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Tiger puffer is a commercially important fish cultured in high-density environments, and its accurate detection is indispensable for determining growth conditions and realizing accurate feeding. However, the detection precision and recall of farmed tiger puffer are low due to target blurring and occlusion in real farming environments. The farmed tiger puffer detection model, called knowledge aggregation YOLO (KAYOLO), fuses prior knowledge with improved YOLOv5 and was proposed to solve this problem. To alleviate feature loss caused by target blurring, we drew on the human practice of using prior knowledge for reasoning when recognizing blurred targets and used prior knowledge to strengthen the tiger puffer's features and improve detection precision. To address missed detection caused by mutual occlusion in high-density farming environments, a prediction box aggregation method, aggregating prediction boxes of the same object, was proposed to reduce the influence among different objects to improve detection recall. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, ablation experiments, model performance experiments, and model robustness experiments were designed. The experimental results showed that KAYOLO's detection precision and recall results reached 94.92% and 92.21%, respectively. The two indices were improved by 1.29% and 1.35%, respectively, compared to those of YOLOv5. Compared with the recent state-of-the-art underwater object detection models, such as SWIPENet, RoIMix, FERNet, and SK-YOLOv5, KAYOLO achieved 2.09%, 1.63%, 1.13% and 0.85% higher precision and 1.2%, 0.18%, 1.74% and 0.39% higher recall, respectively. Experiments were conducted on different datasets to verify the model's robustness, and the precision and recall of KAYOLO were improved by approximately 1.3% compared to those of YOLOv5. The study showed that KAYOLO effectively enhanced farmed tiger puffer detection by reducing blurring and occlusion effects. Additionally, the model had a strong generalization ability on different datasets, indicating that the model can be adapted to different environments, and it has strong robustness.

Abstract The Ideal Plant Architecture 1 (IPA1) transcription factor promotes rice yield and immunity through phosphorylation at its amino acid residue Ser163 as a switch. Although phosphorylated IPA1 mimic, IPA1(S163D), directly targets the promoter of immune response gene WRKY45, it cannot activate its expression. Here, we identified a co-activator of IPA1(S163D), a RING-finger E3 ligase IPA1 interactor 7 (IPI7), which fine-tunes the transcriptional activity of IPA1 to timely promote plant immunity and simultaneously maintain growth for yield. IPI7 interacts with IPA1 and promotes K29-polyubiquitination of IPA1 in vitro and in vivo. However, the stability of IPA1 protein is not affected by IPI7-mediated ubiquitination. The IPI7-promoted K29-polyubiquitination of IPA1 is induced by Magnaporthe oryzae infection and required for phosphorylated IPA1 to transactivate WRKY45 expression for immune response but not for plain IPA1 to transactivate DENSE AND ERECT PANICLES 1 (DEP1) expression for panicle development. IPI7 knockout impairs IPA1-mediated immunity but not yield. Our study reveals that plants utilize non-proteolytic K29-ubiquitination as a response to pathogen infection to fine-tune IPA1 transactivation activity for promoting immunity.

As a genus within the Clavicipitaceae, Metarhizium exhibits rich morphological and ecological diversity, with a wide distribution and a variety of hosts. Currently, sixty-eight species of Metarhizium have been described.A new species of Metarhizium, M. puerense (Hong Yu bis), was described in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, south-western China. Based on morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses, Metarhizium puerense was confirmed to be phylogenetically related to M. album, but was clearly separated and formed a distinct branch. In contrast, the host of Metarhizium album was plants and leafhoppers and that lepidopteran larvae were the host of M. puerense. The diagnostic features of M. puerense were solitary to multiple stromata and smooth-walled, cylindrical with rounded apices conidia.

Abstract Infections caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli are a serious threat to human health, while conventional antibiotic susceptibility tests (AST) have a long turn-around time, and rapid antibiotic susceptibility methods are urgently needed to save lives in the clinic, reduce antibiotic misuse and prevent emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We optimized and validated the feasibility of a novel rapid AST based on SYBR Green I and Propidium Iodide (SGPI-AST) for E. coli drug susceptibility test. A total of 112 clinical isolates of E. coli were collected and four antibiotics (ceftriaxone, cefoxitin, imipenem, meropenem) were selected for testing. Bacterial survival rate of E. coli was remarkably linearly correlated with S value at different OD600 values. After optimizing the antibiotic concentrations, the sensitivity and specificity of SGPI-AST reached 100%/100%, 97.8%/100%, 100%/100% and 98.4%/99% for ceftriaxone, cefoxitin, imipenem and meropenem, respectively, and the corresponding concordances of the SGPI-AST with conventional AST were 1.000, 0.980, 1.000 and 0.979, respectively. The SGPI-AST can rapidly and accurately determine the susceptibility of E. coli clinical isolates to multiple antibiotics in 60 min, and has the potential to be applied to guide the precise selection of antibiotics for clinical management of infections caused by pathogenic E. coli.

The purpose of this research was to determine wheat quality characteristics of individual flour flow in low-temperature flour system, which could provide reference and basis for the production of different special wheat flour. In this study, 12 flour flows samples and channel flour (the market product of this batch) in the low-temperature milling system were taken as the research object, their quality characteristics and dough rheological properties were measured to compare and analyze the quality differences between different flour flows. 12 flour flows include 4 break flour flow, 6 reduction flour flows, 1 slag- grinding flour flow and 1 tail-grinding flour flow. The results showed that the brightness of 1M、2M、3M of reduction flour flows and slag- grinding flour flow were brighter than those of other flour flows; the protein content, wet gluten content and gluten index of reduction flour flow were generally lower than those of break flour flow; the ash and damaged starch of head flour flow in the reduction and break system were lower than those of final flour flow, and the peak viscosity was higher than that of final flour flow. The water absorption of 500 FU of final flour flow in the reduction and break system were higher than those of head flour flow; the P value, W value, L value, G value, energy and maximum resistance of break flour flows were generally higher than those of the reduction flour flows, but the extensibility of wheat flour was generally lower than those of the reduction flour flows.

Abstract The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of pulmonary embolism in patients diagnosed with sepsis with and without shock. The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify adults with sepsis with and without shock between 2017 and 2019. The prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism and the association of acute pulmonary embolism with in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay for survivors, and overall costs of hospitalization were evaluated. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses, adjusted for various parameters, were used to explore these associations. Of the estimated 5,019,369 sepsis hospitalizations, 1.2% of patients with sepsis without shock and 2.3% of patients with septic shock developed pulmonary embolism. The odds ratio for in-hospital mortality was 1.94 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85–2.03, p

Amphichorda has been previously accepted as a member of the Cordycipitaceae and currently it is considered a member of the Bionectriaceae. The substrates of Amphichorda were complex and varied, being mainly animal faeces. This study reports two new species of Amphichorda from Yunnan Province in south-western China. Based on the five-gene (nrSSU, nrLSU, tef‐1α, rpb1 and rpb2) sequence and ITS data phylogenetic analysis, two new species, namely A. excrementa and A. kunmingensis, are proposed and a detailed description of the new species is provided. Amphichorda excrementa and A. kunmingensis were isolated from animal faeces in the park. The morphological characteristics of two novel species and seven known species in Amphichorda are also compared.

Abstract In the conceptual design stage of railway bridge, the beam type of the bridge at the main control point must be modified repeatedly to satisfy varying requirements. Thus, the demand for design efficiency is high. However, railway bridge design relies heavily on professional knowledge and experience and is typically completed manually by senior designers, thereby requiring considerable time. An intelligent beam type recommendation algorithm named AutoDis Graph Ontology Attention Matching (AGOAM) is proposed to rapidly generate bridge design plans for railway route main control points. This method acquires the node embeddings of the main control point and beam type attribute graphs through graph neural networks (GNNs) and predicts the score of each beam type through graph matching technology. The beam type with the highest prediction score is recommended. In addition, the accuracy of the recommendation results is improved through ontology-enhanced attribute interaction and attention mechanism-based graph pooling. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated with a real-world railway bridge design dataset, and ablation study is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the ontology-enhanced attribute interaction and attention mechanism-based graph pooling.

Background: Hepatic immune tolerance might contribute to the development of therapeutic resistance to immunotherapy. However, addressing this issue is challenging since the efficacy of immunotherapy in the context of liver metastasis (LM) remains poorly studied. Here, we aimed to establish an LM common immune feature (LMCIF) score to quantify the characteristics of LM immunotolerance across cancer types for assisting clinical disease management. Methods: Large-scale clinical data were collected to identify the prognosis of LM. Multi-omics datasets of metastatic cancers with LM special immune-related pathways (LMSIPs) from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) were used to obtain an LMCIF cluster. Based on differential expression genes (DEGs), a novel LMCIF score for the LMCIF cluster was constructed. In addition, multi-omics, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) data from the public and in-house cohorts were used to explore the features of LM, and LMCIF score. Results: Patients with LM had a worse prognosis and significantly lower infiltration of immune cells than patients with metastasis to other organs when analyzed with combined clinical and RNA sequencing data. After extracting the LMCIF cluster from 373 samples by utilizing 29 LMSIPs and validating them in a microarray cohort, an LMCIF score was established to confirm the role of the immunosuppressive environment as a contributor to the poor prognosis of LM across cancer types. Moreover, this LMCIF score could be used to predict the immune response of cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. Finally, we identified that the majority of the 31 LMCIF genes exhibited a negative correlation with TME cells in LM patients, one of them, KRT19, which possessed the strongest positive correlation with LMCIF score, was confirmed to have an immunosuppressive effect through IHC analysis. Conclusions: Our results suggest that LM across cancer types share similar immunological profiles that induce immunotolerance and escape from immune monitoring. The novel LMCIF score represents a common liver metastasis immune cluster for predicting immunotherapy response, the results of which might benefit clinical disease management.

Abstract Background Catheter ablation and antiarrhythmic drug therapy are utilized for rhythm control in atrial fibrillation (AF), but their comparative effectiveness, especially with contemporary treatment modalities, remains undefined. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis contrasting current ablation techniques against antiarrhythmic medications for AF. Methods We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science until November 2023 for randomized trials comparing AF catheter ablation with antiarrhythmics, against antiarrhythmic drug therapy alone, reporting outcomes for > 6 months. Four investigators extracted data and appraised risk of bias (ROB) with ROB 2 tool. Meta-analyses estimated pooled efficacy and safety outcomes using R software. Results Twelve trials (n = 3977) met the inclusion criteria. Catheter ablation was associated with lower AF recurrence (relative risk (RR) = 0.44, 95%CI (0.33, 0.59), P ˂ 0.0001) and hospitalizations (RR = 0.44, 95%CI (0.23, 0.82), P = 0.009) than antiarrhythmic medications. Catheter ablation also improved the physical quality of life component score (assessed by a 36-item Short Form survey) by 7.61 points (95%CI -0.70-15.92, P = 0.07); but, due to high heterogeneity, it was not statistically significant. Ablation was significantly associated with higher procedural-related complications [RR = 15.70, 95%CI (4.53, 54.38), P

Abstract Background Management of PE has become streamlined with the implementation of PE Response Teams (PERT). Race, ethnicity and insurance status are known to influence the outcomes of patients with acute PE. However, whether the implementation of PERT-based care mitigates these racial and ethnic disparities remains unknown. Our aim was to assess the association of race, ethnicity and insurance with outcomes for patients with acute PE managed by PERT. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 290 patients with acute PE, who were admitted to one of three urban teaching hospitals in the Mount Sinai Health System (New York, NY) from January 2021 to October 2023. A propensity score-weighted analysis was performed to explore the association of race, ethnicity and insurance status with overall outcomes. Results Median age of included patients was 65.5 years and 149 (51.4%) were female. White, Black and Asian patients constituted 56.2% (163), 39.6% (115) and 3.5% [10] of the cohort respectively. Patients of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity accounted for 8.3% [24] of the sample. The 30-day rates of mortality, major bleeding and 30-day re-admission were 10.3%, 2.1% and 12.8% respectively. Black patients had higher odds of major bleeding (odds ratio [OR]: 1.445; p

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a group of RNA transcripts that contribute to tumor development by post-transcriptionally regulating cancer-related genes. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial tumor that occurs in the nasopharynx and is common in North Africa and Southeast Asia. The study investigated the functions of lncRNA TMPO-AS1 in NPC cell proliferation and apoptosis as well as its related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. Methods Candidate microRNA and genes that may regulated by TMPO-AS1 were predicted with the bioinformatic tool starBase. TMPO-AS1 expression in NPC tissue, cells, nuclear part, and cytoplasmic part was measured by RT-qPCR. MTT assay, EdU assay, and flow cytometry analysis were carried out to evaluate NPC cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation assay and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to detect the binding between TMPO-AS1 and let-7c-5p or that between let-7c-5p and BCAT1. Results TMPO-AS1 and BCAT1 showed high expression in NPC tissue and cells, while let-7c-5p was downregulated in NPC. The silencing of TMPO-AS1 suppressed NPC cell proliferation while promoting cell apoptosis. Moreover, TMPO-AS1 interacted with let-7c-5p and negatively regulated let-7c-5p expression. BCAT1 was a target of let-7c-5p and was inversely regulated by let-7c-5p in NPC cells. The repressive impact of TMPO-AS1 knockdown on NPC cell growth was countervailed by overexpressed BCAT1. Conclusion TMPO-AS1 accelerates NPC cell proliferation and represses cell apoptosis by interacting with let-7c-5p to regulate BCAT1 expression.

Based on the principle of 62Ni (n，γ) 63Ni preparing radioactive isotope 63Ni，using the China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) as an irradiation platform and design a high enrichment 62Ni target. Using MCNP and SCALE6.1 calculation codes，study and analyze the feasibility of producing isotope 63Ni on CEFR. The calculation results show that by using position 2 on the reflection side of the core as the irradiation position and designing the target as a ZrH moderator with good moderating performance，and operating at full power for more than 8 years，CEFR theoretically has the feasibility of producing high specific activity 63Ni isotopes. However，considering the practical factors of CEFR，it is believed that CEFR’s production of 63Ni isotopes does not have good economic，timeliness，and practical feasibility.

Abstract Background Intestinal metaplasia (IM) is classified into complete intestinal metaplasia (CIM) and incomplete intestinal metaplasia (IIM). Patients diagnosed with IIM face an elevated susceptibility to the development of gastric cancer, underscoring the critical need for early screening measures. In addition to the complexities associated with diagnosis, the exact mechanisms driving the progression of gastric cancer in IIM patients remain poorly understood. OLFM4 is overexpressed in several types of tumors, including colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers, and its expression has been associated with tumor progression. Methods In this study, we used pathological sections from two clinical centers, biopsies of IM tissues, precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) cell models, animal models, and organoids to explore the role of OLFM4 in IIM. Results Our results show that OLFM4 expression is highly increased in IIM, with superior diagnostic accuracy of IIM when compared to CDX2 and MUC2. OLFM4, along with MYH9, was overexpressed in IM organoids and PLGC animal models. Furthermore, OLFM4, in combination with Myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), accelerated the ubiquitination of GSK3β and resulted in increased β-catenin levels through the Wnt signaling pathway, promoting the proliferation and invasion abilities of PLGC cells. Conclusions OLFM4 represents a novel biomarker for IIM and could be utilized as an important auxiliary means to delimit the key population for early gastric cancer screening. Finally, our study identifies cell signaling pathways involved in the progression of IM.

The design of universal segments and deviation control of segment assembly are essential for robust and low-risk tunnel construction. A building information modeling (BIM)-based framework was proposed for parametric modeling, automatic assembly, and deviation control of universal segments. First, segment models of different levels of detail (LoDs) were built based on BIM visual programming language (VPL) for different project life cycles. Then, the geometric constraints, requirements, and procedures for parametric segment assembly were distilled to develop a program that combines a novel typesetting algorithm with a 3D path replanning algorithm. Typesetting is implemented by introducing a point indication matrix, characterizing segments by sides, and manipulating geometries in a VPL. Simultaneously, 3D path replanning, with non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) and arcs as basic shapes, was used to resolve unacceptable deviation situations after typesetting. Finally, the proposed framework was validated on a water diversion line and was found to be more effective and accurate than the previous method.

Abstract Background & objective Despite their continued use, the effectiveness and safety of vasopressors in post-cardiac arrest patients remain controversial. This study examined the efficacy of various vasopressors in cardiac arrest patients in terms of clinical, morbidity, and mortality outcomes. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed using online databases (MeSH terms: MEDLINE (Ovid), CENTRAL (Cochrane Library), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar) from 1997 to 2023 for relevant English language studies. The primary outcomes of interest for this study included short-term survival leading to death, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital discharge, neurological outcomes, survival to hospital admission, myocardial infarction, and incidence of arrhythmias. Results In this meta-analysis, 26 studies, including 16 RCTs and ten non-RCTs, were evaluated. The focus was on the efficacy of epinephrine, vasopressin, methylprednisolone, dopamine, and their combinations in medical emergencies. Epinephrine treatment was associated with better odds of survival to hospital discharge (OR = 1.52, 95%CI [1.20, 1.94]; p

Abstract Background Video double-lumen tube (VDLT) intubation in lateral position is a potential alternative to intubation in supine position in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. This non-inferiority trial assessed the efficacy and safety of VDLT intubation in lateral position. Methods Patients (18–70 yr) undergoing right thoracoscopic lung surgery were randomized to either the left lateral position group (group L) or the supine position group (group S). The VDLT was placed under video larygoscopy. The primary endpoint was the intubation time. Secondary endpoints included VDLT displacement rate, intubation failure rate, the satisfaction of surgeon and nurse, and intubation-related adverse events. Results The analysis covered 80 patients. The total intubation time was 52.0 [20.4]s in group L and 34.3 [13.2]s in group S, with a mean difference of 17.6 s [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.9 s to 25.3 s; P = 0.050], failing to demonstrate non-inferiority with a non-inferiority margin of 10 s. Group L, compared with group S, had significantly lower VDLT displacement rate (P = 0.017) and higher nurse satisfaction (P = 0.026). No intubation failure occurred in any group. Intubation complications (P = 0.802) and surgeon satisfaction (P = 0.415) were comparable between two groups. Conclusions The lateral VDLT intubation took longer time than in the supine position, and non-inferiority was not achieved. The incidence of displacement as the secondary endpoint was lower in the L group, possibly due to changing body positions beforehand. The indication of lateral VDLT intubation should be based on a balance between the safety of airway management and the lower incidence of displacement. Trial registration The study was registered at Chictr.org.cn with the number ChiCTR2200064831 on 19/10/2022.

Species of the family Polycephalomycetaceae grow on insects or entomopathogenic fungi and are distributed from tropical to subtropical regions. This study proposed four new species of hyperparasitic fungi from China based on six molecular markers (ITS, SSU, LSU, TEF-1α, RPB1 and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics. The four new species, i.e. Pleurocordyceps litangensis, Polycephalomyces jinghongensis, Po. multiperitheciatae and Po. myrmecophilus, were described and illustrated. Pl. litangensis, exhibiting a hyperparasitic lifestyle on Ophiocordyceps sinensis, differed from Pleurocordyceps other species in producing subulate β-phialides and ovoid or elliptic α-conidia. Po. jinghongensis was distinct from Polycephalomyces other species, being parasitic on Ophiocordyceps sp., as producing oval or long oval-shaped α-conidia and columns of β-conidia. Po. multiperitheciatae differed from Polycephalomyces other species as having synnemata with fertile head, linear β-conidia and parasitic on Ophiocordyceps multiperitheciata. Po. myrmecophilus was distinct from Polycephalomyces other species, being parasitic on the fungus Ophiocordyceps acroasca, as producing round or ovoid α-conidia and elliptical β-conidia without synnemata from the colonies. These four species were clearly distinguished from other species in the family Polycephalomycetaceae by phylogenetic and morphological characteristics. The morphological features were discussed and compared to relevant species in the present paper.

Abstract Background The role of mechanical power on pulmonary outcomes after thoracic surgery with one-lung ventilation was unclear. We investigated the association between mechanical power and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung resection surgery. Methods In this single-center, prospective observational study, 622 patients scheduled for thoracoscopic lung resection surgery were included. Volume control mode with lung protective ventilation strategies were implemented in all participants. The primary endpoint was a composite of postoperative pulmonary complications during hospital stay. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between mechanical power and outcomes. Results The incidence of pulmonary complications after surgery during hospital stay was 24.6% (150 of 609 patients). The multivariable analysis showed that there was no link between mechanical power and postoperative pulmonary complications. Conclusions In patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung resection with standardized lung-protective ventilation, no association was found between mechanical power and postoperative pulmonary complications. Trial registration Trial registration number: ChiCTR2200058528, date of registration: April 10, 2022.

Rhizosphere microbiotas play vital roles in resisting environmental stress, transforming soil nutrients, and promoting plant health, growth, and productivity. The effects of rhizosphere microbial community shaping and the characteristics and functions of keystone taxa on blueberries were comprehensively studied by examining the rhizobacteria of healthy old trees (O), young seedlings (OG), and poorly growing seedlings (OB) of O’Neal blueberries. Our results showed that rhizobacterial diversity followed the order OB > > OG > O, and the microbial community of OG was similar to that of O, while that of OB was distinctly different. The predominant rhizobacteria identified included Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria. Firmicutes were highly enriched in healthy blueberries, with Bacillus identified as a key genus that significantly enhanced blueberry growth when inoculated. Bradyrhizobium and Gaiellales were common core bacteria in the blueberry rhizosphere. In contrast, Acidobacteria were the predominant phylum in poorly growing OB, with the specific Vicinamibacterales-related and Latescibacterota-related genera acting as keystone taxa that shaped the microbial community. In addition, bacterial species in Vicinamibacterales might act as a potential pathogen predicted by BugBase. Taken together, these findings provide fundamental insights into the development of the blueberry rhizosphere microbial community and highlight the role of beneficial rhizobacteria, such as Bacillus, in enhancing blueberry growth. This knowledge could contribute to the exploitation of beneficial rhizobacteria and the prevention of pathogens in modern agriculture.

BackgroundBody constitution is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and model workers consist of a special group of workers within China. This study aims to research the relationship between the physical body constitutions based on TCM and the mental health of model workers.MethodsWe recruited 314 model workers from Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital to conduct the questionnaires such as SCL-90 and CCMQ to investigate if there is an association between mental health status and TCM body constitutions. We performed a Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS path modeling).ResultsOur path model results revealed associations between different TCM constitution types and SCL scores, which serve as indicators of psychological well-being. Our research findings demonstrate a strong correlation between the Balanced constitution and elevated levels of psychological well-being, with a path coefficient of -0.503. In contrast, the other eight constitutional types exhibit path coefficients exceeding 0.3, indicating a tendency toward lower levels of psychological well-being. We also investigated the intricate connections between various TCM constitutional types and both mild and severe psychological well-being.ConclusionIn conclusion, the Balanced constitution continues to be closely associated with higher levels of psychological well-being, while the remaining eight body constitution types are consistently linked to lower levels of psychological well-being.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an umbrella term for a wide range of machine intelligence systems that can replicate the behavior of humans. AI and Big Data have emerged as defining characteristics of the fourth industrial revolution (IR). AI has developed tools. Because of the novelty, the investigation of IR, AI, and their environmental effects is still in the early stages of exploration. This study investigates how IR and AI affect human and environmental health and also discusses IR, AI, machine-human ideas, innovation, and AI's environmental benefits, further examines the challenges of these innovations, and recommends additional studies to explain their progress. As a result, the application of AI technology in environmental management, particularly concerning pollution, has become a significant advancement in reshaping our approach to monitoring the environment. Numerous countries are reaping substantial advantages by integrating AI in creating, executing, and assessing measures to address environmental degradation. These innovations can yield societal advantages and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030; unfortunately, it is important to acknowledge that these benefits may not align well with environmental sustainability objectives, and the increasing number of electronic gadgets presents an additional concern. Conducting future research is crucial to investigate the growing prevalence of electronic devices utilized for AI, its potential ramifications for the future trajectory of climate change, and the approaches being taken to address the issue. Future research should prioritize conducting lifecycle environmental impact analyses, developing sustainable AI hardware, optimizing renewable energy usage, advancing climate modeling techniques, finding effective solutions for managing e-waste, utilizing AI for environmental monitoring and protection, conducting socio-environmental impact studies, developing policies and regulations, creating energy-efficient AI algorithms, and integrating circular economy principles to ensure that AI advancements align with environmental sustainability.

An ectopic origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is an extremely rare congenital malformation. This case report aimed to review our experience in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery anomalies. We report a case of ectopic origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. We analyzed the taxonomy and clinical implications of the ectopic origin of the coronary artery. The findings of this case may increase patients’ and clinicians’ awareness of this anomaly.

The unresolved phylogenetic framework within the Selaginellaceae subfamily Gymnogynoideae (ca. 130 species) has hindered our comprehension of the diversification and evolution of Selaginellaceae, one of the most important lineages in land plant evolution. Here, based on plastid and nuclear data extracted from genomic sequencing of more than 90% species of all genera except two in Gymnogynoideae, a phylogenomic study focusing on the contentious relationships among the genera in Gymnogynoideae was conducted. Our major results included the following: (1) Only single-copy region (named NR) and only one ribosomal operon was firstly found in Afroselaginella among vascular plants, the plastome structure of Gymnogynoideae is diverse among the six genera, and the direct repeats (DR) type is inferred as the ancestral state in the subfamily; (2) The first strong evidence was found to support Afroselaginella as a sister to Megaloselaginella. Alternative placements of Ericetorum and Gymnogynum were detected, and their relationships were investigated by analyzing the variation of phylogenetic signals; and (3) The most likely genus-level relationships in Gymnogynoideae might be: ((Bryodesma, Lepidoselaginella), (((Megaloselaginella, Afroselaginella), Ericetorum), Gymnogynum)), which was supported by maximum likelihood phylogeny based on plastid datasets, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference based on SCG dataset and concatenated nuclear and plastid datasets and the highest proportion of phylogenetic signals of plastid genes.

Dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) deficiency represents a primary immunodeficiency with a wide range of clinical symptoms, including recurrent infections, atopy, and increased malignancy risk. This study presents a case of a 6-year-old girl with DOCK8 deficiency, characterized by severe, treatment-resistant herpetic infections who was successfully treated with siltuximab and glucocorticoids. The successful use of siltuximab in achieving remission highlights the pivotal role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in DOCK8 deficiency pathogenesis and suggests that IL-6 modulation can be critical in managing DOCK8 deficiency-related viral infections, which may inform future therapeutic strategies for DOCK8 deficiency and similar immunodeficiencies.

Abstract Introduction Acute pancreatitis poses a significant health risk due to the potential for pancreatic necrosis and multi-organ failure. Fluid resuscitation has demonstrated positive effects; however, consensus on the ideal intravenous fluid type and infusion rate for optimal patient outcomes remains elusive. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2005 and January 2023. Reference lists of potential studies were manually searched to identify additional relevant articles. Randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies comparing high (≥ 20 ml/kg/h), moderate (≥ 10 to

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram by combining chest computed tomography (CT) images and clinicopathological predictors to assess the survival outcomes of patients with primary pulmonary lymphoepithelial carcinoma (PLEC). Methods 113 patients with stage I–IV primary PLEC who underwent treatment were retrospectively reviewed. The Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the independent prognostic factors associated with patient’s disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Based on results from multivariate Cox regression analysis, the nomograms were constructed with pre-treatment CT features and clinicopathological information, which were then assessed with respect to calibration, discrimination and clinical usefulness. Results Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed the independent prognostic factors for DFS were surgery resection and hilar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and that for CSS were age, smoking status, surgery resection, tumor site in lobe and necrosis. The concordance index (C‑index) of nomogram for DFS and CSS were 0.777 (95% CI: 0.703–0.851) and 0.904 (95% CI: 0.847–0.961), respectively. The results of the time‑dependent C‑index were internally validated using a bootstrap resampling method for DFS and CSS also showed that the nomograms had a better discriminative ability. Conclusions We developed nomograms based on clinicopathological and CT factors showing a good performance in predicting individual DFS and CSS probability among primary PLEC patients. This prognostic tool may be valuable for clinicians to more accurately drive treatment decisions and individualized survival assessment.

Based on varieties, area and distribution of wheat in China, 1 377 newly harvested wheat samples from 12 provinces were collected in 2022. The physio-chemical quality as well as end-use quality evolutions were carried out, and the current quality status of wheat were analyzed. The results showed that the average crude protein content and gluten content of wheat were 13.1% and 29.6%, respectively, and the mean gluten index was 69. Among the rheological parameters of dough, the water absorption of flour was 63.2 mL, and the average stability time was 6.7 min. The mean tensile curve area, elongation and maximum tensile resistance were 75 cm2, 140 mm and 398 EU, respectively. All samples were evaluated for the processing quality of noodles and steamed bread, and samples with strong gluten wheat varieties and wet gluten content ≤25% were evaluated for the processing quality of bread and cake, respectively. The average scores of noodles, steamed bread, bread and cake were 79, 75, 73 and 69 points, respectively. Only 1.7% of the samples met the requirements of “High quality wheat-Strong gluten wheat” (GB/T 17892—1999), while 1.3% of the samples met the requirements of “High quality wheat-Weak gluten wheat” (GB/T 17893—1999). In addition, 44.9%, 31.4% and 2.8% of the samples met the requirements of quality classification, high-quality wheat and high-quality strong gluten wheat in “Quality classification of wheat varieties” (GB/T 17320—2013), respectively, and 56.0% and 3.0% of the samples met the requirements of quality classification and strong gluten hard wheat in “The Grain & Oil Products of China-Wheat” (LS/T 3109—2017), respectively. The results showed that the processing quality of wheat in China was general, and the food quality of steamed food was higher than that of baked food. A few varieties with excellent food processing quality bred were also planted.

Abstract Background Individuals with schizophrenia require prolonged antipsychotic medication treatment. But more than 50% of individuals with schizophrenia experience adverse medication experiences during their antipsychotic treatments. Such individuals often adjust or discontinue medication, leading to disease relapse and impaired social functioning. Psychiatric nurses should pay close attention to the medication experiences of individuals with schizophrenia. This research explore the relationship between medication burden and medication experience, as well as the mediating effect of medication belief in stable patients with schizophrenia. Methods A convenience sample of hospitalized stable patients with schizophrenia were selected from Daqing Third Hospital and Baiyupao Hospital from September 2023 to December 2023. A survey was conducted with them using a questionnaire consisting of general information questionnaire, The Subjective Well-being Under Neuroleptic Treatment Scale(SWN), The Living with Medicines Questionnaire(LMQ), Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire-Specific (BMQ-Specific). Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between LMQ, BMQ-Specific and SWN scores, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of medication experience in patients with schizophrenia. AMOS 24.0 was used to construct the structural equation modeling(SEM), and the mediation effect of the SEM was tested using Bootstrap method. Results According to the sample size calculation requirements of structural equation model, a total of 300 samples were required in this study, and 400 effective questionnaires were actually collected in this study, which met the sample size requirements for constructing structural equation models. Bootstrap test showed that the mediation effect was significant. The total effect of medication burden on medication experience was significant (Z=-12.146, 95%CI (-0.577, -0.417), P

Abstract Background Occupational hazards occur in all walks of life. China’s horticulture industry is undergoing rapid development. However, the mental health of garden workers has not received much attention. This study investigates the mental health status and influencing factors of Chinese garden workers and provides a basis for promoting their mental health and ensuring the healthy development of Chinese horticulture. Methods A cross-sectional survey of garden workers in Beijing was conducted from 10 July 2021 to 10 October 2021. A total of 3349 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective response rate of 95.69%. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out on the demographic characteristics, job satisfaction, stress, anxiety, and depression of garden workers, and the influencing factors affecting the mental health of Chinese garden workers were found through a t-test, variance analysis, and ordinal multi-class logistic regression analysis. Results Survey respondents were mostly male (54.4%) and under the age of 40 (64.1%). The anxiety and depression symptoms of the garden workers were moderate. Among staff members, 40.2% were in a normal state of stress. Gender, three meals on time, monthly income, and job satisfaction were the factors influencing stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms among garden workers. Conclusion Compared to medical staff and other groups, the stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms of Chinese garden workers are severe. Gender, monthly income, and job satisfaction are important factors affecting their mental health. Managers should continuously improve the working environment of garden workers, provide salaries that match their positions, and improve their job recognition and satisfaction to reduce the impact of negative emotions on personal health.

Abstract Background Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play important roles in plant growth and development, as well as stresses responsiveness. Nowadays, it has been found that LEAs also have function in fruit ripening. However, the comprehensive analysis on a genome-wide basis of LEA family remains limited, and the role of LEA in fruit ripening has not been fully explored yet, especially in strawberry, an economic important plant and ideal material for studying fruit ripening. Results In this study, a total of 266 putative LEA proteins were identified and characterized in strawberry genome. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that they were mostly localized in chloroplast, cytoplasm and nucleus. Duplication events detection revealed that whole genome duplication or segmental was the main driver for the expansion of LEA family in strawberry. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that FaLEAs were classified into eight groups, among which, LEA2 was the largest subgroup with 179 members, followed by LEA3, dehydrin (DHN), LEA4 and SMP (seed maturation protein). The LEA1 and DHN groups were speculated to play dominant roles in strawberry fruit development and ripening, according to their larger proportion of members detected as differentially expressed genes during such process. Notably, the expression of FaLEA167 belonging to LEA1 group was altered by strawberry maturation, and inhibited by overexpression of negative regulators of ripening (a cytosolic/plastid glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, FaGAPC2 and a cytosolic pyruvate kinase, FaPKc2.2). Subsequently, overexpression of FaLEA167 significantly increased the percentage of fruit at green stage, while reduced the full red fruit proportion. In consistent, the anthocyanins content and the fruit skin color variable reflecting a range from greenness to redness (a* value) were significantly reduced. Whereas, FaLEA167 overexpression apparently up-regulated citric acid, soluble protein and malondialdehyde content, but had no obvious effects on total soluble solids, sugar, flavonoids, phenolics content and antioxidant capacity. Conclusions These findings not only provided basic information of FaLEA family for further functional research, but also revealed the involvement of FaLEA167 in negatively regulating strawberry fruit ripening, giving new insights into understanding of FaLEA functions.

The accumulation of high amounts of plastic waste in the environment has raised ecological and health concerns, particularly in croplands, and biological degradation presents a promising approach for the sustainable treatment of this issue. In this study, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-degrading bacterium was isolated from farmland soil samples attached to waste plastic, utilizing PVC as the sole carbon source. The circular chromosome of the strain Cbmb3, with a length of 5,768,926 bp, was subsequently sequenced. The average GC content was determined to be 35.45%, and a total of 5835 open reading frames were identified. The strain Cbmb3 was designated as Bacillus toyonensis based on phylogenomic analyses and genomic characteristics. The bioinformatic analysis of the Cbmb3 genome revealed putative genes encoding essential enzymes involved in PVC degradation. Additionally, the potential genomic characteristics associated with phytoprobiotic effects, such as the synthesis of indole acetic acid and secondary metabolite synthesis, were also revealed. Overall, the present study provides the first complete genome of Bacillus toyonensis with PVC-degrading properties, suggesting that Cbmb3 is a potential strain for PVC bioremediation and application.

Abstract Background Cordyceps fumosorosea is one of the common species within the Cordyceps genus, which are cultured on Periplaneta americana. This study aimed to determine the composition of bioactive compounds, including β-glucans, polysaccharides, cordycepic acid, flavonoids, ergosterol, and nitrogenous compounds (specifically nucleosides: adenosine, guanosine, adenine, and hypoxanthine), present in the mixture and mycelium at various time incubation. Methods Different bioactive compounds, including β-1,3-glucan, polysaccharides, cordycepic acid, flavonoids, ergosterol, and nitrogenous compounds (specifically nucleosides: adenosine, guanosine, adenine, and hypoxanthine) are detected from C. fumosorosea which cultured on P. americana by UV and HPLC. Results Mycelia of C. fumosorosea were cultivated in P. americana (medium). The highest total β-1,3-glucan content was observed in the mixture (C. fumosorosea + P. americana) after 25 days (69.21 ± 0.07 mg/g) and in the mycelium after 25 days (56.32 ± 0.39 mg/g) using different solvents. The highest β-1,3-glucan content was attained at specific time incubation in other solvents. The content of cordycepic acid peaked at 52.28 ± 0.11 mg/g in the mixture after 25 days and at 46.96 ± 0.13 mg/g in the mycelium after 25 days. The polysaccharide content reached its highest level in the mixture after 20 days (16.68 ± 0.38 mg/g) and in the mycelium after 20 days (14.85 ± 0.10 mg/g). The peak flavonoid content was observed in the mixture after 25 days (4.65 ± 0.24 mg/g) and in the mycelium after 25 days (4.04 ± 0.07 mg/g). Nucleosides, including adenine, adenosine, hypoxanthine, and guanosine, exhibited their highest levels after 25 days in the mixture and mycelium. Ergosterol content peaks at 25 days (2.25 ± 0.04 mg/g). Conclusion Cordyceps fumosorosea mixture and time incubation of 20 and 25 days are optimal for detecting a diverse array of bioactive compounds, including β-1,3-glucan, polysaccharides, cordycepic acid, flavonoids, ergosterol, and nucleosides.

Abstract Tumor cells are usually considered defective in mitochondrial respiration, but human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor tissues are shown to have enhanced glucose oxidation relative to adjacent benign lung. Here, we reported that oncoprotein cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) inhibited glycolysis and promoted oxidative metabolism in NSCLC cells. CIP2A bound to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and induced the formation of PKM2 tetramer, with serine 287 as a novel phosphorylation site essential for PKM2 dimer-tetramer switching. CIP2A redirected PKM2 to mitochondrion, leading to upregulation of Bcl2 via phosphorylating Bcl2 at threonine 69. Clinically, CIP2A level in tumor tissues was positively correlated with the level of phosphorylated PKM2 S287. CIP2A-targeting compounds synergized with glycolysis inhibitor in suppressing cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. These results indicated that CIP2A facilitates oxidative phosphorylation by promoting tetrameric PKM2 formation, and targeting CIP2A and glycolysis exhibits therapeutic potentials in NSCLC.

Abstract Background Dietary and gastrointestinal (GI) problems have been frequently reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the relative contributions of autism-linked traits to dietary and GI problems in children with ASD are poorly understood. This study firstly compared the dietary intake and GI symptoms between children with ASD and typically developing children (TDC), and then quantified the relative contributions of autism-linked traits to dietary intake, and relative contributions of autism-linked traits and dietary intake to GI symptoms within the ASD group. Methods A sample of 121 children with ASD and 121 age-matched TDC were eligible for this study. The dietary intake indicators included food groups intakes, food variety, and diet quality. The autism-linked traits included ASD symptom severity, restricted repetitive behaviors (RRBs), sensory profiles, mealtime behaviors, and their subtypes. Linear mixed-effects models and mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to estimate the relative contributions. Results Children with ASD had poorer diets with fewer vegetables/fruits, less variety of food, a higher degree of inadequate/unbalanced dietary intake, and more severe constipation/total GI symptoms than age-matched TDC. Within the ASD group, compulsive behavior (a subtype of RRBs) and taste/smell sensitivity were the only traits associated with lower vegetables and fruit consumption, respectively. Self-injurious behavior (a subtype of RRBs) was the only contributing trait to less variety of food. Limited variety (a subtype of mealtime behavior problems) and ASD symptom severity were the primary and secondary contributors to inadequate dietary intake, respectively. ASD symptom severity and limited variety were the primary and secondary contributors to unbalanced dietary intake, respectively. Notably, unbalanced dietary intake was a significant independent factor associated with constipation/total GI symptoms, and autism-linked traits manifested no contributions. Conclusions ASD symptom severity and unbalanced diets were the most important contributors to unbalanced dietary intake and GI symptoms, respectively. Our findings highlight that ASD symptom severity and unbalanced diets could provide the largest benefits for the dietary and GI problems of ASD if they were targeted for early detection and optimal treatment.

Abstract This study is nationwide multicenter epidemiological research, aimed at investigating the distribution changes and seasonal patterns of various airborne allergens among preschool children with allergic rhinitis (AR) in different regions of China, and analyzing the clinical correlation between sensitization to various airborne allergens and AR symptoms in children. Information on children was collected through standard questionnaires, and total IgE (tIgE) and specific IgE (sIgE) for 11 inhalant allergens were tested. The results showed that dust mites are the primary allergens for preschool AR children (39%). Among pollen allergens, Amb a had the highest positivity rate (8.1%), followed by Art v (7.8%). The sensitization rates for two mites peaked in May (46.9% and 40.6%). Art v peaked in August (21.5%), while Amb a had peaks in May (12.7%) and August (17.8%). The sensitization peaks for various tree pollens mainly occurred in August. In the Eastern monsoon region, the sensitization rate to mites was significantly higher than in the Northwest arid and semi-arid regions; whereas, for pollen allergens, the sensitization rates to Amb a, Pla a, Pin a, Pop d, and Bet v were significantly higher in the Northwest arid and semi-arid regions than in the Eastern monsoon region. The correlation among various tree pollens, specifically between Pla a, Pin r, Pop d, and Bet v was strong (0.63 ~ 0.79), with a cross-overlapping percentage of 53.9%. Children with multiple pollen sensitizations had higher cumulative nasal symptom scores than those negative for pollen (P

Abstract Background New “noncardiac” problems in children with congenital heart disease (CHD), such as developmental delay or long-term neurodevelopmental impairments, have attracted considerable attention in recent years. It is hypothesized that exercise might attenuate CHD-associated neurodevelopmental impairments; however, this has not been thoroughly investigated. The objective of this prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled experiment was to evaluate the impact of customized home-based exercise for children with CHD. Methods Children aged 0–5 years with echocardiography-confirmed simple CHD subtypes who were scheduled to undergo cardiac catheterization were screened for enrolment. Among 420 screened CHD children, 192 were enrolled and randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive a 6-month intervention (30 min daily customized home-based exercise program with supervision for no less than 5 days per week, combined with home-based exercise education) or control treatment (home-based education). The primary outcome was motor development (gross motor quotient (GMQ), fine motor quotient (FMQ), and total motor quotient (TMQ)). The secondary outcomes were cardiac function and structure, bone quality, physical development, parental anxiety, caregiver burden, and quality of life. Children and their families were assessed before and 1, 3, and 6 months after catheterization; 183 (95.3%) children were included in the primary analysis. Results After 6-month treatment, the intervention group significantly increased their motor quotient, which was consistently higher than that of the control group (GMQ p 0.017). For parents, higher quality of life level (total score p = 0.016) was observed in the intervention group; while effects of exercise on the anxiety (rude score p = 0.159, standard score p = 0.159) or the Zarit caregiver burden scale score (p = 0.404) were non-significant. No adverse events occurred during the study period. Conclusions Customized home-based exercise improved motor development in children with CHD. While the long-term effects of parent training in home-based exercise are unknown, the study results suggest positive outcomes. Trial registration A home-based exercise program in congenital heart disease children with cardiac catheterization: a randomized controlled trial. ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/ , ChiCTR-IOR-16007762, January 14, 2016).

Abstract Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a famous traditional Chinese medicine adapted to the alpine environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions. Clarification of the species diversity of Ophiocordyceps sinensis and its relatives could expand the traditional medicinal resources and provide insights into the speciation and adaptation. The study is prompted by the discovery of a new species, O. megala, described here from a biodiversity hotspot in the Hengduan Mountains, China. Combined morphological, ecological, and phylogenetic evidence supports its distinctiveness from O. sinensis, O. xuefengensis, and O. macroacicularis. Additionally, based on the phylogenetic construction of Ophiocordyceps, a special clade was focused phylogenetically on the more closely related O. sinensis complex, which was defined as the O. sinensis- species complex lineage. A total of 10 species were currently confirmed in this lineage. We made a comprehensive comparison of the sexual/asexual morphological structures among this species complex, distinguishing their common and distinctive features. Furthermore, using the method of species distribution modelling, we studied the species ocurrences in relation to climatic, edaphic, and altitudinal variables for the eight species in the O. sinensis-species complex, and determined that their potential distribution could extend from the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the Xuefeng Mountains without isolating barrier. Thus, the biodiversity corridor hypothesis was proposed around the O. sinensis-species complex. Our study highlights the phylogeny, species diversity, and suitable distribution of the O. sinensis-species complex lineage, which should have a positive implication for the resource discovery and adaptive evolution of this unique and valuable group.

Abstract Background The global use of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) has increased, mirroring the incidence of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. Despite its growing clinical usage, patient outcomes with KRT modalities remain controversial. In this meta-analysis, we sought to compare the mortality outcomes of patients with any kidney disease requiring peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD), or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Methods The investigation was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were screened for randomized trials and observational studies comparing mortality rates with different KRT modalities in patients with acute or chronic kidney failure. A random-effects model was applied to compute the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) with CRRT vs. HD, CRRT vs. PD, and HD vs. PD. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics, and sensitivity using leave-one-out analysis. Results Fifteen eligible studies were identified, allowing comparisons of mortality risk with different dialytic modalities. The relative risk was non-significant in CRRT vs. PD [RR = 0.95, (95%CI 0.53, 1.73), p = 0.92 from 4 studies] and HD vs. CRRT [RR = 1.10, (95%CI 0.95, 1.27), p = 0.21 from five studies] comparisons. The findings remained unchanged in the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. Although PD was associated with lower mortality risk than HD [RR = 0.78, (95%CI 0.62, 0.97), p = 0.03], the significance was lost with the exclusion of 4 out of 5 included studies. Conclusion The current evidence indicates that while patients receiving CRRT may have similar mortality risks compared to those receiving HD or PD, PD may be associated with lower mortality risk compared to HD. However, high heterogeneity among the included studies limits the generalizability of our findings. High-quality studies comparing mortality outcomes with different dialytic modalities in CKD are necessary for a more robust safety and efficacy evaluation.

Abstract Background Duplication of the bladder with duplication of the posterior urethra is a relatively rare congenital malformation. Cases of sagittal septum duplication of the bladder with duplication of the posterior urethra have rarely been reported. Furthermore, the combination thereof with congenital megacolon is rare. Case presentation A 21-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of frequent urination for two months. He presented to another hospital first with frequent urination and underwent computed tomography (CT) and testicular biopsy. Anti-inflammatory therapy was administered by the doctor to the patient. For further diagnosis and treatment, the patient went to the outpatient department in our hospital on June 6, 2022. After admission, the patient underwent ultrasound, CT, MRI, cystoscopy, and other related examinations and tests. The examination results suggested that the patient had duplication of the bladder with duplication of the posterior urethra. In addition, the patient’s mother reported that he had suffered from long-term constipation with abdominal distension before the age of 5 years. At the time, he was admitted to the local hospital and was diagnosed with congenital megacolon based on the relevant examinations. After the patient was diagnosed with duplication of bladder and urethra, the doctor recommended surgical treatment to the patient. However, he considered that he only had frequent urination symptoms, and chose conservative treatment rather than to undergo surgical treatment. Thus, the doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory treatment. Four months later, the patient reported that frequent urination symptoms persisted, and was also considering fertility-related problems. The outpatient follow-up will be continued. Conclusions In this article, we summarize the imaging findings of duplication of the bladder with duplication of the posterior urethra and propose the advantages and disadvantages of each type of imaging examination. We also review the relevant literature on cases of bladders with duplication of the posterior urethra. The related differential diagnosis is summarized, and the significance of guiding clinical treatment and diagnosis is discussed.

Abstract Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths and imposes an enormous economic burden on patients. It is important to develop an accurate risk assessment model to determine the appropriate treatment for patients after an initial lung cancer diagnosis. The Cox proportional hazards model is mainly employed in survival analysis. However, real-world medical data are usually incomplete, posing a great challenge to the application of this model. Commonly used imputation methods cannot achieve sufficient accuracy when data are missing, so we investigated novel methods for the development of clinical prediction models. In this article, we present a novel model for survival prediction in missing scenarios. We collected data from 5,240 patients diagnosed with lung cancer at the Weihai Municipal Hospital, China. Then, we applied a joint model that combined a BN and a Cox model to predict mortality risk in individual patients with lung cancer. The established prognostic model achieved good predictive performance in discrimination and calibration. We showed that combining the BN with the Cox proportional hazards model is highly beneficial and provides a more efficient tool for risk prediction.

Abstract In this study, Penaeus monodon were gave basic feed supplemented with three levels of Enterococcus faecium. Then, the expression of non-specific immunity-related genes, and the activities of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), phenol oxidase (PO) were evaluated. Meanwhile, the disease resistance test and intestinal flora determination were conducted. The results showed that the MDA levels of 2% and 5% E. faecium groups were significantly lower than that of the control group (P

Akanthomyces, a group of fungi with rich morphological and ecological diversity in Cordycipitaceae (Ascomycota, Hypocreales), has a wide distribution amongst diverse habitats. By surveying arthropod-pathogenic fungi in China and Southeast Asia over the last six years, nine Akanthomyces spp. were found and identified. Five of these were shown to represent four known species and an undetermined species of Akanthomyces. Four of these were new species and they were named A. kunmingensis and A. subaraneicola from China, A. laosensis from Laos and A. pseudonoctuidarum from Thailand. The new species were described and illustrated according to the morphological characteristics and molecular data. Akanthomyces araneogenus, which was isolated from spiders from different regions in China, Thailand and Vietnam, was described as a newly-recorded species from Thailand and Vietnam. The phylogenetic positions of the nine species were evaluated, based on phylogenetic inferences according to five loci, namely, ITS, nrLSU, TEF, RPB1 and RPB2. In this study, we reviewed the research progress achieved for Akanthomyces regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution and major host/substrate associations. The morphological characteristics of 35 species in Akanthomyces, including four novel species and 31 known taxa, were also compared.

Abstract Background Long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) are involved in regulating multiple physiological processes as signalling molecules. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is widely used to quantify LCFAs. However, current quantitative methods for LCFAs using GC–MS have demonstrated complicated issues. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and its pathogenesis may be related to the overproduction of interleukin-17A (IL-17A). Clinical efficacy of anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment in psoriasis patients has been demonstrated. Recent studies suggest that LCFAs play varying roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. However, more comprehensive research is needed to illuminate the mechanism of LCFAs in psoriasis. Methods The established in situ derivatization method for analysing LCFAs with a GC–MS platform was utilized to conduct serum lipidomics analysis of healthy volunteers and psoriasis patients receiving pretherapy and posttreatment with of anti-IL-17A mAb. Imiquimod (IMQ)-treated wild type (WT) and T-cell receptor delta chain knock-out (Tcrd −/− ) mice were used to investigate the correlation between IL-17A and abnormal changes in LCFAs in psoriasis patients. Results A rapid and sensitive in situ extraction derivatization method for quantifying LCFAs using GC–MS was established. Serum lipidomic results showed that psoriasis patients had higher levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) but lower levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and ω-3 PUFAs than healthy individuals, indicating impaired serum LCFA metabolism. Anti-IL-17A mAb treatment affected most of these LCFA changes. Analysis of LCFAs in IMQ-treated mice showed that LCFAs increased in the serum of WT mice, while there were no significant changes in the Tcrd −/− mice. SFAs increased in IMQ-treated WT mice, while MUFAs showed the opposite trend, and PUFAs did not change significantly. Conclusions This study presented a dependable method for quantifying LCFAs that enhanced sensitivity and reduced analysis time. The lipidomic analysis results showed that anti-IL-17A mAb not only ameliorated skin lesions in psoriasis patients but also affected abnormal LCFAs metabolism. Furthermore, the study indicated a potential correlation between IL-17A and abnormal LCFA metabolism in psoriasis patients, which was supported by the alterations in serum LCFAs observed in IMQ-treated WT and Tcrd −/− mice.

Delirium in critical ill patients is a complex and common neurological syndrome in the intensive care unit (ICU) that is caused by a range of structural or functional abnormalities. ICU Delirium is associated with reduced compliance, prolonged hospital stays, greater use or delayed withdrawal of sedatives, higher rates and durations of mechanical ventilation, and higher rates of mortality. The aetiology and pathogenesis of ICU delirium are unclear, and the lack of better prediction, prevention, and treatment measures leads to a non-standardized control of delirium. By searching the relevant literature, we aim in this narrative review to describe progress in the pathogenesis, predictive biomarkers, diagnosis, and treatment of ICU delirium.

Cholestatic liver injury results from the accumulation of toxic bile acids in the liver, presenting a therapeutic challenge with no effective treatment available to date. Andrographolide (AP) has exhibited potential as a treatment for cholestatic liver disease. However, its limited oral bioavailability poses a significant obstacle to harnessing its potent therapeutic properties and restricts its clinical utility. This limitation is potentially attributed to the involvement of gut microbiota in AP metabolism. In our study, employing pseudo-germ-free, germ-free and strain colonization animal models, along with 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing analysis, we elucidate the pivotal role played by gut microbiota in the C-sulfonate metabolism of AP, a process profoundly affecting its bioavailability and anti-cholestatic efficacy. Subsequent investigations pinpoint a specific enzyme, adenosine-5’-phosphosulfate (APS) reductase, predominantly produced by Desulfovibrio piger, which catalyzes the reduction of SO42- to HSO3−. HSO3− subsequently interacts with AP, targeting its C=C unsaturated double bond, resulting in the formation of the C-sulfonate metabolite, 14-deoxy-12(R)-sulfo andrographolide (APM). Inhibition of APS reductase leads to a notable enhancement in AP bioavailability and anti-cholestatic efficacy. Furthermore, employing RNA sequencing analysis and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) knockout mice, our findings suggest that AP may exert its anti-cholestatic effects by activating the FXR pathway to promote bile acid efflux. In summary, our study unveils the significant involvement of gut microbiota in the C-sulfonate metabolism of AP and highlights the potential benefits of inhibiting APS reductase to enhance its therapeutic effects. These discoveries provide valuable insights into enhancing the clinical applicability of AP as a promising treatment for cholestatic liver injury.

ABSTRACTActivins, members of the TGF-beta superfamily, have been isolated and identified in the endocrine system, but have not been substantially investigated in the context of the immune system and endocrine-unrelated cancers. Here, we demonstrated that tumor-bearing mice had elevated systemic activin levels, which correlated directly with tumor burden. Likewise, cancer patients have elevated plasma activin levels compared to healthy controls. We observed that both tumor and immune cells could be sources of activins. Importantly, our in vitro studies suggest that activins promote differentiation of naïve CD4+ cells into Foxp3-expressing induced regulatory T cells (Tregs), particularly when TGF-beta was limited in the culture medium. Database and qRT-PCR analysis of sorted major immune cell subsets in mice revealed that activin receptor 1c (ActRIC) was uniquely expressed on Tregs and that both ActRIC and ActRIIB (activin receptor 2b) were highly upregulated during iTreg differentiation. ActRIC-deficient naïve CD4+ cells were found to be defective in iTreg generation both in vitro and in vivo. Treg suppression assays were also performed, and ActRIC deficiency did not change the function or stability of iTregs. Mice lacking ActRIC or mice treated with monoclonal anti-ActRIC antibody were more resistant to tumor progression than wild-type controls. This phenotype was correlated with reduced expression of Foxp3 in CD4+ cells in the tumor microenvironment. In light of the information presented above, blocking activin-ActRIC signaling is a promising and disease-specific strategy to impede the accumulation of immunosuppressive iTregs in cancer. Therefore, it is a potential candidate for cancer immunotherapy.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease with high lethality. This study aimed to determine whether prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) predicted SFTS mortality. Methods: SFTS patients were enrolled from 6 hospitals in the north China. Subjects were divided into training cohort and 5 externally validation cohorts. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression model was performed to screen potential prognostic factors. Risk factors were analyzed using multivariable regression models. Prognostic models were established by Cox regression and random survival forest (RSF) methods, and evaluated regarding discrimination, validity and clinical benefit. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive effectiveness of variables. Results: 1332 SFTS cases were included, in which 211 patients died. Six potential prognostic factors were screened, and pulse, breath, APTT and aspartic transaminase (AST) were independently associated with mortality in both training cohort (Yantai, N = 791) and external validation cohort (N = 541). APTT was steadily correlated with the fatality (HR: 1.039–1.144; all P