Leader–member relationships shape public sector performance, yet how leader–member exchange (LMX) operates through capability and motivation pathways remains underexplored. Drawing on social information processing and career construction theories, this study examines how LMX quality influences civil servant performance through career adaptability and perceived social impact. Moderated mediation analyses of survey data from 363 civil servants in Province A, China, reveal that higher-quality LMX enhances career adaptability and perceived social impact, which, in turn, predict higher task performance and organizational citizenship behavior. However, LMX differentiation weakens these positive effects when perceived as high. In practice, public agencies should prioritize high-quality, low-differentiation LMX systems that enhance civil servants’ performance.

Who will be more beneficial to the research performance of public universities, an externally recruited president or one promoted from the inside? Data on 392 president successions appointed at Chinese public universities during the timeframe 2000–2019 show that outsider presidents on average make a more positive contribution than ones hailing from within. More particularly, this outsider premium is amplified for younger presidents or for those with advanced work experience, whereas this premium appears to be reduced for presidents transferred from university located far away or for those lacking social ties with the recruiting university. In this study, theories of organizational adaptation and disruption in public universities were leveraged to generate findings which can assist Chinese universities in selecting the most suitable president to maximize research performance. Additionally, this study offers insights into the global implications of these findings.

Objective: This study collected a real-world data on survival and efficacy of gemcitabine-containing therapy in advanced breast cancer. Aimed to find the main reasons of affecting the duration of gemcitabine-base therapy in advanced breast cancer patients. Methods: Advanced breast cancer patients who received gemcitabine-base therapy from January 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled(10 hospitals). The clinicopathological data, the number of chemotherapy cycles and the reasons for treatment termination were collected and analyzed. To identify the reasons related with continuous treatment for advanced breast cancer and the factors which affect the survival and efficacy. Results: A total of 224 patients with advanced breast cancer were enrolled in this study, with a median age of 52 years (26-77 years), 55.4%(124/224) was postmenopausal. Luminal type were 83 cases, TNBC were 97 cases, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER's-2) overexpression were 44. At the analysis, 224 patients who received the gemcitabine-based regimens were evaluated, included 5 complete reponse (CR), 77 partial response (PR), 112 stable disease (SD) and 27 progressive disease (PD). The objective response rate (ORR) was 36.6%(82/224). Seventy patients had serious adverse diseases, including leukopenia (9), neutrophilia (49), thrombocytopenia (15), and elevated transaminase (2). The median follow-up time was 41 months (26~61 months), and the median PFS was 5.6 months. The reasons of termination treatment were listed: disease progression were 90 patients; personal reasons were 51 patients; adverse drug reactions were 18 patients; completed treatment were 65 patients. It was found that progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in patients receiving >6 cycles than that in patients with ≤6 cycles (8.2 months vs 5.4 months, HR=2.474, 95% CI: 1.730-3.538, P＜0.001). Conclusions: Gemcitabine-based regimen is generally well tolerated in the Chinese population and has relatively ideal clinical efficacy in the real world. The median PFS is significantly prolonged when the number of treatment cycles are appropriately increased.

Purpose/Objective(s) Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as one major component of tumor microenvironment (TME), are closely associated with tumor initiation and progression. Our previous studies have discovered that CAFs induced the resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells to a variety of chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin and paclitaxel. Furthermore, CAFs attenuated ionizing irradiation (IR)-induced cancer cells death by regulating DNA damage response. However, CAFs are significantly heterogeneous and different subtypes have different functions. Even some CAFs subtypes display anti-tumor activity. Our study aimed to discover the heterogeneity among ESCC CAFs and screened the subtype of CAFs which have significant pro-tumor activity. Materials/Methods By single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), we analyzed the heterogeneity among ESCC CAFs which had been isolated from primary ESCC patients who did not receive any therapy before surgery. Using Transwell assay, we detected the invasion ability of CAFs subtypes as well as ESCC cells. By immunofluorescence analysis, we analyzed the radiosensitivity of CAFs subtypes by detecting the expression of γ-H2AX, a marker of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) following irradiation. We further detected the cells survival after irradiation using flow cytometry (FCM). Results By scRNA-seq, we found several subtypes existed among ESCC CAFs. Especially, the CAFs subtype with high expression of CXCL3 (CXCL3high CAFs) showed significant pro-tumor activity. CXCL3high CAFs significantly promoted the invasion ability and radioresistance of ESCC cells compared with CXCL3low CAFs. When CAFs were transfected with CXCL3 siRNA, their tumor-promoting activity was significantly reversed. Furthermore, down-regulation of CXCL3 expression in CAFs attenuated their invasion ability and enhanced their radiosensitivity. The co-culture of CAFs and ESCC cells induced the activation of autocrine/paracrine CXCL3 signaling. Conclusion CXCL3 signaling regulates the malignant behaviors of ESCC CAFs. Targeting CXCL3high CAFs may be a promising approach of treating ESCC.

Purpose/Objective(s) Focal Liver Reaction (FLR), a radiobiological effect detected by GD-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR in the healthy liver after irradiation, and the signal intensity (SI) of FLR in MR is dose related, may unveil the difference between proton and photon radiotherapy. This study aims to validate the efficacy of a standard proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 and to investigate the longitudinal evolution of proton FLR. Materials/Methods Ten patients, five treated with intensity-modulated proton radiotherapy and five treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy, were enrolled. Longitudinal follow-up MRI scans were performed at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after radiotherapy. Dose distributions from the planning CT were transformed into MR images using deformable registrations. The MR images were segmented into dose bins from 10 to 60 Gy in increments of -5 Gy. The SI of each bin was then calculated. Assuming a proton RBE of 1.1, we will see consistent radiographic changes in the proton and photon groups. Therefore, we analyzed the change in SI gradient of the dose bins of two groups between different months to verify this assumption. In addition, we investigated the evolution of FLR by measuring monthly changes in volume and maximum diameter (MD). Statistical analysis was facilitated using generalized estimating equations to account for repeated measures and potential attrition. So far, the proton group has completed all time points of MR, the photon group has only the statistics of the first three time points. Results Our analysis of the first three time points showed that the linear regression equation for the proton cohort had a slope 0.016 lower than that of the photon cohort (χ² = 19.254, P < 0.001). Regarding the FLR evolution of the proton cohort, the FLR volume and MD at 6 months were 27.695 cm³ and 0.64 cm lower than those at 3 months (P<0.001, respectively), while the FLR and MD at 9 months were 13.780 cm³ and 0.435 cm lower than those at 6 months (P=0.015, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion The lower slope of the proton group means that its RBE is overestimated, in other words, the proton RBE in healthy liver tissue is below 1.1. In the proton group, the FLR decreases over time like the ebb tide, indicating recovery from the low-dose irradiation area, while the high-dose irradiation area shows irreversible effects, as shown by the insignificant differences between 9 and 12 months.

Fiber lasers have numerous applications in various fields due to their compact design, low noise levels, high efficiency, and robust stability. We present a study focusing on the impact of cavity parameters on ultrashort pulses in fiber lasers, proposing an ultrafast laser that utilizes a MoTe 2 saturable absorber (SA). Here numerical simulations allowed us to analyze the diverse pulse dynamics within a laser cavity, incorporating a SA, a segment of passive fiber, and erbium-doped fiber (EDF). Key factors of second-order dispersion, nonlinearity, gain saturation energy, small signal gain coefficient, and modulation depth and saturable energy of the SA were simulated. According to the simulations, we obtained the parameter settings for the minimum output pulse duration using a neural network and genetic algorithm. Then we proposed a normal dispersion laser with a MoTe 2 mode-locker, capable of emitting dissipative soliton with a pulse duration of 824 fs and a spectrum bandwidth of 13.2 nm. These simulations provide valuable guidance for the design and optimization of fiber lasers, presenting a versatile and practical approach for applications. (c) 2024 Optica Publishing Group

The investigation of coastline alterations holds significant scientific and societal importance, particularly in guiding offshore engineering planning and design, as well as the economic development of coastal regions. In this study, we used CiteSpace software to examine relevant literature within the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database to explore the current status, hotspots, and frontiers of research on coastline change in China. Our findings revealed a consistent increase in the number of publications within this domain, with 1996 representing the first growth point in the number of publications on coastal changes. Since 2002, the number of publications has significantly increased owing to scientific and technological advancements and urban development. Research on coastal changes in China is primarily conducted in universities and research institutes, particularly at the Ocean University of China. However, research institutions and authors are widely dispersed, and the consistency between them is low. An apparent, balanced distribution phenomenon exists in this research field. Content related to keywords such as “coastline,” “coastal zone,” and “remote sensing” is the focus of research in this field. Remote sensing monitoring, big data analysis, and deep learning techniques are closely related to the study of coastline changes, representing the latest advancements in this field.

Purpose/Objective(s) The abscopal effect—the regression of malignancies outside the irradiation zone—can be increased by combining radiotherapy (RT) with immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the gut microbiota affected the abscopal effect following immunoradiotherapy (iRT) in rectal cancer. Materials/Methods Bilateral MC38 subcutaneous tumors (primary and abscopal tumor) were established in C57/B6 mice with or without oral antibiotic treatment (preadministration of vancomycin, streptomycin, and ampicillin 14 days before therapy). Mice with or without antibiotic therapy were then randomized into eight groups to receive one of four treatments: (1) RT to the primary tumor + anti-PD-1 therapy (iRT), (2) RT to the primary tumor (RT), (3) anti-PD-1 therapy (anti-PD-1), and (4) no treatment. Flow cytometry was used to determine the composition and function of immune cells in the primary and abscopal tumors as well as in the spleen. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess the gut microbiome alteration following antibiotic intervention. Multiple bioinformatics were then explored to investigate the impact of specific flora that related to abscopal antitumor effect. Results We found that radiation on primary tumors exhibited cytotoxic effect in nonirradiated (abscopal) tumors (p=0.0057, RT vs. untreated group; p=0.0037, iRT vs. anti-PD-1 group). In contrast, abscopal tumors were resistant to the anticancer effects of RT when antibiotics were given (p=0.5374, RT + antibiotics vs. untreated group + antibiotics; p=0.42, iRT + antibiotics vs. anti-PD-1 + antibiotics group). Comparing the RT+antibiotics group to the RT group, we discovered that the number of CD8+CD44+ T cells decreased significantly in both abscopal tumors (p<0.001) and spleens (p=0.0061). In anti-PD-1-treated groups, antibiotics significantly reduced the number of CD8+GranzymeB+ T cells in primary tumors (p=0.0061) and CD4+CD25+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). In iRT-treated groups, the antibiotic reduced the fraction of CD4+INF-γ+ cells in abscopal tumors (p=0.0134), and increased the number of CD4+PD-1+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). Moreover, we found that both α- and β-diversity decreased significantly in the gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment (p=0.0079 and p<0.001, respectively). The abundance of g_Alistipes, g_Lactobacillus, g_Lachnospiraceae and g__Lactobacillus fell dramatically in the presence of antibiotics. In addition, functional analyses of Picrust2 and KEGG revealed that antibiotic therapy had the most profound impact on the D-Alanine metabolism pathway (p<0.001). Conclusion We found that the alteration of the gut microbiome by antibiotics significantly affects the local and systemic antitumoral effect of iRT, our results may provide new insight on how gut modification converts the local anticancer effects of RT into a systemic response that targets metastatic tumors.

Purpose/Objective(s) No standard treatment exists for locally advanced biliary tract cancer (LABTC). Capecitabine-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is commonly used but has limited survival benefit. This study (ChiCTR2000031786) evaluated the safety and efficacy of adding immunotherapy to CRT for LABTC. Materials/Methods Patients had stage II-III BTC (T4N0M0; T1-4N1M0) (per the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system) and were eligible for chemoradioimmunotherapy (CRIT). Camrelizumab as immunotherapy was given in CRIT followed by chemoimmunotherapy (CIT). Safety was defined by the incidence and severity of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs); efficacy was assessed by objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) rate, and overall survival (OS) rate. Results Twenty patients enrolled in this clinical trial. No patient experienced any severe (grade 3 and higher) AE in kidney function, liver function, blood coagulation or diarrhea. Hematological toxicity, particularly lymphopenia (60%, 95% CI = [38.5%-81.5%]) was the most common adverse events in this clinical trial. Six out of 20 patients (30.0% [9.9%–50.1%]) achieved an objective response after protocol treatment. The 1-year, 1.5-year OS and PFS rates were as follows: 55.0% [30.0%-74.0%], 45.0% [23.0%-69.0%], 40.0% [19.0%-64.0%], and 30.0% [12.0%-54.0%], respectively (n = 20). Among the patients who complete CRIT and CIT (n = 15), the 1-year, 1.5-year OS and PFS rates were 60.0% [31.0%-73.0%], 46.6% [21.0%-73.0%], 40.0% [8.0%-55.0%], and 33.6% [16.0%-68.0%], respectively. Conclusion CRIT followed by CIT was tolerable and feasible for patients with LABTC. Hematological toxicity, particularly lymphopenia deserved more attention on safety.

Higher baseline MTV on F-FAPI-04 PET/CT scans was associated with poorer survival in patients with inoperable PAAD. ΔMTV was more sensitive for predicting response than ΔCA19-9. These results are clinically meaningful for identifying patients with PAAD who are at high risk of disease progression.

TCF21 is a determinant of the malignant phenotype of CAFs in ESCC. Up-regulation of TCF21 expression is a promising approach of inhibiting the growth, migration and invasion, activation and radioresistance of CAFs in ESCC.

We revealed the potential immune suppressive characteristics of CCRT induced senescent immune cells at single-cell resolution, which provides promising therapeutic targets for CC patients.

In a form priming experiment with a lexical decision task, we investigated whether the representational structure of lexical tone in lexical memory impacts spoken word recognition in Mandarin. Target monosyllabic words were preceded by five types of primes: 1) the same real words (/lun4/-/lun4/), 2) real words with only tone contrasts (/lun2/-/lun4/), 3) unrelated real words (/pie3/-/lun4/), 4) pseudowords with only tone contrasts (*/lun3/-/lun4/), and 5) unrelated pseudowords (*/tai3/-/lun4/). We found a facilitation effect in target words with pseudoword primes that share the segmental syllable but contrast in tones (*/lun3/-/lun4/). Moreover, no evident form priming effect was observed in target words primed by real words with only tone contrasts (/lun2/-/lun4/). These results suggest that the recognition of a tone word is influenced by the representational level of tone accessed by the prime word. The distinctive priming patterns between real-word and pseudoword primes are best explained by the connectionist models of tone word recognition, which assume a hierarchical representation of lexical tone.

This study unveils that RCT could induce complex alteration of the expression of immune checkpoint molecules on immune cells as well as stromal cells, which may help further understand the mechanism of anti-tumor effect of RCT and optimize treatment strategies.

A new radioactive positron emission tomography (PET) tracer uses inhibitors of fibroblast activation protein (FAPI) to visualize FAP-expressing cancer associated fibroblasts. Significant FAPI-uptake has recently been demonstrated in biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients. Target volume delineation for radiation therapy still relies on often less precise conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) registered with computed tomography (CT) imaging, especially in locally advanced BTC patients. The need for improvement in precise tumor detection and delineation led us to innovatively use the novel FAPI-PET/CT for radiation treatment planning.Gross tumor volumes (GTVs) of five locally advanced BTC cases were contoured under FAPI-PET/CT method. MRI/CT was used to delineate tumors additionally. The differentiation in target definition was analyzed between FAPI-PET/CT-based GTVs and the manually MRI/CT-based GTVs.Target definition differed significantly between different imaging methods with mean dice similarity coefficients of 0.5527, mean Jaccard similarity coefficients of 0.4296 and mean volumetric overlap difference of 0.5704, while the mean volumes and standard deviations of GTVs were 18.12±15.10 cm3 and 38.44±24.72 cm3, based on FAPI-PET/CT and MRI/CT respectively (P = 0.102). There was a discordance and difference between the volumes of FAPI-GTVs-based GTVs and the manually contoured GTVs based on MRI/CT.Due to its high tumor to background contrast, FAPI-PET/CT seems to be a superior imaging modality compared to the current gold standard MRI/CT in BTC. For the first time, we demonstrate how FAPI-PET/CT could facilitate target definition and increases accuracy in radiation oncology in BTC. Limited to the sample size, we still need more large-scale data to support this view.