Search

BackgroundSigmoid Ventricular Septum (SVS) is a type of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy characterized by a reduced angle between the basal interventricular septum and the ascending aorta, and SVS can lead to dynamic Left Ventricular Outflow Tract obstruction (LVOTO) during hypercontractile states. Patients experiencing LVOTO may manifest symptoms such as angina, syncope, etc. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been utilized to treat patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, but there is no reports on its use in treating LVOTO resulting from SVS. Our report describes two cases of SVS treated with endocardial ablation to improve LVOTO.Case reportCase 1: A 74-year-old female patient with angina and syncope was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with SVS by transthoracic echocardiogram. The patient exhibited LVOTO and Systolic Anterior Motion (SAM) phenomena during the administration of the dobutamine stress test. After RFA was performed, the patient's symptoms significantly improved. Additionally, septum decreased from 16 to 13 mm after ten months, and the morphological changes associated with SVS also disappeared. Case 2: A 57-year-old female was admitted to the hospital due to recurrent chest pain after physical activity for more than four years. The transthoracic echocardiogram indicated that the patient met the diagnostic criteria for SVS, and LVOTO and SAM phenomenaoccurred following dobutamine stress test. The patient had significant improvement in symptoms after undergoing RFA treatment.ConclusionsThese two cases represent the first documented instances where dynamic LVOTO caused by SVS could be effectively managed through endocardial RFA.

Abstract Defence against pathogens relies on intracellular nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) in plants. Hormone signaling including abscisic acid (ABA) pathways are activated by NLRs and play pivotal roles in defence against different pathogens. However, little is known about how hormone signaling pathways are activated by plant immune receptors. Here, we report that a plant NLR Sw-5b mimics the behavior of the ABA receptor and directly employs the ABA central regulator PP2C-SnRK2 complex to activate an ABA-dependent defence against viral pathogens. PP2C4 interacts with and constitutively inhibits SnRK2.3/2.4. Behaving in a similar manner as the ABA receptor, pathogen effector ligand recognition triggers the conformational change of Sw-5b NLR that enables binding to PP2C4 via the NB domain. This receptor-PP2C4 binding interferes with the interaction between PP2C4 and SnRK2.3/2.4, thereby releasing SnRK2.3/2.4 from PP2C4 inhibition to activate an ABA-specific antiviral immunity. These findings provide important insights into the activation of hormone signaling pathways by plant immune receptors.

Abstract The first local mpox outbreak in Guangdong Province, China occurred in June 2023. However, epidemiological data have failed to quickly identify the source and transmission of the outbreak. Here, phylogeny and molecular evolution of 10 monkeypox virus (MPXV) genome sequences from the Guangdong outbreak were characterized, revealing local silent transmissions that may have occurred in Guangdong whose mpox outbreaks suggested a molecular epidemiological correlation with Portugal and several regions of China during the same period. The lineage IIb C.1, which includes all 10 MPXV from Guangdong, shows consistent temporal continuity in both phylogenetic characteristics and unique molecular evolutionary mutation spectrum, reflected in the continuous increase of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and shared mutations over time. Compared with the Japan MPXV, the Guangdong MPXV showed higher genomic nucleotide differences and separated 14 shared mutations from the B.1 lineage, comprising 6 non-synonymous mutations in genes linked to host regulation, virus infection, and virus life cycle. The unique mutation spectrum with temporal continuity in IIb C.1, related to apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide-like 3, promotes rapid viral evolution and diversification. The findings contribute to understanding the ongoing mpox outbreak in China and offer insights for developing joint prevention and control strategies.

Abstract Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a plant pathogen that causes devastating tomato yield losses worldwide. The Sw-5b gene is one of the most effective resistance genes for TSWV control in tomato plants, and has been widely used in resistance breeding. Molecular markers are specific DNA sequences with known locations on the chromosome; they are indispensable tools in marker-assisted selection, which detects the presence of target genes to expedite breeding. We developed gene-specific molecular markers for Sw-5b to facilitate the accurate distinction of resistance (Sw-5b R ) and susceptibility (Sw-5b S ) alleles of Sw-5b. Using these markers, we successfully detected Sw-5b and determined its genotype (homozygous Sw-5b R , heterozygous Sw-5b R/S , or homozygous Sw-5b S ) in six tomato varieties. Then we successfully applied these markers to 46 commercial tomato cultivars to detect and determine the genotype of Sw-5b. The results revealed a striking absence of the Sw-5b R gene and high TSWV susceptibility among most of the analyzed commercial cultivars. With the assistance of the novel Sw-5b-specific molecular markers, we generated a TSWV-resistant and homozygous Sw-5b R Micro-Tom tomato line, demonstrating the practical application of these markers in plant breeding. In summary, we developed novel gene-specific molecular markers for Sw-5b, and applied them to distinguish Sw-5b alleles for TSWV resistance or susceptibility. This marker set provides a valuable tool for breeding TSWV-resistant tomato varieties.

Osteomyelitis is a debilitating bone disorder characterized by an inflammatory process involving the bone marrow, bone cortex, periosteum, and surrounding soft tissue, which can ultimately result in bone destruction. The etiology of osteomyelitis can be infectious, caused by various microorganisms, or noninfectious, such as chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) and chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO). Researchers have turned to animal models to study the pathophysiology of osteomyelitis. However, selecting an appropriate animal model that accurately recapitulates the human pathology of osteomyelitis while controlling for multiple variables that influence different clinical presentations remains a significant challenge. In this review, we present an overview of various animal models used in osteomyelitis research, including rodent, rabbit, avian/chicken, porcine, minipig, canine, sheep, and goat models. We discuss the characteristics of each animal model and the corresponding clinical scenarios that can provide a basic rationale for experimental selection. This review highlights the importance of selecting an appropriate animal model for osteomyelitis research to improve the accuracy of the results and facilitate the development of novel treatment and management strategies.

Objectives: To examine the association of changes in plant-based diet consumption with all-cause mortality among older adults in China. Design: Cohort study. Setting: This cohort study of 11 years used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a long-term, nationwide survey covering 23 provinces in China. Participants: A total of 7843 older participants aged ≥60 years were included in this study. Measurements: Changes in plant-based diets consumption (2008–2011) were assessed by 3 graded plant-based diet indices, including an overall plant-based diet index (PDI), a healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and an unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). The main outcome was all-cause mortality. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models were fitted to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of mortality for changes in PDI, hPDI, and uPDI. Results: A total of 7843 participants (mean [SD] age, 82.2 [10.9] years; 3588 [45.7%] men) were included in this study. During a median (IQR) of 9 (5–10) years of follow-up, 3749 deaths were documented. Compared with older adults whose plant-based diet indices were relatively stable, older adults with the greatest decrease (quintile 1) in PDI, hPDI, and uPDI had respectively 32% (95% CI, 19%–47%) higher, 21% (95% CI, 9%–33%) higher, and 10% (95% CI, 4%–21%) lower risk of death. Compared with older adults whose diet indices were relatively stable, older adults with the greatest increase (quintile 5) in uPDI had a 13% higher risk of death (95% CI, 1%–21%), while no significant associations of the increased PDI and hPDI with all-cause mortality were observed. Conclusion: Maintaining the consumption of overall and healthful plant-based diets, and decreasing the consumption of an unhealthful plant-based diet can be beneficial in preventing or delaying premature death among Chinese older adults.

Styrax, the balsam refined from the trunk of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. has a variety of applications in the perfumery and medical industry, especially for use in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the resources of styrax are in shortage due to being endangered of this plant. Grafting can improve the adaptability of plants to unfavorable environmental conditions. We tried to graft the L. orientalis Mill. on L. formosana Hance which was widely distributed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China in an attempt to obtain styrax from grafted L. orientalis Mill. (grafted styrax, SG). Whether SG can become an alternative application of commercially available styrax (SC) need be further investigated. The components of SG were analyzed by GC-MS, and the results showed that the chromatograms of SG, SC, and styrax standard (SS) were consistent. The ration of 12 major chemical components based peak area in SG, SC, and SS were 93.95%, 94.24%, and 95.86% respectively. The assessment of toxicity, antithrombotic activity, and myocardial infarction protection of SG and SC was evaluated by using the zebrafish model, the results showed that SG and SC have the similar toxicological properties as evidenced by acute toxicity test, developmental toxicity and teratogenicity, and long-term toxicity test. Both SG and SC significantly decreased the thrombosis and increased blood flow velocity of zebrafish induced by adrenaline hydrochloride, inhibited myocardial apoptosis, myocardial infarction and myocardial inflammation in zebrafish induced by isoproterenol hydrochloride. Moreover, SG had an obvious improvement effect on cardiac output, while SC has no effect. Collectively, SG is similar to SC in chemical composition, toxicological properties, antithrombotic activity, and myocardial infarction protection effects, and may be used as a substitute for styrax to reduce the collection for wild L. orientalis Mill. and increase the available styrax resources.

Abstract Background Previous studies have investigated the relationships between psychache or meaning in life and suicidal ideation based on sum score of corresponding scale. However, this practice has hampered the fine-grained understanding of their relationships. This network analysis study aimed to conduct a dimension-level analysis of these constructs and the relationships among them in a joint framework, and identify potential intervention targets to address suicidal ideation. Methods Suicidal ideation, psychache, and meaning in life were measured using self-rating scales among 738 adults. A network of suicidal ideation, psychache, and meaning in life was constructed to investigate the connections between dimensions and calculate the expected influence and bridge expected influence of each node. Results “Psychache” was positively linked to “sleep” and “despair”, while “presence of meaning in life” had negative associations with “psychache”, “despair”, and “pessimism”. The most important central nodes were “sleep” and “despair”, and the critical bridge nodes were “presence of meaning in life” and “psychache”. Conclusion These preliminary findings uncover the pathological pathways underlying the relationships between psychache, meaning in life, and suicidal ideation. The central nodes and bridge nodes identified may be potential targets for effectively preventing and intervening against the development and maintenance of suicidal ideation.

Sensory attributes strongly influence consumers’ preferences for products. The inoculation of the Klebsiella variicola H8 strain in a reconstituted tobacco leaf concentrate (RTLC) solution increased neutral aroma-enhancing compound (NAEC) production by 45%, decreased the nicotine level by 25%, decreased the water-soluble total sugar content by ~36%, and improved the sensory quality by 5.71%. The production of NAECs such as dihydrokiwi lactone (DHKL: 192.86%), 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,6-trimethylnaphthalene (THTMN: 177.77%), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DTBP: 25%), 4-oxoisofolkone (OIFK: 116.66%,) 1,9-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyn-3-ol (HDD: 116.67%), β-damastrone (BDS: 116.67), and megastigmatrienone A (MSTA: 116.67%) was increased. A metagenomics analysis of the microbial community in the fermented RTLC (FRTLC) was performed to elucidate the mechanism by which NAECs were produced. As a result, 24 groups of functional genes were identified, and among them, five families of carbohydrate-active enzymes, (i) glycoside hydrolase (GH), (ii) glycosyltransferase (GT), (iii) polysaccharide lyase (PL), (iv) carbohydrate esterase (CE), and (v) auxiliary active enzyme (AA), were found to be positively correlated with the production of NAECs. However, among the GHs, the GHs annotated from the H8 strain chromosome displayed the highest relative abundance and a positive correlation with the production of NAECs. Specifically, the GH13-14, GH13-20, GH13-38, GH13-25, GH13-10, GH42, and GH28 genes of the H8 strain were relatively more abundant and were key contributors to the production of NAECs. The correlation analyses revealed that the H8 strain plays a leading role among all the microorganisms in FRTLC in the production of NAECs. Our findings support the application of Klebsiella variicola in NAEC production and a reduction in nicotine content in tobacco products.

Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) launched in recent years, provides a large amount of spaceborne GNSS Reflectometry data with all-weather, global coverage, high space-time resolution, and multiple signal sources, which provides new opportunities for the machine learning (ML) study of sea surface height (SSH) inversion. This article proposes for the first time two different CYGNSS SSH inversion models based on two widely used ML methods, back propagation (BP) neural network and convolutional neural network (CNN). The SSH calculated by using Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) 18 ocean wide mean SSH (MSSH) model (DTU18) with DTU global ocean tide model is used for verification. According to the strategy of independent analysis of data from different signal sources, the mean absolute error (MAE) of the BP and CNN models’ inversion specular points’ results during 7 days is 1.04 m and 0.63 m, respectively. The CLS 2015 product and Jason-3 data were also used for further validation. In addition, the generalization ability of the model, for 6 days and 13 days training sets, was also evaluated. For 6 days training set, the prediction results’ MAE of the BP model is 11.59 m and 5.90 m for PRN2 and PRN4, and the MAE of the CNN model is 1.37 m and 0.97 m for PRN2 and PRN4, respectively. The results show that BP and CNN inversions are in high agreement with each product, and the CNN model has relatively higher accuracy and better generalization ability.

BackgroundIndoor air pollution has been reported to have adverse effects on the eye; however, the health effects of exposure to cooking with solid fuels on visual impairment remain unclear in China. ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the association between cooking with solid fuels and visual impairment, including distance visual impairment (DVI) and near visual impairment (NVI). MethodsData were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationwide survey of adults aged over 45 years who were enrolled in 2011 (Wave 1) and followed up in Wave 2 (2013), Wave 3 (2015), and Wave 4 (2018). We used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the association between solid fuels use and visual impairment. Additionally, the impact of switching cooking fuel types on vision function were examined through wave-specific data analysis (Wave 1 and Wave 4). Interaction and subgroup analyses were performed to explore the potential effect modifiers. Data were collected using the stratified multistage random sampling method and further analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and R 4.2.1 statistical software packages. ResultsA total of 9559 middle-aged and older Chinese adults without visual impairment at baseline were included in the study, with 51.2% (n=4914) of the participants reporting that they cooked with solid fuels. During the follow-up period, 2644 (27.5%) and 3130 (32.6%) participants developed DVI and NVI, respectively. Compared with the clean fuel users, participants who cooked with solid fuels had a higher risk of DVI (hazards ratio [HR] 1.38, 95% CI 1.28-1.50) and NVI (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10-1.27). In addition, switching the cooking fuel type from clean to solid fuels was associated with an elevated risk of DVI (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15-1.98) and NVI (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.06-1.82) compared to persistently using clean fuels during the follow-up period, although no protective effect of switching from solid to clean fuels on NVI was found (P=.52). In subgroup analysis, we found that cooking with solid fuels increased the risk of DVI in participants younger than 65 years (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.28-1.55), men (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.28-1.65), urban residents (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.08-1.75), and smokers (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.25-1.64). By contrast, negative effects of cooking with solid fuels on NVI were found in nonsmokers (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.11-1.33) and urban residents (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.37). ConclusionsCooking with solid fuels was associated with an increased risk of visual impairment among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. These findings indicate that promoting the utilization of clean fuels is conducive to reducing the burden of visual impairment for the public.

Sea surface height (SSH) retrieval based on spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) usually uses the GNSS-R geometric principle and delay-Doppler map (DDM). The traditional method condenses the DDM information into a single scalar measure and requires error model correction. In this article, the idea of using machine learning methods to retrieve SSH is proposed. Specifically, two widely-used methods, principal component analysis combined with support vector regression (PCA-SVR) and convolution neural network (CNN), are used for verification and comparative analysis based on the observation data provided by Techdemosat-1 (TDS-1). According to the DDM inversion method, ten features from TDS-1 Level 1 data are selected as inputs; The SSH verification model based on the Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) 15 ocean wide mean SSH model and the DTU global ocean tide model is used as output verification of SSH. For the hyperparameters in the machine learning model, a grid search strategy is used to find the optimal values. By analyzing the TDS-1 data from 31 GPS satellites, the mean absolute error (MAE), root-mean-square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2) of the PCA-SVR inversion model are 0.61 m, 1.72 m, and 99.56%, respectively; and the MAE, RMSE, and R2 of the CNN inversion model is 0.71 m, 1.27 m, and 99.76%, respectively. In addition, the time required to train the PCA-SVR and CNN inversion models is also analyzed. Overall, the technique proposed in this article can be confidently applied to SSH inversion based on TDS-1 data.

Natural coumarins contribute to the aroma of licorice, and they are often used as a flavoring and stabilizing agents. However, coumarins usage in food has been banned by various countries due to its toxic effect. In this study, a strain of HSM-C2 that can biodegrade coumarin with high efficiency was isolated from soil and identified as Pseudomonas putida through performing 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The HSM-C2 catalyzed the biodegradation up to 99.83% of 1 mg/mL coumarin within 24 h under optimal culture conditions, such as 30 °C and pH 7, which highlights the strong coumarin biodegrading potential of this strain. The product, such as dihydrocoumarin, generated after the biodegradation of coumarin was identified by performing GC-MS analysis. The present study provides a theoretical basis and microbial resource for further research on coumarin biodegradation.

Objective: This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the composition and diversity of lung microbiota in patients with severe pneumonia and explore its association with short-term prognosis. Methods: A total of 301 patients diagnosed with severe pneumonia underwent bronchoalveolar lavage fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) testing from February 2022 to January 2024. After applying exclusion criteria, 236 patients were included in the study. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between survival and non-survival groups. Microbial composition and diversity were analyzed using alpha and beta diversity metrics. Additionally, LEfSe analysis and machine learning methods were employed to identify key pathogenic microorganism associated with short-term mortality. Microbial interaction modes were assessed through network co-occurrence analysis. Results: The overall 28-day mortality rate was 37.7% in severe pneumonia. Nonsurvival patients had a higher prevalence of hypertension and exhibited higher APACHE II and SOFA scores, higher procalcitonin (PCT), and shorter hospitalization duration. Microbial α and β diversity analysis showed no significant differences between the two groups. However, distinct species diversity patterns were observed, with the non-survival group showing a higher abundance of Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecium, while the survival group had a higher prevalence of Corynebacterium striatum and Enterobacter. LEfSe analysis identified 29 distinct terms, with 10 potential markers in the non-survival group, including Pseudomonas sp. and Enterococcus durans. Machine learning models selected 16 key pathogenic bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, significantly contributing to predicting short-term mortality. Network co-occurrence analysis revealed greater complexity in the non-survival group compared to the survival group, with differences in central genera. Conclusion: Our study highlights the potential significance of lung microbiota composition in predicting short-term prognosis in severe pneumonia patients. Differences in microbial diversity and composition, along with distinct microbial interaction modes, may contribute to variations in short-term outcomes. Further research is warranted to elucidate the clinical implications and underlying mechanisms of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the production period of shale gas, proppant particles and rock debris are produced together, which will seriously erode the elbows of gathering pipelines. In response to this problem, this paper takes the elbow of the gathering pipeline in the Changning Shale Gas Field as an example to test the erosion rate and material removal mechanism of the test piece at different angles of the elbow through experiments and compares the four erosion models with the experimental results. Through analysis, it is found that the best prediction model for quartz sand-carbon steel erosion is the Oka model. Based on the Oka model, FLUENT software was used to simulate and analyze the law of erosion of the elbow of the gas gathering pipeline under different gas flow velocities, gas gathering pressure, particle size, length of L1, and bending directions of the elbow. And a spiral pipeline structure is proposed to reduce the erosion rate of the elbow under the same working conditions. The results show that this structure can reduce erosion by 34%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiation therapy has attracted much attention in the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the association between radiotherapy-related fatigue and HCC has been examined in only a few studies. Purpose: This study was designed to explore the change over time in fatigue in patients with HCC treated with radiotherapy and related factors. Methods: One hundred patients were enrolled in this prospective longitudinal study using convenience sampling at a medical center in northern Taiwan. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale, the Brief Pain InventoryShort Form, and the psychological subscale of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form were used to assess the symptoms at five time points: before radiotherapy (T0), during treatment (T1), and at 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4) after radiotherapy. The generalized estimating equations method was used to determine the changes in fatigue and the influencing factors. Results: Fatigue levels at T1, T2, T3, and T4 were significantly higher than that at T0. Higher fatigue was significantly associated with lower income and poorer functional status. Having worse pain levels and psychological symptoms were both associated with higher fatigue. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The results indicate fatigue does not recover to the baseline (pretherapy) level by 6 months after radiotherapy. Thus, fatigue in patients with HCC receiving radiotherapy should be regularly and effectively assessed, and patients experiencing pain and psychological symptoms should be given greater attention from clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]