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Abstract Sclerotinia sclerotiorum could cause significant yield losses of up to 70% in rapeseed cultivation. Nevertheless, the availability of immune or highly resistant germplasm and mechanisms to combat S. sclerotiorum, particularly in B. juncea, remains insufficient. Transcription factors (TFs) are recognized for their critical role in plant defense against S. sclerotiorum. In the present study, a total of 4807 TFs from 48 families were expressed and identified at 12, 24, and 36 h after inoculation (HAI) in two B. juncea lines: G21-912, exhibiting higher S. sclerotiorum resistance (HR), and G21-853, displaying lower S. sclerotiorum resistance (LR). The number of differentially expressed TFs (DETs) between the HR and the LR lines peaked at 24 HAI, with 202 upregulated and 105 downregulated TFs. Through expression and subcellular localization analyses, three candidate DETs, namely BjuA037408 (ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR 59, ERF59), BjuB028842 (RELATED TO ABI3/VP1 1, RAV1), and BjuA016484 (WRKY25), were identified as the primary TFs in defense against S. sclerotiorum inoculation. The expression of these three genes was validated in the double haploid lines of BC3 (the third backcrossing generation) derived from the HR×LR cross. This study serves as a valuable case study for the characterization of TFs associated with defense mechanisms against S. sclerotiorum in B. juncea. The confirmed resistant B. juncea line of HR, along with the three key DETs, is expected to significantly contribute to future breeding efforts aimed at developing Sclerotinia-resistant varieties.

Abstract Effective classification and identification algorithms of small fishing vessels are the key to strengthen ship management. This paper proposes a classification and recognition method for small fishing boats based on GASF sequence diagram coding, addressing the complex and challenging recognition environment. The method focuses on four typical small fishing vessels, utilizing Gramian Summation Angular Field (GASF) time series images and the Efficiency MPViT (EMPViT) model. Unlike traditional approaches, this study initially employs a high-precision laser sensor to gather one-dimensional contour data of fishing boats. Subsequently, the polynomial fitting method is used to delineate the shape of the fishing boat contour, which is then encoded into a two-dimensional time series image using the GASF encoding method. The enhanced EMPViT model is then applied to classify and identify small fishing vessels, with the results verified through ablation experiments. These experiments demonstrate that the EMPViT model surpasses traditional neural network models such as CNN and ViT in both accuracy and performance, achieving a peak accuracy of 99.98%.

Abstract Lines of evidence have indicated that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an independent risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) progression. However, the study focused on the relationship between T2DM and OA at the transcriptional level remains empty. We downloaded OA- and T2DM-related bulk RNA-sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. Differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed to screen out hub genes between OA and T2DM, and functional enrichment was done. Single-cell sequencing analysis was further used to screen key genes on OA and T2DM datasets. Rat chondrocytes and human articular cartilage were used to validate biomarkers among OA and T2DM. Sixty-eight hub genes were obtained, which were mainly enriched in the inflammatory response. We found that the hub gene TNFAIP6 is not only closely related to OA and T2DM but also a marker of prehypertrophic chondrocytes, which are closely related to the progression of OA. TNFAIP6 was found to be significantly elevated in CD14 + monocytes in T2DM patients, and this group of cells can promote inflammation. Validation on rat chondrocytes and human cartilage showed that TNFAIP6 was highly expressed in OA and further increased in the presence of T2DM or high glucose. Our study identified several characteristic modules and hub genes in the pathogenesis of T2DM-induced OA, which may facilitate further investigation of its molecular mechanisms. Up-regulated TNFAIP6 may contribute to OA in patients with T2DM by the recruitment of pro-inflammatory CD14 + monocytes in the OA synovium, which provides a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of T2DM-associated OA.

Abstract Thyroid nodules are a common thyroid disorder, and ultrasound imaging, as the primary diagnostic tool, is susceptible to variations based on the physician’s experience, leading to misdiagnosis. This paper constructs an end-to-end thyroid nodule detection framework based on YOLOv8, enabling automatic detection and classification of nodules by extracting grayscale and elastic features from ultrasound images. First, an attention-weighted DCN is introduced to enhance superficial feature extraction and capture local information. Next, the CPCA mechanism is employed to reduce the interference of redundant information. Finally, a feature fusion network based on an aggregation-distribution mechanism is utilized to improve the learning capability of fine-grained features, enhancing the performance of early nodule detection. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is accurate and effective for thyroid nodule detection, achieving diagnostic rates of 89.3% for benign and 90.4% for malignant nodules based on tests conducted on 611 clinical ultrasound images, with a mean Average Precision at IoU = 0.5 (mAP@50) of 95.5%, representing a 6.6% improvement over baseline models.

Abstract This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of non-ophthalmic medical staff towards myopia-related fundus lesions. This multicenter, cross-sectional study enrolled non-ophthalmic medical staff of Suining City between January and May 2023 using a self-designed questionnaire. A total of 505 (93.19%) valid questionnaires were included. Their mean KAP scores were 8.10 ± 2.32 (range: 0–12), 20.27 ± 2.68 (range: 0–24), and 17.77 ± 5.04 (range: 0–28), respectively. Structural equation modeling indicated that knowledge has a positive effect on attitude (β = 0.307, P

Abstract The Waveflex semi-rigid-dynamic-internal-fixation system shows good short-term effects in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases, but there are few long-term follow-up studies, especially for recovery of sagittal balance. Fifty patients with lumbar degenerative diseases treated from January 2016 to October 2017 were retrospectively analysed: 25 patients treated with Waveflex semi-rigid-dynamic-internal-fixation system (Waveflex group) and 25 patients treated with double-segment PLIF (PLIF group). Clinical efficacy was evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Imaging data before surgery and at 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years postoperatively was used for imaging indicator assessment. Local disc degeneration of the cephalic adjacent segment (including disc height index (DHI), intervertebral foramen height (IFH), and range of motion (ROM)) and overall spinal motor function (including lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), and |PI-LL|) were analysed. Regarding clinical efficacy, comparison of VAS and ODI scores between the Waveflex and PLIF groups showed no significant preoperative or postoperative differences. The comparison of the objective imaging indicators showed no significant differences in the DHI, IFH, LL, |PI-LL|, and SS values between the Waveflex and PLIF groups preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively (P > 0.05). These values were significantly different at 1 and 5 years postoperatively (P

Abstract Dietary salt has been associated with cognitive impairment in mice, possibly related to damaged synapses and tau hyperphosphorylation. However, the mechanism underlying how dietary salt causes cognitive dysfunction remains unclear. In our study, either a high-salt (8%) or normal diet (0.5%) was used to feed C57BL/6 mice for three months, and N2a cells were cultured in normal medium, NaCl medium (80 mM), or NaCl (80 mM) + Liraglutide (200 nM) medium for 48 h. Cognitive function in mice was assessed using the Morris water maze and shuttle box test, while anxiety was evaluated by the open field test (OPT). Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were utilized to assess the level of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and mTOR/p70S6K pathway. Electron microscope and western blotting were used to evaluate synapse function and tau phosphorylation. Our findings revealed that a high salt diet (HSD) reduced the level of synaptophysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95), resulting in significant synaptic damage. Additionally, hyperphosphorylation of tau at different sites was detected. The C57BL/6 mice showed significant impairment in learning and memory function compared to the control group, but HSD did not cause anxiety in the mice. In addition, the level of GLP-1R and autophagy flux decreased in the HSD group, while the level of mTOR/p70S6K was upregulated. Furthermore, liraglutide reversed the autophagy inhibition of N2a treated with NaCl. In summary, our study demonstrates that dietary salt inhibits the GLP-1R/mTOR/p70S6K pathway to inhibit autophagy and induces synaptic dysfunction and tau hyperphosphorylation, eventually impairing cognitive dysfunction.

Abstract Drought severely affects the growth and yield of soybean plants especially during the flowering period. To investigate the effect of 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) in combination with foliar nitrogen (N) at flowering stage on drought resistance and seed yield of soybean under drought stress. This experiment was conducted in 2021 and 2022 on drought-resistant variety (Hefeng 50) and drought-sensitive variety (Hefeng 43) soybean plants treated with foliar N (DS + N) and 2-oxoglutarate (DS + 2OG) at flowering stage under drought stress. The results showed that drought stress at flowering stage significantly increased leaf malonaldehyde (MDA) content and reduced soybean yield per plant. However, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly increased by foliar N treatment, and 2-oxoglutarate synergistically with foliar N treatment (DS + N + 2OG) was more beneficial to plant photosynthesis. 2-oxoglutarate significantly enhanced plant N content, glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activity. Furthermore, 2-oxoglutarate increased the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars under drought stress. Under drought stress, soybean seed yield was increased by DS + N + 2OG treatment by 16.48–17.10% and 14.96–18.84% in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Thus, the combination of foliar N and 2-oxoglutarate better mitigated the adverse effects of drought stress and could better compensate for the yield loss of soybean under drought stress.

Abstract In China and other countries, many highway projects are built in extensive and high-altitude flat areas called plateaus. However, research on how the materialisation of these projects produce a series of ecological risks in the landscape is very limited. In this research, a landscape ecological risk analysis model for high-altitude plateaus is proposed. This model is based on the pattern of land uses of the surrounding area. Our study includes buffer analysis, spatial analysis, and geostatistical analysis. We apply the model to the Qumei to Gangba highway, a highway section located in the southeast city of Shigatse at the Chinese Tibet autonomous region. Through global and local spatial autocorrelation analysis, the spatial clustering distribution of ecological risks is also explored. Overall, our study reveals the spatial heterogeneity of ecological risks and how to better mitigate them. According to a comparison of the risk changes in two stages (before and after the highway construction), the impact of highway construction on the ecological environment can be comprehensively quantified. This research will be of interest to construction practitioners seeking to minimize the impact of highway construction projects on the ecological environment. It will also inform future empirical studies in the area of environmental engineering with potential affection to the landscape in high-altitude plateaus.

Abstract To optimize the collimator angles in dual-arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for whole-brain radiotherapy with hippocampus and inner ear sparing (HIS-WBRT). Two sets of dual-arc VMAT plans were generated for 13 small-cell lung cancer patients: (1) The collimator angles of arcs 1 and 2 (θ 1/θ 2) were 350°/10°, 350°/30°, 350°/45°, 350°/60°, and 350°/80°, i.e., the intersection angle of θ 1 and θ 2 (Δθ) increased. (2) θ 1/θ 2 were 280°/10°, 300°/30°, 315°/45°, 330°/60°, and 350°/80°, i.e., Δθ = 90°. The conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), monitor units (MUs), and dosimetric parameters of organs-at-risk were analyzed. Quality assurance for Δθ = 90° plans was performed. With Δθ increasing towards 90°, a significant improvement was observed for most parameters. In 350°/80° plans compared with 350°/10° ones, CI and HI were improved by 1.1% and 25.2%, respectively; MUs were reduced by 16.2%; minimum, maximum, and mean doses (D 100%, D max, and D mean, respectively) to the hippocampus were reduced by 5.5%, 6.3%, and 5.4%, respectively; D mean to the inner ear and eye were reduced by 0.7% and 5.1%, respectively. With Δθ kept at 90°, the plan quality was not significantly affected by θ 1/θ 2 combinations. The gamma-index passing rates in 280°/10° and 350°/80° plans were relatively lower compared with the other Δθ = 90° plans. Δθ showed a significant effect on dual-arc VMAT plans for HIS-WBRT. With Δθ approaching 90°, the plan quality exhibited a nearly continuous improvement, whereas with Δθ = 90°, the effect of θ 1/θ 2 combination was insignificant.

Abstract Growing evidence indicates that thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure induces many adverse health effects. However, it is unclear how THS exposure affects behavior and how host genetic background modulates phenotypic changes. Here we used the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse population-based model to assess behavioral alterations immediately after THS exposure from 4 to 9 weeks of age. We first measured anxiety-like behavior in six strains using light/dark box combined with a custom multivariate mouse tracking system. We developed an anxiety risk scoring system based on anxiety-related traits and then evaluated the THS impact on them. THS exposure significantly decreased anxiety risk in CC019 (P = 0.002) and CC051 (P = 0.009), but increased anxiety risk in CC036 (P

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) is a common autoimmune disorder. The possible pathogenic role and mechanism of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in CLT is still controversial. Experiments were conducted after 35-days of oral exposure to the three concentrations of DBP or saline, and three immunizations with thyroglobulin (TG). Healthy female Wistar rats were randomly divided into ten exposure groups (n = 8 each): (A) saline control, (B) 0.5 mg/kg/d DBP, (C) 5 mg/kg/d DBP, (D) 50 mg/kg/d DBP, (E) TG-immunized group, (F) TG- combined with 0.5 mg/kg/d DBP, (G) TG- combined with 5 mg/kg/d DBP, (H) TG- combined with 50 mg/kg/d DBP, (I) TG- combined with 50 mg/kg/d DBP plus 100 mg/kg/d vitamin C; (J) 100 mg/kg/d vitamin C. We showed that oral exposure DBP can aggravate CLT in rats. This deterioration was concomitant with increased thyroid auto antibodies, Th1/Th2 imbalance and Th17 immune response, activated pro-inflammatory and apoptosis pathways, and increased thyroid dysfunction in rats. Our results also suggested that DBP could promote oxidative damage. The study also found that vitamin C reduced the levels of oxidative stress and alleviated CLT. In short, the study showed that DBP exacerbated CLT through oxidative stress.

Abstract As a feed additive, xylanase has been widely applied in the feed of monogastric animals, which contains multiple plant polysaccharides. However, during feed manufacture, the high pelleting temperatures challenge wild-type xylanases. The aim of this study was to improve the thermostability of Aspergillus sulphureus acidic xylanase. According to the predicted protein structure, a series of disulphide bridges and proline substitutions were created in the xylanase by PCR, and the mutants were expressed in Pichia pastoris. Enzyme properties were evaluated following chromatographic purification. All the recombinant enzymes showed optima at pH 3.0 and 50 °C or 55 °C and better resistance to some chemicals except for CuSO4. The specific activity of the xylanase was decreased by introduction of the mutations. Compared to the wild-type enzyme, a combined mutant, T53C-T142C/T46P, with a disulphide bond at 53–142 and a proline substitution at 46, showed a 22-fold increase of half-life at 60 °C. In a 10-L fermentor, the maximal xylanase activity of T53C-T142C/T46P reached 1,684 U/mL. It was suggested that the T53C-T142C/T46P mutant xylanase had excellent thermostability characteristics and could be a prospective additive in feed manufacture.

To investigate the correlation between the density and volume of epicardial adipose tissue(EAT)and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study included 355 subjects (mean age: 60.65 ± 9.67 years; 54.65% male), comprising 175 patients with ACS and 180 without ACS. Propensity score matching was applied to balance the variables between the two groups, resulting in 96 successfully matched pairs. Clinical data, epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV), and epicardial adipose tissue density (EATD) were compared. Independent factors influencing ACS were identified using logistic regression analysis, and the predictive ability of each variable was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Systolic blood pressure, EATV, EATD, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly elevated in the ACS group compared with the non-ACS group (all p < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive correlation between EATV and BMI (r = 0.444, p < 0.001), while EATD showed a weak negative correlation with age (r = -0.177, p = 0.014) and a weak positive correlation with EATV (r = 0.239, p = 0.001). Univariable regression analysis demonstrated that both EATV (OR: 2.018, 95% CI: 1.334–3.052) and EATD (OR: 5.341, 95% CI: 3.293–8.663) were associated with ACS. After adjusting for other risk factors, logistic regression model confirmed that EATV (adjusted OR: 1.892, 95%CI: 1.211–2.955) and EATD (adjusted OR: 6.942, 95%CI: 3.875–12.437) were independent predictors of ACS (both p < 0.001), with EATD showing the highest predictive value (AUC = 0.859). This study identifies a close relationship between EAT and ACS, highlighting EATD and EATV as independent influencing factors for ACS. Among them, EATD demonstrated a stronger predictive value for ACS than both traditional risk factors and EATV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal field theory is applied to fermionic superfluids by doubling the degrees of freedom of the BCS theory. We construct the two-mode states and the corresponding Bogoliubov transformation to obtain the BCS thermal vacuum. The expectation values with respect to the BCS thermal vacuum produce the statistical average of the thermodynamic quantities. The BCS thermal vacuum allows a quantum-mechanical perturbation theory with the BCS theory serving as the unperturbed state. We evaluate the leading-order corrections to the order parameter and other physical quantities from the perturbation theory. A direct evaluation of the pairing correlation as a function of temperature shows the pseudogap phenomenon, where the pairing persists when the order parameter vanishes, emerges from the perturbation theory. The correspondence between the thermal vacuum and purification of the density matrix allows a unitary transformation, and we found the geometric phase associated with the transformation in the parameter space.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a novel bracing basket for Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD), which was developed for improved effectiveness and ease of use. This was a prospective randomized, comparative, experimental animal study carried out at a single center. The primary aim was to evaluate the efficacy of ESTD with a novel bracing basket, compared with conventional ESTD. The secondary aims were to assess the quality control of the procedures and adverse events. Twenty procedures (6 esophageal and 14 gastric) were performed in four pigs. All resections were completed as en bloc resections. The technical success rate was 100% for both techniques (bracing basket-assisted ESTD vs. conventional ESTD). The procedure times were similar, but the cutting speed was quicker with bracing basket-assisted ESTD in gastric (antrum:23.3 ± 2.2 mm2/min vs. 15.2 ± 3.2 mm2/min, body: 26.1 ± 1.3 mm2/min vs. 18.4 ± 2.0 mm2/min, p