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The sea level in coastal areas of China reached the second highest in 2021, just after that recorded in 2022. External force and dynamic analyses based on tide gauges, satellite observations, reanalysis data and regional numerical outputs were conducted to understand these abnormally high sea levels and determine their possible causes. Results show that the coastal sea level of China had increased at an annual rate of 3.4 ± 0.3 mm during 1980–2021, with an acceleration of 0.06 ± 0.02 mm per year2. The superposition of significant oscillations of quasi-2, 3–7, quasi-9, quasi-11, quasi-19 and 20–30 years contributed to the anomalously high sea levels. The negative-phased El Niño/Southern Oscillation was correlated with the anomalously high sea level and the north‒south anti-phase pattern of the coastal sea level in 2021. Meanwhile, phase lags of 1–4 months occurred with the sea-level response. On a decadal timescale, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) was negatively correlated with the anomalous mean sea level (MSL), and the negative-phased PDO contributed to the anomalous sea-level change in 2021. Particularly, the monthly MSL peaked in April and July, and the contribution of wind stress to the anomalously high sea level was 38.5% in the south of the Taiwan Strait in April and 30% along the coast of China in July. These results were consistent with the tide gauge and satellite data. Close agreement was also observed between the coastal sea-level fingerprint and the air and sea surface temperatures.

Abstract Background Human patients often experience an episode of serious seizure activity, such as status epilepticus (SE), prior to the onset of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), suggesting that SE can trigger the development of epilepsy. Yet, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein (Lrp4), a receptor for proteoglycan-agrin, has been indicated to modulate seizure susceptibility. However, whether agrin-Lrp4 pathway also plays a role in the development of SE-induced TLE is not clear. Methods Lrp4 f/f mice were crossed with hGFAP-Cre and Nex-Cre mice to generate brain conditional Lrp4 knockout mice (hGFAP-Lrp4 −/− ) and pyramidal neuron specific knockout mice (Nex-Lrp4 −/− ). Lrp4 was specifically knocked down in hippocampal astrocytes by injecting AAV virus carrying hGFAP-Cre into the hippocampus. The effects of agrin-Lrp4 pathway on the development of SE-induced TLE were evaluated on the chronic seizure model generated by injecting kainic acid (KA) into the amygdala. The spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) in mice were video monitored. Results We found that Lrp4 deletion from the brain but not from the pyramidal neurons elevated the seizure threshold and reduced SRS numbers, with no change in the stage or duration of SRS. More importantly, knockdown of Lrp4 in the hippocampal astrocytes after SE induction decreased SRS numbers. In accord, direct injection of agrin into the lateral ventricle of control mice but not mice with Lrp4 deletion in hippocampal astrocytes also increased the SRS numbers. These results indicate a promoting effect of agrin-Lrp4 signaling in hippocampal astrocytes on the development of SE-induced TLE. Last, we observed that knockdown of Lrp4 in hippocampal astrocytes increased the extracellular adenosine levels in the hippocampus 2 weeks after SE induction. Blockade of adenosine A1 receptor in the hippocampus by DPCPX after SE induction diminished the effects of Lrp4 on the development of SE-induced TLE. Conclusion These results demonstrate a promoting role of agrin-Lrp4 signaling in hippocampal astrocytes in the development of SE-induced development of epilepsy through elevating adenosine levels. Targeting agrin-Lrp4 signaling may serve as a potential therapeutic intervention strategy to treat TLE.

In order to clarify the controlling effect of different packaging materials on common storage pests, the penetration and survival of 7 kinds of high density polyethylene films with different concentrations of deltamethrin by the larvae of 3 common species of stored grain pests (Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), Tribolium confusum Duval and Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius)) were investigated after being treated by two penetration methods for different times at 27~29 ℃ and 70%~80% RH. The results showed that all the tested new insect-proof films had certain insect resistance capabilities, which were different based on species of stored grain insects. In addition, the insect resistance capability of the 6 kinds of new films containing chemicals was higher than that of the control films after 9 days of treatment, and the anti-penetration rate of 1% A (HDPE particle containing 5% deltamethrin by mass) film, 3% A film, 1% B (HDPE particle containing 5% deltamethrin and 2% isoethers by mass) film and 3% B film was 100% under two penetration modes. The survival rate of all three species larvae decreased with increasing treatment time. After 9 days of parallel penetration treatment, the survival rate of three species of larvae on 3%B film was significantly lower than that of other films, and the survival rate of L. serricorne larvae reduced to 10% at the lowest. According to the penetration resistance and larvae survival rate of the test insects on the films, 3% B film had the best insect control effectiveness.

Chemotherapeutics can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells, offering new possibilities for cancer therapy. However, the efficiency of the immune response generated is insufficient due to the inhibitory nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we developed a pH/reactive oxygen species (ROS) dual-response system to enhance chemoimmunotherapy for melanoma. The system productively accumulated in tumors by specific binding of phenylboronic acid (PBA) to sialic acids (SA). The nanoparticles (NPs) rapidly swelled and released quercetin (QUE) and doxorubicin (DOX) upon the stimulation of tumor microenvironment (TME). The in vitro and in vivo results consistently demonstrated that the NPs improved anti-tumor efficacy and prolonged survival of mice, significantly enhancing the effects of the combination. Our study revealed DOX was an ICD inducer, stimulating immune responses and promoting maturation of dendritic cells (DCs). Additionally, QUE served as a TME regulator by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2)-prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) axis, which influenced various immune cells, including increasing cytotoxic T cells (CLTs) infiltration, promoting M1 macrophage polarization, and reducing regulatory T cells (Tregs) infiltration. The combination synergistically facilitated chemoimmunotherapy efficacy by remodeling the immunosuppressive microenvironment. This work presents a promising strategy to increase anti-tumor efficiency of chemotherapeutic agents.

Laparoscopic surgery is extensively applied in the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases. Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) is a rare complication following hepatic biliary surgery through laparoscopy. The clinical manifestations of HAP are diverse and can be fatal. Given its severity, rapid assessment and management are crucial to ensuring a good prognosis. Here, we report three cases of HAP; two underwent laparoscopic surgery due to cholelithiasis, and another caused by trauma. The first case exhibited a pseudoaneurysm involving the distal portion of the right hepatic artery main trunk. The second patient had a pseudoaneurysm at the bifurcation of the left and right hepatic arteries. The third case involved a patient with a pseudoaneurysm involving a branch of the right hepatic artery. The main clinical manifestations of all three cases were bleeding from the biliary tract (the first two cases showed postoperative bleeding in the T-tube, while the third case exhibited gastrointestinal bleeding). The final diagnosis was obtained through digital subtraction angiography. The three patients underwent successful transcatheter arterial embolization operation and a follow-up revealed they were disease-free and alive. This article aims to highlight a rare complication of laparoscopic hepatobiliary surgery and share our experience in early diagnosis and treatment of HAP.

Summary: Biomarker screening is critical for precision oncology. However, one of the main challenges in precision oncology is that the screened biomarkers often fail to achieve the expected clinical effects and are rarely approved by regulatory authorities. Considering the close association between cancer pathogenesis and the evolutionary events of organisms, we first explored the evolutionary feature underlying clinically approved biomarkers, and two evolutionary features of approved biomarkers (Ohnologs and specific evolutionary stages of genes) were identified. Subsequently, we utilized evolutionary features for screening potential prognostic biomarkers in four common cancers: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, liver hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and lung squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, we constructed an evolution-strengthened prognostic model (ESPM) for cancers. These models can predict cancer patients’ survival time across different cancer cohorts effectively and perform better than conventional models. In summary, our study highlights the application potentials of evolutionary information in precision oncology biomarker screening.

Stored grain is extremely vulnerable to the storage insects during storage and processing. At present, chemical control is still the main method for controlling stored grain insects. However, the increasing resistance of insects caused by long-term use of chemical control raises unprecedented challenges. Insect-repellent packaging, as a traditional and emerging physical insect prevention method, has increasingly attracted widespread attention among people. The types and characteristics of food packaging materials, the types and application of insect-repellent packaging, the research and evaluating methods of insect-repellent packaging at home and abroad, and the problems existing in the practical application of insect-repellent packaging were reviewed, and the development trend of insect-repellent packaging was prospected, so as to provide reference information for the scientific and efficient use of insect-repellent packaging, development of new insect-repellent packaging to control stored grain insects in the future.

Abstract As a new data management paradigm, knowledge graphs can integrate multiple data sources and achieve quick responses, reasoning and better predictions in drug discovery. Characterized by powerful contagion and a high rate of morbidity and mortality, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a common infectious disease in the global swine industry that causes economically great losses. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has advantages in low adverse effects and a relatively affordable cost of application, and TCM is therefore conceived as a possibility to treat PRRS under the current circumstance that there is a lack of safe and effective approaches. Here, we constructed a knowledge graph containing common biomedical data from humans and Sus Scrofa as well as information from thousands of TCMs. Subsequently, we validated the effectiveness of the Sus Scrofa knowledge graph by the t-SNE algorithm and selected the optimal model (i.e., transR) from six typical models, namely, transE, transR, DistMult, ComplEx, RESCAL and RotatE, according to five indicators, namely, MRR, MR, HITS@1, HITS@3 and HITS@10. Based on embedding vectors trained by the optimal model, anti-PRRSV TCMs were predicted by two paths, namely, VHC-Herb and VHPC-Herb, and potential anti-PRRSV TCMs were identified by retrieving the HERB database according to the pharmacological properties corresponding to symptoms of PRRS. Ultimately, Dan Shen's (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge) capacity to resist PRRSV infection was validated by a cell experiment in which the inhibition rate of PRRSV exceeded 90% when the concentrations of Dan Shen extract were 0.004, 0.008, 0.016 and 0.032 mg/mL. In summary, this is the first report on the Sus Scrofa knowledge graph including TCM information, and our study reflects the important application values of deep learning on graphs in the swine industry as well as providing accessible TCM resources for PRRS.

Abstract Innate sensors initiate the production of type I interferons (IFN-I) and proinflammatory cytokines to protect host from viral infection. Several innate nuclear sensors that mainly induce IFN-I production have been identified. Whether there exist innate nuclear sensors that mainly induce proinflammatory cytokine production remains to be determined. By functional screening, we identify 40 S ribosomal protein SA (RPSA) as a nuclear protein that recognizes viral nucleic acids and predominantly promotes proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in antiviral innate immunity. Myeloid-specific Rpsa-deficient mice exhibit less innate inflammatory response against infection with Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and Influenza A virus (IAV), the viruses replicating in nucleus. Mechanistically, nucleus-localized RPSA is phosphorylated at Tyr204 upon infection, then recruits ISWI complex catalytic subunit SMARCA5 to increase chromatin accessibility of NF-κB to target gene promotors without affecting innate signaling. Our results add mechanistic insights to an intra-nuclear way of initiating proinflammatory cytokine expression in antiviral innate defense.

BackgroundThe relationship between serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether serum ANA was associated with an increased risk of RA in a case–control study.MethodsPatients with rheumatoid arthritis hospitalized at Shandong Provincial Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were recruited as the case group, and patients with other types of arthritis and healthy people at the same time were taken as the control group. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assays. Propensity score matching was employed to construct a cohort of patients exhibiting comparable baseline characteristics. The relationship between serum ANA and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis was analyzed by logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 1,175 patients with RA and 1,662 control subjects were included in this study. After adjusting for potential confounding factors in the propensity-score matched cohort, the risk of RA gradually increased with rising of ANA titers. When ANA titers were divided into three groups (1:100, 1:320, and 1:1,000), the OR (95% CI) for ANA titers from low to high was 3.95 (3.01, 5.18), 16.63 (9.44, 29.30), and 17.34 (9.53, 31.54), respectively, compared to those when ANA was negative. The ANA patterns closely related to the occurrence of RA include nuclear homogeneous, nuclear speckled, and cytoplasmic speckled. Among them, the positive rate of nuclear homogeneous was the highest, which accounted for 42.64%. The OR (95% CI) of ANA patterns including nuclear homogeneous, nuclear speckled, and cytoplasmic speckled was 16.81 (11.46, 24.65), 3.40 (2.49, 4.63), and 3.09 (1.77, 5.40), respectively.ConclusionThere was a curve relation between ANA titer and RA, and the higher the ANA titer, the higher the probability of RA. However, there was no statistical difference in probability of RA for 1:320 versus 1:1,000 ANA titers. The most important kind of ANA pattern in the blood of RA patients was nuclear homogeneous. These findings suggest that ANA may be a novel risk marker for RA.

Summary: Motivation-driven mating is a basic affair for the maintenance of species. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that control mating motivation are not fully understood. Here, we report that NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in the medial amygdala (MeA) is pivotal in regulating mating motivation. NRG1 expression in the MeA negatively correlates with the mating motivation levels in adult male mice. Local injection and knockdown of MeA NRG1 reduce and promote mating motivation, respectively. Consistently, knockdown of MeA ErbB4, a major receptor for NRG1, and genetic inactivation of its kinase both promote mating motivation. ErbB4 deletion decreases neuronal excitability, whereas chemogenetic manipulations of ErbB4-positive neuronal activities bidirectionally modulate mating motivation. We also identify that the effects of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling on neuronal excitability and mating motivation rely on hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 3. This study reveals a critical molecular mechanism for regulating mating motivation in adult male mice.

Summary: Although melanoma-associated antigen A3 and A6 (MAGEA3/6)-specific tumor vaccines have shown antitumor effects in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), many cancers do not respond because MAGEA3 can promote cancer without triggering an immune response. Here, we identified DUB3 as the MAGEA3 deubiquitinase. DUB3 interacts with, deubiquitinates and stabilizes MAGEA3. Depletion of DUB3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells results in MAGEA3 degradation and P53-dependent growth inhibition. Moreover, DUB3 knockout attenuates HCC tumorigenesis in vivo, which can be rescued by restoration of MAGEA3. Intriguingly, pharmacological inhibition of DUB3 by palbociclib promotes degradation of MAGEA3 and inhibits tumor growth in preclinical models implanted with parental HCC cells but not with DUB3 knockout HCC cells. In patients with HCC, DUB3 is highly expressed, and its levels positively correlate with MAGEA3 levels. Taken together, DUB3 is a MAGEA3 deubiquitinase, and abrogating DUB3 enzymatic activity by palbociclib is a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Background: Linezolid has been reported to protect against chronic bone and joint infection. In this study, linezolid was loaded into the 3D printed poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold with nano-hydroxyapatite (HA) to explore the effect of this composite scaffold on infected bone defect (IBD). Methods: PLGA scaffolds were produced using the 3D printing method. Drug release of linezolid was analyzed by elution and high-performance liquid chromatography assay. PLGA, PLGA-HA, and linezolid-loaded PLGA-HA scaffolds, were implanted into the defect site of a rabbit radius defect model. Micro-CT, H&E, and Masson staining, and immunohistochemistry were performed to analyze bone infection and bone healing. Evaluation of viable bacteria was performed. The cytocompatibility of 3D-printed composite scaffolds in vitro was detected using human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Long-term safety of the scaffolds in rabbits was evaluated. Results: The linezolid-loaded PLGA-HA scaffolds exhibited a sustained release of linezolid and showed significant antibacterial effects. In the IBD rabbit models implanted with the scaffolds, the linezolid-loaded PLGA-HA scaffolds promoted bone healing and attenuated bone infection. The PLGA-HA scaffolds carrying linezolid upregulated the expression of osteogenic genes including collagen I, runt-related transcription factor 2, and osteocalcin. The linezolid-loaded PLGA-HA scaffolds promoted the proliferation and osteogenesis of BMSCs in vitro via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, the rabbits implanted with the linezolid-loaded scaffolds showed normal biochemical profiles and normal histology, which suggested the safety of the linezolid-loaded scaffolds. Conclusion: Overall, the linezolid-loaded PLGA-HA scaffolds fabricated by 3D printing exerts significant bone repair and anti-infection effects.