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Lactate, long viewed as a byproduct of glycolysis and metabolic waste. Initially identified within the context of yogurt fermentation, lactate’s role extends beyond culinary applications to its significance in biochemical processes. Contemporary research reveals that lactate functions not merely as the terminal product of glycolysis but also as a nexus for initiating physiological and pathological responses within the body. Lysine lactylation (Kla), a novel post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins, has emerged as a pivotal mechanism by which lactate exerts its regulatory influence. This epigenetic modification has the potential to alter gene expression patterns, thereby impacting physiological and pathological processes. Increasing evidence indicates a correlation between lactylation and adverse prognosis in various malignancies. Consequently, this review article aims to encapsulate the proteins that interact with lactate, elucidate the role of lactylation in tumorigenesis and progression, and explore the potential therapeutic targets afforded by the modulation of lactylation. The objective of this review is to clarify the oncogenic significance of lactylation and to provide a strategic framework for future research directions in this burgeoning field.

Abstract N6‐methyl‐2′‐O‐methyladenosine (m6Am), occurring adjacent to the 7‐methylguanosine (m7G) cap structure and catalyzed by the newly identified writer PCIF1 (phosphorylated CTD interacting factor 1), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases. However, its involvement in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unexplored. Here, significant upregulation of PCIF1 and m6Am levels in RCC tissues are identified, unveiling their oncogenic roles both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, employing m6Am‐Exo‐Seq, LPP3 (phospholipid phosphatase 3) mRNA is identified as a key downstream target whose translation is enhanced by m6Am modification. Furthermore, LPP3 is revealed as a key regulator of phosphatidic acid metabolism, critical for preventing its accumulation in mitochondria and facilitating mitochondrial fission. Consequently, Inhibition of the PCIF1/LPP3 axis significantly altered mitochondrial morphology and reduced RCC tumor progression. In addition, depletion of PCIF1 sensitizes RCC to sunitinib treatment. This study highlights the intricate interplay between m6Am modification, phosphatidic acid metabolism, and mitochondrial dynamics, offering a promising therapeutic avenue for RCC.

The Three River Headwaters （TRH） region， known as the “Water Tower of China”， is a crucial freshwater source and an ecological barrier in China.Changes in precipitation concentration， seasonal precipitation amount， frequency， and intensity is a key process of water cycle in the context of global warming， holding significant implications for vegetation growth and water resource management in the TRH region.In this study， utilizing the CN05.1 daily precipitation gridded dataset from 1961 to 2020 prepared by the China Meteorological Administration， the Precipitation Concentration Index （PCI） were calculated， and the evolving patterns of precipitation concentration and intra-annual distribution in the TRH region were clarified.The climatology， relative interannual variability， long-term trends， and anomalies of annual and seasonal precipitation amount， frequency， and intensity were investigated.The results find that： （1） Precipitation in the TRH region exhibits a certain degree of concentration with PCI of 17.5.PCI increased from southeast to northwest， suggesting an increased precipitation concentration.Over the past 60 years， PCI has declined at a rate of -1.71% per decade， indicating a trend towards more evenly distributed monthly precipitation throughout the year.It’s noteworthy that the reduction in the proportion of precipitation during the growing season may have ramifications for agricultural production and ecosystem maintenance in the TRH region.（2） Over the past six decades， there has been a significant overall increase in precipitation amount and intensity during different seasons.However， precipitation frequency decreased during summer while increasing in other seasons.Enhanced precipitation intensity has predominantly contributed to the rise in precipitation amount during spring， summer， and autumn， while increased precipitation frequency has played a dominant role in elevating precipitation amount during winter.The increase rate in humidity during winter and spring was higher than that during summer and autumn.In spring， precipitation amount and intensity increased by 8.09% and 6.94% per decade respectively， while winter saw snowfall amount and frequency grow by 7.27% and 4.4% per decade.Also noteworthy is the distribution of droughts and floods in parts of the Yangtze River source area tends towards extreme， exacerbating the ecosystem vulnerability.（3） The regional average precipitation amount， frequency， and intensity in the TRH region have shown an increase of 1.36 mm， 0.024%， and 0.0056 mm·d-1 per year over the past 60 years.The cumulative anomalies of precipitation amount， frequency， and intensity in the last 60 years were negative， with abrupt changes occurring in 2003， 1989， and 2003， respectively.There has been a significant decrease in precipitation frequency during the rainy season， coupled with a substantial increase in precipitation intensity.In contrast， both precipitation frequency and intensity during the dry season have experienced significant increases.These changes have been particularly pronounced in the past decade.This study can serve as a valuable reference for research concerning soil erosion， agricultural production， water resource management， and climate change in the TRH region.

In recent years, the emergence and widespread dissemination of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has posed a significant threat to global public health and social development. In order to safely and effectively prevent and control the spread of coronavirus diseases, a profound understanding of virus-host interactions is paramount. Cellular autophagy, a process that safeguards cells by maintaining cellular homeostasis under diverse stress conditions. Xenophagy, specifically, can selectively degrade intracellular pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, thus establishing a robust defense mechanism against such intruders. Coronaviruses have the ability to induce autophagy, and they manipulate this pathway to ensure their efficient replication. While progress has been made in elucidating the intricate relationship between coronaviruses and autophagy, a comprehensive summary of how autophagy either benefits or hinders viral replication remains elusive. In this review, we delve into the mechanisms that govern how different coronaviruses regulate autophagy. We also provide an in-depth analysis of virus-host interactions, particularly focusing on the latest data pertaining to SARS-CoV-2. Our aim is to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of novel coronavirus vaccines and the screening of potential drug targets.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize the differences in neural function among patients with different functional abilities 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).DesignResting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed to obtain blood-oxygen-level-dependent values for ACLR returned to sports coper participants (CP), non-coper participants (NP), and healthy controls (HC). The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) calculated changes in the standard frequency band (SFB) (0.01–0.08 Hz), Slow4 (0.027–0.073 Hz), and Slow5 (0.01–0.027 Hz). Clinical correlations were investigated.ResultsThe right cerebellum_8 and bilateral putamen in SFB, while the right cerebellum_crus2 and left putamen in Slow5 were higher in CP than in NP. The ALLF values of the bilateral putamen in Slow4 were increased, while the right parietal lobule in Slow4 and left upper temporal pole in Slow5 were lower in CP than in HC. The ReHo values in the CP group in the right cerebellum_crus2 was higher than that in the NP group in Slow5 (voxel p

Reliable precipitation information is particularly important for understanding the water balance and water cycle processes in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.As a new generation of satellite precipitation data， IMERG （Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement） represents an advanced iteration in satellite precipitation data， characterized by expanded coverage and heightened spatiotemporal resolution.However， due to the complex terrain in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau， IMERG still has great uncertainty in the plateau region.In view of this， this study performs bias correction of IMERG daily precipitation data based on the Quantile Delta Mapping （QDM） method.The transfer function is established seasonally using CMFD （China Meteorological Forcing Dataset） precipitation and IMERG daily precipitation data during 2001 -2010 to correct IMERG daily precipitation during 2011 -2014.The results show that： （1） The QDM method can effectively correct the frequency， value， and spatial distribution of IMERG precipitation products， and the corrections are more effective for extreme precipitation and large negative deviation regions.The probability distribution of corrected IMERG daily precipitation is closer to that of the observations， and the precipitation deviation is more in line with the normal distribution.Monthly precipitation and the spatial distribution characteristics of annual and seasonal precipitation are improved.（2） The root mean square error of the corrected daily precipitation is reduced from 1.49 mm·d-1 to 1.26 mm·d-1 with an improvement by 15.44%.The critical success index CSI， probability of detection POD， false alarm rate FAR， precision rate， and Fscore of the corrected daily precipitation in different precipitation intensities are improved， and the Bias score of tiny and torrential precipitation is enhanced.（3） After correction， the extreme precipitation is significantly improved， and the mean values of the simple daily intensity index （SDII） and percentile-based threshold indices （R95p and R99p） are closer to the observed values.The spatial distribution of extreme precipitation is effectively displayed， and the bias of extreme precipitation is reduced from over 30% to within 5%.The root mean square error of SDII， R95p， and R99p is reduced from 1.59， 6.54， and 14.89 mm·d-1 to 0.65， 3.01， and 8.99 mm·d-1 with the accuracy improved by 59.12%， 53.98%， and 39.62%， respectively.This study verifies the applicability of the Quantile Delta Mapping method in the Tibetan Plateau， which is beneficial for obtaining more accurate precipitation data for meteorological and hydrological studies in the region.

Extreme climate events have become more frequent under global warming, significantly affecting vegetation phenology and carbon cycles in Central Asia. However, the mediating effects of intensity of compound drought and heat events (CDHEs) and compound moisture and heat events (CMHEs) on grassland phenology and their trends in the relative contributions to grassland phenology over time have remained unclear. Based on the calculation results of grassland phenology and compound events (CEs), this study used trend analysis, partial least squares regression structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and ridge regression analysis to investigate the mediating effect and the temporal trend in relative contribution of CEs to grassland phenology in Central Asia, and the magnitude of sensitivity of grassland phenology to CEs. This study revealed that the start of season (SOS) was advanced by 0.4 d·a−1, end of season (EOS) was delayed by 0.5 d·a−1, and length of season (LOS) extended by 0.8 d·a−1 in 1982–2022. The duration of the CDHEs (0−37 days) was greater than that of the CMHEs (0−9 days) in Central Asia. The direct effects of CDHEs and CMHEs on grassland phenology were generally negative, except for the direct positive effect of CDHEs on LOS. The indirect effects of temperature and precipitation on grassland phenology through CDHEs and CMHEs were greater than their direct effects on phenology. The relative contribution of CDHEs to grassland phenology was consistently greater than that of CMHEs, and both the relative contribution curves showed a significant upward trend. The sensitivity of grassland phenology to CDHEs was higher than its sensitivity to CMHEs at 0.79 (SOS), 1.18 (EOS), and 0.72 (LOS). Our results emphasize the mediating effects of CDHEs and CMHEs on grassland phenology. Under the influence of CDHEs and CMHEs, the LOS will further lengthen in the future.

Objectives: We wished to compare the diagnostic performance of texture analysis (TA) against that of a visual qualitative assessment in identifying early sacroiliitis (nr-axSpA). Methods: A total of 92 participants were retrospectively included at our university hospital institution, comprising 30 controls and 62 patients with axSpA, including 32 with nr-axSpA and 30 with r-axSpA, who underwent MR examination of the sacroiliac joints. MRI at 3T of the lumbar spine and the sacroiliac joint was performed using oblique T1-weighted (W), fluid-sensitive, fat-saturated (Fs) T2WI images. The modified New York criteria for AS were used. Patients were classified into the nr-axSpA group if their digital radiography (DR) and/or CT results within 7 days from the MR examination showed a DR and/or CT grade < 2 for the bilateral sacroiliac joints or a DR and/or CT grade < 3 for the unilateral sacroiliac joint. Patients were classified into the r-axSpA group if their DR and/or CT grade was 2 to 3 for the bilateral sacroiliac joints or their DR and/or CT grade was 3 for the unilateral sacroiliac joint. Patients were considered to have a confirmed diagnosis if their DR or CT grade was 4 for the sacroiliac joints and were thereby excluded. A control group of healthy individuals matched in terms of age and sex to the patients was included in this study. First, two readers independently qualitatively scored the oblique coronal T1WI and FsT2WI non-enhanced sacroiliac joint images. The diagnostic efficacies of the two readers were judged and compared using an assigned Likert score, conducting a Kappa consistency test of the diagnostic results between two readers. Texture analysis models (the T1WI-TA model and the FsT2WI-TA model) were constructed through feature extraction and feature screening. The qualitative and quantitative results were evaluated for their diagnostic performance and compared against a clinical reference standard. Results: The qualitative scores of the two readers could significantly distinguish between the healthy controls and the nr-axSpA group and the nr-axSpA and r-axSpA groups (both p < 0.05). Both TA models could significantly distinguish between the healthy controls and the nr-axSpA group and the nr-axSpA group and the r-axSpA group (both p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the differential diagnoses of the two TA models between the healthy controls and the nr-axSpA group (AUC: 0.934 vs. 0.976; p = 0.1838) and between the nr-axSpA and r-axSpA groups (AUC: 0.917 vs. 0.848; p = 0.2592). In terms of distinguishing between the healthy control and nr-axSpA groups, both the TA models were superior to the qualitative scores of the two readers (all p < 0.05). In terms of distinguishing between the nr-axSpA and r-axSpA groups, the T1WI-TA model was superior to the qualitative scores of the two readers (p = 0.023 and p = 0.007), whereas there was no significant difference between the fsT2WI-TA model and the qualitative scores of the two readers (p = 0.134 and p = 0.065). Conclusions: Based on MR imaging, the T1WI-TA and fsT2WI-TA models were highly effective for the early diagnosis of sacroiliac joint arthritis. The T1WI-TA model significantly improved the early diagnostic efficacy for sacroiliac arthritis compared to that of the qualitative scores of the readers, while the efficacy of the fsT2WI-TA model was comparable to that of the readers.

Dryland ecosystems are highly vulnerable to extreme droughts under climate change. Yet, response of vegetation productivity across global drylands to changes in drought stress in a warming climate remains obscure. Here, we investigated future changes in drought stress, characterized by low soil moisture (SM) and high vapor pressure deficit (VPD), under severe drought conditions and its impact on gross primary productivity (GPP) deviations in drylands, based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) Earth system model (ESM) simulations. Under both intermediate (SSP2-4.5) and high (SSP5-8.5) emission scenarios, the dryland ecosystems are projected to experience more intense, extensive and frequent severe drought events owing to increasing VPD. The probabilities of high VPD-dominated drought stress in the end of the 21st century would be nearly double (2.1–2.4 times) of the present-day (39%). Excluding the carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization effect, the annual GPP loss caused by severe drought is projected to further deteriorate over more than half fraction (56.9–70.9%) of global vegetated dryland areas, reaching 2.0 (1.9–2.2) times of the present-day (with an area-weighted total of −21.5 KgC m−2 yr−1) by the end of the 21st century. Such aggravating reduction is predominantly induced by drought stress with higher-than-usual VPD anomaly. The high VPD-dominated drought stress would lead to approximately 100% (95–102%) of annual aggregated dryland GPP loss by the end of 21st century from the present-day 68%. Our results suggest an increasing risk of high atmospheric aridity-dominated drought stress on dryland ecosystems. It is of great urgency to make adaption and mitigation strategies for the natural and cultivated vegetation in drylands.

We report two cases of tufted angioma with atypical clinical presentations in adults. Patient 1 was a 41-year-old male with painful red plaques on his neck for 2 years. Cutaneous examination showed dark red papules distributed in clusters on the red plaques (7 cm×3.5 cm in size) of the neck, tough texture and some pseudo-vesicular lesions. Laboratory tests revealed a platelet (PLT) count of 83×109/L and abnormal coagulation. Histopathology revealed nodular endothelial cell hyperplasia arranged in tufts and looked like "cannonball" appearance in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Immunohistochemical stainings of CD31 and CD34 were positive, and D2-40 was focally positive.Diagnosis: Tufted angioma. The patient refused the treatment with oral propranolol, but was still under follow-up. Patient 2 was a 30-year-old female with a brown nodule on the left dorsal foot, accompanied by pruritus and pain for over two months. Dermatological examination showed a brown nodule in a diameter of about 0.8 cm, with a hard and rough surface. Laboratory tests were normal in routine blood test, liver, kidney and coagulation functions, except elevations in IgG (23.70 g/L) and C3 (0.888 g/L), and ANA 1∶640(+). Histopathological analysis revealed compact arrangement of endothelial cells with tuft proliferation in the dermis. Immunohistochemical stainings of CD31 and CD34 were positive, and D2-40 was focally positive. Diagnosis was tufted angioma. Surgical resection was given.

Abstract Objective This study explored the application effect of smart classrooms combined with virtual simulation training in basic nursing courses for nursing undergraduates. Methods In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 135 undergraduate nursing students in the 2021 matriculating cohort were selected as the research subjects. The experimental group of Class 1 had 71 students, and a blended teaching design utilizing a smart classroom and virtual simulation training was adopted. The control group of Class 2 had 64 students, and traditional lecture-based teaching design was adopted. After the course, the independent learning ability scale, test scores and teaching effectiveness questionnaire were used to evaluate the teaching effect. All tests had a maximum score of 100. Results Nursing undergraduates in the experimental group had scores of 86.32 ± 8.25 for virtual simulation training and 84.82 ± 9.04 for peer-assisted learning. The scores of the theoretical examination, experimental examination, and subjective questions in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P

Abstract Purpose Myelin and lymphocyte protein 2 (MAL2) is mainly involved in endocytosis under physiological conditions and mediates the transport of materials across the membranes of cell and organelle. It has been reported that MAL2 is significantly upregulated in diverse cancers. This study aimed to investigate the role of MAL2 in breast cancer (BC). Methods Bioinformatics analysis and Immunohistochemical assay were applied to detect the correlation between MAL2 expression in breast cancer tissues and the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Functional experiments were carried out to investigate the role of MAL2 in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanisms involved in MAL2-induced β-catenin and c-Myc expression and β-catenin/c-Myc-mediated enhancement of BC progression were confirmed by western blot, β-catenin inhibitor and agonist, Co-IP and immunofluorescence colocalization assays. Results Results from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and clinical samples confirmed a significant upregulation of MAL2 in BC tissues than in adjacent non-tumor tissues. High expression of MAL2 was associated with worse prognosis. Functional experiments demonstrated that MAL2 knockdown reduced the migration and invasion associating with EMT, increased the apoptosis of BC cells in vitro and reduced the metastatic capacity in vivo. Mechanistically, MAL2 interacts with β-catenin in BC cells. MAL2 silencing reduced the expression of β-catenin and c-Myc, while the β-catenin agonist SKL2001 partially rescued the downregulation of c-Myc and inhibition of migration and invasion caused by MAL2 knockdown in BC cells. Conclusion These observations provided evidence that MAL2 acted as a potential tumor promoter by regulating EMT and β-catenin/c-Myc axis, suggesting potential implications for anti-metastatic therapy for BC.

Low-cadmium (Cd) accumulating wheat cultivars (LAWC-Cds) can effectively reduce the total Cd content in wheat grains (Grain-Cd). Thirteen LAWC-Cds were planted in three fields to study the enrichment, transport, and accumulation patterns of Cd in LAWC-Cds. Compared with the soil properties before planting, the soil pH and the total Cd content in the soil decreased, while the Cd content in the diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid extract, soil conductivity, and soil organic matter increased at wheat maturity. The Cd enrichment capacity of the different organs of wheat decreased in the following order: root > leaf > rachis > stem > glume > grain. The dynamics of Cd accumulation in roots affected Grain-Cd, and these factors were negatively correlated. The Cd content and Cd accumulation in all organs of LAWC-Cds showed strong negative correlations with the lengths of the first and second internodes and highly significant positive correlations with both grains per spike and awn length. Structural equation modeling showed that the Cd content of wheat organs had the most direct effect (0.639) in determining Grain-Cd, and soil properties had the largest effect (0.744) in influencing Grain-Cd. This study is important for screening wheat cultivars with stable low Cd-accumulation characteristics.

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal contagious viral disease of domestic pigs and wild boars caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). The pandemic spread of ASF has caused severe effects on the global pig industry. Whole-genome sequencing provides crucial information for virus strain characterization, epidemiology analysis and vaccine development. Here, we evaluated the performance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in generating ASFV genome sequences from clinical samples. Thirty-four ASFV-positive field samples including spleen, lymph node, lung, liver and blood with a range of Ct values from 14.73 to 25.95 were sequenced. For different tissue samples collected from the same sick pigs, the proportion of ASFV reads obtained from the spleen samples was 3.69–9.86 times higher than other tissues. For the high-viral-load spleen samples (Ct < 20), a minimum of a 99.8% breadth of ≥10× coverage was revealed for all the samples. For the spleen samples with Ct ≥ 20, 6/12 samples had a minimum of a 99.8% breadth of ≥10× coverage. A high average depth of sequencing coverage was also achieved from the blood samples. According to our results, high-quality ASFV whole-genome sequences could be obtained from the spleen or blood samples with Ct < 20. The high-quality ASFV genome sequence generated in this study was further used for the high-resolution phylogenetic analysis of the ASFV genomes in the early stage of the ASF epidemic in China. Our study demonstrates that NGS may act as a useful tool for efficient ASFV genome characterization, providing valuable information for disease control.

Background Drought is one of the crucial constraints limiting horticultural plant’s production and development around the world. Pugionium cornutum is an annual or biennial xerophyte with strong environmental adaptability and drought resistance; however, the mechanisms with respect to response to drought stress remain largely unclear. Methods After seedling emergence, the gravimetric method was used to control soil relative water content (SRWC). Drought stress was applied to the six-leaf stage P. cornutum seedlings. The soil water content of different drought stress levels (L) was controlled by gravimetric method as follows: control (L1): 70–75% SRWC; moderate drought level (L2): 40–45% SRWC; severe drought level (L3): 30–35% SRWC, and the water was added to different drought stress levels at about 18:00 p.m. every day. The experiment ended when the leaves of P. cornutum showed severe wilting (10-leaf stage). Samples were harvested and stored at −80 °C for physiological determination, and transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing. Results Compared with L1, the leaves of P. cornutum seedlings were increasingly wilted after drought treatment; the SRWC of the drought-stress leaves decreased notably while the leaf water potential was rose; the proline, malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased with the continuous drought treatment but peroxidase (POD) activity decreased. Besides, 3,027 differential genes (DGs) and 196 differential proteins (DPs), along with 1,943 DGs and 489 DPs were identified in L2-L1 and L3-L1, respectively. The transcriptome and proteome integrated analysis manifested that only 30 and 70 were commonly regulated both in L2-L1 and L3-L1, respectively. Of which, 24 and 61 DGs or DPs showed the same trend including sHSPs, APX2, GSTU4, CML42, and POD, etc. However, most of DGs or DPs were regulated only at the transcriptome or proteome level mainly including genes encoding signal pathway (PYR1, PYLs, SnRK2J, PLC2, CDPK9/16/29, CML9, MAPKs), transcription factors (WRKYs, DREB2A, NAC055, NAC072, MYB and, HB7) and ion channel transporters (ALMT4, NHX1, NHX2 and TPK2). These genes or proteins were involved in multiple signaling pathways and some important metabolism processes, which offers valuable information on drought-responsive genes and proteins for further study in P. cornutum.

After the Taiwanese government launched the Blueprint for Developing Taiwan into a Bilingual Nation by 2030, the Implementation Project of Bilingual Instruction in several domains of primary and junior high school education was promoted by the Taiwan Ministry of Education. Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual-objective strategy in which students simultaneously acquire language skills and subject knowledge. CLIL has been widely implemented and proven to be successful in European countries. This strategy will become the primary method of bilingual education for instructors in grades K-12. Other non-European countries, such as Latin America and Indonesia, however, found difficulties applying CLIL in class. The issues need to be identified to encourage researchers and practitioners to find solutions. The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to implementing CLIL from the perspective of K-12 teachers. We surveyed 102 K-12 teachers in Keelung using a questionnaire. The findings indicate that (1) 49.0% of teachers feel concerned if they are required to teach half of their content in English, (2) 64.8% of teachers are willing to improve their English proficiency in their spare time for implementing CLIL in class, and (3) only 36.3% of teachers are willing to adopt CLIL in class, while 50.0% of teachers are willing to implement CLIL if a teaching assistant system supports them with English course materials. Teaching assistant systems that provide English course materials might influence teachers’ willingness to implement CLIL in class.

Background: The extensive involvement of interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) in RNA stability and the inflammatory response is well documented. Aberrant long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression contributes to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. However, little is known about the role of ILF2 in psoriasis.Objective: To investigate the role of ILF2 and KLHDC7B-DT in psoriasis.Methods: LncRNA expression in psoriatic tissues was measured by lncRNA microarray and qRT–PCR. Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs), HaCaT cells, and Ker-CT cells stimulated with M5 (IL-17A, IL-22, IL-1α, oncostatin M, and TNF-α) were used to establish a psoriasis model in vitro. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to detect the distribution of KLHDC7B-DT and ILF2 in keratinocytes. The proliferative effects of KLHDC7B-DT and ILF2 on keratinocytes were demonstrated by EdU assay and flow cytometry. ELISA was used to detect the secretion levels of cytokines. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were used to detect the direct binding of KLHDC7B-DT with ILF2. Western blotting was used to detect the proteins related to STAT3/JNK signalling pathways.Results: ILF2 and KLHDC7B-DT were significantly overexpressed in psoriatic tissues and M5-induced keratinocytes. KLHDC7B-DT promoted the proliferation of keratinocytes and induced the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. KLHDC7B-DT could directly bind to ILF2 and activate the STAT3 and JNK signalling pathways. KLHDC7B-DT expression was regulated by ILF2. M5-induced proliferation and inflammatory cytokine secretion in keratinocytes was inhibited after ILF2 knockdown. Furthermore, we found that ILF2 promoted keratinocyte proliferation and the inflammatory response in a KLHDC7B-DT-dependent manner.Conclusions: ILF2 and KLHDC7B-DT are involved in the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and skin inflammation in psoriasis. In addition, ILF2 functions in a KLHDC7B-DT-dependent manner.

Previous studies have shown that on the surface, Jiaobei uplift and Weihai uplift have higher heat flow values than Jiaolai depression. However, the mechanism by which the deep heat flow migrates and the exposure of geothermal resources are still unclear. In this study, the geothermal field distribution, thermal conductivity, temperature logging data, and chemical composition of the geothermal fluid in the Jiaodong Peninsula were analyzed. Regarding the thermal field’s characteristics and their controlling factors, a conceptual model of heat flow diversion-accumulation between the uplift and basin areas in the Jiaodong Peninsula is proposed. The lithology of the uplift area is mainly composed of intrusive rocks and metamorphic rocks with high thermal conductivities. The lithology of the basin mainly consists of sandstone with a low thermal conductivity. The bottom of the basin, which has a low thermal conductivity and low permeability, serves as a heat insulation and water insulation roof, which causes the heat flow and the heat-carrying fluids and gases from the deep crust to be refracted and redistributed at the bottom of the basin area. As a result, the bottom of the uplift areas has a higher heat flow. In particular, the axial position in the uplift area has the highest heat flow. In addition, the geothermal resources in the Jiaodong Peninsula are mainly distributed in the V-shaped area where the upper block of the NE- and NW-trending faults intersect, and the scope of the exposure of the geothermal resources is very limited.

Precipitation is crucial for managing water resources in the Three River Headwaters (TRH) region of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Gridded precipitation datasets across the TRH region exhibit significant discrepancies in their results. Previous studies have primarily focused on assessing average or extreme precipitation for a single dataset or several datasets. In this study, based on the observed gridded precipitation dataset (CN05.1), a comprehensive evaluation of the climatic features and extreme precipitation across the TRH region from 1983 to 2014 is performed by employing two gauge-based gridded datasets (GPCC and CRU), two satellite-derived precipitation datasets (P-CDR and IMERG), and two reanalysis precipitation datasets (ERA5 and CRA40). The results show that all datasets are consistent in reproducing the climatology, interannual variability, and annual cycle of precipitation in the TRH region. However, the different datasets exhibit significant discrepancies in characterizing the long-term trends and extreme precipitation events. P-CDR and GPCC provide a good representation of the spatial variability of the annual mean climatology. ERA5 and CRU are more reliable in capturing interannual variabilities. The long-term trends can be closely described by employing CRU. P-CDR and GPCC exhibit higher skills in terms of the annual cycle. P-CDR performs better than IMERG for daily precipitation in terms of probability distributions and other assessment metrics. P-CDR and IMERG have advantages and disadvantages in characterizing the nine extreme precipitation indices. This study demonstrates a comprehensive comparison method using multiple precipitation datasets to gain essential insight into the strengths and weaknesses of various datasets across the TRH region.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the value of ultrasound screening for congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) during the early postnatal period.MethodsThis is a prospective study that enrolled all neonates born from August 2019 to July 2020 at one medical center. Postnatal ultrasound screening was conducted in all neonates at 1, 3, and 6 months old, respectively. Information on antenatal detection and pregnancy was collected. We performed logistic regression analyses and established a predictive model to assess the potential risk factors of abnormal ultrasound screening results.ResultsPostnatal ultrasound scanning in 4,877 infants identified 268 cases (5.5%) of anomalies of kidney and urinary tract by primary screening and 92 cases (1.9%) by tertiary screening. A specific diagnosis was identified in 47 cases within the 6-month screening and follow-up program. Logistic regression revealed that preterm birth, oligohydramnios, antenatal ultrasound screening anomalies, and gestational hypothyroidism were independent risk factors for the early detection of CAKUT by postnatal ultrasound screening. The above factors were adopted to develop a predictive model that showed good calibration in predicting ultrasound findings of CAKUT. Decision curve analysis demonstrated good clinical utility.ConclusionsPostnatal ultrasound screening should be conducted in infants with risk factors associated with CAKUT. Further study on prenatal and fetal factors could help establish the predictive model for the early detection of CAKUT.

Based on daily precipitation data from 1969 to 2017, topographical data and residential population data in 2017, by using a num-ber of statistical analysis methods such as probability density function (PDF) method, least square method, Mann-Kendall method and cumu-lative anomaly method, the precipitation characteristics in large cities and their suburbs under different terrains in 30°N latitude zone of Chi-na in recent 49 years are analyzed from the PDF characteristics, the trend of precipitation and the characteristics of extreme precipitation combining with the terrain diversity of China. The results show that:(1) The precipitation of 30°N latitude zone of China has obvious regional and extreme characteristics. The annual precipitation PDFs at the Yangtze River estuary stations are the closest to normal distribution. The extreme precipitation threshold and extreme precipitation intensity generally increase from west to east and are inversely related to the ter-rain height. For extreme precipitation in rainstorm and above, the probability of precipitation is low while the precipitation proportion is high. (2) The urbanization effect of precipitation is obvious, as represented by the facts that the PDFs of the daily, monthly, seasonal and annual precipitation at the representative stations generally have urban and suburban differences, and the difference at daily or annual scales is more obvious than that at monthly or seasonal scales. Annual precipitation at representative stations in large cities generally increases faster than that in their suburbs, and the minimum value is greater. Extreme precipitation threshold, extreme precipitation intensity and the maxi-mum value of annual maximum daily precipitation are generally larger, and the probability and the proportion of moderate and above-class heavy rain of the former is larger than the latter. (3) Precipitation has obvious interannual and seasonal variations, and has certain weekly variation. The annual precipitation mutations occur concentrated in the mid-late 1980s, the 1990s and the beginning of 2000s. The seasonal variation characteristics of precipitation is the most in summer and the least in winter. The urbanization effect of summer precipitation is obvi-ous under the terrains of Jianghan Plain, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yangtze River estuary. The urbanization effect of precipitation in working days is more obvious than the rest days under most terrains.

Shapes, sizes and biomass investment per unit area (LMA) of vine leaves are characterized by high diversity that results in variation in leaf arrangement, light harvesting efficiency and photosynthetic activity. There exists a scaling relationship between leaf dry mass and surface area for many broad-leaved plants, and most estimates of the scaling exponent are greater than unity, implying that they follow the “law of diminishing returns”, i.e. that larger leaves require progressively greater investments of dry mass and accordingly have a greater LMA. Previous studies have primarily focused on trees and crops and there are few data available for vines. Yet, as vines have lower support investments in stems than self-supporting plants, they can have larger biomass investments in support within the leaves and stronger rise of biomass costs with increasing leaf area. In this study, we chose twelve species of vines (five woody vines and seven herbaceous vines) to investigate the following scientific questions: (i) whether there are significant differences in LMA between woody and herbaceous vines, (ii) whether leaf dry mass and surface area scaling relationships show evidence of diminishing returns in vines. We observed that LMA values of woody vines were significantly higher than those of the herbaceous vines. Leaf dry mass vs. surface area scaling relationship followed the law of diminishing returns in all 12 studied vine species. The existence of diminishing returns indicates that there is a trade-off between leaf surface area expansion and the energy investment for vines to support leaf physical structures. Keywords: Climbing plants, Diminishing returns, Herbaceous vines, Leaf dry mass per unit area, Woody vines

The interactive effects of straw-derived biochar and bio-based polymer-coated urea (BPCU) was examined with a pot experiment conducted in 2014 and 2015. Using a split-plot design, the main plot factor was the form of straw use and the sub-plot factor was the type of N fertilizer. The soil inorganic nitrogen (N), organic carbon and lint yield of biochar treatments were significantly higher than for straw treatments. Meanwhile, the BPCU treatments enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and yield over urea treatments. Biochar combined with BPCU resulted in the highest lint yield, 14.3–108.2% increasing over the other treatments, with NUE 27.1–63.5% increased. We attributed this superior performance to the interactive effects between BPCU’s controlled supply of N according to cotton’s N requirements and biochar’s functionalities in enhancing soil quality. Thus, the application of biochar and BPCU is a sustainable strategy to improve soil quality and increase cotton yield.

The simplified Gielis equation (SGE) can approximately describe the leaf shapes of many different broad-leaved plant species by replacing two parameters of the SGE with leaf width and leaf length with a floating ratio (c–value) to adjust for leaf length. In this study, we tested the validity of the SGE in predicting leaf area using 20 bamboo species, 12 species of Rosaceae, 5 species of Lauraceae, and 5 species of Oleaceae. We find that c–values in leaf length for 20 bamboo species are all smaller than zero, whereas, for most tree species, c–values are larger than zero. Using c–values, there was a strong correlation (>0.99 for most of the species investigated) between actual and predicted leaf area. Also, using the SGE to fit the leaf profile data, the predicted leaf width approaches its actual value, whereas the predicted length is larger than or smaller than its actual value (for bamboo species and most tree species, respectively). Although c–values ranged from −15% to zero for bamboo species and from zero to 17% for tree species, the mean percent error in leaf area for most species did not exceed 5%. These findings indicate that leaves exhibit more variation in length than in width, i.e., leaf area is fairly conservative despite considerable variation in leaf shape. Given that the SGE adequately describes the areas of leaves with complex forms (e.g., several species of Rosaceae), our data indicate that the SGE is a useful tool for describing leaf morphometrics and may open a door for the study of leaf shape evolution. Keywords: Gielis equation, Floating ratio, Lamina area, Lamina length, Lamina width, Percent error

Observations indicate that temperature and precipitation patterns changed dramatically in Xinjiang, northwestern China, between 1961 and 2015. Dramatic changes in climatic conditions can bring about adverse effects. Specifically, meteorological drought severity based on the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) showed a decreasing trend in Xinjiang prior to 1997, after which the trend reversed. SPEI-based drought severity shows a much stronger change during 1997–2015 than the SPI, which is independent of the effect of evaporative demand. Meteorological drought severity has been aggravated by a significant rise in temperature (1.1 °C) over the last two decades that has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in precipitation. As a result, the evaporative demand in Xinjiang has risen. An examination of a large spatio-temporal extent has made the aggravated drought conditions more evident. Our results indicate that increased meteorological drought severity has had a direct effect on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and river discharge. The NDVI exhibited a significant decrease during the period 1998–2013 compared to 1982–1997, a decrease that was found to be caused by increased soil moisture loss. A positive relationship was recorded between evaporative demand and the runoff coefficients of the 68 inland river catchments in northwestern China. In the future, meteorological drought severity will likely increase in arid and semiarid regions as global warming continues.

Evolutionary elaboration of tissues starts with changes in the genome and location of the stem cells. For example, GABAergic interneurons of the mammalian neocortex are generated in the ventral telencephalon and migrate tangentially to the neocortex, in contrast to the projection neurons originating in the ventricular/subventricular zone (VZ/SVZ) of the dorsal telencephalon. In human and nonhuman primates, evidence suggests that an additional subset of neocortical GABAergic interneurons is generated in the cortical VZ and a proliferative niche, the outer SVZ. The origin, magnitude, and significance of this species-specific difference are not known. We use a battery of assays applicable to the human, monkey, and mouse organotypic cultures and supravital tissue to identify neuronal progenitors in the cortical VZ/SVZ niche that produce a subset of GABAergic interneurons. Our findings suggest that these progenitors constitute an evolutionary novelty contributing to the elaboration of higher cognitive functions in primates.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used in clinical practice for alleviating pains and physiological disorders. It has been reported that TENS could counteract the ischemic injury happened in some vital organs. To determine the protective effect of TENS on internal organs during CH in dogs, target hypotension was maintained for 60 min at 50% of the baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP). The perfusion to the brain, liver, stomach, and kidney was recorded and apoptosis within these organs was observed. Results showed that when arriving at the target MAP, and during the maintaining stage for 10 min, perfusion to the stomach and liver in the CH+TENS group was much higher than in the CH group (P

We study a competing pioneer-climax species model with nonlocal diffusion. By constructing a pair of upper-lower solutions and using the iterative technique, we establish the existence of traveling wavefronts connecting the pioneer-existence equilibrium and the coexistence equilibrium. We also discuss the asymptotic behavior of the wave tail for the traveling wavefronts as s=x+ct→−∞.

The debate over the governor of spirit is an age-old yet ever-renewing topic in Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM). The theory primarily revolves around three viewpoints: the heart governs the spirit, the brain governs the spirit, and the heart and brain have a joint role governing the spirit. This article, proceeding from the debate on the dominance of the divine spirit, aims to establish a novel perspective that integrates second -generation cognitive science with the TCM theory of the divine spirit based on their shared concerns regarding cognitive issues. Consciousness is the holistic living organism, and according to the cognitive concepts of second-generation cognitive science, consciousness is an interactive process between the body and the environment. Incorporating the embodied characteristics of the second -generation cognitive science, which emphasizes a return to the human body, behavior, and environment, and its holistic research paradigm into the exploration of the TCM theory of the divine spirit can provide a novel interpretive perspective for the debate on the dominance of the divine spirit. Additionally, conducting an in-depth analysis of the commonalities and differences between second-generation cognitive science and the TCM theory of the divine spirit offers theoretical principles and new research pathways for further developing the TCM theory of the divine spirit. This study has remarkable value in promoting the modernization of the TCM theory of the divine spirit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]