Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Efficacy, safety and single-cell analysis of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma: a phase II trial
Abstract The clinical activity of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NAIC) for treating locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (LA-OSCC) remains uncertain. This single-arm, phase II trial (ChiCTR2200066119) tested 2 cycles of NAIC with camrelizumab plus nab-paclitaxel and cisplatin in LA-OSCC patients. For primary endpoint, the major pathological response (MPR) rate was 69.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 49.2%-84.7%). The treatment was well-tolerated, with only 2 patients (6.45%) having grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events during neoadjuvant treatment. For secondary endpoints, the pathological complete response rate was 41.4% (95%CI: 23.5%-61.1%) and the objective response rate was 82.8% (24/29, 95%CI: 64.2%-94.2%). The 18-month overall survival and disease-free survival probabilities were 96.77% (95%CI: 79.23%-99.54%) and 85.71% (95%CI: 53.95%-96.22%), respectively. Exploratory analysis showed that patients with MPR exhibited higher density of baseline CD4_Tfh_CXCL13 cells, and increased density of tertiary lymphoid structures after NAIC. Baseline CD4_Tfh_CXCL13 cells might be potential predictive biomarker of efficacy. The interaction between CXCL13 on CD4_Tfh_CXCL13 cells and CXCR5 on B cells may play a role in treatment response. These findings suggest the potential of NAIC as a promising treatment for LA-OSCC and offer preliminary insights into responsive biomarkers.
Design of an improved adaptive sliding mode observer for charge/discharge control in flywheel energy storage systems
Epigenetic silencing of DNA sensing pathway by FOXM1 blocks stress ligand-dependent antitumor immunity and immune memory
Enhancing relative humidity modelling using L2 regularization updates
Root growth and branching are enabled by brassinosteroid-regulated growth anisotropy and carbon allocation
A construction of heterogeneous transfer learning model based on associative fusion of image feature data
Author Correction: Exciton-driven change of phonon modes causes strong temperature dependent bandgap shift in nanoclusters
Development and testing of a Time-Critical Questioning protocol for eliciting information in time-sensitive contexts
O-Fucosyltransferase SPINDLY attenuates auxin-induced fruit growth by inhibiting ARF6/8-coactivator mediator complex interaction in Arabidopsis
Ampullary tumors exhibit increased Fusobacterium in both the tumor surface and surrounding duodenal mucosa during carcinoma progression
White light-excited organic room-temperature phosphorescence for improved in vivo bioimaging
Author Correction: Directing HIV-1 for degradation by non-target cells, using bi-specific single-chain llama antibodies
Resistance to anti-LAG-3 plus anti-PD-1 therapy in head and neck cancer is mediated by Sox9+ tumor cells interaction with Fpr1+ neutrophils
Author Correction: Heterogeneous bioinformatic data encryption on portable devices
Strigolactones optimise plant water usage by modulating vessel formation
Abstract Wood formation is crucial for plant growth, enabling water and nutrient transport through vessel elements, derived from cambium stem cells (CSCs). CSCs produce vascular cell types in a bidirectional manner, but their regulation and cell fate trajectories remain unclear. Here, using single-cell transcriptome analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana , we reveal that the strigolactone (SL) signalling pathway negatively regulates vessel element formation, impacting plant water usage. While SL signalling is generally active in differentiating vascular tissues, it is low in developing vessels and CSCs, where it modulates cell fate decisions and drought response. SL-dependent changes in vessel element formation directly affect transpiration rates via stomata, underscoring the importance of vascular tissue composition in water balance. Our findings demonstrate the role of structural alignment in water-transport tissues under unstable water conditions, offering insights for enhancing drought resistance in plants through long-term modulation of vascular development.
Social-ecological dynamics of aggregate mining in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Abstract While traditional materials like clay-based adobe bricks are common in Burkina Faso, rapid urbanization in its capital, Ouagadougou, has driven a shift to more durable construction materials. The city’s demand for aggregates - sand, gravel, and crushed stone - is met by several mechanized and artisanal quarries. To assess the scope and processes of these extraction systems as well as the socio-economic and environmental implications of two artisanal granite quarries (Pissy and Yagma) in Ouagadougou, we employed a mixed-methods approach, including truck counts, aerial imagery for 3D volume estimation, interviews, and air quality measurements. Our findings indicate that sand is predominantly sourced from south of Ouagadougou, with transport distances reaching up to 165 km and an extrapolated annual extraction volume of 1.8 million m3, which is relatively low compared to the high urbanization rates and greater volumes extracted in neighboring countries. The 3D model of the Pissy quarry revealed significant terrain alterations and detailed granite extraction data, totaling nearly 450,000 m3. Granite quarrying, predominantly carried out by Burkinabe women with limited education, involves cracking, transporting, and crushing rocks. The artisanal quarries displayed a high level of informality, characterized by lack of regulatory compliance, absence of worker contracts and legal protection, manual and small-scale operations, hazardous working conditions, and economic vulnerability and instability. Air pollution varied, with Pissy exhibiting significantly elevated levels of particulate matter. Policy decisions on the future of these quarries should consider health standards as well as the workers’ realities and alternative granite sources.
Multiple targeted grassland restoration interventions enhance ecosystem service multifunctionality
Abstract The need to combat widespread degradation of grassland ecosystem services makes grassland restoration a global sustainability priority. However, simultaneously enhancing multiple ecosystem services (i.e. ecosystem service multifunctionality) is a major challenge for grassland restoration due to trade-offs among services. We use a long-term multifactor grassland restoration experiment established in 1989 on agriculturally improved, species-poor grassland in northern England, to assess how increasing the number of restoration treatments, including addition of manure, inorganic fertiliser, a seed mixture, and promotion of a nitrogen-fixing legume (Trifolium pratense), affects ecosystem service multifunctionality, based on 26 ecosystem service indicators measured between 2011 and 2014. We find that single interventions usually lead to trade-offs among services and thus have few positive effects on ecosystem service multifunctionality. However, ecosystem service multifunctionality increases with the number of restoration interventions, as trade-offs are reduced. Our findings highlight the significant potential for combined use of multiple targeted interventions to aid the restoration of ecosystem service multifunctionality in degraded grasslands, and potentially, other ecosystems.
Engineering of Janus transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers as absorber materials for solar cells
Large-scale transcriptomic analyses of major depressive disorder reveal convergent dysregulation of synaptic pathways in excitatory neurons
Abstract Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common, complex disorder that is a leading cause of disability worldwide and a significant risk factor for suicide. In this study, we have performed the largest molecular analysis of MDD in postmortem human brains (846 samples across 458 individuals) in the subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex (sACC) and the Amygdala, two regions central to mood regulation and the pathophysiology of MDD. We found extensive expression differences, particularly at the level of specific transcripts, with prominent enrichment for genes associated with the vesicular functioning, the postsynaptic density, GTPase signaling, and gene splicing. We find associated transcriptional features in 107 of 243 genome-wide significant loci for MDD and, through integrative analyses, highlight convergence of genetic risk, gene expression, and network-based analyses on dysregulated glutamatergic signaling and synaptic vesicular functioning. Together, these results provide an initial mechanistic understanding of MDD and highlight potential targets for novel drug discovery.