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Evolutionary dynamics of inversion and its impact on biochemical traits are a puzzling question. Here, we show abundance of inversions in three Curcuma species (turmeric, hidden ginger and Siam tulip). Genes within inversions display higher long terminal repeat content and lower expression level compared with genomic background, suggesting inversions in Curcuma experience relaxed genetic constraints. It is corroborated by depletion of selected SNPs and enrichment of deleterious mutations in inversions detected among 56 Siam tulip cultivars. Functional verification of tandem duplicated terpene synthase (TPS) genes reveals that genes within inversions become pseudogenes, while genes outside retain catalytic function. Our findings suggest that inversions act as a counteracting force against tandem duplication in balancing birth and death of TPS genes and modulating terpenoid contents in Curcuma. This study provides an empirical example that inversions are likely not adaptive but affect biochemical traits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) represents a self-amplifying cascade of inflammatory reactions and pathophysiological states triggered by infectious or non-infectious factors. The identification of disease targets and differential proteins in the liver (the unique and important immune organ) of SIRS mice treated with the lead compound D1 was conducted using the Genecards database and proteomic analysis, respectively. Subsequently, NOTCH1 was identified as the potential hub target via an intersection analysis between the aforementioned differentially expressed proteins and disease targets. Based on our previous research on the structure-activity relationship, we designed and synthesized a series of SIRS-related derivatives, wherein butyl, halogen, and ester groups were incorporated into benzophenone, aiming at exploring the anti-inflammatory protective action from the perspective of macrophage polarization. Notably, these derivatives exhibited a direct binding capability to the O-glucosylation site (SER496) or its vicinities (such as SER492, VAL485) of NOTCH1 using docking, SPR, DARTS, and CETSA techniques. Mechanistically, derivative D6 exerted anti-inflammatory effects via the dual NOTCH pathway. Firstly, it could inhibit NOTCH1 nuclear transcriptional activity, attenuate the interaction between NICD and RBPJK, concurrently suppress NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ASC, and cleaved CASP1) activation, and promote NICD (NOTCH1 active fragments) ubiquitination metabolism (the nuclear transcriptional pathway). Secondly, it might possess the ability to increase PGC1α level, subsequently, enhance ATP and MMP levels, mitigate ROS production, increase mitochondrial numbers, and ameliorate mitochondrial inflammatory damage (the mitochondrial pathway). Importantly, the activator Jagged1 could effectively reverse the aforementioned effects, while the inhibitor DAPT exhibited a synergistic effect, suggesting that the nuclear transcriptional regulation and mitochondrial regulation were both in a NOTCH1-dependent manner. Subsequently, it effectively alleviated the inflammatory response and preserved organ function as evidenced by up-regulating M2-type macrophage-related anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL10, TGFβ, CD206, and ARG1) and down-regulating M1-type macrophage-related pro-inflammatory cytokines (NO, IL6, IL18, iNOS, TNFα, CD86, and IL1β). In a word, derivative D6 modulated macrophage polarization and effectively mitigated SIRS by targeting inhibition of the dual NOTCH pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Epidemiological and other studies have shown that the occurrence and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are closely related to diet. To further explore the causal association between dietary habits and RA, we performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. The dataset related to dietary habits is from genome-wide association studies, including 143 dietary habits. The dataset of RA is from the FinnGen database. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, simple mode, weighted median, and weighted mode were used for the 2-sample, 2-way MR analysis. At the same time, a variety of pleiotropic and heterogeneity tests were used to ensure the accuracy of the results. IVW results show that among current drinkers (drinks usually with meals yes + it varies vs no) was positively correlated with RA (β, 0.563 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.286-0.840]; P = 6.7 × 10-5). Spread type (low fat spread vs any other) was negatively correlated with RA (β, -2.536 [95% CI, -3.725 to -1.346]; P = 2.9 × 10-5). In addition, the reverse MR results showed that RA was positively correlated with milk type (skimmed vs any other; β, 0.006 [95% CI, 0.000-0.011]; P = 4.5 × 10-2). RA was positively correlated with spread type (tub margarine vs never; β, 0.016 [95% CI, 0.002-0.029]; P = 2.5 × 10-2). The results of pleiotropy and heterogeneity tests showed that there was no pleiotropy (P > .05) in the obtained results. The analysis results of MR-Egger, simple mode, weighted median, and weighted mode are consistent with our IVW results. This study reveals a potential association between specific dietary habits and RA. Among current drinkers (drinks usually with meals yes + it varies vs no) was positively correlated with RA. Spread type (low fat spread vs any other) was negatively correlated with RA. RA was positively correlated with milk type (skimmed vs any other) and spread type (tub margarine vs never)., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Introduction: Heme-oxidized iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2) ubiquitin ligase-1 (HOIL-1) is believed to contribute to the ubiquitination of IRP2, which facilitates the transcription of transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) while preventing the transcription of ferroportin-1 (FPN-1). Bioinformatics analysis predicts that nadolol (a β-blocker) interacts with the HOIL-1., Method: The present study is intended to explore whether nadolol suppresses ferroptosis in the brains of rats suffering from ischemic stroke via targeting the HOIL-1/IRP2 pathway. A rat model of ischemic stroke was established by blocking the middle cerebral artery for 2 h plus 24 h reperfusion, and nadolol (2.5 or 5 mg/kg) was given at 1h after reperfusion. HT22 cells were subjected to 12 h of hypoxia, followed by 24 h of reoxygenation for simulating ischemic stroke, and nadolol (0.1 or 0.25 μM) was administered to the culture medium before reoxygenation., Results: The stroke rats showed evident brain injury (increases in neurological deficit score and infarct volume) and ferroptosis, along with up-regulation of IRP2 and TfR1 while downregulation of HOIL-1 and FPN-1; these phenomena were reversed in the presence of nadolol. In the cultured HT22 cells, hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced LDH release, ferroptosis, and changes in the levels of relevant proteins (IRP2, TfR1, HOIL-1, and FPN-1) were also reversed by nadolol., Conclusion: In terms of these findings, it is concluded that nadolol can protect the ischemic rats' brains against ferroptosis by targeting the HOIL-1/IRP2 pathway, thereby preventing intracellular iron overload. Thus, nadolol may be a novel indication for treating patients with ischemic stroke., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objective: In a previous study we have shown that, in the presence of interleukin (IL)-33, repeated, per-nasal challenge of murine airways with Streptococcus pneumoniae ( S. pneumoniae ) organisms induces human asthma-like airways inflammation. It is not clear, however, whether this effect is unique or manifest in response to other common respiratory pathogens. Methods: To explore this, airways of BALB/c mice were repeatedly challenged per-nasally with formaldehyde-inactivated bacterial bodies in the presence or absence of murine recombinant IL-33. Serum concentrations of S.pneumoniae , Moraxella catarrhalis ( M.catarrhalis ) and Haemophilus influenzae ( H.influenzae ) lysates-specific IgE were measured in patients with asthma and control subjects. Results: We showed that in the presence of IL-33, repeated, per-nasal airways exposure to the bodies of these bacteria induced airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in the experimental mice. This was accompanied by cellular infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), eosinophilic infiltration and mucous hypertrophy of the lung tissue, with elevated local expression of some type 2 cytokines and elevated, specific IgG and IgE in the serum. The precise characteristics of the inflammation evoked by exposure to each bacterial species were distinguishable. Conclusions: These results suggest that in the certain circumstances, inhaled or commensal bacterial body antigens of both Gram-positive ( S. pneumoniae ) and Gram-negative ( M. catarrhalis and H. influenzae ) respiratory tract bacteria may initiate type 2 inflammation typical of asthma in the airways. In addition, we demonstrated that human asthmatic patients manifest elevated serum concentrations of M.catarrhalis- and H.influenzae- specific IgE.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. (TBR), a popular herbal remedy in India and Southeast Asia, has been demonstrated to possess multiple pharmacological activities. However, systematic studies on the medicinal effects and mechanism of TBR for the androgenetic alopecia (AGA) treatment are deficient., Materials and Methods: Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) and testosterone-induced AGA mice were used to evaluate the hair regrowth activity of TBR extracts. Chemical constituents and potential active components of TBR extracts were analyed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS in vitro/vivo. The hair regrowth mechanisms of TBR were elucidated through network pharmacology and experimental validation., Results: Totally 28 chemical constituents in TBR were identified, of which 15 were predicted as potential active components for AGA therapy. TBR could significantly scavenge ROS, promote VEGF level/cell migration of HUVECs, and inhibiting type II 5α-reductase activity (the inhibit rate: 82.35 ± 1.02 %). Pharmacodynamic evaluation suggested that TBR effectively led to hair regrowth in C57BL6 mice compared to minoxidil. TBR promoted the hair follicle (HF) transition from the telogen phase to anagen phase by decreasing MDA levels, increasing VEFG expression and up-regulating phosphorylated P38/ERK protein levels in the MAPK signalling pathway., Conclusions: TBR reversed AGA via inhibiting SRD5A2 activity and stimulating the MAPK pathway. Meantime, TBR could remodel the follicle microenvironment by reducing oxidative stress and increasing angiogenesis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Yao Liu reports financial support were provided by Chongqing Clinical Pharmacy Key Specialties Construction Project, China, and Joint Medical Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Project of Chongqing Science and Technology Bureau and Health Commission, China: 2023ZDXM032., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Limb salvage surgery is an important method for treating malignant tumors of the bone involving the adjacent parts of the major joints in children. This technique allows for preservation of limb function, especially in the lower limb. However, the reconstruction of the proximal end of the tibia after removing the tumor mass with a rational scale to preserve the total knee joint and reduce limb length discrepancy presents a challenge., Case Presentation: We present a case of osteosarcoma of the proximal tibia. After being treated with an extended tumor resection, the proximal tibia of the child was restructured using endoprosthetic replacement with epiphyseal preservation. This procedure preserves the entire articular surface and growth plate of the knee joint of the affected limb and provides a feasible alternative protocol for retaining the function and growth potential of the affected limb. The patient remained disease-free and normal limb motor function was observed during the 3.5 year follow-up since the initial surgery., Conclusions: Preservation of the epiphysis enabled our patient to perform better limb function after limb-saving surgery as a result of his undamaged knee joint and minimized limb-length discrepancy. We believe that endoprosthetic replacement with preservation of the epiphysis can provide the best strategy for reconstruction after resection of focal malignant tumors in long bones without epiphytic involvement., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: Downregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) contributes to doxorubicin (DOX)-induced myocardial oxidative stress, and inhibition of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) increased Nrf2 protein level in rat heart suffering ischemia/reperfusion, indicating a connection between MALT1 and Nrf2. This study aims to explore the role of MALT1 in DOX-induced myocardial oxidative stress and the underlying mechanisms. Results: The mice received a single injection of DOX (15 mg/kg, i.p.) to induce myocardial oxidative stress, evidenced by increases in the levels of reactive oxidative species as well as decreases in the activities of antioxidative enzymes, concomitant with a downregulation of Nrf2; these phenomena were reversed by MALT1 inhibitor. Similar phenomena were observed in DOX-induced oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes. Mechanistically, knockdown or inhibition of MALT1 notably attenuated the interaction between Nrf2 and MALT1 and decreased the k48-linked ubiquitination of Nrf2. Furthermore, inhibition or knockdown of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII-δ) reduced the phosphorylation of caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 11 (CARD11), subsequently disrupted the assembly of CARD11, B cell lymphoma 10 (BCL10), and MALT1 (CBM) complex, and reduced the MALT1-dependent k48-linked ubiquitination of Nrf2 in DOX-treated mice or cardiomyocytes. Innovation and Conclusion: The E3 ubiquitin ligase function of MALT1 accounts for the downregulation of Nrf2 and aggravation of myocardial oxidative stress in DOX-treated mice, and CaMKII-δ-dependent phosphorylation of CARD11 triggered the assembly of CBM complex and the subsequent activation of MALT1.

Eosinophils account for a significant portion of immune cells in the body. It is well known that eosinophils play a role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. In which the interaction between eosinophils and other immune cells is incompletely understood. The aim of this study is to characterize the immune suppressive functions of eosinophils. In this study, an irway allergy mouse model was established. Eosinophils were isolated from the airway tissues using flow cytometry cell sorting. The RAW264.7 cell line was used to test the immune suppressive functions of eosinophils. We observed that eosinophils had immune suppressive functions manifesting inhibiting immune cell proliferation and cytokine release from other immune cells. The eosinophil's immune suppressive functions were mediated by eosinophil-derived molecules, such as eosinophil peroxidase (EPX) and major basic protein (MBP). The expression of Ras-like protein in the brain 27a (Rab27a) was detected in eosinophils, which controlled the release of MBP and EPX by eosinophils. Eosinophil mediators had two contrast effects on inducing inflammatory responses or rendering immune suppressive effects, depending on the released amounts. Administration of an inhibitor of Rab27a at proper dosage could alleviate experimental airway allergy. To sum up, eosinophils have immune suppressive functions and are also inflammation inducers. Rab27a governs the release of EPX and MBP from eosinophils, which leads to immune suppression or inflammation. Modulation of Rab27a can alleviate airway allergy responses by modulating eosinophil's immune suppressive functions, which has the translational potential for the management of eosinophil-related diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, characterized by a high potential for proliferation and metastasis. Patients with osteosarcoma who have distant metastases generally have a poor prognosis. Challenges in treatment include incomplete resection of tumor and chemotherapy resistance, with no effective cure currently available. Recent studies suggest that β-1,4-N-acetyl-galactosaminyltransferase 1 (B4GALNT1) plays a role in the progression of various malignant tumors. However, the function of B4GALNT1 in osteosarcoma cells has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the expression of B4GALNT1 in osteosarcoma tissues compared to normal tissues and to explore its effects on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells, thereby providing new theoretical foundations and directions for the treatment of osteosarcoma patients., Methods: Tumor tissues and corresponding normal tissue samples were collected from 16 osteosarcoma patients who underwent tumor resection at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. The patients' ages ranged from 8 to 17 years (median age 12 years). The expression of B4GALNT1 mRNA in osteosarcoma tissues, corresponding normal tissues, 3 osteosarcoma cell lines (MG63, Saos-2, and U2OS), and human fetal osteoblastic cells (hFOB) was detected using real-time reverse transcription PCR (real-time RT-PCR). The effects of B4GALNT1 knockdown on the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells Saos-2 and U2OS were analyzed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays and colony formation assays. The effects of B4GALNT1 knockdown on the migration and invasion abilities of Saos-2 and U2OS cells were evaluated using Transwell migration and invasion assays. Western blotting analysis was performed to assess the impact of B4GALNT1 knockdown on the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion-related proteins in Saos-2 and U2OS cells., Results: Real-time RT-PCR results showed that B4GALNT1 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in osteosarcoma tissues and the 3 osteosarcoma cell lines compared to normal tissues and hFOB cells (all P <0.01). CCK-8 and colony formation assays indicated that B4GALNT1 knockdown significantly reduced the proliferation rate of osteosarcoma cells compared to the control group (all P <0.05). Transwell migration and invasion assays demonstrated that B4GALNT1 knockdown significantly decreased the number of migrating and invading osteosarcoma cells (all P <0.01). Western blotting analysis revealed that B4GALNT1 knockdown inhibited the expression of N-cadherin, Snail, Vimentin, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) compared to the control group (all P <0.01)., Conclusions: B4GALNT1 is upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines, and its knockdown suppresses the malignant phenotype of osteosarcoma cells. B4GALNT1 may function as an oncogene in the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells.

Cobalt substitution for manganese sites in Na 0.44 MnO 2 initiates a dynamic structural evolution process, yielding a composite cathode material comprising intergrown P2 and P3 phases. The novel P2/P3 composite cathode exhibits a reversible phase transition process during Na + extraction/insertion, showcasing its attractive battery performance in sodium-ion batteries.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the cancers that seriously threaten human health. Immunotherapy serves as the mainstay of treatment for HCC patients by targeting the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) axis. However, the effectiveness of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment is limited when HCC becomes drug-resistant. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an important factor in the negative regulation of PD-1 antibody targeted therapy in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Therefore, as an emerging direction in cancer immunotherapy research for the treatment of HCC, it is crucial to elucidate the correlations and mechanisms between TAMs and PD-1/PD-L1-mediated immune tolerance. This paper summarizes the effects of TAMs on the pathogenesis and progression of HCC and their impact on HCC anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, and further explores current potential therapeutic strategies that target TAMs in HCC, including eliminating TAMs in the TME, inhibiting TAMs recruitment to tumors and functionally repolarizing M2-TAMs (tumor-supportive) to M1-TAMs (antitumor type)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Duan, Li, Peng, Ming, Ni and Liu.)

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been extensively implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Recent studies have revealed that PM2.5 plays a role in regulating iron metabolism and redox homeostasis in the brain, which is closely associated with ferroptosis. In this study, the role and underlying mechanism of ferroptosis in PM2.5-induced neurotoxicity were investigated in mice, primary hippocampal neurons, and HT22 cells. Our findings demonstrated that exposure to PM2.5 could induce abnormal behaviors, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss in the hippocampus of mice. These effects may be attributed to ferroptosis induced by PM2.5 exposure in hippocampal neurons. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the upregulation of iron metabolism-related protein Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and the activation of mitophagy might play key roles in PM2.5-induced ferroptosis in HT22 cells. Subsequent in vitro experiments showed that PM2.5 exposure significantly upregulated HO-1 in primary hippocampal neurons and HT22 cells. Moreover, PM2.5 exposure activated mitophagy in HT22 cells, leading to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, alterations in the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3, P62, and mTOR, as well as an increase in mitophagy-related protein PINK1 and PARKIN. As a heme-degradation enzyme, the upregulation of HO-1 promotes the release of excess iron, genetically inhibiting the upregulation of HO-1 in HT22 cells could prevent both PM2.5-induced mitophagy and ferroptosis. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of mitophagy in HT22 cells reduced levels of ferrous ions and lipid peroxides, thereby preventing ferroptosis. Collectively, this study demonstrates that HO-1 mediates PM2.5-induced mitophagy-dependent ferroptosis in hippocampal neurons, and inhibiting mitophagy or ferroptosis may be a key therapeutic target to ameliorate neurotoxicity following PM2.5 exposure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence of spontaneous abortion (SA), which affects approximately 15-20% of pregnancies, is the most common complication of early pregnancy. Pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) are recognized as potential genetic causes of SA. However, CNVs of variants of uncertain significance (VOUS) have been identified in products of conceptions (POCs), and their correlation with SA remains uncertain., Results: Of 189 spontaneous abortion cases, trisomy 16 was the most common numerical chromosome abnormality, followed by monosomy X. CNVs most often occurred on chromosomes 4 and 8. Gene Ontology and signaling pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of genes related to nervous system development, transmembrane transport, cell adhesion, and structural components of chromatin. Furthermore, genes within the VOUS CNVs were screened by integrating human placental expression profiles, PhyloP scores, and Residual Variance Intolerance Score (RVIS) percentiles to identify potential candidate genes associated with spontaneous abortion. Fourteen potential candidate genes (LZTR1, TSHZ1, AMIGO2, H1-4, H2BC4, H2AC7, H3C8, H4C3, H3C6, PHKG2, PRR14, RNF40, SRCAP, ZNF629) were identified. Variations in LZTR1, TSHZ1, and H4C3 may contribute to embryonic lethality., Conclusions: CNV sequencing (CNV-seq) analysis is an effective technique for detecting chromosomal abnormalities in POCs and identifying potential candidate genes for SA., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is one of the common complications after joint replacement, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. We systematically searched nine databases, a total of eleven studies on prediction models to predict DVT after knee/hip arthroplasty were included, eight prediction models for DVT after knee/hip arthroplasty were chosen and compared. The results of network meta-analysis showed the XGBoost model (SUCRA 100.0%), LASSO (SUCRA 84.8%), ANN (SUCRA 72.1%), SVM (SUCRA 53.0%), ensemble model (SUCRA 40.8%), RF (SUCRA 25.6%), LR (SUCRA 21.8%), GBT (SUCRA 1.1%), and best prediction performance is XGB (SUCRA 100%). Results show that the XGBoost model has the best predictive performance. Our study provides suggestions and directions for future research on the DVT prediction model. In the future, well-designed studies are still needed to validate this model., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Roses are consistently ranked at the forefront in cut flower production. Increasing demands of market and changing climate conditions have resulted in the need to further improve the diversity and quality of traits. However, frequent hybridization leads to highly heterozygous nature, including the allelic variants. Therefore, the absence of comprehensive genomic information leads to them making it challenging to molecular breeding. Here, two haplotype-resolved chromosome genomes for Rosa chinensis 'Chilong Hanzhu' (2n = 14) which is high heterozygous diploid old Chinese rose are generated. An amount of genetic variation (1,605,616 SNPs, 209,575 indels) is identified. 13,971 allelic genes show differential expression patterns between two haplotypes. Importantly, these differences hold valuable insights into regulatory mechanisms of traits. RcMYB114b can influence cyanidin-3-glucoside accumulation and the allelic variation in its promoter leads to differences in promoter activity, which as a factor control petal color. Moreover, gene family expansion may contribute to the abundance of terpenes in floral scents. Additionally, RcANT1, RcDA1, RcAG1 and RcSVP1 genes are involved in regulation of petal number and size under heat stress treatment. This study provides a foundation for molecular breeding to improve important characteristics of roses., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Plants have an incredible ability to sustain root and vascular growth after initiation of the embryonic root and the specification of vascular tissue in early embryos. Microarray assays have revealed that a group of transcription factors, TARGET OF MONOPTEROS (TMO), are important for embryonic root initiation in Arabidopsis. Despite the discovery of their auxin responsiveness early on, their function and mode of action remained unknown for many years. The advent of genome editing has accelerated the study of TMO transcription factors, revealing novel functions for biological processes such as vascular development, root system architecture, and response to environmental cues. This review covers recent achievements in understanding the developmental function and the genetic mode of action of TMO transcription factors in Arabidopsis and other plant species. We highlight the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of TMO transcription factors in relation to their function, mainly in Arabidopsis. Finally, we provide suggestions for further research and potential applications in plant genetic engineering., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To study the distribution of pathogenic Aspergillus strains of otomycosis in central China and the identification of their antifungal sensitivity., Methods: We collected external ear canal secretions clinically diagnosed as otomycosis from April 2020 to January 2023 from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in central China. The pathogenic Aspergillus strains were identified through morphological examination and sequencing. The antifungal sensitivity was performed using the broth microdilution method described in the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute document M38-A3., Results: In the 452 clinical strains isolated from the external ear canal, 284 were identified as Aspergillus terreus (62.83%), 92 as Aspergillus flavus (20.35%), 55 as Aspergillus niger (12.17%). In antifungal susceptibility tests the MIC of Aspergillus strains to bifonazole and clotrimazole was high,all the MIC90 is > 16 ug/mL. However, most Aspergillus isolates show moderate greatly against terbinafine, itraconazole and voriconazole., Conclusion: A. terreus is the most common pathogenic Aspergillus strain in otomycosis in central China. The selected topical antifungal drugs were bifonazole and clotrimazole; the drug resistance rate was approximately 30%. If the infection is persistent and requires systemic treatment, terbinafine and itraconazole can be used. The resistance of Aspergillus in otomycosis to voriconazole should be screened to avoid the systemic spread of infection in immunocompromised people and poor compliance with treatment. However, the pan-azole-resistant strain of Aspergillus should be monitored, particularly in high-risk patients with otomycosis., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Interpersonal harm is a preventable public health problem. A growing body of literature shows persistently elevated exposure rates to physical and sexual victimization during incarceration. Yet how to prevent interpersonal harm during incarceration has proven far more elusive. A public health approach to prevention offers promise. To develop effective prevention strategies, the public health approach begins with defining and measuring the problem, followed by identifying risk and protective factors for the problem. The dynamic literature on in-prison interpersonal harm includes both parts of the public health approach but theoretical and methodological "noise" in this literature limits its instrumental utility to build effective prevention strategies. Herein, we critically review this evidence base (15 peer-reviewed articles published since 2000 with samples of 1,000+) to isolate the noise and the substance. We, then, minimize the methodological noise by testing for risk factors using self-report data that is representative of an entire U.S. state prison system for men and best data collection practices. Multilevel logistic regression is used to predict four types of interpersonal harm using theoretically grounded individual and prison-level covariates that are supported by the empirical literature. We conclude with recommendations for building an evidence base from which to develop prevention strategies that would create and sustain custodial conditions for people to be safe and healthy while incarcerated., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Living fossils are evidence of long-term sustained ecological success. However, whether living fossils have little molecular changes remains poorly known, particularly in plants. Here, we have introduced a novel method that integrates phylogenomic, comparative genomic, and ecological niche modeling analyses to investigate the rate of molecular evolution of Eupteleaceae, a Cretaceous relict angiosperm family endemic to East Asia. We assembled a high-quality chromosome-level nuclear genome, and the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of a member of Eupteleaceae (Euptelea pleiosperma). Our results show that Eupteleaceae is most basal in Ranunculales, the earliest-diverging order in eudicots, and shares an ancient whole-genome duplication event with the other Ranunculales. We document that Eupteleaceae has the slowest rate of molecular changes in the observed angiosperms. The unusually low rate of molecular evolution of Eupteleaceae across all three independent inherited genomes and genes within each of the three genomes is in association with its conserved genome architecture, ancestral woody habit, and conserved niche requirements. Our findings reveal the evolution and adaptation of living fossil plants through large-scale environmental change and also provide new insights into early eudicot diversification., (© 2023. Science China Press.)

Vegetable oils-based pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are green and sustainable but face unsatisfactory adhesion strengths and are prone to aging during storage and application due to the existence of residual double bonds and massive ester bonds. Nine common antioxidants (tea polyphenol palmitate (TPP), caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, tertiary butylhydroquinone, butylated hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, and tea polyphenols) were grafted into epoxidized soybean oils-PSA (ESO-PSA) system to enhance antiaging properties and adhesion strengths. Results showed ESO-PSAs grafted with caffeic acid, tertiary butylhydroquinone, butylated hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, tea polyphenols, or TPP didn't occur failure with TPP having best performance. The optimal conditions were ESO reacted with 0.9 % TPP, 70 % rosin ester, and 7.0 % phosphoric acid at 50 °C for 5 min, under which peel strength and loop tack increased to 2.460 N/cm and 1.66 N, respectively, but peel strength residue reduced to 138.09 %, compared with control (0.407 N/cm, 0.43 N, and 1669.99 %). Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric results showed TPP grafting increased the glass transition temperature of ESO-PSA slightly but improved its thermal stability significantly. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance results showed TPP, phosphoric acid, and rosin ester all partially participated in the covalently crosslinking polymerization of ESO-PSAs and the rest existed in the network structures in the free form., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Vascular calcification (VC) has a high incidence in patients with chronic kidney disease, which is a worldwide public health problem and presents a heavy burden to society. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 α , the active subunit of HIF-1, has been reported to play a vital role in high phosphate-induced VC. However, the underlying mechanism is still undetermined, and effective treatment is unavailable. In the present study, human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were cultured under normal or high phosphate media conditions. HIF-1 α small interfering RNA and overexpression plasmids were employed to regulate HIF-1 α expression. Phosphonoformic acid was employed to restrain the function of type III sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter 1 (Pit-1). The expression levels of HIF-1 α , Pit-1, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and smooth muscle 22 alpha (SM22 α ) were evaluated, and the calcium contents were also examined. Cell growth was assessed using an MTT assay. High phosphate stimulation caused an upregulation in HIF-1 α and Pit-1 expression levels and induced calcium depositions in HASMCs. Upregulation of Runx2 expression accompanied by downregulation of SM22 α expression was observed in the high phosphate group. Following the suppression of HIF-1 α expression, there was a concomitant attenuation in Pit-1 expression, calcium deposition, the alteration of phenotypic transition marker genes, and vice versa . The most serious calcium deposition was noted in HASMCs cultured under high phosphate conditions which were pretreated with a HIF-1 α overexpression plasmid. However, when the biological functions of Pit-1 were restrained, the putative serious calcium deposition was not formed even in HASMCs transfected with a HIF-1 α overexpression plasmid. The findings confirmed that HIF-1 α regulated Pit-1 expression and exerted its pro-calcifying effect through Pit-1, which identified HIF-1 α and Pit-1 as therapeutic targets for high phosphate-induced VC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chengkun Guo et al.)

Mentha canadensis is a traditional Chinese herb with great medicinal and economic value. Abscisic acid(ABA) receptor PYLs have important roles in plant growth and development and response to adversity. The M. canadensis McPYL4 gene was cloned, and its protein characteristics, gene expression, and protein interactions were analyzed, so as to provide genetic resources for genetic improvement and molecular design breeding for M. canadensis resistance. Therefore, the protein characteristics, subcellular localization, gene expression pattern, and protein interactions of McPYL4 were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis, transient expression of tobacco leaves, RT-qPCR, and yeast two-hybrid(Y2H) techniques. The results showed that the McPYL4 gene was 621 bp in length, encoding 206 amino acids, and its protein had the conserved structural domain of SRPBCC and was highly homologous with Salvia miltiorrhiza SmPYL4. McPYL4 protein was localized to the cell membrane and nucleus. The McPYL4 gene was expressed in all tissue of M. canadensis, with the highest expression in roots, followed by leaves, and it showed a pattern of up-regulation followed by down-regulation in leaves 1-8. In both leaves and roots, the McPYL4 gene responded to the exogenous hormones ABA, MeJA, and the treatments of drought, AlCl&#95;3, NaCl, CdCl&#95;2, and CuCl&#95;2. Moreover, McPYL4 was up-regulated for expression in both leaves and roots under the MeJA treatment, as well as in leaves treated with AlCl&#95;3 stress for 1 h, whereas McPYL4 showed a tendency to be down-regulated in both leaves and roots under other treatments. Protein interactions showed that McPYL4 interacted with AtABI proteins in an ABA-independent manner. This study demonstrated that McPYL4 responded to ABA, JA, and several abiotic stress treatments, and McPYL4 was involved in ABA signaling in M. canadensis and thus in the regulation of leaf development and various abiotic stresses in M. canadensis.

Hole transport materials (HTMs) play a crucial role in achieving efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, an HTM MF-ACD with an asymmetric structure is designed by introducing two different peripheral end groups. The asymmetric feature increases the molecular dipole of MF-ACD, and endows MF-ACD with good stability and film formation properties, higher hole mobility and conductivity. Consequently, the MF-ACD-based PSC shows a high efficiency of 23.1%, which is much higher than that of the symmetric counterpart. The results show that the asymmetric configuration might be a potential choice to develop more efficient HTMs.

Accurately obtaining accurate information about the future traffic flow of all roads in the transportation network is essential for traffic management and control applications. In order to address the challenges of acquiring dynamic global spatial correlations between transportation links and modeling time dependencies in multi-step prediction, we propose a spatial linear transformer and temporal convolution network (SLTTCN). The model is using spatial linear transformers to aggregate the spatial information of the traffic flow, and bidirectional temporal convolution network to capture the temporal dependency of the traffic flow. The spatial linear transformer effectively reduces the complexity of data calculation and storage while capturing spatial dependence, and the time convolutional network with bidirectional and gate fusion mechanisms avoids the problems of gradient vanishing and high computational cost caused by long time intervals during model training. We conducted extensive experiments using two publicly available large-scale traffic data sets and compared SLTTCN with other baselines. Numerical results show that SLTTCN achieves the best predictive performance in various error measurements. We also performed attention visualization analysis on the spatial linear transformer, verifying its effectiveness in capturing dynamic global spatial dependency., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The global incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is steadily escalating, with discernible linkage to the intricate terrain of intestinal microecology. The intestinal microbiota orchestrates a dynamic equilibrium in the organism, metabolizing dietary-derived compounds, a process which profoundly impacts human health. Among these compounds, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which result from microbial metabolic processes, play a versatile role in influencing host energy homeostasis, immune function, and intermicrobial signaling, etc. SCFAs emerge as pivotal risk factors influencing CKD's development and prognosis. This paper review elucidates the impact of gut microbial metabolites, specifically SCFAs, on CKD, highlighting their role in modulating host inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, cellular autophagy, the immune milieu, and signaling cascades. An in-depth comprehension of the interplay between SCFAs and kidney disease pathogenesis may pave the way for their utilization as biomarkers for CKD progression and prognosis or as novel adjunctive therapeutic strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial factor in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression. To gain deeper insights into molecular mechanisms of LUAD, we perform an integrative single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data analysis of 377,574 cells from 117 LUAD patient samples. By linking scRNA-seq data with bulk gene expression data, we identify a cluster of prognostic-related UPP1 high tumor cells. These cells, primarily situated at the invasive front of tumors, display a stronger association with the immunosuppressive components in the TME. Our cytokine array analysis reveals that the upregulation of UPP1 in tumor cells leads to the increased release of various immunosuppressive cytokines, with TGF-β1 being particularly prominent. Furthermore, this UPP1 upregulation also elevates the expression of PD-L1 through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which contributes to the suppression of CD8 + T cells. Cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) analysis provides additional evidence of the role of UPP1 in shaping the immunosuppressive nature of the TME. Using patient-derived organoids (PDOs), we discover that UPP1 high tumors exhibit relatively increased sensitivity to Bosutinib and Dasatinib. Collectively, our study highlights the immunosuppressive role of UPP1 in LUAD, and these findings may provide insights into the molecular features of LUAD and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Exercise has been recommended to enhance sleep. However, there is a paucity of studies investigating the relationships between exercise and sleep problems in patients with bladder cancer. The authors explored the effects of a single bout of light-intensity walking on the sleep quality of patients with bladder cancer who have sleep disorders., Data Sources: A total of 14 patients with bladder cancer with sleep disorders were recruited for this trial. The participants were randomly assigned to the walking or control condition in a cross-over design to explore the effects of a single light-intensity walking session on objectively measured sleep quality. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and a nonparametric permutation test were used to examine intervention effects. Twelve participants (85.7%) completed the trial. A significant group × time interaction for sleep latency (P = .023) was identified. The pairwise comparison showed significant results (P = .012) for the difference between the post-test sleep latency and the pre-test. No significant group × time interactions were observed for the remaining seven sleep parameters. Additionally, only the main effects of time on length of awakening and time in bed were significant (P < .001)., Conclusion: A single bout of light-intensity walking has a positive effect on shortening the sleep latency of patients with bladder cancer who have sleep disorders., Implications for Nursing Practice: Oncology nurses can encourage patients with bladder cancer to exercise, even light-intensity walking, which may improve sleep quality., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP) is a fatal interstitial pulmonary disease with limited treatment options. Lung macrophages are a heterogeneous cell population that exhibit distinct subsets with divergent functions, playing pivotal roles in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. However, the specific macrophage subpopulations and underlying mechanisms involved in the disease remain largely unexplored. In this study, a decision tree model showed that matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP14) had higher scores for important features in the up-regulated genes in macrophages from mice exposed to the Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula antigen (SR-Ag). Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) mice profiles, we identified MMP14 high macrophage subcluster with a predominant M2 phenotype that exhibited higher activity in promoting fibroblast-to myofibroblast transition (FMT). We demonstrated that suppressing toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) could attenuate MMP14 expression and exosome secretion in macrophages stimulation with SR-Ag. The exosomes derived from MMP14-overexpressing macrophages were found to be more effective in regulating the transition of fibroblasts through exosomal MMP14. Importantly, it was observed that the transfer of MMP14-overexpressing macrophages into mice promoted lung inflammation and fibrosis induced by SR-Ag. NSC-405020 binding to the hemopexin domain (PEX) of MMP-14 ameliorated lung inflammation and fibrosis induced by SR-Ag in mice. Thus, MMP14-overexpressing macrophages may be an important mechanism contributing to the exacerbation of allergic reactions. Our results indicated that MMP14 in macrophages has the potential to be a therapeutic target for HP., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Mentha canadensis, as a plant with medicinal and culinary uses, holds significant economic value. Jasmonic acid signaling repressor JAZ protein has a crucial role in regulating plant response to adversity stresses. The M. canadensis McJAZ8 gene is cloned and analyzed for protein characterization, protein interactions, and expression patterns, so as to provide genetic resources for molecular breeding of M. canadensis for stress tolerance. This experiment will analyze the protein structural characteristics, subcellular localization, protein interactions, and gene expression of McJAZ8 using bioinformatics, yeast two-hybrid(Y2H), transient expression in tobacco leaves, qRT-PCR, and other technologies. The results show that:(1)The full length of the McJAZ8 gene is 543 bp, encoding 180 amino acids. The McJAZ8 protein contains conserved TIFY and Jas domains and exhibits high homology with Arabidopsis thaliana AtJAZ1 and AtJAZ2.(2)The McJAZ8 protein is localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm.(3)The Y2H results show that McJAZ8 interacts with itself or McJAZ1/3/4/5 proteins to form homologous or heterologous dimers.(4)McJAZ8 is expressed in different tissue, with the highest expression level in young leaves. In terms of leaf sequence, McJAZ8 shows the highest expression level in the fourth leaf and the lowest expression level in the second leaf.(5) In leaves and roots, the expression of McJAZ8 is upregulated to varying degrees under methyl jasmonate(MeJA), drought, and NaCl treatments. The expression of McJAZ8 shows an initial upregulation followed by a downregulation pattern under CdCl&#95;2 treatment. In leaves, the expression of McJAZ8 tends to gradually decrease under CuCl&#95;2 treatment, while in roots, it initially decreases and then increases before decreasing again. In both leaves and roots, the expression of McJAZ8 is downregulated to varying degrees under AlCl&#95;(3 )treatment. This study has enriched the research on jasmonic acid signaling repressor JAZ genes in M. canadensis and provided genetic resources for the molecular breeding of M. canadensis.

Homosporous lycophytes (Lycopodiaceae) are a deeply diverged lineage in the plant tree of life, having split from heterosporous lycophytes ( Selaginella and Isoetes ) ~400 Mya. Compared to the heterosporous lineage, Lycopodiaceae has markedly larger genome sizes and remains the last major plant clade for which no chromosome-level assembly has been available. Here, we present chromosomal genome assemblies for two homosporous lycophyte species, the allotetraploid Huperzia asiatica and the diploid Diphasiastrum complanatum . Remarkably, despite that the two species diverged ~350 Mya, around 30% of the genes are still in syntenic blocks. Furthermore, both genomes had undergone independent whole genome duplications, and the resulting intragenomic syntenies have likewise been preserved relatively well. Such slow genome evolution over deep time is in stark contrast to heterosporous lycophytes and is correlated with a decelerated rate of nucleotide substitution. Together, the genomes of H. asiatica and D. complanatum not only fill a crucial gap in the plant genomic landscape but also highlight a potentially meaningful genomic contrast between homosporous and heterosporous species., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Background: Recently, the prevalence of invasive fungal infections has been on the rise, and one of the prevalent symptoms frequently observed is bone deterioration and bone loss., Materials and Methods: Using an in vitro model we studied how Aspergillus fumigatus invades the bone. Pathological analysis was then employed to observe the structure and distinctive features of the invading fungal elements within the bone invasion model. Meanwhile, the antifungal effects of itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and amphotericin B were evaluated., Results: The pathological findings showed that in the experimental group, fungal spores and hyphae invaded the bone tissue or were observed growing in the vicinity of the bone edge tissues, as indicated by both HE and PAS staining. In contrast, no fungal elements were observed in the control group, indicating that the in vitro bone invasion model of A. fumigatus was successfully constructed. Furthermore, the findings from the antifungal sensitivity test demonstrated that the lowest effective concentrations of antifungal drugs against the bone invasion model were as follows: 4 μg/ml for itraconazole, 0.5 μg/ml for voriconazole, 2 μg/ml for posaconazole, and 2 μg/ml for amphotericin B., Discussion: The successful construction of the bone invasion model of A. fumigatus has provided a solid basis for future investigations into the mechanisms underlying A. fumigatus bone invasion and the study of its virulence factors. Utilizing bone models is of utmost importance in advancing the development of novel antifungal treatment approaches, as well as in effectively preventing and treating fungal bone invasion and osteolytic diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objective: This study aimed to examine the mechanism of hyperphosphatemia-induced vascular calcification (HPVC)., Methods: Primary human aortic smooth muscle cells and rat aortic rings were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 0.9 mM or 2.5 mM phosphorus concentrations. Type III sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter-1 (Pit-1) small interfering RNA and phosphonoformic acid (PFA), a Pit-1 inhibitor, were used to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Pit-1 on HPVC. Calcium content shown by Alizarin red staining, expression levels of Pit-1, and characteristic molecules for phenotypic transition of vascular smooth muscle cells were examined., Results: Hyperphosphatemia induced the upregulation of Pit-1 expression, facilitated phenotypic transition of vascular smooth muscle cells, and led to HPVC in cellular and organ models. Treatment with Pit-1 small interfering RNA or PFA significantly inhibited Pit-1 expression, suppressed phenotypic transition, and attenuated HPVC., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Pit-1 plays a pivotal role in the development of HPVC. The use of PFA as a Pit-1 inhibitor has the potential for therapeutic intervention in patients with HPVC. However, further rigorous clinical investigations are required to ensure the safety and efficacy of PFA before it can be considered for widespread implementation in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict interest.

The physicochemical environment at the sites of chronic diabetic wounds is an ideal habitat for bacteria, which exacerbate the deterioration of the microenvironment at the wound sites and consequently delay wound healing. In recent years, photothermal therapy has been considered an ideal non-antibiotic antimicrobial strategy. However, photothermal therapy alone is prone to cause damage to the body tissues. Herein, a (zeolitic imidazolate framework-8) ZIF-8/(mesoporous polydopamine) MPDA@(deoxyribonuclease I) DNase I ternary nanocomposite system was constructed, which exhibited good antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Specifically, DNase I was first encapsulated into MPDA nanoparticles (NPs) and then coated with ZIF-8, which rapidly degrades in an acidic bacterial environment, triggering the release of antimicrobial Zn 2+ and DNase I, thus enabling low-temperature (∼45 °C) PTT antimicrobial therapy. Meanwhile, the NPs can effectively regulate the oxidative stress environment at the trauma site because of the antioxidant effect of MPDA. Moreover, the experimental results of the diabetic wound infection mouse model showed that the prepared NPs could kill bacteria well and accelerate wound healing. Overall, the phototherapy strategy proposed in this study shows great potential in the treatment of chronically infected wounds.

Passiflora is a plant genus known for its extremely distinctive and colorful flowers and a wide range of genome size variation. However, how genome characteristics are related to flower traits among Passiflora species remains poorly understood. Here, we assembled a chromosome-scale genome of P. foetida, which belongs to the same subgenus as the commercial passionfruit P. edulis. The genome of P. foetida is smaller (424.16 Mb) and contains fewer copies of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). The disparity in LTR-RTs is one of the main contributors to the differences in genome sizes between these two species and possibly in floral traits. Additionally, we observed variation in insertion times and copy numbers of LTR-RTs across different transposable element (TE) lineages. Then, by integrating transcriptomic data from 33 samples (eight floral organs and flower buds at three developmental stages) with phylogenomic and metabolomic data, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the expression, phylogeny, and copy number of MIKC-type MADS-box genes and identified essential biosynthetic genes responsible for flower color and scent from glandular bracts and other floral organs. Our study pinpoints LRT-RTs as an important player in genome size variation in Passiflora species and provides insights into future genetic improvement., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Ubiquitination (or ubiquitylation) and de-ubiquitination, which are both post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, have become a research hotspot in recent years. Some ubiquitinated or de-ubiquitinated signaling proteins have been found to promote or suppress innate immunity through Toll-like receptor (TLR), RIG-like receptor (RIG-I-like receptor, RLR), NOD-like receptor (NLR), and the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) synthase (cGAS)-STING pathway. This article aimed to provide a review on the role of ubiquitination and de-ubiquitination, especially ubiquitin ligase enzymes and de-ubiquitinating enzymes, in the above four pathways. We hope that our work can contribute to the research and development of treatment strategies for innate immunity-related diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Foods are susceptible to deterioration and sour due to external environmental influences during production and storage. Coating can form a layer of physical barrier on the surface of foods to achieve the purpose of food preservation. Because of its good barrier properties and biocompatibility, prolamin-based film has been valued as a new green and environment-friendly material in the application of food preservation. Single prolamin-based film has weaknesses of poor toughness and stability, and it is necessary to select appropriate modification methods to improve the performance of film according to the application requirements. The practical application effect of film is not only affected by the raw materials and the properties of the film itself, but also affected by the selection of preparation methods and processing techniques of film-forming liquid. In this review, the properties and selection of prolamins, the forming mechanisms and processes of prolamin-based coatings, the coating techniques, and the modifications of prolamin-based coatings were systematically introduced from the perspective of food coating applications. Moreover, the defects and deficiencies in the research and development of prolamin-based coatings were also reviewed in order to provide a reference for the follow-up research on the application of prolamin-based coatings in food preservation.

Objective: Sex differences in emotions have been widely perceived via self-reports, peripheral physiological signals and brain imaging techniques. However, how sex differences are reflected in the EEG neural patterns of emotions remains unresolved. In this paper, we detect sex differences in emotional EEG patterns, investigate the consistency of such differences in various emotion datasets across cultures, and study how sex as a factor affects the performance of EEG-based emotion recognition models., Approach: We thoroughly assess sex differences in emotional EEG patterns on five public datasets, including SEED, SEED-IV, SEED-V, DEAP and DREAMER, systematically examine the sex-specific EEG patterns for happy, sad, fearful, disgusted and neutral emotions, and implement deep learning models for sex-specific emotion recognition., Main Results: (1) Sex differences exist in various emotion types and both Western and Eastern cultures; (2) The emotion patterns of females are more stable than those of males, and the patterns of happiness from females are in sharp contrast with the patterns of sadness, fear and disgust, while the energy levels are more balanced for males; (3) The key features for emotion recognition are mainly located at the frontal and temporal sites for females and distributed more evenly over the whole brain for males, and (4) The same-sex emotion recognition models outperform the corresponding cross-sex models., Significance: These findings extend efforts to characterize sex differences in emotional brain activation, provide new physiological evidence for sex-specific emotion processing, and reinforce the message that sex differences should be carefully considered in affective research and precision medicine., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Background: The Sino-Himalayan flora harbors highly diverse high-elevation biotas, but our understanding of its evolutionary history in temporal and spatial dimensions is limited. In this study, we integrated a dated phylogenetic tree with comprehensive species distribution data to investigate changes over time and space in floristic elements, including the tropical, Tethys, northern temperate, and East Asian floristic elements, across the entire Sino-Himalaya and its three floristic regions: the Yunnan Plateau, Hengduan Mountains, and East Himalaya regions., Results: Our results revealed that the Sino-Himalayan flora developed from lowland biomes and was predominantly characterized by tropical floristic elements before the collision between the Indian subcontinent and Eurasia during the Early Cenozoic. Subsequently, from the Late Eocene onwards, the uplifts of the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains transformed the Sino-Himalayan region into a wet and cold plateau, on which harsh and diverse ecological conditions forced the rapid evolution of local angiosperms, giving birth to characteristic taxa adapted to the high altitudes and cold habitat. The percentage of temperate floristic elements increased and exceeded that of tropical floristic elements by the Late Miocene., Conclusions: The Sino-Himalayan flora underwent four significant formation periods and experienced a considerable increase in endemic genera and species in the Miocene, which remain crucial to the present-day patterns of plant diversity. Our findings support the view that the Sino-Himalayan flora is relatively young but has ancient origins. The three major shifts in the divergence of genera and species during the four formation periods were primarily influenced by the uplifts of the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains and the onset and intensification of the Asian monsoon system. Additionally, the temporal patterns of floristic elements differed among the three floristic regions of the Sino-Himalaya, indicating that the uplift of the Himalaya and surrounding areas was asynchronous. Compared to the Yunnan Plateau region, the East Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains experienced more recent and drastic uplifts, resulting in highly intricate topography with diverse habitats that promoted the rapid radiation of endemic genera and species in these regions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Exercise intervention (EI) is a promising and economical way for elderly patients with hip fracture, but the evidence regarding effective EIs remains fragmented and controversial, and it is unclear which type of exercise is optimal. The purpose of this Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) is to compare and rank the efficacy of various EIs in elderly patients with hip fracture., Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed using a systematic approach across various databases including Medline (via PubMed), CINAHL, CNKI, Web of Science, Wan Fang, Embase, VIP, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and CBM databases. The search encompasses all available records from the inception of each database until December 2022. The Inclusion literature comprises randomized controlled trials that incorporate at least one EI for elderly patients with hip fracture. We will assess the risk of bias of the studies in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, and assess each evidence of outcome quality in accordance with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. The NMA will be performed by STATA 15.0 software and OpenBUGS version 3.2.3. The identification of publication bias will be accomplished through the utilization of a funnel plot. We will rank the EIs effects according to the cumulative ranking probability curve (surface under the cumulative ranking area, SUCRA). The primary outcomes will be hip function in elderly patients, and the secondary outcomes will be activities of daily living, walking capacity and balance ability of elderly patients., Trial Registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD4202022340737., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Pan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective: The ASTRUM-005 trial demonstrated that adding serplulimab to chemotherapy significantly prolonged the survival of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), but also increased the risk of adverse events. Given the high cost of serplulimab compared to chemotherapy, this study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of serplulimab plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage SCLC from the perspective of China's healthcare system., Methods: A Markov model was developed to simulate the disease process of extensive-stage SCLC and estimate the health outcomes and direct medical costs of patients. Scenario analyses, univariate sensitivity analyses, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore the impact of different parameters on model uncertainty. The primary model outcomes included costs, life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER)., Results: Compared to placebo plus chemotherapy, serplulimab plus chemotherapy resulted in an additional 0.25 life-years and 0.15 QALYs, but also increased costs by $26,402, resulting in an ICER of 179,161 USD/QALY. Sensitivity analysis showed that the ICER was most sensitive to the cost of serplulimab, and the probability that serplulimab was cost-effective when added to chemotherapy was only 0 at the willingness-to-pay threshold of 37,423 USD/QALY. Scenario analysis revealed that price discounts on serplulimab could increase its probability of being cost-effective., Conclusion: Serplulimab plus chemotherapy is not a cost-effective strategy for first-line treatment of extensive-stage SCLC in China. Price discounts on serplulimab can enhance its cost-effectiveness., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xiang, Jiang, Gan, Wu, Zhang, Xing, Su, Li, Peng, Ni and Liu.)

Dianthus caryophyllus is an economic species often considered excellent cut flowers and is suitable for bouquets and gardens. Here, we assembled the haplotype-resolved genome of D. caryophyllus 'Aili' at the chromosome level for the first time. The total lengths of the two assembled haplotypes of carnation were 584.88 Mb for haplotype genome 1 (hap1) and 578.78 Mb for haplotype genome 2 (hap2), respectively. We predicted a total of 44,098 and 42,425 protein-coding genes, respectively. The remarkable structure variation was identified between two haplotypes. Moreover, we identified 403.80 Mb of transposable elements (TEs) in hap1, which accounted for 69.34% of the genome. In contrast, hap2 had 402.70 Mb of TEs, representing 69.61% of the genome. Long terminal repeats were the predominant transposable elements. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the species differentiation time between carnation and gypsophila was estimated to be ~54.43 MYA. The unique gene families of carnation genomes were identified in 'Aili' and previously published 'Francesco' and 'Scarlet Queen'. The assembled and annotated haplotype-resolved D. caryophyllus genome not only promises to facilitate molecular biology studies but also contributes to genome-level evolutionary studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jiang, Zhang, Leng, Gong, Zhang, Liu, Peng, Wu and Yang.)

Chronic inflammation, in general, refers to systemic immune abnormalities most often caused by the environment or lifestyle, which is the basis for various skin diseases, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, digestive diseases, cancer, and so on. Therapeutic strategies have focused on immunosuppression and anti-inflammation, but conventional approaches have been poor in enhancing the substantive therapeutic effect of drugs. Nanomaterials continue to attract attention for their high flexibility, durability and simplicity of preparation, as well as high profitability. Nanotechnology is used in various areas of clinical medicine, such as medical diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. However, some related problems cannot be ignored, including various cytotoxic and worsening inflammation caused by the nanomaterials themselves. This paper provides an overview of functional nanomaterial formulations for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic inflammation-related diseases, with the intention of providing some reference for the enhancement and optimization of existing therapeutic approaches., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Ni, Jiang, Peng, Ming, Cui and Liu.)

Milk is one of the preferred beverages in modern healthy diets, and its freshness is of great significance for product sales and applications. By combining the two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy technique and chemometrics, a new method based on visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy was proposed to discriminate the freshness of milk. To clarify the relationship be-tween the freshness of milk and the spectra, the changes in the physicochemical indicators of milk during storage were analyzed as well as the Vis/NIR spectra and the 2D-Vis/NIR correlation spectra. The threshold-value method, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) method, and support vector machine (SVM) method were used to construct the discriminant models of milk freshness, and the parameters of the SVM-based models were optimized by the grid search method and particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results showed that with the prolongation of storage time, the absorbance of the Vis/NIR spectra of milk gradually increased, and the intensity of autocorrelation peaks and cross peaks in synchronous 2D-Vis/NIR spectra also increased significantly. Compared with the SVM-based models using Vis/NIR spectra, the SVM-based model using 2D-Vis/NIR spectra had a >15% higher prediction accuracy. Under the same conditions, the prediction performances of the SVM-based models were better than those of the threshold-value-based or LDA-based models. In addition, the accuracy rate of the SVM-based model using the synchronous 2D-Vis/NIR autocorrelation spectra was >97%. This work indicates that the 2D-Vis/NIR correlation spectra coupled with chemometrics is a great pattern to rapidly discriminate the freshness of milk, which provides technical support for improving the evaluation system of milk quality and maintaining the safety of milk product quality.

In this study, a novel heteropolysaccharide (ASPA80-1) with an average molecular weight of 5.48 × 10 4  Da was isolated and structurally elucidated from custard apple pulp ( Annona squamosa ) through DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-100 and Sephacryl S-300 HR chromatography and spectral analysis. ASPA80-1 is a water-soluble polysaccharide and it is a polymer consisting of predominant amounts of (1 → 3)-linked-L-arabinose (Ara) residues, small amounts of (1 → 6)-linked-D-galactose (Gal), (1 → 3,5)-linked-L-arabinose (Ara) residues and terminal linked-L-arabinose (Ara) residues, trace amount of (1 → 4)-linked-D-glucose (Glc) residues and (1 → 2)-linked-L-rhamnose (Rham) residues. ASPA80-1 showed significant effect on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) activation. On the one hand, ASPA80-1 activated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inducing morphology change, enhancing phagocytic ability, increasing nitric oxide (NO) secretion and promoting expression of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) and cluster of differentiation 86 (CD 86). On the other hand, ASPA80-1 promoted the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) by inducing longer dendrites, decreasing phagocytic ability and increasing MHC II and CD86 expression. Furthermore, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways were activated after the intervention of ASPA80-1 on RAW264.7 cells or DCs. Thus, the novel heteropolysaccharide ASPA80-1 has the potential to be used as an immunoenhancing component in functional foods., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Prof. Rongmin Yu is a Pharma/Tox Advisory Board Member of Heliyon. Other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)