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ABSTRACT Fungi and bacteria often occupy very similar niches; they interact closely with each other, and bacteria can provide direct or indirect benefits to plants that form mutualistic interactions with fungi. In orchids, successful seed germination largely depends on compatible mycorrhizal fungi, but whether and how bacteria contribute to seed germination and protocorm development remains largely unknown. Here, we performed field and laboratory experiments to assess the potential role of bacteria in mediating seed germination and protocorm development in the terrestrial orchid Gymnadenia conopsea. Our results suggested that bacterial and fungal communities differ between developmental stages in the germination process. The diversity of bacterial and fungal communities and their interaction network in germinating seeds (Stage 1) differed significantly from those in later developmental stages (Stages 2–5). Pseudomonas gradually became the dominant bacterial group as the protocorms matured and showed a positive association with Ceratobasidiaceae fungi. Seed germination tests in vitro demonstrated that co-inoculation of Ceratobasidium sp. GS2 with Pseudomonas isolates significantly improved protocorm growth and development, suggesting that the observed increase in Pseudomonas abundance during protocorm development directly or indirectly improves the growth of germinating seeds. Overall, our findings indicate that bacteria may exert non-negligible effects on seed germination of orchids and, therefore, offer valuable perspectives for future strategies for conservation and cultivating orchid species.IMPORTANCEIt is well known that orchid seeds depend on mycorrhizal fungi to supply the necessary nutrients that support germination in natural environments. Apart from fungi, bacteria may also be involved in the germination process of orchid seeds, but so far, their role has not been intensively studied. This research provides evidence that bacterial community composition changes during seed germination of the terrestrial orchid Gymnadenia conopsea. Interestingly, in vitro experiments showed that Pseudomonas spp., which were the most dominant bacteria in the later germination stages, improved protocorm growth. These results suggest that bacteria contribute to the germination of orchid seeds, which may open new perspectives to apply bacteria as a biofertilizer in the introduction and restoration of G. conopsea populations.

Purpose: To explore the correlation between afterimages induced by repeated low-level red light (RLRL) and changes in refraction. Method: Patients who used RLRL for myopia control from 2023.02 to 2024.06 were included in this study. The afterimage appeared on a gray background (RGB 217,217,217; Lab 87,0,0). Afterimage color was recorded with CIELAB nomenclature (R, G, B; L, a, b), and afterimage duration (T) was recorded in seconds. Axial length (AL) and axial length-to-corneal radius ratio (AL/CR) were followed up at 1-, and 3-month. Participants were divided into groups based on a = 0 for GroupR (a>0,red bias in afterimage) and GroupG (a0,yellow bias in afterimage) and GroupB (b50.50,longer afterimage duration). Results: A total of 52 participants were included in this study, with an age of 9.25 (1.75) years, 27 (51.92 %) males. The T median (P25, P75) was 50.50 (31.25,85.50) s. After RLRL treatment, divided by a = 0, GroupG showed significantly more shortening in the AL changes than GroupR at 1month and 3months (both P0.05). Conclusion: The change of AL after RLRL treatment showed a correlation to the afterimage. Patients with green afterimage and shorter afterimage duration have a better AL shortening after RLRL treatment. Afterimage may serve as a biomarker for more effective myopia control.

The rhizosphere, as the “frontline” of plant life, connects plant roots, rhizosphere microorganisms, and surrounding soil, plays a crucial role in plant growth and health, particularly in sustainable agriculture. Despite the well-established contribution of plant-microbe interactions to plant health, the specific molecular mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This review aims to summarize the physiological adjustments and signal modulation that both plants and microorganisms undergo within this unique ecological niche to ensure successful colonization. By analyzing key processes such as chemotaxis, root attachment, immune evasion, and biofilm formation, we uncover how plants precisely modulate root exudates to either recruit or repel specific microorganisms, thereby shaping their colonization patterns. These findings provide new insights into the complexity of plant-microbe interactions and suggest potential directions for future research in sustainable agriculture.

Abstract Kiwifruit soft rot is highly contagious and causes serious economic loss. Therefore, early detection and elimination of soft rot are important for postharvest treatment and storage of kiwifruit. This study aims to accurately detect kiwifruit soft rot based on hyperspectral images by using a deep learning approach for image classification. A dual-branch selective attention capsule network (DBSACaps) was proposed to improve the classification accuracy. The network uses two branches to separately extract the spectral and spatial features so as to reduce their mutual interference, followed by fusion of the two features through the attention mechanism. Capsule network was used instead of convolutional neural networks to extract the features and complete the classification. Compared with existing methods, the proposed method exhibited the best classification performance on the kiwifruit soft rot dataset, with an overall accuracy of 97.08% and a 97.83% accuracy for soft rot. Our results confirm that potential soft rot of kiwifruit can be detected using hyperspectral images, which may contribute to the construction of smart agriculture.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of pluripotent adult stem cell with strong self-renewal and multi-differentiation abilities. Their excellent biological traits, minimal immunogenicity, and abundant availability have made them the perfect seed cells for treating a wide range of diseases. After more than 60 years of clinical practice, metformin is currently one of the most commonly used hypoglycaemic drugs for type 2 diabetes in clinical practice. In addition, metformin has shown great potential in the treatment of various systemic diseases except for type 2 diabetes in recent years, and the mechanisms are involved with antioxidant stress, anti-inflammatory, and induced autophagy, etc. This article reviews the effects and the underlying mechanisms of metformin on the biological properties, including proliferation, multi-differentiation, and aging, of MSCs in vitro and in vivo with the aim of providing theoretical support for in-depth scientific research and clinical applications in MSCs-mediated disease treatment.

Fissures are an important factor to induce slope instability of expansive soil channel, which destroys the integrity of soil mass and deteriorates soil mass. Currently, the research is limited to the fissures in the plane direction, and it is very important to reveal the development mechanism of fissures in expansive soils along the depth direction by studying the development law of fissures in expansive soils with different thicknesses. In this study, taking expansive soil on channel slope of the Middle Route Project of South-to-North Water Transfer as an example, crack expansion tests with thickness of 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm and 40 mm are carried out based on self-designed crack expansion test device. An innovative test method for volumetric fracturing rate is proposed and the following conclusions are drawn: (1) the later the cracking time of soil body is, the lower the water content of cracking and the higher the water content after stabilization when the soil body is thicker; (2) When the fissures develop in soils of different thicknesses, their plane fissure rate changes with time in accordance with the logistic law; (3) Volumetric fracturing increases significantly with thickness; (4) The development of fissures is the form of stress release of soil mass, and the release along depth direction is the main form for soil mass with large thickness. (5) It is of great significance to study the law of fracture development in depth direction for further exploring the mechanism of fracture propagation.

Abstract Background We aimed to demonstrate the regulatory effect of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) ENAH‐202 on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) development as well as its molecular mechanism. Methods We detected ENAH‐202 expression in OSCC tissues and cell lines by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR). The biological function of ENAH‐202 was assessed in vitro and in vivo using CCK‐8, colony formation assays, transwell assays, xenograft formation, and tail vein injection. The further molecular mechanism by which ENAH‐202 promoted OSCC progression was identified using RNA pull‐down, LS‐MS/MS analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Results ENAH‐202 was significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues and cells. ENAH‐202 promoted OSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. The expression of enabled homolog (ENAH) and epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins was changed with the expression of ENAH‐202. Moreover, ENAH‐202 promoted the transcription of Vimentin (VIM) by binding with ZNF502, which can help ENAH‐202 promote OSCC progression. Conclusions ENAH‐202 facilitated OSCC cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating ZNF502/VIM axis, which played an important role in OSCC progression.

ABSTRACTGinseng black spot, caused by Alternaria panax, is one of the most common diseases of Panax ginseng, which usually causes serious yield loss of ginseng plants. However, the pathogenic mechanism of A. panax has not been clarified clearly. Mycotoxins produced by phytopathogens play an important role in the process of infection. Previous study reported that dibutyl phthalate (DBP) identified from the metabolites of A. panax is a potent mycotoxin against P. ginseng. However, more evidence suggests that DBP is one of the constituents of plasticisers. To identify mycotoxins from A. panax and evaluate their phytotoxicity on the leaves of P. ginseng, different chromatographic, spectral and bioassay-guided methods were used together in this report. As a result, tyrosol (1), 3-hydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) propanoic acid (2), and 3-benzylpiperazine-2,5-dione (3) were isolated and characterised from the extract of A. panax, in which compounds 1 and 2 showed phytotoxic activity on ginseng leaves. Furthermore, DBP was confirmed to come from the residue of ethyl acetate through UPLC-MS/MS analysis, and displayed no phytotoxicity on ginseng leaves based on biological experiments. The results in this report first revealed that tyrosol (1), and 3-hydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) propanoic acid (2) not DBP were the potent mycotoxins of A. panax.

ABSTRACTAlmost all orchids rely on mycorrhizal fungus to support their seed germination. To date, the effect of active components in mycorrhizal fungus on orchid seed germination largely remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of active components found in mycorrhizal fungus on orchid seed germination. Specifically, we focused on a terrestrial orchid Gymnadenia conopsea and its host-specific seed germination supporting fungus Ceratobasidium GS2. In total, several steroids (1–7) were isolated from this fungus. Notably, compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 exhibited significant enhancements in protocorm volume. Moreover, compounds 1–6 demonstrated strong promotion of protocorm differentiation. These findings suggest that steroids may play a crucial role in the symbiotic germination of G. conopsea seeds. Future studies should continue to explore the specific mechanisms through which these steroids exert their effects, contributing to our understanding of orchid biology and mycorrhizal interaction.

Insufficient drug accumulation at tumor sites is one of the key factors leading to treatment failure in breast cancer (BC), and developing a chemotherapeutic drug delivery system that can improve the immune microenvironment to expand the benefits of immunochemotherapy for BC remains a challenge. To increase the efficacy of BC treatment by extending drug retention at the tumor site, we developed a pH-responsive peptide modified with the PHSCN peptide sequence (Pep1) that self-assembles to form spherical DM/Pep1 nanoparticles after encapsulating doxorubicin (DOX) and metformin (MET). In the acidic tumor microenvironment, spherical nanocarriers transform into aggregates with a high aspect ratio, facilitating DOX and MET release for combined chemotherapy and immunomodulation. In cellular experiments, this construct provided prolonged drug retention in BC cells. In a subcutaneous tumor mouse model, the DM/Pep1 nanoparticles exhibited a superior tumor inhibition effect compared to that of free DOX/MET. The DM/Pep1 nanocomplex upregulated CD4, induced calreticulin (CRT) exposure, downregulated PD-L1, and enhanced the MET-mediated antitumor immune response. The use of this pH-responsive peptide nanocarrier system with morphological transformation offers a promising strategy for BC therapy.

The repair mechanism for corneal epithelial cell injuries encompasses migration, proliferation, and differentiation of corneal epithelial cells, and extracellular matrix remodeling of the stromal structural integrity. Furthermore, it involves the consequential impact of corneal limbal stem cells (LSCs). In recent years, as our comprehension of the mediating mechanisms underlying corneal epithelial injury repair has advanced, it has become increasingly apparent that growth factors play a pivotal role in this intricate process. These growth factors actively contribute to the restoration of corneal epithelial injuries by orchestrating responses and facilitating specific interactions at targeted sites. This article systematically summarizes the role of growth factors in corneal epithelial cell injury repair by searching relevant literature in recent years, and explores the limitations of current literature search, providing a certain scientific basis for subsequent basic research and clinical applications.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the local application of silver nitrate (LASN) as an adjuvant treatment before deep lamellar keratoplasty (DLKP) for fungal keratitis responding poorly to medical treatment.MethodsA total of 12 patients (12 eyes) with fungal keratitis responding poorly to medical treatment (for at least 2 weeks) were included. LASN was performed using 2% silver nitrate, the ulcer was cleaned and debrided, and then, the silver nitrate cotton stick was applied to the surface of the ulcer for a few seconds. The effect of LASN was recorded. The number of hyphae before and after treatment was determined by confocal microscope. After the condition of the ulcer improved, DLKP was performed. Fungal recurrence, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), loose sutures, and endothelial cell density (ECD) were recorded in detail.ResultsClinical resolution of corneal infiltration and edema was observed, and the ulcer boundary became clear in all 12 patients after 7–9 days of LASN. Confocal microscopy showed that the number of hyphae was significantly reduced. Ocular pain peaked on days 1 and 2 after treatment, and 9 patients (75%, day 1) and 1 patient (8.3%, day 2) required oral pain medication. During the follow-up period after DLKP, no fungal recurrence and loose sutures were observed. After the operation, the BCVA of all patients improved. The mean corneal ECD was 2,166.83 ± 119.75 cells/mm2.ConclusionThe LASN was safe and effective and can be well tolerated by patients. Eye pain can be relieved quickly. LASN as an adjuvant treatment before DLKP might be a promising therapeutic strategy.

The chemical engineering of natural extracts has emerged as an effective strategy for the production of diverse libraries of chemicals, making it integral to drug discovery. A chemical engineering strategy based on the epoxidation and ring-opening reactions was used to prepare diversity-enhanced extracts of Chaetomium madrasense 375. Eleven unnatural cytochalasan derivatives (1–11) with unique functional groups, such as amine and isoxazole, were isolated and characterized from these chemically engineered extracts of C. madrasense 375. The identification of these new structures was accomplished through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, supplemented by synthetic considerations. Notably, compounds 5 and 13–16 displayed potent phytotoxic effects on Arabidopsis thaliana, while compounds 1, 2, 5, 10, and 12 demonstrated inhibitory activities on LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells. Among them, compound 1 was found to be able to inhibit the upregulated expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein induced by LPS, while also decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6) and influencing the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, and JNK at 100 μM. Our findings demonstrate that the chemical engineering of natural product extracts can be an efficient technique for the generation of novel bioactive molecules.

Purpose. To compare the refractive errors measured by the Spot photoscreener (with or without cycloplegia) to cycloplegic retinoscopy in 6- to 10-week-old infants. Materials and Methods. 101 right eyes from 101 healthy infants aged 6 to 10 weeks were recruited for this cross-sectional observational study. Refractive errors were measured using Spot photoscreener before and after cycloplegia, as well as cycloplegic retinoscopy. Comparisons between the refractive measurements were performed using one-way ANOVA with the post hoc Tukey HSD test or Kruskal–Wallis test with the Steel–Dwass test according to the data normality. Pearson’s correlation test and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The agreement was evaluated using a Bland–Altman plot with 95% limits of agreement of the differences. Results. Spot photoscreener was found to underestimate the spherical equivalent by 2.33 Diopters (D) in these infants. Following the induction of cycloplegia, the spherical equivalent measured by Spot photoscreener was in excellent agreement with cycloplegic retinoscopy with the mean difference of 0.01 D. Spot photoscreener overestimated cylindrical parameter by 0.2 D with poor agreement with cycloplegic retinoscopy no matter whether cycloplegia was induced. It had good agreement with cycloplegic retinoscopy in the J0 vector than the J45 vector measurement. Conclusions. With the induction of cycloplegia, Spot photoscreener can accurately evaluate spherical equivalent in hyperopic infants with mild-to-moderate astigmatism. While it may provide valuable measurements of astigmatism, discrepancies in cylinder and axis should be taken into account.

Abstract Linear DNA undergoes a series of compression and folding events, forming various three‐dimensional (3D) structural units in mammalian cells, including chromosomal territory, compartment, topologically associating domain, and chromatin loop. These structures play crucial roles in regulating gene expression, cell differentiation, and disease progression. Deciphering the principles underlying 3D genome folding and the molecular mechanisms governing cell fate determination remains a challenge. With advancements in high‐throughput sequencing and imaging techniques, the hierarchical organization and functional roles of higher‐order chromatin structures have been gradually illuminated. This review systematically discussed the structural hierarchy of the 3D genome, the effects and mechanisms of cis‐regulatory elements interaction in the 3D genome for regulating spatiotemporally specific gene expression, the roles and mechanisms of dynamic changes in 3D chromatin conformation during embryonic development, and the pathological mechanisms of diseases such as congenital developmental abnormalities and cancer, which are attributed to alterations in 3D genome organization and aberrations in key structural proteins. Finally, prospects were made for the research about 3D genome structure, function, and genetic intervention, and the roles in disease development, prevention, and treatment, which may offer some clues for precise diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.

The risk of compound drought heatwave events (CDHEs) and their persistence has intensified in recent decades and is expected to increase faster in the future. Projecting future changes in the CDHEs and the area of the cropland exposed to CDHEs under different scenarios is critical for climate adaptation and sustainable development. In this study, we analyze cropland exposure to extreme CDHEs at the global and continental scales under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios for the mid-term (2041–2060) and long-term (2081–2100) of the 21st century by using 14 CMIP6 GCMs and LUH2 land-use data. We find that the extreme CDHEs with high frequency are mainly located in tropical areas. The frequency of extreme CDHEs in the future will be much higher than that of the baseline period (1995–2014), and the increased frequency will be more obvious with the emissions increase. Overall, the global total cropland exposure in warm season during the 1995–2014 period will be 148.05 × 103 km2 month−1. Exposure in the mid-term and long-term will be 868.68–1801.25 and 1058.58–3887.54 × 103 km2 month−1 under the different SSP scenarios. The climate effect will be the dominant driving factor for the increase in cropland exposure. Cropland exposure to extreme CDHEs will increase on all continents, especially in Asia and Africa. Our findings provide scientific evidence of the benefit of limiting low-emission scenarios which will effectively reduce cropland exposure to CDHEs under future climate change.

Dendrobium nobile Lindl., as an endangered medicinal plant within the genus Dendrobium, is widely distributed in southwestern China and has important ecological and economic value. There are a variety of metabolites with pharmacological activity in D. nobile. The alkaloids and polysaccharides contained within D. nobile are very important active components, which mainly have antiviral, anti-tumor, and immunity improvement effects. However, the changes in the compounds and functional genes of D. nobile induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are not clearly understood. In this study, the metabolome and transcriptome of D. nobile were analyzed after exposure to MeJA. A total of 377 differential metabolites were obtained through data analysis, of which 15 were related to polysaccharide pathways and 35 were related to terpenoids and alkaloids pathways. Additionally, the transcriptome sequencing results identified 3256 differentially expressed genes that were discovered in 11 groups. Compared with the control group, 1346 unigenes were differentially expressed in the samples treated with MeJA for 14 days (TF14). Moreover, the expression levels of differentially expressed genes were also significant at different growth and development stages. According to GO and KEGG annotations, 189 and 99 candidate genes were identified as being involved in terpenoid biosynthesis and polysaccharide biosynthesis, respectively. In addition, the co-expression analysis indicated that 238 and 313 transcription factors (TFs) may contribute to the regulation of terpenoid and polysaccharide biosynthesis, respectively. Through a heat map analysis, fourteen terpenoid synthetase genes, twenty-three cytochrome P450 oxidase genes, eight methyltransferase genes, and six aminotransferase genes were identified that may be related to dendrobine biosynthesis. Among them, one sesquiterpene synthase gene was found to be highly expressed after the treatment with MeJA and was positively correlated with the content of dendrobine. This study provides important and valuable metabolomics and transcriptomic information for the further understanding of D. nobile at the metabolic and molecular levels and provides candidate genes and possible intermediate compounds for the dendrobine biosynthesis pathway, which lays a certain foundation for further research on and application of Dendrobium.

Abstract A tightly coupled integrated navigation system (TCINS) for hypersonic vehicles is proposed when the satellite signals are disturbed. Firstly, the architecture of the integrated navigation system for the hypersonic vehicle is introduced. This system applies fiber SINS, BeiDou satellite receiver (BDS) and System On a Parogrammable Chip (SOPC) missile-born computer. Subsequently, the SINS mechanization for hypersonic vehicle is presented. The J2 model is employed for the normal gravity of the near space. An algorithm for updating the attitude, velocity and position is designed. State equations and measurement equations of SINS/BDS tightly coupled integrated navigation for hypersonic vehicle are given, and a scheme of validity for satellite data is designed. Finally, the SINS/BDS tightly coupled vehicle field tests and hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) simulation tests are carried out. The vehicle field test and HWIL simulation results show that the heading angle error of tightly coupled integrated navigation is within 0.2°, the pitch and roll angle errors are within 0.05°, the maximum velocity error is 0.3 m/s, and the maximum position error is 10 m.

Endophytic fungi from desert plants belong to a unique microbial community that has been scarcely investigated chemically and could be a new resource for bioactive natural products. In this study, 13 secondary metabolites (1–13) with diverse carbon skeletons, including a novel polyketide (1) with a unique 5,6-dihydro-4H,7H-2,6-methanopyrano[4,3-d][1,3]dioxocin-7-one ring system and three undescribed polyketides (2, 7, and 11), were obtained from the endophytic fungus Neocamarosporium betae isolated from two desert plant species. Different approaches, including HR-ESI-MS, UV spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, NMR, and CD, were used to determine the planar and absolute configurations of the compounds. The possible biosynthetic pathways were proposed based on the structural characteristics of compounds 1–13. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 9 exhibited strong cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells compared with the positive control. Several metabolites (2, 4–5, 7–9, and 11–13) were phytotoxic to foxtail leaves. The results support the hypothesis that endophytic fungi from special environments, such as desert areas, produce novel bioactive secondary metabolites.

Identifying the relationship between fish aggregations and artificial reefs (ARs) is important for optimizing reef structures and protecting marine resources subjected to external disturbance. Yet, knowledge remains limited of how the distribution of fish is affected by shelter availability provided by different AR structures. Here, we tested the effects of two structural attributes on the distribution of a benthic juvenile reef fish (fat greenling, Hexagrammos otakii). We used a laboratory mesocosm experiment with a simplified reef unit that was made of covered structure and non-covered structure. The covered structure was defined as the area inside ARs that provided effective shelter. The non-covered structure was defined as the area along the edge of ARs, which attracts fish but has lower sheltering effects. Four scenarios of two orthogonal structural attributes contained in a reef unit were implemented: size of covered structure (small shelter versus large shelter) and size of non-covered structure (small edge versus large edge), forming three size ratios of shelters to edges (low, medium, and high). The sheltering effects of the four scenarios were evaluated based on changes to the distribution patterns of fish under disturbance. We found that the reef with a large shelter had a better sheltering effect than the reef with a small shelter, but was limited by its small edge, especially when fish density was high. In contrast, the sheltering effect of the reef with a small shelter was limited by its large edge compared to the small edge. Thus, a moderate shelter-edge ratio enhanced the ability of juvenile fat greenling to elude external disturbance. Our findings highlight the importance of quantifying how the structural composition of reefs affects fish distributions, providing guidance to optimize AR structures.

Abstract To improve the reliability and optimize the maintenance strategy of a large‐scale wind farm, a health condition assessment method of wind turbine generator system (WTGS) based on multiple turbines cooperation is presented in this paper. First, a health condition assessment framework is established by analyzing the existing monitoring characteristics of SCADA system. Second, to quantify the health condition of a WTGS, the concept of synthetic degradation factor is introduced and calculated using variable weight of assessment indices. Third, in order to acquire the health level of a WTGS effectively, based on the idea of multiple turbines cooperation, the health condition assessment model is proposed by utilizing the moving average method and quantile algorithm. Finally, by using SCADA monitoring data of a wind farm with 33 × 1.5 MW WTGSs including temperature, pressure, vibration, and so on; the processes of condition assessment are performed, and the effectiveness is also compared to a traditional assessment method with the fixed threshold. The results show that the condition assessment that utilizes the proposed method can acquire the change of health conditions and has a better coherence with real health conditions.

PurposeTo explore the associations between anthropometric indicators and refraction in school-aged children in the post-COVID-19 era.MethodsData were collected from 25,644 children aged 7 to 12 years in 48 elementary schools in Tianjin. The comprehensive examination included height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), refraction, and calculation of BMI, with a follow-up visit after 6 months. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤-0.50 diopter (D). Bivariate correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression models were used to explore the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between anthropometric indicators (height, weight, BMI, SBP, and DBP) and refraction.ResultsThe mean changes in height, weight, BMI, SBP, DBP, and SER of the participants were 4.03 ± 2.18 cm, 3.10 ± 2.39 kg, 0.45 ± 1.16 kg/m2, 2.26 ± 14.74 mmHg, 2.18 ± 11.79 mmHg and −0.17 ± 0.51 D, respectively. Overall, height, weight, BMI, SBP, and DBP were all correlated with SER (r = −0.324, r = −0.234, r = −0.121, r = −0.112, r = −0.066, both p < 0.001), and changes in height and weight were correlated with changes in SER (r = −0.034, −0.031, both p < 0.001). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the association of BMI, SBP, and DBP with SER was significant in myopic children but not in non-myopic children. The association between changes in weight and changes in SER was only present in non-myopic children but not in myopic children.ConclusionHeight and weight were negatively correlated with SER in both cross-sectional analysis and longitudinal changes, indicating that children's height, weight and growth rate may be used as a reference indicator for myopia risk prediction and myopia progression monitoring.

Objective. To investigate the clinical characteristics and pathogenic genetic mutations of a Chinese family with anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis and congenital posterior polar cataract. Methods. Through family investigation, the family members were examined via slit lamp anterior segment imaging and screened for eye and other diseases by eye B-ultrasound. Genetic test was performed on the blood samples of the fourth family generation (23 people) via whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) and Sanger sequencing. Results. Among the 36 members in four family generations, there were 11 living cases with different degrees of ocular abnormalities, such as cataracts, leukoplakia, and small cornea. All patients who received the genetic test had the heterozygous frameshift mutation c.640_656dup (p.G220Pfs∗95) on exon 4 of the PITX3 gene. This mutation was cosegregated with the clinical phenotypes in the family and thus might be one of the genetic factors that cause the corresponding ocular abnormalities in this family. Conclusion. The congenital posterior polar cataract with or without anterior interstitial dysplasia (ASMD) of this family was inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, and the frameshift mutation (c.640_656dup) in the PITX3 gene was the cause of ocular abnormalities observed in this family. This study is of great significance for guiding prenatal diagnosis and disease treatment.

As people pay more and more attention to quality of life, stomatology, as one of the main branches of modern medicine, has experienced rapid development. The research results of many fields, such as molecular biology, analytical chemistry, material chemistry and other disciplines, are gradually applied in the field of stomatology. Due to the advantages of fast response, flexible design, high specificity, high sensitivity and easy operation, fluorescent probe technology is widely used not only in environmental monitoring, food analysis, bioanalysis and life sciences, but also in stomatology as an increasingly powerful analytical and research tool. In this review, we will introduce the uses of fluorescent probes in stomatology for detection, diagnosis, imaging, treatment and screening from five aspects: oral and maxillofacial tumors, dental hard tissue diseases, oral soft tissue diseases, oral related ion diseases, and forensic dentistry. It is hoped that our review may contribute to the further development of fluorescent probes in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, non-toxicity, and stability, thus enhancing the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of stomatological diseases, and laying the foundation for further study of oral disease mechanisms.

BackgroundChildren are vulnerable to the respiratory effects of air pollution, and their lung function has been associated with long-term exposure to low air pollution level in developed countries. However, the impact of contemporary air pollution level in developing countries as a result of recent efforts to improve air quality on children's lung function is less understood.MethodsWe obtained a cross-sectional sample of 617 schoolchildren living in three differently polluted areas in Anhui province, China. 2-year average concentrations of air pollutants at the year of spirometry and the previous year (2017–2018) obtained from district-level air monitoring stations were used to characterize long-term exposure. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of FVC (FEF25−75) were determined under strict quality control. Multivariable regression was employed to evaluate the associations between air pollution level and lung function parameters, overall and by demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and vitamin D that was determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsMean concentration of fine particulate matter was 44.7 μg/m3, which is slightly above the interim target 1 standard of the World Health Organization. After adjusting for confounders, FVC, FEV1, and FEF25−75 showed inverse trends with increasing air pollution levels, with children in high exposure group exhibiting 87.9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.5, 166.4] mL decrement in FEV1 and 195.3 (95% CI: 30.5, 360.1) mL/s decrement in FEF25−75 compared with those in low exposure group. Additionally, the above negative associations were more pronounced among those who were younger, girls, not exposed to secondhand smoke, non-overweight, physically inactive, or vitamin D deficient.ConclusionsOur study suggests that long-term exposure to relatively high air pollution was associated with impaired lung function in children. More stringent pollution control measures and intervention strategies accounting for effect modification are needed for vulnerable populations in China and other developing countries.

Epimedium pubescens is a species of the family Berberidaceae in the basal eudicot lineage, and a main plant source for the traditional Chinese medicine “Herba Epimedii”. The current study achieved a chromosome-level genome assembly of E. pubescens with the genome size of 3.34 Gb, and the genome guided discovery of a key prenyltransferase (PT) in E. pubescens. Our comparative genomic analyses confirmed the absence of Whole Genome Triplication (WGT-γ) event shared in core eudicots and further revealed the occurrence of an ancient Whole Genome Duplication (WGD) event approximately between 66 and 81 Million Years Ago (MYA). In addition, whole genome search approach was successfully applied to identify 19 potential flavonoid PT genes and an important flavonoid PT (EpPT8) was proven to be an enzyme for the biosynthesis of medicinal compounds, icaritin and its derivatives in E. pubescens. Therefore, our results not only provide a good reference genome to conduct further molecular biological studies in Epimedium genus, but also give important clues for synthetic biology and industrial production of related prenylated flavonoids in future.

Five furanoids including a new analog (S)-1,4-di(furan-2-yl)-2-hydroxybutane-1,4-dione (1) together with four known ones, rhizosolaniol (2), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (3), 2-furoic acid (4) and (2-furyl) oxoacetamide (5), were isolated from the fungal strain Ceratobasidium sp. (GS2) inducing seed germination of the endangered medicinal plant Gymnadenia conopsea of Orchidaceae. The structure of new furanoid 1 was determined mainly based on HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectral data. Modified Mosher’s reactions were used to establish the stereochemistry of the hydroxyl group in 1, which was not stable in Mosher’s reagents and transformed into four analogs 6–9. These degraded products (6–9) were elucidated based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, and compound 8 was further isolated from the degraded mixture and its structure was characterized through NMR experiments. Therefore, the absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by electronic circular dichroism combined with quantum-chemical calculations adopting time-dependent density functional theory. Compounds (1–5), and 8 showed weak antioxidant activities, and compounds (2–4) displayed phytotoxicity on punctured detached green foxtail leaves. In addition, compounds 3 and 4 strongly showed inhibition activities on the seed germination of G. conopsea. This was the first chemical investigation of the symbiotic fungus of G. conopsea.

BackgroundCancer survivors at different stages of life often have different needs that make it challenging for services to provide satisfactory care. Few studies have considered whether services are truly meeting the needs of cancer patients by exploring and identifying their perspectives on unmet needs.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify the unmet needs of cancer survivors and to further determine the potential impact of socio-demographic factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study that included 4195 cancer patients was conducted in Shanghai, China. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory as a conceptual framework, the questionnaire included five dimensions: information, life and finances, continuing care, emotions, and self-actualization. Correlation analysis and ordered logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between demographic sociological factors and unmet needs for supportive care.ResultsThe most common unmet supportive care needs include information needs (2.91 ± 1.32), self-actualization needs (2.69 ± 1.32) and continuing care needs (2.59 ± 1.30). Unmet needs for life and finances were more pronounced among cancer participants in the 45-69 age group. After adjusting for confounders, we found that each 6-month increase in the time since diagnosis was associated with a 0.8% (OR: 0.992, 95% CI: 0.985-0.998) reduction in high need for continuing care and a 0.9% (OR:0.991, 95% CI: 0.983-0.999) reduction in high need for self-actualization, respectively.ConclusionsInformation needs are the most important concern among the diverse unmet needs of cancer survivors. Time since diagnosis is associated with unmet supportive care needs of cancer survivors. The findings highlight the large gap between actual health services and patients’ unmet need for supportive care, which will provide the basis for a patient-centered supportive care system for cancer survivors.

Because orchid mycorrhizal fungi are important for orchid seed germination, addition of germination-supporting fungal inoculum to the soil can be an efficient way to improve in situ seed germination of terrestrial orchids, but empirical evidence is still largely lacking. In this study, we used seed inoculation experiments to test the hypothesis that addition of fungal inoculum increases seed germination of the terrestrial orchid Gymnadenia conopsea under natural field conditions. In China, this species has suffered dramatic declines in abundance due to habitat loss, grazing and over-collection, while observational studies have shown very low recruitment of seedlings into natural populations. Previous research has shown that the fungal strain GS2 (Ceratobasidiaceae) was able to support germination under in vitro conditions. Seed packages were used to bury orchid seeds in the soil with and without fungal inoculum and to assess seed germination. In total, 11.96 ± 2.65 % of seeds had the testa ruptured when fungal inoculum was added to the seed packages, 10.63 ± 3.32 % of seeds germinated to the protocorm formation stage, 5.24 ± 2.71 % of the seeds grew to the protocorm differentiation stage, and 3.16 ± 1.63 % of seeds finally formed early seedlings. In contrast, no seed germination was observed in the control groups without fungal inoculum. We isolated the fungi associating with the germinating seeds and confirmed that seed germination was supported by fungal strain GS2. In addition, several other fungi were isolated from germinating seeds, including four other Ceratobasidiaceae strains that are known to support seed germination in vitro. Our results highlight the potential of fungal inoculum to induce seed germination of terrestrial orchids under field conditions and may be useful when developing more efficient symbiotic seed germination protocols for the restoration and conservation of terrestrial orchids, especially in situations where natural germination is severely limited.

Abstract Oxygen therapy has been widely used in clinical practice, especially in anesthesia and emergency medicine. However, the risks of hyperoxemia caused by excessive O2 supply have not been sufficiently appreciated. Because nasal inhalation is mostly used for oxygen therapy, the pulmonary capillaries are often the first to be damaged by hyperoxia, causing many serious consequences. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism by which hyperoxia injures pulmonary capillary endothelial cells (LMECs) has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we systematically investigated these issues using next-generation sequencing and functional research techniques by focusing on non-coding RNAs. Our results showed that hyperoxia significantly induced apoptosis and profoundly affected the transcriptome profiles of LMECs. Hyperoxia significantly up-regulated miR-181c-5p expression, while down-regulated the expressions of NCAPG and lncRNA-DLEU2 in LMECs. Moreover, LncRNA-DLEU2 could bind complementarily to miR-181c-5p and acted as a miRNA sponge to block the inhibitory effect of miR-181c-5p on its target gene NCAPG. The down-regulation of lncRNA-DLEU2 induced by hyperoxia abrogated its inhibition of miR-181c-5p function, which together with the hyperoxia-induced upregulation of miR-181c-5p, all these significantly decreased the expression of NCAPG, resulting in apoptosis of LMECs. Our results demonstrated a ceRNA network consisting of lncRNA-DLEU2, miR-181c-5p and NCAPG, which played an important role in hyperoxia-induced apoptosis of vascular endothelial injury. Our findings will contribute to the full understanding of the harmful effects of hyperoxia and to find ways for effectively mitigating its deleterious effects.

Sophora flower (Huaihua) is the flower of Sophora japonica L., which is used in ethnic food and traditional medicine in China. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanism related to the nutritional quality and regulation of floral organ development has yet to be elucidated in Huaihua. To understand the molecular mechanism of the different developmental stages of Huaihua, this study evaluated the transcriptome analyses of five different developmental periods from Huaihua. A total of 84,699 unigenes were reassembled from approximate 50 million high-quality clean reads. The results showed that the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fatty acid elongation process pathways were strongly induced at different developmental stage genes in Huaihua. During this study, 394 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for further studies, which included 13 phenylpropanoid biosynthesis-related genes, 186 plant hormone signal transduction-related genes, and 195 starch and sucrose metabolism response genes. Regarding the peroxidase in the lignin synthesis pathway, CCoAOMT was significantly upregulated with the development of Huaihua. The enzyme genes in flavonoid synthesis, such as PAL, 4CL, flavonol reductase, and 3 GT, were significantly downregulated during Huaihua development. In addition, the results also indicated that the enrichment key genes in these pathways of Huaihua can be divided into two distinct parts at developmental stages. In the floral bud stage, flavonoid, auxin, and cytokine synthesis-related genes were highly expressed. In the mature bud and full flowering stage, the expression level of genes related to lignin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid synthesis was high, while, for other genes related to flavonoid synthesis, it was lower. Furthermore, the DEGs in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway were also significantly upregulated in the later stage of flower development. This study provides a preliminary and comprehensive assessment of the quality formation and flowering regulation mechanism in Sophora japonica L. by investigating the expression profiles of the critical flowering-related genes at different developmental stages. The results indicate that the regulatory genes in these key biological pathways could be crucial factors involved in Huaihua development, which can provide a reference and new insights with which to further understand the molecular mechanisms of flower development in Sophora japonica L.

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are a group of facultative biotrophic root-colonizing fungi that live within a plant for a part of their life cycle without causing any apparent, overt negative effects. These fungi have been found in >600 different plant species, including orchids. Although the precise ecological functions of dark septate fungal endophytes are not yet well understood, there is increasing evidence that they enhance host growth and nutrient acquisition, and improve the plant’s ability to tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses. In this research, we tested the effects of a DSE isolated from the roots of the epiphytic orchid Coelogyne viscosa on the growth and drought tolerance of orchid seedlings. Our results showed that addition of DSE inoculum significantly enhanced biomass of seedlings and increased the activities of drought resistance related enzymes and the accumulation of osmoregulatory substances. These results suggest that DSE can fulfill important ecological functions in stressful environments and potentially play an important role in the life cycle of epiphytic orchids.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are characterized by self-renewal, rapid proliferation, multipotent differentiation, and low immunogenicity. In addition, the tropism of MSCs towards injured tissues and tumor lesions makes them attractive candidates as cell carriers for therapeutic agent delivery and genetic material transfer. The interaction between tumor cells and MSCs in the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in tumor progression. Oral cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in the head and neck. Although considerable improvements in the treatment of oral cancer were achieved, more effective and safer novel agents and treatments are still needed, and deeper studies on the etiology, pathology, and treatment of the oral cancer are desirable. In the past decades, many studies have reported the beneficial effects of MSCs-based therapies in the treatment of various diseases, including oral cancers. Meanwhile, other studies demonstrated that MSCs may enhance the growth and metastasis of oral cancer. In this paper, we reviewed the research progress of the effects of MSCs on oral cancers, the underlying mechanisms, and their potential applications in the treatment of oral cancers.

Abstract Background Serum microRNAs (miRNAs) have been used as novel biomarkers for various diseases, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) in patients with ACS. Methods This study included 118 ACS patients, 78 patients with stable coronary heart disease (SCHD) and 66 healthy controls. MiR-361-5p expression was measured by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic value of miR-361-5p was evaluated by the ROC analysis. A 30-day follow-up was performed for the patients from hospitalization, and Kaplan–Meier curves and logistics analysis were used to evaluate the ability of miR-361-5p to predict the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of endothelial dysfunction (ED) markers, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin. Results The expression of miR-361-5p was significantly increased in patients with SCHD and ACS, and positively correlated with Gensini scores. Serum miR-361-5p expression had a high diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing ACS from health controls and SCHD patients. ACS patients with high expression of miR-361-5p had a higher probability of developing MACE. MiR-361-5p expression was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of MACE in ACS patients, and was positively correlated with the levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin. Conclusion All data indicated that miR-361-5p expression was significantly increased in ACS patients. Aberrant miR-361-5p expression in ACS might be a candidate biomarker for ACS diagnosis and the the prediction of MACE onset.

Abstract Background Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) have many applications in the field of cytotherapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. However, the effect of age on the biological and immunological characteristics of PDLSCs remains unclear. Methods In this study, we compared PDLSCs isolated from young and adult individuals. PDLSC proliferation was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, and apoptosis level was detected by Annexin V-PE/7-ADD staining. PDLSC osteogenic/adipogenic/chondrogenic differentiation potentials were assessed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alizarin Red, Oil Red O, Alcian Blue staining, and related quantitative analysis. PDLSC immunosuppressive capacity was determined by EdU and Annexin V-PE/7-ADD staining. To explore its underlying mechanism, microarray, quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot analyses were performed to detect differentially expressed genes and proteins in PDLSCs. Results Our results demonstrated that with aging, the proliferation and osteogenic/adipogenic/chondrogenic differentiation potential of PDLSCs decreased, whereas apoptosis of PDLSCs increased. Moreover, the immunosuppressive ability of PDLSCs decreased with aging. Compared with PDLSCs from young subjects, analysis of mRNA expression revealed an upregulation of CCND3 and RC3H2, and a downregulation of Runx2, ALP, COL1A1, PPARγ2, CXCL12, FKBP1A, FKBP1B, NCSTN, P2RX7, PPP3CB, RIPK2, SLC11A1, and TP53 in those from adult individuals. Furthermore, protein expression levels of Runx2, ALP, COL1A1, and PPARγ2 in the adult group were decreased, whereas that of CCND3 increased. Conclusions Taken together, aging influences the biological and immunological characteristics of PDLSCs, and thus, it is more appropriate to utilize PDLSCs from young individuals for tissue regeneration, post-aging treatment, and allotransplantation.

Seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids are an important member of phytotoxins and plant growth regulators isolated from a narrow spectrum of fungi. In this report, eight seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids (1–8) were first analyzed using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique in positive mode, from which their mass fragmentation pathways were suggested. McLafferty rearrangement, 1,3-rearrangement, and neutral losses were considered to be the main fragmentation patterns for the [M+1]+ ions of 1–8. According to the structural features (of different substitutes at C-1, C-2, and C-13) in compounds 1–8, five subtypes (A–E) of seco-sativene were suggested, from which subtypes A, B/D, and E possessed the diagnostic daughter ions at m/z 175, 189, and 203, respectively, whereas subtype C had the characteristic daughter ion at m/z 187 in the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiles. Based on the fragmentation patterns of 1–8, several known compounds (1–8) and two new analogues (9 and 10) were detected in the extract of plant pathogen fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, of which 1, 2, 9, and 10 were then isolated and elucidated by NMR spectra. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS spectra of these two new compounds (9 and 10) were consistent with the fragmentation mechanisms of 1–8. Compound 1 displayed moderate antioxidant activities with IC50 of 0.90 and 1.97 mM for DPPH and ABTS+ scavenging capacity, respectively. The results demonstrated that seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids with the same subtypes possessed the same diagnostic daughter ions in the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiles, which could contribute to structural characterization of seco-sativene sesquiterpenoids. Our results also further supported that UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS is a powerful and sensitive tool for dereplication and detection of new analogues from crude extracts of different biological origins.

The hyperbaric oxygen therapy is often used in the management of acid and base burns of the eyes. However, oxygen is rarely supplied locally through goggles or face mask in ophthalmology. Therefore, in this study, we aim to investigate how oxygen delivery affects eye recovery after injury. We used a rabbit model with corneal epithelial injury to examine the effects of local oxygen supply via goggles or face mask on the recovery of cornea. A total of 75 healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups, A, B, and C, with 25 rabbits in each group. Then, on each rabbit eye (150 eyes in total), a circle of corneal epithelium with 5 mm in diameter was scraped off from the center of the cornea with a corneal epithelial scraper. Group A was given oxygen goggles every day (the oxygen flow rate was 3 L/min, once a day, 2 hours each time); group B was given nasal inhalation of oxygen every day (the oxygen flow rate was 3 L/min, once a day, 2 hours each time); and group C did not receive any treatment and was healed naturally. We found that the group A, which received oxygen supply via goggles, showed the best eye recovery. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the cornea with local oxygen supply via goggles or face mask exhibited intact capillary structure and obvious desmosome/hemidesmosome connections between cells. Moreover, the protein and RNA levels of hypoxia-related genes were lower in group A and B, suggesting that the hypoxia factor is a sensitive and early regulator in the low oxygen environment.

Analysis, purification, and characterization of AFB1 degraded products are vital steps for elucidation of the photocatalytic mechanism. In this report, the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique was first coupled with purification and NMR spectral approaches to analyze and characterize degraded products of AFB1 photocatalyzed under UV irradiation. A total of seventeen degraded products were characterized based on the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, in which seven ones (1–7) including four (stereo) isomers (1,2, 5, and 6) were purified and elucidated by NMR experiments. According to the structural features of AFB1 and degraded products (1–7), the possible photocatalytic mechanisms were suggested. Furthermore, AFB1 and degraded products (1–7) were evaluated against different cell lines. The results indicated that the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique combined with purification, NMR spectral experiments, and biological tests was an applicable integrated approach for analysis, characterization, and toxic evaluation of degraded products of AFB1, which could be used to evaluate other mycotoxin degradation processes.

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, China’s provinces have issued a series of carbon emission trading policies in recent years. As China’s first ecological civilization demonstration zone, Fujian Province has also promulgated an array of carbon emission trading policies. Therefore, deeply analyzing the classification of carbon emission trading policies in Fujian Province is of great reference value for other regions to formulate carbon emission trading policies. This paper first introduces the textual formulation of the carbon emission trading policies in Fujian Province, and subdivides the relevant policies into 17 types of policy instruments as per the classification criteria of mandatory, hybrid, and voluntary. Besides, it also classifies and codes the instruments involved in the Fujian provincial carbon emission trading policies using social network analysis method, with a total of 107 social network actors obtained. On this basis, the differences in the composition of various policy instruments are to be compared and analyzed. The Results show that the proportions of mandatory policy instruments, hybrid policy instruments, and voluntary policy instruments are 54.20%, 36.45%, and 9.35%, respectively. The policy instruments used by the Fujian provincial government are dominated by mandatory and hybrid policy instruments, and the voluntary policy instruments account for a relatively low proportion. Currently, what the Fujian government’s carbon emissions trading policies focus on is to improve the supervision and accountability mechanism so as to form a complete carbon emission trading supervision and management system. In the process of building a carbon emissions trading market, the government of Fujian Province should strengthen policy support for talent cultivation, carbon credit evaluation system construction, and policies support for projects in finance, and reinforce the construction of voluntary certification emission reduction mechanism in a timely manner, with a view to encouraging the participation of social forces in the construction of the carbon emissions trading market. Keywords: Carbon emission permit, Carbon emissions trading, Social network analysis, Policy instruments

“Diversity-enhanced extracts” is an effective method of producing chemical libraries for the purpose of drug discovery. Three rare new cytochalasan derivative chaetoglobosins B1-B3 (1–3) were obtained from chemically engineered crude broth extracts of Chaetomium madrasense 375 prepared by reacting with hydrazine monohydrate and four known metabolite chaetoglobosins (4–7) were also identified from the fungus. The structures were identified by NMR and MS analysis and electronic circular dichroism simulation. In addition, the antiproliferative activities of these compounds were also evaluated, and the drug-resistant activities of cytochalasans were evaluated for the first time. Compound 6 possessed potent activity against four human cancer cells (A549, HCC827, SW620, and MDA-MB-231), and two drug-resistant HCC827 cells (Gefitinib-resistant, Osimertinib-resistant) compared with the positive controls.

Carbon nanotube yarns are embedded in three-dimensional (3D) braided composites with five-axis yarns, which are used as strain sensors to monitor the damage of 3D braided composites. In the cyclic mechanical loading experiment, the strain-sensing characteristics of 3D braided composites were studied by in situ measuring the resistance change of the embedded carbon nanotube yarn. The 3D five-directional braided composite prefabricated part based on carbon nanotube yarns was developed, and the progressive damage accumulation experiments were carried out on carbon nanotube yarns and specimens embedded in carbon nanotube yarns. The research results show that there is a good correlation between the change of relative resistance of the carbon nanotube yarn and the strain of the composite specimen during cyclic loading and unloading. When the tensile degree of the specimen increases beyond a certain range, the carbon nanotube yarn sensor embedded in the specimen shows resistance hysteresis and produces residual resistance. Therefore, the fiber can better monitor the progressive damage accumulation of 3D five-direction braided composites.

Purpose. To investigate the impact of different oxygen supply methods on corneal epithelial wound healing and acetylcholine level during wound healing. Methods. We randomly divided 75 rabbits into three groups: A, B, and C, with 25 rabbits in each group. The central corneal epithelium was removed from all eyes of the rabbits using a 5 mm trephine. Group A rabbits were given low flow oxygen (3 L/min; concentration: 33%) for 2 h per day through goggles. Group B rabbits were given low flow oxygen (3 L/min; concentration: 33%) for 2 h per day via oxygen masks for inhalation. Group C rabbits healed naturally. The area of healed corneal epithelium and acetylcholine content in corneal epithelium were determined at 12 h, 24 h, and 36 h after injury. Results. At 12 h, 24 h, and 36 h after injury, the healing area of corneal epithelium in the three groups was in the order group A > group B > group C (P group B > group C (P 24 h > 36 h (P

Objectives The effect of age on the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to immunosuppression induced by human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) is unclear. The identity of the cytokines most effective in inducing the PBMC immune response remains unknown. This study investigated the effects of age on immunophenotype, proliferation, activation, and cytokine secretion capacities of PBMCs following co-culture with hPDLSCs. Methods PBMCs were collected from younger (16–19 years) and older (45–55 years) donors, then co-cultured with confirmed hPDLSCs for various lengths of time. T lymphocyte proliferation and cell surface marker expression were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine expression levels were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results CD28 expression by T lymphocytes decreased with age, indicating reduced proliferation; CD95 expression increased with age, indicating enhanced apoptosis. Moreover, hPDLSCs inhibited T lymphocyte proliferation in both age groups; this inhibition was stronger in cells from older donors than in cells from younger donors. Age reduced the secretion of interleukin-2 and interferon-γ, whereas it increased the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-β by PBMCs cultured with hPDLSCs. Conclusions Aging may have a robust effect on the response of PBMCs towards hPDLSC-induced immunosuppression.

This paper focuses on the synchronization of uncertain coronary artery chaos systems (CACSs) with the state and input time-varying delays under input saturation. First, the stability of the closed-loop system is established to ensure the synchronization between the diseased and healthy CACSs under input saturation by utilizing the local sector condition and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) method. The use of Wirtinger inequality and the reciprocally convex method further reduces the conservatism. Second, by making use of the cone complementary linearization approach to deal with nonlinear terms, we obtained a state feedback controller. Finally, a robust state feedback controller is formulated to achieve the synchronization of the CACS under disturbances bounded by $L_{2}$ norm. The simulation results of the CACS synchronization are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the derived results, which provides a certain theoretical basis for curing diseases related to the coronary artery vessel.

Abstract Background Science popularization resources development is an important means to improve public scientific literacy and has a crucial influence on the formation of public consumption habits, patterns and concepts, and ultimately on the energy consumption carbon footprint. Methods Based on panel data from the provincial regions in China from 2010 to 2014, this paper measures the energy consumption carbon footprint in provincial regions using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods and builds a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to evaluate the levels of science popularization resources development in provincial regions by using the global entropy method. Then, the mechanisms of influence on the energy consumption carbon footprint and the levels of science popularization resources development in the provincial regions of China are analyzed and measured. Results The results showed that science popularization resources development could significantly lower the energy consumption carbon footprint; from 2010 to 2014, the lowering effect of science popularization resources development on the energy consumption carbon footprint in the major east, middle, and west provincial regions showed a weakening trend, with a greater lowering amplitude in the east than in the middle and west regions and narrowing spatial differences among them; at present, this influence works best in the west region followed by the middle and east regions. Conclusions The results imply that we should give full attention to science popularization resources development to lower the energy consumption carbon footprint in China. In addition, focus should be given to the west region of China and construction mechanisms for science popularization resources that are built with flexible adoptions of means such as a combination of government guidance and market mechanisms, as well as joint construction by government and society.

Abstract Background The prevalence of adolescent eye disease in remote areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has rarely been reported. To understand the prevalence of common eye diseases in Tibet, we performed ocular-disease screening on students from primary and secondary schools in Tibet, and compared the prevalence to that in the Central China Plain (referred to here as the “plains area”). Methods The refractive status of students was evaluated with a Spot™ vision screener. The test was conducted three or fewer times for both eyes of each student and results with best correction were recorded. Results A total of 3246 students from primary and secondary schools in the Tibet Naidong district were screened, yielding a refractive error rate of 28.51%, which was significantly lower than that of the plains group (28.51% vs. 56.92%, p

Abstract Content determination and microscopic observation proved that dendrobine accumulation in the stem of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. increased after infection with mycorrhizal fungus MF23 (Mycena sp.). Large-scale transcriptome sequencing of symbiotic and asymbiotic D. nobile revealed that 30 unigenes encoding proteins were possibly related to the biosynthesis of dendrobine sesquiterpene backbone. A qRT-PCR experiment of 16 unigenes, selected randomly, proved that there were significant changes in the expression levels of AACT, MVD, PMK and TPS21 at 9 weeks after inoculation. These results implied that MF23 might stimulate dendrobine biosynthesis by regulating the expressions of genes involved in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. The biogenetic pathway of dendrobine was suggested systematically according to the structural features of dendrobine alkaloids and their sesquiterpene precursors, which implied that post-modification enzymes might play a major role in dendrobine biosynthesis. Thus, genes encoding post-modification enzymes, including cytochrome P450, aminotransferase and methyltransferase, were screened for their possible involvement in dendrobine biosynthesis. This study provides a good example of endophytes promoting the formation of bioactive compounds in their host and paves the way for further investigation of the dendrobine biosynthetic pathway.

In order to improve the segmentation performance of the printed fabric pattern, a segmentation criterion based on the 3D maximum entropy which is optimized by an improved fruit fly optimization algorithm is designed. The triple is composed of the gray value of the pixel, the average gray values of the diagonal, and the nondiagonal pixels in the neighbourhood. According to the joint probability of the triple, the 3D entropy of the object and the background areas could be designed. The optimal segmentation threshold is resolved by maximizing the 3D entropy. A hybrid fruit fly optimization algorithm is designed to optimize the 3D entropy function. Chaos search is used to enhance the ergodicity of the fruit fly search, and the crowding degree is introduced to enhance the global searching ability. Experiment results show that the segmentation method based on maximizing the 3D entropy could improve the segmentation performance of the printed fabric pattern and the pattern information could be reserved well. The improved fruit fly algorithm has a higher optimization efficiency, and the optimization time could be reduced to 30 percent of the original algorithm.

Three new inositol angelate compounds (1−3) and two new tirucallane-type alkaloids (4 and 5) were isolated from the Amoora dasyclada, and their structures were established mainly by means of combination of 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance and HR-ESI-MS. Based on cytotoxicity testing, compounds 4 and 5 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell line HepG2 with IC50 value at 8.4 and 13.2 μM. In addition, compounds 4 and 5 also showed remarkable growth inhibitory activity to Artemia salina larvae.