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BackgroundMycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is a common disease of childhood pneumonia, and atelectasis is a serious comorbidity. Traditional diagnostic methods for MPP are limited by low accuracy, emphasizing the need for improved diagnostic approaches. This study aimed to establish a predictive scoring model for early detection of MPP complicated with atelectasis following standardized treatment.MethodsA total of 572 children were retrospectively enrolled, including 40 patients with MPP complicated by atelectasis despite standardized treatment and 532 patients in the non-atelectasis group. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data within 24 h of admission were collected, including demographic information and various biomarkers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors and construct a predictive model, evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsSignificant differences were observed between the MPP complicated with atelectasis group and the non-atelectasis group in terms of age, hospital admission time, fever duration, neutrophil percentage and count, CRP, ALT, and LDH levels (P

Abstract Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors of the digestive system. As a hallmark of cancer, energy-related metabolic reprogramming is manipulated by multiple factors, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Notably, lncRNA CCAT1 has been identified as a crucial regulator in tumor progression. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of CCAT1 in metabolic reprogramming of GC remain unclear. Methods Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were performed to evaluate the roles of CCAT1 in tumorigenesis and glycolysis of GC. Bioinformatics analyses and mechanistic experiments, such as mass spectrometry (MS), RNA-pulldown, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), were employed to reveal the potential interacting protein of CCAT1 and elucidate the regulatory mechanism of CCAT1 in GC glycolysis. Moreover, the nude mice xenograft assay was used to evaluate the effect of CCAT1 on GC cells in vivo. Results In this study, we identified that CCAT1 expression was significantly elevated in the tissues and plasma exosomes of GC patients, as well as GC cell lines. Functional experiments showed that the knockdown of CCAT1 resulted in a substantial decrease in the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo through decreasing the expression of glycolytic enzymes and glycolytic rate. Conversely, overexpression of CCAT1 exhibited contrasting effects. Mechanistically, CCAT1 interacted with PTBP1 and effectively maintained its stability by inhibiting the ubiquitin-mediated degradation process. As a critical splicing factor, PTBP1 facilitated the transition from PKM1 to PKM2, thereby augmenting the glycolytic activity of GC cells and ultimately fostering the progression of GC. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that CCAT1 plays a significant role in promoting the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells through the PTBP1/PKM2/glycolysis pathway, thus suggesting CCAT1’s potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.

In order to solve the problem of strength and toughness of aluminum matrix composites, TiO2/Al matrix composites were prepared by friction stir processing(FSP). The experiments were carried out by microstructure observation test, tensile test and micro-hardness test to characterize and analyze the strengthening mechanism, microstructure and mechanical properties of composites. The results show that with the introduction of TiO2, the grain has been refined, and the crystalline form of Al is change from continuous dynamic recrystallization(CDRX) of invisible core to the particle-stimulated nucleation mechanism by FSP. The tensile strength and microhardness of the composite are improved. When the addition amount reaches 48%（mass fraction）, the tensile strength is 456 MPa, and the hardness is 130 HV, which increases by 17% and 16%, respectively, compared with that of the unadded particles, and the elongation decreases only by 4%. TiO2 prepared by FSP can effectively improve the mechanical properties and improve the strength and toughness mismatch, which provides theoretical basis and technical reference for the application of new composite materials.

In order to improve the mechanical properties of the metal matrix composite, the copper-graphene composites were prepared by FSP (friction stir processing) method. The samples were analyzed through the metal microstructure observation test and mechanical test, the effects of agitation speed and the amount of graphite on the microstructure and tensile strength of the composites were investigated, and the strengthening mechanism of the composites was studied. The results show that the effect of graphene on copper matrix is mainly reflected in load transfer and hindering dislocation movement and grain boundary growth in copper matrix. With the introduction of graphene, the grain in the nugget area has been significantly refined. The reason for grain refinement is the mechanical stirring of the stirring head and the obstruction of graphene to grain growth during recrystallization. The tensile strength of the copper-graphene composites is 5% higher than that of the base metal, up to 27749 MPa. The copper-graphene composites with good properties and uniform distribution of graphene can be prepared by FSP method, which can effectively improve the mechanical properties of copper alloy and provide theoretical basis and technical reference for its wide application.

In the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration, long non-coding RNAs have become important regulators. This study aimed to investigate the role of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in the progression of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and the underlying mechanisms. The in vivo and in vitro model of CNV was established using laser-induced mouse CNV model and human choroidal vascular endothelial cells (HCVECs) exposed to hypoxia respectively. We explore the role of MALAT1 in the pathogenesis of CNV by using the small interference RNA both in vivo and in vitro. MALAT1 expression was found to be upregulated in the retinal pigment epithelial-choroidal complexes. MALAT1 knockdown inhibited CNV development and leakage in vivo and decreased HCVECs proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. MALAT1 performed the task as a miR-17-5p sponge to regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and E26 transformation specific-1 (ETS1). This study provides a new perspective on the pathogenesis of CNV and suggests that the axis MALAT/miR-17-5p/VEGFA or ETS1 may be an effective therapeutic target for CNV.

Unreasonable fertilization often fails to match crop yield and nutrient requirements, leading to low crop yield, the waste of mineral resources, and increased costs for farmers. A survey of the potato yield and fertilization of farmers was conducted in Haidong City of Qinghai Province for three consecutive years (2017–2019) torecommend reasonable fertilizer application. The results showed that the required amount of NPK fertilizer per ton of potato was 4.85 kg N, 1.26 kg P2O5, and 6.98 kg K2O, respectively. The potato yields ranged from 7500 to 66,429 kg ha−1, with an average of 26,069 kg ha−1. The average N, P, and Kfertilizers (in the form of N, P2O5, and K2O, respectively) applied by the farmers were 213 kg N ha−1, 202 kg P2O5ha−1, and 43 kg K2O ha−1. More than 60% of the farmers appliedtoo much Nand Pfertilizers and too little Kfertilizer. Therefore, the farmers with lowyieldsshould reduce the application of Nand P fertilizers by a range of 41–220 kg ha−1 and 24–265 kg ha−1. Allthe farmers should increase Kfertilizer use by 7–273 kg ha−1. Reasonable fertilization could effectively conserve resources, improve economic efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the value of quantified extracellular volume fraction (fECV) derived from dual-energy CT (DECT) for predicting the survival outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).Materials and methodsA total of 63 patients with HCC who underwent DECT before treatment were retrospectively included. Virtual monochromatic images (VMI) (70 keV) and iodine density images (IDI) during the equilibrium phase (EP) were generated. The tumor VMI-fECV and IDI-fECV were measured and calculated on the whole tumor (Whole) and maximum enhancement of the tumor (Maximum), respectively. Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to evaluate the effects of clinical and imaging predictors on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsThe correlation between tumor VMI-fECV and IDI-fECV was strong (both p< 0.001). The Bland–Altman plot between VMI-fECV and IDI-fECV showed a bias of 5.16% for the Whole and 6.89% for the Maximum modalities, respectively. Increasing tumor VMI-fECV and IDI-fECV were positively related to the effects on OS and PFS (both p< 0.05). The tumor IDI-fECV-Maximum was the only congruent independent predictor in patients with HCC after TACE in the multivariate analysis on OS (p = 0.000) and PFS (p = 0.028). Patients with higher IDI-fECV-Maximum values had better survival rates above the optimal cutoff values, which were 35.42% for OS and 29.37% for PFS.ConclusionThe quantified fECV determined by the equilibrium-phase contrast-enhanced DECT can potentially predict the survival outcomes of patients with HCC following TACE treatment.

Summary: Crystal and cryo-EM structures of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) bound with their peptide ligands have been obtained with full-length constructs, indicating that the extracellular domain (ECD) is indispensable for specific ligand binding. This article complements these data with studies of ligand recognition of the two receptors in solution. Paramagnetic NMR relaxation enhancement measurements using dual labeling with fluorine-19 probes on the receptor and nitroxide spin labels on the peptide ligands provided new insights. The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was found to interact with GLP-1R by selective binding to the extracellular surface. The ligand selectivity toward the extracellular surface of the receptor was preserved in the transmembrane domain (TMD) devoid of the ECD. The dual labeling approach further provided evidence of cross-reactivity of GLP-1R and GCGR with glucagon and GLP-1, respectively, which is of interest in the context of medical treatments using combinations of the two polypeptides.

Abstract Exposure to traffic-related particulate air pollution has been linked with excess risks for a range of cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological health outcomes; risks likely to be exacerbated in young children attending schools adjacent to highly-trafficked roads. One immediate way of reducing airborne PM concentrations at the local (i.e., near-road community) scale is installation of roadside vegetation as a means of passive pollution abatement. Roadside vegetation can decrease airborne PM concentrations, through PM deposition on leaves, but can also increase them, by impeding airflow and PM dispersion. Critical to optimizing PM removal is selection of species with high particle deposition velocity (Vd) values, currently under-parameterised in most modelling studies. Here, the measured amounts of leaf-deposited magnetic PM after roadside greening (‘tredge’) installation, and measured reductions in playground PM, particle number and black carbon concentrations demonstrate that air quality improvements by deposition can be achieved at the local, near-road, community/playground scale. PM deposition on the western red cedar tredge removed ~ 49% of BC, and ~ 46% and 26% of the traffic-sourced PM2.5 and PM1, respectively. These findings demonstrate that roadside vegetation can be designed, installed and maintained to achieve rapid, significant, cost-effective improvement of air quality by optimising PM deposition on plant leaves.

In order to avoid softening and improve the mechanical properties of the aluminum alloy welded joints,the butt test of 5A06 aluminum alloy was carried out with FSW,and the welded joints were processed into metallographic samples and tensile samples of a certain size under the conditions of a rotating speed of 1 200 r/min and a welding speed of 150 mm/min,the effect of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) time on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction-stir-welded joints of 5A06 aluminum alloy was investigated.The experiments were carried out by microstructure observation test,micro-hardness test and tensile test to characterize and analyze the joint organization and mechanical properties.The experiment results show that DCT can refine the grain and promote the precipitation of the second phase,thus the mechanical properties of the joints are improved.The tensile strength and elongation of the joints can reach 385.3 MPa and 17.2% respectively,which are increased by 7.4% and 23.7%,respectively after 12 h DCT compared with the joints without DCT.Therefore,DCT can effectively improve the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy joints and provide theoretical and technical basis for its application.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate paddy rice as an alternative energy feedstuff in low-protein diets for pigs. In Experiment 1, a total of 400 growing pigs (20.68 ± 0.29 kg initial bodyweight), were randomly allocated four dietary treatments with 0, 10, 15, and 20% paddy rice for 30 days. Feeding 10% or 15% paddy rice had no adverse impacts on average daily gain (ADG) and feed to gain ratio (F:G), while the inclusion of 20% rice in diets significantly influenced the growth performance of pigs. In Experiment 2, 364 early-finishing pigs (42.25 ± 0.47 kg) were divided into four treatments with 0, 15, 20, and 25% paddy rice for 35 days. Feeding 15% or 20% paddy rice had no negative consequences on growth performance, while pigs fed with 25% rice had the lowest ADG and the greatest F:G. In Experiment 3, 364 late-finishing pigs (79.52 ± 1.28 kg) were divided into four treatments with 0, 20, 25, and 30% paddy rice for 60 days. Paddy rice can be included at up to 30% in diets without compromising growth performance, while feeding with 25% rice significantly improved the performance for pigs compared with the corn-fed control.

In order to improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of the welded joints of the 5A06 aluminum alloy, friction stir welded (FSW) joints were subjected to deep cryogenic treatment (DCT). The microstructure and mechanical properties were characterised using metallographic microscopy, x-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy spectrometer, microhardness tests, and tensile tests. The experimental results show that DCT refines the structure significantly due to the large temperature difference. This refinement results from an increase in Mg atoms within the α -Al solid solution through the precipitation of Al atoms, forming the Al _3 Mg _2 phase. This enhancement in plasticity is achieved through dispersion distribution. Moreover, as the treatment time of DCT increases, the mechanical properties of the welded joint also improve significantly. The microhardness of the welding joint peaked at DCT3h, rising from 78.8 HV at DCT0h to 87.2 HV at DCT3h. Meanwhile, the tensile strength of the joint reached its maximum at DCT12h, rising from 358.7 MPa at DC0h to 385.3 MPa at DCT12h, representing a 7.4% increase. These experimental results underscore the significant impact of DCT on improving the welded joints.

Background Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and exert an important role in tumor progression. Due to the heterogeneity and plasticity of TAMs, modulating the polarization states of TAMs is considered as a potential therapeutic strategy for tumors. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes, yet the underlying mechanism on how lncRNAs manipulate the polarization states of TAMs is still unclear and remains to be further investigated.Methods Microarray analyses were employed to characterize the lncRNA profile involved in THP-1-induced M0, M1 and M2-like macrophage. Among those differentially expressed lncRNAs, NR_109 was further studied, for its function in M2-like macrophage polarization and the effects of the condition medium or macrophages mediated by NR_109 on tumor proliferation, metastasis and TME remodeling both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we revealed how NR_109 interacted with far upstream element-binding protein 1 (FUBP1) to regulate the protein stability through hindering ubiquitination modification by competitively binding with JVT-1. Finally, we examined sections of tumor patients to probe the correlation among the expression of NR_109 and related proteins, showing the clinical significance of NR_109.Results We found that lncRNA NR_109 was highly expressed in M2-like macrophages. Knockdown NR_109 impeded IL-4 induced M2-like macrophage polarization and significantly reduced the activity of M2-like macrophages to support the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NR_109 competed with JVT-1 to bind FUBP1 at its C-terminus domain, impeded the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of FUBP1, activated c-Myc transcription and thus promoted M2-like macrophages polarization. Meanwhile, as a transcription factor, c-Myc could bind to the promoter of NR_109 and enhance the transcription of NR_109. Clinically, high NR_109 expression was found in CD163+ TAMs from tumor tissues and was positively correlated with poor clinical stages of patients with gastric cancer and breast cancer.Conclusions Our work revealed for the first time that NR_109 exerted a crucial role in regulating the phenotype-remodeling and function of M2-like macrophages via a NR_109/FUBP1/c-Myc positive feedback loop. Thus, NR_109 has great translational potentials in the diagnosis, prognosis and immunotherapy of cancer.

In order to improve the connection performance and welding quality of high-strength aluminum alloy joints,the performance of three different connection joints,namely 2024-T42 aluminum alloy refilled friction stirring spot welding (RFSSW),resistance spot welding and riveting,was characterized and analyzed by microstructure observation tests,tensile tests,tensile shear tests and microhardness tests.The results show that the mechanical properties of the RFSSW joint are the best,and the tensile shear property is [BF]7.23[BFQ] kN,which is [BF]115.82%[BFQ] higher than riveting property and [BF]37.45%[BFQ] higher than resistance spot welded joint;the pull-off mechanical property is [BF]3.09[BFQ] kN,which is [BF]3.69%[BFQ] higher than riveting and [BF]137.69%[BFQ] higher than resistance spot welded joint;the microhardness of RFSSW joint is the highest,which is close to the base metal,while the microhardness of resistance spot welded joint is the lowest,which is only 50% of the base metal.The fracture morphology of RFSSW and resistance spot weld joints are ductile fracture and mixed fracture,respectively.Using RFSSW method can improve the joint performance of aluminum alloy spot welding,which provides a theoretical and technical basis for the application of aluminum alloy structural spot welding.[HQ]

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg3 (GRg3) against acute radiation proctitis (ARP) in rats.MethodsWistar rats were randomly divided into control, model, dexamethasone-positive, GRg3 low-dose, GRg3 medium-dose, and GRg3 high-dose groups. The ARP rat model was established by a single 22-Gy irradiation of 6 MV) X-rays. The distribution and function of intestinal flora were detected using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, rectal tissue was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, the expression of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and IL-10 inflammatory factors was detected by ELISA, and mRNA and protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting, respectively.ResultsGRg3 improved the symptoms of ARP in rats in a dose-dependent manner. The species distribution of intestinal flora in GRg3 rats was significantly different from that in ARP rats. These differences were more significant in the high-dose group, where the numbers of Ruminococcus, Lactobacillus, and other beneficial bacteria were significantly increased, whereas those of Escherichia, Alloprevotella, and other harmful bacteria were decreased. In addition, GRg3 was closely related to amino acid metabolism. After GRg3 treatment, the mRNA and protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in rectal tissue was significantly down-regulated, and the level of downstream inflammatory factor IL-1β decreased, whereas that of IL-10 increased.ConclusionOur study indicated GRg3 as a new compound for the treatment of ARP by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, down-regulating the expression of proinflammatory factors, thus effectively regulating intestinal flora and reducing inflammatory reactions.

Trajectory planning and obstacle avoidance play essential roles in the cooperative flight of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In this paper, a unified framework for onboard distributed trajectory planning is proposed, which takes full advantage of intelligent discrete and continuous search algorithms. Firstly, the Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) is used as the task allocation algorithm to solve the cooperative obstacle avoidance problem. Taking the task allocation decisions as the constraint, knowledge-based particle swarm optimization (Know-PSO) is used as the optimization algorithm to solve the onboard distributed cooperative trajectory planning problem. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed intelligent MCTS-PSO search framework is effective and flexible for multiple UAVs to conduct the cooperative trajectory planning and obstacle avoidance. Further, it has been applied in practical experiments and achieved promising results.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large membrane protein family found in higher organisms, including the human body. GPCRs mediate cellular responses to diverse extracellular stimuli and thus control key physiological functions, which makes them important targets for drug design. Signaling by GPCRs is related to the structure and dynamics of these proteins, which are modulated by extrinsic ligands as well as by intracellular binding partners such as G proteins and arrestins. Here, we review some basics of using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution for the characterization of GPCR conformations and intermolecular interactions that relate to transmembrane signaling.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), one of the smallest prokaryotic microorganisms capable of independent survival, causes respiratory tract infections and various extrapulmonary diseases. Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is the most significant clinical manifestation, often leading to complications such as atelectasis and pulmonary fibrosis. We explored the role of the pulmonary microenvironment in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in MPP patients with atelectasis. Transcriptome sequencing revealed significant upregulation of pathways including transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), tumor protein 53 (P53), protein kinase Hippo, Ras-proximate-1 or Ras-related protein 1 (Rap1), and members of class O forkhead box proteins (FoxO) in cells exposed to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from MPP patients with atelectasis. Among these, the TGF-β pathway exhibited the most pronounced changes in gene expression. Further analysis confirmed that BALF from these patients induced EMT in human bronchial epithelial cells and mouse lung tissues and that TGF-β receptor kinase inhibitor (TRKI) effectively reversed this process. In conclusion, the pulmonary microenvironment in MPP patients with atelectasis promotes EMT in the lungs, with TGF-β playing a key role in this process. This may represent a crucial mechanism contributing to pulmonary fibrosis, underscoring the need to focus on the pulmonary microenvironment and TGF-β-targeted therapies for the prevention and management of pulmonary fibrosis in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]