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Abstract [Objective] This study aims to examine the effects of container type and specification on the growth, blooming, and physiology of purple-leaf Lagerstroemia indica seedlings. The goal is to examine the optimal seedling container for the cultivation of purple-leaf L. indica seedlings and to provide basis for effective seedling breeding in containers. [Methods] Taking the excellent new variety ‘Ebony Embers’ of purple-leaf L. indica as research materials. Three type containers, black plastic nutrient cups (C1), white nonwoven beauty planting bags (C2), and black root-control containers (C3), with three specifications (diameter×height, cm) of 16×16 (D1), 21×21 (D2), and 25×25 (D3), were selected to set nine treatments. Seedlings under different treatments were measured for growth, flowering, and physiological indexes. [Results] (1) Different nursery containers had significant effects on the growth, flowering, and physiology of purple-leaf L. indica seedlings. The growth, root system, biomass, flowering period, flower diameter, inflorescence, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content, relative chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and other indexes in the same container type were increased with the increase in the specification of the containers. (2) Diameter growth, total root length, total root surface area, total root volume, number of root tips, aboveground dry mass, belowground dry mass, total dry mass, and flowering time were greatest in the C3D3 treatment, which was higher than the smallest C1D1 treatment by 817.12%, 108.12%, 94.60%, 75.66%, 144.14%, 135.67%, 228.45%, 164.65% and 34.48%, respectively. Seedling height growth, crown growth, leaf area, and inflorescence length and width were the highest in the C1D3 treatment, which was higher than the lowest C1D1 treatment by 116.05%, 81.39%, 114.95%, 70.44%, and 65.79%, respectively. Relative chlorophyll content and water use efficiency were the greatest in the C3D3 treatment, while soluble protein and soluble sugar content, net photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance were the highest in the C1D3 treatment. The intercellular CO2 concentration and water use efficiency did not differ significantly among the treatments. (3) The comprehensive analysis score for each index was as follows: C3D3>C1D3>C2D3 >C3D2>C2D2>C1D2>C2D1>C3D1>C1D1. [Conclusion] The black root-control container performs well in terms of diameter growth, root growth index, biomass, flowering time and diameter, relative chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate. The most suitable container for 2-year-old seedlings of purple- leaf L. indica is the black root-control container with a diameter of 25 cm and a height of 25 cm.

The application of metal additive manufacturing technology and products in the aviation field requires optimized structural design at macroscale and precise manufacture control at microscale. As one of the typical features of additive manufacture, microstructure inevitably affects the material performance. The research has shown that the uniformity, plasticity, and fatigue fracture characteristics of additive manufacturing materials are often inferior to traditional materials, while their strength, hardness, wear resistance, and some microscale properties are often better than traditional materials. The size effect in the micro/nano-scale and the heterogeneous characteristics of materials have a significant impact on metal materials with microstructures. Under different microstructures, materials can achieve a better balance between strength and ductility, which is also applicable to additively manufactured metals. Therefore, the process characteristics of additive manufacturing and the heterogeneities introduced by human design are both expected to significantly improve the comprehensive performance of metals, which have important guiding value for the application of metal additive manufacturing in the aviation field. However, since many of the mechanism of these phenomena are still unclear, the strength-ductility synergistic and antagonistic relationships with other properties of the materials are also worth further research.

In eukaryotes, RNA N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification and microRNA (miRNA)‐mediated RNA silencing represent two critical epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. The m6A methyltransferase complex (MTC) and the microprocessor complex both undergo liquid–liquid phase separation to form nuclear membraneless organelles. Although m6A methyltransferase has been shown to positively regulate miRNA biogenesis, a mechanism of reciprocal regulation between the MTC and the microprocessor complex has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the MTC and the microprocessor complex associate with each other through the METHYLTRANSFERASE B (MTB)–SERRATE (SE) interacting module. Knockdown of MTB impaired miRNA biogenesis by diminishing microprocessor complex binding to primary miRNAs (pri‐miRNAs) and their respective MIRNA loci. Additionally, loss of SE function led to disruptions in transcriptome‐wide m6A modification. Further biochemical assays and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay indicated that SE enhances the liquid–liquid phase separation and solubility of the MTC. Moreover, the MTC exhibited enhanced retention on chromatin and diminished binding to its RNA substrates in the se mutant background. Collectively, our results reveal the substantial regulatory interplay between RNA m6A modification and miRNA biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining has caused significant soil nitrogen loss in mining areas, limiting reclamation and reuse in agriculture. This article studies the effects of organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, and the combined application of Pseudomonas fluorescens with the ability of nitrogen fixation on soil nitrogen accumulation and composition in the reclamation area of the Tunlan Coal Mine from 2016 to 2022 under the conditions of equal nitrogen application, providing a scientific basis for microbial fertilization and the rapid increase in nitrogen content in the reclaimed soil of mining areas. The results showed that as the reclamation time increased, the nitrogen content and the composition and structure of the soil treated with fertilization rapidly evolved toward normal farmland soil. The soil nitrogen content increased most rapidly in the presence of added P. fluorescens + organic fertilizer (MB). Compared to other treatments (inorganic fertilizer (CF), organic fertilizer (M), and P. fluorescens + inorganic fertilizer (CFB)), MB increased total nitrogen (TN) to normal farmland soil levels 1–3 years earlier. The comprehensive scores of MB and CFB on the two principal components increased by 1.58 and 0.79 compared to those of M and CF treatments, respectively. This indicates that the combination of P. fluorescens and organic fertilizer improves soil nitrogen accumulation more effectively than the combination of P. fluorescens and inorganic fertilizer. In addition, the application of P. fluorescens increases the content of unknown nitrogen (UN) in acid-hydrolysable nitrogen (AHN) and decreases the content of amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and ammonia nitrogen (AN). However, there was no significant effect on the content of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) in soil-mineralized nitrogen (SMN). When combined with inorganic fertilizer, the contribution of SMN to TN increased by 14.78%, while when combined with organic fertilizer, the contribution of AHN to TN increased by 44.77%. In summary, the use of P. fluorescens is beneficial for nitrogen recovery in the reclaimed soil of coal-mining areas. The optimal fertilization method under the experimental conditions is the combination of P. fluorescens and organic fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective At present, there is no standard salvage treatment strategies for lung cancer. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacies and safeties of pemetrexed alone with pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin as salvage therapy in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma to provide evidences for combination therapy. Methods From January 2009 to February 2011, 83 patients with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma received pemetrexed alone (single agent arm, n=47) or pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin (combination arm, n=36) as salvage therapy. All 83 patients had performance status (PS) scores of 0-2. Results Eighty-one patients were included in the final analysis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the single agent arm was 3.6 months versus 4.1 months in the combination arm (P=0.268). The objective response rate (ORR) was 6.5% versus 20% (P=0.092), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 56.5% versus 65.7% (P=0.493), respectively. The response rates of the hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities in the single agent and combination arms were 33.9% versus 47.2% (P=0.460) and 21.2% versus 25.0% (P=0.213), respectively. Conclusion For salvage therapy, pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin is tolerable in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma patients with good PS scores. Compared with pemetrexed alone, pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin therapy showed higher response rate, but did not significantly prolong the PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective At present, there is no standard salvage treatment strategies for lung cancer. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacies and safeties of pemetrexed alone with pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin as salvage therapy in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma to provide evidences for combination therapy. Methods From January 2009 to February 2011, 83 patients with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma received pemetrexed alone (single agent arm, n=47) or pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin (combination arm, n=36) as salvage therapy. All 83 patients had performance status (PS) scores of 0-2. Results Eighty-one patients were included in the final analysis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the single agent arm was 3.6 months versus 4.1 months in the combination arm (P=0.268). The objective response rate (ORR) was 6.5% versus 20% (P=0.092), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 56.5% versus 65.7% (P=0.493), respectively. The response rates of the hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities in the single agent and combination arms were 33.9% versus 47.2% (P=0.460) and 21.2% versus 25.0% (P=0.213), respectively. Conclusion For salvage therapy, pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin is tolerable in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma patients with good PS scores. Compared with pemetrexed alone, pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin therapy showed higher response rate, but did not significantly prolong the PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lagerstroemia indica is an important ornamental tree worldwide. The development of cultivars with colorful leaves and increased ornamental value represents one of the current main research topics. We investigated the anthocyanin profiles in two contrasting cultivars for leaf color phenotypes and explored the underlying molecular basis. Both cultivars display purple-red young leaves (Stage 1), and when the leaves mature (Stage 2), they turn green in HD (Lagerstroemia Dynamite) but remain unchanged in ZD (Lagerstroemia Ebony Embers). Seven different anthocyanins were detected, and globally, the leaves of ZD contained higher levels of anthocyanins than those of HD at the two stages with the most pronounced difference observed at Stage 2. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that in contrast to HD, ZD tends to keep a higher activity level of key genes involved in the flavonoid–anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways throughout the leaf developmental stages in order to maintain the synthesis, accumulation, and modification of anthocyanins. By applying gene co-expression analysis, we detected 19 key MYB regulators were co-expressed with the flavonoid–anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and were found strongly down-regulated in HD. This study lays the foundation for the artificial manipulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis in order to create new L. indica cultivars with colorful leaves and increased ornamental value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juvenile xanthogranuloma is a rare condition, and femoral involvement is even rarer. We report a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma affecting the femur. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of femoral juvenile xanthogranuloma in China., Case Presentation: A 19-year-old boy began experiencing swelling in various parts of his body at the age of 1 year, followed by pain in his left hip. Preoperative pathology and imaging indicated juvenile xanthogranuloma of the left femur, leading to surgical intervention. Postoperatively, the patient experienced significant relief from left hip discomfort., Conclusion: Surgery can be an effective treatment for juvenile xanthogranuloma involving the femur., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Wang et al.)

In eukaryotes, RNA N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification and microRNA (miRNA)-mediated RNA silencing represent two critical epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. The m 6 A methyltransferase complex (MTC) and the microprocessor complex both undergo liquid-liquid phase separation to form nuclear membraneless organelles. Although m 6 A methyltransferase has been shown to positively regulate miRNA biogenesis, a mechanism of reciprocal regulation between the MTC and the microprocessor complex has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the MTC and the microprocessor complex associate with each other through the METHYLTRANSFERASE B (MTB)-SERRATE (SE) interacting module. Knockdown of MTB impaired miRNA biogenesis by diminishing microprocessor complex binding to primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) and their respective MIRNA loci. Additionally, loss of SE function led to disruptions in transcriptome-wide m 6 A modification. Further biochemical assays and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay indicated that SE enhances the liquid-liquid phase separation and solubility of the MTC. Moreover, the MTC exhibited enhanced retention on chromatin and diminished binding to its RNA substrates in the se mutant background. Collectively, our results reveal the substantial regulatory interplay between RNA m 6 A modification and miRNA biogenesis., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Integrative Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Coal mining has caused significant soil nitrogen loss in mining areas, limiting reclamation and reuse in agriculture. This article studies the effects of organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, and the combined application of Pseudomonas fluorescens with the ability of nitrogen fixation on soil nitrogen accumulation and composition in the reclamation area of the Tunlan Coal Mine from 2016 to 2022 under the conditions of equal nitrogen application, providing a scientific basis for microbial fertilization and the rapid increase in nitrogen content in the reclaimed soil of mining areas. The results showed that as the reclamation time increased, the nitrogen content and the composition and structure of the soil treated with fertilization rapidly evolved toward normal farmland soil. The soil nitrogen content increased most rapidly in the presence of added P. fluorescens + organic fertilizer (MB). Compared to other treatments (inorganic fertilizer (CF), organic fertilizer (M), and P. fluorescens + inorganic fertilizer (CFB)), MB increased total nitrogen (TN) to normal farmland soil levels 1-3 years earlier. The comprehensive scores of MB and CFB on the two principal components increased by 1.58 and 0.79 compared to those of M and CF treatments, respectively. This indicates that the combination of P. fluorescens and organic fertilizer improves soil nitrogen accumulation more effectively than the combination of P. fluorescens and inorganic fertilizer. In addition, the application of P. fluorescens increases the content of unknown nitrogen (UN) in acid-hydrolysable nitrogen (AHN) and decreases the content of amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and ammonia nitrogen (AN). However, there was no significant effect on the content of ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 - -N) in soil-mineralized nitrogen (SMN). When combined with inorganic fertilizer, the contribution of SMN to TN increased by 14.78%, while when combined with organic fertilizer, the contribution of AHN to TN increased by 44.77%. In summary, the use of P. fluorescens is beneficial for nitrogen recovery in the reclaimed soil of coal-mining areas. The optimal fertilization method under the experimental conditions is the combination of P. fluorescens and organic fertilizer.

Background and Objective: Pemetrexed and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were used in patients with EGFR mutation to determine their effects. This study analyzed the influence of EGFR-TKIs on pemetrexed by observing the clinical efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed following responses to EGFR-TKIs., Methods: Pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients were divided into EGFR-TKIs and no-EGFR-TKI groups according to the targeted therapy. All patients received pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) as second (or higher)-line treatment. The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.0) were used to evaluate the response to pemetrexed. Adverse events were classified based on version 4.0 of the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria., Results: There were 57 patients in the EGFR-TKIs group and 56 in the no-EGFR-TKIs group. The disease control rates (DCRs) were 77.2% and 67.9% (P=0.367). The progression free survival (PFS) periods were 5.95 and 3.55 months (P=0.535). The overall survival (OS) periods were 10.10 and 8.24 months (P=0.432). However, these values were not statistically significant. The common toxicities of pemetrexed were hematologic and gastrointestinal (grades I and II). Two patients in the EGFR-TKIs group discontinued pemetrexed because of severe toxicities, which were not observed in the no-EGFR-TKIs group. Both groups had one patient who reduced dosage because of myelosuppression (grade IV). There were five and nine patients in the EGFR-TKIs and no-EGFR-TKIs groups, respectively, who delayed therapy not because of severe toxicities but due to subjective factors., Conclusion: The DCRs, PFS periods, and OS periods of the patients administered with pemetrexed following EGFR-TKIs were better than those of the EGFR-TKIs group, but the differences were not statistically significant. Therefore, sequential pemetrexed administration caused negligible toxicities and can be used in adenocarcinoma therapy following responses to EGFR-TKIs.

Background and Objective: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Thus far, good tumor markers for diagnosing this disease have not been found. Therefore, the discovery of novel biomarkers through the application of new methods has become a hotspot in lung cancer research. The aim of this study is to analyze low-molecular-weight metabolites in the serum and urine samples of lung cancer patients and patients with other lung diseases through metabolomics and to explore potential tumor markers further., Methods: Both serum and urine samples from 19 lung cancer patients and 15 patients with other lung diseases were subjected to metabolomic analysis using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Orthogonal to partial least squares discriminant analysis was performed for modeling. Two sample t-test was used to identify differences in metabolite concentrations., Results: A total of 57 metabolites were found in the serum, and 38 metabolites were found in the urine. Multivariate statistical analysis yielded a significant distinction in the metabolic profiles between lung cancer patients and patients with other lung diseases. The t-test results indicated a total of 13 metabolites in the serum and 7 metabolites in the urine with statistically significant differences., Conclusions: Metabolomics is useful in discriminating between lung cancer and other lung diseases. As a novel approach, it has potential in the diagnosis of lung cancer at molecular level.

Background and Objective: At present, there is no standard salvage treatment strategies for lung cancer. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacies and safeties of pemetrexed alone with pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin as salvage therapy in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma to provide evidences for combination therapy., Methods: From January 2009 to February 2011, 83 patients with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma received pemetrexed alone (single agent arm, n=47) or pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin (combination arm, n=36) as salvage therapy. All 83 patients had performance status (PS) scores of 0-2., Results: Eighty-one patients were included in the final analysis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the single agent arm was 3.6 months versus 4.1 months in the combination arm (P=0.268). The objective response rate (ORR) was 6.5% versus 20% (P=0.092), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 56.5% versus 65.7% (P=0.493), respectively. The response rates of the hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities in the single agent and combination arms were 33.9% versus 47.2% (P=0.460) and 21.2% versus 25.0% (P=0.213), respectively., Conclusions: For salvage therapy, pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin is tolerable in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma patients with good PS scores. Compared with pemetrexed alone, pemetrexed combined with oxaliplatin therapy showed higher response rate, but did not significantly prolong the PFS.