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Abstract Asparagus cochinchinensis is a member of the Asparagaceae family whose medicinal part is the dried root tuber. The distribution of A. cochinchinensis and its secondary metabolites are closely associated with environmental factors, such as climate and soil properties. By establishing and optimizing a maximum entropy model, we analyzed and predicted the distribution pattern and migration direction of suitable habitats for A. cochinchinensis and determined the main environmental factors affecting the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Under current climatic conditions, the area of suitable habitats for A. cochinchinensis (208.38 × 104 km2) accounts for 21.71% of the land area of China, and the areas of lowly, moderately, and highly suitable areas were 64.15 × 104 km2, 113.66 × 104 km2, and 30.57 × 104 km2, respectively. Under future climate scenarios, the total area of suitable habitats hardly changes. The area of highly suitable habitats significantly decreases under the SSP1‐RCP2.6 scenario (to 83.22% of the current value) and the SSP3‐RCP7 scenario (to 48.94% of the current value), but eventually increases to 112.86% of the current value under the SSP5‐RCP8.5 scenario, which indicates that A. cochinchinensis might adapt better to a high‐carbon‐emissions scenario. Under different climate scenarios, low‐impact areas mainly occur in southern China and will correspond 92.07% of the current suitable area. Highly suitable habitats primarily occur in the southeastern Sichuan Basin, northern Guangxi, eastern Guizhou, and western Hunan. HPLC analysis showed that the content of protodioscin (0.373%) and protogracillin (0.044%) in S2 was the highest. The total saponins contents of S1 and S2 were the highest, which were 35.6586 and 33.1262 mg/g, respectively. The total polysaccharide content of S9 was the highest (16.9467%). The total contents of saponins and polysaccharides in A. cochinchinensis were significantly, but oppositely, correlated with temperature, precipitation, and other factors. This study has identified environmental factors affecting the growth and quality of A. cochinchinensis, which has guiding significance for resource conservation and site selection for large‐scale cultivation.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) holds promise as a biomarker for predicting clinical responses to therapy in solid tumors, and multiple ctDNA assays are in development. However, the heterogeneity in ctDNA levels prior to treatment (baseline) across different cancer types and stages and across ctDNA assays has not been widely studied. Friends of Cancer Research formed a collaboration across multiple commercial ctDNA assay developers to assess baseline ctDNA levels across five cancer types in early- and late-stage disease. This retrospective study included eight commercial ctDNA assay developers providing summary-level de-identified data for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), bladder, breast, prostate, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma following a common analysis protocol. Baseline ctDNA levels across late-stage cancer types were similarly detected, highlighting the potential use of ctDNA as a biomarker in these cancer types. Variability was observed in ctDNA levels across assays in early-stage NSCLC, indicative of the contribution of assay analytical performance and methodology on variability. We identified key data elements, including assay characteristics and clinicopathological metadata, that need to be standardized for future meta-analyses across multiple assays. This work facilitates evidence generation opportunities to support the use of ctDNA as a biomarker for clinical response.

A graph $G$ is called a fractional $(g,f)$-covered graph if for any $e\in E(G)$, $G$ admits a fractional $(g,f)$-factor covering $e$. A graph $G$ is called a fractional $(g,f,n)$-critical covered graph if for any $W\subseteq V(G)$ with $|W|=n$, $G-W$ is a fractional $(g,f)$-covered graph. In this paper, we demonstrate that a graph $G$ of order $p$ is a fractional $(g,f,n)$-critical covered graph if $p\geq\frac{(a+b)(a+b+n+1)-(b-m)n+2}{a+m}$, $\delta(G)\geq\frac{(b-m)(b+1)+2}{a+m}+n$ and for every pair of nonadjacent vertices $u$ and $v$ of $G$, $\max\{d_G(u),d_G(v)\}\geq\frac{(b-m)p+(a+m)n+2}{a+b}$, where $g$ and $f$ are integer-valued functions defined on $V(G)$ satisfying $a\leq g(x)\leq f(x)-m\leq b-m$ for every $x\in V(G)$.

Calcitonin was discovered as a peptide hormone that was known to reduce the calcium levels in the systemic circulation. This hypocalcemic effect is produced due to multiple reasons such as inhibition of bone resorption or suppression of calcium release from the bone. Thus, calcitonin was said as a primary regulator of the bone resorption process. This is the reason why calcitonin has been used widely in clinics for the treatment of bone disorders such as osteoporosis, hypercalcemia, and Paget’s disease. However, presently calcitonin usage is declined due to the development of efficacious formulations of new drugs. Calcitonin gene-related peptides and several other peptides such as intermedin, amylin, and adrenomedullin (ADM) are categorized in calcitonin family. These peptides are known for the structural similarity with calcitonin. Aside from having a similar structure, these peptides have few overlapping biological activities and signal transduction action through related receptors. However, several other activities are also present that are peptide specific. In vitro and in vivo studies documented the posttreatment effects of calcitonin peptides, i.e., positive effect on bone osteoblasts and their formation and negative effect on osteoclasts and their resorption. The recent research studies carried out on genetically modified mice showed the inhibition of osteoclast activity by amylin, while astonishingly calcitonin plays its role by suppressing osteoblast and bone turnover. This article describes the review of the bone, the activity of the calcitonin family of peptides, and the link between them.

This study proposes the concept of an electronic–mechanical dual stable platform for radars with a three-axis stable turntable. Based on an assumption, an electron stable equation of the first order is applied to the beam pointing correction of the radar with three-axis stable turntable based on the equivalence principle. Furthermore, through a comparative analysis of two kinds of algorithms, it is shown that when the instantaneous value of the tracking error in the platform servo-loop of the mechanical platform is smaller than a certain range, assuming the conditions are established, the error method of the electron stable equation of the first order can directly replace the electron stable equation of the second order that is applied to the spatial orientation correction of the radar beam to improve computational efficiency. At the same time, error analysis was performed on the data link of the dual stable platform.

A new genus Evemphyron Alonso-Zarazaga, Lv & Wang, gen. n., belonging to Attelabidae Rhynchitinae, is described. Its single species, Evemphyron sinense Alonso-Zarazaga, Lv & Wang, sp. n., was reared from larvae found inside seed pods of the legume Callerya dielsiana (Fabaceae, Millettieae) in Sichuan Province (China). The species is figured and placed in the Deporaini because of the presence of minute labial palpi, the strongly crescentic apex of the postmentum, and the apodemes of male IX sternite and female VIII sternite curved sinistro-anterially near their cephalic end. It shows 3-segmented labial palpi and male sex patches on the procoxae, characters that suggest a basal position in the tribe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancers in clinic; but it often induces adverse effects on ovarian functions such as reduced fertility and premature menopause. Mesna could attenuate the cisplatin-induced ovarian damages; however, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. This study aimed to figure out the underlying mechanism of the protection of mesna for ovaries against cisplatin therapy in cancers. Methods: We performed female adult Sprague-Dawley rats into normal saline control (NS), low-dose cisplatin (CL), high-dose cisplatin (CH), CL plus mesna (CL+M), and CH plus mesna (CH+M) groups and detected anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)-positive follicle, oxidative stress status and anti-oxidative capability in ovaries. Results: AMH-positive follicles were significantly decreased after cisplatin administration, which was significantly reversed when mesna was co-administered with cisplatin. The end product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), was significantly increased, but the anti-oxidative enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) were significantly decreased in cisplatin groups when compared with NS group. In contrast, after co-administration of cisplatin with mesna, MDA was significantly decreased whereas the activity of SOD and the concentration of GSH were increased. Moreover, mesna did not decrease the anti-tumor property of cisplatin in HePG2 cell lines. Conclusion: Cisplatin damages the granulosa cells by oxidative stress to deplete the ovarian reserve and mesna could protect ovarian reserve through anti-oxidation. These results might highlight the mechanism of the protection of mesna for ovarian reserve and open an avenue for the application of mesna as a protective additive in cisplatin chemotherapy in clinical practise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]