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ABSTRACT Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a rapidly progressing infectious disease caused by a novel bunyavirus characterized by high fever, thrombocytopenia, and multiple organ damage. While lipids play an important role in viral infections, the specific alterations in lipid metabolism during SFTSV infection remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the global lipid metabolic profiles of SFTS patients with mild, severe, and fatal outcomes. A total of 60 SFTS patients, consisting of 30 mild, 15 severe and 15 fatal patients, and 30 healthy controls, were enrolled for the investigation of global lipidomics in serum using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our findings revealed global alterations in the lipid signature induced by SFTSV infection and further confirmed that the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway was profoundly affected during the progression of mild, severe, and fatal outcomes in SFTS patients. Importantly, LysoPC (20:0) and LysoPC (P-16:0) are strongly correlated with the clinical parameters of SFTSV infection. Furthermore, we demonstrated the substantial prognostic value of LysoPC (20:0) and LysoPC (P-16:0) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, providing evidence for their remarkable value as prognostic biomarkers for predicting SFTS clinical outcomes. In particular, LysoPC (20:0) and LysoPC (P-16:0), along with APTT, yielded superior prognostic performance for fatal SFTS [area under the curve (AUC) = 98.4%], outperforming routine clinical parameters. Collectively, our findings revealed the lipidomic landscape after SFTSV infection, which offers new insights into the mechanisms of SFTS disease progression and suggests that targeting lipid metabolism may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy.IMPORTANCEThis study systematically investigated the lipid landscape profile of SFTS-infected patients with different clinical outcomes. Our results revealed a global alteration in the lipid signature, particularly the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway, induced by SFTSV infection. Notably, LysoPC (20:0) and LysoPC (P-16:0) presented remarkable prognostic value as novel biomarkers for SFTSV infection and may contribute to the prognosis of SFTS progression and appropriate interventions.

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most invasive malignant tumor of the respiratory system. It is also the common pathological type leading to the death of LUAD. Maintaining the homeostasis of immune cells is an important way for anti‐tumor immunotherapy. However, the biological significance of maintaining immune homeostasis and immune therapeutic effect has not been well studied. Methods We constructed a diagnostic and prognostic model for LUAD based on B and T cells homeostasis‐related genes. Minimum absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) analysis and multivariate Cox regression are used to identify the prognostic gene signatures. Based on the overall survival time and survival status of LUAD patients, a 10‐gene prognostic model composed of ABL1, BAK1, IKBKB, PPP2R3C, CCNB2, CORO1A, FADD, P2RX7, TNFSF14, and ZC3H8 was subsequently identified as prognostic markers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)‐LUAD to develop a prognostic signature. This study constructed a gene prognosis model based on gene expression profiles and corresponding survival information through survival analysis, as well as 1‐year, 3‐year, and 5‐year ROC curve analysis. Enrichment analysis attempted to reveal the potential mechanism of action and molecular pathway of prognostic genes. The CIBERSORT algorithm calculated the infiltration degree of 22 immune cells in each sample and compared the difference of immune cell infiltration between high‐risk group and low‐risk group. At the cellular level, PCR and CKK8 experiments were used to verify the differences in the expression of the constructed 10‐gene model and its effects on cell viability, respectively. The experimental results supported the significant biological significance and potential application value of the molecular model in the prognosis of lung cancer. Enrichment analyses showed that these genes were mainly related to lymphocyte homeostasis. Conclusion We identified a novel immune cell homeostasis prognostic signature. Targeting these immune cell homeostasis prognostic genes may be an alternative for LUAD treatment. The reliability of the prediction model was confirmed at bioinformatics level, cellular level, and gene level.

Brain metastasis (BMs) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a very poor prognosis. This study combined WGCNA with the mfuzz algorithm to identify potential biomarkers in the peripheral blood of patients with BMs. By comparing the significantly differentially expressed genes present in BMs samples, we identified ADCY4 as a target for further study. Expression of ADCY4 was used to cluster mfuzz expression pattern, and 28 hub genes for functional enrichment. PPI network analysis were obtained by comparing with differentially expressed genes in BMs. GABRE, NFE4 and LMOD2 are highly expressed in patients with BMs and have a good diagnostic effect. Immunoinfiltration analysis showed that SCLC patients with BMs may be associated with memory B cells, Tregs, NK cell activation, macrophage M0 and dendritic cell activation. prophytic was used to investigate the ADCY4-mediated anti-tumor drug response. In conclusion, ADCY4 can be used as a promising candidate biomarker for predicting BMs, molecular and immune features in SCLC. PCR showed that ADCY4 expression was increased in NCI–H209 and NCI–H526 SCLC cell lines. In vitro experiments confirmed that the expression of ADCY4 was significantly decreased after anti-PD1 antibody treatment, while the expression of energy metabolism factors were significantly different. This study reveals a potential mechanism by which ADCY4 mediates poor prognosis through energy metabolism -related pathways in SCLC.

Abstract Background In China, individuals diagnosed with esophageal cancer are confronted with an elevated risk of nutritional inadequacy or malnutrition throughout the course of their disease, a condition that contributes to various adverse clinical outcomes. A vast corpus of data are burgeoning at an unprecedented rate, primarily due to the revolutionary growth of digitalization technologies and artificial intelligence, notably within the domains of health care and medicine. The purpose of this investigation is to initiate the development of a nutritional screening and assessment indicator framework for patients with esophageal cancer within the Chinese context. We seek to furnish an instrumental reference to facilitate preparations for the forthcoming era of advanced, “deep,” evidence‐based medicine. Methods An integrative methodology was employed to forge the preliminary draft of the nutritional screening and assessment indicator system for preoperative patients with esophageal cancer. This encompassed a rigorous literature survey, in‐depth clinical practice investigation, and the facilitation of expert panel discussions. Thereafter, two iterative consultation phases were conducted using the Delphi method in China. The analytic hierarchy process was deployed to ascertain the weighting of each index within the definitive evaluation indicator system. Results The effective response rates for the dual rounds of expert consultation were 91.7% and 86.4%, with commensurate authority coefficients of 0.97 and 0.91. The Kendall harmony coefficients were ascertained to be 0.19 and 0.14 (p

Prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) is a major threat to male health worldwide with a high mortality rate. New therapeutic strategies for the treatment of this malignant disease are of tremendous significance. Much attention has been paid to the involvement of immune cells in the prevention and treatment of cancer as well as how their regulatory systems contribute to effective cancer treatment. In this study, we constructed prognostic immune profiles based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-PRAD data sets and tested their predictive power on total and internal data sets. Then, we looked at how the lymphocyte of tumor invasion varied between the high-risk group and the low-risk group. Five immune-related genes made up the immune marker, which was an independent predictive factor in patients with PRAD. Patients in the low-risk score group had a higher rate of overall survival and a stronger infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, which was highly related to clinical outcomes but required prospective validation.

Abstract Upgrading of atmospheric CO2 into high‐value‐added acetate using renewable electricity via electrocatalysis solely remains a great challenge. Here, inspired by microbial synthesis via biocatalysts, we present a coupled system to produce acetate from CO2 by bridging inorganic electrocatalysis with microbial synthesis through formate intermediates. A 3D Bi2O3@CF integrated electrode with an ice‐sugar gourd shape was fabricated via a straightforward hydrothermal synthesis strategy, wherein Bi2O3 microspheres were decorated on carbon fibers. This ice‐sugar gourd‐shaped architecture endows electrodes with multiple structural advantages, including synergistic contribution, high mass transport capability, high structural stability, and large surface area. Consequently, the resultant Bi2O3@CF exhibited a maximum Faradic efficiency of 92.4% at −1.23 V versus Ag/AgCl for formate generation in 0.5 M KHCO3, exceeding that of Bi2O3/CF prepared using a conventional electrode preparation strategy. Benefiting from the high formate selectivity, unique architecture, and good biocompatibility, the Bi2O3@CF electrode attached with enriched CO2‐fixing electroautotrophs served as a biocathode. As a result, a considerable acetate yield rate of 0.269 ± 0.009 g L−1 day−1 (a total acetate yield of 3.77 ± 0.12 g L−1 during 14‐day operation) was achieved in the electrochemical–microbial system equipped with Bi2O3@CF.

The overall oocyte quality declines with aging, and this effect is strongly associated with a higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the resultant oxidative damage. C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a well-characterized physiological meiotic inhibitor that has been successfully used to improve immature oocyte quality during in vitro maturation. However, the underlying roles of CNP in maternally aged oocytes have not been reported. Here, we found that the age-related reduction in the serum CNP concentration was highly correlated with decreased oocyte quality. Treatment with exogenous CNP promoted follicle growth and ovulation in aged mice and enhanced meiotic competency and fertilization ability. Interestingly, the cytoplasmic maturation of aged oocytes was thoroughly improved by CNP treatment, as assessed by spindle/chromosome morphology and redistribution of organelles (mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, cortical granules, and the Golgi apparatus). CNP treatment also ameliorated DNA damage and apoptosis caused by ROS accumulation in aged oocytes. Importantly, oocyte RNA-seq revealed that the beneficial effect of CNP on aged oocytes was mediated by restoration of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, eliminating excessive mitophagy. CNP reversed the defective phenotypes in aged oocytes by alleviating oxidative damage and suppressing excessive PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Mechanistically, CNP functioned as a cAMP/PKA pathway modulator to decrease PINK1 stability and inhibit Parkin recruitment. In summary, our results demonstrated that CNP supplementation constitutes an alternative therapeutic approach for advanced maternal age-related oocyte deterioration and may improve the overall success rates of clinically assisted reproduction in older women.

Incomplete data indicate that coal gangue is accumulated in China, with over 2000 gangue hills covering an area exceeding 200,000 mu and an annual growth rate surpassing 800 million tons. This accumulation not only signifies a substantial waste of resources but also poses a significant danger to the environment. Utilizing coal gangue as an aggregate in the production of coal-gangue concrete offers an effective avenue for coal-gangue recycling. However, compared with ordinary concrete, the strength and ductility of coal-gangue concrete require enhancement. Due to coal-gangue concrete having higher brittleness and lower deformation resistance than ordinary concrete, basalt fibre (BF) is a green, high-performance fibre that exhibits excellent bonding properties with cement-based materials, and polypropylene fibre (PF) is a flexible fibre with high deformability; thus, we determine if adding BF and PF to coal-gangue concrete can enhance its ductility and strength. In this paper, the stress–strain curve trends of different hybrid basalt–polypropylene fibre-reinforced coal-gangue concrete (HBPRGC) specimens under uniaxial compression are studied when the matrix strengths are C20 and C30. The effects of BF and PF on the mechanical and energy conversion behaviours of coal-gangue concrete are analysed. The results show that the ductile deformation of coal-gangue concrete can be markedly enhanced at a 0.1% hybrid-fibre volume content; HBPRGC-20-0.1 and HBPRGC-30-0.1 have elevations of 53.66% and 51.45% in total strain energy and 54.11% and 50% in dissipative energy, respectively. And HBPRGC-20-0.2 and HBPRGC-30-0.2 have elevations of 31.95% and 30.32% in total strain energy and −3.46% and 28.71% in dissipative energy, respectively. With hybrid-fibre volume content increased, the elastic modulus, the total strain energy, and the dissipative energy all show a downward trend. Therefore, 0.1% seems to be the optimum hybrid-fibre volume content for well-enhancing the ductility and strength of coal-gangue concrete. Finally, the damage evolution and deformation trends of coal-gangue concrete doped with fibre under uniaxial action are studied theoretically, and the constitutive model and damage evolution equation of HBPRGC are established based on Weibull theory The model and the equation are in good agreement with the experimental results.

The quality of cellular products used in biological research can directly impact the ability to obtain accurate results. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a latent virus that spreads extensively worldwide, and cell lines used in experiments may carry EBV and pose an infection risk. The presence of EBV in a single cell line can contaminate other cell lines used in the same laboratory, affecting experimental results. We developed three EBV detection systems: (1) a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection system, (2) a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based detection system, and (3) a combined RPA-lateral flow assay (LFA) detection system. The minimum EBV detection limits were 1 × 103 copy numbers for the RPA-based and RPA-LFA systems and 1 × 104 copy numbers for the PCR-based system. Both the PCR and RPA detection systems were applied to 192 cell lines, and the results were consistent with those obtained by the EBV assay methods specified in the pharmaceutical industry standards of the People’s Republic of China. A total of 10 EBV-positive cell lines were identified. The combined RPA-LFA system is simple to operate, allowing for rapid result visualization. This system can be implemented in laboratories and cell banks as part of a daily quality control strategy to ensure cell quality and experimental safety and may represent a potential new technique for the rapid detection of EBV in clinical samples.

This paper presents an innovative form of the symmetric and autofocusing beam in theory and experiment. These symmetric Olver beams (SOBs) originate from the spectral symmetry phase of the Olver beams. We find that the properties of these beams are related to the Olver integral’s order. The even-order SOBs have an autofocusing major lobe in the preliminary stage of the propagation and symmetrically split into two symmetric off-axis parabolic lobes after autofocusing. In contrast, the odd-order SOBs do not split after focusing. For the odd-order SOBs, as the order increases, the energy at the focal point becomes higher, and the power gets more concentrated. Additionally, we use optical vortices to manipulate the propagation trajectories of the SOBs. The experimental results show that the symmetric Olver vortex beams have a self-focusing phenomenon, and the center of the beams presents a hollow structure due to the existence of the axial vortex. The orbital angular momentum carried by the vortex structure makes the beam rotate in the initial plane. It is also proved that multiple off-axis vortices can be inserted in the SOBs. More importantly, we experimentally demonstrate the capture capability of the SOBs and the vortex symmetric Olver beams. Therefore, we expect the proposed SOBs and the vortex symmetric Olver beams to provide potential optical communication and manipulation applications.

Abstract Objective The present study was designed to explore endurable pressure intensity of different paranasal sinus mucosa in goats. Method Mucosa commonly involved in maxillary sinus augmentation, including mucosa from maxillary sinus crest, maxillary sinus floor, and frontal sinus, were harvested in a computed tomography-guided manner. The obtained mucosa was then sectioned into square and irregular ones for maximum endurable pressure intensity determination and morphological observation, respectively. Results Thickness of paranasal sinus mucosa, as determined under morphological staining by an optical microscope with a graduated eyepiece, were calculated. And the results showed that the average thickness of maxillary sinus crest mucosa, floor mucosa, and frontal sinus mucosa in goats were 410.03 ± 65.97 μm, 461.33 ± 91.37 μm and 216.90 ± 46.47 μm, respectively. Significant differences between maxillary sinus crest and frontal sinus, maxillary sinus floor, and frontal sinus were observed (P

Nasal defects are facial defects caused by trauma, tumors, or congenital diseases that seriously damage a patient’s physical and mental health. Nasal defects, from skin defects to total nasal defects, require surgical repair and reconstruction to restore the appearance and function of the nose, which have always been challenges for rhinoplasty. The development of digital technology has increased the possibility of nasal reconstruction. Digital technology is involved in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative stages of nasal construction and is of great significance in improving the effect of this surgery. This article reviews the application of major digital technologies, including three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology, computer-assisted surgical navigation, and 3D printing, in nasal reconstruction and discusses the shortcomings of the current application of digital technology.

Background/purpose: Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death dependent on the activation of caspase-1. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is a major pathogenic bacterium in periodontitis and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can trigger inflammation. However, whether P. gingivalis-LPS affects epithelial connections or triggers pyroptosis in the gingival epithelium is unknown. Materials and methods: Gingival samples from human donors were collected and the expression levels of E-cadherin, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1/4/5, interleukin (IL)-18, and IL-1β were examined. P. gingivalis-LPS was injected into rat gingival sulcus to establish gingivitis models, and the expression levels of E-cadherin, NLRP3, caspase-1/11, IL-18, and IL-1β were compared via immunohistochemistry. The mRNA levels of E-cadherin, caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β were evaluated in oral mucosa epithelial cells (OMECs) and rat gingival tissues. Results: In the present study, NLRP3 (p

The hydroxyl radical is generated during radiotherapy and ferroptosis and accurate imaging of this reactive oxygen species may permit the monitoring of response to therapy. Here, the authors develop a ratiometric probe for accurate imaging of hydroxyl radical generation in vivo.

Background: Glioma as the most frequently discovered tumor affecting the brain shows significant morbidity and fatality rates with unfavorable prognosis. There is an urgent need to find novel therapeutic targets to overcome the low chemotherapeutic efficacy of glioma. This research examined whether the copper-metabolism-domain protein, COMMD4, had predictive and therapeutic significance in glioma.Methods: Using the freely accessible CGGA (The Chinese Glioma Atlas) and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) databases, we examined the function of COMMD4 in GBM and LGG. CIBERSORT and TIMER were utilized to assess the associations between COMMD4 and immune cells. The Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was employed to examine the functional data. Furthermore, the link between COMMD4 expression and predicted treatment response was evaluated via CellMiner Cross-Database. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR was conducted to examine COMMD4 expression in human glioma. Finally, Migration and invasion of glioma cells (U-87, U-251) were assessed using transwell assays. R was used to analyze the statistical data.Results: According to our findings, COMMD4 expression level was higher in patients having grade-dependent glioma who also showed an unfavorable prognosis. Furthermore, qRT-PCR confirmed the high expression of COMMD4 in glioma tissues and cells. Additionally, using integrated correlation analysis, we acquired significant prognostic findings between isocitrate dehydrogenase 1(IDH1) and COMMD4. Meanwhile, a link between COMMD4 and many tumor-infiltrating immune cells was observed. GSEA and drug response analysis revealed the potential mechanism of COMMD4 in drug resistance of glioma.Conclusion: The current findings validated COMMD4 as a novel biological marker, which might offer insights into the possible drug resistance mechanisms and the impact of the immune microenvironment on glioma. COMMD4 might be used to predict glioma prognosis.

BackgroundTestosterone deficiency is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. There has been a growing interest in the potential use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) in patients with COPD recently. However, whether AASs could improve their clinical outcomes remains unknown.MethodsIn order to explore the efficacy of AASs in patients with COPD, systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of AASs for COPD published before March 17, 2022 was performed.ResultsData were extracted from 8 articles involving 520 participants. The median number of participants per study was 39.5 and the mean follow up was 14.2 weeks. As compared to the control group, AASs therapy could significantly improve body weight (weighted mean difference (WMD), 1.38 kg; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.97 kg), fat-free mass (WMD, 1.56 kg; 95% CI, 0.94 to 2.18 kg) and peak workload (WMD, 6.89W; 95% CI, 3.97 to 9.81W) of COPD patients, but no improvements in spirometry indicators and six-minute walking distances (WMD, 16.88 m; 95%, −3.27 to 37.04 m). Based on the available research data, it is uncertain whether AASs treatment could improve the quality of life of COPD patients.ConclusionsLimited published evidence indicates that AASs therapy provides clinical benefits in patients with COPD. However, longer and larger studies are needed to better clarify the efficacy of AASs and draw final conclusions.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) could cause acute infection in host cells, or they could coexist with host cells to generate persistent infection. In persistent infection, the virus could survive for a long time in the host and could be transmitted between different host cells. In the case of FMDV-persistent infection cell line, there is a remarkable significant cellular heterogeneity in the FMDV-persistent infection cell line due to differences of viral load in the individual cells within the cell line. However, the mechanisms of FMDV-persistent infection are not well understood. It is now generally accepted that multiple factors contribute to the coevolution of viruses and cells during the course of persistent infection. The outcome would influence the development of persistent FMDV infection conjointly, reaching a state of equilibrium ultimately. Therefore, in order to elucidate the mechanism of cellular heterogeneity in FMDV-persistent infection cell line, single-cell sequencing was performed on BHK-Op, and pseudotime trajectory plot was draw through cell cluster. Based on the cell clusters, we predicted the development and progression of the FMDV-persistent infection. It could be well explained by the fact that, in BHK-Op cells, there are a fraction of infected cells and a fraction of virus-exposed but uninfected bystander cells. By further comparing the transcripts in cell clusters, we found that these genes were involved in changes in ribosome biogenesis, cell cycle, and intracellular signaling including the interferon signaling pathway and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Through comprehensive cross-tabulation analysis of differential expressed genes in various cluster of cells, we identified a high association of Fos, a downstream transcription factor of the MAPK/extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway, with viral replication during the formation of FMDV-persistent infection. Through the further study of Fos, we found that downregulation of Fos facilitates viral clearance during FMDV-persistent infection. Upregulation of c-Raf, which is the upstream of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, could promote FMDV replication through downregulation of Fos. Our research is the first to provide insight into the mechanism of the formation FMDV-persistent infection through single-cell sequencing using persistent infection cell line. Pseudotime trajectory analysis was the first time to apply for FMDV-persistent infection cell line. Our work highlights the detailed overview of the evolution of FMDV-persistent infection. We also analyzed the differential expressed genes in the replication or elimination of FMDV within the host. We found that the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and its downstream transcription factor Fos play an important role in FMDV-persistent infection.

Abstract Dental caries is among the most prevalent dental diseases globally, which arises from the formation of microbial biofilm on teeth. Besides, tooth whitening represents one of the fastest‐growing areas of cosmetic dentistry. It will thus be great if tooth biofilm eradication can be combined with tooth whitening. Herein, a highly efficient photodynamic dental therapy strategy is reported for tooth biofilm eradication and tooth discoloration by employing a photosensitizer (DTTPB) with aggregation‐induced emission characteristics. DTTPB can efficiently inactivate S. mutans, and inhibit biofilm formation by suppressing the expression of genes associated with extracellular polymeric substance synthesis, bacterial adhesion, and superoxide reduction. Its inhibition performance can be further enhanced through combined treatment with chlorhexidine. Besides, DTTPB exhibits an excellent tooth‐discoloration effect on both colored saliva‐coated hydroxyapatite and clinical teeth, with short treatment time (less than 1 h), better tooth‐whitening performance than 30% hydrogen peroxide, and almost no damage to the teeth. DTTPB also demonstrates excellent biocompatibility with neglectable hemolysis effect on mouse red blood cells and almost no killing effect on mammalian cells, which enables its potential applications for simultaneous tooth biofilm eradication and tooth whitening in clinical dentistry.

Abstract A primary factor in tumor morbidity and mortality, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is known to be a major subtype of lung cancer, having the lowest survival rate among all other cancers. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database the relationship between the immune infiltrate and the NUP62CL was explored and the value of the NUP62CL expression in the prognosis and diagnosis LUAD was examined. Using the logistic regression and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test the relationship between the NUP62CL and the clinico‐pathological features was analyzed. There was a significant correlation between the clinical stage (p = 0.005), the N (p = 0.004), and the decreased expression of NUP62CL. The prognosis of LUAD with high NUP62CL expression was revealed to be worse than that with low NUP62CL expression (p

The study aimed to assess the impact of adding chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) to the diet of Litopenaeus vannamei on their growth performance, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and hepatopancreas health while being fed a low fishmeal diet. Five diets were formulated, one of which contained 25% fishmeal (PC); fishmeal was partially replaced with Clostridium autoethanogenum protein in the remaining four diets and supplemented with 0, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09% CDCA (NC, BA1, BA2, and BA3, respectively). In this study, four replicates of each diet were assigned and each replicate consisted of 30 shrimp with an average weight of (0.25 ± 0.03 g). The shrimp were fed four times a day for a period of 56 days. The results of this study indicate that the inclusion of CDCA in the diet had a positive impact on the growth performance of the shrimp. The final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR) of the shrimp in the PC group were similar to those in the BA2 group, and significantly higher than those in the other three groups. The survival rate (SR) was similar among all groups. In comparison to the PC group, the low fishmeal groups exhibited a significant decrease in the crude lipid content of the whole shrimp, as well as the Total cholesterol (T-CHOL), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and High-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) levels in the hemolymph. Regarding the sterol metabolism, the dietary supplementation of CDCA up-regulated the mRNA expression of intracellular cholesterol transporter 1-like (npc1), 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (7dhcr), Delta (24) sterol reductase (Δ24), HMG-CoA reductase membrane form (hmgcr), and sterol carrier protein 2 (scp). In the lipid metabolism, the mRNA expression of sterol-regulatory element binding protein (srebp) was significantly down-regulated in the shrimp fed the BA1 diet and the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (ampk) was significantly up-regulated in the shrimp fed the BA1 and BA3 diets compared to the PC group. The mRNA expression of triacylglycerol lipase (tgl) was significantly up-regulated in the shrimp fed the BA2 diet compared to the NC group. Compared with the shrimp fed the PC diets, the dietary supplementation of CDCA significantly down-regulated the protein expression of SREBP1. The lumen damage in the BA1 group was significantly less severe than those in the NC group. The addition of 0.06% CDCA to low fishmeal diets can improve the growth performance, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and hepatopancreas health of L. vannamei.

To study the deformation characteristics of crushed gangue under different water content conditions, the confined compaction test of crushed gangue was carried out under five different water content conditions by using a universal material testing machine and a compaction device. The strain–stress relationship in the compaction process of crushed gangue and the crushing law of gangue particles were obtained through the test, and the effects of the axial stress, water content, and relative crushing rate on the compaction deformation of crushed gangue were analyzed. The results show that the confined compaction deformation process of crushed gangue can be divided into three stages: the rapid compaction stage, crushing compaction stage, and stable compaction stage. The strain–stress relationship can be described by the parameter logarithmic function and Chapman–Richards function, respectively. The maximum change in the compression modulus under different water content states ranged from 9.9 to 19.3 MPa, and the influence of the water content on the compression modulus was more significant with increasing axial stress. There is a good correlation between particle crushing and compaction deformation. The relative crushing rate increases with the increase in the axial strain, and the increasing rate of the relative crushing rate also gradually increases. The change law of the relative crushing rate and axial strain is different in dry and water-containing conditions.

Fluorogens with aggregation-induced emission characteristics (AIEgens) have been developed in an unprecedented manner in the biomedical field over the past decade, which is ascribable to their superior fluorescence quantum yields, photosensitivities, as well as their “turn-on” characteristics in their aggregate states. By deliberately engineering their molecular structures and nanocarriers, the input energies of AIEgens can be channeled into specific forms, thereby enabling bioimaging, phototherapy, and even synergetic therapy. Moreover, multiple targeting strategies have been tailored for nidus and pathogen localization that subsequently guide therapeutic processes. This review integrates application-oriented design strategies for AIEgens, demonstrating how microscopic imaging, bioimaging, and theranostics can be developed to combat tumors, pathogens, and other diseases, and critically discusses challenges and perspectives for clinical translation.

Tissue expansion is a commonly performed therapy to grow extra skin invivo for reconstruction. While mechanical stretch-induced epidermal changes have been extensively studied in rodents and cell culture, little is known about the mechanobiology of the human epidermis in vivo. Here, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to interrogate the changes in the human epidermis during long-term tissue expansion therapy in clinical settings. We also verified the main findings at the protein level by immunofluorescence analysis of independent clinical samples. Our data show that the expanding human skin epidermis maintained a cellular composition and lineage trajectory that are similar to its non-expanding neighbor, suggesting the cellular heterogeneity of long-term expanded samples differs from the early response to the expansion. Also, a decrease in proliferative cells due to the decayed regenerative competency was detected. On the other hand, profound transcriptional changes are detected for epidermal stem cells in the expanding skin versus their non-expanding peers. These include significantly enriched signatures of C-FOS, EMT, and mTOR pathways and upregulation of AREG and SERPINB2 genes. CellChat associated ligand-receptor pairs and signaling pathways were revealed. Together, our data present a single-cell atlas of human epidermal changes in long-term tissue expansion therapy, suggesting that transcriptional change in epidermal stem cells is the major mechanism underlying long-term human skin expansion therapy. We also identified novel therapeutic targets to promote human skin expansion efficiency in the future.

Afterglow imaging probes are of interest for in vivo imaging due to high signal-to-background ratios. Here, the authors report on an afterglow nanoparticle which is activated by hydrogen sulphide and demonstrate the measurement of hydrogen sulphide levels and the labelling of hepatic cancer specimens in vivo.

In mammalian ovaries, oocytes are physically coupled to somatic granulosa cells, and this coupling is crucial for the growth and development of competent oocytes as it mediates the transfer of metabolic support molecules. However, aging-mediated dysregulation in communication between the oocytes and granulosa cells affects the oocyte quality. In the present study, we examined the defected germline-soma communication and reduced mRNA levels encoding key structural components of transzonal projections (TZPs) in maternally aged oocytes. Oral administration of melatonin to aged mice substantially increased TZPs and maintained the cumulus cells-oocyte communication, which played a central role in the production of adequate oocyte ATP levels and reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis, DNA damage, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and spindle/chromosomal defects. This beneficial effect of melatonin was inhibited by carbenoxolone (CBX), a gap junctional uncoupler, which disrupts bidirectional communications between oocyte and somatic cells. Simultaneously, melatonin significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels corresponding to genes associated with TZPs and prevented TZP retraction in in vitro-cultured cumulus-oocyte complex (COCs). Furthermore, we infused melatonin and CBX into the COCs in vitro culture system and monitored the levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and glutathione (GSH) in cumulus cells and oocytes. Notably, COCs treated with melatonin demonstrated improved NADPH and GSH levels. Of note, CBX was capable of reducing NADPH and GSH levels, aggravated the ROS accumulation and ER stress. Collectively, our data demonstrate the role of melatonin in preventing age-associated germline-soma communication defects, aiding the relay of antioxidant metabolic molecules for the maintenance of oocyte quality from cumulus cells, which have important potential for improving deficient phenotypes of maternally aged oocytes and the treatment of woman infertility.

Two novel collagen peptides derived from Yak bones, UU1 (GASGPMGPR) and K7 (GLPGPM) were demonstrated to be antioxidative in vitro and in Caenorhabditis elegans. In vitro, UU1 and K7 shown decent scavenging activities on free radicals of DPPH, ABTS, ·OH and ·O–2. Their effects on worms, including the lifespans, locomotory behavior, and reproduction were further evaluated. Whether under normal or thermal conditions, UU1 and K7 extended the survival time accordingly, and promoted the reproduction. Additionally, UU1 and K7 remarkably attenuated the accumulations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in worms. Furthermore, both UU1 and K7 impressively upregulated the expressions of daf-16, sod-3 and skn-1, but their effects on the hsf-1 and the sir-2.1 were distinct. Thus, UU1 and K7 two highly active antioxidant peptides were revealed and could be applied in antioxidant productions.

The propagation of a new type of Ince-Gaussian-like beam along a predesigned parabolic trajectory in the free space is investigated numerically and experimentally. The Ince-Gaussian-like beam breaks the characteristic that the shape remains invariant during propagation and it obtains the property of self-focusing that the unmodulated Ince-Gaussian beam has not. The enhancement of the quadratic coefficients Ω of parabolic trajectories increases the focus times but shortens the focal depth. In addition, we also investigate the effect of the parameter of the ellipticity ɛ, which only affects the maximum intensity and the intensity distribution after the focusing. Furthermore, different modes, orders p and degrees m of the Ince-Gaussian-like beam also influence the propagation patterns. Moreover, we investigate the self-healing property of the IGLB by introducing a soft well function. We anticipate that our works have potential value in the laser energy focus and optical transport.

Objective: Elevated plasma cholesterol concentrations contributes to ischemic cardiovascular diseases. Recently, we showed that inhibiting hepatic (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] attenuated diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) deficient mice. The purpose of this study was to determine whether inhibiting hepatic (P)RR could attenuate atherosclerosis.Approach and Results: Eight-week-old male LDLR−/− mice were injected with either saline or N-acetylgalactosamine-modified antisense oligonucleotides (G-ASOs) primarily targeting hepatic (P)RR and were fed a western-type diet (WTD) for 16 weeks. (P)RR G-ASOs markedly reduced plasma cholesterol concentrations from 2,211 ± 146 to 1,128 ± 121 mg/dL. Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) analyses revealed that cholesterol in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL)/LDL fraction were potently reduced by (P)RR G-ASOs. Moreover, (P)RR G-ASOs reduced plasma triglyceride concentrations by more than 80%. Strikingly, despite marked reduction in plasma lipid concentrations, atherosclerosis was not reduced but rather increased in these mice. Further testing in ApoE−/− mice confirmed that (P)RR G-ASOs reduced plasma lipid concentrations but not atherosclerosis. Transcriptomic analysis of the aortas revealed that (P)RR G-ASOs induced the expression of the genes involved in immune responses and inflammation. Further investigation revealed that (P)RR G-ASOs also inhibited (P)RR in macrophages and in enhanced inflammatory responses to exogenous stimuli. Moreover, deleting the (P)RR in macrophages resulted in accelerated atherosclerosis in WTD fed ApoE−/− mice.Conclusion: (P)RR G-ASOs reduced the plasma lipids in atherosclerotic mice due to hepatic (P)RR deficiency. However, augmented pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages due to (P)RR downregulation counteracted the beneficial effects of lowered plasma lipid concentrations on atherosclerosis. Our study demonstrated that hepatic (P)RR and macrophage (P)RR played a counteracting role in atherosclerosis.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, and currently no optimal treatment is available. Tenghuang Jiangu Formula (THJGF), a traditional Chinese medicine composed by several herb components, has been shown in several clinical trials a promising result in the management of OA. However, the mechanism of this medicine remains largely unknown. Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of THJGF on preventing cartilage degeneration in a mouse model of OA. Methods: Experimental OA was induced by surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in mice. Starting at 4 weeks post-surgery, THJGF at concentrations of high-dose (4 g/kg), middle-dose (2 g/kg) and low-dose (0.4 g/kg) were administered, respectively, through oral gavage for 4 weeks. The therapeutic effect of THJGF was evaluated by histological, radiographical, and immunohistochemical analyses. Results: At concentration of middle-dose (2 g/kg) administration of THJGF resulted amelioration of OA, as evidenced by the decreased OARSI scores. Meanwhile, synovitis in OA joint was improved. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the expression of the OA-phenotype markers, MMP13 and iNOS, decreased significantly in THJGF-treated mice. In THJGF treated joint, subchondral bone sclerosis was significantly reduced as detected by micro-CT evaluation. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate oral administration of THJGF prevent OA progression through inhibiting expression of catabolic factors as well as subchondral bone sclerosis.

The tumorigenesis of skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) remains unclear. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is well known to play a vital role in the onset and progression of SKCM. However, the dynamic mechanisms of immune regulation are insufficient. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of immune cell infiltration in the TME. Based on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in clusters grouped by immune infiltration status, a set of hub genes related to the clinical prognosis of SKCM and tumor immune infiltration was explored.Methods: We analyzed immune cell infiltration in two independent cohorts and assessed the relationship between the internal pattern of immune cell infiltration and SKCM characteristics, including clinicopathological features, potential biological pathways, and gene mutations. Genes related to the infiltration pattern of TME immune cells were determined. Furthermore, the unsupervised clustering method (k-means) was used to divide samples into three different categories according to TME, which were defined as TME cluster-A, -B, and -C. DEGs among three groups of samples were analyzed as signature genes. We further distinguished common DEGs between three groups of samples according to whether differences were significant and divided DEGs into the Signature gene-A group with significant differences and the Signature gene-B group with insignificant differences. The Signature gene-A gene set mainly had exon skipping in SKCM, while the Signature gene-B gene set had no obvious alternative splicing form. Subsequently, we analyzed genetic variations of the two signatures and constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network. LASSO Cox regression was used to determine the immune infiltration signature and risk score of SKCM. Finally, we obtained 13 hub genes and calculated the risk score based on the coefficient of each gene to explore the impact of the high- and low-risk scores on biologically related functions and prognosis of SKCM patients further. The correlation between the risk score and clinicopathological characteristics of SKCM patients indicated that a low-risk score was associated with TME cluster-A classification (p < 0.001) and metastatic SKCM (p < 0.001). Thirteen hub genes also showed different prognostic effects in pan-cancer. The results of univariate and multivariate Cox analyses revealed that risk score could be used as an independent risk factor for predicting the prognosis of SKCM patients. The nomogram that integrated clinicopathological characteristics and immune characteristics to predict survival probability was based on multivariate Cox regression. Finally, 13 hub genes that showed different prognostic effects in pan-cancers were obtained. According to immunohistochemistry staining results, Ube2L6, SRPX2, and IFIT2 were expressed at higher levels, while CLEC4E, END3, and KIR2DL4 were expressed at lower levels in 25 melanoma specimens.Conclusion: We performed a comprehensive assessment of the immune-associated TME. To elucidate the potential development of immune-genomic features in SKCM, we constructed an unprecedented set of immune characteristic genes (EDN3, CLEC4E, SRPX2, KIR2DL4, UBE2L6, and IFIT2) related to the immune landscape of TME. These genes are related to different prognoses and drug responses of SKCM. The immune gene signature constructed can be used as a robust prognostic biomarker of SKCM and a predictor of an immunotherapy effect.

Background: Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 0.75% of the global population. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to development of SCZ. SCZ tends to run in family while both genetic and environmental factor contribute to its etiology. Much evidence suggested that alterations in DNA methylations occurred in SCZ patients. Methods: To investigate potential inheritable pattern of DNA methylation in SCZ family, we performed a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation of peripheral blood samples from 106 Chinese SCZ family trios. Genome-wide DNA methylations were quantified by Agilent 1 × 244 k Human Methylation Microarray. Findings: In this study, we proposed a loci inheritance frequency model that allows characterization of differential methylated regions as SCZ biomarkers. Based on this model, 112 hypermethylated and 125 hypomethylated regions were identified. Additionally, 121 hypermethylated and 139 hypomethylated genes were annotated. The results of functional enrichment analysis indicated that multiple differentially methylated genes (DMGs) involved in Notch/HH/Wnt signaling, MAPK signaling, GPCR signaling, immune response signaling. Notably, a number of hypomethylated genes were significantly enriched in cerebral cortex and functionally enriched in nervous system development. Interpretation: Our findings not only validated previously discovered risk genes of SCZ but also identified novel candidate DMGs in SCZ. These results may further the understanding of altered DNA methylations in SCZ. Funding: None.

The stress–strain characteristics of compressed sandstone are affected by many different factors. The study on the evolution law of the strain field of compressed sandstone is of great significance for disaster prediction and warning during the construction process of geotechnical engineering. In this paper, uniaxial compression tests of red sandstone of 100 mm height and 50 mm length and width were carried out under the conditions of (1) different loading rates, (2) different particle sizes and (3) different inclination angles of prefabricated fractures. Stress–strain curves corresponding to different conditions were presented, the evolution of strain field on the sample surfaces was analyzed with the help of Digital Image Correlation technology and the relationship between the stress–strain curves and the strain field was preliminarily given. This study may be helpful for obtaining a deeper understanding of the deformation and failure mechanism of sandstone under uniaxial compression.

Background: Fgf9 mutation was found in cleft palate patients. Our previous study indicated that Fgf9 promotes timely elevation of palate by regulating hyaluronic acid (HA) accumulation at embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5). HA is synthesized by hyaluronic acid synthases (HAS) isoforms 1, 2, or 3. However, how FGF9 regulates HA in palatogenesis is still unclear. Methods: Using Ddx4-Cre mice, we generated the Fgf9−/− mouse model (with exon 2 deletion). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the location and expression of HAS2 in WT and the Fgf9−/− palate at E13.5. We also predicted the association between Fgf9 and Has2 within the developing palate by performing a bioinformatics analysis. The expression of β-catenin, HAS2, and TCF7L2 were verified by Western blotting after knockout of Fgf9. Rescue experiments were performed by ELISA in vitro. Results: Fgf9−/− mice exhibited 100% penetrance of the cleft palate. A knockout of Fgf9 confirmed that HAS2 and TCF7L2 expression was positively correlated with FGF9. TCF7L2 binds to the Has2 promoter, exhibiting the high specificity predicted by JASPAR. Additionally, increased HA expression by BML-284, TCF-dependent agonist, was blocked in Fgf9−/− palate because of the significant decline in TCF7L2 expression. Conclusions: FGF9 promotes HAS2 expression via Wnt/β-catenin/TCF7L2 pathway with TCF7L2 activating transcription of Has2 in the palate.

Fusarium poae virus 1 (FpV1, a betapartitivirus) is one of the mycoviruses which is discovered earlier. Due to the vegetative incompatibility barrier that often exists between different species or strains of filamentous fungi, FpV1 has been thought to be limited to its host, F. poae, as a non-hypovirulence mycovirus in the past 20 years in the field. Here, a novel strain of FpV1 (FpV1-Fa) with two dsRNA segments (2157-and 2080-nt) was consistently identified in F. asiaticum isolates in the field. FpV1-Fa induced abnormal morphology and hypovirulence of F. asiaticum, along with a high viral load. FpV1-Fa was detected only from the F. asiaticum and F. tricinctum strains at a FpV1-Fa sampling site (119.014289, 33.8261), while the other strains from other sites were not identified FpV1-Fa. A horizontal transmission experiment showed that FpV1-Fa can transfer from F. asiaticum to F. poae and F. tricinctum, but not to F. graminearum. The selection analysis of FpV1-Fa revealed RdRP and CP were under strong purifying selection, and the C-terminal side of RdRP was under positive selection. In these regions, 9 amino acid mutations in RdRP and 21 mutations in CP appeared to cause the variation of host range and virulence in FpV1-Fa.

Purpose: The effect of flushing at different temperatures on the preparation ability of rotary nickel-titanium files was investigated to provide guideline for clinical application. Methods: Sixty ProTaper Universal F1 rotary nickel-titanium files were randomly divided into three groups treated by flushing at 6°C, 23°C, and 40°C. Root canal preparation was conducted by step-by-step method on standardized nickel-titanium instrument fracture models. During preparation, the thrust force was set as 10 N, and water was continuously flushed. The motor speed was 350 rpm (rounds per minute), and the torque was 3.0 N cm. When the set torque was reached, the motor automatically rotated in the reverse direction and was pulled out. Results: Root canal preparation was performed using ProTaper Universal F1 rotary nickel-titanium files treated by flushing. The numbers of rotations before the device was fracture were 429.33 ± 214.68, 821.92 ± 410.43, and 1304.92 ± 297.81, respectively. When each root canal was completed, the numbers of instrument rotations were 272.15 ± 88.30, 188.85 ± 34.36, and 163.41 ± 16.18, respectively. Rank sum test and analysis of variance were performed by IBM SPSS Statistics v21.0 software, and both of them were p

Abstract. Schizophrenia is a life-long, complex mental illness that still lacks satisfactory treatments. In recent years, increasing numbers of candidate biomarkers of schizophrenia occurrences and drug responses to schizophrenia therapies have been successfully identified by many omics studies. This review discusses the latest discoveries regarding effective drug targets and relevant drug classifications in schizophrenia. It also assesses our understanding of biomarkers for drug efficacy and adverse drug reactions in current schizophrenia treatments using omics technologies. Future applications in clinical practice have been proposed based on these new findings, and are now considered highly promising strategies to better treat schizophrenia. Finally, we explore several novel approaches that aim to reveal additional genetic signatures of schizophrenia using multi-omics data, which are hoped to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this illness in the future.

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrated the high-speed low-cost mode-division-multiplexed (MDM) discrete multi-tone (DMT) signal transmission based on cylindrical vector beam (CVB) multiplexing over few-mode fiber (FMF) with intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) utilizing electro-absorption modulated laser (EML). Two CVBs (TM01 and TE01 modes) are employed for signal transmission simultaneously with the minimum mode isolation of 16.7 dB between them after transmission over 5 m 4-mode FMF. The digital discrete Fourier transform-spread (DFT-spread) and pre-equalization techniques are implemented in transmitter to improve the system performance. By adopting the proposed schemes, the 240 Gbit/s DFT-spread DMT signal has been transmitted successfully over 5 m FMF below the bit-error-ratio (BER) of $3.8\times 10^{-3}$ which is the hard-decision forward-error-correction (HD-FEC) threshold. The required received optical powers (ROPs) of the two CVBs (TM01 and TE01 modes) are -7.27 dBm and -7.15 dBm, respectively. The experimental results show that CVB-based multiplexing technology combined with advanced modulation format could be a potential candidate for high-speed low-cost server backplane optical interconnection.

Broomcorn millet is one of the earliest domesticated plants and has the highest water use efficiency among cereals. Here, the authors report its genome assembly and annotation, which provides a valuable resource for breeders and paves the way for studying plant drought tolerance and C4 photosynthesis.

The skull defects are challenging to self-heal, and autologous bone graft repair has numerous drawbacks. The scaffolds for the rapid and effective repair of skull defects have become an important research topic. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/β-tricalcium phosphate(β-TCP) composite scaffolds containing icariin (ICA) were prepared through direct-ink three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. β-TCP in the composite scaffold had osteoconductive capability, and the ICA molecule had osteoinductive capacity. The β-TCP and ICA components in the composite scaffold can enhance the capability to repair skull defects. We show that ICA exhibited a slow-release behaviour within 80 days. This behaviour helped the scaffold to continuously stimulate the formation of new bone. The results of in vitro cell compatibility experiments showed that the addition of ICA molecules contributed to the adhesion and proliferation of MC-3T3-E1 cells. The level of alkaline phosphatase secretion demonstrated that the slow release of ICA can promote the osteogenic differentiation of MC-3T3-E1 cells. The introduction of ICA molecules accelerated the in situ bone regeneration in in vivo. It is concluded that the 3D-printed PVA scaffold with β-TCP and ICA has a wide range of potential applications in the field of skull defect treatment.

Cleft palate, a common global congenital malformation, occurs due to disturbances in palatal growth, elevation, contact, and fusion during palatogenesis. The Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) mutation has been discovered in humans with cleft lip and palate. Fgf9 is expressed in both the epithelium and mesenchyme, with temporospatial diversity during palatogenesis. However, the specific role of Fgf9 in palatogenesis has not been extensively discussed. Herein, we used Ddx4-Cre mice to generate an Fgf9–/– mouse model (with an Fgf9 exon 2 deletion) that exhibited a craniofacial syndrome involving a cleft palate and deficient mandibular size with 100% penetrance. A smaller palatal shelf size, delayed palatal elevation, and contact failure were investigated to be the intrinsic causes for cleft palate. Hyaluronic acid accumulation in the extracellular matrix (ECM) sharply decreased, while the cell density correspondingly increased in Fgf9–/– mice. Additionally, significant decreases in cell proliferation were discovered in not only the palatal epithelium and mesenchyme but also among cells in Meckel’s cartilage and around the mandibular bone in Fgf9–/– mice. Serial sections of embryonic heads dissected at embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5) were subjected to craniofacial morphometric measurement. This highlighted the reduced oral volume owing to abnormal tongue size and descent, and insufficient mandibular size, which disturbed palatal elevation in Fgf9–/– mice. These results indicate that Fgf9 facilitates palatal growth and timely elevation by regulating cell proliferation and hyaluronic acid accumulation. Moreover, Fgf9 ensures that the palatal elevation process has adequate space by influencing tongue descent, tongue morphology, and mandibular growth.

To study the energy dissipation characteristics and damage evolution law of sandstone under cyclic loading, uniaxial cyclic loading tests are conducted on sandstone specimens under different frequencies with an MTS-815 rock testing machine. Furthermore, the characteristics of elastic modulus and energy evolution law during cyclic loading and unloading are explored. The results show that the loading and unloading moduli increase with the loading frequency. Under higher frequencies, the deformation resistance of the specimen is stronger, the elastic energy stored in a single cycle of loading is larger, the released energy is less, and it is less likely for the specimen to be damaged. At the beginning of loading, the energy dissipation ratio K decreases slowly with increasing loading cycles, and it then remains stable. When the specimen is close to failure, an inflection point of K appears, and K increases rapidly. Furthermore, the evolution equation of the damage variable is derived according to the strength characteristics and energy evolution law in the process of cyclic loading, and the reasons for the failure of sandstone specimens are explained from the perspectives of energy and fatigue damage.

The mechanical response characteristics of sandstone specimens under different stress amplitudes and loading frequencies were tested by a TAW-2000 rock triaxial testing machine. The characteristics of the stress-strain curve and the evolution process of strain damage under cyclic loading are analyzed. Based on creep theory and the disturbance state concept, a theoretical model between the axial compressive strain, axial compressive stress, and cycle number is established. The results show that there exists an upper threshold value of stress in cyclic loading above which the specimen will be damaged. As peak stress increases, the energy loss and irreversible deformation caused by damage gradually increase. When loading to an unstable peak stress under cyclic loading, the fatigue damage of sandstone under cyclic loading undergoes three characteristic stages: the initial stage; the stable stage; and the accelerated failure stage. The parameters of the strain damage model based on the disturbance state concept of sandstone are identified by test data, and the rationality of the model is validated by comparing theoretical values with experimental measurements.

Abstract Ralstonia solanacearum is an extremely destructive pathogen able to cause disease in a wide range of host plants. Here we report the draft genome sequences of the strains FJAT-91, FJAT-452 and FJAT-462, isolated from tomato, eggplant, and chili pepper, respectively, in China. In addition to the genome annotation, we performed a search for type-III secreted effectors in these strains, providing a detailed annotation of their presence and distinctive features compared to the effector repertoire of the reference phylotype I strain (GMI1000). In this analysis, we found that each strain has a unique effector repertoire, encoding both strain-specific effector variants and variations shared among all three strains. Our study, based on strains isolated from different hosts within the same geographical location, provides insight into effector repertoires sufficient to cause disease in different hosts, and may contribute to the identification of host specificity determinants for R. solanacearum.

In this article, we chose carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with high aspect ratio and excellent mechanical strength to investigate the evolution of the assemble behavior belong to the nanofillers and its effect on mechnaical properties of CNFs enhanced polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) base denture resins. Test specimens were manufactured by mixing 0.5%, 1% and 3% content of CNFs with PMMA powder and the flexural properties of the specimens were tested by three-points testing. Comparing with the low flexural strength of pure PMMA base denture resins, Statistical evaluation results revealed that CNFs fillers highly improved the flexural strength of the composite resins to 66.44 ± 1.40 MPa, 68.75 ± 6.82 MPa and 89.26 ± 1.97 MPa at content reached 0.5%, 1% and 3%, respectively. Flexural modulus of neat PMMA was 2.79 ± 0.48 GPa, and the flexural modulus of the sample contains 0.5%, 1% and 3% reached 6.42 ± 0.75 GPa, 5.95 ± 0.29 GPa and 6.27 ± 0.14 GPa, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the aggregation of CNFs fillers, which is considered a stereoscopic framework that played the role of a special enhancing reinforcement under low filler content, and this strategy is considered to be expanded and developed to a common strategy that guiding our design in composite denture resins.

In this work, as-cast rare earth Mg-2Y-0.6Nd-0.5Zr alloy was successfully processed by forging at 350 °C and different numbers of passes of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) along the Bc route. The effects of ECAP on the microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of a pre-forged Mg-2Y-0.6Nd-0.5Zr alloy were systematically investigated in this paper. The grain size of the alloy was refined from 140 μ m to 1.9 μ m by forging + ECAP. The alloy has obtained a uniform and fine microstructure under the action of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) during the ECAP process. The forged sample exhibited a strong basal texture. However, the alloy that was processed with ECAP had a tilted texture; the basal orientation was weakened, and the cylindrical and pyramidal orientation was enhanced. An analysis of the mechanical properties showed that the alloy exhibited favorable tensile strength and elongation of 262 MPa and 22.4% after forging and 4 passes of ECAP, which were increased by 118% and 113% compared with the as-cast sample. The alloy strength decreased slightly due to textural transformation and a high degree of recrystallization during ECAP, while the plasticity of the alloy that underwent 6 ECAP passes increased to 25.2%. The results show that the combination processing of forging and ECAP provides a new approach for optimizing the mechanical properties of magnesium alloys.

Indoor and outdoor thermal environment is under a definite impact on the human body, and to a large extent affects the comfort of people living. In this paper, the indoor and outdoor thermal and humidity parameters of Dongma village in the west of Sichuan Province were measured. On the living room and bedroom hot and humid comfort survey, the outside wall temperature and the local climate to do analysis, get January Dongma village typical residential indoor humidity environment, including the temperature of the living room is 6.6~19.5°C, the relative humidity is 28.9~45.3%rH, the bedroom temperature is 3.5~19.8°C, the relative humidity is 35.7~52.8%rH, the outdoor temperature is 2.4~27.4°C, the temperature in the east is -11.1~-3.3°C, -3.9~11.2°C at the west, -8~2.8°C at the south, -10.4~-2.5 °C at the north, 1.6~29.2 °C at the roof, and the solar radiation intensity is 422~739W/m^2. Combined with the above data, it is found that the overall insulation performance of the wall is good, but by the influence of the cold weather outside, the indoor temperature is still low, it is difficult to respond to the comfort needs of residents. The wall temperature is altered due to solar radiation. In view of the current situation of the indoor thermal environment in Dongma village, a series of optimization suggestions are submitted at the end of the paper.

Purpose: Digital journal created a new development pattern. We use journal APP as an example to analyze how to migrate the journal content to Internet and other kind of media. Based on the case study of GQ and other fashion magazines, through text analysis, control experiments, in-depth interviews and other research methods, the authors analyzed the differences and connections between the iPad App and print edition of magazines, discussed the approaches towards operation of new media, offered the tendency of mobile device platform development for China’s periodical publications. Design/methodology/approach: control experiment. Findings: The authors give a stance that the print edition of periodical publication will being alive still, and conclude that journal APP and printed version can be mutually beneficial and achieve a win-win state. And we believe that the journal APP is good at advertising propagation, which will accelerate the development of journal APP in such the information age, and such kind of media can integrate many information with variety of media forms. Research limitations/implications: Because of the limitation of technology, the authors only have the experiment on fashion magazine, which might to some degree simplify the issue under discussion. Practical implications: According to the conclusion of a series of experiments, we can imply the future of the media, and give the suggestion of both paper version and ipad version of the journal. Social implications: Since people can not live without media and media has to develope with the help of public, we have to give the new way of both sunrise media and sunset media. Originality/value: Based on the case study of GQ and other fashion magazines, through text analysis, control experiments, in-depth interviews and other research methods, the authors analyzed the differences and connections between the iPad App and print edition of magazines, discussed the approaches towards operation of new media, offered the tendency of mobile device platform development for China’s periodical publications.