Search

Purpose: Hospitalization is most common for severe pertussis cases and those with serious complications caused by pertussis. In mainland China, the immunization program consists of primary vaccinations at 3, 4, and 5 months, followed by a booster at 18 months with DTaP. It remains uncertain whether the first dose at 3 months, rather than 6 weeks as WHO recommended, may increase disease burden, as delayed immunization may lead to lagged protection. This study aimed to determine pertussis hospitalization rates by active surveillance in China, shedding light on immunization strategies for better disease control. Methods: From June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2022, two Chinese cities underwent a population-based active surveillance. Suspected pertussis cases were confirmed as pertussis cases through PCR and culture. Pertussis hospitalization rates were calculated by dividing the number of laboratory confirmed pertussis cases by the hospitalization coverage rate of surveillance hospitals and the resident population. Results: During the study period 2021–2022, pertussis hospitalization rate in Yiwu was 2.50/100,000 (95% CrI 2.48–2.53), while in Yongcheng, it was 7.90/100,000 (95% CrI 7.81-8.00). In both cities, infants aged < 1 year had the highest hospitalization rate (215.64/100,000: Yiwu; 217.65/100,000: Yongcheng), followed by the age group of 4–5 years (16.37/100,000: Yiwu; 65.70/100,000: Yongcheng). Conclusions: This study revealed significant pertussis hospitalization rates in China, particularly among infants aged < 1 year, highlighting the need of timely and early immunization. The higher hospitalization rates in the 4-5-year age group emphasize the importance of targeted preventive measures for preschool children to mitigate the impact of pertussis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a key contributor to poor prognosis in liver cirrhosis. This study aims to leverage the database to build a predictive model for early identification of high-risk patients. From two sizable public databases, we retrieved pertinent information about the cirrhosis patients' therapies, comorbidities, laboratory results, and demographics. Patients from the eICU database served as a test set for external validation, while patients from the MIMIC database were divided into training and validation groups. Variables were screened using LASSO regression, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XG Boost), and Random Forest (RF). Core risk factors were determined from the intersection of the three methods. A predictive model was constructed using multivariable logistic regression and visualized via a nomogram. Model performance was assessed using ROC curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), clinical impact curves (CIC), and calibration curves. Eight critical variables associated with HRS were identified using machine learning methods. The final predictive model, based on five key variables—spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, red blood cell count, creatinine, activated partial thromboplastin time, and total bilirubin—showed excellent discrimination, with AUCs of 0.832 (95% CI 0.8069–0.8563) in the training set and 0.8415 (95% CI 0.8042–0.8789) in the validation set. The AUC in the external test set was 0.8212 (95% CI 0.7784–0.864). By integrating the MIMIC-IV database and machine learning algorithms, we developed an effective predictive model for HRS in liver cirrhosis patients, providing a robust tool for early clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-aged obesity, characterized by excessive fat accumulation and systemic energy imbalance, often precedes various health complications. Recent research has unveiled a surprising link between DNA damage response and energy metabolism. Here, we explore the role of Eepd1, a DNA repair enzyme, in regulating adipose tissue function and obesity onset. Eepd1 is primarily expressed in adipose tissue, where its downregulation or deletion accelerates obesity development. We show that Eepd1 ablation hinders PKA activation, thereby inhibiting lipolysis and thermogenesis in adipose tissue. Notably, cold exposure enhances Eepd1's myristoylation, facilitating its anchorage to adipocyte membranes and subsequent activation of PKA, while a mutation at the myristoylation site of Eepd1 disrupts this process. Moreover, individuals with obesity exhibit reduced Eepd1 expression. Pharmacological restoration of Eepd1 with Retigabine dihydrochloride effectively mitigates obesity. This study reveals Eepd1's unexpected role in promoting adipose lipolysis and thermogenesis, underscoring its potential as a promising therapeutic target to combat obesity. Middle-aged obesity, marked by excessive fat accumulation, is closely linked to DNA damage. Here, the authors show that the DNA repair enzyme Eepd1, primarily expressed in adipose tissue, in its myristoylated form, promotes lipolysis and thermogenesis by activating PKA to combat obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advances in Atmospheric Sciences is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We propose a two-stage estimation procedure for a copula-based model with semi-competing risks data, where the non-terminal event is subject to dependent censoring by the terminal event, and both events are subject to independent censoring. With a copula-based model, the marginal survival functions of individual event times are specified by semiparametric transformation models, and the dependence between the bivariate event times is specified by a parametric copula function. For the estimation procedure, in the first stage, the parameters associated with the marginal of the terminal event are estimated using only the corresponding observed outcomes, and in the second stage, the marginal parameters for the non-terminal event time and the copula parameter are estimated together via maximizing a pseudo-likelihood function based on the joint distribution of the bivariate event times. We derived the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator and provided an analytic variance estimator for inference. Through simulation studies, we showed that our approach leads to consistent estimates with less computational cost and more robustness than the one-stage procedure developed in Chen YH (Lifetime Data Anal 18:36–57, 2012), where all parameters were estimated simultaneously. In addition, our approach demonstrates more desirable finite-sample performances over another existing two-stage estimation method proposed in Zhu H et al., (Commu Statistics-Theory Methods 51(22):7830–7845, 2021). An R package PMLE4SCR is developed to implement our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, and colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), as one of the most prevalent malignant tumors of the digestive tract, has been indicated by research to have a close association with CD. This study employs bioinformatics techniques to uncover the potential molecular links between CD and COAD. In this study, two data series related to CD were identified from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database under specific criteria, and relevant COAD gene data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were conducted. A diagnostic model was established using machine learning. The accuracy of the diagnosis was validated using methods such as the construction of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and nomograms. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was also employed to enrich the relevant pathways and biological processes. This study identified three genes through machine learning selection: DPEP1, MMP3, and MMP13. The ROC curves demonstrated that the machine learning model constructed with these three genes has a high level of accuracy, confirming their potential as biomarkers. Furthermore, GSEA elucidated that the pathways associated with these three key genes are closely related to cytokines and other factors. This study has identified key biomarker genes for CD and COAD: DPEP1, MMP3, and MMP13, providing additional molecular mechanism associations between the two diseases. It also offers more connections and pathways for reference regarding the progression of CD to COAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosing neurosyphilis in clinical settings poses significant challenges due to the absence of highly efficient diagnostic criteria. Our objective was to enhance the existing diagnostic criteria and assess their sensitivity and specificity for identifying neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients. We conducted a retrospective review of patient records from a cross-sectional study carried out between December 2019 and May 2023. This study was designed to explore clinical practices in the diagnosis and treatment of neurosyphilis. We proposed and validated a new set of diagnostic criteria across 782 cases, comparing three different NS criteria for diagnostic efficiency. Among the 782 patients analyzed, 410 were diagnosed with neurosyphilis, while 372 were not. The newly developed NS criteria demonstrated a sensitivity of 99.5% and a specificity of 94.6%, with the added benefit of being user-friendly. In subgroups categorized by neurological symptoms and syphilis stages, the new NS criteria also exhibited high sensitivity and specificity. Statistical analyses confirmed that the novel NS criteria performed comparably well to the expanded NS criteria. The novel NS criteria for HIV-negative patients exhibited high sensitivity and specificity, proving to be both effective and convenient for physicians to implement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) is a large coral reef fish distributed in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. With a high market value, this species can grow up to approximately 2.7 meters in length and weigh 440 kilograms. With the rapid development of bioinformatics, higher standards of genome analysis are now required compared to previous reference genomes. This study presents a gapless assembly of the giant grouper genome, which has a length of 1.03 Gb. The sequences were assembled onto 24 chromosomes with a coverage of over 99% (1.02 Gb), and telomeres were detected on 24 chromosomes. Analysis using Merqury indicated a high level of accuracy, with an average consensus quality value of 59.24. The ONT ultralong and PacBio HiFi data were aligned with the assembly using minimap2, resulting in a mapping rate of 99.9%. The study inferred 25,815 protein-coding genes. These results lay a foundation for exploring the evolution and biology of the giant grouper, and advancing molecular breeding techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To adapt to a habitat, halophytes growing at the same saline–alkali levels develop their unique rhizosphere microbial communities, whereas same plant species growing at different saline–alkali levels have different rhizosphere microbial communities. Therefore, understanding the rhizosphere microbial community structure of halophytes in different saline–alkali soils can help explore the microbial diversity and functional potential of important soil microorganisms. In this study, rhizosphere soils of three typical halophytes, namely, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Phragmites communis, and Halostachys caspica, growing at severe, heavy, and moderate saline–alkali soils, respectively, were collected from southern Xinjiang. The community structure and physicochemical properties of fungal species in the total nine rhizosphere soils were investigated. Furthermore, the differences in the fungal community structure, diversity, and ecological functions were analyzed in terms of the extent of saline–alkali level and host plant specificity. Rhizosphere soils in the nine habitats had different physicochemical properties. In terms of host plant type, rhizosphere fungal species diversity and richness were the highest in P. communis, followed by H. caspica and H. strobilaceum. The fungal community diversity and richness followed the pattern of moderate > severe > heavy in different soil salinity and alkali types. Although the three host plants had similar rhizosphere fungal community structures under moderate and heavy saline–alkali conditions, these varied significantly under extremely severe saline–alkali conditions. In total, 315 species were identified across all samples, and they were affiliated with 12 phyla, 37 classes, 69 orders, 138 families, and 244 genera. The number of jointly owned ASVs was 189. In the nine habitats, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant phyla, while Alternaria, Neocamarosporium, Filobasidium, and Acremonium were the common dominant genera. A prediction of fungal community functions revealed pathotroph-saprotroph-symbiotroph and saprotrophs to be dominant. At the same saline–alkali level, the functional clustering distance of fungal communities was closer. Factors such as soil organic matter (SOM), available nitrogen (AN), electronic conductivity (EC), and pH contributed to the distribution of microbial communities. This study revealed both similarities and distinctions in the composition of fungal communities within the rhizosphere soils of the three typical halophytes thriving in various saline–alkali habitats. At moderate and heavy saline–alkali levels, the fungal community structures were markedly influenced by the severity of salinity and alkalinity. In extremely severe saline–alkali soils, the host plant type significantly affected the fungal community structure. Ultimately, these findings lay a theoretical foundation for the improvement of soil and crop yield in saline–alkali land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the low-carbon city policy on urban environmental pollution and commercial health insurance (CHI) by PSM-DID and DDD methods. The study finds that (1) low-carbon city policy reduces CHI significantly. (2) The mechanism analysis shows that the low-carbon city policy reduces CHI by mitigating environmental pollution in the pilot cities. Further analysis finds that the policy is effective in Tier 1 and 2 cities rather than Tier 3–5 cities. (3) In the heterogeneity analysis, this paper finds that this policy has the most significant disincentive effect on urban CHI density in cities with higher CHI and more serious environmental pollution. This paper, on the one hand, expands upon the extant research on the economic implications of low-carbon urban development from the perspective of environmental pollution, and on the other, furnishes novel evidence on how policy incentives shape the demand for insurance products in response to environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored potential associations of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, as detected based on levels of hydrogen and methane in breath after lactulose consumption, with cortical thickness and resting-state functional connectivity in different brain regions. Prospective comparison of 35 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) involving mild cognitive impairment, 35 patients with PD with normal cognitive function and 17 healthy controls showed the largest level of hydrogen alone and the largest combined level of hydrogen and methane in patients with mild cognitive impairment. The comparison also revealed a significant negative correlation between those levels and thickness of the right insular cortex. Mild cognitive patients showed different functional connectivity between the right insula and cognition-related brain networks from normal cognitive patients. Our results suggest that bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine may contribute to cortical thinning and alterations in resting-state functional connectivity in PD involving mild cognitive impairment. These insights support and deepen previous observations implicating the gut-brain axis in the neurological disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A yellow-colored, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain H8T, was isolated from municipal sludge in Huaibei, China. Strain H8T was able to grow at 15–37 °C (optimum at 30 °C), pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum at pH 7.0), and 0–2.5% (w/v) NaCl concentration (optimum at 0%). This strain was taxonomically characterized by a polyphasic approach. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain H8T represented to the genus Chitinophaga and shared highest sequence similarities with C. arvensicola DSM 3695T (97.5%), C. niastensis JS16-4T (97.3%), C. hostae 2R12T (97.1%), and C. ginsengisegetis Gsoil 040T (96.8%). The 16S rRNA gene similarities with other members of the genus Chitinophaga are less than 96.3%. The only respiratory quinone was a menaquinone with seven isoprene units (MK-7); the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine; and the predominant fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and C16:1ω5c. The genome size of strain H8T was 7.6 Mb, with 44.3% G + C content. The DNA–DNA relatedness and the average nucleotide identity values among strain H8T and other relatives were all less than 19.7% and 72.6%, respectively, which fall below the threshold value of 70% and 95% for the strain to be considered as novel. The morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses clearly distinguished this strain from its closest phylogenetic neighbors. Thus, strain H8T represents a novel species of the genus Chitinophaga, for which the name Chitinophaga defluvii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is H8T (= CCTCC AB 2023228T = KCTC 102174T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-doped ZIF-67 (M-Z, M = Ni, Cu) was prepared by liquid phase precipitation method, and its microstructure, crystal structure, and specific surface area were determined by characterization methods such as SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, XPS, BET, etc. SEM and TEM images show that M-Z is a regular dodecahedron, maintaining the basic morphology of ZIF-67. FTIR and XRD confirm the existence of the crystal structure, and XPS reveals the elemental composition of M-Z, proving the successful doping of the metal. BET data shows that M-Z has an excellent specific surface area, providing favorable conditions for catalysis. The thermal decomposition kinetics and thermodynamics of M-Z on the catalytic decomposition of nitrocellulose at different heating rates (5, 10, 15, 20 K·min− 1) were studied using DSC. According to the findings, Ni-Z exhibited the greatest catalytic activity on nitrocellulose, with the decomposition temperature advanced by 3.4 ℃ and the activation energy reduced by 12.93 kJ·mol− 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using trajectory data to query and analyze contact events is an emerging method for disease prevention and control. Existing contact event query processings only focus on single-source contact events (one-to-one), overlooking the more realistic multi-source scenarios (n-to-one). In this paper, we focus on the multi-source contact event query problem. We first define multi-source contact events, followed by introducing a baseline query processing based on the idea of sliding window scanning. To improve the query efficiency, an anchor time point-based optimization strategy and a grid-time-object inverted index-based optimization strategy are designed and used in the optimized query processing, which can effectively filter out moving objects and time points that have no contact events. Experimental results using two real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed schemes can effectively identify potential contact events while maintaining lower query time costs compared to existing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of electrocatalytic technology to replace traditional harsh thermocatalysis in the process of biomass utilization has undoubtedly been an effective means to achieve green and sustainable development. The use of the environmentally friendly method of synthesizing furoic acid (FA) from the biomass platform compound furfural (FF) by electrooxidation was investigated. The surface of the Ni–Co oxide electrode with a Ni content of 0.48 (Ni0.48Co0.36O0.16) obtained by a simple electrodeposition method was covered by a layer of flower-like porous structure, while NiO, Co2+, and Co3+ coexisted. Moreover, the Ni0.48Co0.36O0.16 electrode exhibited 95.4% FA faraday efficiency and 99.6% selectivity with a substrate concentration of 20 mM at 1.0 V vs. Hg/HgO and 50 °C. In addition, a mechanism for electrooxidation of FF into FA over a Ni–Co oxide electrode was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To comprehensively assess the impact of aging, cigarette smoking, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on pulmonary physiology using 129Xe MR. Methods: A total of 90 subjects were categorized into four groups, including healthy young (HY, n = 20), age-matched control (AMC, n = 20), asymptomatic smokers (AS, n = 28), and COPD patients (n = 22). 129Xe MR was utilized to obtain pulmonary physiological parameters, including ventilation defect percent (VDP), alveolar sleeve depth (h), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), total septal wall thickness (d), and ratio of xenon signal from red blood cells and interstitial tissue/plasma (RBC/TP). Results: Significant differences were found in the measured VDP (p = 0.035), h (p = 0.003), and RBC/TP (p = 0.003) between the HY and AMC groups. Compared with the AMC group, higher VDP (p = 0.020) and d (p = 0.048) were found in the AS group; higher VDP (p < 0.001), d (p < 0.001) and ADC (p < 0.001), and lower h (p < 0.001) and RBC/TP (p < 0.001) were found in the COPD group. Moreover, significant differences were also found in the measured VDP (p < 0.001), h (p < 0.001), ADC (p < 0.001), d (p = 0.008), and RBC/TP (p = 0.032) between the AS and COPD groups. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that pulmonary structure and functional changes caused by aging, cigarette smoking, and COPD are various, and show a progressive deterioration with the accumulation of these risk factors, including cigarette smoking and COPD. Clinical relevance statement: Pathophysiological changes can be difficult to comprehensively understand due to limitations in common techniques and multifactorial etiologies. 129Xe MRI can demonstrate structural and functional changes caused by several common factors and can be used to better understand patients' underlying pathology. Key Points: Standard techniques for assessing pathophysiological lung function changes, spirometry, and chest CT come with limitations. 129Xe MR demonstrated progressive deterioration with accumulation of the investigated risk factors, without these limitations. 129Xe MR can assess lung changes related to these risk factors to stage and evaluate the etiology of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop and validate a preoperative prediction model based on multimodal ultrasound and biochemical indicator for identifying microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with a single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 5 cm. Methods: From May 2022 to November 2023, a total of 318 patients with pathologically confirmed single HCC ≤ 5 cm from three institutions were enrolled. All of them underwent preoperative biochemical, conventional ultrasound (US), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) (Sonazoid, 0.6 mL, bolus injection) examinations. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses on clinical information, biochemical indicator, and US imaging features were performed in the training set to seek independent predictors for MVI-positive. The models were constructed and evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis in both validation and test sets. Subgroup analyses in patients with different liver background and tumor sizes were conducted to further investigate the model's performance. Results: Logistic regression analyses showed that obscure tumor boundary in B-mode US, intra-tumoral artery in pulsed-wave Doppler US, complete Kupffer-phase agent clearance in Sonazoid-CEUS, and biomedical indicator PIVKA-II were independently correlated with MVI-positive. The combined model comprising all predictors showed the highest AUC, which were 0.937 and 0.893 in the validation and test sets. Good calibration and prominent net benefit were achieved in both sets. No significant difference was found in subgroup analyses. Conclusions: The combination of biochemical indicator, conventional US, and Sonazoid-CEUS features could help preoperative MVI prediction in patients with a single HCC ≤ 5 cm. Critical relevance statement: Investigation of imaging features in conventional US, Sonazoid-CEUS, and biochemical indicators showed a significant relation with MVI-positivity in patients with a single HCC ≤ 5 cm, allowing the construction of a model for preoperative prediction of MVI status to help treatment decision making. Key Points: MVI status is important for patients with a single HCC ≤ 5 cm. The model based on conventional US, Sonazoid-CEUS and PIVKA-II performs best for MVI prediction. The combined model has potential for preoperative prediction of MVI status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic potential of the Antibody concentration ratio in identifying treatment-refractory myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 116 MG patients who underwent antibody detection at least twice between June 1, 2015, and June 1, 2023. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collated to ascertain their association with refractory MG. The Antibody Concentration Ratio was applied to determine treatment response, using the International Consensus Guidance criteria as the reference standard. The area under nonparametric receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the Antibody concentration ratio following consecutive immunotherapy relative to initial antibody concentrations for refractory MG. Results: 19 out of 116 patients were unequivocally diagnosed with refractory MG. A significant correlation was found between the Antibody Concentration Ratio and refractory MG status in treatment-refractory and treatment-responsive patients. Subsequently, the AUC demonstrated the robust diagnostic capability of the Antibody concentration ratio for refractory MG, with an AUC of 0.8709 (95% CI: 0.7995–0.9422, p < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off value stood at 0.8903, exhibiting a sensitivity of 94.74% (95% CI: 75.36%-99.73%), a specificity of 68.04% (95% CI: 58.23%-76.48%), and accuracy of 72.41% (95% CI: 64.28%-80.54%). Conclusion: Elevated Antibody Concentration Ratio is intrinsically linked with refractory MG and exhibits potential as an diagnostic biomarker for the condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs) play vital roles in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, including Atherosclerosis (AS). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to regulate the biological functions of HA-VSMCs. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of hsa_circRNA_102353 (circ_0007765) in platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB)-induced HA-VSMCs. Circ_0007765, microRNA-654-3p (miR-654-3p), and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Substrate 2 (FRS2) expression were measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferative ability, invasion, and migration were detected by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), Transwell, and wound healing assays. CyclinD1, MMP2, and FRS2 protein levels were assessed using a Western blot assay. Binding between miR-654-3p and circ_0007765 or FRS2 was predicted by Circinteractome or TargetScan, and verified using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. PDGF-BB induced HA-VSMC proliferation, invasion, and migration. Circ_0007765 and FRS2 expression levels were increased in PDGF-BB-treated HA-VSMCs, and the miR-654-3p level was reduced. Moreover, circ_0007765 absence hindered PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMC proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro. At the molecular level, circ_0007765 increased FRS2 expression by acting as a sponge for miR-654-3p. Our findings revealed that circ_0007765 boosted PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMC proliferation and migration through elevating FRS2 expression via adsorbing miR-654-3p, providing a feasible therapeutic strategy for AS. Circ_0007765 expression was increased in PDGF-BB-treated HA-VSMCs. Furthermore, circ_0007765 acts as the ceRNA of miR-654-3p to upregulate FRS2 expression, leading to the activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby expediting PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMC proliferation, invasion, and migration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture represents the fastest-growing global food production sector, as it has become an essential component of the global food supply. China has the world's largest aquaculture industry in terms of production volume. However, the sustainable development of fish culture is hindered by several concerns, including germplasm degradation and disease outbreaks. The practice of genomic breeding, which relies heavily on genome information and genotypephenotype relationships, has significant potential for increasing the efficiency of aquaculture production. In 2014, the completion of the genome sequencing and annotation of the Chinese tongue sole signified the beginning of the fish genomics era in China. Since then, domestic researchers have made dramatic progress in functional genomic studies. To date, the genomes of more than 60 species of fish in China have been assembled and annotated. Based on these reference genomes, evolutionary, comparative, and functional genomic studies have revolutionized our understanding of a wide range of biologically and economically important traits of fishes, including growth and development, sex determination, disease resistance, metamorphosis, and pigmentation. Furthermore, genomic tools and breeding techniques such as SNP arrays, genomic selection, and genome editing have greatly accelerated genetic improvement through the incorporation of functional genomic information into breeding activities. This review aims to summarize the current status, advances, and perspectives of the genome resources, genomic study of important traits, and genomic breeding techniques of fish in China. The review will provide aquaculture researchers, fish breeders, and farmers with updated information concerning fish genomic research and breeding technology. The summary will help to promote the genetic improvement of production traits and thus will support the sustainable development of fish aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The best available technology (BAT) for waste plastics relies on their components and the right technology employed, while the quality of waste plastics depends on the original plastics and the source separation processes simultaneously. In this study, the quality of waste plastics and the potential recycling processes, including recycling granulation, pyrolysis to oil, Green-RDF and incineration technology, were co-related from the economic and technical perspective. A database was established for waste plastic components, considering factors such as plastic fraction, waste composition, moisture content, and impurity rate. The corresponding environmental impacts for the typical resource processes were assessed by life cycle analysis (LCA) and cost–benefit analysis combined. It was found that around 23% ± 1% of waste plastics in residual waste had the resource potential if the stricter classification criteria of plastic wastes were adopted, such as the components, moisture content less than 5% or 8% and impurity rate less than 8%. Pyrolysis to oil had the best environmental benefits in GWP100, reaching -1,683.51 kg CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq), determined as the best method for high-value plastics, and incineration depicted poor environmental benefits for low-value plastics. The net income of recycling granulation for middle-value waste plastics would achieve 1383 ± 35 yuan/ton through cost–benefit analysis, which represented the optimal economic benefits. CO2 emissions for waste plastics could be mitigated around 29.74% by matching BATs compared to the current management system, which would provide policymakers with proper recommendations in terms of the adaptability of waste plastic sources and technologies. Highlights: Best available technology was assessed based on the characteristics of waste plastics. 23%±1% of waste plastics in residual waste could be extracted for resource utilization. Pyrolysis and granulation performed well in both environmental and economic impacts. The employment of BATs in residual waste contributed to 29.74% CO2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Soil alkaline salinity restricts the deep utilization of land resources. Research on the composition and diversity of plant rhizosphere microbial communities in saline-alkaline soils is helpful for identifying important microbial functional groups or functional potential, which is of great significance for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction. Methods: Bacteria colonized the rhizosphere soil of three halophytes grown in desert grasslands, including Halocnemum strobilaceum (HS), Phragmites communis (PC), and Halostachys capsica (HC), under moderate, heavy, and severe saline-alkaline conditions. Halophytes were then analysed via 16S amplicon sequencing. The relationships between soil physicochemical characteristics and bacterial diversity were determined via redundancy analysis (RDA) and Spearman correlation analysis. Results: As the saline-alkali levels increased, the bacterial richness and diversity decreased in the PC and HS groups but were greater in the severe grade than in the heavy grade in the HC group. The bacterial communities in the PC, HS, and HC treatments at different saline-alkali levels were significantly different. Moreover, the rhizosphere bacterial communities were sensitive to changes in the saline-alkaline environment. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Halobacterota were the predominant phyla for PC, HS, and SC in moderate, heavy, and severe saline-alkaline soils, respectively. EC and pH affected the richness and β diversity of the bacterial communities of all the assayed halophytes, regardless of the saline-alkaline level. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that rhizosphere bacterial communities may play a role in halophyte adaptation to saline-alkali land, as well as promoting plant growth and improving ecological performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various goodness-of-fit tests are designed based on the so-called information matrix equivalence: if the assumed model is correctly specified, two information matrices that are derived from the likelihood function are equivalent. In the literature, this principle has been established for the likelihood function with fully observed data, but it has not been verified under the likelihood for censored data. In this manuscript, we prove the information matrix equivalence in the framework of semiparametric copula models for multivariate censored survival data. Based on this equivalence, we propose an information ratio (IR) test for the specification of the copula function. The IR statistic is constructed via comparing consistent estimates of the two information matrices. We derive the asymptotic distribution of the IR statistic and propose a parametric bootstrap procedure for the finite-sample P-value calculation. The performance of the IR test is investigated via a simulation study and a real data example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a redox cofactor and signal central to cell metabolisms. Disrupting NAD homeostasis in plant alters growth and stress resistance, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, by combining genetics with multi-omics, we discover that NAD+ deficiency in qs-2 caused by mutation in NAD+ biosynthesis gene-Quinolinate Synthase retards growth but induces biosynthesis of defense compounds, notably aliphatic glucosinolates that confer insect resistance. The elevated defense in qs-2 is resulted from activated jasmonate biosynthesis, critically hydroperoxidation of α-linolenic acid by the 13-lipoxygenase (namely LOX2), which is escalated via the burst of chloroplastic ROS-singlet oxygen (1O2). The NAD+ deficiency-mediated JA induction and defense priming sequence in plants is recapitulated upon insect infestation, suggesting such defense mechanism operates in plant stress response. Hence, NAD homeostasis is a pivotal metabolic checkpoint that may be manipulated to navigate plant growth and defense metabolism for stress acclimation. NAD+ deficiency in plants retards growth but enhances insect resistance via coopted 1O2-jasmonate biosynthesis activation and defense priming. Thus, NAD homeostasis is a pivotal metabolic checkpoint for navigating plant growth and defense metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensities and frequencies of extreme rainstorms are increasing, which may result in severe inundation of urban metro systems. Although there is some risk assessment research on regional metro systems based on spatiotemporal data, the characteristics of specific metro stations and shortcomings in the emergency response process need more consideration. In this paper, a risk analysis model for rainstorm inundation in metro systems based on a Bayesian network and a practical case study are proposed. First, the risk factors are obtained by integrating general mechanism analysis and the case study. Second, an event evolution diagram is established to represent the comprehensive evolution process of a potential event. Third, the risk analysis model is established using a Bayesian network model considering the quantitative causal relationships between risk factors. This model is used to analyze the risk of supporting emergency management, including emergency preparation based on critical risk factor sensitivity identification, prewarning response strategy development based on risk analysis as rainstorms occur, and rescue strategy development based on risk analysis as rainstorm water flows into metro tunnels. Furthermore, this model can be flexibly improved as natural hazards and metro systems change and as new problems are exposed in practical cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altersolanol A, a fungus-derived tetrahydroanthraquinone, has shown cytotoxic effects on multiple cancer cells. However, its reproductive toxicity in humans has not been well-addressed. The present study was aimed at investigating the cytotoxicity of altersolanol A on human placental trophoblasts including choriocarcinoma cell line JEG-3 and normal trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo in vitro. The results showed that altersolanol A inhibited proliferation and colony formation of human trophoblasts, and the choriocarcinoma cells were more sensitive to the compound than the normal trophoblasts. Altersolanol A induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in JEG-3 cells and S phase in HTR-8/SVneo cells, downregulated the expression of cell cycle-related checkpoint proteins, and upregulated the p21 level. Altersolanol A also promoted apoptosis in human trophoblasts via elevating the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and decreasing both caspase-3 and caspase-9 levels. Meanwhile, altersolanol A suppressed the mitochondrial membrane potential and induced ROS production and cytochrome c release, which activated the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis. Moreover, migration and invasion were inhibited upon altersolanol A exposure with downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 in JEG-3 cells and MMP-9 in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Mechanically, altersolanol A supplement decreased the phosphorylation of JNK, ERK, and p38, manifesting the inactivation of MAPK signaling pathway in the human trophoblasts. In conclusion, altersolanol A exhibited potential reproductive cytotoxicity against human trophoblasts via promoting mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio spp. are major pathogens responsible for mortality and disease in various marine aquaculture organisms. Effective disease control and genetic breeding strategies rely heavily on understanding host vibriosis resistance mechanisms. The Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) is economically vital but suffers from substantial mortalities due to vibriosis. Through continuous selective breeding, we have successfully obtained vibriosis-resistant families of this species. In this study, we conducted RNA-seq analysis on three organs, including liver, spleen and intestine from selected resistant and susceptible tongue soles. Additionally, we integrated these data with our previously published RNA-seq datasets of skin and gill, enabling the construction of organ-specific transcriptional profiles and a comprehensive gene co-expression network elucidating the differences in vibriosis resistance. Furthermore, we identified 12 modules with organ-specific functional implications. Overall, our findings provide a valuable resource for investigating the molecular basis of vibriosis resistance in fish, offering insights into target genes and pathways essential for molecular selection and genetic manipulation to enhance vibriosis resistance in fish breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naturally occurring (native) sugars and carbohydrates contain numerous hydroxyl groups of similar reactivity1,2. Chemists, therefore, rely typically on laborious, multi-step protecting-group strategies3 to convert these renewable feedstocks into reagents (glycosyl donors) to make glycans. The direct transformation of native sugars to complex saccharides remains a notable challenge. Here we describe a photoinduced approach to achieve site- and stereoselective chemical glycosylation from widely available native sugar building blocks, which through homolytic (one-electron) chemistry bypasses unnecessary hydroxyl group masking and manipulation. This process is reminiscent of nature in its regiocontrolled generation of a transient glycosyl donor, followed by radical-based cross-coupling with electrophiles on activation with light. Through selective anomeric functionalization of mono- and oligosaccharides, this protecting-group-free ‘cap and glycosylate’ approach offers straightforward access to a wide array of metabolically robust glycosyl compounds. Owing to its biocompatibility, the method was extended to the direct post-translational glycosylation of proteins.A radical-based method for functionalizing native sugars shows a way to remove typical protecting-group manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author name disambiguation (AND) is a central task in academic search, which has received more attention recently accompanied by the increase of authors and academic publications. To tackle the AND problem, existing studies have proposed various approaches based on different types of information, such as raw document features (e.g., co-authors, titles, and keywords), the fusion feature (e.g., a hybrid publication embedding based on multiple raw document features), the local structural information (e.g., a publication's neighborhood information on a graph), and the global structural information (e.g., interactive information between a node and others on a graph). However, there has been no work taking all the above-mentioned information into account and taking full advantage of the contributions of each raw document feature for the AND problem so far. To fill the gap, we propose a novel framework named EAND (Towards Effective Author Name Disambiguation by Hybrid Attention). Specifically, we design a novel feature extraction model, which consists of three hybrid attention mechanism layers, to extract key information from the global structural information and the local structural information that are generated from six similarity graphs constructed based on different similarity coefficients, raw document features, and the fusion feature. Each hybrid attention mechanism layer contains three key modules: a local structural perception, a global structural perception, and a feature extractor. Additionally, the mean absolute error function in the joint loss function is used to introduce the structural information loss of the vector space. Experimental results on two real-world datasets demonstrate that EAND achieves superior performance, outperforming state-of-the-art methods by at least +2.74% in terms of the micro-F1 score and +3.31% in terms of the macro-F1 score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User identity linkage (UIL) aims to link identities belonging to the same individual across various platforms. While numerous methods have been proposed for paired or multiple platforms, UIL is still a non-trivial task due to the following challenges. (1) How to alleviate the sparsity and incompleteness of user information from different platforms? (2) How can UIL approaches achieve high effectiveness while still maintaining low complexity in multi-platform scenarios? In light of these challenges, we propose MMUIL (enhancing multi-platform user identity linkage with multi-information), a novel model excelling in high effectiveness while still maintaining low complexity. The model consists of a Multi-Information Embedding (MIE) module and a Partially Shared Adversarial Learning (PSAL) module. Specifically, for the first challenge, MIE simultaneously considers the token sequence semantics in usernames and the structural information of multi-type networks (i.e., homogeneous and heterogeneous networks). To address the second challenge, the adversarial learning-based PSAL decreases the complexity with shared partial parameters (i.e., shared generators). Meanwhile, to enhance the model's effectiveness, PSAL exploits an attention mechanism to mitigate the disadvantages of shared partial parameters, such as partial information loss and noise introduction, while integrating the above multi-information intensively. The extensive experiments conducted on two real-world datasets demonstrate that our proposed model MMUIL significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the associations between environmental temperature and schizophrenia admissions in Liuzhou, China. A Poisson generalized linear model combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to analyze the effects of daily mean temperature on schizophrenia admissions from 2013 to 2020 in Liuzhou. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate possible modifications stratified by gender, marital status, and age. In this study, 10,420 schizophrenia admissions were included. The relative risks of schizophrenia admissions increased as the temperature rose, and the lag effects of high temperature on schizophrenia admissions were observed when the daily mean temperature reached 21.65°C. The largest single effect was observed at lag0, while the largest cumulative effect was observed at lag6. The single effects of high temperatures on schizophrenia admissions were statistically significant in both males and females, but the cumulative effects were statistically significant only in males, with the greatest effect at lag0–7. The single effect of high temperatures on admissions for unmarried schizophrenics was greatest at lag5, while the maximum cumulative effect for unmarried schizophrenia was observed at lag0–7. The single effects of high temperatures on schizophrenia admissions were observed in those aged 0–20, 21–40, and 41–60. The cumulative effects for schizophrenics aged 21–40 were observed from lag0–3 to lag0–7, with the maximum effect at lag0–7. In conclusion, the risk of schizophrenia admissions increased as the environmental temperature increased. The schizophrenics who were unmarried appeared to be more vulnerable to the single and cumulative effects of high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a politically and culturally important city cluster, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region (BTH) has huge electricity and water consumption, while the local power generation capacity and water resources may not be sustainable long term according to the current power generation ratio. We introduced up-to-date strategic policies in China, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (dual carbon goals), to assess their impact on environmental protection and economic development. Thus, we constructed a dynamic multi-regional computable general equilibrium model to simulate these changes in BTH. We designed four carbon reduction scenarios to explore the impact of policies including carbon taxes, investment, and renewable energy subsidies individually or combined. The findings reveal that implementing these policies together can increase the proportion of renewable energy in power generation to 17.2% (Beijing), 9.4% (Tianjin), and 33.2% (Hebei) by 2060. Under various policy scenarios, the Tax Scenario shows the largest water withdrawal savings, while the Investment Scenario shows the largest GDP growth by 2060. The combined implementation of these policies may minimize the negative impact on the economy while developing an environmentally friendly region. The results of the Combination Scenario are closest to carbon neutrality, narrowing the gap to 10.71%, 9.98%, and 9.85%, respectively. Conservation (water and electricity) and carbon reduction can provide significant support for carbon neutrality and sustainable development strategies. This study contributes to the evaluation of mitigation policies in BTH and provides a concrete policy option to achieve carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic polymer room-temperature phosphorescence (IPRTP) materials have attracted considerable attention for application in flexible electronics, information encryption, lighting displays, and other fields due to their excellent processabilities and luminescence properties. However, achieving multicolor long-lived luminescence, particularly white afterglow, in undoped polymers is challenging. Herein, we propose a strategy of covalently coupling different conjugated chromophores with poly(acrylic acid (AA)-AA-N-succinimide ester) (PAA-NHS) by a simple and rapid one-pot reaction to obtain pure polymers with long-lived RTPs of various colors. Among these polymers, the highest phosphorescence quantum yield of PAPHE reaches 14.7%. Furthermore, the afterglow colors of polymers can be modulated from blue to red by introducing three chromophores into them. Importantly, the acquired polymer TPAP-514 exhibits a white afterglow at room temperature with the chromaticity coordinates (0.33, 0.33) when the ratio of chromophores reaches a suitable value owing to the three-primary-color mechanism. Systematic studies prove that the emission comes from the superposition of different triplet excited states of the three components. Moreover, the potential applications of the obtained polymers in light-emitting diodes and dynamic anti-counterfeiting are explored. The proposed strategy provides a new idea for constructing intrinsic polymers with diverse white-light emission RTPs. It is challenging to achieve multicolor long-lived room temperature phosphorescence in intrinsic polymers, especially for white afterglow. Here, the authors report a strategy to obtain pure white afterglow micro-crosslinked polymers by covalently coupling different conjugated chromophores with precursors through a simple and rapid one-pot reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that NOP2, a nucleolar protein, is up-regulated in various cancers, suggesting a potential link to tumor aggressiveness and unfavorable outcomes. This study examines NOP2's role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a context where its implications remain unclear. Utilizing bioinformatics, we assessed 513 LUAD and 59 normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to explore NOP2's diagnostic and prognostic significance in LUAD. Additionally, in vitro experiments compared NOP2 expression between Beas-2b and A549 cells. Advanced databases and analytical tools, including LINKEDOMICS, STRING, and TISIDB, were employed to further elucidate NOP2's association with LUAD. Our findings indicate a significantly higher expression of NOP2 mRNA and protein in A549 cells compared to Beas-2b cells (P < 0.001). In LUAD, elevated NOP2 levels were linked to decreased Overall Survival (OS) and advanced clinical stages. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that high NOP2 expression correlated with poorer OS in LUAD (P < 0.01), a finding independently supported by multivariate Cox analysis (P < 0.05). The relationship between NOP2 expression and LUAD risk was presented via a Nomogram. Additionally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) identified seven NOP2-related signaling pathways. A focal point of our research was the interplay between NOP2 and tumor-immune interactions. Notably, a negative correlation was observed between NOP2 expression and the immune infiltration levels of macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells, and CD8 + T cells in LUAD. Moreover, the expression of NOP2 was related to the sensitivity of various chemotherapeutic drugs. In vitro, we found that downregulating NOP2 can decrease the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 cells. Furthermore, NOP2 can regulate Caspase3-mediated apoptosis. Collectively, particularly regarding prognosis, immune infiltration and vitro experiments, these findings suggest NOP2's potential of serving as a poor-prognostic biomarker for LUAD and aggravating the malignancy of lung adenocarcinoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abuse of herbicides has emerged as a great threat to food security. Herein, a low-background interference detection method based on UPLC-MS was developed for the simultaneous determination of glufosinate, glyphosate, and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in foods. Initially, this study proposed a simple and rapid pretreatment method, utilizing water extraction and PRiME HLB purification to isolate glyphosate, glufosinate, and AMPA from food samples. After the optimization of pretreatment conditions, the processed samples are then analyzed directly by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) without pre-column derivatization. The method can effectively reduce interference from by-products of pre-column derivatization and background substrates of food sample, showing low matrix effects (ME) ranging from − 24.83 to 32.10%. Subsequently, the method has been validated by 13 kinds of food samples. The recoveries of the three herbicides in the food samples range from 84.2 to 115.6%. The limit of detection (LOD) is lower to 0.073 mg/kg, 0.017 mg/kg, and 0.037 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, the method shows an excellent reproducibility with relative standard deviations (RSD) within 16.9%. Thus, the method can provide high trueness, reproducibility, sensitivity, and interference-free detection to ensure human health safety. Low-background interference detection of glyphosate, glufosinate and AMPA in foods based on UPLC-MS without derivatization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing availability of large-scale biology data in crop plants, there is an urgent demand for a versatile platform that fully mines and utilizes the data for modern molecular breeding. We present Crop-GPA (https://crop-gpa.aielab.net), a comprehensive and functional open-source platform for crop gene-phenotype association data. The current Crop-GPA provides well-curated information on genes, phenotypes, and their associations (GPAs) to researchers through an intuitive interface, dynamic graphical visualizations, and efficient online tools. Two computational tools, GPA-BERT and GPA-GCN, are specifically developed and integrated into Crop-GPA, facilitating the automatic extraction of gene-phenotype associations from bio-crop literature and predicting unknown relations based on known associations. Through usage examples, we demonstrate how our platform enables the exploration of complex correlations between genes and phenotypes in crop plants. In summary, Crop-GPA serves as a valuable multi-functional resource, empowering the crop research community to gain deeper insights into the biological mechanisms of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-stroke acute inhibition of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is known to exacerbate inflammation and apoptosis, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the specific mechanism of inflammation and apoptosis following cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury using the AQP4-specific inhibitor, N-(1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) pyridine-3-carboxamide dihydrochloride (TGN-020). Ischemic stroke was induced in mice using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. The C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into three groups as follows: sham operation, I/R 48 h, and TGN-020 + I/R 48 h treatment. All mice were subjected to a series of procedures. These procedures encompassed 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, neurological scoring, fluorescence tracing, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The glymphatic function in the cortex surrounding cerebral infarction was determined using tracer, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), AQP4 co-staining, and beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) staining; differential genes were detected using RNA-seq. The influence of TGN-020 on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) 1/2 pathway was confirmed using the ERK1/2 pathway agonists Ro 67–7467. Additionally, we examined the expression of inflammation associated with microglia and astrocytes after TGN-020 and Ro 67–7467 treatment. Compared with I/R group, TGN-020 alleviated glymphatic dysfunction by inhibiting astrocyte proliferation and reducing tracer accumulation in the peri-infarct area. RNA-seq showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in the activation of astrocytes and microglia and in the ERK1/2 pathway. Western blot and immunofluorescence further verified the expression of associated inflammation. The inflammation and cell apoptosis induced by I/R are mitigated by TGN-020. This mitigation occurs through the improvement of glymphatic function and the inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNA (circRNAs) has been confirmed to participate in atherosclerosis (AS) progression. However, the role and mechanism of hsa_circ_0032389 in AS process still need to be further revealed. This study evaluates the role and mechanism of hsa_circ_0032389 in AS process. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) was used to induce human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs). The expression levels of hsa_circ_0032389, microRNA (miR)-513a-5p, and fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2 (FRS2) were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell proliferation and migration were analyzed using cell counting kit 8 assay, flow cytometry, EdU assay, transwell assay, and wound healing assay. Protein expression was assessed using western blot analysis. Dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays were used to confirm RNA interaction. Hsa_circ_0032389 was overexpressed in PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMCs, and its downregulation inhibited HA-VSMC viability, cell cycle, EdU positive cell rate, migratory cell number, and wound closure rate under PDGF-BB treatment. The luciferase activity of hsa_circ_0032389wt could be reduced by miR-513a-5p mimic, and both hsa_circ_0032389 and miR-513a-5p were enriched in anti-Ago2, confirming that miR-513a-5p could be sponged by hsa_circ_0032389. MiR-513a-5p inhibitor reversed the effect of hsa_circ_0032389 knockdown on PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMC viability, cell cycle, EdU positive cell rate, migratory cell number, and wound closure rate. Moreover, the luciferase activity of FRS2wt was reduced by miR-513a-5p mimic, and both FRS2 and miR-513a-5p were enriched in anti-Ago2, verifying that FRS2 was targeted by miR-513a-5p. MiR-513a-5p suppressed PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMC viability, cell cycle, EdU positive cell rate, migratory cell number, and wound closure rate by targeting FRS2. Our results indicated that hsa_circ_0032389 enhanced PDGF-BB-induced HA-VSMC proliferation and migration via regulating miR-513a-5p/FRS2 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased circulating amino acid levels have been linked to insulin resistance and development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Herein, we show that tryptophan modifies insulin receptor (IR) to attenuate insulin signaling and impair glucose uptake. Mice fed with tryptophan-rich chow developed insulin resistance. Excessive tryptophan promoted tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (WARS) to tryptophanylate lysine 1209 of IR (W-K1209), which induced insulin resistance by inhibiting the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of IR, AKT, and AS160. SIRT1, but not other sirtuins, detryptophanylated IRW−K1209 to increase the insulin sensitivity. Collectively, we unveiled the mechanisms of how tryptophan impaired insulin signaling, and our data suggested that WARS might be a target to attenuate insulin resistance in T2D patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient copper-catalyzed cyanoalkylation/cyclization strategy was developed for the construc-tion of indolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives from 2-aryl-N-methacryloylindoles. The cyclization involved a cascade of radical reactions promoted by commercially available 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) or its analogs. This strategy provides a convenient access to a variety of cyanoalkylated indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines in reasonable yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting fluid used in machining is under investigation to check the achievement of sustainability and the cleaner process by the machining process. Many attempts were made to find new cooling strategies as an alternative to the existing cooling methods. Cryogenic cooling was an efficient method to move towards sustainability for machining any materials and to ensure green machining. Machining of Al6082 HMMC has been carried out under distinct cutting environments. The fallout of these cutting environments was studied based on parameters like surface roughness, cutting temperature, chip morphology, and tool wear. The application of cryogenic CO2 substantially reduced the tool wear by 37% and 48% when compared to MQL and wet conditions. The SEM image of the worn tool disclosed that adopting the cryogenic cooling technique led to less crater wear and prevented the peeling of the tool layer to some extent. The impressive cooling effect of cryogenic cooling also produced a good surface finish on the machined surface compared to the other cooling environments. Thus, cryogenic cooling proved to be trustworthy in all the output parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present numerical results for three-dimensional (3D) solitons with symmetries of the semi-vortex (SV) and mixed-mode (MM) types, which can be created in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates of Rydberg atoms under the action of the spin–orbit coupling (SOC). By means of systematic numerical computations, we demonstrate that the interplay of SOC and long-range spherically symmetric Rydberg interactions stabilize the 3D solitons, improving their resistance to collapse. We find how the stability range depends on the strengths of the SOC and Rydberg interactions and the soft-core atomic radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosynthesis drives the cell volume increase during T cell activation. However, the contribution of cell volume regulation in TCR signaling during T lymphoblast formation and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that cell volume regulation is required for optimal T cell activation. Inhibition of VRACs (volume-regulated anion channels) and deletion of leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8A (LRRC8A) channel components impair T cell activation and function, particularly under weak TCR stimulation. Additionally, LRRC8A has distinct influences on mRNA transcriptional profiles, indicating the prominent effects of cell volume regulation for T cell functions. Moreover, cell volume regulation via LRRC8A controls T cell-mediated antiviral immunity and shapes the TCR repertoire in the thymus. Mechanistically, LRRC8A governs stringent cell volume increase via regulated volume decrease (RVD) during T cell blast formation to keep the TCR signaling molecules at an adequate density. Together, our results show a further layer of T cell activation regulation that LRRC8A functions as a cell volume controlling "valve" to facilitate T cell activation. During the activation and migration of T cells volume changes occur in response to osmolality cues which is not fully understood. Here the authors characterize the function of volume regulated ion channels in T cells and show that these channels regulate TCR sensitivity, thymic selection and TCR repertoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]