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Plant roots integrate environmental signals with development using exquisite spatiotemporal control. This is apparent in the deposition of suberin, an apoplastic diffusion barrier, which regulates flow of water, solutes and gases, and is environmentally plastic. Suberin is considered a hallmark of endodermal differentiation but is absent in the tomato endodermis. Instead, suberin is present in the exodermis, a cell type that is absent in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we demonstrate that the suberin regulatory network has the same parts driving suberin production in the tomato exodermis and the Arabidopsis endodermis. Despite this co-option of network components, the network has undergone rewiring to drive distinct spatial expression and with distinct contributions of specific genes. Functional genetic analyses of the tomato MYB92 transcription factor and ASFT enzyme demonstrate the importance of exodermal suberin for a plant water-deficit response and that the exodermal barrier serves an equivalent function to that of the endodermis and can act in its place.

In order to investigate the application and development of Rosa sterilis in the field of drug-food homology, the Box-Behnken method was used to optimize the extraction process of bound polyphenols from Rosa sterilis based on the single factor experiment. The study also examined the clearance rate of DPPH·, ABTS+·, and ·OH and total reducing power of bound polyphenols and free polyphenols from Rosa sterilis, with VC as controls. The results showed that the optimal extraction conditions for the bound polyphenols of Rosa sterilis were a liquid-to-solid ratio of 24 mL/g, a lye concentration of 8 mol/L, an ultrasonic time of 47 min, and an ultrasonic power of 250 W. Under these conditions, the amount of extracted bound polyphenols was 135.73 mg GAE/g, which was close to the predicted value of the regression model (135.77 mg GAE/g). The model fit was excellent. The IC50 values of the bound polyphenols to DPPH· and ABTS+· were 0.0599 and 0.0121 mg/mL, respectively. These values were significantly (P0.05). The total reducing power of the bound polyphenols was higher than that of the free polyphenols. Additionally, the total reducing power of both polyphenols was significantly influenced by the concentration of the solution. The extracted bound polyphenols can be used as natural antioxidants, providing a theoretical basis for the processing and utilization of Rosa sterilis.

Abstract Recently, environmental temperature has been shown to regulate bone homeostasis. However, the mechanisms by which cold exposure affects bone mass remain unclear. In our present study, we observed that exposure to cold temperature (CT) decreased bone mass and quality in mice. Furthermore, a transplant of exosomes derived from the plasma of mice exposed to cold temperature (CT-EXO) can also impair the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and decrease bone mass by inhibiting autophagic activity. Rapamycin, a potent inducer of autophagy, can reverse cold exposure or CT-EXO-induced bone loss. Microarray sequencing revealed that cold exposure increases the miR-25-3p level in CT-EXO. Mechanistic studies showed that miR-25-3p can inhibit the osteogenic differentiation and autophagic activity of BMSCs. It is shown that inhibition of exosomes release or downregulation of miR-25-3p level can suppress CT-induced bone loss. This study identifies that CT-EXO mediates CT-induced osteoporotic effects through miR-25-3p by inhibiting autophagy via targeting SATB2, presenting a novel mechanism underlying the effect of cold temperature on bone mass.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), an aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis, poses a significant public health challenge. Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of lipid metabolism in HCC development, with enhanced lipid synthesis and uptake contributing to the rapid proliferation and tumorigenesis of cancer cells. Lipids, primarily synthesized and utilized in the liver, play a critical role in the pathological progression of various cancers, particularly HCC. Cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, an essential adaptation to the tumor microenvironment (TME), with fatty acid metabolism emerging as a key player in this process. This review delves into intricate interplay between HCC and lipid metabolism, focusing on four key areas: de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, dysregulated lipid metabolism of immune cells in the TME, and therapeutic strategies targeting fatty acid metabolism for HCC treatment.

Abstract Objectives To develop an interactive, non-invasive artificial intelligence (AI) system for malignancy risk prediction in cystic renal lesions (CRLs). Methods In this retrospective, multicenter diagnostic study, we evaluated 715 patients. An interactive geodesic-based 3D segmentation model was created for CRLs segmentation. A CRLs classification model was developed using spatial encoder temporal decoder (SETD) architecture. The classification model combines a 3D-ResNet50 network for extracting spatial features and a gated recurrent unit (GRU) network for decoding temporal features from multi-phase CT images. We assessed the segmentation model using sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), intersection over union (IOU), and dice similarity (Dice) metrics. The classification model’s performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy score (ACC), and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results From 2012 to 2023, we included 477 CRLs (median age, 57 [IQR: 48–65]; 173 men) in the training cohort, 226 CRLs (median age, 60 [IQR: 52–69]; 77 men) in the validation cohort, and 239 CRLs (median age, 59 [IQR: 53–69]; 95 men) in the testing cohort (external validation cohort 1, cohort 2, and cohort 3). The segmentation model and SETD classifier exhibited excellent performance in both validation (AUC = 0.973, ACC = 0.916, Dice = 0.847, IOU = 0.743, SEN = 0.840, SPE = 1.000) and testing datasets (AUC = 0.998, ACC = 0.988, Dice = 0.861, IOU = 0.762, SEN = 0.876, SPE = 1.000). Conclusion The AI system demonstrated excellent benign-malignant discriminatory ability across both validation and testing datasets and illustrated improved clinical decision-making utility. Critical relevance statement In this era when incidental CRLs are prevalent, this interactive, non-invasive AI system will facilitate accurate diagnosis of CRLs, reducing excessive follow-up and overtreatment. Key Points The rising prevalence of CRLs necessitates better malignancy prediction strategies. The AI system demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance in identifying malignant CRL. The AI system illustrated improved clinical decision-making utility. Graphical Abstract

[Objective] Insufficient dissolution or shearing of drag reducing agents(DRAs) in product oil during pipeline transmission can have a significant impact on the oil's quality and may even result in quality accidents. [Methods] This study initially established characteristic physical and chemical indexes, including appearance, kinematic viscosity, distillation range, and unwashed gum, for the determination of DRA-containing product oil. Subsequently, a comparison was made against normal values to detect any abnormalities, enabling preliminary judgments on the impact of DRAs on product oil. Furthermore, a method leveraging concentration-infrared spectroscopy was developed for extracting macromolecular components from gasoline, and an analytical means was established to determine the presence of long-chain alkanes in gasoline. Additionally, gel chromatography was employed to determine the molecular weight of macromolecular components in gasoline, offering a qualitative and quantitative approach to identify insufficiently sheared DRAs. [Results] The appearance-kinetic viscosity method was established as a preliminary visual evaluation technique after conducting an analysis on the dissolving process of DRAs in product oil. The distillation range/unwashed gum method was identified as suitable for routine quality control, following an investigation into the influence of DRAs on the quality indexes of product oil during pipeline transmission. Moreover, the established concentration-infrared spectroscopy method proved effective in determining the presence or absence of long-chain alkanes through characteristic peak analysis. Furthermore, the gel permeation chromatography(GPC) method was established. It offered qualitative and quantitative analysis on the macromolecules in product oil, facilitating direct judgments on the shear rate of macromolecule chains. [Conclusion] This study presents a comprehensive set of appraisal methods, enabling accurate detection of the impact of DRAs on the quality of product oil during pipeline transmission. The findings of this study offer a feasible solution for preventing quality accidents in product oil during pipeline transmission,thus enhancing the overall quality assurance of product oil transported through pipelines.

To compare the allergenicity of native arginine kinase (nAK) and recombinant AK (rAK) from Scylla paramamosain and to identify the predominant allergenic domain of AK, AK was divided into 4 fragments: AK-E1 (amino acid (AA) 1–92), AK-E2 (AA 87–187), AK-E3 (AA 172–265), and AK-E4 (AA 276–357) based on the distribution of epitopes and the spatial structure of the AK molecule. The four recombinant fragments were expressed in the prokaryotic system Escherichia coli, and then nAK, rAK, and the recombinant fragments were purified. The allergenicity of recombinant proteins were evaluated using BALB/c mice. The results showed that the levels of specific antibodies in the serum and the secretion of Th2 type cytokines by the splenocytes of mice sensitized with rAK significantly increased, but the immunogenicity of rAK was weaker than that of nAK. Among the 4 fragments of AK, AK-E2 had the strongest immunogenicity. Meanwhile, rAK could stimulate RBL-2H3 cells to release β-hexokinase, but it was less effective than nAK. Among the 4 expressed fragments, AK-E2 and AK-E4 had a stronger stimulating effect on effector cells. In conclusion, the rAK expressed in the prokaryotic system showed weaker immunogenicity than nAK, and among the 4 fragments of AK, AA 87–187 has the strongest immunogenicity while AA 276–357 has the strongest immunoreactivity.

Abstract Research background and purpose Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the most common bone diseases worldwide, characterized by low bone mineral density and susceptibility to pathological fractures, especially in postmenopausal women and elderly men. Ferroptosis is one of the newly discovered forms of cell death regulated by genes in recent years. Many studies have shown that ferroptosis is closely related to many diseases. However, there are few studies on ferroptosis in osteoporosis, and the mechanism of ferroptosis in osteoporosis is still unclear. This study aims to identify biomarkers related to osteoporosis ferroptosis from the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database through bioinformatics technology, and to mine potential therapeutic small molecule compounds through molecular docking technology, trying to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in the future. Materials and methods We downloaded the ferroptosis-related gene set from the FerrDb database ( http://www.zhounan.org/ferrdb/index.html ), downloaded the data sets GSE56815 and GSE7429 from the GEO database, and used the R software “limma” package to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE56815, and intersected with the ferroptosis gene set to obtain ferroptosis-related DEGs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed by the R software “clusterProfiler” package. The random forest model was further screened to obtain essential ferroptosis genes. R software “corrplot” package was used for correlation analysis of essential ferroptosis genes, and the Wilcox test was used for significance analysis. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network was constructed using Cytoscape software. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to construct a disease diagnosis model, and a Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic performance, and then GSE7429 was used to verify the reliability of the diagnosis model. Molecular docking technology was used to screen potential small molecule compounds from the Drugbank database. Finally, a rat osteoporosis model was constructed, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were extracted for qRT-PCR detection to verify the mRNA expression levels of crucial ferroptosis genes. Result Six DEGs related to ferroptosis were initially screened out. GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that ferroptosis-related DEGs were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as maintenance of iron ion homeostasis, copper ion binding function, and ferroptosis. The random forest model identified five key ferroptosis genes, including CP, FLT3, HAMP, HMOX1, and SLC2A3. Gene correlation analysis found a relatively low correlation between these five key ferroptosis genes. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network shows that BAZ1B and STAT3 may also be potential molecules. The ROC curve of the disease diagnosis model shows that the model has a good diagnostic performance. Molecular docking technology screened out three small molecule compounds, including NADH, Midostaurin, and Nintedanib small molecule compounds. qRT-PCR detection confirmed the differential expression of CP, FLT3, HAMP, HMOX1 and SLC2A3 between OP and normal control group. Conclusion This study identified five key ferroptosis genes (CP, FLT3, HAMP, HMOX1, and SLC2A3), they were most likely related to OP ferroptosis. In addition, we found that the small molecule compounds of NADH, Midostaurin, and Nintedanib had good docking scores with these five key ferroptosis genes. These findings may provide new clues for the early diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in the future.

Abstract Purpose To explore a novel biopsy scheme for prostate cancer (PCa), and test the detection rate and pathological agreement of standard systematic (SB) + targeted (TB) biopsy and novel biopsy scheme. Methods Positive needles were collected from 194 patients who underwent SB + TB (STB) followed by radical prostatectomy (RP). Our novel biopsy scheme, targeted and regional systematic biopsy (TrSB) was defined as TB + regional SB (4 SB-needles closest to the TB-needles). The McNemar test was utilized to compare the detection rate performance for clinical significant PCa (csPCa) and clinical insignificant PCa (ciPCa). Moreover, the accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were investigated. The agreement between the different biopsy schemes grade group (GG) and RP GG were assessed. The concordance between the biopsy and the RP GG was evaluated using weighted κ coefficient analyses. Results In this study, the overall detection rate for csPCa was 83.5% (162 of 194) when SB and TB were combined. TrSB showed better NPV than TB (97.0% vs. 74.4%). Comparing to STB, the TB-detection rate of csPCa had a significant difference (p 0.999). For ciPCa, the overall detection rate was 16.5% (32 of 194). TrSB showed better PPV (96.6% vs. 83.3%) and NPV (97.6% vs. 92.9%) than TB. Comparing to STB, the detection rate of both schemes showed no significant difference (p = 0.077 and p = 0.375). All three schemes GG showed poor agreement with RP GG (TB: 43.3%, TrSB: 46.4%, STB: 45.9%). Using weighted κ, all three schemes showed no difference (TB: 0.48, TrSB: 0.51, STB: 0.51). In our subgroup analysis (PI-RADS = 4/5, n = 154), all three schemes almost showed no difference (Weighted κ: TB-0.50, TrSB-0.51, STB-0.50). Conclusion Our novel biopsy scheme TrSB (TB + 4 closest SB needles) may reduce 8 cores of biopsy compared with STB (standard SB + TB), which also showed better csPCa detection rate than TB only, but the same as STB. The pathological agreement between three different biopsy schemes (TB/TrSB/STB) GG and RP GG showed no difference.

Abstract Twinning, on par with dislocations, is critically required in plastic deformation of hexagonal close-packed crystals at low temperatures. In contrast to that in cubic-structured crystals, twinning in hexagonal close-packed crystals requires atomic shuffles in addition to shear. Though the twinning shear that is carried by twinning dislocations has been captured for decades, direct experimental observation of the atomic shuffles, especially when the shuffling mode is not unique and does not confine to the plane of shear, remains a formidable challenge to date. Here, by using in-situ transmission electron microscopy, we directly capture the atomic mechanism of the $$\left\{11\bar{2}1\right\}$$ 11 2 ¯ 1 twinning in hexagonal close packed rhenium nanocrystals. Results show that the $$\left\{11\bar{2}1\right\}$$ 11 2 ¯ 1 twinning is dominated by the (b 1/2, h1/2) twinning disconnections. In contrast to conventional expectations, the atomic shuffles accompanying the twinning disconnections proceed on alternative basal planes along 1/6 $$\left\langle 1\bar{1}00\right\rangle$$ 1 1 ¯ 00 , which may be attributed to the free surface in nanocrystal samples, leading to a lack of mirror symmetry across the $$\left\{11\bar{2}1\right\}$$ 11 2 ¯ 1 twin boundary.

BackgroundChina exited strict Zero-COVID policy with a surge in Omicron variant infections in December 2022. Given China’s pandemic policy and population immunity, employing Baidu Index (BDI) to analyze the evolving disease landscape and estimate the nationwide pneumonia hospitalizations in the post Zero COVID period, validated by hospital data, holds informative potential for future outbreaks.MethodsRetrospective observational analyses were conducted at the conclusion of the Zero-COVID policy, integrating internet search data alongside offline records. Methodologies employed were multidimensional, encompassing lagged Spearman correlation analysis, growth rate assessments, independent sample T-tests, Granger causality examinations, and Bayesian structural time series (BSTS) models for comprehensive data scrutiny.ResultsVarious diseases exhibited a notable upsurge in the BDI after the policy change, consistent with the broader trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robust connections emerged between COVID-19 and diverse health conditions, predominantly impacting the respiratory, circulatory, ophthalmological, and neurological domains. Notably, 34 diseases displayed a relatively high correlation (r > 0.5) with COVID-19. Among these, 12 exhibited a growth rate exceeding 50% post-policy transition, with myocarditis escalating by 1,708% and pneumonia by 1,332%. In these 34 diseases, causal relationships have been confirmed for 23 of them, while 28 garnered validation from hospital-based evidence. Notably, 19 diseases obtained concurrent validation from both Granger causality and hospital-based data. Finally, the BSTS models approximated approximately 4,332,655 inpatients diagnosed with pneumonia nationwide during the 2 months subsequent to the policy relaxation.ConclusionThis investigation elucidated substantial associations between COVID-19 and respiratory, circulatory, ophthalmological, and neurological disorders. The outcomes from comprehensive multi-dimensional cross-over studies notably augmented the robustness of our comprehension of COVID-19’s disease spectrum, advocating for the prospective utility of internet-derived data. Our research highlights the potential of Internet behavior in predicting pandemic-related syndromes, emphasizing its importance for public health strategies, resource allocation, and preparedness for future outbreaks.

Abstract Radiotherapy demonstrates a synergistic effect with immunotherapy by inducing a transformation of “immune cold” tumors into “immune hot” tumors in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Nevertheless, the effectiveness of immunotherapy is constrained by low expression of tumor‐exposed antigens, inadequate inflammation, and insufficient tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TILs). To address this predicament, novel lutecium‐based rare earth nanoparticles (RENPs) are synthesized with the aim of amplifying radiation effect and tumor immune response. The nanoprobe is characterized by neodymium‐based down‐conversion fluorescence, demonstrating robust photostability, biocompatibility, and targetability. The conjugation of RENPs with a CXCR4 targeted drug enables precise delineation of breast tumors using a near‐infrared imaging system and improves radiation efficacy via lutetium‐based radio‐sensitizer in vivo. Furthermore, the study shows a notable enhancement of immune response through the induction of immunogenic cell death and recruitment of TILs, resulting in the inhibition of tumor progression both in vitro and in vivo models following the administration of nanoparticles. Hence, the novel multifunctional nanoprobes incorporating various lanthanide elements offer the potential for imaging‐guided tumor delineation, radio‐sensitization, and immune activation post‐radiation, thus presenting an efficient radio‐immunotherapeutic approach for TNBC.

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic Gram-negative bacterium that resides in the human stomach and is classified as a class I carcinogen for gastric cancer. Numerous studies have demonstrated that H. pylori infection plays a role in regulating the function of host cells, thereby contributing to the malignant transformation of these cells. However, H. pylori infection is a chronic process, and short-term cellular experiments may not provide a comprehensive understanding of the in vivo situation, especially when considering the lower oxygen levels in the human stomach. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying gastric cell dysfunction after prolonged exposure to H. pylori under hypoxic conditions. We conducted a co-culture experiment using the gastric cell line GES-1 and H. pylori for 30 generations under intermittent hypoxic conditions. By closely monitoring cell proliferation, migration, invasion, autophagy, and apoptosis, we revealed that sustained H. pylori stimulation under hypoxic conditions significantly influences the function of GES-1 cells. This stimulation induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and contributes to the propensity for malignant transformation of gastric cells. To confirm the in vitro results, we conducted an experiment involving Mongolian gerbils infected with H. pylori for 85 weeks. All the results strongly suggest that the Nod1 receptor signaling pathway plays a crucial role in H. pylori-related apoptosis and autophagy. In summary, continuous stimulation by H. pylori affects the functioning of gastric cells through the Nod1 receptor signaling pathway, increasing the likelihood of cell carcinogenesis. The presence of hypoxic conditions further exacerbates this process.IMPORTANCEDeciphering the collaborative effects of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric epithelial cell function is key to unraveling the development mechanisms of gastric cancer. Prior research has solely examined the outcomes of short-term H. pylori stimulation on gastric epithelial cells under aerobic conditions, neglecting the bacterium’s nature as a microaerophilic organism that leads to cancer following prolonged stomach colonization. This study mimics a more genuine in vivo infection scenario by repeatedly exposing gastric epithelial cells to H. pylori under hypoxic conditions for up to 30 generations. The results show that chronic exposure to H. pylori in hypoxia substantially increases cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, while suppressing autophagy and apoptosis. This highlights the significance of hypoxic conditions in intensifying the carcinogenic impact of H. pylori infection. By accurately replicating the in vivo gastric environment, this study enhances our comprehension of H. pylori’s pathogenic mechanisms in gastric cancer.

ABSTRACT Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is caused by avian coronavirus and poses a global economic threat to the poultry industry. In 2023, a highly pathogenic IBV strain, IBV/CN/GD20230501, was isolated and identified from chickens vaccinated with IBV-M41 in Guangdong, China. This study comprehensively investigated the biological characteristics of the isolated IBV strain, including its genotype, whole genome sequence analysis of its S1 gene, pathogenicity, host immune response, and serum non-targeted metabolomics. Through the analysis of the S1 gene sequence, serum neutralization tests, and comparative genomics, it was proven that IBV/CN/GD20230501 belongs to the GI-I type of strain and is serotype II. One alanine residue in the S1 subunit of the isolated strain was mutated into serine, and some mutations were observed in the ORF1ab gene and the terminal region of the genome. Animal challenge experiments using the EID50 and TCID50 calculations showed that IBV/CN/GD20230501 possesses strong respiratory pathogenicity, with early and long-term shedding of viruses and rapid viral spread. Antibody detection indicated that chickens infected with IBV/CN/GD20230501 exhibited delayed expression of early innate immune genes, while those infected with M41 showed rapid gene induction and effective viral control. Metabolomics analysis demonstrated that this virus infection led to differential expression of 291 ions in chicken serum, mainly affecting the citric acid cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle).IMPORTANCEThis study identified an infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strain isolated from vaccinated chickens in an immunized population that had certain sequence differences compared to IBV-M41, resulting in significantly enhanced pathogenicity and host defense. This strain has the potential to replace M41 as a more suitable challenge model for drug research. The non-targeted metabolomics analysis highlighting the citric acid cycle provides a new avenue for studying this highly virulent strain.

This study explored the benefits of purple potatoes against colitis in IL-10-deficient mice. Mice were fed either a standard diet or one supplemented with 10 % purple potato for 11 weeks. The results demonstrated that purple potato intake notably improved colitis symptoms and pathobiological scores. It induced significant changes in the gut bacteria, reducing harmful phyla associated with colitis, Proteobacteria and Deferribacteres, while increasing beneficial phyla, Firmicutes and Tenericutes. It increased the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, and Lachnospiraceae-Ruminococcaceae, a major butyrate-producing group while decreasing bacterial families commonly elevated in IBD patients, including Bacteroidaceae, Sutterellaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Peptostreptococcaceae. Additionally, purple potatoes boosted intestinal integrity, evidenced by increased goblet cell density and enhanced expression of key markers in maintaining gut health. Furthermore, they promoted mitochondrial function and reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, purple potatoes show promise in protecting against colitis through their effects on gut microbiota, intestinal integrity, and oxidative function.

PurposeSARS-CoV-2 can invade the thyroid gland. This study was to delineate the risk of thyroid dysfunction amidst the prevalence of the Omicron variant, and to investigate the correlation between thyroid function and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. The study also aimed to ascertain whether thyroid dysfunction persisted during COVID-19 recovery phase.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. COVID-19 patients from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China during the epidemic of Omicron variants were included, and their thyroid function were analyzed in groups.ResultsA history of thyroid disease was not associated with COVID-19 outcomes. COVID-19 can lead to a bimodal distribution of thyroid dysfunction. The severity of COVID-19 was inversely proportional to the levels of thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4), leading to a higher prevalence of thyroid dysfunction. Severe COVID-19 was a risk factor for euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) (OR=22.5, 95% CI, 12.1 - 45.6). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio mediated the association between severe COVID-19 and ESS (mediation effect ratio = 41.3%, p < 0.001). ESS and decreased indicators of thyroid function were associated with COVID-19 mortality, while high levels of FT3 and FT4 exhibited a protective effect against death. This effect was more significant in women (p < 0.05). During the recovery period, hyperthyroidism was quite uncommon, while a small percentage of individuals (7.7%) continued to exhibit hypothyroidism.ConclusionCOVID-19 severity was linked to thyroid dysfunction. Severe COVID-19 increased the risk of ESS, which was associated with COVID-19 mortality. Post-recovery, hyperthyroidism was rare, but some individuals continued to have hypothyroidism.

In relativistic heavy-ion collisions, a hot and dense state of matter, called the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), is produced. Semi-inclusive jets recoiling from trigger hadrons of high transverse momenta (pT) can serve as an effective probe of the QGP properties, as they are expected to experience jet quenching when traversing the QGP. Recent experimental results on the ratio of recoil jet yields normalized by the trigger counts in heavy-ion collisions to that in p+p collisions (IAA) pose an unexpected challenge in its interpretation. It is observed that IAA rises with the jet pT and possibly exceeds unity at high pT, while traditionally it is expected that jet quenching would lead to IAA

The Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) includes both plant and human pathogens that cause devastating plant vascular wilt diseases and threaten public health. Each F. oxysporum genome comprises core chromosomes (CCs) for housekeeping functions and accessory chromosomes (ACs) that contribute to host-specific adaptation. This study inspects global transcription factor profiles (TFomes) and their potential roles in coordinating CC and AC functions to accomplish host-specific interactions. Remarkably, we found a clear positive correlation between the sizes of TFomes and the proteomes of an organism. With the acquisition of ACs, the FOSC TFomes were larger than the other fungal genomes included in this study. Among a total of 48 classified TF families, 14 families involved in transcription/translation regulations and cell cycle controls were highly conserved. Among the 30 FOSC expanded families, Zn2-C6 and Znf_C2H2 were most significantly expanded to 671 and 167 genes per family including well-characterized homologs of Ftf1 (Zn2-C6) and PacC (Znf_C2H2) that are involved in host-specific interactions. Manual curation of characterized TFs increased the TFome repertoires by 3% including a disordered protein Ren1. RNA-Seq revealed a steady pattern of expression for conserved TF families and specific activation for AC TFs. Functional characterization of these TFs could enhance our understanding of transcriptional regulation involved in FOSC cross-kingdom interactions, disentangle species-specific adaptation, and identify targets to combat diverse diseases caused by this group of fungal pathogens.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, blended learning became exceptionally widespread, especially in higher education. As a result, many college students became beginners in this learning method. To identify key factors that impact beginners' continuance intention in blended learning, this study surveyed 1845 first-year college students at a university in central China in the falls of 2020 and 2021 who used blended learning for the first time. Structural equation modeling was employed to verify a model that integrates intrinsic motivation and academic self-efficacy in the Expectation-Confirmation Model of Information System Continuance. The results show that performance expectancy, intrinsic motivation, and satisfaction significantly impact beginners' continuance intention in blended learning. Moreover, performance expectancy, intrinsic motivation, and confirmation significantly impact beginners' continuance intention through mediating variable satisfaction. Academic self-efficacy does not directly impact college students' continuance intention but indirectly impacts their continuance intention through intrinsic motivation. Finally, this study provides suggestions for educators to improve beginners' blended learning experience thus promoting their continuance intention in blended learning.