis can occur even years after the initial treatment. Currently, no standardized clinical protocol exists for long-term follow-up. The disease can recur or metastasize even years after initial treatment. At present, no uniform clinical protocol exists for long-term follow-up. To our knowledge, no documented cases of retrograde metastasis from primary pulmonary AdCC to the tongue have been reported. We describe the case of a male patient in his 40s with primary low-grade pulmonary AdCC who developed lingual metastasis after aggressive treatment. This case highlights an unusual metastatic pattern and underscores the need for vigilant, long-term monitoring of patients with AdCC.

For patients with arteriovenous fistulas, venous stent placement is indicated when angioplasty fails to alleviate hemodialysis access stenosis. Stent migration from the peripheral vasculature into the cardiac chambers, though rare, constitutes a serious complication. We report the case of an early 70s Chinese male with hemodynamically significant venous stenosis compromising dialysis access, who underwent venous stent implantation. Two weeks later, during readmission for a fracture, transthoracic echocardiography incidentally revealed cardiac embolization of the stent. Using endovascular techniques, the stent was successfully retrieved from the heart and translocated to the left common iliac vein. Follow-up echocardiography 1 week postprocedure demonstrated no worsening of cardiac function or tricuspid regurgitation. This case illustrates that endovascular retrieval and relocation of a cardiac-embolized venous stent is a feasible, safe, and minimally invasive strategy. The application of endoscopic grasping forceps to achieve transcatheter stent translocation to the iliac vein offers a novel alternative to surgical intervention, potentially avoiding the need for sternotomy.

With substantial progress in advanced manufacturing, industries now require effective means to detect, classify, and determine the topological parameters of micro-features imprinted on workpieces at the micro-scale. In this study, a novel piezo texture device was developed to generate micro-textures using vibrations. The tool comprises of an ultrasonic concentrator that amplifies vibrations, piezo-actuated sensors that convert electrical energy into microscale vibrations, and the corresponding electronic components needed to generate the required signal. The primary objective was to perform micro-texturing through turning with a device that creates vibrations using this setup. Micro-textures, often referred to as dimples, were successfully imprinted onto surfaces. Since it is impossible to check the micro-textures using traditional quality control techniques, artificial intelligence offers a powerful alternative by enabling real-time monitoring and defect detection based on pattern recognition. Indeed, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), specifically GoogleNet and ResNet-50, were employed for dimple classification and further analysis, such as evaluating the similarity ratio of dimples on a workpiece.

Varus posteromedial rotatory instability (VPMRI) is one of the types of complex elbow instability, which was initially proposed by O 'Driscoll in 2003. Its typical clinical manifestations are anteromedial coronoid fracture (AMCF), injury of lateral collateral ligament complex (LCL), widening of the lateral humeroradial space, and subluxation of the coronoid process relative to the medial edge of the humeral trochlea. However, it presents diagnostic challenges due to its low incidence, complex mechanisms of injury, and radiography reveals only isolated coronoid process fractures without obvious joint space mismatch. In addition to this, the current best treatment plan for VPMRI is still controversial. Misdiagnosis and mistreatment may lead to complications such as post-traumatic arthritis, heterotopic ossification, and joint stiffness. Therefore, enhancing recognition and suspicion of VPMRI and investigating its injury mechanism, treatment strategies, surgical approaches, and internal fixation methods are essential. This narrative review conducts retrospective analysis from different perspectives, and provides imaging examples and related schematic diagrams, aiming to provide a certain reference for the precise diagnosis and treatment of VPMRI.

ObjectiveTo establish a predictive model based on ultrasound (US) radiomics to determine whether the ablation zone of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) disappears within 24 months after microwave ablation (MWA).Study designRetrospective study.MethodsThis study enrolled 201 PTMC patients who underwent MWA in Affiliated Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University between January 2013 and September 2020. All patients were followed up at 1 h, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after MWA. Radiomics features were extracted from the preoperative US images, and a Rad-score was constructed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to screen out the independent clinical factors associated with the disappearance of the ablation zone after MWA, and a radiomics nomogram was established to predict whether the ablation zone of PTMC disappeared within 24 months after MWA. The performance of the model was validated in the testing cohort.Results75.6% of patients achieved the ablation zone disappeared within 24 months after MWA. The disappearance rate was significantly associated with MWA energy and baseline lesion volume (p < 0.05). The US radiomics nomogram integrated Rad-score, MWA energy, and baseline lesion volume. In the testing cohort, the area under the curve of this nomogram outperformed that of the clinical model and the radiomics model (0.772 vs 0.714 and 0.679, respectively).ConclusionsThe nomogram based on US radiomics can reliably identify whether lesions of PTMC will disappear within 24 months after MWA. The nomogram is useful for screening optimal candidates for MWA and may assist clinicians and patients in choosing the best treatment option between MWA and surgery.

ObjectiveColorectal cancer (CRC) patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) had heterogeneous pathology and distinct prognoses. This study aimed to examine the difference in the gene expression profile of dMMR/MSI-H CRC patients with different disease stages and explore the different molecular mechanisms of disease progression.MethodsA total of 47 patients with dMMR/MSI-H CRC were enrolled and retrospectively studied, including 27 stage II and 20 stage IV patients. Each patient had paired tumor tissue and white blood cell samples, which were analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 416 cancer-relevant genes. Pathway enrichment analysis was then performed to analyze the disease stage-specific signaling pathways.ResultsA total of 2878 mutation sites, spanning 378 mutated genes, were detected from the 47 dMMR/MSI-H CRC patients. The mutation frequencies of SMARCA4, EPHA3, MTHFR, RAD50, and PDGFRB were significantly higher in stage II patients than in stage IV patients (p < 0.05), whereas the stage II patients had significantly lower mutation frequencies of TSC2, FGFR1, PTPN13, SMAD3, and STK11 than stage IV patients (p < 0.05). Sixty-three mutated genes were unique to stage II tumors, while 36 mutated genes were exclusively present in stage IV tumors. Pathway analyses demonstrated the PI3K-AKT pathway was shared by both stage II and stage IV tumors, whereas multiple other signaling pathways showed disease stage-specific enrichment.ConclusionThere were profound differences in mutational profile and molecular mechanisms between stage II and stage IV dMMR/MSI-H CRC.

The cut flower business has been growing rapidly worldwide, with a positive and significant impact on the economies of many countries. Maintaining quality and extending the vase life of cut flowers are crucial aspects of the floral industry. Synthetic preservatives (silver nitrate, silver thiosulfate, nano-silver, hydroxy quinoline, thiabendazole, and aluminum compounds) have been commercially used in the vase to maintain the quality and longevity of cut flowers for a long time. However, these preservatives may persist in the environment, causing severe health hazards and environmental pollution, and are also expensive. Therefore, cut flower industries seek low-cost, eco-friendly, and safer alternatives. In this context, natural preservatives (NPs), including plant extracts (PEs) and essential oils (EOs), offer a promising and sustainable alternative to synthetic preservatives in the vase. This review highlights the potential NPs and their role in enhancing the quality and vase life of cut flowers. We discussed how these preservatives exert their beneficial effects, such as inhibiting microbial growth, reducing ethylene production, and enhancing water uptake, and also explored the potential issues associated with them. We conducted a structured literature review and summarized the most commonly used EOs and PEs, their optimal dosages, efficacy, and combinations, and concluded with future directions to enhance the vase life of cut flowers sustainably.

Denture base materials made using three-dimensional printing (3D printing) have expanded in availability, contributing to the meteoric rise of this innovative dental technique. Despite 3D-printed denture resins having good biocompatibility and esthetics, achieving superior mechanics in these materials is still difficult. This study aimed to find out how adding calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) nanoparticles to 3D-printed denture base resin affected its surface hardness, impact strength, and flexural strength. The ninety 3D printed samples were allocated into three groups following the amount of CaCO₃ NPs added to the resin: one control group had no CaCO₃, and two modified groups-one had 1.5 wt.%, and the other group had 2 wt.%. Surface hardness, impact, and flexural strength were the three test specifications used to further divide each group into three subgroups. Analysis was also conducted utilizing energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). All data were statistically analyzed. The results verified that adding CaCO₃ NPs to the 3D-printed denture resin significantly boosted its impact strength, flexural, and surface hardness (P value < 0.05). These findings indicate potential for developing a novel denture base constructed from 3D-printed nanocomposites with enhanced material properties.

ObjectiveResistance to platinum-based chemotherapy remains a key obstacle in ovarian cancer treatment. This study aims to investigate the role of Uncoordinated 51-like kinase 2 (ULK2) in chemoresistance of ovarian cancer and elucidate its underlying mechanisms using 3D patient-derived organoids.MethodsSurvival analysis was first performed using the Kaplan‒Meier plotter database. Immunohistochemical profiling delineated differential ULK2 expression patterns between chemoresistant and chemosensitive ovarian cancer tissue samples and organoids. ULK2 overexpression was achieved in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer organoids via lentiviral vector transduction. Then, we conducted an in-depth examination of the alterations in phosphorylated proteins induced by ULK2 overexpression using phosphoproteomics technology. To investigate the influence of ULK2 on chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and in vivo experiments were conducted. Glycolysis was quantitatively assessed, and the underlying molecular mechanism was systematically investigated.ResultsULK2 high-expression ovarian cancer exhibited enhanced chemosensitivity and conferred survival advantage. CCK-8 and mouse experiments demonstrated that ULK2 overexpression decreased cisplatin resistance in patient-derived organoids. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of phosphoproteomics profiling highlighted the predominant role of ULK2 in metabolic processes with experimental validation demonstrating its suppression of glycolysis. Mechanistically, ULK2 attenuated c-Jun expression by phosphorylation of c-Jun at Ser243. Moreover, c-Jun overexpression counteracted the chemosensitivity and glycolytic suppression induced by the ectopic ULK2 expression in ovarian cancer.ConclusionsULK2 overcomes cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer by downregulating glycolysis, a process mediated by phosphorylation-induced c-Jun degradation. These findings emphasized the role of ULK2 as a tumor suppressor, offering novel insights for chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.

ObjectivesThis study evaluates artificial intelligence (AI) reasoning capabilities in gynecologic cancer genetic counseling, comparing the performance of ChatGPT and DeepSeek models to guide patient-centered AI implementation in clinical genetics.MethodsUsing 40 National Comprehensive Cancer Network-aligned counseling scenarios, we conducted blinded dual-oncologist evaluations of two large language models. Methodological rigor included model anonymization, a pre-calibrated scoring framework, and validated metrics (Global Quality Scale and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool) assessing informational coherence, understandability, and actionability.ResultsDeepSeek demonstrated superior informational breadth (mean character difference: -609.0, p < .0001) and visual communication (diagram integration, p < .01), with 49-fold greater probability in recommending clear and actionable actions (p < .01, OR = 49.0). ChatGPT excelled in concise summarization (22% faster response generation, p = .013).ConclusionStrategic AI model selection-leveraging DeepSeek's visually-rich, structured educational approach for complex information, and ChatGPT's concise, rapid summarization for efficient communication-enhances patient-centered genetic education when combined with clinician oversight. This framework supports healthcare's digital transformation by optimizing human-AI collaboration in hereditary cancer care.