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Abstract The microRNA156 (miR156) has been widely studied in plants, however, the characterization of the miR156 family of genes in wheat and their expression patterns under abiotic stress are not completely clear. In this study, a total of 20 miR156 family members, referred to as tae-miR156a to tae-miR156t, were identified in wheat with their loci mapped to various chromosomes. These members were divided into five subgroups: miR156a/b/c/d/e/f, miR156g/h/i, miR156j/k, miR156l/m/n/o/p/q, and miR156r/s/t. They were highly conserved during evolution. The prediction of cis-elements in the tae-MIR156(s) promoter region revealed that the tae-MIR156(s) had diverse cis-acting elements; of these, 15 tae-MIR156(s) and 6 tae-MIR156(s) were found to be drought-responsive elements and cold-responsive elements, respectively. And the prediction target genes of tae-miR156(s) are mainly SPL transcription factor genes. Expression analysis based on quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR) showed that miR156(s) have different expression levels in the various wheat tissues, and the subgroups’ response to abiotic stress varied. Among them, miR156g/h/i were strongly induced in the root of cold and heat stress, and miR156a/b/c/d/e/f were significantly increased in roots after drought stress, whereas miR156r/s/t were highly inhibited in leaves and roots after salt stress. These findings imply that tae-miR156(s) are involved in stress response in wheat, and they provide new fundamental knowledge for further analysis of the function of miR156 and its regulatory mechanism in response to abiotic stress.

Abstract Background Since the elimination of numerical scoring of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, the perceived importance of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores in residency placement has increased. It is known that socioeconomic status (SES) and other demographic factors can be barriers to success in standardized assessment, but few recent studies report the relationship between student demographics, including SES, with Step 2 CK scores in the context of exam practice material access and usage. In this study, we investigated predictors of Step 2 CK success across two years at one institution. Methods A survey regarding Step 2 CK exam preparation and demographic factors was administered to two student cohorts at a New York medical school in 2022 and 2023. The cohorts were comprised of all students in a given class year who had taken Step 2 CK. De-identified survey responses were linked to metrics including Step 1, Step 2 CK, shelf exam, and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. Results The mean Step 2 CK score among the respondents (n = 213) was 254 ± 13. There was a strong positive correlation between Step 2 CK score and composite shelf scores (rho = 0.80, p

Abstract Background With the rising prevalence of abdominal radical hysterectomy, the need for perioperative blood transfusion has emerged as a significant clinical challenge. Independent risk factors for blood transfusion during abdominal radical hysterectomy remains limited, and identifying these factors is needed. Methods A retrospective analysis of data was performed using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), focusing on patients who underwent abdominal radical hysterectomy between 2010 and 2019. Patients were categorized into two groups based on whether they received a blood transfusion. The analysis encompassed various demographic factors, including race, sex, and age, as well as length of stay (LOS), total hospitalization charges, hospital characteristics (admission type, insurance type, bed size, teaching status, geographic location, and hospital region), hospital mortality rates, comorbidities, and perioperative complications. Subsequently, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to ascertain factors associated with abdominal radical hysterectomy patients requiring blood transfusions. Results Blood transfusions occurred in 14.84% of patients between 2010 and 2019, with a downward trend over time. Receiving a transfusion was associated with several negative outcomes, including a longer length of stay, higher total charges, and complications like thrombocytopenia, acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and so on. Additionally, patients who received transfusions were more likely to experience postoperative delirium, deep vein thrombosis, and wound infection. Independent risk factors for blood transfusion include Black race, Asian or Pacific Islander race, non-elective surgery, hospitalization in a rural setting, pre-existing medical conditions like coagulopathy, chronic blood loss anemia, deficiency anemia and others. Conversely, patients with private insurance, residing in the West, or Midwest/North Central regions were less likely to require a blood transfusion. Conclusion Our study highlights the concern of perioperative blood transfusion in radical hysterectomy, linked to significant complications. Reducing intraoperative blood loss and optimizing care based on patient factors are crucial for improving outcomes.

Abstract Background To explore the associations of computed tomography (CT) image features with the serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) titers measured by the lateral flow assay (LFA) in localized pulmonary cryptococcosis patients. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients with pathologically confirmed pulmonary cryptococcosis admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2016 to December 2022 was performed. Clinical data, CT results, serum CrAg-LFA test results, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 107 patients with localized pulmonary cryptococcosis were included, of which 31 had a single lesion in chest CT and the other 76 had multiple lesions. The positivity rate was (94.74% vs 64.52%) and titers of serum CrAg-LFA (1.77 ± 0.87 vs 0.91 ± 0.98) in the multiple lesion group were higher than those in the single lesion group, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the serum CrAg titers were positively associated with the number of lesions (β, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.12) and the lesion size (β, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.50) after adjusting other covariates. The serum CrAg-LFA titers of 60 pulmonary cryptococcosis patients showed a decreasing trend with the reduction in pulmonary lesion size after effective therapy. Conclusion In pulmonary cryptococcosis patients, the number and size of lung lesions are positively correlated with the titers of the serum CrAg-LFA test. The CrAg-LFA test could be a useful tool for the diagnosis, severity assessment, and therapeutic monitoring of localized pulmonary cryptococcosis patients.

In this paper, we proposed a reachable set control method for a class of Markov jump cyber-physical systems (MJCPSs) with time-varying delays, which addressed the challenges posed by false data injection (FDI) attacks to system security. The goal was to find the set of regions where all MJCPSs states were reachable from the origin in the presence of bounded disturbances. The adaptive event-triggered control strategy was introduced to save network resources. It also reduced the impact of FDI attacks and external disturbances on system security. The conservatism of the results were reduced by constructing the Lyapunov-Krasovskii (L-K) functional with time-varying delays. Difference terms were estimated by using the discrete Wirtinger inequality and the improved extended reciprocally convex matrix inequality, and the ellipsoid reachable set of the MJCPS was obtained. Then, the reachable set controller was obtained by linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) solving technique. Finally, an example simulation proved the validity of the results.

Abstract Despite recent findings indicating a paradoxical association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, the impact of HDL-C on subsequent outcomes after ischemic stroke remains unclear. The study aims to investigate the relationships between HDL-C levels and post-stroke functional outcomes while examining the potential modifying influence of HDL-C-related single nucleotide polymorphisms identified through genome-wide association studies. This cohort study included 1,310 patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), all of whom had their admission serum lipid profile and genotyping information. Participants were categorized into four groups based on gender and HDL-C level. Prognostic outcomes were assessed using a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 1, 3, and 12 months post-admission. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline regression analysis were used to assess the associations between HDL-C levels and outcomes. The mean age of patients was 61.17 ± 12.08 years, and 69.31% were men. After adjusting confounders, patients with the highest HDL-C level group had a significantly higher risk of poor functional outcomes at 1, 3, and 12 months following stroke compared to the reference group. Restricted cubic splines depicted a nonlinear association between HDL-C levels and poor prognosis in both men and women. The ABCA1 gene rs2575876 AA genotype combined with abnormal HDL-C levels exhibited a significantly heightened risk of post-stroke adverse outcomes at 1 and 3 months compared to patients with normal HDL-C levels and GG + GA genotype. These findings suggest that the combined effects of ABCA1 genetic variants with either low or high HDL-C levels could further heighten this risk.

Abstract Background Plants are equipped with several sophisticated mechanisms to deal with heavy metals (HMs) toxicity. Cell walls, which are rich in pectin, are important in the sequestration and compartmentalization of HMs. Pectin demethylation is carried out by pectin methylesterase (PME), which is a crucial activity in cell walls for the adsorption of HMs. This study focused on the factors that contribute to chromium (Cr) adsorption in rice plants exposed to Cr(VI) treatments without proline (Pro) “Cr(VI)” and with Pro “Pro + Cr(VI)” application. Results The results exhibited that when rice plants were treated with Cr(VI), their PME activity decreased, because Cr(VI) was bound to certain isoforms of PME and prevented the demethylation of pectin. The application of Pro increased PME activity by promoting the transcription of several PME-related genes. These genes were recognized on the basis of their similarity with PME genes in Arabidopsis. Gene expression variation factors (GEVFs) between the “Cr(VI)” and “Pro + Cr(VI)” treatments revealed that OsPME7 and OsPME9 have the highest positive GEVF values than other OsPME genes of rice. In addition, Pro application increased pectin content significantly in rice plants exposed to Cr(VI) stress. Proline application also leads to an increased concentration of Cr in rice roots compared with “Cr(VI)” treatments alone. Conclusions These findings suggest that Pro increased Cr(VI) adsorption in cell walls of rice plants by enhancing the PME activity and pectin content when exposed to “Cr(VI)” treatments, mainly regulated by OsPME7 and OsPME9. Graphical Abstract

Abstract In this comprehensive genome-wide study, we identified and classified 83 Xylanase Inhibitor Protein (XIP) genes in wheat, grouped into five distinct categories, to enhance understanding of wheat's resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB), a significant fungal threat to global wheat production. Our analysis reveals the unique distribution of XIP genes across wheat chromosomes, particularly at terminal regions, suggesting their role in the evolutionary expansion of the gene family. Several XIP genes lack signal peptides, indicating potential alternative secretion pathways that could be pivotal in plant defense against FHB. The study also uncovers the sequence homology between XIPs and chitinases, hinting at a functional diversification within the XIP gene family. Additionally, the research explores the association of XIP genes with plant immune mechanisms, particularly their linkage with plant hormone signaling pathways like abscisic acid and jasmonic acid. XIP-7A3, in particular, demonstrates a significant increase in expression upon FHB infection, highlighting its potential as a key candidate gene for enhancing wheat's resistance to this disease. This research not only enriches our understanding of the XIP gene family in wheat but also provides a foundation for future investigations into their role in developing FHB-resistant wheat cultivars. The findings offer significant implications for wheat genomics and breeding, contributing to the development of more resilient crops against fungal diseases.

The cell wall serves as the primary barrier against the entry of heavy metal ions into cells. However, excessive accumulation of heavy metals within plants can lead to alterations in the spatial structure and physical properties of the cell wall, thereby affecting the capacity of plants to capture heavy metals. Proline (Pro) is involved in the synthesis of the cell wall, modulating the stability and integrity of its structure. Extensins, core proteins that maintain the cell wall structure, are proline/hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins that contain the characteristic sequence Ser-[Pro]3–5. They act as intermediates in the regulation of biological processes such as cell wall synthesis, assembly, and signal transduction, typically forming a network structure of cell wall proteins through cross-linking with pectin. This network is essential for the self-assembly expansion of the plant cell wall and plays an indispensable role in cell wall stress signal transduction through its interaction with intracellular signalling molecules. However, the mechanisms by which Pro affects the synthesis of cell wall structural proteins, cell wall assembly, and the sensing of cell wall stress under heavy metal stress remain unclear. This review, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular biology, comprehensively elaborates on the impact of Pro and Pro-rich proteins on the structure and function of the cell wall. These findings emphasize the mechanism by which Pro enhances the ability of the cell wall to capture heavy metals, providing new research ideas for the use of genetic engineering to manipulate cell wall synthesis and repair, thereby reducing the phytotoxicity of heavy metals.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), lead to a crisis with devastating disasters to global public economy and health. Several studies suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N protein) is one of uppermost structural constituents of SARS-CoV-2 and is relatively conserved which could become a specific diagnostic marker. In this study, eight single domain antibodies recognized the N protein specifically which were named pN01–pN08 were screened using human phage display library. According to multiple sequence alignment and molecular docking analyses, the interaction mechanism between antibody and N protein was predicted. ELISA results indicated pN01–pN08 with high affinity to protein N. To improve their efficacy, two fusion proteins were prepared and their affinity was tested. These finding showed that fusion proteins had higher affinity than single domain antibodies and will be used as diagnosis for the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2.

Abstract Objective Pediatric tracheostomy is associated with high morbidity and mortality, yet clinician knowledge and quality of tracheostomy care may vary widely. In situ simulation is effective at detecting and mitigating related latent safety threats, but evaluation via retrospective video review has disadvantages (eg, delayed analysis, and potential data loss). We evaluated whether a novel mobile application is accurate and reliable for assessment of in situ tracheostomy emergency simulations. Methods A novel mobile application was developed for assessment of tracheostomy emergency in situ simulation team performance. After 1.25 hours of training, 6 raters scored 10 tracheostomy emergency simulation videos for the occurrence and timing of 12 critical steps. To assess accuracy, rater scores were compared to a reference standard to determine agreement for occurrence or absence of critical steps and a timestamp within ±5 seconds. Interrater reliability was determined through Cohen's and Fleiss' kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results Raters had 86.0% agreement with the reference standard when considering step occurrence and timing, and 92.8% agreement when considering only occurrence. The average timestamp difference from the reference standard was 1.3 ± 18.5 seconds. Overall interrater reliability was almost perfect for both step occurrence (Fleiss' kappa of 0.81) and timing of step (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99). Discussion Using our novel mobile application, raters with minimal training accurately and reliably assessed videos of tracheostomy emergency simulations and identified areas for future refinement. Implications for Practice With refinements, this innovative mobile application is an effective tool for real‐time data capture of time‐critical steps in in situ tracheostomy emergency simulations.

IntroductionA multitude of variables influence the healing of tooth extraction wounds, and delayed or non-healing extraction wounds might complicate later prosthodontic therapy. In this research, we analyzed the effects of systemic clopidogrel and aspirin alone or in combination on the healing of tooth extraction wounds in mice in order to provide experimental evidence for the healing of extraction wounds in patients who are clinically treated with the two medicines.Methods7-week-old ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group (CON), clopidogrel group (CLOP), aspirin group (ASP), and clopidogrel combined with aspirin group (CLOP + ASP); left upper first molar was extracted, after which mice in 1 week of adaptive feeding, CLOP/ASP/CLOP + ASP groups were respectively administered with clopidogrel (10 mg/kg/d), aspirin (15 mg/kg/d), clopidogrel (10 mg/kg/d)+aspirin (15 mg/kg/d), and the control group was given an equal amount of 0.9% saline by gavage. Mice in each group were euthanized at 14 and 28 days postoperatively, and the maxilla was extracted. The tissues in the extraction sockets were examined using MicroCT and sectioned for HE staining, Masson staining, and TRAP staining, and immunohistochemistry staining (for TRAP, RANKL and osteoprotegerin).ResultsMicroCT analysis showed that at day 14, BS/BV was significantly lower in CLOP and CLOP + ASP groups compared to control and ASP groups, while BV/TV, Tb.Th was significantly higher. At day 28, BV/TV was significantly higher in the CLOP + ASP group compared to the CLOP group, with p < 0.05 for all results. HE staining and Masson trichrome staining findings revealed that at day 28, the mesenchyme in the bone was further decreased compared to that at day 14, accompanied with tightly arranged and interconnected bone trabeculae. In the quantitative analysis of Masson, the fraction of newly formed collagen was significantly higher in the CLOP group in comparison with that in the CON group (p < 0.05). At day 14, the ASP group had substantially more TRAP-positive cells than the CLOP and CLOP + ASP groups (p < 0.05). In immunohistochemical staining, RANKL expression was found to be significantly higher in the ASP group than those in the other three groups at day 28 (p < 0.05); OPG expression was significantly higher in the CLOP group and the CLOP + ASP group compared with that at day 14, and was higher than that in the ASP group at day 14 and day 28. OPG/RANKL was significantly higher in the CLOP and the CLOP + ASP groups than in the ASP group (p < 0.05).ConclusionClopidogrel alone promotes osteogenesis in the extraction wound, whereas aspirin alone inhibits alveolar bone healing. When the two drugs were combined, the healing effect of the extraction wound was more similar to that of the clopidogrel alone group. These results indicated that clopidogrel could promote the healing of the tooth extraction wound, and neutralize the adverse effect of ASP on osteogenesis when the two drugs were used in combination.

Abstract The aim of this study was to explore gestational weight gain (GWG) trajectories and their associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes. A retrospective cohort study including 11,064 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was conducted between 2015 and 2019 in China. The latent class trajectory model was used to identify GWG trajectories, and logistic regression was performed to examine odds ratio (OR) of pregnancy outcomes. Three trajectories of GWG were identified in these 11,604 women with GDM. Trajectory 1: 64.02% of women had sustained moderate GWG throughout pregnancy; Trajectory 2: 17.75% of women showed a high initial GWG but followed by a low GWG from the third trimester until delivery; Trajectory 3: 18.23% had low initial GWG but followed by drastic GWG from the second trimester until delivery. Compared with pregnant women with Trajectory 1, women with Trajectory 2 had a higher risk of large for gestational age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–1.48) but at a lower risk of having hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (AOR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.57–0.96). Women in Trajectory 3 were more likely to develop small for gestational age (AOR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.62–2.78), low birthweight (AOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.07–2.08), preterm birth (AOR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.05–1.63), caesarean section (AOR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.112–1.42) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (AOR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.82–2.76). The association of GWG trajectory with adverse pregnancy outcomes differs across prepregnancy body mass index and GWG categories. Women with a slow initial GWG but followed by drastic GWG had higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Early clinical recognition of poor GWG trajectory will contribute to early intervention in high‐risk groups to minimise adverse outcomes.

The list-based threshold accepting (LBTA) algorithm is a sophisticated local search method that utilizes a threshold list to streamline the parameter tuning process in the traditional threshold accepting (TA) algorithm. This paper proposes an enhanced local search version of the LBTA algorithm specifically tailored for solving the 0–1 knapsack problem (0–1 KP). To maintain a dynamic threshold list, a feasible threshold updating strategy is designed to accept adaptive modifications during the search process. In addition, the algorithm incorporates an improved bit-flip operator designed to generate a neighboring solution with a controlled level of disturbance, thereby fostering exploration within the solution space. Each trial solution produced by this operator undergoes a repair phase using a hybrid greedy repair operator that incorporates both density-based and value-based add operator to facilitate optimization. The LBTA algorithm’s performance was evaluated against several state-of-the-art metaheuristic approaches on a series of large-scale instances. The simulation results demonstrate that the LBTA algorithm outperforms or is competitive with other leading metaheuristics in the field.

Introduction Digital therapeutics have been approved as a treatment aid for various medical conditions and are increasingly prevalent. Despite numerous studies on the potential of digital therapeutic interventions in preventing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), there is a critical need for more high-quality, large-scale studies to validate their effectiveness. This need arises from the inconsistencies in results and variations in the quality of previous research.Methods and analysis We propose a non-randomised controlled trial involving 800 high-risk pregnant women in 6 maternity and child health hospitals in Fujian, China. This study aims to investigate the role and effectiveness of digital therapeutics-based lifestyle intervention in managing the health of pregnant women at high risk for GDM. The study will compare the differences in GDM prevalence, pregnancy weight management and other pregnancy-related health outcomes between pregnant women who received digital therapeutics-based lifestyle intervention and those in the control group. The intervention includes dietary guidance, a personalised physical activity programme and lifestyle improvement strategies delivered through a smartphone app. Primary outcomes include the incidence of GDM at 24–28 weeks gestation and gestational weight gain (GWG). Secondary outcomes comprise improvements in individual lifestyle and risk factors, nutritional issues, implementation outcomes and other pregnancy-related outcomes.Ethics and dissemination section The trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital (approval number: 2023KY046), Jianyang Maternity and Child Health Hospital (approval number: A202401), Fuqing Maternity and Child Health Hospital (approval number: FY2024003), Changting Maternity and Child Health Hospital (approval number: 202401), Datian Maternity and Child Health Hospital (approval number: dtfy202401) and Quanzhou Maternity and Child Health Hospital (approval number: 2024(50)). We will disseminate our findings by publishing articles in leading peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number ChiCTR2300071496.

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in elucidating the role of sulfur-containing compounds in plant metabolism, particularly emphasizing their function as signaling molecules. Among these, thiocyanate (SCN−), a compound imbued with sulfur and nitrogen, has emerged as a significant environmental contaminant frequently detected in irrigation water. This compound is known for its potential to adversely impact plant growth and agricultural yield. Although adopting exogenous SCN− as a nitrogen source in plant cells has been the subject of thorough investigation, the fate of sulfur resulting from the assimilation of exogenous SCN− has not been fully explored. There is burgeoning curiosity in probing the fate of SCN− within plant systems, especially considering the possible generation of the gaseous signaling molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) during the metabolism of SCN−. Notably, the endogenous synthesis of H2S occurs predominantly within chloroplasts, the cytosol, and mitochondria. In contrast, the production of H2S following the assimilation of exogenous SCN− is explicitly confined to chloroplasts and mitochondria. This phenomenon indicates complex interplay and communication among various subcellular organelles, influencing signal transduction and other vital physiological processes. This review, augmented by a small-scale experimental study, endeavors to provide insights into the functional characteristics of H2S signaling in plants subjected to SCN−-stress. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the occurrence and trajectory of endogenous H2S and H2S derived from SCN−-assimilation within plant organisms was performed, providing a focused lens for a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted roles of H2S in rice plants. By delving into these dimensions, our objective is to enhance the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms employed by the gasotransmitter H2S in plant adaptations and responses to SCN−-stress, yielding invaluable insights into strategies for plant resilience and adaptive capabilities.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to analyze the correlation between serum calcium changes and short-term prognosis of patients with acute type A aortic dissection. Methods Patients who underwent acute type A aortic dissection surgery at Fujian Heart Medical Center between June 2019 and June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 383 patients were enrolled. According to the changing track of serum calcium in patients after acute type A aortic dissection, three potential category tracks were determined: high-level (n = 85), medium-level (n = 259), and continuous low-level groups (n = 39). Using the medium-level group as the control, regression analysis showed that poor prognosis risk was increased in the group with continuous low serum calcium (odds ratio = 2.454, P 48 h (odds ratio = 3.595, P

The atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) generated by severe typhoons can facilitate the transfer of energy from the troposphere to the ionosphere, resulting in medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). However, the complex three-dimensional nature of MSTIDs over oceanic regions presents challenges for detection using ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) networks. This study employs a hybrid approach combining space-based and ground-based techniques to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of ionospheric perturbations during Typhoon Doksuri. Plane maps depict significant plasma fluctuations extending outward from the typhoon’s gale wind zone on 24 July, reaching distances of up to 1800 km from the typhoon’s center, while space weather conditions remained relatively calm. These ionospheric perturbations propagated at velocities between 173 m/s and 337 m/s, consistent with AGW features and associated propagation speeds. Vertical mapping reveals that energy originating from Typhoon Doksuri propagated upward through a 500 km layer, resulting in substantial enhancements of plasma density and temperature in the topside ionosphere. Notably, the topside horizontal density gradient was 1.5 to 2 times greater than that observed in the bottom-side ionosphere. Both modeling and observational data convincingly demonstrate that the weak background winds favored the generation of AGWs associated with Typhoon Doksuri, influencing the development of distinct MSTIDs.

Abstract Background We aimed to identify tumor-associated antigen (TAA) biomarkers through bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification, and to evaluate a panel of autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAbs) for the detection of oral cancer (OC). Methods GEO and TCGA databases were used to screen significantly up-regulated genes related to OC, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and Cystoscope software were used to identify key genes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of autoantibodies in 173 OC patients and 173 normal controls, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to build a diagnostic model. Results Using bioinformatics, we identified 10 key genes (AURKA, AURKB, CXCL8, CXCL10, COL1A1, FN1, FOXM1, MMP9, SPP1 and UBE2C) that were highly expressed in OC. Three autoantibodies (anti-AURKA, anti-CXCL10, anti-FOXM1) were proven to have diagnostic value for OC in the verification set and the validation set. The combined assessment of these three autoantibodies improved the diagnostic value for OC, with an area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of 0.741(95%CI:0.690–0.793),58.4% and 80.4%, respectively. In addition, the combination of these three autoantibodies also had high diagnostic value for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), with an AUC, sensitivity and specificity of 0.731(95%CI:0.674,0.786), 53.8% and 82.1%, respectively. Conclusions Our study revealed that AURKA, CXCL10 and FOXM1 may be potential biomarkers and the panel of three autoantibodies (anti-AURKA, anti-CXCL10 and anti-FOXM1) had good diagnostic value for OC.

Abstract Background Physical activity promotes health and is particularly important during middle and older age for decreasing morbidity and mortality. We assessed the correlates of changes over time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in Hispanic/Latino adults from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL: mean [SD] age 49.2 y [11.5]) and compared them to a cohort of primarily White adults from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS: mean [SD] 46.9 y [9.2]). Methods Between 2008 and 2019, we assessed accelerometry-based MVPA at two time points with an average follow-up of: 7.6 y, SD 1.3 for HCHS/SOL, and 7.8 y, SD 0.7 for FHS. We used multinomial logistic regression to relate socio-demographic and health behaviors with changes in compliance with 2018 US recommendations for MVPA from time 1 to time 2 (remained active or inactive; became active or inactive) across the two cohorts. Results In HCHS/SOL mean MVPA was 22.6 (SD, 23.8) minutes at time 1 and dropped to 16.7 (19.0) minutes at time 2. In FHS Mean MVPA was 21.7 min (SD, 17.7) at time 1 and dropped to 21.3 min (SD, 19.2) at time 2. Across both cohorts, odds of meeting MVPA guidelines over time were about 6% lower in individuals who had lower quality diets vs. higher, about half in older vs. younger adults, about three times lower in women vs. men, and 9% lower in individuals who had a higher vs. lower BMI at baseline. Cohorts differed in how age, gender, income, education, depressive symptoms, marital status and perception of general health and pain associated with changes in physical activity. High income older Hispanics/Latino adults were more likely to become inactive at the follow-up visit as were HCHS/SOL women who were retired and FHS participants who had lower levels of education and income. Higher depressive symptomology was associated with becoming active only in HCHS/SOL women. Being male and married was associated with becoming inactive in both cohorts. Higher perception of general health and lower perception of pain were associated with remaining active only in FHS adults. Conclusions These findings highlight potentially high-risk groups for targeted MVPA intervention.

A Kerr nonlinear oscillator (KNO) supports a pair of steady eigenstates, coherent states with opposite phases, that are good for the encoding of continuous variable qubit basis states. Arbitrary control of the KNO confined within the steady-state subspace allows extraction of the Berry curvature through the linear response of the physical observable to the quench velocity of the system, providing an effective method for the characterization of topology in the KNO. As an alternative, the control adopting the “shortcut to adiabaticity” to the KNO enables the exploration of the topology through accelerated adiabatic eigenstate evolution to measure all 3 physical observables. Topological transitions are revealed by the jump of the first Chern number, obtained respectively from the integral of the Berry curvature and of the new polar angle relation, over the whole parameter space. Our strategy paves the way for measuring topological transitions in continuous variable systems.

Abstract Background Microalgae are widely considered as multifunctional cell factories that are able to transform the photo-synthetically fixed CO2 to numerous high-value compounds, including lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and pigments. However, contamination of the algal mass culture with fungal parasites continues to threaten the production of algal biomass, which dramatically highlights the importance of developing effective measures to control the fungal infection. One viable solution is to identify potential metabolic pathways that are essential for fungal pathogenicity but are not obligate for algal growth, and to use inhibitors targeting such pathways to restrain the infection. However, such targets remain largely unknown, making it challenging to develop effective measures to mitigate the infection in algal mass culture. Results In the present study, we conducted RNA-Seq analysis for the fungus Paraphysoderma sedebokerense, which can infect the astaxanthin-producing microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. It was found that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) were enriched in P. sedebokerense, which was assumed to produce metabolites required for the fungal parasitism. To verify this hypothesis, antifolate that hampered FOCM was applied to the culture systems. Results showed that when 20 ppm of the antifolate co-trimoxazole were added, the infection ratio decreased to ~ 10% after 9 days inoculation (for the control, the infection ratio was 100% after 5 days inoculation). Moreover, application of co-trimoxazole to H. pluvialis mono-culture showed no obvious differences in the biomass and pigment accumulation compared with the control, suggesting that this is a potentially algae-safe, fungi-targeted treatment. Conclusions This study demonstrated that applying antifolate to H. pluvialis culturing systems can abolish the infection of the fungus P. sedebokerense and the treatment shows no obvious disturbance to the algal culture, suggesting FOCM is a potential target for antifungal drug design in the microalgal mass culture industry.

Abstract Background To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) changes and large for gestational age (LGA) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods A retrospective cohort study including 10,486 women with GDM was conducted. A dose‒response analysis of BMI changes and the occurrence of LGA was performed. Binary logistic regressions were performed to assess crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under the curve (AUCs) were used to assess the ability of BMI changes to predict LGA. Results The probability of LGA increased with increasing BMI. The risk of LGA increased across the BMI change quartiles. The BMI change remained positively associated with the risk of LGAafter stratification analysis. The AUC was 0.570 (95% CI: 0.557 ~ 0.584)in the entire study population, and the best optimal predictive cut-off value was 4.922, with a sensitivity of 0.622 and a specificity of 0.486. The best optimal predictive cut-off value decreased from the underweight group to the overweight and obese group. Conclusions BMI changes are related to the risk of LGA and may be a useful predictor of the incidence of LGA in singleton pregnant women with GDM.

Abstract Introduction This prospective observational study with a control group aimed to compare the plasma levels of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LIPCAR between patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and healthy controls, and to assess the prognostic abilities of LIPCAR for adverse outcomes of patients with ACI at 1-year follow-up. Methods Eighty patients with ACI, of whom 40 had large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and 40 had cardioembolism (CE) and who were hospitalized at Xi'an No. 1 Hospital from July 2019 to June 2020, were selected as the case group. Age- and sex-matched non-stroke patients from the same hospital throughout the same time period were chosen as the control group. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the levels of plasma lncRNA LIPCAR. The correlations of LIPCAR expression among the LAA, CE, and control groups were assessed using Spearman’s correlation analysis. Curve fitting and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the LIPCAR levels and 1-year adverse outcomes of patients with ACI and its subtypes. Results The expression of plasma LIPCAR in the case group was noticeably higher than that of the control group (2.42 ± 1.49 vs. 1.00 ± 0.47, p

Objectives: The coxsackievirus A24 variant (CVA24v) has raised a remarkable concern because of its main etiological role in acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to summarize CVA24v isolated from acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreaks and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in Shandong province, China during 1988-2020. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods based on the VP1 coding region were used to determine the CVA24v origin, spatiotemporal dynamics, and evolution. Also, the positive selection sites in the VP1 gene were identified and exhibited in the tertiary structure. Results: The global CVA24vs were classified into eight genotypes (GⅠ-GⅧ). Here, 12 CVA24v isolates were detected, of which five strains were typed as two novel genotypes (GⅦ and GⅧ) and reported first in the world. The time to the most recent common ancestor of the global CVA24v was estimated around March 1965 and evolved with 5.573 × 10−3 substitutions/site/year. Four residues under positive selection were detected, and residue 146T might be adapted in the CVA24v pandemic. Phylogeographic analysis indicated that China was the main source sink for CVA24v dispersion in a long-lasting global pattern. Conclusion: Our study updated the epidemiological characteristics of CVA24v and enabled a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying different genotypes. The results provided new insights into the CVA24v origin, spatiotemporal dynamics, and possibly, the determinants of viral tropism and pathogenicity.

BackgroundPatients with gynecologic cancers experience side effects of chemotherapy cardiotoxicity. We aimed to quantify cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) markers of myocardial fibrosis in patients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk who undergo chemotherapy.MethodsThis study is part of a registered clinical research. CMR T1 mapping was performed in patients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk undergoing chemotherapy. The results were compared with those of age-matched healthy control subjects.Results68 patients (median age = 50 years) and 30 control subjects were included. The median number of chemotherapy cycles of patients was 9.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 3.3–17.0). Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) (27.2% ± 2.7% vs. 24.5% ± 1.7%, P < 0.001) and global longitudinal strain (−16.2% ± 2.8% vs. −17.4% ± 2.0%, P = 0.040) were higher in patients compared with controls. Patients with higher chemotherapy cycles (>6 cycles) (n=41) had significantly lower intracellular mass indexed (ICMi) compared with both patients with lower chemotherapy cycles (≤6 cycles) (n=27) (median 27.44 g/m2 [IQR 24.03–31.15 g/m2] vs. median 34.30 g/m2 [IQR 29.93–39.79 g/m2]; P = 0.002) and the control group (median 27.44 g/m2 [IQR 24.03–31.15 g/m2] vs. median 32.79 g/m2 [IQR 27.74–35.76 g/m2]; P = 0.002). Patients with two or more chemotherapy regimens had significantly lower ICMi compared with both patients with one chemotherapy regimen (27.45 ± 5.16 g/m2 vs. 33.32 ± 6.42 g/m2; P < 0.001) and the control group (27.45 ± 5.16 g/m2 vs. 33.02 ± 5.52 g/m2; P < 0.001). The number of chemotherapy cycles was associated with an increase in the ECV (Standard regression coefficient [β] = 0.383, P = 0.014) and a decrease in the ICMi (β = -0.349, P = 0.009).ConclusionPatients with gynecologic cancer and low cardiovascular risk who undergo chemotherapy have diffuse extracellular volume expansion, which is obvious with the increase of chemotherapy cycles. Myocyte loss may be part of the mechanism in patients with a higher chemotherapy load.Clinical trial registrationhttp://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR-DDD-17013450.

Ophiopogon japonicus, a plant that thrives in river alluvial dams, often faces waterlogging stress due to sustained rainfall and flood seasons, which significantly impacts its growth and development. Currently, the mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in Ophiopogon japonicus are still unclear. This study analyzed the transcriptome and metabolome data for Ophiopogon japonicus in the Sichuan region (referred to as CMD) under varying degrees of waterlogging stress: mild, moderate, and severe. The results indicate that the group exposed to flooding stress exhibited a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared to the control group. Notably, most DEGs were downregulated and primarily enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. A total of 5151 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified, with significantly upregulated DAMs annotated to two clusters, namely flavonoids such as apiin, pelargonin, and others. Furthermore, our study revealed significant upregulation in the expression of C2H2 (C2H2 zinc finger proteins) and AP2/ERF-ERF (the subfamily ERF proteins of APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding factors) transcription factors in CMD under flooding stress, suggesting their critical roles in enabling CMD to adapt to these conditions. In conclusion, this research provides insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying CMD’s response to flooding stress and reports valuable genetic data for the development of transgenic plants with improved waterlogging tolerance.

Abstract Background In recent years, abnormalities in serum lipids and lipoproteins have been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk. However, their prognostic value for acute type A aortic dissection is unclear. This study analyzed the correlation between triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and in-hospital mortality in patients with AAAD, and aimed to investigate the clinical significance of preoperative blood lipids and lipoproteins on the prognosis of acute type A aortic dissection. Methods A total of 361 patients who underwent type A aortic dissection surgery in Fujian Cardiac Medical Center from June 2018 to March 2020 were retrospectively collected. According to the baseline TG/HDL-C ratio, the patients were divided into 3 groups according to the tertile method, the low TG/HDL-C ratio T1 group ( 1.70). Kaplan–Meier was used for survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used for the diagnostic efficacy. Results Among the 361 patients in this study, the mean age was 52.4 ± 11.3 years, 73 (20.2%) were female, and 82 (22.7%) died in hospital. Kaplan–Meier curve showed that with the increase of TG/HDL-C ratio, the risk of in-hospital death gradually increased (P