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Abstract Background To evaluate the effectiveness of the computed tomographic (CT) volumetric analysis in postoperative lung function assessment and the predicting value for postoperative complications in patients who had segmentectomy for lung cancer. Methods CT scanning and pulmonary function examination were performed for 100 patients with lung cancer. CT volumetric analyses were performed by specific software, for the volume of the inspiratory phase (Vin), the mean inspiratory lung density (MLDin), the volume of expiratory phase (Vex), and the mean lung density at expiratory phase (MLDex). Pulmonary function examination results and CT volumetric analysis results were used to predict postoperative lung function. The concordance and correlations of these values were assessed by Bland-Altman analysis and Pearson correlation analysis, respectively. Multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis was executed to assess the associations of CT data with complication occurrence. Results Correlations between CT scanning data and pulmonary function examination results were significant in both pre- and post-operation (0.8083 ≤ r ≤ 0.9390). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), and the ratio of FVC and FEV1 estimated by CT volumetric analyses showed high concordance with those detected by pulmonary function examination. Preoperative (Vin-Vex) and (MLDex- MLDin) values were identified as predictors for post-surgery complications, with hazard ratios of 5.378 and 6.524, respectively. Conclusions CT volumetric imaging analysis has the potential to determine the pre- and post-operative lung function, as well as to predict post-surgery complication occurrence in lung cancer patients with pulmonary lobectomy.

Abstract Poa pratensis L. (Poaceae) is a valuable grass across the north hemisphere, inhabiting diverse environments with wide altitudinal span, where ubiquitous various kinds of stresses. Phytohormones would be helpful to improve tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, but the responses of transcriptome regulation of P. pratensis to exogenous phytohormones application remain unclear. In this study, we explored the alteration of plant physiological responses by the application of phytohormones. Aiming to achieve this knowledge, we got full-length transcriptome data 42.76 Gb, of which 74.9% of transcripts were completed. Then used 27 samples representing four treatments conducted at two time points (1 h and 6 h after application) to generate RNA-seq data. 371 and 907 common DEGs were identified in response to four phytohormones application, respectively, these DEGs were involved in “plant hormone signal transduction”, “carbon metabolism” and “plant-pathogen interaction”. Finally, P. pratensis basic research can gain valuable information regarding the responses to exogenous application of phytohormones in physiological indicators and transcriptional regulations in order to facilitate the development of new cultivars.

Abstract Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) based on intracellular Fenton reaction to produce highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) has played an essential role in tumor therapy. However, this therapy still needs to be improved by weakly acidic pH and over-expression of glutathione (GSH) in tumor microenvironment (TEM), which hinders its future application. Herein, we reported a multifunctional bimetallic composite nanoparticle MnO2@GA-Fe@CAI based on a metal polyphenol network (MPN) structure, which could reduce intracellular pH and endogenous GSH by remodeling tumor microenvironment to improve Fenton activity. MnO2 nanoparticles were prepared first and MnO2@GA-Fe nanoparticles with Fe3+ as central ion and gallic acid (GA) as surface ligands were prepared by the chelation reaction. Then, carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) was coupled with GA to form MnO2@GA-Fe@CAI. The properties of the bimetallic composite nanoparticles were studied, and the results showed that CAI could reduce intracellular pH. At the same time, MnO2 could deplete intracellular GSH and produce Mn2+ via redox reactions, which re-established the TME with low pH and GSH. In addition, GA reduced Fe3+ to Fe2+. Mn2+ and Fe2+ catalyzed the endogenous H2O2 to produce high-lever ROS to kill tumor cells. Compared with MnO2, MnO2@GA-Fe@CAI could reduce the tumor weight and volume for the xenograft MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice and the final tumor inhibition rate of 58.09 ± 5.77%, showing the improved therapeutic effect as well as the biological safety. Therefore, this study achieved the high-efficiency CDT effect catalyzed by bimetallic through reshaping the tumor microenvironment. Graphical Abstract

To investigate the influence of moisture on the exothermic properties of coal oxidation, this study investigated the variation in thermal effect and radical parameters in the oxidation process of coal under different moisture content. This was achieved through thermogravimetric–differential thermal experiments and electron spin resonance experiments. Additionally, the study analyzed the impact of free radicals on the characteristics of the thermal effect of coal at different oxidation stages using the product–moment correlation method. The results indicate that the moisture content of 8% is a critical point for promoting or inhibiting the oxidation reaction of coal. Below this threshold, it promotes the oxidation reaction, while above it, it plays an inhibitory role. The most significant promotional effect was observed at 8% moisture content, which increased both the weight loss and heat release by 8.61% and 1567.04 J/g, respectively, while also significantly enhancing free radical species and complexity. Conversely, when the moisture content of coal reached 20%, there was a notable inhibition effect, with a reduced weight loss and exothermic capacity by 4.94% and 2705.03 J/g, respectively, along with decreased free radical species and complexity. The free radical species and heat effect parameters in coal showed a strong correlation at all stages of low-temperature oxidation, thus indicating that g-factor can characterize the coal oxidation process to some extent.

Magnetorheological dampers (MRDs) are of great interest in engineering due to their continuously adjustable damping characteristics. Accurate models are essential for optimizing MRDs and analyzing system dynamics. However, conventional methods widely overlook the impact of excitation frequency and amplitude. To address this issue, this work proposes a modified Bouc–Wen model that can be adapted to various excitation conditions. The model’s parameters depend on the current, excitation frequency, and amplitude. The mechanical characteristics of the MRD were analyzed by the tests. The parameters in the Bouc–Wen model were identified by combining the harmonic balance method and the genetic algorithm. The modified Bouc–Wen model was established by analyzing the variation of each parameter with current, excitation frequency, and amplitude. Finally, the agreement between the modified prediction model and the test results was verified under sinusoidal excitation of 80 mm and 1 Hz. The average relative errors were 3.87%, 2.82%, 2.45%, 2.19%, and 3.27% for current excitations of 0 A, 0.5 A, 1 A, 1.5 A, and 2.0 A, respectively. Since the MRD in this paper operates from 0.5 Hz to 2 Hz, the modified model was validated in the same range. Experiments demonstrate that the modified Bouc–Wen model efficiently and accurately describes the mechanical properties of the MRD under various excitation conditions.

Titanium (Ti), as a hard tissue implant, is facing a big challenge for rapid and stable osseointegration owing to its intrinsic bio-inertness. Meanwile, surface-related infection is also a serious threat. In this study, large-scale quasi-vertically aligned sodium titanate nanowire (SNW) arrayed coatings incorporated with bioactive Cu2+ ions were fabricated through a compound process involving acid etching, hydrothermal treatment (HT), and ion exchange (IE). A novel coating based on sustained ion release and a shape-preserving design is successfully obtained. Cu2+ substituted Na+ in sodium titanate lattice to generate Cu-doped SNW (CNW), which maintains the micro-structure and phase components of the original SNW, and can be efficiently released from the structure by immersing them in physiological saline (PS) solutions, ensuring superior long-term structural stability. The synergistic effects of the acid etching, bidirectional cogrowth, and solution-strengthening mechanisms endow the coating with higher bonding strengths. In vitro antibacterial tests demonstrated that the CNW coatings exhibited effective good antibacterial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria based on the continuous slow release of copper ions. This is an exciting attempt to achieve topographic, hydrophilic, and antibacterial activation of metal implants, demonstrating a paradigm for the activation of coatings without dissolution and providing new insights into insoluble ceramic-coated implants with high bonding strengths.

Abstract Background Sudden chemosensory changes were considered an early predictor of COVID‐19. Here, the effects of comorbidities on changes in taste and smell in COVID‐19 patients were investigated based on a worldwide study. Methods Data analyzed here were collected from the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR) core questionnaire, including questions regarding preexisting disease conditions. Overall, the final sample of 12,438 participants who were diagnosed with COVID‐19 included patients with preexisting conditions. Mixed linear regression models were used to test our hypothesis, and the p‐value of interaction was examined. Results A total of 61,067 participants completed the GCCR questionnaire, including 16,016 participants had preexisting diseases. The multivariate regression analysis showed that individuals with high blood pressure, lung disease, or sinus problems, or neurological diseases exhibited worse self‐reported smell loss (p

Robinia pseudoacacia is widely planted in the Loess Plateau as a major soil and water conservation tree species because of its dense canopy, complex structure, and strong soil and water conservation ability. The precise measurement of small-scale locust forest biomass is crucial to monitoring and evaluating the carbon sequestration functions of soil and water conservation vegetation. This study focuses on an artificial locust forest planted in the early 1990s in Caijiachuan Basin, Jixian County, Shanxi Province. A drone equipped with LiDAR was used to obtain point cloud data and generate a canopy height model. A watershed segmentation algorithm was used to identify tree vertices and extract individual trees. A relationship model between tree height, diameter at breast height, and biomass, combined with sample survey data, was established to explore the spatial distribution of biomass in the artificial locust forest at the level of the entire basin. The results show the following: (1) the structural parameters of locust extracted using UAV point cloud data have a good degree of fit and accuracy, and the recall rate is 72.7%; (2) the average error rate of the extracted maximum tree height value of locust is 7%, that of the minimum tree height value is 14%, and that of the average tree height value is 18%; (3) the average error rate of the extracted maximum diameter at breast height of locust is 15%, that of the minimum diameter at breast height is 37%, and that of the average diameter at breast height is 36%; and (4) the average error rate of the biomass estimation of locust calculated using point cloud data is 16.0%.

IntroductionNurses experience significant physical and psychological stress that negatively influences their psychological well-being. The objective of this study was to explore the association between self-efficacy and psychological well-being among Chinese nurses and to assess the moderating effects of perceived social support (PSS).MethodsIn 2020, a hospital-based cross-sectional study using a multistage random sampling approach was performed in five regions of Liaoning, China. Of the 1,200 surveyed nurses, 1,010 completed questionnaires that evaluated the demographic information, 14-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. To examine the factors associated with mental health parameters, hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed. The interactions were visualized using a simple slope analysis.ResultsThe mean depression and anxiety scores for Chinese nurses were 8.74 ± 3.50 and 6.18 ± 3.26, respectively. The association between self-efficacy and depression differed between the low perceived social support (PSS) group (1 SD below the mean, β = −0.169, p

This paper deals with fractal Van der Pol damped nonlinear oscillators equation having nonlinearity. By combining the techniques of the Laplace transform and the variational iteration method, we establish approximate periodic solutions for the fractal damped nonlinear systems. In this simple way, nonlinear differential equations can be easily converted into linear differential equations. Illustrative examples including the Van der Pol damped nonlinear oscillator reveal that this method is very effective and convenient for solving fractal nonlinear differential equations. Finally, comparison of the obtained results with those of the other achieved method, also reveals that this coupling method not only suggests an easier method due to the Lagrange multiplier but also can be easily extended to other nonlinear systems.

The acoustic black hole (ABH) has been proved to reduce broadband vibration response in beams and plates. While the traditional analytical and semi-analytical methods can only deal with the response of simple ABH structures; for complex ABH structures, the numerical methods such as the finite element method (FEM) have to be resorted and these methods are too often time-consuming. In this work, the vibration isolation by a beam structure embedded with periodic embedded symmetric ABHs is investigated. The vibration transmission of a single embedded symmetric ABH beam unit is first studied by the Riccati transfer matrix method (RTMM). A comparative analysis of the convergence speed and the computation efficiency of the unit by the RTMM and the FEM demonstrates the computation time using the RTMM increases linearly with the number of segments while that using the FEM increases exponentially and quickly exceeds the former as the number of segments increases. The computation time is consistent with the computational complexity associated with their respective algorithms. A hybrid dynamics method (HDM) is then proposed to derive for the vibration transmission solution of the beam with single and multiple periodically embedded symmetric ABHs. A comparison of the responses with those calculated by the RTMM demonstrates that the proposed HDM provides an efficient tool for solving the vibration response of the finite beam with periodic embedded ABHs, leading to much improved computational efficiency with ensured numerical stability and accuracy. This advantage in computation efficiency becomes even more obvious for larger structures when the number of the ABH units increased considerably. The proposed hybrid dynamic approach provides a basis for solving the vibration transmission/isolation problems of more complex ABH structures.

In order to extract more polysaccharide from Hovenia dulcis and improve the antioxidant activity of the extract, repeated freezing-thawing technology coupled with reflux extraction method was employed, and major freezing-thawing conditions affecting the content of polysaccharide were optimized via orthogonal tests; In the end, the antioxidant activity of polysaccharide extract was evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal freezing-thawing conditions were as follows: The water content for swelling was set at 40 mL/100 g, freezing time was 4 h, the time of repetition of freezing-thawing was twice, and thawing temperature was 60 °C, under which the content of polysaccharides in Hovenia dulcis studied was 1.68%±0.03%. The clearance rates of polysaccharide extract to DPPH free radical and ABTS free radical were up to 86.73% (when the concentration of extract was 0.10 mg/mL) and 91.33% (when the concentration of extract was 2.0 mg/mL), respectively. The results provide a reference for the comprehensive utilization of polysaccharide from Hovenia dulcis.

Background Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) is a tight junction protein that has been identified as a clinically proven target in gastric cancer. Stimulation of 4-1BB with agonistic antibodies is also a promising strategy for immunotherapy and 4-1BB+ T cells were reported to be present within the tumor microenvironment of patients with gastric cancer. However, hepatotoxicity-mediated by 4-1BB activation was observed in clinical trials of agonistic anti-4-1BB monoclonal antibodies.Methods To specifically activate the 4-1BB+ T cells in tumor and avoid the on-target liver toxicity, we developed a novel CLDN18.2×4-1BB bispecific antibody (termed ‘givastomig’ or ‘ABL111’; also known as TJ-CD4B or TJ033721) that was designed to activate 4-1BB signaling in a CLDN18.2 engagement-dependent manner.Results 4-1BB+ T cells were observed to be coexisted with CLDN18.2+ tumor cells in proximity by multiplex immunohistochemical staining of tumor tissues from patients with gastric cancer (n=60). Givastomig/ABL111 could bind to cell lines expressing various levels of CLDN18.2 with a high affinity and induce 4-1BB activation in vitro only in the context of CLDN18.2 binding. The magnitude of T-cell activation by givastomig/ABL111 treatment was closely correlated with the CLDN18.2 expression level of tumor cells from gastric cancer patient-derived xenograft model. Mechanistically, givastomig/ABL111 treatment could upregulate the expression of a panel of pro-inflammatory and interferon-γ-responsive genes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells when co-cultured with CLDN18.2+ tumor cells. Furthermore, in humanized 4-1BB transgenic mice inoculated with human CLDN18.2-expressing tumor cells, givastomig/ABL111 induced a localized immune activation in tumor as evident by the increased ratio of CD8+/regulatory T cell, leading to the superior antitumor activity and long-lasting memory response against tumor rechallenge. Givastomig/ABL111 was well tolerated, with no systemic immune response and hepatotoxicity in monkeys.Conclusions Givastomig/ABL111 is a novel CLDN18.2×4-1BB bispecific antibody which has the potential to treat patients with gastric cancer with a wide range of CLDN18.2 expression level through the restricted activation of 4-1BB+ T cells in tumor microenvironment to avoid the risk of liver toxicity and systemic immune response.

By embedding center-supported graded-circular-plates (CS-GCPs) into an elastomer, a deep-subwavelength and hydrostatic-pressure-resistant meta-absorber was designed and manufactured for sound absorption (SA) under hydrostatic pressure. The meta-absorber exhibits excellent SAs (>0.842, 0.927 on average) within 500–2000 Hz and quasi-perfect SAs (>0.94) within 500–700 Hz with a 2% thickness of the sound wavelength. The excellent SAs (0.91 on average) are verified experimentally within 1–10 kHz, and remained high (0.84 on average) under a hydrostatic pressure of 1.0 MPa. The exotic functionality arises from enriched local-dynamics by the CS-GCPs and pressure-resistance of the center-support, providing an effective solution for ultra-broadband low-frequency underwater sound control.

The simultaneous achievement of high breakdown voltage and low resistance is a contradictory point because it would require high and low doping simultaneously. Here, Zhou et al. achieve a power figure-of-merit of 13.2 GW/cm2 through hole injection and conductivity modulation effect.

ObjectiveThis study aims to compare the binocular visual functions and balance among monocular myopic adolescents and adults and binocular low myopic adolescents and explore whether monocular myopia requires glasses.MethodsA total of 106 patients participated in this study. All patients were divided into three groups: the monocular myopia children group (Group 1 = 41 patients), the monocular myopia adult group (Group 2 = 26 patients) and the binocular low myopia children group (Group 3 = 39 patients). The refractive parameters, accommodation, stereopsis, and binocular balance were compared.ResultsThe binocular refractive difference in Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 was −1.37 ± 0.93, −1.94 ± 0.91, and −0.32 ± 0.27 D, respectively. Moreover, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), spherical equivalent (SE) and monocular accommodative amplitude (AA) between myopic and emmetropic eyes in Group 1 and Group 2 were significantly different (all P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the accommodative facility (AF) between myopic and emmetropic eyes in Group 2 (t = 2.131, P = 0.043). Furthermore, significant differences were found in monocular AA (t = 6.879, P < 0.001), binocular AA (t = 5.043, P < 0.001) and binocular AF (t = −3.074, P = 0.003) between Group 1 and Group 2. The normal ratio of stereopsis according to the random dots test in Group 1 was higher than in Group 2 (χ2 = 14.596, P < 0.001). The normal ratio of dynamic stereopsis in Group 1 was lower than in Group 3 (χ2 = 13.281, P < 0.001). The normal signal-to-noise ratio of the binocular balance point in Group 1 was lower than Group 3 (χ2 = 4.755, P = 0.029).ConclusionFirst, monocular myopia could lead to accommodative dysfunction and unbalanced input of binocular visual signals, resulting in myopia progression. Second, monocular myopia may also be accompanied by stereopsis dysfunction, and long-term uncorrected monocular myopia may worsen stereopsis acuity in adulthood. In addition, patients with monocular myopia could exhibit stereopsis dysfunction at an early stage. Therefore, children with monocular myopia must wear glasses to restore binocular balance and visual functions, thereby delaying myopia progression.

Studies have demonstrated that physical activity (PA) is negatively associated with academic procrastination. However, there is limited research on the mechanism underlying this relationship. This study aims to explore the relationship between PA and academic procrastination by investigating the roles of physical self-perceptions and self-esteem. 916 college students (650 females; Mean age = 19.11, SD age = 1.04) participated in the study. Participants completed the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, the Physical Self-Perceptions Profile, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Academic Procrastination Questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and mediating effect analysis were carried out using SPSS 25.0. The results showed that (a) PA, physical self-perceptions, and self-esteem were negatively correlated with academic procrastination, (b) self-esteem mediated the association between PA and academic procrastination, and (c) physical self-perceptions and self-esteem sequentially mediated the association between PA and academic procrastination. These findings have deepened our understanding on the relationship between PA and academic procrastination, highlighting important approaches to deal with academic procrastination.

Electrically conductive polymer composites have sparked considerable interest in the research community due to their unique advantages that come from combining regular polymers with the electronic properties of metals or semiconductors in a synergistic manner. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers promising prospects in the realm of conductive polymer composites by allowing for greater design flexibility, more complicated shapes, and rapid manufacturing. In addition, a rising number of additive manufacturing (AM) methods, including material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, material and binder jetting, powder bed fusion, and sheet lamination are now available for the 3D printing of conductive polymer composites. In this article, we present an insight into current research advances in the field of conductive polymer composites developed for additive manufacturing, which accelerate the design and development of 3D printable electrical devices. We examine various AM processes in terms of their respective limitations, address the material requirements and significant breakthroughs in 3D printing of conductive polymer composites, and discuss promising electronic applications – such as flexible electronics, energy storage and conversion devices, etc. This overview concludes with an assessment of potential future directions and themes in this developing area.

PurposeNurses are at high risk for workplace violence, which can lead to psychological problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace violence, self-efficacy, and PTSD, and to further explore whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between workplace violence and PTSD among Chinese nurses.Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Liaoning Province, China in 2020. A total of 1,017 valid questionnaires were returned. Each questionnaire included the Workplace Violence Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSS-10), and demographics information. A hierarchical multiple regression approach was used to explore the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between workplace violence and PTSD. The mediation model was then tested by the PROCESS macro in SPSS.ResultsA total of 1,017 nurses were included in this study, and the average score of PTSD among Chinese nurses was 26.85 ± 13.13 (mean ± SD). After further adjustment for control variables, workplace violence was positively associated with PTSD, explaining 13% of the variance. High self-efficacy was associated with low PTSD, explaining 18% of the variance. Self-efficacy partially mediated the role of workplace violence and PTSD.ConclusionThe high scores of PTSD among Chinese nurses demand widespread attention. Workplace violence is an important predictor of PTSD in nurses. Self-efficacy is a significant factor in improving PTSD in nurses and mediates the relationship between workplace violence and PTSD. Measures and strategies to improve self-efficacy may mitigate the effects of workplace violence on PTSD in nurses.

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of sheep slaughter age on myogenic characteristics in skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Methods Primary SMSCs were isolated from hind leg biceps femoris muscles of Wurank lambs (slaughtered at three months, Mth-3) and adults (slaughtered at fifteen months, Mth-15). SMSCs were selected by morphological observation and fluorescence staining. Myogenic regulatory factors (MRF) and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expressions of SMSCs were analyzed on days 1, 3, 4, and 5. Results The expressions of myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), myogenic differentiation (MyoD), Myf6, and myogenin (MyoG) in Mth-15 were significantly higher in Mth-15 than in Mth-3 on days 1, 3, and 4 (p

In this paper, the Mohand transform-based homotopy perturbation method is proposed to solve two-dimensional linear and non-linear shallow water wave equations. This approach has been proved suitable for a broad variety of non-linear differential equations in science and engineering. The variation trend of the water surface elevation at different time levels and depths are given by some graphs. Moreover, the obtained solutions are compared with the existing results, which show higher efficiency and fewer computations than other approaches studied in the literature.

Visual color sensing is generated by electrical discharges from endocranial neuronal sources that penetrate the skull and reach to the cerebral cortex. However, the space location of the source generated by this neural mechanism remains elusive. In this paper, we emulate the generation of visual color signal by task-irrelevant stimuli to activate brain neurons, where its consequences over the cerebral cortex is experimentally tracked. We first document the changes to brain color sensing using electroencephalography (EEG), and find that the sensing classification accuracy of primary visual cortex (V1) regions was positively correlated with the space correlation of visual evoked potential (VEP) power distribution under machine learning decoding. We then explore the decoded results to trace the brain activity neural source location of EEG inversion problem and assess its reconstructive possibility. We show that visual color EEG in V1 can reconstruct endocranial neuronal source location, through the machine learning decoding of channel location.

Lilium pumilum is an important ornamental, culinary and medicinal bulbous plants with salt tolerance. However, salt tolerance of lily, particularly the bulb, has been studied relatively little, which brings challenges to the cultivation of lily varieties with high salt tolerance. Here, we performed transcriptome sequencing on the bulb organs of L. pumilum under salt stress treatment, analyzed differential gene expressed levels and then identified several key genes associated with salt stress tolerance at genome-wide scale. For the first time, we revealed the obvious response against salt stress for L. pumilum bulb organs, while distinct from those for root organs. Several key genes obtained through transcriptome analysis and DEG screening include NF-YB3 transcription factor, metallothionein type 2 protein, vicilin like seed storage protein and bidirectional sugar transporter SWEET14. Rather than typical ROS scavengers like superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and glutathione transferase, non-typical ROS scavengers such as the metallothionein type 2 protein, and vicilin like seed storage protein were upregulated in our work. The bidirectional sugar transporter SWEET14 protein and the hormone signaling proteins such as E3-ubiquitin protein ligases, PYL4 and protein phosphatase 2C were also upregulated, suggesting the role of sugars and hormones in the bulb organ responses to salt stress. Co-expression analysis of the DEGs further confirmed that NF-YB3 transcription factor acted as a hub gene, suggesting that salt stress can promote flowering of L. pumilum. Taken together, we identified important candidate genes associated with salt tolerance of the L. pumilum bulb organs, which may provide the excellent basis for further in-depth salt tolerance mechanisms of the lily bulbs.

Powder hemostatic particles have no limitation on wound type and a wide application prospect in the treatment of wound hemostasis. In this study, bioactive glass-based membrane-like structure camouflage composite particles (MBG@BSA/CS) were prepared by Layer-by-layer (LBL) method to coat bovine serum albumin (BSA) and chitosan (CS) on the surface of the synthesized macroporous and mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG). The results showed that MBG@BSA/CS particles significantly improved the coagulation effect of MBG and could activated both endogenous and exogenous physiological coagulation pathways. MBG@BSA/CS had the excellent water absorption quality and could immediately release Ca2+ to participate in the coagulation pathway. The main hemostatic mechanism of MBG@BSA/CS was that the membrane-like of BSA/CS could form a fibrin network by aggregating erythrocytes and activating platelets, thus rapidly aggregating coagulation factors. In addition, MBG@BSA/CS particles had a significant hemostatic effect on surface bleeding (tail-amputation model) and internal bleeding (liver injury model) in SD rats, which could shorten the bleeding time and reduce the amount of blood loss effectively. This research work stated that the MBG-based membrane-like structure camouflage composite particles might be with the potential applications as a hemostasis biomaterial for the emergency bleeding.

Abstract Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high glucose concentration in blood. Conventional management of diabetes requires skin pricking and subcutaneous injection, causing physical pain and physiological issues to diabetic individuals. Hydrogels possess unique advantages such as lightweight, stretchability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, offering the opportunities to be integrated as flexible devices for diabetes management. This review highlights the development of hydrogels as flexible materials for diabetes applications in glucose monitoring, insulin delivery, wound care, and cell transplantation in recent years. Challenges and prospects in the development of hydrogel-based flexible devices for personalized management of diabetes are discussed as well.

Aim: Myopia is a prevalent public health problem. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) mechanisms for dysregulated retinal signaling in the myopic eye have remained elusive. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression profiles and possible pathogenic roles of lncRNAs in mouse form-deprived myopia (FDM) retinas.Methods: A mouse FDM model was induced and retinas from the FDM right eyes and the contralateral eyes were collected for RNA sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, and lncRNA-mRNA coexpression network analyses were conducted to explore the biological functions of the differentially expressed lncRNAs. In addition, the levels of differentially expressed lncRNAs in the myopic retinas were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT–PCR). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect the localization of lncRNAs in mouse retinas.Results: FDM eyes exhibited reduced refraction and increased ocular axial length compared to control fellow eyes. RNA sequencing revealed that there were 655 differentially expressed lncRNAs between the FDM and control retinas. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed RNAs were mostly enriched in cellular processes, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, retinol metabolism, and rhythmic processes. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were validated by qRT–PCR. Additionally, RNA FISH showed that XR_384718.4 (Gm35369) localized in the ganglion cell (GCL) and inner nuclear layers (INL).Conclusion: This study identified the differential expression profiles of lncRNAs in myopic mouse retinas. Our results provide scientific evidence for investigations of myopia and the development of putative interventions in the future.

Lilium pumilum is a perennial herb with ornamental edible and medicinal value. It is an excellent wild germplasm resource with wide distribution and strong resistance. The NAC family of transcription factors is unique to higher plants. The NAC family plays a regulatory role in plant growth and development and participates in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The LpNAC17 gene of L. pumilum was cloned and transformed into tobacco to investigate the response of transgenic tobacco to salt stress. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate and contents of chlorophyll in LpNAC17 over-expressed tobacco were higher than those in the control plants, while the stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and intercellular CO2 concentration were lower than those in the controls. The activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and the content of proline in LpNAC17 over-expressed tobacco were higher than those in the controls, while the content of malondialdehyde, superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide were lower than that in the control. Nitro-blue tetrazolium staining and 3,3′-diaminobenzidine tissue localization showed that the contents of O2- and H2O2 in transgenic tobacco was lower than in the controls. The expression levels of NtSOD, NtPOD, NtCAT, NtHAK1, NtPMA4, and NtSOS1 in the transgenic tobacco were higher than those in the controls. Therefore, this study provides a gene source for molecular breeding of salt-tolerant plants through genetic engineering, and lays a foundation for further research on salt-tolerant Lily.

The Ordovician Wulalike marine siliceous shale is a notable hydrocarbon source rock in the Northwestern Ordos Basin. However, the causes of quartz and organic matter enrichment are still a mystery to experts. In this study, the organic geochemistry (maceral compositions, Rbitu, and TOC) and elemental geochemistry (major and trace elements) with mineralogy (XRD) and petrography were jointly acquired to systematically investigate the quartz origins and the paleoenvironment, and the main controlling factors for organic matter enrichment in the Wulalike shale. The results show that the organic matter is type I kerogen with low TOC concentrations (average 0.51%), and that the thermal evolution has reached mature and high mature stages (mean Requ is 1.08%). Three types of quartz are developed in Wulalike shale: biogenic quartz (average 63%) is the most dominant, followed by clastic quartz (average 31%) and microcrystalline quartz (average 6%). Babio and Ba/Al values indicate the low paleoproductivity, which is the primary cause for the low TOC found throughout the area. Redox indexes show the anoxic or dysoxic to oxic conditions from the bottom to the top of the section. Paleoclimate and paleowater depth proxies also changed from the bottom to the top. Various paleoenvironments and sedimentological evidence show that Wulalike shale went through the changing environments, and the early sedimentary environments were conducive to organic matter enrichment, leading to a relatively high TOC. The paleoproductivity and preservation conditions have an impact on organic matter enrichment. Based on the results of biogenic quartz distribution and sedimentary environments, it is considered that the bottom of the Wulalike Formation is the most favorable for shale gas exploration and development.

Float glass installed with frame supports is broadly exploited in building construction. In a fire environment, the breakage of float glass significantly influences the dynamic development of the fire within the building space. The thermal rupture behavior of the frame-supported float glass subjected to thermal loading is carefully examined using a self-built experimental system. The designed system is aimed at capturing crucial behavioral parameters. The experimental study reveals that the main reason for the breakage of the frame-supported float glass is the temperature difference on the glass surface, with a critical temperature difference of approximately 65 °C. The crack starts at the edge of the glass surface where the temperature difference is maximum and then rapidly expands. By intersecting the cracks, a crack island is configured, which is not dislodged under the stress of the supporting frame and the surrounding glass. A thermomechanical and micro-geometric model of the frame-supported float glass is developed based on the PFC2D program to show further the micro-crack expansion pattern of the frame-supported float glass under thermal loading. This scrutiny provides theoretical guidance for installing and using frame-supported float glass in construction projects and identifying fire evidence.

The outstanding role of hydrogels in promoting wound repair has been studied extensively, but the development of hydrogels with multiple functions to deal with the complex wound environments remains as a challenge and a research focus. Thus, inspired by mussel chemistry, the dopamine grafted gelatin (GelDA) and polydopamine coated graphene oxide (pGO) were prepared firstly. Then, the GelDA/pGO hydrogels with multifunction of adhesion, conductivity, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity were designed through an oxidative coupling reaction between catechol groups. The rheology, mechanical properties, and conductivity of hydrogels could be adjusted appropriately by changing the concentration of pGO. Furthermore, the catechol groups made the hydrogel possessed an adequate adhesive hemostasis in the rat liver hemorrhage model. While the introducion of pGO enabled the hydrogels to get the satisfactory photothermal antibacterial properties, which were verified by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria tests. Finally, in vivo wound healing experiment demonstrated the beneficial effect of hydrogel on promoting burn wound healing. The prepared GelDA/pGO hydrogels could be considered as promising multifunctional wound dressings for accelerating wound healing.

Due to the limitations in autogenous nerve grafting or Schwann cell transplantation, large gap peripheral nerve injuries require a bridging strategy supported by nerve conduit. Cell based therapies provide a novel treatment for peripheral nerve injuries. In this study, we first experimented an optimal scaffold material synthesis protocol, from where we selected the 10% GFD formula (10% GelMA hydrogel, recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs)) to fill a cellulose/soy protein isolate composite membrane (CSM) tube to construct a third generation of nerve regeneration conduit, CSM-GFD. Then this CSM-GFD conduit was applied to repair a 15-mm long defect of sciatic nerve in a rat model. After 12 week post implant surgery, at histologic level, we found CSM-GFD conduit could regenerate nerve tissue like neuron and Schwann like nerve cells and myelinated nerve fibers. At physical level, CSM-GFD achieved functional recovery assessed by a sciatic functional index study. In both levels, CSM-GFD performed like what gold standard, the nerve autograft, could do. Further, we unveiled that almost all newly formed nerve tissue at defect site was originated from the direct differentiation of exogeneous DPSCs in CSM-GFD. In conclusion, we claimed that this third-generation nerve regeneration conduit, CSM-GFD, could be a promising tissue engineering approach to replace the conventional nerve autograft to treat the large gap defect in peripheral nerve injuries.

A nonlinear oscillator with zero initial conditions is considered, which makes some effective methods, for example, the variational iteration method and the homotopy perturbation method, invalid. To solve the bottleneck, this paper suggests a simple transform to convert the problem into a traditional case so that He’s frequency formulation can be effectively used to solve its approximate solution. An microelectromechanical system (MEMS) oscillator is used as example to show the solution process, and a good result is obtained.

BackgroundThe motor imagery brain computer interface (MI-BCI) is now available in a commercial product for clinical rehabilitation. However, MI-BCI is still a relatively new technology for commercial rehabilitation application and there is limited prior work on the frequency effect. The MI-BCI has become a commercial product for clinical neurological rehabilitation, such as rehabilitation for upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke. However, the formulation of clinical rehabilitation programs for MI-BCI is lack of scientific and standardized guidance, especially limited prior work on the frequency effect. Therefore, this study aims at clarifying how frequency effects on MI-BCI training for the plasticity of the central nervous system.MethodsSixteen young healthy subjects (aged 22.94 ± 3.86 years) were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial study. Subjects were randomly assigned to a high frequency group (HF group) and low frequency group (LF group). The HF group performed MI-BCI training once per day while the LF group performed once every other day. All subjects performed 10 sessions of MI-BCI training. functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measurement, Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and brain computer interface (BCI) performance were assessed at baseline, mid-assessment (after completion of five BCI training sessions), and post-assessment (after completion of 10 BCI training sessions).ResultsThe results from the two-way ANOVA of beta values indicated that GROUP, TIME, and GROUP × TIME interaction of the right primary sensorimotor cortex had significant main effects [GROUP: F(1,14) = 7.251, P = 0.010; TIME: F(2,13) = 3.317, P = 0.046; GROUP × TIME: F(2,13) = 5.676, P = 0.007]. The degree of activation was affected by training frequency, evaluation time point and interaction. The activation of left primary sensory motor cortex was also affected by group (frequency) (P = 0.003). Moreover, the TIME variable was only significantly different in the HF group, in which the beta value of the mid-assessment was higher than that of both the baseline assessment (P = 0.027) and post-assessment (P = 0.001), respectively. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the results of WMFT between HF group and LF group.ConclusionThe major results showed that more cortical activation and better BCI performance were found in the HF group relative to the LF group. Moreover, the within-group results also showed more cortical activation after five sessions of BCI training and better BCI performance after 10 sessions in the HF group, but no similar effects were found in the LF group. This pilot study provided an essential reference for the formulation of clinical programs for MI-BCI training in improvement for upper limb dysfunction.

BackgroundSkeletal muscle mass deterioration is common in gastric cancer (GC) patients and is linked to poor prognosis. However, information regarding the effect of skeletal muscle mass changes in the postoperative period is scarce. This study was to investigate the link between postoperative loss of skeletal muscle mass and survival following GC surgery.MethodsPatients who underwent GC surgery between January 2015 and December 2016 were recruited into the study. Computed tomography at L3 vertebral level was used to examine skeletal muscle index prior to surgery and about 6 months after surgery. Skeletal muscle index changes were categorized as presence or absence of ≥5% loss. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed, and Cox proportional hazard models used to identify their predictors.ResultsThe study comprised of 318 gastric cancer patients of which 63.5% were male. The group's mean age was 58.14 ± 10.77 years. Sixty-five patients experienced postoperative skeletal muscle index loss ≥5% and had poorer OS (P = 0.004) and DFS (P = 0.020). We find that postoperative skeletal muscle index loss ≥ 5% predicts OS [hazard ratio (HR): 2.769, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.865–4.111; P < 0.001] and DFS (HR: 2.533, 95% CI: 1.753–3.659; P < 0.001).ConclusionsLoss of skeletal muscle mass postoperatively is linked to poor survival following GC surgery. Further studies are needed to determine whether stabilizing or enhancing skeletal muscle mass after surgery improves survival.

BackgroundMirror visual feedback (MVF) has been widely used in neurological rehabilitation. Due to the potential gain effect of the MVF combination therapy, the related mechanisms still need be further analyzed.MethodsOur self-controlled study recruited 20 healthy subjects (age 22.150 ± 2.661 years) were asked to perform four different visual feedback tasks with simultaneous functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) monitoring. The right hand of the subjects was set as the active hand (performing active movement), and the left hand was set as the observation hand (static or performing passive movement under soft robotic bilateral hand rehabilitation system). The four VF tasks were designed as RVF Task (real visual feedback task), MVF task (mirror visual feedback task), BRM task (bilateral robotic movement task), and MVF + BRM task (Mirror visual feedback combined with bilateral robotic movement task).ResultsThe beta value of the right pre-motor cortex (PMC) of MVF task was significantly higher than the RVF task (RVF task: -0.015 ± 0.029, MVF task: 0.011 ± 0.033, P = 0.033). The beta value right primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) in MVF + BRM task was significantly higher than MVF task (MVF task: 0.006 ± 0.040, MVF + BRM task: 0.037 ± 0.036, P = 0.016).ConclusionOur study used the synchronous fNIRS to compare the immediate hemodynamics cortical activation of four visual feedback tasks in healthy subjects. The results showed the synergistic gain effect on cortical activation from MVF combined with a soft robotic bilateral hand rehabilitation system for the first time, which could be used to guide the clinical application and the future studies.

Optimization of interface characteristics between dielectric and non-polar GaN surface is very important and urgent for vertical GaN MOS device whose channel is perpendicular to the conventional cplane. In this work, the effects of piranha cleaning and N2 post deposition annealing (PDA) to the interface between atomic-layer-deposited (ALD)-Al2O3 and a-plane GaN samples were comprehensively investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photo-assisted capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. The piranha cleaning and N2 annealing can improve interface characteristics through the reduction in surface roughness and Ga-O bonds, respectively. Therefore, the frequency dispersion and hysteresis are nearly suppressed with a low interface trap quantity (Qit) of 4.1 x 1011 cm-2 and a low average interface state density (Dit) of 2.04 x 1011 cm-2·eV-1 from photoassisted C-V measurements, showing the great promise of utilizing piranha pretreatment, buffered oxide etch (BOE) dip, and N2 annealing as an effective route to improve the vertical GaN MOS interface properties.

ObjectiveFermented sausage is popular all over the world for its rich nutrition and unique flavor. Sausage casing is one of the key factors affecting the quality of fermented sausage. However, there is little information involved in this field.MethodsIn this study, collagen casings were used as a wrapping material, and natural casings (pig casings) were used as a control. The effects of the two types of casings on biogenic amine content and other quality characteristics of fermented sausage were analyzed with increasing the storage time.ResultsThe results showed that with storage time increasing, the hardness and gumminess of fermented sausage in collagen casing (CC) group were higher than those in pig casing (PC) group (PConclusionIn conclusion, this study revealed that CC could improve the quality characteristics of fermented sausage and reduce the content of biogenic amines in fermented sausage, which provides a theoretical basis for the choice of casings in industrial production in the future.

Background. Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a common inflammatory disease with high heterogeneity and postoperative recidivation. The IL-33/ST2 axis is known to be involved in Th2 immune responses. This study is aimed at exploring levels of serum IL-33 and soluble ST2 (sST2) in CRSwNP patients and their potential for predicting CRSwNP endotypes and postoperative recurrence. Methods. The present study recruited 149 CRSwNP patients, 80 of whom were noneosinophilic (neCRSwNP) and 69 eosinophilic (eCRSwNP), as well as 60 healthy controls (HCs). Serum samples were collected from all participants, and sST2 and IL-33 concentrations were measured using ELISA. Multivariate analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate the value of serum sST2 and IL-33 levels in distinguishing CRSwNP endotypes and predicting postoperative recurrence. Results. The levels of serum sST2 and IL-33 in CRSwNP patients were significantly higher than those in HCs, especially in the eCRSwNP group. Increased sST2 and IL-33 levels were associated with eosinophil counts and percentages in both tissue and blood. Multivariate regression and ROC curve analysis showed that serum sST2 and IL-33 exhibited potential for distinguishing CRSwNP endotypes, and the combination of serum IL-33 and sST2 showed even more predictive power. Finally, 124 CRSwNP patients completed the entire 3-year follow-up. Multivariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves showed that serum sST2 and IL-33 levels were associated with recurrence; serum sST2 and IL-33 each exhibited potential for predicting postoperative recurrence, and combining serum sST2 and IL-33 exhibited better accuracy and practicability. Conclusion. Our results suggested that serum sST2 and IL-33 levels were upregulated in CRSwNP patients and related to the degree of mucosal eosinophil infiltration and postoperative recurrence. Serum sST2 and IL-33 might serve as objective biomarkers for distinguishing phenotypes and predicting recurrence in CRSwNP, and their combined use outperformed either marker alone.

Hypoxia is a major stressor and a prominent feature of pathological conditions, such as bacterial infections, inflammation, wounds, and cardiovascular defects. In this study, we investigated whether reoxygenation has a protective effect against hypoxia-induced acute injury and burn using the C57BL/6 mouse model. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to hypoxia and treated with both acute and burn injuries and were in hypoxia until wound healing. Next, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to hypoxia for three days and then transferred to normoxic conditions for reoxygenation until wound healing. Finally, skin wound tissue was collected to analyze healing-related markers, such as inflammation, vascularization, and collagen. Hypoxia significantly increased inflammatory cell infiltration and decreased vascular and collagen production, and reoxygenation notably attenuated hypoxia-induced infiltration of inflammatory cells, upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-6 and TNF-α) in the wound, and remission of inflammation in the wound. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that reoxygenation increased the expression of the angiogenic factor α-SMA and decreased ROS expression in burn tissues compared to hypoxia-treated animals. Moreover, further analysis by qPCR showed that reoxygenation could alleviate the expression of hypoxic-induced inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF), increase angiogenesis (SMA) and collagen synthesis (Col I), and thus promote wound healing. It is suggested that oxygen can be further evaluated in combination with oxygen-releasing materials as a supplementary therapy for patients with chronic hypoxic wounds.

Starch branching enzyme IIb (BEIIb) and soluble starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) play important roles in starch biosynthesis in cereals. Deficiency in the BEIIb gene produces the amylose extender (ae) mutant rice strain with increased amylose content (AC) and changes in the amylopectin structure. The SSIIa gene is responsible for the genetic control of gelatinization temperature (GT). The combined effects of BEIIb and SSIIa alleles on the AC, fine structures, and physicochemical properties of starches from 12 rice accessions including 10 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) and their two parents were examined in this study. Under the active BEIIb background, starches with the SSIIa-GC allele showed a higher GT than those with the SSIIa-TT allele, resulting from a lower proportion of A chain and a larger proportion of B1 chains in the amylopectin of SSIIa-GC. However, starch with the BEIIb mutant allele (be2b) in combination with any SSIIa genotype displayed more amylose long chains, higher amylose content, B2 and B3 chains, and molecular order, but smaller relative crystallinity and proportion of amylopectin A and B1 chains than those with BEIIb, leading to a higher GT and lower paste viscosities. These results suggest that BEIIb is more important in determining the structural and physicochemical properties than SSIIa. These results provide additional insights into the structure-function relationship in indica rice rather than that in japonica rice and are useful for breeding rice with high amylose content and high resistant starch.

The probiotic fermentation of lamb liver paste is a new method with which to utilize sheep by-products and address the issue of waste. In this study, a pH meter, chromaticity meter, texture analyzer, and gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer (GC–MS) were used to determine various indicators. The objective was to investigate the effect of fermentation on the physical properties and aroma of lamb liver paste. The results showed that the L* (brightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) of the samples were significantly higher in the starter fermentation group than in the other two groups after storage for 0, 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days (p < 0.05). In addition, cohesiveness, adhesion, and chewiness were lower in the starter fermentation group after 7 days (p < 0.05). TVB-N and fat were lower in the starter fermentation group compared to the sterilization group at 28 days. pH was significantly lower in the starter fermentation group at the beginning of storage, and lactic acid bacteria numbers were significantly higher than in the sterilization groups (p < 0.05). Important aroma compounds, such as 2-undecenal, 1-octen-3-ol, and anethole, were significantly higher in the starter fermentation group than in the sterilization group (p < 0.05). Fermented lamb liver paste is a new by-product that exhibits a high degree of freshness and a low degree of fat oxidation during storage. This study provides a theoretical basis for future industrial production.

Numerous antibiotics are derived from polyketides, whose biosynthesis is accurately controlled by transcriptional regulators that respond to diverse physiological or environmental signals. It is generally accepted that antibiotics or biosynthetic intermediates serve as effectors to modulate their production in actinomycetes.

The shale of the Wulalike Formation developed in the northwestern Ordos Basin is considered to be an effective marine hydrocarbon source rock. One of the key factors for successful shale gas exploration in the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin is the high content of biogenic silica. However, few people have studied the siliceous origin of the Wulalike shale. In this study, we used petrographic observation and element geochemistry to analyze the origin of silica in the Wulalike shale. The results show that the siliceous minerals are not affected by hydrothermal silica and mainly consist of biogenic and detrital silica. A large number of siliceous organisms, such as sponge spicules, radiolarians, and algae, are found under the microscope. It has been demonstrated that total organic carbon has a positive correlation with biogenic silica and a negative correlation with detrital silica, and biogenic silica is one of the effective indicators of paleoproductivity. Therefore, the enrichment of organic matter may be related to paleoproductivity. Through the calculation of element logging data in well A, it is found that biogenic silica is mainly distributed in the bottom of the Wulalike Formation, and the content of biogenic silica decreases, while the content of detrital silica increases upward of the Wulalike Formation. Biogenic silica mainly exists in the form of microcrystalline quartz, which can form an interconnected rigid framework to improve the hardness and brittleness of shale. Meanwhile, biogenic microcrystalline quartz can protect organic pores from mechanical compaction. Therefore, it may be easier to fracture the shale gas at the bottom of the Wulalike Formation in well A.

Sheep crude tail fat has unique nutritional values and is used as a raw material for high-quality natural oil. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotics on the metabolites and flavor of sheep crude tail fat. In this study, 12 Sunit sheep were randomly divided into an experimental group (LTF, basal feed + Lactiplantibacillusplantarum powder) and a control group (CTF, basal feed). The results of sheep crude tail fat analysis showed that blood lipid parameters were significantly lower and the expression of fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase genes higher in the LTF group than in the CTF group (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that the contents of metabolites such as eicosapentaenoic acid, 16-hydroxypalmitic acid, and L-citrulline were higher in the LTF group (p < 0.01). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry detection of volatile flavor compounds in the tail fat showed that nonanal, decanal, and 1-hexanol were more abundant in the LTF group (p < 0.05). Therefore, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum feeding affected blood lipid parameters, expression of lipid metabolism-related genes, tail fat metabolites, and volatile flavor compounds in Sunit sheep. In this study, probiotics feeding was demonstrated to support high-value sheep crude tail fat production.

The improvement of the cooking and eating quality (CEQ) of rice is one of the major objectives of current rice-breeding programs. A few major genes such as Waxy (Wx) and starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) have been successfully applied in molecular breeding. However, their interactive effects on CEQ have not been fully understood. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was constructed by crossing the white-core mutant GM645 with the transparent phenotype of the japonica rice variety Tainung 67 (TN67). GM645 and TN67 contain different alleles of FLOURY ENDOSPERM2 (FLO2), Wx, and SSIIa. The effects of different allele combinations of FLO2, Wx, and SSIIa on the CEQ of rice were investigated. The inbred lines with the mutation allele flo2 had a significantly lower apparent amylose content (AAC), viscosity characteristics except for setback (SB), and gel texture properties compared to those lines with the FLO2 allele. The allelic combination of FLO2 and Wx significantly affected the AAC, breakdown (BD), and gel textural properties, which could explain most of the variations in those rice quality traits that were correlated with AAC. The allelic combination of FLO2 and SSIIa significantly affected the hot paste viscosity (HPV) and pasting temperature (PT). The Wx × SSIIa interaction had a significant effect on the PT. The interaction of FLO2, Wx and SSIIa significantly affected the AAC, cold paste viscosity (CPV), PT, and consistency viscosity (CS). These results highlight the important roles of these quality-related genes in regulating the CEQ of rice and provide new clues for rice-quality improvement by marker-assisted selection.

Background: Current vaccines against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) of flaviviruses have some disadvantages, such as the risk of virulent reversion. Non-structural protein NS1 is conserved among flaviviruses and confers immune protection without the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Therefore, NS1 has become a promising vaccine candidate against flaviviruses. Methods: A NS1-based vaccine (LTB-NS1∆63) with a truncated NS1 protein (NS1∆63) fused to E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) was expressed in E.coli and explored for its ability to induce immune responses. Safety of LTB-NS1∆63 was assessed by determining its toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Protective capability of LTB-NS1∆63 and its-induced antisera was evaluated in the mice challenged with JEV by analyzing mortality and morbidity. Findings: LTB-NS1∆63 induced immune responses to a similar level as LTB-NS1, but more robust than NS1∆63 alone, particularly in the context of oral immunization of mice. Oral vaccination of LTB-NS1∆63 led to a higher survival rate than that of NS1∆63 or live-attenuated JEV vaccine SA14–14–2 in the mice receiving lethal JEV challenge. LTB-NS1∆63 protein also significantly decreases the morbidity of JEV-infected mice. In addition, passive transfer of LTB-NS1∆63-induced antisera provides a protection against JEV infection in mice. Interpretation: NS1∆63 bears JEV NS1 antigenicity. Besides, LTB-NS1∆63 could serve as a novel protein-based mucosa vaccine targeting JEV and other flaviviruses. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation, Jiangxi Province Science and Technology Committee, Education Department of Jiangxi Province.