Contractile vacuole complexes (CVCs) are complex osmoregulatory organelles, with vesicular (bladder) and tubular (spongiome) subcompartments. The mechanisms that underlie their formation and maintenance within the eukaryotic endomembrane network are poorly understood. In the Ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, six differentiated CORVETs (class C core vacuole/endosome tethering complexes), with Vps8 subunits designated A-F, are likely to direct endosomal trafficking. Vps8Dp localizes to both bladder and spongiome. We show by inducible knockdown that VPS8D is essential to CVC organization and function. VPS8D knockdown increased susceptibility to osmotic shock, tolerated in the wildtype but triggering irreversible lethal swelling in the mutant. The knockdown rapidly triggered contraction of the spongiome and lengthened the period of the bladder contractile cycle. More prolonged knockdown resulted in disassembly of both the spongiome and bladder, and dispersal of proteins associated with those compartments. In stressed cells where the normally singular bladder is replaced by numerous vesicles bearing bladder markers, Vps8Dp concentrated conspicuously at long-lived inter-vesicle contact sites, consistent with tethering activity. Similarly, Vps8Dp in cell-free preparations accumulated at junctions formed after vacuoles came into close contact. Also consistent with roles for Vps8Dp in tethering and/or fusion were the emergence in knockdown cells of multiple vacuole-related structures, replacing the single bladder.

The process of estimating the number of individuals within a defined area, commonly referred to as people counting, is of paramount importance in the realm of safety, security and crisis management. It serves as a crucial tool for accurately monitoring crowd dynamics and facilitating well-informed decision-making during critical situations. In our current study, we place a special emphasis on the utilization of the WiFi fingerprint technique, leveraging probe request messages emitted by smart devices as a proxy for people counting. However, it is essential to recognize the evolving landscape of privacy regulations and the concerted efforts by major smart-device manufacturers to enhance user privacy, exemplified by the introduction of MAC addresses randomization techniques. In this context, we designed a crowd monitoring solution that exploits Bloom filters for ensuring a formal deniability, aligning with the stringent requirements set forth by regulations like the European GDPR [1] . Our proposed solution not only addresses the essential task of people counting but also incorporates advanced privacy-preserving mechanisms. Importantly, it seamlessly integrates with trajectory-based crowd monitoring, offering a comprehensive approach to managing crowds while respecting individual privacy rights.

This study tackles the output consensus problem for a class of nonlinear two-dimensional (2-D) multi agent systems that do complex tasks repetitively in a finite domain via iterative learning control (ILC). The aim is to design a distributed adaptive learning consensus tracking control strategy that enables all 2-D multi agents to achieve the task of consensus tracking control under nonrepetitive conditions, even if only a part of the agents can detect the reference surface. An adaptive parameter, which adjusted by the tracking errors of the agent itself and the neighbor agents in the last iteration, is designed to approximate the unknown varying parameter of the nonlinear 2-D agent. Then, based on the approximated parameter and the iteration-varying reference surfaces, the distributed adaptive learning consensus tracking control strategy is obtained and the convergence of the output consensus tracking control is proved. In the end, simulations are presented to verify the effectiveness of the investigated distributed adaptive learning consensus tracking control for 2-D multi agent system with random variations on initial boundary and reference surface.

The integration of Augmented Reality (AR) into daily surgical practice is withheld by the correct registration of pre-operative data. This includes intelligent 3D model superposition whilst simultaneously handling real and virtual occlusions caused by the AR overlay. Occlusions can negatively impact surgical safety and as such deteriorate rather than improve surgical care. Robotic surgery is particularly suited to tackle these integration challenges in a stepwise approach as the robotic console allows for different inputs to be displayed in parallel to the surgeon. Nevertheless, real-time de-occlusion requires extensive computational resources which further complicates clinical integration. This work tackles the problem of instrument occlusion and presents, to our best knowledge, the first-in-human on edge deployment of a real-time binary segmentation pipeline during three robot-assisted surgeries: partial nephrectomy, migrated endovascular stent removal and liver metastasectomy. To this end, a state-of-the-art real-time segmentation and 3D model pipeline was implemented and presented to the surgeon during live surgery. The pipeline allows real-time binary segmentation of 37 non-organic surgical items, which are never occluded during AR. The application features real-time manual 3D model manipulation for correct soft tissue alignment. The proposed pipeline can contribute towards surgical safety, ergonomics and acceptance of AR in minimally invasive surgery.

High-quality urbanization and a healthy ecosystem are both the material basis for sustainable social development. However, the tie between terrestrial ecosystem health and urbanization is still unclear. Therefore, we assessed the spatial and temporal dynamics of urbanization and TEH at 368 cities in China from 2000 to 2020, then explored their spatial interaction and driving mechanisms by spatial autocorrelation analysis and structural equation modeling. The results showed: (1) China’s comprehensive urbanization index (UI) improved from 0.08 in 2000 to 0.10 in 2020, contributing by some national urban agglomerations such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta. (2) China’s terrestrial ecosystem health index (EHI) also increased from 0.6718 to 0.6788. Ecosystem vigor improved significantly, while ecosystem organization and resilience both decreased. (3) EHI and UI appeared to be locally spatially dependent, and path dependence was presented at municipal scales. (4) At the national scale, urbanization is positive related to EHI, which were enhanced by social, economic and topography factors. The dominant drivers on EHI varied among regions, and urbanization improved EHI in all regions except for the southwest. Our study demonstrated that urbanization would promote terrestrial ecosystem health by implementing high-quality development and ecological management simultaneously, providing theoretical support for urban sustainable development and ecological management.

The Basking Shark ( Cetorhinus maximus) is an elusive creature that possesses a highly-specialised filter-feeding system capable of filtering around two million litres of water every hour. Learning from such filters could be instrumental in making new filtration systems for microplastics or pollutants in the future. However, the specific filtration mechanism, as well as many other aspects of their morphology and behaviour, is not well understood. There are numerous difficulties involved with the study of basking sharks, particularly finding the sharks in their ocean habitat and observing them without disturbing them. Here, we propose a robotic platform, the System for underWater Imaging and Monitoring for Marine Environment Research (SWIMMER, SWIM for short), for the non-invasive imaging of basking sharks. The robot was designed to produce high-resolution stereo images at both surface level and underwater. The imaging payload is carried by a surface robot to make it easy to monitor, control, and retrieve. The robot is built low-cost and entirely from off-the-shelf components and 3D printing to enable us to scale up the robot to a swarm in the future for imaging from multiple points of view and for other marine applications. In a single trial, we were able to collect video data from 6 different basking shark encounters with 9 different individuals, as well as gathering data about manoeuvrability. This work has the potential to provide new insights into basking shark feeding behaviour, as well as potentially making marine swarm robotics more accessible to researchers everywhere due to the low cost and ease of construction of the SWIMMERs.

Wrapper-based feature selection plays a pivotal role in data mining, operating to reduce dimensionality and identify relevant features within datasets. Given the computationally demanding nature of the wrapper’s search for intricate feature relationships, numerous bio-inspired algorithms have been employed to facilitate the process. Notably, the genetic algorithm stands out due to its representation of solutions as binary strings. The literature presents a multitude of genetic algorithm-based wrappers, predominantly employing the n-point crossover operator, where n conventionally takes values of 1 or 2. This study explores the impact of varying the parameter n in the n-point crossover operator on the efficacy of the wrapper’s search. The performed analysis underscores that no single parameter value prevails, motivating the need for dynamic adjustment during the search. Consequently, several elegant strategies for this purpose are proposed and meticulously evaluated, leveraging a comprehensive examination of the genetic algorithm’s convergence behavior. These strategies are experimentally compared with established crossover operators from the literature, leading to the identification of noteworthy discoveries. The empirical findings present a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike, poised to enhance feature selection processes within data mining applications. Keywords: bio-inspired optimization; classification; feature selection; genetic algorithm; n-point crossover; wrappers

A document by Mohammad Rafiul Hashar. Click on the document to view its contents.

Zeaxanthin is a high-value carotenoid, found naturally in fruits and vegetables, flowers and microorganisms. Flavobacterium genera is widely known for the production of zeaxanthin, in its free form. Nowadays, the production of zeaxanthin from bacteria is still non-competitive with traditional methods. The study of operational conditions is a key aspect for scaling-up. In this work, the influence of dissolved oxygen concentration was studied on zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene production. It was found that 10% pO 2 was the best condition for zeaxanthin production in batch production, reaching a total carotenoids concentration of 3280± 88 µg/L, with 86% of zeaxanthin conversion. Biomass production, substrate consumption and total carotenoid production kinetics were studied by analyzing carbon and oxygen mass balances, as well as applying the Luedeking-Piret model. To enhance carotenoid production, a fed-batch culture was performed in a bioreactor. Although biomass productivity was similar to that in batch mode, zeaxanthin productivity was higher in the batch conditions, reaching 118 µg/Lh and 38 µg/Lh, respectively. The models developed for batch cultures were tested to predict the behavior of the fed-batch culture. A binary model, which considered glucose and oxygen as limiting substrates, presented better results and exhibited a proper fit.

Background: Severe asthma is associated with an accelerated lung function decline which is likely attenuated by the addition of anti-nnterleukin-5 (IL-5) therapy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Objective: To study the long-term impact of add-on therapy with anti-IL-5 on FEV 1 in severe eosinophilic asthma patients. Methods: In this post-hoc analysis, we compared, through a linear mixed model, the evolution of pre-bronchodilation FEV 1 expressed in %pred in a cohort of 50 patients with severe eosinophilic asthma treated with anti-IL-5 (1576 visits) before (median follow-up: 9.2 years) and after (median follow-up: 2.1 years (up to 6.8 years) anti-IL-5 therapy start. Results: FEV 1 decline was observed before anti-IL5 start (-0.6 %pred.year -1, p<0.001). FEV 1 improved significantly after anti-IL-5 start (+1.3 %pred.year -1 p<0.001; difference pre-post: p<0.001). A sustained improvement was observed in 31 patients deemed responders (+3.1 %pred.year -1, p<0.001; difference pre-post: p<0.001) vs a continuous decline in 19 patients considered as non-responders (-0.40 %pred.year -1, p=0.087; difference pre-post: p=0.097). Non-responders exhibited a higher prevalence of nasal polyposis, better asthma control and a trend towards higher exhaled nitric oxide values. Conclusion: This post-hoc analysis shows that add-on therapy with anti-IL-5 not only stems the accelerated decline in lung function but also makes it reversible in many severe eosinophilic asthma patients, leading to an estimated improvement of 11% FEV 1 %pred after 3 years of treatment. Persistent improvement in lung function is therefore feasible in severe asthmatics and could be chosen as a lung function criterion to define remission of asthma under treatment.

The reproductive systems of natural populations can greatly impact their genetic diversity by preventing or encouraging inbreeding. It is therefore crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the mating system to evaluate a population's ability to maintain genetic diversity over time. In this study, we examine the mating system of an endangered population of green sea turtles in Tetiaroa, French Polynesia. We determine if different mating behaviours serve as strategies to avoid inbreeding. We genotyped 107 nesting females and 1483 hatchlings from 549 nests and used 23 microsatellite markers to reconstruct the genotypes of the fathers. We assessed the level of inbreeding and relatedness of the parent pairs and explored the correlation between relatedness and fitness parameters in the offspring. We determined the mating behaviours of both males and females and investigated if specific behaviours were linked to different levels of relatedness. Our results showed that 27 fathers and 31 mothers were responsible for the genotypes of 445 hatchlings from 105 nests. Global Fis was significant, and levels of relatedness were higher than expected through random mating, indicating inbreeding and non-random partner selection. However, we did not find any mating behaviours that were associated with lower relatedness levels than the general population, suggesting that they are not part of an inbreeding avoidance strategy. Ultimately, this study illuminates the reproductive system of green turtles and shows that this population is susceptible to inbreeding. Additionally, our research demonstrates the effectiveness of parentage analysis in understanding the reproductive behaviour of elusive species.

The Heston model, widely used in financial markets to characterize stochastic volatility, may have innovative applications to predict volatility in medicine and healthcare. This article hypothesizes potential uses of the Heston model to quantify volatility in epidemiology, pharmacology, healthcare operations, medical imaging, and biological systems. Conceptually, the ability of the model to quantify unpredictability could provide insight into complex medical processes with inherent variability. Specific ideas proposed include modeling disease spread dynamics, optimizing personalized drug dosing, forecasting healthcare service demand, analyzing signal fluctuations in medical images, and elucidating variability in biological systems such as heart rate and neural activity. However, significant research and rigorous testing would be required to determine the feasibility and validity of applying the Heston model in these contexts. Tailoring the model to capture many interacting variables in biological and medical systems poses challenges. Nonetheless, the hypothetical connections between the Heston model’s capabilities to predict volatility and potential medical applications merit further exploration.

The problem of managing multi-service applications on top of Cloud-Edge networks in a QoS-aware manner has been thoroughly studied in recent years from a decision-making perspective. However, only a few studies addressed the problem of actively enforcing such decisions while orchestrating multi-service applications and considering infrastructure and application variations. In this article, we propose a next-gen orchestrator prototype based on Docker to achieve the continuous and QoS-compliant management of multiservice applications on top of geographically distributed Cloud-Edge resources, in continuity with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure monitoring tools. Finally, we assess our proposal over a geographically distributed testbed across Italy.

p-coumaric acid (p-CA) is one of the most abundant phenolic compounds in nature and human diet. Probiotic bacteria are microorganisms conferring health benefits on host when administered in adequate amounts. The synbiotic interaction of these two contents, found in gastrointestinal tract, and effect of this interaction on intestines are not known. Thus, this study aimed to investigate synbiotic relationship between p-CA and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (LA-5), Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). They were grown in the presence of different concentrations of p-CA and effects of p-CA on probiotic properties, as well as in vitro effects on AChE and BChE activities were examined. Results indicated p-CA did not negatively affect bacterial growth, but increased auto-aggregation of both probiotics. While p-CA increased co-aggregation of LA-5 and LGG against Escherichia coli, it decreased co-aggregation against Staphylococcus aureus. Probiotics grown with p-CA were more resistant to pepsin. While p-CA increased the resistance of LA-5 to bile salt, it decreased the resistance of LGG. The combinations of bacteria and p-CA efficiently suppressed AChE and BChE with inhibition (%) 11.31-68.06 and 13.47-65.14, respectively. Furthermore, surface analysis was conducted using FTIR to investigate the interaction of p-coumaric acid with LA-5 and LGG, and changes in cell components on the bacterial surface were analyzed. The results, recorded in range of 4000-600 cm⁻¹ with resolution of 4 cm⁻¹, demonstrated that p-CA significantly affected only the phosphate/CH ratio for both bacteria. These results indicate the addition of p-CA to the probiotic growth may enhance the probiotic properties of bacteria.

Wind velocity is usually assumed to obey a stationary stochastic process in wind-resistant design, without taking into account the non-stationarity. The wavelet transform (WT) method was adopted to capture the time-varying properties of the low-frequency mean winds, and the associated turbulence features, including turbulent intensity, gust factor, probability density function, and power spectrum, were analyzed in depth. Furthermore, the three-dimensional evolutionary power spectral density (EPSD) of strong winds was estimated. Finally, this study presents a study on the modeling of the three-dimensional EPSD. The results show that the proposed EPSD models are in good agreement with the estimated EPSD. This study can be used for numerical simulation of non-stationary wind and analysis of wind-induced effects under turbulent atmospheric boundary layers with consideration of non-stationarity.

Introduction: Cancer screening has been identified as an important contributor to cancer prevention and the control of both morbidity and mortality from cancer. Despite its importance, screening rates have remained low in Ghana. This study investigated some key predictors of screening habits and the rates of awareness for selected cancers that are amenable to screening and early detection. The health belief model provided theoretical support for the investigation. Methods: Data was collected from 503 adults in an online survey with a questionnaire, between June and August 2021. Univariate statistical analysis was used to determine the frequencies and percentages of variables. The multivariate analysis used a correlation and a logistic regression to measure association and test a model. Results: Participants were aged between 18 and 74 with a mean age of 32.74. Females made up 61.4% of the sample while males accounted for 38.6%. Only 37.6% of participants had previously screened for cancer while 62.4% had never screened. The study hypothesized that age, gender, and cancer Screening Awareness predict the Cancer Screening habits of respondents. The logistic regression showed that, Age (B = .10, SE = .01, p= .00) and Gender (B = -.2.71, SE = .30, p = .00) predicted cancer screening habit. Conclusion: Age and gender can predict screening habits. Awareness did not predict screening in this study. The reason and meaning of the findings are discussed and suggestions for improvement of screening uptake and for future research are provided.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was demonstrated to improve gut health, ameliorate inflammation, and enhance immunity in animal models, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study investigated the effects of the exopolysaccharides (EPS) of B. amyloliquefaciens amy-1 on the intestinal epithelium, further exploring the mechanisms underlying the probiotic function of B. amyloliquefaciens. The expression of mucin 1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukine-8, antimicrobial peptides TFF-3, β-defensin 2, S100A8, S100A9, and RegIII-α were all increased in EPS- or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated Caco-2 cells, suggesting that EPS enhanced the defensive abilities of intestinal cells. However, unlike LPS, EPS did not activate the inhibitor kappa B kinase/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) pathway, indicating that EPS did not cause inflammation. Moreover, EPS enhanced the barrier function of cells; the underlying mechanism was likely associated with enhanced expression of tight-junction proteins. EPS activated the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway and decreased the level of reactive oxygen species, whereas LPS did not, suggesting that EPS improved the protective functions of the epithelium. Confocal microscopic images showed EPS binding to cell surfaces and internalizing into cells, whereas dextran, another microbial exopolysaccharide, did not. Together, our data suggest that EPS are involved in the probiotic function of B. amyloliquefaciens.

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is hybrid imaging modality with good optical contrast and spatial resolution. Portable, cost-effective, smaller footprint LEDs are rapidly becoming important PA optical sources. However, the key challenge faced by the LED-based systems is the low fluence that is generally compensated by high frame averaging; consequently reducing acquisition frame-rate. In this study, we present a simple deep learning U-Net framework that enhances the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast of the low number of frame-averaged PA images. The SNR increased by approximately 4-fold for both in-class in vitro phantoms (4.39 ± 2.55) and out-of-class in vivo models (4.27 ± 0.87). We also demonstrate the noise invariancy of the network and discuss the downsides (blurry outcome and fails to reduce the salt & pepper noise). Overall, the developed U-Net framework can provide a real-time image enhancement platform for clinically translatable low-cost and low-energy light source-based PA imaging systems.

Bathyarchaeia (formerly Bathyarchaeota) is a group of highly abundant archaeal communities that play important roles in global biogeochemical cycling. The presence of Bathyarchaeia in arable soils is relatively limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the spatial distributions and diversity of Bathyarchaeia in paddy soils across eastern China, which is a major rice production region. The relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia among total archaea ranged from 3% to 68%, and Bathy-6 was the dominant subgroup. Bathyarchaeia showed higher migration ability and wider niche. Soil pH and C/N ratio were identified as key factors influencing the Bathyarchaeia composition, whereas C/N ratio and mean annual temperature influenced the relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia. Network analysis showed that specific Bathyarchaeia taxa occupied keystone positions in the archaeal community and co-occurred with some methanogenic and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. This study provides important insights into the biogeography and niche differentiation of Bathyarchaeia in agroecosystems.

Seed oils and nuts are frequently considered as waste products. During fruit processing of the sweet cherry fruits into processed products the seeds arise as a waste material in the food processing industries. The seeds mainly composed of lipophilic compounds. Therefore, the present work aimed to analyze the physico-chemical composition, nutritive properties and volatile profile of sweet cherry kernel oil extracted by Soxhlet extraction method through ethanol as asolvent which may be useful for therapeutic purpose. It was observed that, the kernels oil contains 57.75±2.70 mg/ml of proteins and 45.46 ±2.69 mg/ml of ascorbic acid and 57.19±0.02mg/ml of tocopherol content. The sun protection factor of oil was found 23.50 against UV-B rays. The key fatty acids present in sweet cherry seed oil (SCSO) was oleic acid (21%), palmitic acid (6.2%), linoleic acid (5.6%) and steric acid (4.3%) respectively. The volatile organic compounds were identified by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and the highest contents of volatile compounds belong to the category of carboxylic acid, alkanes, alkenes and alcohols. In that Squalene (26.71%), Oleic acid (6.64 %), and Linoleic acid (4.32%) were most abundantly present. The present study showed that oil of cherry seeds usually thrown as waste has high content of vitamin c, tocopherol and various secondary metabolites. Also, the oil comprises presence of vital fatty acid so that it can be use in food industry as well as in therapeutic application.

A document by Saleh F. Alqifari. Click on the document to view its contents.

Objective: Approximately 50% women who give birth after Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury (OASI) develop anal incontinence (AI) over their lifetime. We review current evidence for protective benefit of planned cesarean section (CS) to prevent AI after OASI. Design and setting: Systematic review and meta-analysis according to prospectively published methodology. Population and methods: All studies reporting outcomes after an OASI and subsequent birth by any mode. Main outcome measures: AI measurement after OASI and subsequent birth. Total AI, new/worsening AI, quality of life, satisfaction, regret. Results: 86 of 2472 screened studies met inclusion criteria. All studies contributing to meta-analyses were at high risk of bias. There was no evidence of difference in new or worsening AI after subsequent vaginal birth (VB) compared to subsequent CS after OASI across all time periods (p=0.53: CI 0.72-1.19; 9 studies, 2104 participants); ≤2y (p=0.83: CI 0.65-1.72; 7 studies, 569 participants) or ≥5y after subsequent birth (p=0.39: CI 0.65-1.18; 2 studies; 1535 participants). There was no difference between subsequent CS or VB in asymptomatic women or for other AI or QOL outcomes. There was no evidence of difference in AI in women who subsequently delivered vs those who did not (p=0.9: CI 0.71-1.34; 10 studies, 970 participants); or pre- subsequent birth vs post-subsequent birth (p=0.31; CI 0.51-1.25, 13 studies, 5496 participants). Conclusions: Due to evidence quality (majority non-randomised studies) we are unable to determine whether planned cesarean is protective against AI after OASI. Higher quality data is required to guide practice in this area, specifically in asymptomatic women and for long-term outcomes.

Objective: To evalute the expression of RAG and BCR gene rearrangement in mature peripheral B lymphocytes in Takayasu arteritis, reveal the possible mechanism of humoral immune response in Takayasu arteritis. Methods: Patients with Takayasu arteritis (10 cases) and healthy volunteers with age and sex matching (10cases, as control group) from Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University , and Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2022 to 2023 were included in this study. The recombinant activating gene mRNA test uesd real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) . Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of the RAG protein . The NGS gene sequencing technology was performed for the B cell receptor (BCR) gene sequencing. Results: The expression level of RAG1 mRNA and RAG2 mRNA in peripheral mature B lymphocytes in TA patients was significantly higher than that of normal controls（RAG1 5.56±1.71 vs. 1.94±0.86, P＜0.05; RAG2 5.26±1.59 vs. 1.65±0.64, P＜0.05）, respectively; The expression level of the RAG1 protein and the RAG2 protein in peripheral mature B lymphocytes in TA patients was significantly higher than that of normal controls（RAG1 4.33±1.58 vs. 1.52±0.59, P＜0.05; RAG2 4.67±1.88 vs. 1.59±0.56, P＜0.05）, respectively. The number of peripheral B lymphocyte BCR clonotypes in the group of patients with TA was significantly higher than in the normal control group（1574±317.7 vs. 801.3±202.1, P＜0.05）. The abundance of the BCR gene V region in TA patients was higher than that in the normal control group（31.185% vs. 13.449%）.The abundance of genes in the BCR V region was positively correlated with RAG1 and RAG2 (correlation coefficient r=1.00, P<0.05), respectively. Conclusion: High expression of the RAG gene in mature peripheral B lymphocytes may cause BCR secondary gene rearrangement in mature peripheral B lymphocytes in patients with Takayasu arteritis, suggesting that there is a possibility of secondary gene rearrangement in TA and providing important clues for the potential diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target of Takayasu arteritis, and further exploration and analysis is required for larger samples.

Pancreatic cancer (PC), a highly malignant tumor of the digestive system with poor therapeutic response and low survival rates. In recent years, immunotherapy have developed rapidly and achieved substantial results in many malignant neoplasms. However, responses to immunotherapy in PC are rare and its immunosuppressive and desmoplastic tumor microenvironment (TME) composes an important impediment to their efficacy in PC. Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) play a crucial role in the PC microenvironment, exerting a profound influence on PC immunotherapy through establishing a robust stromal shelter and restraining immune cells to assist PC cells in immune escape, which may subvert the current situation of immunotherapy for PC. The purpose of this review is to offer a thorough summary of the latest progress in comprehending the involvement of TANs in PC desmoplastic and immunosuppressive functions, as well as to emphasize the potential therapeutic consequences of focusing on TANs in the immunotherapy of this destructive ailment. Last but not least, we have provided an outlook for the future of TANs in PC immunotherapy.