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Hydrogen, the simplest element in the universe. Hydrogen gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. As a reducing agent composed of two atoms. It exhibits strong reducing power and possesses numerous pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidation, antifatigue, anti-radiation, anti-inflammation, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. Various methods exist for supplying hydrogen, but inhaling the gas is dangerous, drinking hydrogen-rich water is ineffective, and injecting hydrogen-rich saline is inconvenient. The most viable approach for clinical use is oral medicine, which produces hydrogen in vivo. Hydrogen gas holds promising potential as a clinical medicine in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The implementation of antibiotic intravenous-to-oral switch (IVOS) therapy in hospitals can slow down the development of drug resistance, reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions, and bring significant economic benefits. The aim of this study is to investigate the understanding of physicians at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, China towards the antibiotic IVOS therapy. Methods 15 physicians working in 9 different departments of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University participated in this study. A semi-structured face-to-face interview was conducted to collect interview information about the antibiotic IVOS therapy. NVivo12 software was used to organize the entire interview content, and the interview data was analyzed and summarized using the Colaizzi seven step method. Results 60% of participants were not familiar with antibiotic IVOS therapy. Barriers of antibiotic IVOS therapy were included by three key issues: (i) Physicians’ potential cognition: ‘Iv is always better than oral’; (ii) Subjective infusion intention of patients; and (iii) Limitations of drug selection. 60% of participants expressed welcome for pharmacists to help them perform antibiotic IVOS treatment. And electronic recognition technology may be a feasible method for prompting IVOS conversion that recognized by all participants in the interview. Participants also provided some suggestions for pharmacists and IVOS computer reminders. Conclusion Physicians’ in China still have insufficient understanding of antibiotic IVOS therapy. The promotion of antibiotic IVOS therapy in China faces many challenges and obstacles. Strategies such as IVOS therapy computer reminders and clinical pharmacists’ medication guidance were worth studying to help physicians develop antibiotic IVOS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactylation has been recently identified as a new type of posttranslational modification occurring widely on lysine residues of both histone and nonhistone proteins. The acetyltransferase p300 is thought to mediate protein lactylation, yet the cellular concentration of the proposed lactyl-donor, lactyl-coenzyme A, is about 1,000 times lower than that of acetyl-CoA, raising the question of whether p300 is a genuine lactyltransferase. Here, we report that alanyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (AARS1) moonlights as a bona fide lactyltransferase that directly uses lactate and ATP to catalyze protein lactylation. Among the candidate substrates, we focused on the Hippo pathway, which has a well-established role in tumorigenesis. Specifically, AARS1 was found to sense intracellular lactate and translocate into the nucleus to lactylate and activate the YAP-TEAD complex; and AARS1 itself was identified as a Hippo target gene that forms a positivefeedback loop with YAP-TEAD to promote gastric cancer (GC) cell proliferation. Consistently, the expression of AARS1 was found to be upregulated in GC, and elevated AARS1 expression was found to be associated with poor prognosis for patients with GC. Collectively, this work found AARS1 with lactyltransferase activity in vitro and in vivo and revealed how the metabolite lactate is translated into a signal of cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis is an important strategy for the industrial production of chiral compounds. Herein, we reported a polymer-bound Xu-Phos-derived palladium catalyst that shows good performance in heterogeneous asymmetric reductive Heck reaction of allyl aryl ethers. This heterogeneous catalyst was easily prepared by efficient immobilization of the sulfonamide phosphine ligand (Xu-Phos) in the cross-linked polystyrene via copolymerization, and exhibits similar catalytic activity and enantioselectivity to that of the homogeneous catalyst. Moreover, the heterogeneous catalyst system is proved to be easily recovered and reused several times without losing catalytic activity obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primates rely on two eyes to perceive depth, while maintaining stable vision when either one eye or both eyes are open. Although psychophysical and modeling studies have investigated how monocular signals are combined to form binocular vision, the underlying neuronal mechanisms, particularly in V1 where most neurons exhibit binocularity with varying eye preferences, remain poorly understood. Here, we used two-photon calcium imaging to compare the monocular and binocular responses of thousands of simultaneously recorded V1 superficial-layer neurons in three awake macaques. During monocular stimulation, neurons preferring the stimulated eye exhibited significantly stronger responses compared to those preferring both eyes. However, during binocular stimulation, the responses of neurons preferring either eye were suppressed on the average, while those preferring both eyes were enhanced, resulting in similar neuronal responses irrespective of their eye preferences, and an overall response level similar to that with monocular viewing. A neuronally realistic model of binocular combination, which incorporates ocular dominance-dependent divisive interocular inhibition and binocular summation, is proposed to account for these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D (VD) is a fat-soluble sterol that possesses a wide range of physiological functions. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of VD on folate metabolism in zebrafish and further investigated the underlying mechanism. Wild-type (WT) zebrafish were fed with a diet containing 0 IU/kg VD3 or 800 IU/kg VD3 for 3 wk. Meanwhile, cyp2r1 mutant zebrafish with impaired VD metabolism was used as another model of VD deficiency. Our results showed that VD deficiency in zebrafish suppressed the gene expression of folate transporters, including reduced folate carrier (RFC) and proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) in the intestine. Moreover, VD influenced the gene expression of several enzymes related to cellular folate metabolism in the intestine and liver of zebrafish. Importantly, VD-deficient zebrafish contained a remarkably lower level of folate content in the liver. Notably, VD was incapable of altering folate metabolism in zebrafish when gut microbiota was depleted by antibiotic treatment. Further studies proved that gut commensals from VD-deficient fish displayed a lower capacity to produce folate than those from WT fish. Our study revealed the potential correlation between VD and folate metabolism in zebrafish, and gut microbiota played a key role in VD-regulated folate metabolism in zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The backreaming operation plays a significant role in safe drilling for horizontal wellbores, while it may cause severe stuck pipe accidents. To lower the risk of the stuck pipe in backreaming operations, the mechanism of cuttings transport needs to be carefully investigated. In this research, a transient cuttings transport with multiple flow patterns model is developed to predict the evolution of cuttings transported in the annulus while backreaming. The established model can provide predictions of the distribution of cuttings bed along the wellbore considering the bulldozer effect caused by large-size drilling tools (LSDTs). The sensitivity analyses of the size of LSDTs, and backreaming operating parameters are conducted in Section 4. And a new theory is proposed to explain the mechanism of cuttings transport in the backreaming operation, in which both the bit and LSDTs have the "cleaning effect" and "plugging effect". The results demonstrate that the cuttings bed in annuli is in a state of dynamic equilibrium, but the overall trend and the distribution pattern are obvious. First, larger diameters and longer drilling tools could lead to a higher risk of the stuck pipe. Second, we find that it is not the case that the higher flow rate is always better for hole cleaning, so three flow-rate intervals are discussed separately under the given conditions. When the "dangerous flow rate" (<33 L/s in Case 4) is employed, the cuttings bed completely blocks the borehole near the step surface and causes a stuck pipe directly. If the flow rate increases to the "low flow rate" interval (33e35 L/s in Case 4), a smaller flow rate instead facilitates borehole cleaning. If the flow rate is large enough to be in the "high flow rate" interval (>35 L/s in Case 4), the higher the flow rate, the better the cleaning effect of cuttings beds. Third, an interval of tripping velocity called "dangerous velocity" is proposed, in which the cuttings bed accumulation near the LSDTs is more serious than those of other tripping velocities. As long as the applied tripping velocity is not within the "dangerous velocity" (0.4e0.5 m/s in Case 5) interval in the backreaming operation, the risk of the stuck pipe can be controlled validly. Finally, through the factors analyses of the annular geometry, particle properties, and fluid properties in Section 5, it can be found that the "low flow rate", "high flow rate" and "dangers flow rate" tend to decrease and the "dangerous velocity" tends to increase with the conditions more favorable for hole cleaning. This study has some guiding significance for risk prediction and parameter setting of the backreaming operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron waves of a host system exhibit an oscillating response to an external impurity, namely Friedel oscillations (FOs), extensively studied in two-dimensional materials. Recently, wavefront dislocations, a new feature of FOs, have been revealed in graphene. However, previous analytical works have been limited to the linear dispersion of graphene. Herein, the fate of wavefront dislocations is investigated numerically in FOs beyond the linear regime. The wavefront dislocations are robust against the trigonal warping effect, crucial for high doping graphene, due to the invariant winding number of the tight-binding energy band. Furthermore, the opening of the gap, increasing the electronic Fermi wavelength, can highlight the wavefront dislocations blurred by intravalley scattering-induced short-range oscillations. These results should be observable using current experimental technology. Therefore, this study not only demonstrates the robust existence of wavefront dislocations in FOs over a wide range of energies but also deepens the understanding of intervalley scattering in graphene and other twodimensional valleytronic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of the combined use of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and bevacizumab for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: 98 NSCLC patients who received therapy at Hainan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China from January 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The 45 patients who received paclitaxel and cisplatin injections were enrolled in a control group while 53 patients who received additional chemotherapy with bevacizumab injection were enrolled in a study group. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were compared before and after treatment. Furthermore, the efficacy and incidence of adverse reactions were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Results: There was no significant inter-group difference in VEGF and bFGF levels (p > 0.05) before treatment. There was a significant reduction in VEGF and bFGF levels in the study group compared to control group (p < 0.05). The study group showed a significantly higher total remission rate compared to control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). Also, age, tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, metastasis, and smoking history are risk factors that influence patient prognosis. Conclusion: Combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin and bevacizumab demonstrates significant efficacy in the treatment of NSCLC. The combination lowers VEGF and bFGF levels without worsening adverse reactions. Future large population studies would be required to obtain a more detailed and comprehensive outcome on this combination in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-capacity advantage of lithium metal anode was compromised by common use of copper as the collector. Furthermore, lithium pulverization associated with "dead" Li accumulation and electrode cracking deteriorates the long-term cyclability of lithium metal batteries, especially under realistic test conditions. Here, we report an ultralight, integrated anode of polyimide-Ag/Li with dual anti-pulverization functionality. The silver layer was initially chemically bonded to the polyimide surface and then spontaneously diffused in Li solid solution and self-evolved into a fully lithiophilic Li-Ag phase, mitigating dendrites growth or dead Li. Further, the strong van der Waals interaction between the bottommost Li-Ag and polyimide affords electrode structural integrity and electrical continuity, thus circumventing electrode pulverization. Compared to the cutting-edge anode-free cells, the batteries pairing LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 with polyimide-Ag/Li afford a nearly 10% increase in specific energy, with safer characteristics and better cycling stability under realistic conditions of 1× excess Li and high areal-loading cathode (4 milliampere hour per square centimeter). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuro-symbolic artificial intelligence has garnered considerable attention amid increasing industry demands for high-performance neural networks that are interpretable and adaptable to previously unknown problem domains with minimal reconfiguration. However, implementing neuro-symbolic hardware is challenging due to the complexity in symbolic knowledge representation and calculation. We experimentally demonstrated a memristor-based neuro-fuzzy hardware based on TiN/TaOx/HfOx/TiN chips that is superior to its silicon-based counterpart in terms of throughput and energy efficiency by using array topological structure for knowledge representation and physical laws for computing. Intrinsic memristor variability is fully exploited to increase robustness in knowledge representation. A hybrid in situ training strategy is proposed for error minimizing in training. The hardware adapts easier to a previously unknown environment, achieving ~6.6 times faster convergence and ~6 times lower error than deep learning. The hardware energy efficiency is over two orders of magnitude greater than field-programmable gate arrays. This research greatly extends the capability of memristor-based neuromorphic computing systems in artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and capability of UT in detecting musculoskeletal system lesions in the limbs and to explore its image quality. Materials and Methods: The Institutional Review Board has approved this prospective single-center study. This study included participants with various musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders in the limbs who provided written consent from October 2022 to April 2023. In addition to other radiological examinations (X-rays, CT, or MRI) and conventional handheld ultrasound scans requested by clinicians based on the conditions, each participant also underwent UT scanning using our developed limb ultrasound imaging system during the same period. Four radiologists and ultrasound physicians with more than five years of experience in musculoskeletal diagnostics analyzed the two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the examination area. Results: Overall, 50 participants were evaluated (mean age, 36 years ± 18 [SD]; 26 males). The conditions included musculoskeletal tumors (n = 10), postoperative follow-up of musculoskeletal tumors (n = 20), peripheral nerve disorders in the limbs (n = 10) and postoperative pain in orthopedic surgery (n = 10). In all UT images, the region of interest was completely displayed, and internal structures such as muscles and nerves were clearly visible. Compared to conventional ultrasound images, the reconstructed three-dimensional images intuitively displayed the relationship between the lesions and surrounding tissues. Furthermore, UT did not exhibit metal artifacts when observing soft tissues around metallic implants, providing more comprehensive soft tissue information and more intuitive stereoscopic images. Conclusion: Clinical results of the UT system have demonstrated its feasibility as an automated and standardized imaging technique for musculoskeletal imaging, providing a new imaging modality for the diagnosis of musculoskeletal diseases in the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve sugar yields from wheat straw (WS), response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to optimize potassium hydroxide combined urea pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of WS. Glucose and xylose yields from the pretreated WS were used as responses during the whole optimization. Potassium hydroxide concentration, time and temperature during pretreatment were found to have significant effects on sugar yields. Sugar yields could be enhanced while WS was pretreated using 45 g/L potassium hydroxide solution containing 15 g/L urea with solid to liquid ratio of 1:5 (g/mL) at 74.0 °C for 50 min. Cellulose recovery, hemicellulose recovery, and lignin removal after optimization were 98.1%, 72.6%, and 75.8%, respectively. In addition, enzyme loading, biomass loading, and reaction time during enzymatic hydrolysis also had significant effects on sugar yields. Maximal yields of glucose (610.25 mg/gds, miligram per gram dry substrate) and xylose (221.26 mg/gds) could be achieved while hydrolysis was carried out at 50 °C for 32.8 h with 141 g/L of biomass loading, 8.1 FPU/gds (filter paper activity unit per gram dry substrate) of enzyme loading and 0.4% (w/v) of polysorbate 80. The corresponding cellulose conversion and hemicellulose conversion were 97.2% and 90.4%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial protein translation that is essential for aerobic energy production includes four essential steps of the mitochondrial ribosome cycle, namely, initiation, elongation, termination of the polypeptide, and ribosome recycling. Translation termination initiates when a stop codon enters the A site of the mitochondrial ribosome where it is recognized by a dedicated peptide release factor (RF). However, RFs and mechanisms involved in translation in plant mitochondria, especially in monocotyledons, remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a crumpled kernel (crk5 allele) mutant, with significantly decreased kernel size, 100-kernel weight, and an embryo-lethal phenotype. The Crk5 allele was isolated using map-based cloning and found to encode a mitochondrial localization RF2a. As it is an ortholog of Arabidopsis mitochondrial RF2a, we named the gene ZmmtRF2a. ZmmtRF2a is missing the 5th-7th exons in the crk5 resulting in deletion of domains containing motifs GGQ and SPF that are essential for release activity of RF, mitochondrial ribosome binding, and stop codon recognition. Western blot and qRT-PCR analyses indicate that the crk5 mutation results in abnormal mitochondrion structure and function. Intriguingly, we observed a feedback loop in the crk5 with up-regulated transcript levels detected for several mitochondrial ribosome and mitochondrial-related components, in particular mitochondrial complexes CI, CIV, and a ribosome assembly related PPR. Together, our data support a crucial role for ZmmtRF2a in regulation of mitochondrial structure and function in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, which is associated with a poor prognosis. The present study aimed to investigate the role of cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) in OSCC and its regulatory effect on AKT1. Firstly, CIP2A and AKT1 expression in OSCC cells was detected by western blotting. After silencing CIP2A, cell viability and cell proliferation were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine staining. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL staining and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was assessed using western blotting. Wound healing, Transwell and tube formation assays were performed to evaluate CAL-27 cell migration, invasion and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation. The interaction between CIP2A and AKT1 was identified by co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP). In addition, AKT1 was overexpressed in CIP2A-silenced CAL-27 cells to perform rescue experiments to analyze the malignant biological functions of CAL-27 cells. Finally, the expression of proteins in the glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β/β-catenin pathway was determined by western blot analysis. Markedly elevated CIP2A and AKT1 expression was observed in OSCC cells. CIP2A knockdown inhibited the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted the apoptosis of CAL-27 cells. Concurrently, CIP2A loss-of-function attenuated tube formation. Results of Co-IP confirmed there was an interaction between CIP2A and AKT1. Rescue experiments suggested that AKT1 overexpression alleviated the inhibitory effects of CIP2A knockdown on the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of CAL-27 cells, as well as tube formation in HUVECs . Additionally, CIP2A silencing significantly downregulated phosphorylated-GSK-3β and β-catenin expression, which was reversed by AKT1 overexpression. In conclusion, CIP2A could interact with AKT1 to promote the malignant biological behaviors of OSCC cells by upregulating the GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. These findings may provide a targeted therapy for OSCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timetable scheduling is a combinatorial optimization problem that presents formidable challenges for classical computers. This paper introduces a pioneering methodology for addressing the high-speed train timetabling problem through quantum computing. Initially, a comprehensive binary integer programming model, grounded in the space–time network, is proposed (M1). To manage the intricacy of model M1, a knapsack problem reformulation is employed to establish a simplified binary integer programming model (M2). Both M1 and M2 are subsequently converted into quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) models to harness the potential of quantum computing. Several techniques, including the Gurobi solver, simulated annealing, and the coherent Ising machine (CIM) quantum simulator, are deployed to solve the model across four distinct scenarios of varying complexity. The findings indicate that CIM quantum simulator outperforms the simulated annealing method in terms of solution quality for medium-scale problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As essential equipment in rotating machinery, the fault diagnosis technology of rolling bearings has achieved great success. However, it still suffers from limitations in terms of generalization and noise resistance performance when operating under complex conditions. To accurately identify the fault types of rolling bearings under different loads and nosy environments, a novel intelligent fault diagnosis method is proposed. Firstly, the utilization of dilated convolution expands the network's receptive field, thereby effectively enhancing the scope of fault extraction. Then, by incorporating the Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) in different convolutional layers, the extracted features are adaptively recognized, highlighting important representation information and improving fault diagnosis performance. Finally, the proposed network is utilized for rolling bearing fault diagnosis under diverse operating and noise conditions, and its efficacy is evaluated on various datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits good generalization performance and strong robustness, compared with other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall oocyte quality declines with aging, and this effect is strongly associated with a higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the resultant oxidative damage. C-type natri-uretic peptide (CNP) is a well-characterized physiological meiotic inhibitor that has been successfully used to improve immature oocyte quality during in vitro maturation. However, the underlying roles of CNP in maternally aged oocytes have not been reported. Here, we found that the age-related reduction in the serum CNP concentration was highly correlated with decreased oocyte quality. Treatment with exogenous CNP promoted follicle growth and ovulation in aged mice and enhanced meiotic competency and fertilization ability. Interestingly, the cytoplasmic maturation of aged oocytes was thoroughly improved by CNP treatment, as assessed by spindle/chromosome morphology and redistribution of organelles (mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, cortical granules, and the Golgi apparatus). CNP treatment also ameliorated DNA damage and apoptosis caused by ROS accumulation in aged oocytes. Importantly, oocyte RNA-seq revealed that the beneficial effect of CNP on aged oocytes was mediated by restoration of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, eliminating excessive mitophagy. CNP reversed the defective phenotypes in aged oocytes by alleviating oxidative damage and suppressing excessive PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Mechanistically, CNP functioned as a cAMP/PKA pathway modulator to decrease PINK1 stability and inhibit Parkin recruitment. In summary, our results demonstrated that CNP supplemen-tation constitutes an alternative therapeutic approach for advanced maternal age-related oocyte deterioration and may improve the overall success rates of clinically assisted reproduction in older women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article reports on two distinct studies conducted in the context of employees and customers, respectively. The aim of Study 1 is to investigate the influence of anthropomorphism and responsiveness of food delivery people using artificial intelligence (AI) devices on their psychological safety and AI empathy. This study also evaluated the mediating impact of psychological safety and AI empathy with relation to anthropomorphism and responsiveness on AI service quality. In addition, Study 2 examines the impact of perceptions of AI service quality on customer engagement and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, in Study 2, we tested the moderating influence of AI usability on the relationship between AI service quality and customer engagement and on the relationship between AI service quality and customer satisfaction. In Study 1, we collected data from 312 food delivery boys/girls who used AI-based applications to offer e-food restaurant services. This study used a cross-sectional research design. We expand the scope of Study 1 by collecting data from 363 customers of the companies surveyed in Study 1 from eastern and southern parts of China. Study 2 used a time-delayed approach and collected data in two waves three months apart. The overall results of Study 1 and Study 2 support the proposed hypotheses. The results showed the direct and indirect relationship between independent variables (anthropomorphism and responsiveness) and service quality, customer engagement and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the results indicated a significant role of mediators (psychological safety and AI empathy) in Study 1 and moderators (AI usability) in Study 2. This article provided valuable insights for practitioners and researchers concerned with the use and application of AI in deal with the service sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen models based on two equations of state (EoS), three viscosity models, and four mixing rules were constructed to predict the viscosities of natural gases at high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) conditions. For pure substances, the parameters of free volume (FV) and entropy scaling (ES) models were found to scale with molecular weight, which indicates that the ordered behavior of parameters of Peng-Robinson (PR) and Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (PC-SAFT) propagates to the behavior of parameters of viscosity model. Predicting the viscosities of natural gases showed that the FV and ES models respectively combined with MIX4 and MIX2 mixing rules produced the best accuracy. Moreover, the FV models were more accurate for predicting the viscosities of natural gases than ES models at HTHP conditions, while the ES models were superior to PRFT models. The average absolute relative deviations of the best accurate three models, i.e., PC-SAFT-FV-MIX4, tPR-FVMIX4, and PC-SAFT-ES-MIX2, were 5.66%, 6.27%, and 6.50%, respectively, which was available for industrial production. Compared with the existing industrial models (corresponding states theory and LBC), the proposed three models were more accurate for modeling the viscosity of natural gas, including gas condensate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proofreading (editing) of mischarged tRNAs by cytoplasmic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), whose impairment causes neurodegeneration and cardiac diseases, is of high significance for protein homeostasis. However, whether mitochondrial translation needs fidelity and the significance of editing by mitochondrial aaRSs have been unclear. Here, we show that mammalian cells critically depended on the editing of mitochondrial threonyl-tRNA synthetase (mtThrRS, encoded by Tars2), disruption of which accumulated Ser-tRNAThr and generated a large abundance of Thr-to-Ser misincorporated peptides in vivo. Such infidelity impaired mitochondrial translation and oxidative phosphorylation, causing oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. Notably, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging by N-acetylcysteine attenuated this abnormal cell proliferation. A mouse model of heart-specific defective mtThrRS editing was established. Increased ROS levels, blocked cardiomyocyte proliferation, contractile dysfunction, dilated cardiomyopathy, and cardiac fibrosis were observed. Our results elucidate that mitochondria critically require a high level of translational accuracy at Thr codons and highlight the cellular dysfunctions and imbalance in tissue homeostasis caused by mitochondrial mistranslation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Alpinetin is the bioactive component of a traditional Chinese medicine. This compound, one of the main constituents of the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata, is a member of the flavonoids, with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and other significant therapeutic activities of important potency and low systemic toxicity. Material and methods: In our study, the inhibitory effect of isoliquiritigenin on HMG-CoA reductase showed a lower value of IC50 = 21.86 ±1.44 µg/ml. A molecular docking study was performed as a complementary study to provide additional data about the biological activities of alpinetin in the presence of urease. The docking calculations revealed that alpinetin with a docking score of -5.097 (kcal/mol) has an acceptable binding affinity to the enzyme, and because of various hydrophobic contacts and hydrogen bonds created by this chemical compound, alpinetin could be considered as an adequate inhibitor of urease. Results: In the cellular and molecular part of the study, the cells treated with alpinetin were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl- 2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for 48 h as regards the cytotoxicity and anti-human gastric carcinoma properties towards normal (human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)) and gastric carcinoma cell lines, i.e. SNU-1, Hs 746T, and KATO III. The IC50 values of alpinetin were 426, 586, and 424 µg/ml against SNU-1, Hs 746T, and KATO III cell lines, respectively. The viability of the malignant gastric cell line decreased dose-dependently in the presence of alpinetin. Conclusions: It seems that the anti-human gastric carcinoma effect of the investigated molecule is due to its antioxidant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural seismic performance of steel frame-precast steel reinforced concrete (SRC) infill wall with lateral force resisting is analyzed, and the structural strength of steel frameprecast SRC infill wall with lateral force resisting is improved. The structural seismic performance optimization model of SRC lateral force resisting wall based on buckling restrained brace is proposed. Through the finite element simulation software, the seismic performance and response results of ordinary steel frames, buckling restrained braced steel frames and a relatively new type of sacrificial-energy dissipation braced steel frames under earthquake are compared and analyzed to demonstrate the applicability and performance advantages of sacrificial-energy dissipation braced steel frames in the steel frame braced structure system. Under the action of horizontal earthquake, the supporting members experience reciprocating axial tension and compression cycles, which dissipate a large amount of seismic energy input into the structure. Therefore, the buckling restraint support method can be used in the structure to improve the support strength. Under horizontal reciprocating load action of earthquake, the ability to consume seismic energy through self-hysteresis of the brace is poor. Experimental research shows that, the unbalanced force formed in the beam of the frame beam under seismic action will form a plastic hinge at the beam end at both ends of the frame beam. Especially when the brace is buckling unstable and the stiffness of the frame beam is small, the plastic hinge effect at the beam end is significant. This phenomenon may cause damage to the frame beam or even local floor subsidence. The buckling restraint support has a full hysteresis area under axial tension and compression, and its mechanical performance is excellent. It is obviously superior to ordinary steel bracing in energy dissipation capacity and seismic performance. It can accurately predict the bearing capacity of reinforced concrete under strong earthquake, and the energy dissipation distribution is more in line with the requirements of "energy seismic design method". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to add an additional phase compensation to conventional phased arrays to achieve flat-topped beam forming, which can convert the spherical waves emitted by common conical horn antennas into cylindrical flat-topped beams, at the same time, there is also a certain power enhancement. A centrosymmetric unit composed of four layers of F4B and metal patches is designed. By changing the value of the parameters, a 360? phase change can be achieved, and it has the advantages of small size and low-profile. To validate the design concept, a prototype of the transmitarray (TA) was designed, fabricated, and measured by calculating the phase distribution of the front. The measurement results show that the designed TA can achieve flat-topped beams at 5.2GHz, the maximum gain is 1.15dB higher than that of the horn antenna, and the flat-topped range is about ±10?. The results are in good agreement with the simulation within the test range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural and compositional inhomogeneity is common in zeolites and considerably affects their properties. Thickness-limited lateral resolution, lack of depth resolution, and electron dose-constrained focusing limit local structural studies of zeolites in conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We demonstrate that a multislice ptychography method based on four-dimensional scanning TEM (4D-STEM) data can overcome these limitations. Images obtained from a ~40-nanometer-thick MFI zeolite exhibited a lateral resolution of ~0.85 angstrom that enabled the identification of individual framework oxygen (O) atoms and the precise determination of the orientations of adsorbed molecules. Furthermore, a depth resolution of ~6.6 nanometers allowed probing of the three-dimensional distribution of O vacancies, as well as the phase boundaries in intergrown MFI and MEL zeolites. The 4D-STEM ptychography can be generally applied to other materials with similar high electron-beam sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study will be aimed at investigating the effects of Baihu Renshen decoction (BHRS) on type 2 diabetes rats and on macromolecular enzyme 1 (PINK1)/E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (Parkin) pathway. Methods: The experiment was divided into four groups: control group, model group, metformin group and BHRS low-dose group and high-dose group. Forty male rats were selected as samples and randomly assigned to at least one test group. Finally, there are 18 rats in each group. Except for the control group, the rats within the different teams got a high-fat diet associate in nursing an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin to make a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model. The organic chemistry and inflammatory indexes of rats in every cluster were analyzed and compared once four weeks of intragastric administration of comparable reagents to review the therapeutic impact of BHRS on T2DM. In addition, we determined the pathological changes of ductal gland tissue of T2DM rats after treatment, and compared the expression of mitochondrial phagocytosis related proteins in ductal gland tissue of rats in each group. Results: FBG, LDL-C, TC, TG, MDA, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-, and mitophagy-related proteins COXIV, P62, VDAC1, and TOM20 were elevated in the model group compared to the control group, while HDL-C, SOD, GSH-Px, and mitophagy-related proteins PINK1, Parkin, and LC3II/I were decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The expressions of FBG, TC, TG, LDL-C, MDA, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-, and mitophagy-related proteins COXIV, P62, VDAC1, and TOM20 were lowered in the BHRS group, while the expressions of HOMA-, HDL-C, SOD, GSH-Px, and mitophagy-related proteins PINK1, Parkin, and LC3II/I were (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). After therapy with BHRS, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the intensity of pancreatic acinar staining increased, and islet cells became clear boundaries that were, regularly arranged, and with reduced vacuoles reduced. Conclusion: BHRS has a clear therapeutic effect on T2DM, which may be achieved by regulating mitochondrial autophagy through the PINK1/Parkin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus dahuensis, a new Fagaceae species from Fujian Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to L. konishii, but its oblanceolate leaf blade has more pairs of acute teeth on the margin, denser lateral veins, smaller cupules enclosing up to 1/4-1/3 of the nut, and its nut is only half as long as those of L. konishii. The plastome of L. dahuensis was 161,303 bp in length and displayed the typical quadripartite structure. Phylogenetic analyses distinguished L. dahuensis from L. konishii with strong support based on whole plastome and nrITS, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spacing between the median nerve and transverse carpal ligament (TCL) within the carpal tunnel can potentially affect the nerve morphology. This study aimed to quantify the spatial relationship between the median nerve and transverse carpal ligament in asymptomatic hands. Twelve subjects were recruited to image the carpal tunnel using robot-assisted ultrasound. The median nerve and TCL were segmented from each image and three-dimensionally reconstructed using kinematic information from the robot. The TCL-median nerve distance, nerve cross-sectional area, circularity, and position were measured along the entirety of the nerve length within the carpal tunnel. Results were averaged at every 5% of nerve length. At the nerve length percentages of 0% (distal), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (proximal), the TCL-median nerve distance (±SD) was 0.7 ± 0.4, 0.7 ± 0.2, 0.5 ± 0.2, 0.5 ± 0.2, and 0.6 ± 0.3 mm, respectively. The corresponding nerve cross-sectional area was 9.4 ± 1.9, 10.6 ± 2.6, 11.2 ± 2.1, 11.2 ± 1.7, and 9.7 ± 1.9 mm2. A one-way analysis of variance showed no significant differences between the respective percentages of nerve length for TCL-median nerve distance (p = 0.219) and cross-sectional area (p = 0.869). Significant (p < 0.0001) but weak correlations were observed between the TCL-median nerve distance with cross-sectional area (r = -0.247) and circularity (r = -0.244). This study shows that the healthy median nerve morphology is consistent along the continuous nerve length within the carpal tunnel, supporting the use of 2D imaging in the evaluation of the healthy nerve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the Earth to the Moon to Mars, human beings have never stopped exploring for treasures. From Iceland spar to quartz to amethysts, the optical phenomena presented by these sparkling and clear ores have inspired scientists to make persistent efforts to reveal "what is light" and "the origin of chirality" throughout the history of science. This has contributed to the advancement of science, technology, and modern society, and will continue to have an immeasurable impact on the future of science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Saccharum genus comprises species with large and variable chromosome numbers, leading to challenges in genomic studies and breeding improvement. Cytogenetics, including classical and molecular approaches, has played a central role in deciphering the genome structure, classification, and evolution of the genus Saccharum. The application of fluorescence in situ hybridization using oligonucleotide probes significantly improved our understanding of the complex genomes of Saccharum species. This paper reviews the application and progress of cytogenetic techniques in Saccharum. Future applications of cytogenetics are discussed, as they could benefit both genomic studies and breeding of sugarcane as well as other plants with complex genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral drug delivery systems (ODDSs) have various advantages of simple operation and few side effects. ODDSs are highly desirable for colon-targeted therapy (e.g. ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer), as they improve therapeutic efficiency and reduce systemic toxicity. Chitosan/alginate nanoparticles (CANPs) show strong electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl group of alginates and the amino group of chitosan which leads to shrinkage and gel formation at low pH, thereby protecting the drugs from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and aggressive gastric environment. Meanwhile, CANPs as biocompatible polymer, show intestinal mucosal adhesion, which could extend the retention time of drugs on inflammatory sites. Recently, CANPs have attracted increasing interest as colon-targeted oral drug delivery system for intestinal diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize the application and treatment of CANPs in intestinal diseases and insulin delivery. And then provide a future perspective of the potential and development direction of CANPs as colon-targeted ODDSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Danxiaorchis mangdangshanensis, a new mycoheterotrophic species from Fujian Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to D. singchiana, but its callus of labellum is a less distinctive Y-shape with three auricles on the apex, four pollinia that are narrowly elliptic in shape and equal in size, and it lacks fine roots. The plastome of D. mangdangshanensis is highly degraded. Phylogenetic analyses distinguished D. mangdangshanensis from its congeners, D. singchiana and D. yangii, with strong support based on nrITS + matK and plastomes, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tactics are one of the winning factors in table tennis matches because they can reflect the technical strength and strategies of players. However, the current evaluation method of tactics is relatively simple, and it can be difficult to distinguish the pros and cons of different tactics. To solve these issues, this study used information from 60 matches played by top-25 men's right-handed shake-hand offensive players as samples and proposed a tactical benefit algorithm and a visible evaluation model to analyse tactical performance. The model could help coaches and players find meaningful tactics quickly and easily and make reasonable comparisons between them. The results showed that 1) the numbers of tactics based on the tactical association-mining model and the L-shaped curve were 37 in the first six strokes. Among them, there were 9 selected tactics in the first to third strokes, the third to fifth strokes, and the second to fourth strokes, respectively, and 10 selected tactics in the fourth to sixth strokes. 2) The visible evaluation model of tactical benefit can determine the difference between the frequency, scoring rate, and benefit of different tactics as mapped into the model as well as quickly and effectively discover the distribution of tactics and measure the advantages and disadvantages of tactics from multiple dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the transcriptome profiling of the fourth-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Methods: Two groups of fourth-stage larvae were collected to extract total RNA in Zhejiang, China 2020. Then, mRNA was separated and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Next-generation sequencing was used to explore the transcriptome information. Finally, to obtain the biological annotation information, the transcriptome information was run against the related databases, including Nr, GO, COG, KOG and ORF. Results: Overall, 128667 unigenes and 193059 transcripts were obtained. The Nr annotations of unigenes and transcripts showed that A. cantonensis was the 5th and 4th most related species, respectively. Meanwhile, the annotation of unigenes and transcripts by querying GO, COG, KOG and ORF showed that L4 was extremely active in gene expression, concerning signal transduction, transcription, posttranslational modification, metabolism, etc. Conclusion: The fourth-stage larvae of A. cantonensis have their own profiling in the transcriptome, which is related to signal transduction, transcription, posttranslational modification, metabolism, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the batch method, the effects of contact time, pH, ionic strength, initial concentration, temperature on the sorption of Re(VII) and Se(IV) were investigated. Our results illustrated that Re(VII) and Se(IV) sorption was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, as well as by Freundlich model. This suggests chemical reaction as a rate-controlling step on the surface with 0.51 and 2.24 mg/g maximum sorption capacity at pH 7.0. The pH has little effect on Re(VII) adsorption, While it significantly affects the Se(IV) sorption. The sorption capacity of Re(VII) and Se(IV) decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. And the adsorption processes of Re(VII) and Se(IV) were endothermic spontaneous processes. What's more, our results also show that the sorption of Re(VII) and Se(IV) in clay rock will not interfere with each other under various conditions. Additionally, the adsorption capacity of Se(IV) in clay is significantly increased under acidic conditions when organic acids in the solution, but not influenced under neutral and alkaline conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human thermal comfort measures the combined effects of temperature, humidity, and wind speed, etc., and can be aggravated under the influences of global warming and local human activities. With the most rapid urbanization and the largest population, China is being severely threatened by aggravating human thermal stress. However, the variations of thermal stress in China at a fine scale have not been fully understood. This gap is mainly due to the lack of a high-resolution gridded dataset of human thermal indices. Here, we generate the first high spatial resolution (1 km-1 km) dataset of monthly human thermal index collection (HiTIC-Monthly) over China from 2003 to 2020. In this collection, 12 commonly used thermal indicators are generated by the LGBM machine learning algorithm from multisource gridded data, including MODIS land surface temperature, topography, land cover and land use, population density, and impervious surface fraction. Their accuracies were comprehensively assessed based on observations at 2419 weather stations across the mainland of China. The results show that our dataset has desirable performance, with mean R2, root mean square error, mean absolute error, and bias of 0.996, 0.693°C, 0.512°C, and 0.003°C, respectively, by averaging the 12 indicators. Moreover, the predictions exhibit high agreements with observations across spatial and temporal dimensions, demonstrating the broad applicability of our dataset. The comparison with two existing datasets also suggests that our high-resolution dataset can describe a more explicit spatial distribution of the thermal information, showing great potentials in fine-scale (e.g., intra-urban) study. Further investigation reveals that nearly all indicators exhibit increasing trends in most parts of China during the year 2003~2020. The increase is especially stronger in North China, Southwest China, the Tibetan Plateau, and parts of Northwest China, and in the spring and summer seasons. The HiTIC-Monthly dataset is publicly available via https://zenodo.org/record/6895533 (Zhang et al., 2022a). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction This study aims to investigate the correlation between the postoperative changes in serum amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and the prognosis of patients with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods The patients were divided into two groups according to the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) value of their cardiac ultrasound 48 h after surgery: the study group, those with early postoperative cardiac dysfunction (LVEF ≤45%, 36 cases), and the control group, those without early postoperative cardiac dysfunction (LVEF >45%, 60 cases). The serum NT-proBNP levels at 24 h and 48 h after surgery and before discharge were measured in the two groups, and any major postoperative adverse events were observed to analyze the relationship between the NT-proBNP levels and early postoperative cardiac dysfunction and prognosis. Results The serum NT-proBNP levels in the study group were significantly higher than in the control group at 24 h and 48 h after surgery (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the serum NT-proBNP levels before discharge (p > 0.05). The main adverse events of the study group during hospitalization were significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). The area under the curve of NT-proBNP in predicting early postoperative cardiac dysfunction was 0.850 (95% CI: 0.826–0.903) (p < 0.001). The best diagnostic value was 5653.95 pg/ml, the sensitivity was 87.8%, and the specificity was 83.6%. Conclusion The postoperative NT-proBNP level is closely related to early cardiac dysfunction and major adverse events after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a Co--Fe LDO catalyst was prepared by combining K2Cr2O7 and Cr(NO3)3 to modify the LDH precursor. The catalytic activity of NOx and o-DCB was systematically studied, and the effect of gas composition on the catalytic activity was investigated. The prepared Cr (0.25)/Co--Fe LDO catalyst showed the best catalytic performance, with conversion efficiencies of NOx and o-DCB of 89.0% and 81.6% at 250 °C, respectively. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, SEM, XPS, H2-TPD and NH3-TPD to explore the reaction activity. In addition, the interaction between NH3-SCR and o-DCB oxidation was investigated by changing the gas atmosphere. The results showed that the inhibition at low temperature (< 200 °C) could be attributed to the residues of the by-products of incomplete oxidation. The further oxidation of NO to NO2, and the dissociation of NH3 are the reasons for the mutual promotion of the two reactions in the middle and high temperature sections. Water vapor has little effect on the reaction and the introduction of SO2 will cause irreversible inactivation of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veterinary drugs, including antibiotics, antiparasitics, and growth promoters, are widely used in animal husbandry. Veterinary drug residues are key issues of food safety because they arouse public concern and can seriously endanger the health of consumers. To assess the risk of veterinary drug residues in pork sold in the People’s Republic of China, the potential veterinary drug residue risks in imported and domestic pork were analyzed based on regulatory differences and veterinary drug residue safety incidents. For imported pork, a risk assessment model was established based on the differences in veterinary drug residue limits for the People’s Republic of China, Brazil, the United States, Australia, Thailand, and Russia combined with comprehensive evaluation methods. The potential risk of veterinary drug residues in U.S. pork was the highest, and that in Brazilian pork was the lowest. For domestic pork, the distribution and aggregation of veterinary drug residue safety incidents in the People’s Republic of China was analyzed from 2015 to 2019 with a geographic information system. This study provides new insights into the safety of pork on the Chinese market and a scientific basis for formulating targeted supervision and early warning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel positive-sense single-stranded RNA (1ssRNA) mycovirus, tentatively named Colletotrichum fructicola RNA virus 1 (CfRV1), was identified in the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum fructicola. CfRV1 has seven genomic components, encoding seven proteins from open reading frames (ORFs) flanked by highly conserved untranslated regions (UTRs). Proteins encoded by ORFs 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are more similar to the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), hypothetical protein (P2), methyltransferase, and two hypothetical proteins of Hadaka virus 1 (HadV1), a capsidless 10- or 11-segmented 1ssRNA virus, while proteins encoded by ORFs 4 and 7 showed no detectable similarity to any known proteins. Notably, proteins encoded by ORFs 1 to 3 also share considerably high similarity with the corresponding proteins of polymycoviruses. Phylogenetic analysis conducted based on the amino acid sequence of CfRV1 RdRp and related viruses placed CfRV1 and HadV1 together in the same clade, close to polymycoviruses and astroviruses. CfRV1-infected C. fructicola strains demonstrate a moderately attenuated growth rate and virulence compared to uninfected isolates. CfRV1 is capsidless and potentially encapsulated in vesicles inside fungal cells, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. CfRV1 and HadV1 are 1ssRNA mycoviruses closely related to polymycoviruses and astroviruses, represent a new linkage between 1ssRNA viruses and the intermediate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) polymycoviruses, and expand our understanding of virus diversity, taxonomy, evolution, and biological traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmful threats can sometimes appear unexpectedly in the lives of young children, whose limited experience leads to a greater risk of endangerment. The current study adapted the Variant Odd Ball protocol to explore the effects of threat and familiarity on inattentional blindness (IB). This research evaluated reactions to presentations of evolutionarily relevant images such as millipedes, snakes, escargots, and snails, compared with reactions to evolutionarily irrelevant images such as syringes, knives, flashlights, and spoons. Respondents included three hundred and forty 4–5-year-old preschool children. The findings were as follows: (1) The property of familiarity plays an important role in preschool children's IB to both evolutionarily relevant and irrelevant images, and highly familiar images were easier to detect than less familiar images; (2) the manipulation of images showed that the threat-relevant stimuli were not more likely to be detected than the non-threat-relevant stimuli; (3) no significant difference was found between the detection rates of evolutionarily relevant and irrelevant images. Preschool children have a lower detection rate of threat-relevant images (e.g., snake, knife) which may reflect their limited experience of danger and weaker integration of these threat-relevant images in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new species Terniopsis yongtaiensis X.X. Su, Miao Zhang & Bing-Hua Chen, from Fujian Province, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to T. heterostaminata from Thailand, but differs in its two fertile stamens, fewer but longer vegetative ramuli, fewer but shorter flowering ramuli, shorter pedicels, capsule-stalk and stamens. The complete chroloplast genome of the new species is 129,074 bp long and has a typical quadripartite structure, including two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 18,504 bp in length, separated by a large single-copy (LSC) and a small single-copy (SSC) regions of 79,000 bp and 13,066 bp, respectively. The ycf1 and ycf2 genes were lost compared to most higher plants, leading to a substantial reduction in the IR. The phylogenetic analysis using both matK and nrITS revealed that T. yongtaiensis is sister to T. heterostaminata with moderate support, and formed a clade with other Terniopsis species, suggesting that the new species belongs to Tristichoideae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Overconsumption of drinks containing fructose increases the risk for hyperuricemia and gout. Comparative analysis evaluating the indicators of serum uric acid (SUA) load caused by natural food-derived fructose and pure fructose in sweeteners is lacking. We aimed to uncover the effect of fructose from apple and honey and pure fructose powder on the SUA concentration of healthy young Chinese individuals.Methods and Study Design: Two randomized crossover trials were performed. The participants were randomly assigned to consume apple or honey (test food) or pure fructose powder (reference food); one week later, the groups' dietary intervention was switched. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after meal to measure the SUA and blood glucose concentrations.Results: At 30 and 60 min, the SUA concentration in participants consuming apple or honey was lower than in those consuming fructose powder. At 120 min, the SUA concentration of participants consuming apple returned to baseline. The areas under the curve (AUC) within 2 h (2h- AUCs) of SUA exhibited the trend of fructose >honey >apple. The 2h-AUC ratio between test food and reference food was determined using the uric acid index to assess the efficiency of food-derived fructose in increasing the SUA concentration. The uric acid index of honey was higher than that of apple. Men had higher postprandial SUA concentration than women.Conclusions: Food-derived fructose caused a lighter load on uric acid metabolism than pure fructose. Uric acid index can be useful for distinguishing fructose-containing foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Cisplatin (CDDP) is a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent, but its clinical application has been limited by nephrotoxicity. Tanshinone Ⅰ (T-I), a phenanthrenequinone compound extracted from the Chinese herb Danshen, has been used to improve circulation and treat cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of T-I on CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. Materials and Methods: The BALB/c mouse models of nephrotoxicity were established by a single intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg CDDP on the first day of the experiment. Three hours prior to CDDP administration, the mice were dosed with 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg T-I for 3 consecutive days intraperitoneally to explore nephroprotection of T-I. Results: Treatment with T-I significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in serum observed in CDDP-administered mice, especially at a dose of 30 mg/kg. T-I at 30 mg/kg significantly decreased malondialdehyde levels and increased glutathione levels and the enzymatic activity of catalase in kidney tissue compared to CDDP. Additionally, T-I (30 mg/kg) significantly reversed the CDDP-decreased expression level of superoxide dismutase 2 protein in renal tissue. Histopathological evaluation of the kidneys further confirmed the protective effect of T-I. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that T-I can protect against CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity through suppression of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been confirmed as important regulators during osteogenic differentiation. Previous research has disclosed that growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) can promote osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), but the underlying regulatory mechanism of GAS5 during the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs is unclear. Osteogenic differentiation was induced in hBMSCs by using osteogenic medium (OM). Gene expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) or Western blot assays as needed. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, ALP staining, and alizarin red S (ARS) staining assays were performed to evaluate the impact of GAS5, microRNA 382-3p (miR-382-3p), and TATA box binding protein-associated factor 1 (TAF1) on osteogenic differentiation in vitro. The interaction among GAS5, miR-382-3p, and TAF1 was determined by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and luciferase reporter assays. Expression of GAS5 (transcript variant 2) was downregulated during the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, and its overexpression retarded the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. GAS5 inhibited miR-382-3p by targeting RNA-directed microRNA degradation (TDMD). miR-382-3p downregulation partially offset the promoted osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs upon GAS5 silencing. TAF1 negatively modulated osteogenic differentiation, and it activated GAS5 transcription so as to form a positive GAS5-miR-382-3p-TAF1 feedback loop in hBMSCs. This research was the first to reveal that the GAS5-miR-382-3p-TAF1 feedback loop inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, which provided new clues for exploring the mechanism of osteogenic differentiation and disclosed the potential of GAS5 as a promising target during osteogenic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topological insulator has attracted increasing attention as a new state of quantum matter featured by the symmetry-protected edge states. Although the qualitative robustness of the edge states against local perturbations has been well established, it is not clear how these topological edge states respond quantitatively to a global perturbation. Here, we study the response of topological edge states in a HgTe quantum dot to an external in-plane electric field--a paradigmatic global perturbation in solid-state environments. We find that the stability of the topological edge state could be larger than that of the ground bulk state by several orders of magnitudes. This robustness may be verified by standard transport measurements in the Coulomb blockage regime. Our work may pave the way towards utilizing these topological edge states as stable memory devices for charge and/or spin information and stable emitter of single terahertz photons or entangled terahertz photon pairs for quantum communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidimensional landscapes of regulatory genes in neuronal phenotypes at whole-brain levels in the vertebrate remain elusive. We generated single-cell transcriptomes of ~67,000 region- and neurotransmitter/neuromodulator-identifiable cells from larval zebrafish brains. Hierarchical clustering based on effector gene profiles ('terminal features') distinguished major brain cell types. Sister clusters at hierarchical termini displayed similar terminal features. It was further verified by a population-level statistical method. Intriguingly, glutamatergic/GABAergic sister clusters mostly expressed distinct transcription factor (TF) profiles ('convergent pattern'), whereas neuromodulator-type sister clusters predominantly expressed the same TF profiles ('matched pattern'). Interestingly, glutamatergic/GABAergic clusters with similar TF profiles could also display different terminal features ('divergent pattern'). It led us to identify a library of RNA-binding proteins that differentially marked divergent pair clusters, suggesting the post-transcriptional regulation of neuron diversification. Thus, our findings reveal multidimensional landscapes of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators in whole-brain neuronal phenotypes in the zebrafish brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IRE1 is an important central regulator of unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) because of its ability to regulate cell fate as a function of stress sensing. When misfolded proteins accumulated in chondrocytes ER, IRE1 disintegrates with BIP/GRP78 and undergoes dimer/oligomerization and transautophosphorylation. These two processes are mediated through an enzyme activity of IRE1 to activate endoribonuclease and generates XBP1 by unconventional splicing of XBP1 messenger RNA. Thereby promoting the transcription of UPR target genes and apoptosis. The deficiency of inositol‐requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) in chondrocytes downregulates prosurvival factors XBP1S and Bcl‐2, which enhances the apoptosis of chondrocytes through increasing proapoptotic factors caspase‐3, p‐JNK, and CHOP. Meanwhile, the activation of IRE1α increases chondrocyte viability and reduces cell apoptosis. However, the understanding of IRE1 responses and cell death fate remains controversial. This review provides updated data about the role IRE1 plays in chondrocytes and new insights about the potential efficacy of IRE1 regulation in cartilage repair and osteoarthritis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]