Drivers of microbially and plant-derived carbon in topsoil and subsoil

Plant- and microbially derived carbon (C) are the two major sources of soil organic matter (SOM), and their ratio impacts SOM composition, accumulation, stability, and turnover. The contributions of and the key factors defining the plant and microbial C in SOM along the soil profile are not well known. By leveraging nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and biomarker analysis, we analyzed the plant and microbial C in three soil types using regional-scale sampling and combined these results with a meta-analysis. Topsoil (0-40 cm) was rich in carbohydrates and lignin (38%-50%), whereas subsoil (40-100 cm) contained more proteins and lipids (26%-60%). The proportion of plant C increases, while microbial C decreases with SOM content. The decrease rate of the ratio of the microbially derived C to plant-derived C (CM:P ) with SOM content was 23%-30% faster in the topsoil than in the subsoil in the regional study and meta-analysis. The topsoil had high potential to stabilize plant-derived C through intensive microbial transformations and microbial necromass formation. Plant C input and mean annual soil temperature were the main factors defining CM:P in topsoil, whereas the fungi-to-bacteria ratio and clay content were the main factors influencing subsoil CM:P . Combining a regional study and meta-analysis, we highlighted the contribution of plant litter to microbial necromass to organic matter up to 1-m soil depth and elucidated the main factors regulating their long-term preservation.

MiR-135b-5p targets ADAM12 to suppress invasion and accelerate trophoblast apoptosis in preeclampsia

INTRODUCTION

Preeclampsia was a serious complication often leaded to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Abnormal placental miR-135b-5p expression in preeclampsia was observed in our preliminary investigation. However, the role of miR-135b-5p in preeclampsia was unclear.

METHODS

We determined the miR-135b-5p expression pattern at the fetomaternal interface and levels in placental tissue and exosomes. MiR-135b-5p expression in the trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo was manipulated by transient agomir or antagomir transfection or establishment of HTR8/SVneo cell line stably overexpressing miR-135b or miR-135b-5p-sponger. Then the function of miR-135b-5p on the motility of HTR8/SVneo cells, and its effects on cell viability was determined. Finally, we confirmed the relationship between miR-135b-5p and ADAM12.

RESULTS

MiR-135b-5p exclusively expressed in the villous cytotrophoblast, and extravillous trophoblast. Significant miR-135b-5p upregulation was observed in the placenta and peripheral plasma exosomes in preeclampsia, and could be a highly sensitive molecular marker for preeclampsia. Elevated miR-135b-5p expression significantly promoted apoptosis and inhibited HTR8/SVneo cell invasion and migration. Binding of miR-135b-5p to the ADAM12 mRNA 3'-untranslated region was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. High miR-135-5p levels inhibit the invasion and migration of trophoblastic cells, possibly by directly binding to the 3'-UTR of DADM12 and suppressing its translation efficiency, thereby nullifying the promotion of trophoblast invasion and migration via ADAM12.

DISCUSSION

Abnormal upregulation of miR-135b-5p may be involved in preeclampsia through triggering trophoblast apoptosis and impeding trophoblast invasion and migration by targeting ADAM12.

Optimizing of particle accelerated rotor parameters using the discrete element method

The acceleration capability of a centrifugal jet rotor plays a crucial role in achieving a high injection velocity of powder particles in the centrifugal impact moulding process. In this regard, the focus of this article is on optimization of the runner shape. To this end, the lengths of the first and second acceleration sections (L1 and L2), and the angles between the first and second acceleration sections and between the second and third sections (α1 and α2) are considered as the rotor parameters. Simulations were conducted using multiple discrete elements to explore the influence of multiple input parameters on the response value, and a regression model was established between the parameters and the particle injection rate. The experimental results show that the selected parameters significantly affect the rate of particle injection, and the interactions between the parameters L1 and L2, and between L2 and α2 have the largest effects. The results reveal that applying the optimized parameters improves the particle injection speed by 7.85% when compared to the pre-optimization model. This improvement in the rotor acceleration provides the basis for improving the efficiency of centrifugal impact moulding of metal powders.

A novel 3-dimensional graphene-based cobalt-manganese bimetallic layered double hydroxide:Formation mechanism and performance in photo-assisted permonosulfate-activated degradation of sulfamethoxazole in aqueous solution

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a common antibiotic used mainly for bacterial treatment. In this study, a novel three-dimensional cobalt-manganese bimetallic layered double hydroxide graphene hydrogel (CoMn-LDHs/rGO) has been prepared for photo-assisted permonosulfate (PMS)-activated degradation of SMX in water. Compared with the CoMn-LDHs/rGO + PMS and CoMn-LDHs/rGO + Vis systems, the degradation effect of CoMn-LDHs/rGO + PMS + Vis system is the best, and the degradation effect of CoMn-LDHs/rGO system could reach more than 98% under the optimal conditions. After 10 cycles, the catalytic degradation performance of CoMn-LDHs/rGO system remained good, while effectively preventing the leaching of metal ions. Based on the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and PMS oxidation, electron spin resonance spectroscopy and quenching experiments showed that three active substances (•OH, •SO4- and O2•-) were involved in the degradation of SMX. Density functional theory and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) results further proposed the SMX degradation transformation calculation. As expected, the study of the reaction mechanism of 3D CoMn-LDHs/rGO assisted PMS activation under visible light provides an efficient and rapid method for the sustainable degradation of pollutants in water system.

Attack-resilient distributed adaptive secondary control for heterogeneous battery energy storage systems in islanded AC microgrids

For battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in islanded AC microgrids, distributed control strategy provides an effective and flexible means to implement frequency restoration, proportional active power sharing and state of charge (SoC) balancing. Nevertheless, the distributed control system is susceptible to potential cyber attacks that break the synchronization and stability. To mitigate those effects, this paper presents an attack-resilient distributed adaptive secondary control for heterogeneous BESSs in islanded AC microgrids. The proposed control method can guarantee the consensuses on BESSs' frequency, active power and SoC simultaneously in the presence of actuator attacks, which only uses the local and neighbor's information. Specifically, the resilience is improved significantly by introducing the dynamic control gains with adaptive updating laws. Furthermore, the stability analysis is applied to assure the robustness. Lastly, the effectiveness of the above discussed conclusions is validated and compared by case studies on an islanded AC microgrid testing system.

Electroacupuncture at ST36 acupoint regulates stem cells during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

BACKGROUND

Electroacupuncture (EA) is given to assist in the treatment of MS, which is an effective therapeutic method. However, the therapy mechanism of EA related to stem cells in the treatment of MS is not yet known. In this study, we used a classic animal model of multiple sclerosis: experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of EA at Zusanli (ST36) acupoint in EAE and shed light on its potential roles in the effects of stem cells in vivo.

METHODS

The EAE animal models were established. From the first day after immunization, EAE model mice received EA at ST36 acupoint, named the EA group. The weight and clinical score of the three groups were recorded for 28 days. The demyelination, inflammatory cell infiltration, and markers of neural stem cells (NSCs), hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were compared.

RESULTS

We showed that EAE mice treated with EA at ST36 acupoint, were suppressed in demyelination and inflammatory cell infiltration, and thus decreased clinical score and weight loss and mitigated the development of EAE when compared with the EAE group. Moreover, our data revealed that the proportions of NSCs, HSCs, and MSCs increased in the EA group compared with the EAE group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that EA at ST36 acupoint was an effective nonpharmacological therapeutic protocol that not only reduced the CNS demyelination and inflammatory cell infiltration in EAE disease but also increased the proportions of various stem cells. Further study is necessary to better understand how EA at the ST36 acupoint affects EAE.

Gastric adenocarcinoma in Situs inversus totalis: a case study and literature review

Background

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is an uncommon disorder characterized by mirror-image anatomy, which can present unique challenges and potential vascular anomalies in surgical interventions, particularly in gastric cancer patients.

Aims

We aim to delineate a rare case of gastric adenocarcinoma in a SIT patient and conduct a thorough review of the existing literature concerning surgical strategies, vascular anomalies, and outcomes observed across varied geographic locales and technological approaches.

Methods

A thorough examination of a case involving a 39-year-old male SIT patient who underwent a successful distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection is presented alongside an expansive literature review. The review encompasses 47 articles, collating data on surgical approaches and vascular anomalies across 49 patients diagnosed with SIT and gastric cancer.

Results

The patient underwent curative distal gastrectomy and Billroth II with Braun anastomosis within 95 minutes, incurring minimal intraoperative blood loss (100ml). Postoperative pathology confirmed moderately to poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma (pT3N0M0), with no signs of recurrence or metastasis after 6 months of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy. The literature review revealed vascular anomalies in approximately 20% of reported cases, accentuating its surgical significance. Noteworthy variations in surgical strategies, operative times, blood loss, and complications across different surgical modalities were observed, providing a comprehensive view into the practical management of such cases.

Conclusion

Despite the inherent challenges associated with SIT, various surgical techniques can be successfully applied with meticulous preoperative planning and understanding vascular anomalies. This compilation of diverse surgical experiences across numerous documented cases seeks to provide a consolidated resource for refining surgical strategies and enhancing postoperative outcomes for gastric cancer patients with SIT, underscoring the imperativeness of further research in this niche domain.

Glutamine Ameliorates Liver Steatosis via Regulation of Glycolipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Obesity and its associated conditions, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), are risk factors for health. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of glutamine (Gln) on liver steatosis induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and HEPG2 cells induced by oleic acid. Gln demonstrated a positive influence on hepatic homeostasis by suppressing acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) and promoting sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression while improving glucose metabolism by regulating serine/threonine protein kinase (AKT)/factor forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signals in vivo and in vitro. Obese Gln-fed mice had higher colonic short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) contents and lower inflammation factor protein levels in the liver, HEPG2 cells, and jejunum. Gln-treated obese mice had an effective decrease in Firmicutes abundance. These findings indicate that Gln serves as a nutritional tool in managing obesity and related disorders.

More complex dynamics in a discrete prey-predator model with the Allee effect in prey

In this paper, we revisit a discrete prey-predator model with the Allee effect in prey to find its more complex dynamical properties. After pointing out and correcting those known errors for the local stability of the unique positive fixed point $ E_*, $ unlike previous studies in which the author only considered the codim 1 Neimark-Sacker bifurcation at the fixed point $ E_*, $ we focus on deriving many new bifurcation results, namely, the codim 1 transcritical bifurcation at the trivial fixed point $ E_1, $ the codim 1 transcritical and period-doubling bifurcations at the boundary fixed point $ E_2, $ the codim 1 period-doubling bifurcation and the codim 2 1:2 resonance bifurcation at the positive fixed point $ E_* $. The obtained theoretical results are also further illustrated via numerical simulations. Some new dynamics are numerically found. Our new results clearly demonstrate that the occurrence of 1:2 resonance bifurcation confirms that this system is strongly unstable, indicating that the predator and the prey will increase rapidly and breakout suddenly.

Numerical Analysis on Gas Production and Geomechanical Responses of Natural Gas Hydrate Reservoirs

Natural gas hydrate (NGH) has attracted considerable global attention as a promising energy resource in recent years. To acquire valuable insights into regarding the interplay between mechanical properties and production outcomes during the production, in this study, a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) model based on the geological features of reservoirs in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea (SCS) was developed to analyze the response characteristics of various physical fields within the reservoir during the exploitation. Furthermore, the study examined the influence of mechanical behavior on hydrate exploitation and investigated the effects of varying initial hydrate saturation and seawater depth on production efficiency and reservoir deformation. The simulation results indicated that neglecting the impact of solid mechanics in the analysis of hydrate productivity can result in overestimated results, particularly during the initial production stage. Reservoirs with higher hydrate saturation experience lower initial production rates due to the influence of permeability and capillary force. Moreover, reservoirs with high hydrate saturation exhibit greater compression but lower wellhead subsidence during the long-term development. The impact of seawater depth on production capacity primarily arises from the pressure's influence on the gas-water ratio, where greater seawater depth corresponds to increased reservoir compression and wellhead subsidence.

Comprehensive Physicochemical Characterization, In Vitro Membrane Permeation, and In Vitro Human Skin Cell Culture of a Novel TOPK Inhibitor, HI-TOPK-032

Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are the most common skin cancers, and about 5.4 million people are diagnosed each year in the United States. A newly developed T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) inhibitor, HI-TOPK-032, is effective in suppressing colon cancer cell growth, inducing the apoptosis of colon cancer cells and ultraviolet (UV) light-induced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties, permeation behavior, and cytotoxicity potential of HI-TOPK-032 prior to the development of a suitable topical formulation for targeted skin drug delivery. Techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), hot-stage microscopy (HSM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Karl Fisher (KF) coulometric titration, Raman spectrometry, confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and Fourier transform infrared microscopy were used to characterize HI-TOPK-032. The dose effect of HI-TOPK-032 on in vitro cell viability was evaluated using a 2D cell culture of the human skin keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs). Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) at the air-liquid interface as a function of dose and time was measured on the HaCAT human skin cell line. The membrane permeation behavior of HI-TOPK-032 was tested using the Strat-M® synthetic biomimetic membrane with an in vitro Franz cell diffusion system. The physicochemical evaluation results confirmed the amorphous nature of the drug and the homogeneity of the sample with all characteristic chemical peaks. The in vitro cell viability assay results confirmed 100% cell viability up to 10 µM of HI-TOPK-032. Further, a rapid, specific, precise, and validated reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for the quantitative estimation of HI-TOPK-032 was developed. This is the first systematic and comprehensive characterization of HI-TOPK-032 and a report of these findings.

Risk assessment, fitness cost, cross-resistance, and mechanism of tetraniliprole resistance in the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis

The rice stem borer (RSB), Chilo suppressalis, a notorious rice pest in China, has evolved a high resistance level to commonly used insecticides. Tetraniliprole, a new anthranilic diamide insecticide, effectively controls multiple pests, including RSB. However, the potential resistance risk of RSB to tetraniliprole is still unknown. In this study, the tetraniliprole-selection (Tet-R) strain was obtained through 10 continuous generations of selection with tetraniliprole 30% lethal concentration (LC30 ). The realized heritability (h2 ) of the Tet-R strain was 0.387, indicating that resistance of RSB to tetraniliprole developed rapidly under the continuous selection of tetraniliprole. The Tet-R strain had a high fitness cost (relative fitness = 0.53). We established the susceptibility baseline of RSB to tetraniliprole (lethal concentration at LC50  = 0.727 mg/L) and investigated the resistance level of 6 field populations to tetraniliprole. All tested strains that had resistance to chlorantraniliprole exhibited moderate- to high-level resistance to tetraniliprole (resistance ratio = 27.7-806.8). Detection of ryanodine receptor (RyR) mutations showed that the Y4667C, Y4667D, I4758M, and Y4891F mutations were present in tested RSB field populations. RyR mutations were responsible for the cross-resistance between tetraniliprole and chlorantraniliprole. Further, the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) / CRISPR-associated protein 9-mediated genome-modified flies were used to study the contribution of RyR mutations to tetraniliprole resistance. The order of contribution of a single RyR mutation to tetraniliprole resistance was Y4667D > G4915E > Y4667C ≈ I4758M > Y4891F. In addition, the I4758M and Y4667C double mutations conferred higher tetraniliprole resistance than single Y4667C mutations. These results can guide resistance management practices for diamides in RSB and other arthropods.

Dynamic variations in and prediction of COVID-19 with omicron in the four first-tier cities of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Singapore

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019, has resulted in the devastating collapse of the social economy and more than 10 million deaths worldwide. A recent study suggests that the pattern of COVID-19 cases will resemble a mini-wave rather than a seasonal surge. In general, COVID-19 has more severe impacts on cities than on rural areas, especially in cities with high population density.

Methods

In this study, the background situation of COVID-19 transmission is discussed, including the population number and population density. Moreover, a widely used time series autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model is applied to simulate and forecast the COVID-19 variations in the six cities. We comprehensively analyze the dynamic variations in COVID-19 in the four first-tier cities of mainland China (BJ: Beijing, SH: Shanghai, GZ: Guangzhou and SZ: Shenzhen), Hong Kong (HK), China and Singapore (SG) from 2020 to 2022.

Results

The major results show that the six cities have their own temporal characteristics, which are determined by the different control and prevention measures. The four first-tier cities of mainland China (i.e., BJ, SH, GZ, and SZ) have similar variations with one wave because of their identical "Dynamic COVID-19 Zero" strategy and strict Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). HK and SG have multiple waves primarily caused by the input cases. The ARIMA model has the ability to provide an accurate forecast of the COVID-19 pandemic trend for the six cities, which could provide a useful approach for predicting the short-term variations in infectious diseases.Accurate forecasting has significant value for implementing reasonable control and prevention measures.

Conclusions

Our main conclusions show that control and prevention measures should be dynamically adjusted and organically integrated for the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the mathematical models are proven again to provide an important scientific basis for disease control.

Lactic Acid Bacteria and Aging: Unraveling the Interplay for Healthy Longevity

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are beneficial microorganisms widely utilized in food fermentation processes and as probiotic supplements. They offer multifarious health benefits, including enhancing digestion, strengthening immune mechanisms, and mitigating inflammation. Recent studies suggest that LAB might be instrumental in the anti-aging domain, modulating key molecular pathways involved in the aging continuum, such as IL-13, TNF-α, mTOR, IFN-γ, TGF-β, AMPK, and GABA. The TLR family, particularly TLR2, appears pivotal during the primary cellular interactions with bacteria and their byproducts. Concurrently, the Sirtuin family, predominantly Sirtuin-1, plays diverse roles upon cellular stimuli by bacterial components. The potential anti-aging benefits postulated include restoring gut balance, enhancing antioxidant potential, and fortifying cognitive and mental faculties. However, the current body of evidence is still embryonic and calls for expansive human trials and deeper mechanistic analyses. The safety and optimal consumption metrics for LAB also warrant rigorous evaluation. Future research trajectories should identify specific LAB strains with potent anti-aging properties and unravel the underlying biological pathways. Given the promising implications, LAB strains stand as potential dietary contenders to foster healthy aging and enrich the quality of life among the elderly population.

Facilitating cell segmentation with the projection-enhancement network

Contemporary approaches to instance segmentation in cell science use 2D or 3D convolutional networks depending on the experiment and data structures. However, limitations in microscopy systems or efforts to prevent phototoxicity commonly require recording sub-optimally sampled data that greatly reduces the utility of such 3D data, especially in crowded sample space with significant axial overlap between objects. In such regimes, 2D segmentations are both more reliable for cell morphology and easier to annotate. In this work, we propose the projection enhancement network (PEN), a novel convolutional module which processes the sub-sampled 3D data and produces a 2D RGB semantic compression, and is trained in conjunction with an instance segmentation network of choice to produce 2D segmentations. Our approach combines augmentation to increase cell density using a low-density cell image dataset to train PEN, and curated datasets to evaluate PEN. We show that with PEN, the learned semantic representation in CellPose encodes depth and greatly improves segmentation performance in comparison to maximum intensity projection images as input, but does not similarly aid segmentation in region-based networks like Mask-RCNN. Finally, we dissect the segmentation strength against cell density of PEN with CellPose on disseminated cells from side-by-side spheroids. We present PEN as a data-driven solution to form compressed representations of 3D data that improve 2D segmentations from instance segmentation networks.

A Novel Strategy for the Synthesis of High Stability of Luminescent Zero Dimensional-Two Dimensional CsPbBr3 Quantum Dot/1,4-bis(4-methylstyryl)benzene Nanoplate Heterostructures at an Atmospheric Condition

Perovskite quantum dots (QDs), emerging with excellent bright-green photoluminescence (PL) and a large absorption coefficient, are of great potential for the fabrication of light sources in underwater optical wireless communication systems. However, the instability caused by low formation energy and abundant surface traps is still a major concern for perovskite-based light sources in underwater conditions. Herein, we propose ultra-stable zero dimensional-two dimensional (0D-2D) CsPbBr3 QD/1,4-bis(4-methylstyryl)benzene (p-MSB) nanoplate (NP) heterostructures synthesized via a facile approach at room temperature in air. CsPbBr3 QDs can naturally nucleate on the p-MSB NP toluene solution, and the radiative combination is drastically intensified owing to the electron transfer within the typical type-II heterostructures, leading to a sharply increased PLQY of the heterostructure thin films up to 200% compared with the pristine sample. The passivation of defects within CsPbBr3 QDs can be effectively realized with the existence of p-MSB NPs, and thus the obviously improved PL is steadily witnessed in an ambient atmosphere and thermal environment. Meanwhile, the enhanced humidity stability and a peak EQE of 9.67% suggests a synergetic strategy for concurrently addressing the knotty problems on unsatisfied luminous efficiency and stability of perovskites for high-performance green-emitting optoelectronic devices in underwater applications.

The altered treatment efficiency of the bisulfite/permanganate process by chloride

Bisulfite-activated permanganate (S(IV)/Mn(VII)) process has proven to be a promising method for rapidly degrading micropollutants. Previous studies have shown that the treatment efficiency of the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process suffer from significant water matrix effects while the mechanism still remains unclear. This study systematically investigates the influence of chloride, which is a common water constituent, on the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process. Addition of chloride decreased the removal of methyl phenyl sulfoxide, phenol, benzoic acid and carbamazepine by the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process but increased dimethoxybenzene removal. The distribution of reactive species in the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process in the absence and presence of chloride was determined with relative rate method. The S(IV)/Mn(VII) process primarily relies on SO4•- and reactive manganese species (RMnS) for pollutant abatement while dosing chloride decreased the concentration of these reactive species. Reactive chlorine species (RCS), such as Cl2•- and ClO•, are formed through the reaction of SO4•- with chloride, and become more important at high concentrations of chloride. RMnS includes Mn(VI), Mn(V) and Mn(III), but none of these species are capable of oxidizing chloride. However, chloride retarded the consumption of bisulfite which reduced RMnS and RCS in turn. DOM inhibited pollutant removal by the S(IV)/Mn(VII) process while the impact mechanism was significantly altered by chloride. Additionally, the study observed a synergistic inhibition of DOM and chloride on the degradation of pollutants that are highly reactive towards Cl2•- and ClO•.

Bridging the Gap of Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Quality between High-Income, and Low- and Middle-Income Countries Using Knowledge-Based Planning

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Radiotherapy departments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Guatemala have recently introduced intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). IMRT has become the standard of care in high-income countries (HIC) due to reduced toxicity and improved outcomes in some cancers. The purpose of this work is to show the feasibility of adapting knowledge-based (KB) models established in a HIC to a LMIC lacking experience in IMRT to improve plan quality and planning efficiency.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A Halcyon Linac was installed at our clinic in Guatemala in 2019 and has been used to treat approximately 90 patients daily with IMRT. A model developed on a cohort of head and neck cancer patients at a US academic radiotherapy center were applied at our center to create 20head and neck VMAT plans with different prescriptions, including simultaneous-integrated and sequential boosts.

RESULTS

The plans created using the KB models achieved similar coverage of the planning target volume for each plan KB plans showed better 1) Parotid sparing with a mean dose reduction between 5%-25% and spinal cord maximum dose reduction between 3%-15%. The time efficiency to create VMAT plans using KB model versus manual planning improved four-fold, on average one hour versus more than 4 hours, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Despite different prescriptions, guidelines and demographics of cancer patients between two institutions in a HIC and LMIC, this work demonstrates that KB planning can be used to generate better and more consistent VMAT plans versus manually created plans. In addition, KB planning has the potential to greatly increase planning efficiency higher efficiency and help address the shortage of medical physicists and dosimetrists in LMICs.

Efficacy, mechanism, and safety of melatonin-loaded on thermosensitive nanogels for rabbit VX2 tumor embolization: A novel design

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely used for hepatocellular carcinoma. Reducing hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment after TACE remains a challenge as tumor progression is common in post-TACE patients due to the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In this study, melatonin loaded on p(N-isopropyl-acrylamide-co-butyl methylacrylate) (PIB-M) was used for tumor embolism. Two types of human hepatoma cell lines were used to explore the mechanism by which melatonin prevents the growth and metastasis of cancer cells in vitro. A VX2 rabbit tumor model was used to evaluate the efficacy, mechanism, and safety of PIB-M in vivo. We found that under hypoxic condition, melatonin could inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration by targeting hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in vitro. In vivo, PIB-M inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in rabbit VX2 tumors by promoting apoptosis of tumor cells and targeting related angiogenic proteins and vascular permeability proteins. A high concentration of melatonin in the PIB-M group could be maintained in tumor tissue for 72 h after embolization. The liver and kidney functions were most damaged on the first day but recovered to normal on the seventh day after embolization in the PIB-M group. This novel method may open avenues for reduction of tumor growth and metastasis after TACE and is efficacy and safety, which may be used for treatment for other solid tumors and clinical translation.

Root microbiota confers rice resistance to aluminium toxicity and phosphorus deficiency in acidic soils

Aluminium (Al) toxicity impedes crop growth in acidic soils and is considered the second largest abiotic stress after drought for crops worldwide. Despite remarkable progress in understanding Al resistance in plants, it is still unknown whether and how the soil microbiota confers Al resistance to crops. Here we found that a synthetic community composed of highly Al-resistant bacterial strains isolated from the rice rhizosphere increased rice yield by 26.36% in acidic fields. The synthetic community harvested rhizodeposited carbon for successful proliferation and mitigated soil acidification and Al toxicity through extracellular protonation. The functional coordination between plants and microbes offers a promising way to increase the usage of legacy phosphorus in topsoil. These findings highlight the potential of microbial tools for advancing sustainable agriculture in acidic soils.

Acupuncture at ST36 ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via affecting the function of B cells

Acupuncture at ST36 can alleviate a variety of autoimmune diseases, including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), while the specific mechanism for the treatment of EAE is not clear. In this study, we found that acupuncture at ST36 can significantly increase the excitability of splenic sympathetic nerve, and promote the differentiation of peripheral B and CD4+T cells in the anti-inflammatory direction. After blocking the splenic sympathetic nerve with 6-OHDA, this anti-inflammatory effect of acupuncture is partially reversed. In addition, the results of western blot and qPCR showed that acupuncture at ST36 simultaneously activated the β2-AR-cAMP signaling pathway in the splenic B and CD4+T cells, and this activation was more significant in B cells. In vitro, when CD4+T cells were cultured alone, norepinephrine (NE) had no significant effect on their differentiation. While in the presence of B cells, NE significantly promotes the anti-inflammatory differentiation of B and CD4+T cells. Therefore, the above results reveal that acupuncture can relieve EAE by stimulating the sympathetic nerves of spleen, mainly through acting on B cells to mediate anti-inflammatory effects, and indirectly affecting the function of CD4+T cells.

Dissecting Systemic T Cell Responses after Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy in NSCLC by Single-Cell RNA and T Cell Receptor Sequencing

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

There is accumulating evidence that stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) modulates immune responses to cancer; combining SABR and immunotherapy could promote the abscopal effect, but the precise effects of SABR on patients' systemic T cells is unclear. Here, we investigated SABR-induced systemic T cell response in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We performed single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing on 29,439 T cells from four pairs of peripheral blood before and after SABR in early-stage NSCLC patients. Cell clustering and dimensionality reduction, SingleR, feature genes score, and TCR profiling analyses were used to investigate the heterogeneity of T cells and their changes following SABR.

RESULTS

We identified fourteen T cell subtypes using unsupervised graph-based clustering of uniform manifold approximation and projection. By comparing the gene set scores of CD8_TE and CD8_EM pre- and post-SABR, we found both cytotoxic and inhibitory scores were significantly elevated in CD8_TE (both P < 0.001), while cytotoxic score was significantly increased in CD8_EM (P < 0.001) after SABR. We also found that CD4_TE showed increased cytotoxic scores and decreased Treg scores (P < 0.001 and < 0.05, respectively), while Treg cells showed decreased inhibitory and Treg scores (P < 0.001 and <0.01, respectively) after SABR. The proportion of large TCR clones was higher after SABR, which was accompanied by a decrease in proportion of single clones. When we compared the transcriptomes of CD8_TE cells between the single, small and large clones post-SABR, we found high expression of GZMB and KLRC3 in cells with large clones, and GZMK, IL7R, and SELL in small and single clones. This suggested that T cells after SABR with large clones may have higher cytotoxicity than those with small and single clones.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified systemic T cell activation after SABR at single-cell resolution, providing unprecedented insight into the immune-modulatory role of SABR in early-stage NSCLC.

Standardizing LT Chest Wall Radiotherapy Treatment Planning in a Low- or Middle- Income Country Radiotherapy Clinic Using Knowledge Based Planning

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Radiotherapy departments in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) tend to lag behind introducing emerging technologies like intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). IMRT has become the standard of care in high-income countries (HIC) due to reduced toxicity and improved outcomes in a wide variety of cancers. The purpose of this work is showing the results of left Chest-Wall knowledge-based planning (KBP) standardization and implementation in a LMIC setting.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A Halcyon Linac was installed at our clinic in Guatemala in 2019 and currently used to treat ∼90 IMRT patients daily. The standardization of IMRT procedures has been difficult for complex sites like chest-wall. The steps for standardization included: AAPM TG-263 nomenclature implementation, and planning workflows within the TPS, creation of optimization structures, and plan quality evaluation following RTOG1005 protocol hypofractionation arm. 25 plans were created manually achieving all RTOG1005 protocol constraints. The statistics were analyzed trough the model analytics tool provided by KPB manufacturer.

RESULTS

The results show that more plans are needed to improve the KBP model. This initial model was used to create a standardized clinical protocol in the TPS in order to continue adding plans to the KBP model database. This approach ensures that we obtain consistent plan quality and standardize our planning. The manual planning objectives achieved: CONCLUSION: The experience using the TPS to standardize our treatment planning process achieved good consistency in our planning objectives. This approach will help create KBP models according to our own clinic-specific requirements. Future work will be made to compare our LMIC KBP models with those made at a HIC academic radiotherapy center.

Light-induced thermoelastic sensor for ppb-level H2S detection in a SF6 gas matrices exploiting a mini-multi-pass cell and quartz tuning fork photodetector

We present an optical sensor based on light-induced thermoelastic spectroscopy for the detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The sensor incorporates a compact multi-pass cell measuring 6 cm × 4 cm × 4 cm and utilizes a quartz tuning fork (QTF) photodetector. A 1.58 µm near-infrared distributed feedback (DFB) laser with an optical power of 30 mW serves as the excitation source. The sensor achieved a minimum detection limit (MDL) of ∼300 ppb at an integration time of 300 ms, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient (NNEA) of 3.96 × 10-9 W·cm-1·Hz-1/2. By extending the integration time to 100 s, the MDL can be reduced to ∼25 ppb. The sensor exhibits a response time of ∼1 min for a gas flow rate of 70 sccm.

Synergistic effect of OK-432 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody for residual tumors after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) often results in incomplete ablation for medium-to-large and irregular tumors. To solve this clinical problem, we proposed a new treatment strategy of OK-432 in combination with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (αPD-1) antibody for residual tumors after incomplete RFA (iRFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

APPROACH AND RESULTS

The effect of OK-432 on immature dendritic cells (iDCs) was evaluated in vitro. A CCK-8 kit and ELISPOT were used to assess the killing effect of OK-432-induced CD8+ T cells in combination with an αPD-1 antibody on Hepa1-6 cells. We found that OK-432 significantly increased the maturation level of DCs, and OK-432-induced CD8+ T cells in combination with αPD-1 antibody significantly enhanced the function of CD8+ T cells. In the in vivo experiment, HCC model mice were treated with (1) pseudo iRFA + phosphate-buffered saline (PBS); (2) iRFA + PBS; (3) iRFA + OK-432; (4) iRFA + αPD-1; or (5) iRFA + OK-432 + αPD-1. We found that the combined therapy of OK-432 with αPD-1 antibody significantly increased the infiltration and function of CD8+ T cells and significantly decreased the number of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in residual tumors after iRFA of HCC. Moreover, the smallest tumor volumes and the longest survival were observed in the triple combination treatment (iRFA+OK-432 +αPD-1 antibody) group compared with the other four groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined therapy of OK-432 with αPD-1 antibody induced a strong antitumor immune response, which significantly inhibited the residual tumors after iRFA of HCC. This concept may provide a new treatment strategy to increase the curative efficacy of RFA for medium-to-large and irregular HCCs.

AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIAL

The data of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Event-Triggered Communication-Based Control for Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems

In this article, we shall investigate the event-triggered communication control problem for strict-feedback nonlinear systems with measurement outputs. First, two event-triggered communication schemes are designed. Based on both event-triggered schemes, the measurement output and control input signals are only transmitted at triggering time instants, which saves communication costs from the sensor to the controller and from the controller to the actuator. Meanwhile, Zeno behavior can be excluded under the proposed triggering schemes. Second, since the full-state information is not available to the controller, by developing an observer, the system state is estimated and a controller based on estimated state information is designed. Due to the irregular sampling of information communication and state estimation error affects each other, the parameters of the state observer, the controller, and the event-triggering mechanism should be jointly designed. It is proved that the closed-loop system state converges to the origin. Finally, a simulation example verifies the validity of the obtained theoretical result.

Impact of AI-Based Auto-Segmentation on Radiotherapy Processes in Low and Middle-Income Countries

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Radiotherapy processes require significant human resources and expertise, creating a barrier for rapid deployment in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Optimal radiotherapy (RT) relies on accurate segmentation of tumor targets and organs-at-risk (OARs) during the RT planning process. This study reports the impact of AI-based auto-segmentation on RT processes in an LMIC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Ten patients including five head and neck (HN), and five prostate cancer patients were randomly selected. Their planning CT images were subjected to auto- segmentation using an FDA-approved AI software tool, and manual segmentation by an experienced radiation oncologist from a Sub-Saharan African RT clinic. The control data consisted of contours from an experienced radiation oncologist and dosimetrists at a large academic institution in the US. For prostate cases, the contours included the prostate, seminal vesicles, bladder, rectum, penile bulb, and both femoral heads. For HN cases, the contours included the brain, brainstem, bilateral eyes, lens, optic nerves, cochlea, parotids, optic chiasm, spinal cord, oral cavity, and mandible. The time to complete the segmentation was recorded for both auto-segmentation and manual contours from the LMIC. The DICE similarity coefficients were used for comparative evaluation.

RESULTS

The average time for contouring per patient was 2 minutes for AI compared to 57 minutes for manual contouring in the LMIC. When comparing the control data, AI pelvic contours provide a slightly better agreement than LMIC manual contours for all the OARs, with the following mean DICE coefficients for AI vs LMIC manual contours: bladder (0.971 vs 0.958), left femoral head (0.960 vs 0.949), right femoral head (0.959 vs 0.941), rectum (0.880 vs 0.867), prostate (0.836 vs 0.824), seminal vesicles (0.696 vs 0.580), and penile bulb (0.536 vs 0.528). For HN contours, AI provide a better agreement for 7 of 11 OARs than the LMIC manual contours, with the following mean DICE coefficients: brain (0.972 vs 0.982), mandible (0.877 vs 0.925), right parotid (0.847 vs 0.800), left parotid (0.798 vs 0.792), spinal cord (0.837 vs 0.821), left eye (0.875 vs 0.832), right eye (0.867 vs 0.836), brainstem (0.866 vs 852), oral cavity (0.796 vs 0.787), left lens (0.650 vs 0.729) and right lens (0.671 vs 0.682). Neither AI contours nor LMIC manual contours had good agreement with the control data (<0.600) for optic nerves, chiasm, and cochlea due to their small volumes.

CONCLUSION

AI-based auto-segmentation tools are capable of producing contours of comparable quality to those generated by manual segmentation for both pelvic and HN cancer patients in LMICs, while also resulting in substantial time savings. AI-based auto-segmentation holds tremendous potential for improving radiotherapy care in LMICs with limited sources.

Zinc Improves Semen Parameters in High-Fat Diet-Induced Male Rats by Regulating the Expression of LncRNA in Testis Tissue

This study aimed to identify differentially expressed LncRNAs in testis tissue of male rats induced by high-fat diet and their changes after zinc supplementation, by constructing a high-fat feeding rat model, and then supplemented with zinc, and observed the expression of LncRNA in three groups of normal, high-fat fed, and zinc-intervened rats. Experimental studies show that the semen parameters of male rats with high-fat diet were decreased but recovered after zinc supplementation, and the related LncRNA also changed. Zinc may improve the high-fat diet-induced reduction of semen parameters by changing the expression of related LncRNA.

Leucine Supplementation Ameliorates Early-Life Programming of Obesity in Rats

The advanced cessation of lactation elevates the risk of programmed obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders in adulthood. This study used multiomic analysis to investigate the mechanism behind this phenomenon and the effects of leucine supplementation on ameliorating programmed obesity development. Wistar/SD rat offspring were subjected to early weaning (EW) at day 17 (EWWIS and EWSD groups) or normal weaning at day 21 (CWIS and CSD groups). Half of the rats from the EWSD group were selected to create a new group with 2-month leucine supplementation at day 150. The results showed that EW impaired lipid metabolic gene expression and increased insulin, neuropeptide Y, and feed intake, inducing obesity in adulthood. Six lipid metabolism-related genes (Acot1, Acot2, Acot4, Scd, Abcg8, and Cyp8b1) were influenced by EW during the entire experimental period. Additionally, adult early-weaned rats exhibited cholesterol and fatty acid β-oxidation disorders, liver taurine reduction, cholestasis, and insulin and leptin resistance. Leucine supplementation partly alleviated these metabolic disorders and increased liver L-carnitine, retarding programmed obesity development. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of programmed obesity development and the potential benefits of leucine supplementation, which may offer suggestions for life planning and programmed obesity prevention.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Early-weaned adult rats showed excess lipid accumulation and metabolic defects. Early weaning disrupts lipid metabolism and secretion of neuropeptide Y and insulin. The altered lipid metabolic gene expression in this study is vital in programming. Leucine mitigates metabolic disorders and hampers programmed obesity development.

Long noncoding RNA 1392 regulates MDA5 by interaction with ELAVL1 to inhibit coxsackievirus B5 infection

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate many aspects of biological and pathological processes. Recent studies have shown that host lncRNAs participate in the antiviral immune response, but functional lncRNAs in coxsackievirus B5 (CVB5) infection remain unknown. Here, we identified a novel cytoplasmic lncRNA, LINC1392, which was highly inducible in CVB5 infected RD cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and also can be induced by the viral RNA and IFN-β. Further investigation showed that LINC1392 promoted several important interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) expression, including IFIT1, IFIT2, and IFITM3 by activating MDA5, thereby inhibiting the replication of CVB5 in vitro. Mechanistically, LINC1392 bound to ELAV like RNA binding protein 1 (ELAVL1) and blocked ELAVL1 interaction with MDA5. Functional study revealed that the 245-835 ​nt locus of LINC1392 exerted the antiviral effect and was also an important site for ELAVL1 binding. In mice, LINC1392 could inhibit CVB5 replication and alleviated the histopathological lesions of intestinal and brain tissues induced by viral infection. Our findings collectively reveal that the novel LINC1392 acts as a positive regulator in the IFN-I signaling pathway against CVB5 infection. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms on how lncRNA regulats the host innate immunity response towards CVB5 infection will lay the foundation for antiviral drug research.

Luminescence and energy transfer performances of Tb3+/Mn4+ co-doped Sr2LuTaO6 double-perovskite phosphors for a highly sensitive optical thermometer

A series of Tb3+/Mn4+ co-doped double-perovskite oxides Sr2LuTaO6 (SLT) phosphors are synthesized by a solid-state method. The results of structural characterization prove that the Tb3+ and Mn4+ ions are successfully doped into the SLT host. The photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+, Sr2LuTaO6:Mn4+ and Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ are illustrated in detail. Under ultraviolet (UV) excitation, bright green and red lights are obtained from the Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ phosphor. In particular, the emission intensity of Tb3+ ions in Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ is enhanced by the energy transfer (ET) process from Mn4+ to Tb3+. The thermal enhancement of Tb3+ ion radiation in Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ also proves the ET process (Mn4+ → Tb3+). In addition, the thermal enhancement of Tb3+ ion radiation and the thermal quenching of Mn4+ ion radiation in the Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ system can be applied to develop optical thermometry based on luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) technology. Therefore, the LIRs of Mn4+ (2Eg → 4A2g) and Tb3+ (5D4 → 7F5,4) are investigated in the temperature range from 313 to 573 K. The absolute sensitivity (Sa) and relative sensitivity (Sr) of the Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ phosphor are calculated. The maximum values of Sa and Sr are obtained from the LIR of Tb3+: 5D4 → 7F4 (570-599 nm) and Mn4+: 2Eg → 4A2g (625-705 nm). The maximum Sa is 10.18% K-1 at 543 K, and the maximum value of Sr reaches 1.98% K-1 at 543 K. These results confirm that the ET process from Mn4+ to Tb3+ contributes to increasing the temperature measuring sensitivity of the Sr2LuTaO6:Tb3+/Mn4+ phosphor. Therefore, the Sr2LuTaO6:Mn4+/Tb3+ phosphor has prospective potential in optical thermometry and provides advantageous guidance for designing high-sensitivity optical thermometers.

Polarization-Sensitive, Self-Powered, and Broadband Semimetal MoTe2/MoS2 van der Waals Heterojunction for Photodetection and Imaging

The emerging type II Weyl semimetal 1T' MoTe2 as a promising material in polarization-sensitive photodetectors has aroused much attention due to its narrow bandgap and intrinsic in-plane anisotropic crystal structure. However, the semimetal properties lead to a large dark current and a low response. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time an all-2D semimetal MoTe2/MoS2 van der Waals (vdWs) heterojunction to improve the performance of the photodetectors and realize polarization-sensitive, self-powered, and broadband photodetection and imaging. Owing to the built-in electric field of the heterojunction, the device achieves a self-powered photoresponse ranging from 520 to 1550 nm. Under 915 nm light illumination, the device demonstrates outstanding performance, including a high responsivity of 79 mA/W, a specific detectivity of 1.2 × 1010 Jones, a fast rise/decay time of 180/202 μs, and a high on/off ratio of 1.3 × 10.3 Wavelength-dependent photocurrent anisotropic ratio is revealed to vary from 1.10 at 638 nm to 2.24 at 1550 nm. Furthermore, we demonstrate the polarization imaging capabilities of the device in scattering surroundings, and the DoLP and AoLP images achieve 78% and 112% contrast enhancement, respectively, compared to the S0. This work opens up new avenues to develop anisotropic semimetals heterojunction photodetectors for high-performance polarization-sensitive photodetection and next-generation polarized imaging.

A noise-controlling method by hybrid current-stimulation and voltage-measurement for electrical impedance tomography (HCSVM-EIT)

Image reconstruction in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a typical ill-posed inverse problem, from which the stability of conductivity reconstruction affects the reliability of physiological parameters evaluation. In order to improve the stability, the effect of boundary voltage noise on conductivity reconstruction should be controlled. A noise-controlling method based on hybrid current-stimulation and voltage-measurement for EIT (HCSVM-EIT) is proposed for stable conductivity reconstruction. In HCSVM-EIT, the boundary voltage is measured by one current-stimulation and voltage-measurement pattern (high-SNRpattern) with a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); the sensitivity matrix is calculated by another current-stimulation and voltage-measurement pattern (low-condpattern) with a lower condition number; the boundary voltage is then transformed from thehigh-SNRpattern into thelow-condpattern by multiplying by an optimized transformation matrix for image reconstruction. The stability of conductivity reconstruction is improved by combining the advantages of thehigh-SNRpattern for boundary voltage measurement and thelow-condpattern for sensitivity matrix calculation. The simulation results show that the HCSVM-EIT increases the correlation coefficient (CC) of conductivity reconstruction. The experiment results show that theCCof conductivity reconstruction of the human lower limb is increased from 0.3424 to 0.5580 by 62.97% compared to the quasi-adjacent pattern, and from 0.4942 to 0.5580 by 12.91% compared to the adjacent pattern. In conclusion, the stable conductivity reconstruction with higherCCin HCSVM-EIT improves the reliability of physiological parameters evaluation for disease detection.

Modeling soil bacterial diversity: challenges and opportunities

Understanding the mechanisms structuring soil bacterial diversity has critical implications to advance the parametrization of species distribution models. This forum article discusses recent advances in the use of the metabolic theory of ecology applicable to soil microbiology, and highlights challenges and opportunities to inform future empirical and theoretical studies.

A Case of Community-Acquired Elizabethkingia meningoseptica

Many nosocomial infections commonly arise as a result of contaminated water sources in the hospital setting, such as sinks, air-conditioning systems, ventilation devices, and catheters. Among the microorganisms found in these environments is Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, a gram-negative bacterium first discovered in 1959 by Elizabeth O. King. This bacterium is a rare cause of meningitis, pneumonia, bacteremia, and skin and soft tissue infections in hospital settings. This case report examines a unique community-acquired transmission of E. meningoseptica in a 78-year-old male patient with an extensive medical history who presented with acute fever and confusion coupled with multiple recent falls. Examination and culturing of an open wound on a dry blister of the left lower extremity revealed the presence of E. meningoseptica.

Efficacy of arthroscopic internal fixation with countersunk screw in the treatment of talus fracture

Objective

To explore clinical effects of arthroscopic internal fixation with countersunk screw in the treatment of talus fracture.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with talus fracture treated in hospital of Chengde Medical University from February 2015 to December 2019 were enrolled for present investigation. The patients with talus fracture were randomly assigned into two groups, with twenty-four patients per group. The patients with talus fracture in the observation group were treated with arthroscopic internal fixation with countersunk screw, while the traditional open reduction and internal fixation were applied for the ones in control group. The clinical efficacy of the patients was evaluated three months after the operation, and the preoperative and postoperative ankle joint functions, fracture-healing time, hospital stay, and complications were carefully compared between observation and control group.

Results

A total efficiency as high as 91.67% was showed in observation group, which is distinctly better than the effective rate of control group (66.67%, P<0.05). Before operation, ankle function scores (AOFAS) of control group and observation group is 42.08 ± 4.29 and 41.75±5.31 with no significantly difference (P>0.05); while after the surgery, AOFAS scores of control group is significantly lower than that of observation group: (66.28±7.51 vs. 53.0 ±6.79, P<0.05). Moreover, healing time and hospitalized duration of observation group are 3.19±1.04 months and 3.57±0.97 days, which are also significantly shorter than 4.18±1.25 months and 8.28±2.54 days in control group, respectively, (P < 0.05). And the total complication rate in control group is 20.83%, which is higher than 8.33% in observation group (P >0.05).

Conclusion

Arthroscopic internal fixation with countersunk screw can significantly improve the efficacy and ankle joint functions, shorten the fracture-healing time and hospital stays without increasing the incidence of complications.

The epigenetic modifier lysine methyltransferase 2C is frequently mutated in gastric remnant carcinoma

Gastric remnant carcinoma (GRC), which occurs in the stomach after partial gastrectomy, is a rare and aggressive form of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). Comprehensive profiling of genomic mutations in GRC could provide the basis for elucidating the origin and characteristics of this cancer. Herein, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on 36 matched tumor-normal samples from patients with GRC and identified recurrent mutations in epigenetic modifiers, notably KMT2C, ARID1A, NSD1, and KMT2D, in 61.11% of cases. Mutational signature analysis revealed a low frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) in GRC, which was further identified by MSIsensor, MSI-polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry analysis. Comparative analysis demonstrated that GRC had a distinct mutation spectrum compared to that of GAC in The Cancer Genome Atlas samples, with a significantly higher mutation rate of KMT2C. Targeted deep sequencing (Target-seq) of an additional 25 paired tumor-normal samples verified the high mutation frequency (48%) of KMT2C in GRC. KMT2C mutations correlated with poor overall survival in both WES and Target-seq cohorts and were independent prognosticators in GRC. In addition, KMT2C mutations were positively correlated with favorable outcomes in immune checkpoint inhibitor-treated pan-cancer patients and associated with higher intratumoral CD3+ , CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte counts, and PD-L1 expression in GRC samples (p = 0.018, 0.092, 0.047, 0.010, and 0.034, respectively). Our dataset provides a platform for information and knowledge mining of the genomic characteristics of GRC and helps to frame new therapeutic approaches for this disease.

Changes of Gut Microbiota in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients and Their Impact on Patient's Microinflammation Status

This study was to investigate the changes in gut microbiota in maintenance hemodialysis patients and analyze their impact on patient's microinflammation status. For this purpose, thirty-nine chronic kidney disease (CKD) maintenance hemodialysis patients admitted to our hospital from March 2019 to March 2022 were selected as the experimental group, and 40 healthy individuals with examination results during the same period were selected as the control group. The levels of gut microbiota (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecalis) and microinflammation indicators [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)] were measured in both groups. The relationship between changes in gut microbiota and microinflammation in maintenance hemodialysis CKD patients was analyzed. Results showed that the levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all, P<0.05), while the levels of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all, P<0.05). The IL-6, TNF-α, and hs-CRP levels in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all, P<0.05). Using microinflammation indicators as dependent variables and microbiota indicators as independent variables for stepwise regression analysis, the results showed that the levels of Lactobacillus were negatively correlated with IL-6 and TNF-α levels in patients (r=-0.358, -0.942, P<0.05); the levels of Bifidobacterium were negatively correlated with IL-6, TNF-α, and hs-CRP levels in patients (r=-0.394, -0.211, -0.547, P<0.05); the levels of Escherichia coli were positively correlated with IL-6 and TNF-α levels in patients (r=0.221, 0.268, P<0.05); the levels of Enterococcus faecalis were positively correlated with IL-6 and hs-CRP levels in patients (r=0.253, 0.378, P<0.05). In conclusion, patients with maintenance hemodialysis for CKD commonly exhibit gut microbiota dysbiosis and varying degrees of low-grade inflammation. Compared to healthy individuals, maintenance hemodialysis patients with CKD have lower levels of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and higher levels of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus in their gut. Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus all have a certain impact on the low-grade inflammation status of patients with maintenance hemodialysis for CKD.

Skin-adhesive lignin-grafted-polyacrylamide/hydroxypropyl cellulose hydrogel sensor for real-time cervical spine bending monitoring in human-machine Interface

Developing a straightforward method to produce conductive hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties, self-adhesion, and biocompatibility remains a significant challenge. While current approaches aim to enhance mechanical performance, they often require additional steps or external forces for fixation, leading to increased production time and limited practicality. A novel lignin-grafted polyacrylamide/hydroxypropyl cellulose hydrogel (L-g-PAM/HPC hydrogel) with a semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure had been developed in this research that boasted exceptional adhesion to the skin (∼68 kPa) and stretchability properties (∼1637 %) compared to PAM-based hydrogels. By incorporating conductive additives such as silver nanowires and carbon nanocages to construct a bridge-like structure within the hydrogel matrix, the resulting AgC@L-g-PAM/HPC hydrogel exhibited impressive electrical conductivity, surpassing that of other PAM-based hydrogels relying on MXene, with a maximum value of 0.76 S/m. Furthermore, the AgC@L-g-PAM/HPC hydrogel retained its efficient electrical signal transmission capability even under mechanical stress. These make it an ideal flexible strain sensor capable of detecting various human motions. In this study, a smart real-time monitoring system was successfully developed for tracking cervical spine bending, serving as an extension for monitoring human activities.

Effects of sgRNAs, Promoters, and Explants on the Gene Editing Efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 System in Chinese Kale

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is extensively used for plant gene editing. This study developed an efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system for Chinese kale using multiple sgRNAs and two promoters to create various CRISPR/Cas9 vectors. These vectors targeted BoaZDS and BoaCRTISO in Chinese kale protoplasts and cotyledons. Transient transformation of Chinese kale protoplasts was assessed for editing efficiency at three BoaZDS sites. Notably, sgRNA: Z2 achieved the highest efficiency (90%). Efficiency reached 100% when two sgRNAs targeted BoaZDS with a deletion of a large fragment (576 bp) between them. However, simultaneous targeting of BoaZDS and BoaCRTISO yielded lower efficiency. Transformation of cotyledons led to Chinese kale mutants with albino phenotypes for boazds mutants and orange-mottled phenotypes for boacrtiso mutants. The mutation efficiency of 35S-CRISPR/Cas9 (92.59%) exceeded YAO-CRISPR/Cas9 (70.97%) in protoplasts, and YAO-CRISPR/Cas9 (96.49%) surpassed 35S-CRISPR/Cas9 (58%) in cotyledons. These findings introduce a strategy for enhancing CRISPR/Cas9 editing efficiency in Chinese kale.

5-ALA Improves the Low Temperature Tolerance of Common Bean Seedlings through a Combination of Hormone Transduction Pathways and Chlorophyll Metabolism

Low-temperature stress is a key factor limiting the yield and quality of the common bean. 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), an antioxidant in plants, has been shown to modulate plant cold stress responses. However, the molecular mechanisms of 5-ALA-induced physiological and chemical changes in common bean seedlings under cold stress remains unknown. This study explored the physiological and transcriptome changes of common bean seedlings in response to cold stress after 5-ALA pretreatment. Physiological results showed that exogenous 5-ALA promotes the growth of common bean plants under cold stress, increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase: 23.8%; peroxidase: 10.71%; catalase: 9.09%) and proline content (24.24%), decreases the relative conductivity (23.83%), malondialdehyde (33.65%), and active oxygen content, and alleviates the damage caused by cold to common bean seedlings. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 214 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) participate in response to cold stress. The DEGs are mainly concentrated in indole alkaloid biosynthesis, carotenoid biosynthesis, porphyrin, and chlorophyll metabolism. It is evident that exogenous 5-ALA alters the expression of genes associated with porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, as well as the plant hormone signal transduction pathway, which helps to maintain the energy supply and metabolic homeostasis under low-temperature stress. The results reveal the effect that applying exogenous 5-ALA has on the cold tolerance of the common bean and the molecular mechanism of its response to cold tolerance, which provides a theoretical basis for exploring and improving plant tolerance to low temperatures.

Interaction between dissolved organic carbon and fungal network governs carbon mineralization in paddy soil under co-incorporation of green manure and biochar

Legume crops in rice cultivation are typically rotated and incorporated into the soil as green manure to improve soil fertility. Biochar has recently been co-incorporated with green manure to simultaneously stimulate soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization and increase carbon (C) sequestration. However, few studies examine the effects of the co-incorporation of biochar and green manure on C cycling and the underlying microbial mechanisms in paddy fields. In this study, the effects of the co-incorporation of green manure and biochar on C mineralization, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) characteristics, and microbial community structures were investigated. A pot study was conducted with three treatments: inorganic NPK (NPK), inorganic NPK + green manure (GM), and inorganic NPK + green manure + biochar (GMC). Organic amendments significantly increased cumulative C mineralization, with amounts in the order GMC (3,434 mg·kg-1) > GM (2,934 mg·kg-1) > NPK (2,592 mg·kg-1). Fertilizer treatments had similar effects on DOC concentrations, with amounts in the order GMC (279 mg·kg-1) > GM (255 mg·kg-1) > NPK (193 mg·kg-1). According to fluorescence spectra, the highest microbial humic acid-like fraction and biological index were also in GMC. Co-incorporation of green manure and biochar shifted the composition of bacterial and fungal communities but more importantly, increased fungal network complexity and decreased bacterial network complexity. The increase in fungal network complexity with the increase in DOC concentrations and microbially derived components was the dominant factor in promoting C mineralization. Overall, this study reveals the underlying biochemical mechanism, the interaction between DOC and fungal network of C cycling in paddy soil under the co-incorporation of green manure and biochar management, and provides fundamental knowledge for exploring effective approaches to improve soil fertility and health in the future.

Improving Crystallinity and Out-of-Plane Orientation in Quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite by Fluorinated Organic Salt for Light-Emitting Diodes

Fluoro-substituted aromatic alkylammonium spacer cations are found effective to improve the performance of quasi-2D perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). The fluorine substitution is generally attributed to the defect passivation, quantum well width control, and energy level adjustments. However, the substituted cations can also affect the crystallization process but is not thoroughly studied. Herein, a comparison study is carried out using bare PEA cation and three different fluoro-substituted PEA (x-F-PEA, x = o, ortho; m, meta; p, para) cations to investigate the impacts of different substitution sites on the perovskite crystallization and orientations. By using GIWAXS, p-F-PEA cation is found to induce the strongest preferential out-of-plane orientations with the best crystallinity in quasi-2D perovskite. Using dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods, larger colloidal particles (630 nm) are revealed in p-F-PEA precursor solutions than the PEA cations (350 nm). The larger particles can accelerate the crystallization process and induce out-of-plane orientation from increased dipole-dipole interaction. The transient absorption measurement confirms longer radiative recombination lifetime, proving beneficial effect of p-F-PEA cation. As a result, the fabricated p-F-PEA-based PeLEDs achieved the highest EQE of 15.2%, which is higher than those of PEA- (8.8%), o-F-PEA- (4.3%), and m-F-PEA-based (10.3%) PeLEDs.

PARP1-catalyzed PARylation of YY1 mediates endoplasmic reticulum stress in granulosa cells to determine primordial follicle activation

Although only a small number of primordial follicles are known to be selectively activated during female reproductive cycles, the mechanisms that trigger this recruitment remain largely uncharacterized. Misregulated activation of primordial follicles may lead to the exhaustion of the non-renewable pool of primordial follicles, resulting in premature ovarian insufficiency. Here, we found that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) enzymatic activity in the surrounding granulosa cells (GCs) in follicles determines the subpopulation of the dormant primordial follicles to be awakened. Conversely, specifically inhibiting PARP1 in oocytes in an in vitro mouse follicle reconstitution model does not affect primordial follicle activation. Further analysis revealed that PARP1-catalyzed transcription factor YY1 PARylation at Y185 residue facilitates YY1 occupancy at Grp78 promoter, a key molecular chaperone of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and promotes Grp78 transcription in GCs, which is required for GCs maintaining proper ERS during primordial follicle activation. Inhibiting PARP1 prevents the loss of primordial follicle pool by attenuating the excessive ERS in GCs under fetal bisphenol A exposure. Together, we demonstrate that PARP1 in GCs acts as a pivotal modulator to determine the fate of the primordial follicles and may represent a novel therapeutic target for the retention of primordial follicle pool in females.

RNase H1 facilitates recombinase recruitment by degrading DNA-RNA hybrids during meiosis

DNA-RNA hybrids play various roles in many physiological progresses, but how this chromatin structure is dynamically regulated during spermatogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we show that germ cell-specific knockout of Rnaseh1, a specialized enzyme that degrades the RNA within DNA-RNA hybrids, impairs spermatogenesis and causes male infertility. Notably, Rnaseh1 knockout results in incomplete DNA repair and meiotic prophase I arrest. These defects arise from the altered RAD51 and DMC1 recruitment in zygotene spermatocytes. Furthermore, single-molecule experiments show that RNase H1 promotes recombinase recruitment to DNA by degrading RNA within DNA-RNA hybrids and allows nucleoprotein filaments formation. Overall, we uncover a function of RNase H1 in meiotic recombination, during which it processes DNA-RNA hybrids and facilitates recombinase recruitment.