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Background: Currently, several studies have observed that chronic hepatitis B virus infection is associated with the pathogenesis of kidney disease. However, the extent of the correlation between hepatitis B virus infection and the chronic kidney disease risk remains controversial. Methods: In the present study, we searched all eligible literature in seven databases in English and Chinese. The random effects model was used to conduct a meta-analysis. Quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Scale. Results: In this analysis, a total of 31 studies reporting the association between hepatitis B virus infection and chronic kidney disease risk were included. The results showed a significant positive association between hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of chronic kidney disease (pooled OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.12–1.29), which means that hepatitis B virus increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Conclusion: This study found that hepatitis B virus infection was associated with a significantly increased risk of chronic kidney disease. However, the current study still cannot directly determine this causal relationship. Thus, more comprehensive prospective longitudinal studies are needed in the future to provide further exploration and explanation of the association between hepatitis B virus and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), with their ability of self-renewal, unlimited proliferation, and multi-directional differentiation, contribute to tumorigenesis, metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to conventional therapy and immunotherapy. Eliminating CSCs has long been thought to prevent tumorigenesis. Although known to negatively impact tumor prognosis, research revealed the unexpected role of iron metabolism as a key regulator of CSCs. This review explores recent advances in iron metabolism in CSCs, conventional cancer therapies targeting iron biochemistry, therapeutic resistance in these cells, and potential treatment options that could overcome them. These findings provide important insights into therapeutic modalities against intractable cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenological research in temperate-deciduous forests typically focuses on upper canopy trees, due to their overwhelming influence on ecosystem productivity and function. However, considering that shrubs leaf out earlier and remain green longer than trees, they play a pivotal role in ecosystem productivity, particularly at growing season extremes. Furthermore, an extended growing season of non-native shrubs provides a competitive advantage over natives. Here, we report spring phenology, budburst, leaf-out, and full-leaf unfolded (2017–2021) of a range of co-occurring species of tree (ash, American basswood, red oak, white oak, and boxelder) and shrub (native species: chokecherry, pagoda dogwood, nannyberry, American wild currant and Eastern wahoo, and non-native species: buckthorn, honeysuckle, European privet, and European highbush cranberry) in an urban woodland fragment in Wisconsin, USA, to determine how phenology differed between plant groups. Our findings show that all three spring phenophases of shrubs were 3 weeks earlier (p < 0.05) than trees. However, differences between shrubs groups were only significant for the later phenophase; full-leaf unfolded, which was 6 days earlier (p < 0.05) for native shrubs. The duration of the spring phenological season was 2 weeks longer (p < 0.05) for shrubs than trees. These preliminary findings demonstrate that native shrubs, at this site, start full-leaf development earlier than non-native species suggesting that species composition must be considered when generalizing whether phenologies differ between vegetation groups. A longer time series would be necessary to determine future implications on ecosystem phenology and productivity and how this might impact forests in the future, in terms of species composition, carbon sequestration, and overall ecosystem dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional Chinese conservation of historic books and mounted scrolls, the preparation and use of paste is an important process step. The viscosity of the paste is a key factor to consider, taking into account various parameters such as conservation technique, paper condition, or paper thickness. This study aims to determine the viscosity variation of diluted and thick pastes used in traditional Chinese conservation techniques with a rotary viscometer. During conservation treatment, as the number of restored leaves increases, the viscosity of diluted paste tends to increase significantly. The study highlights the different requirements for viscosity depending on its use either in Chinese books or Chinese hanging scrolls and emphasizes the importance of monitoring and adjusting paste viscosity during the conservation process. The use of a rotary viscometer, along with the traditional finger test method, is a significant step forward in improving the accuracy and efficiency of determining paste viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphis spiraecola Patch is one of the most economically important tree fruit pests worldwide. The pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin is commonly used to control A. spiraecola. In this 2-year study, we quantified the resistance level of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin in different regions of the Shaanxi province, China. The results showed that A. spiraecola had reached extremely high resistance levels with a 174-fold resistance ratio (RR) found in the Xunyi region. In addition, we compared the enzymatic activity and expression level of P450 genes among eight A. spiraecola populations. The P450 activity of A. spiraecola was significantly increased in five regions (Xunyi, Liquan, Fengxiang, Luochuan, and Xinping) compared to susceptible strain (SS). The expression levels of CYP6CY7 , CYP6CY14 , CYP6CY22, P4504C1-like , P4506a13 , CYP4CZ1 , CYP380C47, and CYP4CJ2 genes were significantly increased under lambda-cyhalothrin treatment and in the resistant field populations. A L1014F mutation in the sodium channel gene was found and the mutation rate was positively correlated with the LC50 of lambda-cyhalothrin. In conclusion, the levels of lambda-cyhalothrin resistance of A. spiraecola field populations were associated with P450s and L1014F mutations. Our combined findings provide evidence on the resistance mechanism of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin and give a theoretical basis for rational and effective control of this pest species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foregut, located at the front of the digestive tract, serves a vital role in insects by storing and grinding food into small particles. The innermost layer of the foregut known as the chitinous intima, comes into direct contact with the food and acts as a protective barrier against abrasive particles. Knickkopf (Knk) is required for chitin organization in the chitinous exoskeleton, tracheae and wings. Despite its significance, little is known about the biological function of Knk in the foregut. In this study, we found that LmKnk was stably expressed in the foregut, and highly expressed before molting in Locusta migratoria. To ascertain the biological function of LmKnk in the foregut, we synthesized specific double‐stranded LmKnk (dsLmKnk) and injected it into locusts. Our findings showed a significant decrease in the foregut size, along with reduced food intake and accumulation of residues in the foregut after dsLmKnk injection. Morphological observations revealed that newly formed intima became thinner and lacked chitin lamella. Furthermore, fluorescence immunohistochemistry revealed that LmKnk was located in the apical region of new intima and epithelial cells. Taken together, this study provides insights into the biological function of LmKnk in the foregut, and identifies the potential target gene for exploring biological pest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the scale and corrosion inhibition ability of polyaspartic acid (PASP), the modified PASP scale and corrosion inhibitor Trp-ASA-PASP was prepared by graft modification of PASP with tryptophan (Trp) and aminomethanesulfonic acid (ASA). The synthetic products were characterized by infrared spectrosco-py, and the critical supersaturation method of calcium carbonate combined with field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the scale and corrosion inhibition performance of PASP and Trp-ASA-PASP. The results showed that the relative supersaturation value (Sr) of Trp-ASA-PASP was always higher than that of PASP as the scale inhibitor dosage increased, indicating that the scale inhibition ability of Trp-ASA-PASP was better than that of PASP. The corrosion inhibition performance of Trp-ASA-PASP on A3 carbon steel was evaluated by electrochemical method combined with weight loss method. Quantum chemical calculations based on density flooding theory were used to compare the scale inhibition performance of Trp-ASA-PASP with that of PASP. The reactive sites and orbital energy gap (AE) of PASP and Trp-ASA-PASP, and their adsorption and binding ability to metals were compared based on density flooding theory to further reveal the corrosion inhibition mechanism of Trp-ASA-PASP. The results showed that Trp-ASA-PASP is a mixed cathodic-anodic corrosion inhibitor with an anodic bias, and the corrosion inhibition rate increased with the increase of its concentration. The orbital energy gap AE (Trp-ASA-PASP) was 4.3482 eV smaller than that of AE (PASP) which was 6.9634 eV, indicating that Trp-ASA-PASP is more likely to interact with metals, and the reaction active site of Trp-ASA-PASP was mainly in the orbital energy gap. The reactive site of Trp-ASA-PASP is mainly located on the sulfonic acid group of the side chain, which is more likely to accept electrons from the metal surface than PASP and interact with the metal to form a protective film on the metal surface to achieve the corrosion inhibition effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate evaluation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is crucial for successful trastuzumab-based therapy in individuals with gastric cancer (GC). The present study, involving a retrospective cohort (N = 2865) from Wuhan Union Hospital and a prospective cohort (N = 392) from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, evaluated the benefits of clinical features using random forest and logistic regression models for the detection of HER2 status in patients with GC. Patients from the Union cohort were randomly assigned to either a training (N = 2005) or an internal validation (N = 860) group. Data processing and feature selection were done in Python, which was also used to build random forest and logistic regression models for the prediction of HER2 overexpression. The Renmin cohort (N = 392) was used as the external validation group. Ten features were closely correlated with HER2 overexpression, including age, albumin/globulin ratio, globulin, activated partial thromboplastin time, tumor stage, node stage, tumor node metastasis stage, tumor size, tumor differentiation, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Random forest and logistic regression had areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.9995 and 0.6653 in the training group and 0.923 and 0.667 in the internal validation group, respectively. When the two predictive models were validated using data from the Renmin cohort, random forest and logistic regression had AUCs of 0.9994 and 0.627, respectively. This is the first multicenter study to predict HER2 overexpression in individuals with GC, based on clinical variables. The random forest model significantly outperformed the logistic regression model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic power generation is rapidly developing as a kind of renewable energy that can protect the ecological environment. The establishment of photovoltaic power stations in desertification areas can play a very important role in desert windbreaks and sand fixation as well as improve the ecological environment. The realization of the effective integration of photovoltaics and deserts can have multiple benefits for the economy, society, and ecology. However, the deposition of sand and dust caused by environmental factors in desertification areas can seriously affect the power generation efficiency of PV modules. In this study, the output characteristics of photovoltaic modules were tested under three wind speed conditions (5 m/s, 10 m/s, and 15 m/s), with different sand densities, sand particle sizes, and inclination angles. The experimental study showed that the module's output power gradually decreased with an increase in the density of accumulated sand; the sand accumulation density on the surface of the photovoltaic module increased from 0 to 40 g/m2, and the maximum output power decreased by 32.2%. As the sand particle size increased, the maximum output power of the module rose and was gradually stabilized in the three wind speed groups. As the sand particle size increased, the maximum output power of the module increased and gradually stabilized in the three wind speed groups. When the wind speed was 15 m/s, the component output power of the angle had the largest drop; the tilt angle was 60° when the relative output power rate reached the minimum (i.e., 86.5%); that is, there was electrical energy loss of approximately 13.7%. The sand particle size and accumulated sand density were the control variables related to the module temperature and the transmittance of the proportion of the impact of the module filling factor differences. According to the curve analysis of the filling factor in different sand accumulation densities, the filling factor first increased and then decreased. In this test, the filling factor at the sand accumulation density of 35 g/m2 (module temperature valley) reached the peak value. The change trend for the component filling factor under different sand particle sizes fluctuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper nails constitute a unique and important structure in Chinese double-leaved books. This technique may have existed as early as the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D.1127–1279) when wrapped-back bindings developed. Creating and applying paper nails is a basic skill for conservators in China. Although paper nails have always been used, there is not much literature discussing their manufacture and application. This article details the use of single and double-ended nails in China, including how to make, attach, and remove them, and provides illustrative examples of the role of paper nails in thread binding, rough binding, wrapped-back binding, and "Jade Set in Gold" ("jinxiangyu", 金镶玉) binding. This work will be a reference for the conservation of Chinese double-leaved books and other documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has highlighted the role of patent portfolio strategy on firms’ innovation without elaborating on how to layout the diversity of patent portfolios to improve innovation quality. Drawing on the resource-based view and institutional theory, this research attempts to extend patent portfolio–innovation debate by examining the moderating effects of policy or specifically, technology standard on the patenting–innovation relationship. We argue that the leverage of technology standard could help firms optimise patent portfolios by accessing information, reducing transaction costs, and promoting complementary innovation, and therefore leads to higher innovation quality. Moreover, considering heterogeneous technology standards, in the context of relatively complex and rapidly updated technology standards, specialised patent portfolios are more significant for firms to enhance substantive innovation. Our analysis of data from 729 Chinese manufacturing listed companies provides supports for both the moderating role of technology standard on the patent portfolio–innovation relationship. This paper contributes to patent management literature by elaborating upon the mechanisms of how technology standard can be leveraged to capture value from firms’ patent portfolios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of tumor-related mortality globally and one of the most prevalent malignant tumors. To better understand the role of tumor-infiltrating B cells (TIBs) in GC, this work used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) and bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-Seq) data to identify candidate hub genes. Both scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq data for stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) were obtained from the GEO and TCGA databases, respectively. Using scRNA-seq data, the FindNeighbors and FindClusters tools were used to group the cells into distinct groups. Immune cell clusters were sought in the massive RNA-seq expression matrix using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). The expression profiles were used in Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to build TCGA's gene coexpression networks. Next, univariate Cox regression, LASSO regression, and Kaplan–Meier analyses were used to identify hub genes in scRNA-seq data from sequential B-cell analyses. Finally, we examined the correlation between the hub genes and TIBs utilizing the TISIDB database. We confirmed the immune-related markers in clinical validation samples using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). 15 cell clusters were classified in the scRNA-seq database. According to the WGCNA findings, the green module is most associated with cancer and B cells. The intersection of 12 genes in two separate datasets (scRNA and bulk) was attained for further analysis. However, survival studies revealed that increased C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression was linked to worse overall survival. CXCR4 expression is correlated with active, immature, and memory B cells in STAD were identified. Finally, RT-PCR and IHC assays verified that in GC, CXCR4 is overexpressed, and its expression level correlates with TIBs. We used scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq to study STAD's cellular composition. We found that CXCR4 is highly expressed by TIBs in GC, suggesting that it may serve as a hub gene for these cells and a starting point for future research into the molecular mechanisms by which these immune cells gain access to tumors and potentially identify therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic books are important vehicles for understanding the evolution of human civilisation. To preserve these precious historical materials, unremitting research and exploration has been carried out for thousands of years. The introduction of new concepts and technologies has led conservators to uphold different perspectives on traditional techniques and skills. "Book beating" (chuishu 捶书) is a very special, necessary step in the traditional conservation of ancient Chinese books. However, there is a lack of consensus about how the beating technique affects the structure and long-term stability of paper. In this article, we briefly introduce the origins and basic steps of book beating as well as the precautions required, taking into account the perspectives of conservators on book beating. We then discuss the similarities and differences between book beating and "beat paper". Analysing a number of characteristics such as the beating strength, paper thickness, and tensile strength of the paper with or without the beating we will explore the pros and cons of book beating. Finally, we put forward some ideas for future research to provide theoretical guidance and support for the conservation of ancient books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first 8‐electron Pd/Ag superatomic alloys with an interstitial hydride [PdHAg19(dtp)12] (dtp=S2P(OiPr)2−) 1 and [PdHAg20(dtp)12]+2 are reported. The targeted addition of a single Ag atom to 1 is achieved by the reaction of one equivalent of trifluoroacetic acid, resulting in the formation of 2 in 55 % yield. Further modification of the shell results in the formation of [PdAg21(dtp)12]+3 via an internal redox reaction, with the system retaining an 8‐electron superatomic configuration. The interstitial hydride in 1 and 2 contributes its 1s1 electron to the superatomic electron count and occupies a PdAg3 tetrahedron. The distributions of isomers corresponding to different dispositions of the outer capping Ag atoms are investigated by multinuclear VT NMR spectroscopy. The emissive state of 3 has a lifetime of 200 μs (λex=448; λem=842), while 1 and 2 are non‐emissive. The catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol is demonstrated with 1–3 at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum cholinesterase (ChE) is positively associated with incident diabetes and dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the relationship between ChE and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods: Based on a community-based cohort study followed for 4.6 years, 1133 participants aged 55–70 years with diabetes were analyzed. Fundus photographs were taken for each eye at both baseline and follow-up investigations. The presence and severity of DR were categorized into no DR, mild non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and referable DR (moderate NPDR or worse). Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) between ChE and DR. Results: Among the 1133 participants, 72 (6.4%) cases of DR occurred. The multivariable binary logistic regression showed that the highest tertile of ChE (≥ 422 U/L) was associated with a 2.01-fold higher risk of incident DR (RR 2.01, 95%CI 1.01-4.00; P for trend < 0.05) than the lowest tertile (< 354 U/L). The multivariable binary and multinomial logistic regression showed that the risk of DR increased by 41% (RR 1.41, 95%CI 1.05–1.90), and the risk of incident referable DR was almost 2-fold higher than no DR (RR 1.99, 95%CI 1.24–3.18) with per 1-SD increase of loge-transformed ChE. Furthermore, multiplicative interactions were found between ChE and elderly participants (aged 60 and older; P for interaction = 0.003) and men (P for interaction = 0.044) on the risk of DR. Conclusions: In this study, ChE was associated with the incidence of DR, especially referable DR. ChE was a potential biomarker for predicting the incident DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deck structures subjected to drop-weight low-velocity impact are critical safety elements for ships and offshore structures. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to propose experimental research on dynamic responses of deck structures composed of stiffened plates subjected to drop-weight impact of a wedge impactor. The first step was to fabricate a conventional stiffened plate specimen and a strengthened stiffened plate specimen, as well as a drop-weight impact tower. Then, drop-weight impact tests were carried out. Test results show that local deformation and fracture occurred in the impact area. A sharp wedge impactor caused premature fracture, even under relative low impact energy; the permanent lateral deformation of the stiffened plate was reduced by 20–26% by the strengthening effect of a strengthening stiffer; residual stress and the stress concentration of the cross-joint caused by welding may cause undesired brittle fracture. The present investigation provides useful insight for improving the crashworthiness design of the deck structure of ships and offshore structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the coexistence of contradictory traits has predominantly examined the interpersonal consequences of such personality complexity with minimum focus on within-person dynamics. This study investigates the cognitive process through which narcissism and humility coexist and interact to shape individuals' psychological entitlement. Drawing from self-concept theory and paradox theory, we propose that elevated levels of humility attenuate the relationship between narcissism and psychological entitlement. We conducted hierarchical linear regression analyses and simple slope tests using a sample of 451 individuals (47.2 % female) from a North American university. Our results suggest that humility effectively mitigates the impact of narcissism on psychological entitlement. Our study furthers the understanding of dynamic interplay between contradictory traits, contributing to both self-concept literature and the paradox theory through theoretical integration. We underscore the value of employing paradox theory in micro-level research that delves into the dynamic cognitive process within individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic copepods are frequently discovered in many marine animals, and they exhibit great species diversity with remarkable morphological adaptations to their parasitic lifestyle. Similar to their free-living relatives, parasitic copepods usually develop through complex life cycle, but they eventually transform into a modified adult form with reduced appendages. Although the life cycle and distinct larval stages have been described in a few species of parasitic copepods, particularly those infecting commercially valuable marine animals (such as fishes, oysters, and lobsters), very little is known about the developmental process of the species that transformed into extremely simplified adult body plan. This paucity also causes some difficulties when investigating the taxonomy and phylogeny of this kind of parasitic copepods. Here we describe the embryonic development and a series of sequential larval stages of a parasitic copepod, Ive ptychoderae, which is a vermiform endoparasite living inside the hemichordate acorn worms. We devised laboratory regimes that enable us raising large quantity of embryos and free living larvae, and obtaining post-infested I. ptychoderae samples from the host tissues. Using defined morphological features, the embryonic development of I. ptychoderae can be categorized into eight stages (1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, 16- cell stages, blastula, gastrula, and limb bud stages) and the post-embryonic development comprises six larval stages (2 naupliar and 4 copepodid stages). Based on the comparisons of morphological characters in the nauplius stage, our results provide evidence to support that the Ive-group is more closely related to the Cyclopoida, which represents one of the two major clades that contain many highly transformed parasitic copepods. Thus, our results help to resolve the problematic phylogenetic position of the Ive-group in previous study based on analysis using 18S rDNA sequences. Combining with more molecular data, future comparative analyses on the morphological features of copepodid stages will further refine our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of parasitic copepods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive laser light local treatment that has been utilized in the management of a wide variety of solid tumors. Moreover, the evaluation of efficacy, adverse reactions, the development of new photosensitizers and the latest therapeutic regimens are inseparable from the preliminary exploration in preclinical studies. Therefore, our aim was to better comprehend the characteristics and limitations of these models and to provide a reference for related research. Methods: We searched the databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for the past 25 years of original research articles on the feasibility of PDT in tumor treatment based on preclinical experiments and animal models. We provided insights into inclusion and exclusion criteria and ultimately selected 40 articles for data synthesis. Results: After summarizing and comparing the methods and results of these studies, the experimental model selection map was drawn. There are 7 main preclinical models, which are used for different research objectives according to their characteristics. Conclusions: Based on this narrative review, preclinical experimental models are crucial to the development and promotion of PDT for tumors. The traditional animal models have some limitations, and the emergence of organoids may be a promising new insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cation–π interactions provide an excellent way to develop high‐performance underwater adhesives. Although numerous underwater adhesive systems are designed based on cation–π interactions, they still lack precise design of the adhesive polymer backbone and topological control of the adhesive polymer. In this study, a novel short‐chain adhesive polymer with excellent underwater adhesion is developed based on the topologically enhanced cation–π interactions. Dihydrocaffeic acid containing catechol is incorporated into a short‐chain cationic polymer of polycarbodiimides through the nucleophilic reactions between carboxyl and carbodiimide groups to produce a catechol‐decorated cationic adhesive polymer (CCAP). The unique molecular structure of the CCAP confers the adhesive system strong cohesion and topologically enhanced cation–π interactions, leading to excellent underwater adhesion. Fe3+ is introduced into the adhesive system to promote the coordination of catechol and the oxidative crosslinking of catechol to further improve the cohesion of the CCAP. In addition, based on the synergy between reversible noncovalent bonds and the irreversible oxidative crosslinking system, the prepared adhesive can also act as a high‐strength hot‐melt adhesive, which maintains nearly 90% of its adhesion strength after 10 attachment–detachment cycles, showing its great potential for use as a sustainable reusable dismountable adhesive. This study provides a novel strategy to develop high‐performance underwater adhesive with temperature sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the possible mechanism by which adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and E-selectin mediate hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (HTGP)-associated lung injury. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group (Con), severe acute pancreatitis group (SAP), HTGP group (HTGP), A-205804 group (A-205804), and apocynin group (Apo). Serum biochemical markers related to pancreatitis, such as inflammatory cytokines, amylase and lipase, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to analyze the histopathology changes in the pancreas and lung, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Molecules related to NF-κB signaling pathway and adhesion molecules were assessed by western blotting (WB), IHC and immunofluorescence staining. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) in lung tissues and serum were measured with reagent kits, respectively. The severity of pancreatitis and lung injury in HTGP group was more severe than that in SAP group, and the expression levels of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and E-selectin in lung tissues of HTGP mice were significantly increased. After HTGP mice were treated with adhesion molecule inhibitor A-205804, the expression of ICAM-1 and E-selectin in A-205804 group significantly decreased, and the lung injury was alleviated. The HTGP group had higher levels of oxidative stress and NF-κB pathway-related protein p-p65 expression compared with the SAP group. Apocynin treatment resulted in suppression of p-p65, ICAM-1, and E-selectin expression. In HTGP, hypertriglyceridemia may exacerbate pancreatitis-related lung injury by regulating oxidative stress and activating the NF-κB proinflammatory pathway to upregulate ICAM-1 and E-selectin levels. • The potential mechanism of lung injury in hypertriglyceridemia acute pancreatitis is proposed. • The mechanism depends on the effect of oxidative stress on some adhesion molecules. • Adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and E-selectin may be the targets for treatment of hypertriglyceridemia acute related lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging to quantitatively clarify the determining medical and social factors of COVID-19 mortality, which varied by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude across countries. Here, we present evidence that the temporal evolution of mortality follows a logistic law for 54 countries in four waves. A universal linear law is found between the early mortality growth time and the epidemic duration, one of the most important quantities, with a factor of 7.3 confirmed by data. Saturation mortality is found to have a power law relationship with median age and bed occupancy, which quantitatively explains the great variation in mortality based on the two key thresholds of median age (= 38) and bed occupancy (= 22%). We predict that deaths will be reduced by 38.5% when the number of beds is doubled for countries with older populations. Facing the next wave of the epidemic, this model can make early predictions on the epidemic duration and hospital bed demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report an interstitial deletion of Xq21.1 in chromosome X in a boy with congenital deafness. Methods: The proband underwent a thorough physical examination and a detailed audiological and temporal bone computed tomography (CT) scan. Cochlear implantation was performed on the proband, and follow‐up was conducted. High throughput sequencing and copy number analysis was made of peripheral blood samples from the proband, family members, and control subjects. Results: Sensorineural hearing loss was present in the boy and temporal bone CT scan showed a bilateral incomplete partition type III anomaly (IP‐III). Q21.1 (79.40–83.32 Mb) of chromosome X in the proband had a copy number deletion with a fragment size of about 3.92 Mb. Categories of auditory performance scores and SIR scores of the cochlea in this child improved after surgery. Conclusion: Through the analysis of POU3F4, a novel mutation site with potentially pathogenic significance was found. Level of Evidence: 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing popularity of machine translation in second language (L2) writing, the theoretical perspectives and complex factors shaping its use remain under synthesized. This article reviews research on machine translation use in L2 writing to identify major models and factors that shape teachers' and students' employment of machine translation. Theoretical perspectives underpinning machine translation research are first synthesized to categorize machine translation into three models: a linguistic processor, a mediational artifact, and a translanguaging process. What then reviewed are empirical studies, revealing a predominant focus on linguistic factors in terms of how machine translation shapes L2 writing. More recent research has also examined person-related factors and taken the effectiveness of machine translation as conditioning upon individual differences of teachers and students. Contextual factors in interpersonal, instructional, and institutional settings and ideological factors are also identified. A conceptual framework is then developed to illuminate the interrelatedness of the identified factors during the process of using machine translation. The study argues for a need to avoid taking machine translation as a politically neutral participant in L2 writing. Implications for enhancing the effectiveness of machine translation use in L2 writing and suggestions for further research are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid organ malignancy with a high mortality rate. Statistics indicate that its incidence has been increasing as well as the associated deaths. Most patients with PDAC show poor response to therapies making the clinical management of this cancer difficult. Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to the development of resistance to therapy in PDAC cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most prevalent stromal cells in the TME, promote a desmoplastic response, produce extracellular matrix proteins and cytokines, and directly influence the biological behavior of cancer cells. These multifaceted effects make it difficult to eradicate tumor cells from the body. As a result, CAF-targeting synergistic therapeutic strategies have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity in CAF origin, definition, and function, as well as high plasticity, majority of the available CAF-targeting therapeutic approaches are not effective, and in some cases, they exacerbate disease progression. This review primarily elucidates on the effect of CAFs on therapeutic efficiency of various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Strategies for CAF targeting therapies are also discussed. • The original, phenotypic, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs in PDAC are summarized. • The double-edged sword role of CAFs in various PDAC therapy was elucidation in detailed. • The CAF-related targeting strategies in PDAC were also mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel photocatalyst of B, Ni, Y co-doped Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 composite film was prepared. • The film exhibits the highest photodegradation rate for environmental pollutants under visible light. • The possible synergistic photocatalytic mechanism of B/Ni/Y-Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 composite film is discussed. With the continuous advancement in global modernization, pollution is becoming increasingly severe. Effectively addressing environmental pollutants has emerged as a significant challenge today. In this study, B, Ni and Y co-doped Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 composite nano-films with excellent photocatalytic properties were prepared by a modified sol–gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) and photoluminescence (PL). The results of BET show that the average specific surface area of Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 thin films modified by B, Ni and Y is increased and the average particle size is decreased. The PL results showed improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes in the B/Ni/Y-Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 films. The photocatalytic activity of B/Ni/Y-Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl green (MG), formaldehyde (HCHO) and ofloxacin (OFL). The results showed that its photocatalytic activity is much higher than that of Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 film. Finally, the synergistic mechanism of ion doping modification is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing and duration of autumn leaf phenology marks important transitions in temperate deciduous forests, such as, start of senescence, declining productivity and changing nutrient cycling. Phenological research on temperate deciduous forests typically focuses on upper canopy trees, overlooking the contribution of other plant functional groups like shrubs. Yet shrubs tend to remain green longer than trees, while non-native shrubs, in particular, tend to exhibit an extended growing season that confers a competitive advantage over native shrubs. We monitored leaf senescence and leaf fall (2017–2020) of trees and shrubs (native and non-native) in an urban woodland fragment in Wisconsin, USA. Our findings revealed that, the start of leaf senescence did not differ significantly between vegetation groups, but leaf fall started (DOY 273) two weeks later in shrubs. Non-native shrubs exhibited a considerably delayed start (DOY 262) and end of leaf senescence (DOY 300), with leaf-fall ending (DOY 315) nearly four weeks later than native shrubs and trees. Overall, the duration of the autumn phenological season was longer for non-native shrubs than either native shrubs or trees. Comparison of the timing of spring phenophases with the start and end of leaf senescence revealed that when spring phenology in trees starts later in the season senescence also starts later and ends earlier. The opposite pattern was observed in native shrubs. In conclusion, understanding the contributions of plant functional groups to overall forest phenology requires future investigation to ensure accurate predictions of future ecosystem productivity and help address discrepancies with remote sensing phenometrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a deadly and aggressive type of cancer that has a high fatality rate. The expression levels of replication factor C subunit 3 (RFC3) and kinesin family member 14 (KIF14) have been reported to be increased in CRC. The current study aimed to explore the effects of RFC3 on the malignant behaviors of CRC cells and its possible underlying mechanism involving KIF14. RFC3 and KIF14 expression levels in CRC tissues were analyzed using TNMplot database and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database bioinformatics tools. RFC3 and KIF14 levels in CRC cells were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. Cell Counting Kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assays were performed to assess cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis was determined using flow cytometric analysis. Wound healing and Transwell assays were adopted for the evaluation of cell migration and invasion. Tube formation assay in human umbilical vein endothelial cells was used to measure angiogenesis. Western blotting analysis was performed to determine the expression of apoptosis-, migration- and angiogenesis-associated proteins. Additionally, bioinformatics tools predicted the co-expression and interaction of RFC3 and KIF14, which was verified by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. RFC3 displayed elevated expression in CRC tissues and cells, and depletion of RFC3 halted the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis, while increasing the apoptosis of CRC cells; this was accompanied by changes in the expression levels of related proteins. In addition, RFC3 bound to KIF14 and interference with RFC3 reduced KIF14 expression. Moreover, KIF14 upregulation reversed the effects of RFC3 depletion on the aggressive cellular behaviors in CRC. In conclusion, RFC3 might interact with KIF14 to function as a contributor to the malignant development of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bone fragments in pork could be detected by using single-band images at 780 nm. • The area library of bone regions segmented from images at 780 nm was built. • A new method for detecting bone was established by comparing the pixel areas. • The visualization results could provide objective evidences for test results. This paper was concerned with the detection of hazardous bone fragments embedded in lean pork slices (LPS-BFs) by comparing the pixel area of bone regions segmented from single-band image. All images were collected using a Videometer A/S multispectral imaging system with 19 bands (405–970 nm). An area library of bone regions was established by processing 60 images captured from LPS-BFs and the minimum value of the library was defined as a boundary point for judgement. The accuracy of 90 % for 120 test samples (60 LPSs and 60 LPS-BFs) was achieved and all results could be visualized for monitoring the geometrical morphology of bones. Results of satisfactory identification of bone fragments embedded in LPSs indicated that image features at single-band could serve as a feasible approach for online industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show an O(4) symmetry emerges at a deconfined quantum tricritical point of a valence bond solid (VBS) and two ferromagnetic phases in an S = 1/2 frustrated spin chain by combining analytical analysis and numerical calculations with the time evolution of infinite matrix product states. With this symmetry, the valence-bond solid and the three magnetic order parameters form an O(4) pseudovector in the infrared limit, and can continuously rotate into each other. We numerically determine the location of the quantum tricritical point and study the scaling of the correlation functions of the O(4) vector components and associated conserved currents. The critical behaviors of these correlation functions are all in accord with field theoretical results. The emergent O(4) symmetry at the tricritical point is justified by the integer value of the scaling dimension of the emergent Noether conserved currents. Our findings not only give direct evidence of such a high emergent symmetry at an one-dimensional VBS to magnetic transition but also shed light on exploring emergent symmetries in higher dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larynx is often sacrificed in patients with hypopharyngoesophageal cancer before reconstruction using the jejunum to restore the continuity of the digestive tract and allow oral alimentation. We retrospectively collected and analyzed data from three patients who underwent hypopharyngoesophageal reconstruction by partial patch and partial tube free jejunal flap with preservation of laryngeal function. All three flaps survived in patients who underwent the modified jejunal flaps. The larynx was preserved in all three patients. Partial patch and partial tube jejunal flap is a possible option for reconstruction of large and complex defects after pharyngectomy and cervical esophagectomy with larynx preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gait disability affects the daily lives of patients with stroke in both home and community settings. An abnormal foot-ankle position can cause instability on the supporting surface and negatively affect gait. Our research team explored the ability of a portable peroneal nerve-targeting electrical stimulator to improve gait ability by adjusting the foot-ankle position during walking in patients with chronic stroke undergoing home-based rehabilitation.Methods: This was a double-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Thirty-one patients with chronic stroke and ankle-foot motor impairment were randomized to receive 3 weeks of gait training, which involved using the transcutaneous peroneal nerve stimulator while walking (tPNS group; n = 16, mean age: 52.25 years), or conventional home and/or community gait training therapy (CT group; n = 15, mean age: 54.8 years). Functional assessments were performed before and after the 3-week intervention. The outcome measures included spatiotemporal gait parameters, three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data on the ankle-foot joint, and a clinical motor and balance function assessment based on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Lower Extremity (FMA-LE) and Berg Balance scales (BBS). Additionally, 16 age-matched healthy adults served as a baseline control of three-dimensional gait data for both trial groups.Results: The FMA-LE and BBS scores improved in both the tPNS groups (p = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively) and CT groups (p = 0.034 and 0.028, respectively) from before to after training. Participants in the tPNS group exhibited significant differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters, including double feet support, stride length, and walking speed of affected side, and the unaffected foot off within a gait cycle after training (p = 0.043, 0.017, 0.001 and 0.010, respectively). Additionally, the tPNS group exhibited significant differences in kinematic parameters, such as the ankle angle at the transverse plane (p = 0.021) and foot progression angle at the frontal plane (p = 0.009) upon initial contact, and the peak ankle joint angle at the transverse plane (p = 0.023) and foot progression angle (FPA) at the frontal and transverse planes (p = 0.032 and 0.046, respectively) during gait cycles after 3 weeks of training.Conclusions: Use of a portable tPNS device during walking tasks appeared to improve spatiotemporal gait parameters and ankle and foot angles more effectively than conventional home rehabilitation in patients with chronic stroke. Although guidelines for home-based rehabilitation training services and an increasing variety of market devices are available, no evidence for improvement of motor function and balance was superior to conventional rehabilitation. Trial registration Chictr, ChiCTR2000040137. Registered 22 November 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=64424. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study multiplicative SDE with fractional noise in a suitable sense, which can be regarded as a fractional Gruschin type process. Using the transfer principle and fractional integral and derivative operators, two kinds of Bismut type derivative formulae are established in this non-Markovian context under incompatible conditions. As an application, an explicit gradient estimate is derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, which is also accompanied by changes in blood lipids and protein. According to research reports, Ginseng-plus-Bai-Hu-Tang (GBHT) has significant antihyperglycemic activity. Nevertheless, the evidence of effectiveness is not enough. In order to verify the effectiveness and safety of GBHT combined with conventional Western medicine (CWM) in the treatment of T2DM, we carried out this meta-analysis. Method. We collected 7 electronic databases from the inception to September 1, 2021; then, 12 studies were selected. The data analysis and methodological evaluation were conducted by the software RevMan 5.3.3 and Stata 12.0. Results. The meta-analysis revealed that when GBHT was adopted in combination with CWM, the effective rate (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = [2.01, 4.43], P < 0.00001), the FBG (MD = −0.86, 95% CI = [−1.06, −0.65], P < 0.00001), 2hBG (MD = −0.80, 95% CI = [−1.05, −0.55], P < 0.00001), and HbA1c (MD = −0.64, 95% CI = [−0.98, −0.30], P = 0.0002) of T2DM patients improved significantly compared with the control group. After GBHT combined with CWM treatment, HOME-RI (MD = −0.75, 95% CI = [−1.38, −0.12] P = 0.02) of T2DM patients was superior to CWM alone. In comparison, the benefit from FINS (MD = −1.42, 95% CI = [−4.46, −1.62], P = 0.36) was not apparent. In addition, none of the adverse events mentioned occurred, indicating that it is safe enough. Conclusion. GBHT combined with CWM is an effective and safe as adjunctive treatment for patients with T2DM. Nevertheless, due to the limitation of the quality of the included studies, additional high-quality researches are required to further confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite intensive studies on the synthesis of 3-formylindoles, it is still highly desirable to develop efficient methods for the formylation of indoles, due to the shortcomings of the reported methods, such as inconvenient operations and/or harsh reaction conditions. Here, we describe a Ph3 P/ICH2 CH2 I-promoted formylation of indoles with DMF under mild conditions. A Vilsmeier-type intermediate is readily formed from DMF promoted by the Ph3 P/ICH2 CH2 I system. A one-step formylation process can be applied to various electron-rich indoles, but a hydrolysis needs to be carried out as a second step in the case of electron-deficient indoles. Convenient operations make this protocol attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph neural networks (GNNs) are powerful tools for data mining on graph-structured data in various domains, such as social science, finance, and biology. However, most existing GNNs operate in Euclidean space and may fail to preserve the intrinsic network properties, such as self-similarity and hierarchy, that characterize many real-world graphs. Hyperbolic graph neural networks (HGNNs) address this limitation by embedding graphs into hyperbolic space, which can better capture the hierarchical structures of networks. However, HGNNs often involve complex computations in hyperbolic space or its tangent space during training, which may hinder their efficiency. In this paper, we propose hyperbolic attention graph neural networks (HA-GNN), which can leverage both network structure and node features for graph representation learning in an efficient way. Specifically, we design a structural properties attention mechanism that measures the structural connection between nodes based on their hyperbolic embeddings. We also design a node features attention mechanism that quantifies the feature similarity between nodes. We then combine these two attentions to obtain a hyperbolic attention that weights the relevance between all connected nodes. We conduct extensive experiments on five real-world networks and demonstrate that our model consistently and significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods. For example, on the Cora network, our model achieves an accuracy of 83.1 (± 0.4) on node classification tasks, which is 1.6% higher than the best baseline method in Euclidean space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic correlation is of fundamental importance to high temperature superconductivity. While the low energy electronic states in cuprates are dominantly affected by correlation effects across the phase diagram, observation of correlation-driven changes in fermiology amongst the iron-based superconductors remains rare. Here we present experimental evidence for a correlation-driven reconstruction of the Fermi surface tuned independently by two orthogonal axes of temperature and Se/Te ratio in the iron chalcogenide family FeTe1−xSex. We demonstrate that this reconstruction is driven by the de-hybridization of a strongly renormalized dxy orbital with the remaining itinerant iron 3d orbitals in the emergence of an orbital-selective Mott phase. Our observations are further supported by our theoretical calculations to be salient spectroscopic signatures of such a non-thermal evolution from a strongly correlated metallic phase into an orbital-selective Mott phase in dxy as Se concentration is reduced. The underlying mechanism of iron-based superconductivity, the role of electron correlations, and the extent to which the behavior resembles those of the cuprates has been debated since their discovery. Here, using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the authors report reconstruction of the Fermi surface for FeTe1−xSex driven by orbital-dependent correlation effects in the absence of symmetry breaking and find evidence for an orbital-selective Mott transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Magnetic resonance-high intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) has revolutionized the treatment of Uterine fibroids. Usually, they are associated with prolonged heavy bleeding during the menstrual period, sacral pain, and increased frequency of UTIs, secondary dysmenorrhea, constipation, and pregnancy-associated problems. It also impacts usual activities, which lead to diminished quality of life and rising healthcare costs. Generally, surgery is the only choice for uterine fibroids; however, MR-HIFU is an entirely non-invasive novel therapy, preferred in pregnancy desiring females. Aim: To re-evaluate the efficacy of magnetic resonance-high intensity focused ultrasound (MRHIFU) therapy for uterine fibroids. Material and methods: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), prospective or retrospective non-randomized, and crossover studies that considered clinically symptomatic uterine fibroid treatment were included. Meta-analysis was performed using NCSS software, and data were analyzed at a 95% confidence level with a significance level of 0.05. In addition, the non-perfused volume percentage (NPV%), transformed Symptom Severity Score percentage change (tSSS change%), and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) were computed. Results: The overall effect of NPV% was 67.60%, where the 95% confidence interval ranged from 55.58% to 79.62%. The overall impact of tSSS% change was approximately 50% (0.54) with 95% CI of 0.41-0.66 of 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months in the included studies. There was a significant improvement in the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Conclusions: The efficacy of MR-HIFU therapy was improved as treatment protocols aimed for total ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to find the optimal parameters and cutoffs to differentiate metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) from benign LNs in the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) on the quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features. METHODS: A total of 134 LNs in 105 patients with PTCs were retrospectively enrolled. All LNs were evaluated by conventional ultrasound (US) and CEUS before biopsy or surgery. The diagnostic efficacy of CEUS parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: Univariate analysis indicated that metastatic LNs more often manifested centripetal or asynchronous perfusion, hyper-enhancement, heterogeneous enhancement, ring-enhancing margins, higher PI, larger AUC, longer TTP and DT/2 than benign LNs at pre-operative CEUS (p < 0.001, for all). Multivariate analysis showed that centripetal or asynchronous perfusion (OR = 3.163; 95% CI, 1.721–5.812), hyper-enhancement(OR = 0.371; 95% CI, 0.150–0.917), DT/2 (OR = 7.408; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.496–36.673), and AUC (OR = 8.340; 95% CI, 2.677–25.984) were predictive for the presence of metastatic LNs. The sensitivity and accuracy of the quantitative CEUS were higher than qualitative CEUS (75% vs 55 % and 83.6% vs 76.1 %, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative CEUS parameters can provide more information to distinguish metastatic from benign LNs in PTC patients; In particular, DT/2 and AUC have a higher sensitivity and accuracy in predicting the presence of metastatic LNs and reduce unnecessary sampling of benign LNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two parasitic copepods, Lateracanthus quadripedis Kabata & Gusev, 1966 and Parabrachiella annulata (Markevich, 1940) (Lernaeopodidae), were found on a deep-sea rudis rattail, Coryphaenoides rudi s Günther, 1878 (Macrouridae) collected from the Xingang fishing port in Chenggong Town, Taitung County, in south-eastern Taiwan. Lateracanthus quadripedis was found attached to the walls of the branchial cavity of the fish, whereas P. annulata was collected from the body surface. This paper also provides a full description of these two copepod species to elucidate possible geographical variations in their morphology. Remarkably, our specimens of both copepods are more similar to those from the Galápagos Islands than to those from the Aleutian-Deep or Japan. Résumé: Deux copépodes parasites, Lateracanthus quadripedis Kabata & Gusev, 1966 et Parabrachiella annulata (Markevich, 1940) (Lernaeopodidae), ont été trouvés sur un grenadier profond, grenadier rugueux, Coryphaenoides rudi s Günther, 1878 (Macrouridae) collecté à Xingang le port de pêche de la ville de Chenggong, comté de Taitung, au sud-est de Taiwan. Lateracanthus quadripedis était fixé aux parois de la cavité branchiale du poisson tandis que P. annulata a été collecté à la surface du corps. Ce travail fournit une description complète de ces deux espèces de copépodes afin d'élucider de possibles variations géographiques dans leur morphologie. De façon remarquable, les spécimens des deux copépodes sont plus similaires à ceux des Îles Galapagos qu'à ceux de la fosse des Aléoutiennes ou du Japon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that penta-acetyl geniposide ((Ac)5GP, an active derivative of geniposide) showed anti-arthritic effect on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats by promoting the apoptosis of AIA fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS). This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of (Ac)5GP on migration, invasion, and inflammation of TNF-α-stimulated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) FLS (MH7A cell) and to explore the involved mechanisms. MTT assay was used to determine the applied non-cytotoxic doses of (Ac)5GP (12.5, 25, 50 μM) in vitro. Results of wound-healing, transwell, and phalloidin staining assays indicated that (Ac)5GP reduced the migration, invasion, and F-actin cytoskeletal reorganization of TNF-α-stimulated MH7A. Results of ELISA and western blot assays confirmed that (Ac)5GP reduced TNF-α-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (like IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs, such as MMP-2 and MMP-9). Moreover, (Ac)5GP inhibited TNF-α-induced activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, evidenced by reducing the protein levels of Wnt1, p-GSK-3β (Ser9), and β-catenin and preventing β-catenin nuclear translocation. Importantly, the combination of XAV939 (an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin) promoted the actions of (Ac)5GP on TNF-α-induced migration, invasion, and inflammation, further revealing the involvement of Wnt/β-catenin pathway underlying the therapeutic effects of (Ac)5GP on TNF-α-stimulated MH7A. In vivo, (Ac)5GP relieved the progression and severity of rat collagen-induced arthritis, related to reducing the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MMP-2, and MMP-9 as well as inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway in synovial tissues. Collectively, (Ac)5GP could suppress TNF-α-induced migration, invasion, and inflammation in RA FLS involving Wnt/β-catenin pathway and (Ac)5GP might be as a candidate agent for RA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current space gravitational wave (GW) detection, satellites are separated by millions of kilometers. As a result, watts of laser from one satellite is attenuated to the picowatt level at the other end due to the Gaussian beam divergence and the finite aperture of the telescope. Establishing an effective interferometry with such weak-light is a major challenge. The key is to enhance the weak-light while preserving its phase information, which carries the actual GW signal. This can be accomplished by employing an optical phase-locked loop (PLL) to lock the phase of a local oscillator (LO) laser to the weak-light and then sending the power-amplified LO back to the interferometer on the other satellite. Although shot-noise-limited performance of the picowatt level weak-light PLL has been achieved for high frequencies, it remains elusive for frequencies below 0.1 Hz. Here, we propose a three-step experimental scheme to identify the main noise sources of the weak-light PLL, which turn out to be the low-frequency phase measurement noise, the weak-light shot noise, and the laser phase noise. In this paper, the first step experiment result shows that the out-loop phase noise can be suppressed to a level less than 6 × 10−6 rad/√Hz from 6 mHz to 1 Hz by first using the special pilot-tone technique in the PLL to directly reduce the sampling time jitter noise in the digital phasemeter. The out-loop phase noise is mainly limited by the signal amplitude variation and differential time jitter noise of the reference clock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bean pyralid is one of the major leaf-feeding insects that affect soybean crops. DNA methylation can control the networks of gene expressions, and it plays an important role in responses to biotic stress. However, at present the genome-wide DNA methylation profile of the soybean resistance to bean pyralid has not been reported so far. Results: Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), we analyzed the highly resistant material (Gantai-2-2, HRK) and highly susceptible material (Wan82–178, HSK), under bean pyralid larvae feeding 0 h and 48 h, to clarify the molecular mechanism of the soybean resistance and explore its insect-resistant genes. We identified 2194, 6872, 39,704 and 40,018 differentially methylated regions (DMRs), as well as 497, 1594, 9596 and 9554 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) in the HRK0/HRK48, HSK0/HSK48, HSK0/HRK0 and HSK48/HRK48 comparisons, respectively. Through the analysis of global methylation and transcription, 265 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were negatively correlated with DMGs, there were 34, 49, 141 and 116 negatively correlated genes in the HRK0/HRK48, HSK0/HSK48, HSK0/HRK0 and HSK48/HRK48, respectively. The MapMan cluster analysis showed that 114 negatively correlated genes were clustered in 24 pathways, such as protein biosynthesis and modification; primary metabolism; secondary metabolism; cell cycle, cell structure and component; RNA biosynthesis and processing, and so on. Moreover, CRK40; CRK62; STK; MAPK9; L-type lectin-domain containing receptor kinase VIII.2; CesA; CSI1; fimbrin-1; KIN-14B; KIN-14 N; KIN-4A; cytochrome P450 81E8; BEE1; ERF; bHLH25; bHLH79; GATA26, were likely regulatory genes involved in the soybean responses to bean pyralid larvae. Finally, 5 DMRs were further validated that the genome-wide DNA data were reliable through PS-PCR and 5 DEGs were confirmed the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression by qRT-PCR. The results showed an excellent agreement with deep sequencing. Conclusions: Genome-wide DNA methylation profile of soybean response to bean pyralid was obtained for the first time. Several specific DMGs which participated in protein kinase, cell and organelle, flavonoid biosynthesis and transcription factor were further identified to be likely associated with soybean response to bean pyralid. Our data will provide better understanding of DNA methylation alteration and their potential role in soybean insect resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PD-1/PD-L1 might have a causal role in operating lung cancer risk. However, such an association has not been investigated in the general population. We assessed whether PD-L1 has an independent effect on lung cancer risk using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) based on a proteomic genome-wide association study (3301 health participants) of European ancestry and the International Lung cancer Consortium (11,348 cases and 15,861 controls). Negative control analyses using chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/asthma/interstitial lung disease (ILD)-related infection (~ 22,730 cases and ~ 112,908 controls) were also conducted to enhance the credibility of the selected instruments and MR-based estimates. This study found that genetically predicted PD-1/PD-L1 were not significantly associated with lung cancer after adjustment for multiplicity. However, suggestive evidence was observed for the total effect of higher PD-1 with decreased lung cancer risk and the direct effect (i.e., not mediated by PD-1 and smoking) of lower PD-L1 with decreased lung cancer risk. No association between genetically predicted PD-L1 and COPD/asthma/ILD related infection was noted. Taken together, our findings suggest that interventions decreasing PD-L1 might have a role in lowering lung cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a life-threatening and chronic inflammatory disease of gastrointestinal tissue, with complex pathogenesis. Current research on IBD has mainly focused on bacteria; however, the role of fungi in IBD is largely unknown due to the incomplete annotation of fungi in current genomic databases. With the development of molecular techniques, the gut mycobiome has been found to have great diversity. In addition, increasing evidence has shown intestinal mycobiome plays an important role in the physiological and pathological processes of IBD. In this review, we will systemically introduce the recent knowledge about multi-dimensional fungal dysbiosis associated with IBD, the interactions between fungus and bacteria, the role of fungi in inflammation in IBD, and highlight recent advances in the potential therapeutic role of fungus in IBD, which may hold the keys to develop new predictive, therapeutic or prognostic approaches in IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitochondrial dynamics is the result of a dynamic balance between fusion and fission events, which are driven via a set of mitochondria-shaping proteins. These proteins are generally considered to be binary components of either the fission or fusion machinery, but potential crosstalk between the fission and fusion machineries remains less explored. In the present work, we analyzed the roles of mitochondrial elongation factors 1 and 2 (MIEF1/2), core components of the fission machinery in mammals. Results: We show that MIEFs (MIEF1/2), besides their action in the fission machinery, regulate mitochondrial fusion through direct interaction with the fusion proteins Mfn1 and Mfn2, suggesting that MIEFs participate in not only fission but also fusion. Elevated levels of MIEFs enhance mitochondrial fusion in an Mfn1/2- and OPA1-dependent but Drp1-independent manner. Moreover, mitochondrial localization and self-association of MIEFs are crucial for their fusion-promoting ability. In addition, we show that MIEF1/2 can competitively decrease the interaction of hFis1 with Mfn1 and Mfn2, alleviating hFis1-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and contributing to mitochondrial fusion. Conclusions: Our study suggests that MIEFs serve as a central hub that interacts with and regulates both the fission and fusion machineries, which uncovers a novel mechanism for balancing these opposing forces of mitochondrial dynamics in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of spring phenology marks the start of the growing season and the beginning of the carbon-uptake period. In order to accurately calculate carbon budgets across different vegetation types, reliable start-of-season data over relatively large areas is necessary. However, in-situ phenological observation networks are generally restricted in their geographical extent and limited to a small number of species, typically dominant trees. Satellite remote sensing can provide spatially extensive phenological information but requires validation with in-situ observations. Here, we examined trends (1968–2016) in the timing of leaf-unfolding (LU) as well as growing-season-length (GSL), derived from in-situ observations, of a suite of deciduous trees, at three rural sites and one urban site in Ireland, all of which are within the International Phenological Gardens network. We compared in-situ trends with satellite derived phenometrics, including start of greening increase and GSL, based on two-band Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) from a combined AVHRR and MODIS time-series over the time period 1982–2016. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of satellite remote sensing in capturing LU and GSL as determined by in-situ observations from sites dominated by varying land cover types. The timing of LU (DOY 111) at the urban site was significantly (p < 0.000) later than all rural sites, apart from one (1982–2016). The significantly (p < 0.000) longer (2–5 weeks) GSL (217 days), at the urban site, was thus driven by delayed leaf fall (LF). Satellite derived Start of Season (SOS) was consistently earlier than LU across all sites (RMSE 25–52d; MBE −5 to −50 d) whereas EVI2-derived GSL was consistently longer than in situ data (RMSE 65–102d; MBE 45 to 96 d). Overall, the discrepancies reported here between the timing of in-situ spring phenology and satellite-derived phenometrics at these sites were possibly due to a combination of factors including differences in scale between the two methods, the small number of cloned trees being monitored, which does not appear to represent the broader landscape vegetation, the heterogeneity of the landscape and technical differences between the satellite sensors used to construct the EVI2 time-series. Addressing these issues is challenging but engaging citizen scientists to monitor local vegetation would increase the spatial coverage of the in-situ observation network while also incorporating a broader range of species some of which would undoubtedly represent native vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lichens play crucial roles in sustaining the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems; however, the diversity and ecological factors associated with lichenised soil fungi remain poorly understood.To address this knowledge gap, we used a global field survey including information on fungal sequences of topsoils from 235 terrestrial ecosystems.We identified 880 lichenised fungal phylotypes across nine biomes ranging from deserts to tropical forests. The diversity and proportion of lichenised soil fungi peaked in shrublands and dry grasslands. Aridity index, plant cover and soil pH were the most important factors associated with the distribution of lichenised soil fungi. Furthermore, we identified Endocarpon, Verrucaria and Rinodina as some of the most dominant lichenised genera across the globe, and they had similar environmental preferences to the lichenised fungal community. In addition, precipitation seasonality and mean diurnal temperature range were also important in predicting the proportion of these dominant genera. Using this information, we were able to create the first global maps of the richness and the proportion of dominant genera of lichenised fungi.This work provides new insight into the global distribution and ecological preferences of lichenised soil fungi, and supports their dominance in drylands across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and a leading cause of death worldwide. The occurrence of atherosclerosis is closely related to factors such as endothelial injury, lipid deposition, immunity, and inflammation. Conventional statins, currently used in atherosclerosis treatment, have numerous adverse side effects that limit their clinical utility, prompting the urgent need to identify safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives. Growing evidence indicates the significant potential of Chinese herbs in atherosclerosis treatment. Herbal monomer components, such as natural flavonoid compounds extracted from herbs like Coptis chinensis and Panax notoginseng, have been utilized for their lipid-lowering and inflammation-inhibiting effects in atherosclerosis treatment. These herbs can be used as single components in treating diseases and with other Chinese medicines to form herbal combinations. This approach targets the disease mechanism in multiple ways, enhancing the therapeutic effects. Thus, this review examines the roles of Chinese herbal medicine monomers and Chinese herbal compounds in inhibiting atherosclerosis, including regulating lipids, improving endothelial function, reducing oxidative stress, regulating inflammation and the immune response, and apoptosis. By highlighting these roles, our study offers new perspectives on atherosclerosis treatment with Chinese herbs and is anticipated to contribute to advancements in related research fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains unclear. CircPIAS1 (circBase ID: hsa_circ_0007088) was identified as overexpressed in HCC cases through bioinformatics analysis. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic properties and mechanisms of circPIAS1 in HCC development. Methods: Functional analyses were conducted to assess circPIAS1's impact on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and ferroptosis. Xenograft mouse models were employed to evaluate circPIAS1's effects on tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter assays were utilized to elucidate the molecular pathways influenced by circPIAS1. Additional techniques, including RNA pulldown, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), qPCR, and western blotting, were used to further explore the underlying mechanisms. Results: CircPIAS1 expression was elevated in HCC tissues and cells. Silencing circPIAS1 suppressed HCC cell proliferation and migration both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, circPIAS1 overexpression inhibited ferroptosis by competitively binding to miR-455-3p, leading to upregulation of Nuclear Protein 1 (NUPR1). Furthermore, NUPR1 promoted FTH1 transcription, enhancing iron storage in HCC cells and conferring resistance to ferroptosis. Treatment with ZZW-115, an NUPR1 inhibitor, reversed the tumor-promoting effects of circPIAS1 and sensitized HCC cells to lenvatinib. Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role of circPIAS1 in HCC progression through modulation of ferroptosis. Targeting the circPIAS1/miR-455-3p/NUPR1/FTH1 regulatory axis may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]