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BackgroundThis study aims to evaluate the intervention effect of intermittent Theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) for negative symptoms in schizophrenia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to confirm the therapeutic significance of DMPFC in treating negative symptoms and provide new evidence for schizophrenia treatment and research.MethodThirty-nine schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms and mild cognitive impairment were randomly divided into a treatment group (n=20) and a control group (n=19). The treatment group received iTBS in bilateral DMPFC. The control group received the sham treatment. Negative symptoms, cognitive function, emotional state, and social function were assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 4-, 8-, and 12-week follow-ups. Brain activation in regions of interest (ROIs) was evaluated through verbal fluency tasks. Changes in scale scores were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA.ResultAfter 20 sessions of iTBS, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) total and sub-scale scores significantly improved in the treatment group, with statistically significant differences. SANS scores differed significantly between pre- and post-treatment in both groups, with post-treatment scores markedly lower than pre-treatment and better efficacy in the treatment group. However, there was no significant difference in cognitive function, emotional state, and social function. ROIs did not differ significantly between groups before intervention. After treatment, prefrontal cortex activation was significantly higher in the treatment group than in controls, with a statistically significant difference. Regarding functional connectivity, the small-world properties Sigma and Gamma were enhanced.ConclusioniTBS on bilateral DMPFC can effectively alleviate negative symptoms and enhance prefrontal cortex activation and the small-world properties in patients of schizophrenia.

IntroductionMelanoma (MM), the deadliest form of skin cancer, originates from melanocytes. Despite advances in immunotherapy that have somewhat improved the prognosis for MM patients, high levels of resistance to treatment continue to result in poor clinical outcomes. Identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets is critical for improving the prognosis and treatment of MM.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed the expression patterns of WNT signaling pathway genes in MM and explored their potential mechanisms. Using Cox regression analysis, we identified 19 prognostic-related genes. Consistency clustering was performed to evaluate the potential of these genes as classifiers for prognosis. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm was then applied to refine the gene set and construct a 13-gene prognostic model. We validated the model at multiple time points to assess its predictive performance. Additionally, correlation analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between key genes and processes, including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune responses.ResultsWe identified that CSNK1E and RAC3 were significantly positively correlated with the EMT process, with CSNK1E showing a similar expression trend to EMT-related genes. Both genes were also negatively correlated with multiple immune cell types and immune checkpoint genes. The 13-gene prognostic model demonstrated excellent predictive performance in MM prognosis. Pan-cancer analysis further revealed heterogeneous expression patterns and prognostic potential of CSNK1E across various cancers. Wet experiments confirmed that CSNK1E promotes MM cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and enhances malignant progression through the TGF-β signaling pathway.DiscussionOur findings suggest that CSNK1E plays a crucial role in MM progression and could serve as a potential therapeutic target. The WNT and TGF-β pathways may work synergistically in regulating the EMT process in MM, highlighting their potential as novel therapeutic targets. These insights may contribute to the development of more effective treatments for MM, particularly for overcoming resistance to current therapies.

IntroductionMelatonin, a tryptophan-derived indoleamine metabolite with important roles in plant growth and defense, has recently been regarded as a new plant hormone. Maize is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. Although the melatonin receptor gene, ZmPMTR1, has already been identified, the genetic basis of melatonin biosynthesis in maize has still not been elucidated. Serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) is the enzyme that converts serotonin to N-acetylserotonin (NAS) or 5-methoxytryptamine (5MT) to melatonin in Arabidopsis and rice, but no SNAT encoding gene has been identified yet in maize.MethodsThe bioinformatics analysis was used to identify maize SNAT genes and the enzyme activity of the recombinant proteins was determined through in vitro assay. The expression levels of ZmSNAT1 and ZmSNAT3 under drought and heat stresses were revealed by public RNA-seq datasets and qRT-PCR analysis.ResultsWe first identified three maize SNAT genes, ZmSNAT1, ZmSNAT2, and ZmSNAT3, through bioinformatics analysis, and demonstrated that ZmSNAT2 was present in only eight of the 26 cultivars analyzed. We then determined the enzyme activity of ZmSNAT1 and ZmSNAT3 using their recombinant proteins through in vitro assay. The results showed that both ZmSNAT1 and ZmSNAT3 could convert serotonin to NAS and 5-MT to melatonin. Recombinant ZmSNAT1 catalyzed serotonin into NAS with a higher catalytic activity (Km, 8.6 mM; Vmax, 4050 pmol/min/mg protein) than ZmSNAT3 (Km, 11.51 mM; Vmax, 142 pmol/min/mg protein). We further demonstrated that the 228th amino acid Tyr (Y228) was essential for the enzymatic activity of ZmSNAT1. Finally, we revealed that the expression of ZmSNAT1 and ZmSNAT3 varied among different maize cultivars and different tissues of a plant, and was responsive to drought and heat stresses.DiscussionIn summary, the present study identified and characterized the first two functional SNAT genes in maize, laying the foundation for further research on melatonin biosynthesis and its regulatory role in plant growth and response to abiotic stresses.

IntoductionIdentification of specific metabolome and lipidome profile of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is crucial for diagnosis, targeted personalized therapy, and more accurate risk stratification.MethodsNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed an altered metabolome and lipidome of 33 patients with PSC [24 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 9 patients without IBD] compared with 40 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls (HC) as well as 64 patients with IBD and other extraintestinal manifestations (EIM) but without PSC.ResultsIn particular, higher concentrations of pyruvic acid and several lipoprotein subfractions were measured in PSC in comparison to HC. Of clinical relevance, a specific amino acid and lipid profile was determined in PSC compared with IBD and other EIM.DiscussionThese results have the potential to improve diagnosis by differentiating PSC patients from HC and those with IBD and EIM.

The mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis (AS) are diverse, among which endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is an important mechanism that should not be overlooked. However, up to now, there has been no bibliometric study on the relationship between ERS and AS. To understand the research progress in ERS and AS, this paper conducted a statistical analysis of publications in this field using bibliometrics. A total of 1,035 records were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the R package “bibliometric” were used to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution, countries, authors, institutions, journals, references, and keywords of the literature, and to present the basic information of this field through visualized maps, as well as determine the collaboration relationships among researchers in this field. This field has gradually developed and stabilized over the past 20 years. The current research hotspots in this field mainly include the relationship between ERS and AS-related cells, the mechanisms by which ERS promotes AS, related diseases, and associated cytokines, etc. Vascular calcification, endothelial dysfunction, NLRP3 inflammasome, and heart failure represent the frontier research in this field and are becoming new research hotspots. It is hoped that this study will provide new insights for research and clinical work in the field of ERS and AS.

Rapidly global urbanization and economic growth in the past several decades have resulted in a sharp contraction of arable areas worldwide. However, food supply requirements are quickly increasing due to higher living standards and larger populations. Therefore, food crises are still a major threat to human society. The conflict between farmland areas and the increasing need for essential supplies is becoming acuter in China. Therefore, we suggest that a novel strategy would address the issue, in which temporal and spatial arrangement of wheat sowing dates would be highly focused.

With the continuing advancement in China’s exploration and development technologies of shale gas resources, there was a significant increase in shale gas oil-based drilling cuttings. In this paper, oil-based drilling cutting pyrolysis residues (ODCPRs) was used as the main raw material for preparing lightweight and high-strength building ceramsites to eliminate the environmental risks and recycle industrial waste. Firstly, orthogonal experiments were used to study the influences of raw material composition, preheating temperature, preheating time, sintering temperature, and sintering time on the properties of building ceramsites. From the results, the sintering temperature and the content of ODCPRs were discovered to be the key factors affecting the sintering process of ceramsites. Secondly, the influences of sintering temperature and heating rate on the properties of building ceramists were further explored to find the optimum sintering conditions. When the content of ODCPRs in the ceramsite was set to be 50%, the obtained building ceramsites presented excellent properties with particle compressive strength of 6.31 MPa, bulk density of 575.11 kg/m3, apparent density of 1097.24 kg/m3, and the water absorption of 1.89%. Finally, XRD, SEM, TG-DSC, and heavy metal leaching experiments were comprehensively conducted to analyze the composition structure variation and sintering mechanism of the building ceramsite. This paper presents an approach for the recycling, utilization, and disposal of oil-based drilling cuttings in the oil field waste management.

HPV (Human papillomavirus) affects 600,000 people worldwide each year. Almost all cervical cancers are associated with a past HPV infection. In particular, the positivity to the high-risk type HPV16 is detected in most of the invasive cervical cancers. FDA has approved prophylactic vaccines that protect against new HPV16 infections, but do not induce immunity in those patients with established infections or neoplasms. To date, no therapeutic vaccine targeting HPV16-associated lesions has been authorized. We have developed an mRNA-based vaccine against the HPV16 late oncoproteins E6 and E7, which are abundantly and exclusively expressed in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), a stage of the cervical disease that precedes the progression to carcinoma. Our in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the translated mRNA is functional and elicits an antigen-specific adaptive immune response. Upon immunization with the vaccine, mice with HPV16+ lesions exhibited tumor growth inhibition, extension of lifespan, and development of a protective immune memory. In light of these results and the remarkable clinical success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV2, we believe that our mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine has the potential to offer a non-invasive treatment alternative to the current standard of care for HPV16+ HSILs.

In the complex and dynamic processes of replication, transcription, and translation of DNA molecules, a large number of replication errors or damage can occur which lead to obstacles in the development process of germ cells and result in a decreased reproductive rate. DNA damage repair has attracted widespread attention due to its important role in the maintenance and regulation of germ cells. This study reports on a systematic review of the role and mechanism of DNA damage repair in germline development. First, the causes, detection methods, and repair methods of DNA damage, and the mechanism of DNA damage repair are summarized. Second, a summary of the causes of abnormal DNA damage repair in germ cells is introduced along with common examples, and the relevant effects of germ cell damage. Third, we introduce the application of drugs related to DNA damage repair in the treatment of reproductive diseases and related surgical treatment of abnormal DNA damage, and summarize various applications of DNA damage repair in germ cells. Finally, a summary and discussion is given of the current deficiencies in DNA damage repair during germ cell development and future research development. The purpose of this paper is to provide researchers engaged in relevant fields with a further systematic understanding of the relevant applications of DNA damage repair in germ cells and to gain inspiration from it to provide new research ideas for related fields.

Waterfowl, such as ducks, are natural hosts for avian influenza viruses (AIVs) and act as a bridge for transmitting the virus to humans or susceptible chickens. Since 2013, chickens and ducks have been threatened by waterfowl-origin H5N6 subtype AIVs in China. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the genetic evolution, transmission, and pathogenicity of these viruses. In this study, we determined the genetic characteristics, transmission, and pathogenicity of waterfowl-origin H5N6 viruses in southern China. The hemagglutinin (HA) genes of H5N6 viruses were classified into the MIX-like branch of clade 2.3.4.4h. The neuraminidase (NA) genes belonged to the Eurasian lineage. The PB1 genes were classified into MIX-like and VN 2014-like branches. The remaining five genes were clustered into the MIX-like branch. Therefore, these viruses belonged to different genotypes. The cleavage site of the HA proteins of these viruses was RERRRKR/G, a molecular characteristic of the H5 highly pathogenic AIV. The NA stalk of all H5N6 viruses contained 11 amino acid deletions at residues 58–68. All viruses contained 627E and 701D in the PB2 proteins, which were molecular characteristics of typical bird AIVs. Furthermore, this study showed that Q135 and S23 viruses could replicate systematically in chickens and ducks. They did not cause death in ducks but induced mild clinical signs in them. All the infected chickens showed severe clinical signs and died. These viruses were shed from the digestive and respiratory tracts and transmitted horizontally in chickens and ducks. Our results provide valuable information for preventing H5N6 avian influenza outbreaks.

Knowledge about marine tardigrades from the South China Sea is very scarce, with only four species from shallow waters recorded to date. The present study investigated the structure and diversity of tardigrade communities from the deep sea (1517-1725 m) at 8 stations in a polymetallic nodule area of the northern South China Sea. A total of 151 arthrotardigrades were collected belonging to 11 genera (Angursa, Batillipes, Coronarctus, Euclavarctus, Exoclavarctus, Halechiniscus, Moebjergarctus, Raiarctus, Rhomboarctus, Tanarctus and Tholoarctus), representing 17 species. Two Angursa species (Angursa sp. 4 and Angursa sp. 3) were the most abundant (25.2% and 14.6%, respectively), followed by Moebjergarctus sp. (13.9%). Specimens were mostly (90.7%) distributed in the upper layer of the sandy-mud sediment (0-1 cm). The SIMPROF test showed that the composition of tardigrade communities at all stations was not significantly different. At different stations, the number of species, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Pielou’s evenness index ranged from 4 to 10, 1.94 to 2.87, and 0.75 to 1.00, respectively. The average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) ranged from 72.50 to 90.00, and the variation in taxonomic distinctness (Λ+) ranged from 316.67 to 1181.25. This study provides some basic information about the biodiversity of the marine tardigrade community in the South China Sea.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic progressive liver disease with increasing prevalence. Lipophagy is a type of programmed cell death that plays an essential role in maintaining the body’s balance of fatty acid metabolism. However, the livers of NAFLD patients are abnormally dysregulated in lipophagy. mTORC1 is a critical negative regulator of lipophagy, which has been confirmed to participate in the process of lipophagy through various complex mechanisms. Therefore, targeting mTORC1 to restore failed autophagy may be an effective therapeutic strategy for NAFLD. This article reviews the main pathways through which mTORC1 participates in the formation of lipophagy and the intervention effect of mTORC1-regulated lipophagy in NAFLD, providing new therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD in the future.

Nowadays, the detection of environmental microorganism indicators is essential for us to assess the degree of pollution, but the traditional detection methods consume a lot of manpower and material resources. Therefore, it is necessary for us to make microbial data sets to be used in artificial intelligence. The Environmental Microorganism Image Dataset Seventh Version (EMDS-7) is a microscopic image data set that is applied in the field of multi-object detection of artificial intelligence. This method reduces the chemicals, manpower and equipment used in the process of detecting microorganisms. EMDS-7 including the original Environmental Microorganism (EM) images and the corresponding object labeling files in “.XML” format file. The EMDS-7 data set consists of 41 types of EMs, which has a total of 2,65 images and 13,216 labeled objects. The EMDS-7 database mainly focuses on the object detection. In order to prove the effectiveness of EMDS-7, we select the most commonly used deep learning methods (Faster-Region Convolutional Neural Network (Faster-RCNN), YOLOv3, YOLOv4, SSD, and RetinaNet) and evaluation indices for testing and evaluation. EMDS-7 is freely published for non-commercial purpose at: https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/EMDS-7_DataSet/16869571.

PurposeTo evaluate the clinical effects of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) using a single graft after thermokeratoplasty assisted epikeratophakia for the treatment of acute corneal hydrops.MethodsThis novel surgical procedure was performed on seven eyes of seven patients between 2019 and 2020. The procedure combines a first-stage surgery of thermokeratoplasty assisted epikeratophkia with intracameral sterile air injection and a second-stage surgery of DALK using the same corneal graft for both procedures. Main outcome measures included pre- and postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) parameters. Corneal transparency, epithelization, and the presence of neovascularization, were evaluated at the 1-year follow-up visit.ResultsCorneal edema resolved rapidly in six of the seven cases. The mean central corneal thickness was significantly reduced from baseline to 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months after the first-stage surgery (P < 0.0001). At a mean of 2.1 ± 0.7 months after the first-stage surgery, DALK was successfully performed in all cases. Six months later, the mean central corneal thickness was 611 ± 31 μm and the mean thickness of the recipient’s residual stroma bed was 20 ± 6 μm at the central corneal area. Mean LogMAR CDVA improved from 1.74 ± 0.34 at baseline to 0.20 ± 0.11 after DALK (P < 0.0001). No postoperative complications appeared in our case series during the 1-year observation period.ConclusionVery good visual results were obtained with a novel technique (thermokeratoplasty assisted epikeratophakia followed by DALK using the same corneal graft) in the treatment of acute corneal hydrops.

IntroductionGastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world. At the same time, it is also the fourth most deadly cancer. Early detection of cancer exists as a guide for the treatment of gastric cancer. Nowadays, computer technology has advanced rapidly to assist physicians in the diagnosis of pathological pictures of gastric cancer. Ensemble learning is a way to improve the accuracy of algorithms, and finding multiple learning models with complementarity types is the basis of ensemble learning. Therefore, this paper compares the performance of multiple algorithms in anticipation of applying ensemble learning to a practical gastric cancer classification problem.MethodsThe complementarity of sub-size pathology image classifiers when machine performance is insufficient is explored in this experimental platform. We choose seven classical machine learning classifiers and four deep learning classifiers for classification experiments on the GasHisSDB database. Among them, classical machine learning algorithms extract five different image virtual features to match multiple classifier algorithms. For deep learning, we choose three convolutional neural network classifiers. In addition, we also choose a novel Transformer-based classifier.ResultsThe experimental platform, in which a large number of classical machine learning and deep learning methods are performed, demonstrates that there are differences in the performance of different classifiers on GasHisSDB. Classical machine learning models exist for classifiers that classify Abnormal categories very well, while classifiers that excel in classifying Normal categories also exist. Deep learning models also exist with multiple models that can be complementarity.DiscussionSuitable classifiers are selected for ensemble learning, when machine performance is insufficient. This experimental platform demonstrates that multiple classifiers are indeed complementarity and can improve the efficiency of ensemble learning. This can better assist doctors in diagnosis, improve the detection of gastric cancer, and increase the cure rate.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major cause of severe hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). Compared to other HFMD pathogens, like coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16), EV71 can invade the central nervous system and cause permanent damage. At present, there are no available antivirals against EV71 for clinical treatment. Herein, multiple Chinese botanical drugs were collected, and 47 types of botanical extracts were extracted using aqueous solutions and organic solvents. Based on the cytopathic effect inhibition assay, petroleum ether extract of Tournefortia sibirica L. (PE-TS) demonstrated 97.25% and 94.75% inhibition rates for EV71 infection (at 250 μg/ml) and CVA16 infection (at 125 μg/ml), respectively, with low cytotoxicity. Preliminary mechanistic studies showed that PE-TS inhibits replication of EV71 genomic RNA and synthesis of the EV71 protein. The released extracellular EV71 progeny virus titer decreased by 3.75 lg under PE-TS treatment. Furthermore, using a newborn mouse model, PE-TS treatment protected 70% and 66.7% of mice from lethal dose EV71 intracranial challenge via administration of intraperitoneal injection at 0.4 mg/g and direct lavage at 0.8 mg/g, respectively. The chemical constituents of the PE-TS were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), and a total of 60 compounds were identified. Compound-target network analysis and molecular docking implied potential bioactive compounds and their protein targets against EV71 associated pathology. The present study identified antiviral effects of PE-TS against EV71/CVA16 infection in vitro and EV71 infection in vivo, providing a potential antiviral botanical drug extract candidate for HFMD drug development.

The cell wall plays an important role in plant mechanical strength. Cellulose is the major component of plant cell walls and provides the most abundant renewable biomass resource for biofuels on earth. Mutational analysis showed that cellulose synthase (CESA) genes are critical in cell wall biosynthesis in cereal crops like rice. However, their role has not been fully elucidated in barley. In this study, we isolated a brittle culm mutant brittle culm 3 (bc3) derived from Yangnongpi 5 ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis in barley. The bc3 mutants exhibited reduced mechanical strength of the culms due to impaired thickening of the sclerenchyma cell wall and reduced cellulose and hemicellulose content in the culms. Genetic analysis and map-based cloning revealed that the bc3 mutant was controlled by a single recessive gene and harbored a point mutation in the HvCESA5 gene, generating a premature stop codon near the N-terminal of the protein. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the HvCESA5 gene is predominantly expressed in the culms and co-expressed with HvCESA4 and HvCESA8, consistent with the brittle culm phenotype of the bc3 mutant. These results indicate that the truncated HvCESA5 affects cell wall biosynthesis leading to a brittle culm phenotype. Our findings provide evidence for the important role of HvCESA5 in cell wall biosynthesis pathway and could be a potential target to modify cell wall in barley.

Microbial resources capable of anaerobic biosynthesis of biosurfactants are increasingly interested for their application in oxygen-deficient environments, such as in-situ microbial enhanced oil recovery and anaerobic bioremediation. How to simply and efficiently screen microbial strains capable of anaerobic biosynthesis of biosurfactants need be further studied in depth. In this study, an efficient and simple screening method was established based on the oil displacement characteristic of biosurfactants combined with the anaerobic culture technology using microplate assays. Strains whose anaerobic culture in microwells can form oil displacement circles with diameters larger than 10 mm were screened for scale-up culture in anaerobic tubes. The screened strains which can reduce the surface tension of anaerobic culture to lower than 45 mN/m were verified as positive strains. Using this screening method, eight positive strains and thirteen positive strains were screened from oil reservoir produced water and oily sludge, respectively. Through phylogenetic analysis, some screened strains were identified as Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., and Enterobacter sp. This study also found that more microbial strains might be isolated after enrichment culture of environmental samples, whereas more microbial species would be isolated without enrichment. Suspension of environmental samples prepared with distilled water or normal saline had no significant effect. The established screening method is highly targeted and efficient for microbial strains capable of anaerobic biosynthesis of biosurfactants. The diameter of oil displacement circle is a reliable screening indicator. This study will contribute to explore more microbial resources which can anaerobically biosynthesize biosurfactants.

We aimed to examine the association between serum cotinine and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and the intermediate effects of body mass index (BMI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) on modulating the association. This study included 4,047 adults from the 1999 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In the combined sample, after adjusting for age, race, sex, physical activity, and alcohol use, the total effect of serum cotinine on LTL was significant (standardized regression coefficient, β = −0.049, p = 0.001) without BMI and CRP included in the model. With inclusion of BMI but without CRP in the model, the direct effect of cotinine on LTL in its absolute value increased to β = −0.053 (p < 0.001), and the suppression effect of BMI was estimated at 8.8%. With inclusion of CRP but without BMI in the model, the direct effect of cotinine on LTL in its absolute value decreased to β = −0.040 (p = 0.008), and the mediation effect of CRP was estimated at 16.9%. With inclusion of both BMI and CRP in the model, BMI and CRP still had significant suppression and mediation effects, respectively, on the cotinine-LTL association. These findings suggest that weight and inflammation have different roles in the inverse association between serum cotinine and LTL.

Hadal zones are marine environments deeper than 6,000 m, most of which comprise oceanic trenches. Microbes thriving at such depth experience high hydrostatic pressure and low temperature. The genomic potentials of these microbes to such extreme environments are largely unknown. Here, we compare five complete genomes of bacterial strains belonging to Labrenzia aggregata (Alphaproteobacteria), including four from the Mariana Trench at depths up to 9,600 m and one reference from surface seawater of the East China Sea, to uncover the genomic potentials of this species. Genomic investigation suggests all the five strains of L. aggregata as participants in nitrogen and sulfur cycles, including denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), thiosulfate oxidation, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) biosynthesis and degradation. Further comparisons show that, among the five strains, 85% gene functions are similar with 96.7% of them encoded on the chromosomes, whereas the numbers of functional specific genes related to osmoregulation, antibiotic resistance, viral infection, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis are majorly contributed by the differential plasmids. A following analysis suggests the plasmidic gene numbers increase along with isolation depth and most plasmids are dissimilar among the five strains. These findings provide a better understanding of genomic potentials in the same species throughout a deep-sea water column and address the importance of externally originated plasmidic genes putatively shaped by deep-sea environment.

Background: Primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma (PRPLS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of the retroperitoneum with high recurrence rate and short overall survival (OS).Methods: A retrospective review of 51 patients with PRPLS, treated between September 1, 2009 and November 30, 2020, was conducted to evaluate clinical outcomes of PRPLS resection. Patient demographics, histopathologic subtypes, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease recurrence rate, and tumor stage were reviewed and analyzed. Univariate analysis was done to identify factors potentially affecting OS and PFS of PRPLS patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to evaluate the impact of various clinicopathological factors on OS and PFS of PRPLS patients.Results: Fifty-one PRPLS patients (28 Males, 23 Females; mean age 56.25 years) were evaluated. There was no significant effect of age, gender, contiguous organ resection, degree of differentiation and tumor size on the OS and PFS of the patients. Univariate analysis showed that negative surgical margin and early tumor stage significantly correlated with OS and PFS (all P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor stage [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.177, P = 0.001] was an independent predictors of poor progression-free survival, and surgical margins [HR = 4.0674 P = 0.038] and tumor stage [HR = 1.167 P = 0.001] were identified as independent predictors of poor overall survival.Conclusion: Negative surgical margin is a prognostic factor of OS, and can prolong the postoperative survival time of PRPLS patients. Tumor stage is a prognostic factor for OS and PFS, and can influence the survival of PRPLS patients. Earlier tumor stages of PRPLS are associated with significantly better outcomes.

Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) has caused wide public concern in recent years, and the study on risk factors analysis and prediction is still an open issue. With the deepening of the research, machine learning has been widely applied to various scenarios and make great achievements increasingly, which brings new approaches to this field. In this paper, 395 patients with acute ischemic stroke are collected and evaluated by anxiety scales (i.e., HADS-A, HAMA, and SAS), hence the patients are divided into anxiety group and non-anxiety group. Afterward, the results of demographic data and general laboratory examination between the two groups are compared to identify the risk factors with statistical differences accordingly. Then the factors with statistical differences are incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression to obtain risk factors and protective factors of PSA. Statistical analysis shows great differences in gender, age, serious stroke, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, drinking, and HDL-C level between PSA group and non-anxiety group with HADS-A and HAMA evaluation. Meanwhile, as evaluated by SAS scale, gender, serious stroke, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, drinking, and HDL-C level differ in the PSA group and the non-anxiety group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of HADS-A, HAMA, and SAS scales suggest that hypertension, diabetes mellitus, drinking, high NIHSS score, and low serum HDL-C level are related to PSA. In other words, gender, age, disability, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, HDL-C, and drinking are closely related to anxiety during the acute stage of ischemic stroke. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, drinking, and disability increased the risk of PSA, and higher serum HDL-C level decreased the risk of PSA. Several machine learning methods are employed to predict PSA according to HADS-A, HAMA, and SAS scores, respectively. The experimental results indicate that random forest outperforms the competitive methods in PSA prediction, which contributes to early intervention for clinical treatment.

Using data from the China Labor-Force Dynamic Survey, this study employed logistic regressions to investigate the association between fertility behavior and depression among Chinese women. The empirical results show that in China, women having children were significantly less likely to have depressive symptoms (OR = 0.651) compared to childless women. We also found a U-shaped relationship between fertility levels and depression in women. The results were robust to using the propensity score matching approach to address the sample selection problem. Further, our heterogeneity analysis demonstrated that the negative relationship between fertility level and depression was more significant among women who were in their 30s, lived in urban areas, and lived in high-income households. Compared to having male children (boys) (OR = 0.874), having female children (girls) (OR = 0.795) was more significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms among women. In the meantime, we did not find a significant relationship between the childbearing period and depression. The paper discussed possible reasons for our findings and policy implications from the perspectives of the government, society, and family.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an environmental friendly and economic fiber crop, has a certain tolerance to abiotic stresses. Identification of reliable reference genes for transcript normalization of stress responsive genes expression by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is important for exploring the molecular mechanisms of plants response to abiotic stresses. In this study, nine candidate reference genes were cloned, and their expression stabilities were assessed in 132 abiotic stress and hormonal stimuli samples of kenaf using geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper algorithms. Results revealed that HcPP2A (Protein phosphatase 2A) and HcACT7 (Actin 7) were the optimum reference genes across all samples; HcUBC (Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme like protein) was the worst reference gene for transcript normalization. The reliability of the selected reference genes was further confirmed by evaluating the expression profile of HcWRKY28 gene at different stress durations. This work will benefit future studies on discovery of stress-tolerance genes and stress-signaling pathways in this important fiber crop.

Oat is an annual gramineous forage grass with the remarkable ability to survive under various stressful environments. However, understanding the effects of high altitude stresses on oats is poor. Therefore, the physiological and the transcriptomic changes were analyzed at two sites with different altitudes, low (ca. 2,080 m) or high (ca. 2,918 m), respectively. Higher levels of antioxidant enzyme activity, reactive oxygen and major reductions in photosynthesis-related markers were suggested for oats at high altitudes. Furthermore, oat yields were severely suppressed at the high altitude. RNA-seq results showed that 11,639 differentially expressed genes were detected at both the low and the high altitudes in which 5,203 up-regulated and 6,436 down-regulated. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment tests were conducted and a group of major high altitude-responsive pigment metabolism genes, photosynthesis, hormone signaling, and cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis were excavated. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain response, we also confirmed expression levels of 20 DEGs (qRT-PCR). In summary, our study generated genome-wide transcript profile and may be useful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of Avena sativa L. in response to high altitude stress. These new findings contribute to our deeper relevant researches on high altitude stresses and further exploring new candidategenes for adapting plateau environment oat molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]