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Ginseng, from the roots of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is a widely used herbal medicine in Asian countries, known for its excellent therapeutic properties. The growth of P. ginseng is depend on specific and strict environments, with a preference for wetness but intolerance for flooding. Under excessive soil moisture, some irregular rust-like substances are deposited on the root epidermis, causing ginseng rusty symptoms (GRS). This condition leads to a significant reduce in yield and quality, resulting in substantial economic loses. However, there is less knowledge on the cause of GRS and there are no effective treatments available for its treatment once it occurs. Unsuitable environments lead to the generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the key indicators associated with the stress response during different physiological stages of GRS development. We observed a significant change in ROS level, MDA contents, antioxidant enzymes activities, and non-enzymatic antioxidants contents prior to the GRS. Through the analysis of soil features with an abundance of moisture, we further determined the source of ROS. The levels of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in the inter-root soil of ginseng with GRS were significantly elevated compared to those of healthy ginseng. These enzymes boost nitric oxide (NO) levels, which in turn showed a favorable correlation with the GRS. The activities of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase first rose and then decreased as GRS developed. Excess soil moisture causes a decrease in oxygen levels. This activated NR and NOS in the soil, resulting in a production of excess NO. The NO then diffused into the ginseng root and triggered a burst of ROS through NADPH located on the cell membrane. Additionally, Fe2+ in soil was oxidized to red Fe3+, and finally led to GRS. This conclusion was also verified by the Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP), a precursor compound producing NO. The presence of NO from NR and NOS in water-saturated soil is responsible for the generation of ROS. Among these, NO is the main component that contribute to the occurrence of GRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sevoflurane induces developmental neurotoxicity in mice; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is essential for microglia-mediated synaptic refinement during the early stages of brain development. We explored the effects of TREM2 on dendritic spine pruning during sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity in mice. Mice were anaesthetized with sevoflurane on postnatal days 6, 8, and 10. Behavioral performance was assessed using the open field test and Morris water maze test. Genetic knockdown of TREM2 and overexpression of TREM2 by stereotaxic injection were used for mechanistic experiments. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, three-dimensional reconstruction, Golgi staining, and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed. Sevoflurane exposures upregulated the protein expression of TREM2, increased microglia-mediated pruning of dendritic spines, and reduced synaptic multiplicity and excitability of CA1 neurons. TREM2 genetic knockdown significantly decreased dendritic spine pruning, and partially aggravated neuronal morphological abnormalities and cognitive impairments in sevoflurane-treated mice. In contrast, TREM2 overexpression enhanced microglia-mediated pruning of dendritic spines and rescued neuronal morphological abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction. TREM2 exerts a protective role against neurocognitive impairments in mice after neonatal exposures to sevoflurane by enhancing microglia-mediated pruning of dendritic spines in CA1 neurons. This provides a potential therapeutic target in the prevention of sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture risk in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients is paradoxically increased despite no decrease in areal bone mineral density (BMD). This phenomenon, known as the "diabetic bone paradox", has been attributed to various factors including alterations in bone microarchitecture and composition, hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and comorbidities associated with T2D. Zhao et al. recently investigated the relationship between T2D and fracture risk using both genetic and phenotypic datasets. Their findings suggest that genetically predicted T2D is associated with higher BMD and lower fracture risk, indicating that the bone paradox is not observed when confounding factors are controlled using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. However, in prospective phenotypic analysis, T2D remained associated with higher BMD and higher fracture risk, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Stratified analysis revealed that the bone paradox may disappear when T2D-related risk factors are eliminated. The study also highlighted the role of obesity in the relationship between T2D and fracture risk, with BMI mediating a significant portion of the protective effect. Overall, managing T2D-related risk factors may be crucial in preventing fracture risk in T2D patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parameters for survival prediction of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) combined with surgery are unclear. Here, we aimed to construct a nomogram for survival prediction of ESCC patients treated with NCRT combined with surgery based on pretreatment serological hepatic and renal function tests. A total of 174 patients diagnosed as ESCC were enrolled as a training cohort from July 2007 to June 2019, and approximately 50% of the cases (n = 88) were randomly selected as an internal validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate Cox survival analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors to establish a nomogram. Predictive accuracy of the nomogram was evaluated by Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve. ALT, ALP, TBA, TP, AST, TBIL and CREA were identified as independent prognostic factors and incorporated into the construction of the hepatic and renal function test nomogram (HRFTNomogram). The C-index of the HRFTNomogram for overall survival (OS) was 0.764 (95% CI 0.701–0.827) in the training cohort, which was higher than that of the TNM staging system (0.507 (95% CI 0.429–0.585), P < 0.001). The 5-year OS calibration curve of the training cohort demonstrated that the predictive accuracy of the HRFTNomogram was satisfactory. Moreover, patients in the high-risk group stratified by the HRFTNomogram had poorer 5-year OS than those in the low-risk group in the training cohort (27.4% vs. 80.3%, P < 0.001). Similar results were observed in the internal validation cohort. A novel HRFTNomogram might help predict the survival of locally advanced ESCC patients treated with NCRT followed by esophagectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), outcomes and its characteristics in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) in a retrospective setting. Outcomes: Patients died of cardiac shock or acute exacerbation of heart failure (HF), admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) due to acute exacerbation of HF, patients decided to withdraw treatment and return home due to acute exacerbation of HF. Methods: From January 2015 to June 2022, we admitted 359 patients diagnosed with CHF, and lower limb ultrasonography was performed for the examination of DVT after admission. The incidence of DVT was recorded and patients with known risk factors of VTE were identified and excluded after incidence of DVT was calculated. Patients' clinical data were then collected. Results: The occurrence of DVT was 10.0% (36/359), as calf intramuscular vein thrombosis was the main constitution (n = 28, 75%). DVT patients with other factors (carcinoma, surgery, stroke, previous history of DVT) constituted a considerable part (33.3%, 12/36). Age, history of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), levels of DDi (D-Dimer), levels of alanine transferase (ALT) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd) were independent predictors or risk factors of DVT in CHF patients, while chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1–4, white blood cell (WBC) and direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) were protective factors. Incidence of DVT was correlated with a poor outcome of CHF patients (Pearson Chi-Square test, Value 19.612, P < 0.001). Conclusions: In this retrospective study, incidence of DVT was found to be relatively high among hospitalized CHF patients, while patients with DVT was associated with a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When unsaturated soils are affected by thermal radiation such as sunlight, geothermal heat, nuclear waste, and biochemical reactions, the soil temperature will increase and accelerate soil moisture migration, resulting in soil deformation. Therefore, in this paper, by extending the SFG model of the unified yield surface to consider the effect of temperature change on the unified yield surface, a yield surface constitutive model which can simultaneously reflect temperature-suction-stress is proposed. In order to verify the applicability of the model, the triaxial test of Jiangxi laterite at different temperatures is carried out to determine the calculation parameters of the model, and the fitting results of the model are compared with the experimental results, and the model is fitted and analyzed by referring to the test data of remolded clay used by Uchaipichat. The results show that the model can well reflect the stress-strain characteristics of soil during compression rebound, dehumidification and shear at different temperatures, which provides a theoretical support for predicting and solving the influence of temperature change on the stress deformation and shear strength of unsaturated soil in the corresponding engineering environment in the future, thus further enriching the constitutive theory of unsaturated soil under the influence of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: BIG regulates ground tissue formative divisions by bridging the auxin gradient with SHR abundance in Arabidopsis roots. The formative divisions of cortex/endodermis initials (CEIs) and CEI daughter cells (CEIDs) in Arabidopsis roots are coordinately controlled by the longitudinal auxin gradient and the radial SHORT ROOT (SHR) abundance. However, the mechanism underlying this coordination remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that BIG regulates ground tissue formative divisions by bridging the auxin gradient with SHR abundance. Mutations in BIG gene repressed cell cycle progression, delaying the formative divisions within the ground tissues and impairing the establishment of endodermal and cortical identities. In addition, we uncovered auxin’s suppressive effect on BIG expression, triggering CYCLIND6;1 (CYCD6;1) activation in an SHR-dependent fashion. Moreover, the degradation of RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED (RBR) is jointly regulated by BIG and CYCD6;1. The loss of BIG function led to RBR protein accumulation, detrimentally impacting the SHR/SCARECROW (SCR) protein complex and the CEI/CEID formative divisions. Collectively, these findings shed light on a fundamental mechanism wherein BIG intricately coordinates the interplay between SHR/SCR and auxin, steering ground tissue patterning within Arabidopsis root tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofouling has been a persistent problem in marine riser system, resulting in energy waste and equipment damage. In this study, a kind of water wave-driven contact-mode flexible triboelectric nanogeneration has been prepared by using graphene-doped PDMS as dielectric friction material. When the graphene content is 2%, the average output voltage can reach 46 V under the contact frequency 10 Hz. The flexible triboelectric nanogeneration encapsulation module is impinged by water waves to generate alternating microelectric field on the riser surface and destroy the adhesion conditions of microorganisms during the biofilm stage. In the biofouling experiments at different stages, the biofouling area of the platymonas subcordiformis has been reduced by 53%, 62% and 61%. It provides a new idea for effective treatment of biofouling of mussels, oysters and barnacles attached to risers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a life-threatening systemic vasculitis featured by liability to renal involvement. However, there are few studies on the risk factors and predictive models for renal outcomes of AAV in children. Methods: Data from 179 AAV children in multiple centers between January 2012 and March 2020 were collected retrospectively. The risk factors and predictive model of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in AAV were explored. Results: Renal involvement was the most typical manifestation (95.5%), and the crescent was the predominant pathological lesion (84.9%). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was evaluated in 114 patients, of whom 59.6% developed ESRD, and the median time to ESRD was 3.20 months. The eGFR [P = 0.006, odds ratio (OR) = 0.955, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.924–0.987] and the percentages of global glomerulosclerosis (pGGS; P = 0.018, OR = 1.060, 95% CI = 1.010–1.112) were independent risk factors for ESRD of renal biopsy. Based on the pGGS and eGFR at renal biopsy, we developed three risk grades of ESRD and one predictive model. The Kaplan‒Meier curve indicated that renal outcomes were significantly different in different risk grades (P < 0.001). Compared with serum creatinine at baseline, the predictive model had higher accuracy (0.86 versus 0.58, P < 0.001) and a lower coefficient of variation (0.07 versus 0.92) in external validation. Conclusions: Renal involvement is the most common manifestation of pediatric AAV in China, of which more than half deteriorates into ESRD. The predictive model based on eGFR at renal biopsy and the pGGS may be stable and accurate in speculating the risk of ESRD in AAV children. 342BNb9AdCycy4MnMisg3F Supplementary file 2 (MP4 18937 KB) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the potential prognostic value of ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Based on The TCGA database, lncRNAs and ferroptosis-related genes with differential expression levels in PTC tumors vs. normal tissues were screened. After the co-expression network construction, ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (FRLs) were screened. Kaplan–Meier analysis was conducted to compare the survival performance of patients with PTC in the high- and low-risk groups. Furthermore, a nomogram was created to enhance PTC prognosis. CIBERSORT was used to investigate the infiltration of various immune cells in high- and low-risk groups. In total, 10 lncRNA pairs with differential expression levels were obtained. There were significant differences in the histological subtype and pathological stage between the high- and low-risk groups, and age (P = 7.39E-13) and FRLM model status (P = 1.09E-04) were identified as independent prognostic factors. Subsequently, the nomogram survival model showed that the predicted one-, three-, and five-year survival rates were similar to the actual one- (c-index = 0.8475), three- (c-index = 0.7964), and five-year (c-index = 0.7555) survival rates. Subjects in the low-risk group had significantly more CD4 + memory T cells and resting myeloid dendritic cells, and subjects in the high-risk group had more plasma B cells and monocytes. The risk assessment model constructed using FRLs showed good predictive value for the prognosis of patients with PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open-set learning deals with the testing distribution where there exist samples from the classes that are unseen during training. They aim to classify the seen classes and recognize the unseen classes. Previous studies typically assume that the marginal distribution of the seen classes is fixed across the training and testing distributions. In many real-world applications, however, there may exist covariate shift between them, i.e., the marginal distribution of seen classes may shift. We call this kind of problem as open-set learning under covariate shift, aim to robustly classify the seen classes under covariate shift and be aware of the unseen classes.We present a new open-set learning framework with covariate generalization based on supervised contrastive learning, called SC–OSG, inspired by the latent connection between contrastive learning and representation invariance. Specifically, we theoretically justify supervised contrastive learning that could promote the conditional invariance of representations, a critical condition for covariate generalization. SC–OSG generates multi-source samples to promote the representation invariance and improve the covariate generalization. Based on this, we propose a detection score that is specific to the proposed training scheme. We evaluate the effectiveness of our method on several real-world datasets, on all of which we achieve competitive results with state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acinetobacters pose a significant threat to human health, especially those with weakened immune systems. Type IV pili of acinetobacters play crucial roles in virulence and antibiotic resistance. Single-stranded RNA bacteriophages target the bacterial retractile pili, including type IV. Our study delves into the interaction between Acinetobacter phage AP205 and type IV pili. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we solve structures of the AP205 virion with an asymmetric dimer of maturation proteins, the native Acinetobacter type IV pili bearing a distinct post-translational pilin cleavage, and the pili-bound AP205 showing its maturation proteins adapted to pilin modifications, allowing each phage to bind to one or two pili. Leveraging these results, we develop a 20-kilodalton AP205-derived protein scaffold targeting type IV pili in situ, with potential for research and diagnostics. Here, the authors structurally characterise the interaction between Acinetobacter phage AP205 and the type IV Acinetobacter pili using cryo-electron microscopy, uncovering the mechanistic determinants of this interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at these problems of low efficiency, high cost, and environmental pollution in the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process of single crystal SiC substrates, a dry-type tribochemical mechanical polishing (DTCMP) method was proposed, and catalysts were added to enhance its efficiency, and the mechanism of catalyst action was investigated. In this study, different contents of nanocatalysts Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 were added to the DTCMP experiments on 6H-SiC substrates, and the material removal characteristics of SiC substrates were investigated under different polishing pressures and rotational speeds with different types of catalysts. Surface morphology, hardness change, surface elements, and crystalline structure of SiC before and after the polishing were analyzed using white light interferometer, nanoindenter, scanning electron microscopes, and X-ray diffractometer. The results show that the catalytic performance of the Fe3O4 catalyst was superior to that of the Fe2O3 catalyst and that the Fe3O4 catalyst can catalyze the production of more ·OH from Na2CO3-1.5H2O2 during the assisted polishing process. The material removal rate (MRR) was higher with the addition of catalyst than without, with MRR as high as 709.2 nm/h and surface roughness as low as 2.257 nm. Based on previous research results, this DTCMP achieves higher MRR compared with traditional CMP. In addition, the catalyst can promote the oxidation reaction on the SiC surface, accelerate the generation of surface oxide films, and thus reduce the surface hardness. Catalyst-assisted DTCMP exhibits superior performance in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability, which can be an efficient method for preparing ultra-smooth SiC semiconductor materials and may inspire new ideas for their high-efficiency production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum effects in photosynthetic energy transport in nature, especially for the typical Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complexes, are extensively studied in quantum biology. Such energy transport processes can be investigated as open quantum systems that blend the quantum coherence and environmental noise, and have been experimentally simulated on a few quantum devices. However, the existing experiments always lack a solid quantum simulation for the FMO energy transport due to their constraints to map a variety of issues in actual FMO complexes that have rich biological meanings. Here we successfully map the full coupling profile of the seven-site FMO structure by comprehensive characterisation and precise control of the evanescent coupling of the three-dimensional waveguide array. By applying a stochastic dynamical modulation on each waveguide, we introduce the base site energy and the dephasing term in coloured noise to faithfully simulate the power spectral density of the FMO complexes. We show our photonic model well interprets the phenomena including reorganisation energy, vibrational assistance, exciton transfer and energy localisation. We further experimentally demonstrate the existence of an optimal transport efficiency at certain dephasing strength, providing a window to closely investigate environment-assisted quantum transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology. Previous studies have suggested that metabolites may play a pivotal mediating role in the progression of phenotypic variations. Although several metabolites had been identified as potential markers for PCOS, the relationship between blood metabolites and PCOS was not comprehensively explored. Previously, Pickrell et al. designed a robust approach to infer evidence of a causal relationship between different phenotypes using independently putative causal SNPs. Our previous paper extended this approach to make it more suitable for cases where only a few independently putative causal SNPs were identified to be significantly associated with the phenotypes (i.e., metabolites). When the most significant SNPs in each independent locus (the independent lead SNPs) with p-values of < 1 × 10−5 were used, 3 metabolites (2-tetradecenoyl carnitine, threitol, 1-docosahexaenoylglycerophosphocholine) causally influencing PCOS and 2 metabolites (asparagine and phenyllactate) influenced by PCOS were identified, (relative likelihood r < 0.01). Under a less stringent threshold of r < 0.05, 7 metabolites (trans-4-hydroxyproline, glutaroyl carnitine, stachydrine, undecanoate, 7-Hoca, N-acetylalanine and 2-hydroxyisobutyrate) were identified. Taken together, this study can provide novel insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PCOS; whether these metabolites can serve as biomarkers to predict PCOS in clinical practice warrants further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are controversial about the application of cancer-directed surgery (CDS) in patients with liver metastases from gastric cancer, with improved responses to chemotherapy and targeted treatments, the role of CDS in metastatic gastric cancer to the liver needs to be revisited. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CDS on patients with liver metastases from gastric cancer. Data for patients with liver metastases from gastric cancer were extracted from the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. A total of 958 individuals were enrolled, 285 in the CDS group and 673 in the non-cancer guided surgery (Non-CDS) group. Following propensity score matching (PSM) analysis at 1:1 in the two groups,285 were included in the survival analysis for each group. Kaplan–Meier values and Cox proportional risk models were used to estimate the effect of CDS on patients' prognoses. Compared with the Non-CDS group, the CDS group significantly prolonged the median overall survival from 4 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 3–5) to 11 months (95% CI 8–12), p value < 0.001. Overall survival (OS) at 1 year was higher in the CDS group than in the Non-CDS group, at 44% (95 CI 38–50) and 25% (95 CI 20–30), respectively. OS at 3 years was also higher in the CDS group than in the Non-CDS group, at 24% (95 CI 19–29) and 6% (95 CI 3–9), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that Non-CDS (hazard ratio[HR] = 2.26, 95% CI 1.88–2.72, p value < 0.001) was an adverse independent prognostic factor for patients. This study concludes that CDS prolonged survival in patients with gastric cancer with liver metastases. Due to the lack of information on the quality of life, biomarkers, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy in the SEER database, the observed improved survival rates following CDS of hepatic metastasis from gastric cancer requires prospective studies that take these factors into account to properly address the survival advantages and impact on quality of life of such a method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial heterogeneity significantly enhances biodiversity, representing one of the ecology's most enduring paradigms. However, many studies have found decreasing, humped, and neutral correlations between spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity (heterogeneity–diversity relationships, HDR). These findings have pushed this widely accepted theory back into controversy. Microbial HDR research has lagged compared to that of plants and animals. Nevertheless, microbes have features that add a temporal-scale perspective to HDR research that is critical to understanding patterns of HDR. In this study, 157 microcosms with different types spatial heterogeneity were set up to map the HDR of microorganisms and their temporal dynamics using high-throughput sequencing techniques. The results show that the following: 1. Spatial heterogeneity can significantly alter microbial diversity in microcosmic systems. Changes in microbial diversity, in turn, lead to changes in environmental conditions. These changes caused microorganisms to exhibit increasing, decreasing, humped, U-shaped, and neutral HDR patterns. 2. The emergence of HDR patterns is characterized by temporal dynamics. Additionally, the HDR patterns generated by spatial structural and compositional heterogeneity exhibit inconsistent emergence times. These results suggest that the temporal dynamics of HDR may be one of the reasons for the coexistence of multiple patterns in previous studies. The feedback regulation between spatial heterogeneity–biodiversity–environmental conditions is an essential reason for the temporally dynamics of HDR patterns. All future ecological studies should pay attention to the temporal dynamic patterns of ecological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace element compositions of magnetite of alkaline mafic–ultramafic rocks were not previously studied but are potentially useful to constrain their petrogenesis and related metallogenesis. In the Permian Emeishan large igneous province, subalkaline mafic–ultramafic intrusions are widely distributed, but sparse alkaline counterparts are recognized, including the Mouding intrusion. The alkaline intrusions are mainly composed of clinopyroxenite, melteigite, jacupirangite, gabbro, syenogabbro, monzogabbro and monzonite. All these lithologies contain magnetite with composite, sandwich and trellis types of ilmenite intergrowths due to heterogeneous oxy-exsolution. Chromium contents of magnetite grains in the magnetite clinopyroxenite unit of the Mouding intrusion decrease from 1257 to 41 ppm within an 80 m interval, which can best be explained by the diffusion-controlled in situ crystallization in a crystal-liquid framework. Notably, magnetite grains from these alkaline intrusions are rich in Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf relative to those from subalkaline intrusions and iron oxide–apatite (IOA), iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) and porphyry deposits. This enrichment demonstrates that the high field strength elements (HFSE) are rich in the parental magmas of alkaline intrusions and have high partition coefficients between magnetite and alkaline magma. Our study demonstrates that magnetite grains in alkaline mafic–ultramafic intrusions have distinctively different trace element compositions from those in subalkaline intrusions, being useful tools in discriminating magma series and understanding the crystallization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a broad-spectrum gas sensor capable of identifying gas components in complex environments, such as mixed atmospheres or extreme temperatures, is a significant concern for various technologies, including energy, geological science, and planetary exploration. The main challenge lies in finding materials that exhibit high chemical stability and wide working temperature range. Materials that amplify signals through non-chemical methods could open up new sensing avenues. Here, we present the discovery of a broad-spectrum gas sensor utilizing correlated two-dimensional electron gas at a delta-doped LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface with LaFeO3. Our study reveals that a back-gating on this two-dimensional electron gas can induce a non-volatile metal to insulator transition, which consequently can activate the two-dimensional electron gas to sensitively and quantitatively probe very broad gas species, no matter whether they are polar, non-polar, or inert gases. Different gas species cause resistance change at their sublimation or boiling temperature and a well-defined phase transition angle can quantitatively determine their partial pressures. Such unique correlated two-dimensional electron gas sensor is not affected by gas mixtures and maintains a wide operating temperature range. Furthermore, its readout is a simple measurement of electric resistance change, thus providing a very low-cost and high-efficient broad-spectrum sensing technique. Gas sensors typically detect only few specific gases; the authors show a broad-spectrum sensor based on correlated 2-dimensional electron gas (C-2DEG), which detects various gases quantitatively and measures partial pressures, through a purely physical mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polylactide (PLA) has often been blended with biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) to improve it toughness. However, the strength and heat resistance of PLA are always sacrificed. Herein, exchangeable hydroxyl-ester crosslinks ar constructed in PLA/PBAT blends by successively introducing a tertiary amine-containing polyol, bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-tri (hydroxymethyl)methane (BTM) and 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) via reactive blending. BTM can react with both PLA and PBAT by transesterification, generating PLA or PBAT chains with terminal or pendant hydroxyl groups, which can then react with MDI to form networks With internal catalysis of tertiary amine moiety in BTM, transesterification between the residual hydroxyl groups and ester bonds can occur at high temperatures, endowing the PLA/PBAT network with vitrimeric properties. Owning to the transesterification and chain extension reactions with MDI between PLA and PBAT, the interfacial adhesion is greatly improved. As a result of the excellent interfacial adhesion and the network structure, the prepared PLA/PBAT blends show greatly enhanced heat resistance and toughness (more than 40 times that of PLA) while maintaining high stiffness comparable to PLA. Furthermore, the prepared PLA/PBAT blends exhibit promising reconfigurable shape memory behavior. The present work provides a new and facile way to achieve high-performance and functional biodegradable polymeric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is a reliable and effective extracorporeal life support during lung transplantation (LTx). However, the clinical benefit of delayed VV-ECMO weaning remains unclear. The current study aims to investigate whether delayed weaning of VV-ECMO is more beneficial to the rehabilitation for lung transplant patients. Patients who underwent LTx with VV-ECMO between January 2017 and January 2019 were included. Enrollment of patients was suitable for weaning off ECMO immediately after surgery. Randomization was performed in the operating room. Postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Besides, univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to estimate risk of postoperative complications. Compared to VV-ECMO weaning immediately after LTx, delayed weaning was associated with shorter hospital length of stay (days, 31 vs. 46; P < 0.05), lower incidence of noninvasive ventilation (4.3% vs. 24.4%; P < 0.05), primary graft dysfunction (PGD) (6.4% vs. 29.3%; P < 0.05), atrial fibrillation (AF) (4.3% vs. 22%, P < 0.05), and respiratory failure (4.3% vs. 19.5%; P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regressions revealed that VV-ECMO weaning after LTx was independently correlated with increased risk of developing PGD [odds ratio (OR), 5.97, 95% CI 1.16–30.74], AF (OR, 6.87, 95% CI 1.66–28.47) and respiratory failure (OR, 6.02, 95% CI 1.12–32.49) by comparison of delayed VV-ECMO weaning. Patients with delayed VV-ECMO weaning are associated with lower complications and short hospital length of stay, while it relates to longer mechanical ventilation. These findings suggest that delayed VV-ECMO after LTx can facilitate rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the association of ectopic fat deposition in the liver and pancreas quantified by Dixon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with insulin sensitivity and β-cell function in patients with central obesity. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study of 143 patients with central obesity with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), prediabetes (PreD), and untreated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was conducted between December 2019 and March 2022. All participants underwent routine medical history taking, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory tests, including a standard glucose tolerance test to quantify insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. The fat content in the liver and pancreas was measured with MRI using the six-point Dixon technique. Results: Patients with T2DM and PreD had a higher liver fat fraction (LFF) than those with NGT, while those with T2DM had a higher pancreatic fat fraction (PFF) than those with PreD and NGT. LFF was positively correlated with homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), while PFF was negatively correlated with homeostatic model assessment of insulin secretion (HOMA-β). Furthermore, using a structured equation model, we found LFF and PFF to be positively associated with glycosylated hemoglobin via HOMA-IR and HOMA-β, respectively. Conclusions: In patients with central obesity, the effects of LFF and PFF on glucose metabolism. were associated with HOMA-IR and HOMA-β, respectively. Ectopic fat storage in the liver and pancreas quantified by MR Dixon imaging potentially plays a notable role in the onset ofT2DM. Clinical relevance statement: We highlight the potential role of ectopic fat deposition in the liver and pancreas in the development of type 2 diabetes in patients with central obesity, providing valuable insights into the pathogenesis of the disease and potential targets for intervention. Key Points: • Ectopic fat deposition in the liver and pancreas is associated with T2DM. • T2DM and prediabetes patients had higher liver and pancreatic fat fractions than normal individuals. • The results provide valuable insights into pathogenesis of T2DM and potential targets for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter published in the Blood Cancer Journal presents a retrospective study comparing the effectiveness of different treatment regimens for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with the RUNX1::RUNX1T1 gene mutation. The study found that venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents (VEN + HMA) was not more effective than the standard 7 + 3 chemotherapy regimen for these patients. However, the presence of co-mutations in chromatin-cohesin genes was associated with a better response to VEN + HMA. The study highlights the need for further research to determine the best treatment approach for AML patients with the RUNX1::RUNX1T1 mutation. [Extracted from the article]

With the development of artificial intelligence, numerous researchers are attracted to study new heuristic algorithms and improve traditional algorithms. Artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is a swarm intelligence optimization algorithm inspired by the foraging behavior of honeybees, which is one of the most widely applied methods to solve optimization problems. However, the traditional ABC has some shortcomings such as under-exploitation and slow convergence, etc. In this study, a novel variant of ABC named chaotic and neighborhood search-based ABC algorithm (CNSABC) is proposed. The CNSABC contains three improved mechanisms, including Bernoulli chaotic mapping with mutual exclusion mechanism, neighborhood search mechanism with compression factor, and sustained bees. In detail, Bernoulli chaotic mapping with mutual exclusion mechanism is introduced to enhance the diversity and the exploration ability. To enhance the convergence efficiency and exploitation capability of the algorithm, the neighborhood search mechanism with compression factor and sustained bees are presented. Subsequently, a series of experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the three presented mechanisms and the superiority of the proposed CNSABC, the results demonstrate that the proposed CNSABC has better convergence efficiency and search ability. Finally, the CNSABC is applied to solve two engineering optimization problems, experimental results show that CNSABC can produce satisfactory solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological significance of secondary metabolites is to improve the adaptive ability of plants. Secondary metabolites, usually medicinal ingredients, are triggered by unsuitable environment, thus the quality of medicinal materials under adversity being better. The quality of the cultivated was heavily declined due to its good conditions. Radix Saposhnikoviae, the dried root of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk., is one of the most common botanicals in Asian countries, now basically comes from cultivation, resulting in the market price being only 1/10 to 1/3 of its wild counterpart, so improving the quality of cultivated Radix Saposhnikoviae is of urgency. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in generating reactive oxygen species and modifying the secondary metabolism of plants. This study aims to enhance the quality of cultivated Radix Saposhnikoviae by supplementing exogenous NO. To achieve this, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was utilized as an NO provider and applied to fresh roots of S. divaricata at concentrations of 0.03, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mmol/L. This study measured parameters including the activities of antioxidant enzymes, secondary metabolite synthesis enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and chalcone synthase (CHS), as well as the contents of NO, superoxide radicals (O2·−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and four secondary metabolites. The quality of Radix Saposhnikoviae was evaluated with antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammatory factors. As a result, the NO contents in the fresh roots were significantly increased under SNP, which led to a significant increase of O2·−, H2O2, and MDA. The activities of important antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), were found to increase as well, with their peak levels observed on the 2nd and 3rd days. PAL, ACC, and CHS activities were also significantly enhanced, resulting in the increased secondary metabolite contents of Radix saposhnikoviae in all groups, especially the 0.5 mmol/L SNP. The four active ingredients, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, 4′-O-β-d-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, and sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, increased by 88.3%,325.0%, 55.4%, and 283.8%, respectively, on the 3rd day. The pharmaceutical effects of Radix Saposhnikoviae under 0.5 mmol/L SNP were significantly enhanced. Exogenous SNP can induce the physiological response of S. divaricata under adverse conditions and significantly improve the quality of Radix Saposhnikoviae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are crucial for cell function, tissue growth, and disease development in disease or normal physiological processes. RNA binding motif protein 47 (RBM47) has been proven to have anti-tumor effects on many cancers, but its effect is not yet clear in renal cancer. Here, we demonstrated the expression and the prognostic role of RBM47 in public databases and clinical samples of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) with bioinformatics analysis. The possible mechanism of RBM47 in renal cancer was verified by gene function prediction and in vitro experiments. The results showed that RBM47 was downregulated in renal cancers when compared with control groups. Low RBM47 expression indicated poor prognosis in ccRCC. RBM47 expression in renal cancer cell lines was reduced significantly when compared to normal renal tubular epithelial cells. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway was associated with RBM47 in ccRCC by Gene set enrichment analysis. RBM47 expression had a positive correlation with e-cadherin, but a negative correlation with snail and vimentin. RBM47 overexpression could repress the migration, invasion activity, and proliferation capacity of renal cancer cells, while RBM47 inhibition could promote the development of the malignant features through EMT signaling by RNA stability modification. Therefore, our results suggest that RBM47, as a new molecular biomarker, may play a key role in the cancer development of ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Four Fanconi anemia (FA) genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 and RAD51C) are defined as breast cancer (BC) susceptibility genes. Other FA genes have been inconsistently associated with BC. Thus, the role of other FA genes in BC should be explored in specific populations. Methods: Mutations in 16 FA genes were screened with a 98-gene panel sequencing assay in a cohort of 1481 Chinese patients with high-risk hereditary BC. The association between mutations and clinicopathological characteristics as well as prognosis was analyzed. The risk of BC in carriers of FA gene mutations was assessed in the Genome Aggregation Database and the Westlake Biobank for Chinese cohort. Results: A total of 2.57% (38/1481) BC patients were identified who had 12 other FA gene germline mutations. Among them, the most frequently mutated gene was FANCA (8/1481, 0.54%). These 38 patients carried 35 distinct pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants, of which 21 were novel. We found one rare FANCB deleterious variant (c.1327-3dupT) in our cohort. There was a statistically significant difference in lymph node status between FA gene mutation carriers and non-carriers (p = 0.041). We observed a trend that mutation carriers had larger tumor sizes, lower estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positivity rates, and lower 3.5-year invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) rates than non-carriers (tumor size > 2 cm: 51.43% vs. 45.63%; ER positivity rates: 51.43% vs. 60.81%; PR positivity rates: 48.57% vs. 55.16%; 3.5-year iDFS rates: 58.8% vs. 66.7%; 3.5-year DRFS rates: 58.8% vs. 68.8%). The frequency of the mutations in FANCD2, FANCM and BRIP1 trended to be higher among BC cases than that in controls (p = 0.055, 0.08 and 0.08, respectively). Conclusion: This study comprehensively estimated the prevalence, clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and risk of BC associated with deleterious variants in FA genes in Chinese high-risk hereditary BC patients. It enriches our understanding of the role of FA genes with BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine whether dual-energy CT (DECT) can be used to accurately and reliably detect anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Materials and methods: Participants with unilateral ACL rupture were prospectively enrolled, and the bilateral knees were scanned by DECT. A tissue-specific mapping algorithm was applied to improve the visualization of the ACLs. The 80-keV CT value, mixed-keV CT value, electron density (Rho), and effective atomic number (Zeff) were measured to quantitatively differentiate torn ACLs from normal ACLs. MRI and arthroscopy served as the reference standards. Results: Fifty-one participants (mean age, 27.0 ± 8.7 years; 31 men) were enrolled. Intact and torn ACLs were explicitly differentiated on color-coded DECT images. The 80-keV CT value, mixed-keV CT value, and Rho were significantly lower for the torn ACLs than for the intact ACLs (p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff values were an 80-keV CT value of 61.8 HU, a mixed-keV CT value of 60.9 HU, and a Rho of 51.8 HU, with AUCs of 98.0% (95% CI: 97.0–98.9%), 99.2% (95% CI: 98.6–99.7%), and 99.8% (95% CI: 99.6–100.0%), respectively. Overall, DECT had almost perfect reliability and validity in detecting ACL integrity (sensitivity = 97.1% [95% CI: 88.1–99.8%]; specificity = 98.0% [95% CI: 89.5–99.9%]; PPV = 98.0% [95% CI: 93.0–99.8%]; NPV = 97.1% [95% CI: 91.7–99.4%]; accuracy = 97.5% [95% CI: 94.3–99.2%]). There was no evidence of a difference between MRI and DECT in the diagnostic performance (p > 0.99). Conclusion: DECT has excellent diagnostic accuracy and reliability in qualitatively and quantitatively diagnosing ACL rupture. Clinical relevance statement: DECT could validly and reliably diagnose ACL rupture using both qualitative and quantitative methods, which may become a promising substitute for MRI to evaluate the integrity of injured ACLs and the maturity of postoperative ACL autografts. Key Points: • On color-coded DECT images, an uncolored ACL was a reliable sign for qualitatively diagnosing ACL rupture. • The 80-keV CT value, mixed-keV CT value, and Rho were significantly lower for the torn ACLs than for the intact ACLs, which contributed to the quantitative diagnosis of ACL rupture. • DECT had an almost perfect diagnostic performance for ACL rupture, and diagnostic capability was comparable between MRI and DECT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel micro-slip friction modeling approach based on real pressure distribution is presented for simulating the interface friction behavior of blades with dovetail joints in aircraft engines. Considering the influence of rotational speed and stagger angle on the true pressure distribution of the dovetail joint, an asymmetric pressure density function was established and applied to the Iwan friction model. The pressure distribution at the tenon joint interface is obtained through finite element modeling. And the pressure distribution function is obtained through dimensionality reduction and data fitting. Under the framework of the Iwan model, a new tangential friction displacement relationship at the tenon interface was obtained by changing the critical slip force density function. On this basis, a dynamic model of the dovetail blade was established and the contact characteristics of the interface were analyzed. The results indicate that under the influence of uneven pressure distribution, the width and length directions of the contact interface exhibit different friction behaviors, and the nonlinear response of the blades is affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sampling efficiency, composition and detection biases associated with pitfall-trap and sample plot (standardised hand-collecting) methods were compared at seven high montane sites at Lasha Mountain, Yunnan, China. Rarefaction-interpolation curves showed total species diversity and sample coverage from each method were undifferentiated. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance showed highly overlapping communities. However, of all species collected, just 53% of all species found were shared between the two methods; 30% were exclusive to sample plot samples and 17% were exclusive to pitfall traps. Modelled comparisons of species richness (alpha) and proportion of species from the population (beta diversity) showed differences between methods. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance blocked by site showed community composition differed between methods, defined largely by the presence of a few dominant species. Implications for insect conservation: Our findings suggest that results from the two methods cannot be directly compared and are imperfect substitutes to one another. For long-term monitoring of biodiversity in complex forest mosaic systems, we suggest integrating a suite of complementary methods to achieve more complete representation of ant composition and diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-step adsorption separation of C2H4 from ternary C2 hydrocarbon mixtures remains an important and challenging goal for petrochemical industry. Current physisorbents either suffer from unsatisfied separation performance, poor stability, or are difficult to scale up. Herein, we report a strategy of constructing multiple supramolecular binding sites in a robust and scalable MOF (Al-PyDC) for highly efficient one-step C2H4 purification from ternary mixtures. Owing to suitable pore confinement with multiple supramolecular binding sites, Al-PyDC exhibits one of the highest C2H2 and C2H6 uptakes and selectivities over C2H4 at ambient conditions. The gas binding sites have been visualized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, unveiling that the low-polarity pore surfaces with abundant electronegative N/O sites provide stronger multiple supramolecular interactions with C2H2 and C2H6 over C2H4. Breakthrough experiments showed that polymer-grade C2H4 can be separated from ternary mixtures with a maximum productivity of 1.61 mmol g−1. This material can be prepared from two simple reagents using a green synthesis method with water as the sole solvent, and its synthesis can be easily scaled to multikilogram batches. Al-PyDC achieves an effective combination of benchmark separation performance, high stability/recyclability, green synthesis and easy scalability to address major challenges for industrial one-step C2H4 purification. One-step separation of C2H4 from ternary C2 hydrocarbon mixtures remains a challenge for current physisorbents. Here, the authors reported a strategy of designing multiple supramolecular binding sites in a robust and scalable MOF for highly efficient one-step C2H4 purification from ternary mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The piRNA pathway is essential for female fertility in golden hamsters and likely humans, but not in mice. However, the role of individual PIWIs in mammalian reproduction remains poorly understood outside of mice. Here, we describe the expression profiles, subcellular localization, and knockout-associated reproductive defects for all four PIWIs in golden hamsters. In female golden hamsters, PIWIL1 and PIWIL3 are highly expressed throughout oogenesis and early embryogenesis, while knockout of PIWIL1 leads to sterility, and PIWIL3 deficiency results in subfertility with lagging zygotic development. PIWIL1 can partially compensate for TE silencing in PIWIL3 knockout females, but not vice versa. PIWIL1 and PIWIL4 are the predominant PIWIs expressed in adult and postnatal testes, respectively, while PIWIL2 is present at both stages. Loss of any PIWI expressed in testes leads to sterility and severe but distinct spermatogenesis disorders. These findings illustrate the non-redundant regulatory functions of PIWI-piRNAs in gametogenesis and early embryogenesis in golden hamsters, facilitating study of their role in human fertility. The role of PIWI proteins in mammalian reproduction remains poorly understood. Here, using golden hamsters, the authors establish expression profiles for all four PIWIs during gametogenesis and characterize their associated reproductive defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Litter-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in biogeochemical cycling for wetlands. However, there are few studies to clarify how plant community alteration affects litter-derived DOM degradation. Moreover, little is known about the specific influence of temperature on the degradation, even though it is particularly important when the warming climate is taken into account. Therefore, it is urgently needed to determine interspecific differences in the DOM degradation rates and the responses to temperature increase. Methods: Based on a 42-day incubation experiment regarding nine species from a temperate wetland, we determined litter-derived DOM degradation at 10oC, 20oC and 30oC, and compared their temperature sensitivity coefficient Q10. Results: These species exhibited interspecific variations in degradation at all temperatures, which related closely to initial chemical characteristics, including stoichiometry, aromaticity and molecular weight. Increased temperature generally promoted DOM degradation, especially at 10–20oC range, with Q10 ranging from 1.42 to 3.82 and the mean up to 2.57. Specifically, the temperature sensitivity usually correlated negatively with aromaticity, but positively with carbon:nutrient ratios. The aromaticity, by contrast with other chemical characteristics, explained more interspecific variations in DOM degradation and the temperature sensitivity. Conclusion: Degradation rates of litter-derived DOM and the responses to temperature increase vary greatly among species, where the aromaticity could be considered as a decisive indicator for such interspecific differences. This study highlights considerable promotion of climate warming on litter-derived DOM degradation, and sheds new light on influences of plant community on biogeochemical processes in wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive load on anticipatory postural adjustment (APA) latency in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (NCLBP) and its relationship with pain-related functional changes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 15, 2022 to January 25, 2023. Participants were divided into a healthy control group (n = 29) and an NCLBP group (n = 29). Each group was assigned a single task of rapid arm raising and a dual task of rapid arm raising combined with a cognitive load. The cognitive load task was conducted using visual conflict. The APA latency for bilateral trunk muscles was observed using electromyography. The duration of electromyography recording in each task cycle was 28 s. Pain related-functional changes were evaluated using Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) before all tasks. Results: The APA latency for the right multifidus was significantly delayed in the NCLBP group [25.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.41–37.35] than in the healthy control group (− 5.80, 95% CI − 19.28 to 7.68) during dual task (p = 0.0416). The APA latency for the right multifidus (25.38, 95% CI 13.41–37.35) and transverse abdominis/internal oblique (29.15, 95% CI 18.81–39.50) were significantly delayed compared with on the left side in the NCLBP group during dual task (− 3.03, 95% CI − 15.18–9.13, p = 0.0220; 3.69, 95% CI − 6.81 to 14.18, p = 0.0363). The latency delay of the right and left multifidus APA in the NCLBP group under the dual-task was positively correlated with RMDQ scores (r = 0.5560, p = 0.0017; r = 0.4010, p = 0.0311). Conclusions: Cognitive load could induce APA delay in the right trunk muscles and co-activation pattern changes in bilateral trunk muscle APA in patients with NCLBP. The APA onset delay in multifidus is positively related to pain-related daily dysfunction. Trial Registration ChiCTR2300068580 (retrospectively registered in February 23, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of polyethylene (PE) pipe with significantly enhanced hoop strength and burst pressure is essential necessary for high transportation requirements. In this work, biaxially oriented PE/ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (PE/UHMWPE) blend pipes were fabricated on self-made pipe solid-phase die drawing apparatus. Due to formation of chain entanglement network and enhanced viscoelasticity, incorporation of UHMWPE chains improved stretchability and biaxial orientation degree of blend pipe. During die drawing, formation of more miscible blend system make long UHMWPE chains be sufficiently stretched under load, and such extended-chain conformation of UHMWPE acted as shish structure and induced short PE chains to array orderly and form kebab crystals. With increasing axial draw ratio, the lamellae remarkably deviated from hoop to axial direction, while the blend pipe exhibited higher crystallinity and orientation degree than that of PE pipe, presenting a more uniform and dense biaxial orientation structure with shish-kebab crystals. As a result, the blend pipe showed roughly 99% increase in tensile strength along hoop direction and 25% increase in burst pressure, respectively. Such biaxial self-reinforced PE/UHMWPE blend pipes exhibit promising application prospect as high-pressure transportation pipelines in civil engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the extent of tunnel widening after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using the all-inside technique and to establish its correlation with patient-reported clinical outcomes and femoral graft bending angle (GBA). Methods: Tunnel widening was evaluated using computed tomography (CT)-based three-dimensional (3D) models, and the femoral GBA was directly measured on CT images using the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) software. Clinical follow-up was routine procedure, and patient-reported clinical outcomes mainly included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) scores, and subjective knee stability assessment. Results: Fifty-two patients received standard all-inside ACLR, with a median follow-up of 6 months. Reconstructed anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) were scanned during the first 3 days and 6 months after surgery. On both the femoral and tibial sides, bone tunnels were most significantly enlarged at the articular aperture segment; the femoral tunnel was 9.2 ± 1.3 mm postoperatively and was significantly enlarged by 32% to a mean tunnel diameter of 12.1 ± 2.0 mm at 6 months after surgery. Moreover, the extent of tunnel enlargement gradually decreased as the measured levels approached those of the bone cortex. The femoral tunnel center was shifted into the anterior and distal direction, and the tibial tunnel center was shifted into the posterior and lateral direction. Additionally, the mean femoral GBA was 105.9° ± 8.1° at the 6-month follow-up. Tunnel enlargement and GBA were not significantly correlated with patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: Femoral and tibial tunnels were significantly greater and eccentrically shifted at the 6-month follow-up after all-side ACLR. However, the extent of tunnel widening does not markedly affect the short-term clinical outcomes. Meanwhile, the femoral GBA was not significantly correlated with femoral tunnel widening or patient-reported outcomes. Although the tunnel widening following all-inside ACLR was not associated with clinical outcomes, it potentially caused difficulties in revision ACLR. Level of evidence: Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Okadaic acid (OA), a lipophilic phycotoxin distributed worldwide, causes diarrheic shellfish poisoning and even leads to tumor formation. Currently, the consumption of contaminated seafood is the most likely cause of chronic OA exposure, but there is a serious lack of relevant data. Here, the Sprague-Dawley rats were exposure to OA by oral administration at 100 µg/kg body weight, and the tissues were collected and analyzed to assess the effect of subchronic OA exposure. The results showed that subchronic OA administration disturbed colonic mucosal integrity and induced colitis. The colonic tight junction proteins were disrupted and the cell cycle of colonic epithelial cells was accelerated. It is inferred that disruption of the colonic tight junction proteins might be related to the development of chronic diarrhea by affecting water and ion transport. Moreover, the accelerated proliferation of colonic epithelial cells indicated that subchronic OA exposure might promote the restitution process of gut barrier or induce tumor promoter activity in rat colon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of biogeography for microorganisms is a raising topic in ecology and researchers are employing better distinctions between single species, including the most rare ones, to reveal potential hidden patterns. An important volume of evidence supporting heterogeneous distributions for bacteria, archaea and protists is accumulating, and more recently a few efforts have targeted microscopic fungi. We propose an insight into this latter kingdom by looking at a group of soil nematode-trapping fungi whose species are well-known and easily recognizable. We chose a pure culture approach because of its reliable isolation procedures for this specific group. After morphologically and molecularly identifying all species collected from 2250 samples distributed in 228 locations across Yunnan province of China, we analyzed occurrence frequencies and mapped species, genera, and richness. Results showed an apparent cosmopolitan tendency for this group of fungi, including species richness among sites. However, only four species were widespread across the region, while non-random heterogeneous distributions were observed for the remaining 40 species, both in terms of statistical distribution of species richness reflected by a significant variance-to-mean ratio, as well as in terms of visually discernible spatial clusters of rare species and genera on the map. Moreover, several species were restricted to only one location, raising the question of whether endemicity exists for this microbial group. Finally, environmental heterogeneity showed a marginal contribution in explaining restricted distributions, suggesting that other factors such as geographical isolation and dispersal capabilities should be explored. These findings contribute to our understanding of the cryptic geographic distribution of microorganisms and encourage further research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sterile inflammation of fetal membranes is an indispensable event of normal parturition. However, triggers of sterile inflammation are not fully resolved. Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) is an acute phase protein produced primarily by the liver. Fetal membranes can also synthesize SAA1 but its functions are not well defined. Given the role of SAA1 in the acute phase response to inflammation, we postulated that SAA1 synthesized in the fetal membranes may be a trigger of local inflammation at parturition. Methods: The changes of SAA1 abundance in parturition were studied in the amnion of human fetal membranes. The role of SAA1 in chemokine expression and leukocyte chemotaxis was examined in cultured human amnion tissue explants as well as primary human amnion fibroblasts. The effects of SAA1 on monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells were investigated in cells derived from a human leukemia monocytic cell line (THP-1). Results: SAA1 synthesis increased significantly in human amnion at parturition. SAA1 evoked multiple chemotaxis pathways in human amnion fibroblasts along with upregulation of a series of chemokines via both toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2). Moreover, SAA1-conditioned medium of cultured amnion fibroblasts was capable of chemoattracting virtually all types of mononuclear leukocytes, particularly monocytes and dendritic cells, which reconciled with the chemotactic activity of conditioned medium of cultured amnion tissue explants collected from spontaneous labor. Furthermore, SAA1 could induce the expression of genes associated with inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling in monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells derived from THP-1. Conclusions: SAA1 is a trigger of sterile inflammation of the fetal membranes at parturition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a serious and highly invasive epithelial malignancy that is closely associated with Epstein—Barr virus (EBV). Due to the lack of therapeutic vaccines for NPC, we selected EBV latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) as a preferable targeting antigen to develop a lipid-based LMP2-mRNA (mLMP2) vaccine. Full-length mLMP2 expressing LMP2 was first synthesized using an in vitro transcription method and then encapsulated into (2,3-dioleacyl propyl) trimethylammonium chloride (DOTAP)-based cationic liposomes to obtain the mRNA vaccine (LPX-mLMP2). The cell assays showed that the antigen-presenting cells were capable of highly efficient uptake of LPX-mLMP2 and expression of LMP2. LMP2 could subsequently be presented to form the peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC). Furthermore, LPX-mLMP2 could accumulate in the spleen, express antigens, promote the maturation of dendritic cells and stimulate antigen-specific T-cell responses in vivo. It dramatically inhibited the tumor growth of the LMP2-expressing tumor model after three doses of vaccination. Additionally, the proliferation of antigen-specific T cells in the tumor site made a good sign for the promise of mRNA vaccines in virus-induced cancer. Overall, we provided a newly developed antigen-encoding mRNA vaccine with advantages against NPC. We also demonstrated that mRNA vaccines are attractive candidates for cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most potential ecological "law", the mechanism of the species-area relationship (SAR) remains controversial. Essentially, the SAR addresses the relationship between regional area and biodiversity, shaped by speciation, extinction and dispersal processes. Extinction is the process of loss and a direct cause of species richness differences in community. Therefore, it is crucial to elucidate the role of extinction in shaping SAR. Since the extinction process has temporal dynamics, we propose the hypothesis that the occurrence of SAR should also have temporal dynamics. Here, we designed independent closed microcosm systems, in which dispersal/speciation can be excluded/neglected to reveal the role of extinction in shaping the temporal dynamics pattern of SAR. We find that extinction can shape SAR in this system independent of the dispersal and speciation process. Due to the temporal dynamics of the extinction, SAR was temporally discontinuous. The small-scale extinctions modified community structure to promote ecosystem stability and shaped SAR, while mass extinction pushed the microcosm system into the next successional stage and dismissed SAR. Our result suggested that SAR could serve as an indicator of ecosystem stability; moreover, temporal discontinuity can explain many controversies in SAR studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the severe hazard of traces of harmful substances in flour and its massive production, pretreatment-free, rapid, and accurate determination of trace harmful substances was a practical and urgent demand in modern daily life. In this study, multi-molecular infrared (MM-IR), consisting of one-dimensional infrared (1D-IR), synchronous and asynchronous two-trace two-dimensional correlation infrared (2T-2DCOS-IR), as well as their RGB IR-image, was developed and employed to directly identify flour with diverse harmful substances. The present findings indicated that 2T-2DCOS analysis based on asynchronous pictures was better than others at identifying target substances and shedding new light on previous MM-IR-related studies. Systematical comparison of developed MM-IR-AlexNet flour models with conventional machine learning algorithms indicated that asynchronous MM-IR-AlexNet (2T-2DCOS-IR-AlexNet) had the best performance with 99.6% accuracy. Therefore, it was demonstrated that deep learning-based MM-IR could be a robust method for the direct detection of trace harmful substances in power foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paracoccus marginatus papaya mealybugs cause considerable threats and challenges to cassava production and processing. The deployment of resistant cultivars offers effective, economical and eco-friendly management strategies for pest management. We measured P. marginatus mortality, development and reproduction to evaluate the resistance of fifteen cassava cultivars and conducted physiological and biochemical analyses when P. marginatus was fed on two resistant cultivars (Myanmar and C1115) and three susceptible cultivars (BRA900, Bread, SC205). Significantly lower digestive (amylase, sucrase, lipase), detoxification (glutathione-S-transferase and carboxylesterase) and antioxidant activity, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), enzyme activities were observed in P. marginatus feeding on resistant cultivars compared to susceptible cultivars. For resistant cultivars, a significant reduction was found in nutritional components containing free amino acids, nitrogen, soluble sugars and the secondary metabolite malondialdehyde. Additionally, significantly higher enzymatic activity (SOD, CAT, POD and PPO) levels and secondary metabolite quantities (total phenol and tannins) were found in resistant cultivars induced by P. marginatus compared with susceptible ones. Additionally, RT-qPCR tests showed that the transcripts of ten genes involved in nutrition, secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities were consistent with physiology changes. Thus, the resistant cultivars suffered lower P. marginatus damage by elevating secondary metabolite contents and antioxidant activities, reducing plant nutrition levels and decreasing insect enzymatic activities. This study will be beneficial in developing indices for standard regulation to evaluate P. marginatus-resistant cassavas and effectively manage this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) is used worldwide to screen people quickly and easily at high risk for swallowing disorders. However, the best EAT-10 cutoff value is still controversial. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we estimated and compared the diagnostic accuracy of EAT-10 cutoff values of 2 and 3 for screening dysphagia. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP databases from May 2008 to March 2022. The meta-analysis included 7 studies involving 1064 subjects from 7 different countries. Two studies were classified as high quality and five studies as medium quality. With an EAT-10 cutoff value of 2, using flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing or video fluoroscopic swallowing study as the gold standard, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82–0.93), 0.59 (95% CI 0.39–0.77), 2.17 (95% CI 1.38–3.42), 0.19 (95% CI 0.13–0.29), and 11.49 (95% CI 5.86–22.53), respectively. When a cutoff of 3 was used, these values were 0.85 (95% CI 0.68–0.94), 0.82 (95% CI 0.65–0.92), 4.84 (95% CI 1.72–13.50), 0.18 (95% CI 0.07–0.46), and 26.24 (95% CI 5.06–135.95), respectively. Using EAT-10 cutoff values of 2 and 3, the areas under the curve were 0.873 (95% CI 0.82–0.93) and 0.903 (95% CI 0.88–0.93), respectively, showing good diagnostic performance. EAT-10 can be used as a preliminary screening tool for dysphagia. However, a cutoff of 3 is recommended for EAT-10 due to better diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]