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Racial and ethnic disparities persist in cancer survival rates across the United States, despite overall improvements. This comprehensive analysis examines trends in 5-year relative survival rates from 2002-2006 to 2015-2019 for major cancer types, elucidating differences among racial/ethnic groups to guide equitable healthcare strategies. Data from the SEER Program spanning 2000-2020 were analyzed, focusing on breast, colorectal, prostate, lung, pancreatic cancers, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Age-standardized relative survival rates were calculated to assess racial (White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander) and ethnic (Hispanic, Non-Hispanic) disparities, utilizing period analysis for recent estimates and excluding cases identified solely through autopsy or death certificates. While significant survival improvements were observed for most cancers, notable disparities persisted. Non-Hispanic Blacks exhibited the largest gain in breast cancer survival, with an increase of 5.2% points (from 77.6 to 82.8%); however, the survival rate remained lower than that of Non-Hispanic Whites (92.1%). Colorectal cancer survival declined overall (64.7-64.1%), marked by a 6.2% point drop for Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Natives (66.3-60.1%). Prostate cancer survival declined across all races, with Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Natives showing a decrease of 7.7% points (from 96.9 to 89.2%). Lung cancer, acute leukemia, and multiple myeloma showed notable increases across groups. Substantial racial/ethnic disparities in cancer survival underscore the notable need for tailored strategies ensuring equitable access to advanced treatments, particularly addressing significant trends in colorectal and pancreatic cancers among specific minority groups. Careful interpretation of statistical significance is warranted given the large dataset.

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Globally, microplastic pollution of soil ecosystems poses a major risk. The early studies found that the impact of microplastics on different plants could vary depending on the type of microplastic, the mass concentration or the plant species. This study investigated the effect of 3 mass concentrations (0.1%, 1%, and 2.5%) and 3 types of microplastics (PE MPs, PLA MPs, and PVC MPs) on adzuki bean biomass, root traits, Chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzymes. According to our findings, all microplastics had an impact on biomass, but PLA MPs had the strongest inhibitory effect. The high mass concentration of microplastics had a significant influence on chlorophyll content. Adzuki beans exhibited varying degrees of damage upon exposure to microplastics, but they were able to withstand the oxidative stress brought on by PE MPs by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and POD). Comparing the adverse effects of PE MPs on adzuki beans to those of PLA MPs and PVC MPs, principal component analysis and membership function value analysis revealed that the former had fewer impacts. Disparities in the observed effects may be attributed to variations in the properties of microplastics. Subsequent investigations into the mechanisms underlying microplastic toxicity need a more comprehensive exploration.

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OBJECTIVE: Vascular invasion (VI) profoundly impacts the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet the underlying biomarkers and mechanisms remain elusive. This study aimed to identify prognostic biomarkers for HCC patients with VI. METHODS: Transcriptome data from primary HCC tissues and HCC tissues with VI were obtained through the Genome Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two types of tissues were analyzed using functional enrichment analysis to evaluate their biological functions. We examined the correlation between DEGs and prognosis by combining HCC transcriptome data and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, along with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method were utilized to develop a prognostic model. The effectiveness of the model was assessed through time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration diagram, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: In the GSE20017 and GSE5093 datasets, a total of 83 DEGs were identified. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that these DEGs were predominantly associated with xenobiotic stimulus, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, and oxygen binding. Additionally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that the DEGs were primarily involved in immune defense and cellular signal transduction. Cox and LASSO regression further identified 7 genes (HSPA8, ABCF2, EAF1, MARCO, EPS8L3, PLA3G1B, C6), which were used to construct a predictive model in the training cohort. We used X-tile software to calculate the optimal cut-off value to stratify HCC patients into low-risk and high-risk groups. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited poorer prognosis than the low-risk group (P < 0.001). The model demonstrated area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.815, 0.730, and 0.710 at 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year intervals in the training cohort, respectively. In the validation cohort, the corresponding AUC values were 0.701, 0.571, and 0.575, respectively. The C-index of the calibration curve for the training and validation cohorts were 0.716 and 0.665. Decision curve analysis revealed the model's efficacy in guiding clinical decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that 7 genes may be potential prognostic biomarkers and treatment targets for HCC patients with VI.

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In this study, we developed a solar ceramic kiln to address the problem of CO2 emissions caused by traditional ceramic ware firing processes. Ceramic specimens were fired using the proposed setup, and their properties were compared with those of an electric-fired ceramic cup (ECC). The solar-fired ceramic cup (SCC) exhibited no cracks on its surface. Its water absorption was 4.25%, open porosity was 9.93%, bulk density was 2.210 g/cm3, bending strength was 88.96 MPa, and ovalization was 1.46%. These findings suggested that the physical performance of the SCC was comparable to that of the ECC, which had water absorption of 4.03%, an open porosity of 8.79%, a bulk density of 2.180 g/cm3, an ovalization of 1.45%, and a bending strength of 72.4 MPa. The SCC achieved these results in 120 min, which was seven times faster than that of the ECC (firing time of 869 min).

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The threat of microplastic pollution in soil ecosystems has caused widespread concern. In order to clarify the effect of polyethylene microplastics on soil properties, a 4-month soil incubation experiment was conducted in this study to investigate the effect of different mass fraction (1 %, 2.5 %, and 5 %) and particle sizes (30 mesh and 100 mesh) of polyethylene microplastics on soil chemical properties, nutrient contents, and enzyme activities. The results showed that:① When the particle size was 100 mesh, microplastics at the mass concentrations of the 2.5 % and 5 % treatments significantly reduced soil pH, and the exposure of polyethylene microplastics had no significant effect on soil conductivity. ② Compared to that in CK, the addition of microplastics reduced soil available potassium, available phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen to varying degrees. The addition of 100 mesh microplastics significantly increased soil organic matter and ammonium nitrogen. ③ When the particle size was 100 mesh, compared to that in CK, treatments of all concentrations significantly increased soil catalase activity and alkaline phosphatase, showing an increasing but not significant trend, and the 5 % concentration treatment significantly decreased soil sucrase activity. ④ Changes in soil properties were influenced by the addition of microplastics of different concentrations and sizes, with higher concentrations and smaller particle sizes having more significant effects. In conclusion, the effects of microplastics on soil properties were not as pronounced as expected, and future research should focus on the mechanisms involved in the different effects.

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Concerns over supply risks of critical metals used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries are frequently underscored as impediments to the widespread development of EVs. With the progress to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 for China, projecting the critical metals demand for EV batteries and formulating strategies, especially circular economy strategies, to mitigate the risks of demand-supply imbalance in response to potential obstacles are necessary. However, the development scale of EVs in the transport sector to achieve China's carbon neutrality is unclear, and it remains uncertain to what extent circular economy strategies might contribute to the reduction of primary raw materials extraction. Consequently, we explore the future quantity of EVs in China required to achieve carbon neutrality and quantify the primary supply security levels of critical metals with the effort of battery cascade utilization, technology substitutions, recycling efficiency improvement, and novel business models, by integrating dynamic material flow analysis and national energy technology model. This study reveals that although 18%-30% of lithium and 20%-41% of cobalt, nickel, and manganese can be supplied to EVs through the reuse and recycling of end-of-life batteries, sustainable circular economy strategies alone are insufficient to obviate critical metals shortages for China's EV development. However, the supplementary capacity offered by second-life EV batteries, which refers to the use of batteries after they have reached the end of their first intended life, may prove adequate for China's prospective novel energy storage applications. The cumulative primary demand for lithium, cobalt, and nickel from 2021 to 2060 would reach 5-7 times, 23-114 times, and 4-19 times the corresponding mineral reserves in China. Substantial reduction of metals supply risks apart from lithium can be achieved by the cobalt-free battery technology developments combined with efficient recycling systems, where secondary supply can satisfy the demand as early as 2054.

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As a widespread pollutant in the environment, research on microplastics have attracted much attention. This review systematically analyzed the interaction between microplastics and soil microorganisms based on existing literatures. Microplastics can change the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities directly or indirectly. The magnitude of these effects depends on the type, dose and shape of microplastics. Meanwhile, soil microorganisms can adapt to the changes caused by microplastics through forming surface biofilm and selecting population. This review also summarized the biodegradation mechanism of microplastics, and explored the factors affecting this process. Microorganisms will firstly colonize the surface of microplastics, and then secrete a variety of extracellular enzymes to function at specific sites, converting polymers into lower polymers or monomers. Finally, the depolymerized small molecules enter the cell for further catabolism. The factors affecting this degradation process are not only the physical and chemical properties of the microplastics, such as molecular weight, density and crystallinity, but also some biological and abiotic factors that affect the growth and metabolism of related microorganisms and the enzymatic activities. Future studies should focus on the connection with the actual environment, and develop new technologies of microplastics biodegradation to solve the problem of microplastic pollution.

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Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of Castleman disease in the head and neck. Methods:The clinical and pathological data of 18 patients with Castleman disease of the head and neck in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from 2007 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 14 cases of unicentric type and 4 cases of multicentric type. The clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis were analyzed. Results:Among the 18 cases of Castleman disease in the head and neck, 1 case was located in the parotid gland, 1 case was behind the ear, 1 case was in the parapharyngeal space, 3 cases were in the neck region Ⅰ, 2 cases were supraclavicular, 2 cases were in the neck region Ⅲ, the rest were located in more than two subregions of the neck. In patients with unicentric type, no tumor recurrence and progression were found in the postoperative re-examination with neck Doppler ultrasound and CT; in the multicentric type, multiple organ dysfunction, such as edema of both lower extremities, hepatosplenomegaly, and cough, were found. Of the 4 patients with multicentric type, only 1 patient received chemotherapy, and the remaining 3 patients refused chemotherapy and only received symptomatic treatment. All patients survived during follow-up, but the disease of multicentric patients progressed significantly, and the number of involved lymph nodes increased, and hepatosplenomegaly were found in some patients. Conclusion:Castleman disease of the head and neck is mostly unicentric type, which is manifested as multiple asymptomatic enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. The surgical resection is effective and the prognosis is good. Multicentric Castleman disease of the head and neck has complex clinical symptoms and involves multiple organs over time, requiring follow-up treatment.

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China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, and the Chinese government proposes to reduce carbon intensity (CI) by 65% in 2030 compared with 2005. However, literature analyzing whether the current emission reduction policies can effectively help CI reach the policy target is rare. China's CI data from 1978 to 2019, divided into phases using the Bai and Perron (BP) breakpoint test, are evaluated in this study. A dynamic scenario simulation analysis using the STIRPAT-PLS framework and Monte Carlo simulation is established. The dynamic trajectory of CI is observed, and its possible value in 2030 is determined. Finally, a dynamic sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the contribution of different influencing factors. According to research, from 1978 to 2019, CI has three structural breakpoints, 1992, 2002, and 2008, resulting in four specific growth tendencies. Our scenario analysis based on the recent phase shows that under the reference scenario, the CI would drop to 1.912 in 2030, which cannot achieve the Chinese government's policy goals. Under the outlook scenario, CI would fall to 1.638 in 2030, and the policy target can be achieved. Improving energy efficiency and optimizing energy consumption structure would be the most critical factors in reducing CI. As the only barrier, foreign trade should be guided by green trade policies. The study concludes that completing the relevant policies of the Chinese government's 14th Five-Year Report is critical to achieving CI reduction targets.

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