Search

The current replication study aims to examine the effects of learners’ attention to lexical and grammatical forms on meaning comprehension while listening to a passage in Spanish. The registered protocol and materials in the aural mode from Morgan-Short et al.’s (2018) multisite replication study were used, with first language (L1) Chinese–second language (L2) English participants (N=122) learning Spanish as the third language (L3). The results partially reproduced the previous findings that there was no effect of attending to a lexical item (sol) on meaning comprehension. However, a small to medium effect was found on comprehension scores for simultaneously attending to a grammatical form (la). This finding reveals a site-specific effect with learners from different L1 backgrounds, suggesting that learners’ attending to a grammatical form absent in their L1 is detrimental to their meaning comprehension even if this form exists in their earlier learned L2.

Trichomes that originate from plant aerial epidermis act as mechanical and chemical barriers against herbivores. Although several regulators have recently been identified, the regulatory pathway underlying multicellular trichome formation remains largely unknown in tomato. Here, we report a novel HD-ZIP IV transcription factor, Lanata (Ln), a missense mutation which caused the hairy phenotype. Biochemical analyses demonstrate that Ln separately interacts with two trichome regulators, Woolly (Wo) and Hair (H). Genetic and molecular evidence demonstrates that Ln directly regulates the expression of H. The interaction between Ln and Wo can increase trichome density by enhancing the expression of SlCycB2 and SlCycB3, which we previously showed are involved in tomato trichome formation. Furthermore, SlCycB2 represses the transactivation of the SlCycB3 gene by Ln and vice versa. Our findings provide new insights into the novel regulatory network controlling multicellular trichome formation in tomato.

Viral metagenomics has been used in numerous animal virus discoveries. Recently, an unprecedented diversity of CRESS DNA viruses was identified using this method, and this has expanded our understanding of the environmental distribution and host range of CRESS DNA viruses. In this study, using an unbiased viral metagenomics approach, we investigated the fecal virome of chickens collected from two farms of Anhui Province, China. Five novel CRESS DNA viruses were obtained and characterized. The genome of the five viruses is 2,401-2,742 bp in length, containing two ORFs in the same orientation. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all five viruses have a closer genetic relationship to smacoviruses than to other viruses in the order Cremevirales. Pairwise comparison of Rep amino acid sequences showed that these five viruses had only low amino acid sequence identity (8.9%-30.6%) to members of the family Smacoviridae, and the sequence identity among the five smaco-like viruses and other unclassified smacovirus strains was 70.3-95.8%. These findings broaden our knowledge of the genetic diversity of CRESS DNA viruses and provide a basis for classification of unclassified smacoviruses.

Background Many studies have reported a possible strong relationship between poor sleep quality, sleep disruption, sleep disorders, and erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep quality and ED. Methods Patients diagnosed with ED by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire and 72 healthy adult men were included. Participants completed the questionnaire, underwent a detailed physical examination, and provided blood samples. All enrolled subjects then wore the Fitbit Charge 2 that monitored sleep throughout the night. Outcomes Primary outcome measures included scores on the IIEF-5, General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and sleep monitoring parameters obtained from Fitbit Charge 2. Results Finally, a total of 107 ED patients and 72 healthy adult men were enrolled in this study. Univariate analysis indicated that the GAD-7 (P < .001), PHQ-9 (P < .001), and PSQI scores (P < .001) significantly differed according to the presence/absence of ED. Further multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the PHQ-9 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.227, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.070-1.407; P = .003) and PSQI scores (OR: 1.220, 95%CI: 1.116-1.334; P < .001) were independent risk factors for ED. Analysis of objective sleep monitoring parameters showed that total sleep time (TST) (P = .001), sleep onset latency (SOL) (P = .026), deep sleep (N3) duration (P = .011) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration (P < .001) were significantly differed between the 2 groups, with durations in the ED group significantly lower than those in the non-ED group. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that the REM sleep duration had the highest area under the curve (AUC: 0.728) of all sleep parameters, with a P value < .001, a sensitivity of 72.2% and a specificity of 73.8%. Clinical Implications Urologists and andrologists should be aware of impacted sleep quality and depression in ED patients. Strengths & Limitations The strength of this study is that the relationship between sleep quality and ED was assessed with both a subjective scale and an objective sleep monitoring tool. However, our study only described an association between sleep quality and ED and did not establish a causal relationship. Conclusion Sleep parameters are strongly associated with ED, indicating that poor sleep quality may increase the likelihood of ED.

Lipid-laden macrophages are considered as the main source of foam cells in atherosclerosis; however, the mechanism for macrophage foam cell formation remains unknown. Here, we explore the mechanism behind foam cell formation to potentially identify a novel treatment for atherosclerosis. Our data demonstrated that leucine-rich pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein (LRPPRC) increased in the atherosclerotic plaques of LDLR

In recent years, with the extensive use of fossil fuels, the global environment has deteriorated sharply, and human beings are facing the problem of energy conversion. Due to the high calorific value, light weight, abundant reserves, and pollution-free combustion of hydrogen energy, many countries hope to use hydrogen energy as a new sustainable energy instead of fossil energy. Through the introduction of proton exchange membrane fuel cells in class and literature research, it is found that proton exchange membrane fuel cell is a very representative energy technology with high efficiency, low noise, and cleanness in several new energy sources. Especially after the two goals of carbon neutralization and carbon peak are proposed, hydrogen energy has received high attention from basic research and industrial application. To further optimize the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, this paper analyzes the flow field structure and energy management strategy of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for vehicles and makes a systematic summary on the basis of previous studies.

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an important nutrient component contributing to major flavor value of tomato fruit and human health. Although transcription regulation of AsA biosynthetic genes have been well demonstrated, epigenetic modification underlying AsA accumulation remains unclear. In this study, we exposed immature tomato fruits to a methyltransferase inhibitor (5-azacytidine) and detected the impacts on AsA accumulation. Inhibition of DNA methylation enhanced AsA accumulation in tomato leaves and fruits. We further isolated a AsA biosynthetic gene, SlGalUR5, which encodes a D-galacturonic acid reductase. SlGalUR5 showed reduced DNA methylation levels and higher transcription levels in Slmet1 mutant while have converse pattern in Sldml2 mutant. 5-azacytidine treatment significantly decreased DNA methylation levels of SlGalUR5 in fruits. Conversely, transcription profiles of SlGalUR5 and enzyme activity of GalUR were enhanced in 5-azacytidine–treated fruits. Our finding revealed a new insight into epigenome modification of SlGalUR5 involved in ascorbic acid accumulation and provide a potential means of increasing AsA levels for tomato breeding.

C-reactive protein (CRP), as a marker of inflammation, may be closely related to erectile dysfunction (ED), however, there is no meta-analysis exists for it.We aimed to verify the relationship between CRP and erectile dysfunction and to explore the changes of CRP levels in ED patients after first-line treatment.We searched databases including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and MEDLINE to identify studies up to January 1, 2022. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the included studies by STATA software and calculated standardized mean differences (SMDs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals.A total of 12 studies were included and the analysis showed that CRP levels were higher significantly in patients with erectile dysfunction than the healthy controls (p 0.001) and decreased by a mean of 0.38 mg/L after first-line PDE5i drug treatment (p = 0.001).This novel meta-analysis suggests that CRP is statistically significantly associated with erectile dysfunction and may be a predictor or risk factor for the assessment of ED. However, further original studies with large sample sizes are needed to validate this.

Background A connection between multiple sclerosis (MS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) has been debatable. Aim To assess the pooled prevalence of ED among men with MS and whether MS was a risk factor for ED. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library to find relevant English-language studies published up to February 2022 that assessed the prevalence of ED in MS patients. Two authors independently evaluated the full text of the enrolled studies to determine eligibility, and if there was disagreement, the decision was made by a third author after discussion. Assessment tools adapted for prevalence studies were used to evaluate the quality of cross-sectional studies, and the quality of case-control studies was assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the strength of association between MS and the risk of ED. The sources of heterogeneity were investigated by subgroup analysis. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the stability of the results. Outcomes The pooled prevalence of ED in MS patients as well as 95% CIs were estimated, and the RR and its 95% CI were used to assess the strength of association between MS and the risk of ED. Results Sixteen studies included collectively gave information about ED in 2,760 MS men, resulting in a pooled prevalence of 49% (95% CI = 42–56%) for ED with a large heterogeneity. Synthesis of results revealed that MS was significantly associated with an increased risk of ED (RR = 3.17, 95% CI = 2.31–4.36, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 0.0%, P = .716). The pooled prevalence estimates of ED were 55, 63, and 57% in the age >40, IIEF diagnostic tool, and mean disease duration >10 years subgroups, respectively. Clinical Implications The present meta-analysis indicates that MS patients had a significantly increased risk of ED, which should raise awareness of the potential association between MS and ED by clinicians. Strengths & Limitations This is the first meta-analysis to provide the global prevalence of ED in MS patients and to demonstrate that MS is a risk factor for ED. However, all enrolled studies were observational in design, which may reduce the robustness of this evidence. Conclusion Results of this meta-analysis showed that ED was highly prevalent in adult men with MS and MS was a potential risk factor for ED development.

Background The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients was reported rarely and with small sample. Aim The study sought to explore the prevalence of ED in men with AS and to determine whether AS is a risk factor for ED. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Database, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search was restricted to the articles published up to October 2022. Assessment tools adapted for prevalence studies were used to evaluate the quality of cross-sectional studies, and the quality of case-control studies was assessed by Newcastle–Ottawa scale. The relative risk (RR) and the standard mean difference (SMD) were used to evaluate the association between AS and ED. The subgroup analyses were conducted to identify the resources of heterogeneity. The sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the stability of the pooled estimates. Data were analyzed and graphed using STATA 16.0. Outcomes The pooled prevalence of ED in AS patients was calculated and the RR and the SMD were used to evaluate the association between AS and ED. Results A total of 393 AS patients, enrolled in the 8 included studies, were assessed for the prevalence of ED. The pooled ED prevalence estimate was 44% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25% to 63%, P < .001) with the statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 95.1%, P < .001). After pooling the data for RR, the results showed that men with AS were at a significantly higher risk for ED when compared with the general population without AS (RR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.28 to 3.25, P = .003; heterogeneity: I2 = 72.6%, P = .003). The pooled results of 5 studies, which provided the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score, demonstrated that patients with AS had significantly lower values in the IIEF erectile function domain as compared with the healthy control subjects (SMD, −0.60; 95% CI, −0.80 to −0.41; P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 34.4%, P = .192). Additionally, the other domain of the IIEF also showed lower values when compared with the general population without AS (P < .05). Clinical Implications The present meta-analysis provides evidence of the management of ED in men with AS. Strengths and Limitations This is the first meta-analysis to provide the prevalence of ED in AS patients and to demonstrate that AS is a risk factor for ED. However, the results after pooling the included studies showed significant heterogeneity. Conclusion Our meta-analysis demonstrated the high prevalence of ED in men with AS and that AS is a potential risk factor for ED.