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Abstract Background Pulp canal occlusion (PCO) increases the difficulty of root canal treatment as well as tooth preservation and restoration. This is the first case report of successful localization of a calcified root canal under the guidance of a dynamic navigation system (DNS) for complete root canal retreatment and aesthetic restoration after a failed attempt to locate the calcified root canal with a traditional dental operating microscope (DOM). Case presentation The patient was scheduled for root canal treatment for a labially inclined maxillary central incisor and post-core crown restoration with resin veneers in another hospital, but the calcified root canal could not be located with a microscope, so the patient was referred to our department. Root canal retreatment was planned for tooth #8, and the calcified root canal of tooth #9 was planned to be located and dredged under the guidance of a DNS. We used a DNS for successful positioning and to complete the root canal retreatment operation in the following 4 steps: preoperative CBCT imaging, preoperative plan design, calibration and registration, and real-time dynamic navigation. Three months later, teeth #8 and #9 presented no clinical symptoms, after which the fiber post-cores and zirconia all-ceramic crown restorations were completed. At the 12-month follow-up visit, the patient continued to be symptom­free, and satisfied with the final aesthetic restoration. Conclusions This case report suggests that DNS may be a promising technique with high accuracy and effectiveness to reduce the risk of iatrogenic errors and provide maximal preservation of dentin, when the traditional treatment of calcified root canals approaches failure (lateral perforation).

Abstract In this work, we test the cosmic distance duality relation (CDDR) by comparing the angular diameter distance (ADD) derived from the transverse Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data with the luminosity distance (LD) from the Pantheon type Ia supernova (SNIa) sample. The binning method and Gaussian process are employed to match ADD data with LD data at the same redshift. First, we use nonparametric and parametric methods to investigate the impact of the specific prior values of the absolute magnitude $$M_\textrm{B}$$ M B from SNIa observations and the sound horizon scale $$r_\textrm{s}$$ r s from transverse BAO measurements on the CDDR tests. The results obtained from the parametric and non-parametric methods indicate that specific prior values of $$M_\textrm{B}$$ M B and $$r_\textrm{s}$$ r s lead to significant biases on the CDDR test. Then, to avoid these biases, we propose a method independent of $$M_\textrm{B}$$ M B and $$r_\textrm{s}$$ r s to test CDDR by considering the fiducial value of $$\kappa \equiv 10^{M_\textrm{B} \over 5}r_\textrm{s}$$ κ ≡ 10 M B 5 r s as a nuisance parameter and then marginalizing its influence with a flat prior in the analysis. No violation of the CDDR is found, and the transverse BAO measurement can be used as a powerful tool to verify the validity of CDDR in the cosmological-model-independent method.

Abstract Background The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its combination with obesity indicators can predict cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, there is limited research on the relationship between changes in the triglyceride glucose-waist height ratio (TyG-WHtR) and CVD. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between the change in the TyG-WHtR and the risk of CVD. Methods Participants were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). CVD was defined as self-reporting heart disease and stroke. Participants were divided into three groups based on changes in TyG-WHtR using K-means cluster analysis. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between different groups (based on the change of TyG-WHtR) and CVD. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression model was used to explore the potential nonlinear association of the cumulative TyG-WHtR and CVD events. Results During follow-up between 2015 and 2020, 623 (18.8%) of 3312 participants developed CVD. After adjusting for various potential confounders, compared to the participants with consistently low and stable TyG-WHtR, the risk of CVD was significantly higher in participants with moderate and increasing TyG-WHtR (OR 1.28, 95%CI 1.01–1.63) and participants with high TyG-WHtR with a slowly increasing trend (OR 1.58, 95%CI 1.16–2.15). Higher levels of cumulative TyG-WHtR were independently associated with a higher risk of CVD events (per SD, OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.12–1.43). Conclusions For middle-aged and older adults, changes in the TyG-WHtR are independently associated with the risk of CVD. Maintaining a favorable TyG index, effective weight management, and a reasonable waist circumference contribute to preventing CVD.

Abstract The greater amberjack is a very important fishery species with high commercial value, and it is distributed worldwide. Transcriptome-based studies on S. dumerili have been limited by an inadequate reference genome and a lack of well-annotated full-length transcripts. In this study, a total of 12 tissues from juvenile and adult fish both sexes were collected for next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and full-length isoform sequencing (Iso-seq). For Iso-seq, a total of 163,218, 149,716, and 189,169 high-quality unique transcript sequences were obtained, with an N50 of 5,441, 5,255, and 5,939, from juvenile, adult male and adult female S. dumerili, respectively. We integrated the Iso-seq and RNA-seq data to construct a comprehensive gene annotation and systematically profiled the dynamics of gene expression across the 12 tissues. Our gene models had greater detail and accuracy than those from NCBI and Ensembl, with more precise polyA locations. These resources serve as a foundation for functional genomic studies and provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the development, reproduction and commercial traits of amberjack.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether MRI can predict the necessity of rectosigmoid resection (RR) for optimal debulking surgery (ODS) in ovarian cancer (OC) patients and to compare the predictive accuracy of pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) MRI. Methods The MRI of 82 OC were retrospectively analyzed, including six bowel signs (length, transverse axis, thickness, circumference, muscularis involvement, and submucosal edema) and four para-intestinal signs (vaginal, parametrial, ureteral, and sacro-recto-genital septum involvement). The parameters reflecting the degree of muscularis involvement were measured. Patients were divided into non-RR and RR groups based on the operation and postoperative outcomes. The independent predictors of the need for RR were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Imaging for 82 patients was evaluated (67 without and 15 with NACT). Submucosal edema and muscularis involvement (OR 13.33 and 8.40, respectively) were independent predictors of the need for RR, with sensitivities of 83.3% and 94.4% and specificities of 93.9% and 81.6%, respectively. Among the parameters reflecting the degree of muscularis involvement, circumference ≥ 3/12 had the highest prediction accuracy, increasing the specificity from 81.6% for muscularis involvement only to 98.0%, with only a slight decrease in sensitivity (from 94.4% to 88.9%). The predictive sensitivities of pre-NACT and post-NACT MRI were 100.0% and 12.5%, respectively, and the specificities were 85.7% and 100.0%, respectively. Conclusions MRI analysis of rectosigmoid muscularis involvement and its circumference can help predict the necessity of RR in OC patients, and pre-NACT MRI may be more suitable for evaluation. Critical relevance statement We analyzed preoperative pelvic MRI in OC patients. Our findings suggest that MRI has predictive potential for identifying patients who require RR to achieve ODS. Key Points The need for RR must be determined to optimize treatment for OC patients. Muscularis involvement circumference ≥ 3/12 could help predict RR. Pre-NACT MRI may be superior to post-NACT MRI in predicting RR. Graphical Abstract

BackgroundThe mechanisms associated between diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and various brain function abnormalities in patients remains unclear. This study attempted to indirectly evaluate the effect of DPN on brain function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by characterizing the resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the lower limb sensorimotor cortex (LSM).MethodsForty-four T2DM patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), 39 T2DM patients without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (ND), and 43 healthy controls (HCs) underwent a neuropsychological assessment and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging examinations to examine the differences in FC between the LSM and the whole brain. The relationships of FC with clinical/cognitive variables were examined.ResultsIn comparison with the HCs group, the ND group showed reduced FC of the LSM with the right lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC) and increased FC with the medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed), while the DPN group showed reduced FC of the LSM with the right cerebellar lobule VI, the right LOTC, the rostral prefrontal cortex (rPFC), and the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC). Moreover, in comparison with the ND group, the DPN group showed reduced FC of the LSM with the ACC, SFGmed, and rPFC. In the DPN group, the FC between the LSM and right cerebellar lobule VI was significantly correlated with fasting blood glucose levels (r = -0.490, p = 0.001), and that between the LSM and ACC was significantly correlated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (r = 0.479, p = 0.001).ConclusionsPatients with T2DM may show abnormal motion-related visual perceptual function before the appearance of DPN. Importantly, DPN can influence the brain regions that maintain motion and motor control, and this effect is not limited to motor function, which may be the central neuropathological basis for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Abstract Pilot spoofing attack (PSA) is an active eavesdropping attack in massive multiple‐input multiple‐output systems, where the eavesdroppers transmit the same pilot sequence as the legitimate user does to the base station to confuse the normal channel estimation during the uplink channel training phase. With the contaminated channel estimations, more information will be leaked to eavesdroppers in the downlink transmission phase. However, it is a challenging issue to detect the PSA attack due to the similarity of the received signals and the variations of the wireless channels. Here, a new PSA detection scheme by using the difference of two different estimators is presented, that is, the least square estimator and the minimum mean square error estimator, without requiring any priori of eavesdroppers. Following that, a new data‐aided channel estimation scheme is proposed to eliminate the PSA effect. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed PSA detection scheme outperforms the conventional energy detector, and more accurate legitimate channel estimation and higher sum secrecy rates can be obtained with the proposed scheme.

Background: Iron metabolism disorders significantly increase the risk of diabetes and its related complications by inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, and disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, whether dietary iron intake can influence progression of diabetes remains unclear. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between total iron, heme iron, and non-heme iron intake and diabetes, CVD, and all-cause mortality among men and women with diabetes in the U.S. population. Methods: A total of 4416 adults with diabetes(2415 men and 2001 women) from the NHANES 2003–2014 were enrolled. Dietary information was collected by 24-h dietary recall during two nonconsecutive days. Dietary total iron intake was measured based on the dietary survey. Dietary heme iron intake was calculated based on its proportion in dietary total iron intake from each food. non-heme iron is the difference between total iron and heme iron. Diabetes, CVD, and all-cause mortality status were identified as main outcomes. Cox models and RCS analysis were performed to estimate the hazard ratios and 95%CIs. Results: For men, the participants with a higher dietary heme iron intake were associated with higher risks of CVD (HRheme iron = 1.61,95%CI:1.03–2.51) and all-cause mortality (HRheme iron = 1.42,95%CI:1.10–1.83). For women, participants in the highest quartile of dietary total/heme/non-heme iron intake had a higher diabetes mortality risk ((HRtotal iron = 2.33,95%CI:1.24–4.38; HRheme iron = 1.87,95%CI:1.00–3.49; HRnon-heme iron = 2.28,95%CI:1.19–4.39), compared to those in the lowest quartile. Additionally, the dose–response curve for the relationship between dietary non-heme iron intake and CVD mortality followed a reverse J-shape in women with diabetes. Conclusions: Higher dietary heme iron intake was associated with an increased CVD mortality risk in both men and women with diabetes. Additionally, higher dietary total, heme, and non-heme iron intake was linked to an increased risk of diabetes mortality among women with diabetes. Therefore, women with diabetes should pay more attention on the overconsumption of any type of dietary iron.

Abstract Background The cancer microbiota was considered the main risk factor for cancer progression. We had proved that Fusobacterium periodonticum (F.p) was higher abundance in Esophageal cancer(EC)tissues. Bioinformation analysis found that BCT was a key virulence protein of F.p. However, little is known about the role and mechanism of BCT in EC. This study aimed to recognize the key virulence protein of F.p and explore the mechanism of BCT in promoting EC. Methods We constructed a eukaryotic expression vector and purified the recombinant protein BCT. CCK8 used to analyzed the activity of EC after treated by different concentration of BCT. UPLC-MS/MS and ELISA used to detect the metabonomics and metabolites. The ability of migration and invasion was completed by transwell assay. RT-QPCR, WB used to analyze the expression of relevant genes. Results Our data showed that BCT was higher expression in EC tumor tissues (p

Abstract Background The incidence of exertional heat stroke (EHS) escalates during periods of elevated temperatures, potentially leading to persistent cognitive impairment postrecovery. Currently, effective prophylactic or therapeutic measures against EHS are nonexistent. Methods The selection of days 14 and 23 postinduction for detailed examination was guided by TEM of neuronal cells and HE staining of intestinal villi and the hippocampal regions. Fecal specimens from the ileum and cecum at these designated times were analyzed for changes in gut microbiota and metabolic products. Bioinformatic analyses facilitated the identification of pivotal microbial species and metabolites. The influence of supplementing these identified microorganisms on behavioral outcomes and the expression of functional proteins within the hippocampus was subsequently assessed. Results TEM analyses of neurons, coupled with HE staining of intestinal villi and the hippocampal region, indicated substantial recovery in intestinal morphology and neuronal injury on Day 14, indicating this time point for subsequent microbial and metabolomic analyses. Notably, a reduction in the Lactobacillaceae family, particularly Lactobacillus murinus, was observed. Functional annotation of 16S rDNA sequences suggested diminished lipid metabolism and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism in EHS models. Mice receiving this intervention (EHS + probiotics group) exhibited markedly reduced cognitive impairment and increased expression of BDNF/TrKB pathway molecules in the hippocampus during behavioral assessment on Day 28. Conclusion Probiotic supplementation, specifically with Lactobacillus spp., appears to mitigate EHS-induced cognitive impairment, potentially through the modulation of the BDNF/TrKB signaling pathway within the hippocampus, illustrating the therapeutic potential of targeting the gut-brain axis.

N-Nitrosamine disinfection by-products (NAs-DBPs) have been well proven for its role in esophageal carcinogenesis. However, the role of intratumoral microorganisms in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not yet been well explored in the context of exposure to NAs-DBPs. Here, the multi-omics integration reveals F. periodonticum (Fp) as “facilitators” is highly enriched in cancer tissues and promotes the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like subtype formation of ESCC. We demonstrate that Fp potently drives de novo synthesis of fatty acids, migration, invasion and EMT phenotype through its unique FadAL adhesin. However, N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine upregulates the transcription level of FadAL. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry shows that FadAL interacts with FLOT1. Furthermore, FLOT1 activates PI3K-AKT/FASN signaling pathway, leading to triglyceride and palmitic acid (PA) accumulation. Innovatively, the results from the acyl-biotin exchange demonstrate that FadAL-mediated PA accumulation enhances Wnt3A palmitoylation on a conserved cysteine residue, Cys-77, and promotes Wnt3A membrane localization and the translocation of β-catenin into the nucleus, further activating Wnt3A/β-catenin axis and inducing EMT phenotype. We therefore propose a “microbiota-cancer cell subpopulation” interaction model in the highly heterogeneous tumor microenvironment. This study unveils a mechanism by which Fp can drive ESCC and identifies FadAL as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for ESCC.

Background and objective Exertional heatstroke (EHS) mainly occurs in healthy young people with rapid onset and high mortality. EHS immune disorders can cause systemic inflammatory responses and multiple organ failure; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. As high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a prototypical alarmin that activates inflammatory and immune responses, this study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of EHS.Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptome sequencing of healthy volunteers, classical heatstroke patients, and EHS patients was performed. A mouse model of EHS was established and murine tissue damage was evaluated by H&E staining. HMGB1 localization and release were visualized using immunofluorescence staining. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and THP-1 cells were co-cultured to study the effects of HMGB1 on macrophages. A neutralizing anti-HMGB1 antibody was used to evaluate the efficacy of EHS treatment in mice.Results Plasma and serum HMGB1 levels were significantly increased in EHS patients or mice. EHS-induced endothelial cell pyroptosis promoted HMGB1 release in mice. HMGB1 derived from endothelial cell pyroptosis enhanced macrophage pyroptosis, resulting in immune disorders under EHS conditions. Administration of anti-HMGB1 markedly alleviated tissue injury and systemic inflammatory responses after EHS.Conclusions The release of HMGB1 from pyroptotic endothelial cells after EHS promotes pyroptosis of macrophages and systemic inflammatory response, and HMGB1-neutralizing antibody therapy has good application prospects for EHS.

Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) is a valuable fish species widely farmed in southern China, showing distinct differences in growth between males and females. Studying gene expression patterns during gonadal development in C. fuscus is essential for uncovering the genetic basis of sex variances and guiding breeding practices. This research presents a detailed analysis of gene expression during Phases II, III, and IV of gonadal development. A total of 11,948, 7145, and 10,672 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at these stages, with 4253 DEGs common across all three phases. Key genes related to gonadal development were pinpointed, showing significant sex-specific expression during testes or ovaries development. These genes included those involved in steroid synthesis (cyp17a1, cyp11a1, hsd3b1, cyp26a1, hsd17b12), transcription factors (sox9a, lhx9, sox19b), and TGF-β superfamily genes (tgfb2, amh, bmp15, gdf9). Additionally, genes exclusively expressed during gonadal development were identified, such as dmrt1l, cyp26c1, hsd3b1l, six2b, foxj1a, cfap65, and cfap43 in testes, and sox2, zp3, mos in ovaries. KEGG enrichment analysis highlighted the importance of the Fanconi anemia pathway in oocyte meiosis and ovarian development in C. fuscus. Furthermore, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) emphasized the role of pathways like progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, oocyte meiosis, and steroid hormone biosynthesis in gonadal development. This study identified crucial genes and pathways involved in the gonadal development of C. fuscus, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind sex differentiation and reproductive development.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint diseases, with hallmark of cartilage degeneration. Recent studies have shown that the pathogenesis of OA is associated with chondrocyte necroptosis. Methods: In this study, we used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA sequencing data to analyze necroptosis regulation in OA chondrocytes. We performed enrichment analysis, carried out experimental validation, constructed machine learning models, and docked drug molecules. Results: After least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm screening, 4 hub genes (RIPK3, CYBB, HSP90AB1, and TRAF5) with diagnostic characteristics were obtained. Following the comparison of multiple models, the Bayesian model with an average area under curve (AUC) value of 0.944 was finally selected. We found that nimesulide exhibited strong binding affinity to CYBB and HSP90AB1, and experimentally verified that nimesulide reduced the expression of RIPK3 and CYBB, suggesting its potential as an inhibitor of chondrocyte necroptosis. Furthermore, scRNA-seq results showed that necroptosis in OA was significantly upregulated on regulatory chondrocytes (RegC) compared to other chondrocyte subtypes. Conclusions: The results indicate that nimesulide might be used to treat OA by inhibiting chondrocyte necroptosis through down-regulation of RIK3 and CYBB genes. This study reveals the role of chondrocyte necroptosis in OA, and suggests a potential therapeutic strategy by regulating necroptosis with nimesulide.

Salinity, an important environmental factor, fluctuates frequently and violently in coastal areas, and its dramatic changes tend to have profound effects on the immune function of teleosts. The spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) can tolerate a wide range of salinity fluctuations. However, little is known about its immune response in low and high salinity environments. To elucidate the molecular immune response, the spleen transcriptome of spotted scat was analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) after 22 d of culture in water at 5 ppt salinity (low salinity group, LS), 25 ppt salinity (control group, Ctrl), and 35 ppt salinity (high salinity group, HS). RNA-Seq revealed that 1853 and 3554 DEGs were significantly altered by adaptation to low and high salinity, respectively. In addition, 957 genes were co-enriched in the HS and LS. KEGG analysis showed that the focal adhesion, phagosome, ECM-receptor interaction and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways were significantly enriched in both the Ctrl vs. LS and Ctrl vs. HS. These pathways are involved in immune regulation. RNA-seq showed that genes related to the immune system (ighm, tsp1, sugt1 and hsp90α1), signaling and interaction (pdgfa, pdgfb, mpl, lamb1, itga2, itga3) and cell community (rac3, flna and plk3r3) were significantly downregulated in both hypohaline and hyperhaline environments. Further analysis showed that activation of the splenic NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and the innate immune system occurred in hypersaline but not in hypohaline environments. Salinity stress, particularly high salinity stress, may reduce immunity by limiting the function of the splenic phagosome, reducing resistance to bacterial adhesion, reducing the immune response to pathogens, reducing cell adhesion ability and, and reducing antimicrobial immunity in spotted scat. Evaluation of immune-related responses to salinity fluctuations could provide insight into the immune status of immune organs and the selection of appropriate salinity levels for cultured coastal marine fish.

The foregut is the main site of lipid absorption in fish, but the effect of different lipid sources on the foregut lipid absorption and metabolism in adult female spotted scat is still unclear. In this experiment, adult female spotted scat (length = 19.48 ± 1.13 cm, weight = 242.83 ± 50.90 g) were fed two iso-nitrogenous (45 % crude protein) and iso-lipidic (12.5 % crude lipid) diets configured with either 8 % fish oil (FO) or 8 % soybean oil (SO) for 60 days. Histological observations, serum measurements and transcriptome sequencing were used to investigate the effects of the oil sources on the foregut. Histological observation showed that the foregut folds of the SO group were shorter and narrower than those of the FO group, and nuclear vacuolation and villous atrophy were observed in the intestinal cells of fish in the SO group, indicating an inflammatory reaction. Both serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the FO group than in the SO group. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1355 differentially expressed genes between the FO and SO groups. Genes related to lipid metabolism (adipor2 and creb3l3) and cholesterol absorption and efflux (npc1l1 and sphk2) were up-regulated, whereas genes related to fatty acid synthesis and transport (fad1 and mfsd2ab) were down-regulated in the FO group. Circadian rhythm related genes ciart and nfil3, which are also involved in lipid metabolism, were up- and down-regulated, respectively in the FO group. The immune-related genes steap4, ddit4 and cldn6 which can inhibit inflammation, were up-regulated in the FO group, whereas pro-inflammation gene rnf225 was up-regulated in the SO group. In conclusion, compared with SO, FO may enhance the lipid absorption and reduce the inflammatory response in the foregut of the spotted scat. The results of this study provide a reference for the selection of dietary oil sources for adult female spotted scat.

Salinity is an important abiotic factor in aquaculture because of its significance in the multiple physiological progress of marine fish. The liver is the main organ involved in energy metabolism, supplying energy to other body tissues and organs. Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is characterized by fast growth and is an important aquatic export product in China. In this study, the greater amberjack was cultured in varying salinity levels, i.e., from 5 to 40 ppt, for 72 h. Notably, all fish under 5 ppt salinity died within 24 h because of limited tolerance ability. A comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to explore the molecular response mechanism of the liver, a non-osmoregulatory organ, when fish was subjected to hypo- (10 ppt) and hyper-salinity (40 ppt) stress. A total of 100 and 5 DEGs were identified under hypo- (10 ppt) and hyper-salinity (40 ppt) stress, respectively. The DEGs were involved in lipid metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and in various signaling pathways, including Calcium, PPAR and adipocytokine, and adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes. The mRNA expression levels of acsl5, lipin1, and apoeb in the liver were down-regulated under 10 ppt salinity, suggesting an elevation of fatty acids oxidation and energy requirement in response to the hypo-salinity stress. Similarly, there was a decrease in the expression levels of atp1b1b and cftr, responsible for the reduced Na+, K+ movement and Cl- ion secretion, under hypo-salinity stress. This study provides important basic data for the optimal artificial breeding of greater amberjack, and reveals the osmotic regulation mechanism of the liver in response to salinity stress.

Cognitive impairment is an important component of non motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), and if not addressed in a timely manner, it can easily progress to dementia. However, no effective method currently exists to completely prevent or reverse cognitive impairment associated with PD. We therefore aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of near-infrared region II light (NIR-II) region illumination on cognitive impairment in PD through behavioral experiments (water maze and rotary rod) and multiple fluorescence immunohistochemistry techniques. The 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced group was compared with the MPTP- untreated rat group, showing a significant reduction in escape latency and significant increase in the fall latency in the MPTP-treated group. The horizontal analysis results indicated that NIR-II phototherapy improved the learning and cognitive abilities as well as coordination and balance abilities of rats. Post-treatment, the MPTP rats showed significantly shortened, escape latency, prolonged target quadrant residence time, and prolonged fall latency compared with pre-treatment. The longitudinal analysis results reaffirmed that NIR-II phototherapy improved the learning and cognitive abilities as well as coordination and balance abilities of rats. The multiple fluorescence immunohistochemistry analysis trend plot showed that the activated microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus were highest in MPTP-induced PD untreated group, moderate in MPTP-induced PD treatment group, and lowest in the control group. Our data indicates that NIR-II illumination improves learning and cognitive impairment as well as coordination and balance abilities in PD rats by downregulating the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe central nerve diseases which lacks effective of treatment. Oxidative stress is a major pathological factor for SCI. It may induce mitochondrial damage, which further lead to ferroptosis and apoptosis in neural cells during SCI. Thus, targeting oxidative stress may be the key strategy for SCI treatment. In this study, we carried out screening experiment in the natural product library against oxidative stress in neural cells. It was identified that idebenone (IDE) may potently suppress oxidative stress induced cell death in neural cells. Furthermore, we successfully developed a multifunctional nanovesicles, which we named IDE@PPNs, by encapsulating IDE within proanthocyanidin polyphenol nanovesicles (PPNs). IDE@PPNs exhibited lysosomal escape capability and mitochondrial ROS responsiveness; meanwhile, they may suppress ferroptosis and apoptosis in neural cells. In vivo study demonstrated that IDE@PPNs may promote motor function recovery in rats and suppress ferroptosis and apoptosis in neurons. It may also show high biocompatibility in in vivo study. In summary, we fabricated a novel natural product loaded ROS responsive nanovesicles, IDE@PPNs may have the great potential for SCI therapy.

Abstract Shepherd's crook (Geodorum) is a genus of protected orchids that are valuable both medicinally and ornamentally. Geodorum eulophioides (GE) is an endangered and narrowly distributed species, and Geodorum densiflorum (GD) and Geodorum attenuatum (GA) are widespread species. The growth of orchids depend on microorganisms. However, there are few studies on the microbial structure in Geodorum, and little is known about the roles of microorganisms in the endangered mechanism of G. eulophioides. This study analyzed the structure and composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the roots and rhizosphere soil of GE, GD, and GA. The results showed that Delftia, Bordetella and norank_f_Xanthobacteraceae were the dominant bacteria in the roots of Geodorum, while norank_f_Xanthobacteraceae, Gaiella and norank_f_norank_o_Gaiellales were the dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere soil of Geodorum. In the roots, the proportion of Mycobacterium in GD_roadside was higher than that in GD_understory, on the contrary, the proportion of Fusarium, Delftia and Bordetella in GD_roadside was lower than that in GD_understory. Compared with the GD_understory, the roots of GD_roadside had lower microbial diversity. In the endangered species GE, Russula was the primary fungus in the roots and rhizosphere soil, with fungal diversity lower than in the more widespread species. Among the widespread species, the dominant fungal genera in the roots and rhizosphere soil were Neocosmospora, Fusarium and Coprinopsis. This study enhances our understanding of microbial composition and diversity, providing fundamental information for future research on microbial contributions to plant growth and ecosystem function in Geodorum.

Abstract Yellow Camellia (Camellia sect. chrysantha) is a rare ornamental plant and an important germplasm resource globally. Camellia nitidissima thrives in normal acidic soils, while Camellia limonia can adapt to the calcareous soils found in karst areas. Our previous study on the karst adaptation of yellow camellias revealed that the expression levels of heat shock protein 20(HSP20) were higher in Camellia limonia than in Camellia nitidissima. However, the functions of the HSP20 gene of Camellia limonia remain unclear to data. In this study, the HSP20 genes of Camellia limonia (ClHSP20-OE lines) and Camellia. nitidissima (CnHSP20-OE lines) were cloned and overexpressed heterologously in Arabidopsis thaliana. Additionally, we overexpressed the HSP20 gene of Arabidopsis (AtHSP20-OE lines) was also overexpressed, and the T-DNA inserted mutants (athspmutant lines) were also used to determine the functions of HSP20 genes. Under high calcium stress, the chlorophyll, nitrogen, water content and humidity of leaves were increased in ClHSP20-OE lines, while those of other lines were declined. The size of the stomatal apertures, stomatal conductance, and the photosynthetic efficiency of ClHSP20-OE lines were higher than those of the other lines. However, the accumulation of H2O2 and O2 − in the leaves of ClHSP20-OE lines was the lowest among all the lines. Energy spectrum scanning revealed that the percentage of calcium on the surfaces of the leaves of ClHSP20-OE lines was relatively low, while that of athspmutant lines was the highest. The ClHSP20 gene can also affected soil humidity and the contents of soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expressions of FBA5 and AT5G10770 in ClHSP20-OE lines was significantly up-regulated compared to that of CnHSP20-OE lines. Compared to that of athspmutant lines, the expressions of DREB1A and AT3G30460 was significantly upregulated in AtHSP20-OE lines, and the expression of POL was down-regulated. Our findings suggest that the HSP20 gene plays a crucial role in maintained photosynthetic rate and normal metabolism by regulating the expression of key genes under high-calcium stress. This study elucidates the mechanisms underlying the karst adaptation in Camellia. limonia and provides novel insights for future research on karst plants.

Abstract Background Natural proteins occupy a small portion of the protein sequence space, whereas artificial proteins can explore a wider range of possibilities within the sequence space. However, specific requirements may not be met when generating sequences blindly. Research indicates that small proteins have notable advantages, including high stability, accurate resolution prediction, and facile specificity modification. Results This study involves the construction of a neural network model named TopoProGenerator(TPGen) using a transformer decoder. The model is trained with sequences consisting of a maximum of 65 amino acids. The training process of TopoProGenerator incorporates reinforcement learning and adversarial learning, for fine-tuning. Additionally, it encompasses a stability predictive model trained with a dataset comprising over 200,000 sequences. The results demonstrate that TopoProGenerator is capable of designing stable small protein sequences with specified topology structures. Conclusion TPGen has the ability to generate protein sequences that fold into the specified topology, and the pretraining and fine-tuning methods proposed in this study can serve as a framework for designing various types of proteins.

Abstract Background Lysine demethylase 5C (KDM5C) has been implicated in the development of several human cancers. This study aims to investigate the role of KDM5C in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) and explore the associated molecular mechanism. Methods Bioinformatics tools were employed to predict the target genes of KDM5C in CRC. The expression levels of KDM5C and prefoldin subunit 5 (PFDN5) in CRC cells were determined by RT-qPCR and western blot assays. The interaction between KDM5C, H3K4me3, and PFDN5 was validated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Expression and prognostic values of KDM5C and PFDN5 in CRC were analyzed in a cohort of 72 patients. The function of KDM5C/PFDN5 in c-Myc signal transduction was analyzed by luciferase assay. Silencing of KDM5C and PFDN5 was induced in CRC cell lines to analyze the cell malignant phenotype in vitro and tumorigenic activity in nude mice. Results KDM5C exhibited high expression, while PFDN5 displayed low expression in CRC cells and clinical CRC samples. High KDM5C levels correlated with poor survival and unfavorable clinical presentation, whereas elevated PFDN5 correlated with improved patient outcomes. KDM5C mediated demethylation of H3K4me3 on the PFDN5 promoter, suppressing its transcription and thereby enhancing the transcriptional activity of c-Myc. KDM5C knockdown in CRC cells suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and tumorigenic activity while increasing autophagy and apoptosis rates. However, the malignant behavior of cells was restored by the further silencing of PFDN5. Conclusion This study demonstrates that KDM5C inhibits PFDN5 transcription, thereby activating c-Myc signal transduction and promoting CRC progression.

Abstract Objective We aimed to reveal the role of structural and functional alterations of cingulate gyrus in early cognitive impairment in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Methods Fifty‐six T2DM patients and 60 healthy controls (HCs) underwent a neuropsychological assessment and sagittal three‐dimensional T1‐weighted and resting‐state functional MRI. Differences in the cortical thickness of the cingulate cortex and the functional connectivity (FC) of the nine subregions of the cingulate gyrus and the whole brain were compared between T2DM patients and HCs. Correlation analysis was performed between cortex thickness and FC and the participants' clinical/cognitive variables. Results The cortical thickness of the cingulate gyrus was not significantly different between T2DM patients and HCs. However, the T2DM patients showed significantly lower FC between the pregenual ACC (pACC) and the bilateral hippocampus, significantly higher FC between the pACC and bilateral lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and left precentral gyrus, and significantly lower FC between the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) and right cerebellar Crus I. The FC between the pACC and the left hippocampus was negatively correlated with the FC between the pACC and LPFC (r = −0.306, p = 0.022). Interpretation The pACC and the RSC show dysfunctional connectivity before the appearance of structural abnormalities in T2DM patients. Abnormal FC of the pACC with the bilateral hippocampus and LPFC may imply a neural compensatory mechanism for memory function. These findings provide valuable information and new directions for possible interventions for the T2DM‐related cognitive impairment.

Abstract Metabolic reprogramming is a major feature of cancer, and aerobic glycolysis is one of the most widely studied metabolic reprogramming processes. Acidic ribosome protein P2 (RPLP2) is associated with both tumorigenesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the role of RPLP2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. In the present study, we observed a significant upregulation of RPLP2 in HCC tissues. Moreover, RPLP2 expression is closely correlated with patient prognosis and survival. The subsequent experimental validation demonstrated that RPLP2 exerted a regulatory effect on the expression of glycolytic enzymes and lactate production, thereby facilitating HCC cell proliferation. Mechanistically, the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway was found to play an important role in the regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)-mediated aerobic glycolysis and cell growth. RPLP2 activates TLR4 on the surface of HCC cells and the downstream PI3K/AKT pathway through autocrine signalling. This activation then facilitates the entry of HIF-1α into the nucleus, enabling it to fulfil its transcriptional function. In conclusion, our findings suggested that RPLP2 induces a metabolic shift towards aerobic glycolysis and facilitates the progression of HCC through TLR4-dependent activation of the PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α pathway. Our study revealed the novel mechanism by which the ribosomal protein RPLP2 regulates glycolysis to promote HCC progression. These findings may offer a potential therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) is a key water quality variable that is difficult to measure in the water treatment process. Data-driven soft computing is one of the effective approaches to address this issue. Since the detection cost of NH3-N is very expensive, a large number of NH3-N values are missing in the collected water quality dataset, that is, a large number of unlabeled data are obtained. To enhance the prediction accuracy of NH3-N, a semi-supervised soft computing method using a self-constructing fuzzy neural network with an active learning mechanism (SS-SCFNN-ALM) is proposed in this study. In the SS-SCFNN-ALM, firstly, to reduce the computational complexity of active learning, the kernel k-means clustering algorithm is utilized to cluster the labeled and unlabeled data, respectively. Then, the clusters with larger information values are selected from the unlabeled data using a distance metric criterion. Furthermore, to improve the quality of the selected samples, a Gaussian regression model is adopted to eliminate the redundant samples with large similarity from the selected clusters. Finally, the selected unlabeled samples are manually labeled, that is, the NH3-N values are added into the dataset. To realize the semi-supervised soft computing of the NH3-N concentration, the labeled dataset and the manually labeled samples are combined and sent to the developed SCFNN. The experimental results demonstrate that the test root mean square error (RMSE) and test accuracy of the proposed SS-SCFNN-ALM are 0.0638 and 86.31%, respectively, which are better than the SCFNN (without the active learning mechanism), MM, DFNN, SOFNN-HPS, and other comparison algorithms.

Background Survivors of sepsis may encounter cognitive impairment following their recovery from critical condition. At present, there is no standardized treatment for addressing sepsis-associated encephalopathy. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is a prevalent bacterium found in the gut microbiota and is an active component of probiotic supplements. LGG has demonstrated to be associated with cognitive improvement. This study explored whether LGG administration prior to and following induced sepsis could ameliorate cognitive deficits, and explored potential mechanisms. Methods Female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: sham surgery, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and CLP+LGG. Cognitive behavior was assessed longitudinally at 7-9d, 14-16d, and 21-23d after surgery using an open field test and novel object recognition test. The impact of LGG treatment on pathological changes, the expression level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the phosphorylation level of the TrkB receptor (p-TrkB) in the hippocampus of mice at two weeks post-CLP (16d) were evaluated using histological, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analyses. Results The CLP surgery induced and sustained cognitive impairment in mice with sepsis for a minimum of three weeks following the surgery. Compared to mice subjected to CLP alone, the administration of LGG improved the survival of mice with sepsis and notably enhanced their cognitive functioning. Moreover, LGG supplementation significantly alleviated the decrease in hippocampal BDNF expression and p-TrkB phosphorylation levels caused by sepsis, preserving neuronal survival and mitigating the pathological changes within the hippocampus of mice with sepsis. LGG supplementation mitigates sepsis-related cognitive impairment in mice and preserves BDNF expression and p-TrkB levels in the hippocampus.

Compared to 2D imaging data, the 4D light field (LF) data retains richer scene’s structure information, which can significantly improve the computer’s perception capability, including depth estimation, semantic segmentation, and LF rendering. However, there is a contradiction between spatial and angular resolution during the LF image acquisition period. To overcome the above problem, researchers have gradually focused on the light field super-resolution (LFSR). In the traditional solutions, researchers achieved the LFSR based on various optimization frameworks, such as Bayesian and Gaussian models. Deep learning-based methods are more popular than conventional methods because they have better performance and more robust generalization capabilities. In this paper, the present approach can mainly divided into conventional methods and deep learning-based methods. We discuss these two branches in light field spatial super-resolution (LFSSR), light field angular super-resolution (LFASR), and light field spatial and angular super-resolution (LFSASR), respectively. Subsequently, this paper also introduces the primary public datasets and analyzes the performance of the prevalent approaches on these datasets. Finally, we discuss the potential innovations of the LFSR to propose the progress of our research field.

A new architecture for the typical application scenario of low altitude intelligence network spectrum cognition and decision was introduced.Firstly, the challenges of spectrum security management and efficient sharing in low altitude intelligence network were analyzed, and the key scientific problems that need to be solved were summarized.Secondly, to support the spectrum management and sharing of low altitude intelligence network through deep integration of cloud, edge, and device, the cloud-edge-device fusion architecture for low altitude intelligence network spectrum cognition and decision was proposed.Then, the key technologies such as fast and accurate spectrum recognition and agile adaptive decision making based on cloud-edge-device fusion were discussed.Finally, the future research direction of the architecture was introduced.

Objective To explore the composition of culturable bacteria in platelets through bacterial culturomics and verify the results of culturomics and metagenomics to improve the detection rate of bacteria in platelets. Methods Platelet samples from 6 healthy people were collected. Eight kinds of culture media were placed in aerobic conditions and 12 kinds of culture media were placed in anaerobic conditions for large-scale culture and isolation of bacteria in platelets. The isolated single colony was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The bacterial abundance of healthy human platelet microbiome was analyzed by metagenomic sequencing, and the cultivable bacterial species in platelets was confirmed based on metagenomic and culturomics results. Results A total of 90 strains of bacteria belonging to 3 phylums, 5 classes, 5 orders, 7 families, 9 genus and 23 species were isolated from 6 platelet samples by culturomics. Among them, the strains with more monoclonal clones at the species level were Brevundimonas aurantiaca (16.7%), Bacillus sp. Y1 (15.6%), Cutibacterium acnes (14.4%) and Brevibacillus brevis (13.3%). The platelet samples sequenced by mNGS showed that the abundance values of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were high. The bacteria detected by both culturomics and metagenomic sequencing methods were as follows: Firmicutes: Bacillus sp. Y1, B. thuringiensis, B. cereus, B. mobilis, B. velezensis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Brevibacillus brevis; Actinobacteria: Cutibacterium acnes; Proteobacteria: Escherichia coli and Delftia tsuruhatensis. Conclusion The mutual validation of culturomics and metagenomics has identified some bacteria, proving that bacteria exist in platelets.

Abstract Background Our previous randomized controlled trial (RCT) have demonstrated that intermittent Pringle’s maneuver (IPM) with a 25-min ischemic interval can be applied safely and efficiently in open or laparoscopic hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. But prolonging the hepatic inflow blocking time will inevitably aggravate the ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) caused by systemic response. This RCT aims to evaluate the effect of administration of dexamethasone versus placebo before clamping the hilar pedicle on postoperative liver function, inflammatory response, and perioperative outcomes among HCC patients undergoing liver resection with 25-min hepatic inflow occlusion. Methods and analysis This will be a randomized, dual-arm, parallel-group, double-blinded trial. All eligible and consecutive patients are coming from a regional medical center who are diagnosed with HCC and underwent radical R0/R1 resection. All participates are randomly allocated in dexamethasone group or placebo group. All surgeons, anesthesiologists, and outcome assessors will be blinded to allocation status. Primary endpoints are transaminase-based postoperative hepatic injury on seven consecutive days after surgery and assessed by their peak values as well as area under the curve (AUC) of the postoperative course of aminotransferases. Secondary endpoints are postoperative total bilirubin (TBil), coagulation function, inflammatory cytokines and their respective peaks, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality. The above parameters will be compared using the corresponding statistical approach. Subgroup analysis will be performed according to the liver cirrhosis and major hepatectomy. Discussion Based on our previous study, we will explore further the effect of glucocorticoid administration on attenuating the surgical stress response in order to follow securely 25-min hepatic inflow occlusion. Therefore, the trial protocol is reasonable and the results of the trial may be clinically significant. Trial registration This trial was registered on 3 December 2022, in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn ), ChiCTR2200066381. The protocol version is V1.0 (20221104).

Abstract Background The Begonia species are common shade plants that are mostly found in southwest China. They have not been well studied despite their medicinal and decorative uses because gene penetration, decreased adaptability, and restricted availability are all caused by frequent interspecific hybridization. Result To understand the patterns of mutation in the chloroplast genomes of different species of Begonia, as well as their evolutionary relationships, we collected seven Begonia species in China and sequenced their chloroplast genomes. Begonia species exhibit a quadripartite structure of chloroplast genomes (157,634 − 169,694 bp), consisting of two pairs of inverted repeats (IR: 26,529 − 37,674 bp), a large single copy (LSC: 75,477 − 86,500 bp), and a small single copy (SSC: 17,861 − 18,367 bp). 128–143 genes (comprising 82–93 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNAs, and 36–43 transfer RNAs) are found in the chloroplast genomes. Based on comparative analyses, this taxon has a relatively similar genome structure. A total of six substantially divergent DNA regions (trnT-UGU-trnL-UAA, atpF-atpH, ycf4-cemA, psbC-trnS-UGA, rpl32-trnL-UAG, and ccsA-ndhD) are found in the seventeen chloroplast genomes. These regions are suitable for species identification and phylogeographic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Begonia species that were suited to comparable environments grouped in a small clade and that all Begonia species formed one big clade in the phylogenetic tree, supporting the genus’ monophyly. In addition, positive selection sites were discovered in eight genes (rpoC1, rpoB, psbE, psbK, petA, rps12, rpl2, and rpl22), the majority of which are involved in protein production and photosynthesis. Conclusion Using these genome resources, we can resolve deep-level phylogenetic relationships between Begonia species and their families, leading to a better understanding of evolutionary processes. In addition to enhancing species identification and phylogenetic resolution, these results demonstrate the utility of complete chloroplast genomes in phylogenetically and taxonomically challenging plant groupings.

Abstract Background Vascular invasion is a major route for intrahepatic and distant metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is a strong negative prognostic factor. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the regulatory functions and underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in the development of vascular invasion in HCC are largely unknown. Methods High throughput sequencing was used to screen dysregulated circRNAs in portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) tissues. The biological functions of candidate circRNAs in the migration, vascular invasion, and metastasis of HCC cells were examined in vitro and in vivo. To explore the underlying mechanisms, RNA sequencing, MS2-tagged RNA affinity purification, mass spectrometry, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were performed. Results circRNA sequencing followed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that circRNA pleckstrin and Sect. 7 domain containing 3 (circPSD3) was significantly downregulated in PVTT tissues. Decreased circPSD3 expression in HCC tissues was associated with unfavourable characteristics and predicted poor prognosis in HCC. TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43) inhibited the biogenesis of circPSD3 by interacting with the downstream intron of pre-PSD3. circPSD3 inhibited the intrahepatic vascular invasion and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Serpin family B member 2 (SERPINB2), an endogenous bona fide inhibitor of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system, is the downstream target of circPSD3. Mechanistically, circPSD3 interacts with histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) to sequester it in the cytoplasm, attenuating the inhibitory effect of HDAC1 on the transcription of SERPINB2. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that circPSD3 is a promising inhibitor of the uPA system. Conclusions circPSD3 is an essential regulator of vascular invasion and metastasis in HCC and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

Abstract Recent studies have shown that the high incidence and low cure rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not improved significantly. Surgery and liver transplantation are the mainstays of prolonging the survival of HCC patients. However, the surgical resection rate of HCC patients is very low, and even after radical surgical resection, the recurrence rate at 5 years postoperatively remains high and the prognosis is very poor, so more treatment options are urgently needed. Increasing evidence suggests that cellular senescence is not only related to cancer development but may also be one of its primary driving factors. We aimed to establish a prognostic signature of senescence-associated genes to predict the prognosis and therapeutic response of HCC patients. The aim of this study was to develop a risk model associated with cellular senescence and to search for potential strategies to treat HCC. We divided HCC patients into two clusters and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between clusters. In this study, low-risk patients had a better prognosis, higher levels of immune cell infiltration, and better efficacy to fluorouracil, Paclitaxel and Cytarabine chemotherapy compared to high-risk patients. To further identify potential biomarkers for HCC, we further validated the expression levels of the four signature genes in HCC and neighbouring normal tissues by in vitro experiments. In conclusion, we identified and constructed a relevant prognostic signature, which performed well in predicting the survival and treatment response of HCC patients. This helps to differentiate between low-score and high-risk HCC, and the results may contribute to precise treatment protocols in clinical practice.

Urban lakes commonly suffer from nutrient over-enrichment, resulting in water quality deterioration and eutrophication. Constructed wetlands are widely employed for ecological restoration in such lakes but their efficacy in water purification noticeably fluctuates with the seasons. This study takes the constructed wetland of Jinshan Lake as an example. By analyzing the water quality parameters at three depths during both summer and winter, this study explores the influence of the constructed wetland on the water quality of each layer during different seasons and elucidates the potential mechanisms underlying these seasonal effects. The results indicate that the constructed wetland significantly enhances total nitrogen (TN) concentration during summer and exhibits the capacity for nitrate–nitrogen removal in winter. However, its efficacy in removing total phosphorus (TP) is limited, and may even serve as a potential phosphorus (P) source for the lake during winter. Water quality test results of different samples indicated they belong to Class III or IV. Restrictive factors varied across seasons: nitrate–nitrogen and BOD5 jointly affected water quality in winter, whereas TP predominantly constrained water quality in summer. These results could provide a reference for water quality monitoring and management strategies of constructed wetlands in different seasons in Jiangsu Province.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Al-10Ce-3Mg-xZn (x = 0, 1, 3, 5 wt.%) alloys were systematically investigated, with a focus on the effect of Zn on the Al11Ce3 reinforcing phase in the alloy. The results showed that the Al-10Ce-3Mg alloy consists of α-Al, a Chinese-script Al11Ce3 eutectic phase, and a massive Al11Ce3 primary phase. With the addition of Zn content, most of the Zn atoms are enriched in the Al11Ce3 phase to form the acicular-like Al2CeZn2 phase within the Al11Ce3 phase. Increasing the Zn content can increase the volume fraction of the Al11Ce3 phase. Compared to the alloy without Zn addition, the microhardness and elastic modulus of the Al2CeZn2-reinforced Al11Ce3 phase in the alloy with 5 wt.% Zn increased by 18.9% and 9.0%, respectively. Moreover, the room-temperature mechanical properties of Al-10Ce-3Mg alloys were significantly improved due to the addition of Zn element. The alloy containing 5 wt.% Zn had the best tensile properties with an ultimate tensile strength of 210 MPa and a yield strength of 171MPa, which were 21% and 77% higher than those of the alloy without Zn, respectively. The alloy containing 5 wt.% Zn demonstrated a superior retention ratio of tensile strength at 200–300 °C, indicating that the alloy has excellent heat resistance. The improvement in the mechanical properties is primarily attributed to second-phase strengthening and solid solution strengthening.

Atomic structures of Al-Co-Cu decagonal quasicrystals (dQCs) are investigated using empirical oscillating pair potentials (EOPP) in molecular dynamic (MD) simulations that we enhance by Monte Carlo (MC) swapping of chemical species and replica exchange. Predicted structures exhibit planar decagonal tiling patterns and are periodic along the perpendicular direction. We then recalculate the energies of promising structures using first-principles density functional theory (DFT), along with energies of competing phases. We find that our τ-inflated sequence of QC approximants (QCAs) are energetically unstable at low temperature by at least 3 meV/atom. Extending our study to finite temperatures by calculating harmonic vibrational entropy, as well as anharmonic contributions that include chemical species swaps and tile flips, our results suggest that the quasicrystal phase is entropically stabilized at temperatures in the range 600-800 K and above. It decomposes into ordinary (though complex) crystal phases at low temperatures, including a partially disordered B2-type phase. We discuss the influence of density and composition on QC phase stability; we compare the structural differences between Co-rich and Cu-rich quasicrystals; and we analyze the role of entropy in stabilizing the quasicrystal, concluding with a discussion of the possible existence of “high entropy” quasicrystals.

Volatile oil, mainly extracted from aromatic plants, is widely used in medical, cosmetics, and other industries for its disinfection, sterilization, antioxidant, and other effects. The yield of volatile oil was influenced by plant density and harvest time. Here, two common aromatic plants, Perilla frutescens and Ysphania ambrosioide, were taken as examples to investigate the effects of plant density and harvest time on plant yield-related traits, content, and yield of volatile oil, and the oil yield was determined by steam distillation. Results showed that plant density and harvest time significantly affected the yield and quality of the two plants (p < 0.05). Increasing plant density significantly increased the dry yield and leaf dry yield of P. frutescens, while the dry yield and volatile oil content and yield of Y. ambrosioides significantly decreased, and the maximum value exhibited was at the plant density of 80 cm × 80 cm. In P. frutescens, the maximum volatile oil content was obtained at the plant density of 60 cm × 60 cm, and the maximum volatile oil yield was obtained at the plant density of 30 cm × 30 cm. The yield and volatile oil yield of these two plants increased first and then decreased with the extension of harvest time. The maximum of P. frutescens was in mid-September, and that of Y. ambrosioides was in late October to early November. Our study provides new data for improving plant volatile oil yield and commercial value by optimizing planting density and harvest time and highlights the importance of optimizing planting management mode.

Tetrastigma (Vitaceae) is known for its ornamental, medicinal, and ecological significance. However, the structural and variational characteristics of the Tetrastigma chloroplast genome and their impact on phylogenetic relationships remain underexplored. This study utilized bioinformatics methods to assemble and annotate the chloroplast genomes of 10 Tetrastigma species and compare them with five previously sequenced species. This study analyzed gene composition, simple sequence repeats, and codon usage patterns, revealing a high A/T content, uniquely identified pentanucleotide repeats in five species and several preferred codons. In addition, comparative analyses were conducted of the chloroplast genomes of 15 Tetrastigma species, examining their structural differences and identifying polymorphic hotspots (rps16, rps16-trnQ, trnS, trnD, psbC-trnS-psbZ, accD-psaI, psbE-petL-petG, etc.) suitable for DNA marker development. Furthermore, phylogenetic and selective pressure analyses were performed based on the chloroplast genomes of these 15 Tetrastigma species, validating and elucidating intra-genus relationships within Tetrastigma. Futhermore, several genes under positive selection, such as atpF and accD, were identified, shedding light on the adaptive evolution of Tetrastigma. Utilizing 40 Vitaceae species, the divergence time of Tetrastigma was estimated, clarifying the evolutionary relationships within Tetrastigma relative to other genera. The analysis revealed diverse divergences of Tetrastigma in the Miocene and Pliocene, with possible ancient divergence events before the Eocene. Furthermore, family-level selective pressure analysis identified key features distinguishing Tetrastigma from other genera, showing a higher degree of purifying selection. This research enriches the chloroplast genome data for Tetrastigma and offers new insights into species identification, phylogenetic analysis, and adaptive evolution, enhancing our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of these species.

Metal contamination in drinking water is well known; however, detailed insights into the metals/metalloids in finished water and their health effects are lacking. Water samples collected over four seasons from August 2022 to April 2023 from three locations in the Yangtze River basin in Nanjing were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to detect 33 metal/metalloid types. This study assessed seasonal and spatial variations and evaluated the removal efficiencies of advanced treatment processes. Health risks from metal/metalloid ingestion were calculated using a risk assessment model from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). No significant regional differences in total metal/metalloid concentrations were found between the source and finished waters. Metals such as Cr, Ga, Hg, Pb, and Rb varied seasonally, peaking in winter. The advanced treatment process outperformed the conventional process for As removal. However, the removal efficiencies were lower for Mn, Cd, Hg, Se, and Zn than those of the conventional process. Positive correlations were observed among several metals, suggesting that metals may have similar sources of contamination. The main carcinogenic risk exceeded the acceptable levels in children according to the USEPA. Non-carcinogenic risks were below the threshold values, but As, Tl, and V were highlighted as key risk elements. Seasonal changes markedly influenced metal/metalloid concentrations and distributions in water, necessitating risk management focused on arsenic.

Vehicle re-identification (vehicle ReID) is designed to recognize all instances of a specific vehicle across various camera viewpoints, facing significant challenges such as high similarity among different vehicles from the same viewpoint and substantial variance for the same vehicle across different viewpoints. In this paper, we introduce the RAND network, which is equipped with relation attention mechanisms, nuance, and disparity masks to tackle these issues effectively. The disparity mask specifically targets the automatic suppression of irrelevant foreground and background noise, while the nuance mask reveals less obvious, sub-discriminative regions to enhance the overall feature robustness. Additionally, our relation attention module, which incorporates an advanced transformer architecture, significantly reduces intra-class distances, thereby improving the accuracy of vehicle identification across diverse viewpoints. The performance of our approach has been thoroughly evaluated on widely recognized datasets such as VeRi-776 and VehicleID, where it demonstrates superior effectiveness and competes robustly with other leading methods.

Abstract Stereoselective ring-opening polymerization catalysts are used to produce degradable stereoregular poly(lactic acids) with thermal and mechanical properties that are superior to those of atactic polymers. However, the process of discovering highly stereoselective catalysts is still largely empirical. We aim to develop an integrated computational and experimental framework for efficient, predictive catalyst selection and optimization. As a proof of principle, we have developed a Bayesian optimization workflow on a subset of literature results for stereoselective lactide ring-opening polymerization, and using the algorithm, we identify multiple new Al complexes that catalyze either isoselective or heteroselective polymerization. In addition, feature attribution analysis uncovers mechanistically meaningful ligand descriptors, such as percent buried volume (%Vbur) and the highest occupied molecular orbital energy (E HOMO), that can access quantitative and predictive models for catalyst development.

Abstract Tailed bacteriophages (order, Caudovirales) account for the majority of all phages. However, the long flexible tail of siphophages hinders comprehensive investigation of the mechanism of viral gene delivery. Here, we report the atomic capsid and in-situ structures of the tail machine of the marine siphophage, vB_DshS-R4C (R4C), which infects Roseobacter. The R4C virion, comprising 12 distinct structural protein components, has a unique five-fold vertex of the icosahedral capsid that allows genome delivery. The specific position and interaction pattern of the tail tube proteins determine the atypical long rigid tail of R4C, and further provide negative charge distribution within the tail tube. A ratchet mechanism assists in DNA transmission, which is initiated by an absorption device that structurally resembles the phage-like particle, RcGTA. Overall, these results provide in-depth knowledge into the intact structure and underlining DNA delivery mechanism for the ecologically important siphophages.

Abstract Objective Transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) is used to assess microcirculation clinically; however, it is not widely available especially in rural hospital. The study was designed to explore potential alternatively biomarkers to assess microcirculation in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods A total of 404 patients from Xuzhou first hospital were recruited according to the case records system. Patients were grouped via the ratio of albuminuria and creatinine (ACR; 300 mg/g). Biomarkers in different ACR groups were compared by analysis of variance. Correlation analysis was determined by Pearson or Spearman analysis and binary logistic regression. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was performed to elucidate the prediction effect of ACR on TcPO2. Results A total of 404 diabetic patients were recruited with 248 patients diagnosed as DKD and 156 non‐DKDs. Age and cystatin C were significantly higher in the ACR3 group compared with those in the ACR1 group, whereas glomerular filtration rate, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and TcPO2 were markedly decreased in the ACR3 group (p

We search for an optimal filter design for the estimation of stellar metallicity, based on synthetic photometry from Gaia XP spectra convolved with a series of filter-transmission curves defined by different central wavelengths and bandwidths. Unlike previous designs based solely on maximizing metallicity sensitivity, we find that the optimal solution provides a balance between the sensitivity and uncertainty of the spectra. With this optimal filter design, the best precision of metallicity estimates for relatively bright ( G ∼ 11.5) stars is excellent, σ _[Fe/H] = 0.034 dex for FGK dwarf stars, superior to that obtained utilizing custom sensitivity-optimized filters (e.g., SkyMapper v ). By selecting hundreds of high-probability member stars of the open cluster M67, our analysis reveals that the intrinsic photometric-metallicity scatter of these cluster members is only 0.036 dex, consistent with this level of precision. Our results clearly demonstrate that the internal precision of photometric-metallicity estimates can be extremely high, even providing the opportunity to perform chemical tagging for very large numbers of field stars in the Milky Way. This experiment shows that it is crucial to take into account uncertainty alongside the sensitivity when designing filters for measuring the stellar metallicity and other parameters.

A recent study by Hon et al. reported that a close-in planet around the red clump star, 8 UMi, should have been engulfed during the expansion phase of its parent star’s evolution. They explained the survival of this exoplanet through a binary-merger channel for 8 UMi. The key to testing this formation scenario is to derive the true age of this star: is it an old “imposter” resulting from a binary merger, or a genuinely young red clump giant? To accomplish this, we derive kinematic and chemical properties for 8 UMi using astrometric data from Gaia DR3 and the element-abundance pattern measured from a high-resolution ( R ∼ 75,000) spectrum taken by SOPHIE. Our analysis shows that 8 UMi is a normal thin-disk star with orbital rotation speed of V _ϕ = 244.96 km s ^−1 , and possesses a solar metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.05 ± 0.07) and α -element-abundance ratio ([ α /Fe] = +0.01 ± 0.03). By adopting well-established relationships between age and space velocities/elemental abundances, we estimate a kinematic age of ${3.50}_{-2.00}^{+3.00}$ Gyr, and a chemical age of ${3.25}_{-1.50}^{+2.50}$ Gyr from [C/N] and 3.47 ± 1.96 Gyr from [Y/Mg] for 8 UMi, respectively. These estimates are consistent with the isochrone-fitting age ( ${1.90}_{-0.30}^{+1.15}$ Gyr) of 8 UMi, but are all much younger than the timescale required in a binary-merger scenario. This result challenges the binary-merger model; the existence of such a closely orbiting exoplanet around a giant star remains a mystery yet to be resolved.

Digital transformation constitutes a crucial component of the digital economy and represents a microcosmic manifestation, playing a vital role in advancing enterprise sustainable development from the perspective of green innovation quality. Using the panel data of Chinese listed companies from 2011 to 2020, the study examines the impact of digital transformation on the quality of green innovation. The study finds that digital transformation significantly increases the green innovation quality of enterprises. Moreover, the positive effect of digital transformation on green innovation quality is strengthened by the executive with digital knowledge experience and in regions with high-level intellectual property protection. The study findings contribute to digitalization research and the literature on green innovation, and provide suggestions for managers and policymakers seeking to improve the quality of environmental sustainability through digital transformation in developing economies.

With a booming number of wireless Internet-of-Things devices, satellite communications have been recognized as a key pillar to support massive communication and ubiquitous connectivity in sixth-generation usage scenarios. In the meanwhile, such expansion of space-terrestrial integrated networks makes satellite radio spectrum management complicated. To facilitate spectrum surveillance and efficiently utilize spectrum resources, space-based electromagnetic spectrum monitoring becomes an urgent demand. This paper first investigates state-of-the-art ground-based spectrum monitoring schemes and satellite spectrum monitoring schemes. As crucial enabling technologies for satellite spectrum monitoring, satellite spectrum sensing and database technologies are systematically outlined, as well as their characteristics and limitations. To tackle with the limitations, this paper proposes a space-based spectrum situational awareness method with spectrum situational maps. By applying generative adversarial networks, the spatial correlation of satellite spectrum data is intrinsically utilized to visualize the distribution of radio spectrum situational information in spatial domain. In addition, challenges in monitoring uplink transmissions with narrow directional beams, as in low-Earth orbit satellite internet, are discussed. To handle this issue, a novel satellite spectrum monitoring scheme is proposed by using reinforcement learning and target probability map. The scheme is also validated by numerical results with a case study.

Cognitive impairment is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and early cognitive dysfunction may be associated with abnormal changes in the cerebral cortex. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the cortical thickness-based structural topological network changes in T2DM patients without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Fifty-six T2DM patients and 59 healthy controls underwent neuropsychological assessments and sagittal 3-dimensional T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging. Then, we combined cortical thickness-based assessments with graph theoretical analysis to explore the abnormalities in structural covariance networks in T2DM patients. Correlation analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the altered topological parameters and cognitive/clinical variables. T2DM patients exhibited significantly lower clustering coefficient (C) and local efficiency (Elocal) values and showed nodal property disorders in the occipital cortical, inferior temporal, and inferior frontal regions, the precuneus, and the precentral and insular gyri. Moreover, the structural topological network changes in multiple nodes were correlated with the findings of neuropsychological tests in T2DM patients. Thus, while T2DM patients without MCI showed a relatively normal global network, the local topological organization of the structural network was disordered. Moreover, the impaired ventral visual pathway may be involved in the neural mechanism of visual cognitive impairment in T2DM patients. This study enriched the characteristics of gray matter structure changes in early cognitive dysfunction in T2DM patients.