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Abstract Background This study aimed to report a case of neurotrophic keratitis caused by lightning. Case presentation A 38-year-old man was hit by lightning and suffered eye injury. He eventually developed neurotrophic keratitis. Results The patient’s injury history and burn site were analyzed, and it was judged that lightning directly damaged his cornea, eventually resulting in neurotrophic keratitis. Fortunately, the patient’s vision improved after treatment. Conclusion Lightning can cause eye damage, and the clinical manifestations are diverse. Lightning currents cause corneal nerve loss, resulting in neurotrophic keratitis. To maintain corneal integrity and prevent disease progression, early assessment and appropriate treatment are necessary.

Abstract Objective To provide theoretical basis for prevention of a Dacron-cuffed catheter related infection (CRI), the risk factors of CRI in hemodialysis patients were systematically evaluated. Methods Eight databases, including PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Wanfang Database and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), were searched to screen out literatures related to the risk factors of long-term indwelling a Dacron-cuffed CRI in hemodialysis. Meta-analysis of risk factors for a Dacron-cuffed CRI in hemodialysis and publication bias test were performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results After screening, 13 literatures involving a Dacron-cuffed CRI were included, with a total of 625 patients, and the infection rate was 11.7%. The combined OR value and 95% confidence interval (CI) of all factors were: Combined with Diabetes (1.94, 1.51 ~ 2.50), Hb (1.82, 1.35 ~ 2.44), age (2.38, 1.06 ~ 5.34), catheter indwelling time (1.79, 1.21 ~ 2.66), serum albumin (2.26, 1.25 ~ 4.08), catheter indwelling site (3.29, 1.74 ~ 6.23) and the number of tube placement (5.40, 2.65 ~ 11.02). Conclusions The main risk factors for a Dacron-cuffed CRI in hemodialysis were combined with diabetes, hemoglobin level, age, catheter indwelling time, serum albumin level, femoral vein catheter indwelling and catheterization times. In other words, hemodialysis patients are at higher risk of CRI if they have diabetes, or if they have a lower hemoglobin level, or if they are older, or if they have a longer duration of catheterization, or if they have a lower serum albumin level, or if they have a femoral vein catheter, or if they have more catheters.

Abstract Background Currently, limited research is available on the comparative analysis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) incidence and mortality rates between China and the United States. This study aimed to explore the trends in CKD incidence and mortality rates in both countries, as well as make some future predictions. Methods The data on CKD incidence and mortality in China and the US from 1990 to 2019 were derived from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease database. A Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze temporal trends in CKD incidence and mortality. An age-period-cohort model was used to assess the effects of age, period, and birth cohort on CKD risk and forecast the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of CKD in China and the US over the next 15 years. Results CKD incidence in China and the US showed an upward trend. Its mortality rate showed a downward trend in China but an upward one in the US. The relative risk (RR) of CKD incidence and mortality increases with age. The RR of CKD incidence in the 0–5 age group exceeds that in the 5–55 age group, and the RR for mortality surpasses that in the 5–35 age group. Over time, the RR of CKD incidence has gradually increased in China and the US. Individuals born in later birth cohorts had a lower RR of CKD incidence and mortality. The ASIR of CKD may increase in both China and the US, whereas its ASMR may decline over the next 15 years. Conclusion Screening measures should be strengthened among populations at high risk of CKD; prenatal examinations of pregnant women should be emphasized to reduce CKD incidence in newborns. It is imperative to increase health education and encourage individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Deficit irrigation is a common strategy to reduce water use and improve the sustainability of cotton production. However, the effects of water deficits on crop productivity and quality are subject to genotype by management by environmental interactions. This study investigated effects of water deficits and frequency of irrigation on cotton performance grown in semi-arid region, Xinjiang, the main cotton-growing area in China. Two field trials (2020 and 2021) with split experimental design, including main factors of three irrigation levels (moderate-deficit, mild-deficit and full-irrigation) and split factors of three irrigation frequencies (4, 8 and 12 days) were conducted. Results from two trials both showed little negative influence of irrigation levels on yield, and higher irrigation frequency improved yield under same irrigation level. Significant effects of irrigation levels on yield components were found in 2021, with a 22 % increase in boll number and an 18 % reduction in boll weight under moderate-deficit irrigation compared with those under full-irrigation. Interactions between irrigation levels and frequencies significantly affected harvest index (HI), showing that reduced irrigation might be beneficial for improving HI. However, decreased fibre length while increased fibre micronaire were found under deficit irrigation. A strong association between radiation use efficiency (RUE) and boll growth rate was observed, suggesting that RUE might be the driving force of yield formation. A tight correlation between both biomass and transpiration efficiency versus delta temperature between air and canopy (ΔTair-canopy) was observed, suggesting ΔTair-canopy could be used as an efficient tool to assess plant production under deficit irrigation. This study provided an improved understanding of the physiological basis of cotton yield formation and further identified a high-throughput and instantaneous method to monitor effects of deficit irrigation on crop productivity.

Abstract Background Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is a common retinal vascular disease leading to severe vision loss and blindness. This study aimed to investigate and reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying macular edema (ME) recurrence in patients with BRVO through a proteomic approach. Methods We detected proteins in the aqueous humor of 14 untreated, four refractory, and four post-operative patients with BRVO-ME and 12 age-matched cataract controls using four-dimensional label-free proteomic and bioinformatics analyses. Results In total, 84 proteins exhibited significant differential expression between the BRVO and control samples (fold change [FC] ≥ 1.2 and adjusted p-value

How to effectively evaluate the firing precision of weapon equipment at low cost is one of the core contents of improving the test level of weapon system. A new method to evaluate the firing precision of the MLRS considering the credibility of simulation system based on Bayesian theory is proposed in this paper. First of all, a comprehensive index system for the credibility of the simulation system of the firing precision of the MLRS is constructed combined with the group analytic hierarchy process. A modified method for determining the comprehensive weight of the index is established to improve the rationality of the index weight coefficients. The Bayesian posterior estimation formula of firing precision considering prior information is derived in the form of mixed prior distribution, and the rationality of prior information used in estimation model is discussed quantitatively. With the simulation tests, the different evaluation methods are compared to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Finally, the experimental results show that the effectiveness of estimation method for firing precision is improved by more than 25%.

The high host genetic background of tissue biopsies hinders the application of shotgun metagenomic sequencing in characterizing the tissue microbiota. We proposed an optimized method that removed host DNA from colon biopsies and examined the effect on metagenomic analysis. Human or mouse colon biopsies were divided into two groups, with one group undergoing host DNA depletion and the other serving as the control. Host DNA was removed through differential lysis of mammalian and bacterial cells before sequencing. The impact of host DNA depletion on microbiota was compared based on phylogenetic diversity analyses and regression analyses. Removing host DNA enhanced bacterial sequencing depth and improved species discovery, increasing bacterial reads by 2.46 ± 0.20 folds while reducing host reads by 6.80% ± 1.06%. Moreover, 2.40 times more of bacterial species were detected after host DNA depletion. This was confirmed from mouse colon tissues, increasing bacterial reads by 5.46 ± 0.42 folds while decreasing host reads by 10.2% ± 0.83%. Similarly, significantly more bacterial species were detected in the mouse colon tissue upon host DNA depletion (P

ABSTRACT: Seed vigor of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is established during seed development stage, while its regulators remain largely unknown. Here, a comparative peptidomics analysis of the developing seeds was conducted to reveal the regulators involving the establishment of tobacco seed vigor. The most significant difference of seed vigor was observed between seeds harvested at 20 and 30 days after pollination (DAP), and then the corresponding seeds were collected separately for peptidomics analysis. A total of 2932 and 2812 nonredundant peptides were identified in seeds harvested at 20 and 30 DAP, respectively. In which, 349 differentially expressed peptides (DEPs) were characterized. To explore the potential functions of these DEPs, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were further analyzed according to their precursor proteins. Most DEP precursor proteins were involved in response to abiotic stimulus, response to water, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum. Further, the peptides derived from the precursor proteins, such as late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein, heat shock protein, peroxiredoxin, and globulin proteins, may regulates the establishment of seed vigor by influencing reactive oxygen species. The results provide a foundation for further exploration of the peptides functions on the establishment of seed vigor in tobacco.

IntroductionAccessory breast cancer (ABC) is an extremely rare condition, particularly the presence of triple-negative ABC with ipsilateral invasive in situ breast cancer. Binary breast tumors are controversial in terms of surgical methods and comprehensive treatment.Case presentationWe share the case of a 64-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with an underarm mass for 3 months. Ultrasonography and computed tomography suggested possible breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis. The patient underwent a left modified radical mastectomy combined with axillary lymph node dissection. The postoperative pathology confirmed a binary tumor, prompting us to initiate comprehensive treatment.ConclusionWe present the treatment approach for a rare case of triple-negative para-breast cancer complicated with carcinoma in situ of the breast, hoping to contribute new therapeutic ideas for the treatment of this disease.

Abstract The present study explored the potential role of cold-regulated plasma membrane protein COR413PM1 isolated from Saussurea involucrata (Matsum. & Koidz)(SikCOR413PM1), in enhancing cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) tolerance to cold and drought stresses through transgenic methods. Under cold and drought stresses, the survival rate and the fresh and dry weights of the SikCOR413PM1-overexpressing lines were higher than those of the wild-type plants, and the degree of leaf withering was much lower. Besides, overexpressing SikCOR413PM1 overexpression increased the relative water content, reduced malondialdehyde content and relative conductivity, and elevated proline and soluble sugar levels in cotton seedlings. These findings suggest that SikCOR413PM1 minimizes cell membrane damage and boosts plant stability under challenging conditions. Additionally, overexpression of this gene upregulated antioxidant enzyme-related genes in cotton seedlings, resulting in enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, lowered peroxide content, and reduced oxidative stress. SikCOR413PM1 overexpression also modulated the expression of stress-related genes (GhDREB1A, GhDREB1B, GhDREB1C, GhERF2, GhNAC3, and GhRD22). In field trials, the transgenic cotton plants overexpressing SikCOR413PM1 displayed high yields and increased environmental tolerance. Our study thus demonstrates the role of SikCOR413PM1 in regulating stress-related genes, osmotic adjustment factors, and peroxide content while preserving cell membrane stability and improving cold and drought tolerance in cotton.

Abstract Background Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a distinctive tumor composed of spindle cells accompanied by mixed inflammatory cells, and immunohistochemical positivity for ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase protein) can be detected in half of IMTs. The diagnosis of ALK-negative IMT could be a challenge. Recently, the fusions of some kinase genes, such as RET, NTRK1, ROS1, etc., are revealed in ALK-negative IMT. Case presentation A 19-year-old woman presented with swelling of the left upper arm. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed a tumor in the left postbrachium extended to the left axillary, serratus anterior muscle, and latissimus dorsi muscle. Histopathologically, the irregular-circumscribed tumor was composed of dense spindle-shaped cells with eosinophilic abundant cytoplasm and hyalinized mesenchyme in an inflammatory background. Immunohistochemically (IHC), tumor cells were positive for SMA, MDM2, and p16; the cells were negative for desmin, MyoD1, Myogenin, pan-cytokeratin, S100, SOX10, HMB45, Malen-A, CD34, CD31, CD99, and ALK. By RNA-based NGS, a novel fusion between TPD52L2 3’ end of exon 1–4 and ROS1 5’ end of exon 36–43 was revealed. ROS1 IHC staining was negative. The final diagnosis of IMT with TPD52L2-ROS1 fusion was made. Subsequently, the patient experienced a good clinical response to Crizotinib, and clinical follow-up showed stable disease after 9 months. Conclusion This report expands the spectrum of ROS1 gene rearrangements in the IMT and highlights the importance of molecular analysis of IMT for getting a diagnostic clue and determining potential therapeutic strategies.

Root architecture is an important agronomic trait that plays an essential role in water uptake, soil compactions, nutrient recycling, plant–microbe interactions, and hormone-mediated signaling pathways. Recently, significant advancements have been made in understanding how the complex interactions of phytohormones regulate the dynamic organization of root architecture in crops. Moreover, phytohormones, particularly auxin, act as internal regulators of root development in soil, starting from the early organogenesis to the formation of root hair (RH) through diverse signaling mechanisms. However, a considerable gap remains in understanding the hormonal cross-talk during various developmental stages of roots. This review examines the dynamic aspects of phytohormone signaling, cross-talk mechanisms, and the activation of transcription factors (TFs) throughout various developmental stages of the root life cycle. Understanding these developmental processes, together with hormonal signaling and molecular engineering in crops, can improve our knowledge of root development under various environmental conditions.

Abstract Background Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a reverse genetics technology that can efficiently and rapidly identify plant gene functions. Although a variety of VIGS vectors have been successfully used in plants, only a few reports on VIGS technology in Luffa exist. Results In the present study, a new cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV)-based VIGS vector, pV190, was applied to establish the CGMMV-VIGS to investigate the feasibility of the silencing system for Luffa. Phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene was initially selected as a VIGS marker gene to construct a recombinant vector. Plants infected with Agrobacterium harboring pV190-PDS successfully induced effective silencing in Luffa, and an effective gene silencing phenotype with obvious photobleaching was observed. To further validate the efficiency, we selected TEN for gene-silencing, which encodes a CYC/TB1-like transcription factor and is involved in tendril development. Luffa plants inoculated with the pV190-TEN exhibited shorter tendril length and nodal positions where tendrils appear are higher compared to those of non-inoculated plants. RT-qPCR showed that the expression levels of PDS and TEN were significantly reduced in the CGMMV-VIGS plants. Moreover, we evaluated the CGMMV-VIGS efficiency in three cucurbits, including cucumber, ridge gourd, and bottle gourd. Conclusion We successfully established a CGMMV-based VIGS system on ridge gourd and used marker genes to identify the feasibility of the silencing system in Luffa leaves and stems.

Constraint violation correction is an important research topic in solving multibody system dynamics. For a multibody system dynamics method which derives acceleration equations in a recursive manner and avoids overall dynamics equations, a fast and accurate solution to the violation problem is paramount. The direct correction method is favored due to its simplicity, high accuracy and low computational cost. This method directly supplements the constraint equations and performs corrections, making it an effective solution for addressing violation problems. However, calculating the significant Jacobian matrices for this method using dynamics equations can be challenging, especially for complex multibody systems. This paper presents a programmatic framework for deriving Jacobian matrices of planar rigid-flexible-multibody systems in a simple semi-analytic form along two paths separated by a secondary joint. The approach is verified by comparing constraint violation errors with and without the constraint violation correction in numerical examples. Moreover, the proposed method's computational speed is compared with that of the direct differential solution, verifying its efficiency. The straightforward, highly programmable and universal approach provides a new idea for programming large-scale dynamics software and extends the application of dynamics methods focused on deriving acceleration equations.

A topologically constrained optimization methodology associated with a discretized differential evolution (DE) is employed for the structure design of a magnetic pulse welding (MPW) coil. To reveal the explicit expression for the effective welding area produced by the MPW process, the impact angle and collision velocity are innovatively considered for determination of the objective function. As several disconnected regions are generated by the Rand-to-Best/2/exp mutation strategy and subsequent superposition-style crossover operation, the algorithm is combined with geometrical correction to form a simply connected conductor. The proposed algorithm is effective and robust as it have been verified based on the evolutionary history and numerical trials with coupled electromagnetic–mechanical simulations. According to physical validation results, a wider effective welding area is produced between aluminum alloy and steel planar plates by the optimized coil, which results in better performance in a tensile test. Under a 23 kJ discharge current, the maximum loading is significantly enhanced by 46.21% compared with the original coil.

Abstract A crawler system provides much larger ground contact, leading to excellent terrain adaptability. Due to its structural characteristics, high‐frequency vibration proportional to the vehicle speed is generated during the driving process. This is a result of the polygon and rolling effects between the track and the wheels. A field test of a tracked vehicle is performed to monitor movement signals of the chassis and a rocker arm. Their corresponding power spectral density distributions confirm the correctness of the frequency‐calculation equation. Then, a novel elastic track tensioning device with a damper is designed as a cushion between the idler and the chassis. Depending on its geometry, the equivalent damping coefficient for a dynamic model is evaluated. Subsequently, the damping is altered in response to different operating conditions by a hybrid damping fuzzy semiactive control system. The controller accounts for both chassis and track vibration. Based on the transfer matrix method for multibody systems, a dynamical model of the track system is developed. Control performances are evaluated using two numerical simulations of obstacle crossing and off‐road driving operations. Results indicate that the proposed semiactive tensioner is substantially better than the conventional one. This paper provides a novel feasible scheme for vibration reduction of tracked vehicles.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas sensors are pivotal in upholding environmental integrity and human health, necessitating heightened sensitivity and exceptional selectivity. Despite the prevalent use of metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs) for NO2 detection, extant solutions exhibit shortcomings in meeting practical application criteria, specifically in response, selectivity, and operational temperatures. Here, we successfully employed a facile microwave-solvothermal method to synthesize a mesoporous CeO2/CNCs nanocomposite. This methodology entails the rapid and comprehensive dispersion of CeO2 nanoparticles onto helical carbon nanocoils (CNCs), resulting in augmented electronic conductivity and an abundance of active sites within the composite. Consequently, the gas-sensing sensitivity of the nanocomposite at room temperature experienced a notable enhancement. Moreover, the presence of cerium oxide and the conversion of Ce3+ and Ce4+ ions facilitated the generation of oxygen vacancies in the composites, thereby further amplifying the sensing performance. Experimental outcomes demonstrate that the nanocomposite exhibited an approximate 9-fold increase in response to 50 ppm NO2 in comparison to pure CNCs at room temperature. Additionally, the CeO2/CNCs sensor displayed remarkable selectivity towards NO2 when exposed to gases such as NH3, CO, SO2, CO2, and C2H5OH. This straightforward microwave-solvothermal method presents an appealing strategy for the research and development of intelligent sensors based on CNCs nanomaterials.

Seeds are the most important reproductive organs of higher plants, the beginning and end of a plant’s lifecycle. They are very important to plant growth and development, and also an important factor affecting yield. In this study, genetic analysis and BSA-seq of the F2 population crossed with the large-seeded material ‘J16’ and small-seeded material ‘FJ5’ were carried out, and the seed size locus was initially located within the 1.31 Mb region on chr10. In addition, 2281 F2 plants were used to further reduce the candidate interval to 48.8 Kb. This region contains only one gene encoding the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) protein (Bch10G006400). Transcriptome and expression analysis revealed that the gene was significantly more highly expressed in ‘J16’ than in ‘FJ5’. Variation analysis of Bch10G006400 among parents and 50 chieh-qua germplasms revealed that as well as a nonsynonymous mutation (SNP_314) between parents, two mutations (SNP_400 and InDel_551) were detected in other materials. Combining these three mutations completely distinguished the seed size of the chieh-qua. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that DGEs played the most important roles in carbohydrate metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction, respectively. The results of this study provide important information for molecular marker-assisted breeding and help to reveal the molecular mechanism of seed size.

The driving force of climate change in the monsoon margin is complex, making it a key area for regional and global climate change research. Palaeohydrological studies in the monsoon margin have increased the resolution of research in the long term, transitioning from qualitative to quantitative studies to comprehend climate change processes, patterns, and mechanisms. Testate amoebae (TA) in peat sediments are used as a proxy indicator organism for quantitative reconstruction of palaeohydrology. Thus, their community changes are directly related to precipitation, and widely used to reconstruct the patterns of summer precipitation globally. We investigated TA species and reconstructed palaeohydrological changes in the Greater Khingan Mountains’ Hongtu (HT) peatland, located in the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) margin. The result showed that the most abundant TA species were Assulina muscorum (12.4 ± 5.0%) and Nebela tincta (8.9 ± 4.9%) in the HT peat core. The increase in dry indicator species (e.g., A. muscorum and Alabasta militaris) indicated a drying pattern in the HT peatland since 150 cal yr BP. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 47.6% of the variation in the selected TA assemblages. During 400 to 250 cal yr BP, PCA axis 1 scores ranged from 0.2 to −1.3 (reflecting a drier climate), associating with the Little Ice Age. The paleohydrology of the northern part of the Greater Khingan Mountains was mainly controlled by the EASM, which was associated with changes in North Atlantic Sea surface temperature and solar radiative forcing. The apparent drying pattern may be the result of the gradual intensification of anthropogenic activities and the increase in EASM intensity.

Abstract Lithospermeae Dumort., a tribe under the subfamily Boraginoidae, is a perennial herb containing approximately 470 species under 26 genera, primarily distributed in temperate and tropical regions. To gain a deeper understanding of the medicinal plants of Lithospermeae and better protect and develop plant medicinal resources, the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and traditional use of Lithospermeae with medicinal value were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out based on the internal transcribed spacer sequence. Through spatial analysis and the species distribution model, the spatial distribution pattern of Lithospermeae medicinal plants was analyzed. Meanwhile, the relevant targets and pathways involved in the pharmacological effects of commonly used medicinal plants were predicted using network pharmacology to further explore the genetic origin of Lithospermeae and enrich the pharmaphylogeny of medicinal plants. In this study, the chemical composition, traditional efficacy, and modern pharmacological activity of Lithospermeae were collected for the first time and analyzed in combination with the geographical distribution model, molecular phylogeny, and network pharmacology. Based on our findings, the pharmaphylogeny of Lithospermeae was preliminarily discussed, providing the scientific basis for basic research regarding Lithospermeae. Concurrently, this study explored the relationship between the development of the regional medicinal plant industry and the protection of biodiversity. Furthermore, our findings provide direction and theoretical guidance for the study of the phylogenetic relationships in medicinal plants and the development of Lithospermeae medicinal plant resources.

【Objective】Genetic analysis of major gene and polygenes was conducted on the length, width, and quality of Chieh-qua seeds to study the genetic rules of seed size and select high-quality Chieh-qua varieties.【Method】Chieh-qua inbred line J16 (big seed) was used as female parent and 18FJ5 (small seed) as male parent to hybridize, and the length, width and seed quality of F2 generation seeds were determined. What's more, the optimal genetic model and genetic law of each trait were obtained by using the mixed model of main gene+polygene.【Result】The most suitable genetic model for Chieh-qua seed length and width was MX2-ADI-AD, that is, two pairs of additive-dominant-epistatic main genes+additive-dominant polygenes genetic model, with the main gene heritability of 87.07% and 90.79%, respectively, and the polygene heritability of both was 0. The most suitable genetic model for the quality of 30 seeds was MX1-AD-ADI, that is, a pair of additive-dominant major genes+additive-dominant-epistatic polygenes genetic model, with the heritability of major genes and polygenes being 79.96% and 8.73%, respectively.【Conclusion】The major gene heritability of the above traits is far greater than the polygene heritability, and the main gene inheritance is dominant. Therefore, in the process of high-quality breeding of Chieh-qua, we should pay attention to the use of major genes, which can be selected in the early generation.

Summary: Image-based AI has thrived as a potentially revolutionary tool for predicting molecular biomarker statuses, which aids in categorizing patients for appropriate medical treatments. However, many methods using hematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) whole-slide images (WSIs) have been found to be inefficient because of the presence of numerous uninformative or irrelevant image patches. In this study, we introduced the region of biomarker relevance (ROB) concept to identify the morphological areas most closely associated with biomarkers for accurate status prediction. We actualized this concept within a framework called saliency ROB search (SRS) to enable efficient and effective predictions. By evaluating various lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) biomarkers, we showcased the superior performance of SRS compared to current state-of-the-art AI approaches. These findings suggest that AI tools, built on the ROB concept, can achieve enhanced molecular biomarker prediction accuracy from pathological images.

Fire is an important disturbance of wetland P reservoirs by changing the distribution of P in soils and plants. However, the effects of various fire regimes on the distribution of P in wetlands are not known. In a three-year burn experiment, we evaluated the effects of three burn factors on the P distribution of plants (stem, leaf, and litter) and soils (upper and lowerlayer soil) in the freshwater wetlands of China's Sanjiang Plain. We discovered that when burn frequency increased, soil P content and total plant biomass P also increased. Soil P content peaked at a high of 2198.0 ± 559.0 mg kg−1 after three burns. Three burns increased C. angustifolia biomass and therefore increased total plant biomass P. However, the increase in time after burning caused stem and leaf P content and litter necromass density P to decrease, suggesting a steady transfer of plant P to the soil. Furthermore, the stem biomass P density in September after the three burns was higher in spring burns than in autumn burns (1231.0 ± 129.0 mg m−2 after spring burns compared to 542.0 ± 176.0 mg m−2 after autumn burns). The transfer of litter P to the soil was hindered by spring burns, which conserved more P in the litter than autumn burns, which was the opposite of what was found for litter necromass P. Compared to spring burns, frequent autumn burns will hasten the transfer of plant P to the soil, preserving more P in the soil. Thus, conducting once-a-year prescribed burning in the autumn will be an important tool for improving P cycling in freshwater wetlands compared to spring.

By embedding center-supported graded-circular-plates (CS-GCPs) into an elastomer, a deep-subwavelength and hydrostatic-pressure-resistant meta-absorber was designed and manufactured for sound absorption (SA) under hydrostatic pressure. The meta-absorber exhibits excellent SAs (>0.842, 0.927 on average) within 500–2000 Hz and quasi-perfect SAs (>0.94) within 500–700 Hz with a 2% thickness of the sound wavelength. The excellent SAs (0.91 on average) are verified experimentally within 1–10 kHz, and remained high (0.84 on average) under a hydrostatic pressure of 1.0 MPa. The exotic functionality arises from enriched local-dynamics by the CS-GCPs and pressure-resistance of the center-support, providing an effective solution for ultra-broadband low-frequency underwater sound control.

Optimizing irrigation strategies is crucial for sustaining cotton production in the face of growing water scarcity. The three-year experimental study (2020–2022) focused on the impact of varying irrigation amounts (320, 370, and 420 mm) and frequencies (4-, 8-, and 12-day intervals) on cotton growth, yield, yield components, and fiber quality in southern Xinjiang. Employing a completely randomized design with three replications, the results indicated higher irrigation amounts resulted in numerically 2.5–7.5% higher lint yields compared to those under medium and low irrigation amounts, notably significant in 2021. Boll density emerged as the primary yield component influencing yield loss due to irrigation amount, followed by seed cotton weight boll−1. Increased boll density was associated with a greater total number of fruiting sites. Additionally, the increased seed cotton weight boll−1 could be linked to an increased seed number boll−1 and a decreased boll fraction at the lower fruiting branches with lower seed cotton weight boll−1. Higher irrigation frequency improved lint yield by increasing boll density, though a significant effect was observed only in 2020. Increased irrigation amounts generally led to longer fiber lengths but lower micronaire values, while increased irrigation frequency resulted in longer, stronger fibers and reduced micronaire values. Furthermore, the highest yield stability was observed under the condition of high irrigation amount and high frequency. This study holds certain guiding significance for water resource management in cotton production in arid regions.

Ferula is a genus of flowering plants known for its edible and medicinal properties. Since ancient times, many species of Ferula have been used in traditional medicine to treat various health issues across countries, such as digestive disorders, respiratory problems, and even as a remedy for headaches and toothaches. In addition, they are also used as a flavoring agent in various cuisines. As the main active ingredients in Ferula, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, especially sesquiterpene coumarins, sesquiterpene phenylpropanoids, and sesquiterpene chromones, have attracted the attention of scientists due to the diversity of their chemical structures, as well as their extensive and promising biological properties, such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties. However, there has not been a comprehensive review of sesquiterpenes and their derivatives from this plant. This review aims to provide an overview of the chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways, and biological properties of sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene derivatives from Ferula, which may help guide future research directions and possible application methods for this valuable edible and medicinal plant.

BackgroundNo interventional study has been conducted in China to assess efficacy and safety of perampanel in treating Chinese patients with epilepsy, nor has there been any study on perampanel early add-on therapy in China. This interventional study aimed to assess efficacy and safety of perampanel as an early add-on treatment of focal-onset seizures (FOS) with or without focal-to-bilateral tonic–clonic seizures (FBTCS) in Chinese patients.MethodsIn this multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 4 interventional study, Chinese patients ≥ 12 years old with FOS with or without FBTCS who failed anti-seizure medication (ASM) monotherapy from 15 hospitals in China were enrolled and treated with perampanel add-on therapy (8-week titration followed by 24-week maintenance). The primary endpoint was 50% responder rate. Secondary endpoints included seizure-freedom rate and changes in seizure frequency from baseline. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and drug-related TEAEs were recorded.ResultsThe full analysis set included 150 patients. The mean maintenance perampanel dose was 5.9 ± 1.5 mg/day and the 8-month retention rate was 72%. The 50% responder rate and seizure-freedom rate for all patients during maintenance were 67.9 and 30.5%, respectively. Patients with FBTCS had higher 50% responder rate (96.0%) and seizure-freedom rate (76.0%) during maintenance. Patients on concomitant sodium valproate had a significantly higher seizure-freedom rate than those on concomitant oxcarbazepine. Eight-six (55.1%) patients experienced treatment-related TEAEs, and the most common TEAEs were dizziness (36.5%), hypersomnia (11.5%), headache (3.9%), somnolence (3.2%), and irritability (3.2%). Withdrawal due to TEAEs occurred to 14.7% of the patients.ConclusionPerampanel early add-on was effective and safe in treating Chinese patients≥12 years old with FOS with or without FBTCS.Clinical trial registrationwww.chictr.org.cn, Identifier ChiCTR2000039510.

BackgroundPulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare subtype of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy with a poor prognosis. The MET inhibitor may be effective for the patients with MET exon 14 skipping mutation. This mutation was not detected in this patient. However, the PD-L1 TPS 60%, KRAS and TP53 mutations were detected in this patient could benefited from immunotherapy. The anlotinib is a novel multitarget antiangiogenic drug that could be effective for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and some sarcoma patients. We report a patient with advanced pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma successfully treated with immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic drugs.Case summaryA 75-year-old male was admitted to the hospital in July 2020 because of productive cough for more than three months. The patient was diagnosed with advanced pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma with adrenal gland metastasis (cT4N3M1b, stage IVA) was treated in our hospital. Genetic testing revealed KRAS P.L19F mutation (abundance 19.12%) and NFEE2L2 P.E82G mutation (abundance 14.84%); TP53 P.S183 mutation (abundance 26.97%), TMB(Tumor Mutational Burden) 30.91 muts/Mb, MSS, and PD-L1 (Daco 22C3) TPS 60% were also detected. We administrated sintilimab combined with anlotinib treatment, a PD-1 inhibitor with antiangiogenic drug. The patient achieved a favorable outcome with tolerable adverse effects.ConclusionSintilimab combined with anlotinib treatment may lead to a favorable outcome for patients with advanced pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

ABSTRACTBrassinosteroid (BR) is a hormone known for its crucial role in seed germination promotion. However, there is a limited understanding of potential application in tobacco seed. In this study, we investigated various active ingredients for seed coating to enhance tobacco seed germination. It revealed that seed coating with 0.0500 ppm BR and priming with 0.01 ppm BR significantly increased seed germination rates, especially in low-temperature conditions. In addition, the combined use BR with priming and seed coating exhibited a substantial improvement in seed germination rates and promoted seedling growth. Through transcriptional analysis, it found that BR treatment regulates the expression of genes associated with DNA synthesis, cell wall organization and glucan metabolic process involved in seed dormancy and seedling growth. Overall, these results provide valuable insights into the utilization of seed coating and priming techniques, particularly with the inclusion of BR, to enhance tobacco seed germination and facilitate seedling emergence.

In this article, we present a new concept named the N-tuples weighted noncommutative Orlicz space ⊕j=1nLp,λ(Φj)(ℳ˜,τ){\oplus }_{j=1}^{n}{L}_{p,\lambda }^{\left({\Phi }_{j})}\left(\widetilde{{\mathcal{ {\mathcal M} }}},\tau ), where L(Φj)(ℳ˜,τ){L}^{\left({\Phi }_{j})}\left(\widetilde{{\mathcal{ {\mathcal M} }}},\tau ) is the noncommutative Orlicz space. Based on the maximum principle, the Riesz-Thorin interpolation theorem of ⊕j=1nLp,λ(Φj)(ℳ˜,τ){\oplus }_{j=1}^{n}{L}_{p,\lambda }^{\left({\Phi }_{j})}\left(\widetilde{{\mathcal{ {\mathcal M} }}},\tau ) is given. As applications, we obtain the Clarkson inequality and some other geometrical properties which include the uniform convexity and uniform smoothness of noncommutative Orlicz spaces L(Φs)(ℳ˜,τ),0

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of changes in campus living conditions related to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on medical school students’ mental health status, to explore the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies, and to provide effective suggestions for promoting medical school students’ mental health.MethodsA self-report questionnaire, an emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ), and psychological questionnaires for emergent events of public health (PQEEPH) were used to interview 998 medical school students who experienced campus lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsThe mean total PQEEPH score was 3.66 ± 3.06. The degrees of inconvenience in daily life and change in routine and expression suppression as an emotion regulation strategy were significantly positively correlated with all PQEEPH dimensions. Cognitive reappraisal was significantly negatively associated with depression, neurosis, obsessive–compulsive anxiety, and hypochondriasis (ps

IntroductionThe peat carbon pool stores 30% of the total global soil carbon accounting for 3–4% of the global land surface. The stability of the peatland carbon pool is a key factor affecting global carbon cycling that is seriously disturbed by climate change and regional human activities. However, the impact of these factors on carbon pool stability remains poorly understood.MethodsBased on the physicochemical properties and carbon compounds of 973 peat samples from Jilin Province (China), which are widely distributed in different altitude regions of the Changbai Mountains, we investigated the stability of the carbon pool in different dominant plants and degradation types of peatlands and assessed the effects of regional environmental factors on the peatland carbon pool.Results and DiscussionOur results showed that the carbohydrate content of peat soils in different peatland types ranged from 33.2 ± 6.9% to 40.5 ± 4.8%, and the aromatic content ranged from 19.8 ± 1.2% to 22.7 ± 2.3%. Bulk density is the most important physicochemical factor, and annual average temperature is the most important environmental factor that influences carbon stability. The effects of selected environmental factors on the peatland carbon pool covered by different plants were different, and the carbon stability in shrub peatlands is more sensitive to climate characteristics than in peatlands dominated by the other two plant types. Peatland degradation decreases the carbon stability in herb and herb/shrub peatlands and increases the carbon stability in shrub peatlands, leading the peatland carbon pool to be more easily influenced by regional human activities than natural peatlands.

Tobacco has a strong cadmium (Cd) enrichment capacity, meaning that it can absorb large quantities from the environment, but too much Cd will cause damage to the plant. It is not yet clear how the plant can dynamically respond to Cd stress. Here, we performed a temporal transcriptome analysis of tobacco roots under Cd treatment from 0 to 48 h. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was found to change significantly at 3 h of Cd treatment, which we used to define the early and middle stages of the Cd stress response. The gene ontology (GO) term analysis indicates that genes related to photosynthesis and fatty acid synthesis were enriched during the early phases of the stress response, and in the middle phase biological process related to metal ion transport, DNA damage repair, and metabolism were enriched. It was also found that plants use precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) processes to first resist Cd stress, and with the increasing of Cd treatment time, the overlapped genes number of DEGs and DAS increased, suggesting the transcriptional levels and post-transcriptional level might influence each other. This study allowed us to better understand how plants dynamically respond to cadmium stress at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and provided a reference for the screening of Cd-tolerant genes in the future.

Many mycoviruses have been accurately and successfully identified in plant pathogenic fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea. This study discovered three mycoviruses from a B. dothidea strain SXD111 using high-throughput sequencing technology. A novel hypovirus was tentatively named Botryosphaeria dothidea hypovirus 1 (BdHV1/SXD111). The other two were known viruses, which we named Botryosphaeria dothidea polymycovirus 1 strain SXD111 (BdPmV1/SXD111) and Botryosphaeria dothidea partitivirus 1 strain SXD111 (BdPV1/SXD111). The genome of BdHV1/SXD111 is 11,128 nucleotides long, excluding the poly (A) tail. A papain-like cysteine protease (Pro), a UDP-glucose/sterol glucosyltransferase (UGT), an RNA-dependent RNA polyprotein (RdRp), and a helicase (Hel) were detected in the polyprotein of BdHV1/SXD111. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BdHV1/SXD111 was clustered with betahypovirus and separated from members of the other genera in the family Hypoviridae. The BdPmV1/SXD111 genome comprised five dsRNA segments with 2396, 2232, 1967, 1131, and 1060 bp lengths. Additionally, BdPV1/SXD111 harbored three dsRNA segments with 1823, 1623, and 557 bp lengths. Furthermore, the smallest dsRNA was a novel satellite component of BdPV1/SXD111. BdHV1/SXD111 could be transmitted through conidia and hyphae contact, whereas it likely has no apparent impact on the morphologies and virulence of the host fungus. Thus, this study is the first report of a betahypovirus isolated from the fungus B. dothidea. Importantly, our results significantly enhance the diversity of the B. dothidea viruses.

Presently, as human activity and climate warming gradually increase, straw burning leads to more accidental burning in neighbouring wetlands, which threatens wetland carbon stores. Plants are important carbon fixers in wetlands, converting carbon dioxide to biomass through photosynthesis and releasing carbon into the soil as plants die off. Nitrogen and phosphorus limitation in wetlands is a key factor affecting plant growth, and different burning seasons have different effects on mitigating this limitation. To further elucidate the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus distribution on wetland inter-month nutrient dynamics after different burning seasons, we selected a Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland in the Sanjiang Plain that was burned in spring and autumn, respectively, and conducted a monthly survey from May to September. We found that the leaf nitrogen content in September at spring burning sites was 3.59 ± 2.69 g/kg, which was significantly lower than that in July, while the difference at the unburned sites was only 0.60 ± 3.72 g/kg, and after the autumn burning, soil nitrogen and phosphorus contents remained higher than at the unburned sites in August, being 0.55 ± 1.74 g/kg and 0.06 ± 0.12 g/kg, respectively. Our results indicate that spring burning immediately increased the nitrogen and phosphorus contents in soil and plants but that these effects only lasted for a short time, until June. In comparison, autumn burning had a long-term effect on soil nitrogen and phosphorus levels and significantly increased the aboveground biomass. Thus, we recommend that conducting autumn burning before the commencement of agricultural burning not only reduces combustible accumulation to prevent fires but also promotes nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in wetlands, and the increase in plant biomass after autumn burning also enhances the carbon fixation capacity of the wetland.

Ferula sinkiangensis K. M. Shen (Apiaceae) is distributed in arid desert areas of Xinjiang, and its resin is a traditional Chinese medicine to treat gastrointestinal digestive diseases. To explore bioactive components from F. sinkiangensis, three new lignans and thirteen known components were isolated. The structural elucidation of the components was established utilizing spectroscopic analyses together with ECD calculations. Griess reaction results indicated new compounds 1 and 2 significantly decreased NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and ELISA results indicated that they effectively attenuated LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expressions. The in silico approach confirmed that compound 1 docked into the receptors with strong binding energies of −5.84~−10.79 kcal/mol. In addition, compound 6 inhibited the proliferation of AGS gastric cancer cells with IC50 values of 15.2 μM by suppressing the cell migration and invasion. This study disclosed that F. sinkiangensis might be a promising potential resource for bioactive components.

Pear ring rot disease is an important branch disease, caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea. With the discovery of fungal viruses, the use of their attenuated properties for biological control provides a new strategy for the biological control of fungal disease. RNA silencing is a major antiviral defense mechanism in plants, insects, and fungi. Viruses encode and utilize RNA silencing suppressors to suppress host defenses. Previous studies revealed that Botryosphaeria dothidea chrysovirus 1 (BdCV1) exhibited weak pathogenicity and could activate host gene silencing by infecting B. dothidea. The aim of our study was to investigate whether BdCV1 can encode a silencing suppressor and what effect it has on the host. In this study, the capability of silencing inhibitory activity of four BdCV1-encoded proteins was analyzed, and the P3 protein was identified as a BdCV1 RNA silencing suppressor in the exotic host Nicotiana benthamiana line 16c. In addition, we demonstrated that P3 could inhibit local silencing, block systemic RNA silencing, and induce the necrosis reaction of tobacco leaves. Furthermore, overexpression of P3 could slow down the growth rate and reduce the pathogenicity of B. dothidea, and to some extent affect the expression level of RNA silencing components and virus-derived siRNAs (vsiRNAs). Combined with transcriptomic analysis, P3 had an effect on the gene expression and biological process of B. dothidea. The obtained results provide new theoretical information for further study of interaction between BdCV1 P3 as a potential silencing suppressor and B. dothidea.

Abstract To date, viroids have been found to naturally infect only plants, resulting in substantial losses for some crops. Whether viroids or viroid‐like RNAs naturally infect non‐plant hosts remains unknown. Here the existence of a set of exogenous, single‐stranded circular RNAs, ranging in size from 157 to 450 nucleotides, isolated from the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea and nominated B. dothidea RNAs (BdcRNAs) is reported. BdcRNAs replicate autonomously in the nucleus via a rolling‐circle mechanism following a symmetric pathway. BdcRNA infection induces symptoms, because BdcRNAs can apparently modulate, to different degrees, specific biological traits (e.g., alter morphology, decrease growth rate, attenuate virulence, and increase or decrease tolerance to osmotic and oxidative stress) of the host fungus. Overall, BdcRNAs have genome characteristics similar to those of viroids and exhibit pathogenic effects on fungal hosts. It is proposed that these novel fungus infecting RNAs should be termed mycoviroids. BdcRNA(s) may be considered additional inhabitants at the frontier of life in terms of genomic complexity, and represent a new class of acellular entities endowed with regulatory functions, and novel epigenomic carriers of biological information.

Immersive virtual technology has been widely used to modulate sociocognitive processes, such as changing individuals’ implicit attitudes towards specific groups. As to measure the effect, the implicit association test (IAT) is the most used one. However, IAT itself is controversial for its construct validity and commonly requires participants to quit virtual environments (VEs) to complete. Here, we propose an alternative paradigm, the “interpersonal distance paradigm”, which measures attitudes using interpersonal distance and can be conducted in VEs. We conducted a user study measuring weight stigma to compare the effectiveness of the interpersonal distance paradigm with two classical paradigms: the questionnaire and IAT. Results revealed a floor effect in the questionnaire method and no significant correlation between the two classic paradigms. The measurement of interpersonal distance showed a weak positive correlation with the questionnaire score, but not with IAT score. In future research, the results of more measurement methods should be combined to obtain more accurate results to better evaluate this new paradigm’s validity. The accurate results can help quantify the effects of the programs aiming at reducing weight stigma.

Abstract Background Synaptophysin (SYN), chromogranin A (CGA), CD56 and insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) are proposed neuroendocrine (NE) markers used for diagnosis of pulmonary NE tumors. These NE markers have been identified in subsets of non-NE tumors requiring differential diagnosis, thus we sought to explore new NE markers. Methods We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of SOX11, a transcription factor involved in neurogenesis, in pulmonary NE tumors and large cell carcinomas (LCCs). Results We found that SOX11 showed a sensitivity similar to INSM1 and CGA, and less than SYN and CD56 in small cell lung carcinomas (SCLCs) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNECs). While SOX11 is more specific than the other four markers for diagnosis of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (HG-NECs) because 1) None of LCCs (0/63), the most challenging non-NE tumor type for differential diagnosis due to overlapped morphology with LCNECs displayed SOX11 positivity. While expression of at least one of SYN, CGA, CD56 or INSM1 was identified in approximately 60% (18/30) of LCCs. 2) SOX11 was only expressed in 1 of 37 carcinoid tumors in contrast to diffuse expression of SYN, CGA, CD56 and INSM1. In HG-NECs, we noticed that SOX11 was a good complementary marker for SCLC diagnosis as it was positive in 7 of 18 SYN−/CGA−/CD56− SCLCs and 3 of 8 SYN−/CGA−/CD56−/INSM1− SCLCs, and SOX11 positivity in 4 of 6 SYN−/CGA−/CD56− cases previously diagnosed as LCCs with NE morphology provides additional evidence of NE differentiation for reclassification into LCNECs, which was further confirmed by electromicroscopical identification of neurosecretory granules. We also found SOX11 expression cannot predict the prognosis in patients with HG-NECs. Conclusions Therefore, SOX11 is a useful complementary transcriptional NE marker for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of SCLC and LCNEC.

β-glucosidases (BGLs) play a crucial role in the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass as well as in industrial applications such as pharmaceuticals, foods, and flavors. However, the application of BGLs has been largely hindered by issues such as low enzyme activity, product inhibition, low stability, etc. Many approaches have been developed to engineer BGLs to improve these enzymatic characteristics to facilitate industrial production. In this article, we review the recent advances in BGL engineering in the field, including the efforts from our laboratory. We summarize and discuss the BGL engineering studies according to the targeted functions as well as the specific strategies used for BGL engineering.

Abstract Studies have shown that matrine has antitumor activity against many types of cancers. However, the direct target in cancer cells of its anticancer effect has not been identified. The purpose of this study was to find the molecular target of matrine to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and explore its mechanism of action. Herein we showed that matrine inhibited the proliferation of cancer in vitro and in vivo. Pull-down assay with matrine-amino coupling resins and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identified Src as the target of matrine. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) provided solid evidences that matrine directly bound to Src. Bioinformatics prediction and pull-down experiment demonstrated that Src kinase domain was required for its interaction with matrine and Ala392 in the kinase domain participated in matrine–Src interaction. Intriguingly, matrine was proven to inhibit Src kinase activity in a non-ATP-competitive manner by blocking the autophosphorylation of Tyr419 in Src kinase domain. Matrine down-regulated the phosphorylation levels of MAPK/ERK, JAK2/STAT3, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways via targeting Src. Collectively, matrine targeted Src, inhibited its kinase activity, and down-regulated its downstream MAPK/ERK, JAK2/STAT3, and PI3K/Akt phosphorylation signaling pathways to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells.

Abstract Image interpolation has a wide range of applications such as frame rate-up conversion and free viewpoint TV. Despite significant progresses, it remains an open challenge especially for image pairs with large displacements. In this paper, we first propose a novel optimization algorithm for motion estimation, which combines the advantages of both global optimization and a local parametric transformation model. We perform optimization over dynamic label sets, which are modified after each iteration using the prior of piecewise consistency to avoid local minima. Then we apply it to an image interpolation framework including occlusion handling and intermediate image interpolation. We validate the performance of our algorithm experimentally, and show that our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance.

The MYB members play important roles in development, metabolism, and stress tolerance in plants. In the current study, a total of 246 tobacco R2R3-MYB transcription factors were identified and systemically analyzed from the latest genome annotation. The newly identified tobacco members were divided into 33 subgroups together with the Arabidopsis members. Furthermore, 44 NtMYB gene pairs were identified to arise from duplication events, which might lead to the expansion of tobacco MYB genes. The expression patterns were revealed by transcriptomic analysis. Notably, the results from phylogenetic analysis, synthetic analysis, and expression analysis were integrated to predict the potential functions of these members. Particularly, NtMYB102 was found to act as the homolog of AtMYB70 and significantly induced by drought and salt treatments. The further assays revealed that NtMYB102 had transcriptional activities, and the overexpression of the encoding gene enhanced the drought and salt stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco. The results of this study may be relevant for future functional analyses of the MYB genes in tobacco.

With the rapid development of high-speed rotating machinery, diaphragm couplings are widely used in energy equipment such as compressors, generators, drilling equipment, and turbine drives by virtue of their high sensitivity, oil resistance and corrosion resistance. However, the theoretical research of this product mainly focuses on the design of diaphragm profile, the combination form between diaphragms, the overall structural form of diaphragm coupling and the axial dynamic characteristics of diaphragm coupling. Therefore, this paper analyzes and summarizes the current research status of diaphragm couplings in the world, and puts forward the problems that need to be solved in the field of diaphragm coupling research, and proposes a new direction for the subsequent research.

Abstract Background Innate immunity can facilitate early brain injury (EBI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Numerous studies suggest that pyroptosis could exacerbate extracellular immune responses by promoting secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is a quintessential kinase that positively regulates inflammation through NF-κB and MAPK signaling cascades. However, the effects of TAK1 on neuroinflammation in EBI following SAH are largely unknown. Methods Two hundred and forty-six male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to the endovascular perforation model of SAH. A selective TAK1 inhibitor, 5Z-7-oxozeaenol (OZ) was administered by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) injection at 30 min after SAH induction. To genetic knockdown of TAK1, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was i.c.v injected at 48 h before SAH induction. SAH grade, brain water content, BBB permeability, neurological score, western blot, real-time PCR, ELISA, transmission electron microscope, and immunofluorescence staining were performed. Long-term behavioral sequelae were evaluated by the rotarod and Morris water maze tests. Furthermore, OZ was added to the culture medium with oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) to mimic SAH in vitro. The reactive oxygen species level was detected by DCFH-DA staining. Lysosomal integrity was assessed by Lyso-Tracker Red staining and Acridine Orange staining. Results The neuronal phosphorylated TAK1 expression was upregulated following SAH. Pharmacologic inhibition of TAK1 with OZ could alleviate neurological deficits, brain edema, and brain-blood barrier (BBB) disruption at 24 h after SAH. In addition, OZ administration restored long-term neurobehavioral function. Furthermore, blockade of TAK1 dampened neuronal pyroptosis by downregulating the N-terminal fragment of GSDMD (GSDMD-N) expression and IL-1β/IL-18 production. Mechanistically, both in vivo and in vitro, we demonstrated that TAK1 can induce neuronal pyroptosis through promoting nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and activating nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. TAK1 siRNA treatment mitigated SAH-induced neurobehavioral deficits and restrained phosphorylated NF-κB p65 expression and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. TAK1 blockade also ameliorated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and prevented lysosomal cathepsin B releasing into the cytoplasm. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that TAK1 modulates NLRP3-mediated neuronal pyroptosis in EBI following SAH. Inhibition of TAK1 may serve as a potential candidate to relieve neuroinflammatory responses triggered by SAH.

Wetlands store >30% of the global soil carbon pool, which is important for global carbon cycling. However, with global warming and the increase in regional human activities, an increasing number of wetlands are being threatened by fires, which have serious effects on carbon cycling in wetlands. Although plant litter decomposition is one of the key stages of carbon cycling in wetlands, it is still unclear whether fires affect residual plant litter decomposition in burnt wetlands and whether the fire season also causes different effects. To address these knowledge gaps, a plant litter decomposition experiment was conducted during the growing season in autumn burnt, spring burnt, and unburnt sites in a Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland in the Sanjiang Plain (Northeast China). The results show that autumn burning promotes more mass loss (i.e., 15.9 ± 1.6% in autumn burnt sites and 14.8 ± 1.7% in autumn unburnt sites) and accelerates the decomposition of plant litter, whereas spring burning decreases the decomposition rates of plant litter (i.e., 15.7 ± 1.7% in spring burnt sites and 22.0 ± 2.5% in spring unburnt sites). As the decomposition time increased, the accumulation index indicated that carbon was released from plant litter to the surrounding environment accompanied by mass loss and nutrient elements accumulated in the residual plant litter. The N/P ratio of plant litter decreased from ca. 20 on day 26th to ca. 9 on day 121st, indicating that N acts as the limiting element for plant litter decomposition in C. angustifolia wetlands, and the limitation increased with increasing decomposition time. Our results also suggest that the autumn burning may promote more carbon loss and nutrient elements accumulated in plant litter in C. angustifolia wetlands than the spring burning.

Immune and inflammatory mechanisms play key roles in the development and outcome of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). β2-Microglobulin (β2M) is the light chain of major histocompatibility complex-1 (MHC-1), which can directly and quickly reflect the immune and inflammatory state of the body. Previous studies have shown a close relationship between β2M and AIS, but its relationship with the recurrence of AIS has not been reported. This study attempted to explore the relationship between β2M and the recurrence of AIS. A single-center AIS cohort involving 135 patients was followed for approximately 26–46 months. Clinical and laboratory data from the patients were collected when hospitalized. The endpoint was the occurrence of recurrent AIS after patients were discharged. Propensity score matching was used to match cohort groups. Cox regression analysis was used to predict risk factors for recurrent AIS, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value for discriminating recurrence in patients with AIS. The rate of recurrence was 29.6% [95% CI, 21.8%–37.3%] in the follow-up group. Patients with higher levels of serum β2M had a higher risk of AIS recurrence than patients with lower levels of β2M (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.214 [95% CI, 1.557–6.633]; adjusted hazard ratio after matching, 5.831, [95% CI, 2.052–16.572]). A β2M value of 2.31 mg/L was calculated by ROC analysis as the optimal cutoff value for AIS recurrence (area under the curve 0.770, [95% CI, 0.687–0.853]). As a quick responder to the body’s immune and inflammatory states, β2M may be a novel and reliable biomarker in predicting AIS recurrence.