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Background Leptomeningeal collateral status is a major determinant of outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke; however, the factors that determine collateral status are not well understood. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis to identify determinants associated with collateral status in patients with anterior circulation infarction. Methods and Results The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for studies that reported the determinants of leptomeningeal collateral status in acute ischemic stroke between January 2000 and June 2023. A random‐effects meta‐analysis model was used to pool the determinants of leptomeningeal collateral status. Eighty‐one studies with 17 366 patients met the inclusion criteria. We analyzed 31 potential risk factors, and the results indicated that worse leptomeningeal collateral status was significantly associated with older age (weighted mean difference, 1.22 [95% CI, 0.69 to 1.76]), male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02 to 1.23]), hypertension (OR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.15 to 1.40]), diabetes (OR, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.10 to 1.33]), atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.09 to 1.46]), cardioembolic stroke (OR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.04 to 1.55]), internal carotid artery occlusion (OR, 1.84 [95% CI, 1.50 to 2.25]), and higher admission blood glucose (weighted mean difference, 8.74 [95% CI, 2.52 to 18.51]). Conclusions Hypertension and diabetes could be modifiable risk factors associated with leptomeningeal collateral status. Older age and male sex could be nonmodified risk factors. Further high‐quality therapeutic studies focusing on controlling risk factors are needed to support our findings.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the specific roles of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) proteasome 20S subunit beta 8 (PSMB8)-antisense RNA 1 (AS1)/microRNA (miR)-382–3p/branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) interaction network in gliomas. Methods: Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed to assess the expression levels of lncRNA PSMB8-AS1, BCAT1, and miR-382-3p. Moreover, the cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were assessed using the cell counting kit-8, Transwell, and caspase-3 activity assays, respectively. The biological role of lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 in glioma was investigated in vivo using a xenograft mouse model. Additionally, the associations among lncRNA PSMB8-AS1, miR-382-3p, and BCAT1 were analyzed using dual-luciferase and RNA immunoprecipitation assays and bioinformatics analyses. Results: Glioma cell lines and tissues exhibited overexpression of lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 and BCAT1 and low expression of miR-382-3p. Knockdown of PSMB8-AS1 remarkably repressed the tumor growth in vivo and the migration and proliferation of glioma cells in vitro. In contrast, knockdown of lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 increased the cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, PSMB8-AS1 directly targeted miR-382-3p. By sponging miR-382-3p, lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 stimulated the migration and proliferation of glioma cells and suppressed their apoptosis. Additionally, miR-382-3p directly targeted BCAT1. Inhibition of miR-382-3p reversed the antitumor effects of BCAT1 silencing on glioma progression. Conclusion: Our study revealed that lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 aggravated glioma malignancy by enhancing BCAT1 expression after competitively binding to miR-382-3p. Therefore, lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Accumulating evidence reveals that deregulated N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are required for the tumorigenesis of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to uncover the underlying mechanisms by which WTAP‐mediated m6A modification of circRNA contributes to NSCLC. The differentially‐expressed circRNAs were identified by a circRNA profiling microarray. The association of circSMOC1 with clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with NSCLC was estimated by fluorescence in situ hybridization. WTAP‐mediated m6A modification of circRNA was validated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and methylated RIP (MeRIP) assays. The role of circSMOC1 in NSCLC cells was validated by in vitro functional experiments and in vivo tumorigenesis models. CircSMOC1‐specific binding with miR‐612 was verified by RIP, luciferase gene report and RT‐qPCR assays. The effect of circSMOC1 and/or miR‐612 on CCL28 expression was detected by RT‐qPCR and Western blotting analysis. We found that the expression levels of circSMOC1 were elevated in NSCLC tissues and associated with TNM stage and poor survival in patients with NSCLC. Knockdown of circSMOC1 impaired the tumorigenesis of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo, whereas restored expression of circSMOC1 displayed the opposite effect. Furthermore, WTAP was upregulated in NSCLC and mediated m6A modification of circSMOC1 and circSMOC1 abolished WTAP knockdown‐caused tumour‐suppressive effects. Then, circSMOC1 acted as a sponge of miR‐612 to upregulate CCL28 and miR‐612 inhibitors abrogated circSMOC1 knockdown‐caused anti‐proliferation effects and CCL28 downregulation in NSCLC cells. Knockdown of CCL28 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and counteracted miR‐612 inhibitor‐caused tumour‐promoting effects. Our findings unveil that WTAP‐mediated m6A modification of circSMOC1 facilitates the tumorigenesis of NSCLC by regulating the miR‐612/CCL28 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and proteins play an important role in cellular homeostasis by regulating the editing, stability, and splicing of intracellular RNA. The identification of dsRNA-binding proteins (dsRBPs) is key; however, it has long been challenging to purify dsRBPs from cells. In this study, we developed a novel method, dsRBPC (dsRNA-binding protein capture), to purify cellular dsRBPs based on classic phase separation purification procedures. A global dsRNA-binding proteome of LLC-PK1 cells was obtained, and we identified 1326 dsRBPs, including 1303 putative novel dsRBPs. Functional analyses suggested that these enriched dsRBPs are mainly associated with rRNA processing, RNA splicing, transcriptional regulation, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. We also found that the ARM (armadillo/beta-catenin-like repeats) motif is a previously unknown dsRNA-binding domain, as demonstrated by biochemical experiments. Collectively, this study provides a useful approach for dsRBP identification and the discovery of a global dsRNA-binding proteome to comprehensively map the dsRNA – protein interaction network.

In this paper, we propose and investigate novel closed-form point estimators for the beta distribution. The estimators of the first type are a modified version of Pearson's method of moments. The underlying idea is to involve the sufficient statistics, i.e., log-moments in the moment estimation equations and solve the mixed type of moment equations simultaneously. The estimators of the second type are based on an approximation to Fisher's likelihood principle. The idea is to solve two score equations derived from the log-likelihood function of generalized beta distributions. Both two resulted estimators are in closed forms, strongly consistent and asymptotically normal. In addition, through theoretical analyses and extensive simulations, the proposed estimators are shown to perform very close to the maximum likelihood estimators in both small and large samples, and they significantly outperform the method of moment estimators.

The microbiota, intensely intertwined with mammalian physiology, significantly impacts health, productivity, and reproductive functions. The normal microbiota interacts with the host through the following key mechanisms: acting as a protective barrier against pathogens, maintain mucosal barrier integrity, assisting in nutrient metabolism, and modulating of the immune response. Therefore, supporting growth and development of host, and providing protection against pathogens and toxic substances. The microbiota significantly influences brain development and behavior, as demonstrated by comprehensive findings from controlled laboratory experiments and human clinical studies. The prospects suggested that gut microbiome influence neurodevelopmental processes, modulate stress responses, and affect cognitive function through the gut-brain axis. Microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of farm animals break down and ferment the ingested feed into nutrients, utilize to produce meat and milk. Among the beneficial by-products of gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are particularly noteworthy for their substantial role in disease prevention and the promotion of various productive aspects in mammals. The microbiota plays a pivotal role in the reproductive hormonal systems of mammals, boosting reproductive performance in both sexes and fostering the maternal–infant connection, thereby becoming a crucial factor in sustaining mammalian existence. The microbiota is a critical factor influencing reproductive success and production traits in mammals. A well-balanced microbiome improves nutrient absorption and metabolic efficiency, leading to better growth rates, increased milk production, and enhanced overall health. Additionally, it regulates key reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which are essential for successful conception and pregnancy. Understanding the role of gut microbiota offers valuable insights for optimizing breeding and improving production outcomes, contributing to advancements in agriculture and veterinary medicine. This study emphasizes the critical ecological roles of mammalian microbiota, highlighting their essential contributions to health, productivity, and reproductive success. By integrating human and veterinary perspectives, it demonstrates how microbial communities enhance immune function, metabolic processes, and hormonal regulation across species, offering insights that benefit both clinical and agricultural advancements.

Many developing countries use tax reform as a strategy to support national or regional development. China's tax reform of the Hainan Free Trade Port in 2025 serves this purpose. The reform replaces the existing VAT, consumption tax, vehicle purchase tax, urban maintenance and construction tax, and education fee (''four taxes and one fee'') with a sales tax. Previous studies of tax structure reform have rarely addressed the economic impact of such a transition, and few sales tax studies have discussed the issue of optimal tax rates. To study the economic effects of the introduction of sales tax and to find the optimal tax rate, this paper uses the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to conduct simulation analyses. It is found that the sales tax rate should be 17.16 % to keep the fiscal revenue of Hainan Province more or less unchanged after the ‘four taxes and one fee’ are simplified into sales tax. The total economic volume and sales tax rate show an inverted ‘U’ type relationship, the optimal sales tax rate is about 9.79 %, and the tax rate of GDP, investment, employment growth of 3.82 %, 0.35 %, 3.41 %, respectively, the manufacturing industry and other industries in most of the different degrees of growth. Therefore, we suggest that the average sales tax rate of Hainan Free Trade Port should be around 9.79 %.

Maize (Zea mays L.) fertilizer nitrogen (N) recovery efficiency (FNRE) shows regional differences in China, and is more strongly affected by soil properties than by climate. However, how soil factors regulate maize FNRE is poorly understood. Herein, 15N tracer pot experiments combined with absolute microbial quantification sequencing were conducted using eight soils covering the main maize cropping systems from northern to southern China. The aim was to elucidate which soil factors affect maize FNRE and identify their optimal range for maximizing FNRE while minimizing N loss. Our results show that soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and clay and sand contents were the key factors affecting maize biomass and FNRE across the eight tested soils. Maize biomass and FNRE had parabolic relationships with soil pH, SOM, clay, and sand contents, whereas N loss displayed the opposite trend. The highest maize biomass and FNRE and lowest fertilizer N loss were in the soils with pH of 6.50–6.62, SOM level of 35.25–46.90 g kg−1, clay content of 41.12 %–44.42 %, and sand content of 17.71 %–23.41 %. Under these soil conditions, maize growth and soil N retention capabilities exhibited a high degree of coordination. Bacterial communities differed significantly among the soils, sharing the same soil drivers as maize biomass and FNRE. The abundance of N cycling genes (nasA, narI, narJ, nrfA, and nrfB) involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) was positively correlated with FNRE and negatively correlated with fertilizer N loss, suggesting that DNRA may contribute to soil N retention and enhance FNRE by affecting substrates for nitrification and denitrification. Our study demonstrates that soil pH, SOM, and texture are three key factors driving FNRE variation in maize cropping systems across China, and high microbial-driven DNRA may account for maximum maize FNRE. These findings highlight the importance of tailored FNRE enhancement strategies based on soil characteristics.

Accurate wind speed forecasting is crucial for efficiently integrating of wind power into the electrical grid and ensuring a stable power supply. However, wind speed is inherently noisy and unpredictable, making it challenging to forecast accurately. This study investigates the effects of hyperparameters of Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) on the accuracy of wind speed forecasting using various prediction models. Our proposed method focuses on the optimisation of hyperparameters within the existing models, suggesting that significant untapped potential remains. Our study examines a wide range of wavelet function orders for DWT and varying trend ratio parameter for SSA, and evaluates their impact on the prediction accuracy using real data from thirteen locations in Jordan. Particularly, our investigation reveals that high-order Daubechies wavelets in DWT outperform low-order wavelets. The study also illustrates that optimal hyperparameters must be modified when changing the prediction model and the combination of DWT and SSA enhances prediction performance when the trend ratio is set to 90%. Our results demonstrate that fine-tuning data preprocessing techniques is essential for accurate wind speed prediction since hyperparameter tuning results in greater improvements in prediction accuracy than sophisticated prediction models alone. Our findings underscore the importance of leveraging data preprocessing techniques and hyperparameter tuning for accurate wind speed forecasting.

Ion migration presents a formidable obstacle to the stability and performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), hindering their progress toward commercial feasibility. Herein, the degradation mechanism of PSCs caused by iodide ion migration, which leads to abnormal changes in photoluminescence transients at the buried interface of perovskite films, is investigated. In light of this problem, a novel strategy is proposed to mitigate ion migration by introducing poly(2‐vinylnaphthalene) into poly[bis(4‐phenyl)(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)amine] as the hole transport layer with improved ion‐blocking capability. Consequently, this layer effectively reduces defect concentration, suppresses ion migration, and modulates energy level alignment, leading to an impressive efficiency exceeding 23% for doctor‐bladed FAPbI3 PSCs. Moreover, the corresponding unencapsulated devices demonstrate remarkable durability, maintaining over 80% of their initial value after undergoing rigorous stress tests in accordance with the International Electrotechnical Commission 61215 standard for temperature, humidity, and illumination. These tests include 1000 h of thermal cycling and a long‐term operational test lasting 600 h under maximum power point tracking.

Plant extracts from natural sources are an excellent choice for food additives and natural antioxidants. In this study, the active components of Tulipa edulis were extracted and analysed, and their antioxidant capacity was measured. Then, the crude extract mixture was separated and purified using a Sephadex LH-20 gel, and the antioxidant activity of the purified products was determined. Human umbilical vein endothelial human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cells were treated with 35 mmol/L glucose to construct a model of oxidative stress. Then, the cells were treated with the active component to observe whether the products of T. edulis could have a good protective effect on HUVEC cells induced by glucose. Transcriptome analysis was also performed on HUVEC cells after same treatment to explore the possible mechanism of the component F2 protecting HUVEC cells from oxidative stress induced by high glucose. The results showed that component F2 obtained from T. edulis has strong antioxidant activity. Moreover, F2 can play a strong antioxidant protective role in HUVEC cells. Meanwhile, the gene expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) in HUVEC cells was up-regulated after treated with F2. This study provides reference value for the further development and application of T. edulis and the development of functional food.

Abstract Objective To investigate the incidence of falls in elderly aged 65 years and above among outpatients and inpatients, and to analyze its related factors and identify prevention strategies. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 451 patients aged 65 years and above who received comprehensive geriatric assessment in outpatients and inpatients from the Department of Geriatrics in the Second Xiangya Hospital from March 2021 to March 2022. According to whether there had been at least one fall in the past year, the patients were divided into a fall group and a non‐fall group. Data were collected from the We‐Chat applet of comprehensive geriatric assessment. A t test and chi‐square test were performed to compare the difference between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was then conducted to identify factors associated with falls. Results (1) The incidence of falls among the outpatient and inpatient was 28.8%. (2) The rate of light, moderate, and heavy dependence on daily living ability and decreased mobile balance ability were higher in the fall group than those in the non‐fall group. The average calf circumference in the fall group was significantly lower than that in the non‐fall group. (3) The prevalence of diabetes and eye diseases in the fall group was significantly higher than that in the non‐fall group. (4) The percentage of insomnia and suspicious insomnia cases in the fall group was higher than that in the non‐fall group. The mean scores for dysphagia, frailty, and incontinence were higher and the mean malnutrition score was lower in the fall group than in the non‐fall group. (5) Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that frailty, insomnia, and malnutrition were independent influencing factors of fall (OR = 1.955, 1.652, 10.719, P = 0.044, 0.041, 0.025, respectively). Conclusions The incidence of falls among outpatients and inpatients aged 65 years and above is high. Frailty, insomnia, and malnutrition are the main factors influencing falls in these patients.

BackgroundThere currently exists some controversy about the efficacy of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases.AimThis study compares the application effects of OLIF and TLIF in lumbar degenerative diseases by reviewing the literature and using meta-analysis.MethodsWe included randomized controlled trials and cohort studies comparing TLIF and OLIF in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. We searched for words such as “intervertebral disc degeneration,” “spinal fusion,” and “lumbar vertebrae” in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. The search date was set from the establishment date of the database to October 2023. Two authors independently conducted document screening, data abstraction, and qualitative assessment. A meta-analysis was performed and adapted to RevMan5.3 software. The odds ratio (OR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and 95% CI were calculated by adopting a fixed-effect model (FEM) or a random-effect model (REM).ResultsA total of 18 cohort studies were included with 1,550 patients, of whom 806 patients underwent TLIF (TLIF group) and 744 patients underwent OLIF (OLIF group). There were no significant differences found in the fusion rate [OR = 1.58 (0.95, 2.64), P = 0.08], complication rate [OR = 1.25 (0.93, 1.68), P = 0.14], and visual analog scale for back pain (VAS-BP) [WMD = 0.00 (−0.13, 0.14), P = 0.96] between the two groups. Compared with the TLIF group, the OLIF group had a lower Oswestry disability index (ODI) [WMD = −0.62 (−1.03, −0.20), P = 0.003], a higher foramen height (FH) [WMD = 2.03 (1.42, 2.46), P

IntroductionThe risk that a large polyp (≥10 mm) evolves into high-grade dysplasia (HGD) is relatively high compared with that of a small/diminutive polyp (

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) presents a significant threat to the global swine industry. The development of highly effective subunit nanovaccines is a promising strategy for preventing PRRSV variant infections. In this study, two different types of ferritin (Ft) nanovaccines targeting the major glycoprotein GP5, named GP5m-Ft and (Bp-IVp)3-Ft, were constructed and evaluated as vaccine candidates for PRRSV. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) demonstrated that both purified GP5m-Ft and (Bp-IVp)3-Ft proteins could self-assemble into nanospheres. A comparison of the immunogenicity of GP5m-Ft and (Bp-IVp)3-Ft with an inactivated PRRSV vaccine in BALB/c mice revealed that mice immunized with GP5m-Ft exhibited the highest ELISA antibody levels, neutralizing antibody titers, the lymphocyte proliferation index, and IFN-γ levels. Furthermore, vaccination with the GP5m-Ft nanoparticle effectively protected piglets against a highly pathogenic PRRSV challenge. These findings suggest that GP5m-Ft is a promising vaccine candidate for controlling PRRS.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the prospective association between plain water intake and the risk of hypertension based on a longitudinal cohort study in China.MethodsLogistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between plain water intake and hypertension. Restricted cubic spline model was use to evaluate non-linear relationship between plain water intake and hypertension. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted based on age, gender, residence site, educational level and tea consumption.ResultsA total of 3,823 participants (46.5% male) with a mean age of 46.8 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were assessed and divided into 4 groups based on plain water intake. There was a decreasing trend of hypertension risk as plain water intake increased. Logistic regression analyses indicated that participants consuming plain water ≥6 cups/day (1 cup ≈ 240 mL) had significantly lower risk of hypertension compared to those consuming ≤1 cup/day, even after adjustments for covariates. Restricted cubic spline curve revealed that participants consuming about 6–8 cups/day were at lower risk for developing hypertension. In subgroup analyses, the results were generally consistent with the main findings in participants who aged less than 60 years, who were male, who attained higher education and who were low tea consumers.ConclusionOur findings suggested that there might be a favorable effect of plain water intake on preventing hypertension in a large cohort of Chinese adults from the general population. Drinking adequate amounts of plain water (about 6–8 cups/day) may reduce the risk of hypertension, particularly in the selected population. Further interventional studies are required to investigate the potential effect of increasing plain water intake on blood pressure regulation.

Although continuous monitoring of tissue oxygenation is critically important after tissue/organ graft procedures, current technologies have key limitations. Here, the authors develop a miniaturized, minimally invasive, self-anchoring optical probe and demonstrate continuous monitoring of oxygenation in porcine flap and organ models.

Change points indicate significant shifts in the statistical properties in data streams at some time points. Detecting change points efficiently and effectively are essential for us to understand the underlying data-generating mechanism in modern data streams with versatile parameter-varying patterns. However, it becomes a highly challenging problem to locate multiple change points in the noisy data. Although the Bayesian information criterion has been proven to be an effective way of selecting multiple change points in an asymptotical sense, its finite sample performance could be deficient. In this article, we have reviewed a list of information criterion-based methods for multiple change point detection, including Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, minimum description length, and their variants, with the emphasis on their practical applications. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the actual performance of different information criteria in detecting multiple change points with possible model mis-specification for the practitioners. A case study on the SCADA signals of wind turbines is conducted to demonstrate the actual change point detection power of different information criteria. Finally, some key challenges in the development and application of multiple change point detection are presented for future research work.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible lung disease with limited therapeutic options. Aspirin can alleviate liver, kidney, and cardiac fibrosis. However, its role in lung fibrosis is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of aspirin on lung fibroblast differentiation and pulmonary fibrosis. TGF-β1-induced human embryonic lung fibroblasts, IPF lung fibroblasts, and bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis mouse model were used in this study. The results showed that aspirin significantly decreased the expression of Collagen 1A1, Fibronectin, Alpha-smooth muscle actin, and equestosome1, and increased the ratio of light chain 3 beta II/I and the number of autophagosome in vivo and in vitro; reduced bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Aspirin also decreased the ratios of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (p-PI3K)/PI3K, protein kinase B (p-AKT)/AKT, and mechanistic target of rapamycin (p-mTOR)/mTOR in vitro. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine, bafilomycin-A1, and AKT activator SC-79 abrogated the effects of aspirin. These findings indicate that aspirin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis through a PI3K/AKT/mTOR-dependent autophagy pathway.

Rhizosphere microbes are important for plant tolerance to various soil stresses. Rice is the most aluminum (Al)-tolerant small grain cereal crop species, but the link between rice Al tolerance and rhizosphere microbiota remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the microbial community structure of aluminum-sensitive and Al-tolerant rice varieties in acid sulfate soil under liming and non-liming conditions. We analyzed the rice biomass and mineral element contents of rice plants as well as the chemical properties and microbial (archaea, bacteria, and fungi) communities of rhizosphere and bulk soil samples. The results showed that the Al-tolerant rice genotype grew better and was able to take up more phosphorus from the acid sulfate soil than the Al-sensitive genotype. Liming was the main factor altering the microbial diversity and community structure, followed by rhizosphere effects. In the absence of liming effects, the rice genotypes shifted the community structure of bacteria and fungi, which accounted for the observed variation in the rice biomass. The Al-tolerant rice genotype recruited specific bacterial and fungal taxa (Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Aspergillus, and Rhizopus) associated with phosphorus solubilization and plant growth promotion. The soil microbial co-occurrence network of the Al-tolerant rice genotype was more complex than that of the Al-sensitive rice genotype. In conclusion, the bacterial and fungal community in the rhizosphere has genotype-dependent effects on rice Al tolerance. Aluminum-tolerant rice genotypes recruit specific microbial taxa, especially phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms, and are associated with complex microbial co-occurrence networks, which may enhance rice growth in acid sulfate soil.

ABSTRACT Type I interferons (IFN-Is) are critical antiviral cytokine in innate immunity but with limited direct defense ability against bacterial infections in mammals. In bony fish, despite all the IFN-Is (IFN1-4) act in antiviral immunity, studies demonstrate that IFN1 can remarkably contribute to host defense against bacterial infections. In this study, we found that IFN1 from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) contains an unusual cationic and amphipathic α-helical region (named as gcIFN-20, sequence: SYEKKINRHFKILKKNLKKK). The synthesized peptide gcIFN-20 could form α-helical structure in a membrane environment and exerts potent antimicrobial activity against multiple species of Gram-negative (G−) and Gram-positive (G+) bacteria with negligible toxicity. Mechanism studies showed gcIFN-20 kills G+ bacteria through membrane disruption and cytoplasm outflow while G− bacteria through membrane permeation and protein synthesis inhibition. In two mouse bacterial infection models, gcIFN-20 therapy could significantly reduce tissue bacterial loads and mortalities. In addition to the direct antibacterial activity, we also found that gcIFN-20 could significantly suppress the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo, obviously alleviated lung lesions in a mouse endotoxemia model. The mechanism is that gcIFN-20 interacts with LPS, causes LPS aggregation and neutralization. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities in vivo of gcIFN-20 in mammalian models suggested a promising agent for developing peptide-based antibacterial therapy. IMPORTANCE Type I interferons play crucial role in antiviral immunity in both vertebrates and invertebrates. The powerful antimicrobial activity is recently reported in nonmammalian vertebrates. The present study identified a novel antimicrobial peptide (gcIFN-20) derived from grass carp interferon 1, found gcIFN-20 exhibits forceful bactericidal and anti-inflammatory activity in mammals, and efficient therapeutic effect against two clinical severe extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli and a mouse endotoxemia models. The antimicrobial mechanisms are membrane disruption and cytoplasm overflow for Gram-positive bacteria, while membrane permeation and protein synthesis inhibition for Gram-negative bacteria. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms can be aggregating and neutralizing lipopolysaccharide to attenuate the binding with receptors and facilitate phagocytosis. The results indicate that gcIFN-20 can be a promising novel therapeutic agent for bacterial diseases and inflammatory disorders, especially as a potential weapon for multidrug resistant strain infections.

The development of Dai medicine is relatively slow, and Zanthoxylum has great economic and medicinal value. It is still difficult to obtain medicinal components from the low-polarity parts of Zanthoxylum belonging to Dai medicine. In this study, we introduced one simple and quick strategy of separating target compounds from the barks of Z. acanthopodium var. timbor by high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC) with an off-line anti-inflammatory activity screening mode. The development of this strategy was based on the TLC-based generally useful estimation of solvent systems (GUESS) method and HPCCC in combination. This paper presented a rapid method for obtaining target anti-inflammatory compounds. Three lignins were enriched by HPCCC with an off-line inhibition mode of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, using petroleum ether–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (3:2:3:2) as the solvent system. The results showed that this method was simple and practical and could be applied to trace the anti-inflammatory components of the low-polarity part in Dai medicine.

Crude enzymes produced by a marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. JS4-1 were used to hydrolyze phycobiliprotein. Enzymatic productions showed good performance on DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities (45.14 ± 0.43% and 65.11 ± 2.64%, respectively), especially small peptides with MWCO Caenorhabditis elegans under adversity. Then, 25 peptides total were identified from F2 by LC-MS/MS, and the peptide with the new sequence of INSSDVQGKY as the most significant component was synthetized and the ORAC assay and cellular ROS scavenging assay both illustrated its excellent antioxidant property.

Massive mortalities caused by bacterial infections in intensive aquaculture result in serious economic losses. In this study, a novel antimicrobial peptide gcIFN-20H was efficiently expressed in Pichia pastoris (GS115) and loaded on carboxylmethyl chitosan (CMCS) to prepare CMCS-20H nanoparticles. Through physical characterization assays (TEM, DLS, BCA, and Raman) and biological activity tests (antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity), CMCS-20H nanopeptide was verified to be spherical nanoparticles with sustained release, antimicrobial activity, and negligible toxicity. CMCS-20H nanoparticles are more resistant to intestinal degradation than unloaded gcIFN-20H by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Oral administration was then carried out for 42 days. Complement C3 content, lysozyme, and total superoxide dismutase activities are highest in CMCS-20H group by serum biochemistry index assays. After challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila, the survival rate in CMCS-20H group is highest (46%), which is 64% higher than the control group (28%). Meanwhile, the tissue bacterial loads (intestine, spleen, head kidney, trunk kidney, hepatopancreas, muscle, and blood) in the CMCS-20H group are significantly lower than other groups. By PAS staining analysis, the number of intestinal villi goblet cells and the thickness of mucin in the CMCS-20H group obviously increased. CMCS-20H effectively enhances mRNA expressions of some important immune genes (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ2, and IgM). The minimal tissue lesions (Intestine, spleen, and trunk kidney) were seen in the CMCS-20H group by histopathological examination. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that oral CMCS-20H maintains the intestinal microbiome homeostasis in bacterial infection. The results indicate that the novel nanopeptide CMCS-20H as the immunopotentiator can remarkably boost fish immunity and precautionary effect by oral administration and address the theoretical mechanisms and insights into the promising application prospect in aquaculture.

With the growing demands for transferring large amounts of data between components in a package, it is required for advanced packaging technologies to form smaller vertical vias in the insulators. Plasma etching is one of the most widely used micro-vias formation processes. This paper has developed a fabrication process for 5–10 µm residue-free micro-vias with 70° tapered angle in polyimide film based on O2/CHF3 inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The etch rate would monotonically increase with the ICP power, RF power, and gas flow rate. As for the gas ratio, there is an optimum range of CHF3 ratio, which could obtain the highest etch rate. The results have clearly shown that the enhancement of ion bombardment and prolongation of etching time would be beneficial to grass-like residue removal. In addition, during the etching of partially cured polyimide, the lateral etch rate would significantly increase in the region near the metal hard mask.

Accumulating evidence reveals that deregulated N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) RNA methylation and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are required for the tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to uncover the underlying mechanisms by which WTAP-mediated m 6 A modification of circRNA contributes to NSCLC. The differentially-expressed circRNAs were identified by a circRNA profiling microarray. The association of circSMOC1 with clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with NSCLC was estimated by fluorescence in situ hybridization. WTAP-mediated m 6 A modification of circRNA was validated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and methylated RIP (MeRIP) assays. The role of circSMOC1 in NSCLC cells was validated by in vitro functional experiments and in vivo tumorigenesis models. CircSMOC1-specific binding with miR-612 was verified by RIP, luciferase gene report and RT-qPCR assays. The effect of circSMOC1 and/or miR-612 on CCL28 expression was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting analysis. We found that the expression levels of circSMOC1 were elevated in NSCLC tissues and associated with TNM stage and poor survival in patients with NSCLC. Knockdown of circSMOC1 impaired the tumorigenesis of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo, whereas restored expression of circSMOC1 displayed the opposite effect. Furthermore, WTAP was upregulated in NSCLC and mediated m 6 A modification of circSMOC1 and circSMOC1 abolished WTAP knockdown-caused tumour-suppressive effects. Then, circSMOC1 acted as a sponge of miR-612 to upregulate CCL28 and miR-612 inhibitors abrogated circSMOC1 knockdown-caused anti-proliferation effects and CCL28 downregulation in NSCLC cells. Knockdown of CCL28 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and counteracted miR-612 inhibitor-caused tumour-promoting effects. Our findings unveil that WTAP-mediated m 6 A modification of circSMOC1 facilitates the tumorigenesis of NSCLC by regulating the miR-612/CCL28 axis., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of CD44 and CD33 in benign lymphoadenosis of oral mucosa(BLOM)., Methods: From January 2017 to March 2020, seventy-seven BLOM wax blocks from the Department of Pathology of Qingdao Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were selected as the experimental group, and 63 cases of normal oral mucosal tissue wax blocks during the same period were selected as the control group. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the positive expression of CD44 and CD33 in the two groups.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the positive expression of CD33 and the positive expression of CD44 in the diseased tissues of BLOM patients.The general information about patients were collected.The relationship between the expression of CD33 and CD44 in the diseased tissues of BLOM patients and the clinicopathological characteristics of BLOM patients were analyzed. SPSS 21.0 software package was used for statistical analysis of the data., Results: The positive expression rates of CD33 in the control group and the experimental group were 95.24% and 63.64%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05). The positive expression rates of CD44 in the control group and the experimental group were 93.65% and 67.53%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that the positive expression of CD33 in the diseased tissues of BLOM patients was positively correlated with the positive expression of CD44 (r=0.834, P=0.002). The expression of CD33 and CD44 in the diseased tissues of patients with BLOM were related to clinical type, degree of inflammation, presence or absence of lymphoid follicles, and lymphocyte infiltration(P＜0.05), but not related to age, gender, course of disease, location, and epithelial surface keratinization(P＞0.05)., Conclusions: The positive expression rate of CD33 and CD44 in the BLOM tissues decreased, which was closely related to the clinical type, degree of inflammation, presence or absence of lymphoid follicles, and lymphocyte infiltration.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between dental implant mucosa (DIM) and dental implant papilla (DIP) levels and peri-implant soft tissue stability., Methods: A total of 86 patients with tooth implant in Qingdao Haici Hospital from January 2015 to January 2019 were enrolled, the patients were followed up from initial treatment till December 2020. Various indexes were recorded at the implantation moment(T0), 4 weeks(T1), 2 years(T2) after implantation and end of follow up (T3), including marginal bone loss levels (MBLs), mid-buccal mucosal levels (MBMLs), modified sulcus bleeding index(mSBI), modified bleeding index(mBI) and implant stability quotient (ISQ). Then the correlation of those indexes was analyzed. SPSS 23.0 software package was used to analyze the data., Results: The follow-up period was 1.0-5.2 years, with an average of (4.79±0.34) years; two cases were lost to follow up, and finally 84 cases (95 implants) were included. Compared with indexes at T0, mSBI, mPLI, mBI, the level of distal bone adjacent to the tooth contact point, and the middle bone level adjacent to the tooth contact point at T1, T2, and T3 decreased significantly(P＜0.05), and DIP height increased significantly; PD, MBLs and MBMLs at T0, T1, T2, and T3 showed no significant difference(P＞0.05). The level of distal bone adjacent to the tooth contact point, and the middle bone level adjacent to the tooth contact point had an impact on DIP(P＜0.05). There were 49 cases with papillae gain in height and 46 cases with papilla that lost height. ISQ of gain height group and loss height group was relatively high at T0(P＜0.05). Compared with T2, there was a decrease in ISQ in both groups at T1(P＜0.05). ISQ of gain height group was significantly higher than that of loss height group at T1 and T2 (P＜0.05)., Conclusions: There is a dependent correction between dental implant mucosa and dental implant papilla levels, and the stability of peri-implant soft tissues depends on keratinized tissue height and DIP height.