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Abstract The abounding variations in wild rice provided potential reservoirs of beneficial genes for rice breeding. Maintaining stable and high yields under environmental stresses is a long-standing goal of rice breeding but is challenging due to internal trade-off mechanisms. Here, we report wild rice GL12 W improves grain length and salt tolerance in both indica and japonica genetic backgrounds. GL12 W alters cell length by regulating grain size related genes including GS2, and positively regulates the salt tolerance related genes, such as NAC5, NCED3, under salt stresses. We find that a G/T variation in GL12 promoter determined its binding to coactivator GIF1 and transcription factor WRKY53. GIF1 promotes GL12 W expression in young panicle and WRKY53 represses GL12 W expression under salt stresses. The G/T variation also contributes to the divergence of indica and japonica subspecies. Our results provide useful resources for modern rice breeding and shed insights for understanding yield and salt tolerance trade-off mechanism.

Background The incidence rate of stroke is high and the risk of recurrence is substantial. Most stroke patients need to transition to home after treatment, and the experience during this period is complex. Therefore, there is an urgent need to comprehensively understand experiences and feelings of patients during hospital to home transition through Meta-integration. Objective To systematically evaluate qualitative studies on stroke patients' hospital to home transition experiences. Methods A computerized search was undertaken for qualitative studies on the hospital to home transition experience of stroke patients in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, CNKI, and Wanfang Data from inception to July 11, 2023. The quality of the final included literature was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Quality Evaluation Criteria for Qualitative Research (2016), Australia, and the results were combined using a pooled integration approach. Results A total of 13 studies were included, and 46 findings were distilled and categorized into 7 categories, yielding three final integrative findings: dynamic changes in the physical and psychosocial dimensions have interactive effects; a strong need for holistic caregiving; and active coping with illness and gradual transition to a new life norm. Conclusion During the period of transition from hospital to home, stroke patients face complex physical and mental challenges as well as multi-level care needs. Healthcare providers should pay attention to the real experiences and unmet needs of stroke patients throughout the hospital to home transition, provide holistic and continuous care services, and facilitate the comprehensive physical, psychological and social transition for patients.

Abstract Actual acquired air quality time series data are highly volatile and nonstationary, and accurately predicting nonlinear time series data containing complex noise is an ongoing challenge. This paper proposes an air quality prediction method based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD), a transformer and a bidirectional long short-term memory neural network (BiLSTM), which is good at addressing the ultrashort-term prediction of nonlinear time-series data and shows good performance for application to the air quality dataset of Patna, India (6:00 am on October 3, 2015–0:00 pm on July 1, 2020). The AQI sequence is first decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) via EMD and subsequently predicted separately via the improved transformer algorithm based on BiLSTM, where linear prediction is performed for IMFs with simple trends. Finally, the predicted values of each IMF are integrated using BiLSTM to obtain the predicted AQI values. This paper predicts the AQI in Patna with a time window of 5 h, and the RMSE, MAE and MAPE are as low as 5.6853, 2.8230 and 2.23%, respectively. Moreover, the scalability of the proposed model is validated on air quality datasets from several other cities, and the results prove that the proposed hybrid model has high performance and broad application prospects in real-time air quality prediction.

Abstract Long-read sequencing data, particularly those derived from the Oxford Nanopore sequencing platform, tend to exhibit high error rates. Here, we present NextDenovo, an efficient error correction and assembly tool for noisy long reads, which achieves a high level of accuracy in genome assembly. We apply NextDenovo to assemble 35 diverse human genomes from around the world using Nanopore long-read data. These genomes allow us to identify the landscape of segmental duplication and gene copy number variation in modern human populations. The use of NextDenovo should pave the way for population-scale long-read assembly using Nanopore long-read data.

Abstract The adaptability of cultured fish to complex flow conditions is crucial for their survival after being released into the wild. Running water in natural environments poses significant challenges for the proliferation and release of cultured fish. This study aimed to investigate the effects of flow stimulation on the adjustment capacity of cultured fish to cope with running water. The target fish were cultured grass carp. An annular flume was used to conduct tests on training and control groups. The results demonstrated an enhancement in the adjustment capacity of cultured fish following appropriate flow stimulation training. (1) The trained fish exhibited a heightened preference for low-velocity areas. (2) The trained fish displayed the ability to select a route characterized by low energy consumption, predominantly following the periphery of the low-velocity area. This suggested that an appropriate flow velocity could improve the sensitivity of training fish to water flow information, and their adjustment capacity to cope with running water improved to a certain extent. A higher adjustment capacity allowed them to process flow rate information rapidly and identify a migration strategy with lower energy consumption. This study provides a useful reference for enhancing the survival rate of grass carp through stock enhancement initiatives and contributes to the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems.

Abstract Due to the uncertainty of weather conditions and the nonlinearity of high-dimensional data, as well as the need for a continuous and stable power supply to the power system, traditional regression analysis and time series forecasting methods are no longer able to meet the high accuracy requirements of today's PV power forecasting. To significantly improve the prediction accuracy of short-term PV output power, this paper proposes a short-term PV power forecasting method based on a hybrid model of temporal convolutional networks and gated recurrent units with an efficient channel attention network (TCN-ECANet-GRU) using the generated data of an Australian PV power station as the research object. First, temporal convolutional networks (TCNs) are used as spatial feature extraction layers, and an efficient channel attention network (ECANet) is embedded to enhance the feature capture capability of the convolutional network. Then, the GRU is used to extract the timing information for the final prediction. Finally, based on the experimental validation, the TCN-ECANet-GRU method generally outperformed the other baseline models in all four seasons of the year according to three performance assessment metrics: the normalized root mean square error (RMSE), normalized mean absolute error (MAE) and coefficient of determination (R2). The best RMSE, MAE and R 2 reached 0.0195, 0.0128 and 99.72%, respectively, with maximum improvements of 11.32%, 8.57% and 0.38%, respectively, over those of the suboptimal model. Therefore, the model proposed in this paper is effective at improving prediction accuracy. Using the proposed method, this paper concludes with multistep predictions of 3, 6, and 9 steps, which also indicates that the proposed method significantly outperforms the other models.

In this paper, we studied the influence of centralizers on the structure of groups, and demonstrated that Janko simple groups can be uniquely determined by two crucial quantitative properties: its even-order components of the group and the set $ \pi_{p_m}(G) $. Here, $ G $ represents a finite group, $ \pi(G) $ is the set of prime factors of the order of $ G $, $ p_m $ is the largest element in $ \pi(G) $, and $ \pi_{p_m}(G) = \{|C_G(x)| \large| \; x\in G $ and $ |x| = p_m \}$ denotes the set of orders of centralizers of $ p_m $-order elements in $ G $.

Abstract Background Currently, problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely used in many disciplines, but no systematic review has explored the advantages and disadvantages of PBL in orthopaedics education. Methods We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Chongqing VIP Database (VIP), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases up to April 2023 to identify for relevant studies. Relevant studies were identified by using specific eligibility criteria, and data were extracted. Results A total of 51 randomized controlled trials with 4268 patients were included. Compared with traditional education, PBL teaching yielded significantly higher knowledge scores (SMD=1.10, 95% CI: 0.78~1.41, P

Abstract Studies of preadipocyte differentiation and fat deposition in sheep have mainly focused on functional genes, and with no emphasis placed on the role that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may have on the activity of those genes. Here, the expression profile of lncRNAs in ovine preadipocyte differentiation was investigated and the differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened on day 0 (D0), day 2(D2) and day 8(D8) of ovine preadipocyte differentiation, with their target genes being predicted. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis for functional annotation, and some differentially expressed lncRNAs were randomly selected to verify the RNA-Seq results by RT-qPCR. In the study, a total of 2517 novel lncRNAs and 3943 known lncRNAs were identified from ovine preadipocytes at the three stages of differentiation, with the highest proportion being intergenic lncRNAs. A total of 3455 lncRNAs were expressed at all three stages of preadipocyte differentiation, while 214, 226 and 228 lncRNAs were uniquely expressed at day 0, day 2 and day 8, respectively. By comparing the expression of the lncRNAs between the three stages of differentiation stages, a total of 405, 272 and 359 differentially expressed lncRNAs were found in D0-vs-D2, D0-vs-D8, and D2-vs-D8, respectively. Functional analysis revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were enriched in signaling pathways related to ovine preadipocyte differentiation, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) pathway, and the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) pathway. In summary, lncRNAs from preadipocytes at different stages of differentiation in sheep were identified and screened using RNA-Seq technology, and the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in preadipocyte differentiation and lipid deposition were explored. This study provides a theoretical reference for revealing the roles of lncRNAs in ovine preadipocyte differentiation and also offers a theoretical basis for further understanding the regulatory mechanisms of ovine preadipocyte differentiation.

Since its initial release in 2001, the human reference genome has undergone continuous improvement in quality, and the recently released telomere-to-telomere (T2T) version — T2T-CHM13 — reaches its highest level of continuity and accuracy after 20 years of effort by working on a simplified, nearly homozygous genome of a hydatidiform mole cell line. Here, to provide an authentic complete diploid human genome reference for the Han Chinese, the largest population in the world, we assembled the genome of a male Han Chinese individual, T2T-YAO, which includes T2T assemblies of all the 22 + X + M and 22 + Y chromosomes in both haploids. The quality of T2T-YAO is much better than those of all currently available diploid assemblies, and its haploid version, T2T-YAO-hp, generated by selecting the better assembly for each autosome, reaches the top quality of fewer than one error per 29.5 Mb, even higher than that of T2T-CHM13. Derived from an individual living in the aboriginal region of the Han population, T2T-YAO shows clear ancestry and potential genetic continuity from the ancient ancestors. Each haplotype of T2T-YAO possesses ∼ 330-Mb exclusive sequences, ∼ 3100 unique genes, and tens of thousands of nucleotide and structural variations as compared with CHM13, highlighting the necessity of a population-stratified reference genome. The construction of T2T-YAO, an accurate and authentic representative of the Chinese population, would enable precise delineation of genomic variations and advance our understandings in the hereditability of diseases and phenotypes, especially within the context of the unique variations of the Chinese population.

Abstract The present-day globalized economy and diverse market demands have compelled an increasing number of manufacturing enterprises to move toward the distributed manufacturing pattern and the model of multi-variety and small-lot. Taking these two factors into account, this study investigates an extension of the distributed hybrid flowshop scheduling problem (DHFSP), called the distributed hybrid flowshop scheduling problem with consistent sublots (DHFSP_CS). To tackle this problem, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed as a preliminary step. The NP-hard nature of the problem necessitates the use of the iterated F-Race (I/F-Race) as the automated algorithm design (AAD) to compose a metaheuristic that requires minimal user intervention. The I/F-Race enables identifying the ideal values of numerical and categorical parameters within a promising algorithm framework. An extension of the collaborative variable neighborhood descent algorithm (ECVND) is utilized as the algorithm framework, which is modified by intensifying efforts on the critical factories. In consideration of the problem-specific characteristics and the solution encoding, the configurable solution initializations, configurable solution decoding strategies, and configurable collaborative operators are designed. Additionally, several neighborhood structures are specially designed. Extensive computational results on simulation instances and a real-world instance demonstrate that the automated algorithm conceived by the AAD outperforms the CPLEX and other state-of-the-art metaheuristics in addressing the DHFSP_CS.

Black scurf caused by Rhizoctonia solani severely affects potato production. Through amplification of V3-V4 and ITS1-5f variable regions of 16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA, the study was based on the location (Kunming, Qujing, and Zhaotong), plant components (rhizosphere soil and roots), and sample types (healthy and diseased) to assess the diversity of bacterial and fungal communities. We found plant components significantly influence microbial diversity, with rhizosphere soil being more diverse than roots, and the microbial community in the root is mainly derived from the rhizosphere soil. Moreover, the rhizosphere soil and roots of healthy potato plants exhibit greater microbial diversity compared to those of potato plants infected by Rhizoctonia solani. Bacterial phyla Actinobacteriota and Acidobacteriota were enriched in rhizosphere soil compared to that of roots, whereas Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria showed the opposite trend. Fungal phylum Ascomycota was found in low relative abundance in rhizosphere soil than in roots, whereas Basidiomycota showed the opposite trend. Bacterial genera including Streptomyces, Lysobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, and the Rhizobium group (Allorhizobium, Neorhizobium, Pararhizobium, Rhizobium), along with fungal genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Purpureocillium, and Gibberella moniliformis, have the potential ability of plant growth promotion and disease resistance. However, most fungal species and some bacterial species are pathogenic to potato and could provide a conducive environment for black scurf infection. Interaction within the bacterial network increased in healthy plants, contrasting with the trend in the fungal network. Our findings indicate that R. solani significantly alters potato plant microbial diversity, underscoring the complexity and potential interactions between bacterial and fungal communities for promoting potato plant health and resistance against black scurf.

Abstract Soil salinization is one of the most common abiotic stresses of rice, which seriously affects the normal growth of rice. Breeding salt-tolerant varieties have become one of the important ways to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural development. However, the mechanisms underlying salt tolerance control still need to be clarified. In this study, we identified a mutant, termed salt-tolerant and small grains(sts), with salt tolerance and small grains. Gene cloning and physiological and biochemical experiments reveal that sts is a novel mutant allele of Mitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase 4 (OsMKK4), which controls the grain size, and has recently been found to be related to salt tolerance in rice. Functional analysis showed that OsSTS is constitutively expressed throughout the tissue, and its proteins are localized to the nucleus, cell membrane, and cytoplasm. It was found that the loss of OsSTS function enhanced the salt tolerance of rice seedlings, and further studies showed that the loss of OsSTS function increased the ROS clearance rate of rice seedlings, independent of ionic toxicity. In order to explore the salt tolerance mechanism of sts, we found that the salt tolerance of sts is also regulated by ABA through high-throughput mRNA sequencing. Salt and ABA treatment showed that ABA might alleviate the inhibitory effect of salt stress on root length in sts. These results revealed new functions of grain size gene OsMKK4, expanded new research ideas related to salt tolerance mechanism and hormone regulation network, and provided a theoretical basis for salt-tolerant rice breeding.

Lesion mimic mutants (LMMs) are advantageous materials for studying programmed cell death (PCD). Although some rice LMM genes have been cloned, the diversity of functions of these genes indicates that the mechanism of cell death regulation in LMMs needs further study. In this study, we identified a rice light-dependent leaf lesion mimic mutant 4 (llm4) that showed abnormal chloroplast structure, photoinhibition, reduced photosynthetic protein levels, massive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and PCD. Map-based cloning and complementation testing revealed that LLM4 encodes zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), an enzyme involved in the xanthophyll cycle, which functions in plant photoprotection, ROS scavenging, and carotenoid and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. The ABA content was decreased, and the contents of 24 carotenoids differed between the llm4 mutant and the wild type (WT). The llm4 mutant showed reduced dormancy and greater sensitive to ABA than the WT. We concluded that the mutation of LLM4 resulted in the failure of xanthophyll cycle, in turn causing ROS accumulation. The excessive ROS accumulation damaged chloroplast structure and induced PCD, leading eventually to the formation of lesion mimics.

Increasing tiller number is a target of high-yield rice breeding. Identification of tiller-defect mutants and their corresponding genes is helpful for clarifying the molecular mechanism of rice tillering. Summarizing research progress on the two processes of rice tiller formation, namely the formation and growth of axillary meristem, this paper reviews the effects of genetic factors, endogenous hormones, and exogenous environment on rice tillering, finding that multiple molecular mechanisms and signal pathways regulating rice tillering cooperate rice tillering, and discusses future research objectives and application of its regulatory mechanism. Elucidation of theis mechanism will be helpful for breeding high-yielding rice cultivars with ideal plant type via molecular design breeding.

Abstract Background Mitochondrion is the key respiratory organ and participate in multiple anabolism and catabolism pathways in eukaryote. However, the underlying mechanism of how mitochondrial membrane proteins regulate leaf and grain development remains to be further elucidated. Results Here, a mitochondria-defective mutant narrow leaf and slender grain 1 (nlg1) was identified from an EMS-treated mutant population, which exhibits narrow leaves and slender grains. Moreover, nlg1 also presents abnormal mitochondria structure and was sensitive to the inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport chain. Map-based cloning and transgenic functional confirmation revealed that NLG1 encodes a mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase containing a subunit Tim21. GUS staining assay and RT-qPCR suggested that NLG1 was mainly expressed in leaves and panicles. The expression level of respiratory function and auxin response related genes were significantly down-regulated in nlg1, which may be responsible for the declination of ATP production and auxin content. Conclusions These results suggested that NLG1 plays an important role in the regulation of leaf and grain size development by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Our finding provides a novel insight into the effects of mitochondria development on leaf and grain morphogenesis in rice.

The Gannan yak, a superior livestock breed found on the Tibetan Plateau, exhibits significantly enhanced body size, weight, and growth performance in comparison to the Tianzhu white yak. MiRNAs play a pivotal role in regulating muscle growth by negatively modulating target genes. In this study, we found the average diameter, area, and length of myofibers in Gannan yaks were significantly higher than those of Tianzhu white yaks. Further, we focused on analyzing the longissimus dorsi muscle from both Gannan yaks and Tianzhu white yaks through transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed (DE)miRNAs that influence skeletal muscle development. A total of 254 DE miRNAs were identified, of which 126 miRNAs were up-regulated and 128 miRNAs were down-regulated. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of these DE miRNAs were significantly enriched in signaling pathways associated with muscle growth and development. By constructing a DE miRNA- DE mRNA interaction network, we screened 18 key miRNAs, and notably, four of the candidates (novel-m0143-3p, novel-m0024-3p, novel-m0128-5p, and novel-m0026-3p) targeted six genes associated with muscle growth and development (DDIT4, ADAMTS1, CRY2, AKIRIN2, SIX1, and FOXO1). These findings may provide theoretical references for further studies on the role of miRNAs in muscle growth and development in Gannan yaks.

Periprosthetic hip infection caused by Brucella abortus is rare and only a few cases have been reported. This current case report presents a case of a man in his early 50s who developed periprosthetic hip infection 2 years after right hip arthroplasty. There was no fever or pain, the usual cardinal signs of infection, except for a sinus tract at the previous surgical incision. Laboratory and arthrocentesis culture examinations (done twice) confirmed infection with B. abortus . Accordingly, a two-stage revision surgery was performed accompanied by antibiotic treatment with doxycycline and rifampicin after each stage. There was no recurrence at the 2-year follow-up, with good functional recovery of the hip joint. Clinically, this case serves to highlight the fact that periprosthetic hip infections caused by B. abortus might not present with the typical symptoms such as fever or hip pain. Furthermore, this current case involved a chronic sinus tract, so the diagnostic and therapeutic course of this case offers useful insights for managing similar cases in the future. In addition, a review of the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of Brucella -caused periprosthetic hip infection is presented.

The rumen microbiota and metabolites play an important role in energy metabolism and immune regulation of the host. However, the regulatory mechanism of rumen microbiota and metabolite interactions with host on Tibetan sheep’s plateau adaptability is still unclear. We analyzed the ruminal microbiome and metabolome, host transcriptome and serum metabolome characteristics of Tibetan sheep at different ages. Biomarkers Butyrivibrio, Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group, Prevotella, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were found in 4 months, 1.5 years, 3.5 years, and 6 years Tibetan sheep, respectively. The rumen microbial metabolites were mainly enriched in galactose metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and fatty acid degradation pathways, and had significant correlation with microbiota. These metabolites further interact with mRNA, and are co-enriched in arginine and proline metabolism, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, propanoate metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, gap junction pathway. Meanwhile, serum metabolites also have a similar function, such as chemical carcinogenesis − reactive oxygen species, limonene and pinene degradation, and cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis, thus participating in the regulation of the body’s immune and energy-related metabolic processes. This study systematically revealed that rumen microbiota, metabolites, mRNA and serum metabolites of Tibetan sheep were involved in the regulation of fermentation metabolic function and immune level of Tibetan sheep at different ages, which provided a new perspective for plateau adaptability research of Tibetan sheep at different ages.

The study presents a novel approach for generating inland waterway vessel routes based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. The trajectory partition algorithm categorizes trajectory data of the Yangtze River to establish round-trip routes. A turning point identification algorithm aids in identifying significant turning points, followed by clustering using the clustering method. Cluster centroids generated from these clusters serve as crucial waypoints for route planning. The Akima interpolation polynomial is judiciously applied to interpolate waypoints, resulting in meticulous route generation. Validation employs a dataset of 5,480,049 dynamic trajectory points from the Yangtze River, demonstrating the method's efficacy. Results indicate mean squared errors of 0.77% and 6.21%, symmetrical mean absolute percentage errors of 5.3% and 7.3%, and correlation coefficients of 99.62% and 97.14% with actual routes, respectively. In contrast to conventional inland waterway route generation methods relying on electronic river charts, the novel approach introduced in this paper for generating inland waterway vessel routes based on AIS data offers superior precision without necessitating route smoothing, thus demonstrating enhanced adaptability.

Photosynthesis occurs mainly in chloroplasts, whose development is regulated by proteins encoded by nuclear genes. Among them, pentapeptide repeat (PPR) proteins participate in organelle RNA editing. Although there are more than 450 members of the PPR protein family in rice, only a few affect RNA editing in rice chloroplasts. Gene editing technology has created new rice germplasm and mutants, which could be used for rice breeding and gene function study. This study evaluated the functions of OsPPR9 in chloroplast RNA editing in rice. The osppr9 mutants were obtained by CRISPR/Cas9, which showed yellowing leaves and a lethal phenotype, with suppressed expression of genes associated with chloroplast development and accumulation of photosynthetic-related proteins. In addition, loss of OsPPR9 protein function reduces the editing efficiency of rps8-C182, rpoC2-C4106, rps14-C80, and ndhB-C611 RNA editing sites, which affects chloroplast growth and development in rice. Our data showed that OsPPR9 is highly expressed in rice leaves and encodes a DYW-PPR protein localized in chloroplasts. Besides, the OsPPR9 protein was shown to interact with OsMORF2 and OsMORF9. Together, our findings provide insights into the role of the PPR protein in regulating chloroplast development in rice.

Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in beef play a vital role in promoting human health. Long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACSL1) is a crucial gene for UFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes. To investigate the protein expression profile during UFA synthesis, we performed a proteomic analysis of bovine adipocytes by RNA interference and non-interference with ACSL1 using label-free techniques. A total of 3558 proteins were identified in both the NC and si-treated groups, of which 1428 were differentially expressed proteins (DEPs; fold change ≥ 1.2 or ≤ 0.83 and p-value < 0.05). The enrichment analysis of the DEPs revealed signaling pathways related to UFA synthesis or metabolism, including cAMP, oxytocin, fatty acid degradation, glycerol metabolism, insulin, and the regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes (p-value < 0.05). Furthermore, based on the enrichment analysis of the DEPs, we screened 50 DEPs that potentially influence the synthesis of UFAs and constructed an interaction network. Moreover, by integrating our previously published transcriptome data, this study established a regulatory network involving differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs), highlighting 21 DEPs and 13 DELs as key genes involved in UFA synthesis. These findings present potential candidate genes for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying UFA synthesis in bovines, thereby offering insights to enhance the quality of beef and contribute to consumer health in future studies.

This experiment aimed to investigate whether supplementation of calves with different doses of oregano essential oil (OEO) could promote the development of the gastrointestinal tract and enhance the immune ability of calves by regulating the rumen microbiota. Twenty-four 70-day-old healthy and disease-free Holstein male calves were randomly divided into four groups, with the control group fed a basal diet, and the treatment group provided 4 g, 6 g, and 8 g of oregano essential oil per day in addition to the basal diet. After the 14-day pre-test, a 56-day formal test was conducted. At days 0 and 56 of the standard test period, calves were weighed, the average daily weight gain of calves during the test period was calculated, and serum samples were collected to measure the concentration of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM) in the serum; at day 56 of the formal test period, rumen fluid was collected from the calves, and 16SrRNA was sequenced to analyze changes in the rumen microbiota of the calves. The changes in the rumen microbiota of calves were analyzed by 16SrRNA sequencing. The results of the study showed that (1) OEO supplementation in calves significantly increased end weight and average daily gain (p < 0.05); (2) OEO supplementation in calves significantly increased serum concentrations of immunoglobulins IgA and IgM (p < 0.05); (3) OEO supplementation in calves significantly increased the abundance and diversity of rumen microbial organisms (p < 0.05); (4) OEO supplementation in calves significantly regulates the relative abundance of some species, and biomarkers with significant differences were screened by LEfSe analysis: g_Turicibacter, g_Romboutsia, f_Peptostreptococcaceae, f_Clostridiaceae, g_Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, o_Clostridiales, g_unclassified_f_Synergistaceae, c_Coriobacteriia, o_Coriobacteriales, f_Atopobiaceae, g_Olsenella, p_Actinobacteriota, g_Defluviitaleaceae_UCG-011, f_Defluviitaleaceae, o_Corynebacteriales, g_Corynebacterium, f_Corynebacteriaceae, g_Shuttleworthia, f_Hungateiclostridiaceae, o_norank_c_Clostridia, g_Saccharofermentans, g_Streptococcus, f_Streptococcaceae, g_unclassified_o_Oscillospirales, and f_unclassified_o_Oscillospirales (p < 0.05, LDA ≥ 3); and (5) OEO supplementation in calves significantly enriched the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins pathway (p < 0.05). (6) Using Superman’s correlation analysis, we screened unclassified_c_Clostridia, Shuttleworthia, and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, three beneficial strains for calves. (7) Daily supplementation with 8g of OEO significantly affected rumen microbiota regulation in calves.

The gut microbiota is highly symbiotic with the host, and the microbiota and its metabolites are essential for regulating host health and physiological functions. Astragalus, as a feed additive, can improve animal immunity. However, the effects of Astragalus root powder on the rumen microbiota and their metabolites in lambs are not apparent. In this study, thirty healthy Hu sheep lambs with similar body weights (17.42 ± 2.02 kg) were randomly selected for the feeding experiment. Lambs were fed diets supplemented with 0.3% Astragalus root powder, and the rumen microbiota density and metabolome were measured to determine the effects of Astragalus on the health of lambs in the rumen. The results showed that the relative abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens (Bf), Ruminococcus flavefaciens (Rf), Succiniclasticum (Su), and Prevotella (Pr) in the rumen was increased in the Astragalus group (p < 0.01), and metabolic profiling showed that the metabolites, such as L-lyrosine and L-leucine, were upregulated in the Astragalus group (p < 0.01). KEGG functional annotation revealed that upregulated metabolites were mainly enriched in the pathways of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and bile secretion in the Astragalus group, and downregulated metabolites were enriched in the pathways of methane metabolism and other pathways. Correlation analysis revealed that butyric acid was positively correlated with Roseburia and Blautia (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with Desulfovibrio (p < 0.05). Thus, by analyzing the interactions of Astragalus root powder with the density of rumen microorganisms and their metabolites in lambs, it was shown that Astragalus root powder could improve the structure of rumen microbiota and their metabolites and then participate in the regulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, immune metabolism, and other pathways to improve the efficiency of energy absorption of the lambs.

Pancreatic α-cells secrete glucagon, an insulin counter-regulatory peptide hormone critical for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Investigation of the function of human α-cells remains a challenge due to the lack of cost-effective purification methods to isolate high-quality α-cells from islets. Here, we use the reaction-based probe diacetylated Zinpyr1 (DA-ZP1) to introduce a novel and simple method for enriching live α-cells from dissociated human islet cells with ~95% purity. The α-cells, confirmed by sorting and immunostaining for glucagon, were cultured up to 10 days to form α-pseudoislets. The α-pseudoislets could be maintained in culture without significant loss of viability, and responded to glucose challenge by secreting appropriate levels of glucagon. RNA-sequencing analyses (RNA-seq) revealed that expression levels of key α-cell identity genes were sustained in culture while some of the genes such as DLK1, GSN, SMIM24 were altered in α-pseudoislets in a time-dependent manner. In conclusion, we report a method to sort human primary α-cells with high purity that can be used for downstream analyses such as functional and transcriptional studies.

Nuclear power plays a crucial role in achieving the target of carbon neutrality to build a sustainable society. However, it is not “carbon-free” when considering its entire life cycle. Therefore, accurate accounting and monitoring of its generated carbon emissions are required to avoid miscalculations of nuclear energy as a clean energy source. In this study, the life-cycle carbon emissions of nuclear power plants (NPPs) with different reactor types are reviewed. In addition to the characteristic differences among different reactors, disparities in the review results originate from the varying emissions at the respective stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, technology choices at each stage and accounting methods and boundaries. The carbon emissions resulting from NPP construction and operation are underestimated due to the limited data and methods, which creates uncertainty in the evaluation of NPP carbon emissions. An integrated framework for carbon emissions accounting considering the construction and operation of NPPs (CACO-NPP) is proposed. This integrated framework aims to improve the accounting accuracy for carbon emissions originating from NPPs. An emerging Generation III NPP with the latest technology, HPR1000 (an advanced pressurized water reactor), was adopted as a case study. The results show that the total emissions resulting from vegetation loss, equipment manufacturing and labor input during construction and operation are 1232.91 Gg CO2 with a carbon intensity of 1.31 g CO2/kWh, indicating the notable mitigation capability of Generation III NPPs. By combining the maturity of HPR1000 technology with successive design improvements, the carbon emissions of such reactor types could be further reduced. This development is very important for realizing China’s carbon neutrality target.

Objective Studies have compared the safety and accuracy of robot‐assisted techniques for inserting conventional open pedicle screws for spinal surgery. However, no relevant studies have confirmed that robot‐assisted percutaneous screw placement is better than fluoroscopic percutaneous screw placement for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. This study compared the accuracy and safety of TiRobot‐assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement with those of the fluoroscopy‐assisted percutaneous technique for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods This retrospective study included 126 patients with thoracolumbar fractures who underwent percutaneous pedicle screw placement. Sixty‐five patients were treated with the TiRobot‐assisted technique and 61 patients were treated with the fluoroscopy‐assisted technique. Patient demographics, accuracy of screw placement (according to the Gertzbein and Robbins scale of grades A to E), screw insertion angle, radiation exposure, surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, incision length, hospital expenses, surgical site infection, and neurological injury of the TiRobot‐assisted and fluoroscopy‐assisted groups were compared using Student's t‐test, Pearson χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test. Results A total of 729 screws were placed (TiRobot‐assisted group: 374 screws; fluoroscopy‐assisted group: 355 screws). In the TiRobot‐assisted group, 82.8% of screws were optimally positioned (grade A); however, the placement grades of the remaining screws were categorized as grade B (13.3%), grade C (3.2%), and grade D (0.5%). In the fluoroscopy‐assisted group, 66.7% of the screws were optimally positioned (grade A); however, the placement grades of the remaining screws were categorized as grade B (21.4%), grade C (7.6%), grade D (3.6%), and grade E (0.5%). The proportion of clinically acceptable screws (grade A or B) was greater in the TiRobot‐assisted group than in the fluoroscopy‐assisted group. Additionally, the TiRobot‐assisted group had a significantly larger mean screw insertion angle (22.27° ± 5.48° vs 20.55° ± 5.15°), larger incision length (13.86 ± 1.24 cm vs 12.77 ± 1.43 cm), and higher hospital expenses (69061.55 ± 7166.60 yuan vs 59383.85 ± 5019.64 yuan) than the fluoroscopy‐assisted group. There were no significant differences in the intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, and rates of surgical site infection and neurological injury in both groups (p > 0.05). However, the TiRobot‐assisted group had significantly better surgical times, radiation times, and radiation exposure than the fluoroscopy‐assisted group (p

The rapid development of photovoltaic generation has brought great challenges to operation and planning of power systems. Based on actual operation data of several photovoltaic power stations, this paper analyzes the fluctuation of photovoltaic generation output first. Then a correlation coefficient based quantitative calculation method for coupling characteristics among multiple photovoltaic power stations is proposed, and the load-following level under various photovoltaic generation capacities is given at last. This paper illustrates that the output of photovoltaic generation presents complementary coupling characteristics, which reduces the fluctuation of the overall output and can deteriorate the load-following level. The results of this paper can provide a theoretical basis for the planning of power systems with a high penetration of renewable energy such as photovoltaic generation.

Abstract Background Early prediction of patients’ deterioration is helpful in early intervention for patients at greater risk of deterioration in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This study aims to apply machine learning approaches to heterogeneous clinical data for predicting life-threatening events of patients in ICU. Methods We collected clinical data from a total of 3151 patients admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in China from January 1st, 2014, to October 1st, 2019. After excluding the patients who were under 18 years old or stayed less than 24 h at the ICU, a total of 2170 patients were enrolled in this study. Multiple machine learning approaches were utilized to predict life-threatening events (i.e., death) in seven 24-h windows (day 1 to day 7) and their performance was compared. Results Light Gradient Boosting Machine showed the best performance. We found that life-threatening events during the short-term windows can be better predicted than those in the medium-term windows. For example, death in 24 h can be predicted with an Area Under Curve of 0.905. Features like infusion pump related fluid input were highly related to life-threatening events. Furthermore, the prediction power of static features such as age and cardio-pulmonary function increased with the extended prediction window. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the integration of machine learning approaches and large-scale high-quality clinical data in ICU could accurately predict life-threatening events for ICU patients for early intervention.

The intestinal microbiota of ruminants is an important factor affecting animal production and health. Research on the association mechanism between the intestinal microbiota and meat quality of ruminants will play a positive role in understanding the formation mechanism of meat quality in ruminants and improving production efficiency. In this study, the fatty acid composition and content, expression of related genes, and structural characteristics of the ileum microbiota of ewes of Tibetan sheep at different ages (4 months, 1.5 years, 3.5 years, and 6 years) were detected and analyzed. The results revealed significant differences in fatty acid composition and content in the muscle of Tibetan sheep at different ages (p < 0.05); in addition, the content of MUFAs in the longissimus dorsi muscle and leg muscle was higher. Similarly, the expressions of muscle-related genes differed among the different age groups, and the expression of the LPL, SCD, and FABP4 genes was higher in the 1.5-year-old group. The ileum microbiota diversity was higher in the 1.5-year-old group, the Romboutsia abundance ratio was significantly higher in the 1.5-year-old group (p < 0.05), and there was a significant positive correlation with oleic acid (C18:1n9c) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the content of beneficial fatty acids in the longissimus dorsi muscle and leg muscle of Tibetan sheep was higher at 1.5 years of age, and the best slaughter age was 1.5 years. This study provides a reference for in-depth research on the mechanism of the influence of the gut microbiota on meat quality and related regulation.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a widely expressed cation channel that plays an important role in many physiological and pathological processes. However, most TRPV4 drugs carry a risk of side effects. Moreover, existing screening methods are not suitable for the high-throughput screening (HTS) of drugs. In this study, a cell model and HTS method for targeting TRPV4 channel drugs were established based on a calcium-activated chloride channel protein 1 Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) and a double mutant (YFP-H148Q/I152L) of the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Patch-clamp experiments and fluorescence quenching kinetic experiments were used to verify that the model could sensitively detect changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The functionality of the TRPV4 cell model was examined through temperature variations and different concentrations of TRPV4 modulators, and the performance of the model in HTS was also evaluated. The model was able to sensitively detect changes in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and also excelled at screening TRPV4 drugs, and the model was more suitable for HTS. We successfully constructed a drug cell screening model targeting the TRPV4 channel, which provides a tool to study the pathophysiological functions of TRPV4 in vitro.

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is involved in the breakdown of triacylglycerols in adipose tissue, which influences muscle tenderness and juiciness by affecting the intramuscular fat content (IMF). This study analyzed the association between different genotypes and haplotypes of the yak HSL gene and carcass and meat quality traits. We used hybridization pool sequencing to detect exon 2, exon 8, and intron 3 variants of the yak HSL gene and genotyped 525 Gannan yaks via KASP to analyze the effects of the HSL gene variants on the carcass and meat quality traits in yaks. According to the results, the HSL gene is highly expressed in yak adipose tissue. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, with 2 of them located in the coding region and one in the intron region. Variants in the 2 coding regions resulted in amino acid changes. The population had 3 genotypes of GG, AG, and AA, and individuals with the AA genotype had lower WBSF values (p < 0.05). The H3H3 haplotype combinations could improve meat tenderness by reducing the WBSF values and the cooking loss rate (CLR) (p < 0.05). H1H1 haplotype combinations were associated with the increased drip loss rate (DLR) (p < 0.05). The presence of the H1 haplotype was associated the increased CLR in yaks, while that of the H2 haplotype was associated with the decreased DLR in yaks (p < 0.05). These results demonstrated that the HSL gene may influence the meat quality traits in yaks by affecting the IMF content in muscle tissues. Consequently, the HSL gene can possibly be used as a biomarker for improving the meat quality traits in yaks in the future.

The development of rice cultivars with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is desirable for sustainable agriculture. Achieving this goal depends in part on understanding how rice responds to low soil nitrogen (N) and identifying causative genes underlying this trait. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) or genes associated with low N response, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a diverse panel of 230 rice accessions and performed a transcriptomic investigation of rice accessions with differential responses to low N stress at two N levels. We detected 411 GWAS-associated genes in 5 QTL and 2722 differentially expressed genes in response to low N, of which 24 were identified by both methods and ranked according to gene annotations, literature queries, gene expression, and genetic diversity analysis. The large-scale datasets obtained from this study reveal low N-responsive characteristics and provide insights towards understanding the regulatory mechanisms of N-deficiency tolerance in rice, and the candidate genes or QTL would be valuable resources for increasing rice NUE via molecular biotechnology.

Background To analyze the relationship between the rotational and residual setup errors and the dose deviation on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated by helical tomotherapy (HT). Methods From 25 July 2017 to 20 August 2019, 16 treated NPC patients were enrolled in the study. These patients were scanned with full target range megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) every other day. Adaptive radiotherapy function application software MIM7.1.3 were used to accumulate the actual dose. The dose deviation with the initial plan dose of the patients’ target and organs at risk (OAR) were compared, and the correlation between the dose change and the setup errors (rotational setup errors and neck residual setup error) was analyzed. Results Translational setup errors increased farther away from the head. Statistically significant difference among 3 groups was achieved in the directions of left-right ( P

Abstract Background The gut microbiota play an important role in maintaining host metabolism, the immune system and health, while sex, genotype, diet and health have specific effects on the composition of the gut microbiota. Therefore, to explore the sex differences in the structure and function of rumen microbiota in Tibetan goats, herein we analyzed sex differences in rumen fermentation parameters, rumen microbiota and the expression of genes related to VFA transport in Tibetan goats. Results The results showed that the contents of acetic acid and propionic acid in the rumen of TGM (Tibetan goat male) were significantly higher than those in TGFm (Tibetan goat female) (P

Based on the serious phenomenon of Tibetan sheep “growing strong in warm seasons and losing weight in cold seasons”, this study explores the regulation of lncRNAs, microbiota, and metabolites in the cold season adaptation of Tibetan sheep from the perspective of the co-evolution of the host genome (first genome) and microbiome (second genome). RNA-seq results showed that 172 DE lncRNAs were identified in the rumen epithelium of Tibetan sheep in warm and cold seasons, of which 87 DE lncRNAs were significantly up-regulated in cold seasons. KEGG enrichment showed that target genes of up-regulated lncRNAs were significantly enriched in TNF signaling and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. LncRNA-mRNA regulatory network indicated that DE lncRNAs were involved in nutrient stress in the cold season by targeting ATP1B2, CADPS, TLR5, and UGT1A6. Correlation analysis showed some lncRNAs were significantly correlated with acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and rumen epithelial histomorphology and had a negative correlation with Butyrivibrio-2 and Succiniclasticum (p < 0.05). In addition, differential metabolites bilirubin and lncRNAs were co-enriched in the bile secretion pathway. lncRNAs played an important role in the adaptation process of Tibetan sheep in the cold season, and mediate the host to participate in nutrient absorption, energy utilization, and immune response, indicating that the host genome and microbial genome promote Tibetan sheep to adapt to nutrient stress in the cold season through co-evolution.

Abstract The accuracy of the pitch angle deviation directly affects the guidance accuracy of the laser seeker. During the guidance process, the abnormal pitch angle deviation data will be produced when the seeker is affected by interference sources. In this paper, a new abnormal data detection method based on Smooth Multi-Kernel Polarization Support Vector Data Description (SMP-SVDD) is proposed. In the proposed method, the polarization value is used to determine the weight of the multi-kernel combination coefficient to obtain the multi-kernel polarization function, in which the particle swarm optimization is used to find the optimal kernels for higher detection accuracy. Besides, by using smoothing mechanism, the constrained quadratic programming problem is translated to be smooth and differentiable. Then, this problem can be solved by the conjugate gradient method, which could reduce the computational complexity. In experimental section, abundant simulation experiments were designed and the experimental results verify that the proposed SMP-SVDD method could achieve higher detection accuracy and low computational cost compared with different detection methods in different guidance stages.

BackgroundThis systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to summarize available evidence of anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve for patients with distal humerus fractures.Materials and MethodsThe databases were searched from PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP Database (VIP), and Wan Fang Database up to June 2022. The clinical outcome included operation time, fracture healing time, hospital stays, elbow joint function, and ulnar neuritis rate. Statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration).ResultsA total of 17 studies were included (8 RCTs and 9 retrospective studies), and 1280 patients were analyzed. The results of this meta-analysis showed anterior transposition group had longer operation time (MD = 20.35 min, 95%CI: 12.56–28.14, P 0.05) between two groups were not significantly statistic difference.ConclusionThis meta-analysis showed that anterior transposition group is not superior to non-transposition group for patients with distal humerus fractures without ulnar nerve injury. On the contrary, non-transposition group have shorter operation time than that of anterior transposition group. Non-transposition group did not increase the post-operative ulnar neuritis rate. Therefore, both anterior transposition group and non- transposition group are the treatment options for patients with distal humerus fractures without ulnar nerve injury. Besides, these findings need to be further verified by multi-center, double-blind, and large sample RCTs.

Background: Oxacillin-susceptible mecA-positive Staphylococcus aureus (OS-MRSA) represents an important issue, as its oxacillin susceptibility has contributed to misidentification by conventional susceptibility tests and consequently potential therapeutic failure, but limited data on the current status of OS-MRSA infection in Chinese hospitals are available. Methods: This multicenter study performed a battery of susceptibility tests and diagnostic tests for 956 S. aureus isolates from 10 hospitals, including automated susceptibility testing on VITEK 2, broth microdilution, disk diffusion, and detection of PBB2a, mecA gene and mecC gene. For all identified OS-MRSA, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), together with spa typing, SCCmec typing and PVL detecting, was carried out. Results: OS-MRSA, most of which were from pediatric inpatients, represented 1.8% (17/956) of total isolates. Of these 17 OS-MRSA, 10 were ST59, followed by ST965 (3/17), and 11 carried SCCmec type IV, while 5 carried SCCmec type V, but only one was Panton–Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive, also, 16 had one or two point mutations within mecA promoter. OS-MRSA had inducible oxacillin resistance and significantly lower MDR (Multi-Drug Resistant) rate. We observed that the VITEK 2 system exhibited some deficiency in OS-MRSA detection, whereas cefoxitin disk diffusion was shown to be a reliable and cost-saving alternative and should be supplemented in detecting S. aureus with borderline oxacillin susceptible MICs. Conclusion: This study has characterized phenotypically and molecularly OS-MRSA in China, and provided insights into more effective management of OS-MRSA.

Basketball is known for the vast amount of data collected for each player, team, game, and season. As a result, basketball is an ideal domain to work on different data analysis techniques to gain useful insights. In this study, we continued our previous study published in 2020 Computational Collective Intelligence (12th International Conference, ICCCI 2020, Da Nang, Vietnam, November 30 – December 3, 2020, Proceedings) reviewing some important factors to predict players’ future performance and being selected in an All-Star game, one of the most prestigious events, of National Basket Association league. Besides traditional Machine Learning, Deep Learning is also applied in this study for prediction purpose. However, compared to traditional Machine Learning, Deep Learning’s performance is not as good for our dataset. It is understandable when our data are relatively small and structured with a few predictor variables which limited Deep Learning’s ability to deal with a vast amount of Big Data. Our final results, through both Regression and Classification Analysis, indicated that scoring is the most important factor from the primary players for any team and also basketball fan’s favourable style.

Background and purposeNo research currently exists on the role of the accessory parotid gland (APG) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We thereby aimed to assess the effects of APG on the dosimetry of the parotid glands (PGs) during NPC radiotherapy and evaluate its predictive value for late xerostomia.Material and methodsThe clinical data of 32 NPC patients with radiological evidence of the APG treated at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital between November 2020 and February 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinically approved treatment plans consisted of only the PGs as an organ at risk (OAR) (Plan1), while Plan2 was designed by considering the APG as a single organ at risk (OAR). The APG on Plan1 was delineated, and dose–volume parameters of the PGs alone (PG-only) and of the combined structure (PG+APG) were analyzed in both plans. The association of such dosimetric parameters in Plan1 with xerostomia at 6–9 months post-radiotherapy was further explored.ResultsFifty APGs were found, with a mean volume of 3.3 ± 0.2 ml. Significant differences were found in all dosimetric parameters between Plan1 and Plan2. The mean dose and percentage of OAR volumes receiving more than 30 Gy significantly reduced in Plan1 itself (PG-only vs. PG+APG, 39.55 ± 0.83 Gy vs. 37.71 ± 0.75 Gy, and 62.00 ± 2.00% vs. 57.41 ± 1.56%, respectively; p < 001) and reduced further in Plan2 (PG+APG, 36.40 ± 0.74 Gy, and 55.54 ± 1.61%, respectively; p < 0.001). Three additional patients met the dose constraint in Plan1, which increased to seven in Plan2. With APG included, the predictive power of the dosimetric parameters for xerostomia tended to improve, although no significant differences were observed.ConclusionAPG is anatomically similar to the PGs. Our findings suggest the potential benefits of treating the APG and PGs as a single OAR during radiotherapy (RT) of NPC by improving PG sparing.

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for ~10% of all haematologic malignancies. Little is known about high intratumour heterogeneities in patients stratified by the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS). Herein, we constructed a single-cell transcriptome atlas to compare differential expression patterns among stages. We found that a novel cytotoxic plasma cell (PC) population exhibited with NKG7 positive was obviously enriched in stage II patients. Additionally, a malignant PC population with significantly elevated expression of MKI67 and PCNA was associated with unfavourable prognosis and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in our collected samples. Moreover, ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 (RRM2) was found and verified to promote proliferation of MM cell lines, suggesting RRM2 may serve as a detrimental marker in MM. The percentages of CD8+ T cells and NKT cells decreased along with R-ISS stages, reflecting the plasticity of the tumour immune microenvironment. Importantly, their crosstalks with myeloid cells and PC identified several potential immunotargets such as SIRPA-CD47 and CD74-MIF, respectively. Collectively, this study provided an R-ISS-related single-cell MM atlas and revealed the clinical significance of novel PC clusters, as well as potential immunotargets in MM progression.

Highly seed vigor (SV) is essential for rice direct seeding (DS). Understanding the genetic mechanism of SV-related traits could contribute to increasing the efficiency of DS. However, only a few genes responsible for SV have been determined in rice, and the regulatory network of SV remains obscure. In this study, the seed germination rate (GR), seedling shoot length (SL), and shoot fresh weight (FW) related to SV traits were measured, and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to detect high-quality loci responsible for SV using a panel of 346 diverse accessions. A total of 51 significant SNPs were identified and arranged into six quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions, including one (qGR1-1), two (qSL1-1, qSL1-2), and three (qFW1-1, qFW4-1, and qFW7-1) QTLs associated with GR, SL, and FW respectively, which were further validated using chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs). Integrating gene expression, gene annotation, and haplotype analysis, we found 21 strong candidate genes significantly associated with SV. In addition, the SV-related functions of LOC_Os01g11270 and LOC_Os01g55240 were further verified by corresponding CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited mutants. Thus, these results provide clues for elucidating the genetic basis of SV control. The candidate genes or QTLs would be helpful for improving DS by molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding in rice.

The upstream of the Yangtze River has abundant fish resources and is home to the four major Chinese carps (FMCCs), which are economically important fish in the Yangtze River that reside in the fluctuating backwater area (FBA) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). Their spawning habitat has been influenced by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) operations. This study investigated the effects of dam operation on spawning habitat suitability and the potential spawning sites of FMCCs, using a physical habitat suitability model combined with a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic numerical model. The habitat model was verified by field measurements of the fish egg density in the FBA, illustrating the capability of predicting the spawning availability of FMCC by comparing the habitat suitability index (HSI) distribution and the weighted usable area (WUA) with the simulation scenarios before and after the TGD construction. The habitat model was then applied to evaluate the effects of TGD operation on spawning habitat suitability and potential spawning grounds in the FBA. These results implied that the TGD operation had negative effects on spawning habitat suitability and produced temporal changes in the available WUA in the FBA. The predictions revealed that impoundment of the TGD decreased the suitability of the hydrodynamic factors. The main spawning period was delayed from April to May, and the variation in the water level induced by the reservoir operation scheme was likely the main factor. The HSI distribution in the FBA showed that the potential spawning grounds decreased to one site located in the Mudong-Luoqi River section. Furthermore, there was a rapid reduction in WUAs, accounting for approximately 18% of that seen in 2001 (before the TGD operation). The results of this study can aid in the management of the spawning grounds of FMCCs in the TGR and provide efficient methods for improving spawning habitat suitability, such as adjusting the pool level of the TGD during the falling stage.

A rongeur had been used to remove thin bones in both orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery, featured with a tip holding and cutting bone effectively while protecting the underlying instruments. The authors describe a case of a 40-year-old man who proceeded with the second lumbar vertebrae osteotomy and presented to be ankylosing spondylitis with kyphosis and limited mobility for 10 years. During the surgery, we found that the rongeur tip was missing. C-arm fluoroscopy showed the high-density body just in front of the vertebral body intraoperatively. However, the CT scan showed the foreign body migrated to the right auricle of the heart postoperatively. This case is unique in that there was no exact vessel injury detected intraoperatively. There were few reports about the surgical instrument migrating to the heart. Our case showed the rare experience of the function of multidisciplinary collaboration in the migration of foreign bodies in the cervical spinal canal.

AimWe carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of electroacupuncture for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP Database (VIP), and Wan Fang Database up to May 2022 for relevant studies. Relevant studies were identified by using specific eligibility criteria and data were extracted.ResultsA total of 26 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 1,698 patients were included. Compared with routine treatment, electroacupuncture treatment had lower visual analog scale (VAS) score [mean difference = −0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): −1.11 to −0.47, P

Long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACSL1) plays a vital role in the synthesis and metabolism of fatty acids. The proportion of highly unsaturated fatty acids in beef not only affects the flavor and improves the meat’s nutritional value. In this study, si-ACSL1 and NC-ACSL1 were transfected in bovine preadipocytes, respectively, collected cells were isolated on the fourth day of induction, and then RNA-Seq technology was used to screen miRNAs related to unsaturated fatty acid synthesis. A total of 1,075 miRNAs were characterized as differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs), of which the expressions of 16 miRNAs were upregulated, and that of 12 were downregulated. Gene ontology analysis indicated that the target genes of DE-miRNAs were mainly involved in biological regulation and metabolic processes. Additionally, KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis identified that the target genes of DE-miRNAs were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, fatty acid metabolism, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid elongation, and glucagon signaling pathway. Combined with the previous mRNA sequencing results, several key miRNA-mRNA targeting relationship pairs, i.e., novel-m0035-5p—ACSL1, novel-m0035-5p—ELOVL4, miR-9-X—ACSL1, bta-miR-677—ACSL1, miR-129-X—ELOVL4, and bta-miR-485—FADS2 were screened via the miRNA-mRNA interaction network. Thus, the results of this study provide a theoretical basis for further research on miRNA regulation of unsaturated fatty acid synthesis in bovine adipocytes.

Adaptation to increased insulin demand is mediated by β cell proliferation and neogenesis, among other mechanisms. Although it is known that pancreatic β cells can arise from ductal progenitors, these observations have been limited mostly to the neonatal period. We have recently reported that the duct is a source of insulin-secreting cells in adult insulin-resistant states. To further explore the signaling pathways underlying the dynamic β cell reserve during insulin resistance, we undertook human islet and duct transplantations under the kidney capsule of immunodeficient NOD/SCID-γ (NSG) mouse models that were pregnant, were insulin-resistant, or had insulin resistance superimposed upon pregnancy (insulin resistance + pregnancy), followed by single-nucleus RNA-Seq (snRNA-Seq) on snap-frozen graft samples. We observed an upregulation of proliferation markers (e.g., NEAT1) and expression of islet endocrine cell markers (e.g., GCG and PPY), as well as mature β cell markers (e.g., INS), in transplanted human duct grafts in response to high insulin demand. We also noted downregulation of ductal cell identity genes (e.g., KRT19 and ONECUT2) coupled with upregulation of β cell development and insulin signaling pathways. These results indicate that subsets of ductal cells are able to gain β cell identity and reflect a form of compensation during the adaptation to insulin resistance in both physiological and pathological states.