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Abstract This paper focuses on how regulatory bodies respond to artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled medical devices. To achieve this, we present a comparative overview of the United States (USA), European Union (EU), and China. Our search in the governmental database identified 59 AI medical devices approved in China as of July 2023. In comparison to the rules-based regulatory approach in China, the approaches in the USA and EU are more standards-oriented.

Abstract Fruit length is a crucial agronomic trait of snake gourd (Trichosanthes anguina L); however, genes associated with fruit length have not been characterised. In this study, F2 snake gourd populations were generated by crossing the inbred lines, S1 and S2 (fruit lengths: 110 and 20 cm, respectively). Subsequently, bulk segregant analysis, sequencing, and fine-mapping were performed on the F2 population to identify target genes. Our findings suggest that the fruit length of snake gourd is regulated by a major-effect regulatory gene. Mining of genes regulating fruit length in snake gourd to provide a basis for subsequent selection and breeding of new varieties. Genotype-phenotype association analysis was performed on the segregating F2 population comprising 6,000 plants; the results indicate that the target gene is located on Chr4 (61,846,126–61,865,087 bp, 18.9-kb interval), which only carries the annotated candidate gene, Tan0010544 (designated TFL). TFL belongs to the MADS-box family, one of the largest transcription factor families. Sequence analysis revealed a non-synonymous mutation of base C to G at position 202 in the coding sequence of TFL, resulting in the substitution of amino acid Gln to Glu at position 68 in the protein sequence. Subsequently, an InDel marker was developed to aid the marker-assisted selection of TFL. The TFL in the expression parents within the same period was analysed using quantitative real-time PCR; the TFL expression was significantly higher in short fruits than long fruits. Therefore, TFL can be a candidate gene for determining the fruit length in snake gourd. Collectively, these findings improve our understanding of the genetic components associated with fruit length in snake gourds, which could aid the development of enhanced breeding strategies for plant species.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a natural hormone produced in plants, which plays an important role in plant growth and development and in response to adversity. Increasing research indicates that ABA is involved in plant response to cold stress and enhances the cold tolerance of plants through various pathways. Therefore, the roles, regulator mechanisms and regulator pathways of ABA in plant response to cold stress are summarized. In this paper, we first discuss the mechanism of cold damage in plants. Second, we review the important roles of ABA in enhancing plant cold tolerance, including the interactions between endogenous and exogenous ABA, ABA and other substances, ABA and specific genes and transcription factors, and ABA and phosphorylation. On the whole, the involvement of ABA in the plant’s response to cold stress constitutes a complex and multi-dimensional system. ABA interacts with various factors, including hormones, enzymes, genes and so on, to establish a regulatory network that enhances plant resistance to cold injury. Finally, we also provide some perspectives for future research on plant ABA, and we hope that this paper can provide some lessons for future research on the mechanism of ABA involvement in plant adversity stress.

Infectious diseases pose a major challenge to public health worldwide. In recent years, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases have emerged as major public health threats. Effective prevention, control, and essential monitoring strategies are required to combat the rising global incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases. The frequency of infectious disease outbreaks has increased in the past several decades, and this trend has been predicted to be likely to continue. To effectively identify public health threats, and monitor and alert against infectious diseases, we obtained surveillance data from Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System and conducted a comprehensive analysis of outbreak timing and location from the beginning of the year to December of 2024.

Abstract Background Drought is thought to be a major abiotic stress that dramatically limits tomato growth and production. As signal molecule, melatonin (MT) and carbon monoxide (CO) can enhance plant stress resistance. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of CO involving MT-mediated drought resistance in seedling growth remains unknown. In this study, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Micro-Tom’) seedlings were used to investigate the interaction and mechanism of MT and CO in response to drought stress. Results The growth of tomato seedlings was inhibited significantly under drought stress. Exogenous MT or CO mitigated the drought-induced impairment in a dose-dependent manner, with the greatest efficiency provided by 100 and 500 µM, respectively. But application of hemoglobin (Hb, a CO scavenger) restrained the positive effects of MT on the growth of tomato seedlings under drought stress. MT and CO treatment promoted chlorophyll a (Chl a) and chlorophyll a (Chl b) accumulations. Under drought stress, the intermediate products of chlorophyll biosynthesis such as protoporphyrin IX (Proto IX), Mg-protoporphyrin IX (Mg-Proto IX), potochlorophyllide (Pchlide) and heme were increased by MT or CO, but uroporphyrinogen III (Uro III) content decreased in MT-treated or CO-treated tomato seedlings. Meanwhile, MT or CO up-regulated the expression of chlorophyll and heme synthetic-related genes SlUROD, SlPPOX, SlMGMT, SlFECH, SlPOR, SlChlS, and SlCAO. However, the effects of MT on chlorophyll biosynthesis were almost reversed by Hb. Conclusion The results suggested that MT and CO can alleviate drought stress and facilitate the synthesis of Chl and heme in tomato seedlings. CO played an essential role in MT-enhanced drought resistance via facilitating chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway.

Abscisic acid (ABA) and nitric oxide (NO), as unique signaling molecules, are involved in plant growth, developmental processes, and abiotic stresses. However, the interaction between ABA and NO under abiotic stresses has little been worked out at present. Therefore, this paper reviews the mechanisms of crosstalk between ABA and NO in the regulation of plants in response to environmental stresses. Firstly, ABA-NO interaction can alleviate the changes of plant morphological indexes damaged by abiotic stresses, for instance, root length, leaf area, and fresh weight. Secondly, regulatory mechanisms of interaction between ABA and NO are also summarized, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant enzymes, proline, flavonoids, polyamines (PAs), ascorbate-glutathione cycle, water balance, photosynthetic, stomatal movement, and post−translational modifications. Meanwhile, the relationships between ABA and NO are established. ABA regulates NO through ROS at the physiological level during the regulatory processes. At the molecular level, NO counteracts ABA through mediating post-translational modifications. Moreover, we also discuss key genes related to the antioxidant enzymes, PAs biosynthesis, ABA receptor, NO biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis that are regulated by the interaction between ABA and NO under environmental stresses. This review will provide new guiding directions for the mechanism of the crosstalk between ABA and NO to alleviate abiotic stresses.

Fruit size is a crucial agronomic trait in bottle gourd, impacting both yield and utility. Despite its significance, the regulatory mechanism governing fruit size in bottle gourd remains largely unknown. In this study, we used bottle gourd (small-fruited H28 and large-fruited H17) parent plants to measure the width and length of fruits at various developmental stages, revealing a single ‘S’ growth curve for fruit expansion. Paraffin section observations indicated that both cell number and size significantly influence bottle gourd fruit size. Through bulked segregant analysis and combined genotype–phenotype analysis, the candidate interval regulating fruit size was pinpointed to 17,747,353 bp–18,185,825 bp on chromosome 9, encompassing 0.44 Mb and including 44 genes. Parental fruits in the rapid expansion stage were subjected to RNA-seq, highlighting that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in pathways related to cell wall biosynthesis, sugar metabolism, and hormone signaling. Transcriptome and resequencing analysis, combined with gene function annotation, identified six genes within the localized region as potential regulators of fruit size. This study not only maps the candidate interval of genes influencing fruit size in bottle gourd through forward genetics, but also offers new insights into the potential molecular mechanisms underlying this trait through transcriptome analysis.

Infectious diseases pose a huge threat to human health. Human infectious diseases, especially infections originating from zoonotic or vector-borne sources, are an important global challenge. With the rising number of humans that engage in international travel, infectious disease outbreaks can spread rapidly across continents and borders worldwide. It is therefore important to monitor the transmission of infectious disease efficiently to prevent epidemics. We obtained surveillance data from the Shusi Tech Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System and comprehensively analyzed the timing and location of outbreaks in infected populations from April-June 2024.

In recent years, humanity has faced formidable challenges posed by infectious diseases. For example, previously controlled infectious diseases have undergone resurgences, while ongoing pathogen mutations have given rise to drug-resistant strains. These developments, coupled with changes in natural and societal factors, have contributed to the emergence of new infectious diseases. Spring is a season prone to infectious diseases, with common examples including influenza, measles, smallpox, and dengue fever. These diseases are primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets, airborne transmission, and close contact. To gain insight into the global distribution of infectious diseases we analyzed data from the Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System, which was developed by Shusi Technology, from January to March 2024.

In December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection broke. With the gradual deepening understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, researchers and clinicians noticed that this disease is closely related to the nervous system and has complex effects on the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). In this review, we summarize the effects and mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system, including the pathways of invasion, direct and indirect effects, and associated neuropsychiatric diseases, to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the relationship between COVID-19 and the nervous system.

A plethora of infectious diseases have plagued mankind since the dawn of civilization. Historically, humans have suffered from a range of infectious diseases, including MPOX, Ebola virus, dengue virus, malaria, and influenza. Many respiratory infectious diseases are more likely to occur in cold weather. Due to the speed and easy mode of transmission, and short latency, respiratory infectious diseases are more likely to cause epidemics. It is more likely that influenza will circulate during the autumn-winter months, resulting in great outbreaks of influenza-like illnesses and even serious seasonal epidemics in some cases. We obtained surveillance data from the Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System and comprehensively analyzed the timing and location of outbreaks in infected populations from September-December 2023.

IntroductionLeveraging deep learning in the radiology community has great potential and practical significance. To explore the potential of fitting deep learning methods into the current Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) system, this paper provides a complete and fully automatic deep learning solution for the LI-RADS system and investigates its model performance in liver lesion segmentation and classification.MethodsTo achieve this, a deep learning study design process is formulated, including clinical problem formulation, corresponding deep learning task identification, data acquisition, data preprocessing, and algorithm validation. On top of segmentation, a UNet++-based segmentation approach with supervised learning was performed by using 33,078 raw images obtained from 111 patients, which are collected from 2010 to 2017. The key innovation is that the proposed framework introduces one more step called feature characterization before LI-RADS score classification in comparison to prior work. In this step, a feature characterization network with multi-task learning and joint training strategy was proposed, followed by an inference module to generate the final LI-RADS score.ResultsBoth liver segmentation and feature characterization models were evaluated, and comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted with detailed discussions. Median DICE of liver lesion segmentation was able to achieve 0.879. Based on different thresholds, recall changes within a range of 0.7 to 0.9, and precision always stays high greater than 0.9. Segmentation model performance was also evaluated on the patient level and lesion level, and the evaluation results of (precision, recall) on the patient level were much better at approximately (1, 0.9). Lesion classification was evaluated to have an overall accuracy of 76%, and most mis-classification cases happen in the neighboring categories, which is reasonable since it is naturally difficult to distinguish LI-RADS 4 from LI-RADS 5.DiscussionIn addition to investigating the performance of the proposed model itself, extensive comparison experiment was also conducted. This study shows that our proposed framework with feature characterization greatly improves the diagnostic performance which also validates the effectiveness of the added feature characterization step. Since this step could output the feature characterization results instead of simply generating a final score, it is able to unbox the black-box for the proposed algorithm thus improves the explainability.

The fruit peel color is an important factor that affects its quality. However, genes involved in regulating pericarp color in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) have not been explored to date. Genetic analysis of color traits in bottle gourd peel through a genetic population of six generations demonstrated that the green color of peels is inherited as a single gene dominant trait. Combined phenotype-genotype analysis of recombinant plants using BSA-seq mapped the candidate gene to a 22.645 Kb interval at the head end of chromosome 1. We observed that the final interval contained only one gene, LsAPRR2 (HG_GLEAN_10010973). Sequence and spatiotemporal expression analyses of LsAPRR2 unraveled two nonsynonymous mutations (A→G) and (G→C) in the parental CDS sequences. Further, LsAPRR2 expression was higher in all green-skinned bottle gourds (H16) at various stages of fruit development than in white-skinned bottle gourds (H06). Cloning and sequence comparison of the two parental LsAPRR2 promoter regions indicated 11 bases insertion and 8 SNPs mutations in the region -991~-1033, upstream of the start codon in white bottle gourd. Proof of GUS reporting system, Genetic variation in this fragment significantly reduced the expression of LsAPRR2 in the pericarp of white bottle gourd. In addition, we developed a tightly linked (accuracy 93.88%) InDel marker for the promoter variant segment. Overall, the current study provides a theoretical basis for comprehensive elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms underlying the determination of bottle gourd pericarp color. This would further help in the directed molecular design breeding of bottle gourd pericarp.

Infectious diseases frequently affect children and adults worldwide. Owing to their specific biology and mode of transmission, the presence of infected individuals or carriers in a region often leads to outbreaks of the disease in that region, and in severe cases, to the death of the infected individual. Infectious diseases have been one of the main causes of mass disability or death in humans for centuries. Surveillance of infectious diseases on a continental scale is therefore important for assessing, recognizing, and preventing the risks that these diseases may pose to animal and human health on a global scale. This report focuses on global infectious disease outbreaks and systematically summarises the timing and location of outbreaks in infected populations between 24 July and 23 August 2023 based on the Global Outbreak Information Surveillance System (GOSIS) of Shusi Technologies.

Strigolactones (SLs) are newly discovered plant hormones that modulate a variety of physiological and biochemical processes and plant stress responses. In this study, SLs’ synthetic analog, GR24, significantly improved the growth of tomato seedlings under salt stress, while SLs’ synthesis inhibitor, TIS108, inversed the positive role of SLs, indicating that SLs could effectively enhance salt-stress resistance in tomato. To further explore the mechanism of SL-modulated trehalose (Tre) in response to salt stress, Tre metabolism was analyzed during this process. GR24 increased the endogenous Tre and starch contents and decreased the glucose (Glu) level under salt-stress conditions. Additionally, the TPS and TPP activities were enhanced by GR24 and the activity of THL was inhibited by GR24 under salt stress; thereafter, Tre biosynthesis-related genes, including TPS1, TPS2, TPP1, and TPP2, were also upregulated by GR24 under salt stress. However, the function of GR24 in Tre metabolism was inhibited by TIS108. Thus, the results indicated that GR24 improved the expression levels or activities of Tre biosynthesis-related genes or enzymes and inhibited the transcript level or activity of genes or enzymes related to Tre degradation, respectively, resulting in an increase in the endogenous Tre level and, therefore, weakening the salt toxicity of tomato seedlings.

Many infectious diseases are ubiquitous and pose persistent adverse effects on public health. Infectious diseases have also been leading causes of high mortality in different periods of history. Real-time monitoring and analysis of global infectious disease transmission can provide a comprehensive understanding of critical information regarding the transmission routes, scope, velocity, and effects of viruses or bacteria. Here, using Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System, we analyzed the prevalence of infectious diseases worldwide. We describe types of infectious diseases with relatively low incidence from 24 June 2023 to 23 July 2023 as comprehensibly as possible.

Infectious diseases are a class of diseases caused by various pathogens that can be transmitted between humans and animals or between humans and animals, thus seriously affecting the development of human society. To control the spread of infectious diseases worldwide and ensure the safety of people’s lives, it is essential to regularly analyze global infectious disease cases. This review is based on data from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control in countries around the world, Outbreak News Today and many other epidemiological websites to predict the global infectious disease outbreak trend. In addition, using the Shuci Technology global epidemic information monitoring system, we analyzed the distribution of infectious diseases that occurred around the world from 24 May 2023 to 23 June 2023.

Background Storage roots of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas L.) with different colors vary in anthocyanin content, indicating different economically agronomic trait. As the newest DNA/RNA sequencing technology, Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) have been applied in rapid transcriptome sequencing for investigation of genes related to nutrient metabolism. At present, few reports concern full-length transcriptome analysis based on ONT for study on the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation leading to color change of tuberous roots of sweet potato cultivars. Results The storage roots of purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP) and white-fleshed sweet potato (WFSP) at different developmental stages were subjected to anthocyanin content comparison by UV-visible spectroscopy as well as transcriptome analysis at ONT MinION platform. UV-visible spectrophotometric measurements demonstrated the anthocyanin content of PFSP was much higher than that of WFSP. ONT RNA-Seq results showed each sample generated average 2.75 GB clean data with Full-Length Percentage (FL%) over 70% and the length of N50 ranged from 1,192 to 1,395 bp, indicating reliable data for transcriptome analysis. Subsequent analysis illustrated intron retention was the most prominent splicing event present in the resulting transcripts. As compared PFSP with WFSP at the relative developmental stages with the highest (PH vs. WH) and the lowest (PL vs. WL) anthocyanin content, 282 and 216 genes were up-regulated and two and 11 genes were down-regulated respectively. The differential expression genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis pathway include CCoAOMT, PpLDOX, DFR, Cytochrome P450, CHI, and CHS. The genes encoding oxygenase superfamily were significantly up-regulated when compared PFSP with WFSP at the relative developmental stages. Conclusions Comparative full-length transcriptome analysis based on ONT serves as an effective approach to detect the differences in anthocyanin accumulation in the storage roots of different sweet potato cultivars at transcript level, with noting that some key genes can now be closely related to flavonoids biosynthesis. This study helps to improve understanding of molecular mechanism for anthocyanin accumulation in sweet potatoes and also provides a theoretical basis for high-quality sweet potato breeding.

The miR395 plays an indispensable role in biochemical processes by regulating their target genes. However, little is known about the roles of miR395 in cucumber fruit expansion and response to abiotic stresses. Here, 4 Csa-miR395s and 8 corresponding target genes were identified in the cucumber genome. Csa-miR395s were all located on the same chromosome (Chr 5). Csa-miR395a/b/c and Csa-miR395d were distributed in different branches without a closer genetic relationship. Massive cis-acting elements, including light, phytohormone, and stress response elements, were detected in the promoter regions of Csa-MIR395s, indicating that Csa-miR395s might be involved in complex regulatory networks to control cucumber growth and development and stress response. In addition, Csa-miR395a/b/c shared the same target genes, and Csa-miR395d had its specific target genes. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that Csa-miR395a/b/c were all expressed in the leaf, root, ovary, and expanded fruit of cucumber and highly expressed in the expanded fruits compared to the ovary, while Csa2G215520 and Csa1G502860 (target genes of Csa-miR395a/b/c) presented a downregulated trend in the expanded fruit compared to the ovary. Meanwhile, the protein co-expression network revealed that these target genes had interactions in sulfur metabolism. These results suggested that Csa-miR395a/b/c targeting Csa2G215520 and Csa1G502860 might promote cucumber fruit expansion by affecting sulfur metabolism. Additionally, Quantitative Real-time PCR analysis validated that Csa-miR395s could be regulated by NaCl stress, and Csa-miR395a/b/c could respond to PEG stress, which further confirmed the reliability of cis-acting elements data. Taken together, our results could be helpful for further exploration of the functions of miR395s in cucumber fruit expansion and response to abiotic stresses.

Abstract Additive is a conventional way to enhance halide perovskite active layer performance in multiaspects. Among them, π‐conjugated molecules have significantly special influence on halide perovskite due to the superior electrical conductivity, rigidity property, and good planarity of π‐electrons. In particular, π‐conjugated additives usually have stronger interaction with halide perovskites. Therefore, they help with higher charge mobility and longer device lifetime compared with alkyl‐based molecules. In this review, the detailed effect of conjugated molecules is discussed in the following parts: defect passivation, lattice orientation guidance, crystallization assistance, energy level rearrangement, and stability improvement. Meanwhile, the roles of conjugated ligands played in low‐dimensional perovskite devices are summarized. This review gives an in‐depth discussion about how conjugated molecules interact with halide perovskites, which may help understand the improved performance mechanism of perovskite device with π‐conjugated additives. It is expected that π‐conjugated organic additives for halide perovskites can provide unprecedented opportunities for the future improvement of perovskite devices.

Strigolactones (SLs), as a new phytohormone, regulate various physiological and biochemical processes, and a number of stress responses, in plants. In this study, cucumber ‘Xinchun NO. 4’ is used to study the roles of SLs in seed germination under salt stress. The results show that the seed germination significantly decreases with the increase in the NaCl concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50, and 100 mM), and 50 mM NaCl as a moderate stress is used for further analysis. The different concentrations of SLs synthetic analogs GR24 (1, 5, 10, and 20 μM) significantly promote cucumber seed germination under NaCl stress, with a maximal biological response at 10 μM. An inhibitor of strigolactone (SL) synthesis TIS108 suppresses the positive roles of GR24 in cucumber seed germination under salt stress, suggesting that SL can alleviate the inhibition of seed germination caused by salt stress. To explore the regulatory mechanism of SL-alleviated salt stress, some contents, activities, and genes related to the antioxidant system are measured. The malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, O2−, and proline contents are increased, and the levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) are decreased under salt stress conditions, while GR24 treatment reduces MDA, H2O2, O2−, and proline contents, and increases AsA and GSH contents during seed germination under salt stress. Meanwhile, GR24 treatment enhances the decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes caused by salt stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)], following which antioxidant-related genes SOD, POD, CAT, APX, and GRX2 are up-regulated by GR24 under salt stress. However, TIS108 reversed the positive effects of GR24 on cucumber seed germination under salt stress. Together, the results of this study revealed that GR24 regulates the expression levels of genes related to antioxidants and, therefore, regulates enzymatic activity and non-enzymatic substances and enhances antioxidant capacity, alleviating salt toxicity during seed germination in cucumber.

In the past 5 years, there has been a growing focus on infectious diseases, such as viral infections (coronavirus, Mpox, and influenza), sudden pandemics, and persistent bacterial infections (cholera, malaria, and tuberculosis) that continue to be a challenge in epidemic areas. We analyzed epidemic data from dozens of infectious diseases between 24 April and 23 May 2023 using Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System. This analysis will provide a quick overview of the global epidemic status, and will facilitate the prediction and assessment of future pandemics.

Thousands of years have passed since infectious diseases first endangered human health as the most potentially lethal and debilitating diseases worldwide. The global incidence of infectious diseases has increased significantly over the past decades, such as COVID-19, cholera, dengue, and influenza. Key elements in combating and controlling diseases include monitoring and reporting infectious disease timelines and geographic distribution. We obtained surveillance data from Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System and comprehensively analyzed the timing and location of outbreaks in infected populations from 24 March 2023 to 23 April 2023. Recent worldwide outbreaks of infectious diseases highlight the need to implement effective monitoring strategies and warning systems.

Infectious diseases pose a major burden on public health and economic stability among societies worldwide. For centuries, they have been among the leading causes of death and disability, and are currently presenting growing challenges to health security and human progress. This report focuses on global outbreaks of infectious diseases, relying on Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System to systematically summarize outbreak timing and location in infected populations from February 24, 2023, to March 23, 2023. Therefore, surveillance of infectious diseases on a continental scale is important to assess, recognize and protect against the risks that these diseases may pose to animal, domestic animal and human health on a global scale.

BackgroundIt is a critical challenge to diagnose leptomeningeal metastasis (LM), given its technical difficulty and the lack of typical symptoms. The existing gold standard of diagnosing LM is to use positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology, which consumes significantly more time to classify cells under a microscope.ObjectiveThis study aims to establish a deep learning model to classify cancer cells in CSF, thus facilitating doctors to achieve an accurate and fast diagnosis of LM in an early stage.MethodThe cerebrospinal fluid laboratory of Xijing Hospital provides 53,255 cells from 90 LM patients in the research. We used two deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) models to classify cells in the CSF. A five-way cell classification model (CNN1) consists of lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes, and cancer cells. A four-way cancer cell classification model (CNN2) consists of lung cancer cells, gastric cancer cells, breast cancer cells, and pancreatic cancer cells. Here, the CNN models were constructed by Resnet-inception-V2. We evaluated the performance of the proposed models on two external datasets and compared them with the results from 42 doctors of various levels of experience in the human-machine tests. Furthermore, we develop a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software to generate cytology diagnosis reports in the research rapidly.ResultsWith respect to the validation set, the mean average precision (mAP) of CNN1 is over 95% and that of CNN2 is close to 80%. Hence, the proposed deep learning model effectively classifies cells in CSF to facilitate the screening of cancer cells. In the human-machine tests, the accuracy of CNN1 is similar to the results from experts, with higher accuracy than doctors in other levels. Moreover, the overall accuracy of CNN2 is 10% higher than that of experts, with a time consumption of only one-third of that consumed by an expert. Using the CAD software saves 90% working time of cytologists.ConclusionA deep learning method has been developed to assist the LM diagnosis with high accuracy and low time consumption effectively. Thanks to labeled data and step-by-step training, our proposed method can successfully classify cancer cells in the CSF to assist LM diagnosis early. In addition, this unique research can predict cancer’s primary source of LM, which relies on cytomorphologic features without immunohistochemistry. Our results show that deep learning can be widely used in medical images to classify cerebrospinal fluid cells. For complex cancer classification tasks, the accuracy of the proposed method is significantly higher than that of specialist doctors, and its performance is better than that of junior doctors and interns. The application of CNNs and CAD software may ultimately aid in expediting the diagnosis and overcoming the shortage of experienced cytologists, thereby facilitating earlier treatment and improving the prognosis of LM.

Abstract Perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices have attracted considerable attention owing to their excellent device performances and facile solution processing. However, the toxicity and intrinsic instability of lead‐based perovskites have limited their commercial development. Moreover, the provision of an efficient white emission from a single perovskite layer is challenging. Here, novel electrically excited white light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs) based on lead‐free double perovskite Cs2AgIn0.9Bi0.1Cl6 quantum dots (QDs) without any phosphor are fabricated for the first time. Density functional theory calculations are carried out to clarify the mechanism of absorption and recombination in Cs2AgIn0.9Bi0.1Cl6 with Bi‐doping breaking the parity‐forbidden transition of the direct bandgap. Microzone optical and electronic characterizations reveal that the broadband emission of Cs2AgIn0.9Bi0.1Cl6 QDs originates from self‐trapped excitons, and luminescent properties are unchanged after the film deposition. The QD‐WLED exhibits excellent Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage color coordinates, correlated color temperature and relatively high color rendering index of (0.32, 0.32), 6432 K, and 94.5, respectively. The maximum luminance of 158 cd m−2 is achieved by triphenylphosphine oxide passivation, and this lead‐free QD‐WLED exhibits a superior stability in ambient air with a long T50 ≈48.53 min. Therefore, lead‐free perovskite Cs2AgIn0.9Bi0.1Cl6 QDs are promising candidates for use in WLEDs in the future.

Fast and accurate cerebrospinal fluid cytology is the key to the diagnosis of many central nervous system diseases. However, in actual clinical work, cytological counting and classification of cerebrospinal fluid are often time-consuming and prone to human error. In this report, we have developed a deep neural network (DNN) for cell counting and classification of cerebrospinal fluid cytology. The May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) stained image is annotated and input into the DNN network. The main cell types include lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and red blood cells. In clinical practice, the use of DNN is compared with the results of expert examinations in the professional cerebrospinal fluid room of a First-line 3A Hospital. The results show that the report produced by the DNN network is more accurate, with an accuracy of 95% and a reduction in turnaround time by 86%. This study shows the feasibility of applying DNN to clinical cerebrospinal fluid cytology.

Public health security in human societies is placed under enormous strain by infectious disease epidemics. According to the WHO, COVID-19 and Mpox remain on the list of PHEICs, whereas cholera, dengue, and other contagious diseases remain endemic in several countries and regions. Data on prevalent infectious diseases have been collected worldwide in recent weeks, and may provide new ideas for international collaboration in public health.

Towards commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), further reducing the cost and increasing the stability of PSCs have been the most important tasks of researchers, as the efficiency of single-junction PSCs has reached a competitive level among all kinds of single-junction solar cells. Carbon-electrode-based PSCs (CPSCs), as one of the most promising constructions for achieving stable economical PSCs, now attract enormous attention for their cost-effectiveness and stability. Here, we briefly review the development of CPSCs and reveal the importance of n-i-p architecture for state-of-the-art CPSCs. However, despite their promising potential, challenges still exist in CPSCs in the n-i-p architecture, which mainly stem from the incompact contact of the hole-transporting layer (HTL)/carbon electrode. Thus, new carbon materials and/or novel manufacturing methods should be proposed. In addition, HTL is yet to be appropriate for state-of-the-art CPSCs because the fabrication of carbon electrode could result in the destruction of the underlayer. To further enhance the performance of CPSCs, both the HTL and electron transport layer as well as their interfaces with perovskite active layer need to be improved. We recommend that the perovskite active layer, with its long carrier lifetime, strong carrier transport capability, and long-term stability, is necessary as well for improved performance of CPSCs. We also highlight current researches on CPSCs and provide a systematic review of various types of regulation tools.

Infectious diseases are a major threat to global health and the economic stability of societies worldwide. To prevent outbreaks, monitoring the growth trends of infectious diseases appears to be particularly important and necessary. Herein, data from epidemiological websites, such as the World Health Organization and National Health Council are used to illustrate the outbreak trends for infectious diseases worldwide. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global resurgence in other infectious diseases has been observed, particularly influenza in the United States. Proper surveillance and effective strategies are urgently required to keep emerging infectious diseases under control.

The emergence and reoccurrence of infectious diseases constitute a significant threat to human health. Data for this paper were mainly obtained from official websites, such as the WHO and national CDC websites. The report summarizes and analyzes information on infectious diseases for early outbreak monitoring from 24 November to 23 December 2022. Monkeypox cases declined in December 2022 with few deaths, while cholera infections have increased in African regions and war-torn countries. Most sub-Saharan countries are affected by insect-borne diseases, such as dengue, Lassa, and chikungunya fever.

Peel color is an important factor affecting commodity quality in vegetables; however, the genes controlling this trait remain unclear in wax gourd. Here, we used two F2 genetic segregation populations to explore the inheritance patterns and to clone the genes associated with green and white skin in wax gourd. The F2 and BC1 trait segregation ratios were 3:1 and 1:1, respectively, and the trait was controlled by nuclear genes. Bulked segregant analysis of both F2 plants revealed peaks on Chr5 exceeding the confidence interval. Additionally, 6,244 F2 plants were used to compress the candidate interval into a region of 179 Kb; one candidate gene, Bch05G003950 (BhAPRR2), encoding two-component response regulator-like protein Arabidopsis pseudo-response regulator2 (APRR2), which is involved in the regulation of peel color, was present in this interval. Two bases (GA) present in the coding sequence of BhAPRR2 in green-skinned wax gourd were absent from white-skinned wax gourd. The latter contained a frameshift mutation, a premature stop codon, and lacked 335 residues required for the protein functional region. The chlorophyll content and BhAPRR2 expression were significantly higher in green-skinned than in white-skinned wax gourd. Thus, BhAPRR2 may regulate the peel color of wax gourd. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further studies of the mechanism of gene regulation for the fruit peel color of wax gourd.

Infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and monkeypox, pose a severe threat to economic development in all countries, as well as to the health of people everywhere. The World Health Organization and National Health Council epidemiological websites were used herein as data sources. Shusi Tech’s Global Epidemic Information Monitoring System was used to analyze the data for infectious diseases, determine changes in global epidemics, determine the distribution and quantity of infectious disease cases from October 24, 2022 to November 23, 2022, and analyze their changing trends. Furthermore, the analysis of these data can be used to predict prevalence rates, and assess epidemic prevention and control measures.

Infectious diseases continue to pose a major threat to worldwide public health. Infections by Coronavirus Disease 2019 have eased but continue to negatively affect international economic development. The situation of other infectious diseases, such as monkeypox and mosquito-borne diseases, became stable in October. Monitoring epidemic situation of infectious diseases can provide rapid insight into global transmission trends and assist in predicting epidemic situations. Visualizations and analyses summarizing the past few weeks of global data on major infectious diseases are provided.

Hydrogen gas (H2) is a unique molecular messenger, which is known to be involved in diverse physiological processes in plants, from seed germination to seedling growth to regulation of environmental stresses. In this review, we focus on the role of H2 in plant responses to abiotic stresses, such as temperature, osmotic stress, light, paraquat (PQ)-induced oxidative stresses, and metal stresses. In general, H2 can alleviate environmental stresses by improving the antioxidant defense system, photosynthetic capacity, re-establishing ion homeostasis and glutathione homeostasis, maintaining nutrient element homeostasis, mediating glucose metabolism and flavonoid pathways, regulating heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling, and interaction between H2 and nitric oxide (NO), carbonic oxide (CO), or plant hormones. In addition, some genes modulated by H2 under abiotic stresses are also discussed. Detailed evidence of molecular mechanisms for H2-mediated particular pathways under abiotic stress, however, is scarce. Further studies regarding the regulatory roles of H2 in modulating abiotic stresses research should focus on the molecular details of the particular pathways that are activated in plants. More research work will improve knowledge concerning possible applications of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) to respond to abiotic stresses with the aim of enhancing crop quality and economic value.

The threat of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms to both human health and the economy is enormous. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a global pandemic. In contrast to many other infectious diseases, monkeypox spreads rapidly and cannot be ignored. Collection of data on contagious diseases can provide quantitative evidence to support effective pandemic control strategies. Global data on predominant infectious diseases collected in the past several weeks and a summary of their epidemiology are presented herein.

Abstract The design of enzyme-response hydrogels has attracted increasing interest in cell therapy, biomedical research, and tissue engineering. Their rational design usually depends on the enzyme-response mechanism and have focused on behavior improvement, drug delivery, and state transition of hydrogels. However, no enzyme-response mechanism has yet been systematically investigated. Here, we construct a tunable platform of tannic acid-embedded chitosan/γ-polyglutamic acid hydrogel to study the enzyme-response mechanism. We track the roles of gallic acid hydrolyzed from tannic acid in altering the structure and properties of the hydrogel to get insights into the mechanism. The gallic acid inside the hydrogel enhances hydrogel crosslinking, increasing the mechanical properties and pH sensitivity but reducing thickness, porosity, and swelling behavior. The gallic acid outside the hydrogel increases the positive potential and superficial hydrophobicity of the hydrogel. These findings will aid the rational design of other enzyme-response hydrogels in more extensive self-adaptive fields.

Noncoding RNAs are important for regulation of cardiac hypertrophy. The function of MALAT1 (a long noncoding mRNA), miR-181a, and HMGB2; their contribution to cardiac hypertrophy; and the regulatory relationship between them during this process remain unknown. In the present study, we treated primary cardiomyocytes with angiotensin II (Ang II) to mimic cardiac hypertrophy. MALAT1 expression was significantly downregulated in Ang II-treated cardiomyocytes compared with control cardiomyocytes. Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy was suppressed by overexpression of MALAT1 and promoted by genetic knockdown of MALAT1. A dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that MALAT1 acted as a sponge for miR-181a and inhibited its expression during cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was suppressed by overexpression of a miR-181a inhibitor and enhanced by overexpression of a miR-181a mimic. HMGB2 was downregulated during cardiac hypertrophy and was identified as a target of miR-181a by bioinformatics analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay. miR-181a overexpression decreased the mRNA and protein levels of HMGB2. Rescue experiments indicated that MALAT1 overexpression reversed the effect of miR-181a on HMGB2 expression. In summary, the results of the present study show that MALAT1 acts as a sponge for miR-181a and thereby regulates expression of HMGB2 and development of cardiac hypertrophy. The novel MALAT1/miR-181a/HMGB2 axis might play a crucial role in cardiac hypertrophy and serve as a new therapeutic target.

Abstract In this work, grain boundary (GB) potential barrier ( Δφ GB), dopant density (Pnet), and filled trap state density (PGB,trap) were manipulated at the nanoscale by exposing the fabricated perovskite films to various relative humidity (RH) environments. Spatial mapping of surface potential in the perovskite film revealed higher positive potential at GBs than inside the grains. The average Δφ GB, Pnet, and PGB,trap in the perovskite films decreased from 0% RH to 25% RH exposure, but increased when the RH increased to 35% RH and 45% RH. This clearly indicated that perovskite solar cells fabricated at 25% RH led to the lowest average GB potential, smallest dopant density, and least filled trap states density. This is consistent with the highest photovoltaic efficiency of 18.16% at 25% RH among the different relative humidities from 0% to 45% RH.

Biopolymer-based hydrogel beads possessing intrinsic low-toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability have gained widespread utility in several applications. Among the biopolymers, cellulose is one of the most abundant renewable biomaterials. Herein cellulose hydrogel beads have been prepared by dissolving cellulose in 68% ZnCl2 solution and then crosslinking the polymer chains through calcium ions. The water and ethanol washing of the beads profoundly influences the beads architecture as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and Scanning electron microscopy. The total crystallinity index of the beads increases with the amount of calcium ions that is further enhanced by water washing. These beads, possessing a layer-like nanoporous structure, are capable of loading bovine serum albumin (BSA) and releasing in a sustained manner. The outcome promises a large-scale production of cellulose beads having the potential to be eco-friendly and inexpensive delivery carriers in food, pharmaceutical, medical and agriculture applications.

A previous study has demonstrated that adiponectin (APN) could promote preadipocyte differentiation, and the present study further explored its mechanism. 3T3-L1 cells were infected with adenovirus holding human adiponectin gene apM1 and mouse neuronatin (Nnat) shRNA and initiated differentiation while coculturing with mature adipocytes stimulated with LPS. After 8 days, preadipocyte differentiation was observed by Oil Red O staining. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to evaluate mRNA expression levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in 3T3-L1 cells were detected. Western blotting was done to quantify the protein expression levels of Nnat, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, p65, and inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (IκB) α. Results demonstrated that APN overexpression markedly increased preadipocyte differentiation; inhibited gene expression of MCP-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α; reduced ROS and MDA release; increased T-AOC and SOD levels; upregulated Nnat, PPAR γ, and IκB α protein expressions; and downregulated p65 protein expression under LPS stimulation. However, the effects of APN were markedly attenuated when Nnat expression was knocked down. Taken together, the present study provided evidences that the effects of APN on promoting preadipocyte differentiation under inflammatory conditions via anti-inflammation and antioxidative stress may be regulated by the PPAR γ/Nnat/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this work was to study the co-production of nattokinase and poly (γ-glutamic acid) by Bacillus subtilis natto with soybean and rice husk under solid-state fermentation (SSF). The results showed that the size of soybean particle and rice husk significantly improved the co-production of nattokinase and poly (γ-glutamic acid), yielding 2503.4 IU/gs and 320 mg/gs, respectively in the improved culture medium composed of 16.7% soybean flour and 13.3% rice husk with 70% water content. The yields increased by approximate 7- and 2-fold factor relative to their original ones. Thus, the co-production of nattokinase and poly (γ-glutamic acid) under SSF could be considered as an efficient method to exploit agro-residues for economical production of some higher-value products.