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Abstract Background With the fast pace of modern life, people have less time for meals, but few studies have examined the association between the habit of fast eating and metabolic diseases. Objective Combining the results of the current study and the prior ones, we aimed to investigate the possible relationship between fast eating and the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Methods This is a sub-analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study of 1965 participants investigated the association between fast eating and MASLD in Chinese. Fast eating was defined as meal time less than five minutes and participants were divided into three categories based on their self-reported frequency of fast eating: ≤1 time/month, ≤1 time/week and ≥2 times/week. We further conducted a literature search for available studies published before November, 2023 as well as a meta-analysis to investigate the association between fast eating and MASLD. Results The proportion of MASLD was 59.3%, 50.5%, and 46.2% in participants with fast eating ≥2 times/week, ≤1 time/week and ≤1 time/month, respectively (P for trend

Water resource carrying capacity (WRCC) is crucial to regional development and sustainable growth. The Qinling Mountain (QLM) is an important area for water source protection and conservation of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. Therefore, it is vital to investigate the WRCC in the QLM region to preserve the ecosystem. This study established a driving force-pressure-state-impact response (DPSIR) model and coupled it with the ideal solution similarity ranking technique (TOPSIS) to evaluate the WRCC of the QLM, the driving factors affecting the WRCC of the QLM were identified by establishing a obstacle degree (OD) model. The results indicated that the WRCC in the QLM region exhibited an overall upward trend in the period, with four phases identified: the initial growth phase, rapid development phase, stable rising phase, and steady fluctuation phase. Since the promulgation of the relevant ecological protection policy in 2007, industrial development in the southern Qinling Mountains has been restricted, and the rapid recovery of the ecological environment has made the change trend of WRCC in the southern QLM is 8.23 % faster than that in the northern. Moreover, all subsystems demonstrated a declining trend through the obstacle degree model, with the impact subsystem displaying the most significant reduction, ranging from 65.3 to 3.8. This suggested that ecological protection measures achieved notable results. Reassigning the weighted calculations based on the obstacle degree model, the factors affecting WRCC exhibited significant temporal differences. The development of an extensive economy characterized by high energy consumption, high pollution, high cost, and low efficiency was the primary constraint from 2000 to 2009, while the expansion of urbanization became the main obstacle from 2010 to 2021. This study provides new insights into the spatiotemporal changes in WRCC in the QLM region, revealing the mechanisms driving regional WRCC, and also provides a reference for the evaluation of WRCC in other regions.

Abstract The uniformity of remolded loess is crucial for engineering stability and in laboratory testing, as it affects physical and mechanical properties. It is important to have an index which can accurately and conveniently evaluate the uniformity of remolded loess. This study demonstrated and verified the feasibility of using hydraulic conductivity (K) as an indicator for evaluating the uniformity of remolded loess through laboratory experiments and theoretical analysis. In laboratory research, nine loess samples under different preparation conditions were meticulously prepared in duplicate, which were divided into three sets according to the whole dry density (WDD) of approximately 1.3 g/cm3, 1.4 g/cm3, and 1.5 g/cm3 respectively. For the nine duplicate samples, two procedures were performed for each of the sample. One is the uniformity analysis by cutting the soil column and weighing. The other is the hydraulic conductivity experiment. Results showed that sample uniformity is affected by sample preparation conditions, and there are differences in the uniformity of the same WDD samples. The values of K positively correlate with the degree of sample uniformity. In theoretical analysis, based on Darcy’s Law and Kozeny-Carman equation, it is found K is inversely proportional to the variance ( $$\sigma^{2}$$ σ 2 ) of the sample dry density. That is, K is positively proportional to the sample uniformity. Since K can be easily determined in the laboratory, the application of this new index in the field of geotechnical engineering makes it very convenient and simple to evaluate the uniformity of remolded loess.

Abstract With the advancement of sequencing technologies and bioinformatics, over than 170 different RNA modifications have been identified. However, only a few of these modifications can lead to base pair changes, which are called RNA editing. RNA editing is a ubiquitous modification in mammalian transcriptomes and is an important co/posttranscriptional modification that plays a crucial role in various cellular processes. There are two main types of RNA editing events: adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) editing, catalyzed by ADARs on double-stranded RNA or ADATs on tRNA, and cytosine to uridine (C-to-U) editing catalyzed by APOBECs. This article provides an overview of the structure, function, and applications of RNA editing enzymes. We discuss the structural characteristics of three RNA editing enzyme families and their catalytic mechanisms in RNA editing. We also explain the biological role of RNA editing, particularly in innate immunity, cancer biogenesis, and antiviral activity. Additionally, this article describes RNA editing tools for manipulating RNA to correct disease-causing mutations, as well as the potential applications of RNA editing enzymes in the field of biotechnology and therapy.

This review aims to explore the current application of Cranial Ultrasound Screening (CUS) in the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases in extremely preterm infants. It also discusses the potential role of emerging ultrasound-derived technologies such as Super Microvascular Structure Imaging (SMI), Shear Wave Elastography (SWE), Ultrafast Doppler Ultrasound (UfD), and 3D ventricular volume assessment and automated segmentation techniques in clinical practice. A systematic search of medical databases was conducted using the keywords ''(preterm OR extremely preterm OR extremely low birth weight) AND (ultrasound OR ultrasound imaging) AND (neurodevelopment OR brain development OR brain diseases OR brain injury OR neuro*)'' to identify relevant literature. The titles, abstracts, and full texts of the identified articles were carefully reviewed to determine their relevance to the research topic. CUS offers unique advantages in early screening and monitoring of brain diseases in extremely preterm infants, as it can be performed at the bedside without the need for anesthesia or special monitoring. This technique facilitates early detection and intervention of conditions such as intraventricular hemorrhage, white matter injury, hydrocephalus, and hypoxic-ischemic injury in critically ill preterm infants. Continuous refinement of the screening and follow-up processes provides reliable clinical decision-making support for healthcare professionals and parents. Emerging ultrasound technologies, such as SWE, SMI, and UfD, are being explored to provide more accurate and in-depth understanding of brain diseases in extremely preterm infants. SWE has demonstrated its effectiveness in assessing the elasticity of neonatal brain tissue, aiding in the localization and quantification of potential brain injuries. SMI can successfully identify microvascular structures in the brain, offering a new perspective on neurologic diseases. UfD provides a high-sensitivity and quantitative imaging method for the prevention and treatment of neonatal brain diseases by detecting subtle changes in red blood cell movement and accurately assessing the status and progression of brain diseases. CUS and its emerging technologies have significant applications in the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases in extremely preterm infants. Future research aims to address current technical challenges, optimize and enhance the clinical decision-making capabilities related to brain development, and improve the prevention and treatment outcomes of brain diseases in extremely preterm infants.

The NF1 gene is related to neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which is an autosomal dominant disorder associated with multisystem involvement and epilepsy susceptibility. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was derived from a pediatric patient with NF1 and epilepsy, harboring a heterozygous NF1 gene mutation. The iPSC line exhibits high levels of pluripotency markers, maintains the NF1 gene mutation, and demonstrates the capacity to undergo differentiation potential in vitro into three germ layers. The iPSC line will serve as a valuable resource for investigating the underlying mechanisms and conducting drug screening related to NF1 and NF1-associated epilepsy.

Abstract The continuous increase of saline-alkali areas worldwide has led to the emergence of saline-alkali conditions, which are the primary abiotic stress or hindering the growth of plants. Beet is among the main sources of sugar, and its yield and sugar content are notably affected by saline-alkali stress. Despite sugar beet being known as a salt-tolerant crop, there are few studies on the mechanisms underlying its salt tolerance, and previous studies have mainly delineated the crop’s response to stress induced by NaCl. Recently, advancements in miRNA-mRNA network analysis have led to an increased understanding of how plants, including sugar beet, respond to stress. In this study, seedlings of beet variety "N98122" were grown in the laboratory using hydroponics culture and were exposed to salt stress at 40 days of growth. According to the phenotypic adaptation of the seedlings' leaves from a state of turgidity to wilting and then back to turgidity before and after exposure, 18 different time points were selected to collect samples for analysis. Subsequently, based on the data of real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) of salt-responsive genes, the samples collected at the 0, 2.5, 7.5, and 16 h time points were subjected to further analysis with experimental materials. Next, mRNA-seq data led to the identification of 8455 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) under exposure to salt stress. In addition, miRNA-seq based investigation retrieved 3558 miRNAs under exposure to salt stress, encompassing 887 known miRNAs belonging to 783 families and 2,671 novel miRNAs. With the integrated analysis of miRNA-mRNA network, 57 miRNA-target gene pairs were obtained, consisting of 55 DEMIs and 57 DEMs. Afterwards, we determined the pivotal involvement of aldh2b7, thic, and δ-oat genes in the response of sugar beet to the effect of salt stress. Subsequently, we identified the miRNAs novel-m035-5p and novel-m0365-5p regulating the aldh gene and miRNA novel-m0979-3p regulating the thic gene. The findings of miRNA and mRNA expression were validated by qRT-PCR.

AbstractContext Jiang-Zhi-Ning (JZN), a traditional Chinese medicinal formula, is used to treat hyperlipidemia in clinics.Objective To screen the hypolipidemic “bioequivalent substance system (BSS)” of JZN and elucidate the potential hypolipidemic mechanism.Materials and methods In vitro, the TG content in HepG2 cells was determined after the intervention of the combination of advantageous components (CAC) by uniform design. In vivo, hyperlipidemia models were established by Triton WR-1339 (400 mg/kg; i.p.) in male ICR mice, and corresponding treatments were administered via oral administration once. The mice were divided into 12 groups (n = 5): control, hyperlipidemic model, simvastatin (positive control, 20 mg/kg), gradient doses of JZN granules (2, 4 and 8 g/kg) and the hypolipidemic effective extraction (HEE) of JZN (120, 240 and 480 mg/kg) and CAC groups (20, 40 and 160 mg/kg). Serum TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C were performed after 24 h. Transcriptomics and qRT–PCR technology were used to explore the mechanism of the “BSS” of JZN.Results In vitro, the ratio of CAC was determined. CAC could reduce the TG content in HepG2 cells (77.21%). Compared with the model group, the high dose of CAC could markedly decrease the levels of TC (61.86%), TG (105.54%) and LDL-C (39.38%) and increase the level of HDL-C (232.67%). CAC was proved to be the “BSS”. Transcriptomics and qRT–PCR analysis revealed CAC regulated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, bile secretion, PPAR and adipocytokine signalling pathway.Discussion and conclusions These findings provided new feasible ideas and methods for the elucidation of the pharmacodynamic material basis.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) are widely used and have the potential to be harmful environmental toxicants to humans. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a crucial regulatory role in cytotoxicity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of OPs on the expression of lncRNAs in cells. The effects of the industrial OPs TNPP and TCPP on both CYTOR and cellular viability were examined in the following human renal cell lines: HEK293T and HK-2. Both TCPP and TNPP downregulated CYTOR expression, increased reactive oxygen species levels, and induced apoptosis; the upregulated expression of CYTOR resulted in a reduction in apoptosis. The results of the luciferase reporter assay and the knock-down assay indicate that CEBPA binds to the upstream promoter region of CYTOR and regulates its transcription. Furthermore, TCPP and TNPP were found to downregulate the phosphorylation of ERK in the signaling pathway that is upstream of CEBPA. These results indicate that TCPP and TNPP can decrease the level of CEBPA by reducing ERK phosphorylation; this leads to a decrease in CYTOR expression, which further promotes cellular reactive oxygen species and apoptosis. Therefore, the ERK/CEBPA/CYTOR axis is one of the pathways by which organophosphates produce cytotoxicity, leading to renal cell injury. This study presents evidence for both the abnormal expression of lncRNA that is caused by organophosphates and the regulatory function of lncRNA regarding downstream cellular viability.

Abstract Background Mitchell syndrome (MITCH) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary disorder, characterized by episodic demyelination, sensorimotor polyneuropathy and hearing loss. MITCH is caused by heterozygous mutation in the ACOX1 gene, which encodes straight-chain acyl-CoA oxidase, on chromosome 17q25.1. Only 5 unrelated patients have been reported so far, and no reports from China. Here, we describe the first MITCH case in a Chinese individual. Case presentation A 7-year-old girl initially presented with diffuse desquamatory rash at age 3. Her clinical symptoms in order of presentation were diffuse desquamatory rash, gait instability, ptosis with photophobia, hearing loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and dysuria. Genetic analysis demonstrated that the patient carried a heterozygous variant c.710A>G(p.Asp237Ser) in the ACOX1 gene, which can cause MITCH symptoms. This is the first MITCH case with gastrointestinal and urinary tract symptoms. After administrating N acetylcysteine amide (NACA), some symptoms were relieved and the patient’s condition improved. Conclusion This is the first MITCH case in the Chinese population, and we expanded the genotype spectrum of it. The p.Asp237Ser may be a mutational hotspot in ACOX1 regardless of race. In terms of diagnosis, patients with recurrent rash, gait instability, and hearing loss with some autonomic symptoms should raise the suspicion of MITCH and proper and prompt treatment should be given.

Let $ \Bbb F_{q} $ be a finite field of characteristic $ q $ and $ S_n $ a symmetric group of order $ n! $. In this paper, group codes in the symmetric group algebras $ \Bbb F_{q}S_n $ with $ q > 3 $ and $ n = 3, 4 $ are proposed. We compute the unique (linear and nonlinear) idempotents of $ \Bbb F_q S_n $ corresponding to the characters of symmetric groups and use the results to characterize the minimum distances and dimensions of group codes. Furthermore, we construct MDS group codes and almost MDS group codes in $ \Bbb F_q S_3 $ and $ \Bbb F_q S_4 $.

Abstract Cardiovascular disease is a high incidence and mortality rate disease worldwide. Exercise training has become an established evidence-based treatment strategy that is beneficial for many cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on hyperlipidemia-induced cardiac damage in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice. Male ApoE−/− mice were randomly divided into the following four groups: normal diet (ND), normal diet + exercise training (ND + E), high-fat diet (HFD), and high-fat diet + exercise training (HFD + E). Exercise training consisted of swimming for 40 min, 5 days/week for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, histopathological alterations in cardiac tissue and the serum were measured. Furthermore, the NOX4, NRF2, SIRT1, TGF-β, HO-1, collagen III, Smad3, Bax, Bak, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 expression levels were evaluated using immunohistochemistry and western blotting; Results: the serum levels of SIRT1, GSH-Px, and SOD were lower in ApoE−/− HFD mice compared with those in ApoE−/− HFD + E mice. Significant pathological changes were observed in the ApoE−/− HFD + E group compared with those in the ApoE−/− HFD group. Increased levels of oxidative stress, fibrosis, and apoptosis, and decreased antioxidant expression in the ApoE−/− HFD group compared with those in ApoE−/− HFD + E mice. Exercise exerts protective effects against cardiac damage caused by hyperlipidemia.

Characterized by severe deficits in communication, most individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) experience significant language dysfunctions, thereby impacting their overall quality of life. Wernicke's area, a classical and traditional brain region associated with language processing, plays a substantial role in the manifestation of language impairments. The current study carried out a mega-analysis to attain a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underpinning ASC, particularly in the context of language processing. The study employed the Autism Brain Image Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset, which encompasses data from 443 typically developing (TD) individuals and 362 individuals with ASC. The objective was to detect abnormal functional connectivity (FC) between Wernicke's area and other language-related functional regions, and identify frequency-specific altered FC using Wernicke's area as the seed region in ASC. The findings revealed that increased FC in individuals with ASC has frequency-specific characteristics. Further, in the conventional frequency band (0.01–0.08 Hz), individuals with ASC exhibited increased FC between Wernicke's area and the right thalamus compared with TD individuals. In the slow-5 frequency band (0.01–0.027 Hz), increased FC values were observed in the left cerebellum Crus II and the right lenticular nucleus, pallidum. These results provide novel insights into the potential neural mechanisms underlying communication deficits in ASC from the perspective of language impairments.

Forest management, especially understory vegetation conversion, significantly affects soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil C and N pools. However, it remains unclear what effect renovating understory vegetation has on GHG emissions and soil C and N pools in plantations. This study investigates the impact of renovating understory vegetation on these factors in Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg) plantation forests. Different understory renovation modes were used in a 12-month field experiment: a safflower camellia (SC) (Camellia chekiangoleosa Hu) planting density of 600 plants ha−1 and wild rape (WR) (Brassica napus L.) strip sowing (UM1); SC 600 plants ha−1 and WR scatter sowing (UM2); SC 1200 plants ha−1 and WR strip sowing (UM3); SC 1200 plants ha−1 and WR scatter sowing (UM4); and removal of the understory vegetation layer (CK). The results showed that understory vegetation modification significantly increased soil CO2 and emission fluxes and decreased soil CH4 uptake fluxes (p < 0.01). The understory vegetation transformation significantly improved soil labile carbon and labile nitrogen pools (p < 0.01). This study proposes that understory vegetation conversion can bolster soil carbon sinks, preserve soil fertility, and advance sustainable development of Chinese hickory plantation forests.

BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a brain-gut disorder with high global prevalence, resulting from abnormalities in brain connectivity of the default mode network and aberrant changes in gray matter (GM). However, the findings of previous studies about IBS were divergent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to identify common functional and structural alterations in IBS patients.MethodsAltogether, we identified 12 studies involving 194 IBS patients and 230 healthy controls (HCs) from six databases using whole-brain resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) and voxel-based morphometry. Anisotropic effect-size signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) was used to identify abnormal functional and structural changes as well as the overlap brain regions between dysconnectivity and GM alterations.ResultsFindings indicated that, compared with HCs, IBS patients showed abnormal rs-FC in left inferior parietal gyrus, left lingual gyrus, right angular gyrus, right precuneus, right amygdala, right median cingulate cortex, and left hippocampus. Altered GM was detected in the fusiform gyrus, left triangular inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right superior marginal gyrus, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left rectus, left orbital IFG, right triangular IFG, right putamen, left superior parietal gyrus and right precuneus. Besides, multimodal meta-analysis identified left middle frontal gyrus, left orbital IFG, and right putamen as the overlapped regions.ConclusionOur results confirm that IBS patients have abnormal alterations in rs-FC and GM, and reveal brain regions with both functional and structural alterations. These results may contribute to understanding the underlying pathophysiology of IBS.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42022351342.

The DEPDC5 gene (OMIM 614191) has been proven to be a frequent cause of familial and sporadic focal epilepsy. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was generated from a child diagnosed with focal epilepsy, which was caused by DEDPC5 mutation. The iPSC line expresses high pluripotency markers, carries the DEDPC5 mutation, and can differentiate into three germ layers in vitro. The iPSC lines offer a promising technique for studying the pathogenesis and conducting drug screening of DEDPC5-related epilepsy.

Lightweight pose estimation models have been widely used in devices with different computing powers, providing convenience for numerous downstream tasks, such as gait estimation, behavior analysis, motion capture, etc. Although these lightweight methods can run on low-performance equipment, their estimation accuracy is low, which seriously affects the actual experience. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of the lightweight human pose estimation methods, we propose an Enhanced Dynamic Lightweight High-Resolution Network (EDite-HRNet) for human pose estimation. Specifically, we propose an Enhanced Dynamic Multi-scale Context (EDMC) block which enhances the features of the simple branch with multi-level features of the complex branch to realize multi-level features fusion. Moreover, inspired by GhostNet V2, we redesign the Enhanced Dynamic Global Context (EDGC) and the Enhanced Dynamic Multi-scale Context (EDMC) block by adopting GhostNet V2 module with DFC attention to replace ConvBN block in the original blocks. The experimental results on the two datasets (66.1% on the COCO2017 dataset and 86.8% on the MPII dataset), demonstrate that our network achieves the state-of-the-art performance with a slight increase in model complexity.

Table tennis involves quick and accurate motor responses during training and competition. Multiple studies have reported considerably faster visuomotor responses and expertise-related intrinsic brain activity changes among table tennis players compared with matched controls. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we performed static and dynamic resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) analyses of 20 table tennis players and 21 control subjects using 7T ultra-high field imaging. We calculated the static and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the two groups. The results revealed that table tennis players exhibited decreased static ALFF in the left inferior temporal gyrus (lITG) compared with the control group. Voxel-wised static functional connectivity (sFC) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analyses using lITG as the seed region afforded complementary and overlapping results. The table tennis players exhibited decreased sFC in the right middle temporal gyrus and left inferior parietal gyrus. Conversely, they displayed increased dFC from the lITG to prefrontal cortex, particularly the left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus-medial, and left superior frontal gyrus-dorsolateral. These findings suggest that table tennis players demonstrate altered visuomotor transformation and executive function pathways. Both pathways involve the lITG, which is a vital node in the ventral visual stream. These static and dynamic analyses provide complementary and overlapping results, which may help us better understand the neural mechanisms underlying the changes in intrinsic brain activity and network organization induced by long-term table tennis skill training.

Migraine—a disabling neurological disorder, imposes a tremendous burden on societies. To reduce the economic and health toll of the disease, insight into its pathophysiological mechanism is key to improving treatment and prevention. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies suggest abnormal functional connectivity (FC) within the default mode network (DMN) in migraine patients. This implies that DMN connectivity change may represent a biomarker for migraine. However, the FC abnormalities appear inconsistent which hinders our understanding of the potential neuropathology. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of the FC within the DMN in migraine patients in the resting state to identify the common FC abnormalities. With efficient search and selection strategies, nine studies (published before July, 2022) were retrieved, containing 204 migraine patients and 199 healthy subjects. We meta-analyzed the data using the Anisotropic Effect Size version of Signed Differential Mapping (AES-SDM) method. Compared with healthy subjects, migraine patients showed increased connectivity in the right calcarine gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, right cerebellum, right parahippocampal gyrus, and right posterior cingulate gyrus, while decreased connectivity in the right postcentral gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus, right orbital inferior frontal gyrus, left middle occipital gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus. These results provide a new perspective for the study of the pathophysiology of migraine and facilitate a more targeted treatment of migraine in the future.

Abstract Background Cremastra appendiculata is a rare terrestrial orchid with a high market value as an ornamental and medicinal plant. However, the species depends entirely on fungi for seed germination under natural conditions. In a previous study, we have successfully isolated and identified the mycorrhizal fungus Coprinellus disseminatus which was able to induce the germination of C. appendiculata seeds. We then speculated that C. disseminatus may do so by breaking the testa imposed dormancy of the seeds. In this study, biochemical and transcriptomic analyses were used to characterize the germination of C. appendiculata seeds, collected at different stages of germination, as affected by C. disseminatus. Results The lignocellulose in the seeds coat of C. appendiculata was degraded by the mycorrhizal fungus resulting in facilitated absorption of water. The rate of decline in lignin content was 67 and 73% at 6 and 12 days after sowing, respectively. The water content increased from 13 to 90% during symbiosis. A total of 15,382 genes showing significantly different levels of expression (log2 FPKM≥2.0, Qvalue≤0.05) were successfully identified among all libraries, where the highest number of DEGs was shared between 6 days versus 0 day after symbiotic germination. Gene annotation results suggested that 15 key genes related water-status, such as DHN gene family and Xero 1 were down-regulated. The genes zeaxanthin epoxidase ZEP, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase NCED3 and β-carotene hydroxylase involved in the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) were significantly down-regulated in 6 days as compared to 0 day after symbiotic germination. Conclusions This work demonstrates that mycorrhizal fungus C. disseminatus can stimulate C. appendiculata seeds germination through a mechanism of breaking the testa imposed dormancy and inducing water absorption of the embryo.

Cancer is a complex syndrome with a high mortality rate worldwide due to the lack of effective treatments. The lack of effective coordination between tumor cells and immune system components may be an important reason for the failure of tumor cells to be successfully eliminated after treatment. Tumor microenvironment (TME) barriers hinder the entry and dispersion of nanotherapeutic medicines in tumors. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound structures responsible for cell-to-cell coordination and carry different biomolecules responsible for physiological and pathological communication between cells. Their role has been a mystery for decades, and over the past two decades, their structure and content have revealed some amazing facts.Recent studies have shown that exosomes play a key role in intercellular communication during the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer and are responsible for cancer proliferation and metastasis. Inspired by the structure of their endogenous lipid membranes, researchers have tried to mimic their fine structure in the laboratory and tried to load certain biological and chemical drugs. Therefore, exosomes have received particular attention in nanotechnology, and these lipid polymeric micelles have emerged as potential candidates for nanocarriers in nanotechnology to overcome various obstacles in targeted drug delivery. In view of the importance of exosomes, this review highlights the potential of exosomes for use in nanodrug-based medication delivery. The majority of the investigation in these fields has not yet moved out of the laboratory. It will take a lot of time and work to implement these experimental findings in clinical settings.

Abstract Indoor photovoltaics (IPVs) are expected to power the Internet of Things ecosystem, which is attracting ever‐increasing attention as part of the rapidly developing distributed communications and electronics technology. The power conversion efficiency of IPVs strongly depends on the match between typical indoor light spectra and the band gap of the light absorbing layer. Therefore, band‐gap tunable materials, such as metal‐halide perovskites, are specifically promising candidates for approaching the indoor illumination efficiency limit of ∼56%. However, perovskite materials with ideal band gap for indoor application generally contain high bromine (Br) contents, causing inferior open‐circuit voltage (VOC). By fabricating a series of wide‐bandgap perovskites (Cs0.17FA0.83PbI3−xBrx, 0.6 ≤ x ≤ 1.6) with varying Br contents and related band gaps, it is found that, the high Br vacancy (VBr) defect density is a significant reason that leading to large VOC deficits apart from the well‐accepted halide segregation. The introduction of I‐rich alkali metal small‐molecule compounds is demonstrated to suppress the VBr and increase the VOC of perovskite IPVs up to 1.05 V under 1000 lux light‐emitting diode illumination, one of the highest VOC values reported so far. More importantly, the modules are sent for independent certification and have gained a record efficiency of 36.36%.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) has gained considerable attention as pervasive human dietary constituents with potential cardiovascular-preserving effects. CGA and its structural isomers neochlorogenic acid (NCGA), cryptochlorogenic acid (CCGA) possessed potential capacities on improving myocardial hypertrophy. This study aimed to clarify the active metabolites responsible for improving myocardial hypertrophy of CGA, NCGA and CCGA. As a result, similar to in heart, the different metabolites between pathological and myocardial hypertrophy plasma were basically inactive phase Ⅱ metabolites. Finally, 10 metabolites which were accurately identified in CGA, CCGA and NCGA were chosen to be candidates. And the isoproterenol induced H9c2 cells were used as the myocardial hypertrophy model to screen the active metabolites. In conclusion, based on the results of quantification of cardiomyocyte surface area and expression of ANP, BNP and HIF-1α mRNA, caffeic acid, methyl caffeate and dihydrocaffeic acid were identified as the active metabolites.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the spontaneous regional neural activity abnormalities in patients with acute basal ganglia ischemic stroke (BGIS) using a multifrequency bands regional homogeneity (ReHo) method and to explore whether the alteration of ReHo values was associated with clinical characteristics.MethodsIn this study, 34 patients with acute BGIS and 44 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All participants were examined by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The ReHo method was used to detect the alterations of spontaneous neural activities in patients with acute BGIS. A two-sample t-test comparison was performed to compare the ReHo value between the two groups, and a Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between the regional neural activity abnormalities and clinical characteristics.ResultsCompared with the HCs, the patients with acute BGIS showed increased ReHo in the left caudate and subregions such as the right caudate and left putamen in conventional frequency bands. In the slow-5 frequency band, patients with BGIS showed decreased ReHo in the left medial cingulum of BGIS compared to the HCs and other subregions such as bilateral caudate and left putamen. No brain regions with ReHo alterations were found in the slow-4 frequency band. Moreover, we found that the ReHo value of left caudate was positively correlated with the NIHSS score.ConclusionOur findings revealed the alterations of ReHo in patients with acute BGIS in a specific frequency band and provided a new insight into the pathogenesis mechanism of BGIS. This study demonstrated the frequency-specific characteristics of ReHo in patients with acute BGIS, which may have a positive effect on the future neuroimaging studies.

SCN8A is linked to early infantile epileptic encephalopathy type 13 (EIEE13). We generate a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a child diagnosed with EIEE, caused by SCN8A variation. The iPSC line expresses high pluripotency markers, retains SCN8A variation and is able to differentiate into three germ layers in vitro. The iPSC lines will provide useful resources for studying the pathogenesis and drug screening of SCN8A-related epilepsy.

Social function impairment is the core deficit of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although many studies have investigated ASD through a variety of neuroimaging tools, its brain mechanism of social function remains unclear due to its complex and heterogeneous symptoms. The present study aimed to use resting-state functional magnetic imaging data to explore effective connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ), one of the key brain regions associated with social impairment of individuals with ASD, and the whole brain to further deepen our understanding of the neuropathological mechanism of ASD. This study involved 1,454 participants from 23 sites from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) public dataset, which included 618 individuals with ASD and 836 with typical development (TD). First, a voxel-wise Granger causality analysis (GCA) was conducted with the RTPJ selected as the region of interest (ROI) to investigate the differences in effective connectivity between the ASD and TD groups in every site. Next, to obtain further accurate and representative results, an image-based meta-analysis was implemented to further analyze the GCA results of each site. Our results demonstrated abnormal causal connectivity between the RTPJ and the widely distributed brain regions and that the connectivity has been associated with social impairment in individuals with ASD. The current study could help to further elucidate the pathological mechanisms of ASD and provides a new perspective for future research.

Known as the “Asian Water Tower”, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is a rich water resource and serves an important ecological function. Climate change may cause changes to the water cycle, and these changes may affect the alpine vegetation growth. However, the variation characteristics of groundwater storage (GWS) and its driving factors and associated ecological effects in the TP are poorly understood. In this study, terrestrial water storage changes retrieved by GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) were combined with GLDAS (Global Land Data Assimilation System) to estimate the GWS changes in the TP. The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of GWS were identified using linear regression and the modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) test, respectively. The analyses showed that the GWS of the TP decreased at an average rate of −0.89 mm/a from January 2003 to December 2021, but since January 2016, it gradually recovered at a rate of 1.47 mm/a. This shows that the GWS in the eastern and northern parts of the TP is decreasing, while the GWS in the western and southern parts is increasing. The influence of climate change on GWS in time and space was determined using the correlation analysis method. Decreased precipitation and permafrost degradation caused by increasing temperatures will lead to a decrease in GWS. On the other hand, rising temperatures may result in an increase in GWS in regions where glaciers are distributed. In this study, the ecological effects were represented by the relationship between GWS and vegetation change. A decline in GWS means that the vegetation will not receive enough water, leading to a decrease in the NDVI and the eventual degradation of grassland to sand, desert, or other kinds of unused land on the TP. On the other hand, an increase in GWS would promote vegetation restoration. The results of this study offer a new opportunity to reveal the groundwater changes in a cryosphere region and to assess the impact of changes in hydrological conditions on ecology.

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water, particularly in arid regions. In this study, a total of 66 groundwater samples were collected from the phreatic aquifer in the Shizuishan area, a traditional irrigation region of Ningxia. The results showed that the TDS values were above the drinking water standards for nearly 50% of the groundwater samples. The ions followed the order of Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and SO42− > Cl− > HCO3− in the groundwater. There were four dominant factors in controlling groundwater chemistry based on principal component analysis: the salinity factor, alkalinity factor, carbonate factor, and pollution factor. The high concentration of NH4-N in groundwater was attributed to agricultural activities, but the high NO3-N levels were mainly due to sewage or wastewater. F and As were derived from geogenic sources. Based on the result of the WQI assessment, about 40% of the samples in the central part of the study region showed unacceptable water quality for drinking, which was mainly associated with high NH4-N, TDS, and As concentrations. The total non-carcinogenic risks of drinking the groundwater were 0.05–10.62 for adults and 0.09–20.65 for children, respectively. The order of pollutants in the groundwater in terms of their hazard to residents was: As > F− > NO3-N > NH4-N. The carcinogenic risk values of As through oral ingestion for children and adults were 0–7.37 × 10−4 and 0–1.89 × 10−4, respectively. Chronic exposure by oral ingestion presented as the main source of susceptibility to exposure to groundwater contaminants for children.

Although achieving significant improvement on pose estimation, the major drawback is that most top-performing methods tend to adopt complex architecture and spend large computational cost to achieve higher performance. Due to the edge device’s limited resources, its top-performing methods are hard to maintain fast inference speed in practice. To address this issue, we proposed the fast and lightweight human pose estimation method to maintain high performance and bear the less computational cost. Especially, the proposed method consists of two parts, i.e., the fast and lightweight pose network (FLPN) for pose estimation and a novel lightweight bottleneck block for reducing computational cost, which can integrate the simple network and lightweight bottleneck into an efficient method for accurate pose estimation. In terms of lightweight bottleneck block, we introduce the structural similarity measurement (SSIM) to refine the appropriate ratio of intrinsic feature maps and reduce the model size. Furthermore, an attention mechanism is also adopted in our lightweight bottleneck block for modeling the contextual information. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method with extensive experiments on the two standard benchmark datasets by comparing our method with state-of-the-art methods. On the COCO keypoint detection dataset, our proposed method attains a similar accuracy with these state-of-the-art methods, but the computational cost of these top-performing methods is more than 7 times that of ours.

Resumo Fundamento A dupla antiagregação plaquetária (DAP) é o tratamento fundamental do infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM). Objetivo O presente estudo visou investigar a eficácia e a segurança da tripla antiagregação plaquetária (TAP) em pacientes femininas idosas com diabetes e infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnível do segmento ST (IAMCSST), que foram submetidas à intervenção coronária percutânea ICP. Métodos Trata-se se de um estudo randomizado e mono-cego. O grupo controle A (97 pacientes idosos do sexo masculino com diabetes e STEMI, cujos escores CRUSADE foram < 30) recebeu aspirina, ticagrelor e tirofibana. Um total de 162 pacientes femininas idosas com diabetes e IAMCSST foram divididas aleatoriamente em dois grupos de acordo com o escore CRUSADE. O grupo B (69 pacientes com escore CRUSADE > 31) recebeu aspirina e ticagrelor. O grupo C (93 pacientes com escore CRUSADE < 30) recebeu aspirina, ticagrelor e tirofibana. Valores de p < 0,05 foram considerados estatisticamente significativos. Resultados Após a PCI, o fluxo sanguíneo grau 3 Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) e a perfusão miocárdica TIMI grau 3 foram significativamente menos prevalentes no grupo B, em comparação com o grupo A (p < 0,05). Quando comparada aos grupos A e C, a incidência de complicações adversas maiores foi significativamente maior no grupo B (p < 0,05). Conclusão A TAP pode efetivamente reduzir a incidência de complicações maiores em pacientes idosas com diabetes e IAMCSST. No entanto, atenção cuidadosa deve ser dada à hemorragia em pacientes que recebem TAP. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0)

The features of 16p11.2 deletion phenotype is developmental delay, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder. Seizures are observed in approximately 20% of individuals with the microdeletion. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from erythroblasts obtained from a child diagnosed with benign familial infantile epilepsy, caused by 16p11.2 deletion. These iPSCs exhibited stable amplification, expressed pluripotent markers, and differentiated spontaneously into three germ layers in vitro.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord Wharton’s Jelly (WJ-MSCs) are emerging as promising therapeutics for a variety of diseases due to their ability of regeneration and immunomodulation, and their non-tumorigenic and non-immunogenic properties. Although multiple protocols have been developed for WJ-MSC isolation, insufficient cell numbers, heterogeneous cell population, and variations in procedures between different laboratories impede further clinical applications. Here, we compared six widely used WJ-MSC isolation methods regarding cell morphology, yield, purity, proliferation rate, and differentiation potential. Based on these analyses, we identified that the inefficiency of the extracellular matrix digestion results in low cell yield. Thus, we developed a new method called “Mince-Soak-Digest (MSD)” to isolate MSCs from WJ by incorporating a soaking step to facilitate the digestion of the extracellular matrix and release of the cells. Our newly developed method generates significantly higher cell yield (4- to 10-fold higher) than six widely used methods that we tested with high purity and consistency. Importantly, by transplantation of WJ-MSCs to the rat uterus, we repair the endometrial injury and restore the fertility of the rats. In conclusion, our results provide a robust and highly efficient approach for the isolation of WJ-MSCs to restore injured tissue. The higher efficiency of MSD assures the abundance of WJ-MSCs for clinical applications. Furthermore, the reliability of MSD contributes to the standardization of WJ-MSC isolation, which eliminates the discrepancies due to isolation procedures, thus facilitating the evaluation of the efficacy of WJ-MSCs across various human clinical applications.

BackgroundThe correlation between dietary fatty acid (FA) intake and serum lipid profile levels with cognition in the aged population has been reported by previous studies. However, the association of dietary FA intake and serum lipid profile levels with cognition in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is seldom reported.ObjectiveA cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the correlation between dietary FA intake and serum lipid profiles with cognition in the aged Chinese population with T2DM.MethodsA total of 1,526 aged Chinese subjects were recruited from communities. Fasting blood samples were collected for parameter measurement. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) method was applied for a dietary survey. Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. Dietary FA intake and serum lipid levels were compared between subjects with T2DM and control subjects. A logistic regression analysis was carried out for analyzing the association of FA intake and serum lipid levels with the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in subjects with T2DM and control subjects.ResultsThere was a significant difference in the serum lipid level between the T2DM group and the control group. Results of the logistic regression analysis demonstrated the potential associations of serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) intake with the risk of MCI in subjects with T2DM, but the associations were not observed in control subjects.ConclusionThe T2DM phenotype might affect the relationship between dietary FA intake, circulating lipids, and cognitive performance. Large prospective cohort studies are needed to uncover the underlying mechanism of how dietary FA intake and serum lipid levels affect cognition in aged subjects with T2DM.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of COVID-19, which has broken out worldwide for more than two years. However, due to limited treatment, new cases of infection are still rising. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the basic molecular biology of SARS-CoV-2 to control this virus. SARS-CoV-2 replication and spread depend on the recruitment of host ribosomes to translate viral messenger RNA (mRNA). To ensure the translation of their own mRNAs, the SARS-CoV-2 has developed multiple strategies to globally inhibit the translation of host mRNAs and block the cellular innate immune response. This review provides a comprehensive picture of recent advancements in our understanding of the molecular basis and complexity of SARS-CoV-2 protein translation. Specifically, we summarize how this viral infection inhibits host mRNA translation to better utilize translation elements for translation of its own mRNA. Finally, we discuss the potential of translational components as targets for therapeutic interventions.

Background. Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a known risk factor for stroke. Abnormal alterations in the low-frequency range of the gray matter (GM) of the brain have been studied in patients with TIA. However, whether there are abnormal neural activities in the low-frequency range of the white matter (WM) in patients with TIA remains unknown. The current study applied two resting-state metrics to explore functional abnormalities in the low-frequency range of WM in patients with TIA. Furthermore, a reinforcement learning method was used to investigate whether altered WM function could be a diagnostic indicator of TIA. Methods. We enrolled 48 patients with TIA and 41 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical/physiological/biochemical data were collected from each participant. We compared the group differences between patients with TIA and HCs in the low-frequency range of WM using two resting-state metrics: amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF). The altered ALFF and fALFF values were defined as features of the reinforcement learning method involving a Q-learning algorithm. Results. Compared with HCs, patients with TIA showed decreased ALFF in the right cingulate gyrus/right superior longitudinal fasciculus/left superior corona radiata and decreased fALFF in the right cerebral peduncle/right cingulate gyrus/middle cerebellar peduncle. Based on these two rs-fMRI metrics, an optimal Q-learning model was obtained with an accuracy of 82.02%, sensitivity of 85.42%, specificity of 78.05%, precision of 82.00%, and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87. Conclusion. The present study revealed abnormal WM functional alterations in the low-frequency range in patients with TIA. These results support the role of WM functional neural activity as a potential neuromarker in classifying patients with TIA and offer novel insights into the underlying mechanisms in patients with TIA from the perspective of WM function.

BackgroundCoffee can regulate glucose homeostasis but the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study investigated the preventive and therapeutic effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA), a polyphenol that is found in coffee, on obesity and obesity-related metabolic endotoxemia.MethodMale 4-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed either normal chow or a high-fat diet or 20 weeks and half the mice in each group were gavaged with CGA. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) and insulin tolerance tests (ITTs) were performed. Markers of inflammation and intestinal barrier function were assayed. The composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput pyrosequencing. The role of CGA-altered microbiota in metabolic endotoxemia was verified by fecal microbiota transplantation.ResultsCGA protected against HFD-induced weight gain, decreased the relative weight of subcutaneous and visceral adipose, improved intestinal barrier integrity, and prevented glucose metabolic disorders and endotoxemia (P

Mitochondria are one of the most important organelles in cells. Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles with their own genetic system, and can independently replicate, transcribe, and translate mitochondrial DNA. Translation initiation, elongation, termination, and recycling of the ribosome are four stages in the process of mitochondrial protein translation. In this process, mitochondrial protein translation factors and translation activators, mitochondrial RNA, and other regulatory factors regulate mitochondrial protein translation. Mitochondrial protein translation abnormalities are associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and nervous system diseases. Mutation or deletion of various mitochondrial protein translation factors and translation activators leads to abnormal mitochondrial protein translation. Mitochondrial tRNAs and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins are essential players during translation and mutations in genes encoding them represent a large fraction of mitochondrial diseases. Moreover, there is crosstalk between mitochondrial protein translation and cytoplasmic translation, and the imbalance between mitochondrial protein translation and cytoplasmic translation can affect some physiological and pathological processes. This review summarizes the regulation of mitochondrial protein translation factors, mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, mitochondrial tRNAs, and mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (mt-aaRSs) in the mitochondrial protein translation process and its relationship with diseases. The regulation of mitochondrial protein translation and cytoplasmic translation in multiple diseases is also summarized.

Noise due to genetic heterogeneity potentially impacts the the discovery of genes that contribute to diseases such as schizophrenia (SCZ). In this study, authors minimize the disease-irrelevant noise between SCZ and healthy individuals by profiling transcriptional signatures among discordant monozygotic twin pairs, and demonstrate that although sexes share many of the final common pathways, the underlying primary pathophysiology of SCZ differs between males and females.

Abstract Background CHARGE syndrome is characterized by coloboma, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth retardation, genitourinary malformation and ear abnormalities. The chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 7 (CHD7) gene is the major cause of CHARGE syndrome and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Currently, the phenotype spectrum of CHARGE syndrome in neonatal population remain elusive. We aimed to investigate the phenotype spectrum of neonatal patients suspected to have CHARGE syndrome with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in the CHD7 gene. Methods We pooled next-generation sequencing data from the Neonatal Birth Defects Cohort (NBDC, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02551081) in Children’s Hospital of Fudan University. The pathogenicity of novel variants was analyzed by bioinformatic and genetic analyses. Clinical information collection, Sanger sequencing and follow-up interviews were performed when possible. Cranial MRI of these patients was performed, the volumes of different regions of the brain were analyzed. Results A total of 12 unrelated patients in our cohort were found with CHD7 variants. Eight patients received a firm clinical diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome (Bergmann criteria, Blake criteria, Verloes criteria and Hale criteria). Three patients did not match any diagnostic criteria, and no patients matched the Verloes criteria. Phenotype spectrum analysis found that feeding difficulty was the dominant feature among this neonatal cohort. Six novel variants in the CHD7 gene (Glu2408*, Lys651*, c.5607 + 1G > T, Leu373Val, Lys2005Asnfs*37 and Gln1991*) were identified, expanding the variant database of the CHD7 gene. Cranial MRI analysis revealed significant volume loss in cingulate gyrus, occipital lobe, and cerebellum and volume gain in the left medial and inferior temporal gyri anterior white matter parts. Conclusions Based on a relatively unbiased neonatal cohort, we concluded that CHARGE syndrome and CHD7 gene variants should be suspected in newborns who have feeding difficulty, and one or more malformations. Trial registration Neonatal Birth Defects Cohort (NBDC, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02551081).

To address the large deformation of the surrounding rock of deep gob-side entry retaining under high stress, lithological characteristics of the surrounding rock and failure model of support body and their evolutionary processes are analyzed through field investigation and theoretical analysis. Failure mechanisms of surrounding rock and the technology to control it are studied systematically. The results show that the causes of the large deformation of the surrounding rock are weak thick mudstones with softening property and water absorption behavior, as well as its fragmentation, dilatancy, and long-term creep during strong disturbance and highly centralized stress states. The cross-section shape of the roadway after deformation and failure of the surrounding rock is obviously asymmetric in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Since the original system supporting the surrounding rock is unable to completely bear the load, each part of the supporting system is destroyed one after the other. The failure sequences of the surrounding rock are as follows: (1) roadway roof fracture in the filling area, (2) filling body fracture under eccentric load, (3) rapid subsidence of the roadway roof, and (4) external crack drum and rib spalling at the solid coal side. Due to this failure sequence, the entire surrounding rock becomes unstable. A partitioned coupling support and a quaternity control technology to support the surrounding rock are proposed, in which the roof of the filling area plays a key role. The technology can improve the overall stability of gob-side entry retaining, prevent support structure instability caused by local failure of the surrounding rock, and ensure the safety and smoothness of roadways.

Mitochondria are the sites of oxidative metabolism in eukaryotes where the metabolites of sugars, fats, and amino acids are oxidized to harvest energy. Notably, mitochondria store Ca2+ and work in synergy with organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum and extracellular matrix to control the dynamic balance of Ca2+ concentration in cells. Mitochondria are the vital organelles in heart tissue. Mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis is particularly important for maintaining the physiological and pathological mechanisms of the heart. Mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis plays a key role in the regulation of cardiac energy metabolism, mechanisms of death, oxygen free radical production, and autophagy. The imbalance of mitochondrial Ca2+ balance is closely associated with cardiac remodeling. The mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (mtCU) protein complex is responsible for the uptake and release of mitochondrial Ca2+ and regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis in mitochondria and consequently, in cells. This review summarizes the mechanisms of mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis in physiological and pathological cardiac remodeling and the regulatory effects of the mitochondrial calcium regulatory complex on cardiac energy metabolism, cell death, and autophagy, and also provides the theoretical basis for mitochondrial Ca2+ as a novel target for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract Environmentally benign and potentially cost‐effective Sb2Se3 solar cells have drawn much attention by continuously achieving new efficiency records. This article reports a compatible strategy to enhance the efficiency of planar n–i–p Sb2Se3 solar cells through Sb2Se3 surface modification and an architecture with oriented 1D van der Waals material, trigonal selenium (t‐Se). A seed layer assisted successive close spaced sublimation (CSS) is developed to fabricate highly crystalline Sb2Se3 absorbers. It is found that the Sb2Se3 absorber exhibits a Se‐deficient surface and negative surface band bending. Reactive Se is innovatively introduced to compensate the surface Se deficiency and form an (101) oriented 1D t‐Se interlayer. The p‐type t‐Se layer promotes a favored band alignment and band bending at the Sb2Se3/t‐Se interface, and functionally works as a surface passivation and hole transport material, which significantly suppresses interface recombination and enhances carrier extraction efficiency. An efficiency of 7.45% is obtained in a planar Sb2Se3 solar cell in superstrate n–i–p configuration, which is the highest efficiency for planar Sb2Se3 solar cells prepared by CSS. The all‐inorganic Sb2Se3 solar cell with t‐Se shows superb stability, retaining ≈98% of the initial efficiency after 40 days storage in open air without encapsulation.

Introduction Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health problem with high geographic heterogeneity. We aimed to investigate regional-specific concomitant rate of NAFLD and quantitative relationship between liver fat content (LFC) and glucose metabolism parameters in representative clinical populations from six provinces/municipalities of China.Research design and methods A total of 2420 eligible Han Chinese were enrolled consecutively from 10 clinics of obesity, diabetes and metabolic diseases located at six provinces/municipalities of China, and divided into North (Tianjin, Shandong and Heilongjiang) and South (Shanghai, Jiangsu and Henan) groups according to their geographical latitude and proximity of NAFLD concomitant rate. LFC was assessed by a quantitative ultrasound method. Multivariate regression models and analysis of covariance were used to assess the regional difference in the risk of NAFLD.Results The concomitant rate of NAFLD was 23.3%, 44.0% and 55.3% in individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes and diabetes, respectively. A higher concomitant rate of NAFLD was found in the participants from the North comparing with the South group, regardless of glucose metabolism status (34.7% vs 16.2% in NGT, 61.5% vs 34.7% in pre-diabetes and 67.1% vs 48.1% in diabetes). This regional difference remained significant after adjustment for age, gender, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, confounding metabolic parameters and liver enzymes. For any given blood glucose, participants from the North had higher LFC than those from the South group.Conclusions Half of Han Chinese with pre-diabetes/type 2 diabetes had NAFLD, and the individuals from the North cities were more susceptible to NAFLD.

This paper studies the spatial and time series patterns of religious liberty across countries and estimates its effect on measures of human flourishing. First, while there are significant cross-country differences in religious liberty, it has declined in the past decade across countries, particularly among countries that rank higher in economic freedom. Second, countries with greater religious liberty nonetheless exhibit greater levels of economic freedom, particularly property rights. Third, using micro-data across over 150 countries in the world between 2006 and 2018, increases in religious freedom are associated with robust increases in measures of human flourishing even after controlling for time-invariant characteristics across space and time and a wide array of time-varying country-specific factors, such as economic activity and institutional quality. Fourth, these improvements in well-being are primarily driven by improvements in civil liberties, such as women empowerment and freedom of expression.

The heavy metals lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) are common environmental pollutants that can be detected simultaneously in blood, serum, and urine samples from the general human population. However, there is limited information regarding toxicity of low-level exposure to Pb, Cd, and Hg mixtures. Our previous research showed the interaction of these three elements at low concentrations in vitro. In this study, we further evaluate early effects of low dose exposure to Pb, Cd, and Hg mixtures on the brain, heart, liver, kidney, and testicle in rats. Pregnant rats were exposed to various concentrations of heavy metal mixtures (MM) in drinking water, during gestation and lactation, and the impacts on offspring were measured at postnatal day 23. Our results showed that the concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg in the blood of rat pups were similar to those in the blood of the general human population. Additionally, the MM concentrations in their blood and brain significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. MM exposure caused histopathological changes in the brain, liver, kidney and testicle. Statistically significant increases in liver CYP450 and PON1, kidney KIM1, and decrease in testicle SDH were observed. In the brain, significant increases were detected in oxidative stress, intracellular free calcium, and cell apoptosis. Further neurobehavioral testing revealed that MM exposure caused dose-dependent impairments in learning and memory as well as sensory perception. MM exposure also disrupted synapse remodeling, which may be associated with pathways involved in dendritic spine growth, maintenance, and elimination. These results suggested that exposure to Pb, Cd, and Hg mixtures, at human environmental exposure related levels, caused damage to multiple organs as well as impairments in neurobehavioral functions of rats. Our findings emphasize the need to control and regulate potential sources of heavy metal contamination. Keywords: Metal mixture, Early effects, Neurobehavioral function, Dendritic spine, Human environmental exposure levels

White adipocytes can be stimulated to express thermogenic genes in a process known as beiging. Here, the authors show that miR-327 is downregulated during beiging, which releases FGF10 from inhibition and supports beige adipocyte formation via signaling through FGFR2.

Underground coal fires can increase surface temperature, cause surface cracks and collapse, and release poisonous and harmful gases, which significantly harm the ecological environment and humans. Traditional methods of extracting coal fires, such as global threshold, K-mean and active contour model, usually produce many false alarms. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved active contour model by introducing the distinguishing energies of coal fires and others into the traditional active contour model. Taking Urumqi, Xinjiang, China as the research area, coal fires are detected from Landsat-8 satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data. The results show that the proposed method can eliminate many false alarms compared with some traditional methods, and achieve detection of small-area coal fires by referring field survey data. More importantly, the results obtained from UAV data can help identify not only burning coal fires but also potential underground coal fires. This paper provides an efficient method for high-precision coal fire detection and strong technical support for reducing environmental pollution and coal energy use.

Understanding the propagation of landslide-generated water waves is of great help against tsunami hazards. In order to investigate the effects of landslide shapes on the far-field leading wave generated by a submerged landslide at a constant depth, three linear wave models with different degrees of dispersive properties are employed in this study. The linear fully dispersive model is then validated by comparing the results against the experimental data available for landslides with a low Froude number. Three simplified shapes of landslides with the same volume, which are unnatural for a body of incoherent material, are used to investigate the effects of landslide shapes on the far-field properties of the generated leading wave over a flat seabed. The results show that the far-field leading crest over a constant depth is independent of the exact landslide shape and is invalid at a shallow water depth. Therefore, the most popular non-dispersive model (also called the shallow water wave model) cannot be used to reproduce the phenomenon. The weakly dispersive wave model can predict this phenomenon well. If only the leading wave is considered, this model is accurate up to at least μ = h0/Lc = 0.6, where h0 is the water depth and Lc denotes the characteristic length of the landslide.