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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is currently applied in various neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of TMS on hypertension and its mechanism. We found TMS attenuates hypertension after T4 or L2 spinal column stimulation via reduction of catecholamines in male spontaneously hypertensive rat. Treatment with TMS may be a strategy for hypertension therapy in the future.

В рамках $\sigma$-модели двумерной бозе-струны выведены уравнения для возмущения потоков Риччи и коэффициенты аномалии Вейля. Уравнения соответствуют двухпетлевым уравнениям для полей гравитона и дилатона. Для сигарообразного солитона решение однопетлевого уравнения для возмущения выражается через гипергеометрические функции, решение двухпетлевого уравнения имеет асимптотический характер и получается путем разложения по малому параметру. С помощью уравнений Гаусса-Кодацци для возмущений потоков получены аналитические решения для коэффицентов $l$ и $n$ второй базисной формы. Это позволяет выразить через $l$ и $n$ деформированные главные кривизны двумерной поверхности. Проанализировано влияние квантовых потоков Риччи на геометрию пространства-времени, а также дано объяснение физического смысла коэффициентов аномалии Вейля при измерении масштаба импульса $\lambda$.

Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) play pivotal roles in both chemoresistance and recurrence of many cancer types, including urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). In addition to intrinsic signaling pathways, extracellular cues from the tumor microenvironment (TME) are indispensable for the maintenance of CSCs. To better understand the mechanisms involved in TME-mediated generation and support of UBC CSCs, we focused on the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in this study. Overexpression of miR-146a-5p in CAFs promoted CAF-to-UBC cell interactions, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance to treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin. Mechanistically, miR-146–5p upregulated SVEP1 in CAFs by enhancing the recruitment of transcriptional factor YY1. Meanwhile, by targeting the 3′UTR of mRNAs of ARID1A and PRKAA2 (also known as AMPKα2) in UBC cells, CAF-secreted miR-146a-5p promoted cancer stemness and chemoresistance. Downregulation of ARID1A resulted in the inhibition of SOCS1 and subsequent STAT3 activation, and downregulated PRKAA2 led to the activation of mTOR signaling. Elevated levels of exosomal miR-146a-5p in the serum of patients with UBC were correlated with both tumor stage and relapse risk. These findings altogether indicate that CAF-derived miR-146a-5p can promote stemness and enhance chemoresistance in UBC. Exosomal miR-146a-5p may be a biomarker of UBC recurrence and a potential therapeutic target. Significance: The tumor–stromal cross-talk mediated by cancer-associated fibroblast–derived miR-146a-5p fosters cancer stem cell niche formation and cancer stemness to drive chemoresistance in urothelial bladder cancer.

Chemical exchange between silicate magmas and carbonate rocks has major implications for igneous fractionation, atmospheric CO2 flux, and formation of mineral deposits. However, this process is only partly understood, and long-standing questions of whether, where, and how carbonate rocks can be digested by silicate melts remain controversial. We describe evidence for pervasive chemical exchange between silicate melt and carbonate rock in a shallow porphyry setting driven by limestone assimilation. Melt inclusions in endoskarn from the Chating Cu-Au deposit in eastern China reveal that the calc-silicate assemblage (diopside + andradite ± wollastonite ± epidote) was molten at the time of skarn formation and coexisted with CO2 vapor as well as sulfate- and chloride-salt melts. Hence, we argue that endoskarn at Chating formed by crystallization of an immiscible calc-silicate melt produced by assimilation of carbonate rock, aided by the presence of sulfate and other fluxes, which in turn promoted desilication of the intruding magma and drove vigorous CO2 release.

The kidney is a vital organ that carries out significant metabolic functions in our body. Due to the complexity of its role, the kidney is also susceptible to many disease conditions, such as acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite the prevalence and our increased understanding of the pathophysiology of both AKI and CKD as well as the transition of AKI to CKD, no well-established therapeutics have been applied clinically to these conditions, rendering an urgent need for a novel potential therapeutic target to be developed. In this article, we reviewed the function of ketone bodies in some common kidney conditions, such as drug-induced nephrotoxicity, ischemia and reperfusion injury, fibrosis development, diabetic kidney disease, kidney aging, hypertension, and CKD progression. All the selected studies reviewed were performed in animal models by primarily utilizing rodents, which also provide invaluable sources for future clinical applications. Ketone bodies have shown significant renal protective properties via attenuation of oxidative stress, increased expression of anti-inflammatory proteins, gene regulation, and a reduction of apoptosis of renal cells. A physiological level of ketone bodies could be achieved by fasting, a ketogenic diet, and an exogenous ketone supplement. Finally, the limitations of the long-term ketogenic diet were also discussed.

Doublesex (DSX) proteins are members of the Doublesex/mab-3-related (DMRT) protein family and play crucial roles in sex determination and differentiation among the animal kingdom. In the present study, we identified two Doublesex (Dsx)-like mRNA isoforms in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana (Kellogg 1906), which are generated by the combination of alternative promoters, alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation. The two transcripts exhibited sex-biased enrichment, which we termed AfrDsxM and AfrDsxF. They share a common region which encodes an identical N-terminal DNA-binding (DM) domain. RT-qPCR analyses showed that AfrDsxM is dominantly expressed in male Artemia while AfrDsxF is specifically expressed in females. Expression levels of both isoforms increased along with the developmental stages of their respective sexes. RNA interference with dsRNA showed that the knockdown of AfrDsxM in male larvae led to the appearance of female traits including an ovary-like structure in the original male reproductive system and an elevated expression of vitellogenin. However, silencing of AfrDsxF induced no clear phenotypic change in female Artemia. These results indicated that the male AfrDSXM may act as inhibiting regulator upon the default female developmental mode in Artemia. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses revealed that the unique DM domain of AfrDSXs can specifically bind to promoter segments of potential downstream target genes like AfrVtg. These data show that AfrDSXs play crucial roles in regulating sexual development in Artemia, and further provide insight into the evolution of sex determination/differentiation in sexual organisms.

BACKGROUND: The unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) technique has been widely used in spine surgery. At present, a traditional rigid working channel is available for the UBE system. A metal semicircular canal is located in the working channel. However, due to the metal material of the working channel, arthroscopy and instruments are constrained from moving in UBE surgery. Additionally, an assistant is needed during the procedure to hold the traditional working channel. OBJECTIVE: For simplicity of operation and convenient movement of the arthroscopy and instrument, we describe a new method for establishing operative channels in UBE surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 50 patients who underwent unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy (UBED) from February 2020 to August 2020 via our new method. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were measured preoperatively and 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months postoperatively. Statistical comparisons were made using analysis of covariance and paired t tests. RESULTS: The VAS scores for back pain at the five time points were 5.20 ± 2.57, 1.96 ± 0.95, 1.50 ± 0.84, 1.64 ± 1.08 and 1.18 ± 0.39. The leg pain VAS scores were 7.02 ± 2.25, 2.02 ± 1.27, 1.48 ± 0.89, 1.32 ± 0.79 and 0.88 ± 0.52. The ODI values were 51.08 ± 19.97, 19.62 ± 15.51, 8.26 ± 7.40, and 7.54 ± 6.42 to 3.24 ± 1.10. The postoperative ODIs and VAS scores of low back pain and leg pain were significantly lower than those before surgery, and differences were statistically significant (all p< 0.05). The pressure of the closed outflow was significantly higher than that of the open outflow (37.35 ± 13.11 mm Hg vs. 24.55 ± 12.64 mm Hg p= 0.003). After we tightened the infusion strap to open the outflow, the pressure decreased significantly (26.4 ± 14.08 mm Hg vs. 37.35 ± 13.11 mm Hg p= 0.015). There were 2 cases of complications, including 1 case of postoperative recurrence and 1 case of dural tears. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of modified channel establishment in UBE surgery.

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) have received a great deal of attention from the wireless communication community due to their powerful ability to improve the wireless communication environment. Dual-band RIS enables aperture to share two bands, improving spectrum utilization in wireless communications and thus expanding communication capacity. However, most of the reported dual-band RISs cannot achieve independent controls of the dual-band phases, which greatly limits their practical application in wireless communications. In this paper, we propose a dual-band 3-bit RIS to achieve independent controls of the reflection phases in two frequency bands by designing two tunable structures without raising the profile. It also exhibits low sensitivity to incident angles between 0� and 50�. Thereafter, the beam steering ability of the proposed RIS is further investigated with experiments under normal and oblique incidences at two frequencies, which demonstrates the powerful potential of RISs to manipulate the electromagnetic wave propagation environment.

Purpose: This study compared the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LH) vs. conventional hemorrhoidectomy (CH) in patients with grade II/III hemorrhoids.Methods: PubMed/Medline and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized and nonrandomized studies comparing LH against CH in grade II/III hemorrhoids. The primary outcomes included postoperative use of analgesia, postoperative morbidity (bleeding, urinary retention, pain, thrombosis), and time of return to work/daily activities.Results: Nine studies totaling 661 patients (LH, 336 and CH, 325) were included. The LH group had shorter operative time (P0.999) and prolapse (P=0.240), and the likelihood of complete resolution at 12 months, were similar (P=0.240).Conclusion: LH offers more favorable short-term clinical outcomes than CH, with reduced morbidity and pain and earlier return to work or daily activities. Medium-term symptom recurrence at 12 months was similar. Our results should be verified in future well-designed trials with larger samples.

Reduced gases released from hydrothermal vents supply energy to local deep-marine ecosystems and play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and carbon. The habitable, lower-temperature diffuse flow sites in a hydrothermal system generally have higher biomass than focused flow sites. However, a scarcity of observational data of diffuse flows limits our understanding of the role of volatile gases in these environments. We deployed in situ Raman spectroscopy in the Iheya North hydrothermal field of the mid–Okinawa Trough (East China Sea). A Raman probe inserted directly into hydrothermal vent orifices with temperatures of 30–302 °C collected Raman spectra of hydrothermal fluids. In situ observation data show that the greater volume of diffuse flows results in a flux of volatile gases one to two orders of magnitude higher than that from focused flow environments. This indicates the great potential of diffuse flow for supplying energy and material to hydrothermal systems. The role played by diffuse flow should be reassessed.

Some of the biological knowledge obtained from fundamental research will be implemented in applied plant breeding. To bridge basic research and breeding practice, machine learning (ML) holds great promise to translate biological knowledge and omics data into precision-designed plant breeding. Here, we review ML for multi-omics analysis in plants, including data dimensionality reduction, inference of gene-regulation networks, and gene discovery and prioritization. These applications will facilitate understanding trait regulation mechanisms and identifying target genes potentially applicable to knowledge-driven molecular design breeding. We also highlight applications of deep learning in plant phenomics and ML in genomic selection-assisted breeding, such as various ML algorithms that model the correlations among genotypes (genes), phenotypes (traits), and environments, to ultimately achieve data-driven genomic design breeding.

Faced with the current time-sensitive COVID-19 pandemic, the overburdened healthcare systems resulted in a strong demand to develop newer methods to control the spread of the pandemic. Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) have been leveraged amid the COVID-19 pandemic; however, little is known about its use for supporting public health efforts. In epidemic surveillance and containment, efforts are needed to treat critical patients, track and manage the health status of residents, isolate suspected cases, develop vaccines and antiviral drugs. The applications of emerging practices of artificial intelligence and big data have become powerful "weapons" to fight against the pandemic and provide strong support in pandemic prevention and control, such as early warning, analysis and judgment, interruption and intervention of epidemic, to achieve goals of early detection, early report, early diagnosis, early isolation and early treatment, and these are the decisive factors to control the spread of the epidemic and reduce the mortality. This paper systematically summarizes the application of big data and AI in epidemic, and describes practical cases and challenges with emphasis in epidemic prevention and control. The included studies showed that big data and AI have the potential strength to fight against COVID-19. However, many of the proposed methods are not yet widely accepted. Thus, the most rewarding research will be on methods promising value beyond COVID-19. More efforts are needed for developing standardized reporting protocols or guidelines for practice.

Spirulina polysaccharides (PSP) possess significant biological properties. However, it is still a lack of investigation on the anti-colorectal cancer effect and mechanism. In this study, PSP showed significant effects on LoVo cell spheroids with an IC

Increasing evidences showed that ovulatory dysfunction, possibly caused by luteinized unruptured follicular follicle syndrome (LUFS), is one of the reasons for endometriosis-related infertility. The present study was conducted to explore the potential effect of elevated progesterone in follicular fluid (FF) on ovulation in endometriosis. A prospective study including 50 ovarian endometriosis patients and 50 control patients with matched pairs design was conducted with alterations in FF and peritoneal fluid (PF) components identified by metabolomics analyses and differentially expressed genes in granulosa cells (GCs) identified by transcriptome analysis. Patients with endometriosis exhibited a significantly higher progesterone level in serum, FF, and PF. Granulosa cells from endometriosis patients revealed decreased expression of HPGD, COX-2, and suppressed NF-ĸB signaling. Similarly, progesterone treatment in vitro downregulated HPGD and COX2 expression and suppressed NF-ĸB signaling in granulosa tumor-like cell line KGN (Bena Culture Collection, China) and primarily cultured GCs, as manifested by decreased expressions of IL1R1, IRAK3, reduced pIĸBα/IĸBα ratio, and nucleus translocation of p65. On the contrary, TNF-α treatment increased expression of IL1R1, IRAK3, pIĸBα, p65, and HPGD in GCs. One potential p65 binding site was identified in the promoter region of HPGD by chromatin immunoprecipitation. In conclusion, we found that intrafollicular progesterone might downregulate HPGD and COX-2 in GCs via suppressing the NF-ĸB signaling pathway, shedding light on the mechanism underlying the endometriosis-related ovulatory dysfunction.