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Abstract Background Uterine Fibroids (UFs) are common benign tumors in the female reproductive tract, but their progression to intravascular leiomyomatosis (IVL) is rare. Presently, there are few reports on single-stage resection of UFs and IVL. Case presentation A 47-year-old woman, G2P2, had been diagnosed multiple UFs four years ago and now developed heart failure. Imaging examinations revealed that UFs had invaded the right iliac vein and extended into the right atrium through the inferior vena cava. Through multidisciplinary collaboration and a single-stage resection, the patient has survived for over 24 months post-surgery, and her heart function has significantly improved compared to preoperative levels, with no recurrence of UFs observed. Conclusions Single-stage resection of IVL and UF is feasible and advantageous for this case, and selecting the appropriate surgical approach is crucial.

Clock genes play a pivotal role in the rhythm maturation of bony fish ovaries. To explore the role of clock genes in the rhythmic ovarian development and maturation of tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), we used real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR technique to analyze the expression profiles of circadian locomotor output cycles Kaput 1a (Clock1a), brain and muscle Arntlike 1a (Bmal1a), Cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a), Cryptochrome 2 (Cry2), and Period 2 (Per2) at the ovarian stages Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, and Ⅵ.The coding DNA sequence (CDS) of five clock genes were cloned and phylogenetically analyzed. We found that the CDS sequence length of Clock1a was 1 620 bp and encoded 539 amino acids, with the encoded amino acid sequence of Clock1a having a predicted molecular weight of 81.9 kDa. Clock1a has the functional domain PASD1 (consisting of 64 amino acids) and PAS11 (consisting of 103 amino acids). The CDS sequence length of Bmal1a was 1 881 bp and encoded 626 amino acids, with the encoded amino acid sequence of Bmal1a having a predicted molecular weight of 68.9 kDa. In the Bmal1a sequence, the functional domain PASD3 is composed of 63 amino acids, and the functional domain PAS11 is composed of 103 amino acids. The CDS sequence length of Cry1a was 1 896 bp and encoded 631 amino acids, with the encoded amino acid sequence of Cry1a having a predicted molecular weight of 71.4 kDa. Its functional domain FAD7 was composed of 199 amino acids. The CDS sequence length of Cry2 was 2 007 bp and encoded 669 amino acids, with the encoded amino acid sequence of Cry2 having a predicted molecular weight of 76.0 kDa. The Cry2 sequence contains a functional domain FAD7 consisting of 199 amino acids. The CDS sequence length of Per2 was 4 248 bp, encoding 1 415 amino acids, and the encoded amino acid sequence of Per2 has a predicted molecular weight of 154.0 kDa. In the Per2 sequence, the functional domain PeriodC consists of 295 amino acids and a functional domain PAS11 consists of 102 amino acids.The neighbor-joining method was used to analyze the Clock1a, Bmal1a, Cry1a, Cry2, and Per2 phylogenetic relationships between C. semilaevis and other bony fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. The homology of Clock1a, Bmal1a, Cry1a, Cry2, and Per2 with other bony fish was 60%–79%, 94%–100%, 85%–91%, 84%–94%, and 70%–84%, respectively. Therefore, we believe that these five amino acid sequences show strong conserved property. In addition, the homology of Cry1a and Cry2 was 62%, indicating that Cry1a and Cry2 evolved differently during the evolution of C. semilaevis. In the constructed phylogenetic tree, Clock1a, Bmal1a, Cry1a, Cry2, and Per2 of C. semilaevis were clustered together with other bony fishes, indicating a close relationship between C. semilaevis and other bony fish in the evolutionary process. Moreover, the homology of Clock1a between C. semilaevis and mammals, birds, and amphibians is low, indicating that there are evolutionary differences in the evolutionary process of Clock1a. The high homology of Bmal1a, Cry1a, Cry2, and Per2 with mammals, birds, and amphibians suggests that these four clock genes were strongly conserved during the evolution of C. semilaevis.In the present study, we found that the expression levels of five clock genes were high in stagesⅡ and Ⅲ, which were equivalent to the non-reproductive season (P < 0.05). However, the expression levels of five clock genes were low in stages Ⅳ and Ⅴ, which were equivalent to the reproductive season (P < 0.05). Therefore, the expression profiles of Clock1a, Bmal1a, Cry1a, Cry2, and Per2 in the ovaries of C. semilaevis also have seasonal characteristics. The ovarian development and maturation of C. semilaevis goes through stages Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, and Ⅵ, and then reaches stage Ⅱ again and starts a new reproductive cycle. The variation patterns of seasonal factors, such as light and temperature, in fish ovaries were consistent with the annual expression patterns of the five clock genes in this study. Therefore, it can be considered that the expression of clock genes in C. semilaevis has an annual cycle. The findings presented in this study can enrich the theory of ovarian development and maturation of C. semilaevis and provide a theoretical basis for improving breeding technology and seedling efficiency.

The whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) is an important fish species with high economic value in China and Japan owing to its high nutritional content. It occupies an important position in marine-eel export in China. C. myriaster has the potential to be artificially cultured and has promising economic prospects. Thus, there is growing international interest in C. myriaster research. Indeed, to meet the demands of domestic and foreign markets, artificial culturing of C. myriaster is urgently required. However, at present, there is no report on the research of C. myriaster reared in industrial recirculating aquaculture systems. Feeding frequency has been reported to affect feed intake and growth performance in a number of fish species. Feed management in terms of optimization of feeding frequency has emerged as one of the crucial areas of research in the field of aquaculture. Overfeeding and leftover food disrupts the water quality, while inadequate food supply has direct impact on production cost. Traditional flow through systems uses large volumes of water, and intensified aquaculture has drawbacks, such as large amount of discharged waste from effluent water. Among the excreted nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus constitute the largest proportion. Sustainability with low environmental impacts is one of the concerns when developing aquaculture systems. Based on the concepts of reduced water consumption and efficient water management, recirculating aquaculture systems offer the possibility of creating a sustainable future for fish production. Thus, a 70-day experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different feeding frequencies and water quality on the growth performance and physiological and biochemical indices of C. myriaster [body weight: (150.64±5.43) g] reared in industrial recirculating aquaculture systems; physiological and ecological methods were used in this study. The experiment comprised two feeding frequency groups, feeding once (group T1) and twice (group T2) per day, and each treatment group had three replicates. The average body weight of the fish in each culture pond and the water quality indices of the culture system were measured and analyzed every 14 d. At the end of the experiment, the blood, liver, and intestine samples of C. myriaster were collected to determine and analyze growth and physiological indices. The results indicated that (1) the growth performance of group T2 was better than that of group T1. The final body weight, final body length, weight gain, and specific growth rate of group T2 was significantly higher than those of group T1 (P < 0.05). The feed coefficient of group T1 was significantly higher than that of group T2 (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the final body height, liver body ratio, visceral body ratio, condition factor, or survival rate at different feeding frequencies (P > 0.05). (2) The serum malondialdehyde of group T1 was significantly higher than that of group T2 (P < 0.05). The hepatic alanine aminotransferase and hepatic aspartate transaminase of group T1 was significantly higher than those of group T2 (P < 0.05). The intestinal trypsin of group T2 was significantly higher than that of group T1 (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of serum superoxide dismutase, serum catalase, intestinal amylase, or intestinal lipase between groups T1 and T2 (P > 0.05). (3) In the 24 h changes of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2–-N), the change patterns of the two indices in outlet of the T1 group were similar to those of the outlet of the bio-filter; the two indices of the outlet water in T1 and T2 groups were one (24:00) and two peaks (20:00 and 08:00) respectively; the difference in NH4+-N in the outlet water of the two test groups within 24 h was significant (P < 0.05); at 04:00 and 08:00, the NO2–-N content of the outlet water of the biofilter was significantly lower than that of the other two test groups (P < 0.05); the 24 h changes range of NH4+-N and NO2–-N in T2 group were smaller than those in T1 group. (4) During the whole test period, each water quality index was maintained within the safe breeding range, and no significant differences were found in NH4+-N, NO2–-N, chemical oxygen demand, and active phosphate concentration between T1 and T2 groups (P > 0.05); at the end of the test, the total nitrogen and total phosphorus of T2 group were significantly higher than those of T1 group (P < 0.05); the biofilter has different treatment effects on various water quality indices, among which the treatment effect on NH4+-N is the most efficient, up to 54.23%. Based on the above results, the feeding frequency of twice per day was better than that of once per day in the industrial recirculating aquaculture mode for C. myriaster (body weight: 150~250 g). Without affecting the survival rate and condition factor, the twice per day group can save costs and improve economic benefits. However, due to the limitations of the test conditions, we did not explore more times of feeding, and further tests are needed in the future. The predominance, which was the high efficiency of water qualities treatment and optimal effect of culture, was demonstrated obviously in closed recirculating aquaculture systems. This study aims to provide a theoretical reference for the appropriate feeding strategy in the industrial recirculating aquaculture model of C. myriaster.

Secondary flowering is the phenomenon in which a tree blooms twice or more times a year. Along with the development of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruits in spring, a large number of secondary flowers on the strong upright spring shoots were noticed in blueberries planted in the greenhouse. To reveal the cause and possible regulatory mechanism of the phenomenon, we clarified the phenological characteristics of flower bud differentiation and development on the spring shoots by combining phenological phenotype with anatomical observation. Furthermore, the changes in carbohydrates, trehalose-6-phosphate (Tre6P), and the relationship among the key enzyme regulatory genes for Tre6P metabolism and the key regulatory genes for flower formation during the differentiation process of apical buds and axillary buds were investigated. The results showed that the process of flower bud differentiation and flowering of apical and axillary buds was consistent, accompanied by a large amount of carbohydrate consumption. This process was positively correlated with the expression trends of VcTPS1/2, VcSnRK1, VcFT, VcLFY2, VcSPL43, VcAP1, and VcDAM in general, and negatively correlated with that of VcTPP. In addition, there is a certain difference in the differentiation progress of flower buds between the apical and axillary buds. Compared with axillary buds, apical buds had higher contents of sucrose, fructose, glucose, Tre6P, and higher expression levels of VcTPS2, VcFT, VcSPL43, and VcAP1. Moreover, VcTPS1 and VcTPS2 were more closely related to the physiological substances (sucrose and Tre6P) in axillary bud and apical bud differentiation, respectively. It was suggested that sucrose and trehalose-6-phosphate play a crucial role in promoting flower bud differentiation in strong upright spring shoots, and VcTPS1 and VcTPS2 might play a central role in these activities. Our study provided substantial sight for further study on the mechanism of multiple flowering of blueberries and laid a foundation for the regulation and utilization of the phenomenon of multiple flowering in a growing season of perennial woody plants.

Background: Uterine Fibroids (UFs) are common benign tumors in the female reproductive tract, but their progression to intravascular leiomyomatosis (IVL) is rare. Presently, there are few reports on single-stage resection of UFs and IVL. Case presentation: A 47-year-old woman, G2P2, had been diagnosed multiple UFs four years ago and now developed heart failure. Imaging examinations revealed that UFs had invaded the right iliac vein and extended into the right atrium through the inferior vena cava. Through multidisciplinary collaboration and a single-stage resection, the patient has survived for over 24 months post-surgery, and her heart function has significantly improved compared to preoperative levels, with no recurrence of UFs observed. Conclusions: Single-stage resection of IVL and UF is feasible and advantageous for this case, and selecting the appropriate surgical approach is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary flowering is the phenomenon in which a tree blooms twice or more times a year. Along with the development of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruits in spring, a large number of secondary flowers on the strong upright spring shoots were noticed in blueberries planted in the greenhouse. To reveal the cause and possible regulatory mechanism of the phenomenon, we clarified the phenological characteristics of flower bud differentiation and development on the spring shoots by combining phenological phenotype with anatomical observation. Furthermore, the changes in carbohydrates, trehalose-6-phosphate (Tre6P), and the relationship among the key enzyme regulatory genes for Tre6P metabolism and the key regulatory genes for flower formation during the differentiation process of apical buds and axillary buds were investigated. The results showed that the process of flower bud differentiation and flowering of apical and axillary buds was consistent, accompanied by a large amount of carbohydrate consumption. This process was positively correlated with the expression trends of VcTPS1/2, VcSnRK1, VcFT, VcLFY2, VcSPL43, VcAP1, and VcDAM in general, and negatively correlated with that of VcTPP. In addition, there is a certain difference in the differentiation progress of flower buds between the apical and axillary buds. Compared with axillary buds, apical buds had higher contents of sucrose, fructose, glucose, Tre6P, and higher expression levels of VcTPS2, VcFT, VcSPL43, and VcAP1. Moreover, VcTPS1 and VcTPS2 were more closely related to the physiological substances (sucrose and Tre6P) in axillary bud and apical bud differentiation, respectively. It was suggested that sucrose and trehalose-6-phosphate play a crucial role in promoting flower bud differentiation in strong upright spring shoots, and VcTPS1 and VcTPS2 might play a central role in these activities. Our study provided substantial sight for further study on the mechanism of multiple flowering of blueberries and laid a foundation for the regulation and utilization of the phenomenon of multiple flowering in a growing season of perennial woody plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of die steels, hot-work die steels are mainly used to manufacture molds made of solid metal or high-temperature liquid metal from heating to recrystallization temperature. In view of the requirements for mechanical properties and service life for hot-work die steel, it is conducive to improve the thermal fatigue resistance, wear resistance, and oxidation resistance of hot work die steel. In this review, the main failure modes of hot-work die steel were analyzed. Four traditional methods of strengthening and toughening die steel were summarized, including optimizing alloying elements, electroslag remelting, increasing the forging ratio, and heat treatment process enhancement. A new nano-strengthening method was introduced that aimed to refine the microstructure of hot-work abrasive steel and improve its service performance by adding nanoparticles into molten steel to achieve uniform dispersion. This review provides an overview to improve the service performance and service life of hot work die steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines pedaling asymmetry using the electromyogram (EMG) complexity of six bilateral lower limb muscles for chronic stroke survivors. Fifteen unilateral chronic stroke and twelve healthy participants joined passive and volitional recumbent pedaling tasks using a self-modified stationary bike with a constant speed of 25 revolutions per minute. The fuzzy approximate entropy (fApEn) was adopted in EMG complexity estimation. EMG complexity values of stroke participants during pedaling were smaller than those of healthy participants (p = 0.002). For chronic stroke participants, the complexity of paretic limbs was smaller than that of non-paretic limbs during the passive pedaling task (p = 0.005). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between clinical scores and the paretic EMG complexity during passive pedaling (p = 0.022, p = 0.028), indicating that the paretic EMG complexity during passive movement might serve as an indicator of stroke motor function status. This study suggests that EMG complexity is an appropriate quantitative tool for measuring neuromuscular characteristics in lower limb dynamic movement tasks for chronic stroke survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the images encountered in daily life are color images, yet grayscale remains prevalent in many fields due to its reduced data size and simplified operations. When reducing the dimensions of a three-channel color image to a single-channel grayscale, a portion of the original color information is inevitably lost. To yield high-quality grayscale images, this study introduces a color-to-gray conversion method based on chroma difference. This method defines a novel color distance metric for color-to-grayscale conversion, incorporating pixel chromaticity differences alongside brightness variations. The discrepancy in gray pixel values in the output grayscale image effectively mirrors the overall differences among input color image pixels. Optimization is conducted using the conjugate gradient method, ensuring appropriate reflection of luminance information from the input image and chromaticity data from the original color image within the grayscale rendering. Experimental validation confirms the efficacy of this approach. However, as the method accounts for all pixel pairs, it occasionally considers unnecessary pairs, leading to potential distortion in color differences between pixels and consequent inadequacies in chromaticity variation. To address this issue, a weighting factor is introduced, prioritizing color combinations with similar color differences. Experimental findings demonstrate that grayscale images produced using the proposed method outperform those generated by alternative approaches in preserving color differentials and retaining detailed features of the original image. The resulting output exhibits clear and natural outlines, as supported by both subjective and objective assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 45 alkylbenzenes were detected and identified in crude oils with different depositional environments and thermal maturities from the Tarim Basin, Beibuwan Basin, and Songliao Basin using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC x GCTOFMS). By analyzing the distribution characteristics of C0eC5 alkylbenzenes, it is found that the content of some alkylbenzenes varies greatly in crude oils. Based on the distribution characteristics of 1,2,4,5- tetramethylbenzene (TeMB) and 1,2,3,4-TeMB, the ratio of 1,2,4,5-TeMB to 1,2,3,4-TeMB is proposed to indicate the organic matter origin and depositional environment of ancient sediments. Oil samples originated mainly from lower hydrobiont, algae, bacteria and source rocks deposited under reducing/ anoxic conditions have low 1,2,4,5-/1,2,3,4-TeMB values (less than 0.6), while oil samples originated mainly from terrestrial higher plants and source rocks deposited under oxic/sub-oxic conditions have higher 1,2,4,5-/1,2,3,4-TeMB values (greater than 1.0). The significant difference of 1,2,4,5-/1,2,3,4-TeMB values is controlled by 1,2,4,5-TeMB content. 1,2,4,5-TeMB content in oils derived from source rocks deposited in oxidized sedimentary environment (greater than 1.0 mg/g whole oil) is higher than that in oils from source rocks deposited in reduced sedimentary environment (less than 1.0 mg/g whole oil). 1,2,4,5-/1,2,3,4-TeMB ratio might not or slightly be affected by evaporative fractionation, biodegradation and thermal maturity. 1,2,4,5-/1,2,3,4-TeMB ratio and 1,2,4,5-TeMB content can be used as supplementary parameter for the identification of sedimentary environment and organic matter input. It should be noted that compared to the identification of organic matter sources, the 1,2,4,5-/1,2,3,4-TeMB parameter is more effective in identifying sedimentary environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two previously undescribed cationic indole alkaloids, named ophiorrhines L (1) and M (2), was isolated from the Ophiorrhiza japonica. The structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic data and quantum calculations as well as X-ray crystallographic analysis. Alkaloids 1 and 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory activities on XOD (Xanthine Oxidase) with IC50 values 42.5 and 22.6 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previously undescribed chromanol derivative, named currephila A (1), was isolated from the endophytic fungus Curreya pityophila, along with two known compounds (2 and 3). Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic methods, electronic circular dichroism, and spin-spin coupling constants. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1 and 2 against human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Removing motion artifacts (MAs) from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signals is crucial in practical applications, but a standard procedure is not available yet. Artificial neural networks have found applications in diverse domains, such as voice and image processing, while their utility in signal processing remains limited., Method: In this work, we introduce an innovative neural network-based approach for online fNIRS signals processing, tailored to individual subjects and requiring minimal prior experimental data. Specifically, this approach employs one-dimensional convolutional neural networks with a penalty network (1DCNNwP), incorporating a moving window and an input data augmentation procedure. In the training process, the neural network is fed with simulated data derived from the balloon model for simulation validation and semi-simulated data for experimental validation, respectively., Results: Visual validation underscores 1DCNNwP's capacity to effectively suppress MAs. Quantitative analysis reveals a remarkable improvement in signal-to-noise ratio by over 11.08 dB, surpassing the existing methods, including the spline-interpolation, wavelet-based, temporal derivative distribution repair with a 1 s moving window, and spline Savitzky-Goaly methods. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) analysis further demonstrated 1DCNNwP's ability to restore or enhance CNRs for motionless signals. In the experiments of eight subjects, our method significantly outperformed the other approaches (except offline TDDR, t  < -3.82, p  < 0.01). With an average signal processing time of 0.53 ms per sample, 1DCNNwP exhibited strong potential for real-time fNIRS data processing., Discussion: This novel univariate approach for fNIRS signal processing presents a promising avenue that requires minimal prior experimental data and adapts seamlessly to varying experimental paradigms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Huang, Hong, Bao and Gao.)