Search

Batter piles often bear high horizontal resistance and oblique uplift load transformed from high-rise superstructures, and the direction of the oblique uplift load changes with the horizontal displacement of the superstructure. However, the working behaviour of batter piles under such working conditions is less understood. Therefore, a series of laboratory and numerical studies is carried out. A new type of tactile pressure sensor is also used to measure the soil pressure around the pile. Three major conclusions are summarised from the results. First, the lateral response of the batter pile is affected by the loading angle, while the axial response is not. Second, the at-rest soil pressure on the batter pile is in the ‘offset’ state, which can be fitted with an elliptic function. The pile–soil interaction below a certain depth is not affected by the pile angles, and the pile can be designed as the axial uplift pile. The soil stiffness varies within 0.4L and 5D in the axial and radial directions of the pile, respectively. The increase in pile inclination and loading angle can reduce the stiffness degradation to a certain degree. The findings of this research can support engineering practice in the design of batter piles.

Cell-based regenerative therapy utilizes the differentiation potential of stem cells to rejuvenate tissues. But the dynamic fate of stem cells is calling for precise control to optimize their therapeutic efficiency. Stem cell fate is regulated by specific conditions called “microenvironments.” Among the various factors in the microenvironment, the cell-surface glycan acts as a mediator of cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions and manipulates the behavior of cells. Herein, metabolic glycoengineering (MGE) is an easy but powerful technology for remodeling the structure of glycan. By presenting unnatural glycans on the surface, MGE provides us an opportunity to reshape the microenvironment and evoke desired cellular responses. In this review, we firstly focused on the determining role of glycans on cellular activity; then, we introduced how MGE influences glycosylation and subsequently affects cell fate; at last, we outlined the application of MGE in regenerative therapy, especially in the musculoskeletal system, and the future direction of MGE is discussed.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that commonly contaminates cereals worldwide. Dietary exposure to DON is a subject of great public health concern, but studies on the health effects of chronic exposure to DON are not available. In this study, we investigated the connection between DNA methylation levels and DON exposure in children. The DNA methylation status of white blood cells from 32 children aged 2~15 years old in Henan, China, was profiled. A total of 378 differentially methylated CpGs were identified between the high and low DON exposure groups, and 8 KEGG pathways were found to be significantly enriched among the differentially methylated genes. In addition, the quantitative methylation of EIF2AK4, EMID2 and GNASAS was analysed using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. The results showed that the methylation level of EIF2AK4 was significantly different between the two groups, and the methylation levels were associated with exposure to DON. Conclusively, our study found that chronic exposure to DON during childhood could affect DNA methylation levels.

To achieve near-continuous vertical observations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), multi-channel whole-air sampling equipment onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform was developed in this study. The equipment consists of a multi-position solenoid valve and specially designed lightweight quartz sampling canisters. The canisters have little adsorption loss of VOCs and good inter-canister reproducibility. The 7 d recovery test shows that most VOC species (97 %) had a 1-week decay within 20 %. Online instruments for measuring O3, NO2, CO, SO2, and meteorological parameters are also integrated into the UAV platform. During one take-off and landing, the UAV platform can reach 800 m above the ground within 40 min and take whole-air samples at six heights. Vertical profiles of VOCs and trace gases during the evolution of the PBL in south-western China are successfully obtained by deploying the newly developed UAV system.

Background Previous studies have shown that bacterial infections are closely associated with most common biliary diseases, such as biliary tract infection and gallbladder stone formation. Acute cholecystitis usually occurs in patients with acute infections of the biliary system, and severe infections can easily lead to life-threatening sepsis. This study explored the structural differences in the bile microbiome in patients with acute and chronic cholecystitis and the relationship with acute and chronic cholecystitis. Results A total of 18 patients in the acute cholecystitis group and 8 patients in the control group were enrolled in the analysis. The composition of the biliary microbiota significantly differed between acute cholecystitis patients and chronic cholecystitis controls. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the microbial communities obtained from the chronic cholecystitis controls clustered separately from those from the acute cholecystitis patients. We observed that many kinds of bacteria, such as Burkholderia, Bradyrhizobium, Phreatobacter and Comamonas, were significantly higher in chronic cholecystitis controls than in acute cholecystitis patients. Conclusions The diversity of the bile microbiome in patients with acute cholecystitis is lower than that in patients with chronic cholecystitis. Patients with acute cholecystitis may have a bile microbial imbalance that might related to acute infections.

To achieve near-continuous vertical observations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), multi-channel whole-air sampling equipment onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform was developed in this study. The equipment consists of a multi-position solenoid valve and specially designed lightweight quartz sampling canisters. The canisters have little adsorption loss of VOCs and good inter-canister reproducibility. The 7-day recovery test shows that most VOC species (97 %) had a one-week decay within 20 %. Online instruments for measuring O3, NO2, CO, SO2, and meteorological parameters are also integrated into the UAV platform. During one take-off and landing, the UAV platform can reach 800 m above the ground within 40 min and take whole-air samples at six heights. Vertical profiles of VOCs and trace gases during the evolution of the PBL in southwest China are successfully obtained by deploying the newly developed UAV system.

The TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 (TBI1), CYCLOIDEA (CYC), and PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN FACTORS (PCF1 and PCF2) proteins truncated as TCP transcription factors carry conserved basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) structure, related to DNA binding functions. Evolutionary history of the TCP genes has shown their presence in early land plants. In this paper, we performed a comparative discussion on the current knowledge of the TCP Transcription Factors in lower and higher plants: their evolutionary history based on the phylogenetics of 849 TCP proteins from 37 plant species, duplication events, and biochemical roles in some of the plants species. Phylogenetics investigations confirmed the classification of TCP TFs into Class I (the PCF1/2), and Class II (the C- clade) factors; the Class II factors were further divided into the CIN- and CYC/TB1- subclade. A trace in the evolution of the TCP Factors revealed an absence of the CYC/TB1subclade in lower plants, and an independent evolution of the CYC/TB1subclade in both eudicot and monocot species. 54% of the total duplication events analyzed were biased towards the dispersed duplication, and we concluded that dispersed duplication events contributed to the expansion of the TCP gene family. Analysis in the TCP factors functional roles confirmed their involvement in various biochemical processes which mainly included promoting cell proliferation in leaves in Class I TCPs, and cell division during plant development in Class II TCP Factors. Apart from growth and development, the TCP Factors were also shown to regulate hormonal and stress response pathways. Although this paper does not exhaust the present knowledge of the TCP Transcription Factors, it provides a base for further exploration of the gene family.

The repair and motor functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a worldwide challenge. The inflammatory microenvironment is one of main obstacles on inhibiting the recovery of SCI. Using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived extracellular vesicles to replace MSCs transplantation and mimic cell paracrine secretions provides a potential strategy for microenvironment regulation. However, the effective preservation and controlled release of extracellular vesicles in the injured spinal cord tissue are still not satisfied. Herein, we fabricated an injectable adhesive anti-inflammatory F127-polycitrate-polyethyleneimine hydrogel (FE) with sustainable and long term extracellular vesicle release (FE@EVs) for improving motor functional recovery after SCI. The orthotopic injection of FE@EVs hydrogel could encapsulate extracellular vesicles on the injured spinal cord, thereby synergistically induce efficient integrated regulation through suppressing fibrotic scar formation, reducing inflammatory reaction, promoting remyelination and axonal regeneration. This study showed that combining extracellular vesicles into bioactive multifunctional hydrogel should have great potential in achieving satisfactory locomotor recovery of central nervous system diseases., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • The novel FE hydrogel was designed for encapsulating the extracellular vesicles (FE@EVs). • FE hydrogel exert the capabilities of temperature-responsive, injectable, adhesive and biocompatible. • FE hydrogel with sustainable and long-term extracellular vesicle release for improving motor functional recovery after SCI. • FE@EVs plays a vital role in pathological process of spinal cord injury in rats.

Mechanical stimulation is an effective approach for controlling stem cell differentiation in tissue engineering. However, its realization in in vivo tissue repair remains challenging since this type of stimulation can hardly be applied to injectable seeding systems. Here, it is presented that swelling of injectable microgels can be transformed to in situ mechanical stimulation via stretching the cells adhered on their surface. Poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgels with the upper critical solution temperature property are fabricated using inverse emulsion polymerization and further coated with polydopamine to increase cell adhesion. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) adhered on the microgels can be omnidirectionally stretched along with the responsive swelling of the microgels, which upregulate TRPV4 and Piezo1 channel proteins and enhance nucleus pulposus (NP)-like differentiation of ADSCs. In vivo experiments reveal that the disc height and extracellular matrix content of NP are promoted after the implantation with the microgels. The findings indicate that swelling-induced mechanical stimulation has great potential for regulating stem cell differentiation during intervertebral disc repair.

There is little evidence determining whether elderly patients (from 70 to 90 years old) with triple-negative breast cancer could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). This study explores the effect of AC in these population following surgery. A total of 4610 patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2010-2018). Multiple imputation by chained equations was performed to impute missing data. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to reduce the selection bias. IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meiers survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were performed to compare breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) in the two treatment groups. The patients were classified into the chemotherapy (n=1989) and the observation (n=2621) groups. The percentage of patients receiving AC versus observation increased significantly from 2010 to 2018 (estimated annual percentage change, 1.49%; 95%CI, 0.75-2.16%, p=0.002). The 5-year IPTW-adjusted rates of BCSS and OS in AC group were better than that in observation group (BCSS: 82.32% vs. 78.42%, p=0.010; OS: 75.54% vs. 64.65%, p0.050). In conclusion, we presented a BCSS and OS benefit from AC in elderly patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). AC remained a reasonable treatment approach in these specific patients. For the patients with T1ab, de-escalated treatment would be administrated with caution.

About 10 million fractures occur worldwide each year, of which more than 60% are long bone fractures. It is generally agreed that intramedullary nails have significant advantages in rigid fracture fixation. Metal intramedullary nails (INs) can provide strong support but a stress shielding effect can occur that results in nonunion healing in clinic. Nondegradable metals also need to be removed by a second operation. Could INs be biodegradable and used to overcome this issue? As current degradable biomaterials always suffer from low strength and cannot be used in Ins, herein, we report a novel device consisting of biodegradable IN (BIN) made for the first time with bioceramics. These BINs have an extremely high bending strength and stable internal and external structure. Experiments show that the BINs could not only fix and support the tibial fracture model, but also promote osteogenesis and affect the microenvironment of the bone marrow cavity. Therefore, they could be expected to replace traditional metal IN and become a more effective treatment option for tibial fractures.

Purpose: There is little evidence determining whether elderly patients (from 70 to 90 years old) with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). The objective of this study was to explore the effect of AC in these population following surgery. Methods: A total of 4610 patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2010-2018). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to reduce the selection bias. IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meiers survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were performed to compare breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) in the two different treatment groups. Results: All eligible patients were divided into two groups, the chemotherapy (n=1989) and the observation (n=2621) groups. The percentage of patients receiving AC versus observation increased significantly from 2010 to 2018 (estimated annual percentage change, 1.49%; 95%CI, 0.75-2.16%, p=0.002). The 5-year IPTW-adjusted rates of BCSS and OS in AC group were better than that in observation group (BCSS: 82.32% vs. 78.42%, p=0.010; OS: 75.54% vs. 64.65%, p< 0.001). In IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, elderly patients could benefit from AC (BCSS: HR, 0.77, 95%CI, 0.62-0.94, p=0.012; OS: HR, 0.66, 95%CI, 0.57-0.78, p< 0.001). AC was associated with a significant outcome benefit across year at diagnosis, marital status, stage, lymph node, surgery and radiation subgroups (all p< 0.05). Patients with T1ab could not benefit from AC. Conclusions: We show a BCSS and OS benefit from AC in old patients with TNBC. AC may remain a reasonable treatment approach in these specific patients. For the patients with T1ab, de-escalated treatment should be administrated with caution. It requires further randomized controlled trial to ensure the AC effectiveness for elderly TNBC patients. Citation Format: Tian Lan, Qiusheng Guo, Yunyan Lu, Junwei Gu, Xiying Shao, Haibin Xu, Zujian Hu. The Role of Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Elderly Women with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-01.

Monogenic inherited diseases are common causes of congenital disabilities, leading to severe economic and mental burdens on affected families. In our previous study, we demonstrated the validity of cell-based noninvasive prenatal testing (cbNIPT) in prenatal diagnosis by single-cell targeted sequencing. The present research further explored the feasibility of single-cell whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and haplotype analysis of various monogenic diseases with cbNIPT. Four families were recruited: one with inherited deafness, one with hemophilia, one with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS), and one with no disease. Circulating trophoblast cells (cTBs) were obtained from maternal blood and analyzed by single-cell 15X WGS. Haplotype analysis showed that CFC178 (deafness family), CFC616 (hemophilia family), and CFC111 (LVAS family) inherited haplotypes from paternal and/or maternal pathogenic loci. Amniotic fluid or fetal villi samples from the deafness and hemophilia families confirmed these results. WGS performed better than targeted sequencing in genome coverage, allele dropout (ADO), and false-positive (FP) ratios. Our findings suggest that cbNIPT by WGS and haplotype analysis have great potential for use in prenatally diagnosing various monogenic diseases.

Rhizoctonia cerealis (Rce), which causes sharp eyespot, is one of the most destructive wheat pathogens. However, the genetic and molecular virulence mechanisms of Rce have not been elucidated. As a dikaryotic organism, the haplotype phasing of this fungus has not been completed so far. We applied a haplotype phasing algorithm to generate a high-quality near telomere-to-telomere nuclear-phased genome sequence of Rce strain R0301. Sixteen pairs of chromosomes were assigned to the A and B genomes with a total size of 83 Mb. Based on a dual-time course RNA-seq, 25308 genes were predicted. Genes for steroid biosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism were significantly enriched, together with many genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and secreted effector proteins, which should be involved in infection of wheat plants. Population genomic analysis of 31 isolates collected in China during the last forty years suggests that this population has not undergone substantial differentiation over time.ImportanceThe finished genome reference is the basis of revealing pathogens’ biology base. Many efforts have been made to produce the chromosome-scale assembly of fungi. However, the reference of many pathogenic fungi is highly fragmented, which prevents the analysis of genome structure variation, evolution and import pathogenicity genes. Here, we assembly the only chromosome-scale haplotype-phased reference of dikaryotic fungus so far. This assembly achieves the gold standard based on many evaluation software, which indicates that the pipeline developed in this study can be applied to assemble references for other dikaryotic organisms. This work can also promote the research on the globe’s destructive wheat pathogens, sharp eyespot, caused by R. cerealis.

In this study, a new water and alkaline‐soluble polysaccharide (ALP), with an average molecular weight of 6.63 × 104 Da, was successfully purified from the rhizomes of Atractylodes lancea. GC analysis demonstrated that ALP was a kind of glucan. The effect of the ALP on the interaction between E‐selectin and sialyl Lewis X (sLex) was examined in human osteosarcoma U‐2 OS cells. It was obvious that the expression of sLex antigen on the surface of U‐2 OS cells was visible under fluorescence microscopy. The addition of ALP (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/mL) resulted in a marked inhibition on the adhesion, migration and invasion of U‐2 OS cells to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which was achieved by the decreased sLex expression on U‐2 OS cells. Additionally, the induction of apoptosis can be observed in U‐2 OS cells following ALP treatment using TUNEL staining and Annexin V‐FITC/PI double‐staining analysis on flow cytometry. In conclusion, these results indicated that ALP exerted anti‐metastatic activity towards osteosarcoma cells via inhibition of sLex/E‐selectin binding, which suggested that ALP could be a potent agent for human osteosarcoma intervention.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most commonly found mycotoxins across the world, and it mainly contaminates staple food crops. This study aims to evaluate the dietary exposure of DON and to provide a geographical profile of DON exposure in China. The concentrations of DON and its acetylated derivatives in 15,004 cereal samples (10,192 wheat flour, 1750 maize meal, 892 oat flakes, and 2170 polished rice) were collected from 30 provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities across China during 2010-2017, through a national food safety risk surveillance system. The consumption data for cereals were obtained from China National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002, and 67,923 respondents from the same 30 regions were included in the analysis. Among all the cereals considered, the concentration was the highest in wheat flour, with the mean concentration of 250.8 μg/kg. Applying a worst-case scenario, some individuals were possibly at risk, but the probability of acute effects was low. The mean and median exposure for the entire population was 0.61 and 0.36 μg/kg bw/day, respectively, below the (PM) TDI, indicating an acceptable overall health risk in Chinese population. Wheat contributed to 86% of the total DON exposure. Significant discrepancy was observed between the exposure and the contamination of DON. The high-exposure cluster area was in northern China, whilst the most seriously contaminated regions were all located in the southeast, which formed a seriously contaminated area.

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a hemibiotrophic pathogen causing significant losses to economically important crops and forest trees, including Liriodendron. To explore the interaction between C. gloeosporioides and Liriodendron and to identify the candidate genes determining the pathogenesis, we sequenced and assembled the whole genome of C. gloeosporioides Lc1 (CgLc1) using PacBio and Illumina next generation sequencing and performed a comparative genomic analysis between CgLc1 and Cg01, the latter being a described endophytic species of the C. gloeosporioides complex. Gene structure prediction identified 15,744 protein-coding genes and 837 noncoding RNAs. Species-specific genes were characterized using an ortholog analysis followed by a pathway enrichment analysis, which showed that genes specific to CgLc1 were enriched for the arginine biosynthetic process. Furthermore, genome synteny analysis revealed that most of the protein-coding genes fell into collinear blocks. However, two clusters of polyketide synthase genes were identified to be specific for CgLc1, suggesting that they might have an important role in virulence control. Transcriptional regulators coexpressed with polyketide synthase genes were detected through a Weighted Correlation Network Analysis. Taken together, this work provides new insight into the virulence- and pathogenesis-associated genes present in C. gloeosporioides and its possible lifestyle.

Exosome therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and achieves its therapeutic effects by regulating metabolic disorders, the microenvironment and cell homeostasis with the sustained release of microRNAs, proteins, and transcription factors. However, the rapid clearance and disruption of exosomes are the two major challenges for the application of exosome therapy in IVDD. Herein, a thermosensitive acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel coupled with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) exosomes (dECM@exo) that inherits the superior properties of nucleus pulposus tissue and ADSCs was fabricated to ameliorate IVDD. This thermosensitive dECM@exo hydrogel system can provide not only in situ gelation to replenish ECM leakage in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) but also an environment for the growth of NPCs. In addition, sustained release of ADSC-derived exosomes from this system regulates matrix synthesis and degradation by regulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inhibits pyroptosis by mitigating the inflammatory response in vitro. Animal results demonstrated that the dECM@exo hydrogel system maintained early IVD microenvironment homeostasis and ameliorated IVDD. This functional system can serve as a powerful platform for IVD drug delivery and biotherapy and an alternative therapy for IVDD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-021-00991-5.

Exosome therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) through regulating metabolic disorders, the microenvironment and cell homeostasis with the sustained release of microRNAs, proteins, and transcription factors. However, the rapid clearance and disruption of exosomes are the two major challenges for its application in IVDD. Herein, a thermosensitive acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel coupled with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) exosomes that inherited the superior properties of nucleus pulposus tissue and ADSCs was fabricated to ameliorate IVDD. This thermosensitive dECM@exo hydrogel system can not only provide in situ gelation to replenish ECM leakage in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) but also provide an environment for the growth of NPCs. In addition, sustained release of ADSC-derived exosomes from this system regulates matrix synthesis and degradation by regulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inhibits pyroptosis by mitigating the inflammatory response in vitro. Animal results demonstrated that the dECM@Exo hydrogel system maintained early IVD microenvironment homeostasis and ameliorated IVDD. This functional system can serve as a powerful platform for IVD drug delivery and biotherapy and an alternative therapy for IVDD.

Caffeine has known effects on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. An intake up to 400 mg/day does not give rise to health concerns. Tea, a major source of caffeine, is highly consumed in China. However, the potential health risk of caffeine from tea has not been well evaluated. The present study assessed caffeine intake levels from tea for Chinese adult consumers. We collected 1,398 samples of green, black, dark, jasmine, oolong, white, and yellow tea from 17 provinces. The caffeine content was determined by HPLC. The average contents were 27 (oolong tea) - 43 (yellow tea) mg/g. The leaching rate of caffeine into the water was about 100%. Tea consumption data were from the National Beverage Consumption Survey 2013-2014. Monte Carlo simulations were applied to estimate the distribution of caffeine intake. The average caffeine intake from tea was 180 mg/day of all consumers. Green, dark, and black tea were the primary sources. Males (197 mg/day) consumed more caffeine than females (136 mg/day) on average, but females older than 71 years had the highest intake level (259 mg/day) among all subgroups. Over 90% of Chinese adult tea drinkers have caffeine intake under 400 mg/day.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are promising candidates for repairing degenerated intervertebral discs through multiple means, including: i. Secretion of bioactive factors to regulate inflammation and, ii. The potential to differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP)-like cells, which can integrate into host tissues. However, the differentiation ability of ADSCs to NP-like cells is limited, which emphasizes on the need for alternative approaches to regulate cell differentiations. Given that cell functions are influenced by interactions between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells, we hypothesize that cell surface modification promotes ADSCs adhesion and differentiation towards NP-like cells. In this study, cell surfaces of ADSCs were functionalized with unnatural sialic acid via metabolic glycoengineering. Subsequently, adhesion abilities of modified cells to three main ECM (laminin, collagen and fibronectin) were compared. The adhesion assay revealed that glycoengineered ADSCs had the highest affinity for collagen, compared to laminin and fibronectin. Moreover, cultures with collagen coated plates enhanced the differentiation of glycoengineered ADSCs to NP-like cells. Metabolic glycoengineering prolonged ADSCs viability. The glycoengineered ADSCs increased the height and elasticity of intervertebral discs, as well as the water content and ECM volumes of nucleus pulposus. In conclusion, metabolic glycoengineering of cell surfaces has a significant role in modulating cell biological functions and promoting NP tissue repair.

The aim of the study was to assess the dietary intake of caramel colours and their by-products 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) and 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI) for the Chinese population. Based on the typical and maximum reported use levels of caramel colours in 15 food categories, the dietary intakes of combined and single-class caramel colours of Classes I, III and IV were estimated with the food consumption data from the China National Nutrient and Health Survey. Using the mean values of 4-MEI and THI contents in Class III and Class IV Caramel colour samples, the exposures to 4-MEI and THI from dietary caramel colours were derived. The results showed that the combined and individual average dietary caramel colour intakes for the Chinese population of different age groups were estimated to be 232-60.3 mg kg

An investigation of the naturally occurring aluminum contents in grains, fruits and vegetables locally planted in some areas of China was conducted, and the aluminum dietary intake from the investigated food was estimated. A total of 2,469 samples were collected during 2013 to 2014 and tested for aluminum content using ICP-MS method. The results showed that although 77.6% of the samples contained aluminum less than 5 mg/kg, significant variations of aluminum contents were observed in different food groups. Generally, the aluminum contents were found to be relatively high in dried grains and fresh vegetables, and low in fresh fruits. The mean value of aluminum contents in grains was 6.3 mg/kg, with wheat being the highest, followed by soybean and corn. The fresh vegetables had an average aluminum content of 4.7 mg/kg, with leafy vegetables being the highest, followed by bulb and stem vegetables. Most varieties of fresh fruits were low in aluminum, with the mean of 1.3 mg/kg. Based on the food consumption data from the China National Nutrient and Health Survey, the average weekly dietary intake of naturally occurring aluminum from the investigated foods was estimated to be 0.62 mg/kg bw for the general population and 0.55 to 1.00 mg/kg bw for different age groups. Grains and vegetables were the main contributors to the overall intake. Evaluated against the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 2 mg/kg bw, the dietary naturally occurring aluminum intake from the investigated foods was considered to be no safety concern.

Morpholine is a common chemical used as emulsifier in the preparation of wax coatings for some fruit to help them remain fresh and protect against insects and fungal contamination. It has been reported that morpholine has acute toxic effects on rodents. In the present study, morpholine concentrations were analysed in fruits (citrus fruits, apples, strawberries and grapes) and juices (apple juice and orange juice) in order to determine dietary exposure among the Chinese population. A total of 732 fruit and juice samples were collected during 2015-2016, which covered major foods in China. Fruit and juice consumption data were taken from China National Nutrient and Health Survey (2002) and include data from 16,407 fruit or juice consumers. It was found that mean dietary exposure to morpholine residues from fruits and/or juices for general Chinese consumers and children 2-6 years old were 0.42 and 1.24 µg/kg bw/day, respectively. The 97.5% intake in general Chinese consumers and children 2-6 years old were 2.25 and 6.90 µg/kg bw/day, respectively. The primary food sources of the morpholine dietary intake of general Chinese consumers were citrus fruits (57.4%) and apples (40.8%). These findings suggested that dietary exposure to morpholine in the Chinese population was lower than the acceptable daily intake of morpholine, and there are no health concerns.

To improve the oxidation resistance of Si-SiC coating, single-phase ultra-high temperature boride (ZrB 2 or TaB 2 ) modified Si-SiC coating was designed and established on graphite substrates by combination of dipping and reactive infiltration process. ZrB 2 or TaB 2 phase was introduced in Si-SiC coating by directly mixing raw materials and phenol formaldehyde resin in the slurry, and then the ZrB 2 -SiC-Si and TaB 2 -SiC-Si coatings were fabricated on the graphite samples by dipping-curing, pyrolysis, and siliconizing. The crystalline phases and microstructure of the as-obtained multiphase coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The interrupted oxidation tests from room-temperature to 1500 °C were conducted to assess the anti-oxidation property of the prepared coatings. After 1200 h of oxidation at 1500 °C in air (30 times thermal cycles), the mass losses of the graphite substrates coated with ZrB 2 -SiC-Si and TaB 2 -SiC-Si coatings were 0.086% and 0.537%, respectively, and the high-temperature stability of the modified coatings was greatly improved compared to the Si-SiC coating. The excellent anti-oxidation performances of the compound coatings were attributed to the compact structure of the coatings and the formation of compound oxide layers covering on the surfaces. The compound Zr-Si-O and Ta-Si-O films possessed low oxygen diffusion rate and appropriate viscosity, which can provide appreciable oxidation protection for the internal coatings, thus obtaining the excellent oxidation and spallation resistance property.

e12514 Background: 28-gene signature (RecurIndex) is the first multi-gene panel for recurrence risk prediction after surgery developed from the Asian breast cancer population. In this study, we aimed to report the clinical and genomic characteristics of Chinese early-stage breast cancer patients whose primary lesions have been evaluated by 28-gene signature testing. Methods: In this study, 363 patients were assessed by 28-gene signatures between November 2019 and August 2021. Of these, 330 (90.9%) had stage I-II, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, 16 (4.4%) had triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and 17 (4.7%) had HER2-enriched breast cancer. The genomic risks of local and distant recurrence were determined by 28-gene signature respectively; the clinical risk was evaluated by the modified Adjuvant! Online. The molecular subtyping of the 28-gene signature was also compared with immunohistochemistry (IHC) status. In the future analysis, we will report the clinical decisions and outcomes of these patients. Results: The 28-gene signature classified 86.8% (n = 315/363) of patients as genomic Low Risk (LR) and 13.2% (n = 48/363) as genomic High Risk (HR) for local recurrence; 83.7% (n = 304/363) and 16.3% (n = 59/363) for distant recurrence. Among clinical HR patient, a total of 72 patients (64.9%) were deemed to be genomic LR of distant recurrence, and a total of 88 patients (79.3%) were deemed to be genomic LR of local recurrence. The concordance of luminal type identified by IHC or 28-gene based molecular subtyping was 99.1% (n = 327/330); TNBC type was 25% (n = 4/16), and HER2 enriched was 70.6% (n = 12/17). Conclusions: This study showed that in clinical HR patients, 64.9% 28-gene LR patients who could waive their adjuvant chemotherapy and 79.3% who could have the adjuvant radiotherapy adjusted. Additionally, the results of IHC and 28-gene signature-based molecular subtyping were highly consistent in luminal type, while the potential value of TNBC and HER2 enriched subtyping identified by the 28-gene signature needs to be further explored in the future.[Table: see text]

Ochratoxin A (OTA), frequently existing in the food and feeds, could induce immunotoxicity. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), as a primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated disease, also could induce immunosuppression. However, it is still unknown whether PCV2 infection impacts OTA-induced immunotoxicity. The pigs and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) were used as the model in the present experiment. The results in vivo indicated that PCV2 infection exacerbated OTA-induced immunotoxicity, NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, and TLR4 and MyD88 mRNA and protein expression in spleen. The results in vitro showed that OTA at 7.0 and 9.0 μM decreased cell viability and increased LDH release of PAMs without PCV2 infection. However, with PCV2 infection, OTA at 5.0, 7.0 and 9.0 μM significantly decreased cell viability and increased LDH release compared with absence of PCV2 infection. In addition, OTA at 5.0 and 7.0 μM significantly increased Annexin V/PI-positive rate, apoptosis of nuclear, γ-H2AX foci, IL-1α and TNF-α expression in PAMs with PCV2 infection compared with absence of PCV2 infection. In addition, PCV2 infection enhanced OTA-induced TLR4 and MyD88 mRNA and protein expression and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation. Knockdown of TLR4 alleviated the exacerbating effects of PCV2 infection on OTA-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and DNA damage in PAMs. These results indicated that PCV2 infection aggravated OTA-induced immunotoxicity and reduced the dose of OTA-induced immunotoxicity via TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway, which could provide basis for establishing limits for OTA.

The genus Liriodendron belongs to the family Magnoliaceae, which resides within the magnoliids, an early diverging lineage of the Mesangiospermae. However, the phylogenetic relationship of magnoliids with eudicots and monocots has not been conclusively resolved and thus remains to be determined1–6. Liriodendron is a relict lineage from the Tertiary with two distinct species—one East Asian (L. chinense (Hemsley) Sargent) and one eastern North American (L. tulipifera Linn)—identified as a vicariad species pair. However, the genetic divergence and evolutionary trajectories of these species remain to be elucidated at the whole-genome level7. Here, we report the first de novo genome assembly of a plant in the Magnoliaceae, L. chinense. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that magnoliids are sister to the clade consisting of eudicots and monocots, with rapid diversification occurring in the common ancestor of these three lineages. Analyses of population genetic structure indicate that L. chinense has diverged into two lineages—the eastern and western groups—in China. While L. tulipifera in North America is genetically positioned between the two L. chinense groups, it is closer to the eastern group. This result is consistent with phenotypic observations that suggest that the eastern and western groups of China may have diverged long ago, possibly before the intercontinental differentiation between L. chinense and L. tulipifera. Genetic diversity analyses show that L. chinense has tenfold higher genetic diversity than L. tulipifera, suggesting that the complicated regions comprising east–west-orientated mountains and the Yangtze river basin (especially near 30° N latitude) in East Asia offered more successful refugia than the south–north-orientated mountain valleys in eastern North America during the Quaternary glacial period., A high-quality reference genome for the plant Liriodendron chinense places magnoliids as sister to the clade consisting of eudicots and monocots. Population genomic analyses unravel the evolution of two distinct species in the genus Liriodendron.

A novel equine parvovirus, equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H), was first discovered in a horse that died of equine serum hepatitis in the USA in 2018. EqPV-H was shown to be a novel etiological agent associated with equine serum hepatitis. Following this initial report, no additional studies on EqPV-H have been published. In this study, a total of 143 serum samples were collected from racehorses at 5 separate farms in China and were analyzed to detect EqPV-H DNA via nested PCR. The results indicated a high prevalence of EqPV-H (11.9%, 17/143) in the studied animals. In addition, a remarkably high coinfection rate (58.8%, 10/17) with 2 equine flaviviruses (equine hepacivirus and equine pegivirus) was observed in the EqPV-H positive equines. However, all equines tested negative for Theiler’s disease-associated virus, an etiological agent associated with equine serum hepatitis. The genomes of six field EqPV-H strains were sequenced and analyzed, with the results indicating that the Chinese EqPV-H strains have low genetic diversity and high genetic similarity with the USA EqPV-H strain BCT-01. A phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the Chinese EqPV-H strains clustered with BCT-01 in the genus Copiparvovirus but were distantly related to another equine parvovirus identified in horse cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, liver enzyme levels were detected in the EqPV-H positive serum samples, and all the values were in the normal range, indicating that infection can occur without concurrent liver disease. This study will promote an understanding of the geographical distribution, genetic diversity, and pathogenicity of EqPV-H.

BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a fatal malignant tumor with high morbidity. Numerous medical studies have suggested that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert their biological function on various cancerous progresses. Herein, functions of lncRNA SNHG16 in RCC cells and the mechanism medicated by SNHG16 were investigated.MethodsThe expression levels of SNHG16 and its downstream genes in RCC cells and tissues were examined utilizing reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses. Cell counting kit-8 and 5-Ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine assays were carried out to evaluate the proliferation of RCC cells, and flow cytometry analyses were employed to determine the apoptosis of RCC cells. Western blot analysis was applied to examine protein levels associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. The combination between SNHG16 and miRNA as well as miRNA and its target gene were explored by luciferase reporter, RNA pull down, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.ResultsThe significant upregulation of SNHG16 was observed in RCC tissues and cells. SNHG16 downregulation inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of RCC cells. In addition, SNHG16 served as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-1301-3p, and STARD9 was a target gene of miR-1301-3p in RCC cells. SNHG16 upregulated STARD9 expression by binding with miR-1301-3p in RCC cells. Rescue assays validated that SNHG16 promoted RCC cell promotion and induced RCC cell apoptosis by upregulating STARD9 expression.ConclusionsSNHG16 promotes RCC cell proliferation and suppresses RCC cell apoptosis via interaction with miR-1301-3p to upregulate STARD9 expression in RCC cells.

Today, due to the rapid development of science and technology, new science and technology constantly change the status of agriculture, precision agriculture is developing rapidly. Precision agriculture is the combination of three new technologies: Global Positioning System (GPS), Remote Sensing Technology (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS). In the 3S technology, GIS technology is the basis of realizing the other two technologies. It is a platform to achieve precision agriculture, supporting the input, analysis and output of agricultural resources data and other functions of precision agriculture. Classification and recognition of crop types is one of the most basic applications of precision agriculture. It can extract information from remote sensing images, accurately identify crop types and determine crop growth. In this paper, 7200 remote sensing image samples are divided into two groups: learning group and testing group. Combined with GIS image and RS technology, the characteristics of these four crops were summarized and counted through feature image extraction and feature data analysis of 5200 study group samples in GIS system. 2000 samples in the test group were used to calculate the recognition rate. Through experiments, we can know the recognition rate of peanut, spring maize, sweet potato and summer maize. The highest recognition rate is 98.60%, the lowest recognition rate is 90.20%, and the total recognition rate is 94.10%. It shows that in this experiment, the crop recognition rate of remote sensing image is very high in the application of classification and recognition based on GIS crop images. During the period when the spectral characteristics are very obvious, the recognition rate of crops in remote sensing images is higher, and the total recognition rate is increased by 3.98%. The NDVI values of crops in remote sensing images were analyzed and calculated, and the NDVI values of four crops in each growing period were obtained. By studying the NDVI value, we can determine the types of four crops and their growth period, and the accuracy of determining the types of crops is higher than that of determining the growth period of crops. Through the classification and identification of crop species and crop growth period, two experiments verify that the combination of GIS image and remote sensing image can improve the recognition accuracy of crop classification and identification, and the use of geospatial data in GIS can identify the differences between crops. By combining GIS images with remote sensing images, the development of precision agriculture can be promoted, and the reference for agricultural production and agricultural structure adjustment in designated areas can be provided.

Nucleus pulposus (NP) degeneration is the major cause of degenerative disc disease (DDD). This condition cannot be treated or attuned by traditional open or minimally invasive surgical options. However, a combination of stem cells, growth factors (GFs) and biomaterials present a viable option for NP regeneration. Injectable biomaterials act as carriers for controlled release of GFs and deliver stem cells to target tissues through a minimally invasive approach. In this study, injectable Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) microspheres (GMs) with controllable, uniform particle sizes were rapidly biosythesized through a low-cost electrospraying method. The GMs were used as delivery vehicles for cells and GFs and they exhibited good mechanical properties, biocompatibilities and enhanced the in vitro differentiation of laden cells into NP-like phenotypes. Furthermore, this integrated system attenuated the in vivo degeneration of rat intervertebral disc, maintained NP tissue integrity and accelerated the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM). Therefore, this novel therapeutic system is a promising option for the treatment of Degenerative disc disease (DDD).

Across domains of biological research using genome sequence data, high-quality reference genome sequences are essential for characterizing genetic variation and understanding the genetic basis of phenotypes. However, the construction of genome assemblies for various species is often hampered by complexities of genome organization, especially repetitive and complex sequences, leading to mis-assembly and missing regions. Here, we describe a high-throughput gold standard genome assembly workflow using a large-scale bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library with a refined two-step pooling strategy and the Lamp assembler algorithm. This strategy minimizes the laborious processes of physical map construction and clone-by-clone sequencing, enabling inexpensive sequencing of several thousand BAC clones. By applying this strategy with a minimum tiling path BAC clone library for the short arm of chromosome 2D (2DS) of bread wheat, 98% of BAC sequences, covering 92.7% of the 2DS chromosome, were assembled correctly for this species with a highly complex and repetitive genome. We also identified 48 large mis-assemblies in the reference wheat genome assembly (IWGSC RefSeq v1.0) and corrected these large mis-assemblies in addition to filling 92.2% of the gaps in RefSeq v1.0. Our 2DS assembly represents a new benchmark for the assembly of complex genomes with both high accuracy and efficiency.

The canine influenza virus (CIV) outbreaks have raised concerns as they pose a threat to the health of dogs. The successful construction of a canine influenza (CI) infection model is essential to study the CIV. Here we investigated the pathogenicity of different infectious doses of H3N2 CIV in Beagle dogs. Thirty-seven healthy Beagle dogs were used in the experiment and were infected with 103, 104, 105, and 106 50% egg-infectious doses (EID50). Compared to the dogs in the other three groups, those in the 106 EID50 group presented with obvious clinical symptoms, high virus titer, and typical pathological changes. Considering the ensemble of clinical scores, body temperature, virus shedding, lung lesions, pathological section scores, and visceral virus titers, we determined that 106 EID50 is the minimum infectious dose for the Beagle infection model. The other three infectious doses had almost no clinical symptoms. These results indicate that 106 EID50 is the minimum infectious dose of H3N2 CIV that can cause obvious clinical manifestations and pathological changes associated with CI in Beagle dogs. The theoretical framework developed in this research will guide the establishment of an infection model of CIV for future research.

The objective of the present study was to implement Kaplan-Meier analysis, competing risk analysis, and propensity score matching to evaluate whether the patients with T1bN0M0 triple-negative breast (TNBC) could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 1849 patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2015. All eligible patients were divided into two cohorts, the chemotherapy (1155 patients) and the no-chemotherapy (694 patients) cohorts. Similar 5-year breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) was observed in the chemotherapy and no-chemotherapy cohorts (96.1% vs. 96.0%, p=0.820). The results of the competing risk analysis showed a comparable 5-year breast cancer-specific death (BCSD) in both groups (chemotherapy 3.6% vs. no-chemotherapy 3.4%, p=0.778). Also, a higher 5-year other causes death (OCD) was observed in the no-chemotherapy cohort (0.7% vs. 5.4%, p

Inflammation and neuronal apoptosis aggravate the secondary damage after spinal cord injury (SCI). Rehmannioside A (Rea) is a bioactive herbal extract isolated from Rehmanniae radix with low toxicity and neuroprotection effects. Rea treatment inhibited the release of pro‐inflammatory mediators from microglial cells, and promoted M2 polarization in vitro, which in turn protected the co‐cultured neurons from apoptosis via suppression of the NF‐κB and MAPK signalling pathways. Furthermore, daily intraperitoneal injections of 80 mg/kg Rea into a rat model of SCI significantly improved the behavioural and histological indices, promoted M2 microglial polarization, alleviated neuronal apoptosis, and increased motor function recovery. Therefore, Rea is a promising therapeutic option for SCI and should be clinically explored.

BACKGROUND The effects of marital status on infiltrating ductal carcinoma of breast cancer (IDC) have not been studied in detail. This study investigated the impact of marital status on IDC patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS SEER databases were searched from 2010 to 2015 for subjects who were married, divorced, single, and widowed. The influence of marital status on breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) of IDC patients was investigated through multivariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis. To prevent bias, propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed. RESULTS The 5-year OS was 89.6%in married patients, 84.9% in divorced patients, 83.5% in single patients, and 71.3% in widowed patients (p

Purpose: Chemotherapy is the clinically recommended treatment for patients with operable metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC); however, its impact remains controversial. This study investigated the possible role of chemotherapy in the treatment of MBC.Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify the operable MBC patients. The competing risk analysis along with the propensity score matching (PSM) method was performed to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy. Moreover, a competing risk nomogram was built to identify prognosis in patients with MBC.Results: Of the 1137 patients with MBC, 775 received chemotherapy and 362 did not receive chemotherapy. The 5-year cumulative incidence of breast cancer-specific death (BCSD) showed similar outcomes in both the Chemo and No-Chemo groups (21.1 vs. 24.3%, p = 0.57). Chemotherapy showed no apparent association with BCSD (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.72–1.60; p = 0.72), even after subgroup analysis or PSM. Race, tumor size, lymph node status, and radiation were identified as the significant factors for MBC after a penalized variable selection process. In addition, a competing risk nomogram showed relatively good accuracy of prediction with a C-index of 0.766 (95% CI, 0.700–0.824).Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that chemotherapy did not improve BCSD for operable MBC patients. Thus, it may indicate the need to reduce exposure to the current chemotherapy strategies for patients with resectable MBC. Additionally, some novel treatment strategies are required urgently to identify and target the potential biomarkers.