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Liang-Wen Shi,1,* Quan-Quan Zhuang,2,* Tai-Qin Wang,1 Xian-Dong Jiang,3 Yue Liu,4 Jing-Wen Deng,1 Huan-Huan Sun,5 Yi Li,4 Hao-Hong Li,4 Ting-Bo Liu,6 Jian-Zhi Liu1 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Quanzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of laboratory medicine, the School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 4College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Otolaryngology, Changji Region Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changji, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China; 6Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jian-Zhi Liu, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-591 83346181, Email liujianzhient@163.com Ting-Bo Liu, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-591 83357896, Email liutingboblood@163.comBackground: Drug-resistant microbes pose a global health concern, requiring the urgent development of effective antibacterial agents and strategies in clinical practice. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore novel antibacterial materials to effectively eliminate bacteria. The synthesis of quaternary phosphonium salt in haloargentate systems, wherein the phosphorus atom is represented in a cationic form, is a possible strategy for the development of antibacterial materials.Methods: Using (triphenyl)phosphonium-based quaternary phosphorus salts with different spacer lengths (n=2, 4, 6) as a template, we designed three kinds of quaternary phosphorus salts as effective antibacterial agents against drug-resistant bacteria.Results: The synthesized quaternary phosphorus salt of (1,4-DBTPP)Br2 effectively prevented the formation of the bacterial biofilms, and degraded bacterial membranes and cell walls by promoting the production of reactive oxygen species, which exhibited effective therapeutic effects in a rat model of a superficial wound infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion: The quaternary phosphorus salt (1,4-DBTPP)Br2 demonstrated hemocompatibility and low toxicity, revealing its potential in the treatment of clinical infections.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: quaternary phosphorus salts, reactive oxygen species, antibacterial, biocompatible, wound infection therapy

Can Wang,1,2 Qing-ping Shi,1,2 Feng Ding,2 Xiao-dong Jiang,1,2 Wei Tang,3 Mei-Ling Yu,1,2 Jian-Hua Zhu2 1Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China; 2Faculty of Pharmacy, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmacy, Huaiyuan County Hospital of TCM in Anhui, Bengbu, People’s Republic of China Aim: To evaluate the factors influencing suspected hypersensitivity and adverse systemic reactions after Shuxuening injection and to provide innovative ideas and methods for the reevaluation of post-marketing safety of Shuxuening.Methods: This study used a prospective, nested case–control study design, combined with a prescription sequence analysis design method. It classified patients who exhibited trigger signals after administration of Shuxuening injection as suspected allergic patients and made comparisons with patients who did not report adverse effects to calculate the correlation between relevant risk factors and suspected allergic reactions. Randomized controlled studies and cohort studies of the adverse drug reaction (ADR) of Shuxuening were performed using a computer database. Data retrieval was carried out by the foundation governing the individual database. Meta-analysis was performed by using R3.2.3 software to evaluate the ADRs of Shuxuening.Results: The results of real-world study showed that administration of Shuxuening in combination with potassium aspartate and magnesium, atorvastatin calcium, Shengmai injection, pantoprazole sodium, or high-dose medication was a risk factor for suspected allergic reactions. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of adverse events was 5.84% (95% CI 0.0499; 0.0674), and serious adverse reaction rate was 4.36% (95% CI 0.0188; 0.0760) when Shuxuening was used in combination with these drugs. The incidence of allergic reaction was also influenced by the vehicle, duration of treatment, single dose, and indicated vs off-label use.Conclusion: Risk factors for adverse reaction following the use of Shuxuening injection in patients are associated with a single dose, vehicle, type of disease, and combination with potassium aspartate, atorvastatin calcium, Shengmai injection, injection with pantoprazole sodium, and other drugs. Physicians should be careful to follow guidelines when administering this drug. We further propose that the unique methodology used in this study may be useful for reevaluation of the safety of other traditional Chinese medicines.Keywords: real-world study, evidence-based evaluation, Shuxuening injection, post-marketing safety reevaluation, allergic reaction

A pair of aza-BODIPY isomers, 1,7-di- tert -butyl-3,5-dinaphthyl (Nap-BDP) and 1,7-dinaphthyl-3,5-di- tert -butyl (revNap-BDP), were prepared in this study. According to the single crystal X-ray analysis, Nap-BDP exhibited an orthogonal structure. Owing to the difference in orthogonality and - t Bu rotation between Nap-BDP and revNap-BDP, their spectral performances, including maximum absorption and emission, full width at half maximum, fluorescence quantum yield, photostability, singlet oxygen generation and photothermal conversion efficiency, were obviously different. The corresponding calculation results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore, the self-assembly of Nap-BDP nanoparticles could effectively promote cancer cell death by inducing singlet oxygen. Hence, this approach holds potential as a therapeutic strategy for enhancing cancer cell eradication via photodynamic therapy.

One new cyclic heptapeptide, cadophorin C ( 1 ), and one known analogue cadophorin B ( 2 ) were isolated from the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sp. GXIMD 03101 from the mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius  L. The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated by comprehensive analysis of the spectroscopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS, and the known compound was identified by comparing the data with literature values. Compounds 1 and 2 were screened for antibacterial activity and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) inhibitory activity. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 have weak activity against Vibrio harveyi with MIC values of 3.12 and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 have significant inhibitory activity against BPH with IC 50 values of 2.62 and 2.23 μM, respectively.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients who underwent TAVI at the Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, from January 2018 to March 2022. Based on whether a new PPM was implanted after TAVI, all patients were divided into two groups: NEW PPM and NO PPM. Baseline characteristics and clinical data were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis was used to analyze different variables between the two groups. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent correlates for PPM implantation after TAVI., Results: The mean age of the 70 patients was 73.1 ± 8.8 years. The incidence of PPM implantation was 17.1%. Patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease were more likely to require PPM (50% vs. 20.7%, p = 0.042, 25% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.042). Our study did not identify any significant differences in the incidence of electrocardiographic conduction disturbances except for the previous right bundle branch block (RBBB) (NO PPM 6.9% vs. NEW PPM 33.3%, p < 0.05). We found that prosthesis size, implantation depth, procedural duration, and length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays were comparable between the two groups. The leading independent predictors of PPM implantation were previous RBBB (odds ratio 10.129, p = 0.034)., Conclusion: The previous RBBB was the leading independent predictor of PPM implantation. New PPM was not associated with significantly new-onset left BBB, extended post-procedure hospitalization, ICU stay, or procedural duration., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effects of hydrogel dressings on neurotrophic keratitis in rats., Methods: Male Wistar rats, aged 42-56d, were randomly divided into control, experimental, and treatment groups, each consisting of five rats. The experimental and treatment groups underwent neurotrophic keratitis modeling in both eyes. After successful modeling, biomedical hydrogels formed with polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl pyrrolidone were used in treatment group for 7d. Ocular irritation response and keratitis index scores, Schirmer's test, tear film break-up time (BUT), sodium fluorescein staining, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment., Results: The neurotrophic keratitis model was successfully established in rats with severe ophthalmic nerve injury, characterized by keratitis, ocular irritation, reduced tear secretion measured by decreased BUT and Schirmer test values, corneal epithelial loss, and disorganized collagen fibers in the stromal layer. Following treatment with hydrogel dressings, significant improvements were observed in keratitis scores and ocular irritation symptoms in model eyes. Although the recovery of tear secretion, as measured by the Schirmer's test, did not show statistical differences, BUT was significantly prolonged. Fluorescein staining confirmed a reduction in the extent of corneal epithelial loss after treatment. HE staining revealed the restoration of the structural disorder in both the epithelial and stromal layers to a certain extent., Conclusion: Hydrogel dressing reduces ocular surface irritation, improves tear film stability, and promotes the repair and restoration of damaged epithelial cells by maintaining a moist and clean environment on the ocular surface in the rat model., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Xia HQ, None; Jiang XD, None; Song YF, None; Li XM, None; Tian JY, None., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Plant life history is determined by two transitions, germination and flowering time, in which the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs) FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) play key regulatory roles. Compared with the highly conserved TFL1-like genes, FT-like genes vary significantly in copy numbers in gymnosperms, and monocots within the angiosperms, while sporadic duplications can be observed in eudicots. Here, via a systematic analysis of the PEBPs in angiosperms with a special focus on 12 representative species featuring high-quality genomes in the order Lamiales, we identified a successive lineage-specific but systematic expansion of FT-like genes in the families of core Lamiales. The first expansion event generated FT1-like genes mainly via a core Lamiales-specific whole-genome duplication (cL-WGD), while a likely random duplication produced the FT2-like genes in the lineages containing Scrophulariaceae and the rest of the core Lamiales. Both FT1- and FT2-like genes were further amplified tandemly in some families. These expanded FT-like genes featured highly diverged expression patterns and structural variation, indicating functional diversification. Intriguingly, some core Lamiales contained the relict MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 like 2 (MFT2) that probably expanded in the common ancestor of angiosperms. Our data showcase the highly dynamic lineage-specific expansion of the FT-like genes, and thus provide important and fresh evolutionary insights into the gene regulatory network underpinning flowering time diversity in Lamiales and, more generally, in angiosperms., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Brassicaceae represents an important plant family from both a scientific and economic perspective. However, genomic features related to the early diversification of this family have not been fully characterized, especially upon the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, which was followed by increasing aridity in the Asian interior, intensifying monsoons in Eastern Asia, and significantly fluctuating daily temperatures. Here, we reveal the genomic architecture that accompanied early Brassicaceae diversification by analyzing two high-quality chromosome-level genomes for Meniocus linifolius (Arabodae; clade D) and Tetracme quadricornis (Hesperodae; clade E), together with genomes representing all major Brassicaceae clades and the basal Aethionemeae. We reconstructed an ancestral core Brassicaceae karyotype (CBK) containing 9 pseudochromosomes with 65 conserved syntenic genomic blocks and identified 9702 conserved genes in Brassicaceae. We detected pervasive conflicting phylogenomic signals accompanied by widespread ancient hybridization events, which correlate well with the early divergence of core Brassicaceae. We identified a successive Brassicaceae-specific expansion of the class I TREHALOSE-6-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE 1 (TPS1) gene family, which encodes enzymes with essential regulatory roles in flowering time and embryo development. The TPS1s were mainly randomly amplified, followed by expression divergence. Our results provide fresh insights into historical genomic features coupled with Brassicaceae evolution and offer a potential model for broad-scale studies of adaptive radiation under an ever-changing environment., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Floral forms with an increased number of petals, also known as double-flower phenotypes, have been selected and conserved in many domesticated plants, particularly in ornamentals, because of their great economic value. The molecular and genetic mechanisms that control this trait are therefore of great interest, not only for scientists, but also for breeders. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the gene regulatory networks of flower initiation and development and known mutations that lead to variation of petal number in many species. In addition to the well-accepted miR172/AP2-like module, for which many questions remain unanswered, we also discuss other pathways in which mutations also lead to the formation of extra petals, such as those involved in meristem maintenance, hormone signalling, epigenetic regulation, and responses to environmental signals. We discuss how the concept of 'natural mutants' and recent advances in genomics and genome editing make it possible to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying double-flower formation, and how such knowledge could contribute to the future breeding and selection of this trait in more crops., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: AAA is a fatal condition that commonly occurs during vascular surgery. Nutritional status exerts a significant influence on the prognosis of various pathological conditions Scores from the CONUT screening tool have been shown to predict outcomes of certain malignancies and chronic diseases. However, the ramifications of nutritional status on AAA patients undergoing EVAR have not been elucidated in prior studies. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the correlation between CONUT scores and postoperative prognostic outcomes in patients with AAA undergoing EVAR., Methods: This was a retrospective review of 177 AAA patients treated with EVAR from June 2018 to November 2019 in a single center. Patient characteristics, CONUT scores, and postoperative status were collected. These patients were stratified into groups A and B according to CONUT scores. Subsequently, a comparative analysis of the baseline characteristics between the two cohorts was conducted. Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the autonomous predictors of mid-term mortality and complications, respectively., Results: Compared with group A, patients in group B had higher midterm mortality ( p  < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that CONUT scores; respiratory diseases; stent types; preoperative Hb, CRP, PT, and Fb levels were risk factors for death. Multivariate analysis confirmed that CONUT score [HR, 1.276; 95% CI, 1.029-1.584; p  = 0.027] was an independent risk factor for mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that prior arterial disease, smoking, and D-dimer levels were risk factors, although multivariate analysis showed smoking (OR, 3.492; 95% CI, 1.426-8.553; p  = 0.006) was an independent risk factor. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients in group B had shorter mid-term survival than those in group A (log-rank p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: Malnutrition was strongly associated with mid-term mortality in patients with infrarenal AAA treated with EVAR., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ye, Xu, Wang, Han, Jiang, Tang, Song, Du, Hu and Li.)

Owing to the efficient non-radiative relaxation by the free rotation of the B-phenyl moiety, monophenyl substituted aza-BODIPY on the boron centre with near-infrared absorption has high photothermal conversion efficiency, which is highly desirable for a photothermal therapy agent.

Background: Recent structural and functional imaging studies of depression in Parkinson disease (DPD) have failed to reveal the relevant mechanism, and relatively few studies have been conducted on limbic systems such as the hippocampus. This study thus aimed to gain new insights into the pathogenesis of DPD by detecting the changes in the hippocampal structure and the resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of patients with DPD., Methods: This study included 30 patients with DPD (DPD group), 30 patients with nondepressed Parkinson disease (NDPD; NDPD group), and 30 normal controls (NCs; NC group) with no significant age or gender differences with the DPD group. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging and blood oxygen level-dependent imaging data of all patients were collected. The hippocampal volumes were measured using MATLAB software (MathWorks). The correlation between hippocampal volume and the HAMD score in the DPD group was analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient. The bilateral hippocampi were used as the regions of interest and as the seed points for FC. FC analysis was performed between the preprocessed functional data of the whole brain and the two seed points with Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State and Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 software, respectively. The correlation between FC and HAMD scores in the patients with DPD was determined using partial correlation analysis., Results: Compared with those in the NC group and the NDPD group, the bilateral hippocampal volumes in the DPD group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between the bilateral hippocampal volume and the HAMD score in the DPD group (P<0.05). Compared with that of the NDPD group, the FC of the right hippocampus with the right occipital lobe and left precuneus was reduced in the DPD group. In the DPD group, the FC values of the right hippocampus, right occipital lobe, and left anterior cuneiform lobe were negatively correlated with HAMD scores., Conclusions: The volume of bilateral hippocampi in patients with DPD is significantly decreased and negatively correlated with the severity of depressive disorder. The weakened FC of the right hippocampus to the right occipital lobe and the left precuneus may play an important role in the neurological basis of DPD., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-23-919/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is currently a preeminent challenge for cardiovascular medicine. It has a poor prognosis, increasing mortality, and is escalating in prevalence worldwide. Despite accounting for over 50% of all HF patients, the mechanistic underpinnings driving HFpEF are poorly understood, thus impeding the discovery and development of mechanism-based therapies. HFpEF is a disease syndrome driven by diverse comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity, pulmonary hypertension, aging, and atrial fibrillation. There is a lack of high-fidelity animal models that faithfully recapitulate the HFpEF phenotype, owing primarily to the disease heterogeneity, which has hampered our understanding of the complex pathophysiology of HFpEF. This review provides an updated overview of the currently available animal models of HFpEF and discusses their characteristics from the perspective of energy metabolism. Interventional strategies for efficiently utilizing energy substrates in preclinical HFpEF models are also discussed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmacological Society.)

Perennial monocarpic mass flowering represents as a key developmental innovation in flowering time diversity in several biological and economical essential families, such as the woody bamboos and the shrubby Strobilanthes. However, molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying this important biodiversity remain poorly investigated. Here, we generated a full-length transcriptome resource incorporated into the BlueOmics database (http://blueomics.iflora.cn) for two Strobilanthes species, which feature contrasting flowering time behaviors. Using about 112 and 104 Gb Iso-seq reads together with ~185 and ~75 Gb strand-specific RNA seq data, we annotated 80 971 and 79 985 non-redundant full-length transcripts for the perennial polycarpic Strobilanthes tetrasperma and the perennial monocarpic Strobilanthes biocullata, respectively. In S. tetrasperma, we identified 8794 transcripts showing spatiotemporal expression in nine tissues. In leaves and shoot apical meristems at two developmental stages, 977 and 1121 transcripts were differentially accumulated in S. tetrasperma and S. biocullata, respectively. Interestingly, among the 33 transcription factors showing differential expression in S. tetrasperma but without differential expression in S. biocullata, three were involved potentially in the photoperiod and circadian-clock pathway of flowering time regulation (FAR1 RELATED SEQUENCE 12, FRS12; NUCLEAR FACTOR Y A1, NFYA1; PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 5, PRR5), hence provides an important clue in deciphering the flowering diversity mechanisms. Our data serve as a key resource for further dissection of molecular and genetic mechanisms underpinning key biological innovations, here, the perennial monocarpic mass flowering., (© 2023 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The reasonable structure of aza-BODIPY renders it as an efficient photothermal reagent for photothermal therapy. Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of aza-BODIPY NMeBu with the free rotating tert -butyl group and the dimethylamino-substituted segment to promote the photothermal conversion via the excited state non-radiative transition. NMeBu was found to be the π-π stacking form in the unit cell based on X-ray analysis. NMeBu-NPs by self-assembly possessed a near-infrared absorption ( λ abs = 772 nm), and once activated by near-infrared light, the photothermal efficiency in aqueous solution can reach 49.3%. NMeBu-NPs can penetrate the cell and trigger cell death via the apoptosis pathway under low concentration and low light power irradiation, thereby avoiding dark toxicity. Aza-BODIPY created using this procedure has excellent photothermal efficiency and could serve as a potential candidate for the treatment of cancer cells and tumors.

TG interaction factor 1 (TGIF1) plays a major role in transcriptional inhibition and suppression of TGF-β signaling, but its functional roles in granulosa cells (GCs) have not been elucidated; in particular, there is no information about the yak (Bos grunniens) TGIF1 gene. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to clone yak TGIF1 and investigate TGIF1 functions in yak GCs. RT‒PCR results showed that the coding region of yak TGIF1 is 759 bp and encodes 252 amino acids. Its nucleotide sequence showed 85.24-99.74% similarity to mouse, human, pig, goat and cattle homologous genes. To explore the functional roles of TGIF1, we studied proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, steroidogenesis and the expression levels of related genes in yak GCs transfected with small interfering RNA specific to TGIF1. The results showed that TGIF1 knockdown promoted proliferation and cell cycle progression and inhibited apoptosis and estradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P 4 ) production in cultured yak GCs. Conversely, TGIF1 overexpression inhibited proliferation and cell cycle progression and stimulated apoptosis and E 2 and P 4 production. In addition, these functional changes in yak GCs were observed parallel to the expression changes in genes involved in the cell cycle (PCNA, CDK2, CCND1, CCNE1, CDK4 and P53), apoptosis (BCL2, BAX and CASPASE3), and steroidogenesis (CYP11A1, 3β-HSD and StAR). In conclusion, TGIF1 was relatively conserved in the course of animal evolution. TGIF1 inhibited GC viability and stimulated apoptosis and the secretion of E 2 and P 4 by yak GCs. Our results will help to reveal the mechanism underlying yak follicular development and improve the reproductive efficiency of female yaks., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Supplementation with acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) during in vitro maturation significantly improves the rates of oocyte cleavage and morula and blastocyst formation in sheep and buffalo; however, the mode of action of ALC in improving oocyte competence is not completely understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ALC on proliferation, antioxidant properties, lipid droplet accumulation and steroid hormone secretion in yak (Bos grunniens) granulosa cells (GCs). Yak GCs were identified using FSHR immunofluorescence. The cells were treated with different concentrations of ALC, cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8, and the optimal concentration and treatment time were determined for subsequent experiments. Then, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by a DCFH-DA probe, and lipid droplet accumulation was observed by oil red O staining. Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in the medium were detected by ELISA, and the expression of genes related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, the cell cycle, antioxidants and steroid synthesis was determined by RT‒qPCR. The results showed that 1 mM ALC treatment for 48 h was the optimum treatment. It significantly increased cell viability (P < 0.05), significantly decreased the amount of ROS and lipid droplet content, and promoted P4 and E2 secretion (P < 0.05) of yak GCs. RT‒qPCR results verified that GCs treated with 1 mM ALC for 48 h significantly increased the expression of genes related to anti-apoptosis and the cell cycle (BCL-2, PCNA, CCND1 and CCNB1), antioxidants (CAT, SOD2 and GPX1), and E2 and P4 secretion (StAR, CYP19A1 and HSD3B1) (P < 0.05), but it significantly decreased the expression of apoptosis genes (BAX and P53) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, ALC increased the viability of yak GCs, reduced the amount of ROS and lipid droplets, increased P4 and E2 synthesis and affected the expression of related genes in yak GCs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Flowering transition is tightly coordinated by complex gene regulatory networks, in which AGAMOUS-LIKE 16 (AGL16) plays important roles. Here, we identified the molecular function and binding properties of AGL16 and demonstrated its partial dependency on the SUPPRESSOR OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) function in regulating flowering. AGL16 bound to promoters of more than 2,000 genes via CArG-box motifs with high similarity to that of SOC1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Approximately 70 flowering genes involved in multiple pathways were potential targets of AGL16. AGL16 formed a protein complex with SOC1 and shared a common set of targets. Intriguingly, only a limited number of genes were differentially expressed in the agl16-1 loss-of-function mutant. However, in the soc1-2 knockout background, AGL16 repressed and activated the expression of 375 and 182 genes, respectively, with more than a quarter bound by AGL16. Corroborating these findings, AGL16 repressed the flowering time more strongly in soc1-2 than in the Col-0 background. These data identify a partial inter-dependency between AGL16 and SOC1 in regulating genome-wide gene expression and flowering time, while AGL16 provides a feedback regulation on SOC1 expression. Our study sheds light on the complex background dependency of AGL16 in flowering regulation, thus providing additional insights into the molecular coordination of development and environmental adaptation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Blood pressure variability (BPV) has been reported to be a predictor of cardiovascular and some cognitive diseases. However, the association between napping and BPV remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the association between napping and BPV., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study including 105 university students was conducted. Participants' 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24 h ABPM) were measured, and napping behaviors were investigated. BPV were measured by the 24 h ABPM, included standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV)., Results: Among the participants, 61.9% reported daytime napping. We found that nap duration was significantly associated with daytime CV of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ( r  = 0.250, P  = 0.010), nighttime CV of systolic blood pressure (SBP) ( r  = 0.217, P  = 0.026), 24 h WCV of DBP ( r  = 0.238, P  = 0.014), 24 h ARV of SBP ( r  = 0.246, P  = 0.011) and 24 h ARV of DBP ( r  = 0.291, P  = 0.003). Compared with the no napping group, 24 h WCV of DBP, daytime CV of DBP, and daytime SD of DBP were significantly higher in participants with napping duration >60 min. With multiple regression analysis we found that nap duration was an independent predictor for 24 h ARV of SBP ( β  = 0.859, 95% CI, 0.101-1.616, P  = 0.027) and 24 h ARV of DBP ( β  = 0.674, 95% CI, 0.173-1.175, P  = 0.009)., Conclusions: Napping durations are associated with BPV among university students. Especially those with napping durations >60 min had a significantly higher BPV than those non-nappers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Dai, Wu, Jiang, Tang, Tang, Meng, Huang, Gao, Li, Baker, Zheng and Yang.)

Background: The aim of this study was to perform hemodynamic simulations of a three-dimension ideal inferior vena cava-iliac vein model with artificial stenosis to determine the degree of stenosis that requires clinical intervention., Methods: Four three-dimension stenosis models (30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% stenosis) were constructed using commercial software (Solidworks). The inlet flow rates were acquired from previous literatures to perform the hemodynamic simulations. Changes in the old blood volume fraction, as well conventional hemodynamic parameters including pressure, differential pressure, wall shear stress, and flow patterns, over time were recorded. The pressure at the telecentric region of the stenosis increased with increasing degree of stenosis., Results: For the 70% stenosis model, the pressure at the telecentric region of the stenosis reached 341 Pa, and the differential pressure between the two ends of the stenosis was 363 Pa (approximately 2.7 mmHg). Moreover, in the 70% and 90% stenosis models, there was a marked change in wall shear stress in the stenosis and the proximal end region, and the flow patterns began to show the phenomenon of flow separation. Blood stasis analysis showed that the 70% stenosis model had the slowest decrease in old blood volume fraction, while the proximal end region had the largest blood residue (15%)., Conclusion: Iliac vein stenosis of approximately 70% is associated with clinically relevant hemodynamic changes, and is more closely related to DVT than other degrees of stenosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Breaking through the traditional 1,7,3,5-aryl substituted aza-BODIPY structure, asymmetric aza-BODIPYs, tBu-azaBDPs, containing non-aryl group at 3-site were prepared for the first time. tBu-azaBDP exhibited a severely twisted configuration. tBu-azaBDPs had a near-infrared fluorescence emission and high molar extinction coefficients. Although the barrier-free rotation of the distal - t Bu group in tBu-azaBDP resulted in low fluorescence quantum yield, the photothermal conversion efficiency was markedly enhanced. tBu-azaBDP nanoparticles with laser irradiation were revealed to induce cell apoptosis in photothermal therapy. We consider that development of aza-BODIPYs with the barrier-free rotation of the - t Bu group at 3-site provides a strong platform for design of phototherapy agents for cancer treatment in photothermal therapy by apoptosis.

By the introduction of the - t Bu groups into aza-BODIPY core, di- tert -butyl-substituted aza-BODIPYs at 3,5-sites ( tBuazaBDP s) were prepared for the first time. Based on the X-ray analysis of CN-tBuazaBDP , this molecular structure is twisted. Near-infrared dye SMe-tBuazaBDP has the ultra-large Stokes shift (152 ​nm) in aza-BODIPY system, combining with the twisted intramolecular charge transfer and the free rotation of the -t Bu groups at 3,5-sites. Although the barrier-free rotors of the distal -t Bu groups in SMe-tBuazaBDP result in low fluorescence quantum yield, the photothermal conversion efficiency is markedly enhanced. SMe-tBuazaBDP nanoparticles with low power laser irradiation were proven to block cancer cell cycle, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, and induce cancer cell apoptosis in photothermal therapy (PTT). The strategy of "direct attachment of -t Bu groups to aza-BODIPY core" gives a new design platform for a photothermal therapy agent., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors.)

CKD is a clinical syndrome with slow development and gradual deterioration of renal function. At present, modern medicine still lacks an ideal treatment method for this disease, while TCM has accumulated rich clinical experience in the treatment of CKD, which can effectively improve renal function and delay renal failure, and has unique advantages. RC is widely used in clinical practice to treat CKD, especially the "Kidney-Yin" deficiency syndrome. However, the compatibility mechanisms responsible for its effects in experimental studies, including preclinical and clinical research studies, are still not fully understood. Adenine-induced CKD rats were used to investigate the preventive effect of RC on CKD rats. Based on the high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing results from Illumina, we discussed the intestinal flora abundance in rats in different treatment groups. According to a PCA and a PCoA based on a distance matrix, there was a clear separation of gut microbiome profiles between normal rats and model rats in terms of beta diversity. The abundance of Firmicutes in CKD rats was relatively increased, while that of Bacteroidetes was decreased. It is clear that the plot for the RC group was closer to that of the normal group, suggesting that the RC group had higher similarities among bacterial members with N rats. Ussing chamber, Western blot, and PCR assays were used to investigate the effects of RC on intestinal barrier function and its molecular mechanism in model animals. The results indicated that the protein expressions of ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin-1 were decreased significantly in chronic kidney disease rats with the induction of adenine. With the treatment of RG, CO, and RC, the intestinal barrier was repaired due to the upregulated expressions of the aforementioned proteins in CKD rats. Based on our findings, RC appears to strengthen the intestinal barrier and modulate gut microbiota in adenine-induced CKD rats. This project revealed the compatibility mechanism of RC in regulating the intestinal microecology and barrier function to intervene in CKD and provided the basis and ideas for the clinical application of RC and the development of innovative drugs for CKD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Zhu, Jiang, Ma and Tao.)

The introduction of a ring-fused segment into a BODIPY scaffold promoted a spectral bathochromic-shift and enhanced the intersystem crossing capability by a twisted structure. In this work, we designed and synthesized an upper ring-fused BODIPY with 4-dimethylaminostyryl groups (BBDP), which had excellent optical performance for photothermal-photodynamic therapy.

On the coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM maize, the isolation distance plays an important role in controlling the transgenic flow. In this study, maize gene flow model was used to quantify the MTD 0.1% and MTD 1% in the main maize-planting regions of China; those were the maximum threshold distance for the gene flow frequency equal to or lower than 1% and 0.1%. The model showed that the extreme MTD 1% and MTD 0.1% were 187 and 548 m, respectively. The regions of northern China and the coastal plain, including Hainan crop winter-season multiplication base, showed a significantly high risk for maize gene flow, while the west-south of China was the largest low-risk areas. Except for a few sites, the isolation distance of 500 m could yield a seed purity of better than 0.1% and meet the production needs of breeder seeds. The parameters of genetic competitiveness ( cp ) were introduced to assess the effects of hybrid compatibility between the donor and recipient. The results showed that hybrid incompatibility could minimize the risk. When cp  = 0.05, MTD 1% and MTD 0.1% could be greatly reduced within 19 m and 75 m. These data were helpful to provide scientific data to set the isolation distance between GM and non-GM maize and select the right place to produce the hybrid maize seeds., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2022 The Authors. Evolutionary Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Large-scale, highly integrated and low-power-consuming hardware is becoming progressively more important for realizing optical neural networks (ONNs) capable of advanced optical computing. Traditional experimental implementations need N 2 units such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) for an input dimension N to realize typical computing operations (convolutions and matrix multiplication), resulting in limited scalability and consuming excessive power. Here, we propose the integrated diffractive optical network for implementing parallel Fourier transforms, convolution operations and application-specific optical computing using two ultracompact diffractive cells (Fourier transform operation) and only N MZIs. The footprint and energy consumption scales linearly with the input data dimension, instead of the quadratic scaling in the traditional ONN framework. A ~10-fold reduction in both footprint and energy consumption, as well as equal high accuracy with previous MZI-based ONNs was experimentally achieved for computations performed on the MNIST and Fashion-MNIST datasets. The integrated diffractive optical network (IDNN) chip demonstrates a promising avenue towards scalable and low-power-consumption optical computational chips for optical-artificial-intelligence., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

1,7-Di-tert-butyl-substituted aza-BODIPYs (tBu-azaBDP) were successfully obtained for the first time. The structures of tBu-azaBDP and Ph-azaBDP were confirmed by X-ray crystal analysis, and tBu-azaBDP 2 is more twisted than Ph-azaBDP 5. tBu-azaBDPs have significant photo-stability and enhanced water solubility. tBu-azaBDPs possess excellent optical properties, such as high molar extinction coefficients, broad full width half maxima, and large Stokes shifts, which is comparable to those of the parent dye Ph-azaBDP. Although the low-barrier rotation of the distal -tBu groups in tBu-azaBDPs results in low quantum yield, photothermal conversion efficiency and singlet oxygen generation ability of tBu-azaBDPs are more effective than those of Ph-azaBDP, which is highly desirable for a photothermal-photodynamic therapy agent., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

While roses are today among the most popular ornamental plants, the petals and fruits of some cultivars have flavored foods for millennia. The genetic origins of these edible cultivars remain poorly investigated. We collected the major varieties of edible roses available in China, assembled their plastome sequences, and phased the haplotypes for internal transcribed spacers (ITS1/ITS2) of the 18S-5.8S-26S nuclear ribosomal cistron. Our phylogenetic reconstruction using 88 plastid genomes, of primarily maternal origin, uncovered well-supported genetic relationships within Rosa, including all sections and all subgenera. We phased the ITS sequences to identify potential donor species ancestral to the development of known edible cultivars. The tri-parental Middle-Eastern origin of R. × damascena, the species most widely used in perfume products and food additives, was confirmed as a descendent of past hybridizations among R. moschata, R. gallica, and R. majalis/R. fedtschenkoana/R. davurica. In contrast, R. chinensis, R. rugosa, and R. gallica, in association with six other wild species, were the main donors for fifteen varieties of edible roses. The domesticated R. rugosa 'Plena' was shown to be a hybrid between R. rugosa and R. davurica, sharing a common origin with R. 'Fenghua'. Only R. 'Jinbian' and R. 'Crimson Glory' featured continuous flowering. All remaining cultivars of edible roses bloomed only once a year. Our study provides important resources for clarifying the origin of edible roses and suggests a future for breeding new cultivars with unique traits, such as continuous flowering., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Prickles act against herbivores, pathogens or mechanical injury, while also preventing water loss. However, whether prickles have new function and the molecular genetics of prickle patterning remain poorly explored. Here, we generated a high-quality reference genome assembly for 'Basye's Thornless' (BT), a prickle-free cultivar of Rosa wichuraiana , to identify genetic elements related to stem prickle development. The BT genome harbors a high level of sequence diversity in itself and with cultivar 'Old Blush' ( R. chinensis ), a founder genotype in rose domestication. Inheritance of stem prickle density was determined and two QTL were identified. Differentially expressed genes in QTL were involved in water-related functions, suggesting that prickle density may hitchhike with adaptations to moist environments. While the prickle-related gene-regulatory-network (GRN) was highly conserved, the expression variation of key candidate genes was associated with prickle density. Our study provides fundamental resources and insights for genome evolution in the Rosaceae. Ongoing efforts on identification of the molecular bases for key rose traits may lead to improvements for horticultural markets., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

White hepatopancreas syndrome has recently emerged in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) aquaculture, causing considerable economic loss. The hepatopancreas color of diseased crabs becomes gradually lighter, turning from yellow to yellow-white to white. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the changes in nutrient composition in three edible parts (hepatopancreas, ovaries, and muscle) of adult females with different colored hepatopancreases. Three groups were assessed in this study, including a yellow hepatopancreas group (control, L * = 63.92, a * = 22.14, b * = 60.95), a yellow-white hepatopancreas group (YWHG, L * = 65.06, a * = 22.35, b * = 57.80), and a white hepatopancreas group (WHG, L * = 65.72, a * = 10.70, b * = 30.52). No statistically significant differences in average weight, tissue indices, and total edible yield were observed among the three crab groups (P >0.05). The moisture content of the hepatopancreases and ovaries in WHG was 56.12% and 9.23% higher than the control values (P <0.05), whereas hepatopancreas crude fat and ovary crude protein levels were 62.23% and 11.45% lower than the control values (P < 0.05). The total carbohydrate levels of the three edible tissues were significantly higher and the crude protein content of ovaries was significantly lower in YWHG (P < 0.05). Most amino acid levels in the WHG muscle and ovaries were significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05). Moreover, the hepatopancreas levels of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-6PUFA in WHG were 24.88% and 31.83% lower than in control group, whereas the hepatopancreas levels of total PUFA and n-6PUFA in YWHG were also 21.88% and 23.20% lower compared to the controls (P < 0.05). Overall, the growth and the edible parts were not affected in YWHG and WHG. Moreover, YWHG crabs exhibited few effects on nutritional value; however, the fatty acid composition of crabs was significantly changed. In contrast, WHG crabs exhibited poor nutritional quality. Nonetheless, the consumption of crabs with yellow-white or white hepatopancreases is not recommended since the animal also referred to as diseased crabs., (© 2021 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Complex-valued neural networks have many advantages over their real-valued counterparts. Conventional digital electronic computing platforms are incapable of executing truly complex-valued representations and operations. In contrast, optical computing platforms that encode information in both phase and magnitude can execute complex arithmetic by optical interference, offering significantly enhanced computational speed and energy efficiency. However, to date, most demonstrations of optical neural networks still only utilize conventional real-valued frameworks that are designed for digital computers, forfeiting many of the advantages of optical computing such as efficient complex-valued operations. In this article, we highlight an optical neural chip (ONC) that implements truly complex-valued neural networks. We benchmark the performance of our complex-valued ONC in four settings: simple Boolean tasks, species classification of an Iris dataset, classifying nonlinear datasets (Circle and Spiral), and handwriting recognition. Strong learning capabilities (i.e., high accuracy, fast convergence and the capability to construct nonlinear decision boundaries) are achieved by our complex-valued ONC compared to its real-valued counterpart.

Roses are important horticultural plants with enormous diversity in flowers and flowering behavior. However, molecular regulation of flowering time variation in roses remains poorly characterized. Here, we report an expansion of the FAR1/FRS-like genes that correlates well with the switch to prostrate-to-erect growth of shoots upon flowering in Rosa wichuraiana 'Basye's Thornless' (BT). With the availability of the high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly for BT that we developed recently, we identified 91 RwFAR1/FRS-like genes, a significant expansion in contrast to 52 in Rosa chinensis 'Old Blush' (OB), a founder genotype in modern rose domestication. Rose FAR1/FRS-like proteins feature distinct variation in protein domain structures. The dispersed expansion of RwFAR1/FRS-like genes occurred specifically in clade I and II and is significantly associated with transposon insertion in BT. Most of the RwFAR1/FRS-like genes showed relatively higher expression level than their corresponding orthologs in OB. FAR1/FRS-like genes regulate light-signaling processes, shade avoidance, and flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana . Therefore, the expansion and duplication of RwFAR1/FRS-like genes, followed by diversification in gene expression, might offer a novel leverage point for further understanding the molecular regulation of the variation in shoot-growth behavior and flowering time in roses., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (© 2020 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

Background: We sought to compare local tumor control after conventionally fractionated image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) versus adjuvant CyberKnife stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients who underwent separation surgery for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with MESCC who were treated at our hospital. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate local progression and overall survival., Results: Fifty-six patients with MESCC underwent separation surgery between 2013 and 2018, among whom 6 were lost to follow-up, 24 received conventionally fractionated image-guided IMRT, and 26 were treated with CyberKnife SBRT. The median follow-up was 16.5 months (range, 2.1-47.5 months). Eleven patients experienced local failure including 9 and 2 from the IMRT and SBRT groups, respectively. The local progression-free survival rates were significantly higher in the SBRT group than IMRT group at 6 months (95.5% vs. 82.0%), 1 year (90.9% vs. 71.8%), and 2 years (90.9% vs. 57.6%) (P = 0.035). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis identified radiotherapy method (P = 0.034) and receipt of preoperative radiotherapy (P = 0.047) as significant predictors of local control, while visceral metastasis (P = 0.048) and high-malignancy primary tumor type (P = 0.002) were negative predictors of overall survival. Moreover, postoperative SBRT was noninferior to IMRT in terms of pain control, adverse effects, and performance in treating irradiated spinal metastases., Conclusions: Hybrid surgery-radiosurgery therapy is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with MESCC. SBRT provided higher local control rates compared with IMRT. Thus postoperative SBRT should be considered for patients expected to have relatively long survival., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Key Message: Genome-wide identification of WD40-like genes reveals a duplication of COP1-like genes, one of the key players involved in regulation of flowering time and photomorphogenesis, with strong functional diversification in Rosaceae. WD40 proteins play crucial roles in a broad spectrum of developmental and physiological processes. Here, we conducted a systematic characterization of this family of genes in Rosa chinensis 'Old Blush' (OB), a founder genotype for modern rose domestication. We identified 187 rose WD40 genes and classified them into 5 clusters and 15 subfamilies with 11 of RcWD40s presumably generated via tandem duplication. We found RcWD40 genes were expressed differentially following stages of vegetative and reproductive development. We detected a duplication of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1-like genes in rose (RcCOP1 and RcCOP1L) and other Rosaceae plants. Featuring a distinct expression pattern and a different profile of cis-regulatory-elements in the transcriptional regulatory regions, RcCOP1 seemed being evolutionarily conserved while RcCOP1L did not dimerize with RcHY5 and RcSPA4. Our data thus reveals a functional diversification of COP1-like genes in Rosacaeae plants, and provides a valuable resource to explore the potential function and evolution of WD40-like genes in Rosaceae plants.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential systemic antitumor effects of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and apatinib (a novel vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor) via reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment for lung carcinoma., Materials and Methods: Lewis lung cancer cells were injected into C57BL/6 mice in the left hindlimb (primary tumor; irradiated) and in the right flank (secondary tumor; nonirradiated). When both tumors grew to the touchable size, mice were randomly divided into eight treatment groups. These groups received normal saline or three distinct doses of apatinib (50 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg) daily for 7 days, in combination with a single dose of 15 Gy radiotherapy or not to the primary tumor. The further tumor growth/regression of mice were followed and observed., Results: For the single 15 Gy modality, tumor growth delay could only be observed at the primary tumor. When combining SABR and apatinib 200 mg/kg, significant retardation of both primary and secondary tumor growth could be observed, indicated an abscopal effect was induced. Mechanism analysis suggested that programmed death-ligand 1 expression increased with SABR was counteract by additional apatinib therapy. Furthermore, when apatinib was combined with SABR, the composition of immune cells could be changed. More importantly, this two-pronged approach evoked tumor antigen-specific immune responses and the mice were resistant to another tumor rechallenge, finally, long-term survival was improved., Conclusion: Our results suggested that the tumor microenvironment could be managed with apatinib, which was effective in eliciting an abscopal effect induced by SABR.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an essential role in multitudinous physiological and pathological processes, including vascular disease. We previously showed that lncRNA GUSBP5-AS (enst00000511042) is upregulated in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) of deep veni thrombosis (DVT) patients. Here, we investigate the role and mechanism of GUSBP5-AS in EPCs and DVT. Using the DVT model, we found that GUSBP5-AS significantly reduced the thrombus size and weight and enhanced the homing ability of EPC to DVT sites to promote resolution and recanalization of thrombus. GUSBP5-AS promoted cell cycle progression, proliferation, migration and invasion in EPCs, enhanced EPC angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo , and inhibited apoptosis. Strikingly, this study showed that GUSBP5-AS was unbalanced and modulated Forkhead Box Protein O1 (FOXO1) in EPCs in patients with DVT by interacting with miR-223-3p . Mechanistically, GUSBP5-AS functions as a sponge of miR-223-3p , which targets FOXO1. Both GUSBP5-AS knockdown and miR-223-3p overexpression remarkably inhibited angiogenesis, migration and invasion in EPCs. Additionally, our data suggested that GUSBP-AS activated the Akt pathway and enhanced fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 (MMP2/9) and F-actin expression. Taken together, this study indicates that GUSBP5-AS modulates angiogenesis, proliferation and homing ability of EPCs via regulating FGF2 and MMP2/9 expression through the miR-223-3p /FOXO1/Akt pathway, which may provide a new direction for the development of DVT therapeutics.

The rambler Rosa wichuraiana Crép. is an important founder species during modern rose domestication. However, the chloroplast genome (plastome) of this wild species remains unavailable. Here, we assembled the complete chloroplast genomes for two genotypes of R. wichuraiana . Both plastomes were typical quadripartite circular with 156,500/156,504 bp in length, comprising a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,651/85,660 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,751/18,744 bp, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,049/26,050 bp, respectively. Both plastomes encoded 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic reconstruction with several rose plastomes revealed that both genotypes were sisters to a clade including Rosa luciae , Rosa multiflora , and Rosa maximowicziana ., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Near-infrared brain imaging technology has great potential as a non-invasive, real-time inspection technique. Silicon-tin (SiSn) alloy films could be a promising material for near-infrared brain detectors. This study mainly reports on the structure of amorphous silicon tin alloy thin films by Raman spectroscopy to investigate the influence of doped-Sn on an a-Si network. The variations in TO peak caused by the increase in Sn concentration indicate a decrease in the short-range order of the a-Si network. A model has been proposed to successfully explain the non-linear variation in Raman parameters of I TA /I TO and I LA+LO /I TO . The variations of Raman parameters of the films with a higher deposition temperature indicate the presence of SiSn nanocrystals, though the SiSn nanocrystals present no Raman peaks in Raman spectra. XRD and TEM analysis further illustrate the existence of nanocrystals. The ratio of photo/dark conductivity and optical bandgap results demonstrate that the films can be selected as a sensitive layer material for NIR-II region sensors.

Aim: To determine the effect of osteopontin (OPN) on autophagy and autophagy-apoptosis interactions after SAH., Methods: The endovascular perforation model of SAH or sham surgery was performed in a total of 86 Sprague-Dawley male rats. The temporal expressions of endogenous OPN and autophagy-related proteins (Beclin 1, ATG5, LC3 II to I ratio) were measured in sham and SAH rats at different time points (3, 6, 12, 24, and 72 hours). Rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, SAH + Vehicle (PBS, phosphate-buffered saline), and SAH + rOPN (5 μg/rat recombinant OPN). Neurobehavioral tests were performed 24 hours after SAH, followed by the collection of brain samples for assessment of autophagy and apoptosis proteins. These tests assessed whether an autophagy-apoptosis relationship existed on the histological level in the brain., Results: Endogenous OPN and autophagy-related proteins all increased after SAH. rOPN administration improved neurological dysfunction, increased the expression of autophagy-related proteins (Beclin 1, ATG5, LC3 II to I ratio) and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, while decreasing the expression of proapoptotic proteins (cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax). rOPN also regulated autophagy-apoptosis interactions 24 hours after SAH., Conclusion: rOPN attenuates early brain injury and inhibits neuronal apoptosis by activating autophagy and regulating autophagy-apoptosis interactions., (© 2019 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To accurately evaluate the biotoxicity of PM 2.5 , PM 2.5 samples from winter fog-haze days, winter normal days, and summer days in Changzhou were selected for evaluation based on the acute toxicity of luminescent bacteria and zebrafish embryos and the cytotoxicity of human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro (A549). The three atmospheric conditions and the physical and chemical indicators were also evaluated using correlation analysis. The PM 2.5 samples showed either acute or developmental toxicity during all three periods. The toxicity unit (TU) of the luminescent bacteria for the winter fog-haze days, winter normal days, and summer days were 1.74 (toxic), 1.19 (toxic), and 0.92 (slightly toxic), respectively. The maximum TU of the zebrafish embryos was for winter normal days (TU=1.14, toxic) followed by winter fog-haze days (TU=0.79, slightly toxic), and summer days (TU=0, non-toxic). The highest TU of A549 was for winter fog-haze days (TU=0.61, toxic) followed by summer days (TU=0.38, toxic) and winter normal days (TU=0.31, toxic). With respect to developmental toxicity, with the exception of summer day samples, the PM 2.5 samples from the other two periods had detrimental effects on the development of zebrafish embryos, mainly showing pericardial edema, a bent notochord, and tail deformity. The average toxicity (AvTx), toxic print (TxPr), and most sensitive test (MST) indices showed that the PM 2.5 samples from winter fog-haze days and winter normal days exhibited toxicity, while samples from the summer days showed slight toxicity; PM 2.5 samples from winter fog-haze days had the highest level of comprehensive toxicity. In addition, luminescent bacteria were the most sensitive to PM 2.5 samples, followed by zebrafish embryos and A549. The results of chemical analysis and biological toxicity tests show that the pollutants contained in PM 2.5 have a biological toxicity effect, which can provide a basis for the comprehensive assessment of PM 2.5 biological toxicity and human health risks.