Search

Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) stands as most common and serious complication of Hirschsprung's disease. Variations in the microbiota composition may account for the differences observed between HAEC and healthy individuals, offering crucial insights into the disease's pathogenesis. Here, we performed a study to changes in the gut microbiome using 16sRNA amplicon sequencing in a cohort of HAEC patients (n = 16) and healthy controls (n = 14). Our result revealed a significant disparity in beta diversity between the two groups. Following correction for false discovery rate, a rank–sum test at the genus level indicated a notable decrease in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Veillonella, whereas the Enterococcus genus exhibited a substantial increase in HAEC, a finding further supported by additional linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis. Functional analysis showed that putative transport and catabolism, digestive system, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins were proved to be some abundant KOs (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes [KEGG] orthologs) in healthy group, whereas infectious disease, membrane transport, and carbohydrate metabolism were the three KOs with the higher abundance in the HAEC group. Our data increased our insight into the HAEC, which may shed further light on HAEC pathogenesis. Our study firstly demonstrated the difference between fecal microbiota of HAEC patients and healthy individuals, which made a step forward in the understanding of the pathophysiology of HAEC.

Abstract Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality. The tumor microbiota has increasingly been recognized as a key regulator of cancer onset and progression, in addition to shaping tumor responses to immunotherapy. Microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other eukaryotic species can impact the internal homeostasis and health of humans. Research focused on the gut microflora and the intratumoral microbiome has revolutionized the current understanding of how tumors grow, progress, and resist therapeutic interventions. Even with this research, however, there remains relatively little that is known with respect to the abundance of microbes and their effects on tumors and the tumor microenvironment. Engineered exosomes are a class of artificial extracellular nanovesicles that can actively transport small molecule drugs and nucleic acids, which have the broad prospects of tumor cell therapy. The present review offers an overview of recent progress and challenges associated with the intratumoral microbiome and engineered exosomes in the context of cancer research. These discussions are used to inform the construction of a novel framework for engineered exosome-mediated targeted drug delivery, taking advantage of intratumoral microbiota diversity as a strategic asset and thereby providing new opportunities to more effectively treat and manage cancer in the clinic.

Abstract Background Soybean is the main oil crop in Northeast China. Continuous monocropping is more commonly used for soybean production due to rising market demand and arable land constraints. However, autotoxic substances, such as phenolic acids, produced by continuously cropped soybean can reduce yield and quality. The mycorrhiza formed of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant roots regulate the metabolic activities of the host plant and increase its disease resistance. The main purpose of this study was to inhibit the production of phenolic acids and determine the adverse effects on the growth of continuous monocropping soybean by inoculating Funneliformis mosseae (F. mosseae). Results Transcriptomics results showed that the production of phenolic acids in continuous monocropping soybean roots was mainly regulated by the expression of the CHS6, PCL1, SAMT, SRG1, and ACO1 genes, and the expression of these genes was significantly downregulated after inoculation with F. mosseae. Metabolomics results showed that continuous monocropping soybean roots inoculated with F. mosseae inhibited phenolic acid production through the phenylpropane biosynthetic, α-linoleic acid, linoleic acid, and other metabolic pathways. Phenolic acids in the phenylpropane metabolic pathway, such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, phthalic acid, and vanillic acid, decreased significantly after inoculation with F. mosseae. The combined analysis of the two showed that genes such as YLS9 and ARF3 were positively correlated with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and so on, while genes such as CHS6 and SRG1 were negatively correlated with butyric acid and so on. Conclusion F. mosseae regulated the expression of functional genes and related phenolic acid metabolic pathways produced by continuous monocropping soybean roots, inhibiting the production of phenolic acid autotoxic substances in continuous cropped soybean, and slowing down the disturbance of continuous monocropping. This study provides a new solution for continuous monocropping of plants to overcome the autotoxicity barrier and provides a new basis for the development and utilization of AMF as a biological agent.

Abstract Background Extralobar pulmonary sequestration is located outside the lung parenchyma and is covered by a separated pleural sac, which comprises approximately 25% of all pulmonary sequestration. Case presentation This article reported one case of an extralobar pulmonary sequestration originated from the mesoesophagus, which was recognized and excised during a lung resection. Histologic examination revealed an ectopic lung tissue with hyperplasia of bronchioles, which was accord with an extralobar pulmonary sequestration. Conclusions CT angiogram, ultrasound and MRI can be used to clarify the diagnosis and detect the abnormal feeding arteries of extralobar pulmonary sequestration. Carefulness should be taken while dissecting and ligating the potential feeding arteries. Endovascular occlusion might be an alternative option to surgery.

Purpose To analyze the factors affecting the mobilization efficiency of hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoietic reconstruction indicators during autologous peripheral hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BackgroundSecond-trimester abortion is a critical issue in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treated with assisted reproductive technology (ART), cervical incompetence (CI) may play a role. Although previous studies have revealed an association between PCOS and CI in women undergoing ART with fresh embryo transfer, the associated risk factors in frozen embryo transfer cycles are still unknown. The primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of CI on the occurrence of second-trimester abortion in women with PCOS undergoing frozen embryo transfer.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent frozen-thawed embryo transfer and experienced second-trimester abortion between January 2012 and January 2020 from the Reproductive Medical Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Logit-transformed propensity score matching (PSM) was used to assess covariates. Patients were classified into the PCOS and non-PCOS groups. The PCOS group was further divided into two subgroups: the CI group and non-CI group.ResultsAfter case matching with PSM, 278 patients were included: 139 each in the PCOS group and non-PCOS groups. More miscarriages were attributed to CI in the PCOS group compared with the control group (20.14% vs. 10.07%). Subsequently, in the PCOS group, CI and non-CI subgroup analyses revealed a higher transfer cleavage-stage embryo incidence in the CI group than in the blastocysts group (p=0.001). Moreover, the between-group miscarriage-related gestational age varied significantly (p=0.039). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that cleavage embryo transfer (p= 0.047) was associated with increased CI risk in the PCOS group, besides, increasing the number of transferred embryos did not impact the occurrence of CI in patients with PCOS.ConclusionCI independently predicted a higher risk of second-trimester abortion in patients with PCOS during the frozen embryo transfer cycle. What’s more, increasing the number of transferred embryos did not affect the incidence of CI in the PCOS group.

Composed of an elaborate ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa residing in the human digestive tract, the gut microbiome influences metabolism, immune modulation, bile acid homeostasis and host defence. Through observational and preclinical data, the gut microbiome has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a spectrum of chronic diseases ranging from psychiatric to gastrointestinal in nature. Until recently, the lack of unequivocal evidence supporting a causal link between gut microbiome and human health outcomes incited controversy regarding its significance. However, recent randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence in conditions, such as Clostridioides difficile infection, cancer immunotherapy and ulcerative colitis, has supported a causal relationship and has underscored the potential of the microbiome as a therapeutic target. This review delineates the RCT evidence substantiating the potential for a causal relationship between the gut microbiome and human health outcomes, the seminal observational evidence that preceded these RCTs and the remaining knowledge gaps.

Lutein is a carotenoid that humans obtain primarily from green-leafy vegetables. However, due to generally low consumption of these foods, this bioactive is not sufficiently consumed. Therefore, there is growing interest in developing lutein-fortified foods to provide an additional source of lutein supplementation. In this study, we developed a lutein-fortified yoghurt and conducted a 72-hour single-dose bioavailability study in human subjects. Lutein remained stable in the yoghurt over shelf life at 14.6 mg of lutein per 100 g of yoghurt. Sensory evaluation yielded results similar to a lutein-free yoghurt. In the bioavailability study, consuming 100 g of lutein-fortified yoghurt significantly increased the average serum concentration of lutein by 1946.86 ± 1514.72 h μg·L−1 in human subjects, following a typical pharmacokinetic curve of absorption and decline. These findings confirm that our lutein-fortified yoghurt is suitable for commercial use and effectively enhances people’s serum lutein levels.

Abstract In order to make magnesium alloys better used in aviation, electronic information and other fields, it is necessary to improve their corrosion resistance and wave absorption properties. In this paper, a composite coating with corrosion resistance and wave absorption properties was prepared on magnesium alloy by micro-arc oxidation-organic coating technology. An organic absorbing coating with a thickness of about 40 μm was sprayed on the MAO coating containing Yb2O3 nanoparticles. Among them, the absorbing fillers in the organic coating are mainly SiO2 and α-Fe2O3. Three different mass ratios of SiO2 and α-Fe2O3 were set to 20%, 22.5% and 25%, respectively, to prepare three different MAO/SiO2@α-Fe2O3 organic composite coatings. The morphology, roughness, microstructure and chemical composition of the organic composite coating are characterized. The results show that after coating the organic composite coating, the roughness of the coating is significantly reduced, and the compactness and interlayer adhesion of the coating are significantly improved. The electrochemical test and SKPFM test of the organic composite coating were carried out. The results showed that with the increase of the mass ratio of SiO2 and α-Fe2O3, the corrosion resistance and stability of the organic composite coating increased, and the Volta potential also gradually moved up. The microwave absorbing properties of organic composite coatings were studied by vector network analyzer. The results show that the microwave absorbing properties of the coatings are positively correlated with the mass ratio of SiO2 and α-Fe2O3.

Abstract Surface ozone is an important air pollutant detrimental to human health and vegetation productivity, particularly in China. However, high resolution surface ozone concentration data is still lacking, largely hindering accurate assessment of associated environmental impacts. Here, we collected hourly ground ozone observations (over 6 million records), remote sensing products, meteorological data, and social-economic information, and applied recurrent neural networks to map hourly surface ozone data (HrSOD) at a 0.1° × 0.1° resolution across China during 2015–2020. The coefficient of determination (R2) values in sample-based, site-based, and by-year cross-validations were 0.72, 0.65 and 0.71, respectively, with the root mean square error (RMSE) values being 11.71 ppb (mean = 30.89 ppb), 12.81 ppb (mean = 30.96 ppb) and 11.14 ppb (mean = 31.26 ppb). Moreover, it exhibits high spatiotemporal consistency with ground-level observations at different time scales (diurnal, seasonal, annual), and at various spatial levels (individual sites and regional scales). Meanwhile, the HrSOD provides critical information for fine-resolution assessment of surface ozone impacts on environmental and human benefits.

Abstract Pancreatic cancer (PC) is among the deadliest malignancies, with an extremely poor diagnosis and prognosis. Gemcitabine (GEM) remains the first-line drug for treating PC; however, only a small percentage of patients benefit from current immunotherapies or targeted therapies. Resistance to GEM is prevalent and affects long-term survival. We found that ubiquitin-protein ligase E3 module N-recognition 5 (UBR5) is a therapeutic target against GEM resistance. UBR5 was markedly upregulated in clinical GEM-resistant PC samples and GEM-resistant PC cells. UBR5 knockdown markedly increased GEM sensitivity in GEM-resistant PC cell lines. UBR5-mediated GEM resistance was accompanied by activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and could be mitigated by inhibiting EMT. Further analysis revealed that UBR5 promoted GEM resistance in PC cells by enhancing O-GlcNAcylation-mediated EMT. In addition, UBR5 knockdown resulted in increased O-GlcNAase (OGA) levels, an essential negatively regulated enzyme in the O-GlcNAcylation process. We identified a negative association between OGA and UBR5 levels, which further supported the hypothesis that O-GlcNAcylation-mediated GEM resistance induced by UBR5 is OGA-dependent in PC cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that UBR5 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase of OGA and regulates O-GlcNAcylation by binding and modulating OGA, facilitating its degradation and ubiquitination. Additionally, high-throughput compound library screening using three-dimensional protein structure analysis and drug screening identified a Food and Drug Administration drug, Y-39983 dihydrochloride, as a potent GEM sensitiser and UBR5 inhibitor. The combination of Y-39983 dihydrochloride and GEM attenuated tumour growth in a mouse xenograft tumour model. Collectively, these data demonstrated that UBR5 plays a pivotal role in the sensitisation of PC to GEM and provides a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome GEM resistance.

Abstract Ammonia is emerging as a viable alternative to fossil fuels in combustion systems, aiding in the reduction of carbon emissions. However, its use faces challenges, including NOx emissions and low flame speed. Innovative approaches and technologies have significantly advanced the development and implementation of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel. This review explores current advancements in using ammonia as a fuel substitute, highlighting the complexities that various systems need to overcome before reaching full commercial maturity in support of practical decarbonising global strategies. Different from other reviews, this article incorporates insights of various industrial partners currently working towards green ammonia technologies. The work further addresses fundamental complexities of ammonia combustion, crucial for its practical and industrial implementation in various types of equipment.

Objectives: Neuroblastoma (NB), a pediatric malignancy of the peripheral nervous system, is characterized by epigenetic and transcriptional (EP-TF) anomalies. This study aimed to develop an EP-TF clinical prognostic model for NB using CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screening.Results: An integrative analysis was conducted using CRISPR-Cas9 screening in vitro and in vivo with public NB datasets to identify 35 EP-TF genes that exhibited the highest expression in NB and were highly dependent on cancer viability. After univariate analysis, 27 of these 35 genes were included in the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator screen. We established and biologically validated a prognostic EP-TF model encompassing RUVBL1, LARP7, GTF3C4, THAP10, SUPT16H, TIGD1, SUV39H2, TAF1A, SMAD9, and FEM1B across diverse NB cohorts. MYCN serves a potential upstream regulator of EP-TF genes. The high-risk subtype exhibited traits associated with the malignant cell cycle, MYCN-linked signaling and chromatin remodeling, all of which are correlated with poor prognosis and immunosuppression. MEK inhibitors have emerged as promising therapeutic agents for targeting most EP-TF risk genes in NB.Conclusion: Our novel prognostic model shows significant potential for predicting and evaluating the overall survival of NB patients, offering insights into therapeutic targets.

ABSTRACT: An attenuated vaccine against the Mycoplasma gallisepticum ts-11 strain has become an effective prevention and control method against MG infection. However, the ts-11 strain is usually difficult to distinguish from the non-ts-11 strain (including field isolates and other vaccine strains (F and 6/85)). Therefore, it is critical to establish a rapid and effective method to distinguish ts-11 strains from non-ts-11 strains. The gene sequences of the ts-11 strain (CP044225.1) and the non-ts-11 strain (including the wild-type (CP006916.3), 6/85 (CP044224.1), and F strains (NC_017503.1) were used to construct a conserved region containing a single point mutation in the potC gene in the ts-11 strain, after which a primer–probe combination method was designed. The primer–probe method was able to accurately and efficiently identify the ts-11 and non-ts-11 strains with minimum detection limits of 2.43 copies/μL and 1.65 copies/μL, respectively. Moreover, it could simultaneously distinguish the ts-11 strain from a non-ts-11 strain, and amplifications of avian influenza virus, infectious bronchitis virus, Newcastle disease virus, fowl adenovirus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, infectious bursal disease virus, chicken anemia virus, Marek's disease virus, Mycoplasma synoviae, and Ornithobacter rhinotracheale were negative. The detection of clinical samples revealed that the established dual-probe fluorescence quantitative PCR method could be used to screen for mixed and single infections of the ts-11 strain and non-ts-11 strains effectively, with lower variation coefficients for intra- and interbatch repetition. The established cycleave dual-probe fluorescence quantitative PCR method showed good specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability and provides powerful technical support for the rapid and efficient differential diagnosis of the MG ts-11 strain from non-ts-11 strains.

BackgroundRetroperitoneal lymphatic malformations (LMs) are rare. Currently, the treatment of retroperitoneal LMs remains challenging. This study aimed to examine the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted sclerotherapy for retroperitoneal LMs in pediatric patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients treated with laparoscopic-assisted sclerotherapy for retroperitoneal LMs in a single tertiary medical center between July 2020 and February 2023. Doxycycline was prepared into a solution with a concentration of 10 mg/ml for use in sclerotherapy. Demographic data, clinical features, details of management, and outcomes were collected and analyzed.ResultsA total of six patients, comprising three males and three females, were identified. The LMs were categorized into four macrocystic and two mixed-cystic types. The mean age and weight were 52.2 months (range, 11–108 months) and 20 kg (range, 12.5–27.5 kg), respectively. Three patients presented with abdominal pain or distension, while the other three patients were asymptomatic. All six patients underwent a total of eight sclerotherapy sessions. Two patients experienced intra-cystic hemorrhage and required a second sclerotherapy session. Only one patient presented with vomiting after sclerotherapy, which resolved spontaneously. Five patients met the complete response criteria, and one patient met the effective criteria. The mean reduction in lesion size was 92.3% (range, 69.9%–99.6%). No further complications or recurrence were recorded during follow-up.ConclusionLaparoscopic-assisted sclerotherapy is a safe and effective approach for treating retroperitoneal LMs. This technique is applicable for both macrocystic and mixed-cystic retroperitoneal LMs.

BackgroundDisheveled, EGL-10, and pleckstrin (DEP) domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) is a component of GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity toward the RAG complex 1 (GATOR1) protein, which is an inhibitor of the amino acid-sensing branch of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. GATOR1 complex variations were reported to correlate with familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF). With the wide application of whole exome sequencing (WES), more and more variations in DEPDC5 were uncovered in FFEVF families.MethodsA family with a proband diagnosed with familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF) was involved in this study. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed in the proband, and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the variation carrying status of the family members. Mini-gene splicing assay was performed to validate the effect on the alternative splicing of the variation.ResultsA novel variant, c.1217 + 2T>A, in DEPDC5 was identified by WES in the proband. This splicing variant that occurred at the 5′ end of intron 17 was confirmed by mini-gene splicing assays, which impacted alternative splicing and led to the inclusion of an intron fragment. The analysis of the transcribed mRNA sequence indicates that the translation of the protein is terminated prematurely, which is very likely to result in the loss of function of the protein and lead to the occurrence of FFEVF.ConclusionThe results suggest that c.1217 + 2T>A variations in DEPDC5 might be the genetic etiology for FFEVF in this pedigree. This finding expands the genotype spectrum of FFEVF and provides new etiological information for FFEVF.

Abstract Lentic systems (lakes and reservoirs) are emission hotpots of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas; however, this has not been well quantified yet. Here we examine how multiple environmental forcings have affected N2O emissions from global lentic systems since the pre-industrial period. Our results show that global lentic systems emitted 64.6 ± 12.1 Gg N2O-N yr−1 in the 2010s, increased by 126% since the 1850s. The significance of small lentic systems on mitigating N2O emissions is highlighted due to their substantial emission rates and response to terrestrial environmental changes. Incorporated with riverine emissions, this study indicates that N2O emissions from global inland waters in the 2010s was 319.6 ± 58.2 Gg N yr−1. This suggests a global emission factor of 0.051% for inland water N2O emissions relative to agricultural nitrogen applications and provides the country-level emission factors (ranging from 0 to 0.341%) for improving the methodology for national greenhouse gas emission inventories.

Objective With the construction of reservoir projects, the problem of deformation and instability of colluvial landslides in reservoir areas has become increasingly prominent. These landslides often experience deformation during the period of reservoir water level decline particularly exacerbated by rainfall. Therefore, the seepage-deformation mechanism of landslides under the joint action of reservoir water level decline and rainfall is one of the key scientific issues. Methods In this paper, a typical colluvial landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, the Shilongmen landslide, is used as a prototype. Physical model tests were designed to observe the macroscopic phenomena of the slope body and the pressure changes in the slope during combined scenarios of reservoir level drops and rainfall of different intensities, revealing the seepage-deformation mechanism of the colluvial landslide under complex hydrological conditions. Results The test results indicated that the decrease in reservoir level has a more obvious effect on the control of seepage at the front of the slope, while rainfall significantly raises the water head at the middle and rear of the slope, and the combination of the two will increase the hydraulic gradient in the slope, thus inducing slope deformation. Conclusion The seepage-deformation mechanism of the colluvial landslide when the reservoir level drops is as follows: In the absence of rainfall, only shallow surface scouring action occurs due to the difference between the internal and external heads of the slope. Under the condition of the worst rain in a 100-year rainstorm, cracks appear near the high water level, and then overall deformation occurs, with a maximum displacement of 58.3 mm. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of colluvial landslides under complex hydrological conditions.

Abstract Fungal pathogens typically use secreted effector proteins to suppress host immune activators to facilitate invasion. However, there is rarely evidence supporting the idea that fungal secretory proteins contribute to pathogenesis by transactivating host genes that suppress defense. We previously found that pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae induces rice Bsr-d1 to facilitate infection and hypothesized that a fungal effector mediates this induction. Here, we report that MoSPAB1 secreted by M. oryzae directly binds to the Bsr-d1 promoter to induce its expression, facilitating pathogenesis. Amino acids 103-123 of MoSPAB1 are required for its binding to the Bsr-d1 promoter. Both MoSPAB1 and rice MYBS1 compete for binding to the Bsr-d1 promoter to regulate Bsr-d1 expression. Furthermore, MoSPAB1 homologues are highly conserved among fungi. In particular, Colletotrichum fructicola CfSPAB1 and Colletotrichum sublineola CsSPAB1 activate kiwifruit AcBsr-d1 and sorghum SbBsr-d1 respectively, to facilitate pathogenesis. Taken together, our findings reveal a conserved module that may be widely utilized by fungi to enhance pathogenesis.

Recently, the existing unmanned systems of combine harvesters mostly adopts satellite navigation scheme, lacking real-time observation of harvesting adjustment. To improve the operational efficiency of combine harvester assisted navigation operation, this paper designs a combine harvester navigation control system based on vision simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-inertial guidance fusion. The system acquires field image information and extracts the crop boundary line as the navigation datum by binocular camera. First, the system acquires field image information through binocular camera and extracts the crop boundary line as the navigation datum. Second, fusing camera and inertial guidance information to obtain the real-time relative position of a combine harvester. Third, constrained optimization of image and inertial guidance information is achieved through a sliding window optimization method based on tightly coupled nonlinear optimization. Finally, obtain the position of the combine harvester relative to the navigation datum line, and output a signal to the steering mechanism to realize the combine harvester in the field intelligent positioning navigation control. The system consists of binocular camera, inertial measurement unit, motorized steering wheel, monitor display, angle sensor and microcontroller. During field testing, the system underwent repetitive harvesting trials over a distance of 25 m.. The testing machine performs field operations at a speed of 0.9-1.5 m/s, with an average lateral deviation range of 2.21-8.62 cm, a standard deviation range of 0.13-4.21 cm and an average cutting rate range of 92.2%-96.0%, achieving the expected harvesting effect.

BackgroundMale sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) may be associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes, but the impact of SDF on the occurrence of aneuploid-related miscarriage remains controversial.MethodsGenome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism-based chromosomal microarray analysis was performed on 495 miscarried chorionic villus samples undergone IVF/ICSI treatment from the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. SDF was assessed using sperm chromatin structure assay. Patients were divided into four groups according to embryo transfer cycle type and maternal age, and the correlation between SDF and chromosome aberration was analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to find the optimal threshold.ResultsTotal chromosomal aneuploidy rate was 54.95%, and trisomy was the most common abnormality (71.32%). The chromosomally abnormal group had higher SDF than the normal group (11.42% [6.82%, 16.54%] vs. 12.95% [9.61%, 20.58%], P = 0.032). After grouping, elevated SDF was significantly correlated with an increasing chromosome aneuploidy rate only in women of advanced age who underwent fresh embryo transfer (adjusted odds ratio:1.14 [1.00–1.29], adjusted-P = 0.045). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that SDF can predict the occurrence of chromosomal abnormality of miscarried conceptus in this group ((area under the curve = 0.76 [0.60–0.91], P = 0.005), and 8.5% was the optimum threshold. When SDF was ≥ 8.5%, the risk of such patients increased by 5.76 times (adjusted odds ratio: 6.76 [1.20–37.99], adjusted-P = 0.030).ConclusionFor women of advanced maternal age undergoing fresh embryo transfer, older oocytes fertilized using sperm with high SDF in IVF/ICSI treatment might increase the risk of chromosomal abnormality in miscarried conceptus.

Degradation of lignin, a natural macromolecule, by laccase via substrate radicals has been intensively studied. However, the interactions between laccase and DNA have not been thoroughly elucidated to date. In this report, we demonstrate that laccase has the endonuclease-mimetic activity with the sequence preference. The decay of plasmid and cDNA was observed with atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and DNA sequencing. Concomitantly, Image 1 appeared, which produced the DNA lesion. The sequencing results showed that A and AA were the preferred nucleotides flanking the cleaved sites. The hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs and the base redox potential were responsible for the long-lived charge transfer state within the A-repetitive sequence governing the sequence preference. This discovery implies alternative strategies of surviving the phosphorus stress and resistance to alien DNA in certain species, in which laccase is abundant. These results enrich our understanding of the mechanisms of DNA damage and are important for the interpretation of disease treatment.

Abstract Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with disordered lipid and iron metabolism. Our previous study has substantiated the pivotal role of Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in protecting hepatocytes and mediating iron metabolism in the liver. This study aimed to explore the specific mechanisms underlying the regulation of iron metabolism by Cav-1 in NAFLD. Methods Hepatocyte-specific Cav-1 overexpression mice and knockout mice were used in this study. Cav-1-knockdown of RAW264.7 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes were performed to verify the changes in vitro. Moreover, a high-fat diet and palmitic acid plus oleic acid treatment were utilized to construct a NAFLD model in vivo and in vitro, respectively, while a high-iron diet was used to construct an in vivo iron overload model. Besides, iron concentration, the expression of Cav-1 and iron metabolism-related proteins in liver tissue or serum were detected using iron assay kit, Prussian blue staining, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemical staining and ELISA. The related indicators of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress were evaluated by the corresponding reagent kit and staining. Results Significant disorder of lipid and iron metabolism occurred in NAFLD. The expression of Cav-1 was decreased in NAFLD hepatocytes (P

Abstract Background Previous studies have shown observational associations between the gut microbiota and endometriosis; however, the causal nature of such associations remains unclear. This study aimed to analyze the genetic causal relationship between the two. Methods A gut microbiome genome-wide association study conducted by the MiBioGen consortium was used as exposure data, and summary statistics of endometriosis were obtained from the FinnGen consortium R8 release data. Inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted model, and simple model analyses were applied to examine the causal relationship, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of the results. Results The results showed that, out of 211 gut microbiome taxa, Clostridiales_vadin_BB60_group, Oxalobacteraceae, Desulfovibrio, Haemophilus, and Holdemania had protective effects on endometriosis, while Porphyromonadaceae and Anaerotruncus might contribute to the development of endometriosis. Heterogeneity and pleiotropy analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. Conclusion The two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis conducted in this study identified specific intestinal flora with a causal relationship with endometriosis at the genetic level, offering new insights into the gut microbiota-mediated development mechanism of endometriosis.

The TiB2p/Cu composites were prepared by current-assisted vacuum hot pressing (CAVHP) combined with rolling using in-situ spherical TiB2p/Cu composite powder as raw material. The effects of rolling deformation on the microstructure and properties of the sintered TiB2p/Cu composite were investigated. The results show that CAVHP leads to a rapid densification of the composite powder compact, and the subsequent rolling deformation is able to eliminate the unclosed pores and achieve a uniform distribution of TiB2p. The dynamic recrystallization during cold rolling refines the Cu matrix grains to ultrafine grains with an average grain size of 0.47 μm. The cold rolled TiB2p/Cu composite obtains a remarkable comprehensive performance with ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and electrical conductivity of 621 MPa, 567 MPa and 86.3% IACS, respectively. In addition, the strengthening and fracture mechanism of the cold rolled TiB2p/Cu composite are analyzed. This work will explore a new technological solution for the preparation of high-performance Cu matrix composites.

Abstract Background Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive childhood bone and soft tissue cancer. KIAA1429 is one type of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer that plays a tumor-progressive role in various cancers, but the role of KIAA1429 in ES remains to be elucidated. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of KIAA1429 in ES. Methods We performed a multi-omic screen including CRISPR-Cas9 functional genomic and transcriptomic approaches, and identified that KIAA1429 played a significant role in ES progression. Gene knockdown, quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR), immunoblotting, CellTiter-Glo assays, clonogenic assays, a subcutaneous xenograft model and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the functional role of KIAA1429 in ES. We mainly conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in ES cells to analyze the downstream regulatory mechanism of KIAA1429. An integrative analysis of chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA-seq indicated the upstream regulatory mechanism of KIAA1429. Results In vitro and in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screening identified KIAA1429 as an ES-dependent gene. Genetic suppression of KIAA1429 inhibited ES cell proliferation and tumorigenicity both in vitro and in vivo. Further studies revealed that KIAA1429 promotes ES tumorigenesis by regulating the ribosome-associated cell cycle and cancer-related inflammation. Interestingly, we found that STAT3 was a target of KIAA1429 and that a STAT3 inhibitor reduced KIAA1429 transcript levels, indicating positive feedback between KIAA1429 and STAT3. Finally, we found that NKX2-2 bound to the KIAA1429 promoter and transactivated KIAA1429. Conclusion Our study systematically analyzed ES-dependent epigenetic/transcriptional regulatory genes and identified KIAA1429 as a biomarker of tumor progression in ES, providing a potential therapeutic target for treating ES.

Abstract Background Intestinal health plays a pivotal role in broiler chicken growth. Oregano aqueous extract (OAE) effectively exerts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. However, the protective effects of OAE on intestinal health in broilers and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of OAE on growth performance, the gut microbiota and intestinal health. A total of 840 1-d-old male and female broilers (Arbor Acres) were randomly allocated into 6 groups as follows: basal diet (Con), Con + antibiotics (Anti, colistin sulfate 7 g/kg, roxarsone 35 g/kg), Con + 400, 500, 600 and 700 mg/kg OAE (OAE400, OAE500, OAE600 and OAE700). Subsequently, fermentation in vitro together with oral administration trials were carried out to further assess the function of OAE on intestinal health of broilers. Results Dietary 700 mg/kg OAE supplementation resulted in an increase (P

Extended exposure to seawater results in the erosion of the structural high-strength steels utilized in marine equipment, primarily due to the infiltration of hydrogen. Consequently, this erosion leads to a decrease in the mechanical properties of the material. In this investigation, the mechanical responses of Q690 structural high-strength steel specimens were investigated by considering various hydrogen charging parameters, such as the current density, charging duration, and solution concentration values. The findings highlighted the significant impacts of electrochemical hydrogen charging parameters on the mechanical behaviors of Q690 steel samples. Specifically, a linear relationship was observed between the mechanical properties and the hydrogen charging current densities, while the associations with the charging duration and solution concentration were nonlinear. Additionally, the fracture morphology under various hydrogen charging parameters was analyzed and discussed. The results demonstrate that the mechanical properties of the material degrade with increasing hydrogen charging parameters, with tensile strength and yield stress decreasing by approximately 2–4%, and elongation after fracture reducing by about 20%. The findings also reveal that macroscopic fractures exhibit significant necking in uncharged conditions. As hydrogen charging parameters increase, macroscopic necking gradually diminishes, the number of microscopic dimples decreases, and the material ultimately transitions to a fully brittle fracture.

Exploring the effects of different additives on the improvement of newly cultivated farmland in mountainous areas can provide rational soil fertilization plans for regions lacking means of production. We conducted a paddy planting experiment in Ankang City, Shaanxi Province. Six treatments were set up, including sole chemical fertilizer (CK); fertilizer + bacteria agent (NB); chemical fertilizer + alginate bio-organic fertilizer (NO); fertilizer + fulvic acid biomass nutrient solution (NF); chemical fertilizer + acid soil conditioner (NC); fertilizer + silicon–calcium–magnesium–potassium fertilizer (NSi). We collected topsoil samples after paddy harvest, analyzed their physical, chemical, and biological properties, and selected indicators to construct a Total Data Set (TDS) and a Minimum Data Set (MDS). The Soil Quality Index (SQI) was used to evaluate the soil improvement effects after different fertilization regimes. The SQI calculated by the TDS and the MDS showed that the SQI after NF treatment was higher than that under other treatments. The SQI based on the TDS (SQITDS) and the SQI based on the MDS (SQIMDS) were significantly positively correlated with yield. The SQI calculated based on both the TDS and the MDS can objectively reflect the soil fertility quality. The paddy yield and total dry matter accumulation were the highest under the NF treatment, and the SQI was the largest. Thus, the effect of chemical fertilizer combined with fulvic acid biomass nutrient solution on soil fertility was the most significant.

Ship trajectory prediction is a complex time series forecasting problem that necessitates models capable of accurately capturing both long-term trends and short-term fluctuations in vessel movements. While existing deep learning models excel in short-term predictions, they struggle with long-sequence time series forecasting (LSTF) due to difficulties in capturing long-term dependencies, resulting in significant prediction errors. This paper proposes the Informer-TP method, leveraging Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and based on the Informer model, to enhance the ability to capture long-term dependencies, thereby improving the accuracy of long-term ship trajectory predictions. Firstly, AIS data are preprocessed and divided into trajectory segments. Secondly, the time series is separated from the trajectory data in each segment and input into the model. The Informer model is utilized to improve long-term ship trajectory prediction ability, and the output mechanism is adjusted to enable predictions for each segment. Finally, the proposed model’s effectiveness is validated through comparisons with baseline models, and the influence of various sequence lengths Ltoken on the Informer-TP model is explored. Experimental results show that compared with other models, the proposed model exhibits the lowest Mean Squared Error, Mean Absolute Error, and Haversine distance in long-term forecasting, demonstrating that the model can effectively capture long-term dependencies in the trajectories, thereby improving the accuracy of long-term vessel trajectory predictions. This provides an effective and feasible method for ensuring ship navigation safety and advancing intelligent shipping.

Virtual power plants (VPPs) integrate diverse energy resources using advanced communication technologies and intelligent control strategies. This integration enhances the utilization and efficiency of distributed generation. This paper explores the incorporation of VPPs into load frequency control (LFC) systems. It includes an analysis of VPP-aggregated resources’ frequency regulation characteristics and a VPP-inclusive LFC model. Additionally, a decentralized automatic generation control strategy is proposed to distribute power outputs effectively, enabling swift grid frequency adjustments. This study uses MATLAB simulations to demonstrate the benefits and efficacy of VPPs in LFC, underscoring their role in advancing grid management and stability.

Canine oral melanoma is the most prevalent malignant tumor in dogs and has a poor prognosis due to its high aggressiveness and high metastasis and recurrence rates. More research is needed into its treatment and to understand its pathogenic factors. In this study, we isolated a canine oral mucosal melanoma (COMM) cell line designated as COMM6605, which has now been stably passaged for more than 100 generations, with a successful monoclonal assay and a cell multiplication time of 22.2 h. G-banded karyotype analysis of the COMM6605 cell line revealed an abnormal chromosome count ranging from 45 to 74, with the identification of a double-armed chromosome as the characteristic marker chromosome of this cell line. The oral intralingual and dorsal subcutaneous implantation models of BALB/c-nu mice were successfully established; Melan-A (MLANA), S100 beta protein (S100β), PNL2, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP2) were stably expressed positively in the canine oral tumor sections, tumor cell lines, and tumor sections of tumor-bearing mice. Sublines COMM6605-Luc-EGFP and COMM6605-Cherry were established through lentiviral transfection, with COMM6605-Luc-EGFP co-expressing firefly luciferase (Luc) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and COMM6605-Cherry expressing the Cherry fluorescent protein gene. The COMM6605-Luc-EGFP fluorescent cell subline was injected via the tail vein and caused lung and lymph node metastasis, as detected by mouse live imaging, which can be used as an animal model to simulate the latter steps of hematogenous spread during tumor metastasis. The canine oral melanoma cell line COMM6605 and two sublines isolated and characterized in this study can offer a valuable model for studying mucosal melanoma.

Abstract Background This retrospective study aimed to investigate the most suitable endometrial thickness (EMT) on the day of embryo transfer that could reduce ectopic pregnancy rate (EPR) and improve clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) in fresh embryo transfer patients with early follicular phase long-acting regimen. Methods A total of 11,738 IVF/ICSI cycles, comprising 4,489 non-clinical pregnancies, 7,121 intrauterine pregnancies, and 128 ectopic pregnancy cycles after fresh embryo transfer, recorded between September 2017 and December 2020. Clinical pregnancy (CP) and ectopic pregnancy (EP) were the primary outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for EP and CP. Patients were divided into three groups based on the EMT (6–10 mm, 11–15 mm, and 16–20 mm). CPR and EPR per millimeter of EMT were drawn into a line chart, and three groups were analyzed by Chi-square test. Results After controlling for potential confounders, EMT had a significant effect on CP (aOR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05–1.08; P = 0.00) and EP (aOR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82–0.94; P = 0.00). With the increase of EMT, CPR increased and EPR decreased. Pearson correlation coefficients were r = 0.708 (P = 0.00) and r =-0.558 (P = 0.03), respectively. Significant differenceswere detected in the CPRs and EPRs (all P = 0.00). The CPR in the 6–10 mm group (54.88%) was significantly lower than that in the 11–15 mm group (64.23%) and the 16–20 mm group (64.40%) (P = 0.00). The EPR in the 6–10 mm group (2.72%) was significantly higher than that in the other two groups (1.60% and 0.97%, P = 0.00). The difference in CPR and EPR between the 11–15 mm group and the 16–20 mm group was not statistically significant, which indicated that EMT ≥ 11 mm simultaneously reduced the EPR and increased the CPR. Conclusions EMT was inversely proportional to EPR and directly proportional to CPR in fresh embryo transfer cycles. The EMT ≥ 11 mm on the day of embryo transfer could simultaneously achieve lower EPR and higher CPR. Accordingly, more attention should be given to the EMT of women who underwent ART treatment.

Abstract Hydrogen produced from neutral seawater electrolysis faces many challenges including high energy consumption, the corrosion/side reactions caused by Cl-, and the blockage of active sites by Ca2+/Mg2+ precipitates. Herein, we design a pH-asymmetric electrolyzer with a Na+ exchange membrane for direct seawater electrolysis, which can simultaneously prevent Cl- corrosion and Ca2+/Mg2+ precipitation and harvest the chemical potentials between the different electrolytes to reduce the required voltage. In-situ Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations reveal that water dissociation can be promoted with a catalyst based on atomically dispersed Pt anchored to Ni-Fe-P nanowires with a reduced energy barrier (by 0.26 eV), thus accelerating the hydrogen evolution kinetics in seawater. Consequently, the asymmetric electrolyzer exhibits current densities of 10 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2 at voltages of 1.31 V and 1.46 V, respectively. It can also reach 400 mA cm−2 at a low voltage of 1.66 V at 80 °C, corresponding to the electricity cost of US$1.36 per kg of H2 ($0.031/kW h for the electricity bill), lower than the United States Department of Energy 2025 target (US$1.4 per kg of H2).

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for aging and many diseases, and the disorder of lipid metabolism makes it prominent. This study aims to investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on aging, lipid metabolism and stress resistance Methods: Rg1 was administered to Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) cultured in NGM or GNGM. The lifespan, locomotory activity, lipid accumulation, cold and heat stress resistance and related mRNA expression of the worms were examined. Gene knockout mutants were used to clarify the effect on lipid metabolism of Rg1. GFP-binding mutants were used to observe the changes in protein expression Results: We reported that Rg1 reduced lipid accumulation and improved stress resistance in C. elegans. Rg1 significantly reduced the expression of fatty acid synthesis-related genes and lipid metabolism-related genes in C. elegans. However, Rg1 did not affect the fat storage in fat-5/fat-6 double mutant or nhr-49 mutant. Combined with network pharmacology, we clarified the possible pathways and targets of Rg1 in lipid metabolism. In addition, Rg1-treated C. elegans showed a higher expression of anti-oxidative genes and heat shock proteins, which might contribute to stress resistance Conclusion: Rg1 reduced fat accumulation by regulating lipid metabolism via nhr-49 and enhanced stress resistance by its antioxidant effect in C. elegans.

With the rapid development of deep learning technology in recent years, convolutional neural networks have gained remarkable progress in SAR ship detection tasks. However, noise interference of the background and inadequate appearance features of small-scale objects still pose challenges. To tackle these issues, we propose a small ship detection algorithm for SAR images by means of a coordinate-aware mixed attention mechanism and spatial semantic joint context method. First, the coordinate-aware mixed attention mechanism innovatively combines coordinate-aware channel attention and spatial attention to achieve coordinate alignment of mixed attention features. In this way, attention with finer spatial granularity is conducive to strengthening the focusing ability on small-scale objects, thereby suppressing the background clutters accurately. In addition, the spatial semantic joint context method exploits the local and global environmental information jointly. The detailed spatial cues contained in the multi-scale local context and the generalized semantic information encoded in the global context are used to enhance the feature expression and distinctiveness of small-scale ship objects. Extensive experiments are conducted on the LS-SSDD-v1.0 and the HRSID dataset. The results with an average precision of 77.23% and 90.85% on the two datasets show the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

BackgroundAlthough in vitro fertilization (IVF) in infertile patients with endometrial hyperplasia is common after drug treatment, the pregnancy outcomes are often unsatisfactory. Till date, no studies have reported the outcome of patients with endometrial hyperplasia treated using early-follicular long (EL) protocol and midluteal long (ML) protocol.ObjectiveTo evaluate the pregnancy outcomes and disease prognosis of patients with endometrial hyperplasia with or without atypia undergoing IVF treatment with EL protocol or ML protocol.MethodsThis was a retrospective study in university-affiliated reproductive medical center. A total of 138 patients with endometrial hyperplasia undergoing IVF treatment were included to compare the pregnancy outcomes and disease prognosis between EL and ML protocols. We further matched 276 patients with normal endometrium to compare the pregnancy outcomes between patients with endometrial hyperplasia and patients with normal endometrium under different controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) protocol.ResultsIn patients with endometrial hyperplasia, the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) were significantly higher in EL protocol than in ML protocol (61.8% vs. 43.5%, P=0.032; 50.0% vs. 30.6%, P= 0.022). In the ML protocol, patients with endometrial hyperplasia had significantly lower CPR and LBR than those with normal endometrium (43.5% vs. 59.7%, P=0.037; 30.6% vs. 49.2%, P=0.016). While in the EL protocol, they achieved similar CPR and LBR as patients with normal endometrium (61.8% vs. 69.7%, P=0.232; 50.0% vs. 59.9%, P=0.156). In patients with endometrial hyperplasia, COS protocol was an independent factor affecting clinical pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.479; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.154-5.327) and live birth (adjusted OR 2.730; 95% CI 1.249-5.966). After 1–10 years of follow-up, no significant difference was found in the recurrence rate of endometrial lesions between both treatment groups.ConclusionsFor patients with endometrial hyperplasia undergoing IVF treatment, the EL protocol is superior to ML protocol, and in the EL protocol, they can achieve similar pregnancy outcomes as patients with normal endometrium.

Tropical forests store more than half of the world's terrestrial carbon (C) pool and account for one-third of global net primary productivity (NPP). Many terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) estimate increased productivity in tropical forests throughout the 21st century due to CO2 fertilization. However, phosphorus (P) limitations on vegetation photosynthesis and productivity could significantly reduce the CO2 fertilization effect. Here, we used a carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus coupled model (Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model; DLEM-CNP) with heterogeneous maximum carboxylation rates to examine how P limitation has affected C fluxes in tropical forests during 1860–2018. Our model results showed that the inclusion of the P processes enhanced model performance in simulating ecosystem productivity. We further compared the simulations from DLEM-CNP, DLEM-CN, and DLEM-C and the results showed that the inclusion of P processes reduced the CO2 fertilization effect on gross primary production (GPP) by 25% and 45%, and net ecosystem production (NEP) by 28% and 41%, respectively, relative to CN-only and C-only models. From the 1860s to the 2010s, the DLEM-CNP estimated that in tropical forests GPP increased by 17%, plant respiration (Ra) increased by 18%, ecosystem respiration (Rh) increased by 13%, NEP increased by 121% per unit area, respectively. Additionally, factorial experiments with DLEM-CNP showed that the enhanced NPP benefiting from the CO2 fertilization effect had been offset by 135% due to deforestation from the 1860s to the 2010s. Our study highlights the importance of P limitation on the C cycle and the weakened CO2 fertilization effect resulting from P limitation in tropical forests.

Abstract Introduction Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive lung cancer variant known for its elevated risk of brain metastases (BM). While earlier meta‐analyses supported the use of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) to reduce BM incidence and enhance overall survival, modern MRI capabilities raise questions about PCI's universal benefit for limited‐stage SCLC (LS‐SCLC) patients. As a response, we have created a predictive model for BM, aiming to identify low‐risk individuals who may not require PCI. Methods A total of 194 LS‐SCLC patients without PCI treated between 2009 and 2021 were included. We conducted both univariate and multivariate analyses to pinpoint the factors associated with the development of BM. A nomogram for predicting the 2‐ and 3‐year probabilities of BM was then constructed. Results Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed several significant independent risk factors for the development of BM. These factors include TNM stage, the number of chemotherapy (ChT) cycles, Ki‐67 expression level, pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and haemoglobin (HGB) levels. These findings underscore their respective roles as independent predictors of BM. Based on the results of the final multivariable analysis, a nomogram model was created. In the training cohort, the nomogram yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.870 at 2 years and 0.828 at 3 years. In the validation cohort, the AUC values were 0.897 at 2 years and 0.789 at 3 years. The calibration curve demonstrated good agreement between the predicted and observed probabilities of BM. Conclusions A novel nomogram has been developed to forecast the likelihood of BM in patients diagnosed with LS‐SCLC. This tool holds the potential to assist healthcare professionals in formulating more informed and tailored treatment plans.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) plays a crucial role in all-weather and all-day Earth observation owing to its distinctive imaging mechanism. However, interpreting SAR images is not as intuitive as optical images. Therefore, to make SAR images consistent with human cognitive habits and assist inexperienced people in interpreting SAR images, a generative model is needed to realize the translation from SAR images to optical ones. In this work, inspired by the processing of the human brain in painting, a novel conditional image-to-image translation framework is proposed for SAR to optical image translation based on the diffusion model. Firstly, considering the limited performance of existing CNN-based feature extraction modules, the model draws insights from the self-attention and long-skip connection mechanisms to enhance feature extraction capabilities, which are aligned more closely with the memory paradigm observed in the functioning of human brain neurons. Secondly, addressing the scarcity of SAR-optical image pairs, data augmentation that does not leak the augmented mode into the generated mode is designed to optimize data efficiency. The proposed SAR-to-optical image translation method is thoroughly evaluated using the SAR2Opt dataset. Experimental results demonstrate its capacity to synthesize high-fidelity optical images without introducing blurriness.

Aims: To explore whether blastocyst morphology [blastocyst stage, inner cell mass (ICM), and trophectoderm (TE) grading] impacts the occurrence of monozygotic twinning (MZT) after single blastocyst transfer (SBT).Materials and methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted including all clinical pregnancies after single blastocyst transfer between January 2015 and September 2021 (n = 9229). Blastocyst morphology was assessed using Gardner grading system. MZT was defined as more than one gestational sac (GS), or two or more fetal heartbeats in a single GS via ultrasound at 5–6 gestational weeks.Results: The overall MZT rate was 2.46% (227 of 9229 cases), of which was the highest in blastocysts of grade A TE and lowest in those with grade C TE (grade A: B:C = 3.40%:2.67%:1.58%, p = .002). Higher risk of MZT pregnancy was associated with higher trophectoderm grading [A vs. C: aOR, 1.883, 95% CI 1.069–3.315, p = .028; B vs C: aOR, 1.559, 95% CI 1.066–2.279, p = .022], but not extended culture in vitro (day 5 vs. day 6), vitrification (fresh vs. frozen-thawed ET), assisted hatching (AH), blastocyst stage (stage 1–6) or ICM grading (A vs. B).Conclusions: We conclude that TE grade is an independent risk factor of MZT after single blastocyst transfer. Blastocysts with high-grade trophectoderm are more liable to obtain monozygotic multiple gestation.

Aims To explore suggestions for clinicians on the most effective treatment for hydrosalpinx undergoing IVF-ET.Materials and Methods We reviewed 936 women with hydrosalpinx and 6715 tubal infertile women without hydrosalpinx who underwent IVF/ICSI between January 2014 and August 2019 in our center. Hydrosalpinx patients received different treatments including laparoscopic surgery (only salpingectomy and proximal tubal occlusion/ligation were included), ultrasonic-guided aspiration and hysteroscopic tubal occlusion. Outcomes were analyzed by One-way ANOVA, Chi-Square test and logistic regression.Results The live birth rate (LBR) of laparoscopic surgery was significantly higher compared with hydrosalpinx aspiration (48.3% vs 39.6%, p = .024). The cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) of subsequent laparoscopic surgery was significantly higher compared with subsequent hysteroscopic occlusion (65.1% vs 34.1%, p = .001) and no subsequent treatment (65.1% vs 44.9%, p

Piezoresistive pressure sensors are sensitive to environmental changes. Ambient temperature changes would produce thermal drift, which affects sensor performance. This study entailed the use of the mind evolutionary algorithm(MEA)-back propagation(BP) neural network algorithm to establish an error compensation model for piezoresistive pressure sensors. The model uses the MEA algorithm to optimize the initial weight and threshold of the neural network, which reduces the possibility of the training falling into local optimization owing to the uncertainty of the initial value. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm replaces the gradient descent method to accelerate the convergence speed of the neural network and increase the reliability of the compensation algorithm. The results of the simulation show that, compared with those of the BP neural network compensation algorithm and genetic algorithm(GA)-BP neural network, the expectation of the root mean square error of the MEA-BP algorithm is lower by 48.7% and 8.29%, respectively. The standard deviations are reduced to 5% and 4% of those of the BP and GA-BP neural networks, respectively. This demonstrates that the BP neural network compensation method optimized by the MEA algorithm can compensate for the influence of temperature more accurately and that the compensation result is more reliable.

The most prevalent subtype of avian influenza worldwide, H9N2, not only threatens human health and causes enormous financial losses in the poultry sector but also has the potential to be transmitted directly or indirectly between other species. This study discovered four H9 subtype avian influenza virus in Fujian in 2022. According to genetic analysis, these four viruses contain several binding sites for mammalian receptors (216 L and 217 M in HA gene). More crucially, the internal genes of the two isolates of XD-L2 and XD-L4 were closely related to those of the human H3N8 virus found this year, which could pose a threat to human health, especially that of poultry producers.

Abstract Background Body phosphorus metabolism exhibits a circadian rhythm over the 24-h daily cycle. The egg laying behavior makes laying hens a very special model for investigating phosphorus circadian rhythms. There is lack of information about the impact of adjusting phosphate feeding regimen according to daily rhythm on the phosphorus homeostasis and bone remodeling of laying hens. Methods and results Two experiments were conducted. In Exp. 1, Hy-Line Brown laying hens (n = 45) were sampled according the oviposition cycle (at 0, 6, 12, and 18 h post-oviposition, and at the next oviposition, respectively; n = 9 at each time point). Diurnal rhythms of body calcium/phosphorus ingestions and excretions, serum calcium/phosphorus levels, oviduct uterus calcium transporter expressions, and medullary bone (MB) remodeling were illustrated. In Exp. 2, two diets with different phosphorus levels (0.32% and 0.14% non-phytate phosphorus (NPP), respectively) were alternately presented to the laying hens. Briefly, four phosphorus feeding regimens in total (each included 6 replicates of 5 hens): (1) fed 0.32% NPP at both 09:00 and 17:00; (2) fed 0.32% NPP at 09:00 and 0.14% NPP at 17:00; (3) fed 0.14% NPP at 09:00 and 0.32% NPP at 17:00; (4) fed 0.14% NPP at both 09:00 and 17:00. As a result, the regimen fed 0.14% NPP at 09:00 and 0.32% NPP at 17:00, which was designed to strengthen intrinsic phosphate circadian rhythms according to the findings in Exp. 1, enhanced (P < 0.05) MB remodeling (indicated by histological images, serum markers and bone mineralization gene expressions), elevated (P < 0.05) oviduct uterus calcium transportation (indicated by transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 protein expression), and subsequently increased (P < 0.05) eggshell thickness, eggshell strength, egg specific gravity and eggshell index in laying hens. Conclusions These results underscore the importance of manipulating the sequence of daily phosphorus ingestion, instead of simply controlling dietary phosphate concentrations, in modifying the bone remodeling process. Body phosphorus rhythms will need to be maintained during the daily eggshell calcification cycle. Graphical Abstract

Entrainment at the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is of significant importance because it controls the upward growth of the PBL height. An option called ysu_topdown_pblmix, which provides a parameterization of fog-top entrainment, has been proposed for valley fog modeling and introduced into the YSU (Yonsei University) PBL scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. However, enabling this option in simulations of sea fog over the Yellow Sea typically results in unrealistic dissipation near the fog bottom and even within the entire fog layer. In this study, we theoretically examine the composition of the option ysu_topdown_pblmix, and then argue that one term in this option might be redundant for sea-fog modeling. The fog-top variables are employed in this term to determine the basic entrainment in the dry PBL, which is already parameterized by the surface variables in the original YSU PBL scheme. This term likely leads to an overestimation of the fog-top entrainment rate, so we refer to it as redundant. To explore the connection between the redundant term and unrealistic dissipation, a widespread sea-fog episode over the Yellow Sea is employed as a case study based on the WRF model. The simulation results clearly attribute the unrealistic dissipation to the extra entrainment rate that the redundant term induces. Fog-top entrainment is unexpectedly overestimated due to this extra entrainment rate, resulting in a significantly drier and warmer bias within the interior of sea fog. When sea fog develops and reaches a temperature lower than the sea surface, the sea surface functions as a warming source to heat the fog bottom jointly with the downward heat flux brought by the fog-top entrainment, leading the dissipation to initially occur near the fog bottom and then gradually expand upwards. We suggest a straightforward method to modify the option ysu_topdown_pblmix for sea-fog modeling that eliminates the redundant term. The improvement effect of this method was supported by the results of sensitivity tests. However, more sea-fog cases are required to validate the modification method.

BackgroundImmunotherapy is significantly revolutionizing cancer treatment and demonstrating promising efficacy in gastric cancer (GC) patients. However, only a subset of patients could derive benefits from targeted monoclonal antibody therapy against programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1). This study aims to identify suitable serum cytokines and blood cell ratios as predictive biomarkers to aid in the selection of GC patients likely to benefit from PD-1 inhibitors.Materials and methodsThis retrospective study included 41 GC patients who received PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy, 36 GC patients treated solely with chemotherapy, and 33 healthy controls. The study assessed the levels of seven cytokines: interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and various inflammatory markers, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), total lymphocyte count (TLC), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR). Measurements were obtained using the inpatient system. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive significance of these hematologic parameters for clinical outcomes.ResultsLevels of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, NLR, and PLR were significantly elevated in GC patients compared to healthy controls, while TLC and LMR were higher in the control group. Among the 41 patients receiving PD-1 inhibitors and chemotherapy, baseline IL-2 was associated with OS and PFS. Additionally, IL-6 and IL-17A correlated with OS, while NLR was linked to PFS (all P

The involvement of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure in the progression of asthma has been extensively discussed in epidemiological and experimental evidence, which aroused widespread attention. Asthma is characterized by mucus hypersecretion. This study investigates the underlying toxic mechanism of traffic-related PM2.5 (TRPM2.5) and water-soluble extracts (WSE) on mucus hypersecretion in the lungs of rats with asthma and 16HBE cells. The ovalbumin-induced rats were administrated by instillation of TRPM2.5 and WSE in the trachea once three days for eight times. The results showed that TRPM2.5 and WSE had an adverse impact on mucus secretion. Specifically, conspicuous mucus stains and increased goblet cells in the bronchial epithelium by PAS staining were found in lung tissues of rats with asthma; MUC5AC gene and protein expression levels in lung tissues of rats with asthma and 16HBE cells were elevated. In addition, TRPM2.5 and WSE triggered oxidative damage via upregulation of malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase as well as activation of the Sestrin2/Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Conversely, the knockdown of Sestrin2 effectively inhibited TRPM2.5 and WSE-induced mucus hypersecretion, oxidative stress, and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway and its downstream target gene NQO1. Collectively, it was demonstrated that TRPM2.5 and WSE induced mucus hypersecretion mediated by the Sestrin2/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.

These tests were carried out to find out how calcium and 1-MCP treatment affected the preservation of grapes, as grapes are highly susceptible to decay during post-harvest storage. The grapes were treated with 5 g/L calcium at the flowering stage, followed by 1 μL/L 1-MCP treatment after harvesting.When grapevines were treated with a combination of calcium and 1-MCP, the marketable fruit rate (At day 56 of storage, the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treatment group was still 93%, an increase of 29.03% compared to the control group.) and quality improved (At day 28 of storage, the VC content of the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treated group was 4.35 mg/100g, an increase of 25.01% compared to the control group.), while the fruit weight loss rate decreased (At day 56 of storage, the weight loss of the control group was 6.97%, an increase of 39.43% compared to the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treated group.).According to the experimental results, there are several reasons for this. First, in the early stages of fruit storage, the concentration of soluble pectin and soluble fiber, as well as the activities of pectinase and cellulase (related gene levels) were decreased. Secondly, the activity of antioxidant enzymes was increased, while MDA content was decreased. Third, during fruit storage, the respiratory intensity and ethylene release rate were reduced, as was the activity of energy metabolism enzymes. As a result, the aging and deterioration of the fruit during storage were delayed. Principal component analysis revealed that the calcium and 1-MCP combination therapy slowed the decline in grape berry quality, followed by the calcium-treated and 1-MCP-treated fruits. In contrast, grape berry quality declined the most rapidly in the control group.

Abstract Background Schwannoma is the most common mediastinal neurogenic tumor, while schwannoma originating from mediastinal vagus nerve is rare. Case presentation This article reported one case of schwannoma originating from vagus nerve in the right superior mediastinum. The mediastinal schwannoma was completely resected through a right-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic thoracotomy. Histologic examination clarified the diagnosis as schwannoma. Conclusion Chest CT scan and MRI can be used to determine the location of mediastinal schwannoma and its relationship with adjacent tissue. Histologic examination showing distinctive feature of Antoni A areas and Antoni B areas can help clarify the diagnosis. Complete surgical resection is the first-line treatment option for mediastinal schwannomas.