Search

To explore the application value of SAA (serum amyloid A), CRP (C reactive protein), PCT (procalcitonin), WBC (white blood cell) and N% (neutrophil %) in the diagnosis of neonatal septicemia. This study was a retrospective study. 173 children with clinically diagnosed septicemia and 66 children with definitely diagnosed septicemia admitted to the Department of Neonatology, the Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China,from January 2022 to January 2024 were selected as the case group, and 148 children with neonatal jaundice who were hospitalized during the same period were selected as the control group. Fasting venous blood was collected within 24 hours after the children's admission to detect the levels of serum WBC, N%, SAA, CRP and PCT. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare the general data and inflammatory index levels of the three groups of children. The correlation analysis between SAA and other inflammatory indicators was conducted using Spearman correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the diagnostic efficacy of different inflammatory indicators for patients with definitely diagnosed septicemia and those with clinically diagnosed septicemia, and for those with clinically diagnosed septicemia and those without infection. The results showed that the levels of WBC [(16.88±5.64)×10 9 /L], N% [70.00 (63.00, 75.00)], PCT [2.22 (1.20, 5.55) mg/L], CRP [3.00 (0.50, 10.30) mg/L], SAA [19.70 (10.82, 49.90) mg/L] in the clinically diagnosed septicemia group and WBC [(16.10±7.48)×10 9 /L], N% [73.50 (61.50, 80.93)], PCT [5.35 (0.69, 20.07) mg/L], CRP [15.52 (4.98, 30.50) mg/L], SAA [43.95 (14.00, 175.98) mg/L] in the definitely diagnosed septicemia group were all higher than those in the control group (11.17±3.38)×10 9 /L, 49.81 (36.93, 62.75), 0.20 (0.07, 0.99) mg/L, 0.54 (0.20, 1.40) mg/L, 5.15 (3.60, 8.68) mg/L, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P< 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the level of SAA was positively correlated with WBC, N%, PCT and CRP ( r s =0.453, 0.540, 0.343, 0.550, all P <0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve(AUC) of SAA for the definitely diagnosed septicemia group and the clinically diagnosed septicemia group was higher than that of other inflammatory indicators, among them, the AUC of SAA for diagnosing the definitely diagnosed neonatal septicemia group was 0.933 (95% CI : 0.809-1.000, P <0.05), with a sensitivity of 92.90% and a specificity of 99.30%. The AUC of SAA for diagnosing the clinically diagnosed septicemia group was 0.861 (95% CI : 0.818-0.904, P <0.05), with a sensitivity of 83.20% and a specificity of 81.80%. In conclusion, compared with CRP, PCT, WBC and N%, SAA has higher sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing neonatal septicemia (including definitely diagnosed septicemia and clinically diagnosed septicemia), and has certain auxiliary diagnostic value for neonatal septicemia.

Rationale and Objectives: To develop a radiomics model with enhanced diagnostic performance, reduced unnecessary fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) rate, and improved clinical net benefit for thyroid nodules., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 217 thyroid nodules. Lesions were divided into training (n = 152) and verification (n = 65) cohorts. Three radiomics scores were derived from B-mode ultrasound (B-US) and strain elastography (SE) images, alone and in combination. A radiomics nomogram was constructed by combining high-frequency ultrasonic features and the best-performing radiomics score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), unnecessary FNA rate, and decision curve analysis (DCA) results for the nomogram were compared to those obtained with the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) score and the combined TI-RADS+SE+ contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) advanced clinical score., Results: The three radiomics scores (B-US, SE, B-US+SE) achieved training AUCs of 0.753 (0.668-0.825), 0.761 (0.674-0.838), and 0.795 (0.715-0.871), and validation AUCs of 0.732 (0.579-0.867), 0.753 (0.609-0.892), and 0.752 (0.592-0.899) respectively. The AUC of the nomogram for the entire patient cohort was 0.909 (0.864-0.954), which was higher than that of the ACR TI-RADS score (P < 0.001) and equivalent to the TI-RADS+SE+CEUS score (P = 0.753). Similarly, the unnecessary FNA rate of the radiomics nomogram was significantly lower than that of the ACR TI-RADS score (P = 0.007) and equivalent to the TI-RADS+SE+CEUS score (P = 0.457). DCA also showed that the radiomics nomogram brought more net clinical benefit than the ACR TI-RADS score but was similar to that of the TI-RADS+SE+CEUS score., Conclusion: The radiomics nomogram developed in this study can be used as an objective, accurate, cost-effective, and noninvasive method for the characterization of thyroid nodules., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: Obesity-induced kidney injury contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Here, we identified the functions of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 19 (USP19) in HK-2 cells exposed to a combination of high glucose (HG) and free fatty acid (FFA) and determined its association with TGF-beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)., Methods: HK-2 cells were exposed to a combination of HG and FFA. USP19 mRNA expression was detected by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), and protein analysis was performed by immunoblotting (IB). Cell growth was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) viability and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) proliferation assays. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. The USP19/TAK1 interaction and ubiquitinated TAK1 levels were assayed by coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays and IB., Results: In HG+FFA-challenged HK-2 cells, USP19 was highly expressed. USP19 knockdown attenuated HG+FFA-triggered growth inhibition and apoptosis promotion in HK-2 cells. Moreover, USP19 knockdown alleviated HG+FFA-mediated PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin pathway inactivation and increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HK-2 cells. Mechanistically, USP19 stabilized the TAK1 protein through deubiquitination. Importantly, increased TAK1 expression reversed the USP19 knockdown-mediated phenotypic changes and PINK1/Parkin pathway activation in HG+FFA-challenged HK-2 cells., Conclusion: The findings revealed that USP19 plays a crucial role in promoting HK-2 cell dysfunction induced by combined stimulation with HG and FFAs by stabilizing TAK1, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for combating DN., (© 2024. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

The structural dynamics of artificial assemblies, in aspects such as molecular recognition and structural transformation, provide us with a blueprint to achieve bioinspired applications. Here, we describe the assembly of redox-switchable chiral metal-organic cages Λ 8 /Δ 8 -[Pd 6 (Co II L 3 ) 8 ] 28+ and Λ 8 /Δ 8 -[Pd 6 (Co III L 3 ) 8 ] 36+ . These isomeric cages demonstrate an on-off chirality logic gate controlled by their chemical and stereostructural dynamics tunable through redox transitions between the labile Co II -state and static Co III -state with a distinct Cotton effect. The transition between different states is enabled by a reversible redox process and chiral recognition originating in the tris-chelate Co-centers. All cages in two states are thoroughly characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, CV, CD, and X-ray crystallographic analysis, which clarify their redox-switching behaviors upon chemical reduction/oxidation. The stereochemical lability of the Co II -center endows the Λ 8 /Δ 8 -Co II -cages with efficient chiral-induction by enantiomeric guests, leading to enantiomeric isomerization to switch between Λ 8 /Δ 8 -Co II -cages, which can be stabilized by oxidation to their chemically inert forms of Λ 8 /Δ 8 -Co III -cages. Kinetic studies reveal that the isomerization rate of the Δ 8 -Co III -cage is at least an order of magnitude slower than that of the Δ 8 -Co II -cage even at an elevated temperature, while its activation energy is 16 kcal mol -1 higher than that of the Co II -cage.

Background: Leucine, a branched-chain amino acid, participates in the regulation of lipid metabolism and the composition of the intestinal microbiota. However, the related mechanism remains unclear., Objectives: Here, we aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms by which hepatic CYP7A1 (a rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid [BA] synthesis) and gut microbiota coregulate BA synthesis under leucine deprivation., Methods: To this end, 8-wk-old C57BL/6J mice were fed with either regular diets or leucine-free diets for 1 wk. Then, we investigated whether secondary BAs were synthesized by Turicibacter sanguinis in 7-wk-old C57BL/6J germ-free mice gavaged with T. sanguinis for 2 wk by determining BA concentrations in the plasma, liver, and cecum contents using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry., Results: The results showed that leucine deprivation resulted in a significant increase in total BA concentration in the plasma and an increase in the liver, but no difference in total BA was observed in the cecum contents before and after leucine deprivation. Furthermore, leucine deprivation significantly altered BA profiles such as taurocholic acid and ω-muricholic acid in the plasma, liver, and cecum contents. CYP7A1 expression was significantly upregulated in the liver under leucine deprivation. Leucine deprivation also regulated the composition of the gut microbiota; specifically, it significantly upregulated the relative abundance of T. sanguinis, thus enhancing the conversion of primary BAs into secondary BAs by intestinal T. sanguinis in mice., Conclusions: Overall, leucine deprivation regulated BA profiles in enterohepatic circulation by upregulating hepatic CYP7A1 expression and increasing intestinal T. sanguinis abundance. Our findings reveal the contribution of gut microbiota to BA metabolism under dietary leucine deprivation., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new binuclear Gd(III) complex, [Gd 2 (L) 6 (Phen) 2 ]·4H 2 O, was synthesized via the reaction of gadolinium(III) nitrate hexahydrate, 4-acetylphenoxyacetic acid (HL), NaOH, and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) in a solution of water-ethanol ( v : v = 1:1). The Gd(III) complex was characterized using IR, UV-vis, TG-DSC, fluorescence, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The results showed that the Gd(III) complex crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P -1, and each Gd(III) ion was coordinated with two nitrogen atoms (N1, N2, or N1a, and N2a) from two Phen ligands and seven oxygen atoms (O1, O2, O7a, O9, O8, O8a, O10a, or O1a, O2a, O7, O8, O8a, O9a, and O10) from six L ligands, respectively, forming a nine-coordinated coordination mode. The Gd(III) complex molecules formed a one-dimensional chained and three-dimensional network structure via benzenering π-π stacking. The Hirschfeld surface analysis and the calculations of the electron density distributions of the frontier molecular orbitals of the Gd(III) complex were performed. The catalytic activities of the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction and benzyl alcohol oxidation using the Gd(III) complex as a catalyst were performed. The results of the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction showed that the yield and the selectivity of CO reached 41.5 μmol/g and more than 99% after four hours, respectively. The results of the benzyl alcohol oxidation showed that the yield of benzaldehyde was 45.7% at 120 °C with THF as the solvent under 0.5 MPa O 2 within 2 h.

Objective: To explore the relationship between serum 1, 5-dehydratoglucitol (1, 5-AG) level and insulin resistance, microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: The clinical data of 836 patients with T2DM admitted to the Changsha Central Hospital Affiliated to University of South China from May to December 2023 were retrospectively and cross-sectionally analyzed. Serum 1, 5-AG levels were detected by pyranose oxidase method. According to the microvascular complications (diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy), the patients were divided into simple group (no microvascular complications, n =490), complication group 1 (1 microvascular complications, n =217), and complication group 2 (2 or more microvascular complications, n =129). The relationship between serum 1, 5-AG level and the related indicators of insulin resistance in T2DM patients were explored by Spearman correlation analysis, and the influencing factors of microvascular complications in T2DM patients were explored by multiple ordered logistic regression analysis. Results: The levels of FBG(fasting blood glucose) [(7.37±0.56) mmol/L], FINS(fasting insulin) [(11.34±1.86) mU/L] and HOMA-IR(homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance) (0.96±0.31) in simple group were lower than those in complication group 1 [(8.37±1.02) mmol/L, (16.26±2.32) mU/L, (1.32±0.41)], complication group 2 [(10.25±2.13) mmol/L, (18.53±2.67) mU/L, (1.54±0.44)], and FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR in complication group 1 were lower than those in complication group 2, and the differences were statistically significant ( F =537.470, 791.690, 136.340, P <0.001). Serum 1, 5-AG level in simple group [77.16 (16.30, 128.07) μg/ml] was higher than that in complication group 1 [51.05 (14.67, 63.18) μg/ml] and complication group 2 [30.42 (12.53, 47.26) μg/ml], and the serum level of 1, 5-AG in complication group 1 was higher than that in complication group 2, and the difference was statistically significant ( H =210.020, P <0.001). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum 1, 5-AG level was negatively correlated with FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR in T2DM patients ( r =-0.431, -0.372, -0.546, P <0.001). The results of multiple ordered logistic regression analysis showed that Longer duration of diabetes ( OR =2.261, 95% CI : 1.564-3.269), increased HbA1c ( OR =2.040, 95% CI : 1.456-2.858), and increased HOMA-IR ( OR =2.158, 95% CI : 1.484-3.137) and decreased 1, 5-AG ( OR =2.512, 95% CI : 1.691-3.732) were independent risk factors for microvascular complications in T2DM patients ( P <0.05). The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of serum 1, 5-AG in the identification of one microvascular complication was 0.763 (95% CI : 0.731-0.795), and the area under the curve of serum 1, 5-AG in the identification of two or more microvascular complications was 0.730 (95% CI : 0.692-0.767). Conclusion: Serum 1, 5-AG level is negatively correlated with insulin resistance in T2DM patients. Low serum 1, 5-AG level may be an independent risk factor for microvascular complications in T2DM patients.

Ferroelectricity in two-dimensional (2D) systems generally arises from phonons and has been widely investigated. On the contrary, electronic ferroelectricity in 2D systems has been rarely studied. Using first-principles calculations, the ferroelectric behavior of the buckled blue SiSe monolayer under strain are explored. It is found that the direction of the out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization can be reversed by applying an in-plane strain. And such polarization switching is realized without undergoing geometric inversion. Besides, the strain-triggered polarization reversal emerges in both biaxial and uniaxial strain cases, indicating it is an intrinsic feature of such a system. Further analysis shows that the polarization switching is the result of the reversal of the magnitudes of the positive and negative charge center vectors. And the variation of buckling is found to play an important role, which results in the switch. Moreover, a non-monotonic variation of band gap with strain is revealed. Our findings throws light on the investigation of novel electronic ferroelectric systems.

A new Cu(II) complex, [CuL 1 L 2 (CH 3 COO) 2 (H 2 O)]·H 2 O, was synthesized by the reaction of Cu(CH 3 COO) 2 ·H 2 O, 6-phenylpyridine-2-carboxylic acid (HL 1 ), and 4-[5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]pyridine (L 2 ) in ethanol-water ( v : v = 1:1) solution. The Cu(II) complex was characterized using elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, TG-DTA, and single-crystal X-ray analysis. The fluorescence properties of the copper complex were also evaluated. The structural analysis results show that the Cu(II) complex crystallizes in the triclinic system with space group P -1. The Cu(II) ion in the complex is five-coordinated with one O atom (O2) and one N atom (N1) from one 6-phenylpyridine-2-carboxylate ligand (L 1 ), one N atom (N2) from 4-[5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]pyridine ligand (L 2 ), one O atom (O4) from acetate, and one O atom (O5) from a coordinated water molecule, and it adopts a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Cu(II) complex molecules form a two-dimensional layer structure through intramolecular and intermolecular O-H … O hydrogen bonding. The two-dimensional layer structures further form a three-dimensional network structure by π-π stacking interactions of aromatic rings. The analysis of the Hirschfeld surface of the Cu(II) complex shows that the H … H contacts made the most significant contribution (46.6%) to the Hirschfeld surface, followed by O … H/H … O, N … H/H … N and C … H/H … C contacts with contributions of 14.2%, 13.8%, and 10.2%, respectively. In addition, the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction using Cu(II) complex as a catalyst is investigated under UV-vis light irradiation. The findings reveal that the main product is CO, with a yield of 10.34 μmol/g and a selectivity of 89.4% after three hours.

Mylabris sibirica is a hypermetamorphic insect whose adults feed on oilseed rape. However, due to a shortage of effective and appropriate endogenous references, studies on molecular functional genes in Mylabris sibirica , have been tremendously limited. In this study, ten internal reference genes ( ACT , ARF1 , AK , EF1α , GAPDH , α-TUB , RPL6 , RPL13 , RPS3 and RPS18 ) were tested and assessed under four selected treatments including adult ages, adult tissues, temperatures, and sex by RT-qPCR based on five methods (Ct value, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and RefFinder). Our findings showed that RPL6 and RPL13 were the most optimal internal reference gene combination for gene expression during various adult ages and under diverse temperatures; The combination of RPL6 and RPS18 was recommended to test gene transcription levels under different adult tissues. AK and RPL6 were the best reference genes in male and female adults. RPL6 and RPL13 were the most appropriate reference gene pair to estimate gene expression levels under four different tested backgrounds. The relative transcript levels of a uridine diphosphate (UDP)-N-acetylglucosamine-pyrophosphorylase ( MsUAP ), varied greatly according to normalization with the two most- and least-suited reference genes. This study will lay the basis for further molecular physiology and biochemistry studies in M. sibirica , such as development, reproduction, sex differentiation, cold and heat resistance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Shen, Tang, Li, Zhu, Li, Deng, Zhai, Wu and Yan.)

Background: Methods based on paper-based analytical devices (PAD) and smartphone photographic colorimetric detection have become representative instrument-independent point-of-care testing (POCT) platforms due to their low cost and simplicity. However, the detection of target components from whole blood sample still presents challenges in terms of field preparation of small amounts of blood sample and detection sensitivity. This paper presents a rapid online processing method for whole blood samples on PAD based on plasma separation membrane (PSM), and combined with electrokinetic stacking and selective chromatic reaction. Real-time smartphone-based colorimetric detection of free hemoglobin (FHb) and human serum albumin (HSA) was successfully demonstrated., Results: With the proposed method, both detections for low and high concentration analytes could be implemented. The limits of detection of 16.6 mg L -1 for FHb and 0.67 g L -1 for HSA were obtained, respectively, with RSD below 8 %. The reliability of the method was verified by the recovery test and desktop spectrophotometric method. The detection results for real blood samples were in agreement with that by clinical methods., Significance and Novelty: The PAD method is inexpensive, simple and fast, and detection of a whole blood sample of 5 μL can be finished in 5 min. This work shows that POCT of biomarkers from whole blood with PAD is possible without using any desktop facilities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This study was carried out in accordance with the ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects as described by the World Medical Association. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Identifying hidden states in nonlinear physical systems that evade direct experimental detection is important as disturbances and noises can place the system in a hidden state with detrimental consequences. We study a cavity magnonic system whose main physics is photon and magnon Kerr effects. Sweeping a bifurcation parameter in numerical experiments (as would be done in actual experiments) leads to a hysteresis loop with two distinct stable steady states, but analytic calculation gives a third folded steady state "hidden" in the loop, which gives rise to the phenomenon of hidden multistability. We propose an experimentally feasible control method to drive the system into the folded hidden state. We demonstrate, through a ternary cavity magnonic system and a gene regulatory network, that such hidden multistability is in fact quite common. Our findings shed light on hidden dynamical states in nonlinear physical systems which are not directly observable but can present challenges and opportunities in applications.

Objectives: To observe the effect of Guasha on inflammation factors, apoptosis and autophagy in the cartilage tissue of knee joint in rats with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of KOA., Methods: A total of 51 male SD rats were randomized into three groups：blank control, KOA model and Guasha ( n = 17 in each group) . The rats in the blank control group received intra-articular injection of 0.9% NaCl solution in the right knee joint. The KOA model was established by intraarticular injection of glutamate sodium iodoacetic acid in the right knee joint. For rats of the Guasha group, Guasha (at a frequency of 1 time/s, and an applied pressure of 0.3-0.5 kgf) was applied to "Yanglingquan" (GB34) and "Xuehai"(SP10) areas of the right leg, once every other day, for 7 consecutive sessions. The circumference of the right knee was measured, The histopathological changes of right knee cartilage were observed after H.E. staining. The contents of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the right knee articular cartilage tissue were assayed using ELISA. The expression levels of autophagy-related key molecule Beclin-1 (homologous series of yeast Atg6), light chain protease complication 3 type II/I (LC3II/LC3 I), ubiquitin binding factor 62 (P62) and cysteine aspartate protease-3 (Caspase-3) mRNAs and proteins of the right knee articular cartilage tissue were measured using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot, separately. The apoptosis of chondrocytes was assayed using TUNEL staining, and the immunoactivity of LC3 determined using immunofluorescence staining., Results: After modeling, the right knee circumfe-rence of the model and Guasha groups was significantly increased compared with the blank control group ( P <0.01), and after the intervention, the knee circumference of the Guasha group was markedly decreased in comparison with that of the model group ( P <0.05). Results of H.E. staining showed obvious degeneration and defects in the cartilage tissue, necrosis of a large number of chondrocytes, fibrous hyperplasia, accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration, osteoclast increase, fibroplasia and bone trabecular destruction in the model group, which was relatively milder in the Guasha group. Compared with the blank control group, the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNAs and proteins, and LC immunofluorescence intensity in the right knee articular cartilage tissue were significantly down-regulated ( P <0.01, P <0.001), whereas the expression of P62 and Caspase-3 mRNAs and proteins, the apoptosis rate, contents of IL-1β and TNF-α in the right knee articular cartilage tissue considerably increased ( P <0.01, P <0.001) in the model group. In contrast to the model group, the Guasha group had an apparent increase in the expression levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNAs and proteins and LC immunofluorescence intensity in the right knee articular cartilage tissue ( P <0.05), and a pronounced decrease in the expression of P62 and Caspase-3 mRNAs and proteins, the apoptosis rate, and contents of IL-1β and TNF-α in the right knee articular cartilage tissue ( P <0.05, P <0.01)., Conclusions: Guasha stimulation of GB34 and SP10 can improve joint cartilage damage in KOA rats, which may be associated with its functions in inhibiting the excessive release of inflammatory factors and apoptosis, possibly by down-regulating the expression of P62 and Caspase-3 mRNAs and proteins and up-regulating the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNAs and proteins, and by promoting autophagy of chondrocytes.

Introduction: Monosaccharide compositions analysis (MCA) is indispensable for structural characterisations and structure-activity relationships of plant polysaccharides., Objectives: To develop a concise and direct MCA method, we established a quantitative analysis of the multi-monosaccharaides by single marker (QAMS) by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) method., Methodology: A stable and reproducible HPAEC-PAD method for simultaneous determination of aldoses, ketoses and uronic acids (i.e., l-arabinose, d-xylose, d-ribose, l-rhamnose, d-fucose, d-mannose, d-glucose, d-galactose, d-fructose, d-glucuronic acid and d-galacturonic acid) was established by systematic optimisation of stationary phases, column temperatures and elution programmes. On this basis, the QAMS method was proposed through comprehensive investigations of relative correction factor (RCF) variations under different influencing factors, for example, sample concentrations, flow rates, and column temperatures., Results: Using rhamnose as an internal reference standard, the contents of the other monosaccharide components in polysaccharides from Panax quinquefolium L. and Achyranthes bidentata Bl. samples were simultaneously determined by QAMS, and there was no significant difference between the results from the QAMS and external standard method (t test, P > 0.520). In addition, a MCA fingerprinting of 30 batches of P. quinquefolium polysaccharide was established by HPAEC-PAD, and six common peaks were assigned and determined., Conclusions: The established HPAEC-PAD-QAMS method was successfully applied to the MCA of polysaccharides from P. quinquefolium and A. bidentata after optimisation of hydrolysis conditions. HPAEC-PAD-QAMS was proposed and established for MCA of plant polysaccharides for the first time., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To describe the clinical, electrophysiological, and genetic features of an unusual case with an RDH12 homozygous pathogenic variant and reviewed the characteristics of the patients reported with the same variant., Methods: The patient underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination including best-corrected visual acuity, anterior segment and dilated fundus, visual field, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and electroretinogram (ERG). The retinal disease panel genes were sequenced through chip capture high-throughput sequencing and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the result. Then we reviewed the characteristics of the patients reported with the same variant., Results: A 30-year male presented with severe early retinal degeneration who complained night blindness, decreased visual acuity, vitreous floaters and amaurosis fugax. The best corrected vision was 0.04 OD and 0.12 OS, respectively. The fundus photo and OCT showed bilateral macular atrophy but larger areas of macular atrophy in the left eye. Autofluorescence shows bilateral symmetrical hypo-autofluorescence. ERG revealed that the amplitudes of a- and b-wave were severely decreased. Multifocal ERG showed decreased amplitudes in the local macular area. A homozygous missense variant c.146C>T (chr14:68191267) was found. The clinical characteristics of a total of 13 patients reported with the same pathologic variant varied., Conclusion: An unusual patient with a homozygous pathogenic variant in the c.146C>T of RDH12 which causes late-onset and asymmetric retinal degeneration are reported. The clinical manifestations of the patient with multimodal retinal imaging and functional examinations have enriched our understanding of this disease., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Li J, None; Hu YQ, None; Cheng HB, None; Wang T, None; Kuang LH, None; Huang T, None; Yan XH, None., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Multivalent-ion batteries have garnered significant attention due to their high energy density, low cost, and superior safety. Calcium-ion batteries (CIBs) are regarded as the next-generation energy storage systems for their abundant natural resources and bivalent characteristics. However, the absence of high-performance anode materials poses a significant obstacle to the progress of battery technology. Two-dimensional (2D) Dirac materials have excellent conductivity and abundant active sites, rendering them promising candidates as anode materials. A novel 2D Dirac material known as "graphene+" has been theoretically reported, exhibiting prominent properties including good stability, exceptional ductility, and remarkable electronic conductivity. By using first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the performance of graphene+ as an anode material for CIBs. Graphene+ exhibits an ultra-high theoretical capacity (1487.7 mA h g -1 ), a small diffusion barrier (0.21 eV), and a low average open-circuit voltage (0.51 V). Furthermore, we investigate the impact of the electrolyte solvation on the performance of Ca-ion adsorption and migration. Upon contact with electrolyte solvents, graphene+ exhibits strong adsorption strength and rapid migration of Ca-ions on its surface. These results demonstrate the promising potential of graphene+ as a high-performance anode material for CIBs.

Aim: To identify a maculopathy patient caused by new recessive compound heterozygous variants in RP1L1 ., Methods: Comprehensive retinal morphological and functional examinations were evaluated for the patient with RP1L1 maculopathy. Targeted sequence capture array technique was used to screen potential pathologic variants. Polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing were used to confirm the screening results., Results: Fundus examination showed round macular lesions appeared in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography showed that the inner segment/outer segment continuity was disorganized and disruptive in the left eye, but it was uneven and slightly elevated in the right eye. Fundus autofluorescence showed patchy hyper-autofluorescence in the macula. Visual field examination indicates central defects in both eyes. Electroretinogram (ERG) and multifocal ERG showed no obvious abnormalities. Fundus fluorescein angiography in the macula showed obviously irregular hyper-fluorescence in the right eye and slightly hyper-fluorescence in the left eye. We found that the proband carried a missense variant (c.1972C>T) and a deletion variant (c.4717&#95;4718del) of RP1L1 , which were originated from the parents and formed compound heterozygous variants. Both variants are likely pathogenic according to the ACMG criteria. Multimodal imaging, ERG and detailed medical history are important diagnostic tools for differentiating between acquired and inherited retinal disorders., Conclusion: A maculopathy case with detailed retinal phenotype and new recessive compound heterozygous variants of RP1L1 is identified in a Chinese family, which expands the understanding of phenotype and genotype in RP1L1 maculopathy., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

' Candidatus Phytoplasma meliae' is a pathogen associated with chinaberry yellowing disease, which has become a major phytosanitary problem for chinaberry forestry production in Argentina. Despite its economic impact, no genome information of this phytoplasma has been published, which has hindered its characterization at the genomic level. In this study, we used a metagenomics approach to analyze the draft genome of the ' Ca. P. meliae' strain ChTYXIII. The draft assembly consisted of twenty-one contigs with a total length of 751.949 bp, and annotation revealed 669 CDSs, 34 tRNAs, and 1 set of rRNA operons. The metabolic pathways analysis showed that ChTYXIII contains the complete core genes for glycolysis and a functional Sec system for protein translocation. Our phylogenomic analysis based on 133 single-copy genes and genome-to-genome metrics supports the classification as unique ' Ca . P. species' within the MPV clade. We also identified 31 putative effectors, including a homolog to SAP11 and others that have only been described in this pathogen. Our ortholog analysis revealed 37 PMU core genes in the genome of ' Ca . P. meliae' ChTYXIII, leading to the identification of 2 intact PMUs. Our work provides important genomic information for ' Ca . P. meliae' and others phytoplasmas for the 16SrXIII (MPV) group.

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of free posterior interosseous artery perforator flap carrying superficial vein for reconstructing severe perioral scar hyperplasia and contracture. Methods: The retrospective observational study method was used. From August 2019 to March 2023, 11 patients with severe perioral scar hyperplasia and contracture after severe facial burns who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to General Hospital of TISCO (the Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University). All patients were male and aged 23 to 56 years, with an average age of 31.3 years. After the perioral scar was removed and released, the wound area was 3.0 cm×2.0 cm to 10.5 cm×2.0 cm. The free posterior interosseous artery perforator flap carrying superficial vein was used to repair the wound, and the flap incision area was 3.5 cm×2.5 cm to 11.0 cm×2.5 cm. Among them, 6 patients required repair of wounds after resecting scar around ipsilateral upper and lower lips, and the lobular treatment of the flap was conducted. The wound in the flap donor area was directly sutured. After surgery, the survival of the flap and the occurrence of vascular crisis were observed. During follow-up after surgery, the appearance, texture, and color of the flap, the appearance of the flap donor area, and improvements of crooked mouth, drooling, limited mouth opening, and lip valgus in patients were observed. Results: All the flaps in patients completely survived after surgery, with no occurrence of vascular crisis. During follow-up of 6 to 36 months after surgery, the flap was not significantly bloated, was soft in texture, and had a similar color to that of the normal facial skin. Only linear scars were left in the flap donor area, and crooked mouth, drooling, limited mouth opening, and lip valgus in patients were significantly improved. Conclusions: The free posterior interosseous artery perforator flap carrying superficial vein can reconstruct severe perioral scar hyperplasia and contracture, with low incidence of postoperative flap vascular crisis, and the lobular treatment of flaps can repair wounds around unilateral upper and lower lips at the same time. After surgery, the appearance and function of the perioral area are significantly improved. The flap is a good choice for repairing small area of severe perioral scar hyperplasia and contracture.

We construct an islamic lattice by considering the nearest-neighbor (NN) hoppings with staggered magnetic fluxes and the next-NN hoppings. This model supports abundant quantum phases for various values of filling fractions. At1/4filling, Chern insulator (CI) phases with Chern numbersC=±1, -2and a zero-Chern-number topological insulator (ZCNTI) phase exist. At3/8filling, several CI phases with Chern numbersC=±1, 3and the ZCNTI phase are obtained. For the filling fraction 3/4, CI phases with Chern numbersC=±1, 2and two ZCNTI phase areas appear. Interestingly, these ZCNTI phases host both robust corner states and gapless edge states which can be characterized by the quantized polarization and quadrupole moment. We further find that staggered magnetic fluxes can give rise to the ZCNTI state at1/4and3/4fillings. Phase diagrams for filling fractions1/8,1/2,5/8and7/8are presented as well. In addition, flat bands are obtained for various filling fractions by tuning the hopping parameters. At 1/8 filling, a best topological flat band (TFB) with flatness ratio about 12 appears. Several trivial flat bands but with total Chern number|C|=1emerge in this model and exactly flat band is found at 3/8 filling. We further investigateν=1/2fractional Chern insulate state when hard-core bosons fill into this TFB model., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

In this study, we present a bimetallic ion coexistence encapsulation strategy employing hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a mediator to anchor cobalt-nickel (CoNi) bimetals in nitrogen-doped porous carbon cubic nanoboxes (CoNi@NC). The fully encapsulated and uniformly dispersed CoNi nanoparticles with the improved density of active sites help to accelerate the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics and provide an efficient charge/mass transport environment. Zinc-air battery (ZAB) equipped CoNi@NC as cathode exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 1.45 V, a specific capacity of 870.0 mAh g -1 , and a power density of 168.8 mW cm -2 . Moreover, the two CoNi@NC-based ZABs in series display a stable discharge specific capacity of 783.0 mAh g -1 , as well as a large peak power density of 387.9 mW cm -2 . This work provides an effective way to tune the dispersion of nanoparticles to boost active sites in nitrogen-doped carbon structure, and enhance the ORR activity of bimetallic catalysts., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: [Tong Xue reports financial support was provided by Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province. Bei-Ping Wang reports financial support was provided by Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province. Tong Xue reports financial support was provided by West Light Foundation of The Chinese Academy of Sciences. Xiang-Hui Yan reports financial support was provided by Ningxia Key Research and Development Program. Yipu Liu reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China.]., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Doxorubicin is a common chemotherapeutic agent in clinic, but myocardial toxicity limits its use. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 10, a multifunctional paracrine growth factor, plays diverse roles in embryonic and postnatal heart development as well as in cardiac regeneration and repair. In this study we investigated the role of FGF10 as a potential modulator of doxorubicin-induced cardiac cytotoxicity and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Fgf10 +/- mice and an inducible dominant negative FGFR2b transgenic mouse model (Rosa26 rtTA ; tet(O)sFgfr2b) were used to determine the effect of Fgf10 hypomorph or blocking of endogenous FGFR2b ligands activity on doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury. Acute myocardial injury was induced by a single injection of doxorubicin (25 mg/kg, i.p.). Then cardiac function was evaluated using echocardiography, and DNA damage, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cardiac tissue were assessed. We showed that doxorubicin treatment markedly decreased the expression of FGFR2b ligands including FGF10 in cardiac tissue of wild type mice, whereas Fgf10 +/- mice exhibited a greater degree of oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis as compared with the Fgf10 +/+ control. Pre-treatment with recombinant FGF10 protein significantly attenuated doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis both in doxorubicin-treated mice and in doxorubicin-treated HL-1 cells and NRCMs. We demonstrated that FGF10 protected against doxorubicin-induced myocardial toxicity via activation of FGFR2/Pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 1 (PHLDA1)/Akt axis. Overall, our results unveil a potent protective effect of FGF10 against doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury and identify FGFR2b/PHLDA1/Akt axis as a potential therapeutic target for patients receiving doxorubicin treatment., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Pepsinogen A (PGA)/pepsin A is often used as a diagnostic marker of extra-gastroesophageal reflux. We aimed to explore whether its positivity in upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) was specific enough to diagnose reflux., Methods: PGA/pepsin A protein levels were examined in 10 types of tissues and 10 types of body fluid by immunological staining, western blot or Elisa, using three different commercially available brands simultaneously. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry parallel reaction monitoring (LC-MS/MS PRM) served as a gold reference for the detection of PGA/pepsin A proteins. PGA gene expression was analyzed by reverse transcriptase sequencing methods for tissue samples. Specifically, 24 hour pH monitoring technique was conducted for patients who donated saliva samples., Results: Eight out of ten types of human tissue samples (stomach, esophagus, lung, kidney, colon, parotid gland, nasal turbinate and nasal polyps) were confirmed positive for PGA/pepsin A gene and protein by genetic and PRM technique, respectively. Two out of ten types of body fluid samples (gastric fluid, urine) were confirmed positive for PGA/pepsin A protein by PRM technique. The consistence rates of PGA/pepsin A positivity among three commercial antibody brands and Elisa kit were poor, and Elisa results of salivary did not match with 24-hour pH monitoring., Conclusions: Multiple tissues and body fluid could be detected baseline expression levels of PGA/pepsin A gene and protein. However, those commercially available PGA/pepsin A antibodies achieved poor sensitivity and specificity, therefore, relying on the detection of PGA/pepsin A in UADT by single antibodies to diagnose extra-gastroesophageal reflux without a specific positive cut-off value is unreliable., (Copyright © 2021 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The complete genome sequence of " Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia" TB2022, which consists of one 670,073-bp circular chromosome, is presented in this work. This bacterium is associated with sweet potato little leaf disease in Fujian Province, China., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Fluorescent rotors with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and organelle-targeting properties have attracted great attention for sensing subcellular viscosity changes, which could help understand the relationships of abnormal fluctuations with many associated diseases. Despite the numerous efforts spent, it remains rare and urgent to explore the dual-organelle targeting probes and their structural relationships with viscosity-responsive and AIE properties. Therefore, in this work, we reported four meso -five-membered heterocycle-substituted BODIPY-based fluorescent probes, explored their viscosity-responsive and AIE properties, and further investigated their subcellular localization and viscosity-sensing applications in living cells. Interestingly, the meso -thiazole probe 1 showed both good viscosity-responsive and AIE (in pure water) properties and could successfully target both mitochondria and lysosomes, further imaging cellular viscosity changes by treating lipopolysaccharide and nystatin, attributing to the free rotation and potential dual-organelle targeting ability of the meso -thiazole group. The meso -benzothiophene probe 3 with a saturated sulfur only showed good viscosity-responsive properties in living cells with the aggregation-caused quenching effect and no subcellular localization. The meso -imidazole probe 2 showed the AIE phenomenon without an obvious viscosity-responsive property with a C═N bond, while the meso -benzopyrrole probe 4 displayed fluorescence quenching in polar solvents. Therefore, for the first time, we investigated the structure-property relationships of four meso -five-membered heterocycle-substituted BODIPY-based fluorescent rotors with viscosity-responsive and AIE properties, and among these, 1 with a C═N bond and a saturated sulfur on the meso -thiazole, potentially contributing to their corresponding AIE and viscosity-responsive properties, served as a sensitive AIE fluorescent rotor for imaging dual-organelle viscosity in both mitochondria and lysosomes.

The complete genome sequence of " Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris" QS2022, which consists of one 834,303-bp circular chromosome, is presented in this work. This bacterium is associated with lettuce chlorotic leaf rot disease in Fujian Province, China., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

BACKGROUND : There remain concerns regarding the technical feasibility of endoscopic resection for large gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), mainly relating to the risk of tumor rupture and the adequacy of the resection margins. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and therapeutic outcomes of the newly developed no-touch endoscopic full-thickness resection (NT-EFTR) technique for GISTs. METHODS : In this retrospective study, 92 patients with gastric GISTs undergoing NT-EFTR were included. Clinicopathological, endoscopic, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS : The median tumor size was 2.5 cm and en bloc resection was achieved in all patients with negative surgical margins. The median time of the NT-EFTR procedure was 59.5 minutes. Large tumors (> 3.0 cm), extraluminal tumor growth pattern, and large gastric defects were significant contributors to long operative times. Patients were discharged within 4 days postoperatively. During follow-up, all patients were free from local recurrence and distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS : NT-EFTR was a feasible method for the resection of gastric GISTs and can be expected to achieve complete radical resection. Large tumors with extraluminal growth and large gastric defects impact procedural difficulty., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The unique edge states of the zigzag β-SiC7 nanoribbons aroused our attention, and therefore, based on first-principles calculations, we investigated their spin-dependent electronic transport properties by constructing controllable defects to modulate these special edge states. Interestingly, by introducing rectangular edge defects in the SiSi and SiC edge-terminated systems, not only the spin-unpolarized is successfully converted to completely spin-polarized, but also the direction of polarization can be switched, thus enabling a dual spin filter. The analyses further reveal that the two transmission channels with opposite spins are spatially separated and that the transmission eigenstates are highly concentrated at the relative edges. The specific edge defect introduced only suppresses the transmission channel at the same edge but reserves the transmission channel at the other edge. In addition, for the CSi and CC edge-terminated systems, an additional spin-down band exists due to spin splitting in the spin-up band at EF, so that besides the original spatially separated two spin-opposite channels, an extra spin channel is distributed at the upper edge, resulting in unidirectional fully spin-polarized transport. The peculiar spatially separated edge states and excellent spin filtering properties could open up further possibilities for β-SiC7-based electronic devices in spintronics applications., (© 2023 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

In order to establish structural-fingerprinting of polysaccharides for improvement of quality assessment, a sample preparation method based on microwave assisted free radical degradation (MFRD) of plant polysaccharides was proposed to produce oligosaccharides and small M w polysaccharides. As a case study of Schisandra chinensis and S. sphenanthera fruit polysaccharides (SCP and SSP), the MFRD condition (i.e., 100 °C, 30 s and 80 W) was confirmed to be optimal. The potential structures of the MFRD products of SCP and SSP were further discussed by combinations of HILIC-ESI - -QTOF-MS E and HILIC-ESI - -Q-OT-IT-MS/MS. As followed, multivariable statistical analysis shows a clear separation of SCP and the SSP in PCA and OPLS-DA plots based HILIC-ESI - -QTOF-MS E data. The VIP plot unveils several key Q-markers (e.g., peaks 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30) with significant differences and stable emergences. Furthermore, a low-polymerization compositional fingerprinting was successfully constructed for SCP and SSP using a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Compared to the conventional sample preparation methods, the MFRD took only a few thousandth of the time to accomplish degradations of plant polysaccharides. It significantly improves sample preparations and is generally applicable to various polysaccharide samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the effects of moxibustion and scraping of "Yanglingquan" (GB34) and "Xuehai" (SP10) area on changes of bioactive substances in the region of acupoints in rats with knee osteoarthritis (KOA)., Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into blank, model, moxibustion, scraping, and moxibustion + scraping (combination) groups, with 8 rats in each group. The KOA model was established by injecting 50 μL 0.9% sodium chloride solution into the right knee cavity. Fourteen days after modeling, GB34 and SP10 on the right limb were stimulated by moxibustion (10 min) or scraping (till regional flush) once every other day for 7 times. The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were tested by Von Frey and hot stabbing instrument, separately. The pathological changes of the right knee joint were observed by HE staining. The serotonin (5-HT) contents of skin tissues in the region of acupoint GB34 and SP10 were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in GB34 and SP10 region skin tissues were detected by Western blot., Results: Compared with the blank group, the PWT and TWL of the rats in the model group were significantly decreased ( P <0.001), while the contents of 5-HT and the expression levels of SP and CGRP in GB34 and SP10 region skin tissues were significantly increased ( P <0.001, P <0.01). Following intervention and in comparison the with the model group, the TWL and PWT of rats in the three treatment groups were significantly increased ( P <0.01), the content of 5-HT and the expression levels of SP and CGRP in GB34 and SP10 region skin tissues were significantly decreased ( P <0.01, P <0.001, P <0.05). Except for the expression levels of CGRP, the above indexes of the combination group were significantly superior to those of the moxibustion and scraping groups ( P <0.05, P <0.01). Findings of HE staining showed severe damaged cartilage, few chondrocytes on the surface, with subchondral neovascularization in the model group, which was relatively milder in the moxibustion, scraping, and combination groups., Conclusion: Moxibustion and scraping can relieve knee joint pain in KOA rats, which may be associated with its function in down-regulating the expression levels of SP and CGRP, and the content of 5-HT. The therapeutic effect of moxibustion plus scraping is better than that of moxibustion and scraping alone.

Among many modulation methods, strain engineering is often chosen for nanomaterials to produce tunable band gaps continuously. Inspired by the recently reported two-dimensional material PC 3 , we explore the tuning of strain on the spin-dependent transport properties of PC 3 nanoribbons using the first-principle approach. Surprisingly, strain regulation achieves uninterrupted completely dual-spin polarization over a wide energy range near E F . Analysis reveals that the peculiar transmission spectra arise from the interesting evolution of the band structure, in which strain induces bands to shift and broaden/flatten. This results in triggering the transition of PC 3 NRs from bandgap-tunable bipolar magnetic semiconductors to spin-gapless semiconductors to ferromagnetic metals or half-metal magnets. Their unique performance demonstrates great potential in spintronics, and our study is expected to provide ideas and theoretical support for the design and application of novel PC 3 -based spintronic devices in the future.

Application of high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies enabled the first identification of Physostegia chlorotic mottle virus (PhCMoV) in 2018 in Austria. Subsequently, PhCMoV was detected in Germany and Serbia on tomatoes showing severe fruit mottling and ripening anomalies. We report here how prepublication data-sharing resulted in an international collaboration across eight laboratories in five countries, enabling an in-depth characterization of PhCMoV. The independent studies converged toward its recent identification in eight additional European countries and confirmed its presence in samples collected 20 years ago (2002). The natural plant host range was expanded from two to nine species across seven families, and we confirmed the association of PhCMoV presence with severe fruit symptoms on economically important crops such as tomato, eggplant, and cucumber. Mechanical inoculations of selected isolates in the greenhouse established the causality of the symptoms on a new indexing host range. In addition, phylogenetic analysis showed a low genomic variation across the 29 near-complete genome sequences available. Furthermore, a strong selection pressure within a specific ecosystem was suggested by nearly identical sequences recovered from different host plants through time. Overall, this study describes the European distribution of PhCMoV on multiple plant hosts, including economically important crops on which the virus can cause severe fruit symptoms. This work demonstrates how to efficiently improve knowledge on an emergent pathogen by sharing HTS data and provides a solid knowledge foundation for further studies on plant rhabdoviruses.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Compared with traditional magnetic approaches, electrical modulation of spin-polarized current can greatly reduce the energy consumption and scale of nanodevices and improve their operating speed, which has become a promising research field in spintronics. Motivated by the latest reported novel two-dimensional material β-SiC 7 , we employ first-principles calculations to investigate its spin-dependent electron transport with diverse edge configurations. By introducing a gate voltage, the three-terminal device can not only switch between spin-unpolarized and fully spin-polarized states, but also easily change the polarization direction, behaving as an excellent electrically modulated reversible dual-spin filter. Surprisingly, an arbitrary proportion of spin-up and spin-down electron numbers is achieved, enabling precise control of spin polarization. Analysis reveals that it is attributed to the peculiar transmission spectrum, where two broad peaks with opposite spins are located around the Fermi level and respond differently to gate voltage. They belong to the spatially separated edge states originating from the p orbitals of the edge atoms. This feature is robust to different edge configurations of β-SiC 7 nanoribbons, indicating that this may be an intrinsic property of such systems, showing great potential for applications.

Amino acids are closely related to human health, and their rapid determination is important for the rapid diagnosis, timely treatment, and assessment of serious diseases. In this work, we propose a novel paper-based sample-processing device combined with isotope-dilution MS for the fast analysis of 11 amino acids from blood samples. By using an isoelectric focusing electrokinetic separation method, without the aid of carrier ampholytes and the addition of inhibitors, this approach uses only the characteristic of the isoelectric point of the target amino acids to achieve separation and purification from other coexisting components in the medium; it can meet the requirements for mass spectrometry detection. Driven by a DC voltage, a stable and sharp pH gradient (pH 3-10.5 over 5 mm) can be established in a glass-fiber paper-based fluidic channel with a MS-friendly electrolyte. Amphoteric species can be well separated from the complex blood matrix and concentrated into a narrow band in the channel within 2 min, which is 20 times faster than a commercial kit method. The method can be applied to both liquid and dry spot samples, and the cleaned sample band can be simply dissolved for direct IDMS detection in ESI MRM mode. This method is a promising strategy for the rapid MS-based detection of amino acids from serum without pre-separation via liquid chromatography.

The generation of spin currents is a significant issue in spintronics. A spin current can be induced by a temperature gradient in the spin-dependent Seebeck effect, which has attracted growing interest over recent years. Herein we propose spin caloritronic devices based on magnetic graphether nanoribbons and investigate the spin thermoelectric properties by first-principles calculations. Owing to the symmetrical spin-resolved transmission spectra, our devices exhibit a robust spin-dependent Seebeck effect and could generate a pure spin current. Moreover, they manifest a high spin Seebeck coefficient and a giant spin figure of merit. Our findings demonstrate that graphether-nanoribbon-based devices possess remarkable spin thermoelectric performance, and might be promising candidates for spin caloritronics.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important regulatory roles in plant growth and development, as well as in cell differentiation and stress responses. Respiratory burst oxidase homolog (RBOH) is the key enzyme in ROS production. So far, the Rboh family genes in Pyropia yezoensis have not been comprehensively characterized, and whether their function was involved in the formation of archeospores is still unknown. In this study, a total of 11 PyRboh genes were identified from the P. yezoensis genome by homology mining. Through phylogenetic analysis, it is suggested that the PyRboh genes were evolutionarily conserved among the lineages of red algae, but a few genes exhibited a species-specific manner. The treatment of P. yezoensis blades with NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI) could significantly inhibit the formation of archeospores, suggesting that RBOH may be involved in the formation of archeospores. According to PyRboh gene expression analysis using the P. yezoensis strains with obvious differences in releasing archeospores, it is showed that the expression trends of most genes were consistent, with no significant difference between strains, whereas the expression pattern of the two P. yezoensis -specific genes ( PyRbohJ and PyRbohK ) was positively correlated with the amount of archeospores. Furthermore, as treatment of blades with allantoin resulted in a significant increase in the release of archeospores, the expression levels of PyRbohJ and PyRbohK were also consistently upregulated, further confirming the relationship between the two genes and archeospore formation. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism of P. yezoensis archeospore formation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Gui, Gao, Ding and Yan.)

Background: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with main portal vein tumor thrombosis (mPVTT) and cirrhotic portal hypertension (CPH) have an extremely poor prognosis, and there is a lack of a clinically effective treatment paradigm., Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) combined with radioactive seed strand for the treatment of mPVTT patients with CPH., Methods: The clinical data of 83 consecutive patients who underwent TIPS combined with 125 I seed strand placement for mPVTT and CPH from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Procedure-related data (success rate, relief of portal vein pressure and CPH symptoms, and adverse events), PVTT response, and patient survival were assessed through a 2-year follow-up., Results: The success rate was 100.0% without perioperative death or procedure-related severe adverse events. The mean portal vein pressure was significantly decreased after the procedure (22.25 ± 7.33 mmHg vs 35.12 ± 7.94 mmHg, t = 20.61, P < 0.001). The symptoms of CPH were all effectively relieved within 1 mo. The objective response rate of PVTT was 67.5%. During a mean follow-up of 14.5 ± 9.4 mo (range 1-37 mo), the cumulative survival rates at 6, 12 and 24 mo were 83.1%, 49.7%, and 21.8%, respectively. The median survival time was 12.0 ± 1.3 mo (95% confidence interval: 9.5-14.5). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, body mass index, Child-Pugh grade, cTNM stage, and PVTT response were independent prognostic factors ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: TIPS combined with radioactive seed strand might be effective and safe in treating mPVTT patients with CPH., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Different from conventional materials, structures with a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) contract/expand laterally under a longitudinal compressive/tensile strain, usually exhibiting peculiar features. Through first-principles calculations, we investigate the electronic and transport properties of Pd 9 B 16 molecules. Its Poisson's ratio is found to be negative under uniaxial strain along a specific direction. By contacting with Au nanowires, atomic Au chains and atomic C chain electrodes, two kinds of transitions for transmission states could be realized by the modulation of the strain and the contacting site, i.e. , metallic-semiconducting transition and spin polarized-unpolarized transition. Further analysis shows that it is the suppression and shifting of density of states, caused by the strain or contacting electrodes, that trigger the transitions. Those findings combine NPR and spintronics at the single-molecule level, which may throw light on the development of nanoelectronic devices.

To understand mechanisms underlying Galinsoga parviflora invasion and its responses to simulated insect herbivory, individuals of Galinsoga parviflora were treated with different concentrations of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) before blooming. We measued plant height, abundance of leaves and inflorescences, biomass, specific leaf area, trichome density, condensed tannins, total polyphenols, and flavonoids in leaves and inflorescences. The growth and reproduction parameters of G. parviflora treated with 5 mmol·L -1 MeJA were not significantly different from those of control, higher than those of control when treated with 10 mmol·L -1 MeJA, with significant difference except plant height, and declined when treated with 20 mmol·L -1 MeJA. The trichome density of leaf upper epidermis increased and specific leaf area decreased with increasing MeJA concentration, with both being significantly different from that of control. The contents of flavonoids, total polyphenols, and condensed tannins in leaves treated with 5 mmol·L -1 MeJA were not significantly different from those of control. These defensive substances in leaves and inflorescences were highest under 10 mmol·L -1 MeJA treatment. The contents of flavonoids and total polyphenols in inflorescences being higher than those of leaves, while condensed tannins was opposite. The defensive substances in leaves declined under 20 mmol·L -1 MeJA treatment. The results suggested that G. parviflora could use tolerance and resistance strategies comprehensively, and adopted a variety of defense strategies such as compensatory growth, physical defense, and chemical defense, which was conducive to its success in invasion.

Two novel meso -CF 3 BODIPY-based fluorescent rotors have been rationally prepared and found to sensitively respond to viscosity in living cells with a fluorescence "turn-on" effect, attributed to the special restricted rotation of meso -CF 3 group in viscous environments. Interestingly, a monostyryl probe with one cationic group exhibits good mitochondrial localization and AIE property.

To investigate the associations between gene polymorphisms of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and liver cirrhosis (LC) after hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A case-control study was conducted in 243 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis (HBV-LC, case group) and 486 HBV-infected subjects without LC (non-LC, control group) collected from January 2018 to September 2020 at the Changsha Central Hospital Affiliated to Nanhua University. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of STAT3 gene, including rs4796793 C>G, rs2293152 C>G, and rs1053004 T>C were selected through literature and biological information database, and the genotypes were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RFQ-PCR). The distribution differences of STAT3 SNPs genotypes between the two groups were compared using Chi-square test and haplotype analysis was conducted by Shesis online. The proportion of HBV C genotype in HBV-LC patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (80.91% vs. 70.79%, χ 2 =7.109, P =0.008), while the logarithm of ALT was significantly lower than that of the control group (1.78±0.43 vs. 1.95±0.54, t =3.801, P =0.000). The genotypes distributions of rs4796793 , rs2293152 , and rs1053004 were not significantly different between HBV-LC and non-LC in overall analysis and stratified analysis by gender (χ²=2.610, 1.505, 0.586, 2.653, 2.685, 1.583, 0.351, 5.388, 0.339, respectively, P >0.05 for each). Among the subjects infected with HBV genotype C, rs1053004 CC ( vs. TT) significantly increased the risk of HBV-LC [odds ratio ( OR ) = 1.40, 95% confidence interval ( CI ): 1.03-1.91]. Among the HBV-infected subjects with HBeAg negative, rs4796793 GG genotype ( vs. CC) and G allele ( vs. C) significantly increased the risks of HBV-LC ( OR = 2.17, 95% CI : 1.11-4.23; OR = 1.45, 95% CI : 1.06-1.97, respectively). Haplotypes analysis showed that the frequency of haplotype C-G-T composed of rs4796793 , rs2293152 , and rs1053004 was significantly lower in HBV-LC than that in the control group (non-LC) (27.3% vs. 35.6%, χ²=9.949, P = 0.001). The correlation between STAT3 and HBV-LC is different in HBV-infected subjects with different infection status. The HBV-infected subjects carrying haplotype rs4796793 C- rs2293152 G- rs1053004 T of STAT3 gene have significantly decreased risk of LC.