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Abstract Globally, gastric cancer (GC) ranks among the most prevalent forms of malignancy, posing a significant health burden. Epigenetic modifications, predominantly characterized by alterations in DNA methylation patterns, have been linked to a diverse array of neoplastic processes. Here, we undertake a comprehensive analysis of the DNA methylation signature in GC, with the aim to discover the potential diagnostic epigenetic biomarkers. Utilizing the Illumina 935 K BeadChip, we conducted a genome-wide exploration of DNA methylation patterns in four paired samples of GC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous counterparts. The bisulfite-pyrosequencing (n = 7) was employed to the quantification for methylated gene. The pubic databases including GWAS Catalog, TCGA and GEO were used. The immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR analysis were performed. In contrast to adjacent tissues, GC tissues manifested pronounced hypermethylation patterns specifically within the promoter cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) islands, indicating localized epigenetic alterations. DNA methylome analysis further revealed 4432 differentially-methylated probes (DMPs), with the gene PRKCB exhibited the most prominent average DNA methylation disparity (mean Δβ = 0.353). Pyrosequencing validation confirmed three DMPs within the PRKCB promoter (cg08406370, cg00735962, and cg18526361). Notably, the mean methylation levels of PRKCB were inversely correlated with mRNA expression levels in the GWAS Catalog. Furthermore, both mRNA and protein expression levels of PRKCB were significantly reduced in GCs when compared to their adjacent non-cancerous counterparts, verified by TCGA and GEO database. Our study reveals significant DNA methylation alterations in GC and emphasizes the pivotal role of PRKCB gene hypermethylation in conferring GC risk, which offers fresh perspectives for advancing diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies for GC.

Abstract Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to emerge and evade immunity, resulting in breakthrough infections in vaccinated populations. There is an urgent need for the development of vaccines with broad protective effects. In this study, we selected hotspot mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that contribute to immune escape properties and integrated them into the original RBD protein to obtain a complex RBD protein (cRBD), and we found cRBDs have broad protective effects against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Three cRBDs were designed in our study. Compared with the BA.1 RBD protein, the cRBDs induced the production of higher levels of broader-spectrum neutralizing antibodies, suggesting stronger and broader protective efficacy. In viral challenge experiments, cRBDs were more effective than BA.1 RBD in attenuating lung pathologic injury. Among the three constructs, cRBD3 showed optimal broad-spectrum and protective effects and is a promising candidate for a broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In conclusion, immunization with cRBDs triggered immunity against a wide range of variants, including those that emerged after we had completed designing the cRBDs. This study preliminarily explores and validates the feasibility of incorporating hotspot mutations that contribute to immune evasion into the RBD to expand the activity spectrum of antigen-induced antibodies.

Abstract Rabbit meat is tender, high in protein, low in fat and cholesterol, and offers several nutritional benefits. However, it has a stronger taste and can be challenging to cook. The global rabbit industry has been developing steadily, and China's total rabbit meat production has exceeded half of the world's total production in 2021. Along with the progress of the production process, the meat of the nutrition and taste at the same time, to improve smell also can get better control, solved the problems met in rabbit meat production. This article discusses the attributes of rabbit meat and outlines the deodorization, texture adjustment, and water retention techniques currently used in rabbit meat processing, aiming to offer a theoretical foundation for the advancement of rabbit meat processing technology.

Abstract Background Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important grain crops in the world, and its growth and development in different stages is seriously affected by saline-alkali stress, especially in seedling stage. Therefore, nondestructive detection of wheat seedlings under saline-alkali stress can provide more comprehensive technical support for wheat breeding, cultivation and management. Results This research focused on moisture signal prediction and classification of saline-alkali stress in wheat seedlings using fusion techniques. After collecting and analyzing transverse relaxation time and Multispectral imaging (MSI) information of wheat seedlings, four regression models were used to predict the moisture signal. K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Gaussian-Naïve Bayes (GNB) models were combined with fivefold cross validation to classify the prediction of wheat seedling stress. The results showed that wheat seedlings would increase the bound water content through a certain mechanism to enhance their saline-alkali stress. Under the same Na concentration, the effect of alkali stress on moisture, growth and spectrum of wheat seedlings is stronger than salt stress. The Gradient Boosting Decision Regression Tree model performs the best in predicting wheat moisture signals, with a coefficient of determination (R2P) of 0.98 and a root mean square error of 109.60. It also had a short training time (1.48 s) and an efficient prediction speed (1300 obs/s). The KNN and GNB demonstrated significantly enhanced predictive performance when classifying the fused dataset, compared to using single datasets individually. In particular, the GNB model performing best on the fused dataset, with Precision, Recall, Accuracy, and F1-score of 90.30, 88.89%, 88.90%, and 0.90, respectively. Conclusions Under the same Na concentration, the effects of alkali stress on water content, spectrum, and growth of wheat were stronger than that of salt stress, which was more unfavorable to the growth of wheat. The fusion of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and MSI technology can improve the classification of wheat stress, and provide an effective technical method for rapid and accurate monitoring of wheat seedlings under saline-alkali stress. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Many studies have demonstrated the association between intestinal microbiota and joint diseases. The “gut-joint axis” also has potential roles in chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection. Pro-inflammatory arthritis after CHIKV infection might disrupt host homeostasis and lead to dysbacteriosis. This study investigated the characteristics of fecal and gut microbiota, intestinal metabolites, and the changes in gene regulation of intestinal tissues after CHIKV infection using multi-omics analysis to explore the involvement of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of CHIKV infection. Results CHIKV infection increases the systemic burden of inflammation in the GI system of infected animals. Moreover, infection-induced alterations in GI microbiota and metabolites may be indirectly involved in the modulation of GI and bone inflammation after CHIKV infection, including the modulation of inflammasomes and interleukin-17 inflammatory cytokine levels. Conclusion Our results suggest that the GI tract and its microbes are involved in the modulation of CHIKV infection, which could serve as an indicator for the adjuvant treatment of CHIKV infection. Video Abstract

Abstract Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with ordered atomic structure have gained great attention as nanocatalysts for its enhanced activity and stability. Although the reliance of IMC preparation on high-temperature annealing is well known, a comprehensive understanding of the formation mechanisms of IMCs in this process is currently lacking. Here, we employ aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-HAADF-STEM) to track the formation process of IMCs on carbon supports during in-situ annealing, by taking PtFe as a case study within an industry-relevant impregnation synthesis framework. We directly discern five different stages at the atomic level: initial atomic precursors; Pt cluster formation; Pt-Fe disordered alloying; structurally ordered Pt3Fe formation, and final Pt3Fe-PtFe IMC conversion. In particular, we find that the crucial role of high-temperature annealing resides in facilitating the diffusion of Fe towards Pt, enabling the creation of alloys with the targeted stoichiometric ratio, which in turn provides the thermodynamic driving force for the disorder-to-order transition.

Abstract Zika virus, a mosquito-borne arbovirus, has repeatedly caused large pandemics with symptoms worsening from mild and self-limiting diseases to Guillain–Barré syndrome in adults and fetal microcephaly in newborns. In recent years, Zika virus diseases have posed a serious threat to human health. The shortage of susceptible small animal models makes it difficult to study pathogenic mechanisms and evaluate potential therapies for Zika virus infection. Therefore, we chose immunocompromised mice (AG129 mice) deficient in IFN-α/β and IFN-γ receptors, which can abolish the innate immune system that prevents Zika virus infection early. AG129 mice were infected with the Zika virus, and this mouse model exhibited replication dynamics, tissue tropism, pathological lesion and immune activation of the Zika virus. Our results suggest that the inoculum dose of Zika virus can affect the viral replication dynamics, cytokine responses and survival rate in AG129 mice. By testing the potential antiviral drug favipiravir, several critical indicators, including replication dynamics and survival rates, were identified in AG129 mice after Zika virus infection. It is suggested that the model is reliable for drug evaluation. In brief, this model provides a potential platform for studies of the infectivity, virulence, and pathogenesis of the Zika virus. Moreover, the development of an accessible mouse model of Zika virus infection will expedite the research and deployment of therapeutics and vaccines.

Plant Jiaosu is a kind of product made from fruit and vegetable cereals as the main raw material by microbial fermentation. It has been gradually favored by the public because of its non-toxic and harmless characteristics and multiple physiological functions. Understanding the metabolic mechanisms of plant Jiaosu plays an important role in improving their quality. However, there are still few summaries on the metabolic mechanism of plant Jiaosu. This paper comprehensively analyzes the research progress of plant Jiaosu, and introduces the related metabolic pathways, product change analysis, product formation influencing factors, flavor source and flavor substance changes of plant Jiaosu in the process of plant ferment glycolysis. The future development of plant Jiaosu is discussed, which provides a reference for the further research and development of plant Jiaosu.

Compound channels consisting of obvious riverbank beaches and deep grooves are widely found in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and the special and complex flow structure of compound channels has an important impact on fish habitats. Currently, there are insufficient studies on how the flow characteristics of compound channels affect the suitability of spawning habitats for fish. In this study, two different spawning types of fishes, namely, the Four major Chinese carps and the Schizothorax prenanti, were taken as representatives, and two different hydrodynamic effects, namely, the characteristic flow and the typical flow pulse process, were considered. Using the 3D hydrodynamic model and physical habitat suitability model, we investigated the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of the habitat suitability indicator for representative fishes in a compound channel, and analyzed the impact of hydraulic characteristics of the compound channel on the suitability of spawning habitats for representative fish species. The results show that the suitable areas for spawning and habitat of the Four major Chinese carps are concentrated in the middle and upper layers of the flow field, with the distribution characteristics of locating in deep grooves under low flow and locating in riverbank beaches under high flow; the spawning and habitat suitability area for the Schizothorax prenanti is located mainly in the near-bottom flow field of the riverbank beach of the compound channel, and with the increase of the flow, the size of the suitable area in the riverbank beach decreases and migrates to the bank gradually. Under the effect of a high-flow pulse process in a certain flow interval, the ideal weighted usable area (IWUA) of habitat suitability indicator greater than 0.8 (HSI ≥ 0.8) for the Four major Chinese carps and Schizothorax prenanti will increase with the increase of flow, and the connectivity of ideal habitat patches will also be enhanced. The results of this study are of great significance for the conservation of river fish resources and ecological engineering construction, etc.

The introduction of competition has the potential to enhance the efficacy of students' learning performance. Nevertheless, there have been contradictory findings about the impact of intergroup competition on students' learning performance and engagement. Therefore, further comprehensive investigations for this problem are necessary. In order to bridge this gap, the present study seeks to ascertain the efficacy of intergroup competition in relation to students' academic performance and motivation. Consequently, we present the concept of intergroup competition and implement it within the context of an online programming course and an online Chinese-English translation course. The participants of this study consist of sophomore students majoring in Computer Science and English. Initially, a total of 108 sophomore students majoring in Computer Science participated. Then, a total of 100 sophomore students majoring in English participated. A quasi-experimental study was subsequently undertaken to compare students from two courses, which are online programming and Chinese-English translation, assigning them to an experimental group and a comparison group, respectively. Then, we conducted independent samples t-tests to measure the difference between the academic performance of the two group of students from two courses. The results indicate that both groups of students who were exposed to the intergroup competition mechanism demonstrated considerably higher levels of academic performance and engagement compared to the other group of students. The findings indicate that the competition mechanism, has the potential to be a beneficial instrument for enhancing both students' learning performance and motivation.

Aquatic microbes, which are highly diverse in freshwater biofilms, play a vital role in shaping the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Nevertheless, the influence of environmental factors on aquatic microbes in different biogeographic ecosystems, especially in tropical mountains, is relatively unexplored. Here, we examined the relative influence of climate and physicochemical factors on beta diversity of stream bacteria and fungi using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing at 40 sites on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Towards larger elevational distance, the total beta diversity and turnover of bacteria and fungi increased significantly, while nestedness decreased. The beta diversity of fungi showed greater spatial variation than that of bacteria, while the local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD) showed U-shaped elevational pattern for both taxa. Bacteria and fungi had strong positive relationships regarding the total beta diversity, LCBD and their components, except for nestedness, indicating similar environmental preferences and resource overlap. Among environmental variables, mean annual temperature, water depth and elevation predicted microbial beta diversity, while water depth, mean annual temperature and precipitation primarily affected LCBD. Overall, climate-related variables were the dominant factors for beta diversity and their effects were more pronounced for fungi than bacteria. The contrasting patterns of bacterial and fungal beta diversity and their ecological interactions in tropical aquatic ecosystems provide a rare dataset for assessing ecological functions in understudied aquatic ecosystems and predicting the impact of global change on microorganisms.

It is crucial to explore the earth-abundant, high-efficient and stable electrocatalysts suitable for accelerating water splitting kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes. Herein, FexCo1-xS2 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) nanoparticles were fabricated via hydrothermal method and sulfidizing. Remarkably, the FeS2 delivers the most outstanding OER activity among prepared catalysts, with the overpotential of 240 mV for 10 mA/cm2, ultra-low Tafel slope of 45 mV/decades and high stability for 16 h. XRD, SEM, HRTEM, Raman and XPS characteristics before and OER process, TOF and electrochemical results indicate that surface reconstruction, strong combination of Fe-S and uniform dispersion of particles endow FeS2 with excellent catalytic property. The strong combination of Fe-S bond and uniform dispersion of FeS2 facilitates electron transfer. And the reconstructed crystalline-amorphous Fe2O3/FeOOH with rough surface may have a low energy barrier for the elementary reaction of O*→OOH*, which is responsible for boosting the generation of O2. In the practical two-electrode overall water splitting system in 1 M KOH, the FeS2/NF//Pt/C/NF system only needs an ultra-low cell voltage of 1.46 and 1.642 V to generate the current densities of 10 and 50 mA/cm2, respectively.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lacidophilin on inflammation and intestinal microflora in H. pylori-induced gastritis mice. Methods: Established an H. pylori-infected mice model by orally administering an H. pylori suspension. The mice were randomly divided into a model group and a lacidophilin treatment group, which received treatment for four weeks. Gram staining, Warthin-Starry silver staining, and H. pylori immunohistochemical staining were conducted to confirm the colonization of H. pylori in the gastric mucosa of mice. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe any histopathological changes in the gastric mucosa of mice. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to observe the expression of iNOS, IL-1β, and 3-Nitrotyrosine in the gastric mucosa of mice. Additionally, the structure of intestinal microflora was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: The successful establishment of H. pylori-infected mice. Lacidophilin improved the stomach histopathological morphology in mice with H. pylori-induced gastritis and inhibited iNOS, IL-1β, and 3-Nitrotyrosine expression in the gastric mucosa. The composition and structure of the gut microbiota among the lacidophilin group showed noticeable differences in comparison to the H. pylori-infected group. Lacidophilin augmented the diversity of intestinal microflora in H. pylori-infected mice by regulating the abundance of Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidete, and Verrucomicrobiota. At the genus level, Lacidophilin resulted in significant growth stimulation of beneficial bacteria such as g_norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Akkermansia, and Alistipes, while suppressing the proliferation of inflammation-related bacteria such as Dubosiella, thereby improving the composition and structure of the gut microbiota. Conclusion: Lacidophilin has the potential to rebalance the composition and structure of gut microbiota that has been compromised by H. pylori infection. It may have a protective effect on mice with H. pylori-induced gastritis by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, reducing inflammatory reactions, and alleviating oxidative damage to the gastric mucosa.

Abstract The root-associated microbiota plays an important role in the response to environmental stress. However, the underlying mechanisms controlling the interaction between salt-stressed plants and microbiota are poorly understood. Here, by focusing on a salt-tolerant plant wild soybean (Glycine soja), we demonstrate that highly conserved microbes dominated by Pseudomonas are enriched in the root and rhizosphere microbiota of salt-stressed plant. Two corresponding Pseudomonas isolates are confirmed to enhance the salt tolerance of wild soybean. Shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing reveal that motility-associated genes, mainly chemotaxis and flagellar assembly, are significantly enriched and expressed in salt-treated samples. We further find that roots of salt stressed plants secreted purines, especially xanthine, which induce motility of the Pseudomonas isolates. Moreover, exogenous application for xanthine to non-stressed plants results in Pseudomonas enrichment, reproducing the microbiota shift in salt-stressed root. Finally, Pseudomonas mutant analysis shows that the motility related gene cheW is required for chemotaxis toward xanthine and for enhancing plant salt tolerance. Our study proposes that wild soybean recruits beneficial Pseudomonas species by exudating key metabolites (i.e., purine) against salt stress.

ABSTRACTGastrointestinal (GI) infection is evidenced with involvement in COVID-19 pathogenesis caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, the correlation between GI microbiota and the distinct pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Proto and its emerging variants remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine if GI microbiota impacted COVID-19 pathogenesis and if the effect varied between SARS-CoV-2 Proto and its variants. We performed an integrative analysis of histopathology, microbiomics, and transcriptomics on the GI tract fragments from rhesus monkeys infected with SARS-CoV-2 proto or its variants. Based on the degree of pathological damage and microbiota profile in the GI tract, five of SARS-CoV-2 strains were classified into two distinct clusters, namely, the clusters of Alpha, Beta and Delta (ABD), and Proto and Omicron (PO). Notably, the abundance of potentially pathogenic microorganisms increased in ABD but not in the PO-infected rhesus monkeys. Specifically, the high abundance of UCG-002, UCG-005, and Treponema in ABD virus-infected animals positively correlated with interleukin, integrins, and antiviral genes. Overall, this study revealed that infection-induced alteration of GI microbiota and metabolites could increase the systemic burdens of inflammation or pathological injury in infected animals, especially in those infected with ABD viruses. Distinct GI microbiota and metabolite profiles may be responsible for the differential pathological phenotypes of PO and ABD virus-infected animals. These findings improve our understanding the roles of the GI microbiota in SARS-CoV-2 infection and provide important information for the precise prevention, control, and treatment of COVID-19.

BackgroundPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as organic pollutants widely present in daily environments, have been shown by existing epidemiological studies to be significantly associated with deficits in learning and memory functions in children and adults. However, the association between exposure to PAHs and cognitive function in older adults remains unclear. Additionally, existing related studies have only assessed the association between individual PAH exposures and cognitive assessments, overlooking the risks posed by mixed exposures. This study aims to use three statistical models to investigate the individual and overall effects of mixed PAH exposures on the cognition of older adults in the United States.MethodsThe study cohort was obtained from the NHANES database, which included individuals aged 60 and older from 2011 to 2014. Weighted generalized linear models (GLM), weighted quantile sum (WQS) models, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were utilized to evaluate the connections between urinary PAH metabolites and the standardized Z-scores of four cognitive tests: Immediate Recall Test (IRT), Delayed Recall Test (DRT), Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST).ResultsOur analysis involved 899 individuals aged 60 and above. In the fully adjusted GLM, 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNa), 3-hydroxyfluorene (3-OHFlu), and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFlu) demonstrated negative associations with DSST Z-scores. In the WQS model, six urinary PAH metabolites were negatively linked to AFT Z-scores (β (95% confidence intervals [CI]): −0.120 (−0.208, −0.033), p = 0.007) and DSST Z-scores (β (95% CI): −0.182 (−0.262, −0.103), p

Objective: Pulmonary cavity lesion is one of the commonly seen lesions in lung caused by a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Diagnosis of a cavity lesion is commonly based on accurate recognition of the typical morphological characteristics. A deep learning-based model to automatically detect, segment, and quantify the region of cavity lesion on CT scans has potential in clinical diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment efficacy assessment. Methods: A weakly-supervised deep learning-based method named CSA2-ResNet was proposed to quantitatively characterize cavity lesions in this paper. The lung parenchyma was firstly segmented using a pretrained 2D segmentation model, and then the output with or without cavity lesions was fed into the developed deep neural network containing hybrid attention modules. Next, the visualized lesion was generated from the activation region of the classification network using gradient-weighted class activation mapping, and image processing was applied for post-processing to obtain the expected segmentation results of cavity lesions. Finally, the automatic characteristic measurement of cavity lesions (e.g., area and thickness) was developed and verified. Results: the proposed weakly-supervised segmentation method achieved an accuracy, precision, specificity, recall, and F1-score of 98.48%, 96.80%, 97.20%, 100%, and 98.36%, respectively. There is a significant improvement (P < 0.05) compared to other methods. Quantitative characterization of morphology also obtained good analysis effects. Conclusions: The proposed easily-trained and high-performance deep learning model provides a fast and effective way for the diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of pulmonary cavity lesions in clinic. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: This model used artificial intelligence to achieve the detection and quantitative analysis of pulmonary cavity lesions in CT scans. The morphological features revealed in experiments can be utilized as potential indicators for diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of patients with cavity lesions

Background and aim: Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu (ZL) capsule is a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with satisfactory curative effects. Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction plays an important role during myocardial fibrosis (MF). But the therapeutic effect of ZL capsule on EC dysfunction remains unknown in the development of MF. This study aims to investigate the effect of ZL capsule on EC dysfunction during MF in vivo. Experimental procedure: The model of MF is established in vivo by injecting isoproterenol for 14 days, simultaneously, we examined the therapeutic effect of ZL capsule on MF in vivo. An integrative approach combining biomarker examination, echocardiography and myocardial fibrosis condition using Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining, and Sirius red staining were performed to assess the efficacy of ZL capsule against MF. Subsequently, comprehensive immunofluorescence staining was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of ZL capsule on EC dysfunction. Results and conclusion: Prior to experiments, analysis of the published single-cell sequencing data was performed and it was discovered that EC dysfunction plays an important role. Further pharmacological results showed that ZL capsule could alleviate fibrosis injury and collagen fiber deposition. The mechanism investigation results showed that the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and MHC class-II (MHC-II) expression in EC were improved. In addition, ZL capsule can attenuate the inflammatory response during MF by intervening the activation of CD4+T cell mediated by EC. For the first time, we provided evidence that ZL capsule could improve MF by alleviating EC dysfunction via the regulation of EndMT and expression of MHC-II. Taxonomy (classification by evise): Myocardial fibrosis, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Traditional Medicine, Endothelium, dysfunction, Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Single-season rice describes the area under rice cultivation from May–October of the year. Many scholars have used lower-resolution data to study single-season rice in different regions, but using high-precision and high-resolution single-season rice data can reveal new phenomena. This paper uses a long-time-series, high-precision, and high-resolution single-season rice cultivation dataset to conduct an in-depth analysis of the spatial–temporal variability characteristics of single-season rice in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2017 to 2021. It explores the correlation between meteorological factors and greenhouse gasses for single-season rice. It analyzes the driving role of social factors on single-season rice. The results showed that single-season rice was mainly grown in the central and northeastern regions of the study area. The single-season rice cultivation was significantly reduced in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. Single-season rice strongly correlates with meteorological factors in time but shows a weak spatial correlation. This is because human factors largely dominate the area under single-season rice cultivation. Methane emissions in the study area are mainly influenced by anthropogenic activities rather than single-season rice. Social factors are essential in controlling single-season rice cultivation in the study area. This study was conducted in Jiangsu Province, China. Still, the methodology and results have important implications for agricultural production and environmental management studies in other regions, and some findings have general applicability.

IntroductionThe incorporation of Staphylococcus xylosus in sausage production is hypothesized to affect various physicochemical properties and flavor profiles of sausages. This study aimed to evaluate the simulation of these features in a sausage model and establish its applicability for in vitro studies.MethodsBoth a control and an experimental model, inclusive of Staphylococcus xylosus, were assessed for changes in physicochemical indexes (pH and water activity, Aw) and the concentration of flavoring components (esters and aldehydes). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were also measured to evaluate lipid oxidation.ResultsThe introduction of Staphylococcus xylosus resulted in no significant changes in pH and Aw between the sausage and the model. However, there was a considerable increase in the content of volatile flavor compounds, specifically esters and aldehydes, in the experimental groups compared to the control. Additionally, the TBARS values in experimental groups were significantly lower than those in the control group at the end of the testing period.DiscussionThe findings indicate that Staphylococcus xylosus plays a critical role in enhancing the flavor profile of sausages through the increased synthesis of volatile compounds and inhibiting fat oxidation. The sausage model effectively simulated the physicochemical and flavor index responses, demonstrating its potential utility for further in vitro research on sausage fermentation and preservation techniques.

Abstract Urgent research into innovative severe acute respiratory coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) vaccines that may successfully prevent various emerging emerged variants, particularly the Omicron variant and its subvariants, is necessary. Here, we designed a chimeric adenovirus‐vectored vaccine named Ad5‐Beta/Delta. This vaccine was created by incorporating the receptor‐binding domain from the Delta variant, which has the L452R and T478K mutations, into the complete spike protein of the Beta variant. Both intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) vaccination with Ad5‐Beta/Deta vaccine induced robust broad‐spectrum neutralization against Omicron BA.5‐included variants. IN immunization with Ad5‐Beta/Delta vaccine exhibited superior mucosal immunity, manifested by higher secretory IgA antibodies and more tissue‐resident memory T cells (TRM) in respiratory tract. The combination of IM and IN delivery of the Ad5‐Beta/Delta vaccine was capable of synergically eliciting stronger systemic and mucosal immune responses. Furthermore, the Ad5‐Beta/Delta vaccination demonstrated more effective boosting implications after two dosages of mRNA or subunit recombinant protein vaccine, indicating its capacity for utilization as a booster shot in the heterologous vaccination. These outcomes quantified Ad5‐Beta/Delta vaccine as a favorable vaccine can provide protective immunity versus SARS‐CoV‐2 pre‐Omicron variants of concern and BA.5‐included Omicron subvariants.

Background Childhood maltreatment is a well-established transdiagnostic risk factor for suicidal ideation; however, previous studies on their association in schizophrenia have produced highly varied results. Moreover, the mechanism linking childhood maltreatment and suicide ideation remains unclear in schizophrenia. Aims This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between childhood maltreatment and suicide ideation in people with schizophrenia and tested whether insomnia mediated this relationship. Method Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form and Beck Suicidal Ideation Inventory were employed. Logistic regression and mediation analysis were performed. Results (a) The prevalence of suicide ideation, insomnia, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and physical neglect was 10% (n = 61), 18% (n = 111), 11% (n = 68), 25% (n = 153), 6.3% (n = 39), 17% (n = 106) and 39% (n = 239), respectively. In all, 52% (n = 320) reported childhood maltreatment; (b) patients with suicide ideation demonstrated higher insomnia and childhood maltreatment. PANSS depression factor, ISI, lifetime suicidal attempts and emotional abuse were independently associated with suicide ideation; (c) insomnia partially mediated the effects of emotional abuse and emotional neglect on suicide ideation, and insomnia completely mediated the effects of physical neglect and physical abuse on suicide ideation. Conclusion Our study calls for formal assessments for childhood maltreatment and insomnia in schizophrenia, which might help identify suicide ideation early. In addition, interventions targeting insomnia might help reduce suicide ideation among people with schizophrenia who experience childhood maltreatment.

Background Autoimmune thyroiditis is closely associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide attempts. However, few studies have examined this relationship. Aims The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of suicide attempts in patients with first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD and autoimmune thyroiditis. Method We recruited 1718 out-patients with FEDN MDD and assessed depressive, anxiety and psychotic symptoms with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Subscale positive subscale, respectively. The serum levels of free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), antithyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and several other metabolic parameters were assessed. Patients were divided into non-autoimmune thyroiditis, autoimmune thyroiditis only and autoimmune thyroiditis with abnormal TSH groups, based on autoimmune thyroiditis severity. Multiple logistic regression model was applied to identify the correlates of suicide attempts in patients with MDD and autoimmune thyroiditis with abnormal TSH. Results Compared with the non-autoimmune thyroiditis group, the autoimmune thyroiditis with abnormal TSH group had a nearly fourfold higher likelihood of reporting a suicide attempt, whereas no difference was found between the non-autoimmune thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroiditis only groups. HRSA score, lnTPOAb and lnTSH were independently associated with suicide attempts in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis with abnormal TSH. Conclusions Patients with MDD and autoimmune thyroiditis with abnormal TSH are at higher risk for suicide attempt. TPOAb, TSH and anxiety are all independently associated with suicide attempts in this population, and regular thyroid checks are warranted.

IntroductionThe field of electroencephalogram (EEG)-based emotion identification has received significant attention and has been widely utilized in both human-computer interaction and therapeutic settings. The process of manually analyzing electroencephalogram signals is characterized by a significant investment of time and work. While machine learning methods have shown promising results in classifying emotions based on EEG data, the task of extracting distinct characteristics from these signals still poses a considerable difficulty.MethodsIn this study, we provide a unique deep learning model that incorporates an attention mechanism to effectively extract spatial and temporal information from emotion EEG recordings. The purpose of this model is to address the existing gap in the field. The implementation of emotion EEG classification involves the utilization of a global average pooling layer and a fully linked layer, which are employed to leverage the discernible characteristics. In order to assess the effectiveness of the suggested methodology, we initially gathered a dataset of EEG recordings related to music-induced emotions.ExperimentsSubsequently, we ran comparative tests between the state-of-the-art algorithms and the method given in this study, utilizing this proprietary dataset. Furthermore, a publicly accessible dataset was included in the subsequent comparative trials.DiscussionThe experimental findings provide evidence that the suggested methodology outperforms existing approaches in the categorization of emotion EEG signals, both in binary (positive and negative) and ternary (positive, negative, and neutral) scenarios.

As a descriptive-inferential study, this research aimed at revealing the relationship between music training and academic development with the Chinese middle school students' academic performance of mathematics and physics skills. The participants of this study consisted of the students from two different middle schools located at two cities in Shandong province, China. From each school 250 students were selected, and the statistics was used to analyze both the academic performance of the students and the data obtained from the scale designed by the authors. The research results show that the non-music students outperformed music students on both mathematics and physics development. In addition, music training did not contribute to the academic achievement independently but rather integrated with several factors like parents’ education and out-of-school engagement. The findings suggest the positive influence on non-musical cognitive learning, and it has potential implications for the Chinese middle school education.

BackgroundDuring epidemic outbreaks, hospitalized patients, especially those with cerebrovascular disease, were identified as a vulnerable group suffering from acute stress disorder (ASD) and consequent psychological distress. For stroke patients, not only will they suffer from physical illness, but the uncertainty of illness caused by sudden illness may also cause patients to experience different degrees of ASD. Relevant studies have shown that the impact of ASD on individuals may vary according to age, gender, disease characteristics, individual personality, treatment methods, income level, family support, cognitive psychology and other factors. However, non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation plays a crucial role in influencing individual psychological states. At present, the risk factors of ASD after stroke and the mechanism between illness uncertainty and cognitive emotion regulation are not fully understood. Therefore, we focus on exploring the predictive effects of general demographic and disease-related characteristics, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation, and illness uncertainty on ASD after stroke, and make hypotheses. When a disease acts on the body, the patient will have the corresponding cognition of the disease, and ASD will appear at the same time. Then the maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation as an important mediating variable can aggravate the level of acute stress disorder and be verified.MethodsWe used a cross-sectional design, which can be used to investigate the distribution of a disease or health condition and its related factors in a specific population at a specific time, so as to describe the distribution of the disease or health condition and its relationship with related factors. A total of 256 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled, including 145 males and 111 females, aged from 26 to 90 years, with a mean age of (64.71 ± 12.20) years. All patients completed and returned a self-report questionnaire that included demographic information, illness uncertainty, cognitive emotion regulation, and ASD. We then compared the differences in general demographic data, illness uncertainty, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation in acute stress disorders.ResultsThe majority of hospitalized stroke patients (67.6%) developed ASD due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were therefore at risk for PTSD. More than one third (39.1%) of stroke survivors also suffered from severe psychological distress. More specifically, younger stroke patients are more likely to experience ASD than older patients. Although higher illness uncertainty scores indicate more severe ASD, adaptive cognitive emotion regulation was a protective factor.ConclusionGiven that individuals with ASD are susceptible to PTSD, it is critical to follow up hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke for screening for PTSD and referral to appropriate psychological services. Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation can increase the impact of uncertainty on the traumatic experience of stroke patients. Therefore, health care institutions should increase their efforts to provide psychosocial support services to hospitalized patients and make continuous efforts to screen for symptoms of trauma and psychological distress in hospitalized stroke patients.

Highlights Analyzed the function of internal polarization field in Ni2P/FeP2 via hydroxyl spillover effect. From theoretical design to experimental verification, to optimize adsorption energy of oxygen intermediates on Ni active site, and further boost the xygen evolution reaction process. A hydroxyl spillover effect driven by internal polarization field in Ni2P/FeP2 can be amplified in low concentration alkaline electrolyte environment, and facilitate the application in anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer systems.

Objective Palaeomagnetic study of the early Palaeozoic North Qiangtang Terrane can quantitatively constrain its palaeogeographic location since the Palaeozoic, which serves as an important foundation and key constraint for studying of the palaeotectonic pattern of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the evolution of the Phanerozoic Tethys and palaeogeographic reconstruction. Methods Prior to palaeomagnetic study, it is essential to investigate the magnetic properties of rocks to identify the types and assemblages of magnetic carriers present in rocks, which will facilitate the selection of demagnetization experimental protocols and discussions on the primary nature of remanent magnetization. This paper focuses on the magnetic properties of limestone and sandstone from the Late Silurian Longmu Co Upper Formation in the North Qiangtang Terrane, through analyses of isothermal remanence acquisition curves, magnetic susceptibility with temperature(χ-T) curves, triaxial thermal demagnetization experiments, low-temperature magnetic properties tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectral (EDS) analysis. Results Results show that magnetite is the predominant magnetic carrier in the limestone samples of the Longmu Co Upper Fm, with small amounts of pyrrhotite. The magnetic assemblage in the sandstone samples is more complex, dominated by magnetite, possibly with other magnetic minerals such as pyrrhotite. Conclusion Moreover, it demonstrates that stable high-temperature remanent magnetization components can be isolated from the limestone samples in the Longmu Co Upper Formation, making them suitable for further palaeomagnetic researches.

Abstract Background This study aimed to assess the prevalence and the gender-specific risk factors of alcohol abuse/dependence among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID‑19 pandemic period in China. Method The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) was used to identify respondents with alcohol abuse/dependence. A questionnaire on basic demographics and mental distresses (learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, and history of mental disorders) was used. The logistic regression model was used to explore the associations between the above characteristics and alcohol abuse/dependence. Results A total of 3,412 medical undergraduates were included in the analysis. Males showed a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence than females (16.6% vs 7.4%, p

Abstract Human body expressions convey emotional shifts and intentions of action and, in some cases, are even more effective than other emotion models. Despite many datasets of body expressions incorporating motion capture available, there is a lack of more widely distributed datasets regarding naturalized body expressions based on the 2D video. In this paper, therefore, we report the multi-view emotional expressions dataset (MEED) using 2D pose estimation. Twenty-two actors presented six emotional (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) and neutral body movements from three viewpoints (left, front, right). A total of 4102 videos were captured. The MEED consists of the corresponding pose estimation results (i.e., 397,809 PNG files and 397,809 JSON files). The size of MEED exceeds 150 GB. We believe this dataset will benefit the research in various fields, including affective computing, human-computer interaction, social neuroscience, and psychiatry.

The distinctive taste of Sichuan sauce-flavored sausage comes from an intricate microbial metabolism. The correlation between microbial composition and distinct flavor components has not been researched. The study used headspace solid-phase microextraction action with gas chromatography mass spectrometry to find flavor components and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA to look at the diversity and succession of microbial communities. The correlation network model forecasted the connection between essential bacteria and the development of flavors. The study revealed that the primary flavor compounds in Sichuan sauce-flavored sausages were alcohols, aldehydes, and esters. The closely related microbes were Leuconostoc, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Flavobacterium, and Algoriella. The microbes aided in the production of various flavor compounds, such as 1-octen-3-ol, benzeneacetaldehyde, hexanal, (R,R)-2,3-butanediol, and ethyl caprylate. This work has enhanced our comprehension of the diverse functions that bacteria serve in flavor development during the fermentation of Sichuan sauce-flavored sausage.

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a highly destructive invasive pest targeting Solanaceae crops. Its olfactory system plays a crucial role in host location, mate finding, and other behavioral activities. However, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the characterization of its chemosensory genes. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide identification of 58 odorant receptors (ORs) of T. absoluta. The identified ORs exhibit coding sequence (CDS) lengths ranging from 1062 bp to 1419 bp, encoding proteins of 354 to 473 amino acids. Gene structure analysis showed that the majority of these ORs consist of five, seven, eight, or nine exons, collectively representing 67% of the total ORs identified. Through chromosomal mapping, we identified several tandemly duplicate genes, including TabsOR12a, TabsOR12b, TabsOR12c, TabsOR21a, TabsOR21b, TabsOR34a, TabsOR34b, TabsOR34c, TabsOR62a, and TabsOR62b. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that six TabsORs were clustered within the lepidopteran sex pheromone receptor clade, while an expansion clade containing ten TabsORs resulted from tandem duplication events. Additionally, five TabsORs were classified into a specific OR clade in T. absoluta. Furthermore, through RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR analyses, we identified five TabsORs (TabsOR21a, TabsOR26a, TabsOR34a, TabsOR34c, and TabsOR36) exhibiting female-antennae-biased expression. Our study provides a valuable foundation to further investigations into the molecular and ecological functions of TabsORs, particularly in relation to oviposition behavior. These findings provide foundational data for the future exploration of the functions of female-biased expression OR genes in T. absoluta, thereby facilitating the further development of eco-friendly attract-and-kill techniques for the prevention and control of T. absoluta.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a major threat to global wheat production. Recent reviews of wheat FHB focused on pathology or comprehensive prevention and lacked a summary of advanced detection techniques. Unlike traditional detection and management methods, wheat FHB detection based on various imaging technologies has the obvious advantages of a high degree of automation and efficiency. With the rapid development of computer vision and deep learning technology, the number of related research has grown explosively in recent years. This review begins with an overview of wheat FHB epidemic mechanisms and changes in the characteristics of infected wheat. On this basis, the imaging scales are divided into microscopic, medium, submacroscopic, and macroscopic scales. Then, we outline the recent relevant articles, algorithms, and methodologies about wheat FHB from disease detection to qualitative analysis and summarize the potential difficulties in the practicalization of the corresponding technology. This paper could provide researchers with more targeted technical support and breakthrough directions. Additionally, this paper provides an overview of the ideal application mode of the FHB detection technologies based on multi-scale imaging and then examines the development trend of the all-scale detection system, which paved the way for the fusion of non-destructive detection technologies of wheat FHB based on multi-scale imaging.

The phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate-derived amino acids (POP-AAs) comprise native intermediates in cellular metabolism, within which the phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate (POP) node is the switch point among the major metabolic pathways existing in most living organisms. POP-AAs have widespread applications in the nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical industries. These amino acids have been predominantly produced in Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum through microbial fermentation. With the rapid increase in market requirements, along with the global food shortage situation, the industrial production capacity of these two bacteria has encountered two bottlenecks: low product conversion efficiency and high cost of raw materials. Aiming to push forward the update and upgrade of engineered strains with higher yield and productivity, this paper presents a comprehensive summarization of the fundamental strategy of metabolic engineering techniques around phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate node for POP-AA production, including L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-isoleucine. Novel heterologous routes and regulation methods regarding the carbon flux redistribution in the POP node and the formation of amino acids should be taken into consideration to improve POP-AA production to approach maximum theoretical values. Furthermore, an outlook for future strategies of low-cost feedstock and energy utilization for developing amino acid overproducers is proposed.

Abstract The COVID-19 response strategies in Chinese mainland were recently adjusted due to the reduced pathogenicity and enhanced infectivity of Omicron subvariants. In Chengdu, China, an infection wave was predominantly induced by the BA.5 subvariant. It is crucial to determine whether the hybrid anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity following BA.5 infection, coupled with a variety of immune background, is sufficient to shape the immune responses against newly emerged Omicron subvariants, especially for XBB lineages. To investigate this, we collected serum and nasal swab samples from 108 participants who had been infected in this BA.5 infection wave, and evaluated the neutralization against pseudoviruses. Our results showed that convalescent sera from individuals, regardless of vaccination history, had remarkably compromised neutralization capacities against the newly emerged XBB and XBB.1.5 subvariants. Although post-vaccination with BA.5 breakthrough infection slightly elevated plasma neutralizing antibodies against a part of pseudoviruses, the neutralization activities were remarkably impaired by XBB lineages. Furthermore, we analyzed the impacts of the number of vaccinations, age, and sex on the humoral and cellular immune response after BA.5 infection. Our findings suggest that the neutralization against XBB lineages that elicited by current hybrid immunity after BA.5 infection, are remained at low levels, indicating an urgent need for the development of next-generation of COVID-19 vaccines that designed based on the XBB sub-lineages and other future variants.

Abstract As a highly selective, recoverable, and low‐cost process, macroporous resins (MPRs) are of interest for the purification of bioactive components from natural products. This guide takes super‐crosslinked MPR as an example, and focuses on application of macroporous adsorption resin in polysaccharide purification, including pretreatment and regeneration of macroporous adsorption resin, various factors affecting the adsorption effect of macroporous adsorption resin, and adsorption mechanism of resin.

Helicobacter pylori colonizes over 50% of people worldwide. Biofilm formation through penetrating gastric mucus and resistance acquired by H. pylori markedly reduces the efficacy of traditional antibiotics. The present triple therapy and bismuth-based quadruple therapy inevitably causes intestinal flora disturbance and fails to address the excessive H. pylori-triggered inflammatory response. Herein, a mucus-permeable therapeutic platform (Cu-MOF@NF) that consists of copper-bearing metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) loaded with nitrogen-doped carbon dots and naturally active polysaccharide fucoidan is developed. The experimental results demonstrate that Cu-MOF@NF can penetrate the mucus layer and hinder H. pylori from adhering on gastric epithelial cells of the stomach. Notably, released Cu2+ can degrade the polysaccharides in the biofilm and interfere with the cyclic growing mode of “bacterioplankton ↔ biofilm”, thereby preventing recurrent and persistent infection. Compared with traditional triple therapy, the Cu-MOF@NF not only possesses impressive antibacterial effect (even include multidrug-resistant strains), but also improves the inflammatory microenvironment without disrupting the balance of intestinal flora, providing a more efficient, safe, and antibiotic-free new approach to eradicating H. pylori.

Abstract Immune responses induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection play a critical role in the pathogenesis and outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, the dynamic profile of immune responses postinfection by SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern (VOC) is not fully understood. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells single‐cell sequencing was performed to determine dynamic profiles of immune response to Prototype, Alpha, Beta, and Delta in a rhesus monkey model. Overall, all strains induced dramatic changes in both cellular subpopulations and gene expression levels at 1 day postinfection (dpi), which associated function including adaptive immune response, innate immunity, and IFN response. COVID‐19‐related genes revealed different gene profiles at 1 dpi among the four SARS‐CoV‐2 strains, including genes reported in COVID‐19 patients with increased risk of autoimmune disease and rheumatic diseases. Delta‐infected animal showed inhibition of translation pathway. B cells, T cells, and monocytes showed much commonality rather than specificity among the four strains. Monocytes were the major responders to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and the response lasted longer in Alpha than the other strains. Thus, this study reveals the early immune responses induced by SARS‐CoV‐2 Proto or its variants in nonhuman primates, which is important information for controlling rapidly evolving viruses.

AbstractBackground Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a significant public concern that profoundly impacts healthcare workers. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the prevalence of workplace violence and its correlation with suicidal ideation among undergraduate medical students in China during their clinical training. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors and to assess its association with suicidal ideation among undergraduate medical students.Method The snowballing sampling technique was used to recruit Chinese medical students. A question designed by the research team was used to ask medical students about their encounters with workplace violence. Students’ basic demographic information and mental distresses (learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse/dependence, excessive daytime sleepiness and history of mental disorders) were also assessed. As appropriate, the data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, independent-sample t-tests and multiple logistic regression.Results Out of the 1402 undergraduate medical students who participated, 493 (35.2%) reported having experienced workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors, of which 394 (28.1%) were verbal abuse, 14 (1.0%) were physical aggression, and 85 (6.1%) were suffered from both verbal abuse and physical aggression. Furthermore, students exposed to workplace violence were more likely to report suicidal ideation and had a higher prevalence of learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse/dependence and excessive daytime sleepiness. Depression symptoms, history of mental disorders, learning burnout and having a partner were significantly associated with suicidal ideation in this population.Conclusion The prevalence of workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors was high among undergraduate medical students in China. This may be associated with their mental distress and suicidal ideation. Consequently, it is crucial to strengthen workplace safety measures and promptly implement interventions to mitigate the potentially serious consequences.

ABSTRACTMultiple clinical and epidemiological studies have shown an interconnection between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and diabetes, but experimental evidence is still lacking. Understanding the interplay between them is important because of the global health burden of COVID-19 and diabetes. We found that C57BL/6J mice were susceptible to the alpha strain of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, diabetic C57BL/6J mice with leptin receptor gene deficiency (db/db mice) showed a higher viral load in the throat and lung and slower virus clearance in the throat after infection than C57BL/6J mice. Histological and multifactor analysis revealed more advanced pulmonary injury and serum inflammation in SARS-CoV-2 infected diabetic mice. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 infected diabetic mice exhibited more severe insulin resistance and islet cell loss than uninfected diabetic mice. By RNA sequencing analysis, we found that diabetes may reduce the collagen level, suppress the immune response and aggravate inflammation in the lung after infection, which may account for the greater susceptibility of diabetic mice and their more severe lung damage after infection. In summary, we successfully established a SARS-CoV-2 infected diabetic mice model and demonstrated that diabetes and COVID-19 were risk factors for one another.

ABSTRACTH. pylori infection is the strongest known risk factor for gastric carcinoma. The activation of the yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) and β-catenin pathways has been associated with multiple tumor types. In this study, we investigated the crosstalk between the YAP and β-catenin pathways in H. pylori-associated gastric tumorigenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis of YAP and β-catenin expression was performed in human gastric cancer tissues. The small molecules Super-TDU and KYA1797K, pharmacological inhibitors of YAP and β-catenin, respectively, were used to investigate the role of these signaling pathways in H. pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis in murine models of infection. The common downstream targets of YAP and β-catenin signaling were evaluated by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Western blot, immunofluorescence, luciferase, RT-PCR, immunoprecipitation, cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), EdU and spheroid assays were used. H. pylori infection promoted YAP and β-catenin nuclear accumulation and transcriptional activity in gastric epithelial cells and transgenic insulin–gastrin (INS-GAS) mice, whereas silencing of both YAP and β-catenin synergistically inhibited H. pylori-induced cell proliferation and expansion. In addition, YAP was found to directly interact with β-catenin and knockdown of YAP suppressed H. pylori-induced nuclear translocation of β-catenin. Moreover, downstream genes caudal-type homeobox 2 (CDX2), leucine-rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) and RuvB like AAA ATPase 1 (RUVBL1) were shared by both YAP and β-catenin signaling. Furthermore, treatment with the YAP inhibitor Super-TDU or β-catenin inhibitor KYA1797A significantly alleviated gastric inflammation and epithelial DNA damage in H. pylori-infected mice. Finally, the elevation of gastric YAP was positively correlated with β-catenin expression in human gastric cancer tissues. These findings indicate that YAP and β-catenin synergistically promote H. pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis via their physical interaction and reveal that CDX2, LGR5 and RUVBL1 are the downstream genes shared by both the YAP and β-catenin signaling pathways, and potentially contribute to H. pylori pathogenesis.

The Qaidam Block, located at the northern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, is a pivotal area in unraveling the closure time of the Kunlun Ocean basin which might have recorded the transformation process between the Proto-Tethys and Paleo-Tethys Ocean basins. However, the late Triassic position of the Qaidam Block remains enigmatic, largely due to the scarcity of paleomagnetic data essential for quantitatively determining its paleolatitude. The widespread presence of the Elashan formation, particularly along the southern periphery of the Qaidam block, presents good material for conducting paleomagnetic work. Nevertheless, the primary magnetic carriers preserved within the Elashan formation might be influenced by multiple tectonic thermal events, particularly those associated with collisions between southern blocks and the Qaidam Block. Here we present rock magnetism and magnetic fabrics studies to identify the content and composition of magnetic minerals within the Elashan formation. The rock magnetic and petrologic results show that the magnetic carriers in the samples from the Elashan formation are dominated by magnetite with a small amount of goethite, pyrrhotite, and hematite. The results of Anisotropy in Magnetic Susceptibility indicate that the south of the Longwalangku section might not be obviously influenced by the tectonic events. Our results also provided guidance for future paleomagnetic research, emphasizing the importance of conducting further sampling away from adjacent faults, particularly in the southern Longwalangku area.

Bacteria and phages are two of the most abundant biological entities in the gut microbiome, and diet and host phylogeny are two of the most critical factors influencing the gut microbiome. A stable gut bacterial community plays a pivotal role in the host’s physiological development and immune health. A phage is a virus that directly infects bacteria, and phages’ close associations and interactions with bacteria are essential for maintaining the stability of the gut bacterial community and the entire microbial ecosystem. Here, we utilized 99 published metagenomic datasets from 38 mammalian species to investigate the relationship (diversity and composition) and potential interactions between gut bacterial and phage communities and the impact of diet and phylogeny on these communities. Our results highlight the co-evolutionary potential of bacterial–phage interactions within the mammalian gut. We observed a higher alpha diversity in gut bacteria than in phages and identified positive correlations between bacterial and phage compositions. Furthermore, our study revealed the significant influence of diet and phylogeny on mammalian gut bacterial and phage communities. We discovered that the impact of dietary factors on these communities was more pronounced than that of phylogenetic factors at the order level. In contrast, phylogenetic characteristics had a more substantial influence at the family level. The similar omnivorous dietary preference and closer phylogenetic relationship (family Ursidae) may contribute to the similarity of gut bacterial and phage communities between captive giant panda populations (GPCD and GPYA) and omnivorous animals (OC; including Sun bear, brown bear, and Asian black bear). This study employed co-occurrence microbial network analysis to reveal the potential interaction patterns between bacteria and phages. Compared to other mammalian groups (carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores), the gut bacterial and phage communities of bamboo-eating species (giant pandas and red pandas) exhibited a higher level of interaction. Additionally, keystone species and modular analysis showed the potential role of phages in driving and maintaining the interaction patterns between bacteria and phages in captive giant pandas. In sum, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the gut microbiota and phages in mammals is of great significance, which is of great value in promoting healthy and sustainable mammals and may provide valuable insights into the conservation of wildlife populations, especially endangered animal species.

Abstract The South Qiangtang block of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau represents an area critical to understanding the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic history of the Tethyan realm, but its drift history remains poorly constrained. Here we report a new quantitative paleogeographic constraint for the South Qiangtang block from a paleomagnetic study of Late Triassic volcanic rocks of the Xiaoqiebao Formation. A characteristic remanent magnetization isolated from 25 sites passes both fold‐ and reversal tests, and likely represents a primary magnetization. On the basis of these data, we estimate that the South Qiangtang block occupied a paleolatitude of 30.1 ± 4.6°N at ca. 222 Ma. When combined with existing paleomagnetic constraints, these new results indicate that the South Qiangtang block (and other “Cimmerian” blocks) moved rapidly northward (in true latitude) between the middle Permian and Late Triassic. Our new data further suggest that the southern branch of the Paleo‐Tethys (Longmuco‐Shuanghu Ocean) likely closed by the mid‐Late Triassic.

ObjectiveThis aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of KIT exon 11 mutation subtypes in patients with GISTs.MethodsA total of 233 consecutive patients diagnosed with GISTs at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to August 2018 were included in this study. The prevalence and mutation landscape of exon 11 in KIT was presented. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis among the different mutation subtypes were analyzed. All the statistical analyses were performed by SPSS22.0.ResultsSomatic mutational analysis indicated that point mutations were the most frequently detected mutations followed by deletions & compound mutations and insertion and tandem duplication mutations in the stomach. Point mutations showed a low mitotic count and a high risk of recurrence, and deletions and compound mutations have a high mitotic count while insertions and tandem duplication mutations showed a low mitotic count with an intermediate recurrence risk. Point mutations and deletions frequently occurred in sequence region codons 550-560 of exon 11, while compound mutations, insertion, and tandem duplication were mainly detected in codons 557-559, 572-580, and 577-581, respectively. The multi-variation analysis demonstrated that tumor diameter and high recurrence risk groups had worse prognostic values. However, mutation types were not significant predictors of relapse-free survival (RFS) in GISTs. Survival analysis suggested no significant difference in RFS between the 557/558 deletion and the other deletions.ConclusionThis study suggested that mutations in exon 11 of the KIT gene were common with intermediate/high recurrence risk in GISTs patients. Tumor diameter ≥5 cm, and deletions mutations might predict a worse prognosis.

Exploring highly active and inexpensive electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution is vital but challenging. Herein, a serial of FeS2, FeS and FeS2/rGO electrocatalysts were obtained by simple two-step method. Benefiting from the integration of FeS2 and rGO, the FeS2-450/rGO-10% exhibited the excellent catalytic activity toward OER with an ultra-low overpotential of 140 mV, a smaller Tafel slope of 71 mV/dec and high stability. The improved catalytic performance for OER could attribute to the excellent synergistic effect of the surface reconstruction of FeS2 and the introduction of rGO in FeS2-450/rGO-10% catalyst. Meanwhile, in a two-electrode system of FeS2-450/rGO-10%/NF//Pt/C/NF toward overall water splitting, the voltage at 10 mA cm−2 is only 1.52 mV, which indicates that the FeS2-450/rGO-10% can serve as the anode in practical overall water splitting.

Abstract Background At present, there are multiple hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying the effect of exercise on the postoperative inflammatory factors and the IGF system among breast cancer patients, especially. To determine the underlying mechanisms, prevent the recurrence of breast cancer and improve its prognosis, this paper will systematically evaluate the impact of exercise on inflammatory factors and the IGF system in breast cancer survivors. Methods The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP (Chinese scientific and technical journals) databases were systematically searched until April 2021. The search terms included 'exercise', 'inflammatory factor', 'IGF system' and 'breast cancer'. A total of 1066 relevant articles were retrieved. The articles were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, such as study population, intervention method and type of experiment, and 11 articles were ultimately included. All statistical results were analysed using STATA 14.0 and Rstudio 4.1.1. Results We found that exercise significantly reduced the level of IGF-1 (WMD, -19.947 ng/ml; 95% CI, -22.669 to -17.225; P = 0.000). Subgroup analysis showed that in the studies with an intervention period > 12 weeks, exercise significantly reduced IL-6 levels (WMD, -0.761 pg/ml; 95% CI, -1.369 to -0.153; p = 0.014), while in the studies with an intervention period ≤ 12 weeks, exercise significantly reduced CRP (WMD, -2.381 mg/L; 95% CI, -4.835 to 0.073, P = 0.001) and IL-10 levels (WMD, -7.141 pg/ml, 95% CI, -10.853 to -3.428; P = 0.000). In addition, aerobic exercise plus resistance training significantly reduced IL-6 levels (WMD, -1.474 pg/ml; 95% CI, -1.653 to -1.296; P = 0.000). The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that after excluding the studies with high heterogeneity, exercise significantly reduced the TNF-α levels in patients with breast cancer (WMD, -1.399 pg/ml; 95% CI, -1.718 to -1.080; P = 0.000). Conclusion Exercise reduces the postoperative levels of IGF-1, IL-6, CRP, IL-10 and TNF-α among patients with breast cancer, which may have a significant impact on inhibiting breast cancer recurrence and improving its prognosis. Future studies should examine the effects of different durations and types of exercise to develop individualized exercise prescriptions for breast cancer patients.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has quickly become the predominant circulating variant, due to the high transmissibility and immune escape. Here, the authors develop a trimeric protein vaccine candidate and show a sustained humoral immune response, and protection from challenge (Omicron and Delta) in various animal models.