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Abstract Climate change and human activities both have a considerable impact on runoff depth, which are important parts of a changing ecosystem. Nevertheless, the main focus of hydrological response research has been on investigating the impact of climate change on the depth of runoff. In contrast, there has been limited emphasis on comprehending the precise mechanisms through which changes in land use, in relation to human activities, influence runoff depth. This paper employs the MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 model to simulate surface runoff in the study area from 1980 to 2020, assesses the effects of climate change and land use change on runoff depth using the runoff reduction method, and quantifies the influence of land use change on runoff depth through a spatio-temporal geographically weighted regression model. This study indicates that during the past 40 years, the average runoff depth in the Songnen Plain was 36.26 mm, exhibiting a tendency of ‘increasing-decreasing-increasing’. The impact of climate change on surface runoff depth is more substantial than that of land use change. During the impact period 1, the runoff depth diminished by 19.07 mm, with climate change contributing to a decrease of 15.89 mm (83.31% contribution). In the impact period 2, the runoff depth increased by 7.49 mm relative to the baseline period, with climate change leading to an increase of 12.73 mm (70.84% contribution). Changes in various land types within the watershed can be used to observe the influence of human activities on runoff depth. More precisely, a 10% rise in the rate of change of construction land, dry land, and unoccupied land results in an increase in runoff depth of 6.21 mm, 2.45 mm, and 1.14 mm, respectively. Conversely, a 10% rise in the rate of alteration of marsh, paddy, and forest land leads to a reduction in the depth of runoff by 9.49 mm, 6.46 mm, and 3.07 mm, respectively. This research can contribute to improving the efficiency of water and land resource utilization and optimizing land resource governance.

Study region: the Songnen Plain, China Study focus: Actual evapotranspiration (AET) is an integral part of the terrestrial water cycle. Examining the attribution of AET in the Songnen Plain under varying conditions can aid in the comprehension of the response mechanisms of water cycle processes to climate change and human activities. We used the method of separating environmental variables to separate the effects of climate change and human activities on AET, and innovatively revealed the effects of different land use changes on the changes of AET. The study can support decision-making to improve the efficiency of soil and water resources use and optimize land resources management. New hydrological insights for the region: The average AET in the Songnen Plain over the past four decades was 421.61 mm, with a slight upward trend (0.09 mm per year) and the majority of the increase occurred in Heihe City, east-central Yichun City, and central Harbin City. Climate change has a greater impact on AET than human activities. As human activities intensifies, however, its impact on water cycle processes increases from 20 % to 30 %. Regarding the influence of various land use types, the order of increasing AET is as follows: paddy fields, water areas, forests, and drylands. Conversely, the order of decreasing AET is as follows: wetlands, unused land, and construction land.

Abstract Degradation of unliganded androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells can be prevented by proteasome inhibition, but this is associated with only modest increases in polyubiquitylated AR. An inhibitor (VLX1570) of the deubiquitylases associated with the proteasome did not increase ubiquitylation of unliganded AR, indicating that AR is not targeted by these deubiquitylases. We then identified a series of AR ubiquitylation sites, including a not previously identified site at K911, as well as methylation sites and previously identified phosphorylation sites. Mutagenesis of K911 increases AR stability, chromatin binding, and transcriptional activity. We further found that K313, a previously reported ubiquitylation site, could also be methylated and acetylated. Mutagenesis of K313, in combination with K318, increases AR transcriptional activity, indicating that distinct posttranslational modifications at K313 differentially regulate AR activity. Together these studies expand the spectrum of AR posttranslational modifications, and indicate that the K911 site may regulate AR turnover on chromatin.

BackgroundStroke is a devastating global health issue, with high mortality and disability rates. The increasing prevalence of male infertility among reproductive-aged men has become a growing concern worldwide. However, the relationship between male infertility and stroke incidence remains uncertain. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by employing a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.MethodUtilizing genetic instrumental variables derived from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on male infertility and stroke, a two-sample MR design was implemented. Five different analysis methods, with inverse-variance weighted as the primary approach, were used to examine the genetic causal associations between male infertility and various stroke subtypes. Heterogeneity analysis, pleiotropy tests, and leave-one-out validation were conducted to assess heterogeneity, evaluate pleiotropy, and ensure the robustness of the findings.ResultThe results indicate a potential lower risk of small vessel stroke associated with male infertility (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.82, 0.68 to 0.99, p=0.044), although no significant impact on other stroke subtypes was observed. The study exhibited low heterogeneity and no apparent pleiotropy; however, the stability of the results was not optimal.ConclusionMale infertility might potentially confer a protective effect against small vessel stroke risk. Caution is warranted due to potential confounding factors. Additional studies are necessary to confirm these findings and provide further validation.

We present the design of a low-cost, portable telecentric digital holographic microscope (P-TDHM) that utilizes off-the-shelf components. We describe the system’s hardware and software elements and evaluate its performance by imaging samples ranging from nano-printed targets to live HeLa cells, HEK293 cells, and Dolichospermum via both in-line and off-axis modes. Our results demonstrate that the system can acquire high quality quantitative phase images with nanometer axial and sub-micron lateral resolution in a small form factor, making it a promising candidate for resource-limited settings and remote locations. Our design represents a significant step forward in making telecentric digital holographic microscopy accessible and affordable to the broader community.

Abstract Background Many studies demonstrated that surgical guides might reduce discrepancies compared with freehand implant placement. This randomized crossover study aimed to assess the effects of approaches, practitioners’ experience and learning sequences on the accuracy of single tooth implantation via digital registration method. No similar study was found. Methods This in vitro randomized crossover study enrolled 60 novice students (Group S) and 10 experienced instructors (Group I). Sixty students were randomly and evenly assigned to two groups (Group SA and SB). In Group SA, 30 students first performed single molar implant on a simulation model freehand (Group SAFH), and then with a CAD/CAM surgical guide (Group SASG). In Group SB, another 30 students first performed guided (Group SBSG) and then freehand (Group SBFH). Ten instructors were also divided into Group IAFH/IASG (n = 5) and IBSG/IBFH (n = 5) following the same rules. The accuracy of implant placement was assessed by the coronal and apical distance (mm) and angular (°) deviations using the digital registration method. T tests and nonparametric tests were used to compare the results among different groups of approaches, experience and sequences. Results For students, the coronal and apical distance and the angular deviations were significantly lower in surgical guide group than freehand group in total and in learning freehand first subgroup, but for learning surgical guide first subgroup the apical distance deviation showed no significant difference between two approaches. For students, the angular deviation of freehand group was significantly lower in learning surgical guide first group than learning freehand first group. For instructors, the coronal and apical distance and angular deviations showed no significant difference between two approaches and two sequences. For freehand approach, the coronal and apical distance and the angular deviations were significantly higher in student group than instructor group, while not significantly different between two groups for surgical guide approach. Conclusions For novices, using a surgical guide for the first implant placement may reduce the potential deviations compared with freehand surgery, and may reach a comparable accuracy with that of specialists. For simple single molar implantation, the surgical guide may not be significantly helpful for experienced specialists.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a significant area of focus in cardiovascular disease research. I/R injury can increase intracellular oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage. H2AX plays a crucial role in DNA repair. This study utilized mouse and cell models of myocardial I/R to investigate the impact of H2AX on cardiomyocytes during I/R. This study initially assessed the expression of H2AX in MI/R mice compared to a sham surgery group. Subsequently, cardiac function, infarct area, and mitochondrial damage were evaluated after inhibiting H2AX in MI/R mice and a negative control group. Furthermore, the study delved into the molecular mechanisms by analyzing the expression of H2AX, P53, p-JNK, SHP2, p-SHP2, p-RAS, parkin, Drp1, Cyt-C, Caspase-3, and Caspase-8 in cardiomyocytes following the addition of JNK or P53 agonists. The results from western blotting in vivo indicated significantly higher H2AX expression in the MI/R group compared to the sham group. Inhibiting H2AX improved cardiac function, reduced myocardial infarct area, and mitigated mitochondrial damage in the MI/R group. In vitro experiments demonstrated that inhibiting H2AX could attenuate mitochondrial damage and apoptosis in myocardial cells by modulating the P53 and JNK signaling pathways. These findings suggested that inhibiting H2AX may alleviate myocardial I/R injury through the regulation of the P53/JNK pathway, highlighting H2AX as a potential target for the treatment of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease that progressively impairs cognitive function and memory. The occurrence and development of Alzheimer’s disease involves many processes. In response to the complex pathogenesis of AD, the Traditional Chinese medicine formula Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LWD) has been shown to improve the cognitive function of AD animal models. However, the active ingredients and mechanism of action of LWD have not been fully elucidated. In this study, network pharmacological analysis predicted 40 candidate compounds in LWD, acting on 227 potential targets, of which 185 were associated with AD. Through network pharmacological analysis, the mechanism of action of LWD therapy AD is related to the inhibition of inflammatory response, regulation of neuronal state, and autophagy. In this experiment, LWD was detected in the APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model. The objective was to observe the effects of LWD on hippocampal learning and memory ability, Aβ clearance, autophagy and inflammatory response in APP/PS1 mice. The results showed that LWD improved long-term memory and working memory in APP/PS1 mice compared with the WT group. At the same time, LWD can increase the expression of hippocampal autophagy biomarkers, reduce the precipitation of Aβ, and the activation of microglia and astrocytes. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time that LWD has a neuroprotective effect on APP/PS1 mice and provide theoretical foundation for the development of a new clinical treatment for AD.

Abstract Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a serious fungal disease that critically threatens the yield and quality of wheat. Utilization of host resistance is the most effective and economical method to control this disease. In our study, a wheat breeding line ShiCG15–009, released from Hebei Province, was highly resistant to powdery mildew at all stages. To dissect its genetic basis, ShiCG15–009 was crossed with the susceptible cultivar Yannong 21 to produce F1, F2 and F2:3 progenies. After genetic analysis, a single dominant gene, tentatively designated PmCG15–009, was proved to confer resistance to Bgt isolate E09. Further molecular markers analysis showed that PmCG15–009 was located on chromosome 2BL and flanked by markers XCINAU130 and XCINAU143 with the genetic distances 0.2 and 0.4 cM, respectively, corresponding to a physic interval of 705.14–723.48 Mb referred to the Chinese Spring reference genome sequence v2.1. PmCG15–009 was most likely a new gene differed from the documented Pm genes on chromosome 2BL since its different origin, genetic diversity, and physical position. To analyze and identify the candidate genes, six genes associated with disease resistance in the candidate interval were confirmed to be associated with PmCG15–009 via qRT-PCR analysis using the parents ShiCG15–009 and Yannong 21 and time-course analysis post-inoculation with Bgt isolate E09. To accelerate the transfer of PmCG15–009 using marker-assisted selection (MAS), 18 closely or co-segregated markers were evaluated and confirmed to be suitable for tracing PmCG15–009, when it was transferred into different wheat cultivars.

Abstract Background To investigate the value of computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics model analysis in differentiating renal oncocytoma (RO) from renal cell carcinoma subtypes (chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma) and predicting the expression of Cytokeratin 7 (CK7). Methods In this retrospective study, radiomics was applied for patients with RO, chRCC and ccRCC who underwent surgery between January 2013 and December 2019 comprised the training cohort, and the testing cohort was collected between January and October 2020. The corticomedullary (CMP) and nephrographic phases (NP) were manually segmented, and radiomics texture parameters were extracted. Support vector machine was generated from CMP and NP after feature selection. Shapley additive explanations were applied to interpret the radiomics features. A radiomics signature was built using the selected features from the two phases, and the radiomics nomogram was constructed by incorporating the radiomics features and clinical factors. Receiver operating characteristic curve was calculated to evaluate the above models in the two sets. Furthermore, Rad-score was used for correlation analysis with CK7. Results A total of 123 patients with RO, chRCC and ccRCC were analyzed in the training cohort and 57 patients in the testing cohort. Subsequently, 396 radiomics features were selected from each phase. The radiomics features combining two phases yielded the highest area under the curve values of 0.941 and 0.935 in the training and testing sets, respectively. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient was statistically significant between Rad-score and CK7. Conclusion We proposed a non-invasive and individualized CT-based radiomics nomogram to differentiation among RO, chRCC and ccRCC preoperatively and predict the immunohistochemical protein expression for accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment decision.

Power system operation mode calculation (OMC) is the basis for unit commitment, scheduling arrangement, and stability analyses. In dispatch centers at all levels, OMC is usually realized by manually adjusting the parameters of power system components. In a new-type power system scenario, a large number of new energy sources lead to a significant increase in the complexity and uncertainty of a system structure, thus further increasing the workload and difficulty of manual adjustment. Therefore, improving efficiency and quality is of particular importance for power system OMC. This paper first considers generator power adjustment and line switching, and it then models the power flow adjustment process in OMC as a Markov decision process. Afterward, an improved deep Q-network (improved DQN) method is proposed for OMC. A state space, action space, and reward function that conform to the rules of the power system are designed. In addition, the action mapping strategy for generator power adjustment is improved to reduce the number of action adjustments and to speed up the network training process. Finally, 14 load levels under normal and N-1 fault conditions are designed. The experimental results on an IEEE-118 bus system show that the proposed method can effectively generate the operation mode under a given load level, and that it has good robustness.

Abstract Objectives To construct a noninvasive radiomics model for evaluating the pathological degree and an individualized treatment strategy for patients with the manifestation of ground glass nodules (GGNs) on CT images. Methods The retrospective primary cohort investigation included patients with GGNs on CT images who underwent resection between June 2015 and June 2020. The intratumoral regions of interest were segmented semiautomatically, and radiomics features were extracted from the intratumoral and peritumoral regions. After feature selection by ANOVA, Max-Relevance and Min-Redundancy (mRMR) and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) regression, a random forest (RF) model was generated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was calculated to evaluate each classification. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) was applied to interpret the radiomics features. Results In this study, 241 patients including atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) (n = 72), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) (n = 83) and invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) (n = 86) were selected for radiomics analysis. Three intratumoral radiomics features and one peritumoral feature were finally identified by the triple RF classifier with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.960 (0.963 for AAH/AIS, 0.940 for MIA, 0.978 for IAC) in the training set and 0.944 (0.955 for AAH/AIS, 0.952 for MIA, 0.926 for IAC) in the testing set for evaluation of the GGNs. Conclusion The triple classification based on intra- and peritumoral radiomics features derived from the noncontrast CT images had satisfactory performance and may be used as a noninvasive tool for preoperative evaluation of the pure ground-glass nodules and developing of individualized treatment strategies.

Abstract Uterine abnormalities infertility can be treated with implantable patches for tension‐free healing. However, the existing clinical patches are still limited in effective uterus recovery, resulting in low pregnancy and live birth rates. Herein, a novel engineered, and biocompatible Janus collagen patch (JCOP) is developed to achieve excellent uterine defect recovery and increase effective live births. The JCOP can highly match the structure, micromorphology, and mechanical properties of a natural uterus due to homologous‐like tissue homogeneity. JCOP's rough surface and loose‐extracellular‐matrix‐like porosity promote fibroblast adhesion and tissue regeneration, whereas its smooth surface reduces fibroblast adhesion and prevents visceral adhesions. Additionally, it exhibits exceptional resistance to swelling and deformation along with stable mechanical strength for long‐term preservation in the body and can withstand the highest uterine pressure in a humid interior environment attributed to its superior structural layout. Moreover, JCOP@bF, a functional JCOP linked to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) via a specific collagen‐binding domain, significantly promotes repair of the injured uterus, restores the ability of the endometrium to accept embryos, and supports their development to a viable stage in a rat model of uterine damage. This study shows great promise for treating infertility caused by uterine damage.

Circular RNA (circRNA) has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease; however, it is unclear whether circRNA carried by exosomes (exos) can be used as biomarkers for chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). High-throughput sequencing was carried out in the plasma exosomal RNA of 15 CCS patients and 15 non-cardiac chest pain patients (NCCP, control group) to screen for differentially expressed circRNAs. Selected differentially expressed exo-circRNAs were further verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction in a small-sample cohort and a large-sample cohort. A total of 276 circRNAs were differentially expressed in the plasma exosomes of CCS patients, with 103 up-regulated and 173 down-regulated. Among the 103 up-regulated circRNAs, 5 circRNAs with high expression levels were selected for validation. Real time quantitative PCR of the first and second validation cohort demonstrated that exo-hsa_circ_0075269 and exo-hsa_circ_0000284 were significantly up-regulated in patients with CCS. Circulating exo-hsa_circ_0075269 and exo-hsa_circ_0000284 yielded the area under the curve values of 0.761 (p < 0.001, 95%CI = 0.669, 0.852) and 0.623 (p = 0.015, 95%CI = 0.522, 0.724) for CCS, respectively, by ROC curve analysis. In conclusion, the expression profile of circRNA in plasma exosomes of patients with CCS was significantly different from that of the control group. Plasma exo-hsa_circ_0075269 and exo-hsa_circ_0000284 have the potential to be new biomarkers for CCS.

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a heterogeneous entity with diverse etiologies, morphologies, and clinical outcomes, but our knowledge of its epidemiology and carcinogenesis is very limited.Materials and methods: The expression patterns of circRNAs were explored in iCCA tissues and corresponding adjacent normal ones, denoted by (iCCA) and (iCCAP), respectively, using high-throughput sequencing.Results: A total of 117 differential expressed (DE) circRNAs were identified. Based on the parental transcripts of circRNAs, these DE circRNAs were related to several important GO terms and were enriched in important pathways. Two circRNA-mediated ceRNA networks were constructed and many important metabolic pathways related to mRNAs were regulated by DE circRNAs via miRNAs.Conclusion: Our study revealed the DE circRNAs in the iCCA tissues compared with iCCAP ones, suggesting that circRNAs may play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of iCCA.

Powdery mildew of wheat (Triticum aestivum), caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (Bgt), is a destructive disease that seriously threatens the yield and quality of its host. Identifying resistance genes is the most attractive and effective strategy for developing disease-resistant cultivars and controlling this disease. In this study, a wheat breeding line Yannong 99102-06188 (YN99102), an elite derivative line from the same breeding process as the famous wheat cultivar Yannong 999, showed high resistance to powdery mildew at the whole growth stages. Genetic analysis was carried out using Bgt isolate E09 and a population of YN99102 crossed with a susceptible parent Jinhe 13–205 (JH13–205). The result indicated that a single recessive gene, tentatively designated pmYN99102, conferred seedling resistance to the Bgt isolate E09. Using bulked segregant exome capture sequencing (BSE-Seq), pmYN99102 was physically located to a ~33.7 Mb (691.0–724.7 Mb) interval on the chromosome arm 2BL, and this interval was further locked in a 1.5 cM genetic interval using molecular markers, which was aligned to a 9.0 Mb physical interval (699.2–708.2 Mb). Based on the analysis of physical location, origin, resistant spectrum, and inherited pattern, pmYN99102 differed from those of the reported powdery mildew (Pm) resistance genes on 2BL, suggesting pmYN99102 is most likely a new Pm gene/allele in the targeted interval. To transfer pmYN99102 to different genetic backgrounds using marker-assisted selection (MAS), 18 closely linked markers were tested for their availability in different genetic backgrounds for MAS, and all markers expect for YTU103-97 can be used in MAS for tracking pmYN99102 when it transferred into those susceptible cultivars.

The power detection of the distribution network is essential for reliable and secure distribution. In this paper, a flexible dual-threshold SVDD fault warning algorithm with fault samples is proposed to deal with problems concerning complex network topology, accessible data, and missing fault data in the power grid. For the problems of complicated network topology and a wide variety of signal types, we propose to combine wavelet packet energy features with Spearman to extract electric signal features, and finally achieve accurate feature extraction of multiple signal types. In the case of the problems of untimely judgement and low accuracy of the original SVDD, a relaxed SVDD fault warning algorithm with fault samples is correspondingly proposed. We turn the original SVDD boundary into a double-layer boundary, and divides the hypersphere space into three regions to increase the sensitivity to the fault samples and lessen the risk of missed detection. Besides, an adaptive update strategy is developed, which reduces the computational effort of the model and is proven more applicable to the distribution. Finally, the method is applied to numerical examples and fault detection experiments, and the experimental results in turn verified its effectiveness and superiority.

Previous studies have examined how information intervention affects intergroup prejudice and conflict. On that basis, this study introduced psychological adjustment cost into a behavioral model for identity and individual attitude change. The model predicts that changes in attitude are related to an individual’s initial identity, and the same information can either change or reinforce initial attitudes. Then, we used a survey to explore whether information about migration could change the attitudes of Shanghai residents toward interregional migrants to their city. We found that after reading neutrally described information about the benefits of internal migration, the attitudes of non-native interviewees toward immigrants became more positive while those of native Shanghai residents became more negative. We also found that young, well-educated people developed more positive attitudes about immigrants after reading the information.

We used statistical methods to study the classification of high-potassium glass and lead–barium glass and analyzed the correlation between the chemical composition of different types of glass samples. We investigated the categorization methodology of glass cultural relics, conducted a principal component analysis on the chemical composition data of the glass, and developed a case-specific clustering algorithm (K-Means++) to further categorize the glass cultural relics. K-Means++ was developed to reduce the sensitivity of a traditional K-Means clustering algorithm, by choosing the next clustering center with probability inversely proportional to the distance from the current clustering center. Then we verified the validity of the six subcategories we defined by inertia and silhouette score and evaluated the sensitivity of the clustering algorithm. We obtained a robustness ratio that maintained over 0.9 in the random noise test and a silhouette score of 0.525 in the clustering, which illustrated significant divergence among different clusters and showed the result is reasonable. With our proposed algorithm and classification result, a more comprehensive understanding of glass relics can be gained.

Powdery mildew of wheat, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a devastating disease that seriously reduces yield and quality worldwide. Utilization of plant resistance genes is an attractive and effective strategy for controlling this disease. Among the reported powdery mildew (Pm) resistance genes, Pm2 exhibits a diverse resistance spectrum among its multiple alleles. It has been widely used in China for resistance breeding for powdery mildew. To mine more Pm2 alleles and clarify their distribution, we screened 33 wheat cultivars/breeding lines carrying Pm2 alleles from 641 wheat genotypes using diagnostic and Pm2-linked markers. To further investigate the relationships within the Pm2 alleles, we compared their resistance spectra, polymorphism of marker alleles and gene sequences, and found that they have identical marker alleles and gene sequences but diverse resistance spectra. In addition, the diagnostic kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) marker, YTU-KASP-Pm2, was developed and was shown to detect all the Pm2 alleles in the different genetic backgrounds. These findings provide valuable information for the distribution and rational use of Pm2 alleles, push forward their marker-assisted breeding (MAS), and hence improve the control of wheat powdery mildew.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been identified as a risk factor for PD. Drugs originally developed for T2DM treatment such as liraglutide have shown neuroprotective effects in mouse models of PD. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide hormone with growth factor properties. Here, we demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of the (pGLu)-(Gln)-CCK8 analogue in an acute PD mouse model induced by 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Administration of CCK analogue (50 nmol/kg ip.) for 14 days treatment improved the locomotor and exploratory activity of mice, and improved bradykinesia and movement balance of mice. The CCK analogue administration also restored tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive dopaminergic neurons number and synapse number (synaptophysin levels) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The CCK analogue decreased glia activation and neuroinflammation in the SNpc, and regulated autophagy dysfunction induced by MPTP. CCK analogue protected against mitochondrial damage and ER stress, and also decreased the ratio of apoptosis signaling molecules Bax/Bcl-2. Importantly, the CCK analogue improved the decrease of p-CREBS133 growth factor signaling in the SNpc. Therefore, the CCK analogue promotes cell survival of dopaminergic neuron in the SNpc by activating the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway that also inhibits apoptosis and regulates autophagy impairment. The present results indicate that CCK analogue shows a promising potential for the treatment of PD.

Ribes L. belongs to the Grossulariaceae family and has important edible, medicinal, ornamental, and landscaping values. Taxonomic classification within this genus is difficult due to its large variety of species, wide distribution, large morphological variations, and presence of two complex taxonomic groups with bisexual or unisexual flowers. Our study aims to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of Ribes L. taxa in China, and further, to provide a reference for a revised global classification of it. The phylogenetic analysis of 52 Ribes L. samples from 30 species was constructed based on restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Afterward, two important taxonomic characters were selected for ancestral state reconstruction over the molecular phylogeny. The results showed that the 52 samples could be divided into six branches, i.e., six subgenera, which caused some controversy regarding the morphological classification of Ribes L. in China. The molecular phylogeny supported the separation of subg. Coreosma from subg. Ribesia and subg. Hemibotrya from subg. Berisia and validated the rationale for recognizing subg. Grossularia as an independent subgenus, the rationality of which was further verified by the reconstruction of ancestor traits. Gene flow among Ribes L. was identified and further confirmed our results.

Abstract Background To compare the efficacy and safety of right internal jugular vein (IJV) approach and right innominate vein (INV) approach for US-guided totally implantable venous access devices (TIVADs), and to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches. Methods Six hundred and nineteen adult patients had long-term infusion and chemotherapy needs and inconvenience of peripheral venous infusion. Right INV approach was used to implant 339 cases of TIVADs, and right IJV approach was used to implant 280 cases of TIVADs. The success rate of one-time catheterization and the incidence of complications in the two groups were retrospectively analyzed. Results All patients were successfully implanted in TIVAD. The success rates of one-time puncture in INV group and IJV approach group were 98.53% (334/339) and 95.36% (267/280), respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.020). The incidence of perioperative complications and long-term complications in the right INV group were 1.18% (4/339) and 3.54% (12/339), respectively, while those in the right IJV group were 1.43% (4280) and 3.93% (11280). There was no significant difference in the incidence of perioperative or long-term complications between the two groups (P = 0.785, P = 0.799, respectively). Conclusions US-guided TIVADs via the right INV approach and the right IJV approach are both safe and reliable. The right INV approach improves the one-time puncture success rate, as long as the technique is properly operated, serious complications rarely occur.

Encrypted traffic accounts for 95% of the total traffic in the backbone network environment with Tbps bandwidth. As network traffic becomes more and more encrypted and link rates increase in modern networks, the measurement of encrypted traffic relies more on collecting and analyzing massive network traffic data that can be separated from the support of high-speed network traffic measurement technology. Finding top-k elephant flows is a critical task with many applications in congestion control, anomaly detection, and traffic engineering. Owing to this, designing accurate and fast algorithms for online identification of elephant flows becomes more and more challenging. Existing methods either use large-size counters, i.e., 20 bit, to prevent overflows when recording flow sizes or require significant space overhead to measure the sizes of all flows. Thus, we adopt a novel strategy, called count-with-uth-level-sampling, in this paper, to find top-k elephant flows in limited resource environments. Moreover, the proposed algorithm, called MSLCFinder, incurs lightweight counter and uth-level multi-sampling with small, constant processing for millions of flows. Experimental results show that MSLCFinder can achieve more than 97% precision with an extremely limited hardware resource. Compared to the state-of-the-art, our method realizes the statistics and filtering of millions of data streams with less memory.

Objective: The present study explored whether levetiracetam (LEV) could protect against experimental brain ischemia and enhance angiogenesis in rats, and investigated the potential mechanisms in vivo and in vitro.Methods: The middle cerebral artery was occluded for 60 min to induce middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The Morris water maze was used to measure cognitive ability. The rotation test was used to assess locomotor function. T2-weighted MRI was used to assess infarct volume. The neuronal cells in the cortex area were stained with cresyl purple. The anti-inflammatory effects of LEV on microglia were observed by immunohistochemistry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to measure the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Western blotting was used to detect the levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in extracts from the ischemic cortex. Flow cytometry was used to observe the effect of LEV on neuronal cell apoptosis.Results: LEV treatment significantly increased the density of the surviving neurons in the cerebral cortex and reduced the infarct size (17.8 ± 3.3% vs. 12.9 ± 1.4%, p < 0.01) after MCAO. Concurrently, the time required to reach the platform for LEV-treated rats was shorter than that in the saline group on day 11 after MCAO (p < 0.01). LEV treatment prolonged the rotarod retention time on day 14 after MCAO (84.5 ± 6.7 s vs. 59.1 ± 6.2 s on day 14 compared with the saline-treated groups, p < 0.01). It also suppressed the activation of microglia and inhibited TNF-α and Il-1β in the ischemic brain (135.6 ± 5.2 pg/ml vs. 255.3 ± 12.5 pg/ml, 18.5 ± 1.3 pg/ml vs. 38.9 ± 2.3 pg/ml on day 14 compared with the saline-treated groups, p < 0.01). LEV treatment resulted in a significant increase in HIF-1α, VEGF, and HSP70 levels in extracts from the ischemic cerebral cortex. At the same time, LEV reduced neuronal cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by an ischemic stroke (p < 0.01).Conclusion: LEV treatment promoted angiogenesis and functional recovery after cerebral ischemia in rats. These effects seem to be mediated through anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activities, as well as inducing the expression of HSP70, VEGF, and HIF-1α.

ObjectivesTo investigate the value of MRI-based radiomic model based on the radiomic features of different basal nuclei in differentiating idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) from Parkinsonian variants of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P).MethodsRadiomics was applied to the 3T susceptibility- weighted imaging (SWI) from 102 MSA-P patients and 83 IPD patients (allocated to a training and a testing cohort, 7:3 ratio). The substantia nigra (SN), caudate nucleus (CN), putamen (PUT), globus pallidus (GP), red nucleus (RN), and subthalamic nucleus (STN) were manually segmented, and 396 features were extracted. After feature selection, support vector machine (SVM) was generated, and its predictive performance was calculated in both the training and testing cohorts using the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).ResultsSeven radiomic features were selected from the PUT, by which the SVM classifier achieved the best diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.867 in the training cohort and an AUC of 0.862 in the testing cohort. Furthermore, the combined model, which incorporating part III of the Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRSIII) scores into radiomic features of the PUT, further improved the diagnostic performance. However, radiomic features extracted from RN, SN, GP, CN, and STN had moderate to poor diagnostic performance, with AUC values that ranged from 0.610 to 0.788 in the training cohort and 0.583 to 0.766 in the testing cohort.ConclusionRadiomic features derived from the PUT had optimal value in differentiating IPD from MSA-P. A combined radiomic model, which contained radiomic features of the PUT and UPDRSIII scores, further improved performance and may represent a promising tool for distinguishing between IPD and MSA-P.

Many studies have achieved efficient and accurate methods for identifying crop lodging under homogeneous field surroundings. However, under complex field conditions, such as diverse fertilization methods, different crop growth stages, and various sowing periods, the accuracy of lodging identification must be improved. Therefore, a maize plot featuring different growth stages was selected in this study to explore an applicable and accurate lodging extraction method. Based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC), we propose an effective and rapid feature screening method (AIC method) and compare its performance using indexed methods (i.e., variation coefficient and relative difference). Seven feature sets extracted from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images of lodging and nonlodging maize were established using a canopy height model (CHM) and the multispectral imagery acquired from the UAV. In addition to accuracy parameters (i.e., Kappa coefficient and overall accuracy), the difference index (DI) was applied to search for the optimal window size of texture features. After screening all feature sets by applying the AIC method, binary logistic regression classification (BLRC), maximum likelihood classification (MLC), and random forest classification (RFC) were utilized to discriminate among lodging and nonlodging maize based on the selected features. The results revealed that the optimal window sizes of the gray-level cooccurrence matrix (GLCM) and the gray-level difference histogram statistical (GLDM) texture information were 17 × 17 and 21 × 21, respectively. The AIC method incorporating GLCM texture yielded satisfactory results, obtaining an average accuracy of 82.84% and an average Kappa value of 0.66 and outperforming the index screening method (59.64%, 0.19). Furthermore, the canopy structure feature (CSF) was more beneficial than other features for identifying maize lodging areas at the plot scale. Based on the AIC method, we achieved a positive maize lodging recognition result using the CSFs and BLRC. This study provides a highly robust and novel method for monitoring maize lodging in complicated plot environments.

ZnO and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and CQDs were doped into ZnO by a grinding method to fabricate a ZnO/CQDs composite. The X-ray diffraction and the scanning electron microscope revealed that the as-prepared ZnO has a structure of wurtzite hexagonal ZnO and a morphology of a flower-like microsphere which can provide more surface areas to adsorbed gases. The ZnO/CQDs composite has a higher gas sensitivity response to NO gas than ZnO microspheres. A gas sensitivity test of the ZnO/CQDs composite showed that the sensor had a high NO response (238 for 100 ppm NO) and NO selectivity. The detection limit of the ZnO/CQDs composite to NO was 100 ppb and the response and recovery times were 34 and 36 s, respectively. The active functional group provided by CQDs has a significant effect on NO gas sensitivity, and the gas sensitivity mechanism of the ZnO/CQDs composite is discussed.

The objective of this study was to develop a low-cost method for rice growth information obtained quickly using digital images taken with smartphone. A new canopy parameter, namely, the canopy volume parameter (CVP), was proposed and developed for rice using the leaf area index (LAI) and plant height (PH). Among these parameters, the CVP was selected as an optimal parameter to characterize rice yields during the growth period. Rice canopy images were acquired with a smartphone. Image feature parameters were extracted, including the canopy cover (CC) and numerous vegetation indices (VIs), before and after image segmentation. A rice CVP prediction model in which the CC and VIs served as independent variables was established using a random forest (RF) regression algorithm. The results revealed the following. The CVP was better than the LAI and PH for predicting the final yield. And a CVP prediction model constructed according to a local modelling method for distinguishing different types of rice varieties was the most accurate (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.92; root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.44). These findings indicate that digital images can be used to track the growth of crops over time and provide technical support for estimating rice yields.

In this work, a lettuce-like ZnO gas sensor with high sensitivity for H2S detection was successfully fabricated by a one-step hydrothermal method. Characterization analysis of the phases, crystallinities, morphology, and chemical compositions indicated that lettuce-like ZnO has a lettuce-like microsphere structure composed of wurtzite hexagonal ZnO sheets. A gas sensitivity test of the lettuce-like ZnO showed that the sensor had a high H2S response (113.04 for 100 ppm H2S) and H2S selectivity. The lettuce-like ZnO sensor has fast response characteristics while maintaining high sensitivity, and has a response time as low as 15 seconds and a recovery time of 90 seconds, and the detection limit reaches 1 ppm. The sensitive mechanism of lettuce-like ZnO sensor to H2S is also discussed.

Summary: Lysine-Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1, KDM1A) functions as a transcriptional corepressor through demethylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) but has a coactivator function on some genes through mechanisms that are unclear. We show that LSD1, interacting with CoREST, associates with and coactivates androgen receptor (AR) on a large fraction of androgen-stimulated genes. A subset of these AR/LSD1-associated enhancer sites have histone 3 threonine 6 phosphorylation (H3T6ph), and these sites are further enriched for androgen-stimulated genes. Significantly, despite its coactivator activity, LSD1 still mediates H3K4me2 demethylation at these androgen-stimulated enhancers. FOXA1 is also associated with LSD1 at AR-regulated enhancer sites, and a FOXA1 interaction with LSD1 enhances binding of both proteins at these sites. These findings show that LSD1 functions broadly as a regulator of AR function, that it maintains a transcriptional repression function at AR-regulated enhancers through H3K4 demethylation, and that it has a distinct AR-linked coactivator function mediated by demethylation of other substrates. : Cai et al. show that lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), although generally a transcriptional corepressor through H3K4 demethylation, functions broadly as a coactivator for androgen receptor and interacts with FOXA1 on androgen-stimulated genes. LSD1-mediated H3K4 demethylation persists at these sites, indicating a distinct coactivator function mediated by demethylation of other substrates.

The current-induced domain wall (DW) motion in a racetrack memory with a synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) structure has attracted attention because of the ultrahigh velocity of the DW. However, since there is little stray field due to the zero net magnetization in a pair of antiferromagnetically (AFM) coupled domains, how to read the information stored in the pair of domains is still challenging. In the present work, we propose a readable SAF racetrack memory composed of two ferromagnetic (FM) layers with distinct uniaxial-anisotropy constants. As a result, a region of staggered domains formed between two neighboring DWs in the two layers. In this region, there is a parallel alignment of the moments in the two FM layers. This parallel magnetization is readable and can be exploited to label the structure of the nearby AFM-coupled domains for the racetrack with DWs moving in a fixed direction. This function can be realized by connecting a Schmitt Trigger to a sensor for reading. The stability and the length of the staggered region can be well-tuned by changing the magnetic parameters, such as the interlayer exchange coupling constants, the Dzyaloshinskii−Moriya interaction (DMI) constants, and the uniaxial-anisotropy constants of the two FM layers, in a range that is experimentally achievable.

In this work, V1−xZrxO2 powder (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04) was synthesized by two step hydrothermal method. The micro-topography, magnetic and phase transition properties have been investigated using various measurement techniques. All prepared V1−xZrxO2 powder samples exhibit monoclinic structure at room temperature. With the Zr4+ ions doping concentration increased, the shapes of VO2 particles change from spherical to rectangular slice. Besides, the saturation magnetic moment of the samples decrease with the increase of doped Zr4+ ions concentration, while their phase transition temperature increase gradually with Zr ions doping at a rate of around 2 °C/at% on average. We investigated the Zr doping effects on V-V dimers and confirmed the role of V-V dimers in phase transition. We speculate that more V-V dimers form with Zr doping by magnetic measurements, which result in the monoclinic phase of Zr-doped VO2 sample is more stable than rutile phase. Therefore the phase transition temperature is elevated by Zr doping in our experiment. We further consider that the VO2 phase transition should be ascribed to Peierls transition caused by the changing of V-V dimers.

The internal defects and shape of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) crystal are critical parameters for the preparation of reduced sensitivity RDX (RS-RDX). In the current study, RDX was re-crystallized and spheroidized to form the high-quality RDX that was further characterized by purity, apparent density, size distribution, specific surface area, impact sensitivity, and shock sensitivity. The effects of re-crystallization solvent on the growth morphology of RDX crystal were investigated by both theoretical simulation and experiment test, and consistent results were obtained. The high-quality RDX exhibited a high purity (≥99.90%), high apparent density (≥1.811 g/cm3), spherical shape, and relatively low impact sensitivity (6%). Its specific surface area was reduced more than 30%. Compared with conventional RDXs, the high-quality RDX reduced the shock sensitivities of PBXN-109 and PBXW-115 by more than 30%, indicating that it was a RS-RDX. The reduced sensitivity and good processability of the high-quality RDX would be significant in improving the performances of RDX-based PBXs.

B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp1) is a master regulator of B cell differentiation, and controls migration of primordial germ cells. Recently we observed aberrant Blimp1 expression in breast cancer cells resulting from an NF-κB RelB to Ras signaling pathway. In order to address the question of whether the unexpected expression of Blimp1 is seen in other epithelial-derived tumors, we selected lung cancers as they are frequently driven by Ras signaling. Blimp1 was detected in all five lung cancer cell lines examined and shown to promote lung cancer cell migration and invasion. Interrogation of microarray datasets demonstrated elevated BLIMP1 RNA expression in lung adenocarcinoma, pancreatic ductal carcinomas, head and neck tumors as well as in glioblastomas. Involvement of Ras and its downstream kinase c-Raf was confirmed using mutant and siRNA strategies. We next addressed the issue of mechanism of Blimp1 activation in lung cancer. Using knockdown and ectopic expression, the role of the Activator Protein (AP)-1 family of transcription factors was demonstrated. Further, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed binding to identified AP-1 elements in the BLIMP1 promoter of ectopically expressed c-Jun and of endogenous AP-1 subunits following serum stimulation. The propeptide domain of lysyl oxidase (LOX-PP) was identified as a tumor suppressor, with ability to reduce Ras signaling in lung cancer cells. LOX-PP reduced expression of Blimp1 by binding to c-Raf and inhibiting activation of AP-1, thereby attenuating the migratory phenotype of lung cancer cells. Thus, Blimp1 is a mediator of Ras/Raf/AP-1 signaling that promotes cell migration, and is repressed by LOX-PP in lung cancer.