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The Chinese horned toads, Boulenophrys boettgeri (Boulenger, 1899) and Boulenophrys kuatunensis (Pope, 1929), are two captivating species within the family Megophryidae, which inhabit the mountainous streams in the Eastern of China. In this study, two new complete mitochondrial genomes of B. boettgeri and B. kuatunensis were sequenced, assembled, and annotated using next-generation sequencing. The length of mitochondrial genomes of B. boettgeri and B. kuatunensis was 16,597 and 17,921 bp, respectively, with both containing 13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one putative control region. Phylogenetic relationships based on protein-coding mitochondrial genes showed that the two Boulenophrys species formed a cluster with other Boulenophrys species. The two new sequences provide valuable insights into the mitochondrial genomes of these two species, offering important data for understanding the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Boulenophrys.

Abstract Background Diabetes can cause chronic microvascular complications such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). DR and DN can lead to or exacerbate diabetic macular edema (DME). Hemodialysis (HD) is the main treatment method for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) secondary to DN. Purpose The aim of this prospective cohort study was to determine the immediate effect of single HD session on retinal and choroidal thickness in DR patients with ESKD and the features of DR and the prevalence of DME in these patients who have received long-term HD. Methods Eighty-five eyes of 44 DR patients with ESKD who underwent long-term HD were examined by swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). Based on OCTA images, the characteristics of DR and the prevalence of DME in these patients were analyzed. Changes in central retinal thickness (CRT), central retinal volume (CRV), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and subfoveal choroidal volume (SFCV) within 30 min before and after single HD session were compared. CRT, CRV, SFCT and SFCV were compared before single HD session and before the next single HD session. Results There was no significant difference in the average CRT (251.69 ± 39.21 μm vs. 251.46 ± 39.38 μm, P = 0.286) or CRV (0.15 ± 0.62 μm vs. 0.15 ± 0.63 μm, P = 0.324) between before and after single HD session. After single HD session, SFCT (243.11 ± 77.15 μm vs. 219.20 ± 72.84 μm, P

Abstract This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development and current understanding of GaAs and InAs heterostructures, with a special emphasis on achieving high material quality and high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs). The review discusses the evolution of structural designs that have significantly contributed to the enhancement of electron mobility, highlighting the critical considerations of scattering mechanisms of the 2DEGs. In addition, this review examines the substantial contributions of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) to these developments, particularly through advancements in vacuum technology, source material purification, and precision control of growth conditions. The intent of this review is to serve as a useful reference for researchers and practitioners in the field, offering insights into the historical progression and technical details of these semiconductor systems.

Abstract This study aims to explore the risk factors associated with frozen shoulder (FS) and develop a predictive model for diagnosing FS, in order to facilitate early detection of the condition. A total of 103 patients diagnosed with FS and admitted to the Department of Joint Surgery at Suining Central Hospital between October 2021 and October 2023 were consecutively included in the study. Additionally, 309 individuals without shoulder joint diseases, matched for age and gender, who visited the department during the same time, were included as the control group.The complete recording of clinical data for all patients was followed by the utilization of statistical tests such as the Mann–Whitney U test, sample t test, and chi-square test to compare different groups. Additionally, multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of FS in patients, leading to the establishment of a prediction model and derivation of a simplified equation. The diagnostic effectiveness of individual indicators and prediction models was assessed through the use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In the sample of 103 individuals, 35 were identified as male and 68 as female, with an average age range of 40–70 years (mean age: 54.20 ± 6.82 years). The analysis conducted between different groups revealed that individuals with a low body mass index (BMI), in conjunction with other factors such as diabetes, cervical spondylosis, atherosclerosis, and hyperlipidemia, were more susceptible to developing FS. Logistic regression analysis further indicated that low BMI, diabetes, cervical spondylosis, and hyperlipidemia were significant risk factors for the occurrence of FS. These variables were subsequently incorporated into a predictive model, resulting in the creation of a simplified equation.The ROC curve demonstrated that the combined indicators in the predictive model exhibited superior diagnostic efficacy compared to single indicators, as evidenced by an area under the curve of 0.787, sensitivity of 62.1%, and specificity of 82.2%. Low BMI, diabetes, cervical spondylosis, and hyperlipidemia are significant risk factors associated with the occurrence of FS. Moreover, the utilization of a prediction model has demonstrated superior capability in forecasting the likelihood of FS compared to relying solely on individual indicators. This finding holds potential in offering valuable insights for the early diagnosis of FS.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, and the expression and function of an uncharacterized protein RNF214 in HCC are still unknown. Phase separation has recently been observed to participate in the progression of HCC. In this study, we investigated the expression, function, and phase separation of RNF214 in HCC. We found that RNF214 was highly expressed in HCC and associated with poor prognosis. RNF214 functioned as an oncogene to promote the proliferation, migration, and metastasis of HCC. Mechanically, RNF214 underwent phase separation, and the coiled-coil (CC) domain of RNF214 mediated its phase separation. Furthermore, the CC domain was necessary for the oncogenic function of RNF214 in HCC. Taken together, our data favored that phase separation of RNF214 promoted the progression of HCC. RNF214 may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

Abstract Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a highly malignant form of skin cancer, known for its unfavorable prognosis and elevated mortality rate. RARRES1, a gene responsive to retinoic acid receptors, displays varied functions in various cancer types. However, the specific role and underlying mechanisms of RARRES1 in SKCM are still unclear. GSE15605 was utilized to analyze the expression of RARRES1 in SKCM. Subsequently, the TCGA and GEO databases were employed to investigate the relationships between RARRES1 and clinicopathological parameters, as well as the prognostic implications and diagnostic efficacy of RARRES1 in SKCM. GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses were conducted to explore the potential functions of RARRES1. Furthermore, the associations between RARRES1 and immune infiltration were examined. Genomic alterations and promoter methylation levels of RARRES1 in SKCM were assessed using cBioPortal, UALCAN, and the GEO database. Finally, RARRES1 expression in SKCM was validated through immunohistochemistry, and its functional role in SKCM progression was elucidated via in vivo and in vitro experiments. We found that RARRES1 was downregulated in SKCM compared with normal tissues, and this low expression was associated with worse clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of SKCM. The diagnostic efficacy of RARRES1, as determined by ROC analysis, was 0.732. Through GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analysis, we identified 30 correlated genes and pathways that were mainly enriched in the tumor immune microenvironment, proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. Additionally, RARRES1 expression was found to be positively related to the infiltration of various immune cells in SKCM, particularly macrophages and T helper cells, among others. Analysis of genomic alterations and promoter methylation revealed that shallow deletion and hypermethylation of the RARRES1 promoter could lead to reduced RARRES1 expression. IHC validation confirmed the downregulation of RARRES1 in SKCM. Moreover, overexpression of RARRES1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of A375 cells, promoted apoptosis, and inhibited autophagic flux. In the mouse xenograft model, RARRES1 overexpression also suppressed SKCM tumor growth. Collectively, these findings suggest that RARRES1 may function as a suppressor and could potentially serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for SKCM.

Abstract Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), a powerful tool for studying the tumor microenvironment (TME), does not preserve/provide spatial information on tissue morphology and cellular interactions. To understand the crosstalk between diverse cellular components in proximity in the TME, we performed scRNA-seq coupled with spatial transcriptomic (ST) assay to profile 41,700 cells from three colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor-normal-blood pairs. Standalone scRNA-seq analyses revealed eight major cell populations, including B cells, T cells, Monocytes, NK cells, Epithelial cells, Fibroblasts, Mast cells, Endothelial cells. After the identification of malignant cells from epithelial cells, we observed seven subtypes of malignant cells that reflect heterogeneous status in tumor, including tumor_CAV1, tumor_ATF3_JUN | FOS, tumor_ZEB2, tumor_VIM, tumor_WSB1, tumor_LXN, and tumor_PGM1. By transferring the cellular annotations obtained by scRNA-seq to ST spots, we annotated four regions in a cryosection from CRC patients, including tumor, stroma, immune infiltration, and colon epithelium regions. Furthermore, we observed intensive intercellular interactions between stroma and tumor regions which were extremely proximal in the cryosection. In particular, one pair of ligands and receptors (C5AR1 and RPS19) was inferred to play key roles in the crosstalk of stroma and tumor regions. For the tumor region, a typical feature of TMSB4X-high expression was identified, which could be a potential marker of CRC. The stroma region was found to be characterized by VIM-high expression, suggesting it fostered a stromal niche in the TME. Collectively, single cell and spatial analysis in our study reveal the tumor heterogeneity and molecular interactions in CRC TME, which provides insights into the mechanisms underlying CRC progression and may contribute to the development of anticancer therapies targeting on non-tumor components, such as the extracellular matrix (ECM) in CRC. The typical genes we identified may facilitate to new molecular subtypes of CRC.

Abstract One-unit-cell FeSe films on SrTiO3 substrates are of great interest owing to significantly enlarged pairing gaps characterized by two coherence peaks at ±10 meV and ±20 meV. In-situ transport measurement is desired to reveal novel properties. Here, we performed in-situ microscale electrical transport and combined scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on continuous one-unit-cell FeSe films with twin boundaries. We observed two spatially coexisting superconducting phases in domains and on boundaries, characterized by distinct superconducting gaps ( $${\Delta }_{1}$$ Δ 1 ~15 meV vs. $${\Delta }_{2}$$ Δ 2 ~10 meV) and pairing temperatures (T p1~52.0 K vs. T p2~37.3 K), and correspondingly two-step nonlinear $$V \sim {I}^{\alpha }$$ V ~ I α behavior but a concurrent Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless (BKT)-like transition occurring at $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{BKT}}}}}}}$$ T BKT ~28.7 K. Moreover, the onset transition temperature $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{{{{{{\rm{onset}}}}}}}$$ T c onset ~54 K and zero-resistivity temperature $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{{{{{{\rm{zero}}}}}}}$$ T c zero ~31 K are consistent with T p1 and $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{BKT}}}}}}}$$ T BKT , respectively. Our results indicate the broadened superconducting transition in FeSe/SrTiO3 is related to intrinsic electronic inhomogeneity due to distinct two-gap features and phase fluctuations of two-dimensional superconductivity.

Abstract There is a lack of research on whether tree size affects lamina and petiole biomass allocation patterns, whereas the trade‐off between leaf biomass allocated to the lamina and the petiole is of significance when considering the hydraulic and mechanical function of the leaf as a whole. Here, Camptotheca acuminata Decne was selected for study because of the availability of trees differing in size growing under the same conditions. A total of 600 leaves for two tree size groups and 300 leaves per group differing in height and trunk diameter were collected. The lamina fresh mass (LFM), lamina dry mass (LDM), lamina area (LA), petiole fresh mass (PFM), and petiole length (PL) of each leaf was measured, and reduced major axis regression protocols were used to determine the scaling relationships among the five functional traits. The bootstrap percentile method was used to determine if the scaling exponents of the traits differed significantly between the two tree size groups. The results indicated that (i) there was a significant difference in the LFM, LDM, PFM, PL, LMA, LFMA and PFM/LFM between large and small trees, but no significant difference in LA; (ii) the LA versus LFM, LA versus LDM, LFM versus PFM, LA versus PFM, and PL versus PFM scaling relationships of the two groups were allometric (i.e., not isometric); (iii) there were significant differences in the scaling exponents of LA versus LFM, LA versus PFM, PL versus PFM between the two groups, but there was no significant difference in the LFM versus PFM scaling relationship between the two groups of trees. The data were also consistent with the phenomenon known as “diminishing returns”. These data indicate that tree size influences leaf biomass allocation patterns in ways that can potentially influence overall plant growth, and therefore have an important bearing on life‐history strategies.

Previous studies have validated a performance equation (PE) and its generalized version (GPE) in describing the rotated and right-shifted Lorenz curves of organ size (e.g., leaf area and fruit volume) distributions of herbaceous plants. Nevertheless, there are still two questions that have not been adequately addressed by prior work: (i) whether the PE and GPE apply to woody plant species and (ii) how do the PE and GPE perform in comparison with other Lorenz equations when fitting data. To address these deficiencies, we measured the lamina length and width of each leaf on 60 Alangium chinense saplings to compare the performance of the PE and GPE with three other Lorenz equations in quantifying the inequality of leaf area distributions across individual trees. Leaf area is shown to be the product of a proportionality coefficient (k) and leaf length and width. To determine the numerical value of k, we scanned 540 leaves to obtain the leaf area empirically. Using the estimated k, the leaf areas of 60 A. chinense saplings were calculated. Using these data, the two performance equations and three other Lorenz equations were then compared and assessed using the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and Akaike information criterion (AIC). The PE and GPE were found to be valid in describing the rotated and right-shifted Lorenz curves of the A. chinense leaf area distributions, and GPE has the lowest RMSE and AIC values. This work validates the GPE as the best model in gauging variations in leaf area of the woody species.

BackgroundThis research explores the causal association between circulating inflammatory markers and the development of sciatica, a common and debilitating condition. While previous studies have indicated that inflammation may be a factor in sciatica, but a thorough genetic investigation to determine a cause-and-effect relationship has not yet been carried out. Gaining insight into these interactions may uncover novel treatment targets.MethodsWe utilized data from the OpenGWAS database, incorporating a large European cohort of 484,598 individuals, including 4,549 sciatica patients. Our study focused on 91 distinct circulating inflammatory markers. Genetic variations were employed as instrumental variables (IVs) for these markers. The analysis was conducted using inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary method, supplemented by weighted median-based estimation. Validation of the findings was conducted by sensitivity studies, utilizing the R software for statistical computations.ResultsThe analysis revealed that 52 out of the 91 inflammatory markers studied showed a significant causal association with the risk of developing sciatica. Key markers like CCL2, monocyte chemotactic protein-4, and protein S100-A12 demonstrated a positive correlation. In addition, there was no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy in these results. Interestingly, a reverse Mendelian randomization analysis also indicated potential causative effects of sciatica on certain inflammatory markers, notably Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligands.DiscussionThe study provides robust evidence linking specific circulating inflammatory markers with the risk of sciatica, highlighting the role of inflammation in its pathogenesis. These findings could inform future research into targeted treatments and enhance our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying sciatica.

Background: Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase type 1 alpha (PIP5K1A) acts upstream of the Akt regulatory pathway and is abnormally expressed in many types of malignancies. However, the role and mechanism of PIP5K1A in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not yet been reported. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between PIP5K1A and progression of CRC and assess the efficacy and mechanism by which rupatadine targets PIP5K1A. Methods: Firstly, expression and function of PIP5K1A in CRC were investigated by human colon cancer tissue chip analysis and cell proliferation assay. Next, rupatadine was screened by computational screening and cytotoxicity assay and interactions between PIP5K1A and rupatadine assessed by kinase activity detection assay and bio-layer interferometry analysis. Next, rupatadine’s anti-tumor effect was evaluated by in vivo and in vitro pharmacodynamic assays. Finally, rupatadine’s anti-tumor mechanism was explored by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunofluorescence. Results: We found that PIP5K1A exerts tumor-promoting effects as a proto-oncogene in CRC and aberrant PIP5K1A expression correlates with CRC malignancy. We also found that rupatadine down-regulates cyclin-dependent kinase 2 and cyclin D1 protein expression by inhibiting the PIP5K1A/Akt/GSK-3β pathway, induces cell cycle arrest, and inhibits CRC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: PIP5K1A is a potential drug target for treating CRC. Rupatadine, which targets PIP5K1A, could serve as a new option for treating CRC, its therapeutic mechanism being related to regulation of the Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT: A 2-dimensional (2D) egg-shape equation can be used to construct a 3D egg geometry based on the hypothesis that an egg is a solid of revolution, which helps to calculate egg volume and surface area. The parameters in the 2D egg-shape equation are potentially valuable for providing a clue to the ecology and evolution of avian eggs. In this study, the 5-parameter Preston equation (PE), the 4-parameter Troscianko equation (TE), and another 2 egg-shape equations, were compared in describing real 2D egg-shape data of 300 Gallus gallus domesticus eggs and additional 50 eggs that represented the variation in avian egg geometries. Adjusted root-mean-square error was used to quantify each equation's prediction error. Given that the 4 equations are nonlinear, relative curvature measures of nonlinearity were used to assess the extent of nonlinearity in each equation. PE was found to be the best among the 4 equations in terms of adjusted root-mean-square error and minimizing nonlinearity. The empirically determined egg volumes using a graduated cylinder were compared with the predicted egg volumes using the formula for a solid of revolution based on 2D predictions from the 4 egg-shape equations. There were negligible differences in the predicted egg volumes and surface areas among the 4 equations, indicating that these equations are all valid in calculating egg volume and surface area. In addition, we proposed a 5-parameter TE and found that it outperformed the above 4 equations in describing the 2D egg shape of G. gallus, but was less general than PE for other egg shapes. This work provides statistical evidence to show which equation is the best for describing the geometry of avian eggs and nondestructively calculating their volume and surface area, helping to classify poultry eggs into different grades according to the morphological characteristics of the eggs.

Colorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor with high mortality, for which chemotherapy resistance is one of the main reasons. The high expression of ABCG2 in the cancer cells and expulsion of anticancer drugs directly cause multidrug resistance (MDR). Therefore, the development of new ABCG2 inhibitors that block the active causes of MDR may provide a strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer. In this study, we find that dorsomorphin (also known as compound C or BML-275) potently inhibits the transporter activity of ABCG2, thereby preserving the chemotherapeutic agents mitoxantrone and doxorubicin to antagonize MDR in ABCG2-overexpressing colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, dorsomorphin does not alter ABCG2 protein expression. The results of molecular docking studies show that dorsomorphin is bound stably to the ABCG2-binding pocket, suggesting that dorsomorphin is a potent ABCG2 inhibitor that attenuates ABCG2-mediated MDR in colorectal cancer.

The correlation between the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in different regions of Al–Mg–Si–Cu joint fabricated by rotary friction welding (RFW) has undergone a rigorous quantitative investigation using Vickers hardness evaluation, uniaxial tensile tests, electron backscatterred diffraction, X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. The results of the investigation indicate that premature yielding and localized stress concentration inevitably occurred at the weakest heat affected zone (HAZ) region, remarkably compromising the mechanical properties of the joint. TEM observations revealed the presence of the rod-like Q′ phase and lath-like C phase within the BM and the pre-β″ phase in the weld zone, while no precipitate was identified in the HAZ on either sides. Although partial dynamic recrystallization occurred in HAZ reduced the grain size, extensive dislocation recovery and precipitate dissolving were two factors to be responsible for the lowest strength of the HAZ. On the contrary, fully recrystallization, severe plastic deformation and reprecipitation synthetically contributed to the strength recovery in the weld zone. Eventually, a model based on microstructural evolution that can quantitatively describe the observed strength difference in different regions is developed, suggesting that the major strength contributor is the dislocations strengthening, then the precipitation strengthening.

In this study, mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of seven cichlid species (Lamprologus kungweensis, L. meleagris, L. ornatipinnis, Neolamprologus brevis, N. caudopunctatus, N. leleupi, and N. similis) are characterized for the first time. The newly sequenced mitogenomes contained 37 typical genes [13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs)]. The mitogenomes were 16,562 ~ 16,587 bp in length with an A + T composition of 52.1~58.8%. The cichlid mitogenomes had a comparable nucleotide composition, A + T content was higher than the G + C content. The AT-skews of most mitogenomes were inconspicuously positive and the GC-skews were negative, indicating higher occurrences of C than G. Most PCGs started with the conventional start codon, ATN. There was no essential difference in the codon usage patterns of these seven species. Using Ka/Ks, we found the fastest-evolving gene were atp8. But the results of p-distance indicated that the fastest-evolving gene was nad6. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that L. meleagris did not cluster with Lamprologus species, but with species from the genus Neolamprologus. The novel information obtained about these mitogenomes will contribute to elucidating the complex relationships among cichlid species.

Accurate forecasting for photovoltaic power generation is one of the key enablers for the integration of solar photovoltaic systems into power grids. Existing deep-learning-based methods can perform well if there are sufficient training data and enough computational resources. However, there are challenges in building models through centralized shared data due to data privacy concerns and industry competition. Federated learning is a new distributed machine learning approach which enables training models across edge devices while data reside locally. In this paper, we propose an efficient semi-asynchronous federated learning framework for short-term solar power forecasting and evaluate the framework performance using a CNN-LSTM model. We design a personalization technique and a semi-asynchronous aggregation strategy to improve the efficiency of the proposed federated forecasting approach. Thorough evaluations using a real-world dataset demonstrate that the federated models can achieve significantly higher forecasting performance than fully local models while protecting data privacy, and the proposed semi-asynchronous aggregation and the personalization technique can make the forecasting framework more robust in real-world scenarios.

Understanding migratory routes is crucial for the conservation of birds and their habitats. Zhejiang is a crucial stopover and wintering area for birds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway; however, detailed information on this area, and particularly on connections between coastal areas, is limited. By synthesizing ringed and recapture records from local bird-ringing projects and re-sighting community science data (208 records of 35 species), we established migratory connectivity between the Zhejiang coast and nine countries (i.e., Russia, Mongolia, the United States, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia), as well as eleven sites within China, and established its crucial role in this flyway. Stopover fidelity was verified by some species with high recapture frequency (seven species exceeded 1%) and species with duplicated re-sighted records (seven Black-faced Spoonbill, one Dalmatian Pelican, and two Spoon-billed Sandpiper individuals). We identified six areas—Hangzhou Bay, Aiwan Bay, Xuanmen National Park, Wenzhou Bay, the reclaimed area between the Ou and Feiyun Rivers, and the Wenzhou Jiangnan Reclamation Area—as crucial stopovers and wintering refuges for waterbirds. Notably, in Xuanmen National Park and the coastal regions along Wenzhou, there were many recovery records for flagship species, such as the Black-faced Spoonbill and Spoon-billed Sandpiper. There were several cases of the recovery of the same individual studied across the years. These findings indicate that these unprotected wetlands require particular attention. Broadly, our findings highlight the feasibility of integrating comprehensive ringing projects with citizen science data to formulate effective conservation strategies and underscore the critical importance of the Zhejiang Coast for migratory waterbirds, particularly those with high conservation concerns, emphasizing the need to mitigate the threats faced by these vulnerable populations.

Abstract The inequality in leaf and fruit size distribution per plant can be quantified using the Gini index, which is linked to the Lorenz curve depicting the cumulative proportion of leaf (or fruit) size against the cumulative proportion of the number of leaves (or fruits). Prior researches have predominantly employed empirical models—specifically the original performance equation (PE‐1) and its generalized counterpart (GPE‐1)—to fit rotated and right‐shifted Lorenz curves. Notably, another potential performance equation (PE‐2), capable of generating similar curves to PE‐1, has been overlooked and not systematically compared with PE‐1 and GPE‐1. Furthermore, PE‐2 has been extended into a generalized version (GPE‐2). In the present study, we conducted a comparative analysis of these four performance equations, evaluating their applicability in describing Lorenz curves related to plant organ (leaf and fruit) size. Leaf area was measured on 240 culms of dwarf bamboo (Shibataea chinensis Nakai), and fruit volume was measured on 31 field muskmelon plants (Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud.). Across both datasets, the root‐mean‐square errors of all four performance models were consistently smaller than 0.05. Paired t‐tests indicated that GPE‐1 exhibited the lowest root‐mean‐square error and Akaike information criterion value among the four performance equations. However, PE‐2 gave the best close‐to‐linear behavior based on relative curvature measures. This study presents a valuable tool for assessing the inequality of plant organ size distribution.

The vascular veins in photosynthetic leaves play an important role in transporting water and sugars throughout the plant body, and their venation pattern and vein density determine the hydraulic efficiency of the leaf. Likewise, stomatal density (SD) can influence photosynthetic gas exchange. However, the correlation between leaf vein density and SD is seldom reported. Herein, we examined 16 leaves from the hybrid Photinia × fraseri and 16 leaves from one of its parents, P. serratifolia, to explore the correlation between leaf vein density and SD. For each leaf, equidistant lamina quadrats were excised along two longitudinal transects (one along the midrib and another along the leaf margin). For each quadrat, micrographs of 1.2 mm × 0.9 mm stomatal imprints, and 2.51 mm × 1.88 mm micrographs of leaf veins were used to measure total vein area per leaf unit area (VAA) and total vein length per unit area (VLA), as indicators of leaf vein density, to determine the correlation between SD and leaf vein density. For each taxon, there was no significant correlation between SD and VAA, but there was a significant correlation between SD and VLA. The data indicate that SD is not positively correlated with VAA but positively correlated with VLA for both the hybrid and the parent species. This study indicates that future work should focus on the relationships between SD and total vein length per unit area rather than on total leaf vein area per unit area within and across species.

Abstract Background To analyze the expression of TXLNA in brain gliomas and its clinical significance. Methods Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis（GEPIA）and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas（CGGA）databases were retrieved as the methods. To assess the disparity between TXLNA expression in glioma and normal brain tissue. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was employed to preliminarily evaluate the survival curves of the high and low expression groups, this was done for investigate the correlation between TXLNA expression level and the survival and prognosis of glioma. A Cox proportional regression risk model of multivariate nature was employed to evaluate the elements impacting the survival and prognosis of glioma. Gene pool enrichment analysis（GSEA）was used to investigate the related function of TXLNA in glioma. A Pearson correlation test and co-expression analysis were employed to identify the genes most associated with TXLNA expression. Result The enrichment analysis results were observably enriched in signal pathways for instance the cell cycle and completion and coordination cascade pathways, and it is evident that high expression of TXLNA in gliomas is related to a poor survival and a bad patient prognosis, thus making it an independent prognostic factor for gliomas. Genes such as STK40 and R1MS1 are significantly correlated with TXLNA, playing a synergistic or antagonistic role. Conclusions The prognosis of GBM patients is strongly linked to the high expression of TXLNA, which may be a viable therapeutic target for curbing cancer progression and creating new immunotherapies for GBM.

Although the pencilfish is a globally popular economic fish in the aquarium market, its taxonomic classification could be further refined. In order to understand the taxonomy of species of the genus Nannostomus (Characiformes, Lebiasinidae) and their phylogenetic position within the order Characiformes, in this study, we characterized mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from four Nannostomus species for the first time. The four mitogenomes exhibited the typical circular structure, with overall sizes varying from 16,661 bp to 16,690 bp. They contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 1 control region (CR). Nucleotide composition analysis suggested that the mitochondrial sequences were biased toward A and T. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses based on PCGs support the family Lebiasinidae classification, described using four Nannostomus species, clustering together with Lebiasina multimaculata from the same family. The results of this study support the current taxonomic classification of the family Lebiasinidae. Phylogenetic analysis also suggested that gene rearrangement would not significantly impact the phylogenetic relationships within the order Characiformes. These results might provide new data regarding the phylogeny and classification of the order Characiformes, thus providing a theoretical basis for the economic development of aquarium fish markets.

Although the importance of the soil bacterial community for ecosystem functions has long been recognized, there is still a limited understanding of the associations between its community composition, structure, co-occurrence patterns, and soil physicochemical properties. The objectives of the present study were to explore the association between soil physicochemical properties and the composition, diversity, co-occurrence network topological features, and assembly mechanisms of the soil bacterial community. Four typical forest types from Liziping Nature Reserve, representing evergreen coniferous forest, deciduous coniferous forest, mixed conifer-broadleaf forest, and its secondary forest, were selected for this study. The soil bacterial community was analyzed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling was used to illustrate the clustering of different samples based on Bray–Curtis distances. The associations between soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure were analyzed using the Mantel test. The interactions among bacterial taxa were visualized with a co-occurrence network, and the community assembly processes were quantified using the Beta Nearest Taxon Index (Beta-NTI). The dominant bacterial phyla across all forest soils were Proteobacteria (45.17%), Acidobacteria (21.73%), Actinobacteria (8.75%), and Chloroflexi (5.06%). Chao1 estimator of richness, observed ASVs, faith-phylogenetic diversity (faith-PD) index, and community composition were distinguishing features of the examined four forest types. The first two principal components of redundancy analysis explained 41.33% of the variation in the soil bacterial community, with total soil organic carbon, soil moisture, pH, total nitrogen, carbon/nitrogen (C/N), carbon/phosphorous (C/P), and nitrogen/phosphorous (N/P) being the main soil physicochemical properties shaping soil bacterial communities. The co-occurrence network structure in the mixed forest was more complex compared to that in pure forests. The Beta-NTI indicated that the bacterial community assembly of the four examined forest types was collaboratively influenced by deterministic and stochastic ecological processes.

Objective Exosomes in the central nervous system (CNS) have become an attractive area of research with great value. However, few bibliometric analysis has been conducted. The study aimed to visualize the scientific trends and research hotspots of exosomes in the CNS by bibliometric analysis. Methods All potential articles and reviews on exosomes in the CNS published in English from 2001 to 2021 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. The visualization knowledge maps of critical indicators, including countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords, were generated by CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. Besides, each domain's quantitative and qualitative analysis was also considered. Results A total of 2,629 papers were included. The number of exosomes-related publications and citations regarding CNS increased yearly. These publications came from 2,813 institutions in 77 countries/regions, led by the United States and China. Harvard University was the most influential institution, while the National Institutes of Health was the most critical funding source. We identified 14,468 authors, among which Kapogiannis D had the most significant number of articles and the highest H-index, while Théry C was the most frequently co-cited. The cluster analysis of keywords generated 13 clusters. In summary, the topic of biogenesis, biomarker, and drug delivery will serve as hotspots in future research. Conclusion Exosomes-related CNS research has gained considerable attention in the past 20 years. The sources and biological functions of exosomes and their promising role in diagnosing and treating CNS diseases are considered hotspots in this field. The clinical translation of the results from exosomes-related CNS research will be of great importance in the future.

Abstract Background Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a multisystem genetic disorder that may affect multiple systems of the body. Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB) is a rare retinal dystrophy caused by autosomal recessively mutations in bestrophin 1 (BEST1) gene. So far, we have not retrieved any case report of the same patient with both NF1 and BEST1 gene mutations. Case presentation An 8-year-old female patient with café-au-lait spots, freckling on skin presented to our ophthalmology clinic for routine ophthalmological examination. Her best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20 in both eyes. Slit-lamp examination of both eyes revealed few yellowish-brown dome-shaped Lisch nodules over the iris surface. Fundus examination was notable for bilateral confluent yellowish subretinal deposits at macula, few yellow flecks at temporal retina, and cup-to-disc ratio of 0.2. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed subretinal fluid (SRF) involving the fovea, elongated photoreceptor outer segments and mild intraretinal fluid (IRF) at bilateral macula. Fundus autofluorescence demonstrated hyperautofluorescence in the area corresponding to the subretinal deposits. Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were used to investigate genetic mutation in the patient and her parents. A BEST1 gene heterozygous missense c.604 C > T (p.Arg202Trp) was identified in the patient and her mother. Also, the patient carries an NF1 nonsense mutation c.6637 C > T (p.Gln2213*) with the mosaic generalized phenotype. There were no visual impairments or obvious neurological, musculoskeletal, behavioral or other symptoms in this patient, so she was managed conservatively and advised to follow up regularly for a long time. Conclusions ARB and NF1, which are caused by two different pathogenic gene mutations, have rarely coexisted in the same patient. The discovery of pathogenic gene mutations may play a crucial role in more accurate diagnostics and genetic consultations for individuals and their families.

ABSTRACT: The colonization and development of gut microbiota are essential for the health and growth of chicks after hatching. However, the colonization and prevalence of gut microbiota have not been well characterized, and knowledge of which microbes and their relationship with average daily gain in chicks is still limited. This study characterized the dynamic succession of microbiota in the intestinal tract of chicks and investigated its relationship with daily weight gain. A total of 121 fecal samples across 7 time points from d 0 to 10 posthatching were collected from 19 chicks randomly selected from 1,950 chicks. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing examined microbial composition of fecal samples. The observed species index of alpha diversity increased with age, gradually achieving stability at 3 d of age. The microbiota of chicks after hatching was primarily Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (34.49%), and its relative abundance diminishes with age. In contrast, Lactobacillus had a low relative abundance in the first 2 d after hatching and gradually increased with age. Predicted functional capacities found that the microbiota of early-stage posthatching (d 0 and 1 after hatching) was involved in metabolism, including amino acid metabolism, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, and nitrogen metabolism. However, at the later stage posthatching (from d 3–10 after hatching), the intestinal microbial function was involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, cell growth and death, and methane metabolism. It was identified that 47 operational taxonomic units were associated with average daily gain of chicks, 12 of which were annotated with Lactobacillus and significantly positive associated with average daily gain. In addition, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 was significantly negatively associated with average daily gain. Taken together, we characterized the dynamic successions of intestinal microbiota in hatching chicks. The intestinal microbiota of chicks has an impact on the host average daily gain. Our findings should be instrumental in improving local chick production.

Abstract Background Increasing evidence indicates that psoriasis (PSO) and periodontitis (PD) are likely to occur together, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Materials and methods The expression profiles of PSO (lesion vs non-lesion, GSE30999, GSE14905) and PD (affected vs unaffected gingival tissue, GSE16134, GSE10334) were downloaded from the GEO database. First, we investigated the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PSO and PD. Then, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, protein interaction network (PPI) construction, and hub gene identification analysis were carried out. Finally, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, miRNA interaction analysis, and transcription factors (TFs) interaction analysis for hub genes were performed. Results Eighteen DEGs were identified for further analysis, including 15 up-regulated genes and 3 down-regulated genes. 9 hub genes were then identified via Cytohubba, including IL1B, CXCL1, CXCL8, MMP12, CCL18, SELL, CXCL13, FCGR3B, and SELE. Their functions are mainly enriched in two aspects: neutrophil chemotaxis and migration, chemokine activation and interaction. The enriched signaling pathways includes three categories: host defense, inflammation-related signaling pathways, and disease-related pathways. 9 common miRNAs based on experimental evidence and 10 common TFs were further identified in both PSO and PD. Conclusion Our study revealed possible comorbidity mechanisms in PSO and PD from the perspective of bioinformatics tentatively. The data can present new insight for joint prevention and treatment of in PSO and PD, as well as provide data support for further prospective studies.

A touch screen that combines a display and a touch sensor array is a critical component enabling human-machine interaction. The progress made in flexible touch screen technologies also vigorously drives the development and application of flexible electronics in various fields. Over the past decade, there have been enormous research and development efforts on new structures and materials for touch sensors in flexible displays, especially for flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Herein, this review discusses the mechanics and structures of flexible touch screens, including their benefits and drawbacks. The recent advances in the structures and electrode materials (e.g., ITO, silver nanowires, metal mesh, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and conductive polymers) are reviewed, and the challenges and prospects of these technologies are also explored.

Colorectal cancer is a global malignancy with a high incidence and mortality rate. THZ2, a small inhibitor targeted CDK7, could inhibit multiple human tumor growths including small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, ovarian cancer. However, the effect of THZ2 on inflammation, especially on colitis-associated colorectal cancer, is still unknown. In this study, we assessed the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effect of THZ2 in the mouse models of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis and azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS-induced colitis-associated colorectal cancer. We found that THZ2 ameliorated inflammatory symptoms, including bleeding and diarrhea, in mouse models of DSS-induced acute colitis and AOM/DSS-induced colorectal cancer. The results of Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed that THZ2 rescued the up-regulated expression of COX2, IL-6, β-catenin, and snail in the mouse models. Moreover, THZ2 inhibits the development of colorectal cancer in the mouse model of AOM/DSS-induced colitis-associated colorectal cancer. Generally, THZ2 not only can inhibit DSS-induced colitis, but also can hinder AOM/DSS-induced colorectal cancer.

Psoriasis is one of several chronic inflammatory skin diseases with a high rate of recurrence, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), as an important precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), has been reported to be a promising agent in treating various diseases, its positive effects including those induced via its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. For this reason, we have aimed to explore the possible role of NMN in the treatment of psoriasis. Psoriasis models were constructed with imiquimod (IMQ) stimulation for 5 days in vivo and with M5 treatment in keratinocyte cell lines in vitro. NMN treatment during the IMQ application period markedly attenuated excess epidermal proliferation, splenomegaly, and inflammatory responses. According to GEO databases, Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) levels significantly decreased in psoriasis patients’ lesion tissues; this was also the case in the IMQ-treated mice, while NMN treatment reversed the SIRT1 decline in the mouse model. Moreover, NMN supplementation also improved the prognoses of the mice after IMQ stimulation, compared to the untreated group with elevated SIRT1 levels. In HEKa and HaCaT cells, the co-culturing of NMN and M5 significantly decreased the expression levels of proinflammation factors, the phosphorylation of NF-κB, stimulator of interferon genes (STING) levels, and reactive oxygen species levels. NMN treatment also recovered the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and respiration ability and reduced mtDNA in the cytoplasm, leading to the inhibition of autoimmune inflammation. The knockdown of SIRT1 in vitro eliminated the protective and therapeutic effects of NMN against M5. To conclude, our results indicate that NMN protects against IMQ-induced psoriatic inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction by activating the SIRT1 pathway.

Abstract Background Dietary magnesium deficiency, which is common in modern diet, has been associated with osteoarthritis (OA) susceptibility. Despite this clinical association, no study has addressed if dietary magnesium deficiency accelerates OA development, especially at molecular level. This study aimed to explore aggravating effects of dietary magnesium deficiency on cartilage damage in an injury-induced murine OA model and to determine the underlying mechanism. Methods Twelve-week-old C57BL/6J mice subject to injury-induced OA modeling were randomized into different diet groups in which the mice were fed a diet with daily recommended magnesium content (500 mg/kg) or diets with low magnesium content (100 or 300 mg/kg). Articular cartilage damage was evaluated using the OARSI score. To determine molecular mechanisms in vitro, mouse chondrocytes were treated with media of low magnesium conditions at 0.1 and 0.4 mM, compared with normal magnesium condition at 0.7 mM as control. Anabolic and catabolic factors, autophagy markers, β-catenin, Wnt ligands, and a magnesium channel transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily member 7 (TRPM7) were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting. Autolysosomes were detected by DALGreen staining via fluorescence microscopy and autophagosomes were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Autophagy markers, β-catenin, and TRPM7 were assessed in vivo in the mouse cartilage, comparing between dietary magnesium deficiency and normal diet, by immunohistochemistry. Results Dietary magnesium deficiency aggravated injury-induced cartilage damage, indicated by significant higher OARSI scores. Autophagy markers LC3-II and Beclin-1 were decreased both in low magnesium diet-fed mice and low magnesium-treated chondrocytes. The number of autolysosomes and autophagosomes was also reduced under low magnesium conditions. Moreover, magnesium deficiency induced decreased anabolic and increased catabolic effect of chondrocytes which could be restored by autophagy activator rapamycin. In addition, reduced autophagy under low magnesium conditions is mediated by activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The expression of TRPM7 also decreased in low magnesium diet-fed mice, indicating that downstream changes could be regulated through this channel. Conclusions Dietary magnesium deficiency contributes to OA development, which is mediated by reduced autophagy through Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation. These findings indicated potential benefits of adequate dietary magnesium for OA patients or those individuals at high risk of OA.

IntroductionA moderated mediation model was constructed in this study to clarify the relationship between family background and self-efficacy of adolescent table tennis players, focusing on the mediating effect of technical learning engagement in the relationship as well as the moderating role of factors such as gender and training years.Methods189 adolescent table tennis players (age: 13.69±1.28 years) were investigated as subjects using a questionnaire method.Results(1) Family background, technical learning engagement, and self-efficacy were significantly and positively correlated (p

In nature, the fruit shapes of many plants resemble avian eggs, a form extensively studied as solids of revolution. Despite this, the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are themselves solids of revolution remains unvalidated. To address this, 751 Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud. fruits were photographed, and the two-dimensional (2D) boundary coordinates of each fruit profile were digitized. Then, the explicit Preston equation (EPE), a universal egg-shape model, was used to fit the 2D boundary coordinates to obtain the estimates of the EPE’s parameters of each fruit. Under the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are solids of revolution, the fruit volumes were estimated using the solid of revolution formula based on the estimated EPE’s parameters. To test whether the fruits are solids of revolution, the fruit volumes were measured by using a graduated cylinder and compared with the estimated volumes using the solid of revolution formula. The EPE was demonstrated to be valid in describing the 2D profiles of C. melo var. agrestis fruits. There was a significant correlation between the measured fruit volumes using the graduated cylinder and the estimated fruit volumes using the solid of revolution formula based on the estimated EPE’s parameters. Acknowledging potential measurement errors, particularly fruit fuzz causing air bubbles during volume measurements, we recognize slight deviations between measured volumes and estimated values. Despite this, our findings strongly suggest that C. melo var. agrestis fruits are solids of revolution. This study contributes insights into the evolutionary aspects of fruit geometries in plants with egg-shaped fruits and introduces a practical tool for non-destructively calculating fruit volume and surface area based on photographed 2D fruit profiles.

Background. To date, immunotherapy for patients with malignant tumors has shown a significant association with myocarditis. However, the mechanism of metabolic reprogramming changes for immunotherapy-related cardiotoxicity is still not well understood. Methods. The CD45+ single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of the Pdcd1-/-Ctla4+/- and wild-type mouse heart in GSE213486 was downloaded to demonstrate the heterogeneity of immunocyte atlas in immunotherapy-related myocarditis. The liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) spectrum metabolomics analysis detects the metabolic network differences. The drug prediction, organelle level interaction, mitochondrial level regulatory network, and phosphorylation site prediction for key regulators have also been screened via multibioinformatics analysis methods. Results. The scRNA analysis shows that the T cell is the main regulatory cell subpopulation in the pathological progress of immunotherapy-related myocarditis. Mitochondrial regulation pathway significantly participated in pseudotime trajectory- (PTT-) related differential expressed genes (DEGs) in the T cell subpopulation. Additionally, both the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of PTT-related DEGs and LC-MS/MS metabolomics analysis showed that mitochondrial-regulated glycerolipid metabolism plays a central role in metabolic reprogramming changes for immunotherapy-related cardiotoxicity. Finally, the hub-regulated protease of diacylglycerol kinase zeta (Dgkz) was significantly identified and widely played various roles in glycerolipid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and lipid kinase activation. Conclusion. Mitochondrial-regulated glycerolipid metabolism, especially the DGKZ protein, plays a key role in the metabolic reprogramming of immunotherapy-related myocarditis.

Offshore Wind Power Systems (OWPS) offer great energy and environmental advantages, but also pose significant Operation and Maintenance (O&M) challenges. In this survey, we analyze these challenges and propose some optimization strategies and technologies for OWPS comprehensively. The existing literature review mainly focuses on a certain field of offshore wind power O&M, but lacks a comprehensive introduction to offshore wind power. We consider the energy efficiency, reliability, safety, and economy of OWPS from various aspects, such as offshore wind and wave energy utilization, offshore wind turbine components, and wind power operation parameters, and compare them with onshore wind power systems. We suggest that OWPS can benefit from advanced design optimization, digital twin, monitoring and forecasting, fault diagnosis, and other technologies to enhance their O&M performance. This paper aims to provide theoretical guidance and practical reference for the technological innovation and sustainable development of OWPS.

The epidemic of avian coccidiosis seriously threatens the animals’ welfare and the economic gains of the poultry industry. Widespread in avian coccidiosis, Eimeria mitis (E. mitis) could obviously impair the production performance of the infected chickens. So far, few effective vaccines targeting E. mitis have been reported, and the nanovaccines composed of nanospheres captured our particular attention. At the present study, we construct two kinds of nanospheres carrying the recombinant E. mitis actin depolymerizing factor (rEmADF), then the characterization was then analyzed. After safety evaluation, the protective efficacy of rEmADF along with its nanospheres were investigated in chickens. The promoted secretions of antibodies and cytokines, as well as the enhanced percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were evaluated by the ELISA and flow cytometry assay. In addition, the absolute quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay implied that vaccinations with rEmADF-entrapped nanospheres could significantly reduce the replications of E. mitis in feces. Compared with the rEmADF-loaded chitosan (EmADF-CS) nanospheres, the PLGA nanospheres carrying rEmADF (EmADF-PLGA nanosphers) were more effective in up-regulating weight efficiency of animals and generated equally ability in controlling E. mitis burdens in feces, suggesting the PLGA and CS nanospheres loaded with rEmADF were the satisfactory nanovaccines for E. mitis defense. Collectively, nanomaterials may be an effective antigen delivery system that could help recombinant E. mitis actin depolymerizing factor to enhance immunoprotections in chicken against the infections of E. mitis.

BackgroundThe major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene family, a vital immune gene family in vertebrates, helps animals defend against pathogens. The polymorphism of MHC genes is important for a species and is considered to be caused by the numerous alleles of MHC antigen-presenting genes. However, the mechanism of this process is unclear due to the lack of data on the MHC structure. The evolutionary trajectories of the tetrapod MHC are also unclear because of insufficient studies on the reptile MHC architecture. Here, we studied the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis), which experienced a population bottleneck, but the population increased rapidly in the past 30 years and is proposed to have a unique MHC system to face pathogenic challenges.ResultsWe successfully constructed a 2 Mb MHC region using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library and genome data of the Chinese alligator and checked the antigen-presenting genes using transcriptome data and the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. The MHC architecture reported here uncovers adjacent Class I and Class II subregions and a unique CD1 subregion. This newly added information suggested that the Class I-II structure pattern was more ancient in tetrapods and helped reconstruct the evolution of the MHC region architecture. We also found multiple groups of MHC class I (MHC-I) (12 duplicated loci, belonging to three groups, two of which were novel) and MHC class II (MHC-II) (11 duplicated loci, belonging to two groups) inside the 2 Mb MHC region, and there were three more duplicated MHC-I loci outside it. These highly duplicated antigen-presenting loci had differences in expression, amino acid length of antigen-presenting exons, and splice signal of exon and intron, which together promoted the polymorphism of duplicated genes. Although the MHC antigen-presenting genes were identified as monomorphic or oligomorphic in our previous population study, the loci with high copy numbers and many differences can make up for this loss, presenting another mechanism for polymorphism in antigen presentation. These MHC-I and MHC-IIB loci with low polymorphism for each locus, but high numbers in all, may also contribute to MHC antigen-presenting binding variability in a population.ConclusionTo summarize, the fine MHC region architecture of reptiles presented in this study completes the evolutionary trajectories of the MHC structure in tetrapods, and these distinctive MHC gene groups in the Chinese alligator may have helped this species to expand rapidly in the past recent years.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers worldwide, with high mortality. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of liver cancer, especially transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, should be further studied. Here we used chromatin and cross-linking immunoprecipitation with high throughput sequencing methods (ChIP-seq and CLIP-seq) to capture the global binding profiles on RNAs and DNAs of Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and its partner Jumonji And AT-Rich Interaction Domain Containing 2 (JARID2) in liver carcinoma cell lines (HepG2) and normal liver cell line (THLE-2), respectively. We also integrated HCC transcriptome data from the TCGA to analyze the expression pattern of bound genes. We found that EZH2 and JARID2 both showed distinct binding profiles between HepG2 and THLE-2 cells. By binding to the primary RNAs, bound transcripts of EZH2 and JARID2 in HepG2 showed significantly increased transcriptional levels in HCC patients. By performing gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), the bound transcripts were also highly related to HCC development. We also found EZH2 and JARID2 could specifically bind to several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), including H19. By exploring the DNA binding profile, we detected a dramatically repressed DNA binding ability of EZH2 in HepG2 cells. We also found that the EZH2-bound genes showed slightly increased transcriptional levels in HepG2 cells. Integrating analysis of the RNA and DNA binding profiles suggests EZH2 and JARID2 shift their binding ability from DNA to RNA in HepG2 cells to promote cancer development in HCC. Our study provided a comprehensive and distinct binding profile on RNAs and DNAs of EZH2 and JARID2 in liver cancer cell lines, suggesting their potential novel functional manners to promote HCC development.

Abstract On‐skin digitalization, streamlining the concept of the “human to device to cyberspace” platform, has attracted great attention due to its vital function in remote medicine and human–cyber interfaces. Beyond traditional rigid electrodes, soft electrodes with conformal and comfortable interfaces are essential for long‐term and high‐fidelity signal acquisition. In addition, the on‐skin data processing systems will get rid of complex cables toward a vision of fascinating form, being lightweight, skin‐friendly and even imperceptible. Although numerous soft materials and devices with mechanical tolerance have been developed, the study of conformal electrodes and on‐skin digital integrated systems are still in infancy. Here, the requirements and designs of conformal electrodes, the emerging opportunities and challenges from multichannel/multifunctional sensors to a whole new on‐skin sensing platform are highlighted.

The solid–liquid compound casting of Mg-AZ91D and Ti-TC4 alloys was developed by using pure Ni electro-deposited coating. The pouring temperatures of 660 ℃, 690 ℃, 720 ℃ and 750 ℃ were chosen to investigated the effects of casting temperatures on microstructural evolution, properties, and fracture behaviors of Ni-coated TC4/AZ91D bimetals by the solid–liquid compound casting (SLCC). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) results showed that the interfacial zone mainly composed of nickel, Mg2Ni and Mg-Al-Ni in the bimetals cast at 660 ℃. As the pouring temperature was increased to 750 ℃, the width of the interface zone, which mainly composed of δ(Mg), Mg2Ni, Mg-Al-Ni, Mg3TiNi2 and Al3Ni, gradually increased. The microhardness tests showed that the micro-hardness of the interface zone was smaller than that of TC4 substrate but larger than that of the cast AZ91D matrix. At the pouring temperature of 720 ℃, the Ni-coated TC4/AZ91D bimetals had the most typical homogeneous interface, which had granular Mg-Al-Ni ternary phase but no ribbon-like Al3Ni binary phase, and achieved the highest shear strength of 97.35 MPa. Meanwhile, further fracture behavior analysis showed that most fracture failure of Ni-coated TC4/AZ91D bimetals occurred at the Mg2Ni + δ(Mg) eutectic structure and Al3Ni hard intermetallic.

Abstract Gold has been one of the most vastly used noble metals due to its unique properties. In modern manufacturing, gold is extensively used in electronics industry as electrical connectors due to the high conductivity and corrosion resistance. With advancements in gold chemistry and nanofabrication technologies, gold materials can be tailored down to the dimension of nanoscale, which enables various novel properties. However, it is still a huge challenge to realize practical functional devices by rational utilizing these gold nanostructures‐based materials. Herein, the recent developments in the design and fabrication of various functional devices based on assemblies and composites of gold nanostructures are summarized. Starting from the plasmonic effect, optical colorimetric sensors, optoelectronics and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensors are introduced. Followed by conductive devices with novel properties, flexible transparent conductors, stretchable electronics, wearable and implantable devices are discussed. Both bottom‐up and top‐down approaches to prepare assemblies and composites are covered. In addition, the challenges and future developments in the field are also addressed. It is believed that further developments in gold nanostructures‐based materials will greatly contribute to the next‐generation biosensors, optoelectronics, wearable and implantable electronics.

17β-estradiol (E2) has been proved to control reproduction, sexual differentiation, and the development of the secondary sexual characteristics of vertebrate females. In decapod crustacean species, crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH), a protein hormone, is required for developing adult-specific ovigerous setae for embryo brooding and gonophores for mating at the blue crab Callinectes sapidus puberty molting. However, it is unclear that whether the mode of CFSH action involves a vertebrate-type sex steroid hormone in crustaceans. To this end, E2 levels were first measured using a competitive ELISA in the hemolymph and the potential CFSH target tissues from both prepuberty and adult females; the presence of E2 was further confirmed with a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Then, the cDNAs of the following genes known to be associated with vertebrate steroidogenic pathways were isolated: StAR-related lipid transfer protein 3 (StAR3); 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD); two isoforms of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 8 (17βHSD8); and, estradiol-related receptor (ERR). RT-PCR analysis revealed that these genes were widely distributed in the eyestalk ganglia, hepatopancreas, brain, ovary, spermathecae, ovigerous and plumose setae tissues of adult females. The 17βHSD8 transcripts were localized in the follicle cells, the periphery of the nuclear membrane of primary oocytes, and yolk granules of the vitellogenic oocytes using in situ hybridization, and the corresponding protein was detected in the follicle cells and ooplasm of primary oocytes using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the adult females injected with CFSH-dsRNA (n = 30 times) had E2 and StAR3 transcripts levels lower in the ovigerous and plumose setae, spermathecae than controls. These results suggested that the mode of CFSH action in C. sapidus might involve E2 in these adult-female-specific tissues.

BackgroundMyocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the main obstacle to percutaneous coronary intervention, lacking effective therapeutic measures in a clinical setting. Herba Siegesbeckiae (HS) is a traditional herb with multiple pharmacological activities and evidence of cardiovascular protection. However, few data are available regarding the role of HS in cardiac I/R. This study aimed to explore the effect and underlying mechanism of HS aqueous extract on cardiac I/R injury.Materials and MethodsHerba Siegesbeckiae aqueous extract was prepared and analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS. After intragastric administration of HS once daily for 7 days, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 30 min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 120 min reperfusion to elicit I/R. Various parameters like myocardial infarction and apoptosis, 12-lead ECG and hemodynamics, cardiac morphology and myocardial enzymes, quantitative proteomics, mitochondrial ultrastructure and electron transport chain (ETC) function, oxidative stress and antioxidation, and NLRP3 inflammasome and inflammation were evaluated.ResultsThe chemical constituents of HS aqueous extract were mainly divided into flavonoids, diterpenoids, and organic acids. In vivo, HS aqueous extract notably alleviated myocardial I/R injury, as evidenced by a reduction in infarct size, apoptotic cells, and cardiac lesion enzymes; decline of ST-segment elevation; improvement of cardiac function; and preservation of morphology. Quantitative proteomics demonstrated that HS reversed the alteration in the expression of Adgb, Cbr1, Decr1, Eif5, Uchl5, Lmo7, Bdh1, Ckmt2, COX7A, and RT1-CE1 after I/R. In addition, HS preserved myocardial ultrastructure and restored the function of mitochondrial ETC complexes following exposure to I/R; HS significantly suppressed I/R-elicited increase of ROS, RNS, MDA, and 8-OHdG, restrained the acetylation of MnSOD, and recovered the activity of MnSOD; and HS reversed I/R-induced elevation of NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibited the release of inflammatory factors and pyroptosis.ConclusionHerba Siegesbeckiae aqueous extract ameliorated cardiac I/R injury, which is associated with mitigating oxidative stress, suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome, and restoring mitochondrial function by regulating the expression of Adgb, Cbr1, Decr1, Eif5, Uchl5, Lmo7, Bdh1, Ckmt2, COX7A, and RT1-CE1.

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a major storage pest that could lead to a wide range of damage. Its secretions have a significant impact on the quality of stored grain and food, leading to serious food safety problems such as grain spoilage and food carcinogenesis. This study investigates new detection techniques for grain storage pests to improve grain insect detection in China. The primary volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in these secretions are identified using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The specific VOCs that are unique to T. castaneum are selected as criteria for determining the presence of T. castaneum in the granary. To obtain more specific VOCs, experiments were designed for the analysis of T. castaneum samples under different extraction times, two types of SPME fibers and two GC-MS devices of different manufacturers. The experimental results showed that 12 VOCs were detected at relatively high levels, seven of which were common and which were not detected in other grains and grain insects. The seven compounds are 1-pentadecene, 2-methyl-p-benzoquinone, 2-ethyl-p-benzoquinone, 1-hexadecene, cis-9-tetradecen-1-ol, m-cresol and paeonol. These seven compounds can be used as volatile markers to identify the presence of T. castaneum, which could serve as a research foundation for the creation of new techniques for T. castaneum monitoring.

Floodplain wetlands are among the most dynamic ecosystems on Earth, featuring high biodiversity and productivity. They are also sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances and are globally threatened. Understanding how flow regime drives the spatiotemporal dynamics of wetland habitats is fundamental to effective conservation practices. In this study, using Landsat imagery and the random forest (RF) machine learning algorithm, we mapped the winter distribution of four wetland habitats (i.e., Carex meadow, reedbed, mudflat, and shallow water) in East Dongting Lake, a Ramsar wetland in the middle to lower Yangtze Basin of China, for 34 years (1988–2021). The dynamics of wetland habitats were explored through pixel-by-pixel comparisons. Further, the response of wetland habitats to flow regime variations was investigated using generalized additive mixed models (GAMM). Our results demonstrated the constant expansion of reedbeds and shrinkage of mudflats, and that there were three processes contributing to the reduction in mudflat: (1) permanent replacement by reedbed; (2) irreversible loss to water; and (3) transitional swapping with Carex meadow. These changes in the relative extent of wetland habitats may degrade the conservation function of the Ramsar wetland. Moreover, the duration of the dry season and the date of water level withdrawal were identified as the key flow regime parameters shaping the size of wetland habitats. However, different wetland vegetation showed distinct responses to variations in flow regime: while Carex meadow increased with earlier water withdrawal and a longer dry season, reedbed continuously expanded independent of the flow regime corresponding to the increase in winter rainfall. Our findings suggested that flow regime acts in concert with other factors, such as climate change and sand mining in river channels, driving wetland habitat transition in a floodplain landscape. Therefore, effective conservation can only be achieved through diverse restoration strategies addressing all drivers.

Wheel odometry is a simple and low-cost localization technique that can be used for localization in GNSS-deprived environments; however, its measurement accuracy is affected by many factors, such as wheel slip, wear, and tire pressure changes, resulting in unpredictable and variable errors, which in turn affect positioning performance. To improve the localization performance of wheel odometry, this study developed a wheel odometry error prediction model based on a transformer neural network to learn the measurement uncertainty of wheel odometry and accurately predict the odometry error. Driving condition characteristics including features describing road types, road conditions, and vehicle driving operations were considered, and models both with and without driving condition characteristics were compared and analyzed. Tests were performed on a public dataset and an experimental vehicle. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model can predict the odometry error with higher accuracy, stability, and reliability than the LSTM and WhONet models under multiple challenging and longer GNSS outage driving conditions. At the same time, the transformer model’s overall performance can be improved in longer GNSS outage driving conditions by considering the driving condition characteristics. Tests on the experimental vehicle demonstrate the model’s generalization capability and the improved positioning performance of dead reckoning when using the proposed model. This study explored the possibility of applying a transformer model to wheel odometry and provides a new solution for using deep learning in localization.

Lane-level route planning is a critical issue for a lane-level navigation system for autonomous vehicles. Current route-planning methods mainly focus on the road level and applying them directly to search for lane-level routes results in a reduction in search efficiency. In addition, previously developed lane-level methods lack consideration for vehicle characteristics and adaptability to multiple road network structures. To solve this issue, this study proposes an accelerated and refined lane-level route-planning algorithm based on a new lane-level road network model. First, five sub-layers are designed to refine the internal structure of the divided road and intersection areas so that the model can express multiple variations in road network structures. Then, a multi-level route-planning algorithm is designed for sequential planning at the road level, lane group level, lane section level, and lane level to reduce the search space and significantly improve routing efficiency. Last, an optimal lane determination algorithm considering traffic rules, vehicle characteristics, and optimization objectives is developed at the lane level to find the optimal lanes on roads with different configurations, including those with a constant or variable number of lanes while satisfying traffic rules and vehicle characteristics. Tests were performed on simulated road networks and a real road network. The results demonstrate the algorithm’s better adaptability to changing road network structures and vehicle characteristics compared with past hierarchical route planning, and its higher efficiency compared with direct route planning, past hierarchical route planning, and the Apollo route-planning method, which can better support autonomous vehicle navigation.

Objective Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) are significant for the growth, regeneration, and maintenance of skeletal muscle after birth. However, currently, few studies have been performed on the isolation, culture and inducing differentiation of goose muscle satellite cells. Previous studies have shown that C1q and tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) participated in the process of muscle growth and development, but its role in the goose skeletal muscle development is not yet clear. This study aimed to isolate, culture, and identify the goose SMSCs in vitro. Additionally, to explore the function of CTRP3 in goose SMSCs. Methods Goose SMSCs were isolated using 0.25% trypsin from leg muscle (LM) of 15 to 20 day fertilized goose eggs. Cell differentiation was induced by transferring the cells to differentiation medium with 2% horse serum and 1% penicillin streptomycin. Immunofluorescence staining of Desmin and Pax7 was used to identify goose SMSCs. Quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction and western blot were applied to explore developmental expression profile of CTRP3 in LM and the regulation of CTRP3 on myosin heavy chains (MyHC), myogenin (MyoG) expression and Notch signaling pathway related genes expression. Results The goose SMSCs were successfully isolated and cultured. The expression of Pax7 and Desmin were observed in the isolated cells. The expression of CTRP3 decreased significantly during leg muscle development. Overexpression of CTRP3 could enhance the expression of two myogenic differentiation marker genes, MyHC and MyoG. But knockdown of CTRP3 suppressed their expression. Furthermore, CTRP3 could repress the mRNA level of Notch signaling pathway-related genes, notch receptor 1, notch receptor 2 and hairy/enhancer-of-split related with YRPW motif 1, which previously showed a negative regulation in myoblast differentiation. Conclusion These findings provide a useful cell model for the future research on goose muscle development and suggest that CTRP3 may play an essential role in skeletal muscle growth of goose.