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Abstract Background The general education course, Oral Science, has been offered by Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University for many years in order to improve students' knowledge of oral health. Information about the oral health knowledge, status, and behaviors among undergraduates who had taken Oral Science was collected to evaluate the impact of this course, and to provide a basis for further improvement of the course teaching quality. Methods Undergraduates taking Oral Science as an elective course were selected as the research subjects. The research time is the second semester of the 2022 academic year, from February 2023 to June 2023. Undergraduates who had not taken the course served as the control group. To investigate the oral health knowledge, status, and behaviors among undergraduate students who have taken the general education course of Oral Science, course students and non-course students were asked to fill out the same questionnaire at both the beginning and end of semester. The answer scores and accuracy of these two groups were compared and analyzed. Before and after the first lesson, and at the end of the semester, course students were asked to fill out the same oral knowledge questionnaire. Another questionnaire was released in week 10 to collect the data of the course students' oral health status and behaviors. The control group completed the same oral knowledge questionnaire at the beginning and end of the semester, respectively. SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used to analyze the data. Statistical significance level was set at 0.05 for all tests. Results At the beginning of the semester, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of the 16 questions nor the scores between two groups (P > 0.05). After one semester of learning, the accuracy of the 16 questions answered by the course students at the end of the semester was significantly higher (P

Abstract Bacterial diseases are one of the most common issues that result in crop loss worldwide, and the increasing usage of chemical pesticides has caused the occurrence of resistance in pathogenic bacteria and environmental pollution problems. Nanomaterial mediated gene silencing is starting to display powerful efficiency and environmental friendliness for improving plant disease resistance. However, the internalization of nanomaterials and the physiological mechanisms behind nano-improved plant disease resistance are still rarely understood. We engineered the polyethyleneimine (PEI) functionalized gold nanoparticles (PEI-AuNPs) with fluorescent properties and ROS scavenging activity to act as siRNA delivery platforms. Besides the loading, protection, and delivery of nucleic acid molecules in plant mature leaf cells by PEI-AuNPs, its fluorescent property further enables the traceability of the distribution of the loaded nucleic acid molecules in cells. Additionally, the PEI-AuNPs-based RNAi delivery system successfully mediated the silencing of defense-regulated gene AtWRKY1. Compared to control plants, the silenced plants performed better resistance to Pseudomonas syringae, showing a reduced bacterial number, decreased ROS content, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and improved chlorophyll fluorescence performance. Our results showed the advantages of AuNP-based RNAi technology in improving plant disease resistance, as well as the potential of plant nanobiotechnology to protect agricultural production.

Abstract Background Childhood adversities worsen physical and mental health across the lifespan. Health and social care practitioners play a key role in identifying and responding to childhood adversity, however, may be reluctant to do so due to a perceived lack of services to refer to, time pressures and a deficit of training and confidence. We aimed to (1) quantify changes in practitioner comfort and confidence to identify and respond to childhood adversity following a multimodal intervention within an integrated child and family health and social care hub and (2) to understand barriers and facilitators of practice change. Methods Hub practitioners were surveyed about their competence and comfort to directly ask about and confidence to respond to adversity at baseline and then at six and twelve months post training. Interviews were undertaken to explore practitioner barriers and enablers of practice change. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The theoretical domains framework was used to identify the key drivers of practice change. Results Fifteen of 18 practitioners completed all three surveys and 70% reported increased competence and comfort to directly ask, and confidence to respond across a range of adversities over the 12-month intervention. Twenty-one practitioners completed interviews. Six themes were identified as either facilitators or barriers to practice change. Facilitator themes included (1) connection matters, (2) knowledge provides assurance, (3) confidence in ability and (4) choosing change. Barrier themes were (1) never enough time and (2) opening Pandora’s box. Following analysis, key drivers of practice change were ‘social influence’, ‘belief in capability’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘behaviour regulation’ while barriers to practice change were ‘environmental context and resources’ and ‘emotion’. Conclusions Practitioners reported improved confidence in identifying and responding to adversity through a multimodal intervention delivered in an integrated Child and Family Hub. Changing practice requires more than just education and training. Opportunities for social connection and coaching to improve self-confidence and perceived competence are needed to overcome the fear of opening Pandora’s box.

Abstract Diabetes often induces bone loss and the dysregulation of gut microbiota (GM) is an important cause. Punicalagin (PU) was reported to regulate GM. Therefore, we hypothesized that PU could alleviate diabetes‐induced bone loss through GM and their metabolites. In this study, high‐fat diet‐induced diabetic mice showed bone erosion and poor biomechanical properties, while PU intake significantly improved the bone condition of diabetic mice. Further investigation revealed that the abundance of some beneficial bacteria, such as Akkermansia and Ruminiclostridium_9, was higher after PU intake and highly positively correlated with the concentrations of short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and serum vitamin K2, respectively. In addition, these bacteria were associated with the levels of bone metabolism‐related markers such as procollagen type I N‐terminal propeptide (P1NP) and runt‐related transcription factor‐2 (Runx2). Mechanistically, PU, on the one hand, promotes the metabolism of SCFAs, thereby increasing the levels of bone synthesis markers and inhibiting the secretion of bone absorption markers. On the other hand, the higher level of vitamin K2 greatly accelerated bone mineralization and enhanced bone strength. This work provides a new perspective to explore the mechanism by which PU intervention alleviates diabetes‐induced bone loss by regulating the GM and their metabolic products.

Abstract Background Primulina hunanensis, a troglobitic plant within the Primulina genus of Gesneriaceae family, exhibits robust resilience to arid conditions and holds great horticultural potential as an ornamental plant. The work of chloroplast genome (cpDNA) has been recently accomplished, however, the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) that is crucial for plant evolution has not been reported. Results In this study, we sequenced and assembled the P. hunanensis complete mtDNA, and elucidated its evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships. The assembled mtDNA spans 575,242 bp with 43.54% GC content, encompassing 60 genes, including 37 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. Notably, high number of repetitive sequences in the mtDNA and substantial sequence translocation from chloroplasts to mitochondria were observed. To determine the evolutionary and taxonomic positioning of P. hunanensis, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using mitochondrial PCGs from P. hunanensis and 32 other taxa. Furthermore, an exploration of PCGs relative synonymous codon usage, identification of RNA editing events, and an investigation of collinearity with closely related species were conducted. Conclusions This study reports the initial assembly and annotation of P. hunanensis mtDNA, contributing to the limited mtDNA repository for Gesneriaceae plants and advancing our understanding of their evolution for improved utilization and conservation.

Abstract Background Neutral/alkaline invertases (N/AINVs) play a crucial role in plant growth, development, and stress response, by irreversibly hydrolyzing sucrose into glucose and fructose. However, research on cotton in this area is limited. This study aims to investigate GhN/AINV23, a neutral/alkaline invertase in cotton, including its characteristics and biological functions. Results In our study, we analyzed the sequence information, three-dimensional (3D) model, phylogenetic tree, and cis-elements of GhN/AINV23. The localization of GhN/AINV23 was determined to be in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results showed that GhN/AINV23 expression was induced by abscisic acid (ABA), exogenous sucrose and low exogenous glucose, and inhibited by high exogenous glucose. In Arabidopsis, overexpression of GhN/AINV23 promoted vegetative phase change, root development, and drought tolerance. Additionally, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay indicated that the inhibition of GhN/AINV23 expression made cotton more susceptible to drought stress, suggesting that GhN/AINV23 positively regulates plant drought tolerance. Conclusion Our research indicates that GhN/AINV23 plays a significant role in plant vegetative phase change, root development, and drought response. These findings provide a valuable foundation for utilizing GhN/AINV23 to improve cotton yield.

Agricultural non-point source (ANPS) pollution increasingly threatens China’s aquatic ecosystems. Intercropping grain crops (GC) and cash crops (CC) increases landscape fragmentation, making pollution control harder. As producers of ANPS pollution and beneficiaries of its governance, farmers’ participation is crucial for improving water environments. However, the impact of social networks, closely related to farmers’ economic behavior in rural China, on different cropping types of farmers’ ANPS pollution governance behavior remains unclear. Based on survey data from 305 farmers in a typical village in the Lijiang River Basin, social networks of GC and CC farmers were constructed. By introducing network embedding theory, we examined how social networks influence governance resource allocation and collective action among farmers. Combining social network theory with technology acceptance model (TAM), an extended TAM was proposed to discuss the influence of farmers’ social network structural position (SNSP) on their willingness to participate in governance (WP), considering the role of cognition. Results showed that GC farmers’ social network have small-world characteristics (Small-world quotient=2.153) with a network density of only 0.016, lacking bridging ties and showing low trust among actors. CC farmers’ network had a density of 0.029, a clearer core-periphery structure (Core-periphery index=0.267), key farmers showed stronger bridging capabilities with average betweenness centrality of 4.234 %. CC farmers’ networks had diverse ties and higher trust among actors. CC farmers’ network structure improved information diffusion and is more effective in acquiring resources and collaborative governance. Structural equation modeling showed that SNSP positively affect WP for GC and CC farmers, with path coefficients of 0.245 and 0.294. Mediating analysis showed that GC farmers’ perceived usefulness and CC farmers’ perceived ease of use had the largest mediating effects between SNSP and WP, at 20.9 % and 26.8 %, highlighting cognition’s different roles. Social networks variably impact governance behavior among different farmers, and strategies considering these differences can enhance governance efficiency.

BackgroundIntroduction: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as significant contributors to the development and advancement of cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the expression and clinical implications of circRNA circ_BBS9 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), as well as its potential modes of action.MethodsThe expression of Circ_BBS9 was examined in tissues and cell lines of LUAD through the utilization of microarray profiling, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot analysis. In this study, we assessed the impact of circ_BBS9 on the proliferation of LUAD cells, as well as its influence on ferroptosis and tumor formation. To analyze these effects, we employed CCK-8 assays and ferroptosis assays. The identification of proteins that interact with Circ_BBS9 was achieved through the utilization of RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry techniques. A putative regulatory network comprising circ_BBS9, miR-7150, and IFIT3 was established using bioinformatics study. The investigation also encompassed the examination of the correlation between the expression of IFIT3 and the invasion of immune cells.ResultsCirc_BBS9 was significantly downregulated in LUAD tissues and cell lines. Low circ_BBS9 expression correlated with poor prognosis. Functional experiments showed that circ_BBS9 overexpression inhibited LUAD cell proliferation and promoted ferroptosis in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circ_BBS9 was found to directly interact with IFIT3 and regulate its expression by acting as a sponge for miR-7150. Additionally, IFIT3 expression correlated positively with immune infiltration in LUAD.ConclusionCirc_BBS9 has been identified as a tumor suppressor in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and holds promise as a diagnostic biomarker. The potential mechanism of action involves the modulation of ferroptosis and the immunological microenvironment through direct interaction with IFIT3 and competitive binding to miR-7150. The aforementioned findings offer new perspectives on the pathophysiology of LUAD and highlight circ_BBS9 as a potentially valuable target for therapeutic interventions.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease characterized by hemorrhagic fever, which is highly pathogenic and causes severe mortality in domestic pigs. It is caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASFV is a large DNA virus and primarily infects porcine monocyte macrophages. The interaction between ASFV and host macrophages is the major reason for gross pathological lesions caused by ASFV. Necroptosis is an inflammatory programmed cell death and plays an important immune role during virus infection. However, whether and how ASFV induces macrophage necroptosis and the effect of necroptosis signaling on host immunity and ASFV infection remains unknown. This study uncovered that ASFV infection activates the necroptosis signaling in vivo and macrophage necroptosis in vitro. Further evidence showed that ASFV infection upregulates the expression of ZBP1 and RIPK3 to consist of the ZBP1-RIPK3-MLKL necrosome and further activates macrophage necroptosis. Subsequently, multiple Z-DNA sequences were predicted to be present in the ASFV genome. The Z-DNA signals were further confirmed to be present and colocalized with ZBP1 in the cytoplasm and nucleus of ASFV-infected cells. Moreover, ZBP1-mediated macrophage necroptosis provoked the extracellular release of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β induced by ASFV infection. Finally, we demonstrated that ZBP1-mediated necroptosis signaling inhibits ASFV replication in host macrophages. Our findings uncovered a novel mechanism by which ASFV induces macrophage necroptosis by facilitating Z-DNA accumulation and ZBP1 necrosome assembly, providing significant insights into the pathogenesis of ASFV infection.

With the increase in the number of stroke patients, there is a growing demand for rehabilitation training. Robot-assisted training is expected to play a crucial role in meeting this demand. To ensure the safety and comfort of patients during rehabilitation training, it is important to have a patient-cooperative compliant control system for rehabilitation robots. In order to enhance the motion compliance of patients during rehabilitation training, a hierarchical adaptive patient-cooperative compliant control strategy that includes patient-passive exercise and patient-cooperative exercise is proposed. A low-level adaptive backstepping position controller is selected to ensure accurate tracking of the desired trajectory. At the high-level, an adaptive admittance controller is employed to plan the desired trajectory based on the interaction force between the patient and the robot. The results of the patient–robot cooperation experiment on a rehabilitation robot show a significant improvement in tracking trajectory, with a decrease of 76.45% in the dimensionless squared jerk (DSJ) and a decrease of 15.38% in the normalized root mean square deviation (NRMSD) when using the adaptive admittance controller. The proposed adaptive patient-cooperative control strategy effectively enhances the compliance of robot movements, thereby ensuring the safety and comfort of patients during rehabilitation training.

Lithium-ion batteries contain a large amount of metals and various toxic substances. Recycling of waste lithium batteries can allow resource recycling and prevent environmental pollution. In this study, waste power lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) batteries are taken as the research object, and the method of “roasting enhanced flotation” is employed to solve the problem of difficult flotation separation of the positive and negative electrode materials during the recycling process of LiMn2O4 batteries. Conversely, the organic adhesion on the surface of the electrode materials is removed using roasting, thereby increasing the difference in surface wettability between the electrode materials and facilitating the flotation separation process. Research on the flotation behavior of single-electrode materials of lithium-ion batteries shows that the flotation behavior of commercial LiMn2O4 is opposite to commercial graphite, while waste LiMn2O4 and waste graphite perform similar hydrophobic. During the flotation separation of the mixed electrode materials, the flotation separation efficiency of waste LiMn2O4 and graphite is low, while that of commercial LiMn2O4 and graphite is high. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle analysis results show that the surface of the waste lithium battery electrode material is coated with organic compounds containing carbon, oxygen, fluorine, and other elements, resulting in similar surface properties of anode and cathode electrode materials, which finally increases the difficulty of flotation separation of anode and cathode electrode materials. Furthermore, the thermal stability analysis result of the electrode materials shows that the decomposition temperature range of the organic matter is 400–600 ℃. Upon completely understanding the surface properties of the electrode materials and the thermal stability of their organics, a muffle furnace is used to investigate the effect of roasting temperature and time on the removal of organic matter on the surface of the electrode materials. The results show that after roasting at 550 ℃ for 2 h, the organics adhered to the surface can be completely oxidized and decomposed, following which the original surface of the electrode material can be exposed without altering the phase composition of the electrode material. The experimental results of the flotation separation of the electrode materials under different calcination parameters show that the flotation separation efficiency of LiMn2O4 and graphite after calcination at 550 ℃ for 2 h is considerably higher than the electrode materials without calcination. At this time, the grade of LiMn2O4 in the flotation concentrate increased from 63.10% without roasting to 90.98%; the residual graphite in the small-scale, closed-circuit flotation concentrate is low, and the purity of LiMn2O4 reaches 99%.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between plasma lactoferrin (Lf) and glaucoma, assessing the clinical utility of Lf in glaucoma.MethodsA cross-sectional study involved 161 glaucoma patients and 115 healthy controls, with a follow-up of 14 subjects after approximately 2 years. Plasma Lf markers were quantified using ELISA, comparing levels between glaucoma patients and healthy controls, and analyzing plasma Lf across different glaucoma severity grades.ResultsGlaucoma patients had significantly elevated plasma Lf levels compared to healthy controls (p

IntroductionPatients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) often experience repeated withdrawal. Impulsivity is the most relevant factor influencing successful withdrawal. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) are associated with impulsivity. Previous studies on the differential effects of BDNF or FGF21 on impulsivity have focused on single-gene effects and have inconsistent results. We aim to investigate the effects of BDNF rs6265 and FGF21 rs11665896, individually and together, on impulsivity during alcohol withdrawal in patients with AUD.MethodsWe recruited 482 adult Han Chinese males with AUD and assessed their impulsivity using the Barratt Impulsivity Scale. Genomic DNA was extracted and genotyped from peripheral blood samples. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data.ResultsThe T-test and 2 × 2 analysis of variance were used to investigate the effects of the genes on impulsivity. There was a significant BDNF × FGF21 interaction on no-planning impulsiveness (F = 9.15, p = 0.003, η2p = 0.03). Simple main effects analyses and planned comparisons showed that BDNF rs6265 A allele × FGF21 rs11665896 T allele was associated with higher no-planning impulsiveness. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that only the interaction of BDNF and FGF21 accounted for a significant portion of the variance in no-planning impulsiveness.Conclusion and significanceThe combination of BDNF rs6265 A allele and FGF21 rs11665896 T allele may increase impulsivity and discourage alcohol withdrawal. Our study provides a possible genetic explanation for the effects of associated impulsivity in patients with AUD from the perspective of gene-gene interactions.

Summary: African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection usually causes viremia within a few days. However, the metabolic changes in pig serum after ASFV infection remain unclear. In this study, serum samples collected from ASFV-infected pigs at different times were analyzed using pseudotargeted metabolomics method. Metabolomic analysis revealed the dopaminergic synapse pathway has the highest rich factor in both ASFV5 and ASFV10 groups. By disrupting the dopamine synaptic pathway, dopamine receptor antagonists inhibited ASFV replication and L-dopa promoted ASFV replication. In addition, guanosine, one of the top20 changed metabolites in both ASFV5 and ASFV10 groups suppressed the replication of ASFV. Taken together, this study revealed the changed serum metabolite profiles of ASFV-infected pigs at various times after infection and verified the effect of the changed metabolites and metabolic pathways on ASFV replication. These findings may contribute to understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of ASFV and the development of target drugs to control ASF.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate whether tracheal extubation at different depths of anesthesia using Narcotrend EEG (NT value) can influence the recovery quality from anesthesia and cognitive function of children who underwent tonsillotomy.MethodsThe study enrolled 152 children who underwent tonsillotomy and were anesthetized with endotracheal intubation in our hospital from September 2019 to March 2022. These patients were divided into Group A (conscious group, NT range of 95–100), Group B (light sedation group, NT range of 80–94), and Group C (conventional sedation group, NT range of 65–79). A neonatal pain assessment tool, namely, face, legs, activity, cry, and consolability (FLACC), was used to compare the pain scores of the three groups as the primary end point. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scales were used to evaluate the cognitive function of children in the three groups before and after surgery as the secondary end points.ResultsDifferences were observed in the awakening time and FLACC scores after awakening among the three groups (P 0.05), but a significant difference was found in MMSE and MoCA scores at 1 day and 3 days after the operation among the three groups (P

Abstract Background Toosendanin (TSN) exhibits potent antitumor activity against various tumor cell lines. However, its efficacy against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of TSN on OSCC cells in vitro and verified them in vivo using a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Methods The effect of TSN on OSCC cells was investigated by cytotoxicity assays and flow cytometry. The expression of proteins was detected by western blotting. An OSCC PDX model was constructed to further investigate the role of TSN in regulating the function of OSCC. Results The cell viability of CAL27 and HN6 cells decreased as the concentration of TSN increased within the experimental range. Compared with controls, TSN at lower doses inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis through S-phase cell cycle arrest. TSN inhibited OSCC cell proliferation by downregulating the STAT3 pathway through the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation. After successful construction of the OSCC PDX model with high pathological homology to the primary tumor and treatment with an intraperitoneal injection of TSN, we showed that TSN significantly reduced the tumor size of the PDX model mice without obvious toxicity. Conclusions Both in vitro and in vivo, TSN significantly inhibits the proliferation and promoted apoptosis of OSCC cells. Furthermore, TSN demonstrates potent inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation, indicating its potential as a promising therapeutic agent for OSCC. Therefore, TSN holds great promise as a viable drug candidate for the treatment of OSCC.

Abstract Background Clonal plants can successfully adapt to various ecosystems. A trade-off between sexual and clonal reproduction is generally assumed in clonal plants, which may be influenced both by the characteristics of the plant itself and environmental conditions. Currently, it is unclear how climate change, and specifically warming and increased precipitation, might affect sexual and clonal reproduction in clonal plants. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate both the sexual and clonal reproduction responses of Stipa breviflora to warming and increased precipitation. A controlled experiment was conducted by inducing increases in precipitation (ambient condition, 25% and 50% increases) and warming (ambient temperature, 1.5 °C and 3.0 °C increases). Results Warming significantly influenced both the ratio of reproductive ramet shoot biomass to total shoot biomass, and the ratio of reproductive ramet number to total ramet number. Additionally, the ratio of reproductive ramet shoot biomass to total shoot biomass was also significantly affected by increased precipitation. Increased precipitation benefited sexual reproduction, while effects of warming on reproductive and/or vegetative ramets varied from negative to positive depending on precipitation conditions. There was no relationship between the number or shoot biomass of reproductive ramets and vegetative ramets. Reproductive ramets displayed greater sensitivity to climate change than vegetative ramets. Conclusions The findings of our study suggest that there was no trade-off between sexual and clonal reproduction in S. breviflora. The combined impact of warming and increased precipitation promoted sexual reproduction but did not inhibit clonal reproduction. Clonal plants with the capacity for both sexual and clonal reproduction, may cope with climate change well via clonal reproduction, ensuring their survival.

Abstract The development of osteoarthritis (OA) correlates with the expansion of senescent cells in cartilage, which contributes to an inflammatory microenvironment that accelerates matrix degradation and hampers cartilage generation. To address OA, we synthesized small copper sulfide nanoparticles functionalized with anti-beta-2-microglobulin antibodies (B2M-CuS NPs) that catalyze the formation of toxic •OH from H2O2 via peroxidase-like activity. These B2M-CuS NPs are specifically targeted to induce apoptosis in senescent chondrocytes while showing no toxicity toward normal chondrocytes. Furthermore, B2M-CuS NPs enhance the chondrogenesis of normal chondrocytes. Thus, B2M-CuS NPs can effectively treat OA by clearing senescent chondrocytes and promoting cartilage regeneration after intra-articular injection into the knee joints of surgery-induced OA mice. This study uses smart nanomaterials to treat OA with a synergistic strategy that both remodels senescent cartilage and creates a pro-chondrogenic microenvironment.

Most of cereal crops are glycophytes which are sensitive to salinity. Thus, the increase of land salinization globally threatens crop production. Conventional strategies of breeding programs, flushing saline soil with fresh water, and phytoremediation to address salinity issue in crop production have their own limitations. New technique such as nanobiotechnology has emerged as a promising approach to improve plant salt tolerance. In this review, we summarized nanomaterials used for improving plant salt tolerance. Then, we discussed the mechanisms underlying the improved plant salt tolerance by the application of nanomaterials. The role of Na+/K+ ratio, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, hormones, polyamines, and gas signaling molecules in nano-improved plant salt tolerance was further highlighted and discussed. Overall, the use of well-designed nanomaterials to improve plant salt tolerance should be encouraged for better facilitating sustainable agriculture.

Abstract Background Although there is numerous evidence on the epidemiological risk factors for insulin resistance (IR)-related metabolic diseases, there is still insufficient evidence to explore the non-linear association of Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) with IR. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the non-linear relationship between AIP and IR and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2018. A total of 9,245 participants were included in the study. The AIP was calculated as log10 (triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The outcome variables included IR and T2D defined by the 2013 American Diabetes Association guidelines. The weighted multivariate linear regression, weighted multivariate logistic regression, subgroup analysis, generalized additive model, smooth fitting curve and two-part logistic regression were adopted to reveal the relationship of AIP with IR and T2D. Results After adjustment for age, gender, race, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, vigorous/moderate physical activity, body mass index, waist circumference and hypertension, we found that AIP was positively associated with fasting blood glucose (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.10), glycosylated hemoglobin (β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.58), fasting serum insulin (β = 4.26, 95% CI: 3.73, 4.79), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (β = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.25). Further studies found that AIP was associated with increased risk of IR (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.26–1.32) and T2D (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.15–1.22). However, the positive association between AIP and IR or T2D was more significant in female than in male (IR: P for interaction = 0.0135; T2D: P for interaction = 0.0024). A non-linear and inverse L-shaped association was found between AIP and IR, while a J-shaped association was found between AIP and T2D. In patients with − 0.47

Abstract Background and Aims The community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common disease with high incidence rate and mortality among the elderly. This study aims to explore the association between vitamins, cytokines, and CAP infected by different pathogens in Handan First Hospital. Methods The subjects of this study were elderly patients with community‐acquired pneumonia in Handan First Hospital and healthy elderly people in the community from February 2018 to December 2019. The study include 234 CAP patients and 180 healthy elderly people. The differences between the healthy and CAP groups were analyzed by blood routine test, urine routine test, Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) detection of vitamin level, and Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection of cytokine level. Sputum culture was used to detect pathogens. Results According to our results, there was no significant difference in the contents of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin C in serum between the healthy and CAP elderly. However, compared with the control group, the levels of serum cytokines of IL‐2, IL‐17, and TGF‐β in the CAP patients were significantly increased. In addition, IL‐17 was positively correlated with white blood cells, neutrophils, platelet/lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio of CAP patients, and negatively correlated with lymphocytes. The four pathogens with the highest positive rates were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and H. influenza. In patients with S. pneumoniae infection, the IL‐2, IL‐17, and TGF‐β levels were significantly higher than the levels in the control group; IL‐17 was also significantly increased in the serum of patients infected with M. pneumoniae, K. pneumoniae, and H. influenza. Conclusions There is no direct association between vitamins in serum and community acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the cytokines are closely related to the clinical indicators and pathogens of CAP patients, which can provide references for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of CAP patients.

ABSTRACTNovel ecological antimicrobial approaches to dental caries focus on inhibiting cariogenic pathogens while enhancing the growth of health-associated commensal communities or suppressing cariogenic virulence without affecting the diversity of oral microbiota, which emphasize the crucial role of establishing a healthy microbiome in caries prevention. Considering that the acidified cariogenic microenvironment leads to the dysbiosis of microecology and demineralization of enamel, exploiting the acidic pH as a bioresponsive trigger to help materials and medications target cariogenic pathogens is a promising strategy to develop novel anticaries approaches. In this study, a pH-responsive antimicrobial peptide, LH12, was designed utilizing the pH-sensitivity of histidine, which showed higher cationicity and stronger interactions with bacterial cytomembranes at acidic pH. Streptococcus mutans was used as the in vitro caries model to evaluate the inhibitory effects of LH12 on the cariogenic properties, such as biofilm formation, biofilm morphology, acidurance, acidogenicity, and exopolysaccharides synthesis. The dual-species model of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus gordonii was established in vitro to evaluate the regulation effects of LH12 on the mixed species microbial community containing both cariogenic bacteria and commensal bacteria. LH12 suppressed the cariogenic properties and regulated the bacterial composition to a healthier condition through a dual-functional mechanism. Firstly, LH12-targeted cariogenic pathogens in response to the acidified microenvironment and suppressed the cariogenic virulence by inhibiting the expression of multiple virulence genes and two-component signal transduction systems. Additionally, LH12 elevated H2O2 production of the commensal bacteria and subsequently improved the ecological competitiveness of the commensals. The dual-functional mechanism made LH12 a potential bioresponsive approach to caries management.

Objective: To investigate the differences in clinical features of patients with novel coronavirus infection at different ages. Methods: A total of 382 patients with novel coronavirus, hospitalized in a designated hospital for treatment of novel coronavirus in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from October 1 to October 31, 2022 were included. The groups were as follows: children group 0~18 years old; youth group 19~44 years old; middle-aged group 45~59 years old; and elderly group ≥60 years old. The demographic and clinical characteristics of cases in different age groups were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Patients were stratified by 10 years of age, and conformed to a normal distribution. The age at onset was orimarily within the young people categrry, the severity of disease was mild in all age groups, and the risk of severe disease was higher in the elderly group (P

Waste foundry sand (WFS), a by-product of the casting industry, is a potential material that may be employed as a substitute for fine aggregate in concrete. In the present study, gene expression programming (GEP) and multi-expression programming (MEP) are used to generate predictive models for the split tensile strength (STS) and elastic modulus (E) of waste foundry sand concrete (WFSC). Therefore, a comprehensive database was collected that contains 146 and 242 values of E and STS, respectively. Seven different variables were chosen as input for the development of the ML-based models. The reliability and accuracy of the proposed model were evaluated by using various statistical indicators. Given the performance assessment, both GEP and MEP accurately predict the E with a correlation of 0.994 and 0.996, respectively. However, GEP performance was much superior in predicting STS (R = 0.987) as compared to the MEP model (R = 0.892). The integrated statistical performance (ρ, OF) of both models approaches zero, indicating the excellent performance and generalization potential of the developed models. For the interpretation of machine learning (ML) models, Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) was used to know about the input variables' importance and influence on the output parameter. The SHAP analysis revealed that a higher ratio of FA/TA results in the enhancement of the elastic modulus, whereas CA/C higher ratio is favorably influencing the split tensile strength up to some extent, however, this trend changes when the ratio is further increased. These soft computing prediction techniques can incentivize the use of WFS in sustainable concrete, reducing waste disposal and promoting environment-friendly construction. Furthermore, it is recommended that the findings of this study be validated with more extensive data sets and that other ML techniques be investigated.

This case report describes a rare case of cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) of the nasopharynx. The patient presented with intractable chronic suppurative otitis media and underwent radiological examination including CT, MRI, and PET/CT. All of the images misdiagnosed this condition as nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Finally, the patient underwent a nasopharyngeal mass biopsy and CNF was diagnosed. A retrospective analysis of the radiological scans was performed and the causes of the misdiagnosis were evaluated. The CT, MRI, and PET/CT characteristics and key features for the early diagnosis of CNF were summarized. Our findings may contribute to current knowledge of the precise diagnosis of CNF.

Abstract African swine fever (ASF) is a severe infectious disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), seriously endangering the global pig industry. ASFV possesses a large genome, strong mutation ability, and complex immune escape mechanisms. Since the first case of ASF was reported in China in August 2018, it has had a significant impact on social economy and food safety. In the present study, pregnant swine serum (PSS) was found to promote viral replication; differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in PSS were screened and identified using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation technology and compared with those in non-pregnant swine serum (NPSS). The DEPs were analyzed using Gene Ontology functional annotation, Kyoto Protocol Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathway enrichment, and protein–protein interaction networks. In addition, the DEPs were validated via western blot and RT-qPCR experiments. And the 342 of DEPs were identified in bone marrow-derived macrophages cultured with PSS compared with the NPSS. The 256 were upregulated and 86 of DEPs were downregulated. The primary biological functions of these DEPs involved signaling pathways that regulate cellular immune responses, growth cycles, and metabolism-related pathways. An overexpression experiment showed that the PCNA could promote ASFV replication whereas MASP1 and BST2 could inhibit it. These results further indicated that some protein molecules in PSS were involved in the regulation of ASFV replication. In the present study, the role of PSS in ASFV replication was analyzed using proteomics, and the study will be provided a basis for future detailed research on the pathogenic mechanism and host interactions of ASFV as well as new insights for the development of small-molecule compounds to inhibit ASFV.

Surface chemistry and bulk structure jointly play crucial roles in achieving high-performance supercapacitors. Here, the synergistic effect of surface chemistry properties (vacancy and phosphorization) and structure-derived properties (hollow hydrangea-like structure) on energy storage is explored by the surface treatment and architecture design of the nanostructures. The theoretical calculations and experiments prove that surface chemistry modulation is capable of improving electronic conductivity and electrolyte wettability. The structural engineering of both hollow and nanosheets produces a high specific surface area and an abundant pore structure, which is favorable in exposing more active sites and shortens the ion diffusion distance. Benefiting from its admirable physicochemical properties, the surface phosphorylated MnCo2O4.5 hollow hydrangea-like structure (P-MnCoO) delivers a high capacitance of 425 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, a superior capability rate of 63.9%, capacitance retention at 10 A g−1, and extremely long cyclic stability (91.1% after 10,000 cycles). The fabricated P-MnCoO/AC asymmetric supercapacitor achieved superior energy and power density. This work opens a new avenue to further improve the electrochemical performance of metal oxides for supercapacitors.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection causes African swine fever (ASF), a virulent infectious disease that threatens the safety of livestock worldwide. Studies have shown that MGF360–9 L is important for the virulence of ASFV and the host protein HS1-associated protein X-1 (HAX1) plays an important role in viral pathogenesis. This study aimed to clarify the mechanism by which HAX1 mediates ASFV replication through interactions with MGF360–9 L. The regions of interaction between MGF360–9 L and HAX1 were predicted and validated. HAX1 overexpression and RNA interference studies revealed that HAX1 is a host restriction factor that suppresses ASFV replication. Moreover, HAX1 expression was inhibited in ASFV-infected mature bone marrow–derived macrophages, and infection with the virulent MGF360–9 L gene deletion strain (∆MGF360–9 L) attenuated the inhibitory effect of the wild-type strain (WT) on HAX1 expression, suggesting a complex regulatory relationship between MGF360–9 L and HAX1. Furthermore, the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF114 interacted with MGF360–9 L and HAX1, MGF360–9 L degraded HAX1 through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway, and RNF114 facilitated the degradation of HAX1 by MGF360–9L-linked K48 ubiquitin chains through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway, thereby facilitating ASFV replication. In conclusion, this study has enriched our understanding of the regulatory networks between ASFV proteins and host proteins and provided a reference for investigation into the pathogenesis and immune escape mechanism of ASFV.

Summary: Treatment of periodontitis in people with diabetes remains challenging. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of thioredoxin-1 (TRX1) in periodontitis with diabetes, as well as its role in modulating osteogenic differentiation. Our findings indicated that the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was elevated, while the expression of TRX1 was significantly reduced in the periodontal tissues of periodontitis mice with diabetes. Furthermore, knockdown of TRX1 in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) resulted in the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation through disrupting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, this inhibition was restored upon administration of recombinant human TRX1 (rhTRX1). Importantly, rhTRX1 treatment decreased ROS generation, activated Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway and considerably promoted the alveolar bone repair of periodontitis mice with diabetes. These findings highlighted the crucial protective role of TRX1 in periodontitis with diabetes and suggested that it may serve as a potential therapeutic target for refractory periodontitis associated with oxidative stress.

Abstract Background A considerable proportion of people attending mental health services are parents with dependent children. Parental mental illness can be challenging for all family members including the parent’s children and partner. The hospitalization of the parent and subsequent separation from dependent children may be a particularly challenging time for all family members. The aim of this paper was to review qualitative studies of family members’ experiences when parents, who have dependent children, were hospitalized for their mental illness. The experiences of parents themselves, their children aged 0–18 (including retrospective accounts of adults describing their childhoods), and other family members are included. Methods This systematic review followed Cochrane Collaboration and PRISMA guidelines. A search was performed with keywords relating to parents, mental illness, psychiatric treatment, inpatient units, family members and experiences. Databases included CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, ProQuest, MEDLINE, PubMed and Scopus. Quality assessment was undertaken using an expanded version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Thematic synthesis was conducted on the included papers. Results Eight papers were identified. The quality assessment was rated as high in some papers, in terms of the clarity of research aims, justification of the methodology employed, recruitment strategy and consideration of ethics. In others, the study design, inclusion criteria and reporting of participant demographics were unclear. Family experiences of pressure and additional responsibilities associated with the parent receiving inpatient treatment were identified along with the family’s need for psychoeducational information, and guidance when visiting the parent in hospital. Children expressed various emotions and the need to connect with others. The final theme related to adverse impacts on the parent–child bond when the parent was hospitalized. Conclusion The limited research in this area indicates that the needs of families are not being met when a parent is hospitalized for their mental illness. There is a considerable need for adequate models of care, family-focused training for staff, and psychoeducational resources for families. Additional research in this area is essential to understand the experiences of different family members during this vulnerable time.

Simultaneous measurement of multiple modalities in single-cell analysis, represented by CITE-seq, is a promising approach to link transcriptional changes to cellular phenotype and function, requiring new computational methods to define cellular subtypes and states based on multiple data types. Here, we design a flexible single-cell multimodal analysis framework, called CITEMO, to integrate the transcriptome and antibody-derived tags (ADT) data to capture cell heterogeneity from the multi omics perspective. CITEMO uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to obtain a low-dimensional representation of the transcriptome and ADT, respectively, and then employs PCA again to integrate these low-dimensional multimodal data for downstream analysis. To investigate the effectiveness of the CITEMO framework, we apply CITEMO to analyse the cell subtypes of Cord Blood Mononuclear Cells (CBMC) samples. Results show that the CITEMO framework can comprehensively analyse single-cell multimodal samples and accurately identify cell subtypes. Besides, we find some specific immune cells that co-express multiple ADT markers. To better describe the co-expression phenomenon, we introduce the co-expression entropy to measure the heterogeneous distribution of the ADT combinations. To further validate the robustness of the CITEMO framework, we analyse Human Bone Marrow Cell (HBMC) samples and identify different states of the same cell type. CITEMO has an excellent performance in identifying cell subtypes and states for multimodal omics data. We suggest that the flexible design idea of CITEMO can be an inspiration for other single-cell multimodal tasks. The complete source code and dataset of the CITEMO framework can be obtained from https://github.com/studentiz/CITEMO.

Abstract Human mitochondrial chaperonin mHsp60 is broadly associated with various human health conditions and the V72I mutation in mHsp60 causes a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia, a neurodegenerative disease. The main function of mHsp60 is to assist folding of mitochondrial proteins in an ATP-dependent manner. In this study, we unexpectedly found that mutant mHsp60V72I was more stable structurally and more active in the ATPase activity than the wildtype. Analysis of our recently solved cryo-EM structure of mHsp60 revealed allosteric roles of V72I in structural stability and ATPase activity, which were supported by studies including those using the V72A mutation. Despite with the increases in structural stability and ATPase activity, mHsp60V72I was less efficient in folding malate dehydrogenase, a putative mHsp60 substrate protein in mitochondria and also commonly used in chaperonin studies. In addition, although mHsp60V72I along with its cochaperonin mHsp10 was able to substitute the E. coli chaperonin system in supporting cell growth under normal temperature of 37 °C, it was unable under heat shock temperature of 42 °C. Our results support the importance of structural dynamics and an optimal ATP turnover that mHsp60 has evolved for its function and physiology. We propose that unproductive energy utilization, or hyperactive ATPase activity and compromised folding function, not mutually exclusive, are responsible for the V72I pathology in neurodegenerative disease.

Abstract The multi‐camera calibration is an essential step for many spatially aware applications, such as robotic navigation, augmented reality, and 3D human pose estimation. Traditional calibration methods use off‐the‐shelf checkerboards or triangles as the known world coordinate system and their corresponding corners are set as control points, which heavily depends on specific calibration patterns and is not suitable for calibration pattern‐denied environments. In this paper, an automatic calibration method is proposed to calibrate the multi‐camera system without the aid of a known calibration pattern. The key idea of the proposed method is that the authors consider the human body, which is always available, as the counterpart of the calibration pattern. The authors’ approach starts with binocular camera calibration, in which the extrinsic and intrinsic parameters are calculated in order and followed by a joint optimisation. With the results of each pair of binocular camera calibration, the multi‐camera system calibration is carried out in three steps: (i) parameters initialisation, (ii) extrinsic parameters optimisation, and (iii) jointly optimising intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. Since the authors’ approach does not require additional calibration patterns except for one visible person, it is flexible and easy to be implemented. Real experiments are conducted in different scenes, camera angles, and camera settings. Human pose estimation with the multi‐camera system is additionally performed for exhaustive experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that the authors’ method shows superior performance than the traditional method with the aid of a specific calibration pattern.

Abstract Influenza B virus circulates yearly with lower activity than that of influenza A virus in China. During winter 2017 to 2018, a sharp surge of influenza activity dominated by type B/Yamagata lineage virus caused unprecedented medical burden in Beijing. This research aimed to understand the underlying mechanism for this circulation and prepare for epidemics in the future. Sera samples collected from the patients in 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 flu seasons were tested for profiling hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) antibodies against both prevailing Victoria and Yamagata lineages of type B influenza viruses. It showed that the seroprevalence against both lineages of the virus in 2017–2018 winter was higher than that in 2016–2017, while no difference of the seroprevalence was observed between the two viruses. Meanwhile, significant elevated geometric mean titer (GMT) against both lineages of influenza B viruses was found in the specimens collected during 2017–2018 flu season than that from 2016 to 2017, suggesting the viruses might undergo antigenic changes. These results also suggested that lower GMT against both type B variants in 2016–2017 might serve as an immunological niche for the dominating of B/Yamagata virus in China during 2017–2018 winter season. Our findings have implication that there was a significantly elevation of HI antibodies to influenza viruses B in 2017–2018 than in 2016–2017. On the other hand, the low level of HI antibodies to both B/Y and B/V in 2016–2017 could contribute to the severe B/Y epidemic in 2017–2018 to some extent.

Studying the distribution and transport dynamics of cations in plants is crucial for understanding their response mechanisms to saline–alkali stress conditions. However, our current understanding of how restoration measures affect cation distribution and transport in plants is surprisingly limited. To address this gap, we conducted a split-plot experiment using Medicago sativa L. cv. “Zhongmu No. 1” to investigate the combined effects of biological and chemical restoration measures—with bio-fertilizer as the primary zone and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and with humic acid as the secondary zone—on soil properties, plant growth, and the content, distribution, and transport of cations in plants. The results revealed that bio-fertilizers exhibited positive effects on the plant growth, yield, and translocation of key ionic components to leaves. On the contrary, FGD gypsum with humic acid reduced the soil’s pH level, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) while increasing the contents of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in the soil. The combination of bio-fertilizer, FGD gypsum, and humic acid increased the biomass and enhanced the translocation of Mg2+ to leaves. The distribution and transport of Mg2+ within the plant constituted pivotal elements for enhancing plant growth through restoration strategies. The application of bio-fertilizer, FGD gypsum, and humic acid reduced Na+ transport in M. sativa by enhancing the selective absorption of beneficial ions in leaves and by facilitating the transport of Ca2+ and Mg2+ from stems to the leaves. This, in turn, increases the salt tolerance of plants and promotes their growth. Our results offer new insights into the interactions among measures, soil, and plants in saline–alkali land restoration, providing practical solutions for the restoration of saline–alkali soil.

Abstract Accurate skull stripping facilitates following neuro-image analysis. For computer-aided methods, the presence of brain skull in structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) impacts brain tissue identification, which could result in serious misjudgments, specifically for patients with brain tumors. Though there are several existing works on skull stripping in literature, most of them either focus on healthy brain MRIs or only apply for a single image modality. These methods may be not optimal for multiparametric MRI scans. In the paper, we propose an ensemble neural network (EnNet), a 3D convolutional neural network (3DCNN) based method, for brain extraction on multiparametric MRI scans (mpMRIs). We comprehensively investigate the skull stripping performance by using the proposed method on a total of 15 image modality combinations. The comparison shows that utilizing all modalities provides the best performance on skull stripping. We have collected a retrospective dataset of 815 cases with/without glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA). The ground truths of the skull stripping are verified by at least one qualified radiologist. The quantitative evaluation gives an average dice score coefficient and Hausdorff distance at the 95th percentile, respectively. We also compare the performance to the state-of-the-art methods/tools. The proposed method offers the best performance. The contributions of the work have five folds: first, the proposed method is a fully automatic end-to-end for skull stripping using a 3D deep learning method. Second, it is applicable for mpMRIs and is also easy to customize for any MRI modality combination. Third, the proposed method not only works for healthy brain mpMRIs but also pre-/post-operative brain mpMRIs with GBM. Fourth, the proposed method handles multicenter data. Finally, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first group to quantitatively compare the skull stripping performance using different modalities. All code and pre-trained model are available at: https://github.com/plmoer/skull_stripping_code_SR .

This research conducted a series of experiments, determined that 40% is the optimal sand-soil ratio, built three rain gardens, and planted Ilex chinensis Sims and Cynodon dactylon as a key element in the rain gardens. Among them, rain garden A was planted with only Cynodon dactylon for a one-year observation period. Rain gardens B and C, designed as three-year rain gardens, were planted with Ilex chinensis Sims or Cynodon dactylon, respectively. The method of simulating rainwater runoff was used to monitor the rain gardens continuously. The results showed that the total runoff reduction rates of rain gardens A, B, and C were 43%, 53%, and 55%, respectively. The average removal rates of pollutant suspended solids in rain gardens A, B, and C were 94%, 88%, and 87%, respectively, and the suspended solids pollution load reduction rate reached 96%, 94%, and 95%, respectively. This would be significant for future work and as a reference for the selection of plants for rain gardens in China.

Farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS), a key enzyme of the terpene metabolic pathway, catalyzes the precursor of sesquiterpene compounds farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthesis, and plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development. Dryopteris fragrans is a medicinal plant rich terpenoids. In this study, the function of the gene was verified in vitro and in vivo, the promoter of the gene was amplified and its transcriptional activity was analyzed. In the present study, we report the molecular cloning and functional characterization of DfFPS1 and DfFPS2, two FPS genes from D. fragrans. We found that the two genes were evolutionarily conserved. Both DfFPS genes were highly expressed in the gametophyte and mature sporophyte leaves, and their expression levels increased in response to methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and high temperature. Both DfFPS proteins were localized in the cytoplasm and could catalyze FPP synthesis in vitro. We also found that the overexpression of DfFPS genes in tobacco plants promoted secondary metabolite accumulation but exhibited negligible effect on plant growth and development. However, the transgenic plants exhibited tolerance to high temperature and drought. The promoters of the two genes were amplified using fusion primer and nested integrated polymerase chain reaction (FPNI-PCR). The promoter sequences were truncated and their activity was examined using the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene reporter system in tobacco leaves, and we found that both genes were expressed in the stomata. The transcriptional activity of the promoters was found to be similar to the expression pattern of the genes, and the transcriptional core regions of the two genes were mainly between −943 bp and −740 bp of proDfFPS1. Therefore, we present a preliminary study on the function and transcriptional activity of the FPS genes of D. fragrans and provide a basis for the regulation of terpene metabolism in D. fragrans. The results also provide a novel basis for the elucidation of terpene metabolic pathways in ferns.

Abstract A sort of composite hydrogel with good biocompatibility, suppleness, high conductivity, and anti-inflammatory activity based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and molybdenum sulfide/graphene oxide (MoS2/GO) nanomaterial has been developed for spinal cord injury (SCI) restoration. The developed (MoS2/GO/PVA) hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties, outstanding electronic conductivity, and inflammation attenuation activity. It can promote neural stem cells into neurons differentiation as well as inhibit the astrocytes development in vitro. In addition, the composite hydrogel shows a high anti-inflammatory effect. After implantation of the composite hydrogel in mice, it could activate the endogenous regeneration of the spinal cord and inhibit the activation of glial cells in the injured area, thus resulting in the recovery of locomotor function. Overall, our work provides a new sort of hydrogels for SCI reparation, which shows great promise for improving the dilemma in SCI therapy. Graphical Abstract

DEAD-box decapping enzyme 20 (DDX20) is a putative RNA-decapping enzyme that can be identified by the conserved motif Asp–Glu–Ala–Asp (DEAD). Cellular processes involve numerous RNA secondary structure alterations, including translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and assembly of ribosomes and spliceosomes. DDX20 reportedly plays an important role in cellular transcription and post-transcriptional modifications. On the one hand, DDX20 can interact with various transcription factors and repress the transcriptional process. On the other hand, DDX20 forms the survival motor neuron complex and participates in the assembly of snRNP, ultimately affecting the RNA splicing process. Finally, DDX20 can potentially rely on its RNA-unwinding enzyme function to participate in microRNA (miRNA) maturation and act as a component of the RNA-induced silencing complex. In addition, although DDX20 is not a key component in the innate immune system signaling pathway, it can affect the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and p53 signaling pathways. In particular, DDX20 plays different roles in tumorigenesis development through the NF-κB signaling pathway. This process is regulated by various factors such as miRNA. DDX20 can influence processes such as viral replication in cells by interacting with two proteins in Epstein–Barr virus and can regulate the replication process of several viruses through the innate immune system, indicating that DDX20 plays an important role in the innate immune system. Herein, we review the effects of DDX20 on the innate immune system and its role in transcriptional and post-transcriptional modification processes, based on which we provide an outlook on the future of DDX20 research in innate immunity and viral infections.

Micro/nano-heterostructure with subtle structural design is an effective strategy to reduce the self-aggregation of 2D structure and maintain a large specific surface area to achieve high-performance supercapacitors. Herein, we report a rationally designed micro/nano-heterostructure of complex ternary transition metal oxides (TMOs) by a two-step hydrothermal method. Microflake-assembled island-like CuCo2O4 frameworks and secondary inserted units of NiMoO4 nanosheets endow CuCo2O4/NiMoO4 composites with desired micro/nanostructure features. Three-dimensional architectures constructed from CuCo2O4 microflakes offer a robust skeleton to endure structural change during cycling and provide efficient and rapid pathways for ion and electron transport. Two-dimensional NiMoO4 nanosheets possess numerous active sites and multi-access ion paths. Benefiting from above-mentioned advantages, the CuCo2O4/NiMoO4 heterostructures exhibit superior pseudocapacitive performance with a high specific capacitance of 2350 F/g at 1 A/g as well as an excellent cycling stability of 91.5% over 5000 cycles. A solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor based on the CuCo2O4/NiMoO4 electrode as a positive electrode and activated carbon as a negative electrode achieves a high energy density of 51.7 Wh/kg at a power density of 853.7 W/kg. These results indicate that the hybrid micro/nanostructured TMOs will be promising for high-performance supercapacitors.

Abstract Cardiac damage in non-severe patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is poorly explored. This study aimed to explore the manifestations of cardiac damage at presentation in non-severe patients with COVID-19. In this study, 113 non-severe patients with COVID-19 were grouped according to the duration from symptoms onset to hospital admission: group 1 (≤ 1 week, n = 27), group 2 (> 1 to 2 weeks, n = 28), group 3 (> 2 to 3 weeks, n = 27), group 4 (> 3 weeks, n = 31). Clinical, cardiovascular, and radiological data on hospital admission were compared across the four groups. The level of high sensitivity troponin I (hs-cTnI) in group 2 [10.25 (IQR 6.75–15.63) ng/L] was significantly higher than those in group 1 [1.90 (IQR 1.90–8.80) ng/L] and group 4 [1.90 (IQR 1.90–5.80) ng/L] (all P bonferroni