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Abstract Salt deposits are indicative of relatively extreme climate events. However, due to insufficient independent temperature proxies, paleotemperature records obtained from salt deposition are still lack. The Paleocene evaporite sequence deposited in the Hongze Depression of Subei Basin of eastern China provides an important terrestrial sediment record during this period. In this study we present total of 488 homogenization temperature (Th) data of halite fluid inclusions from drilling core with different stratigraphic depth after detailed petrological observation. The obtained Th ranged from 17.7 °C to 52.3 °C, with the mean Th value of 34.1 °C that in good agreement with the previous studies of climatic proxies. Our study shows that primary fluid inclusions of halite can serve as a robust tool to construct the ancient earth surface temperature.

Automated expert systems (AES) analyzing depression-related content on social media have piqued the interest of researchers. Depression, often linked to suicide, requires early prediction for potential life-saving interventions. In the conventional approach, psychologists conduct patient interviews or administer questionnaires to assess depression levels. However, this traditional method is plagued by limitations. Patients might not feel comfortable disclosing their true feelings to psychologists, and counselors may struggle to accurately predict situations due to limited data. In this context, social media emerges as a potentially valuable resource. Given the widespread use of social media in daily life, individuals often express their nature and mental state through their online posts. AES can efficiently analyze vast amounts of social media content to predict depression levels in individuals at an early stage. This study contributes to this endeavor by proposing an innovative approach for predicting suicide risks using social media content and machine learning techniques. A novel multi-model feature generation technique is employed to enhance the performance of machine learning models. This technique involves the use of a feature extraction method known as term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), combined with two machine learning models: logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM). The proposed technique calculates probabilities for each sample in the dataset, resulting in a new feature set referred to as the probability-based feature set (ProBFS). This ProBFS is compact yet highly correlated with the target classes in the dataset. The utilization of concise and correlated features yields significant outcomes. The SVM model achieves an impressive accuracy score of 0.96 using ProBFS while maintaining a low computational time of 5.63 seconds even when dealing with extensive datasets. Furthermore, a comparison with state-of-the-art approaches is conducted to demonstrate the significance of the proposed method.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women worldwide, making early detection and diagnosis critical for effective treatment and improved patient outcomes. Ultrasound imaging is a common diagnostic tool for breast cancer, but interpreting ultrasound images can be challenging due to the complexity of breast tissue and the variability of image quality. This study proposed an Attention Gated Multi ResU-Net model for medical image segmentation tasks, that has shown promising results for breast cancer ultrasound image segmentation. The model’s multi-scale feature extraction and attention-gating mechanism enable it to accurately identify and segment areas of abnormality in the breast tissue, such as masses, cysts, and calcifications. The model’s quantitative test showed an adequate degree of agreement with expert manual annotations, demonstrating its potential for improving early identification and diagnosis of breast cancer. The model’s multi-scale feature extraction and attention-gating mechanism enable it to accurately identify and segment areas of abnormality in the breast tissue, such as masses, cysts, and calcifications, achieving a Dice coefficient of 0.93, sensitivity of 93%, and specificity of 99%. These results underscore the model’s high precision and reliability in medical image analysis.

Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent that possesses cleaning and bactericidal properties, but impact of BAC on wellbeing of aquatic organisms remains uncertain. Consequently, in this current study, we have examined the immunotoxic potential of BAC in zebrafish embryos, thus marking it as the pioneering effort in this field. According to the findings, zebrafish embryos exposed to BAC exhibited a decline in yolk area that varied with the concentration, along with a significant decrease in the count of neutrophils, macrophages, red blood cells, and thymus T-cells. We observed significantly up-regulated expression of immune-related signaling genes such as cxcl-c1c, il-8, tir4 and inf-γ, but expression of nf-κb was downregulated. In addition, we observed a marked reduction in the number of hematopoietic stem cells in zebrafish larvae after BAC exposure, which could be the result of oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis. We found that compared with the control group, the number of red blood cells in juvenile zebrafish in BAC-exposure group was significantly down-regulated, which could be attributed to hematopoietic stem cell defect. Astaxanthin restored immune cells and hematopoietic stem cells after BAC exposure, whereas Inhibitor of Wnt Response-1(IWR-1) restored neutrophils after BAC exposure. The research findings demonstrated that exposure to BAC displayed harmful effects on the development and immune system of zebrafish embryos. These effects might be associated with alterations in reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels and activation of the Wnt signaling pathway caused by BAC.

Abstract Background Dermatomyositis (DM) is an infrequent disease subgroup of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies characterized by distinct skin lesions. However, high heterogeneity makes clinical diagnosis and treatment of DM very challenging. Objectives Unsupervised classification in DM patients and analysis of key factors related to clinical outcomes. Methods This retrospective study was conducted between 2017 and 2022 at the Department of Rheumatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. 162 DM patients were enrolled for unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis. In addition, we divided the clinical outcomes of DM patients into four subgroups: withdrawal, stabilization, aggravation, and death, and compared the clinical profiles amongst the subgroups. Results Out of 162 DM patients, three clusters were defined. Cluster 1 (n = 40) was mainly grouped by patients with prominent muscular involvement and mild Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Cluster 2 (n = 72) grouped patients with skin rash, anti-Melanoma Differentiation Associated protein 5 positive (anti-MDA5+), and Rapid Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease (RP-ILD). Cluster 3 (n = 50) grouped patients with the mildest symptoms. The proportion of death increased across the three clusters (cluster 3 < cluster 1 < cluster 2). Study limitations The number of cases was limited for the subsequent construction and validation of predictive models. We did not review all skin symptoms or pathological changes in detail. Conclusions We reclassified DM into three clusters with different risks for poor outcome based on diverse clinical profiles. Clinical serological testing and cluster analysis are necessary to help clinicians evaluate patients during follow-up and conduct phenotype-based personalized care in DM.

Background In liquid biopsy, mutation detection is primarily performed using cell-free DNA (cfDNA). However, the numerous advantages of extracellular vesicle (EV) DNA for mutation detection have gradually garnered the attention of researchers in recent years. This study aimed to compare the differences between EV DNA and cfDNA in mutation detection and explore the role of plasma androgen receptor (AR) mutations in the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa).Methods We compared the biological characteristics of plasma extracellular vesicle DNA (p-EV DNA) and cfDNA by capillary electrophoresis and concentration detection. Subsequently, we performed pan-oncogene-targeted sequencing in paired tissue and plasma samples from five patients with PCa to verify the feasibility of mutation detection using p-EV DNA and cfDNA. Further, we conducted AR mutation detection in expanded samples to compare the differences between EV DNA and cfDNA in mutation detection and to analyse their role in PCa.Results p-EV DNA fragments were larger than plasma cell-free DNA (p-cfDNA) fragments; however, there was no significant difference in their concentrations in the plasma of patients with PCa. Feasibility analysis revealed that major mutations associated with PCa detected in tissue samples could be identified in both p-EV DNA and p-cfDNA. Advantage comparison found that, although cfDNA could detect more mutations, AR mutations in EV DNA were more strongly associated with a poor prognosis of PCa than cfDNA.Conclusion Mutation detection using either EV DNA or cfDNA is both feasible in PCa liquid biopsies, and EV DNA AR mutations have an advantage in prognostic assessment for PCa. This study lays the foundation for future research on EV DNA-related biomarkers.

Abstract Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common hematological malignancy. Drug resistance remains to be a major clinical challenge in MM therapy. In this study, we aim to investigate the functional roles of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC)-derived exosomal miR-182 on the carfilzomib resistance of MM and its underlying mechanism. Methods qRT-PCR and Western blot methods were utilized to confirm the gene or protein expressions. CCK-8 and transwell assays were performed to measure the capabilities of proliferation, migration, and invasion. The molecular interactions were validated through ChIP and Dual luciferase assay. Results Our findings indicated that miR-182 expression was upregulated in serum, BMSCs and BMSC-derived exosomes from MM patients. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a key transcriptional factor in tumor microenvironment, could boost miR-182 expression by directly binding to its promoter, thus favoring exosomal secretion. Moreover, exosomal miR-182 from BMSCs could be transferred to MM cells and was able to promote malignant proliferation, metastasis, and invasion, as well as decrease the sensitivity of MM cells against carfilzomib. Additionally, SOX6 was identified as a downstream target of miR-182 in MM cells, and its expression was negatively regulated by miR-182. Rescue experiments proved that loss of SOX6 in MM cells dramatically reversed the promoting roles of BMSC-secreted exosomal miR-182 on proliferation, metastasis, and carfilzomib resistance in MM cells. Conclusion Collectively, our findings indicated that exosomal miR-182 derived from BMSCs contributed to the metastasis and carfilzomib resistance of MM cells by targeting SOX6. This study sheds light on the pathogenesis of the BMSC-derived exosome containing miR-182 in the malignant behaviors of MM cells and carfzomib resistance.

Abstract Observations have revealed that the deadly “hot eastern‐pluvial western” climate pattern in Asia in summer 2022 is by no means an exception. In recent decade this pattern is becoming much more frequent owing to the notable westward extension and enhancement of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH). The anomalously enhanced WPSH fills the gap in geopotential heights between the Arabian Sea‐Iranian Plateau and the western Pacific, produces a heat dome over eastern Asia and intensifies the moisture convergence over western Asia by changing the water vapor transportation path. Projections of 19 CMIP6 models show that both the temperature in eastern Asia and precipitation in western Asia will remarkably increase under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 2‐4.5, SSP 3‐7.0, and SSP 5‐8.5 scenarios, with temperature anomalies 0.8°C, 1.5°C, and 2.4°C higher and the percentages of precipitation anomaly 6.3%, 9.4%, and 12.5% larger than the reference period in the near, middle, and long terms under the moderate emission scenario (SSP2‐4.5). Therefore, the “hot eastern‐pluvial western” Asia is becoming a new normal and exacerbating the risk of compound disasters.

Abstract The Gaussian noise model and estimators based on least squares (LS) are widely used in target localisation with distributed multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) radar because of their computational efficiency. However, the accuracy of existing LS‐based target localisation algorithms deteriorates sharply in the presence of outliers in the measurements. Thus, a robust solution is developed based on the lp‐norm minimisation criterion and iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) for locating a moving target with impulse noise using the angle of arrival (AOA), time delay (TD), and Doppler shift (DS) measurements. First, the AOA, TD, and DS measurement noise models are developed based on the α‐stable distribution. Then, the localisation problem is transformed into an lp‐norm minimisation problem by linearising the AOA, TD, and DS measurement equations. Finally, the lp‐norm minimisation problem is solved using an IRLS method to obtain the target position and estimate the velocity. Moreover, the optimum of the norm order (p) and the Cramér–Rao lower bound for the target position and velocity estimation are derived under α‐stable distributed measurement noise. The simulation results demonstrate that the developed algorithm offers higher accurascy and robustness than the existing ones in the presence of measurement outliers.

Due to their huge socio-economic impacts and complex formation causes, extreme and continuous drought events have become the focus and nodus of research in recent years. In the midsummer (July–August) of 2022, a severe drought event occurred in the whole Yangtze River Basin (YRB), China. During that period, the precipitation in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the YRB dropped over 40% less than the 1961–2021 climatic mean, which had never happened previously. Furthermore, the temperature was the highest during 1961–2022. The record-breaking magnitude of less rainfall and high temperature directly led to the continuous development of this extreme drought event. An atmospheric moisture budget analysis revealed that the YRB midsummer rainfall anomaly was dominated by the anomalous powerful vertical moisture advection, which was derived from the strongest descending motion over the whole YRB in the 2022 midsummer during 1981–2022. The western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) during the midsummer remained stronger, more westward and lasted longer than the climatic mean. As a result, the whole YRB was controlled by a positive geopotential height centre. Further evidence revealed that the anomalous subtropical zonal flow played a crucial role in inducing the extreme descent over the YRB. Moreover, the anomalous upper-tropospheric easterly flow over the YRB in 2022 is the strongest during 1981–2022, modulating the generation of the unprecedented descent anomaly over the YRB. The likelihood that an integrated connection of severe drought in East Asia and flood in West Asia and northwestern South Asia would increase when the extremely strong easterly anomalies in the upper troposphere emerged and induced descending adiabatic flow on the eastern sides of the Tibetan Plateau. The results of this study can provide scientific insights into the predictability of extreme drought events and provide ways to improve predictions.

Abstract Natural rhizosphere bacteria has the potential to act as an alternative of chemical pesticides for sustainable agriculture. In the current study, tobacco rhizosphere Bacillus velezensis D exhibited great antibacterial effect against Ralstonia solanacearum, and significantly enhanced the tobacco resistance against bacterial wilt in pot experiments. Then Bacillus velezensis D was labeled with gfp marker and found to stably colonize in tobacco root, the colonization density of strain D in root still remained 5.33 × 104 CFU/gat 30 days post-inoculation. Subsequently, field trials for two years (2021–2022) showed the control effects of the strain D on the tobacco bacterial wilt were 12.26% and 36.37%, respectively, indicating the application of B. velezensis D could improve plant resistance to R.solanacearum. In order to further study the antibacterial activities of strain D, effects of the crude extracts on the swimming ability, cell viability and the morphology of R. solanacearum were analyzed. The results showed that the crude extracts reduced the motility of R. solanacearum, and caused cell wall rupture and cell death. Furthermore, MALDI-TOF-MS and HPLC-QTOF-MS analysis indicated that lipopeptides (fengycin and iturin) and polyketides (bacillaene) were detected in the crude extracts of strain D. Based on these findings, we speculated that Bacillus velezensis D firstly colonized in tobacco root, then produced antibacterial substances at ecological sites to exert antagonistic effects, inhibiting motility traits of R. solanacearum and damaging the cell well. Hence, Bacillus velezensis D could be used as a potential biological control agents against tobacco bacterial wilt.

Objective: The concentration of the placental circulating factor in early pregnancy is often extremely low, and the traditional prediction method cannot meet the clinical demand for early detection preeclampsia in high-risk gravida. It is of prime importance to seek an ultra-sensitive early prediction method. Methods: In this study, finite-different time-domain (FDTD) and Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) simulation, and electron beam lithography (EBL) methods were used to develop a bowtie nanoantenna (BNA) with the best field enhancement and maximum coupling efficiency. Bio-modification of the placental circulating factor (sFlt-1, PLGF) to the noble nanoparticles based on the amino coupling method were explored. A BNA LSPR biosensor which can specifically identify the placental circulating factor in preeclampsia was constructed. Results: The BNA LSPR biosensor can detect serum placental circulating factors without toxic labeling. Serum sFlt-1 extinction signal (Δλmax) in the preeclampsia group was higher than that in the normal pregnancy group (14.37 ± 2.56 nm vs. 4.21 ± 1.36 nm), p = 0.008, while the serum PLGF extinction signal in the preeclampsia group was lower than that in the normal pregnancy group (5.36 ± 3.15 nm vs. 11.47 ± 4.92 nm), p = 0.013. The LSPR biosensor detection results were linearly consistent with the ELISA kit. Conclusions: LSPR biosensor based on BNA can identify the serum placental circulating factor of preeclampsia with high sensitivity, without toxic labeling and with simple operation, and it is expected to be an early detection method for preeclampsia.

Abstract Background Thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissections (TAADs) represent a group of life-threatening diseases. Genetic aetiology can affect the age of onset, clinical phenotype, and timing of intervention. We conducted a prospective trial to determine the prevalence of pathogenic variants in TAAD patients and to elucidate the traits related to harbouring the pathogenic variants. One hundred and one unrelated TAAD patients underwent genetic sequencing and analysis for 23 TAAD-associated genes using a targeted PCR and next-generation sequencing-based panel. Results A total of 47 variants were identified in 52 TAAD patients (51.5%), including 5 pathogenic, 1 likely pathogenic and 41 variants of uncertain significance. The pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in 4 disease-causing genes were carried by 1 patient with familial and 5 patients with sporadic TAAD (5.9%). In addition to harbouring one variant causing familial TAAD, the FBN1 gene harboured half of the P/LP variants causing sporadic TAAD. Individuals with an age of onset less than 50 years or normotension had a significantly increased genetic risk. Conclusions TAAD patients with a younger age at diagnosis or normotension were more likely to carry a P/LP variant; thus, routine genetic testing will be beneficial to a better prognosis through genetically personalized care prior to acute rupture or dissection.

The value of Extracellular vesicles (EVs) diagnostic markers is widely recognized. However, current research on EV DNA remains limited. This study investigates the biological properties, preprocessing factors, and diagnostic potential of EV DNA. We found that DNA positive vesicles account for 23.3% ± 6.7% of the urine total EV, with a large amount of DNA attached to the outside. EV DNA fragments are large, there is no significant effect on uEV DNA when store urine less than 6 h at 4°C. In addition, the influence of different EV extraction methods on methylation detection is also minor. More importantly, RASSF1A methylation in urine total EV DNA can distinguish between PCa and BPH, with an AUC of 0.874. Our results suggest the potential of urine EV DNA as a novel marker for PCa diagnosis. This provides a new idea for the study of urinary tumor markers.

ContextSurgical treatment is important for male lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) management, but there are few reviews of the risks of reoperation.ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the current evidence regarding the reoperation rates of surgical treatment for LUTS in accordance with current recommendations and guidelines.Evidence acquisitionEligible studies published up to July 2023, were searched for in the PubMed® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Embase® (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Web of Science™ (Clarivate™, Philadelphia, PA, USA) databases. STATA® (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA) software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. Random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled incidences (PIs) of reoperation and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Evidence synthesisA total of 119 studies with 130,106 patients were included. The reoperation rate of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 4.0%, 5.0%, 6.0%, and 7.7%, respectively. The reoperation rate of plasma kinetic loop resection of the prostate (PKRP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 3.5%, 3.6%, 5.7%, and 6.6%, respectively. The reoperation rate of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 2.4%, 3.3%, 5.4%, and 6.6%, respectively. The reoperation rate of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 3.3%, 4.1%, 6.7%, and 7.1%, respectively. The reoperation rate of surgery with AquaBeam® at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 2.6%, 3.1%, 3.0%, and 4.1%, respectively. The reoperation rate of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 12.2%, 20.0%, 26.4%, and 23.8%, respectively. The reoperation rate of transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 9.9%, 19.9%, 23.3%, and 31.2%, respectively. The reoperation rate of transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) at 5 years was 13.4%. The reoperation rate of open prostatectomy (OP) at 1 and 5 years was 1.3% and 4.4%, respectively. The reoperation rate of thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) at 1, 2, and 5 years was 3.7%, 7.7%, and 8.4%, respectively.ConclusionOur results summarized the reoperation rates of 10 surgical procedures over follow-up durations of 1, 2, 3, and 5 years, which could provide reference for urologists and LUTS patients.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023445780.

Abstract Based on the daily temperature observation data at 1992 stations in China, this study investigates the intra‐seasonal variations and trends of extreme warm spells during 1981–2022. The results indicate that the nationwide extreme cold and warm spells have both increased rapidly since the 21st century. However, different from cold extremes which occur evenly in winter months, the nationwide super warm spells have distinct intra‐seasonal differences, with more occurrences in February. The number of nationwide extreme warm spells has increased from 8 during 1981–2001 to 14 during 2002–2022, and the intensity has also increased obviously. Due to the spatial differences, the study area is divided into three regions to reveal the detailed features. It is found that the warm spell frequencies in most of China increase from December to February while decrease in northeastern China. Results demonstrate that extreme warm spells are concentrated in late winter in most regions (stations). The significant increasing trends are widespread from northern China to most parts of southern China, and the areas with increasing trend exceeding +0.6 day/decade are concentrated in North China and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Linear trends indicate that the significantly increasing trends in late winter contribute a major part to the variation in the whole winter in China.

Studies about high temperatures in China rarely touched the period beyond summer. But in September–early October 2021, a record-breaking high temperature event occurred in southern China, and affected agriculture in many provinces. Both the daily maximum temperature and the number of high temperature days were the highest in September since 1951. To better understand the different features and possible causes of the extreme event in autumn from those in summer, the analysis of atmospheric circulation patterns was conducted. The western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) was quite stronger and extended much more westward in most of the days in September 2021 than its climatology, which directly caused this unprecedented autumn high temperature event. Besides, the mid-latitude trough over the east of Japan may also play an essential role in this high temperature event. Due to the southward extension of the trough, a cyclonic circulation anomaly appeared at 850 hPa, and its northerly wind component prevailed in the west of the trough and blocked the eastward retreat of the WPSH. As a result, southern China was stably controlled by the WPSH, which led to the persistence of this high temperature event. The conclusion is further confirmed by the statistical results from the analysis of the multi-year data and analogue analysis. Compared to the previous studies, this study reveals the essential role of the mid-latitude trough and highlights the joint impacts of the WPSH and the trough in causing the unprecedented autumn high temperature event.

In early November 2021, China experienced its second strongest cold wave event during 1981–2021. Although the Siberian high is considered the main factor influencing cold wave events in East Asia, it was not extremely strong from 4 to November 9, 2021. The spatial distribution of the correlation coefficients between the sea level pressure and the daily temperature anomalies shows a monopole pattern, with a notable negative centre in the southern part of the Siberian high monitoring domain. However, the correlation between the sea level pressure and temperature drop presents a typical dipole pattern, with a distinct negative centre in the northern monitoring domain and a positive centre in southern East Asia. During the November 2021 super cold wave process, the sea level pressure anomalies display a dipole pattern with a higher centre in the north and a lower centre in the south owing to the northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The meridional pressure gradient index clearly reveals the non-negligible effect of subtropical low-pressure on this super cold wave process, indicating its possibly essential supplementary role in enhancing this process. The above findings provide a new understanding of its mechanism and long-range forecasts.

Abstract Objective To investigate the effects of intensive family-centered health education on the awareness rate, diagnosis, and treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD) in community families. Methods Elderly patients (60–90 years) from 20 community service centers affiliated with the Department of Neurology and the Medical Association of Tongling Municipal Hospital who had been diagnosed with stroke between January 2017 and June 2020 were screened using the hospital and community electronic medical record system. In this randomized cluster trial, 119 patients from 10 communities were assigned as the control group and received routine community treatment, while 126 patients from the other 10 communities were assigned as the experimental group and received routine treatment plus family-centered intensive health education. After 12 months of medical intervention, the assessment of PSD in the two groups was performed by a neurologist and a psychiatrist, both blind to the study design, using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Results The awareness rates of the causes, clinical manifestations, treatment plan, and family care of PSD in the experimental group were 88.89, 91.30, 93.65, and 92.06%, respectively. In the control group, the awareness rates of these parameters were 72.27, 69.75, 71.43, and 65.55%, respectively, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P

IntroductionThis study aimed to explore the relationship between neuraxial labor analgesia and intrapartum fever and to demonstrate the influence of maternal fever on perinatal outcomes within 6 weeks after birth.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study that enrolled women with single- and full-term cephalic pregnancy in northern China. Intrapartum maternal fever was defined as the highest axillary temperature during labor ≥37.5°C. Data on baseline characteristics, maternal variables, and neonatal outcomes were all collected. The association between neuraxial labor analgesia and intrapartum maternal fever was analyzed with logistic regression models, and the cutoff point was identified by the receiver operating characteristic curve.ResultsOf 577 parturients, 74 (12.8%) developed intrapartum fever. Neuraxial analgesia was associated with an increased risk of maternal intrapartum fever with or without adjusting for confounding factors (adjusted OR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.32–5.47; p = 0.007). Further analysis showed that neuraxial analgesia of

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common reproductive system tumors. The incidence of ovarian cancer in China is on the rise. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (PARPi) is a DNA repair enzyme associated with DNA damage repair. PARPi takes PARP as a target to kill tumor cells, especially for tumors with homologous recombination (HR) dysfunction. Currently, PARPi has been widely used in clinical practice, mainly for the maintenance of advanced ovarian epithelial cancer. The intrinsic or acquired drug resistance of PARPi has gradually become an important clinical problem with the wide application of PARPi. This review summarizes the mechanisms of PARPi resistance and the current progress on PARPi-based combination strategies.

Liquid biopsy as a non-invasive method has a bright future in cancer diagnosis. Tumor-related extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their components (nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids) in biofluids may exert multiple functions in tumor growth, metastasis, immune escape, and angiogenesis. Among all the components, nucleic acids have attracted the most interest due to their simplicity of extraction and detection. In this review, the biological functions of EVs in prostate cancer (PCa) genesis and progression were summarized. Moreover, the diagnostic value of EV RNA markers found in clinical body fluid samples was reviewed, including their trends, challenging isolation methods, and diagnostic efficacy. Lastly, because relatively much progress has been made in PCa, studies on EV DNA markers are also discussed.

【Objective】In order to provide references for exploring the suitable application amount of organic and inorganic compound fertilizer for flue-cured tobacco K326 in dry land of Hezhou tobacco-growing area, the application amounts of different organic and inorganic compound fertilizer for flue-cured tobacco were compared.【Method】Taking fluecured tobacco variety K326 as experimental material, with conventional fertilization as control (CK), experiments were carried out in Fuchuan, Hezhou in 2021 to analyze the effects of different application amounts (1 500 kg/hm2, 1 725 kg/hm2, 1 950 kg/hm2)of organic and inorganic compound fertilizer for flue-cured tobacco on the yield and quality of K326.【Result】The yield and average single leaf weight of tobacco leaf increased with the increase of N application rate, and the output value of tobacco leaf and the proportion of superior tobacco were the highest under 1 950 kg/hm2 treatment.The nicotine content in the middle leaves was in the appropriate range under the treatments of 1 500 kg/hm2, 1 725 kg/hm2 and 1 950 kg/hm2, while the nicotine content in CK leaves was higher.The chemical composition coordination of the middle leaves was showed as: 1 500 kg/hm2 treatment > 1 725 kg/hm2 treatment > 1 950 kg/hm2 treatment > CK, and that of the upper leaves was showed as: 1 500 kg/hm2 treatment > 1 950 kg/hm2 > 1 725 kg/hm2 treatment=CK, and the overall composition coordination was the best under 1 500 kg/hm2treatment.The physical properties of the middle leaves ranked as: 1 500 kg/hm2 treatment > 1 950 kg/hm2 treatment > 1 725kg/hm2 treatment > CK and that of the upper leaves ranked as: 1 500 kg/hm2 treatment=1 725 kg/hm2 treatment=1950 kg/hm2treatment > CK.The sensory quality was better under the treatments of 1 500 kg/hm2 and 1 725 kg/hm2, which showed better aroma quality and sufficient aroma volume, and the irritation of the middle leaves was obviously less.The treatment of 1 725kg/hm2 got the highest score in comprehensive evaluation.【Conclusion】In Hezhou tobacco-growing area, the yield and quality of tobacco leaves were better when the application amount of organic and inorganic compound fertilizer for K326 fluecured tobacco was about 1 725 kg/hm2.

PurposeThis study aimed to explore the possibility of utilizing hepatitis B core protein (HBc) virus-like particles (VLPs) encapsulate doxorubicin (Dox) to reduce the adverse effect caused by its off-target and toxic side effect.MethodsHere, a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumor-targeting GE11-HBc VLP was constructed through genetic engineering. The GE11 peptide, a 12-amino-acid peptide targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), was inserted into the surface protein loops of VLPs. The Dox was loaded into HBc VLPs by a thermal-triggered encapsulation strategy. The in vitro release, cytotoxicity, and cellular uptake of TNBC tumor-targeting GE11-HBc VLPs was then evaluated.ResultsThese VLPs possessed excellent stability, DOX loading efficiency, and preferentially released drug payload at high GSH levels. The insertion of GE11 targeting peptide caused improved cellular uptake and enhanced cell viability inhibitory in EGFR high-expressed TNBC cells.ConclusionTogether, these results highlight DOX-loaded, EGFR-targeted VLPs as a potentially useful therapeutic choice for EGFR-overexpressing TNBC.

BackgroundEarly detection of ovarian aging is of huge importance, although no ideal marker or acknowledged evaluation system exists. The purpose of this study was to develop a better prediction model to assess and quantify ovarian reserve using machine learning methods.MethodsThis is a multicenter, nationwide population-based study including a total of 1,020 healthy women. For these healthy women, their ovarian reserve was quantified in the form of ovarian age, which was assumed equal to their chronological age, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select features to construct models. Seven machine learning methods, namely artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), generalized linear model (GLM), K-nearest neighbors regression (KNN), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) were applied to construct prediction models separately. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean squared error (MSE) were used to compare the efficiency and stability of these models.ResultsAnti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) were detected to have the highest absolute PCC values of 0.45 and 0.43 with age and held similar age distribution curves. The LightGBM model was thought to be the most suitable model for ovarian age after ranking analysis, combining PCC, MAE, and MSE values. The LightGBM model obtained PCC values of 0.82, 0.56, and 0.70 for the training set, the test set, and the entire dataset, respectively. The LightGBM method still held the lowest MAE and cross-validated MSE values. Further, in two different age groups (20–35 and >35 years), the LightGBM model also obtained the lowest MAE value of 2.88 for women between the ages of 20 and 35 years and the second lowest MAE value of 5.12 for women over the age of 35 years.ConclusionMachine learning methods combining multi-features were reliable in assessing and quantifying ovarian reserve, and the LightGBM method turned out to be the approach with the best result, especially in the child-bearing age group of 20 to 35 years.

Abstract Background Labor represents a period of significant physical activity. Inefficient energy supply may delay labor process and even lead to cesarean delivery. Herein we investigated whether ingestion of a carbohydrate-rich beverage could reduce cesarean delivery in laboring women with epidural analgesia. Methods This multicenter randomized trial was conducted in obstetrician-led maternity units of nine tertiary hospitals in China. Primigravidae with single term cephalic pregnancy who were preparing for vaginal birth under epidural analgesia were randomized to intake a carbohydrate-rich beverage or commercially available low-carbohydrate beverages during labor. The primary outcome was the rate of cesarean delivery. Secondary outcomes included maternal feeling of hunger, assessed with an 11-point scale where 0 indicated no hunger and 10 the most severe hunger, and maternal and neonatal blood glucose after childbirth. Results Between 17 January 2018 and 20 July 2018, 2008 women were enrolled and randomized, 1953 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The rate of cesarean delivery did not differ between the two groups (11.3% [111/982] with carbohydrate-rich beverage vs. 10.9% [106/971] with low-carbohydrate beverages; relative risk 1.04, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.33; p = 0.79). Women in the carbohydrate-rich beverage group had lower subjective hunger score (median 3 [interquartile range 2 to 5] vs. 4 [2 to 6]; median difference − 1; 95% CI − 1 to 0; p

Understanding the response of vegetation to temperature extremes is crucial for investigating vegetation growth and guiding ecosystem conservation. North China is a vital hub for China’s economy and food supplies, and its vegetation is highly vulnerable to complex heatwaves. In this study, based on remote sensing data, i.e., the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), spatio-temporal variations in vegetation and extreme high temperatures are investigated by using the methods of trend analysis, linear detrending, Pearson correlation and ridge regression. The impacts of extreme-high-temperature events on different vegetation types in North China from 1982 to 2015 are explored on multiple time scales. The results indicate that the NDVI in North China exhibits an overall increasing trend on both annual and monthly scales, with the highest values for forest vegetation and the fastest growth trend for cropland. Meanwhile, extreme-high-temperature events in North China also display an increasing trend. Before detrending, the correlations between the NDVI and certain extreme-high-temperature indices are not significant, while significant negative correlations are observed after detrending. On an annual scale, the NDVI is negatively correlated with extreme temperature indices, except for the number of warm nights, whereas, on a monthly scale, these negative correlations are only found from June to September. Grassland vegetation shows relatively strong correlations with all extreme temperature indices, while forests show nonsignificant correlations with the indices. This study offers new insight into vegetation dynamic variations and their responses to climate in North China.

Stress is becoming an increasingly prevalent health issue, seriously affecting people and putting their health and lives at risk. Frustration, nervousness, and anxiety are the symptoms of stress and these symptoms are becoming common (40%) in younger people. It creates a negative impact on human lives and damages the performance of each individual. Early prediction of stress and the level of stress can help to reduce its impact and different serious health issues related to this mental state. For this, automated systems are required so they can accurately predict stress levels. This study proposed an approach that can detect stress accurately and efficiently using machine learning techniques. We proposed a hybrid model (HB) which is a combination of gradient boosting machine (GBM) and random forest (RF). These models are combined using soft voting criteria in which each model’s prediction probability will be used for the final prediction. The proposed model is significant with 100% accuracy in comparison with the state-of-the-art approaches. To show the significance of the proposed approach we have also done 10-fold cross-validation using the proposed model and the proposed HB model outperforms with 1.00 mean accuracy and +/−0.00 standard deviation. In the end, a statistical T-test we have done to show the significance of the proposed approach in comparison with other approaches.

The azimuth, elevation, time delay (TD), and Doppler shift (DS) of the target echo signal are important parameters for target localization in passive radar. In this paper, for the problem of joint estimation of target azimuth, elevation, TD, and DS parameters in passive radar, a computationally efficient estimator is proposed based on segmented coherent integration and uniform circular array (UCA) interferometer direction finding. First, according to the parameters of the target motion and illuminators of opportunity, the reference and surveillance signals are divided into segments, with fast time within a segment and slow time across the segments; then, matching filtering along the fast time and fast Fourier transform (FFT) along the slow time are performed to accumulate the target echo energy to the same delay-Doppler cell; finally, the UCA interferometer two-dimensional direction finding is performed at the delay-Doppler cell where the target echo is located, to achieve the target azimuth and elevation estimate. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has low computational complexity, high real-time processing capability, and can achieve efficient and real-time estimation of the azimuth, elevation, TD, and DS parameters of weak target echoes in passive radar.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinicopathological syndrome characterized by excessive deposition of fatty acids in the liver. Further deterioration leads to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, creating a heavy burden on human health and the social economy. Currently, there are no effective and specific drugs for the treatment of NAFLD. Therefore, it is important to further investigate the pathogenesis of NAFLD and explore effective therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of the disease. Six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 3 (STEAP3), a STEAP family protein, is a metalloreductase. Studies have shown that it can participate in the regulation of liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, hepatocellular carcinoma, myocardial hypertrophy, and other diseases. In this study, we found that the expression of STEAP3 is upregulated in NAFLD. Deletion of STEAP3 inhibits the development of NAFLD in vivo and in vitro, whereas its overexpression promotes palmitic acid/oleic acid stimulation-induced lipid deposition in hepatocytes. Mechanistically, it interacts with transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) to regulate the progression of NAFLD by promoting TAK1 phosphorylation and activating the TAK1-c-Jun N-terminal kinase/p38 signaling pathway. Taken together, our results provide further insight into the involvement of STEAP3 in liver pathology.

Mmillimeter-wave (mmWave) massive multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) system usually utilizes hybrid precoding to reduce complex hardware and high energy consumption. However, most hybrid precoding scheme consider the fully connected architecture, which may result in a significant loss of energy efficiency. In this paper, we propose a hybrid precoding scheme based on the overlapped subarray architecture (OSA), where the analog part of the MU-MIMO system is realized by a OSA network. Based on the OSA architecture, a modified generalized low rank approximation of matrices (GLRAM) based hybrid precoding scheme is designed to maximize the achievable sum-rate, where the analog precoding algorithm apply the phase alignment technology and GLRAM approach to obtain RF precoder/combiner with high array gain provided by massive MIMO system. Then, the block diagonalization (BD) technology is performed to obtain the digital precoding matrix for the multiplexing gain. Simulation results show that the modified GLRAM based hybrid precoding algorithm for OSA architecture can reduce the number of iterations. Compared with the existing hybrid precoding algorithm, it achieves higher spectral efficiency and lower complexity.

Rapeseed is a globally important economic crop that can be severely impacted by aphids. However, our understanding of rapeseed resistance to aphid stress is very limited. In this study, we analyzed the resistance characteristics of the low aphid-susceptible variety APL01 and the highly aphid-susceptible variety Holly in response to aphid stress. APL01 had a more significant inhibitory effect on aphid proliferation compared with Holly during the early stage of inoculation, whereas Holly showed stronger tolerance to aphid stress compared with APL01 during the later stage of inoculation. Through transcriptome, physiological, and gene expression analyses, it was revealed that chitinase activity, catalase activity, calcium signal transduction, and activation of systemic acquired resistance might be involved in aphid resistance in B. napus. The degree of inhibition of photosynthesis in plants under aphid stress directly determines the tolerance of B. napus to aphid stress. Furthermore, four promising candidate genes were screened from eight genes related to rapeseed response to biotic stress through RT-qPCR analysis of gene expression levels. These research findings represent an important step forward in understanding the resistance of rapeseed to aphid stress and provide a solid foundation for the cloning of genes responsible for this resistance.

Abstract Objective The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness and safety of secondary cytoreductive surgery plus chemotherapy (SCS + CT) in recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC). Our secondary purpose was to analyze whether patients could benefit from complete resection. Methods We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from inception to April 2021. We used appropriate scales to assess the risk of bias. Data from included studies that reported median PFS or OS were weighted by individual study sample size, and aggregated for meta-analysis. We calculated the pooled proportion of complications within 30 days after surgery. Results We identified 13 articles, including three RCTs and ten retrospective cohort studies. A total of 4572 patients were included, of which 916 patients achieved complete resection, and all patients were comparable at baseline. Compared with chemotherapy alone, SCS + CT significantly improved the PFS (HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.43–0.67) and OS (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44–0.81). Contrary to the results of cohort studies, the meta-analysis of RCTs showed that SCS + CT could not bring OS benefits (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.66–1.3). The subgroup analysis showed the prognostic importance of complete resection. Compared with chemotherapy alone, complete resection was associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.45–0.61) and OS (HR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.39–0.81), while incomplete resection had no survival benefit. Additionally, complete resection could maximize survival benefit compared with incomplete resection (HR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.46–0.69; HR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.50–0.75). The pooled proportion for complications at 30 days was 21% (95% CI: 0.12–0.30), and there was no statistical difference in chemotherapy toxicity between the two groups. Conclusion The review indicated that SCS + CT based regimens was correlated with better clinical prognosis for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, but the interpretation of OS should be cautious. The meta-analysis emphasizes the importance of complete resection, suggesting that the potential benefits of prolonging survival may outweigh the disadvantages of any short-term complications associated with surgery.

There are no licensed therapeutics or vaccines available against porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) to eliminate its potential for congenital disease. In the absence of effective treatments, it has led to significant economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. Similar to the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, PDCoV is trans-species transmissible and there is still a large desert for scientific exploration. We have reported that selenomethionine (SeMet) has potent antiviral activity against PDCoV. Here, we systematically investigated the endogenous immune mechanism of SeMet and found that STAT3/miR-125b-5p-1/HK2 signalling is essential for the exertion of SeMet anti-PDCoV replication function. Meanwhile, HK2, a key rate-limiting enzyme of the glycolytic pathway, was able to control PDCoV replication in LLC-PK1 cells, suggesting a strategy for viruses to evade innate immunity using glucose metabolism pathways. Overall, based on the ability of selenomethionine to control PDCoV infection and transmission, we provide a molecular basis for the development of new therapeutic approaches.

BackgroundNeuraxial analgesia is widely used to relieve labor pain; its effects on long-term neurodevelopment of offspring remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the influence of maternal neuraxial labor analgesia on offspring mental development.MethodsThis was a predefined secondary analysis of a 2-year prospective longitudinal study. Nulliparous women with single-term cephalic pregnancy preparing for vaginal delivery self-selected neuraxial analgesia or not during labor. Mothers and their offspring were followed up 2 years later. children's mental development was assessed with the bayley scales of infant development. A multivariable logistic model was used to identify factors associated with below-average mental development (Mental Development Index

Abstract Background Although more and more attention has been paid to the psychological consequences of the lockdown policy amongst pregnant women, the underlying mechanism linking the lockdown policy to maternal depression has not been studied in the context of China. This study aimed to explore the association between the lockdown policy and maternal depressive symptoms, and whether such association was mediated by internet use and/or family support. Methods This cross-sectional study used multi-stage sampling techniques in central and western China. Data were collected from 1266 pregnant women using a structtured questionnaire that measured internet use, family support, and depressive symptoms. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Internet use was measured by length of usage and varierity of purpose for internet use. Family support was measureed by spousal support and parental support. The structural equation modelling was employed to conduct mediation analysis to test the specificity of the hypothetical paths. Results Overall, 527 respondents (41.63%) presented depressive symptoms. The lockdown policy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in pregnant women (β = − 0.925, 95% CI = −1.510, − 0.360). The impact of the lockdown policy on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by internet use (β = 1.589, 95% CI = 0.730, 2.807) and family support (β = − 0.162, 95% CI = − 0.341, − 0.017), accounting for 42.67% of the total effect. Conclusions The lockdown policy was generally associated with fewer depressive symptoms in pregnant women. The lockdown policy increased maternal depressive symptoms through increased internet use, but decreased maternal depressive symptoms through enhanced family support. The findings suggest that the psychological consequence of the lockdown policy may vary across different populations, and warrant the need to take into consideration the features of subgroups.

Southern corn leaf blight (SCLB) caused by Bipolaris maydis threatens maize growth and yield worldwide. In this study, TMT-labeled comparative peptidomic analysis was established between infected and uninfected maize leaf samples using liquid-chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry. The results were further compared and integrated with transcriptome data under the same experimental conditions. Plant peptidomic analysis identified 455 and 502 differentially expressed peptides (DEPs) in infected maize leaves on day 1 and day 5, respectively. A total of 262 common DEPs were identified in both cases. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the precursor proteins of DEPs are associated with many pathways generated by SCLB-induced pathological changes. The expression profiles of plant peptides and genes in maize plants were considerably altered after B. maydis infection. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of SCLB pathogenesis and offer a basis for the development of maize genotypes with SCLB resistance.

Candida biofilm-related infections cause increased morbidity and mortality in patients with a reduced immune response. Traditional antifungal therapies have proven to be insufficient as the biofilm matrix acts as a perfusion barrier. Thus, novel methods are required to improve drug delivery and kill Candida within the biofilm. In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) loaded with Amphotericin B (AMB), which were functionalized with β-1,3-glucanase (Gls), were fabricated (CSNPs-AMB-Gls), and their antibiofilm activity against Candida albicans biofilm was evaluated in vitro. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were employed to examine biofilm architecture and cell viability. CSNPs-AMB-Gls inhibited planktonic cell growth and biofilm formation effectively and exhibited the highest efficacy on the removal of a mature biofilm than free AMB or CSNPs-AMB. The created nanoparticles (NPs) were found to penetrate the biofilm so as to directly interfere with the cells inside and disassemble the biofilm matrix. CSNPs-AMB-Gls could also eradicate biofilms from clinical isolates. These results suggest the potential applicability of CSNPs-AMB-Gls for the treatment of Candida biofilm-related infections.

Nucleotides (NTs) are regulatory factors in many biological processes and play important roles in the growth, development, and metabolism of living organisms. We used senescence-accelerated mouse prone-8 (SAMP8) to investigate the effects of NTs on the gut microbiota and metabolites. And the promoting effect of NTs on the growth of a probiotic (Lactobacillus casei) was explored through in vitro experiments. The results showed that the sequencing depth of 16S rDNA covered all microbial species in the feces of SAMP8. Supplementation with exogenous NTs to the diet enhanced the diversity of the gut microbiota, reduced the abundance of bacteria with negative effects on the body (such as Verrucomicrobia, Ruminococcaceae, Akkermansia and Helicobacter), and increased the abundance of the microbiota, which had beneficial effects on the mice (such as Lactobacillus, Candidatus saccharimonas and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group). Metabonomic analysis showed that NT deficiency in the diet significantly affected metabolites in the mouse feces. The metabolites in mice supplemented with NTs tended to be normal (SAMR1). The differentially expressed metabolites caused by NT addition are involved in various pathways in the body, including linoleic acid metabolism, vitamin B6 metabolism, and histidine metabolism. Correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between the gut microbiota and differentially expressed metabolites caused by the addition of NTs. In vitro experiments showed that NTs significantly promoted the growth, secretion of biofilm and extracellular polymeric substance of L. casei. NTs also promoted the ability of the crude extract of L. casei to resist the secretion of Shigella biofilm. Thus, NTs can regulate the abundance of the gut microbiota and alter the metabolic expression of the intestinal microbiome.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging porcine intestinal coronavirus in recent years, which mainly causes different degrees of vomiting and diarrhea in piglets and has caused great harm to the swine husbandry worldwide since its report. Selenium is an essential trace element for organisms and has been demonstrated to have antiviral effects. In this study, pig kidney epithelial (LLC-PK) cells were used to study the antiviral activity of selenomethionine (Se-Met) (2, 4, 8, and 16 μM) against PDCoV by detecting the replication of the virus, the expression of the mitochondrial antiviral signal protein (MAVS) protein, and the phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3), IFN-α, and IFN-β, and the changes in glutathione content, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activity, and hydrogen peroxide content in the cells. The results showed that Se-Met at higher than physiological concentrations (16 μM) could significantly inhibit the replication of PDCoV in LLC-PK cells and enhance the expression of MAVS protein and the phosphorylation of IRF-3. In addition, Se-Met also improved the intracellular production of IFNα/β and antioxidant capacity with increasing doses. These data suggest that the availability of selenium through selenomethionine supports the antiviral response in porcine kidney cells, and the specific mechanism is attributed to the improved cellular antioxidant capacity and activation of the MAVS pathway by Se-Met.

Purple-violet gem spinels from Tanzania and Myanmar have been investigated for their gemological, spectroscopic, chemical, and colorimetric characteristics. Samples TS and MS both had a purple hue with a pinkish or brownish secondary tone and medium–strong saturation. We identified a number of inclusions, including dolomite, phlogopite, and forsterite in Tanzanian spinel and magnesite, apatite, baddeleyite, anhydrite, pyroxene, and graphite in Myanmar spinel. Tanzanian spinels have slightly lower FWHM (full width at half maximum) values of the 406 cm−1 line in the Raman spectrum and the Cr3+ zero phonon line in the PL spectrum compared to samples from Myanmar. Fe, Mn, Cr, V, and Zn are proved as useful discriminators to distinguish these two geographic locations. UV-Vis-NIR spectra and CIE L*a*b* parameters are compared with trace element chemistry. Both samples are colored by Fe2+, with minor Fe3+, Cr3+, and V3+. Cr, V, and Fe are combined to influence the hue angle and lightless of purple spinels from Tanzania. However, due to the relatively stable content in Myanmar samples, Fe shows a minor effect on these two parameters. It is worth noting that all inclusion scene, spectral, and chemical characteristics, as well as the comparison presented in this study are of a limited number of samples from Tanzania and Myanmar.

Extreme summer heat can have severe socioeconomic impacts and has occurred frequently in North China in recent years, most notably in June–July 2023, when North China experienced the most widespread, persistent, and high-intensity extreme heat on record. Here, typical weather patterns covering North China and its surrounding areas were classified into seven types based on the Cost733class package, and the weather pattern type 4 (T4), characterized by the strengthened ridge and anticyclone anomaly in northeastern China, was found as the most favorable for the occurrence of extreme summer heat in North China (NCSH). Diagnostic and wave activity flux analyses indicate that the Eurasian teleconnection (EAT) pattern from the atmosphere and the Victoria mode (VM) from the ocean are the top two dominant climate drivers of the T4 weather pattern. The empirical models constructed based on the EAT and the VM can effectively simulate the number of days of the T4 weather pattern and the NCSH, respectively. Our results suggest that, with the help of the seasonal forecast from climate models, the EAT and the VM can be used to predict the number of days of the T4 weather pattern and the NCSH for the coming summer, enabling us to protect human health and reduce its socioeconomic impacts through proactive measures in advance.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is now widely used in cancer therapy. However, the biological effects of SBRT compared with conventional radiotherapy (CRT) are not clear. The cytoskeleton plays an important role in many biological processes and cellular life activities. The effects of SBRT or CRT on the morphology and cytoskeletal structure of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells remain unknown. Based on the biologically equivalent dose (BED) formula, we designed SBRT and CRT fractionation regimens with the same BED. The morphology was captured during radiation, and rhodamine-phalloidin immunofluorescence was used to study the cytoskeleton. A lactate dehydrogenase assay kit was used to determine the cell membrane permeability, and western blot was used to detect the cytoskeleton protein expression levels. The morphology and cytoskeleton expanded after SBRT or CRT, with an increase in cell membrane permeability and stable cytoskeleton protein levels. Besides, different dose of SBRT (10,20,30 Gy) induce similar morphology and cytoskeleton enlargement. Our findings indicate that SBRT and CRT can induce cytoskeleton reorganization and the enlargement of cell morphology (at different rates) in NSCLC. The morphology and cytoskeleton enlargement after SBRT are dose independence.

Nebulizer is one of inhalation therapy’s most widely used aerosol generation devices. Nowadays, the vibrating mesh nebulizer has become popular owing to its compactness and noiselessness. In this study, an experimental system is proposed to measure the deposition fraction (DF) of nebulized sodium chloride (NaCl) droplets in an idealized mouth-throat airway model. The results show that before the DF increases to 58.6% with an increasing flow rate to 60 L/min, there is a decrease in DF from 42.4% to 15.5% when the inhalation flow rate increases from 15 to 22.5 L/min for a normal saline solution. These results substantially differ from the conclusions of dry powder or particle experiments and simulations, which monotonously increases with increasing inhalation flow rate. This suggests that droplet evaporation during aerosol generation and transport in the airway plays an important role. The experiment also showed that droplets generated from solutions with a higher NaCl concentration have higher DFs.

Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA), a noncoding RNA over 200nt in length, can regulate glycolysis through metabolic pathways, glucose metabolizing enzymes, and epigenetic reprogramming. Upon viral infection, increased aerobic glycolysis providzes material and energy for viral replication. Mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) is the only protein-specified downstream of retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) that bridges the gap between antiviral immunity and glycolysis. MAVS binding to RIG-I inhibits MAVS binding to Hexokinase (HK2), thereby impairing glycolysis, while excess lactate production inhibits MAVS and the downstream antiviral immune response, facilitating viral replication. LncRNAs can also regulate antiviral innate immunity by interacting with RIG-I and downstream signaling pathways and by regulating the expression of interferons and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Altogether, we summarize the relationship between glycolysis, antiviral immunity, and lncRNAs and propose that lncRNAs interact with glycolysis and antiviral pathways, providing a new perspective for the future treatment against virus infection, including SARS-CoV-2.

ABSTRACT Conidiation is a pivotal strategy for fungi to resist adverse environments and disperse to new habitats, which is especially important for entomopathogenic fungi whose conidia are infective as fungal pesticide propagules. However, the molecular mechanism for regulating conidiation in entomopathogenic fungi is not fully understood. Here, we characterized the regulatory mechanism of the key developmental transcription factor Mr-AbaA. Bioinformatic analysis, transcriptional profiles, and subcellular localization of Mr-abaA indicated that AbaA functioned as a transcription factor in the conidiophore development and conidium stages. Microscopic examination showed that the null mutant of Mr-abaA differentiated into defective phialides to produce an abacus structure instead of conidia. Loss of Mr-abaA resulted in the inhibition of submerged blastospore separation in vitro. Moreover, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) one-hybrid assays of interactions between genes and deletion of Mr-veA showed that Mr-AbaA regulates conidiation by interacting with the promoter regions of Mr-veA and Mr-wetA. These results demonstrate that Mr-AbaA positively regulates conidiation in Metarhizium robertsii by regulating the velvet family ortholog gene Mr-veA and contributes to the separation of blastospores in submerged culture. IMPORTANCE Metarhizium robertsii is an emerging model entomopathogenic fungus for developing biopesticides; therefore, a comprehensive understanding of its conidiation is very important for its application. In this study, we revealed that the transcription factor Mr-AbaA is involved in the control of aerial conidiation and blastospore separation in submerged culture. Further yeast one-hybrid assays demonstrated that Mr-AbaA interacts with the promoter regions of Mr-veA and Mr-wetA, which code for proteins involved in the control of conidiation. This finding provides new insight into the regulation of the conidiation of this important entomopathogenic fungi.

A gene encoding a protein similar to germin-like proteins (GLPs) was obtained from maize (Zea mays) and designated as ZmGLP1. Based on the ZmGLP1 conserved domain and phylogenetic status, ZmGLP1 was grouped into GLP subfamily b and has high similarity to OsGLP8-14 from Oryza sativa. ZmGLP1 is expressed in different maize tissues during different growth stages and is mainly expressed in the stems and leaves. The induced expression patterns confirmed that ZmGLP1 is differentially expressed under abiotic and hormone stress; it had an early response to jasmonic acid (JA) and ethephon (ET) but a late response to salicylic acid (SA) and was significantly upregulated under Bipolaris maydis infection. The overexpression of ZmGLP1 in Arabidopsis improved the resistance to biotrophic Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (PstDC3000) and necrotrophic Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by inducing the expression of JA signaling-related genes. Moreover, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content increased due to the overexpression of ZmGLP1 in Arabidopsis after pathogen infection. Compared to the wild-type control, the H2O2 content of ZmGLP1-overexpressing Arabidopsis infected by PstDC3000 increased significantly but was lower in transgenic plants infected with S. sclerotiorum. Furthermore, high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass (HPLC-MS/MS) spectrometry showed that the JA contents of ZmGLP1-overexpressing Arabidopsis markedly increased after pathogen infection. However, the improved resistance of ZmGLP1-overexpressing Arabidopsis pretreated with the JA biosynthetic inhibitor, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate trihydrate (DIECA), was suppressed. Based on these findings, we speculate that ZmGLP1 plays an important role in the regulation of Arabidopsis resistance to biotrophic PstDC3000 and necrotrophic S. sclerotiorum; the regulatory effects are achieved by inducing plant oxidative burst activity and activation of the JA signaling pathway.

In order to determine the optimal irrigation and drainage mode for the anti-lodging cultivation of Super Rice Japonica 9108, barrel loading tests of different irrigation and drainage modes were carried out in the Water-Saving Park of Hohai University in Nanjing from June to October in 2019 and 2020. Three treatments were set up: Frequent and Shallow Irrigation (FSI), Rain-catching and Controlled Irrigation (RC-CI) and Drought Planting with Straw mulching (DPS). In each mode, the growth index, stem morphology index, material production index and stem mechanical index of rice at yellow maturity period were measured, and their relationship with the lodging index was analyzed. The results showed that compared with FSI, the lodging index of RC-CI was reduced by an average of 24.0%. RC-CI can promote the lateral development of the base internodes, increase the accumulation of stem sheath dry matter and the internode fullness and enhance mechanical strength and anti-lodging ability of the stem. Meanwhile, RC-CI can appropriately reduce the plant height, so as to reduce the bending moment of the base internodes. As a consequence, the lodging risk was effectively reduced. The lodging index of DPS was reduced by an average of 16.0% compared with FSI. Because DPS was subject to severe water deficit, its internodes thickness and stem wall thickness were inferior to that of FSI, leading to the weakening of the mechanical strength of stem, and the morphological characteristics and mechanical characteristics of the stem were not improved. Despite this, DPS still had a strong resistance to lodging. The output rate and conversion rate of the stem sheath were reduced, and while the plant height and center of gravity height were significantly reduced, the bending moment remained low. Thus, DPS can still reduce the lodging risk of rice. Compared with FSI, the average yield of RC-CI increased by 5.8% in two years, and the average yield of DPS was reduced by 4.4% in two years. DPS under severe water deficit reduced the accumulation of dry matter in the panicle and the yield index of rice, which was not conducive to a high yield. Considering the yield and lodging resistance of the super rice “Japonica 9108”, RC-CI is the best irrigation and drainage mode, followed by DPS. This study can provide data support and theoretical support for regulating the lodging resistance of super rice through irrigation measures.

Food contamination caused by food-spoilage bacteria and pathogenic bacteria seriously affects public health. Staphylococcus aureus is a typical foodborne pathogen which easily forms biofilm. Once biofilm is formed, it is difficult to remove. The use of nanotechnology for antibiofilm purposes is becoming more widespread because of its ability to increase the bioavailability and biosorption of many drugs. In this work, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) were prepared by the ion–gel method with polyanionic sodium triphosphate (TPP). Cinnamaldehyde (CA) was loaded onto the CSNPs. The particle size, potential, morphology, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release behavior of cinnamaldehyde–chitosan nanoparticles (CSNP-CAs) were studied, and the activity of CA against S. aureus biofilms was evaluated. The biofilm structure on the silicone surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to detect live/dead organisms within biofilms. The results showed that CSNP-CAs were dispersed in a circle with an average diameter of 298.1 nm and a zeta potential of +38.73 mV. The encapsulation efficiency of cinnamaldehyde (CA) reached 39.7%. In vitro release studies have shown that CA can be continuously released from the CSNPs. Compared with free drugs, CSNP-CAs have a higher efficacy in removing S. aureus biofilm, and the eradication rate of biofilm can reach 61%. The antibiofilm effects of CSNP-CAs are determined by their antibacterial properties. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CA is 1.25 mg/mL; at this concentration the bacterial cell wall ruptures and the permeability of the cell membrane increases, which leads to leakage of the contents. At the same time, we verified that the MIC of CSNP-CAs is 2.5 mg/mL (drug concentration). The synergy between CA and CSNPs demonstrates the combinatorial application of a composite as an efficient novel therapeutic agent against antibiofilm. We can apply it in food preservation and other contexts, providing new ideas for food preservation.