Shantou University

Association between Airway Mucus Plugs on Computed Tomography and Respiratory Outcomes in Participants with COPD and with Preserved Spirometry: Findings from a Chinese Population

Abstract Rationale Airway mucus plugs are a prognostic marker in moderate-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but their association with respiratory outcomes has been insufficiently evaluated among participants with preserved spirometry and asymptomatic C...

Thermal Behavior of a Large-Span Continuous-Welded Stainless Steel Roof System

The structure of the large-span metal roof system is complex, and the thermal effect at the key nodes under the thermal load of the operation is significant, leading to fatigue failure risk of load-bearing members and structural safety hazards. Existing studies on metal roof ther...

Large-scale esophageal cancer screening through noncontrast computed tomography and artificial intelligence

The absence of accurate, noninvasive, scalable screening tools keeps early esophageal cancer (EC) detection a global health challenge. Although noncontrast computed tomography (NC CT) is widely accessible, the esophagus is a hollow tubular structure prone to collapse and motion a...

Multidisciplinary management of congenital portosystemic shunt complicated by multifocal hepatoblastoma: a case report

Congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) is a rare developmental malformation that predisposes individuals to an increased risk of hepatic tumors. Hepatoblastoma (HB) complicating CPSS is especially rare. This article reports a 2‑year‑old male with CPSS (Park type I) and HB (PRETEXT...

Cross-Scale Mixed Conduction in Organic Electrochemical Transistors: From Nanoscale Ion–Electron Coupling to Biointegrated Intelligence

Abstract Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are emerging at the convergence of nanoscience, soft materials, and bioelectronics because they couple the ionic signals of living systems with amplified electronic readout through hydrated organic mixed ionic–electronic conduc...

Identification of ADH4 from a ferroptosis-oxidative stress prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background Ferroptosis is a recently identified form of regulated cell death that is closely associated with oxidative stress and redox homeostasis. Although ferroptosis-related prognostic models have been developed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the prognostic valu...

Beyond Vaccine Coverage: The Neglected Treatment-Readiness Gap in Diphtheria Outbreak Response

Diphtheria has re‑emerged across the WHO African Region, with more than 20,000 suspected cases and over 1,200 deaths reported in 2025 alone. The conventional explanation centres on vaccine‑coverage gaps among zero‑dose and under‑immunized children. This narrative review argues th...

Prevalence and clinical correlates of abnormal lipid metabolism in young Chinese patients with first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder

Abnormal lipid metabolism (ALM) is frequently observed in major depressive disorder (MDD), yet its clinical correlates in young adults remain insufficiently elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of ALM in young adult pati...

The DTI-ALPS index covaries with regional thalamic tissue susceptibility rather than clinical severity in Parkinson’s disease: a cross-sectional multimodal MRI study

Abstract Background The diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index is widely used as a non-invasive proxy for glymphatic function, but its biological specificity is increasingly questioned. Its region of interest lies in white matter sharing tha...

Predicting dengue incidence in China using SARIMA and hybrid neural network models: insights for public health planning

Abstract Dengue fever remains a persistent public health challenge in tropical and subtropical regions of China, disproportionately affecting economically disadvantaged and resource-limited areas. Outbreaks of dengue can strain healthcare systems and hinder socio-economic develop...

Extrachromosomal DNA as a platform for epigenetic reprogramming in cancer

Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) has emerged as a major contributor to cancer aggressiveness, yet its role extends far beyond its classical definition as a vehicle for oncogene amplification. Recent studies indicate that ecDNA functions as a dynamic regulatory platform that reshapes...

Can AI replace the stars? The effectiveness of celebrity avatars in emotional connections

Purpose This research aims to investigate how consumers respond to celebrity avatars compared to human celebrities in relational communication contexts. It examines whether parasocial bonds formed with real celebrities transfer to their AI-powered avatar representations. Specific...

Perioperative non-invasive neuromodulation for delirium and cognitive recovery: from preclinical evidence to clinical translation

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) are a challenge for patients to accelerate postoperative recovery, and exploring more effective interventions can help reduce long-term cognitive dysfunction. Non-invasive neuromodulation (NIN) has shown potential in improving postoper...

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of YIGSR-modified liposomes co-loaded with doxorubicin and 5F

Targeted liposomes represent an excellent drug delivery system for enhancing therapeutic effects. In this study, a novel YIGSR-modified liposomal formulation co-encapsulating two antitumor drugs, doxorubicin (DOX) and ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F), was develo...

Usual stochastic order of the third order statistics based on heterogeneous and statistically dependent random variables

Abstract The stochastic ordering of order statistics plays a central role in many fields involving probability and statistics. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in ordering the first and second order statistics from heterogeneous or statistically dependent...

When CSR undermines marketing capability: institutional contingencies in Chinese firms

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been widely shown to strengthen firm competitiveness by building trust, deepening stakeholder relationships and enhancing marketing capability (MC). Yet these benefits rest on a critical premise: that stakeholders perceive CSR as...

AR/PARP Dual‐Targeting Bioactive Photosensitizer for Photo‐Immunotherapy of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer poses a severe threat to men's health worldwide, and conventional therapeutic modalities are associated with various limitations. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers distinctive advantages such as minimal invasiveness, mild side effects and repeatable treatment. How...

Nanomedicines for resistant tumours in the central nervous system: novel materials and mechanisms of action

Central nervous system (CNS) tumours have a dismal prognosis, primarily due to the systemic therapeutic resistance that tumours develop through complex multidimensional networks. Factors related to therapeutic efficacy include: (i) natural physical barriers (e.g., the blood–brain...

On the image of the Hilbert map

Abstract We talk about the image of the Hilbert map. In particular, we show the necessary and sufficient condition for the Hilbert map to be surjective.

Generative AI-Assisted Principal-Facade Renewal of Lingnan Coastal Vernacular Architectural Heritage in Yun’ao Town Under Hot-Humid and Disaster-Prone Weather Conditions: A Grasshopper–Pix2Pix Framework

AI-assisted renewal of living vernacular settlements must preserve regional identity and historical layering while keeping professional judgment central; however, current facade-generation studies rarely connect field-derived architectural knowledge, controllable data constructio...