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Abstract Background Leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption is a fundamental adaptation strategy for plant nutrient conservation. However, the relative roles that environmental factors and plant functional traits play in regulating N and P resorption remain largely unclear, and little is known about the underlying mechanism of plant functional traits affecting nutrient resorption. Here, we measured leaf N and P resorption and 13 plant functional traits of leaf, petiole, and twig for 101 representative broad-leaved tree species in our target subtropical transitional forests. We integrated these multiple functional traits into the plant economics spectrum (PES). We further explored whether and how elevation-related environmental factors and these functional traits collectively control leaf N and P resorption. Results We found that deciduous and evergreen trees exhibited highly diversified PES strategies, tending to be acquisitive and conservative, respectively. The effects of PES, rather than of environmental factors, dominated leaf N and P resorption patterns along the elevational gradient. Specifically, the photosynthesis and nutrient recourse utilization axis positively affected N and P resorption for both deciduous and evergreen trees, whereas the structural and functional investment axis positively affected leaf N and P resorption for evergreen species only. Specific leaf area and green leaf nutrient concentrations were the most influential traits driving leaf N and P resorption. Conclusions Our study simultaneously elucidated the relative contributions of environmental factors and plant functional traits to leaf N and P resorption by including more representative tree species than previous studies, expanding our understanding beyond the relatively well-studied tropical and temperate forests. We highlight that prioritizing the fundamental role of traits related to leaf resource capture and defense contributes to the monitoring and modeling of leaf nutrient resorption. Therefore, we need to integrate PES effects on leaf nutrient resorption into the current nutrient cycling model framework to better advance our general understanding of the consequences of shifting tree species composition for nutrient cycles across diverse forests.

A half-dose influenza vaccine (7.5 μg hemagglutinin per strain) has been used for children under 3 years of age for a long time. However, several studies indicate that a full-dose influenza vaccine (15 μg hemagglutinin per strain) may bring more benefit to this population without increasing the risk of adverse reactions. We conducted a clinical study in children aged 6–35 months in China. Participants were randomized to receive two doses of full-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (F-QIV), half-dose quadrivalent vaccine (H-QIV), and two half-dose trivalent vaccines (H-TIV) in a 2:2:1:1 ratio. The safety and tolerability profile of the vaccine was evaluated for 6 months postvaccination. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers were measured for immunogenicity assessment. The primary objective was to assess whether the results of all vaccines met the criteria. A total of 1,980 participants were enrolled in the study. Both H-QIV and F-QIV were well tolerated after vaccination. Although the geometric mean increase (GMI), seroconversion rate (SCR), and seroprotection rate (SPR) for both H-QIV and F-QIV were achieved by the criteria, superior immunogenicity in terms of geometric mean titer (GMT) ratio was observed in F-QIV to H-QIV for A/H3N2 (GMT ratio (95% CI) of 1.37 (1.11 ~ 1.68)) and B/Yamagata (1.21 (1.05 ~ 1.39)). Antibody responses to the QIV were non-inferior to the response to the TIV for the matched strains. In conclusion, F-QIV and H-QIV were both safe and immunogenic for children. F-QIV induced a stronger immune response to influenza viruses and may provide more protection and benefit by promoting the use of F-QIV in children aged 6–35 months.

Abstract Accurate estimations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) densities in shrublands are pivotal for assessing terrestrial ecosystem carbon sequestration. Combining in‐situ investigations and machine learning facilitates large‐scale patterns mapping, however, which often overlooks underlying ecological regulations. Here we utilize data from 1,122 survey plots across China's shrublands and develop a novel knowledge‐based deep learning framework that integrates a structural equation model (SEM) to elucidate mechanisms and construct an artificial neural network (ANN) based on these causal relationships. Results show that biomass allocation to different organs follows allometric regulations and that N and P concentrations maintain a degree of stoichiometric homeostasis following biological stoichiometry theory. This insight guides the construction of our ANN, which outperforms both SEM and other prevalent machine learning methods. By leveraging ecological theories to inform model construction, our framework not only enhances prediction accuracy and explainability but also provides a methodological blueprint for ecological research.

Abstract Ferroptosis is a novel form of programmed cell death which can exacerbate lung injury in septic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Alveolar macrophages, crucial innate immune cells, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ARDS. Ferritinophagy is a process of ferritin degradation mediated by nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) which releases large amounts of iron ions thus promoting ferroptosis. Recent evidence revealed that inhibiting macrophage ferroptosis can effectively attenuate pulmonary inflammatory injury. Melatonin (MT), an endogenous neurohormone, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce septic ARDS. However, it is not clear whether MT’s pulmonary protective effect is related to the inhibition of macrophage ferritinophagy. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that MT decreased intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA), Fe2+, and lipid peroxidation levels, increased glutathione (GSH) levels and cell proliferation, and upregulated glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) protein levels in LPS-treated macrophages. Mechanistically, the antiferroptotic effect of MT on LPS-treated macrophages was significantly compromised by the overexpression of NCOA4. Our in vivo experiments revealed that MT alleviated the protein expression of NCOA4 and FTH1 in the alveolar macrophages of septic mice. Furthermore, MT improved lipid peroxidation and mitigated damage in alveolar macrophages and lung tissue, ultimately increasing the survival rates of septic mice. These findings indicate that MT can inhibit ferroptosis in an NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy manner, thereby ameliorating septic ARDS.

Luteal phase defect (LPD) is a common female reproductive endocrine defect，which is associated not only with certain diseases but also with the menstrual cycle and fertility in women. With the development of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in recent years, the incidence of luteal phase defect is high among patients using assisted reproductive technology. The aim of this study was to evaluate worldwide research on luteal phase defects using bibliometric analysis. A total of 631 documents related to the study of luteal phase defect were identified over the last 52 years. The current status and trend of globalization can be comprehended by analyzing the annual number of publications, institutions, authors, countries and regions of corresponding authors, journals, influential luteal phase defect publications (which were highly cited), highly cited references in luteal phase defect publications (cocitation analysis) and keywords. The study results provide a comprehensive overview of the development of scientific literature and are of great significance for the future development of the field，especially infertility and early pregnancy loss.

To research the antioxidant activity and amino acid composition of antioxidant peptides from Macadamia integrifolia, the Macadamia integrifolia polypeptides were prepared by complex protease enzymatic hydrolysis, the constituents with optimal antioxidant activity (molecular weight less than 1000 Da) were obtained by macroporous resin and dialysis technology. The polypeptides were separated by Sephadex G-15 gel, and the scavenging and reducing ability of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) radicals (ABTS+) of each component were evaluated. The optimal antioxidant components were separated and identified and analyzed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that, the G1, G2 and G3 were isolated by dextran gel column chromatography, G3 had the strongest antioxidant activity, its scavenging and reducing capacity of hydroxyl radicals was superior to glutathione with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 6.18 mg/mL and 2.19 mg/mL, respectively. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of scavenging capacity of DPPH and ABTS+ was 0.50 and 0.02 mg/mL, respectively. G3 was identified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to contain 46 peptides, the length of each peptide was less than 10 amino acids. The molecular weights of the 9 peptides with matching scores more than 200 were 631~920 Da, and with no toxicity. The screened peptides with high antioxidant activity were HLLPK, KEFFP and KEFFPA, the molecular weights of them were 606.84, 666.83 and 737.92 Da, respectively. This research preliminarily revealed the antioxidant peptides composition of macadamia nut, deepened the research of antioxidant peptide of Macadamia integrifolia, and would provide a theoretical reference for the development and utilization of antioxidant peptide of Macadamia integrifolia.

Vacuum-fried products were prepared with macadamia kernels as raw material. Single factor experiment and response surface Box-Behnken test were used to optimize the vacuum frying process of macadamia kernels. Oil content, acid value, peroxidation value, color difference and sensory quality of vacuum-fried kernel were determined by comparing with raw kernel. The results showed that the effects of freezing temperature, vacuum frying temperature, vacuum frying time and vacuum degree on taste and flavor quality of macadamia kernels were significantly different (P

Dongting Lake is the second largest freshwater lake in China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Since the 21st century, it has faced intensified human activities, particularly the Three Gorges Dam impoundment and sand mining. The water quality of Dongting Lake has significantly changed due to human activities and climate change. Currently, quantitative studies on the spatial–temporal variations of total suspended matter (TSM) during Dongting Lake’s dry season and the human impacts on its concentration are lacking. This study utilizes Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-8 OLI data to estimate the changes in TSM concentration during the dry season from 1986 to 2021, analyzing their spatial–temporal variations and driving mechanisms. By evaluating the atmospheric calibration accuracy and model precision metrics, we select a model based on the ratio of red to green band, achieving an R2 of 0.84, RMSE of 18.94 mg/L, and MRE of 27.32%. Applying this model to the images, we map the distribution of the TSM concentration during the dry season from 1986 to 2021, analyzing its spatial pattern and inter-annual variation, and further investigate the impacts of natural factors and human activities on the TSM concentration. Our results show the following: (1) From 1986 to 2021, the TSM concentration during the dry season ranges from 0 to 200 mg/L of Dongting Lake, with an area-wide average value between 41.61 and 75.44 mg/L. (2) The TSM concentration from 1986 to 2021 is significantly correlated with the water level. Before 2006, it correlates positively, but no significant correlation exists from 2006 onward. (3) From 2006 onward, the mean TSM concentration is notably decreased compared to that before 2006, likely due to the Three Gorges Dam, while our analysis indicates a significant positive correlation between the TSM concentration and sand mining intensity during this period. This study highlights the influence of the Three Gorges Dam and sand mining on the TSM concentration in Dongting Lake during the dry season, providing valuable insights for related research on similar lakes.

Abstract The communication between tumor cells and tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major components of the tumor microenvironment and take part in breast cancer formation and progression. Here, by comparing the gene expression patterns in CAFs and normal fibroblasts, we found SPRY2 expression was significantly decreased in CAFs and decreased SPRY2 expression was correlated with worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. SPRY2 knockdown in fibroblasts promoted tumor growth and distant metastasis of breast cancer in mice. Loss of stromal SPRY2 expression promoted CAF activation dependent on glycolytic metabolism. Mechanically, SPRY2 suppressed Y10 phosphorylation of LDHA and LDHA activity by interfering with the interaction between LDHA and SRC. Functionally, SPRY2 knockdown in fibroblasts enhanced the stemness of tumor cell dependent on glycolysis in fibroblasts. Collectively, this work identified SPRY2 as a negative regulator of CAF activation, and SPRY2 in CAFs may potentially be therapeutically targeted in breast cancer treatment.

IntroductionIn contemporary agronomic research, the focus has increasingly shifted towards non-destructive imaging and precise phenotypic characterization. A photon-counting micro-CT system has been developed, which is capable of imaging lychee fruit at the micrometer level and capturing a full energy spectrum, thanks to its advanced photon-counting detectors.MethodsFor automatic measurement of phenotypic traits, seven CNN-based deep learning models including AttentionUNet, DeeplabV3+, SegNet, TransUNet, UNet, UNet++, and UNet3+ were developed. Machine learning techniques tailored for small-sample training were employed to identify key characteristics of various lychee species.ResultsThese models demonstrate outstanding performance with Dice, Recall, and Precision indices predominantly ranging between 0.90 and 0.99. The Mean Intersection over Union (MIoU) consistently falls between 0.88 and 0.98. This approach served both as a feature selection process and a means of classification, significantly enhancing the study's ability to discern and categorize distinct lychee varieties.DiscussionThis research not only contributes to the advancement of non-destructive plant analysis but also opens new avenues for exploring the intricate phenotypic variations within plant species.

Redox and melting characteristics of Mn-based ores were investigated to test their potential use in thermochemical energy storage (TCES). Two Mn-based materials (FJ and LY) were natural ores with the Mn content higher than 35 wt%, and one Mn-based material was prepared by adding an MgO–kaolin inert support into LY ores to increase its melting temperature. Cyclic reduction and oxidation reactivity of these Mn-based materials was studied via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the melting behaviors of these materials were investigated by using a melting test setup with an optical camera–image system. It was found that the oxygen capacity of the FJ Mn ore can approach ∼1.50 wt%, while the LY Mn ore had only 0.42 wt%–0.69 wt% oxygen capacity The deformation temperature of the FJ Mn ore is higher than that of the LY Mn ore, and the melting temperatures of the LY Mn ore can be significantly improved with the addition of an MgO–kaolin inert support, while the reactivity is decreased due to the addition of the MgO–kaolin inert material. This study proves that manganese ores with high oxygen capacity and deformation temperature have potential as TCES materials. For some manganese ores with low deformation temperatures, it is necessary to improve their melting temperatures and ensure oxygen capacity for high-temperature TCES applications.

Abstract Developing a living prosthetic breast to inhibit potential breast cancer recurrence and simultaneously promote breast reconstruction would be a promising strategy for clinical treatment of breast cancer after mastectomy. Here, a living prosthetic breast in the form of injectable gelatin methacryloyl microspheres is prepared, where they encapsulated zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) nanoparticles loaded with small molecules urolithin C (Uro‐C) and adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs). Taking advantage of the acidic tumor microenvironment, the ZIF triggered a pH‐sensitive drug release in situ so that Uro‐C can induce tumor cell apoptosis via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Meanwhile, the ADSCs proliferate in situ to promote tissue regeneration. Using such a design, our data showed that the ADSCs maintained viable and proliferate under the inhibitory effect of Uro‐C in vitro. Through ROS generation, Uro‐C also activated a suppressive tumor microenvironment in mice by both re‐polarizing M2 macrophages to M1 macrophages for elevated inflammatory responses, and increasing the ratio between CD8 and CD4 T cells for tumor recurrence inhibition, significantly promoting new adipose tissue formation. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the prepared living prosthetic breast with bifunctional properties can be a promising candidate in clinic involving tumor treatment and tissue engineering in synergy.

Hyperthermia therapy is a hotspot because of its minimally invasive treatment process and strong targeting effect. Herein, a synergistic magnetic and photothermal therapeutic nanoplatform is rationally constructed. The well-dispersive mSiO2-SmCox nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized through a one-step procedure with the regulated theoretical molar ratio of Sm/Co among 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 for controlling the dispersion and magnetism properties of SmCox NPs in situ growth in the pore structure of mesoporous SiO2 (mSiO2), where mSiO2 with diverse porous structures and high specific surface areas serving for locating the permanent magnetic SmCox NPs. The mSiO2-SmCox (Sm/Co = 1:2) NPs with highly dispersed and uniform morphology has an average diameter of ∼73.08 nm. The photothermal conversion efficiency of mSiO2-SmCox (Sm/Co = 1:2) NPs was determined to be nearly 41%. The further in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor evaluation of mSiO2-SmCox (Sm/Co = 1:2) NPs present promising potentials for hyperthermia-induced tumor therapy due to magnetic and photothermal effects.

Compared with the traditional vaccine produced in embryonated chicken eggs, cell-based manufacturing represented by the Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line has a larger production scale and reduces the risk of egg shortage in a pandemic. Establishing a culture system that enables high production of the influenza virus is a key issue in influenza vaccine production. Here, a serum-free suspension culture of MDCK (sMDCK) cells was obtained from adherent MDCK (aMDCK) cells by direct adaptation. Viral infection experiments showed that viral yields of influenza A/B virus in sMDCK cells were higher than in aMDCK cells. Transcriptome analysis revealed that numerous interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) exhibited reduced expression in sMDCK cells. To further clarify the mechanism of high viral production in sMDCK cells, we demonstrated the antiviral role of RIG-I and IFIT3 in MDCK cells by knockdown and overexpression experiments. Furthermore, suppression of the JAK/STAT pathway enhances the viral accumulation in aMDCK cells instead of sMDCK cells, suggesting the reduction in the JAK/STAT pathway and ISGs promotes viral replication in sMDCK cells. Taken together, we elucidate the relationship between the host innate immune response and the high viral productive property of sMDCK cells, which helps optimize cell production processes and supports the production of cell-based influenza vaccines.

Cladophora qinghaiensis, an endemic species of Cladophora in saltwater lakes, was scientifically named in 2021 (hereafter referred to as Cladophora). Cladophora exists in different morphologies, including attached submerged Cladophora (AC), grown floating Cladophora (GFC), and death floating Cladophora (DFC). Previous satellite remote sensing has mainly focused on identifying floating algae. In this study, Qinghai Lake served as a case study, and a classification decision tree model (CDTM) was proposed. The model employed the chlorophyll spectral index (CSI) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to differentiate AC, Floating Cladophora (FC), and water. Additionally, the floating Cladophora index (FCI) was introduced to further distinguish GFC and DFC within FC. The method was applicable to Sentinel-2 images from 2016–2023. Visual interpretation methods were used for Landsat series images from the summer months (July to September) to obtain the AC and FC. The results demonstrate that over the past 30 years, the areas inhabited by AC and FC have increased gradually. The three morphologies of Cladophora also exhibited seasonal variations, with growth observed annually in May–June, reaching peaks in August–September, and gradually declining in October. In addition, by combining factors such as water surface area and climatic factors, we analyzed the driving forces influencing the changes in Cladophora. In this research, AC and FC showed significant correlations with the water surface area, with correlation coefficients (r) of approximately 0.9 and 0.7, respectively. These new findings provide valuable insights regarding the spatiotemporal changes and underlying causes for different morphologies of Cladophora in global saline lakes.

Oct4 was one of the important markers of cellular pluripotency. In this study, by Tol2 transgenic technology, the recombinant plasmids composed of Oct4 promoter DNA and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene are microinjected into zebrafish 1-cell stage embryos, and obtain the EGFP positive (EGFP+) transgenic fish. To generation homozygous transgenic fish, the eggs of EGFP+ F0 were activated by ultraviolet inactivated sperm of crucian carp, and then inhibited their first cleavage. The homozygous Oct4-EGFP+ zebrafish are successfully obtained in F1 generation. After chemical reprogramming, the clones derived from caudal fin fibroblasts of homozygous Oct4-EGFP+ zebrafish are observed green fluorescence. These results suggest that gynogenetic technology provides new strategies for the rapid preparation of homozygous transgenic fish.

Coupling paired-end whole-genome sequencing with droplet digital PCR enabled precise identification of a transgene insertion in the genetically modified rice event G281 on chromosome 3 and the potential for exploring the native gene integration.

The European Space Agency (ESA) developed the Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imager (MSI), which offers a higher spatial resolution and shorter repeat coverage, making it an important source for the remote-sensing monitoring of water bodies. Atmospheric correction is crucial for the monitoring of water quality. To compare the applicability of seven publicly available atmospheric correction processors (ACOLITE, C2RCC, C2XC, iCOR, POLYMER, SeaDAS, and Sen2Cor), we chose complex and diverse lakes in Qinghai Province, China, as the research area. The lakes were divided into three types based on the waveform characteristics of Rrs: turbid water bodies (class I lakes) represented by the Dabusun Lake (DBX), clean water bodies (class II lakes) represented by the Qinghai Lake (QHH), and relatively clean water bodies (class III lakes) represented by the Longyangxia Reservoir (LYX). Compared with the in situ Rrs, it was found that for the DBX, the Sen2Cor processor performed best. The POLYMER processor exhibited a good performance in the QHH. The C2XC processor performed well with the LYX. Using the Sen2Cor, POLYMER, and C2XC processors for classes I, II, and III, respectively, compared with the Sentinel-3 OLCI Level-2 Water Full Resolution (L2-WFR) products, it was found that the estimated Rrs from the POLYMER had the highest consistency. Slight deviations were observed in the estimation results for both the Sen2Cor and C2XC.

Introduction: Nanofat is an effective cell therapy for osteoarthritis (OA). However, it has clinical limitations due to its short half-life. We developed Nanofat lysate (NFL) to overcome the defect of Nanofat and explore its anti-OA efficacy and mechanism.Methods: Monoiodoacetate (MIA) was employed to establish rat OA model. For pain assessment, paw withdrawal latency (PWL) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were evaluated. Degeneration of cartilage was observed by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Primary chondrocytes were treated with TNF-α to establish the cellular model of OA. MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays were performed to assess effects of NFL on chondrocytes. RNA-seq, qPCR and Western blot assays were conducted to clarify the mechanism of NFL.Results and Discussion: The animal data showed that PWL and TWL values, Mankin’s and OARSI scorings, and the Col2 expression in cartilage were significantly improved in the NFL-treated OA rats. The cellular data showed that NFL significantly improved the proliferation, wound healing, and migration of chondrocytes. The molecular data showed that NFL significantly restored the TNF-α-altered anabolic markers (Sox9, Col2 and ACAN) and catabolic markers (IL6 and Mmp13). The RNA-seq identified that TGF-β-Smad2/3 signaling pathway mediated the efficacy of NFL, which was verified by qPCR and Western blot that NFL significantly restored the abnormal expressions of TGFβR2, phosphorylated-Smad2, phosphorylated-Smad2/3, Col2, Mmp13 and Mmp3. After long-term storage, NFL exerted similar effects as its fresh type, indicating its advantage of storability. In sum, NFL was developed as a new therapeutic approach and its anti-OA efficacy and mechanism that mediated by TGF-β-Smad2/3 signaling was determined for the first time. Besides, the storability of NFL provided a substantial advantage than other living cell-based therapies.

Abstract Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine disease in women. Insulin resistance (IR) has emerged as a central contributor to the pathogenesis of this disease. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), kidney deficiency is the main syndrome of PCOS. The deficiency of the kidney cannot vaporize water-dampness, and the retention of water-dampness accumulates into phlegm dampness stagnation, resulting in visceral dysfunction and metabolic disorder. TCM involving syndrome differentiation and treatment is widely used to adjust women’s menstrual cycles. Our patented formula Bushen Huatan Decoction (BSHTD) has been proven to be effective in the clinical treatment of IR-PCOS. Baduanjin also plays an important role in improving metabolic syndrome through lifestyle intervention. This study investigates the clinical efficacy of Bushen Huatan Decoction combined with Baduanjin in IR-PCOS, to form a specific TCM-behaviour intervention plan in the treatment of IR-PCOS. Methods/design This is a randomized controlled trial involving 190 participants diagnosed with IR-PCOS. All participants will be randomly allocated into 5 groups: group A will receive metformin; group B, BSHTD; group C, Baduanjin; group D, BSHTD combined with metformin; and group E, BSHTD combined with Baduanjin. One course of treatment lasts 3 months, a total of two courses. The primary outcomes are changes in the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and improvements in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin-releasing test (INS). The secondary outcomes are improvements in the menstrual cycle, ovulation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, basic serum sex hormone levels, free androgen index (FAI), Ferriman-Gallwey scores, body mass index (BMI) and TCM syndrome scores. The related observation indexes will be collected at baseline, during the process of treatment and at the 6-month follow-up. Simultaneously, close monitoring of possible adverse events will be performed throughout the trial process. Discussion This trial will investigate the efficacy of the comprehensive intervention program of Bushen Huatan Decoction combined with Baduanjin on the adjustment of the menstrual cycle, improvement of insulin resistance and correction of glucose metabolism disorder in IR-PCOS patients. It is expected to form an alternative treatment of TCM-behaviour intervention therapy for IR-PCOS and promote the Chinese fitness Qigong Baduanjin in the application of lifestyle diseases. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100043415 . Registered on 15 February 2021.

BackgroundNod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is essential in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a fatal clinical syndrome that deteriorated from acute lung injury (ALI). This bibliometric study aims to offer a thorough insight into the scientific output about NLRP3 inflammasome in ALI/ARDS and explore the intellectual base, developing trajectory and emerging trends.MethodsWe retrieved the literature from 2010 to 2021 from Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. Bibliometrix (3.1.4) R package and CiteSpace (5.8.R3) were used for further analysis and visualization.ResultsA total of 508 English articles and reviews published from 2010 to 2021 were identified. The annual number of publications presented a rapidly developing trend especially in recent years. Among all the 42 countries, China was the most productive and most cited country, while the USA had the greatest impact. Peter A. Ward from the USA was the most productive corresponding author, and 4 of these top 10 corresponding authors were from China. The most cited reference was written by Ahmed (2017) of Zhejiang University in China. The Journal of Immunology had highest citation count and G-index. Furthermore, the major disciplines of research front have drifted from “Medicine, Medical, Clinical” to “Molecular, Biology, Immunology” over the past 12 years. In the co-occurring network, the terms “acute lung injury,” “NLRP3 inflammasome,” “interleukin-1β,” “NF-κB,” and “NLRP3 activation” occurred most frequently, while in burst detection, “oxidative stress” had the highest burst strength. Co-citation network revealed that Cluster 2 “virus infection” was the most active area, including the most citation bursts. Cluster 0 “severe COVID-19” and Cluster 1 “dual inhibitor PTUPB” were emerging themes in recent years, and they involved the largest number of publications.ConclusionsThis bibliometric analysis revealed a rapid growth trend of the relatively novel topic: NLRP3 inflammasome in ALI/ARDS. China was the largest contributor, while the USA offered the most landmark papers. The major disciplines of research front drifted from “Medicine, Medical, Clinical” to “Molecular, Biology, Immunology.” In recent years, studies about the role of NLRP3 in COVID-19-associated ALI/ARDS and oxidative stress became hot spots.

During whole genomic duplication (WGD) events, micro RNAs (miRNAs) are involved in stabilization of chromatin and genome and epigenetic regulation of gene expression. In this study, a newly induced triploid group of hybrids between sect. Tacamahaca and sect. Aigeiros in Populus, was characterized for genome-wide miRNA expression after WGD. Seven miRNA libraries (male parent, female parent, group of triploid offspring’s, group of diploid offspring, and three triploid individuals) were constructed and variation of miRNA expression from diploid parents to triploid offspring’s as well as distinction between triploid and diploid offspring were analyzed. The results showed that a total of 240 miRNAs were predicted including 187 known miRNAs and 53 novel miRNAs. 81.25% of miRNAs in triploid offspring were non-additively expressed in which 52.31% were down-regulated. A novel miRNA with 24nt in length choosing adenine as its first base was found in triploid offspring group suggesting its potential role in regulation of DNA methylation after WGD. A total of 18 novel miRNAs were specifically expressed in the library of triploid group. Targeted genes of different expressed miRNAs in three comparison sets (triploid offspring group vs female parent, male parent, and diploid offspring group) were all enriched in ADP binding (GO: 0043531; FDR < 0.05). KEGG enrichment pathway of all three comparison sets was plant-pathogen interaction. This study revealed an essential role of miRNAs involving in epigenetic regulation after WGD in poplar and provided a good model for further studies of polyploidization advantages in woody plant.

Abstract Background The prognostic roles of three lymph node classifications, number of positive lymph nodes (NPLN), log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS), and lymph node ratio (LNR) in lung adenocarcinoma are unclear. We aim to find the classification with the strongest predictive power and combine it with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th TNM stage to establish an optimal prognostic nomogram. Methods 25,005 patients with T1-4N0–2M0 lung adenocarcinoma after surgery between 2004 to 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were included. The study cohort was divided into training cohort (13,551 patients) and external validation cohort (11,454 patients) according to different geographic region. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on the training cohort to evaluate the predictive performance of NPLN (Model 1), LODDS (Model 2), LNR (Model 3) or LODDS+LNR (Model 4) respectively for cancer-specific survival and overall survival. Likelihood-ratio χ2 test, Akaike Information Criterion, Harrell concordance index, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the models. Nomograms were established according to the optimal models. They’re put into internal validation using bootstrapping technique and external validation using calibration curves. Nomograms were compared with AJCC 8th TNM stage using decision curve analysis. Results NPLN, LODDS and LNR were independent prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival and overall survival. LODDS+LNR (Model 4) demonstrated the highest Likelihood-ratio χ2 test, highest Harrell concordance index, and lowest Akaike Information Criterion, and IDI and NRI values suggested Model 4 had better prediction accuracy than other models. Internal and external validations showed that the nomograms combining TNM stage with LODDS+LNR were convincingly precise. Decision curve analysis suggested the nomograms performed better than AJCC 8th TNM stage in clinical practicability. Conclusions We constructed online nomograms for cancer-specific survival and overall survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients after surgery, which may facilitate doctors to provide highly individualized therapy.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has exceeded 50% worldwide, and it is considered a high-risk factor for chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease and functional dyspepsia. H. pylori drug resistance is a common problem worldwide. In recent years, the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastrointestinal microecology has received much attention. H. pylori infection changes the structure and composition of gastrointestinal microflora by regulating the gastrointestinal microecological environment, local pH value, cytokines and antimicrobial peptides, and immune response and then plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors, liver metabolism and extragastrointestinal diseases. The quadruple strategy of H. pylori eradication can also aggravate gastrointestinal microflora disorder. However, probiotics can reduce intestinal flora changes and imbalances through different mechanisms, thus enhancing the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapy and reducing adverse reactions caused by eradication therapy. Therefore, this paper reviews the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastrointestinal microecology and its clinical application, providing a basis for clinical treatment.

Basic data for the safety assessment of transgenic line involves the molecular characterization of the integration site of exogenous DNA, flanking sequences, copy number, and unintended plasmid backbone residues. However, performing a full molecular characterization remains challenging, especially for GMOs that possess complex exogenous DNA integrations. We established two whole-genome sequencing strategies: paired-end and mate-pair, to characterize the exogenous DNA integration of a human serum albumin gene into rice line 114-7-2, and evaluated the performance of these two strategies in the molecular characterization of transgenic line. The results showed the existence of two exogenous DNA insertion loci (Chr 01 and Chr 04) and their corresponding flanking sequences, five copies of the exogenous rHSA gene, and the presence of unintended residual plasmid backbone sequences. However, the WGS-MP strategy demonstrated higher efficiency, lower cost, and lower background noise compared with the WGS-PE analysis, especially for identification of the exogenous DNA integration site.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the global scientific output of research on infertility and psychology; explore the current status and trends in this field through the cooperation of authors, countries, and institutions; shed light on the direction of clinical infertility research in the future, and provide inspiration for targeted diagnosis and treatment of infertility.MethodsResearch publications on infertility and psychology from the past two decades were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer software and the bibliometrix R package. Network maps were generated to evaluate the collaborations between different authors, countries, institutions, and keywords.ResultsA total of 151 articles related to the study of infertility and psychology were identified. We observed a gradual increase in the number of publications from 2001 to 2021, and the trend has been relatively stable in the past eight years. Human Reproduction (England), as the leading journal publishing the most papers (29 articles), was cited in the most journals (1208 times). Boivin J was the most prolific author (16 articles), with the largest number of citations (890 times) and the highest h-index (14) during the past decades. Boivin J was also the leader with the highest publication frequency and more active cooperation with other top authors. The United Kingdom (34 papers) and Cardiff University (25 articles) contributed the most publications and were the leading contributors in this field. Active cooperation between countries and between institutions was observed, and analyses of articles and references were also shown. The main hot topics included matters related to women (39 times), in-vitro salt (31 times), infertility (30 times), couples (25 times), and impact (24 times).ConclusionOur study results provide a comprehensive overview of the development of scientific literature, allowing relevant authors and research teams to recognize the current research status in this field. At the same time, infertility and psychology may soon become hotspots and should be closely monitored.

In distant hybridization of fishes, there is a low hatching rate of hybrid progenies. To further understand the causes of low hatchability, in this article, cross-breeding between zebrafish (ZF) and crucian carp (CC) are generated, in which the hatching rate of cross progenies (ZF♀ × CC♂, ZC) is 35.67%, while that of reciprocal cross progenies (CC♀ × ZF♂, CZ) is about zero. The structures and SDS-PAGE protein pattern of egg envelopes in hybrid early embryos are like their maternal fish, however, during the process of embryo development, some differences are detected between the CZ and CC. The hatching enzyme gene 1 (he1) nucleotide sequences from ZF and CC were 85.1% identity, while that of 99.6% identity was between the ZF and ZC, and 98.4% from CC and hybrid of CZ. There are differences in predictive protein physicochemical properties of he1 between CZ and CC, but no significant change in he1 mRNA levels during embryonic development. Our data furtherly verify that the characteristics of egg envelope and hatching enzyme in hybrid progenies are inherited from maternal fish. Moreover, there are obvious differences between CZ and maternal parent in both egg envelope and hatching enzyme during embryonic development, which are considered to be related to its low hatching rate.

Abstract Background Senile osteoporosis with age-related bone loss is diagnosed depending on radiographic changes of bone and bone mineral density (BMD) measurement. However, radiographic alterations are usually signs of medium-late stage osteoporosis. Therefore, biomarkers have been proposed as indicators of bone loss. In the current study, Galectin-1 (Gal-1) showed age-related decline in mice serum. The role of Gal-1 in osteoporosis has not been investigated so far. Hence, the current study illustrated the relationship of serum Gal-1 level with bone loss. Methods We employed 6- and 18-month-old mice to establish an animal model of age-related trabecular bone loss, whose bone density and microstructure were investigated by micro-CT. ELISA was used to measure the levels of Gal-1 in serum. The correlation analysis was performed to illustrate the relationship between serum Gal-1 levels and trabecular bone loss. In addition, immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the abundance of Gal-1 in bone marrow of mice. ELISA and western blot were performed to measure the secretion ability and protein expression of Gal-1 in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC), hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and myeloid progenitor (MP) respectively. Flow cytometry was used to measure BMSC number in bone marrow. Finally, male volunteers with age-related BMD decrease were recruited and the relationship between serum Gal-1 and BMD was analyzed. Results Gal-1 showed age-related decline in mice serum. Serum Gal-1 was positively associated with BV/TV of femur, tibia and L1 vertebrae in mice. BMSC secreted more Gal-1 compared with HSC and MP. BMSC number in bone marrow was significantly lower in aged mice compared with young mice. Significant attenuation of Gal-1 protein expression was observed in BMSC and HSC from aged mice compared with young mice. Further, we found a decline in serum Gal-1 levels in men with age-related BMD decrease. There was positive correlation between BMD and serum Gal-1 levels in these men. Conclusions Age-related trabecular bone loss is associated with a decline in serum Gal-1 level in mice and men. Our study suggested Gal-1 had great potential to be a biomarker for discovering BMSC senescence, diagnosing early osteoporosis and monitoring trabecular bone loss.

The effects of various rolling reductions (64.7%, 72.1%, 81.4% and 88.2%) on the microstructures and mechanical behaviors of Sc-containing Al-3.2Cu-1.5Li-based alloys were experimentally investigated through XRD, SEM (equipped with EBSD), TEM and the tensile test. The results showed that the grains of hot-rolled and T6-treated alloys are mainly dominated by substructure features, and the addition of the trace Sc element can obviously impede the static and dynamic recrystallization due to the formation of fine and stable nano-Al3(Sc, Zr) particles. Additionally, the combined effects of fine grains, dispersion, substructure and precipitation strengthening make the alloys with a rolling reduction of 81.4% possess higher tensile properties. With an increase in the rolling reduction, the tensile strength of the alloys increases first and then decreases, while the elongation gradually increases and then reaches a plateau, which was ascribed to the variation in the grain size and substructure features.

Abstract Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) has a tumor suppressor role in the progression of gastric cancer (GC), and inhibition or loss of KLF4 expression was identified in GC. The aim of this study was to explore the new molecular mechanism of KLF4 inactivation in gastric cancer. Herein, we report that Helicobacter pylori infection or Cag pathogenicity island protein A (CagA) gene transduction resulted in KLF4 expression downregulation and promoted gastric epithelial cell and gastric cancel cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation. Mechanistically, we found that CagA gene transduction led to DNA methylation of the KLF4 promoter, an effect that was relevant to the significant downregulation of TET1 expression. Causally, knockdown of TET1 expression decreased KLF4 expression, whereas overexpression of TET1 had the opposite effect. Clinically, we found that KLF4 expression and the 5‐hmC levels were lower in GC cells with H pylori infection than in GC cells without H pylori infection. Thus, our study not only sheds new light on how H pylori infection promotes the progression of GC but also elucidates a novel mechanism of KLF4 inactivation in GC pathogenesis. During pathogenesis, an alteration in the H pylori/CagA‐TET1‐KLF4 signaling pathway plays a critical role, suggesting that this pathway may be a prospective target for gastric carcinoma intervention and therapy.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an uncontrollable, progressive pulmonary inflammatory disease, and as a common clinical critical disease, there is no effective treatment available. Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy is a type of traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy that can alleviate the inflammatory response. However, the potential mechanism of EA in the treatment of ARDS is not yet clear. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death characterized by intracellular iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Recently, emerging evidence has shown that ferroptosis is closely related to the occurrence and development of ARDS caused by various pathological factors. Here, we further investigated whether EA-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis in lung tissue could attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS and explored its underlying mechanisms. In this study, mice were administered LPS intraperitoneally to establish a model of LPS-induced ARDS. We found that EA stimulation could not only reduce the exudation of inflammatory cells and proteins in the alveolar lumen but also significantly alleviate the pathological changes of lung tissue, inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines and improve the survival rate of mice. Concurrently, we also found that ferroptosis events occurred in the lung tissue of LPS-induced ARDS mice, manifested by elevated iron levels, ROS production and lipid peroxidation. Intriguingly, our results showed that EA stimulation at the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint activated α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAchR) in lung tissue mainly through the sciatic nerve and cervical vagus nerve, thus exerting anti-ferroptosis and pulmonary protective effects. Additionally, these effects were eliminated by methyllycaconitine (MLA), a selective antagonist of α7nAchR. In vitro experiments, activation of α7nAchR protected alveolar epithelial cells from LPS-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, our experiments showed that the pulmonary protective effects of EA stimulation were effectively reversed by erastin, a ferroptosis activator. Collectively, we demonstrated that EA stimulation could alleviate LPS-induced ARDS by activating α7nAchR to inhibit LPS-induced ferroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells. Targeting and regulating ferroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells may be a potential intervention approach for the treatment of LPS-induced ALI/ARDS in the future.

Pluripotency is a transient state in early embryos, which is regulated by an interconnected network of pluripotency-related genes. The pluripotent state itself seems to be highly dynamic, which leads to significant differences in the description of induced pluripotent stem cells from different species at the molecular level. With the application of cell reprogramming technology in fish, the establishment of a set of molecular standards for defining pluripotency will be important for the research and potential application of induced pluripotent stem cells in fish. In this study, by BLAST search and expression pattern analysis, we screen out four pluripotent genes (Oct4, Nanog, Tdgf1, and Gdf3) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and crucian carp (Carassius). These genes were highly expressed in the short period of early embryonic development, but significantly down-regulated after differentiation. Moreover, three genes (Oct4, Nanog and Tdgf1) have been verified that are suitable for identifying the pluripotency of induced pluripotent stem cells in zebrafish and crucian carp. Our study expands the understanding of the pluripotent markers of induced pluripotent stem cells in fish.

Codon usage bias (CUB) was a unique feature of the genome, and revealing chloroplast genome codon usage bias can provide useful information for the evolution of plant species. Lonicera × heckrottii ‘Gold Flame’ is one of the members of the Lonicera genus with important ornamental value. However, the codon usage bias of chloroplast genome of this genotype has not been investigated. In this study, base compositions and various codon usage indices of 51 coding sequences from Lonicera × heckrottii ‘Gold Flame’ chloroplast genome was calculated, by Codon W, DnaSP, CUSP of EMBOSS and SPSS software. A total of 51 CDS of the Lonicera × heckrottii ‘Gold Flame’ chloroplast genome was selected to analyse codon usage bias. The results showed that the average GC content of 51 CDS sequences was 39.27%, and the average value of ENC was 48.75%. The chloroplast gene codon usage bias was weak, and preferred A/T ending. The general GC content order was GC1 (47.72%)>GC2 (39.89%)>GC3 (30.19%). Correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between GC content and GC1, GC2 and GC3 content. Combined with neutral plot analysis, ENC-plot and PR2-plot analysis, it is found that chloroplast gene codon usage preference was affected by mutations pressure and natural selection. In addition, the eight optimal codons in chloroplast genome were finally identified, codon bias ending with A/T. The study on the codon usage bias of Lonicera × heckrottii ‘Gold Flame’ provides a demonstration for exploring its genetic structure and molecular evolution mechanism, and provides a reference for molecular breeding.

The technique of induced pluripotent stem cells has significant application value in breeding and preserving the genetic integrity of fish species. However, it is still unclear whether the chemically induced pluripotent stem cells can be induced from non-mammalian cells or not. In this article, we first verify that fibroblasts of fish can be chemically reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells. These induced pluripotent stem-like cells possess features of colony morphology, expression of pluripotent marker genes, formation of embryoid bodies, teratoma formation, and the potential to differentiate into germ cell-like cells in vitro. Our findings will offer a new way to generate induced pluripotent stem cells in teleost fish and a unique opportunity to breed commercial fish and even save endangered fish species.

Background. Our previous work has shown that inflammatory processes play a detrimental role in the pathophysiology of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been recognized as a key contributor to the proinflammatory response in AIS and could aggravate blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. Recently, experimental and clinical researches showed that Edaravone Dexborneol (Eda.B), which is comprised of two active ingredients, Edaravone and (+)-Borneol, was effective in treatment of AIS. However, it is not clear whether the effects of Eda.B against AIS are related to NETs and BBB permeability. Methods. Experiment 1 was to detect the effects of Eda.B in AIS patients. Serum samples of volunteers and AIS patients were collected before and 3 days after Edaravone Dexborneol treatment. Markers of NETs and occludin were detected by ELISA kit. Experiment 2 was to explore the effects of Eda.B on experimental stroke mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and treated with vehicle, Eda.B, or DeoxyribonueleaseI (DNase I). After stroke, the neurobehavioral tests, infarct volume, and cerebral blood flow evaluation were determined. Leakage of Evans blue was to assess the integrity of BBB. Western blot, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunofluorescence were used to examine the expression of NETs and tight junction- (TJ-) associated proteins. Results. Eda.B significantly improved neurological function and cerebral blood flow but reduced infarct volume after experimental stroke. Eda.B downregulated level of NETs in serum samples of AIS patients and tissue samples of MCAO mouse cortex. Eda.B and DNase I alleviated BBB permeability by upregulating TJ-associated proteins. Conclusion. NETs are related to the early stage of AIS. Eda.B exerted neuroprotective effects and ameliorated BBB permeability after AIS.

Many real systems are known to interact with one another, forming networks of networks (NONs). Plenty of attention has been poured into the research on the robustness in NONs in the past decade. Previous studies focus on undirected networks, or directed networks under random attacks. While many real networks are directed and how networks of directed networks (NODNs) respond to targeted attacks remains unknown. We thus develop a general analytical tool for analyzing the robustness of NODNs under two kinds of targeted attacks: degree-based attacks and in-degree (out-degree)-based attacks. The analytical tool can perfectly predict the sizes of the final giant strongly connected components and the phase transitions on the NODNs in response to targeted attacks. By applying the tool to synthesis networks, we find that a quadruple point intersected by four different phase regions could appear in the random regular NODNs. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that a quadruple point is found in the studies of complex networks. In addition, we find triple points intersected by three phases in networks of directed scale-free networks, and critical points that connect two phases in networks of directed Erdös–Rényi networks. The discovery of these tipping points could help understand network robustness and enable better design of networked systems.

Background: To address the biomarkers that correlated with the prognosis of patients with PDCA using bioinformatics analysis. Methods: The raw data of genes were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. We screened differently expressed genes (DEGs) by Rstudio. Database for Annotation,Visualization and Intergrated Discovery was used to investigate their biological function by Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) analysis. Protein-protein interaction of these DEGs were analyzed based on the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database (STRING) and visualized by Cytoscape. Genes calculated by CytoHubba with degree >10 were identified as hub genes. Then, the identified hub genes were verified by UALCAN online analysis tool to evaluate the prognostic value in PDCA. Results: Three expression profiles (GSE15471, GSE16515 and GSE32676) were downloaded from GEO database. The three sets of DEGs exhibited an intersection consisting of 223 genes (214 upregulated DEGs and 9 downregulated DEGs). GO analysis showed that the 223 DEGs were significantly enriched in extracellular exosome, plasma membrane and extracellular space. ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Focal adhesion were the most significantly enriched pathway according to KEGG analysis. By combining the results of Cytohubba, 30 hub genes with a high degree of connectivity were picked out. Finally, we candidated 3 biomarkers by UALCAN online survival analysis, including CEP55, ANLN and PRC1. Conclusion: we identified CEP55, ANLN and PRC1 may be the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of PDCA, which used for prognostic assessment and scheme selection.

Since some cases of human infections with H5N8 avian influenza virus have been reported and caused great concern in recent years, it is important to develop an effective vaccine for human use to prevent a potential H5N8 pandemic. In the present study, a vaccine candidate virus based on newly human-infected A/Astrakhan/3212/2020 H5N8 virus was constructed by reverse genetics (RG) technology. The immunogenicity of H5N8 whole virion inactivated vaccine was evaluated by various doses of vaccine antigen formulated with squalene-based adjuvant (AddaVax), aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) or without adjuvant in mice. The results showed AddaVax-adjuvanted H5N8 inactivated vaccine could stimulate the mice to produce a stronger protective immune response with higher titers of IgG antibodies, hemagglutination inhibition (HI), neuraminidase inhibition (NI) and microneutralization (MN) antibodies than vaccine formulations with Al(OH)3 adjuvant or without adjuvant, and achieve a dose-sparing effect. Moreover, the AddaVax-adjuvanted formulation also exhibited potent cross-reactive response in HI antibodies against different clades of H5 viruses. A significant correlation and a curve fitting among HI, NI and MN were found by the correlation analysis to predict the protective effect of the vaccine. With these findings, our study demonstrates that AddaVax adjuvant can enhance the immunogenicity of H5N8 inactivated vaccine remarkably, and proposes an effective strategy for dealing with a potential H5N8 virus pandemic.

Abstract Background and aims Soil respiration is the second‐largest terrestrial carbon (C) flux, and soil temperature and soil moisture are the main drivers of temporal variation in soil respiration and its components. Here, we quantified the contribution of soil temperature, soil moisture, and their intersection on the variation in soil respiration and its components of the evergreen broad‐leaved forests (EBF), mixed evergreen and deciduous broad‐leaved forests (MF), deciduous broad‐leaved forests (DBF), and subalpine coniferous forests (CF) along an elevation gradient. Methods We measured soil respiration of four types of forests along the elevation gradient in Shennongjia, Hubei China based on the trenching experiments. We parameterized the relationships between soil respiration and soil temperature, soil moisture, and quantified the intersection of temperature and moisture on soil respiration and its components. Results Total soil respiration (RS), heterotrophic respiration (RH), and autotrophic respiration (RA) were significantly correlated with soil temperature in all four forests. The Q10 value of soil respiration significantly differed among the four types of forest, and the Q10 was 3.06 for EBF, 3.75 for MF, 4.05 for DBF, and 4.49 for CF, respectively. The soil temperature explained 62%–81% of the variation in respiration, while soil temperature and soil moisture together explained 91%–97% of soil respiration variation for the four types of forests. The variation from the intersection of soil temperature and moisture were 12.1%–25.0% in RS, 1.0%–7.0% in RH, and 17.1%–19.6% in RA, respectively. Conclusions Our results show that the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil respiration increased with elevation. The intersection between soil temperature and soil moisture had strong effects on soil respiration, especially in RH. We demonstrated that the intersection effects between soil temperature and soil moisture on soil respiration were essential to understand the response of soil respiration and its components to climate change.

BackgroundTo know the expression of Mesenchymal–Epithelial Transition factor (MET) and Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) patients, as well as its relationship with clinical pathological characteristic and prognosis.Methodswe used immunohistochemistry staining to detect the expression of MET and FASN for those 218 TNBC patients, and analyze their relationship with the clinical pathological characteristic and prognosis.Results130 and 65 out of 218 TNBC patients were positive for MET in the cancer and adjacent tissues respectively. 142 and 30 out of 218 TNBC patients were positive for FASN in the cancer and adjacent tissues respectively. Positive expression of MET and FASN were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, pathological TNM, and pathological Stage. In addition, the positive expression of MET and FASN were correlated with recurrence and metastasis. The combined use of MET and FASN can better predict the survival condition.ConclusionsOur results indicated that MET and FASN showed good predictive ability for TNBC. Combined use of MET and FASN were recommended in order to make a more accurate prognosis for TNBC.

The process of the adapter separating from the missile plays an important role in the safety and reliability of missile launching, which involves complex dynamics calculations. In order to guarantee the safety of separating the adapter from the missile and successfully launching the missile, this article was concerned with the whole process of the adapter separating from the missile launching system and presented a novel calculation method and visual simulation software to analyze the dynamics process of adapter separation. The dynamics models including the coordinate system, dynamics and kinematic equations, and the forces acting on the adapter are established. The random factors and their distribution law that greatly influence the separation process are analyzed, the confidence intervals of the separation reliability are estimated by using the Monte Carlo method, and an algorithm for calculating the distance between the adapter, missile wing, and tail rudder is proposed. Visual simulation software for analyzing the separation process is designed, which gathers modeling, solving, and analytical processing. Finally, a numerical simulation result is given to verify the validity and correctness of the proposed method and software and analyze the factors affecting the separation reliability of the separating process of adapters for missile launching. The method and software presented in this paper can provide support for the safety design of missile adapter separation.

Sweating is a basic skin function in body temperature control. In sweat glands, salt excretion and reabsorption are regulated to avoid electrolyte imbalance. To date, the mechanism underlying such regulation is not fully understood. Corin is a transmembrane protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a cardiac hormone essential for normal blood volume and pressure. Here, we report an unexpected role of corin in sweat glands to promote sweat and salt excretion in regulating electrolyte homeostasis. In human and mouse eccrine sweat glands, corin and ANP are expressed in the luminal epithelial cells. In corin-deficient mice on normal- and high-salt diets, sweat and salt excretion is reduced. This phenotype is associated with enhanced epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity that mediates Na+ and water reabsorption. Treatment of amiloride, an ENaC inhibitor, normalizes sweat and salt excretion in corin-deficient mice. Moreover, treatment of aldosterone decreases sweat and salt excretion in wild-type (WT), but not corin-deficient, mice. These results reveal an important regulatory function of corin in eccrine sweat glands to promote sweat and salt excretion.

Previous studies have suggested that 1,9-Pyrazoloanthrone, known as SP600125, can induce cell polyploidization. However, what is the phase of cell cycle arrest caused by SP600125 and the underlying regulation is still an interesting issue to be further addressed. Research in this article shows that SP600125 can block cell cycle progression at the prometaphase of mitosis and cause endomitosis. It is suggested that enhancement of the p53 signaling pathway and weakening of the spindle assembly checkpoint are associated with the SP600125-induced cell cycle arrest. Using preliminary SP600125 treatment, the samples of the cultured fish cells and the fish tissues display a great number of chromosome splitting phases. Summarily, SP600125 can provide a new protocol of chromosomes preparation for karyotype analysis owing to its interference with prometaphase of mitosis.

Aim. To investigate the therapeutic effect of LiuJunZi decoction (LJZD) in an experimental model of asthma and uncover its potential mechanism. Materials and Methods. The ovalbumin (OVA) was applied to induce asthma in Balb/C mice, and LJZD was orally administrated to asthmatic mice. The lung function and histological lesion were evaluated by airway hyperresponsiveness assay, lung edema assay, and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The amounts of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ TReg cells were analyzed through combining fluorescent antibody staining with flow cytometry assay. The levels of inflammatory factors and immunoglobulins were detected by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of miR-21 and miR-146a was investigated by real-time PCR. The protein expression of activating protein-1 (AP-1), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and NF-κB inhibitor alpha (IκBα) was determined by western blotting. Results. LJZD improves OVA-induced asthma in Balb/C mice, which is manifested by decreasing lung edema, Penh levels, lung histological lesion, and inflammatory cell infiltration. LJZD increased the number of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ TReg cells in blood mononuclear cells from asthmatic mice. Furthermore, LJZD reduced the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin- (IL-) 4, IL-6, IgG1, and IgE, but increased interferon gamma (IFN-γ) expression, in serum of asthmatic mice, and also decreased the expression of IL-17a, IL-23, IL-25, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (Tslp) in lung tissues. In addition, miR-21 and miR-146a expression and phospho (p)-NF-κB, p-IκBα, and AP-1 protein expression were inhibited by LJZD in lung tissues from asthmatic mice. Conclusion. LJZD improved OVA-induced asthma in Balb/C mice by inhibiting allergic inflammation and Th2 immunoreaction, which might be associated with the inactivation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

The millimeter-wave phased array antenna is a higher integration system that is composed of different subarray modules, and in actual engineering, the existing amplitude, phase errors, and structural errors will change the performance of the array antenna. This paper studies the influence of the random amplitude and phase errors of the antenna array in the actual assembly process and the actual position errors between the subarrays on the electrical performance of the antenna. Based on the planar rectangular antenna array-electromagnetic coupling model, we propose a method of verifying the effect of random errors on the phased array antenna. The simulation result shows that the method could obtain the critical value of the error generated by the antenna subarray during processing and assembly. To reduce the error factor, it is necessary to ensure that the random phase and amplitude error should not exceed 10°,0.5 dB. The error in the X-direction during assembly should be ≤0.05λ, and the error in the Y-direction should be ≤0.1λ. When symmetrical deformation occurs, the maximum deformation should be less than 0.05λ.

Corydalis bungeana Turcz. is a perennial herb belonging to the family Papaveraceae. Its chloroplast genome was sequenced and characterized. The cp genome of C. bungeana is 167,629 bp long with a GC content of 36.52%. A total of 144 genes were identified in this cp genome, including 79 protein-coding genes, 31 tRNAs and four rRNAs. A phylogenetic tree based on the complete nucleic acid sequence indicated that C. bungeana was classified into Corydaleae and had a close relationship with Lamprocapnos spectabilis.