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Abstract Background Day surgery has developed rapidly in China in recent years, although it still faces a shortage of anesthesiologists to handle pre-anesthesia routine before surgery. We hypothesized that ChatGPT may assist anesthesia practitioners in preoperative assessment and answer questions on the concerns of patients. The aims of this study were to examine the ability of ChatGPT to assess preoperative risk and determine its accuracy in answering questions regarding knowledge and management of day surgery anesthesia. Methods One-hundred fifty patient profiles were generated to simulate day surgery patient presentations that involved complications of varying acuity and severity. The ChatGPT group and the expert group were both required to evaluate the profiles of 150 simulated patients to determine their ASA-PS classification and whether day surgery was recommended. ChatGPT was then asked to answer 131 questions about day surgery anesthesia that represented the most common issues encountered in clinical practice. The performance of ChatGPT was assessed and graded independently by two experienced anesthesiologists. Results A total of 150 patient profiles were included in the study (75 males [50.0%] and 75 females [50.0%]). There was no difference between the ChatGPT group and the expert group for the ASA-PS classification and assessment of anesthesia risk in the patient profiles (P > 0.05). Regarding recommendation for day surgery in patients with certain comorbidities (ASA ≥ II), the expert group was inclined to require further examination or treatment. In addition, the proportion of conclusions made by ChatGPT was smaller than that of the experts (i.e., ChatGPT n (%) vs. expert n (%): day surgery can be performed, 67 (47.9) vs. 31 (25.4); needs further treatment and evaluation, 56 (37.3) vs. 66 (44.0); and day surgery is not recommended, 18 (12.9) vs. 29 (9.3), P

Drought is one of the consequences of climate change that severely affects plant growth and development. Ophiopogon japonicus (L. f.) Ker-Gawl. (Chinese name: Chuanmaidong, abbreviated as CMD) is a commonly used herbaceous plant whose growth and development are strongly affected by drought. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the transcriptomic and metabolic responses of two CMD varieties (EP and CP) to drought stress. CP utilized a small number of differentially expressed genes to regulate a greater number of differential metabolites compared to EP, suggesting that it may be more drought tolerant. In addition, integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that transcription factors such as WRKY, TIFY, and C2H2 regulate flavonoid synthesis in CMD. These findings provide ideas for in-depth analysis of the mechanism of CMD against drought stress, and provide a theoretical basis for breeding high-quality drought-tolerant varieties.

Intensification of poultry industry has led to a surge in animal product output, but this has also revealed issues with environmental management in poultry houses, particularly the harmful effects of high hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels on poultry health. The study aimed to assess the therapeutic impact of tea tree oil (TTO) on H2S-induced spleen and intestinal injuries in chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old Lohmann Brown chicks were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (CON), the H2S exposure group (AVG), and the TTO treatment group (TTG), with four replicates, each consisting of 20 chicks. The experiment lasted 42 days. Results showed that TTO treatment alleviated tissue damage in the thymus, kidneys, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius, and improved the organ index (P < 0.05) compared with the AVG. Serum analysis revealed that TTO lowered levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), triglycerides(TG), CD3 positive CD4 positive T cells(CD3+CD4+), CD4 positive to CD8 positive Rratio(CD4+/CD8+), and alkaline phosphatase(AKP), while increasing albumin(ALB), globulin(GLO), immunoglobulin A(IgA), and immunoglobulin G(IgG) levels (P < 0.05). Intestinal findings indicated that TTO treatment enhanced villus height, reduced crypt depth, and upregulated the expression of Claudin 1, Occludin, and ZO-1 mRNA in the jejunum (P < 0.05). After TTO treatment, H2S-induced oxidative stress injury and apoptosis protein expression in spleen were improved (P < 0.05). TTO also reduced interferon-γ(INF-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) proteins (P < 0.05), while raising CD3+CD8+ T-cell subsets (P < 0.05). Compared with CON, TTO treatment alleviated serum biochemical disorders and intestinal damage caused by H2S exposure and restored them to normal (P > 0.05). In conclusion, TTO can improve spleen and intestinal function and reduce the effects of H2S on growth performance and health of chickens.

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the use of tea tree oil (TTO) in the treatment of H2S-induced lung injury in chickens, focusing on the detoxification mechanism. H2S can damage the respiratory system and reduce growth performance. TTO can improve immune inflammation and growth performance. The mechanism by which TTO mitigates the harmful effects of H2S on chicken lungs remains unclear. Therefore, the experimental model was established by H2S exposure and TTO addition in drinking water. The 240 one-day-old Roman pink chicks were selected for the experiment. The trial was divided into control group (CON), treatment group (TTG, 0.02 mL/L TTO+H2S) and H2S exposure group (AVG, H2S). There were 4 replicates in each group and the trial lasted for 42 d. The therapeutic effect of TTO on lung injury in chickens were determined by growth performance evaluation, transcription sequencing and network pharmacology analysis. The results showed that in the test's third week, the body weights of the chickens in the CON were higher than those in the AVG and TTG (P < 0.05). Pathological sections showed that TTO alleviated the symptoms of lung inflammation and bleeding caused by ROS. As showed by transcriptional sequencing, the mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes Caspase-9, BAK-1, BCL-2 and BAX were significantly altered (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of inflammation-related genes IL-2, IL-6, and IL-17 were downregulated (P < 0.05). Network pharmacological analysis showed that CA2, CA4, GABRA5 and ADH1C were the key targets of TTO. The TTO treatment significantly altered these targets (P < 0.05). Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding ability between the active component and the targets. This study showed that TTO inhibits H2S-induced oxidative damage to the lungs, thereby improving their health status. This provides a new solution for the prevention of harmful gas in the poultry industry.

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

Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium is a common pathogen that poses a considerable public health threat, contributing to severe gastrointestinal diseases and widespread foodborne illnesses. The virulence of S. Typhimurium is regulated by quorum sensing (QS) and the type III secretion system (T3SS). This study investigated the inhibitory effects and anti-QS activity of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a bioactive ingredient found in green tea, on the virulence of S. Typhimurium. In vitro bacterial experiments demonstrated that EGCG inhibited the production of autoinducers, biofilm formation, and flagellar activity by downregulating the expression of AI-1, AI-2, Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI)-1, SPI-2, and genes related to flagella, fimbriae, and curli fibers. In a mouse model of S. Typhimurium-induced enteritis, EGCG considerably reduced intestinal colonization by S. Typhimurium and alleviated intestinal damage. In conclusion, EGCG protects the intestines of mice infected with S. Typhimurium by inhibiting QS-induced virulence gene expression, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent for controlling S. Typhimurium infections.

Based on previous research, we hypothesized that an SeVI and SeMet combined application at different growth stages could increase the yield and Se concentration and decrease Cd concentration in wheat grains. To verify this hypothesis, we designed a pot experiment throughout the wheat growth period and investigated the effects of SeIV, SeVI, and SeMet applied individually or in combination at different growth stages on yield traits; Cd absorption and transport; and Se content under Cd stress. The results indicated that grain yield was the highest under the SeVI individual application treatment and the SeVI (at the seedling, jointing, and heading stages) and SeMet (at the filling stage) combined application treatment (3 + 1 treatment), showing a more than 42% increase compared with the Cd-only control treatment (CK). Under the 5 mg/kg Cd stress, the grain Cd content in the 3 + 1 treatment was 34.1% lower than that in CK and over 14.1% lower than those in Se individual treatments. Furthermore, grain Se content was the highest under the 3 + 1 treatment, being 160.8%, 99.7%, and 39.5% higher than those in the SeIV, SeVI, and SeMet individual treatments under 5 mg/kg Cd stress. This may be attributed to early SeVI application in the 3 + 1 treatment, which enhanced yield traits and effectively promoted the retention of Cd in the middle and lower organs, reducing its transport to the grains. Furthermore, the SeMet application enhanced Se translocation to the grains, further reducing Cd content and increasing the Se concentration. In conclusion, the combined application of SeVI (at the seedling, jointing, and heading stages) and SeMet (at the filling stage) helped achieve the desired outcomes of high grain yield, low Cd content, and Se enrichment under Cd stress.

High dietary fat food such as mayonnaise (70–80% oil content) can induce obesity and cardiovascular diseases, thus reducing their oil content is required. However, the development of low-fat mayonnaise is still a big challenge since reducing oil content will increase the fluidity, induce phase separation and decrease the stability of mayonnaise. Herein, we provide a novel strategy for developing yolk–casein-based low-fat mayonnaise (30% oil content) with a similar texture to commercial high-fat mayonnaise through post-acidification. Unexpectedly, compared with pre-acid-treated low-fat mayonnaise, the G′ and viscosity of the post-acid-treated low-fat mayonnaise were significantly improved by 77.80% and 90.18%, respectively. The semisolid properties required for low-fat mayonnaise were realized by forming a dense yolk–casein self-assembly network structure. This study provides a novel perspective for constructing edible soft-solid products with low fat intake.

ABSTRACT: A large amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is produced in the process of chicken breeding, which can cause serious inflammation and oxidative damage to the respiratory system of chickens. Tea tree oil (TTO) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. No studies have been reported on the use of TTO in H2S-induced lung injury in chickens. Therefore, in this study, 240 one-day-old Roman pink laying hens were randomly and equally divided into 3 groups: control group (CON), H2S exposure group (AVG, containing H2S), and TTO treatment group (TTG, containing H2S and 0.02 mL/L TTO) to establish an experimental model of TTO treatment with H2S exposure for a period of 42 d. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to detect lung histopathology. Gene expression profiles were analyzed using transcriptomics. The underlying mechanism of the amelioration of lung injury by TTO was further revealed by antioxidant enzyme assays and qRT-PCR. The results showed that H2S exposure induced significant gene expression of CYP450s (CYP1B1 and CYP1C1) (P < 0.05), and caused intense oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation compared with CON. TTO could reduce ROS production and enhance antioxidant capacity (SOD, CAT, T-AOC, and GSH-PX) by regulating the CYP450s/ROS pathway (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the treatment group showed significantly decreased expression of apoptotic (Caspase-8, Caspase-3, Bid and Fas) (P < 0.05) and inflammatory (IL-4, IL-16, NF-κB, TNF-α and IFN-γ) (P < 0.05) factors in the lung. This study revealed that TTO regulated CYP450s/ROS pathway to alleviate H2S-induced lung injury in chickens. These results enrich the theory of the action mechanism of TTO on H2S-exposed chicken lungs and are of great value for the treatment of H2S-exposed animals.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Treg/Th1 imbalance in cadmium-induced lung injury and the potential protective effect of astilbin against cadmium-induced lung injury in chicken. Cadmium exposure significantly decreased T-AOC and GSH-Px levels and SOD activity in the chicken lung tissues. In contrast, it significantly increased the MDA and NO levels. These results indicate that cadmium triggers oxidative stress in lungs. Histopathological analysis revealed that cadmium exposure further induced infiltration of lymphocytes in the chicken lungs, indicating that cadmium causes pulmonary damage. Further analysis revealed that cadmium decreased the expression of IL-4 and IL-10 but increased those of IL-17, Foxp3, TNF-α, and TGF-β, indicating that the exposure of cadmium induced the imbalance of Treg/Th1. Moreover, cadmium adversely affected chicken lung function by activating the NF-kB pathway and inducing expression of genes downstream to these pathways (COX-2, iNOS), associated with inflammatory injury in the lung tissue. Astilbin reduced cadmium-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in the lungs by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities and restoring Treg/Th1 balance. In conclusion, our results suggest that astilbin treatment alleviated the effects of cadmium-mediated lung injury in chickens by restoring the Treg/Th1 balance.

Abstract Background Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition triggered by immune system malfunction. Mitochondrial extracellular vesicles (MitoEVs) are a group of highly heterogeneous extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched in mitochondrial fractions. The objective of this research was to examine the correlation between MitoEVs and the immune microenvironment of periodontitis. Methods Data from MitoCarta 3.0, GeneCards, and GEO databases were utilized to identify differentially expressed MitoEV-related genes (MERGs) and conduct functional enrichment and pathway analyses. The random forest and LASSO algorithms were employed to identify hub MERGs. Infiltration levels of immune cells in periodontitis and healthy groups were estimated using the CIBERSORT algorithm, and phenotypic subgroups of periodontitis based on hub MERG expression levels were explored using a consensus clustering method. Results A total of 44 differentially expressed MERGs were identified. The random forest and LASSO algorithms identified 9 hub MERGs (BCL2L11, GLDC, CYP24A1, COQ2, MTPAP, NIPSNAP3A, FAM162A, MYO19, and NDUFS1). ROC curve analysis showed that the hub gene and logistic regression model presented excellent diagnostic and discriminating abilities. Immune infiltration and consensus clustering analysis indicated that hub MERGs were highly correlated with various types of immune cells, and there were significant differences in immune cells and hub MERGs among different periodontitis subtypes. Conclusion The periodontitis classification model based on MERGs shows excellent performance and can offer novel perspectives into the pathogenesis of periodontitis. The high correlation between MERGs and various immune cells and the significant differences between immune cells and MERGs in different periodontitis subtypes can clarify the regulatory roles of MitoEVs in the immune microenvironment of periodontitis. Future research should focus on elucidating the functional mechanisms of hub MERGs and exploring potential therapeutic interventions based on these findings.

To elucidate the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus, the paper proposes a framework for multifunctional development objectives within the context of CPSs, integrating emergy analysis and the coupled coordination model. The article’s primary focus is on the utilization of blue and green water in the cultivation of a variety of food crops and the acquisition of purchased energy. The paper was evaluated according to three key indicators: stability, development, and sustainability. Furthermore, a quantitative evaluation of the trade-offs among the FEW nexus and its constituent sub-nexuses was conducted over the period from 2000 to 2022. The study revealed that China has witnessed an expansion in its total CPS inputs, with renewable inputs accounting for 32.89% and an average annual input-output ratio of 37.98%. The annual emergy values for food, energy, and water resources were 6.85 × 1023 Sej, 1.43 × 1023 Sej, and 7.91 × 1022 Sej, respectively. The annual growth rates were 2.16%, 2.11%, and 0.77%, respectively. The CPS exhibits an average proportion of green and blue water resources of 64.37% and 35.63%, respectively. The coupling coordination of the FEW nexus demonstrates a transition between years from mild dysfunctional recession to quality coordinated development, with the coordinated use of FEW resources increasing for maize, largely maintained for rice, and decreasing for wheat, soybean, and potato. The objective of this study is to provide differentiated strategies for regional food conservation and sustainable development worldwide.

Carbon intensity, a critical indicator for assessing the efficacy of carbon dioxide emissions reduction, plays a crucial role in achieving the “double carbon” target. Exploring the primary drivers influencing carbon intensity in heavy industry is essential for informed decision-making. Different from the traditional linear models, spatial autoregressive threshold panel (SARTP) model can simultaneously capture the possible existed spatial spillover effect of response and nonlinear threshold effects of regressors. Based on 2005–2020 panel data, we use the SARTP model to investigate the drivers of carbon intensity in heavy industry of China. The empirical results reveal that the carbon intensity in heavy industry has a significant positive spatial spillover effect. Notably, the drivers exhibit distinct characteristics across three regimes (regimes I, II, and III) based on different levels of economic development -- low, median, and high. Concretely, (1) 1% increase of carbon intensity in adjacent provinces results in 0.158% increase in the observing province. (2) There are positive impacts of advanced industrial structure, technological progress and environmental regulation under regime I. However, these impacts turn negative, and their influence strengthens with ascension of economic development level under regimes II and III. (3) The elasticity coefficient of economic development is significantly negative in regimes I and II, while positive in regime III. (4) As economic development levels rise, the positive contributions of energy structure and urbanization to carbon intensity gradually weaken. (5) Energy efficiency has almost the same significant positive marginal contribution to carbon intensity under all three regimes. (6) The openness degree has a noticeable negative effect on carbon intensity under regime II and significantly positive effect under regime III. In light of these findings, local governments are advised to formulate tailored policies and measures according to their economic development levels. Cooperation among regions is emphasized as a crucial strategy to effectively reduce carbon intensity in the heavy industry sector.

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) have attracted significant attention due to their unique biological activities, water solubility, and absorbable properties. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of COS-supplemented diets on the immune response, antioxidative capacity, hematology, serum biochemistry, and modulation of intestinal microbiota in growing beagles. Twelve weaning male beagles (6 weeks old; weighing 3.6 ± 0.6 kg) were fed either a control diet (food without COS, n = 6) or a COS-supplemented diet (n = 6) twice daily for 7 weeks. Blood samples collected at weeks 4 and 7 indicated that hematology and serum biochemistry remained unaffected by COS supplementation. Compared with the control group, the test group showed higher levels of serum antibodies against the canine distemper virus and parvovirus, higher levels of immunoglobulin A, G, and M, and increased activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase. In addition, COS was observed to modulate the intestinal flora by enhancing the presence of probiotics, such as Muribaculaceae, Prevotellaceae_Ga6A1_group, Lactobacillus, Collinsella, Blautia, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. In summary, a COS-supplemented diet could effectively improve dog health by regulating immune function and antioxidant responses and modulating intestinal microbiota. This study highlights the potentiality of using COS as a valuable nutraceutical for growing dogs.

Abstract Background KIAA0586, also known as Talpid3, plays critical roles in primary cilia formation and hedgehog signaling in humans. Variants in KIAA0586 could cause some different ciliopathies, including Joubert syndrome (JBTS), which is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive neurological disorders. Methods and Results A 9-month-old girl was diagnosed as JBTS by the “molar tooth sign” of the mid-brain and global developmental delay. By whole-exome sequencing, we identified a single nucleotide variant c.3303G > A and a 1.38-kb deletion in KIAA0586 in the proband. These two variants of KIAA0586 were consistent with the mode of autosomal recessive inheritance in the family, which was verified using Sanger sequencing. Conclusions This finding of a compound heterozygote with a 1.38-kb deletion and c.3303G > A gave a precise genetic diagnosis for the patient, and the novel 1.38-kb deletion also expanded the pathogenic variation spectrum of JBTS caused by KIAA0586.

Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria play a crucial role in various processes, including mine bioleaching, biodesulfurization, and treatment of sulfur-containing wastewater. Nevertheless, the pathway involved in sulfur oxidation is highly intricate, making it complete comprehension a formidable and protracted undertaking. The mechanisms of sulfur oxidation within the Acidithiobacillus genus, along with the process of energy production, remain areas that necessitate further research and elucidation. In this study, a novel strain of sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus Ameehan, was isolated. Several physiological characteristics of the strain Ameehan were verified and its complete genome sequence was presented in the study. Besides, the first genome-scale metabolic network model (AMEE_WP1377) was reconstructed for Acidithiobacillus Ameehan to gain a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic capacity of the strain.The characteristics of Acidithiobacillus Ameehan included morphological size and an optimal growth temperature range of 37-45°C, as well as an optimal growth pH range of pH 2.0-8.0. The microbe was found to be capable of growth when sulfur and K2O6S4 were supplied as the energy source and electron donor for CO2 fixation. Conversely, it could not utilize Na2S2O3, FeS2, and FeSO4·7H2O as the energy source or electron donor for CO2 fixation, nor could it grow using glucose or yeast extract as a carbon source. Genome annotation revealed that the strain Ameehan possessed a series of sulfur oxidizing genes that enabled it to oxidize elemental sulfur or various reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs). In addition, the bacterium also possessed carbon fixing genes involved in the incomplete Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle. However, the bacterium lacked the ability to oxidize iron and fix nitrogen. By implementing a constraint-based flux analysis to predict cellular growth in the presence of 71 carbon sources, 88.7% agreement with experimental Biolog data was observed. Five sulfur oxidation pathways were discovered through model simulations. The optimal sulfur oxidation pathway had the highest ATP production rate of 14.81 mmol/gDW/h, NADH/NADPH production rate of 5.76 mmol/gDW/h, consumed 1.575 mmol/gDW/h of CO2, and 1.5 mmol/gDW/h of sulfur. Our findings provide a comprehensive outlook on the most effective cellular metabolic pathways implicated in sulfur oxidation within Acidithiobacillus Ameehan. It suggests that the OMP (outer-membrane proteins) and SQR enzymes (sulfide: quinone oxidoreductase) have a significant impact on the energy production efficiency of sulfur oxidation, which could have potential biotechnological applications.

Summary: Long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1) is the only currently known active autonomous transposon in humans, and its retrotransposition may cause deleterious effects on the structure and function of host cell genomes and result in sporadic genetic diseases. Host cells therefore developed defense strategies to restrict LINE-1 mobilization. In this study, we demonstrated that IFN-inducible Schlafen5 (SLFN5) inhibits LINE-1 retrotransposition. Mechanistic studies revealed that SLFN5 interrupts LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP) formation, thus diminishing nuclear entry of the LINE-1 RNA template and subsequent LINE-1 cDNA production. The ability of SLFN5 to bind to LINE-1 RNA and the involvement of the helicase domain of SLFN5 in its inhibitory activity suggest a mechanism that SLFN5 binds to LINE-1 RNA followed by dissociation of ORF1p through its helicase activity, resulting in impaired RNP formation. These data highlight a new mechanism of host cells to restrict LINE-1 mobilization.

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 Three-dimensional (3D) ordered porous carbon is generally believed to be a promising electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing material. However, most research works targeted performance improvement of 3D ordered porous carbon, and the specific attenuation mechanism is still ambiguous. Therefore, in this work, a novel ultra-light egg-derived porous carbon foam (EDCF) structure has been successfully constructed by a simple carbonization combined with the silica microsphere template-etching process. Based on an equivalent substitute strategy, the influence of pore volume and specific surface area on the electromagnetic parameters and EMW absorption properties of the EDCF products was confirmed respectively by adjusting the addition content and diameter of silica microspheres. As a primary attenuation mode, the dielectric loss originates from the comprehensive effect of conduction loss and polarization loss in S-band and C band, and the value is dominated by polarization loss in X band and Ku band, which is obviously greater than that of conduction loss. Furthermore, in all samples, the largest effective absorption bandwidth of EDCF-3 is 7.12 GHz under the thickness of 2.13 mm with the filling content of approximately 5 wt%, covering the whole Ku band. Meanwhile, the EDCF-7 sample with optimized pore volume and specific surface area achieves minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of − 58.08 dB at 16.86 GHz while the thickness is 1.27 mm. The outstanding research results not only provide a novel insight into enhancement of EMW absorption properties but also clarify the dominant dissipation mechanism for the porous carbon-based absorber from the perspective of objective experiments.

Abstract Objective This study described the epidemic characteristics of varicella in Dalian from 2009 to 2019, explored the fitting effect of Grey model first-order one variable( GM(1,1)), Markov model, and GM(1,1)-Markov model on varicella data, and found the best fitting method for this type of data, to better predict the incidence trend. Methods For this Cross-sectional study, this article was completed in 2020, and the data collection is up to 2019. Due to the global epidemic, the infectious disease data of Dalian in 2020 itself does not conform to the normal changes of varicella and is not included. The epidemiological characteristics of varicella from 2009 to 2019 were analyzed by epidemiological descriptive methods. Using the varicella prevalence data from 2009 to 2018, predicted 2019 and compared with actual value. First made GM (1,1) prediction and Markov prediction. Then according to the relative error of the GM (1,1), made GM (1,1)-Markov prediction. Results This study collected 37,223 cases from China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention's “Disease Prevention and Control Information System” and the cumulative population was 73,618,235 from 2009 to 2019. The average annual prevalence was 50.56/100000. Varicella occurred all year round, it had a bimodal distribution. The number of cases had two peaks from April to June and November to January of the following year. The ratio of males to females was 1.17:1. The 4 to 25 accounted for 60.36% of the total population. The age of varicella appeared to shift backward. Students, kindergarten children, scattered children accounted for about 64% of all cases. The GM(1,1) model prediction result of 2019 would be 53.64, the relative error would be 14.42%, the Markov prediction result would be 56.21, the relative error would be 10.33%, and the Gray(1,1)-Markov prediction result would be 59.51. The relative error would be 5.06%. Conclusions Varicella data had its unique development characteristics. The accuracy of GM (1,1)—Markov model is higher than GM(1.1) model and Markov model. The model can be used for prediction and decision guidance.

ObjectiveTo compare the clinical characteristics of Stanford type B aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) and Stanford type B aortic dissection (AD), and to identify the differences between thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and medical management (MM) in the Stanford type B IMH patients.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted in patients treated between January 2015 and December 2016. The clinical characteristics and CT images of patients with type B IMH and type B AD were compared, and the clinical characteristics and CT images of patients in the type B IMH group who were treated with TEVAR and MM were compared.ResultsA total of 176 patients were included in this study, including 62 patients of type B IMH and 114 patients of type B AD. Five patients died in the IMH group and three in the AD group. The proximal hematoma or entry tear in both groups was mainly located in the descending aorta, and the proportion of the iliac artery involved in the AD group was significantly higher than that in the IMH group (31.6% vs. 8.1% P

At the beginning of the 21st century, micro-nano processing technology has developed rapidly, and research on wearable electronic devices has exploded. In particular, flexible thermoelectric materials and thermoelectric generators (TEGs) that have stretchable or foldable properties have been widely studied. Textile-based thermoelectric materials are more suitable for use on the human body than are film or block types of devices, and they are accordingly favoured for wearable smart devices. The design idea of textile thermoelectric materials include the preparation of thermoelectric fibres, textiles, fabric-based films and some novel methods, like using three-dimensional modules to become two-dimensional fabrics by a weaving method, which not to rely something as a base for TE modules. Investigators are thus gaining opportunities to make comfortable and effective fabric TEGs using a wider variety of materials. This article briefly introduces the common methods used to produce textile TEGs. The opportunities and challenges of fabric TEGs are discussed at the end.

Skin diseases are among the most prevalent non-fatal conditions worldwide. The transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) has emerged as a promising approach for treating skin diseases, owing to its numerous advantages such as high bioavailability, low systemic toxicity, and improved patient compliance. However, the effectiveness of the TDDS is hindered by several factors, including the barrier properties of the stratum corneum, the nature of the drug and carrier, and delivery conditions. In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of the TDDS from first-generation to fourth-generation systems, highlighting the characteristics of each carrier in terms of mechanism composition, penetration method, mechanism of action, and recent preclinical studies. We further investigated the significant challenges encountered in the development of the TDDS and the crucial significance of clinical trials.

Abstract Background Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are syndromes of acute respiratory failure with extremely high mortality and few effective treatments. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may reportedly contribute to tissue repair in ALI and ARDS. However, applications of MSCs have been restricted due to safety considerations and limitations in terms of large-scale production and industrial delivery. Alternatively, the MSC secretome has been considered promising for use in therapeutic approaches and has been advanced in pre-clinical and clinical trials. Furthermore, the MSC secretome can be freeze-dried into a stable and ready-to-use supernatant lyophilized powder (SLP) form. Currently, there are no studies on the role of MSC SLP in ALI. Methods Intratracheal bleomycin was used to induce ALI in mice, and intratracheal MSC SLP was administered as a treatment. Histopathological assessment was performed by hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. Apoptosis, inflammatory infiltration, immunological cell counts, cytokine levels, and mRNA- and protein-expression levels of relevant targets were measured by performing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assays, determining total cell and protein levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, flow cytometry, multiple cytokine-detection techniques, and reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. Results We found that intratracheal MSC SLP considerably promoted cell survival, inhibited epithelial cell apoptosis, attenuated inflammatory cell recruitment, and reversed immunological imbalances induced by bleomycin. MSC SLP inhibited the interleukin 6–phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway to activate tumor protein 63–jagged 2 signaling in basal cells, suppress T helper 17 cell differentiation, promote p63+ cell proliferation and lung damage repair, and attenuate inflammatory responses. Conclusions MSC SLP ameliorated ALI by activating p63 and promoting p63+ cell proliferation and the repair of damaged epithelial cells. The findings of this study also shed insight into ALI pathogenesis and imply that MSC SLP shows considerable therapeutic promise for treating ALI and ARDS.

Recent studies have shown that haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation supported by third-party cord blood (haplo-cord-HSCT) results in rapid hematopoietic recovery, low incidences of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and relapse of hematologic malignancies. However, few reports on haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation supported by third-party cord blood (haplo-cord-PBSCT) have been published. To evaluate the outcomes of patients who underwent haplo-cord-PBSCT or human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling donor peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (MSD-PBSCT), we retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients with hematologic malignancies who underwent haplo-cord-PBSCT (n = 93) or MSD-PBSCT (n = 72) in our hospital from March 2017 to December 2020. In the haplo-cord-PBSCT and MSD-PBSCT groups, the median time for neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 13 vs. 12 days (p = 0.07) and 16 vs. 13 days (p = 0.06), respectively. The 30-day cumulative incidences of neutrophil engraftment were 100.0% and 98.6% (p = 0.12). The 100-day cumulative incidences of platelet engraftment were 96.8% and 98.6% (p = 0.01). The 100-day cumulative incidences of grade II–IV and grade III–IV acute GVHD were 29.1% vs. 23.6% (p = 0.42) and 9.7% vs. 4.2% (p = 0.18). The cumulative incidences of total and moderate/severe chronic GVHD at 1 year were 26.5% vs. 17.4% and 8.1% vs. 4.5%, respectively, and at 3 years were 34.7% vs. 34.3% (p = 0.60) and 13.6% vs. 10.6% (p = 0.49), respectively. The cumulative incidences of relapse at 1 year were 9.3% and 7.2% and at 3 years were 17.0% and 17.0% (p = 0.98). Non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 1 year was 14.6% and 8.6% and at 3 years was 17.4% and 8.6% (p = 0.13) in two groups. The probabilities of overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and GVHD-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) at 1 year were 81.7% vs. 88.6%, 76.1% vs. 84.2%, and 71.7% vs. 79.7%, respectively, and at 3 years were 78.7% vs. 79.0%, 65.6% vs. 74.4%, and 55.5% vs. 63.6%, respectively, in the corresponding group, p > 0.05. In conclusion, for patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (AML/MDS) and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), haplo-cord-PBSCT results in similar outcomes compared with MSD-PBSCT, and it may be a valid alternative transplantation method.

PurposeThis study examined the methodological quality of radiomics to predict the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We performed a meta-analysis of radiomics studies evaluating the bias risk and treatment response estimation.MethodsOur study was conducted through a literature review as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We included radiomics-related papers, published prior to January 31, 2022, in our analysis to examine the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in NPC. The methodological quality was assessed using the radiomics quality score. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was employed to evaluate inter-reader reproducibility. The pooled area under the curve (AUC), pooled sensitivity, and pooled specificity were used to assess the ability of radiomics to predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in NPC. Lastly, the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies technique was used to analyze the bias risk.ResultsA total of 12 studies were eligible for our systematic review, and 6 papers were included in our meta-analysis. The radiomics quality score was set from 7 to 21 (maximum score: 36). There was satisfactory ICC (ICC = 0.987, 95% CI: 0.957–0.996). The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.71–0.95) and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.68–0.91), respectively. The overall AUC was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88–0.93).ConclusionPrediction response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in NPC using machine learning and radiomics is beneficial in improving standardization and methodological quality before applying it to clinical practice.

Studies have shown that the cholesterol-lowering medicine statins alter the gut microbiome, induce chronic metabolic inflammation, and disrupt glycemic homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether effects of atorvastatin (Ator) on gut microbiome and metabolic inflammation could be causally correlated. Mice at 8-week age were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD with Ator (HFD+Ator) for 16 weeks. 16S rRNA sequencing of stool and RNA sequencing of colon tissue were employed to analyze the intestinal alterations that could be induced by Ator. A human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco2) was used for in vitro experiments on barrier function. Compared to HFD, HFD+Ator induced more weight gain, impaired glucose tolerance, and led to gut microbiota dysbiosis, such as suppressing Akkermansia muciniphila in mice. The expressions of tight junction (TJ) proteins were attenuated in the colon, and the serum LPS-binding-protein (LBP) level was elevated in HFD+Ator mice, so as to transcriptionally activate the intestinal nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Consistently, Ator impaired the barrier function of Caco2, and treatment of supernatant of A. Muciniphila culture could decrease the intestinal permeability and recover the attenuated expression of TJ proteins induced by Ator. In conclusion, long-term use of Ator with HFD may alter gut microbiota, induce intestinal barrier dysfunction, and hence promote chronic inflammation that contributes to disrupted glycemic homeostasis.

Dietary pattern is quite distinct among the inhabitants of high-altitude areas because of environmental and geographical uniqueness; hence, it is important to investigate this data as accurately as possible. However, very few data are related to these populations up to now. Based on the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) used in the Chinese population, a revised Tibetan edition was developed with respect to the lifestyle in high-altitude areas. After assessment of validity and reproducibility, a nutrition intake survey was conducted among 1,071 randomly sampled Tibetan people. In addition, the Bland–Altman approach was used to compare the agreement between the two dietary tools. For the reproducibility analysis, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to examine the agreement of food groups and nutrients from the two FFQs (FFQ1 and FFQ2). Nutrient intake was calculated using food composition tables. For the validity analysis, Pearson's correlation of food groups intakes varied from 0.22 to 0.91 (unadjusted). The correlations of nutrients ranged from 0.24 to 0.76 (unadjusted). In the analysis of reliability, the ICC of food groups varied from 0.27 to 0.70 (unadjusted). The ICC of nutrient intakes ranged from 0.22 to 0.87 (unadjusted). The results of nutritional analysis showed that ~25% of foods consumed frequently were traditional Tibetan foods. However, traditional Han foods were frequently consumed. In addition, the energy, iron, and protein intakes for male or female subjects were close to the Chinese Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake (Chinese DRIs); however, fat and sodium intakes were significantly higher than the Chinese DRIs. Interestingly, lower intakes of other types of nutrition, such as vitamin C were detected in people living in high-altitude areas. Our data indicated that excess consumption of fat and sodium and insufficient intake of vitamin C were common among Tibetan people, as compared with the most Chinese people living in the plateau areas. More investigations are needed to reveal the association between the food intake style and high-altitude endemic diseases.

Systematically researching the association of the turbulentflow in cyclone with the particle revolution and high-speed self-rotation may provide new insights for improving the separation performance and expanding the application of cyclones. In this study, the effect of cyclone structural parameters and inlet gas velocity on the continuous phase flow field as well as the revolution and high-speed self-rotation of the dispersed phase particles. It was observed that the particle self-rotation speed increases with the increase of cylinder-to-cone ratio, the decrease of the cone angle, and the increase of the inlet gas velocity. With the cylinder-to-cone ratio, i=1, half-cone angle, α=4.7° and the inlet gas velocity of 20 m/s, the average particle self-rotation speed was determined to be 7124 rad/s. Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the cyclone structure and inlet gas velocity remarkably affected the velocity of the flow field, vorticity, pressure drop and residence time of revolution movement of particles within the cyclone. This study can provide theoretical fundamental for the industrial applications of cyclone in chemical engineering and environmental engineering related to the separation of pollutants on the surface of particles and in pores.

As a highly eutrophic area, Shenzhen Bay in southern China has accumulated plant dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphate (PO43--P), resulting in various environmental problems. The nutrient loading was calculated to classify runoff patterns of the bay and provide possible management solutions. However, previous studies have shown that external loading alone cannot explain the source of nutrition in Shenzhen Bay. In our study, for the first time, we proved quantitatively that internal nutrient loading was the main contributor of the total input fluxes of dissolved DIN and PO43--P in Shenzhen Bay using the LOICZ (land–ocean interactions in the coastal zone) model. Our results showed that the internal loading supplied 65 and 69% of total input fluxes of dissolved DIN and PO43--P, which were c. 4.0 × 106 and 0.3 × 106 mol/d, respectively. The estimated nutrient input flux from terrigenous loading were c. 1.38 × 106 and 0.1 × 106 mol/d of DIN and PO43--P, respectively. Notably, the internal loading from sediment resuspension supplied c. 3.5–15.7 × 106 and 0.5–1.9 × 106 mol/d of particle nitrogen and bioavailable phosphate to Shenzhen Bay, respectively. Moreover, 51 and 62% of DIN and PO43--P were exported through water exchange and residual flows from Shenzhen Bay into the Pearl River. These results demonstrate that internal loading dynamics and nutrient losses to the Pearl River jointly influence the eutrophication process in Shenzhen Bay.

Abstract Background Joubert syndrome (JBTS) is a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by midbrain‐hindbrain malformations. Multiple variants in genes that affect ciliary function contribute to the genetic and clinical heterogeneity of JBTS and its subtypes. However, the correlation between genotype and phenotype has not been elucidated due to the limited number of patients available. Methods In this study, we observed different clinical features in two siblings from the same family. The older sibling was classified as a pure JBTS patient, whereas her younger sibling displayed oral‐facial‐digital defects and was therefore classified as an oral‐facial‐digital syndrome type VI (OFD VI) patient. Next, we performed human genetic tests to identify the potential pathogenic variants in the two siblings. Results Genetic sequencing indicated that both siblings harbored compound heterozygous variants of a missense variant (c.1067C>T, p.S356F) and a frameshift variant (c.8377_8378del, p.E2793Lfs*24) in CPLANE1 (NM_023073.3). Conclusion This study reports that two novel CPLANE1 variants are associated with the occurrence of JBTS and OFD VI. These results help elucidate the intrafamilial phenotypic variability associated with CPLANE1 variants.

Chiral vicinal diamines, a unique class of optically-active building blocks, play a crucial role in material design, pharmaceutical, and catalysis. Traditionally, their syntheses are all solvent-based approaches, which make organic solvent an indispensable part of their production. As part of our program aiming to develop chemical processes with reduced carbon footprints, we recently reported a highly practical and environmentally-friendly synthetic route to chiral vicinal diamines by solvent-free mechanochemical diaza-Cope rearrangement. We herein showed that a new protocol by co-milling with common laboratory solid additives, such as silica gel, can significantly enhance the efficiency of the reaction, compared to reactions in the absence of additives. One possible explanation is the Lewis acidic nature of additives that accelerates a key Schiff base formation step. Reaction monitoring experiments tracing all the reaction species, including reactants, intermediates, and product, suggested that the reaction profile is distinctly different from ball-milling reactions without additives. Collectively, this work demonstrated that additive effect is a powerful tool to manipulate a reaction pathway in mechanochemical diazo-Cope rearrangement pathway, and this is expected to find broad interest in organic synthesis using mechanical force as an energy input.

In this paper, we propose a state-varying endogenous regime switching model (the SERS model), which includes the endogenous regime switching model by Chang et al., the CCP model, as a special case. To estimate the unknown parameters in the SERS model, we propose a maximum likelihood estimation method. Monte Carlo simulation results show that in the absence of state-varying endogeneity, the SERS model and the CCP model perform similarly, while in the presence of state-varying endogeneity, the SERS model performs much better than the CCP model. Finally, we use the SERS model to analyze Chinese stock market returns, and our empirical results show that there exists strongly state-varying endogeneity in volatility switching for the Shanghai Composite Index returns. Moreover, the SERS model can indeed produce a much more realistic assessment for the regime switching process than the one obtained by the CCP model. Keywords: Regime switching models, Latent factor, State-varying endogeneity, Maximum likelihood estimation, Markov chain

Non-functional pituitary adenoma (NFPA) seriously affects hypothanamus-pituitary-target organ axis system, with a series of molecule alterations in the multiple levels of genome, transcriptome, proteome, and post-translational modifications, and those molecules mutually interact in a molecular-network system. Meta analysis coupled with IPA pathway-network program was used to comprehensively analyze nine sets of documented NFPA omics data, including NFPA quantitative transcriptomics data [280 differentially expressed genes (DEGs)], NFPA quantitative proteomics data [50 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs)], NFPA mapping protein data (218 proteins), NFPA mapping protein nitration data (9 nitroproteins and 3 non-nitrated proteins), invasive NFPA quantitative transriptomics data (346 DEGs), invasive NFPA quantitative proteomics data (57 DEPs), control mapping protein data (1469 proteins), control mapping protein nitration data (8 nitroproteins), and control mapping phosphorylation data (28 phosphoproteins). A total of 62 molecular-networks with 861 hub-molecules and 519 canonical-pathways including 54 cancer-related canonical pathways were revealed. A total of 42 hub-molecule panels and 9 canonical-pathway panels were identified to significantly associate with tumorigenesis. Four important molecular-network systems, including PI3K/AKT, mTOR, Wnt, and ERK/MAPK pathway-systems, were confirmed in NFPAs by PTMScan experiments with altered expression-patterns and phosphorylations. Nineteen high-frequency hub-molecules were also validated in NFPAs with PTMScan experiment with at least 2.5-fold changes in expression or phosphorylation, including ERK, ERK1/2, Jnk, MAPK, Mek, p38 MAPK, AKT, PI3K complex, p85, PKC, FAK, Rac, Shc, HSP90, NFκB Complex, histone H3, AP1, calmodulin, and PLC. Furthermore, mTOR and Wnt pathway-systems were confirmed in NFPAs by immunoaffinity Western blot analysis, with significantly decreased expression of PRAS40 and increased phosphorylation levels of p-PRAS40 (Thr246) in mTOR pathway in NFPAs compared to controls, and with the decreased protein expressions of GSK-3β and GSK-3β, significantly increased phosphorylation levels of p-GSK3α (Ser21) and p-GSK3β (Ser9), and increased expression level of β-catenin in Wnt pathway in NFPAs compared to controls. Those findings provided a comphrensive and large-scale pathway network data for NFPAs, and offer the scientific evidence for insights into the accurate molecular mechanisms of NFPA and discovery of the effective biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and determination of therapeutic targets.

Background: Non-functional pituitary adenoma (NFPA) is a common tumor that occurs in the pituitary gland, and generally without any symptoms at its early stage and without clinical elevation of hormones, which is commonly diagnosed when it grows up to compress its surrounding tissues and organs. Currently, the pathogenesis of NFPA has not been clarified yet. It is necessary to investigate molecular alterations in NFPA, and identify reliable biomarkers and drug therapeutic targets for effective treatments.Methods: Tandem mass tags (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics was used to identify and quantify proteins in NFPAs. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were used to analyze the identified proteins. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between NFPA and control tissues were obtained from GEO datasets. These two sets of protein and gene data were analyzed to obtain overlapped molecules (genes; proteins), followed by further GO and KEGG pathway analyses of these overlapped molecules, and molecular network analysis to obtain the hub molecules with Cytoscape. Two hub molecules (SRC and AKT1) were verified with Western blotting.Results: Totally 6076 proteins in NFPA tissues were identified, and 3598 DEGs between NFPA and control tissues were identified from GEO database. Overlapping analysis of 6076 proteins and 3598 DEGs obtained 1088 overlapped molecules (DEGs; proteins). KEGG pathway analysis of 6076 proteins obtained 114 statistically significant pathways, including endocytosis, and spliceosome signaling pathways. KEGG pathway analysis of 1088 overlapped molecules obtained 52 statistically significant pathways, including focal adhesion, cGMP-PKG pathway, and platelet activation signaling pathways. These pathways play important roles in cell energy supply, adhesion, and maintenance of the tumor microenvironment. According to the association degree in Cytoscape, ten hub molecules (DEGs; proteins) were identified, including GAPDH, ALB, ACACA, SRC, ENO2, CALM1, POTEE, HSPA8, DECR1, and AKT1. Western-blotting analysis confirmed the upregulated expressions of SRC and PTMScan experiment confirmed the increased levels of pAKT1, in NFPAs compared to controls.Conclusions: This study established the large-scale quantitative protein profiling of NFPA tissue proteome. It offers a basis for subsequent in-depth proteomics analysis of NFPAs, and insight into the molecular mechanism of NFPAs. It also provided the basic data to discover reliable biomarkers and therapeutic targets for NFPA patients.

A modified electrospinning (MES), which consists of a copper mesh collector and an air pump placed behind it, was presented to fabricate nanofiber membranes (NFMs) with controllable large pore sizes by adjusting the MES parameters, such as copper mesh size, air velocity, applied voltage, flow rate and collecting distance. The controllable preparation mechanism of NFMs with large pore sizes was systematically investigated by experimental research and theoretical analysis. And the effects of the copper mesh grid dimensions, air velocity, applied voltage, flow rate and collecting distance on the pore sizes of NFMs were demonstrated. The results showed that NFMs with large pores produced successfully by the MES, and the pore sizes were all micrometer scale. And the optimal average pore size reached 14.45 μm2 at the grid size of copper mesh of 4 mm×4 mm, the air velocity of 5 m/s, the applied voltage of 12 kV, the flow rate of 1.0 mL/h and the collecting distance of 18 cm. Keywords: Nanostructures, Polymers, Thin films, Electron microscopy, Theoretical model

Foam-assisted steam flooding is a promising technique to alleviate gas channeling and enhance sweep efficiency in heterogeneous heavy-oil reservoirs. However, long-term foam stabilization remains problematic at high temperatures. Three-phase foam (TPF), containing dispersed solid particles, has been proposed to improve foam stability under harsh reservoir conditions. We fabricated a novel TPF system by adding ultrafine fly ash particles, as well as high-temperature resistant microspheres with an adhesive coating layer. This work aims at assessing the ability of the generated TPF in controlling steam channeling and enhancing oil recovery. Static and core flood tests were performed to evaluate foam strength and stability. Our results suggested a stronger foamability at a lower consolidation agent concentration, while a longer half-life period of foam and settling time of solid particles at a larger consolidation agent concentration were observed. Bubbles suspended independently in the liquid phase, with sizes varying from 10 to 100 μm, smaller than that of the conventional foam, suggesting a significant enhancement of foam dispersity and stability. The plugging rate was close to 90% when the temperature was as high as 300 °C, demonstrating a well-accepted plugging effect under high temperatures. A larger pore volume injection of TPF yielded a higher EOR in parallel cores, which substantiated the effectiveness of the three-phase foam system in sealing high-permeability channels.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been widely used in traceability of food-borne outbreaks nowadays. Here, an interesting connection between Cronobacter sakazakii and food-borne acute gastroenteritis (AGE) was noticed. In October 2016, an AGE outbreak affecting 156 cases occurred in a local senior high school. Case-control study including 70 case-patients and 295 controls indicated a strong association between eating supper at school canteen of the outbreak onset and AGE, as revealed by the Odds Ratio (OR: 95.32). Six recovered Cronobacter strains were evaluated and compared using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and WGS. A phylogenetic tree of whole genomic single nucleotide polymorphisms (wgSNPs) were generated to traceback the potential contamination source in this outbreak. C. sakazakii isolates S2 from a patient’s rectal swab and S4 from leftover food sample shared identical PFGE pattern and sequence type (ST73), and clustered tightly together in the SNP phylogenetic tree. C. sakazakii isolates S5 and S6 from food delivery containers were both ST4 but with different PFGE patterns. Cronobacter isolates S1 and S3 from two patients’ rectal swab were sequenced to be C. malonaticus and shared another PFGE pattern (ST567). The interesting feature of this study was the implication of C. sakazakii as a causative agent in food-borne AGE occurring in healthy adults, although C. sakazakii is considered as an opportunistic pathogen and generally affects neonates, infants and immunocompromised adults.

Human prolactin (hPRL) plays multiple roles in growth, metabolism, development, reproduction, and immunoregulation, which is an important protein synthesized in a pituitary. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) is an effective method in identity of protein variants for in-depth insight into functions of that protein. 2DE, 2DE-based PRL-immunoblot, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics were used to analyze hPRL variants in human normal (control; n = 8) pituitaries and in five subtypes of pituitary adenomas [NF− (n = 3)-, FSH+ (n = 3)-, LH+ (n = 3)-, FSH+/LH+ (n = 3)-, and PRL+ (n = 3)-adenomas]. Six hPRL variants were identified with different isoelectric point (pI)-relative molecular mass (Mr) distribution on a 2DE pattern, including variants V1 (pI 6.1; 26.0 kDa), V2 (pI 6.3; 26.4 kDa), V3 (pI 6.3; 27.9 kDa), V4 (pI 6.5; 26.1 kDa), V5 (pI 6.8; 25.9 kDa), and V6 (pI 6.7; 25.9 kDa). Compared to controls, except for variants V2-V6 in PRL-adenomas, V2 in FSH+-adenomas, and V3 in NF−-adenomas, the other PRL variants were significantly downregulated in each subtype of pituitary adenomas. Moreover, the pattern of those six PRL variants was significantly different among five subtypes of pituitary adenomas relative to control pituitaries. Different hPRL variants might be involved in different types of PRL receptor-signaling pathways in a given condition. Those findings clearly revealed the existence of six hPRL variants in human pituitaries, and the pattern changes of six hPRL variants among different subtypes of pituitary adenomas, which provide novel clues to further study the functions, and mechanisms of action, of hPRL in human pituitary and in PRL-related diseases, and the potential clinical value in pituitary adenomas.

Currently there are a dozen or so of new vaccine candidates in clinical trials for prevention of tuberculosis (TB) and each formulation attempts to elicit protection by enhancement of cell-mediated immunity (CMI). In contrast, most approved vaccines against other bacterial pathogens are believed to mediate protection by eliciting antibody responses. However, it has been difficult to apply this formula to TB because of the difficulty in reliably eliciting protective antibodies. Here, we developed capsular polysaccharide conjugates by linking mycobacterial capsular arabinomannan (AM) to either Mtb Ag85b or B. anthracis protective antigen (PA). Further, we studied their immunogenicity by ELISA and AM glycan microarrays and protection efficacy in mice. Immunization with either Abg85b-AM or PA-AM conjugates elicited an AM-specific antibody response in mice. AM binding antibodies stimulated transcriptional changes in Mtb. Sera from AM conjugate immunized mice reacted against a broad spectrum of AM structural variants and specifically recognized arabinan fragments. Conjugate vaccine immunized mice infected with Mtb had lower bacterial numbers in lungs and spleen, and lived longer than control mice. These findings provide additional evidence that humoral immunity can contribute to protection against Mtb.

In this work, several metal oxides and zinc salts were used to catalyze propylene carbonate (PC) synthesis from urea and propylene glycol (PG). According to the results of catalytic test and characterization, the catalytic pattern of ZnO was different from that of other metal oxides such as CaO, MgO and La2O3, but similar to that of zinc salts. In fact, the leaching of Zn species took place during reaction for ZnO. And ZnO was found to be the precursor of homogenous catalyst for reaction of urea and PG. Thus, the relationship between the amount of dissolved zinc species and the catalytic performance of employed ZnO was revealed. In addition, a possible reaction mechanism over ZnO was discussed based on the catalytic runs and the characterization of XRD, FTIR, and element analysis.

Aim: To explore the potential mechanism of the synergetic effect of α-lipoic acid with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) on protecting alveolar epithelial type II cells (ATIICs) from hyperoxia-induced injury. Methods: Primary culture of ATIICs from the Sprague-Dawley rat fetuses was examined under room air and 95% of O2. Various KGF concentrations (0 to 100 ng/mL) and 0.5 mM of α-lipoic were added into the cell culture. Levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species, necrosis, and proliferation of ATIICs were measured using flow cytometry, ELISA, and MTT assays, respectively. RT-PCR was performed to detect KGFR mRNA expression. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of KGFR, phospho-p53, HDAC1, and acetylated H3 and H4. Results: KGF promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of ATIICs in room air or under temporary exposure to hyperoxia. However, the resistance of ATIICs to KGF was observed after prolonged exposure. Further investigation demonstrated that down-regulation of KGF receptor via activation of p53 and recruitment of HDAC1 induced by oxidative stress contributed to KGF resistance. This resistance could be attenuated by α-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant. Conclusion: Application of KGF combined with α-lipoic acid could inhibit KGF resistance to provide maximum protection to ATIICs from hyperoxic injury.

This study aimed to investigate whether the anti-tumor effect of gemcitabine (GEM) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment was affected by Danggui Buxue decoction (DBD), and explore the potential mechanisms. The combined use of GEM and DBD showed an enhanced tumor growth inhibition effect in a murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) model. LC-MS/MS results showed that the pharmacokinetic behaviors of a GEM active metabolite, gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP), were found to be altered remarkably in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of DBD co-administration rats. In addition, after co-administration of DBD with GEM, Western Blot and qPCR results confirmed that the expression of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) in tumor tissues of LLC-bearing mice were markedly increased. DBD co-administration also reversed the upregulation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in tumor tissues induced by GEM. Moreover, DBD could notably up-regulate the IL-12p70 and GM-CSF expression in mice serum, suggesting potential immunomodulatory activities in tumor-bearing mice. Meanwhile, DBD inhibited the P-gp efflux activity in A549 cells. Therefore, the regulation of dCK and P-gp played important roles in the alternation of GEM pharmacokinetics and the enhancement of the anti-tumor effect of GEM. DBD being a potential dCK promoter could work as an adjuvant agent to boost the anticancer effect of GEM.

Hyperbilirubinemia is a common cause for irreversible neuronal influence in the brain of term newborns, while the feature of neurological symptoms associated with hyperbilirubinemia has not been well characterized yet. In the present study, we examined a total of 203 neonates suffering from hyperbilirubinemia with a bedside amplitude-integrated Electroencephalography (aEEG) device, in order to determine whether there is any special change in sleep-wake cycles (SWCs). Among these patients, 14 cases showed no recognizable SWCs with the total serum bilirubin (TSB) level at 483.9-996.2 μmol/L; 75 cases exhibited reduced SWCs with the TSB level at 311.2-688.5 μmol/L; and the rest cases had the normal SWCs. The number of the normal SWCs occurrence had a significant negative correlation with the increased TSB level in a non-linear manner (r = -0.689, p

The majority of previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated both structural and task-related functional abnormalities in adolescents with online gaming addiction (OGA). However, few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies focused on the regional intensity of spontaneous fluctuations in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) during the resting state and fewer studies investigated the relationship between the abnormal resting-state properties and the impaired cognitive control ability. In the present study, we employed the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method to explore the local features of spontaneous brain activity in adolescents with OGA and healthy controls during resting-state. Eighteen adolescents with OGA and 18 age-, education- and gender-matched healthy volunteers participated in this study. Compared with healthy controls, adolescents with OGA showed a significant increase in ALFF values in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the left precuneus, the left supplementary motor area (SMA), the right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) and the bilateral middle cingulate cortex (MCC). The abnormalities of these regions were also detected in previous addiction studies. More importantly, we found that ALFF values of the left medial OFC and left precuneus were positively correlated with the duration of OGA in adolescents with OGA. The ALFF values of the left medial OFC were also correlated with the color-word Stroop test performance. Our results suggested that the abnormal spontaneous neuronal activity of these regions may be implicated in the underlying pathophysiology of OGA.