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Abstract Nucleoli are fundamentally essential sites for ribosome biogenesis in cells and formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) for a multilayer condensate structure. How the nucleoli integrity is maintained remains poorly understood. Here, we reveal that METTL3/METTL14, the typical methyltransferase complex catalyzing N6-methyladnosine (m6A) on mRNAs maintain nucleoli integrity in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). METTL3/METTL14 deficiency impairs nucleoli and leads to the complete loss of self-renewal in hESCs. We further show that SUV39H1/H2 protein, the methyltransferases catalyzing H3K9me3 were dramatically elevated in METTL3/METTL14 deficient cells, which causes an accumulation and infiltration of H3K9me3 across the whole nucleolus and impairs the LLPS. Mechanistically, METTL3/METTL14 complex serves as an essential adapter for CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase targeting SUV39H1/H2 for polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation and therefore prevents H3K9me3 accumulation in nucleoli. Together, these findings uncover a previously unknown role of METTL3/METTL14 to maintain nucleoli integrity by facilitating SUV39H1/H2 degradation in human cells.

ObjectiveThe effect of environmental pollution on sleep has been widely studied, yet the relationship between exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sleep health requires further exploration. We aimed to investigate the single and mixed effect of urinary VOC metabolites on sleep health and identify potential mediators.MethodsData for this cross-sectional study was collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (2005–2006, 2011–2014). A weighted multivariate logistic regression was established to explore the associations of 16 VOCs with four sleep outcomes. Following the selection of important VOCs through the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, principal component analyses (PCA), weight quantile sum (WQS), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analyses were conducted to explore the associations between exposure to single and mixed VOCs and sleep outcomes, as well as identify the most contributing components. A mediation analysis was performed to explore the potential effect of depression scores.ResultsOf the 3,473 participants included in the study, a total of 618 were diagnosed with poor sleep patterns. In logistic regression analyses, 7, 10, 1, and 5 VOCs were significantly positively correlated with poor sleep patterns, abnormal sleep duration, trouble sleeping, and sleep disorders, respectively. The PCA analysis showed that PC1 was substantially linked to a higher risk of poor sleep patterns and its components. The WQS model revealed a positive association between VOC mixture of increased concentrations and poor sleep patterns [OR (95% CI): 1.285 (1.107, 1.493)], abnormal sleep duration [OR (95% CI): 1.154 (1.030, 1.295)], trouble sleeping [OR (95% CI): 1.236 (1.090, 1.403)] and sleep disorders [OR (95% CI): 1.378 (1.118, 1.705)]. The BKMR model found positive associations of the overall VOC exposure with poor sleep patterns, trouble sleeping, and sleep disorders. PCA, WQS, and BKMR models all confirmed the significant role of N-acetyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl)-l-cysteine (AMCC) in poor sleep patterns and its components. The depression score was a mediator between the positive VOC mixture index and the four sleep outcomes.ConclusionExposure to single and mixed VOCs negatively affected the sleep health of American population, with AMCC playing a significant role. The depression score was shown to mediate the associations of VOC mixtures with poor sleep patterns and its components.

Vaccination is the most promising strategy to combat infectious diseases. Vaccine adjuvants are considered as key components in modern vaccinology since they provide the necessary help in enhancing the immune responses. This study evaluated the protective effects of poly (I:C), chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) and chitosan as new adjuvants in enhancing immune response and inhibiting GCRV replication using inactivated GCRV vaccines. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was used as a control adjuvant, and the survival rate of each group of grass carp was assessed. The CiIgM protein levels in sera were obviously boosted and sustained by the three novel adjuvant supplies, examining by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting (WB) methods. Meanwhile, mRNA expression of CiIgM in spleen and head kidney were elevated, checking by real time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assays. The Th1, not Th2 type immune responses, pro-inflammation cytokines and innate antiviral genes were also reinforced in spleen and head kidney tissues at early stages. The GCRV replication was significantly reduced post GCRV injection. The tissue sectioning showed a significant reduction in tissue damage in muscles, intestines, and hepatopancreatic tissues under the protection of the three adjuvants. The results indicated that poly(I:C), COS and chitosan can serve as novel and efficient adjuvants in inactivated vaccine in grass carp.

PPM1A is a member of the serine/threonine protein phosphatase family. It can bind to a variety of proteins to dephosphorylate them, and extensively regulates many life activities such as cell growth, cell stress, immune response, and tumor formation. Here we constructed a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line with knockout of PPM1A using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting. This cell line exhibits normal karyotype, pluripotency, and trilineage differentiation potential, which could provide a useful cellular resource for exploring the mechanism of PPM1A in regulating downstream signaling pathways and explore the application of PPM1A in anti-tumor and anti-infection.

Abstract Objective To investigate the effect of sequential distalization on increasing gaps in the maxillary anterior teeth, focusing on the control of torque and three-dimensional teeth movement during anterior retraction with clear aligners in extraction cases. Methods We recruited 24 patients who were undergoing extraction bilateral maxillary first premolars with clear aligners. According to a predetermined increment in the spaces between the maxillary anterior teeth, the patients were divided into three groups: those with no gap (9 cases), a 0.5 mm gap (6 cases) and a 1.0 mm gap (9 cases). In each group, a 2.0 mm en-mass retraction was applied on the anterior teeth. Plaster casts of the upper full dentition were obtained both before and after a 2 mm retraction. The palatal folds were used to overlap each pair of models. The three-dimensional movement of the teeth and the change of torque for the anterior teeth were subsequently analyzed using Geomagic Studio 2014 software. Results The change in torque in the groups with added gaps was significantly smaller than that in the group with no gaps (P 0.05). In the labial-lingual and vertical directions, the displacements of the central and lateral incisors were smaller in the groups with additional gaps compared to those in the groups without gaps (P 0.05). Then, a comparison was made between the displacement of the second premolar to the second molar in the mesial-distal direction across all groups. The study revealed that the anchorage molars in the group without gaps demonstrated significantly smaller displacement compared to those in the group with additional gaps (P

Abstract Background During maxillary arch expansion with a clear aligner (CA), buccal tipping of the posterior teeth often occurs, resulting in an unsatisfactory arch expansion effect. The aim of this study was to analyze the appropriate maxillary arch expansion stride length and torque compensation angle for maxillary dentition to achieve an ideal moving state when a CA was used for upper arch expansion. Methods This study established a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model including a CA, maxilla, periodontal ligament (PDL), and maxillary dentition. The stress distribution, stress situation, expansion efficiency, and movement trends of the maxillary dentition during upper arch expansion of different stride (0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.3 mm) and torque compensation (0°, 0.5°, 1°, and 1.5°) were measured. Results Maxillary arch expansion lead to buccal tilt of the posterior teeth, lingual tilt of the anterior teeth, and extrusion of the incisors. As the angle of compensation increased, the degree of buccal tilt on the posterior teeth decreased, with this reducing the efficiency of upper arch expansion. When the stride length was 0.1 mm, the torque compensation was 1.2°, and when stride length was 0.2 mm and the torque compensation was approximately 2°, there was a tendency for the posterior teeth to move bodily. However, when the stride length was 0.3 mm, the increase in torque compensation could not significantly improve the buccal tilt phenomenon. In addition, the equivalent von-Mises stress values of the maxillary root, PDL, and alveolar bone were in the same order of magnitude. Conclusions This study indicated that the posterior teeth cause a degree of buccal tilt when maxillary arch expansion is ensured. The specific torque compensation angle should be determined based on the patient’s situation and the desired effect.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a prevalent and sight-threatening condition observed in premature infants, characterized by abnormal vascular development in the retina. While the etiology of ROP is multifaceted, oxidative stress within the infant eye is a common factor associated with its occurrence. Macular carotenoids, natural antioxidant pigments abundant in green leafy vegetables, have garnered interest as a potential means to mitigate ROP risk in neonates, owing to their antioxidant properties and nutritional safety. However, current research yields conflicting results regarding their effectiveness in this context. In this systematic review, we comprehensively assess the existing literature to uncover and elucidate these discrepancies. Our analysis reveals significant disparities in the conclusions drawn from clinical studies and animal models investigating the effects of macular carotenoids on ROP. Promising results were shown in the animal studies but not in clinical studies. We identify three major factors contributing to these discordant findings. First, limitations in the established animal model of ROP may introduce inaccuracies. Secondly, variations in dosage and administration protocols of macular carotenoids play a pivotal role. Lastly, temporal fluctuations in supplement formulations could also impact the observed outcomes. By shedding light on these critical disparities, our study provides valuable insights into the challenges and potential avenues for refining the utilization of macular carotenoids as a strategy for reducing ROP risk in neonates.

NSD2 is a histone methyltransferase (HMT) and is involved in the epigenetic regulation of hematopoiesis and hematological cancers. To understand and illustrate the precise roles of NSD2 in hematopoietic development, here we constructed a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line with knockout of NSD2 using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting. The cell line maintained typical stem cell morphology and normal karyotype. Furthermore, the pluripotency of the cell line was evidenced by high expression level of pluripotency genes and differentiation potential into three germ layers. The cell line provides a good model for studying roles of NSD2 in embryonic development, especially hematopoiesis.

Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin are carotenoids stored in the macular pigment of the retina, recognized for their essential role in maintaining optimal eye health. These carotenoids contribute to increased macular pigment density, providing protection against oxidative damage to the retina. Recent studies have unveiled potential cognitive health benefits of lutein and zeaxanthin, as they act as antioxidants in neural tissue. This review aims to comprehensively assess the current research investigating the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on cognitive and macular function across various stages of life. During infancy and childhood, lutein and zeaxanthin are thought to facilitate the development of the eyes and brain, although the precise underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In adulthood and older age, lutein and zeaxanthin assume a protective role for both brain and macular tissues. Their antioxidant properties effectively shield these tissues from oxidative stress and consequent damage. Consequently, lutein and zeaxanthin play crucial supportive and protective roles throughout an individual's lifespan.

To cope with global warming and increasing carbon emissions, the chemical looping process has attracted attention due to its excellent ability to convert fossil fuel and capture CO2. In this case, chemical looping partial oxidation technology has become the focus of attention due to its advantages in the production of syngas and hydrogen, especially with respect to the design and selection of oxygen carriers, which directly affect the efficiency of the production of syngas and hydrogen. In particular, the conversion of methane can reach 95% in the chemical looping partial oxidation of methane, and the selectivity of syngas, in the range of 700 °C to 900 °C at atmospheric pressure, can reach 99% for twenty or more cycles. In this review, from the perspective of metal oxide selection and structure regarding the chemical looping partial oxidation process, we discuss the role of oxygen carriers in the chemical looping partial oxidation cycle, in which the specific surface area, the lattice oxygen mobility, and the thermal stability are understood as the important factors affecting reactivity. We hope to summarize the design and development of efficient oxygen carriers with high oxygen-carrying capacity and syngas selectivity, as well as contribute to the selection, design, optimization, and redox reaction mechanism of redox catalysts.

Accurate prediction of the coal spontaneous combustion hazard grades is of great significance to ensure the safe production of coal mines. However, traditional coal temperature prediction models have low accuracy and do not predict the coal spontaneous combustion hazard grades. In order to accurately predict coal spontaneous combustion hazard grades, a prediction model of coal spontaneous combustion based on principal component analysis (PCA), case-based reasoning (CBR), fuzzy clustering (FM), and the snake optimization (SO) algorithm was proposed in this manuscript. Firstly, based on the change rule of the concentration of signature gases in the process of coal warming, a new method of classifying the risk of spontaneous combustion of coal was established. Secondly, MeanRadius-SMOTE was adopted to balance the data structure. The weights of the prediction indicators were calculated through PCA to enhance the prediction precision of the CBR model. Then, by employing FM in the case base, the computational cost of CBR was reduced and its computational efficiency was improved. The SO algorithm was used to determine the hyperparameters in the PCA-FM-CBR model. In addition, multiple comparative experiments were conducted to verify the superiority of the model proposed in this manuscript. The results indicated that SO-PCA-FM-CBR possesses good prediction performance and also improves computational efficiency. Finally, the authors of this manuscript adopted the Random Balance Designs—Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (RBD-FAST) to explain the output of the model and analyzed the global importance of input variables. The results demonstrated that CO is the most important variable affecting the coal spontaneous combustion hazard grades.

The North China type cucumber, characterized by its dense spines and top flowers, is susceptible to damage during the grading process, affecting its market value. Moreover, traditional manual grading methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address these issues, this paper proposes a cucumber quality grader based on machine vision and deep learning. In the electromechanical aspect, a novel fixed tray type grading mechanism is designed to prevent damage to the vulnerable North China type cucumbers during the grading process. In the vision grading algorithm, a new convolutional neural network is introduced named MassNet, capable of predicting cucumber mass using only a top-view image. After obtaining the cucumber mass prediction, mass grading is achieved. Experimental validation includes assessing the electromechanical performance of the grader, comparing MassNet with different models in predicting cucumber mass, and evaluating the online grading performance of the integrated algorithm. Experimental results indicate that the designed cucumber quality grader achieves a maximum capacity of 2.3 t/hr. In comparison with AlexNet, MobileNet, and ResNet, MassNet demonstrates superior cucumber mass prediction, with a MAPE of 3.9% and RMSE of 6.7 g. In online mass grading experiments, the grading efficiency of the cucumber quality grader reaches 93%.

Newborns’ eyes and brains are prone to oxidative stress. Lutein has antioxidant properties and is the main component of macular pigment essential for protecting the retina, but has low bioavailability, thereby limiting its potential as a nutritional supplement. Oil-in-water emulsions have been used as lutein delivery systems. In particular, octenylsuccinated (OS) starch is a biopolymer-derived emulsifier safe to use in infant foods, while exhibiting superior emulsifying capacity. This study determined the effects of an OS starch-stabilized lutein emulsion on lutein bioavailability in Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats. In an acute study, 10-day-old pups received a single oral dose of free lutein or lutein emulsion, with subsequent blood sampling over 24 h to analyze pharmacokinetics. The lutein emulsion group had a 2.12- and 1.91-fold higher maximum serum lutein concentration and area under the curve, respectively, compared to the free lutein group. In two daily dosing studies, oral lutein was given from postnatal day 5 to 18. Blood and tissue lutein concentrations were measured. The results indicated that the daily intake of lutein emulsion led to a higher lutein concentration in circulation and key tissues compared to free lutein. The OS starch-stabilized emulsion could be an effective and safe lutein delivery system for newborns.

The heat dissipated from high geo-temperature underground surrounding rocks is the main heat source of working faces, while thermal water upwelling and trickling into the roadway will notably deteriorate the mine’s climate and thermal comfort. Predicting airflow temperature and relative humidity (RH) is conductive to intelligent control of air conditioning cooling and ventilation regulation. To accommodate this issue, an intelligent technique was proposed, integrating a genetic algorithm (GA) and long short-term memory (LSTM) based on rock temperature, inlet air temperature, water temperature, water flow rate, RH, and ventilation time. A total of 21 input features including over 200 pieces of data were collected from an independently developed modeling roadway to construct a dataset. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to reduce features, and GA was used to tune the LSTM and PCA-LSTM architectures for best performance. The following research results were yielded. The proposed PCA-LSTM-GA model is more reliable and efficient than the single LSTM model or hybrid LSTM-GA model in predicting the air temperature Tfout and humidity RHout at the end of the water trickling roadway. The importance scores (ISs) indicate that Tfout is mainly influenced by the surrounding rock temperature (IS 0.661) and the inlet air temperature (IS 0.264). While RHout is primarily influenced by the rock temperature in the water trickling section (IS 0.577), the inlet air temperature (IS 0.187), and the trickling water temperature and flow rate (total IS 0.136), and it has an evident time effect. In addition, we developed relevant equipment and provided engineering practice methods to use the machine learning model. The proposed model, which can predict the mine microclimate, serves to facilitate coal and geothermal resource co-mining as well as thermal hazard control.

BackgroundTregs plays a critical role in the development of secondary injuries in diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests an association between ischemic stroke and renal dysfunction; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential of Tregs in inhibiting the activation of astrocytes after focal cerebral infarction.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate the renal consequences of focal cerebral ischemia by subjecting a mouse model to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Subsequently, we assessed renal fibrosis, renal ferroptosis, Treg infiltration, astrocyte activation, as well as the expression levels of active GPX4, FSP1, IL-10, IL-6, and IL-2 after a 2-week period.ResultsIn the tMCAO mouse model, depletion of tregs protected against activation of astrocyte and significantly decreased FSP1, IL-6, IL-2, and NLRP3 expression levels, while partially reversing the changes in Tregs. Mechanistically, tregs depletion attenuates renal fibrosis by modulating IL-10/GPX4 following cerebral infarction.ConclusionTregs depletion attenuates renal fibrosis by modulating IL-10/GPX4 following cerebral infarction.

Esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma (ENEC) is an extremely rare tumor with highly malignant potential, rapid growth, and a poor prognosis. Advanced extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma should be treated with chemotherapeutic regimens suitable for small cell lung cancer. However, ENEC has no clear second-line treatment options. The clinical application of immunotherapy and targeted therapy in small cell lung cancer has produced good therapeutic effects. We describe the case of an elderly woman with multiple metastatic advanced ENEC treated with tislelizumab combined with anlotinib as second-line therapy, achieving complete remission in a short period and long-term survival. In total, 21 cycles of tislelizumab combined with anlotinib were given to this patient. After two cycles, the patient’s neuron-specific enolase level decreased from 181.8 to 22.9 µg/L and remained at normal levels throughout treatment. Progression-free survival and overall survival were 16 and 21 months, respectively, in this patient. No obvious side effects were observed. Thus, tislelizumab and anlotinib could represent a novel therapeutic option for advanced ENEC.

Abstract Adaptive operator selection (AOS) is used to dynamically select the appropriate genic operator for offspring reproduction, which aims to improve the performance of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) by producing high-quality offspring during the evolutionary process. This paper proposes a novel classification tree based adaptive operator selection strategy for multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D-CTAOS). In our proposal, the classification tree is trained by the recorded data set which contains the information on the historical offspring. Before the reproduction at each generation, the classifier is used to predict each possible result obtained by different operators, and only one operator with the best result is selected to generate offspring next. Meanwhile, a novel differential evolution based on search inertia (SiDE) is designed to steer the evolutionary process in a more efficient way. The experimental results demonstrate that proposed MOEA/D-CTAOS outperforms other MOEA/D variants on UF and LZ benchmarks in terms of IGD and HV value. Further investigation also confirms the advantage of direction-guided search strategy in SiDE.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most aggressive oral and maxillofacial malignancy with a high incidence and low survival rate. OSCC is mainly diagnosed by tissue biopsy, which is a highly traumatic procedure with poor timeliness. Although there are various options for treating OSCC, most of them are invasive and have unpredictable therapeutic outcomes. Generally, early diagnosis and noninvasive treatment cannot be always satisfied simultaneously in OSCC. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in intercellular communication. EVs facilitate disease progression and reflect the location and status of the lesions. Therefore, EVs are relatively less invasive diagnostic tools for OSCC. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which EVs are involved in tumorigenesis and tumor treatment have been well studied. This article dissects the involvement of EVs in the diagnosis, development, and treatment of OSCC, providing new insight into the treatment of OSCC by EVs. Different mechanisms, such as inhibiting EV internalization by OSCC cells and constructing engineered vesicles, with potential applications for treating OSCC will be discussed in this review article.

The color of strawberry fruit is an important appearance quality index that affects the marketability of fruit, and the content and type of anthocyanin are two of the main reasons for the formation of fruit color. At present, the research on anthocyanin synthesis mainly focuses on the phenylpropane metabolic pathway, and the F3H gene family is an important member of this metabolic pathway. Therefore, in order to clarify the role of flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) in regulating anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry, we identified F3H gene family members in strawberry and analyzed their bioinformatics and expression at different fruit color stages. The results showed that the strawberry F3H family contains 126 members, which are distributed on seven chromosomes and can be divided into six subgroups. The promoter region of strawberry F3H gene family contains light response elements, abiotic stress response elements and hormone response elements. Intraspecic collinearity analysis showed that there were six pairs of collinearity of the F3H gene. Interspecific collinearity analysis showed that there were more collinearity relationships between strawberry and apple, grape and Arabidopsis, but less collinearity between strawberry and rice. Via tissue-specific expression analysis, we found that the expression levels of FvF3H48, FvF3H120 and FvF3H74 were higher in the stages of germination, growth, flowering and fruit setting. The expression levels of FvF3H42 and FvF3H16 were higher in seeds. The expression levels of FvF3H16 and FvF3H11 were higher in the ovary wall of stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 5. FvF3H15 and FvF3H48 were highly expressed in the pericardium, anther, receptacle and anther. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed the expression changes in F3H in the fruit coloring process. The results indicate that the expression levels of most members were higher during the S3 stage, such as FvF3H7, FvF3H16, FvF3H32, FvF3H82, FvF3H89, FvF3H92 and FvF3H112. FvF3H63 and FvF3H104 exhibited particularly high expression levels during the S1 stage, with some genes also showing elevated expression during the S4 stage, including FvF3H13, FvF3H27, FvF3H66 and FvF3H103. FvF3H58, FvF3H69, FvF3H79 and FvF3H80 showed higher expression levels during the S2 stage. These findings lay the groundwork for elucidating the biological functions of the strawberry F3H gene family and the selection of related genes.

Summary: Post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histones play essential roles in cell fate decisions during development. However, how these PTMs are recognized and coordinated remains to be fully illuminated. Here, we show that BRPF1, a multi-histone binding module protein, is essential for pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). BRPF1, H3K4me3, and H3K23ac substantially co-occupy the open chromatin and stemness genes in hESCs. BRPF1 deletion impairs H3K23ac in hESCs and leads to closed chromatin accessibility on stemness genes and hESC differentiation as well. Deletion of the N terminal or PHD-zinc knuckle-PHD (PZP) module in BRPF1 completely impairs its functions in hESCs while PWWP module deletion partially impacts the function. In sum, we reveal BRPF1, the multi-histone binding module protein that bridges the crosstalk between different histone modifications in hESCs to maintain pluripotency.

Accurate photovoltaic (PV) power forecasting is of great significance for safe and stable operation for PV power plant and reasonable dispatching of power grids, and it is also a fundamental technology to ensure the high ratio of PV power generation access to the power grid, but its forecasting error cannot meet the actual requirement. Based on data analysis from a 10 kW distributed PV power plant and a 60 MW large-scale power plant, this study shows the PV power short-term forecasting error mainly comes from the numerical weather prediction (NWP) and forecasting process. To improve the forecasting performance, a short-term PV power forecasting method based on irradiance correction and error forecasting is proposed. First, the measured irradiance is used to correct the irradiance in the NWP. Then, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to optimize the forecasting model. Finally, an error forecasting model is introduced to correct the forecasting result further. It is proved that the proposed method can effectively improve the short-term forecasting accuracy through verification with an actual power plant. Taking the 6 steps correction as an example, the NWP correction can reduce RMSE(1) by 3.0%, the model optimization can reduce RMSE(2) by 0.4%, and the error correction can reduce RMSE by 0.4%.

Microgreens are young, tender greens that are used to enhance the color, texture, or flavor of salads and main dishes. They can be grown in small scales and indoors, making them widely adopted by controlled environment agriculture, an indoor farming practice is particularly important for feeding increasing urban populations. Besides, microgreens are attracting more consumers’ attention due to their high nutritional value and unique sensory characteristics. This review focuses on the nutrition quality, sensory evaluation, pre- and post-harvest interventions, and health benefits of microgreens. Microgreens are rich in vitamins (e.g., vitamin C), minerals (e.g., copper and zinc), and phytochemicals, including carotenoids and phenolic compounds, which act as antioxidants in human body. Pre-harvest interventions, such as illumination, salinity stress, nutrient fortification, and natural substrates, influence the photosynthetic and metabolic activities of microgreens and were shown to improve their nutritional quality, while the effects varied among species. After harvesting, packaging method and storage temperature can influence the nutrient retention in microgreens. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that microgreens have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-hyperglycemia properties, making it a new functional food beneficial to human health. The sensory attributes and overall acceptability and liking of microgreens are primarily influenced by their phytochemical content. Microgreens are only getting popular during the last decades and research on microgreens is still at its early stage. More studies are warranted to optimize the pre- and post-harvest practices for nutrient enhancement and retention and to explore the potential health benefits of different microgreens for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Abstract Polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs) are essential in mouse gastrulation and specify neural ectoderm in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), but the underlying molecular basis remains unclear. Here in this study, by employing an array of different approaches, such as gene knock-out, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, et al., we uncover that EZH2, an important PRC factor, specifies the normal neural fate decision through repressing the competing meso/endoderm program. EZH2−/− hESCs show an aberrant re-activation of meso/endoderm genes during neural induction. At the molecular level, EZH2 represses meso/endoderm genes while SOX2 activates the neural genes to coordinately specify the normal neural fate. Moreover, EZH2 also supports the proliferation of human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) through repressing the aberrant expression of meso/endoderm program during culture. Together, our findings uncover the coordination of epigenetic regulators such as EZH2 and lineage factors like SOX2 in normal neural fate decision.

RNF1 (RING1A) is a catalytic component of the polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) involved in regulation of, among others, embryonic development and disease progression. However, the exact role of RNF1 in self-renewal and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) remains unknown. Here, we derive one RNF1 knockout human ESC line using CRISPR/Cas9 system. The cell line retains the canonical stem cell morphology and normal karyotype. Moreover, the cell line highly expresses pluripotency genes and has three germ-layer differentiation potential. The RNF1 -/- cell line will be useful for studies on the function and role of RNF1 in human embryonic stem cell fate decisions.

Lutein, the most abundant carotenoid in the infant eye and brain, is critical for their visual and cognitive development. Due to its lipophilic nature, a high adiposity may affect the tissue distribution of lutein. The aim of the study was to determine the impacts of a maternal high-fat diet (HFD) consumption on the status of lutein in the neonatal offspring. Female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 6) were fed a normal fat diet (NFD) or a HFD for 8 weeks before mating, and they were switched to an NFD or an HFD containing the same concentration of lutein ester during gestation and lactation. Rat pups (n = 7/group/time) were euthanized on postnatal day 2 (P2), P6, P11, and P20 for measuring tissue lutein concentrations. No significant difference in maternal lutein intake was found between the two groups. At both P6 and P11, a significantly lower lutein concentration was noted in the milk samples separated from the stomach of HFD pups than the concentration in the samples from the NFD pups; the HFD group showed a significantly lower lutein concentration in the liver. At P11, the HFD pups exhibited a significantly lower lutein concentration in the eye, brain, and brown adipose tissue accompanied with a significantly higher lutein concentration and mass in the visceral white adipose tissue. The study was the first to provide evidence that maternal HFD consumption resulted in a compromised availability and altered distribution of lutein in the neonatal offspring.

ABSTRACT Type I interferons (IFN-Is) are critical antiviral cytokine in innate immunity but with limited direct defense ability against bacterial infections in mammals. In bony fish, despite all the IFN-Is (IFN1-4) act in antiviral immunity, studies demonstrate that IFN1 can remarkably contribute to host defense against bacterial infections. In this study, we found that IFN1 from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) contains an unusual cationic and amphipathic α-helical region (named as gcIFN-20, sequence: SYEKKINRHFKILKKNLKKK). The synthesized peptide gcIFN-20 could form α-helical structure in a membrane environment and exerts potent antimicrobial activity against multiple species of Gram-negative (G−) and Gram-positive (G+) bacteria with negligible toxicity. Mechanism studies showed gcIFN-20 kills G+ bacteria through membrane disruption and cytoplasm outflow while G− bacteria through membrane permeation and protein synthesis inhibition. In two mouse bacterial infection models, gcIFN-20 therapy could significantly reduce tissue bacterial loads and mortalities. In addition to the direct antibacterial activity, we also found that gcIFN-20 could significantly suppress the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo, obviously alleviated lung lesions in a mouse endotoxemia model. The mechanism is that gcIFN-20 interacts with LPS, causes LPS aggregation and neutralization. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities in vivo of gcIFN-20 in mammalian models suggested a promising agent for developing peptide-based antibacterial therapy. IMPORTANCE Type I interferons play crucial role in antiviral immunity in both vertebrates and invertebrates. The powerful antimicrobial activity is recently reported in nonmammalian vertebrates. The present study identified a novel antimicrobial peptide (gcIFN-20) derived from grass carp interferon 1, found gcIFN-20 exhibits forceful bactericidal and anti-inflammatory activity in mammals, and efficient therapeutic effect against two clinical severe extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli and a mouse endotoxemia models. The antimicrobial mechanisms are membrane disruption and cytoplasm overflow for Gram-positive bacteria, while membrane permeation and protein synthesis inhibition for Gram-negative bacteria. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms can be aggregating and neutralizing lipopolysaccharide to attenuate the binding with receptors and facilitate phagocytosis. The results indicate that gcIFN-20 can be a promising novel therapeutic agent for bacterial diseases and inflammatory disorders, especially as a potential weapon for multidrug resistant strain infections.

Cotton is an important cash crop. Cotton diseases have a considerable adverse influence on cotton yield and quality. Timely and accurate identification of cotton disease types is important. The accuracy of cotton leaf disease identification is limited by unpredictable factors in natural settings, such as the presence of a complex background. Therefore, this paper proposes a cotton leaf disease identification model based on a bilinear coordinate attention enhancement module. It reduces the loss of feature information by bilinear coordinate attention embedding feature maps spatial coordinate information and feature fusion. Hence the model is more focused on the leaf disease region and reduces the attention to redundant information such as healthy regions. It also achieves the precise localization and amplification of attention to the leaf disease region through data enhancement, which effectively improves the recognition accuracy of cotton leaf diseases in a natural setting. By experiments, the identification accuracy of the proposed model is 96.61% and the parameter size is 21.55 × 106. Compared with other existing models, the identification accuracy of the proposed model is greatly improved without increasing the parameter size. This study can not only provide decision support for the timely diagnosis and prevention of cotton leaf diseases but also validate a paradigm for the identification of other crop leaf diseases.

Maternal obesity may compromise the micronutrient status of the offspring. Vitamin A (VA) is an essential micronutrient during neonatal development. Its active metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), is a key regulator of VA homeostasis, which also regulates adipose tissue (AT) development in obese adults. However, its role on VA status and AT metabolism in neonates was unknown and it was determined in the present study. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised to a normal fat diet (NFD) or a high fat diet (HFD). From postnatal day 5 (P5) to P20, half of the HFD pups received oral RA every 3 d (HFDRA group). NFD pups and the remaining HFD pups (HFD group) received placebo. Six hours after dosing on P8, P14 and P20, n 4 pups per group were euthanised for different measures. It was found that total retinol concentration in neonatal liver and lung was significantly lower in the HFD group than the NFD group, while the concentrations were significantly increased in the HFDRA group. The HFD group exhibited significantly higher body weight (BW) gain, AT mass, serum leptin and adiponectin, and gene expression of these adipokines in white adipose tissue compared with the NFD group; these measures were significantly reduced in the HFDRA group. BAT UCP2 and UCP3 gene expression were significantly higher in pups receiving RA. In conclusion, repeated RA treatment during the suckling period improved the tissue VA status of neonates exposed to maternal obesity. RA also exerted a regulatory effect on neonatal obesity development by reducing BW gain and adiposity and modulating AT metabolism.

Radar antennas in the open air are affected by dynamic wind loading during azimuthal scanning. In this state, the acquisition and prediction of the aerodynamic load is the focus of the structure design for the antenna. We performed wind tunnel force tests on flat plate antennas with different aspect ratios. The changes in mean, maximum, and root mean square values of the aerodynamic coefficients relative to the antenna aspect ratio and reduced frequency are given for the first time. The effects of the antenna aspect ratio and reduced frequency on aerodynamic characteristics are analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the magnitude of the azimuthal moment is related to the antenna aspect ratio and the reduced frequency. It is worth noting that the antenna aspect ratio has a significant impact on the mean, maximum, and root mean square values of dynamic aerodynamic coefficients. The mean, maximum, and root mean square values of the rolling moment coefficient, azimuth moment coefficient, and pitching moment coefficient monotonously decrease with the increase in aspect ratio. In addition, the influence of reduced frequency on the dynamic aerodynamic coefficient is closely related to the antenna aspect ratio. Under the same antenna aspect ratio, increasing the reduced frequency will increase the mean, maximum, and root mean square values of the aerodynamic coefficient. For flat plate antennas with different aspect ratios, at the condition of increasing the aspect ratios, the mean, maximum, and root mean square values of aerodynamic coefficients do not change significantly with the change of reduced frequency.

Abstract Cyber-Physical Systems(CPS) serves as an interdisciplinary effort that incorporates cyber vector as well as physical vector. The latter can generate exponentially growing amounts of data. How to process CPS big data systematically and efficiently is the key to the breakthrough of offering prospective and personalized services for each individual user and entity involved. In recent years, much research has been proactively conducted on advancing specific scenario or algorithm. However, few surveys value their integration. For good measure, the synthesis remains a fundamental challenge. Subsequently, we fill the gap in the literature by constructing cloud computing, fog computing and edge computing as a whole to inspire on new architectures and cross utilizations. Moreover, bringing the enthusiasm of traditionally solitude entities into play is crucial. In this exploratory study, we examine definitions of CPS as well as the three aforementioned computing paradigms and then shed new light on comprehensively established frameworks. We also survey on the application level of Cloud-Fog-Edge Computing in CPS respectively and dive into diversified algorithms and strategies to embed big data applications into a more intelligent and convenient society with current deficiencies and future research directions followed.

Neurogenesis is an ordered transition from pluriptotent cells to neural precursor cells (NPCs) to neurons. Here the authors show that loss of the lysine demethylases JMJD3 and UTX leads reduced DNA accessibility at neurogenesis loci in human NPCs, and that the chromatin remodeller BAF can rescue differentiation defects.

Abstract Background F-box proteins are substrate-recognition components of the Skp1-Rbx1-Cul1-F-box protein (SCF) ubiquitin ligases. By selectively targeting the key regulatory proteins or enzymes for ubiquitination and 26S proteasome mediated degradation, F-box proteins play diverse roles in plant growth/development and in the responses of plants to both environmental and endogenous signals. Studies of F-box proteins from the model plant Arabidopsis and from many additional plant species have demonstrated that they belong to a super gene family, and function across almost all aspects of the plant life cycle. However, systematic exploration of F-box family genes in the important fiber crop cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) has not been previously performed. The genome-wide analysis of the cotton F-box gene family is now possible thanks to the completion of several cotton genome sequencing projects. Results In current study, we first conducted a genome-wide investigation of cotton F-box family genes by reference to the published F-box protein sequences from other plant species. 592 F-box protein encoding genes were identified in the Gossypium hirsutume acc.TM-1 genome and, subsequently, we were able to present their gene structures, chromosomal locations, syntenic relationships with their parent species. In addition, duplication modes analysis showed that cotton F-box genes were distributed to 26 chromosomes, with the maximum number of genes being detected on chromosome 5. Although the WGD (whole-genome duplication) mode seems play a dominant role during cotton F-box gene expansion process, other duplication modes including TD (tandem duplication), PD (proximal duplication), and TRD (transposed duplication) also contribute significantly to the evolutionary expansion of cotton F-box genes. Collectively, these bioinformatic analysis suggest possible evolutionary forces underlying F-box gene diversification. Additionally, we also conducted analyses of gene ontology, and expression profiles in silico, allowing identification of F-box gene members potentially involved in hormone signal transduction. Conclusion The results of this study provide first insights into the Gossypium hirsutum F-box gene family, which lays the foundation for future studies of functionality, particularly those involving F-box protein family members that play a role in hormone signal transduction.

Akaluc, an enzyme engineered from luciferase, provides a potential powerful tool for tracing transplanted cells in vivo because of its near-infrared emission light. To enable evaluation of its potency, we inserted the Akaluc gene at AAVS1 locus using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and generated a clonal human embryonic stem stable cell line (Named H1-AAVS1-EF1α-Akaluc-KI or AkalucHES). AkalucHES could efficiently express Akaluc and were traced easily in vivo. We verified that AkalucHES expressed the pluripotency markers and showed normal stem cell morphology. Furthermore, AkalucHES maitains normal karyotype and is able to differentiate toward three germ-layer in vivo. So the Akaluc is effective for tracing transplanted cells in vivo.

We present a novel optomechanical inertial sensor for low-frequency applications and corresponding acceleration measurements. This sensor has a resonant frequency of 4.715 (1) Hz, a mechanical quality factor of 4.76(3) × 105, a test mass of 2.6 g, and a projected noise floor of approximately 5 × 10−11 ms−2/Hz at 1 Hz. Such performance, together with its small size, low weight, reduced power consumption, and low susceptibility to environmental variables such as magnetic field or drag conditions makes it an attractive technology for future space geodesy missions. In this paper, we present an experimental demonstration of low-frequency ground seismic noise detection by direct comparison with a commercial seismometer, and data analysis algorithms for the identification, characterization, and correction of several noise sources.

ANP32A is a member of acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family, which is involved in diverse biochemical processes, including chromatin modification and remodeling. Here, we established the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ANP32A homozygous knockout human embryonic stem cell (ESC) line to investigate the roles of ANP32A in pluripotency maintenance and differentiation process of human ESCs. This cell line shows the normal karyotype and typical stem cell morphology, in accordance with high expression of pluripotent genes and the differentiation potential in vitro. Consequently, the ANP32A knockout cell line provides a promising approach for investigating the roles of ANP32A in human ESC cell fate decisions.

In this paper, the displacement constraints and finite-time control problems are handled for 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) active suspension systems (ASSs). In order to ensure that seat and active suspension's displacements do not violate their limits, the Barrier Lyapunov functions (BLFs) are employed to handle displacement constraints problem, and the ride comfort and safety are improved at the same time. The unknown functions in the ASSs are approximated by using the neural networks (NNs). The traditional finite-time controller often contains the sign functions or absolute value functions, and they cause the problem about buffeting of the controller. By using NNs, finite-time theory, and BLFs, an adaptive finite-time control approach is constructed to avoid this problem. Then, the boundedness of all signals of 3-DOF ASSs is testified by the semi-global practical finite-time stability analysis and a zero dynamics analysis. In addition, the results of two numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the established adaptive finite-time NN control scheme.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm systems rely on wireless communications for data sharing and coordination. Recently, both the lazy and eager consensus-based algorithms were proposed to enable swarm-wide data sharing. However, our analysis and experiments show that the performance of both algorithms may degrade drastically in dynamic and heterogeneous network environments. The reason is attributed to the fixed transmitter selection strategies adopted in the algorithms. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel adaptive consensus data sharing algorithm by adopting single best transmitter selection to strike a beneficial tradeoff between convergence rate and payload cost. Then, we propose and implement a UAV swarm simulation platform to facilitate simulations in dynamic and heterogeneous environment. Numerical results reveal that the proposed adaptive consensus-based data sharing algorithm performs well across different network scenarios in terms of convergence rate and payload cost.

Conventional human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) fail to contribute to interspecies chimaeras when injected into mouse blastocysts. Here the authors show that forced expression of BMI1 overcomes apoptosis of hPSCs in blastocysts of mouse, rabbit and pig allowing them to contribute to chimaeras.

Dietary patterns high in fat contribute to the onset of cardiometabolic disease through the accrual of adipose tissue (AT). Lycopene, a carotenoid shown to exert multiple health benefits, may disrupt these metabolic perturbations. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate AT development and obesity-associated metabolic outcomes in the neonate and weanling offspring of Sprague-Dawley mothers fed a high-fat diet (HFD = 50 % fat) with and without lycopene supplementation. Sprague-Dawley rats consumed either a normal fat diet (NFD; 25 % fat) or HFD throughout gestation. Upon delivery, half of HFD mothers were transitioned to an HFD supplemented with 1 % lycopene (HFDL). At postnatal day 14 (P14), P25, and P35, pups were euthanised, body weight was recorded, and visceral white AT (WAT) and brown AT (BAT) mass were determined. Serum redox status, adipokines, glucose and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated, as well as BAT mRNA expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). The HFD was effective in inducing weight gain as evident by significantly greater BW and WAT in the HFD group compared to the NFD group across all time points. Compared to HFD, the HFDL group exhibited significantly greater BAT with concomitant reductions in WAT mass, serum lipid peroxides and serum glucose. No significant differences were observed in serum adipokines, inflammatory markers or UCP1 expression despite the aforementioned alterations in AT development. Results suggest that dietary lycopene supplementation may influence metabolic outcomes during the weaning and post-weaning periods. Additional research is warranted to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which lycopene influences AT biology.

Cancer immunotherapy by immune checkpoint blockade has been effective in the treatment of certain tumors. However, the association between immune checkpoints and autoimmune diseases remains elusive and requires urgent investigation. Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), characterized by reduced platelet count and a consequent increased risk of bleeding, is an autoimmune disorder with a hyper-activated T cell response. Here, we investigated the contribution of immune checkpoint-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including CD28, ICOS, PD1, TNFSF4, DNAM1, TIM3, CTLA4, and LAG3 to the susceptibility and therapeutic effects of ITP. In this case-control study, 307 ITP patients and 295 age-matched healthy participants were recruited. We used the MassARRAY system for genotyping immune checkpoint-related SNPs. Our results revealed that rs1980422 in CD28 was associated with an increased risk of ITP after false discovery rate correction (codominant, CT vs. TT, OR = 1.788, 95% CI = 1.178–2.713, p = 0.006). In addition, CD28 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels was significantly higher in patients with CT than in those with the TT genotype (p = 0.028 and p = 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the T allele of PD1 rs36084323 was a risk factor for ITP severity and the T allele of DNAM1 rs763361 for corticosteroid-resistance. In contrast, the T allele of LAG3 rs870849 was a protective factor for ITP severity, and the T allele of ICOS rs6726035 was protective against corticosteroid-resistance. The TT/CT genotypes of PD1 rs36084323 also showed an 8.889-fold increase in the risk of developing refractory ITP. This study indicates that immune checkpoint-related SNPs, especially CD28 rs1980422, may be genetic factors associated with the development and treatment of ITP patients. Our results shed new light on prognosis prediction, disease severity, and discovering new therapeutic targets.

To study the effects of aerodynamic loads on the aerodynamic characteristics of stationary and azimuthally rotating antennas, wind tunnel force tests are conducted using solid and porous plate antennas. The variation of aerodynamic coefficient with azimuth angle is obtained when the antenna is stationary and azimuthal rotation, and the results are compared with those from numerical simulations. The variation in the aerodynamic coefficients with respect to the azimuth angle is found to be sinusoidal for both the solid and porous plate antennas rotating in azimuth. Compared with the antenna stationary, quantitative analysis indicates that the rotational motion increases the maximum value and root mean square of the aerodynamic coefficient. For solid plate antenna, |Cx|_max, |Cmy|_max, and |Cmz|_max increase by 41.6%, 15.0%, and 47.3%, respectively; Cx_rms, Cmy_rms, and Cmz_rms increase by 19.0%, 20.0%, and 19.1%, respectively. For porous plate antenna, |Cx|_max, |Cmy|_max, and |Cmz|_max increase by 30.6%, 71.4%, and 40.9%, respectively; Cx_rms, Cmy_rms, and Cmz_rms increase by 22.9%, 50%, and 20%, respectively. The wind tunnel tests verify the feasibility of using numerical simulations to obtain the flow field results. By analyzing the surface pressure coefficient and vortex core track distribution, the effects of azimuthal rotation on the aerodynamic characteristics of the antenna are further clarified.

Investigating shale pore characteristics has deepened our understanding of shale reservoir, while that of postmature-overmature shales is yet to be revealed, which is especially critical for shale gas evaluation in southern China. Ten Middle-Upper Devonian organic-rich shale samples were collected from well GY-1 in the Guizhong Depression, and the paleoenvironment, geochemistry, and pore system were analyzed with a series of experiments, including trace element analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), low-pressure N2 adsorption, and source rock geochemistry. Results show that the Middle-Upper Devonian shales in the Guizhong Depression are organic-rich mudstones with TOC ranging from 0.14% to 6.21%, which is highest in the Nabiao Formation (D2n) and Lower Luofu Formation (D2l) that were deposited in the anoxic and weak hydrodynamic deep-water shelf. They are thermally postmature to overmature with equivalent vitrinite reflectance (EqVRo) of 3.40%~3.76% and type I kerogen. The lithofacies in D2n and D2l are primarily siliceous/argillaceous mixed shale as well as a few siliceous argillaceous shales and argillaceous siliceous shales as well. Organic matter- (OM-) hosted pores within bitumen are primary storage volume, rather than inorganic pores (interparticle and intraparticle) which are rare. The total helium porosity of samples varies between 1.20% and 4.49%, while total surface area and pore volume are 2.39-14.22 m2/g and 0.0036-0.0171 ml/g, respectively. Porosity, pore surface area, and pore volume are in accordance with increasing TOC, Ro, and siliceous mineral contents. Considerable OM-macropores are found in shales with Ro>3.6% in our study which demonstrates that the porosity at postmature to overmature stage (Ro=3.5−4.0%) does not change fundamentally. The high level of maturity is not considered the main controlling factor that affects shale gas content, and more attention should be paid to preservation conditions in this area.

The aerodynamic characteristics of radar antennas should be considered in computing their wind resistance and designing pedestal servo systems. In this paper, the aerodynamic characteristics of a flat plate antenna with azimuthal rotation are explored using a wind tunnel, and the effects of the antenna elevation angle and reduced frequency on the aerodynamic coefficients are analyzed. The corresponding results of numerical simulation are given to compare with the experimental results. The variation of aerodynamic coefficients with respect to the azimuth angle is found to depend on the reduced frequency and the antenna elevation angle. When the increase in antenna elevation angle is slight, the mean and root mean square values of the aerodynamic coefficients are not monotonic with respect to increases in elevation angle and may increase at individual elevation angles. When the elevation angle increases significantly, the mean, maximum, and root mean square values of the aerodynamic coefficients all significantly decrease. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results, which verify the feasibility of using unsteady numerical simulations to obtain the flow field structure when the antenna is rotating. This approach allows the influence mechanism of the elevation angle change on the aerodynamic characteristics of the rotating antenna to be identified.

Human RNF2 (RING1B) gene is a critical epigenetic modification factor for embryonic development, pluripotency and differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). To further gain insights into the role of RNF2 in cell fate decisions of human ESCs, here we generated two RNF2 homozygous knockout human ESC lines by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. These cell lines maintained a normal karyotype and typical undifferentiated state in terms of morphology, pluripotent gene expression, and had differentiation potential in vivo. These cell lines provide good cell resources to explore the role of RNF2 gene in embryonic development and lineage differentiation in vitro.

Human leukocyte antigen-G is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex class I antigen with potent immune-inhibitory function. Human leukocyte antigen-G benefit patients in allotransplantation and autoimmune diseases by interacting with its receptors, immunoglobulin-like transcripts. Here we observed significantly less human leukocyte antigen-G in plasma from immune thrombocytopenia patients positive for anti-platelet autoantibodies compared with autoantibodies-negative patients or healthy controls. Besides, human leukocyte antigen-G is positively correlated with platelet counts in both patients and healthy controls. We also found less membrane-bound human leukocyte antigen-G and immunoglobulin-like transcripts on CD4+ and CD14+ cells in patients. Recombinant human leukocyte antigen-G upregulated immunoglobulin-like transcript 2 expression on CD4+ and immunoglobulin-like transcript 4 on CD14+ cells. Human leukocyte antigen-G upregulated IL-4 and IL-10, and downregulated tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-12 and IL-17 secreted by patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting a stimulation of Th2 differentiation and downregulation of Th1 and Th17 immune response. Human leukocyte antigen-G-modulated dendritic cells from immune thrombocytopenia patients showed decreased expression of CD80 and CD86, and suppressed CD4+ T-cell proliferation compared to unmodulated cells. Moreover, human leukocyte antigen-G modulated cells from patients induced less platelet apoptosis. Human leukocyte antigen-G administration also significantly alleviated thrombocytopenia in a murine model of ITP. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that impaired expression of human leukocyte antigen-G and immunoglobulin-like transcripts is involved in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia; Recombinant human leukocyte antigen-G can correct this abnormality via upregulation of immunoglobulin-like transcripts, indicating that human leukocyte antigen-G can be a diagnostic marker and a therapeutic option for immune thrombocytopenia.

Abstract Background There have been very few studies analyzing the relationship of physical and mental health status with health behaviors and deployment status in Chinese navy personnel. Thus, we undertook this survey to assess this relationship and identify specific factors affecting the physical and mental health status. Methods The subjects enrolled in this study were selected from four units of the active-duty navy personnel in China, based on a cluster random sampling design. A total of 1200 Chinese navy personnel participated and completed the questionnaire survey that included veteran SF-36 form and a self-designed questionnaire regarding their sociodemographic characteristics, deployment status, self-rated health status and health behaviors. Totally 1200 questionnaires were distributed to different participants, while 1083 valid questionnaires were included in the final analysis. All data were analyzed using SPSS18.0 software. Results Based on the information provided by navy personnel, 17.82, 35.09 and 23.08% rated their health as excellent, very good and good, respectively. The mean score of physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) was 50.53 and 41.39, respectively. Length of service, binge drinking, regular drinking and BMI appeared to be associated with PCS score, while household income, binge drinking and BMI affected MCS score. Deployment status and smoking exhibited no significant association with PCS and MCS scores. Conclusions Our study suggested that the sociodemographic factors like length of service and household income, along with behavioral risk factors like binge drinking, regular drinking and body mass index (BMI), seem to affect the physical and mental health status of Chinese navy personnel. However, additional data collection and more detailed analysis would still be required to develop a systematic, comprehensive and corresponding health education program to promote overall health status.

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) plays an essential role in development by modifying chromatin but what this means at a cellular level is unclear. Here, the authors show that ablation of PRC2 genes in human embryonic stem cells and in mice results in changes in pluripotency and the primed state of cells.

We present a noise estimation and subtraction algorithm capable of increasing the sensitivity of heterodyne laser interferometers by one order of magnitude. The heterodyne interferometer is specially designed for dynamic measurements of a test mass in the application of sub-Hz inertial sensing. A noise floor of 3.31×10−11m/Hz at 100 mHz is achieved after applying our noise subtraction algorithm to a benchtop prototype interferometer that showed a noise level of 2.76×10−10m/Hz at 100 mHz when tested in vacuum at levels of 3×10−5 Torr. Based on the previous results, we investigated noise estimation and subtraction techniques of non-linear optical pathlength noise, laser frequency noise, and temperature fluctuations in heterodyne laser interferometers. For each noise source, we identified its contribution and removed it from the measurement by linear fitting or a spectral analysis algorithm. The noise correction algorithm we present in this article can be generally applied to heterodyne laser interferometers.