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Slow Transit Constipation (STC) is characterized by impaired colonic motility, but its relationship with gut microbiota remains unclear. This study investigated the correlation between specific gut microbial populations and STC, focusing on the Lactobacillus acidophilus to Lactobacillus johnsonii (A/J) ratio. We used four rat groups: Control (CON), Loperamide-induced STC (LOP), antibiotic-treated (ABX), and antibiotic plus Loperamide (ABX + LOP). Fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and serum metabolites were examined through LC–MS. The LOP group showed an increased A/J ratio, while ABX and ABX + LOP groups had decreased ratios. Notably, the ABX + LOP group did not develop STC symptoms. Metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in key metabolites across groups, including changes in levels of guanidinoacetate, glycine, l-glutamine, nicotine, and nicotinate d-ribonucleotide in the LOP group, and variations in l-glutamine, l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine, histamine, d-ornithine, and lecithin in the ABX and ABX + LOP groups. Our findings suggest a correlation between the A/J ratio and STC development, offering insights into STC pathophysiology and potential microbiome-targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered transition metal oxides are considered ideal cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries. However, the layered structure irreversibly degenerates during the charging and discharging process, which directly results in a significant reduction of the battery's capacity and service life. In this work, potassium ions have been incorporated into the alkali metal layer to improve the comprehensive electrochemical properties of layered transition metal oxide materials. The insertion of K+ ions alters the local electronic state, thereby improving the bond energy between transition metals (TM) and oxygen, enhancing the structural stability of the material. Additionally, the Na-O bond is elongated, widening the diffusion pathway for Na+ ions, and lowering the migration barrier of Na+. The designed compound Na0.6K0.012Mn0.67Ni0.22Fe0.11O2 delivers an initial discharge-specific capacity of 131 mAh g− 1 at 0.5 C and maintains a reversible specific capacity of 89 mAh g− 1 at 2 C. Moreover, it exhibits impressive cycle stability, maintaining 80% of its capacity after 100 cycles at 2 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheum pumilum stands as both a quintessential alpine plant and a significant traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicinal herb. Unraveling the molecular intricacies of seed germination in Rh. pumilum not only unveils the genetic foundations of plant seed germination strategies in high-altitude environments but also offers insights for cultivating Rh. pumilum medicinal materials. Employing transcriptome sequencing and the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis, this study delved into the shifts in gene expression levels across various stages of seed germination in Rh. pumilum. The process of seed germination in Rh. pumilum entails a cascade of complex physiological events. Six hormones (ABA, IAA, ETH, GA, BR, CK) emerged as pivotal players in seeds breaking in shells and the facilitation of rapid seed germination in Rh. pumilum. Fourteen transcription factor families (LOB, GRAS, B3, bHLH, bZIP, EIL, MYB, MYB related, NAC, TCP, WRKY, HSF, PLATZ, and SBP) along with four key genes (E2.4.1.13, EIN3, BZR, and BIN2) were identified that may be associated with both biotic and abiotic environmental stress. The ETR, ACACA and ATPeV0C genes were linked with energy accumulation during the initial stages of seed germination, CYP707A may play an important role in breaking seed dormancy, while the BRI1 gene may be correlated with swift seed germination. Additionally, several unidentified genes were recognized to play key roles in seed germination of Rh. pumilum, warranting further investigation. Moreover, Rh. pumilum demonstrates full activation of crucial physiological functions such as energy metabolism, signal transduction, and responses to biological and abiotic stresses during the seed breaking in shells. This study provides molecular evidence elucidating the swift seed germination strategies adopted by alpine plants to thrive in high-altitude environments. Furthermore, it serves as a foundational reference for enhancing seed germination rates and breeding practices to promote the sustainable development of Rh. pumilum medicinal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1q21+ is a common cytogenetic abnormality in multiple myeloma (MM) and is considered an independent predictor of poor prognosis; however, its impact on extramedullary disease (EMD) remains unknown. Our study reviewed the clinical relevance and prognostic value of 1q21+ status in 92 patients with NDMM and EMD. 1q21+ was detected in 23.9% (22/92) of patients. Patients with 1q21+ presented with advanced International Staging System stages (P = 0.006), lower level of hemoglobin (P = 0.004), higher percentage of plasma cells in the bone marrow (P < 0.001), higher level of serum β2-microglobulin (7.24 g/L vs. 3.85 g/L, P = 0.003), and higher levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) (206.5 U/L vs. 177 U/L, P = 0.019). The prevalence of soft tissue-related EMD (EMD-S) (54.5% vs. 18.6%, P < 0.001), renal dysfunction (50.5% vs. 17.7%, P = 0.002), and hypercalcemia (27.3% vs. 7.1%, P = 0.011) was also higher. 1q21+ was strongly associated with other high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities, including IgH/FGFR3 (22.7% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.007) and IgH/MAF translocations (22.7% vs. 1.4%, P < 0.001). 1q21+ patients had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (OS: 24 months vs. 47 months, P = 0.002; PFS: 14 months vs. 38 months, P < 0.001); the poor survival outcomes could not be reversed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Multivariate analysis suggested that 1q21+ , EMD-S, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and P53 deletion were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with EMD. In patients with 1q21+ EMD, hypercalcemia, elevated LDH levels, and P53 deletion were independent adverse risk prognostic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prime editing (PE) is a recent gene editing technology that can mediate insertions or deletions and all twelve types of base-to-base conversions. However, its low efficiency hampers the application in creating novel breeds and biomedical models, especially in pigs and other important farm animals. Here, we demonstrate that the pig genome is editable using the PE system, but the editing efficiency was quite low as expected. Therefore, we aimed to enhance PE efficiency by modulating both exogenous PE tools and endogenous pathways in porcine embryonic fibroblasts (PEFs). First, we modified the pegRNA by extending the duplex length and mutating the fourth thymine in a continuous sequence of thymine bases to cytosine, which significantly enhanced PE efficiency by improving the expression of pegRNA and targeted cleavage. Then, we targeted SAMHD1, a deoxynucleoside triphosphate triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) that impedes the reverse transcription process in retroviruses, and found that treatment with its inhibitor, cephalosporin C zinc salt (CPC), increased PE efficiency up to 29-fold (4-fold on average), presumably by improving the reverse transcription process of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase (M-MLV RT) in the PE system. Moreover, PE efficiency was obviously improved by treatment with a panel of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis). Among the four HDACis tested, panobinostat was the most efficient, with an efficiency up to 122-fold (7-fold on average), partly due to the considerable HDACi-mediated increase in transgene expression. In addition, the synergistic use of the three strategies further enhanced PE efficiency in PEFs. Our study provides novel approaches for optimization of the PE system and broadens the application scope of PE in agriculture and biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore an appropriate time interval between oocyte retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for optimal embryological and clinical outcomes in ICSI cycles over 40 years of maternal age. A retrospective analysis of 1476 ICSI fresh cycles from women aged over 40 years, was performed at the Reproduction Medicine Research Center of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, between December 2013 and August 2020. The fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate were the main outcomes. Multivariate linear regression and logistic regression analysis of factors showed that fertilization rate (P = 0.024) and clinical pregnancy rate (P = 0.011) were significantly associated with oocyte pick up (OPU)-ICSI interval. A longer OPU-ICSI interval (no more than 6 h) was associated with a higher fertilization rate but significantly decreased the clinical pregnancy rate when the OPU-ICSI interval was over 4 h (P < 0.05). The optimal OPU-ICSI interval is between 3 and 4 h for excellent embryological and clinical outcomes in ICSI cycles over 40 years of maternal age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The treatment situation for hepatocellular carcinoma remains critical. The use of deep learning algorithms to assess immune infiltration is a promising new diagnostic tool. Methods: Patient data and whole slide images (WSIs) were obtained for the Xijing Hospital (XJH) cohort and TCGA cohort. We wrote programs using Visual studio 2022 with C# language to segment the WSI into tiles. Pathologists classified the tiles and later trained deep learning models using the ResNet 101V2 network via ML.NET with the TensorFlow framework. Model performance was evaluated using AccuracyMicro versus AccuracyMacro. Model performance was examined using ROC curves versus PR curves. The percentage of immune infiltration was calculated using the R package survminer to calculate the intergroup cutoff, and the Kaplan‒Meier method was used to plot the overall survival curve of patients. Cox regression was used to determine whether the percentage of immune infiltration was an independent risk factor for prognosis. A nomogram was constructed, and its accuracy was verified using time-dependent ROC curves with calibration curves. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to assess immune infiltration between groups. Gene Ontology was used to explore the pathways of differentially expressed genes. Results: There were 100 WSIs and 165,293 tiles in the training set. The final deep learning models had an AccuracyMicro of 97.46% and an AccuracyMacro of 82.28%. The AUCs of the ROC curves on both the training and validation sets exceeded 0.95. The areas under the classification PR curves exceeded 0.85, except that of the TLS on the validation set, which might have had poor results (0.713) due to too few samples. There was a significant difference in OS between the TIL classification groups (p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in OS between the TLS groups (p = 0.294). Cox regression showed that TIL percentage was an independent risk factor for prognosis in HCC patients (p = 0.015). The AUCs according to the nomogram were 0.714, 0.690, and 0.676 for the 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year AUCs in the TCGA cohort and 0.756, 0.797, and 0.883 in the XJH cohort, respectively. There were significant differences in the levels of infiltration of seven immune cell types between the two groups of samples, and gene ontology showed that the differentially expressed genes between the groups were immune related. Their expression levels of PD-1 and CTLA4 were also significantly different. Conclusion: We constructed and tested a deep learning model that evaluates the immune infiltration of liver cancer tissue in HCC patients. Our findings demonstrate the value of the model in assessing patient prognosis, immune infiltration and immune checkpoint expression levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both adipose tissue and skeletal muscle are highly dynamic tissues and interact at the metabolic and hormonal levels in response to internal and external stress, and they coordinate in maintaining whole-body metabolic homeostasis. In our previous study, we revealed that adipocyte-specific Rnf20 knockout mice (ASKO mice) exhibited lower fat mass but higher lean mass, providing a good model for investigating the adipose-muscle crosstalk and exploring the effect of the adipocyte Rnf20 gene on the physiology and metabolism of skeletal muscle. Here, we confirmed that ASKO mice exhibited the significantly increased body weight and gastrocnemius muscle weight. Fiber-type switching in the soleus muscle of ASKO mice was observed, as evidenced by the increased number of fast-twitch fibers and decreased number of slow-twitch fibers. Serum metabolites with significant alteration in abundance were identified by metabolomic analysis and the elevated lysophosphatidylcholine 16:0 [LysoPC (16:0)] was observed in ASKO mice. In addition, lipidome analysis of gonadal white adipose tissue revealed a significant increase in LysoPCs and LysoPC (16:0) in ASKO mice. Furthermore, knockdown of Rnf20 gene in 3T3-L1 cells significantly increased the secretion of LysoPC, suggesting that LysoPC might be a critical metabolite in the adipose-muscle crosstalk of ASKO mice. Furthermore, in vitro study demonstrated that LysoPC (16:0) could induce the expression of fast-twitch muscle fibers related genes in differentiated C2C12 cells, indicating its potential role in adipose-muscle crosstalk. Taken together, these findings not only expand our understanding of the biological functions of Rnf20 gene in systemic lipid metabolism, but also provide insight into adipose tissue dysfunction-induced physiological alterations in skeletal muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major depressive disorder (MDD) refers to a widespread psychiatric disorder. Astrocytes play a pivotal role in regulating inflammation which is a well-acknowledged key component in depression pathogenesis. However, the effects of the neuroinflammation-inducing A1-like astrocytes on MDD are still unknown. TWIK-related K+ channel 1 (TREK-1) has been demonstrated to regulate the action of antidepressants. Nevertheless, its mechanisms and effects on A1-like astrocyte stimulation in MDD are not clear. Therefore, we conducted in vivo and in vitro experiments using TREK-1 specific inhibitor spadin. In vivo, rats were subjected to a 6-week chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) followed by spadin treatment. Behavioral tests were employed to surveil depressive-like behaviors. Hippocampal proteomic analysis was carried out with the purpose of identifying differentially expressed proteins after CUMS and spadin treatments. In vitro, astrocyte-conditioned medium and spadin were used to treat rat astrocyte cell line. The activated microglia, inflammatory factors, A1 astrocyte markers, and activated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway were later analyzed using immunofluorescence, western blot, and RT-qPCR. Our findings indicated that blockage of TREK-1 reduced CUMS-induced depressive-like behavior in rats, inhibited the microglial stimulation, reduced inflammatory factor levels, and suppressed the activation of A1-like reactive astrocytes in the hippocampus. We also verified that the suppression of A1-like astrocytes by spadin necessitated the NF-κB pathway. According to the findings, blocking TREK-1 inhibited the activation of A1-like reactive astrocytes via the NF-κB signaling pathway in MDD. Our study preliminarily identifies a novel antidepressant mechanism of TREK-1 action and provides a therapeutic path for MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment for their unprecedented clinical efficacy. Signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) is a phagocytic checkpoint expressed on macrophages, dendritic cells, and other myeloid cells. Cancer cells inhibit macrophage phagocytosis through the interaction of the CD47−SIRPα axis. Disrupting the CD47−SIRPα axis has therefore been a promising strategy in restoring the immune attack against cancer. Herein, we engineered cellular membrane nanovesicles (NVs) presenting SIRPα receptors for phagocytosis checkpoint blockade to augment the antitumor immune response. Furthermore, zebularine (Zeb), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase, was encapsulated into SIRPα NVs to reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment together with blockade of phagocytosis checkpoint. It is demonstrated that SIRPα@Zeb can improve tumor immunogenicity, the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages to the M1 phenotype, and increase the infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes in tumors. The robust antitumor immune response induced by SIRPα@Zeb significantly suppressed tumor growth and extended mice-bearing melanoma xenograft survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a scoring system to quantify the inflammatory effects of nutrients and foods. Inflammation may affect bone health. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of DII with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis. Methods: This study involved 1023 women and 1080 men (age ≥ 50) in the US National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), 2017–2018. Multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between DII and BMD. Association between DII and osteoporosis was tested with multivariable logistic regression models. Results: In women, DII was negatively associated with total hip and femoral neck BMD after adjusting for covariates (P < 0.05). In men, DII was negatively associated with lumbar spine BMD (P < 0.05). DII was positively associated with osteoporosis in women (P < 0.05). The odds ratios (ORs) (95% CI) for osteoporosis associated with DII quartiles 2, 3 and 4 vs. quartile 1 were 2.95 (1.08, 8.09), 5.63 (2.87, 11.04), and 6.14(2.55, 14.78), respectively. No significant association was observed in men. Conclusions: Higher DII scores were associated with increase osteoporosis risk in women, while no association was found in men. Greater pro-inflammatory diets might be associated with lower BMD in both women and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) are considered to be osmotic sensors that play an important role in the early stages of hyperosmotic stress response. We analysed the physicochemical properties, chromosome distribution, phylogeny, gene structure and expression pattern of the OSCA gene family in barley, and investigated the expression of HvOSCA genes in barley under drought stress by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Finally, 14 members of the OSCA gene family were identified from barley, all containing the RSN1_7TM domain and often accompanied by the RSN1_TM and PHM7_cyt domains. According to the phylogenetic relationship, they were divided into four subgroups, and each with similar gene structures. Two types of duplicate events in the HvOSCA genes family evolved under the effect of purification selection. By analysing the cis-acting elements in the HvOSCA promoter, it was speculated that the barley OSCA gene family is involved in the regulation of multiple signalling pathways. The expression of HvOSCA genes in barley tissues and their relative expression under drought stress revealed that the gene family plays a role in plant organ differentiation, growth and development and coping with abiotic stress. These results provide new valuable information for the functional analysis of HvOSCA genes and the genetic improvement of barley, and provide an important reference for follow-up research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the differences between a population with premature endometrial aging and a population with normal endometrial status in young women with recurrent implantation failure (< 35 years). Methods: Systematic analysis of the endometrium transcriptome of 274 RIF women. The NMF algorithm was used for classification based on endometrial-specific aging markers in CellAge, and the endometrial receptivity, gene expression patterns, and clinical data were compared between the classifications. Results: Two hundred forty-five young RIF women could be divided into two clusters, in which the aging gene expression pattern of cluster 2 was closer to the reference cluster. Cluster 1 was characterized by high immune activity, while cluster 2 was characterized by high metabolic activity. Combined with clinical data, cluster 2 was worse than cluster 1 in window of implantation deviation rate and endometrial receptivity. Conclusion: Premature aging of the endometrium exists in young women with RIF, and premature aging of the endometrium was associated with poor reproductive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia which is an abnormally developmental disease has been widely reported to show abnormal brain structure and function. Enhanced functional integration is a predominant neural marker for brain mature. Abnormal development of structure and functional integration may be a biomarker for early diagnosis of schizophrenia. Fifty-five patients with early onset schizophrenia (EOS) and 79 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and functional connectivity density (FCD) were performed to explore gray matter volume (GMV) lesion, abnormal functional integration, and concurrent structural and functional abnormalities in the brain. Furthermore, the relationships between abnormalities structural and function and clinical characteristics were evaluated in EOS. Compared with healthy controls, EOS showed significantly decreased GMV in the bilateral OFC, frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal and limbic system. EOS also showed decreased FCD in precuneus and increased FCD in cerebellum. Moreover, we found concurrent changes of structure and function in left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC). Finally, correlation analyses did not find significant correlation between abnormal neural measurements and clinical characteristic in EOS. The results reveal disassociated and bound structural and functional abnormalities patterns in EOS suggesting structural and functional measurements play different roles in delineating the abnormal patterns of EOS. The concurrent structural and functional changes in lOFC may be a biomarker for early diagnosis of schizophrenia. Our findings will deepen our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms in EOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accompanied with the increasing complicated global value chain (GVC) networks is the carbon emission transfers among countries. Utilizing the complex network analysis alongside quadratic assignment procedure (QAP), this paper detects the community structure and influencing forces of the emission transfers under GVCs. The results imply that the bipolar structure of the network transformed gradually to tripolar owing largely to the surging of carbon emissions from China. Evidence on the existence of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in the emission transfers from high-income countries to low-income countries, and a U-shape relationship transfers in the reverse direction, suggesting that growing carbon emissions from both low- and high-income countries transferred to other high-income countries gradually. Gaps in technology, especially in patent applications, between source and destination countries played an important role therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The C2H2 zinc finger protein (C2H2-ZFP) gene family plays important roles in response to environmental stresses and several other biological processes in plants. Ginseng is a precious medicinal herb cultivated in Asia and North America. However, little is known about the C2H2-ZFP gene family and its functions in ginseng. Here, we identified 115 C2H2-ZFP genes from ginseng, defined as the PgZFP gene family. It was clustered into five groups and featured with eight conserved motifs, with each gene containing one to six of them. The family genes are categorized into 17 gene ontology subcategories and have numerous regulatory elements responsive to a variety of biological process, suggesting their functional differentiation. The 115 PgZFP genes were spliced into 228 transcripts at seed setting stage and varied dramatically in expression across tissues, developmental stages, and genotypes, but they form a co-expression network, suggesting their functional correlation. Furthermore, four genes, PgZFP31, PgZFP78-01, PgZFP38, and PgZFP39-01, were identified from the gene family that were actively involved in plant response to salt stress. These results provide new knowledge on origin, differentiation, evolution, and function of the PgZFP gene family and new gene resources for C2H2-ZFP gene research and application in ginseng and other plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to compare low-level light therapy with oral contraceptive pills for pain relief and serum levels of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea. This was a randomised, active comparator-controlled, multicentre study. In total, 156 patients were randomised to receive either low-level light therapy with light-emitting diodes (LED) applying on two acupoints, namely, conception vessel 4 (CV4) and CV6 or conventional treatment with oral Marvelon, 30 µg of ethinyl estradiol and 150 µg of desogestrel (DSG/EE), for three consecutive menstrual cycles. The main outcome was the proportion of patients who achieved 33% or more decrease in pain scores measured using the visual analogue scale, which was deemed as efficient rate. Absolute changes in visual analogue scale scores, serum levels of nitric oxide (assessed by nitrites and nitrates reflecting nitric oxide metabolism) and prostaglandin E2 (measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were the secondary outcomes. A total of 135 patients completed the study (73 in the light therapy group and 62 in the DSG/EE group). The efficient rate at the end of treatment was comparable between the groups (73.6% vs. 85.7%, χ2 = 2.994, p = 0.084). A more significant reduction in pain scores was observed in the DSG/EE group (39.25% vs. 59.52%, p < 0.001). Serum levels of prostaglandin E2 significantly decreased from baseline but did not differ between groups (− 109.57 ± 3.99 pg/mL vs. − 118.11 ± 12.93 pg/mL, p = 0.51). Nitric oxide concentration remained stable in both groups. Low-level light therapy with LED-based device applied on acupuncture points CV4 and CV6 demonstrated a similar level of dysmenorrhoea pain reduction to DSG/EE combined contraceptive. Both treatment modalities achieved clinically meaningful levels of pain reduction. Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov: TRN: NCT03953716, Date: April 04, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise and simultaneous acquisition of multiple beneficial alleles in the genome is in great demand for the development of elite pig breeders. Cytidine base editors (CBEs) that convert C:G to T:A have emerged as powerful tools for single-nucleotide replacement. Whether CBEs can effectively mediate C-to-T substitution at multiple sites/loci for trait improvement by direct zygote injection has not been verified in large animals. Here, we determined the editing efficiency of four CBE variants in porcine embryonic fibroblast cells and embryos. The findings showed that hA3A-BE3-Y130F and hA3A-eBE-Y130F consistently resulted in increased base-editing efficiency and low toxic effects in embryonic development. Further, we verified that using a one-step approach, direct zygote microinjection of the CBE system can generate pigs harboring multiple point mutations. Our process resulted in a stop codon in CD163 and myostatin (MSTN) and introduced a beneficial allele in insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF2). The pigs showed disrupted expression of CD163 and MSTN and increased expression of IGF2, which significantly improved growth performance and infectious disease resistance. Our approach allows immediate introduction of multiple mutations in transgene-free animals to comprehensively improve economic traits through direct embryo microinjection, providing a potential new route to produce elite pig breeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The application of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is generally restricted most likely due to limited prescriptions by doctors. Fear of cancer risk may be a critical factor. We investigated the views of Chinese obstetricians and gynecologists on the relationship between hormone therapy and cancer risk. Methods: A self-administered web-based nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire. Results: In total, 5243 medical workers responded to the questionnaire (response rate 94.5%); 4995 were certified obstetricians and gynecologists. Most were aged 36–55 years (70.9%), had > 10 years of working experience (68.5%), and worked at tertiary (34.8%) and secondary hospitals (49.1%); 70% of the clinicians were aware of the endometrial cancer risk caused by estrogen, and 20% considered progestogen to cause the same risk. Regarding breast cancer, while 67.9 and 74.8% of the clinicians viewed natural and synthetic estrogens as risk factors, respectively, only 41.7% identified the carcinogenic effect of progestins as higher than that of progesterone (26.7%). Approximately 75% of the participants believed synthetic estrogens and progestins constituted a risk for ovarian cancer (higher than the percentages for their natural counterparts); 13.0–21.1% of the respondents were worried about choriocarcinoma due to hormone treatment. Finally, 86.8% of obstetricians and gynecologists claimed to have poor knowledge regarding this field. Conclusion: Misconceptions and a lack of knowledge in this regard may result in the fear of cancer and could be the underlying causes of limited MHT prescriptions. We believe that scientific research, continued education, and the media all have roles to play in changing preconceived ideas regarding MHT prescriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined a synthetic microbial consortium, composed of two selected bacteria, i.e., Citrobacter freundii so4 and Sphingobacterium multivorum w15, next to the fungus Coniochaeta sp. 2T2.1, with respect to their fate and roles in the degradation of wheat straw (WS). A special focus was placed on the effects of pH (7.2, 6.2, or 5.2), temperature (25 versus 28 °C), and shaking speed (60 versus 180 rpm). Coniochaeta sp. 2T2.1 consistently had a key role in the degradation process, with the two bacteria having additional roles. Whereas temperature exerted only minor effects on the degradation, pH and shaking speed were key determinants of both organismal growth and WS degradation levels. In detail, the three-partner degrader consortium showed significantly higher WS degradation values at pH 6.2 and 5.2 than at pH 7.2. Moreover, the two bacteria revealed up to tenfold enhanced final cell densities (ranging from log8.0 to log9.0 colony forming unit (CFU)/mL) in the presence of Coniochaeta sp. 2T2.1 than when growing alone or in a bacterial bi-culture, regardless of pH range or shaking speed. Conversely, at 180 rpm, fungal growth was clearly suppressed by the presence of the bacteria at pH 5.2 and pH 6.2, but not at pH 7.2. In contrast, at 60 rpm, the presence of the bacteria fostered fungal growth. In these latter cultures, oxygen levels were significantly lowered as compared to the maximal levels found at 180 rpm (about 5.67 mg/L, ~ 62% of saturation). Conspicuous effects on biomass appearance pointed to a fungal biofilm–modulating role of the bacteria. Key points • Coniochaeta sp. 2T2.1 has a key role in wheat straw (WS) degradation. • Bacterial impact shifts when conditions change. • pH and shaking speed are key drivers of the growth dynamics and WS degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA alternative splicing (AS) is prevalent in higher organisms and plays a paramount role in biology; therefore, it is crucial to have comprehensive knowledge on AS to understand biology. However, knowledge is limited about how AS activates in a single plant and functions in a biological process. Ginseng is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs that is abundant in a number of medicinal bioactive components, especially ginsenosides. In this study, we sequenced the transcripts of 14 organs from a 4-year-old ginseng plant and quantified their ginsenoside contents. We identified AS genes by analyzing their transcripts with the ginseng genome and verified their AS events by PCR. The plant had a total of 13,863 AS genes subjected to 30,801 AS events with five mechanisms: skipped exon, retained intron, alternative 5′splice site, alternative 3′ splice site, and mutually exclusive exon. The genes that were more conserved, had more exons, and/or expressed across organs were more likely to be subjected to AS. AS genes were enriched in over 500 GO terms in the plant even though the number of AS gene-enriched GO terms varied across organs. At least 24 AS genes were found to be involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis. These AS genes were significantly up-enriched and more likely to form a co-expression network, thus suggesting the functions of AS and correlations of the AS genes in the process. This study provides comprehensive insights into the molecular characteristics and biological functions of AS in a single plant; thus, helping better understand biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the binary nanocomposite of crosslinked polyaniline nanorods (CPANINRs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is first synthesized by in situ polymerization, and CPANINRs/MoS2 on functionalized carbon cloth (CPANINRs/MoS2/FCC) is facilely constructed by a drop-casting method. The composition, morphology, and structure of the CPANINRs, MoS2, and CPANINRs/MoS2 binary nanocomposite are characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrochemical properties of the MoS2/FCC, CPANINRs/FCC, and CPANINRs/MoS2/FCC are tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD). The experiment results show that the CPANINRs/MoS2/FCC exhibits excellent stability and high specific capacitance, and its specific capacitance reaches 618.75 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. The CPANINRs/MoS2/FCC has a long cycling life and the capacity retention of 91.46% is obtained after 2000 cycles at a large current density of 10 A g−1. Moreover, the CPANINRs/MoS2/FCC-based symmetric supercapacitor also exhibits excellent rate performance and good cycling stability. The specific capacitance based on the total mass of the two electrodes is 106.4 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 and the capacitance retention of 93.6% is obtained after 2000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi or exogenous melatonin (MT) can alleviate drought stress and improve plant growth, but the additive effects of both treatments on plants grown under drought stress are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a pot experiment to investigate the effects of AM inoculation (Funneliformis mosseae BGC XJ01) and/or MT application on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Yuyan No. 6) seedling growth, photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, antioxidant enzymatic activity, osmotic adjustment substance accumulation, and nutrient uptake under three water conditions (75–80%, 50–55%, and 30–35% of the maximum moisture retention capacity). The results show that applying either the AM inoculant or MT alone significantly increased tobacco seedling growth and decreased the negative effects of drought stress. Furthermore, AM inoculation alone promoted root function (root biomass, root/shoot ratio, root system architecture), facilitated the capture and conversion of solar energy (photosynthetic rate, ΦPSII), and increased nutrient uptake more effectively than MT. In contrast, exogenous MT application alone was more effective at increasing peroxidase and catalase activity and decreasing H2O2 and MDA accumulation, which in turn enhanced the adaptation of seedlings to drought stress by improving their antioxidant capacity and reducing oxidative damage. Nevertheless, applying exogenous MT significantly enhanced the AM colonization rate under AM inoculation conditions but had no obvious effect on AM colonization under noninoculated conditions. The combined application of AM and MT had an additive effect and produced the largest increases in tobacco seedling growth, photosynthetic ability, antioxidant enzymatic activity, and N, P, and K uptake and the largest decreases in H2O2 and MDA contents of all the treatments. The results suggest that AM inoculation in combination with exogenous MT application may render plants more productive and more tolerant of drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by a more aggressive clinical course with extensive inter- and intra-tumour heterogeneity. Combination of single-cell and bulk tissue transcriptome profiling allows the characterization of tumour heterogeneity and identifies the association of the immune landscape with clinical outcomes. We identified inter- and intra-tumour heterogeneity at a single-cell resolution. Tumour cells shared a high correlation amongst stemness, angiogenesis, and EMT in TNBC. A subset of cells with concurrent high EMT, stemness and angiogenesis was identified at the single-cell level. Amongst tumour-infiltrating immune cells, M2-like tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) made up the majority of macrophages and displayed immunosuppressive characteristics. CIBERSORT was applied to estimate the abundance of M2-like TAM in bulk tissue transcriptome file from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). M2-like TAMs were associated with unfavourable prognosis in TNBC patients. A TAM-related gene signature serves as a promising marker for predicting prognosis and response to immunotherapy. Two commonly used machine learning methods, random forest and SVM, were applied to find the genes that were mostly associated with M2-like TAM densities in the gene signature. A neural network-based deep learning framework based on the TAM-related gene signature exhibits high accuracy in predicting the immunotherapy response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common digestive tract malignant tumor and the clinical outcome of patients with EC after surgery remains unsatisfactory. Hence, it is necessary to identify some effective drugs or methods to improve the prognosis of patients with EC. In this study, we attempted to analyze the potential role of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) in EC. Combined with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) as well as Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) website, we tried to identify the related genes and pathways of HSYA. Then we estimated the actions of HSYA on proliferation, invasion and migration, and apoptosis of EC cells using cell counting kit 8, transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. At last, the expression of inflammatory protein and signaling pathway-related protein were measured using western blot analysis. Relative protein expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) were all upregulated in EC tissues compared with normal tissues and they might be the target gene of HSYA according to bioinformatics analysis. HSYA exerted an inhibitory actions on cells proliferation, invasion, and migration but could accelerate the apoptosis of cells in EC. Moreover, HSYA could inhibit the expression of ICAM1, MMP9, TNF-α, and VCAM1 and induced the expression of phosphor-nuclear transcription factor kappa B p65 (p-P65) and phosphor-I kappa B-alpha (p-IκBα), but it did not influence the expression of P65 and IκBα. HSYA suppressed proliferation, invasion, and migration, simultaneously induce apoptosis of EC cells partly via regulating NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinically significant copy-number variants (CNVs) known to cause human diseases are routinely detected by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Recently, genome sequencing (GS) has been introduced for CNV analysis; however, sequencing depth (determined by sequencing read-length and read-amount) is a variable parameter across different laboratories. Variating sequencing depths affect the CNV detection resolution and also make it difficult for cross-laboratory referencing or comparison. In this study, by using data from 50 samples with high read-depth GS (30×) and the reported clinically significant CNVs, we first demonstrated the optimal read-amount and the most cost-effective read-length for CNV analysis to be 15 million reads and single-end 50 bp (equivalent to a read-depth of 0.25-fold), respectively. In addition, we showed that CNVs at mosaic levels as low as 30% are readily detected, furthermore, CNVs larger than 2.5 Mb are also detectable at mosaic levels as low as 20%. Herein, by conducting a retrospective back-to-back comparison study of low-pass GS versus routine CMA for 532 prenatal, miscarriage, and postnatal cases, the overall diagnostic yield was 22.4% (119/532) for CMA and 23.1% (123/532) for low-pass GS. Thus, the overall relative improvement of the diagnostic yield by low-pass GS versus CMA was ~ 3.4% (4/119). Identification of cryptic and clinically significant CNVs among prenatal, miscarriage, and postnatal cases demonstrated that CNV detection at higher resolutions is warranted for clinical diagnosis regardless of referral indications. Overall, our study supports low-pass GS as the first-tier genetic test for molecular cytogenetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to explore whether there were cold and heat temperature adverse effects on years of life lost (YLL) for non-accidental mortality in Yuxi, a southwest plateau region of China. From data for 89,467 non-accidental deaths over an 8-year study period, we used a general linear regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model to assess the burden of disease non-accidental mortality due to ambient temperature with the YLL indicator. We estimated the mean YLL change per 1 °C decrease from the 25th to 1st percentile mean temperature as the cold effect and per 1 °C increase from the 75th to 99th percentile as the heat effect. The 95% empirical confidence intervals (eCIs) were calculated by using a bootstrap simulation method. The exposure–response curve between average temperature and YLL was U-shaped. The cold effect peaked at the first day after exposure and disappeared at 2 weeks, and the heat effect only lasted for the first 3 days. A per 1 °C decrease from the 25th to 1st mean temperature percentile was associated with an increase of 15.6 (95% eCI: 2.4, 22.9) in YLL for non-accidental diseases, and the cumulative effects due to cold were stronger in contrast to that attributed by heat. Cold temperature had a significant impact on YLL among the subgroups, with higher YLL in cardiovascular disease, stroke, males, Han nationality, married, and those engaged in agriculture than their corresponding categories. An increasing death burden of non-accidental in Yuxi of China due to cold temperature was demonstrated, and the association was also modified by specific disease causes and individual features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) gene family is a gene family of transcription factors that plays essential roles in plant growth and development, secondary metabolism and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, a comprehensive knowledge of the bHLH gene family is paramount to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes and develop advanced technologies to manipulate the processes efficiently. Ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, is a well-known medicinal herb; however, little is known about the bHLH genes (PgbHLH) in the species. Here, we identified 137 PgbHLH genes from Jilin ginseng cultivar, Damaya, widely cultivated in Jilin, China, of which 50 are newly identified by pan-genome analysis. These 137 PgbHLH genes were phylogenetically classified into 26 subfamilies, suggesting their sequence diversification. They are alternatively spliced into 366 transcripts in a 4-year-old plant and involved in 11 functional subcategories of the gene ontology, indicating their functional differentiation in ginseng. The expressions of the PgbHLH genes dramatically vary spatio-temporally and across 42 genotypes, but they are still somehow functionally correlated. Moreover, the PgbHLH gene family, at least some of its genes, is shown to have roles in plant response to the abiotic stress of saline. These results provide a new insight into the evolution and functional differentiation of the bHLH gene family in plants, new bHLH genes to the PgbHLH gene family, and saline stress-responsive genes for genetic improvement in ginseng and other plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) exhibit different overall survival (OS) rates and immunotherapy responses. Understanding the immune landscape facilitates the personalized treatment of LUAD. The immune cell populations in tumour tissues were quantified to depict the immune landscape in early-stage LUAD patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Early-stage LUAD patients in three immune clusters identified by the immune landscape exhibited different survival potentials. A prognostic immune-related gene signature was built to predict the survival of early-stage LUAD patients. Several machine learning methods (support vector machine, naive Bayes, random forest, and neural network-based deep learning) were applied to train the classifiers to identify the immune clusters in early-stage LUAD based on the gene signature. The four classifiers exhibited a robust effect in identifying the immune clusters. A random forest regression model identified that TP53 was the most important gene mutation associated with the immune-related signature. Furthermore, a decision tree and a nomogram were constructed based on the immune-related gene signature and clinicopathological traits to improve risk stratification and quantify risk assessment for individual patients. Five external test cohorts were applied to validate the accuracy of the immune-related signature. Our study might contribute to the development of immunotherapy and the personalized treatment of early-stage LUAD. Key messages: Immune landscape correlates with the clinical outcome of early-stage adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Machine learning methods identifies a prognostic gene signature to predict the survival and prognosis of early-stage LUAD. TP53 gene mutation status correlates with the immune landscape in early-stage LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming and production theory-based nonparametric approach that is generally used for efficiency analysis. Older DEA models, such CCR and BCC, can only identify decision-making units (DMUs) efficient or inefficient. The super-efficiency DEA model enables efficient DMUs to be ranked. A change in efficient DMUs can be measured using Malmquist index model, and the Malmquist productivity change index can be decomposed multiplicatively into an efficiency-change component (Effch) and a technical change component (Techch). This paper analyzes the water use efficiency in Shandong Province between 2006 and 2015 using Malmquist productivity index (TFP). The results show that: (1) the mean of super-efficiency scores of 17 cities in Shandong Province for the period 2006–2015 is between 0.965 and 2.760; (2) the water use efficiency was positive in 2006–2007, 2007–2008, and 2013–2014; however, it was negative in the other periods between 2006 and 2015; and (3) technical change is the key influencing factor on water use efficiency of 17 cities in Shandong Province. So, we suggest that Shandong Province encourage technological innovation to promote water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single rich-stimuli-responsive organometallic polymers are considered to be the candidate for ultrahigh information storage and anti-counterfeiting security. However, their controllable synthesis has been an unsolved challenge. Here, we report the rapidly sequence-controlled electrosynthesis of organometallic polymers with exquisite insertion of multiple and distinct monomers. Electrosynthesis relies on the use of oxidative and reductive C–C couplings with the respective reaction time of 1 min. Single-monomer-precision propagation does not need protecting and deprotecting steps used in solid-phase synthesis, while enabling the uniform synthesis and sequence-defined possibilities monitored by both UV–vis spectra and cyclic voltammetry. Highly efficient electrosynthesis possessing potentially automated production can incorporate an amount of available metal and ligand species into a single organometallic polymer with complex architectures and functional versatility, which is proposed to have ultrahigh information storage and anti-counterfeiting security with low-cost coding and decoding processes at the single organometallic polymer level. The controllable synthesis of organometallic polymers that can be used in ultrahigh information storage and anti-counterfeiting security has been an unsolved challenge. Here, the authors show sequence-controlled electrosynthesis of organometallic polymers with exquisite insertion of multiple and distinct monomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: In situ observations indicate that different levels of micro-standing could induce divergent temperature responses in trees at similar elevations but different slope aspects, which is supported by physiological process model simulation of radial incremental growth. The unstable response of tree growth to climate change is a well-documented, yet poorly understood phenomenon. It has been reported that Picea crassifolia exhibits a systematically variable response to climate forcing at a single high-mountain study area located at the upper treeline in the Qilian Mountains, China. This study used in situ meteorological observations to force a simplified but nonlinear mechanistic model of tree-ring width to identify how variable conditions translate into differences in radial growth within this site. The simulations suggest no significant difference in soil moisture between sites, but disparate diurnal micro-site temperature maxima, apparently amplified by a uniform warming, drive the divergent growth trends between subsites. For tree-ring-based reconstructions of surface temperature, such divergent growth trends challenge the validity of the assumption that a linear growth response to environmental conditions within and across study sites. Therefore, we recommend the development of precise, high-resolution data sets for calibrating, validating and reconstructing climatic change, given the potential for emergent non-stable tree growth–climate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To reconstruct the three-dimensional safe triangle areas at L1–5 based on the computed tomography digital data, analyze the safe scopes for the puncture location and angles, and provide anatomic references for percutaneous lumbar discectomy. Methods: Computed tomography data from patients and control group were imported from the database and anatomical reference parameters were measured in Mimics software. The rebuilt model was rotated clockwise along the M-axis to measure the inscribed circle radius of the safe triangle at different angles. Based on the outer diameter of the largest cannula, the safe angles were calculated. The distances between points on the projection of safe triangle-inscribed circle and the upper lumbar spinous process were measured. Similarly, while the safe triangle was on the left side, the model was contra-rotated to measure all the parameters. Results: There was no significant difference between the patient and control group in both the least distance between the selected anatomical reference locations and the safe triangle-inscribed circle radius at L4–5. According to the series which had a largest cannula of 2.5 mm, the safe puncture angles increased with the descending disc levels. The optimal angles were 40°–45° for L1–2, 45°–50° for L2–3, 50° for L3–4, and 55° for L4–5 separately. The differences between genders in the distances of paired reference points were significant. Conclusions: Individual safe localization of the percutaneous puncture could be obtained by analyzing the three-dimensional relationship between the puncture localization and anatomical landmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: ATPase copper transporting α (ATP7A), also known as Menkes disease protein, is a P-type ATPase that transports copper across cell membranes. The critical role of ATP7A-mediated copper homeostasis has been well recognised in various organs, such as the intestine, macrophages and the nervous system. However, the importance of adipocyte ATP7A-mediated copper homeostasis on fat metabolism is not well understood. Here, we sought to reveal the contribution of adipose ATP7A to whole-body fat metabolism in mice. Methods: We generated adipocyte-specific Atp7a-knockout (ASKO) mice using the Cre/loxP system, with Cre expression driven by the adiponectin promoter. ASKO mice and littermate control mice were aged on a chow diet or fed with a high-fat diet (HFD); body weight, fat mass, and glucose and insulin metabolism were analysed. Histological analysis, transmission electron microscopy and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of white adipose tissue (WAT) were used to understand the physiological and molecular changes associated with loss of copper homeostasis in adipocytes. Results: Significantly increased copper concentrations were observed in adipose tissues of ASKO mice compared with control mice. Aged or HFD-fed ASKO mice manifested a lipoatrophic phenotype characterised by a progressive generalised loss of WAT. Dysfunction of adipose tissues in these ASKO mice was confirmed by decreased levels of both serum leptin and adiponectin and increased levels of triacylglycerol and insulin. Systemic metabolism was also impaired in these mice, as evidenced by a pronounced glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. Moreover, we demonstrate a significant induction of lipolysis and DNA-damage signalling pathways in gonadal WAT from aged and HFD-fed ASKO mice. In vitro studies suggest that copper overload is responsible for increased lipolysis and DNA damage. Conclusions/interpretation: Our results show a previously unappreciated role of adipocyte Atp7a in the regulation of ageing-related metabolic disease and identify new metallophysiologies in whole-body fat metabolism. Data availability: The datasets generated during the current study are available in the Genome Sequence Archive in BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, under accession number CRA001769 (http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gsa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of renal cell carcinoma and is characterized by a dysregulation of changes in cellular metabolism. Altered lipid metabolism contributes to ccRCC progression and malignancy. Method: Associations among survival potential and each gene ontology (GO) term were analyzed by univariate Cox regression. The results revealed that membrane lipid metabolism had the greatest hazard ratio (HR). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to determine the key genes associated with membrane lipid metabolism. Consensus clustering was used to identify novel molecular subtypes based on the key genes. LASSO Cox regression was performed to build a membrane lipid metabolism–based signature. The random forest algorithm was applied to find the most important mutations associated with membrane lipid metabolism. Decision trees and nomograms were constructed to quantify risks for individual patients. Result: Membrane lipid metabolism stratified ccRCC patients into high- and low-risk groups. Key genes were identified by WGCNA. Membrane lipid metabolism–based signatures exhibited higher prediction efficiency than other clinicopathological traits in both whole cohort and subgroup analyses. The random forest algorithm revealed high associations among the membrane lipid metabolism–based signature and BAP1, PBRM1 and VHL mutations. Decision trees and nomograms indicated high efficiency for risk stratification. Conclusion: Our study might contribute to the optimization of risk stratification for survival and personalized management of ccRCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a recovery problem for an unknown boundary coefficient relating to one material characteristic in an eddy current field. The field equations are represented in terms of the potential field method (T-ψ method) and can be solved numerically by the nodal finite element method. We introduce a measurement as an additional condition and prove the existence and uniqueness of the weak solution. Further, we present an iteration algorithm for the recovery problem and validate its efficiency by two numerical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most genes in a genome exist in the form of a gene family; therefore, it is necessary to have knowledge of how a gene family functions to comprehensively understand organismal biology. The receptor-like kinase (RLK)-encoding gene family is one of the most important gene families in plants. It plays important roles in biotic and abiotic stress tolerances, and growth and development. However, little is known about the functional differentiation and relationships among the gene members within a gene family in plants. This study has isolated 563 RLK genes (designated as PgRLK genes) expressed in Jilin ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), investigated their evolution, and deciphered their functional diversification and relationships. The PgRLK gene family is highly diverged and formed into eight types. The LRR type is the earliest and most prevalent, while only the Lec type originated after P. ginseng evolved. Furthermore, although the members of the PgRLK gene family all encode receptor-like protein kinases and share conservative domains, they are functionally very diverse, participating in numerous biological processes. The expressions of different members of the PgRLK gene family are extremely variable within a tissue, at a developmental stage and in the same cultivar, but most of the genes tend to express correlatively, forming a co-expression network. These results not only provide a deeper and comprehensive understanding of the evolution, functional differentiation and correlation of a gene family in plants, but also an RLK genic resource useful for enhanced ginseng genetic improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EX27 System is a 6-dye (i.e., FAM, HEX, TAMAR, ROX, VIG, and SIZ-500) kit that combines the 24 autosomal STR loci (i.e., D3S1358, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, D1S1656, Penta E, TPOX, TH01, D2S1338, CSF1PO, Penta D, D10S1248, D19S433, vWA, D21S11, D18S51, D6S1043, D8S1179, D5S818, D12S391, FGA, D22S1045, D2S441, SE33) with a Y-STR locus (DYS391), an Indel site (YIndel) and Amelogenin, which is designed to amplify DNA from extracts as well as direct amplification from substrates. The new system contains most of the widely used autosomal STR loci around the world and is sensitive to the male component in mixtures and is more accurate in gender determination owing to the DYS391 and YIndel.To demonstrate the suitability for personal identification and parentage testing, the system was validated for sensitivity of detection, species specificity, inhibitor tolerance, DNA mixtures, reproducibility study, and concordance studies based on the SWGDAM developmental validation guidelines. In view of the results, the EX27 System is a robust and reliable amplification kit which can be used for human identification testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimated forest biomass carbon storage and carbon density from 1949 to 2008 based on nine consecutive forest inventories in Henan Province, China. According to the definitions of the forest inventory, Henan forests were categorized into five groups: forest stands, economic forests, bamboo forests, open forests, and shrub forests. We estimated biomass carbon in forest stands for each inventory period by using the continuous biomass expansion factor method. We used the mean biomass density method to estimate carbon stocks in economic, bamboo, open and shrub forests. Over the 60-year period, total forest vegetation carbon storage increased from 34.6 Tg (1 Tg = 1 × 1012 g) in 1949 to 80.4 Tg in 2008, a net vegetation carbon increase of 45.8 Tg. By stand type, increases were 39.8 Tg in forest stands, 5.5 Tg in economic forests, 0.6 Tg in bamboo forests, and −0.1 Tg in open forests combine shrub forests. Carbon storage increased at an average annual rate of 0.8 Tg carbon over the study period. Carbon was mainly stored in young and middle-aged forests, which together accounted for 70–88% of the total forest carbon storage in different inventory periods. Broad-leaved forest was the main contributor to forest carbon sequestration. From 1998 to 2008, during implementation of national afforestation and reforestation programs, the carbon storage of planted forest increased sharply from 3.9 to 37. 9 Tg. Our results show that with the growth of young planted forest, Henan Province forests realized large gains in carbon sequestration over a 60-year period that was characterized in part by a nation-wide tree planting program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to demonstrate and explore the ability of novel game-based perimetry to establish normal visual field thresholds in children. Methods: One hundred and eighteen children (aged 8.0 ± 2.8 years old) with no history of visual field loss or significant medical history were recruited. Each child had one eye tested using a game-based visual field test 'Caspar's Castle' at four retinal locations 12.7° ( N = 118) from fixation. Thresholds were established repeatedly using up/down staircase algorithms with stimuli of varying diameter (luminance 20 cd/m, duration 200 ms, background luminance 10 cd/m). Relationships between threshold and age were determined along with measures of intra- and intersubject variability. Results: The Game-based visual field test was able to establish threshold estimates in the full range of children tested. Threshold size reduced with increasing age in children. Intrasubject variability and intersubject variability were inversely related to age in children. Conclusions: Normal visual field thresholds were established for specific locations in children using a novel game-based visual field test. These could be used as a foundation for developing a game-based perimetry screening test for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable interconnection between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and external circuit is one of the prerequisite in CNT electronics. In this work, ultrasonic nanowelding was used to bond CNTs with metal electrodes. By exerting ultrasonic energy at the interface of CNT/electrode, a reliable joint with negligible contact resistance was obtained between CNTs and electrodes. The performance of welding is susceptible to the ultrasonic parameters such as ultrasonic power and clamping force, as well as the metal type. It is found that the metals with good ductility or low melting point are easier to achieve effective joints. Moreover, interfacial compounds are formed at the welded surface of metal Al and Fe, which is resulted from the interacting and chemical bonding of carbon and metal atoms. After nanowelding, the contact resistance between CNTs and electrode is decreased dramatically, and the two-terminal resistance of the sample approximates to the intrinsic resistance of the CNT itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To prepare fluorescent carbon dots for loading cationic anticancer drug through donor-quenched nanosurface energy transfer in visible sensing of drug release. Results: Highly fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal approach from citric acid and o-phenylenediamine. The obtained CDs showed a high quantum yield of 46 % and exhibited good cytocompatibility even at 1 mg/ml. The cationic anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) can be loaded onto the negatively charged CDs through electrostatic interactions. Additionally, the fluorescent CDs feature reversible donor-quenched mode nanosurface energy transfer. When loading the energy receptor DOX, the donor CDs' fluorescence was switched 'off', while it turned 'on' again after DOX release from the surface through endocytic uptake. Conclusions: Most DOX molecules were released from the CDs after 6 h incubation and entered cell nuclear region after 8 h, suggesting the drug delivery system may have potential for visible sensing in drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient, green and practical approach to synthesize alkenyl nitriles using new supported Cu(II) catalyst via aromatic aldehydes and acetonitrile was developed. The novel catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM/EDX, TEM, TGA and VSM. Interestingly, the catalyst was found to be active for synthesis of alkenyl nitriles, which were readily obtained in good yields under mild conditions. But most importantly, the original catalyst could be conveniently recovered and recycled from the reaction system by applying an external magnet and reused in four cycles without significant loss in catalytic activity. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A sensitive and expeditious capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(CE-ESIMS) method for the separation, identification and determination of succinic, citric, salicylic, malic, benzoic, sorbic, ascorbic, and tartaric acid in blueberry juices has been developed. In order to obtain the analytical separation, CE-MS interface parameters(e.g., buffer pH and composition, sheath liquid and gas flow rates, sheath liquid composition, electrospray voltage, etc.) were carefully optimized. Eight organic acids were baseline separated in 8 min under optimum experimental conditions. The precisions for eight replicate separations of a standard mixture solution were 2.54-4.12 % for peak area and 0.85-2.12 % for migration time respectively. The linear ranges were 10.0-1000.0, 8.0-1000.0, 13.0-1000.0, 6.0-1000.0, 9.0-1000.0, 3.2-600.0, 6.0-1000.0 and 18.0-1000.0 μg/L for succinic, citric, salicylic, malic, benzoic, sorbic, ascorbic, and tartaric acid with detection limits of 2.5, 2.0, 3.4, 1.5, 2.2, 0.8, 1.5, 4.5 μg/L, respectively. The average recoveries of the eight components were between 86.8 and 99.8 % with RSDs of 1.8-5.3 %. The proposed method was applied to the simultaneous analysis of eight analytes in Blueberry Juice samples with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]