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ObjectiveThe study in this paper aims to investigate the impacts of cabin atmosphere quality on the comfort and the work efficiency of crew member aboard the ship, thereby the degree of thermal comfort of ship air conditioning system can be improved.MethodAirpak software is used to simulate and analyze the temperature, relative humidity, PMV-PPD and air age in the four air supply and return modes of a typical single-occupant cabin of a ship, namely ‘different side up and down cycles’, ‘same side up and down cycles’, ‘different side down and up cycles’, and ‘same side down and up cycles’. ResultsThe simulation results show that the temperature in the cabin can be kept constant at 24℃, humidity can be maintained at about 50% and the humidity field distribution can be more uniform, while PMV (predicted mean vote) distribution is more uniform with its value tending to zero, and the air age PPD (predicted percentage of dissatisfied) distribution is more uniform with a very low value in the cabin.ConclusionUsing the optimization principle of lattice order theory, the air supply and return mode of ‘different side up and down cycles’ is the optimal scheme for a single-occupant cabin of a ship.

The first study results on the Chironomidae fauna of central Namibia (Khomas, Otjozondjupa and Hardap regions) are presented, based on morphology and DNA-barcoding. The preliminary investigation led to the discovery of a new species Paraphaenocladius namibiae sp. nov. (Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae) and 17 new country records for Namibia.

The low-carbon, clean, and efficient utilization of the Zhundong coal is greatly limited by some severe problems such as ash accumulation, slagging, and CO2 emissions in the conventional combustion and utilization processes. The adoption of low-rank coal pyrolysis at low and moderate temperatures to produce semicoke, tar, and pyrolysis gas is a leading technology for the utilization of classified coal. Based on the characteristic of high alkali gasification activity of pyrolysis semicoke, the chemical-looping combustion technology is adopted to achieve a low-carbon, clean, and efficient conversion of the Zhundong coal semicoke. The in-situ gasification chemical-looping combustion characteristics of the Zhundong coal semicoke are studied in a fixed bed, in which CO2 is selected as the gasification agent and hematite is considered as the oxygen carrier. The study of migration and transformation laws of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in the Zhundong coal semicoke also is performed. The experimental result indicates that the addition of the hematite oxygen carrier can significantly improve the CO2 concentration of the flue gas at the outlet of the fixed bed reactor. However, CO2 concentration increases first and then remains constant with the increase in the mass ratio of the oxygen carrier and semicoke (mOC/mC). The optimal mOC/mC is determined as 50∶1. In this case, the CO2 selectivity of the flue gas at the outlet of the fixed-bed reactor is decreased by 8.95 percentage points at the pyrolysis temperature of 700 ℃ after acid washing and deashing treatment, indicating that the chemical-looping combustion performance of the Zhundong coal semicoke can be significantly affected by the catalytic activity of AAEMs in the semicoke. The distribution of AAEMs on the surface of the Zhundong coal semicoke is affected by the hematite oxygen carrier. Compared with the absence of the hematite oxygen carrier, more obvious cluster enrichment on the surface of semicoke for Na and K elements is found. An obvious dependency relationship for the distribution of Ca and Mg elements is observed. When the in-situ gasification chemical-looping combustion is adopted, the active AAEMs elements in the semicoke are migrated and transformed into hematite. High melting point minerals such as nepheline (NaAlSiO4), potassium feldspar (KAlSi3O8), gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7), and magnesium olivine (Mg2SiO4) are generated, effectively suppressing the volatilization of AAEMs in the Zhundong coal semicoke.

Interfering with the ferroptosis pathway is a new strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Fibroblast growth factor 21 can inhibit ferroptosis and promote neurofunctional recovery, while heme oxygenase-1 is a regulator of iron and reactive oxygen species homeostasis. The relationship between heme oxygenase-1 and ferroptosis remains controversial. In this study, we used a spinal cord injury rat model to show that the levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 in spinal cord tissue decreased after spinal cord injury. In addition, there was a significant aggravation of ferroptosis and a rapid increase in heme oxygenase-1 expression after spinal cord injury. Further, heme oxygenase-1 aggravated ferroptosis after spinal cord injury, while fibroblast growth factor 21 inhibited ferroptosis by downregulating heme oxygenase-1. Thus, the activation of fibroblast growth factor 21 may provide a potential treatment for spinal cord injury. These findings could provide a new potential mechanistic explanation for fibroblast growth factor 21 in the treatment of spinal cord injury.

A 64-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for sudden weakness in one of her left limbs. The patient was diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke (IS) of undetermined cause and received intravenous thrombolysis. Following thrombolysis, the patient’s left limb weakness improved, but she subsequently developed recurrent high fever and delirium. Further diagnostic tests revealed that she had been infected with Brucella melitensis. The patient showed significant improvement during anti-infection treatment for Brucellosis and secondary prevention treatment for IS. However, her condition unexpectedly worsened on the 44th day after admission due to a hemorrhagic stroke (HS), which required an urgent craniotomy. Immunohistochemical analysis of the hematoma sample collected during the operation showed the presence of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes surrounding the blood vessels. This case highlights the unique challenge of managing IS in brucellosis and sheds light on the potential role of T lymphocytes in the immune response related to stroke.

Abstract Background The prevalence of ischaemic heart failure (HF) continues to increase. Diabetes mellitus (DM) concomitant with ischaemic HF increases the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). As a promising predictor for cardiovascular diseases, the predictive value of the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) for MACE in the ischaemic HF with DM cohort has never been investigated before. Objective We aimed to investigate the MHR as a predictor for MACE in ischaemic HF patients with DM who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods This observational study enrolled 1049 patients with ischaemic HF and DM undergoing PCI from June 2017 to June 2019. The baseline data were collected. MACEs, including all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and any revascularization, were recorded within the 36-month follow-up. The characteristics and incidence of MACE were analysed in four groups stratified by the quartiles of MHR. The hazard ratio for MACE was analysed with Cox regression models. The incidence of MACE in the four groups was evaluated by Kaplan‒Meier survival analysis. Restricted cubic spline analysis was performed to determine the nonlinear correlation between the MHR and MACE. Results After the 36-month follow-up, 407 patients (38.8%) experienced MACEs. The incidence of MACE was significantly higher among patients in the upper MHR quartile than among those in the lower MHR quartiles (23.4% vs. 36.0% vs. 41.4% and 54.6%; P 0.05). Conclusion The MHR was a significant and independent predictor of MACEs in ischaemic HF patients with DM undergoing PCI.

Pseudochironomini is a relatively small and poorly-studied tribe of subfamily Chironominae (Diptera, Chironomidae).Pseudochironomus ruthae Andersen & Baranov sp. nov. is described and figured, based on a single male collected in a light trap at Matadero, Dominican Republic. The species can be separated from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: wing without dark bands, dorsocentrals in partly double row and apex of superior volsella rounded. The species is the first Pseudochironomus species to be formally recorded and described from the Caribbean. In addition, a new record of Manoa pahayokeensis Jacobsen & Perry, 2002 from the Dominican Republic is given. One specimen was DNA-barcoded and the barcode is given.

Objective To determine the association of D-dimer to albumin ratio (DAR) with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in ischaemic heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus.Design A retrospective observational cohort study.Setting Single centre in Beijing, China, conducted at one of the largest cardiology centres in China.Participants From June 2017 to June 2019, 3707 patients with heart failure and concomitant multiple vessel disease undergoing elective PCI were screened. A total 1021 of patients were enrolled after exclusion and the follow-up period was up to 36 months.Primary and secondary outcome measures The MACE was the primary measured outcome. The secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction and any revascularisation.Methods These participants were grouped according to DAR tertiles. The cumulative incidence functions, Cox regression, restricted cubic spline and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the association between DAR and outcomes. The subgroup analysis was also performed.Results After follow-up, MACE occurred in 404 (39.6%) participants. The cumulative hazards curve manifested significant differences in MACE, all-cause mortality and any revascularisation (log-rank test: all p

Haploid breeding can shorten the breeding period of new maize varieties and is an important means to increase maize yield. In the breeding program, a large number of haploid seeds need to be screened, and this step is mainly achieved manually, which hinders the industrialization of haploid maize breeding. This article aims to develop a multispectral camera to identify the haploid seeds automatically. The camera was manufactured by replacing narrow-band filters of the ordinary CCD camera, and the RGB, 405 nm, 980 nm and 1050 nm images of haploid or diploid seeds were simultaneously captured (the characteristic wavelengths were determined according to color and high-oil markers of maize). The performance was tested using four maize varieties with the two genetic markers. The results show that the developed multispectral camera significantly improved the recognition accuracy of haploid maize seeds to 92.33%, 97.33%, 97% and 93.33% for the TYD1903, TYD1904, TYD1907 and TYD1908 varieties, respectively. The cameras in the near-infrared region (wavelengths of 980 nm and 1050 nm) achieved better performance for the varieties of high-oil marker, with an increase of 0.84% and 1.5%, respectively. These results demonstrate the strong potential of the multispectral imaging technology in the haploid seed identification of maize.

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus), listed as an endangered species under “secondary protection” in China, faces significant threats due to ecological deterioration and the expansion of human activity. Extensive field investigations are crucial to ascertain the current status in the wild and to implement effective habitat protection measures to safeguard this species and support its population development. Traditional survey methods often fall short due to the elusive nature of the A. davidianus, presenting challenges that are time-consuming and generally ineffective. To overcome these obstacles, this study developed a real-time monitoring method that uses environmental DNA (eDNA) coupled with recombinase polymerase amplification and lateral flow strip (RPA-LFD). We designed five sets of species-specific primers and probes based on mitochondrial genome sequence alignments of A. davidianus and its close relatives. Our results indicated that four of these primer/probe sets accurately identified A. davidianus, distinguishing it from other tested caudata species using both extracted DNA samples and water samples from a tank housing an individual. This method enables the specific detection of A. davidianus genomic DNA at concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/mL within 50 min, without requiring extensive laboratory equipment. Applied in a field survey across four sites in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, where A. davidianus is known to be distributed, the method successfully detected the species at three of the four sites. The development of these primer/probe sets offers a practical tool for field surveying and monitoring, facilitating efforts in population recovery and resource conservation for A. davidianus.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a kind of traumatic nervous system disease caused by neuronal death, causing symptoms like sensory, motor, and autonomic nerve dysfunction. The recovery of neurological function has always been a intractable problem that has greatly distressed individuals and society. Although the involvement of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation leading to nerve cell ferroptosis in SCI progression has been reported, the underlying mechanisms remain unaddressed. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential of recombinant human FGF21 (rhFGF21) in inhibiting ferroptosis of nerve cells and improving limb function after SCI, along with its underlying mechanisms. In vivo animal model showed that FGFR1, p-FGFR1, and β-Klotho protein gradually increased over time after injury, reaching a peak on the third day. Moreover, rhFGF21 treatment significantly reduced ACSL4, increased GPX4 expression, reduced iron deposition, and inhibited ferroptosis. Meanwhile, rhFGF21 decreased cell apoptosis following acute spinal cord damage. In contrast, FGFR1 inhibitor PD173074 partially reversed the rhFGF21-induced therapeutic effects. Overall, this work revealed that rhFGF21 activates the FGFR1/β-Klotho pathway to decrease ferroptosis of nerve cells, suggesting that FGF21 could be a new therapeutic target for SCI neurological rehabilitation.

The impact of landscape patterns on urban plant diversity has received significant attention; however, previous studies have primarily focused on two-dimensional (2D) patterns. Limited investigations have been conducted to explore the effects of three-dimensional (3D) landscape patterns on urban plant diversity. Spontaneous plants are ideal objects for studying the response of plant diversity to urban environments due to their independence from intentional human inputs. Buildings, as a crucial symbol of urbanization, exhibit strong 3D characteristics in urban landscapes. Green spaces, the most important source of plant propagules in cities, are closely related to spontaneous plant diversity in urban areas. Therefore, we examined how 2D/3D building and green space patterns influence urban spontaneous plant species richness and compared the responses between different categories (native and non-native). We surveyed spontaneous plants in the built-up areas of Shenzhen, a highly urbanized region situated along China’s southern coast. Our survey recorded 278 species belonging to 208 genera and 77 families. Results from boosted regression tree models (BRT) indicated significant correlations between spontaneous plant species richness and various metrics, including building coverage ratio (BCR), mean building height (MAH), green space coverage ratio (GCR), edge density of green spaces (ED_G), spatial congestion degree (SCD), and floor area ratio (FAR). These metrics exhibited complex nonlinear correlations with the species richness of spontaneous plants. Furthermore, native and non-native species richness responded differently to building and green space patterns; while native species richness was equally affected by green space and building patterns, non-native species richness was more strongly impacted by building patterns than green space ones. Our study quantified the nonlinear relationships between urban spontaneous plant species richness and 2D/3D green space and building patterns, demonstrating that optimizing green space and building patterns can be a practical approach for managing and promoting spontaneous plant diversity in highly urbanized areas.

Abstract Dental pulp and periapical diseases are common conditions in stomatology, caused by various pathogenic microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides, as new antibiotics, offer promising applications in the irrigation and disinfection medicaments for root canals. One patient with chronic periapical periodontitis was selected to extract the clinical pathogenic bacteria. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) (ATCC 33,277), Streptococcus mutans (Sm) (ATCC 25,175), and Prevotella intermedius (Pi) (ATCC 25,611) were used as test strains. The effects of plantaricin (Pln) 149 on the biofilm formation and growth in infected root canals were evaluated by RT-PCR, laser confocal scanning microscopy, and bacterial diversity analysis. In addition, the cytotoxicity of Pln 149 (100 µg/mL) to human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) was assessed using an MTT assay. Pln 149 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on Pg Sm and Pi (P

With the accelerated industrialization and urbanization process, water pollution in rivers is being increasingly worsened, and has caused a series of ecological and environmental issues. The prediction of river water quality index (WQI) is a prerequisite for river pollution prevention and management. However, the water quality data series is non-smooth and non-linear, and a strong coupling relationship between different water quality parameters that influence each other is observed, making it an inevitable problem to accurately predict water quality parameters. To this end, a combination of machine learning and intelligent optimization algorithms was hereby used to break this dilemma. Specifically, a Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) model was established using the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm, with the three adaptive evolutionary strategies, i.e., dynamic adaptive factors, probability selection and gradient initialization combined to form the Adaptive Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony (AEABC) algorithm. The experimental results of this algorithm demonstrate that the AEABC-BPNN model only requires 14 iterations to converge in this case. The predictions of WQI can reduce the error evaluation indicators of mean square error (MSE) to 0.2745, which is at least 25.2% lower than those of the rest algorithms compared, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is lower than 7.58%. In four WQIs, the prediction interval coverage percentage (PICP) reaches 100%. Besides, robustness testing experiments were also designed to verify that the AEABC-BPNN model still outperforms the rest of the algorithms in terms of prediction accuracy when guided by historical error data. The proposed model plays a pivotal role in water pollution management in rivers and lakes, and has scientific significance for future water environmental protection.

Abstract Peri-implantitis is a common reversible disease after tooth implantation, caused by a variety of pathogenic microorganisms. Based on non-surgical or surgical treatment principles, supplementation by local or systemic drugs might enhance treatment efficacy. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) (ATCC 33,277) and Prevotella intermedius (Pi) (ATCC 25,611) were used as test strains. The effects of Pln 149 on the biofilm formation and growth of four periodontal pathogens were evaluated by RT-PCR, fluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The antibacterial mechanism was tested by the patch-clamp technique. The cytotoxicity of Pln 149 (125 µg/ml) to bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) was assessed using an MTT assay. Pln 149 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on Pg and Pi (P

In model plants, the BRI1-EMS suppressor 1 (BES1)/brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1) transcription factors play vital roles in regulating growth, development, and stimuli response. However, the roles of maize ZmBES1/BZR1 members are largely unknown. In this research, the ZmBES1/BZR1-9 gene was ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis and rice for the phenotyping of flowering. We found that the complementation and overexpression of ZmBES1/BZR1-9 in bes1-D mutant and wild type Arabidopsis both resulted in early flowering that was about 10 days shorter than in the untransformed control under long-day conditions. In addition, there was no difference in the rosette leaf number between all transgenic lines and the control. Subsequently, the ZmBES1/BZR1-9 gene was overexpressed in rice. It was found that overexpression lines of rice exhibited early flowering with heading dates that were 8 days shorter compared with untransformed plants. Moreover, the results of RNA-seq and qRT-PCR showed that five flowering-regulated genes, namely At2-MMP, AtPCC1, AtMYB56, AtPELPK1, and AtPRP10, were significantly up-regulated in all complementary and overexpressing lines of Arabidopsis. Meanwhile, the results of RNA-seq showed that 69 and 33 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were up- and down-regulated in transgenic rice, respectively. Four flowering-related genes, namely OsGA20OX1, OsCCR19, OsBTBN19, and OsRNS4 were significantly up-regulated in transgenic lines. To sum up, our findings demonstrate that ZmBES1/BZR1-9 is involved in controlling flowering and provide insights into further underlying roles of BES1/BZR1s in regulating growth and development in crops.

ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy in treating lumbar intervertebral infections.MethodsA total of 13 patients with lumbar intervertebral infections who underwent percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy combined with external drainage between November 2016 and December 2019 were enrolled in the present study. After the operation, sensitive antibiotics were used based on the results of the bacterial culture. If no pathogens were detected in the biopsy culture of the infected tissues, empirical antibiotics were administrated to these patients. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by using a visual analog scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and standard Macnab's evaluation. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) and MRI were also used to evaluate clinical efficacy.ResultsThe follow-up time was 10–18 months, and the average time was (13.69 ± 2.63) months. Causative bacteria were isolated in 7 of 13 infected tissue biopsy cultures. Systemic antibiotics and anti-tuberculous chemotherapy were administered according to sensitivity studies for identified. There were no pathogens isolated from the other six patients. Empiric antibiotics were administrated in these patients. One week after the operation, WBC, a fractional fraction of medium granulocytes, ESR and CRP were significantly lower compared to before the operation (all P

Abstract Background Rice, which serves as a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, is grown worldwide. The hybridization of wild and cultivated rice has enabled the incorporation of resistance to varying environmental conditions. Endophytic microbiota are known to be transferred with their host plants. Although some studies have reported on the endophytic microbiota of wild and cultivated rice, the inheritance from wild and cultivated rice accessions in next generations, in terms of endophytic microbiota, has not been examined. Results In the present study, the endophytic microbial community structures of Asian and African wild and cultivated rice species were compared with those of their F1 offspring. High-throughput sequencing data of bacterial 16S rDNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer regions were used to classify the endophytic microbiota of collected samples of rice. Results indicated that when either African or Asian wild rice species were crossed with cultivated rice accessions, the first generation harbored a greater number of root endophytic fungi than the cultivated parent used to make the crosses. Network analysis of the bacterial and fungal operational taxonomic units revealed that Asian and African wild rice species clustered together and exhibited a greater number of significant correlations between fungal taxa than cultivated rice. The core bacterial genus Acidovorax and the core fungal order Pleosporales, and genera Myrothecium and Bullera connected African and Asian wild rice accessions together, and both the wild rice accessions with their F1 offspring. On the other hand, the core bacterial genus Bradyrhizobium and the core fungal genera Dendroclathra linked the African and Asian cultivated rice accessions together. Conclusions This study has theoretical significance for understanding the effect of breeding on the inheritance of endophytic microbiota of rice and identifying beneficial endophytic bacteria and fungi among wild and cultivated rice species, and their F1 offspring.

Background. Intermediate coronary stenosis (ICS) is defined as a visually estimated percentage of diameter stenosis ranging between 40% and 70% by conventional coronary angiography (CAG). Whether to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for these lesions is a challenge in clinical practice. The fractional flow reserve (FFR) can guide treatment by determining the functional significance of ICS. Studies have shown that some clinical indicators can be used to predict FFR. However, there is little research on this in the Chinese population. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 690 patients who underwent FFR measurements to determine the functional significance of a single ICS. Patients were divided into 2 groups: FFR ≤0.8 (n = 280) and FFR >0.8 (n = 410). We compared the clinical factors between the two groups and performed multivariate logistic regression analyses to explore the risk factors. In addition, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for FFR ≤0.8 diagnoses. Results. The mean UHR (uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio) level was significantly higher in the FFR ≤0.8 group (p

Introduction. In dental treatments, the reason for secondary caries and the failure of root canal treatment is the microbial infection, which concerns most dentists. The challenge of how to reduce the number of bacteria at the filling materials and the number of residual bacteria in the root canal has become a research hotspot. In this study, the bacterial adhesion properties of several common dental materials were compared to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of antibacterial properties of dental materials. Methodology. Three commonly used dental restorative materials and five sealers in root canal treatment were selected. Each material block was immersed in the corresponding supragingival (Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus) or subgingival (Porphyromonas gingivalis and Enterococcus faecalis) bacterial solution and cultured under anaerobic conditions at 37°C for 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h. The adhesion of bacteria was observed, and the number of different bacteria adhering to various material model disks was calculated at different time intervals under a scanning electron microscope. The adherent CFU load of the materials was determined by colony counting. Results. Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus exhibited the strongest adhesion ability to the resin material blocks. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Enterococcus faecalis exhibited the highest adhesion ability to the AH-Plus sealer block. Conclusions. In dental treatments, dental materials should be selected based on the chemical, physical, and biological properties of materials. In addition, it is necessary to develop new antibacterial dental materials.

The name Dicrotendipes sinicus was originally proposed in 2018, but the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature were not fulfilled to make the name available. We here re-propose the name with full Code compliance and redescribe and illustrate all life stages of the species to make the name available.

Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) are a kind of zinc finger protein with an A20/AN1 domain and contribute to plants’ adaption to various abiotic and biological stimuli. However, little is known about the SAP genes in maize (Zea mays L.). In the present study, the SAP genes were identified from the maize genome. Subsequently, the protein properties, gene structure and duplication, chromosomal location, and cis-acting elements were analyzed by bioinformatic methods. Finally, their expression profiles under osmotic stresses, including drought and salinity, as well as ABA, and overexpression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303a cells, were performed to uncover the potential function. The results showed that a total of 10 SAP genes were identified and named ZmSAP1 to ZmSAP10 in maize, which was unevenly distributed on six of the ten maize chromosomes. The ZmSAP1, ZmSAP4, ZmSAP5, ZmSAP6, ZmSAP7, ZmSAP8 and ZmSAP10 had an A20 domain at N terminus and AN1 domain at C terminus, respectively. Only ZmSAP2 possessed a single AN1 domain at the N terminus. ZmSAP3 and ZmSAP9 both contained two AN1 domains without an A20 domain. Most ZmSAP genes lost introns and had abundant stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements in their promoter region. The results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that all ZmSAP genes were regulated by drought and saline stresses, as well as ABA induction. Moreover, heterologous expression of ZmSAP2 and ZmSAP7 significantly improved the saline tolerance of yeast cells. The study provides insights into further underlying the function of ZmSAPs in regulating stress response in maize.

Abstract Background Dental caries in preschool children is prevalent worldwide, but data regarding its magnitude and associated factors were not available for preschool children in Zhejiang Province, China. This study examines the dental caries situation and its associated factors in Zhejiang Province. Methods A total of 1591 children aged 3–5 years and their parents or caregivers were enrolled in this study. The condition of their teeth was assessed by three dental technicians qualified to WHO 2013 criteria. A structured questionnaire was completed by the children’s parents or caregivers. A logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors that may be associated with dental caries occurring among preschool children. Results Caries prevalence (dmft> 0) of 3–5 year old children in Zhejiang Province was 70.4%. The mean decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) scores of the 3, 4 or 5 year old children surveyed were 2.96 ± 4.07, 4.42 ± 4.66, and 5.75 ± 5.19 respectively. The negative binomial regression model found that higher dental caries prevalence was found in children as age increased, with lower body mass index (BMI), with longer breastfeeding duration and with fewer hours of sleep. Conclusions The dental caries prevalence and dmft score of 3–5-year-old children in Zhejiang Province was high, and it was associated with age, BMI, breastfeeding duration and hours slept.

Objectives: Studies have demonstrated that there is an increased thoracolumbar junction sagittal Cobb angle (TLJS) in thoracolumbar/lumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. The objectives were to ascertain the correlations between the spinopelvic alignments and TLJS and to explore potential predictive factors for hyperkyphotic TLJS in the sagittal plane in thoracolumbar/lumbar AIS.Methods: A total of 114 AIS patients with thoracolumbar/lumbar curve were included. Cobb angle, apical vertebrae rotation (AVR), thoracic kyphosis (TK), TLJS, lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), T1-spinopelvic inclination (T1-SPI), and T9-spinopelvic inclination (T9-SPI) were measured. After patients were organized into two subgroups based on TLJS, all parameters were compared between the two groups. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed between the radiologic measurements and TLJS in all patients.Results: There was a significant difference between the non-kyphotic group and kyphotic group in mean Nash-Moe grade, TK, T9-SPI, PI, and SS. Correlation analysis showed that LL, PI, and SS were inversely associated with TLJS. TK, T9-SPI, and Nash-Moe grade were positively related to TLJS. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that TLJS could be predicted by the equation TLJS = −2.322 + 5.585 × Nash-Moe grade + 0.687 × T9-SPI – 0.208 × PI, with an adjusted R2 of 0.410.Conclusion: TLJS was positively correlated with greater AVR in the coronal plane, greater T9-SPI in the sagittal plane and inversely associated with PI among patients with thoracolumbar/lumbar scoliosis. Spine surgeons should pay more attention to the degree of AVR, T9-SPI, and PI when dealing with thoracolumbar/lumbar scoliosis with thoracolumbar junction kyphosis.

Previous reports showed that 2-(-2-benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects on neuroprotection in numerous disorders. However, the precise mechanisms remain elusive. The nuclear factor c factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway plays an important and essential role in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses of the cell. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of 2-BFI in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI) and to determine whether its neuroprotective effects are associated with the activation of Nrf2. To test this hypothesis, we examined the potential roles of 2-BFI in SCI models which were established in rats using a clip-compression injury method. Our results showed that treatment with 2-BFI twice daily improved locomotion recovery from SCI, which increased Nrf2 expression in both neurons and astrocytes, meanwhile, the level of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) also significantly enhanced. In addition, after the treatment with 2-BFI increased levels of superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) indicated the antioxidant effect of the drug. Furthermore, the upregulation of Bcl-2 and downregulation of Bax and caspase-3 implied antiapoptotic effects on neuroprotection of 2-BFI, which were verified by the Fluoro-Jade B (FJB) staining and TUNEL staining. Collectively, these results add to a growing body of evidence supporting that 2-BFI may attenuate SCI mediated by activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Rice is a staple food for the world’s population. However, the straw produced by rice cultivation is not used sufficiently. Returning rice straw to the field is an effective way to help reduce labor and protect the soil. This study focused on the effect of water-covered depth with the freeze–thaw cycle on rice straw decomposition and the soil fungal community structure in a field in Northeast China. The field and controlled experiments were designed, and the fungal ITS1 region was tested by high-throughput sequencing for analyzing the fungal communities in this study. The results showed that water coverage with the freeze–thaw cycle promoted the decomposition of rice straw and influenced the fungal community structure; by analyzing the network of the fungal communities, it was found that the potential keystone taxa were Penicillium, Talaromyces, Fusarium, and Aspergillus in straw decomposition; and the strains with high beta-glucosidase, carboxymethyl cellulase, laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase could also be isolated in the treated experiment. Furthermore, plant pathogenic fungi were found to decrease in the water-covered treatment. We hope that our results can help in rice production and straw return in practice.

Rice straw is a byproduct of agricultural production and an important agricultural resource. However, rice straw has not yet been effectively used, and incorrect treatment methods (such as burning in the field) can cause serious damage to the environment. Studies have shown that straw returning is beneficial to soil, but there have been few studies focused on the effect of the amount of short-term straw returned on the soil microbial community. This study evaluates 0%, 50%, 75%, and 100% rice straw returned to the field on whether returning different amounts of straw in the short term would affect the diversity and composition of the soil microbial community and the correlation between bacteria and fungi. The results show that the amount of straw returned to the field is the main factor that triggers the changes in the abundance and composition of the microbial community in the paddy soil. A small amount of added straw (≤50% straw added) mainly affects the composition of the bacterial community, while a larger amount of added straw (>50% straw added) mainly affects the composition of the fungal community. Returning a large amount of straw increases the microbial abundance related to carbon and iron cycles in the paddy soil, thus promoting the carbon and iron cycle processes to a certain extent. In addition, network analysis shows that returning a large amount of straw also increases the complexity of the microbial network, which may encourage more microbes to be niche-sharing and comprehensively improve the ecological environment of paddy soil. This study may provide some useful guidance for rice straw returning in northeast China.

Inflammation and programmed necrosis (necroptosis) are the two hallmark pathological changes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) that contribute to aggravated brain damage. 2-(2-Benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI) has been shown to exert both anti-inflammatory and programmed cell death effects. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of 2-BFI in a rat model of TBI induced by a weight-drop device. 2-BFI or vehicle was given via intraperitoneal injection starting at 30 min post trauma and then twice daily for three consecutive days. Following a neurofunctional test at 72 h after injury, histological, molecular, and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed on the pericontusional areas of the brain. 2-BFI treatment significantly attenuated neurological deficits, brain edema and blood-brain barrier permeability after TBI. Also, treatment with 2-BFI significantly reduced microglial activation, neutrophil infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β secretion, which is related to nucleotide binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation after TBI. In addition, 2-BFI treatment markedly reduced cortical tissue loss as well as repressed TBI-induced increases in necroptosis and necroptosis-associated proteins, including receptor-interacting protein (RIP1), RIP3, and mixed linkage kinase domain-like (MLKL) in the pericontusional brain tissue. Taken together, these findings indicate that 2-BFI may be an effective neuroprotectant after brain trauma and warrants further study.

Plants are associated with hundreds of thousands of microbes that are present outside on the surfaces or colonizing inside plant organs, such as leaves and roots. Plant-associated microbiota plays a vital role in regulating various biological processes and affects a wide range of traits involved in plant growth and development, as well as plant responses to adverse environmental conditions. An increasing number of studies have illustrated the important role of microbiota in crop plant growth and environmental stress resistance, which overall assists agricultural sustainability. Beneficial bacteria and fungi have been isolated and applied, which show potential applications in the improvement of agricultural technologies, as well as plant growth promotion and stress resistance, which all lead to enhanced crop yields. The symbioses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, rhizobia and Frankia species with their host plants have been intensively studied to provide mechanistic insights into the mutual beneficial relationship of plant−microbe interactions. With the advances in second generation sequencing and omic technologies, a number of important mechanisms underlying plant−microbe interactions have been unraveled. However, the associations of microbes with their host plants are more complicated than expected, and many questions remain without proper answers. These include the influence of microbiota on the allelochemical effect caused by one plant upon another via the production of chemical compounds, or how the monoculture of crops influences their rhizosphere microbial community and diversity, which in turn affects the crop growth and responses to environmental stresses. In this review, first, we systematically illustrate the impacts of beneficial microbiota, particularly beneficial bacteria and fungi on crop plant growth and development and, then, discuss the correlations between the beneficial microbiota and their host plants. Finally, we provide some perspectives for future studies on plant−microbe interactions.

Expanded generic diagnoses of all life stages of Yaeprimus Sasa et Suzuki, 2000 (Lunditendipes Harrison, 2000, syn. n.) are given. Yaeprimus tropicus comb. n. is redescribed as an adult based on type material. Additionally, a new species Y. balteatus sp. n. from Oriental China is described based on the adult male and pupa. The phylogenetic position of Yaeprimus within Chironomini and the validity of the new species are explored based on concatenated five genetic markers (18S, 28S, CAD1, CAD4, and COI-3P) through both mixed−model Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods. The results strongly support Yaeprimus as sister to Imparipecten Freeman, 1961, which counters a previously proposed systematical position based solely on morphology.

Two new species of Stenochironomus Kieffer (Diptera: Chironomidae: Chironominae), S. brevissimus sp. n. and S. linanensis sp. n., are described from China and the male imagines are illustrated. S. brevissimus sp. n. can be separated from the so far known species by having very short and small, spatulate superior volsella with two long setae, whereas S. linanensis sp. n. is easily separated from the other species of Stenochironomus by the following characters: wings transparent, body yellow, superior volsella finger-like, with nine long setae, elongated inferior volsella with four long setae and one well developed terminal spine; tergite IX with 10−15 long setae medially. A key to the males of Stenochironomus occurring in China is given.

Background: Alterations of oral microbiota are the main cause of the progression of caries. The goal of this study was to characterize the oral microbiota in childhood caries based on single-molecule real-time sequencing.Methods: A total of 21 preschoolers, aged 3–5 years old with severe early childhood caries, and 20 age-matched, caries-free children as controls were recruited. Saliva samples were collected, followed by DNA extraction, Pacbio sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses of the oral microbial communities.Results: Eight hundred and seventy six species derived from 13 known bacterial phyla and 110 genera were detected from 41 children using Pacbio sequencing. At the species level, 38 species, including Veillonella spp., Streptococcus spp., Prevotella spp., and Lactobacillus spp., showed higher abundance in the caries group compared to the caries-free group (p < 0.05). The core microbiota at the genus and species levels was more stable in the caries-free micro-ecological niche. At follow-up, oral examinations 6 months after sample collection, development of new dental caries was observed in 5 children (the transitional group) among the 21 caries free children. Compared with the caries-free children, in the transitional and caries groups, 6 species, which were more abundant in the caries-free group, exhibited a relatively low abundance in both the caries group and the transitional group (p < 0.05). We conclude that Abiotrophia spp., Neisseria spp., and Veillonella spp., might be associated with healthy oral microbial ecosystem. Prevotella spp., Lactobacillus spp., Dialister spp., and Filifactor spp. may be related to the pathogenesis and progression of dental caries.

The genus Pseudorthocladius Goetghebuer, 1943 from China, including 12 species, is reviewed. Five new species, P. (P.) binarius sp. n., P. (P.) cylindratus sp. n., P. (P.) digitus sp. n., P. (P.) ovatus sp. n. and P. (P.) paucus sp. n. are described and illustrated as adult males. P. (P.) cristagus Stur & Sæther, 2004, P. (P.) jintutridecima (Sasa, 1996), P. (P.) macrovirgatus Sæther & Sublette, 1983, P. (P.) morsei Sæther & Sublette, 1983, P. (P.) uniserratus Sæther & Sublette, 1983, P. (L.) wingoi Sæther & Sublette, 1983 are newly recorded in Oriental Region. A key to the males of Pseudorthocladius in China is presented.

The Rheocricotopus (Psilocricotopus) chalybeatus species group from China is reviewed. Three new species, R. (P.) brochus sp. n., R. (P.) rotundus sp. n. and R. (P.) serratus sp. n. are described as adult males. R. (P.) imperfectus Makarchenko & Makarchenko, 2005, R. (P.) robacki (Beck & Beck, 1964) and R. (P.) valgus Chaudhuri & Sinharay, 1983 are recorded from China for the first time and annotated. The diagnosis for the species group is emended and a key to adult males of the species group in China is presented.

The Chinese species of Parametriocnemus Goetghebuer are reviewed. Two species, P. fortis sp. n. and P. vittatus sp. n. are described and illustrated as males, and P. ornaticornis (Kieffer), P. scotti (Freeman) and P. brundini Sinharay & Chaudhuri are recorded from China for the first time. A key to the males of the seven Chinese Parametriocnemus species is given.

A new species of Polypedilum (Uresipedilum) Oyewo & Sæther, 1998, P. (U.) minimum sp. n. is described as male. A key to adult males of the subgenus from China is presented.

A new species of the genus Microtendipes Kieffer, 1915, M. zhejiangensis sp.n., is described, and its morphological description and illustrations are given. A catalogue of the genus in Oriental Region is provided and a key to the males of Microtendipes in the Oriental Region is given.

Two new species of Bryophaenocladius Thienemann, 1934, B. mucronatus sp. n. and B. parictericus sp. n. are described and illustrated as males. A key to male imagines of the genus from China is presented.

DNA barcoding using a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) has proven to be successful for species-level identification in many animal groups. However, most studies have been focused on relatively small datasets or on large datasets of taxonomically high-ranked groups. We explore the quality of DNA barcodes to delimit species in the diverse chironomid genus Tanytarsus (Diptera: Chironomidae) by using different analytical tools. The genus Tanytarsus is the most species-rich taxon of tribe Tanytarsini (Diptera: Chironomidae) with more than 400 species worldwide, some of which can be notoriously difficult to identify to species-level using morphology. Our dataset, based on sequences generated from own material and publicly available data in BOLD, consist of 2790 DNA barcodes with a fragment length of at least 500 base pairs. A neighbor joining tree of this dataset comprises 131 well separated clusters representing 121 morphological species of Tanytarsus: 77 named, 16 unnamed and 28 unidentified theoretical species. For our geographically widespread dataset, DNA barcodes unambiguously discriminate 94.6% of the Tanytarsus species recognized through prior morphological study. Deep intraspecific divergences exist in some species complexes, and need further taxonomic studies using appropriate nuclear markers as well as morphological and ecological data to be resolved. The DNA barcodes cluster into 120-242 molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs) depending on whether Objective Clustering, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent model (GMYC), Poisson Tree Process (PTP), subjective evaluation of the neighbor joining tree or Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) are used. We suggest that a 4-5% threshold is appropriate to delineate species of Tanytarsus non-biting midges.

Background Pseudochironomini is a relatively small and poorly-studied tribe of subfamily Chironominae (Diptera, Chironomidae). New information Pseudochironomus ruthae Andersen & Baranov sp. nov. is described and figured, based on a single male collected in a light trap at Matadero, Dominican Republic. The species can be separated from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: wing without dark bands, dorsocentrals in partly double row and apex of superior volsella rounded. The species is the first Pseudochironomus species to be formally recorded and described from the Caribbean. In addition, a new record of Manoa pahayokeensis Jacobsen & Perry, 2002 from the Dominican Republic is given. One specimen was DNA-barcoded and the barcode is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]