Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation pH-responsive films based on gelatin/chitosan incorporated with aloe-emodin

Using novel active food packaging has gradually become a daily necessity in terms of impeding microbial contamination. Here, an antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (PDI) pH-responsive film is developed by incorporating aloe-emodin (AE) into a vehicle of gelatin/chitosan (GC). Besides enhancement in hydrophobicity, the well-dispersed crystals of AE in the GC matrix by hydrogen bonding can upgrade the film's mechanical strength and barrier. The matrix is capable of regulating the release of AE in response to acidic stimuli by a combination mechanism of diffusion and polymer relaxation. Being benefitted from the inherent bioactivity of AE and the PDI activity under visible light irradiation (i.e., 456 nm), the target film of GC-AE2 has excellent antibacterial effect towards Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, showing bacterial viability of 9.93 ± 1.33 % and 14.85 ± 1.16 %, respectively. Furthermore, the film can effectively thwart Botrytis cinerea infection in cherry tomatoes, demonstrating its potential in preventing the microbial spoilage of postharvest fruits.

Identification of qualitative characteristics of immunosuppression in sepsis based on immune-related genes and immune infiltration features

Objective

Sepsis is linked to high morbidity and mortality rates. Consequently, early diagnosis is crucial for proper treatment, reducing hospitalization, and mortality rates. Additionally, over one-fifth of sepsis patients still face a risk of death. Hence, early diagnosis, and effective treatment play pivotal roles in enhancing the prognosis of patients with sepsis.

Method

The study analyzed whole blood data obtained from patients with sepsis and control samples sourced from three datasets (GSE57065, GSE69528, and GSE28750). Commonly dysregulated immune-related genes (IRGs) among these three datasets were identified. The differential characteristics of these common IRGs in the sepsis and control samples were assessed using the REO-based algorithm. Based on these differential characteristics, samples from eight Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases (GSE57065, GSE69528, GSE28750, GSE65682, GSE69063, GSE95233, GSE131761, and GSE154918), along with three ArrayExpress databases (E-MTAB-4421, E-MTAB-4451, and E-MTAB-7581), were categorized and scored. The effectiveness of these differential characteristics in distinguishing sepsis samples from control samples was evaluated using the AUC value derived from the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve. Furthermore, the expression of IRGs was validated in peripheral blood samples obtained from patients with sepsis through qRT-PCR.

Results

Among the three training datasets, a total of 84 common dysregulated immune-related genes (IRGs) were identified. Utilizing a within-sample relative expression ordering (REOs)-based algorithm to analyze these common IRGs, differential characteristics were observed in three reverse stable pairs (ELANE-RORA, IL18RAP-CD247, and IL1R1-CD28). In the eight GEO datasets, the expression of ELANE, IL18RAP, and IL1R1 demonstrated significant upregulation, while RORA, CD247, and CD28 expression exhibited notable downregulation during sepsis. These three pairs of immune-related marker genes displayed accuracies of 95.89% and 97.99% in distinguishing sepsis samples among the eight GEO datasets and the three independent ArrayExpress datasets, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.81 to 1.0. Additionally, among these three immune-related marker gene pairs, mRNA expression levels of ELANE and IL1R1 were upregulated, whereas the levels of CD247 and CD28 mRNA were downregulated in blood samples from patients with sepsis compared to normal controls.

Conclusion

These three immune-related marker gene pairs exhibit high predictive performance for blood samples from patients with sepsis. They hold potential as valuable auxiliary clinical blood screening tools for sepsis.

miR-29b-1-5p exacerbates myocardial injury induced by sepsis in a mouse model by targeting TERF2

Myocardial damage is a critical complication and a significant contributor to mortality in sepsis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key players in sepsis pathogenesis. In this study, we explore the effect and mechanisms of miR-29b-1-5p on sepsis-induced myocardial damage. Sepsis-associated Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (GSE72380 and GSE29914) are examined for differential miRNAs. The mouse sepsis-induced cardiac injury was established by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). LPS-treated HL-1 mouse cardiomyocytes simulate myocardial injury in vitro. miR-29b-1-5p is co-upregulated in both datasets and in cardiac tissue from sepsis mouse and HL-1 cell models. miR-29b-1-5p expression downregulation was achieved by antagomir transduction and confirmed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Survival analysis and echocardiography examination show that miR-29b-1-5p inhibition improves mice survival cardiac function in LPS- and CLP-induced sepsis mice. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining and Immunohistochemistry analysis of mouse myocardial α-smooth muscle actin show that miR-29b-1-5p inhibition reduces myocardial tissue injury and fibrosis. The inflammatory cytokines and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels in mouse serum and HL-1 cells are also decreased by miR-29b-1-5p inhibition, as revealed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of autophagy-lysosomal pathway-related and apoptosis-related proteins in the mouse cardiac tissues and HL-1 cells are evaluated by western blot analysis. The sepsis-induced activation of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway and apoptosis are also reversed by miR-29b-1-5p antagomir. MTT and flow cytometry measurement further confirm the protective role of miR-29b-1-5p antagomir in HL-1 cells by increasing cell viability and suppressing cell apoptosis. Metascape functionally enriches TargetScan-predicted miR-29b-1-5p target genes. TargetScan prediction and dual luciferase assay validate the targeting relationship between miR-29b-1-5p and telomeric repeat-binding factor 2 (TERF2). The expression and function of TERF2 in HL-1 cells and mice are also evaluated. MiR-29b-1-5p negatively regulates the target gene TERF2. TERF2 knockdown partly restores miR-29b-1-5p antagomir function in LPS-stimulated HL-1 cells. In summary, miR-29b-1-5p targetedly inhibits TERF2, thereby enhancing sepsis-induced myocardial injury.

[Clinical characteristics of pertussis in hospitalized children under 3 months]

Demographic data and clinical data were collected retrospectively from patients with pertussis at the Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics between March 2011 and February 2023. Among the 270 hospitalized patients, 151 cases were male and 119 were female. The youngest age of admission was 10 days and the eldest age of admission was 11 years. The 270 hospitalized patients were divided into two groups according to onset age: <3 months (n=143) and≥3 months (n=127). For those in the <3-month-old group, the incidence of severe pneumonia and severe pertussis were 21.0% and 38.5%, respectively, both were significantly higher than those in≥3-month-old group (7.9% and 11.0%, both P<0.05). For those in the <3-month-old group, paroxysmal spasmodic cough, post-tussive vomiting, paroxysmal cyanosis, apnea, and decreased heart rate after coughing were 86.7%, 25.2%, 38.5%, 7.0% and 16.8%, respectively, all were significantly higher than those in ≥3-month-old group (76.4%, 10.2%, 15.7%, 1.6% and 1.6%, all P<0.05). For those in the<3-month-old group, the incidence of hypoxemia, respiratory failure, were 36.4%, 16.8%, respectively, and both were significantly higher than those in≥3-month-old group (10.2%, 7.1%, P<0.05). It indicated that among the infants under 3 months, the incidence of vomiting after coughing, paroxysmal cyanosis, apnea, hypoxemia, respiratory failure, decreased heart rate after coughing and severe pneumonia were significantly higher than those above 3 months. Infants under 3 months were prone to severe pertussis.

The developmental cognitive mechanism of learning algebraic rules from the dual-process theory perspective

Rule learning is an important ability that enables human beings to adapt to nature and develop civilizations. There have been many discussions on the mechanism and characteristics of algebraic rule learning, but there are still controversies due to the lack of theoretical guidance. Based on the dual-process theory, this study discussed the following arguments for algebraic rule learning across human and animal studies: whether algebraic rule learning is simply Type 1 processing, whether algebraic rule learning is a domain-general ability, whether algebraic rule learning is shared by humans and animals, and whether an algebraic rule is learned consciously. Moreover, we propose that algebraic rule learning is possibly a cognitive process that combines both Type 1 and Type 2 processing. Further exploration is required to establish the essence and neural basis of algebraic rule learning.

Advances in biotin biosynthesis and biotechnological production in microorganisms

Biotin, also known as vitamin H or B7, acts as a crucial cofactor in the central metabolism processes of fatty acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates. Biotin has important applications in food additives, biomedicine, and other fields. While the ability to synthesize biotin de novo is confined to microorganisms and plants, humans and animals require substantial daily intake, primarily through dietary sources and intestinal microflora. Currently, chemical synthesis stands as the primary method for commercial biotin production, although microbial biotin production offers an environmentally sustainable alternative with promising prospects. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the pathways involved in de novo biotin synthesis in various species of microbes and insights into its regulatory and transport systems. Furthermore, diverse strategies are discussed to improve the biotin production here, including mutation breeding, rational metabolic engineering design, artificial genetic modification, and process optimization. The review also presents the potential strategies for addressing current challenges for industrial-scale bioproduction of biotin in the future. This review is very helpful for exploring efficient and sustainable strategies for large-scale biotin production.

Effects of Water and Nitrogen Control on the Growth Physiology, Yields, and Economic Benefits of Lycium barbarum Plants in a Lycium barbarum + Alfalfa System

In the production of economic forests, there are common issues such as excessive application of water and fertilizer, redundant plant growth, and low economic benefits. Reasonable water and fertilizer management can not only help address these problems but also improve the absorption and use efficiency of water and fertilizer resources by plants, promoting the green and efficient development of the fruit and forestry industry. In order to explore a suitable water and nitrogen management mode for Lycium barbarum, field experiments were conducted in this study from 2021 to 2022. Specifically, four irrigation modes (according to the proportion ratio of soil moisture content to field moisture capacity θf, 45-55% θf (W1, severe water deficiency), 55-65% θf (W2, moderate water deficiency), 65-75% θf (W3, mild water deficiency), and 75-85% θf (W4, sufficient irrigation)) and four nitrogen application levels (0 kg·ha-1 (N0, no nitrogen application), 150 kg·ha-1 (N1, low nitrogen application level), 300 kg·ha-1 (N2, medium nitrogen application level), and 450 kg·ha-1 (N3, high nitrogen application level)) were set up to analyze the influences of water and nitrogen control on the plant height, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic characteristics and yield, and economic benefits of Lycium barbarum in the Lycium barbarum + Alfalfa system. The study results show that the plant height and stem diameter increment of Lycium barbarum increase with the irrigation amount, increasing first and then decreasing with the increase in the nitrogen application level. Meanwhile, the chlorophyll contents in Lycium barbarum continuously increase throughout their growth periods, with Lycium barbarum treated with W4N2 during all growth periods presenting the highest contents of chlorophyll. In a Lycium barbarum + Alfalfa system, the daily variation curve of the Lycium barbarum net photosynthetic rate presents a unimodal pattern, with maximum values of the daily average net photosynthetic rate and daily carboxylation rate appearing among W4N2-treated plants (19.56 μmol·m-2·s-1 and 157.06 mmol·m-2·s-1). Meanwhile, the transpiration rates of Lycium barbarum plants continuously decrease with the increased degree of water deficiency and decreased nitrogen application level. W1N2-treated plants exhibit the highest leaf daily average water use efficiency (3.31 μmol·s-1), presenting an increase of 0.50-10.47% in efficiency compared with plants under other treatments. The coupling of water and nitrogen has significantly improved the yields and economic benefits of Lycium barbarum plants, with W4N2-treated and W3N2-treated plants presenting the highest dried fruit yield (2623.07 kg·ha-1) and net income (50,700 CNY·ha-1), respectively. Furthermore, compared with other treatment methods, these two treatment methods (W4N2 and W3N2) exhibit increases of 4.04-84.08% and 3.89-123.35% in dried fruit yield and net income indexes, respectively. Regression analysis shows that, in a Lycium barbarum + Alfalfa system, both high yields and economic benefits of Lycium barbarum plants can be achieved using an irrigation amount of 4367.33-4415.07 m3·ha-1 and a nitrogen application level of 339.80-367.35 kg·ha-1. This study can provide a reference for improving the productivity of Lycium barbarum plants and achieving a rational supply of water and nitrogen in Lyciun barbarum + Alfalfa systems in the Yellow River Irrigation Area of Gansu, China, and other similar ecological areas.

Insight into the binding characteristics of epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate and alcohol dehydrogenase: Based on the spectroscopic and molecular docking analysis

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is one of the pivotal enzymes for alcohol metabolism, which plays an important role in many physiological processes. In this study, the activation effects of epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) on ADH and the characteristics of the interaction were investigated via biochemical method, spectroscopy methods, and molecular docking. The results demonstrated that EGCG significantly increased the catalytic activity of ADH with a 33.33% activation rate and that EGCG blending slightly altered the microenvironment surrounding ADH aromatic amino acids, with an increase in the quantity of β-sheet and a decrease in the α-helix. Through the thermal stability analysis, it is further shown that the interaction of the two affects the intra-molecular hydrogen bond formation of the protein, and the conformation is partially extended. Besides, a total of 8 residues in ADH participated in the docking with EGCG, among which Asp-227, Lys-231, Glu-234, Gly-365 and Glu-366 participated in the formation of hydrogen bonds. At the same time, EGCG and amino group of Lys-231 form a noncovalent bond through cation-π interaction. In particular, hydrogen bonding was beneficial to keep the stability of EGCG-ADH, which was the primary driver of ADH activity activation. The results supply a new way for EGCG to activate ADH and a theoretical basis for the development of anti-alcoholism products.

Regulatory mechanism of circular RNAs in neurodegenerative diseases

BACKGROUND

Neurodegenerative disease is a collective term for a category of diseases that are caused by neuronal dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs without the 3' cap and 5' poly(A) and are linked by covalent bonds. CircRNAs are highly expressed in brain neurons and can regulate the pathological process of neurodegenerative diseases by affecting the levels of various deposition proteins.

AIMS

This review is aiming to suggest that the majority of circRNAs influence neurodegenerative pathologies mainly by affecting the abnormal deposition of proteins in neurodegenerative diseases.

METHODS

We systematically summarized the pathological features of neurodegenerative diseases and the regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in various types of neurodegenerative diseases.

RESULTS

Neurodegenerative disease main features include intercellular ubiquitin-proteasome system abnormalities, changes in cytoskeletal proteins, and the continuous deposition of insoluble protein fragments and inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm or nucleus, resulting in impairment of the normal physiological processes of the neuronal system. CircRNAs have multiple mechanisms, such as acting as microRNA sponges, binding to proteins, and regulating transcription. CircRNAs, which are highly stable molecules, are expected to be potential biomarkers for the pathological detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and PD.

CONCLUSIONS

In this review, we describe the regulatory roles and mechanisms of circRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases and aim to employ circRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Genome-wide association study of growth curve parameters reveals novel genomic regions and candidate genes associated with metatarsal bone traits in chickens

The growth and development of chicken bones have an enormous impact on the health and production performance of chickens. However, the development pattern and genetic regulation of the chicken skeleton are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate metatarsal bone growth and development patterns in chickens via non-linear models, and to identify the genetic determinants of metatarsal bone traits using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on growth curve parameters. Data on metatarsal length (MeL) and metatarsal circumference (MeC) were obtained from 471 F2 chickens (generated by crossing broiler sires, derived from a line selected for high abdominal fat, with Baier layer dams) at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks of age. Four non-linear models (Gompertz, Logistic, von Bertalanffy, and Brody) were used to fit the MeL and MeC growth curves. Subsequently, the estimated growth curve parameters of the mature MeL or MeC (A), time-scale parameter (b), and maturity rate (K) from the non-linear models were utilized as substitutes for the original bone data in GWAS. The Logistic and Brody models displayed the best goodness-of-fit for MeL and MeC, respectively. Single-trait and multi-trait GWASs based on the growth curve parameters of the Logistic and Brody models revealed 4 618 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), annotated to 332 genes, associated with metatarsal bone traits. The majority of these significant SNPs were located on Gallus gallus chromosome (GGA) 1 (167.433-176.318 Mb), GGA2 (96.791-103.543 Mb), GGA4 (65.003-83.104 Mb) and GGA6 (64.685-95.285 Mb). Notably, we identified 12 novel GWAS loci associated with chicken metatarsal bone traits, encompassing 35 candidate genes. In summary, the combination of single-trait and multi-trait GWASs based on growth curve parameters uncovered numerous genomic regions and candidate genes associated with chicken bone traits. The findings benefit an in-depth understanding of the genetic architecture underlying metatarsal growth and development in chickens.

Physiological responses to drought stress of three pine species and comparative transcriptome analysis of Pinus yunnanensis var. pygmaea

Drought stress can significantly affect plant growth, development, and yield. Fewer comparative studies have been conducted between different species of pines, particularly involving Pinus yunnanensis var. pygmaea (P. pygmaea). In this study, the physiological indices, photosynthetic pigment and related antioxidant enzyme changes in needles from P. pygmaea, P. elliottii and P. massoniana under drought at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 d, as well as 7 days after rehydration, were measured. The PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and Illumina RNA sequencing were used to uncover the gene expression differences in P. pygmaea under drought and rehydration conditions. The results showed that the total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) of P. pygmaea was significantly higher than P. massoniana and P. elliottii. TAOC showed a continuous increase trend across all species. Soluble sugar (SS), starch content and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) of all three pines displayed a "W" pattern, declining initially, increasing, and then decreasing again. P. pygmaea exhibits stronger drought tolerance and greater recovery ability under prolonged drought conditions. Through the PacBio SMRT-seq, a total of 50,979 high-quality transcripts were generated, and 6,521 SSR and 5,561 long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) were identified. A total of 2310, 1849, 5271, 5947, 7710, and 6854 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified compared to the control (Pp0D) in six pair-wise comparisons of treatment versus control. bHLH, NAC, ERF, MYB_related, C3H transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in drought tolerance of P. pygmaea. KEGG enrichment analysis and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis showed that P. pygmaea may respond to drought by enhancing metabolic processes such as ABA signaling pathway, alpha-linolenic acid. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed GST, CAT, LEC14B, SEC23 were associated with antioxidant enzyme activity and TAOC. This study provides a basis for further research on drought tolerance differences among coniferous species.

Photocatalytic chitosan-based bactericidal films incorporated with WO3/AgBr/Ag and activated carbon for ethylene removal and application to banana preservation

Ethylene (C2H4) and pathogenic microorganisms are the two major causes of the deterioration of postharvest fruits and vegetables (F&V). Hence, the development of active packaging with C2H4 scavenging and bactericidal activities is urgently desirable. Herein, a novel photocatalytic active film (CS-PC-AC) is developed for banana preservation by incorporating WO3/AgBr/Ag photocatalyst (PC) and activated carbon (AC) into chitosan (CS). The fabricated PC is a ternary Z-scheme heterojunction and its high photocatalytic activity is achieved by the bridge of Ag between WO3 and AgBr through rapid transfer and separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. AC plays an indispensable role in the photocatalytic reaction through molecule adsorption and transport. PC and AC are hydrogen bonded with chitosan and their incorporation has slight effect on film's thermal stability but decreases the film's mechanical and barrier properties to some extent. CS-PC-AC exhibits strong bactericidal activity (killing ~100 % of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus within 3 h) and good C2H4 scavenging activity (C2H4 scavenging rate of 49 ± 2 %) under visible light irradiation, which can extend the banana shelf-life by at least 50 % at 25 °C. These results indicate the good perspective of CS-PC-AC in the delay of the deterioration of postharvest F&V.

Tissue-specific distribution and bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids, isomers, alternatives, and precursors in citrus trees of contaminated fields: Implication for risk assessment

The ingestion of fruits containing perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) presents potential hazards to human health. This study aimed to fill knowledge gaps concerning the tissue-specific distribution patterns and bioaccumulation behavior of PFAAs and their isomers, alternatives, and precursors (collectively as per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFASs) within citrus trees growing in contaminated fields. It also assessed the potential contribution of precursor degradation to human exposure risk of PFASs. High concentrations of total target PFASs (∑PFASstarget, 92.45-7496.16 ng/g dw) and precursors measured through the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay (130.80-13979.21 ng/g dw) were found in citrus tree tissues, and short-chain PFASs constituted the primary components. The total PFASs concentrations followed the order of leaves > fruits > branches, bark > wood, and peel > pulp > seeds. The average contamination burden of peel (∑PFASstarget: 57.75%; precursors: 71.15%) was highest among fruit tissues. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) and translocation potentials of short-chain, branched, or carboxylate-based PFASs exceeded those of their relatively hydrophobic counterparts, while ether-based PFASs showed lower BAFs than similar PFAAs in above-ground tissues of citrus trees. In the risk assessment of residents consuming contaminated citruses, precursor degradation contributed approximately 36.07% to total PFASs exposure, and therefore should not be ignored.

Golden bifid treatment regulates gut microbiota and serum metabolites to improve myocardial dysfunction in cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis mice

Myocardial damage is a major consequence and a significant contributor to death in cases of sepsis, a severe infection characterized by a distinct inflammatory response and a potential threat to the patient's life. Recently, the effects of intestinal microbiota and serum metabolites on sepsis have garnered increasing attention. Herein, the effects of golden bifid treatment upon cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis in mice as a model for myocardial dysfunction were explored. Our results demonstrated that golden bifid treatment partially improved myocardial dysfunction and apoptosis, cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress, and intestinal mucosal permeability and barrier dysfunction in CLP-induced sepsis mice. The intestinal microbiota diversity and abundance were also altered within sepsis mice and improved by golden bifid treatment. Mucispirillum schaedleri, Acinetobacter baumannii and Lactobacullus intestinalis were significantly correlated with heart damage markers, inflammatory factors, or oxidative stress indicators. Serum differential metabolite levels were also significantly correlated with these parameters. Altogether, golden bifid treatment might be an underlying approach for treating sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction and highlight the underlying effect of intestinal microbiota and serum metabolites on the pathogenesis and treatment of sepsis-triggered myocardial dysfunction.

Molecular and Spatial Signatures of Mouse Embryonic Endothelial Cells at Single-Cell Resolution

BACKGROUND

Mature endothelial cells (ECs) are heterogeneous, with subtypes defined by tissue origin and position within the vascular bed (ie, artery, capillary, vein, and lymphatic). How this heterogeneity is established during the development of the vascular system, especially arteriovenous specification of ECs, remains incompletely characterized.

METHODS

We used droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing and multiplexed error-robust fluorescence in situ hybridization to define EC and EC progenitor subtypes from E9.5, E12.5, and E15.5 mouse embryos. We used trajectory inference to analyze the specification of arterial ECs (aECs) and venous ECs (vECs) from EC progenitors. Network analysis identified candidate transcriptional regulators of arteriovenous differentiation, which we tested by CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) loss of function in human-induced pluripotent stem cells undergoing directed differentiation to aECs or vECs (human-induced pluripotent stem cell-aECs or human-induced pluripotent stem cell-vECs).

RESULTS

From the single-cell transcriptomes of 7682 E9.5 to E15.5 ECs, we identified 19 EC subtypes, including Etv2+Bnip3+ EC progenitors. Spatial transcriptomic analysis of 15 448 ECs provided orthogonal validation of these EC subtypes and established their spatial distribution. Most embryonic ECs were grouped by their vascular-bed types, while ECs from the brain, heart, liver, and lung were grouped by their tissue origins. Arterial (Eln, Dkk2, Vegfc, and Egfl8), venous (Fam174b and Clec14a), and capillary (Kcne3) marker genes were identified. Compared with aECs, embryonic vECs and capillary ECs shared fewer markers than their adult counterparts. Early capillary ECs with venous characteristics functioned as a branch point for differentiation of aEC and vEC lineages.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide a spatiotemporal map of embryonic EC heterogeneity at single-cell resolution and demonstrate that the diversity of ECs in the embryo arises from both tissue origin and vascular-bed position. Developing aECs and vECs share common venous-featured capillary precursors and are regulated by distinct transcriptional regulatory networks.

Functional dissection of human cardiac enhancers and noncoding de novo variants in congenital heart disease

Rare coding mutations cause ∼45% of congenital heart disease (CHD). Noncoding mutations that perturb cis-regulatory elements (CREs) likely contribute to the remaining cases, but their identification has been problematic. Using a lentiviral massively parallel reporter assay (lentiMPRA) in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), we functionally evaluated 6,590 noncoding de novo variants (ncDNVs) prioritized from the whole-genome sequencing of 750 CHD trios. A total of 403 ncDNVs substantially affected cardiac CRE activity. A majority increased enhancer activity, often at regions with undetectable reference sequence activity. Of ten DNVs tested by introduction into their native genomic context, four altered the expression of neighboring genes and iPSC-CM transcriptional state. To prioritize future DNVs for functional testing, we used the MPRA data to develop a regression model, EpiCard. Analysis of an independent CHD cohort by EpiCard found enrichment of DNVs. Together, we developed a scalable system to measure the effect of ncDNVs on CRE activity and deployed it to systematically assess the contribution of ncDNVs to CHD.

Characterization of the chloroplast genome of Gleditsia species and comparative analysis

The genus Gleditsia has significant medicinal and economic value, but information about the chloroplast genomic characteristics of Gleditsia species has been limited. Using the Illumina sequencing, we assembled and annotated the whole chloroplast genomes of seven Gleditsia species (Gleditsia sinensis, Gleditsia japonica var. delavayi (G. delavayi), G. fera, G. japonica, G. microphylla, Fructus Gleditsiae Abnormalis (Zhū Yá Zào), G. microphylla mutant). The assembled genomes revealed that Gleditsia species have a typical circular tetrad structure, with genome sizes ranging from 162,746 to 170,907 bp. Comparative genomic analysis showed that most (65.8-75.8%) of the abundant simple sequence repeats in Gleditsia and Gymnocladus species were located in the large single copy region. The Gleditsia chloroplast genome prefer T/A-ending codons and avoid C/G-ending codons, positive selection was acting on the rpoA, rpl20, atpB, ndhA and ycf4 genes, most of the chloroplast genes of Gleditsia species underwent purifying selection. Expansion and contraction of the inverted repeat (IR)/single copy (SC) region showed similar patterns within the Gleditsia genus. Polymorphism analysis revealed that coding regions were more conserved than non-coding regions, and the IR region was more conserved than the SC region. Mutational hotspots were mostly found in intergenic regions such as "rps16-trnQ", "trnT-trnL", "ndhG-ndhI", and "rpl32-trnL" in Gleditsia. Phylogenetic analysis showed that G. fera is most closely related to G. sinensis,G. japonica and G. delavayi are relatively closely related. Zhū Yá Zào can be considered a bud mutation of the G. sinensis. The albino phenotype of G. microphylla mutant is not caused by variations in the chloroplast genome, and that the occurrence of the albino phenotype may be due to mutations in chloroplast-related genes involved in splicing or localization functions. This study will help us enhance our exploration of the genetic evolution and geographical origins of the Gleditsia genus.

Robust Semi-supervised 3D Medical Image Segmentation with Diverse Joint-task Learning and Decoupled Inter-student Learning

Semi-supervised segmentation is highly significant in 3D medical image segmentation. The typical solutions adopt a teacher-student dual-model architecture, and they constrain the two models' decision consistency on the same segmentation task. However, the scarcity of medical samples can lower the diversity of tasks, reducing the effectiveness of consistency constraint. The issue can further worsen as the weights of the models gradually become synchronized. In this work, we have proposed to construct diverse joint-tasks using masked image modelling for enhancing the reliability of the consistency constraint, and develop a novel architecture consisting of a single teacher but multiple students to enjoy the additional knowledge decoupled from the synchronized weights. Specifically, the teacher and student models 'see' varied randomly-masked versions of an input, and are trained to segment the same targets but reconstruct different missing regions concurrently. Such joint-task of segmentation and reconstruction can have the two learners capture related but complementary features to derive instructive knowledge when constraining their consistency. Moreover, two extra students join the original one to perform an inter-student learning. The three students share the same encoding but different decoding designs, and learn decoupled knowledge by constraining their mutual consistencies, preventing themselves from suboptimally converging to the biased predictions of the dictatorial teacher. Experimental on four medical datasets show that our approach performs better than six mainstream semi-supervised methods. Particularly, our approach achieves at least 0.61% and 0.36% higher Dice and Jaccard values, respectively, than the most competitive approach on our in-house dataset. The code will be released at http://github.com/zxmboshi/DDL.

Efficient and fast remediation of soil contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by high-frequency heating

This study presents a novel thermal technology (high-frequency heating, HFH) for the decontamination of soil containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). Ultra-fast degradation of short-chain PFAS, long-chain homologs, precursors, legacy PFAS, emerging PFAS was achieved in a matter of minutes. The concentrations of PFAS and the soil type had a negligible impact on degradation efficiency, possibly due to the ultra-fast degradation rate overwhelming potential differences. Under the current HFH experiment setup, we achieved near-complete degradation (e.g., >99.9%) after 1 min for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids and 2 min for perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids. Polyfluoroalkyl precursors in AFFFs were found to degrade completely within 1 min of HFH; no residual cationic, zwitterionic, anionic, or non-ionic intermediate products were detected following the treatment. The gaseous byproducts were considered. Most of gaseous organofluorine products of PFAS at low-and-moderate temperatures disappeared when temperatures reached 890 °C, which is in the temperature zone of HFH. For the first time, we demonstrated minimal loss of PFAS in water during the boiling process, indicating a low risk of PFAS entering the atmosphere with the water vapor. The findings highlight HFH its potential as a promising remediation tool for PFAS-contaminated soils.

Eye exercises for myopia prevention and control: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of eye exercises in preventing and controlling myopia.

METHODS

We searched studies on eye exercises from nine Chinese and English databases from their inception to December 15, 2022. Using random-effect models and sensitivity/subgroup analyses, we estimated the effects of eye exercises compared to control on changes in three measures: visual acuity, refractive error (both quantified using standardized mean differences, SMDs), and protective/mitigating effects (assessed through risk ratios, RRs).

RESULTS

Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis, with 921 participants. Nine studies had some concerns of bias in at least two domains, and two studies had a high risk of bias in two domains. Seven studies used visual acuity to measure myopia; visual acuity declined after eye-exercise interventions (SMD = -0.67, 95% CI -1.28 to -0.07, Z = 2.17, P = 0.03) and the effect was not better than control (SMD = -0.50, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.16, Z = 1.49, P = 0.14). Two studies used refractive error to measure myopia; the effect of eye-exercise interventions did not differ from control (SMD = -1.74, 95% CI -6.27 to 2.79, Z = 0.75, P = 0.45). Seven studies reported on protective/mitigating effects; eye exercises exhibited a greater protective/mitigating effect than control (RR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.23-0.71, Z = 3.13, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the results suggest that eye exercises have limited to no efficacy in preventing or controlling myopia progression. Until robust evidence supports their efficacy, available evidence suggests retiring the eye-exercise policy.

CIA-II is associated with lower-grade glioma survival and cell proliferation

BACKGROUND

The role of CIA-II has been clarified in several types of tumors; however, whether dysregulated CIA-II expression is also involved in the pathophysiology of lower-grade glioma (LGG) remains undisclosed.

METHODS

A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the expression patterns and prognostic significance of CIA-II in miscellaneous tumors was undertaken. Subsequently, a detailed bioinformatics analysis was executed to identify putative correlations between CIA-II expression and clinical features, prognosis, biological functions, immunological characteristics, genomic alterations, and chemotherapeutics in LGG. In vitro studies were implemented to examine the potential roles of CIA-II in LGG.

RESULTS

CIA-II expression was found to be abnormally elevated in a variety of tumors, including LGG. Additionally, patients with LGG with higher CIA-II expression owned worse prognosis. Importantly, the results declared that CIA-II expression was an independent prognostic indicator for LGG. Moreover, the expression of CIA-II was tightly interrelated with immune cell infiltration, gene mutations, and chemotherapeutics in LGG. In vitro studies revealed that CIA-II was increased and strongly related to the cell proliferation in LGG.

CONCLUSION

CIA-II may be an independent prognostic factor and a serviceable therapeutic target in LGG.

Optimizing slug bubble size for application of the ultra-thin flat sheet membranes in MBR: a comprehensive study combining CFD simulation and experiment

Optimizing the slug bubble size specifically for ultra-thin flat sheet membranes in MBR systems can effectively enhance the scouring force and improve fouling control efficiency, thereby further advancing their targeted and widespread application. In this study, a three-dimensional model was developed based on the practical application to investigate the impact of slug bubbles on scouring performance in ultra-thin flat sheet MBR systems, encompassing their evolution, disturbance level, and shear stress. A membrane fouling probability index for quantifying the distribution of membrane fouling, along with a turbulence intensity index have been proposed. The findings revealed that the 20-mL slug bubble induced the highest disturbance level in the surrounding fluid, characterized by an instantaneous peak velocity of 0.63 m/s at the local system level, conducive to bubble scouring. And exerted the greatest shear stress effect, achieving the most effective reduction in membrane contamination, with a maximum shear stress of 1.82 Pa. The experimental validation conducted during the operational cycles confirmed that the scouring effect of 20-mL slug flow yielded in a maximum proportion of 48.16% within the low fouling probability region. The results provided evidence supporting the assertion that specific aeration conditions producing 20 mL of bubbles resulted in minimal membrane fouling, ensuring a more pronounced scouring effect. The combination anythsis of slug bubble characteristics and behaviors, integrating theoretical and experimental approaches, implied that 20 mL was the optimal bubble size in ultra-thin flat sheet MBR, which fulfilled the optimal air scouring effect.

Synergistic effect of residual sugar on freeze-thaw stability of high internal phase emulsions using glycosylated cod protein as interface stabilizer

Nowadays, glycosylated protein seems to be one of the most effective stabilizers for preparing freeze-thaw stabile emulsion; nevertheless, few papers mentioned the relationship between the residual free sugars after the glycosylation reaction and the freeze-thaw stability of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). Herein, glucose was used to prepare glycosylated cod proteins (GCPs). The synergistic effect was related to the grafting degree of GCP, and the amount of glucose added to prepare freeze-thaw stable HIPEs was reduced from 20% to 4% when the grafting degree of GCP increased from 0% to 31.58% (i.e. 12% GCP). This might be due to fewer ice crystals forming in water phase or less destruction of emulsion droplets by ice crystals. The obtained results in this study will allow developing freeze-thaw stable HIPEs or new frozen ingredients.

A Novel Sequence-to-Sequence-Based Deep Learning Model for Multistep Load Forecasting

Load forecasting is critical to the task of energy management in power systems, for example, balancing supply and demand and minimizing energy transaction costs. There are many approaches used for load forecasting such as the support vector regression (SVR), the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), and neural networks, but most of these methods focus on single-step load forecasting, whereas multistep load forecasting can provide better insights for optimizing the energy resource allocation and assisting the decision-making process. In this work, a novel sequence-to-sequence (Seq2Seq)-based deep learning model based on a time series decomposition strategy for multistep load forecasting is proposed. The model consists of a series of basic blocks, each of which includes one encoder and two decoders; and all basic blocks are connected by residuals. In the inner of each basic block, the encoder is realized by temporal convolution network (TCN) for its benefit of parallel computing, and the decoder is implemented by long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network to predict and estimate time series. During the forecasting process, each basic block is forecasted individually. The final forecasted result is the aggregation of the predicted results in all basic blocks. Several cases within multiple real-world datasets are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. The results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves the best accuracy compared with several benchmark models.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal that lemon extract prolongs Drosophila lifespan by affecting metabolism

Ageing is an evolutionarily conserved and irreversible biological process in different species. Numerous studies have reported that taking medicine is an effective approach to slow ageing. Lemon extract (LE) is a natural extract of lemon fruit that contains a variety of bioactive phytochemicals. Various forms of LE have been shown to play a role in anti-ageing and improving ageing-related diseases. However, studies on the molecular mechanism of LE in Drosophila ageing have not been reported. In this study, we found that 0.05 g/L LE could significantly extend Drosophila lifespan and greatly improve antioxidative and anti-heat stress abilities. Furthermore, transcriptome and metabolome analyses of 10 d flies between the LE-fed and control groups suggested that the differentially expressed gene ppo1 (Prophenoloxidase 1) and metabolite L-DOPA (Levodopa) were co-enriched in the tyrosine metabolism pathway. Overall, our results indicate that affecting metabolism was the main reason for LE extending Drosophila lifespan.

Targeting CB2R in astrocytes for Parkinson's disease therapy: unraveling the Foxg1-mediated neuroprotective mechanism through autophagy-mediated NLRP3 degradation

BACKGROUND

Inflammasomes in astrocytes have been shown to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cannabinoid Receptor 2(CB2R), a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is considered a promising therapeutic target in inflammation-related disorders. This study aims to explore the role of CB2R in regulating NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-mediated neuroinflammation in astrocytes.

METHODS

In an in vivo animal model, specific targeting of astrocytic CB2R was achieved by injecting CB2R-specific adenovirus (or fork head box g1(foxg1) adenovirus) to knock down CB2R or administering CB2R agonists, inhibitors, etc., in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of mice. A PD mouse model was established using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induction. Animal behavioral tests, western blot, immunofluorescence, and other experiments were performed to assess the loss of midbrain tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons, activation of astrocytes, and activation of the NLRP3 pathway. Primary astrocytes were cultured in vitro, and NLRP3 inflammasomes were activated using 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Western blot and ELISA experiments were conducted to assess the release of inflammatory factors. Transcriptomic sequencing and CUT&RUN techniques were employed to study the CB2R regulation of the foxg1 binding site on the autophagy molecule microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta (MAP1LC3B).

RESULTS

Astrocytic CB2R knockdown impaired the motor abilities of MPTP-induced mice, exacerbated the loss of TH neurons, and induced activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1/interleukin 1 (IL-1β) pathway. Activation of CB2R significantly alleviated motor impairments in mice while reducing NLRP3 deposition on astrocytes. In vitro cell experiments showed that CB2R activation attenuated the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway induced by LPS + ATP or MPP+. Additionally, it inhibited the binding of foxg1 to MAP1LC3B, increased astrocytic autophagy levels, and facilitated NLRP3 degradation through the autophagy-lysosome pathway.

CONCLUSION

Activation of CB2R on astrocytes effectively mitigates NLRP3-mediated neuroinflammation and ameliorates the disease characteristics of PD in mice. CB2R represents a potential therapeutic target for treating PD.

Design and fabrication of large-mode-area multicore chalcogenide fiber with low bending loss

Multicore fiber (MCF) has a larger mode-area (LMA) compared to traditional single-core fiber, making it easy to get a mode area of more than 3000 µm2 with an optimized MCF structure. Here, a fine-structured 19-core fiber based on chalcogenide glass was fabricated using a combined method involving extrusion, drilling, and rod-in-tube for the first time. The fiber has a minimum transmission loss of 1.8 dB/m at 6.7 µm. When the bending radius exceeds 6 cm, a low bending loss of about 0.6 dB appears, and the experimental data are in good agreement with the simulation results. In addition, the supermode characteristics of the 19-core fiber are analyzed from both perspectives of simulation and experiment, and these results are perfectly in good agreement. We believe it opens a new way to develop high-power and bend-resisting fiber with such kind of multicore structure.

Engineered aptamers for molecular imaging

Molecular imaging, including quantification and molecular interaction studies, plays a crucial role in visualizing and analysing molecular events occurring within cells or organisms, thus facilitating the understanding of biological processes. Moreover, molecular imaging offers promising applications for early disease diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that can recognize targets with a high affinity and specificity by folding themselves into various three-dimensional structures, thus serving as ideal molecular recognition elements in molecular imaging. This review summarizes the commonly employed aptamers in molecular imaging and outlines the prevalent design approaches for their applications. Furthermore, it highlights the successful application of aptamers to a wide range of targets and imaging modalities. Finally, the review concludes with a forward-looking perspective on future advancements in aptamer-based molecular imaging.

Effects of irrigation and nitrogen application on soil water and nitrogen distribution and water-nitrogen utilization of wolfberry in the Yellow River Irrigation Region of Gansu Province, China

To address the problems of extensive field management, low productivity, and inefficient water and fertilizer utilization in wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) production, an appropriate water and nitrogen regulation model was explored to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the wolfberry industry. Based on a field experiment conducted from 2021 to 2022, this study compared and analyzed the effects of four irrigation levels [75%-85% θf (W0, full irrigation), 65%-75% θf (W1, slight water deficit), 55%-65% θf (W2, moderate water deficit), and 45%-55% θf (W3, severe water deficit)] and four nitrogen application levels [0 kg·ha-1 (N0, no nitrogen application), 150 kg·ha-1 (N1, low nitrogen application), 300 kg·ha-1 (N2, medium nitrogen application), and 450 kg·ha-1 (N3, high nitrogen application)] on soil water distribution, soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3 --N) migration, yield, and water-nitrogen use efficiency of wolfberry. The soil moisture content of the 40-80 cm soil layer was higher than those of 0-40 cm and 80-120 cm soil layer. The average soil moisture content followed the order of W0 > W1 > W2 > W3 and N3 > N2 > N1 > N0. The NO3 --N content in the 0-80 cm soil layer was more sensitive to water and nitrogen regulation, and the cumulative amount of NO3 --N in the soil followed the order of W0 > W1> W2 > W3 and N3 > N2 > N1 > N0 during the vegetative growth period. There was no evidently change in soil NO3 --N accumulation between different treatments during the autumn fruit. The yield of wolfberry under the W1N2 treatment was the highest (2623.09 kg·ha-1), which was 18.04% higher than that under the W0N3 treatment. The average water consumption during each growth period of wolfberry was the highest during the full flowering period, followed by the vegetative growth and full fruit periods, and the lowest during the autumn fruit period. The water use efficiency reached a peak value of 6.83 kg·ha-1·mm-1 under the W1N2 treatment. The nitrogen uptake of fruit and nitrogen fertilizer recovery efficiency of fruit first increased and then decreased with increasing irrigation and nitrogen application. The treatment of W1N2 obtained the highest nitrogen uptake of fruit and nitrogen recovery efficiency of fruit, which were 63.56 kg·ha-1 and 8.17%, respectively. Regression analysis showed that the yield and water-nitrogen use efficiency of wolfberry improved when the irrigation amount ranged from 315.4 to 374.3 mm, combined with nitrogen application amounts of 300.0 to 308.3 kg·ha-1. Additionally, the soil NO3 --N residue was reduced, making it an optimal water and nitrogen management model for wolfberry planting. The present findings contribute novel insights into the production of wolfberry with saving water and reducing nitrogen, which helps to improve the level of wolfberry productivity in the Yellow River irrigation region of Gansu Province and other areas with similar climate.

Full-length transcriptome characterization and comparative analysis of Gleditsia sinensis

As an economically important tree, Gleditsia sinensis Lam. is widely planted. A lack of background genetic information on G. sinensis hinders molecular breeding. Based on PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and analysis of G. sinensis, a total of 95,183 non-redundant transcript sequences were obtained, of which 93,668 contained complete open reading frames (ORFs), 2,858 were long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) and 18,855 alternative splicing (AS) events were identified. Genes orthologous to different Gleditsia species pairs were identified, stress-related genes had been positively selected during the evolution. AGA, AGG, and CCA were identified as the universal optimal codon in the genus of Gleditsia. EIF5A was selected as a suitable fluorescent quantitative reference gene. 315 Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) and 147 uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) were recognized through the PacBio SMRT transcriptome. Randomized selection of GsIAA14 for cloning verified the reliability of the PacBio SMRT transcriptome assembly sequence. In conclusion, the research data lay the foundation for further analysis of the evolutionary mechanism and molecular breeding of Gleditsia.

Active colorimetric bilayer polycaprolactone-eucalyptus oil@silk fibroin-bayberry anthocyanins (PCL-EO@SF-BAs) membrane with directional water transport (DWT) for food packaging

Currently, designing smart membranes with multifunctional effectiveness is crucial to food freshness monitoring and retention. Herein, an active colorimetric Janus bilayer membrane with directional water transport (DWT) performance is constructed by electrospinning, which comprises a hydrophilic layer of silk fibroin-bayberry anthocyanins (SF-BAs) and a hydrophobic layer of polycaprolactone-eucalyptus oil (PCL-EO). The entities of BAs and EO are well dispersed in the fiber matrix by hydrogen bonds and physical interactions, respectively. BAs endow the membrane colorimetric response and antioxidant activity, and EO contributes to the antibacterial activity while DWT performance is generated from the asymmetric wettability of the two layers. The bilayer membrane has an accumulative one-way transport index of 1077%, an overall moisture management capacity of 0.76 and a water evaporation rate of 0.48 g h-1. Moreover, the release of BAs and EO was predominantly controlled by Fickian diffusion. As a pH-sensing indicator, PCL-EO@SF-BAs is highly sensitive to external pH stimuli and the response is reversible. In addition to freshness monitoring, PCL-EO@SF-BAs can extend the shelf-life of pork beyond 100% at 4 °C. Also, it can extend the shelf life of shrimp by approximately 70% at 25 °C with the synergistic effect of antibacterial activity and the DWT performance.

Identification of performance and cost in a new backwash method to clean the UF membrane: backwashing with low dosage of NaClO

Ultrafiltration (UF) is widely used in wastewater reclamation treatments. Conventional backwashing is usually performed at regular time intervals (10-120 min) with permeate and without the addition of chemicals. Chemical enhanced backwashing (CEB) is usually applied after 70-90 filtration cycles with added chemicals. These cleaning methods cause membrane fouling and require costly chemicals. Instead of conventional backwashing, we propose herein a new backwashing method involving backwashing the effluent with low doses of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) named as BELN. The performance and cost of UF backwashing were investigated with Beijing wastewater reclamation treatment. The results showed that the transmembrane pressure (TMP) increased from 33.2 to 48.2 kPa during hydraulic backwashing after 80 filtration cycles but increased from 33.3 to 39.3 kPa during backwashing with a low NaClO content of 20 mg/L. It was also noticed that the hydraulic-irreversible fouling index decreased from 5.58 × 10-3 m2/L to 3.58 × 10-3 m2/L with the new method. According to the three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission (3D-EEM), the response increased from 11.9 to 15.2% with BELN. Protein-like material was identified as the main component causing membrane fouling by blocking the membrane pores. The results indicated that the low dosage of NaClO effectively stripped the fouling layer. Finally, based on an economic evaluation, the capacity of the UF process was increased from 76,959 to 109,133 m3/d with the new method. The amount of NaClO consumed for Beijing wastewater reclamation treatment was similarly compared with the conventional backwashing in per year under BELN. The new method has good potential for application.

DLK1 overexpression improves sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis in mice through the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway and MMPs

Sepsis is a serious inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection. Cardiovascular dysfunction and remodeling are serious complications of sepsis, which can significantly affect sepsis patients' mortality. Delta-like homologue 1 (DLK1) has been reported could inhibit cardiac myofibroblast differentiation. However, the function of DLK1 in sepsis is unknown. In the present study, the DLK1 expression was first identified based on the online dataset GSE79962 analysis and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis mouse model. DLK1 expression was significantly reduced in septic heart tissues. In septic mouse heart, CLP operation decreased the fractional shortening (EF) (%) and ejection fraction (FS) (%) and caused significant edema, disordered myofilament arrangement, and degradation and necrosis in myocardial cells; CLP operation also increased collagen deposition and elevated the protein levels of fibrotic markers (α-SMA and F-actin). DLK1 overexpression in septic mice could effectively increase EF (%) and FS (%), attenuate CLP-caused ECM degradation and deposition and partially inhibit the CLP-induced TGF-β1/Smad signaling activation. In conclusion, DLK1 expression was poorly expressed in the CLP-induced septic mouse heart. DLK1 overexpression partially alleviated sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis, with the involvement of the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway and MMPs.

B4C/Ce co-modified Ti/PbO2 dimensionally stable anode: Facile one-step electrodeposition preparation and highly efficient electrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

The application of PbO2 for electrochemical oxidation technology is limited by its low electrocatalytic activity and short service life. Herein, based on the facile one-step electrodeposition, we prepared a boron carbide (B4C) and cerium (Ce) co-modified Ti/PbO2 (Ti/PbO2-B4C-Ce) electrode to overcome these shortcomings. Compared with Ti/PbO2 electrode, the denser surface is displayed by Ti/PbO2-B4C-Ce electrode. Meanwhile, electrochemical characterization indicates that the introduction of B4C and Ce significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of PbO2 electrode. In degradation experiments, under optimized conditions (current density 20 mA cm-2, pH 9, 0.15 M Na2SO4 and 30 °C), the fully degradation of tetracycline (TC) can be completed within 30 min. Furthermore, the trapping experiment demonstrates that ∙OH and SO4·- radicals have a synergistic effect in the degradation process of TC. Based on results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer, the generated ·OH preferentially attacks amides, phenols and conjugated double bond groups in TC. Importantly, Ti/PbO2-B4C-Ce electrode maintains a constant degradation efficiency even after 10 recycling tests, and its service life is 2.4 times of traditional Ti/PbO2 electrode. Hence, Ti/PbO2-B4C-Ce electrode is a promising electrode for degradation of organic wastewater containing amides, phenols, and conjugated double bond groups.

Integrated control of braking-yaw-roll stability under steering-braking conditions

Sharp steering-braking at a high speed exposes sport utility vehicles with high gravity centers and narrow wheel tracks to the risks of tire locking, sideslip and rollover. To avoid these risks and ensure braking safety, yaw stability and roll stability upon steering-braking, a braking-yaw-roll stability integrated control strategy was proposed, which consists of a supervisor, an upper and a lower controller for the front and rear axle independent drive electric vehicle. In the supervisor, a nonlinear vehicle predictive model was constructed and four control modes were proposed according to the vehicle status and rollover indexes. The weight coefficients between braking force, yaw stability and roll stability are determined dynamically by the control mode and output to the upper controller. The upper controller used a nonlinear model predictive control to determine the longitudinal braking force distribution of the four wheels. And in the lower controller, the regenerative braking torque and friction braking torque of each wheel were distributed. Finally, simulation verifications were carried out on the high and low adhesion roads. The results show that the control strategy proposed in this study can effectively prevent the vehicle from rollover while ensuring braking safety and yaw stability.

Physiological response and drought resistance evaluation of Gleditsia sinensis seedlings under drought-rehydration state

G. sinensis is a crucial tree species in China, possessing important economic and ecological value, and having a wide geographical distribution. G. sinensis seedlings is highly vulnerable to the drought-rehydration-drought cycle during their growth, and there is a lack of quantitative and systematic research on the physiological mechanisms of drought resistance and rehydration in G. sinensis. There is also a lack of good drought-resistant families and reliable methods for evaluating drought resistance, which severely hinders the selection and promotion of drought-resistant G. sinensis families and the industry's development. Therefore, this study selection 58 families seedlings of G. sinensis to drought stress and rehydration using an artificial simulated water control method in potted seedlings. The aim was to compare the effects of different levels of drought and rehydration on the growth and physiological indices of seedlings from different families. Identification of drought-resistant families and dependable drought related indices and techniques, the explanation of divergence in drought stress effects on various drought-resistant seedlings and the mechanisms underpinning growth and physiological responses, and the provision of theoretical reference for G. sinensis drought-resistant variety selection and cultivation. The Drought Resistance Index (DRI) served as the primary indicator, supplemented by growth, leaf morphology, and photosynthetic physiological indicators, to thoroughly assess and identify five distinct drought tolerant taxa while also selecting five representative families. Soluble protein (SP), proline (Pro), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, as well as the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in seedlings from the five families, increased as the degree of drought intensified. The highest values were appeared during periods of severe drought, and gradually decreased after subsequent rehydration. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed MDA and soluble sugars (SS) as the primary predictors of drought and rehydration response in G. sinensis seedlings respectively. Changes in osmoregulatory substance content and increased antioxidant enzyme activity may be crucial for responding to drought tolerance mechanisms. Leaf morphological indicators, seedling height, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value, photosynthetic indicators, and MDA are dependable parameters for assessing the drought tolerance of G. sinensis seedlings. When assessing the drought-resistance of seedlings using physiological indicators such as photosynthesis, a comprehensive analysis should incorporate multiple indicators and methods. This evaluation approach could serve as a reference for screening exceptional drought-resistant families of G. sinensis.

Adsorption-electrochemical mediated precipitation for phosphorus recovery from sludge filter wastewater with a lanthanum-modified cellulose sponge filter

In this study, the sludge filter wastewater is confirmed to investigate the effects of adsorption-electrochemical mediated precipitation (EMP) driven phosphorus recovery on the basis of lanthanum-modified cellulose sponge filter (LCLM) material. The adsorption-EMP method relies on in situ recovery phosphate (P) from the used desorption agent (NaOH-NaCl binary solution) via the formation of Ca5(PO4)3OH all while preserving the alkalinity of the desorption agents which benefited long-term application. The lanthanum content of LCLM was 9.0 mg/g, and the adsorption capacity reached 226.1 ± 15.2 mg P/g La at an equilibrium concentration of 3.9 mg P/L. After adsorption, 55.7 % of P was recovered, and the corresponding alkalinity increased from 1.9 mmol/L to 2.2 mmol/L. Adsorption mechanism analysis revealed that the high lanthanum usage of LCLM was attributed to the synergistic effect of the lattice oxygen of LaO and LaPO4·0.5H2O crystallite formation. Additionally, the Ca5(PO4)3OH was found precipitated in the precipitation in the cathode chamber (P-CC) rather than on the surface/section of cation exchange membrane (CEM) and cathode indicating that the P recovery process was controlled by the saturation of CaP species in the EMP system and the electromigration effect. These findings present a new strategy to promote the effective utilization of rare earth elements for P adsorption and demonstrate the potential application of adsorption-EMP systems in dephosphorization for wastewater treatment.

Change in expressional level and clinicopathological significance of miR-193b-3p in non-small cell lung cancer

To investigate and analyze changes in the expression level and clinicopathological significance of miR-193b-3p in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Targetscan, starBase, and Metastases databases were retrieved for bioinformatics analysis. qRT-PCR was conducted to determine the expression level of miR-193b-3p in the serum or tissues of NSCLC patients. The correlation between the expression level of serum miR-193b-3p and the clinical characteristics of NSCLC patients was analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analyzed to assess the diagnostic significance of serum expression of miR-193b-3p in NSCLC. The GEO2R tool was used to analyze the GSE102286 dataset in the GEO database, indicating that miR-193b-3p is one of the overexpressed miRNAs in NSCLC. Databases, such as TargetScan and starBase, were used to predict miR-193b-3p target genes. Finally, 153 target genes were retrieved, and gene ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses were conducted based on the Metascape database, which indicated that all 153 target genes participated in multiple biological processes and signaling pathways closely correlated with the genesis and progression of NSCLC. miR-193b-3p is highly expressed in the serum and cancer tissues of patients with NSCLC. The high miR-193b-3p expression group had a lower degree of cancer differentiation, a higher proportion of late TNM stage, and a greater incidence of lymph node metastasis. ROC curve analysis reported that the area under the curve was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.92). High miR-193b-3p expression levels were detected in NSCLC patients and were closely correlated with the degree of malignancy in NSCLC. miR-193b-3p expression levels have a diagnostic effect on NSCLC.

Emerging quasi-one-dimensional material NbS4 with high carrier mobility and good visible-light adsorption performance for nanoscale applications

Due to their unique structure, abundant properties and potential applications, low-dimensional materials with covalently bonded building blocks through van der Waals (vdW) interactions have sparked widespread interest. Recently, the bulk phase NbS4 consisting of one-dimensional (1D) chains has been synthesized successfully, adding a new member to the group V metallic polychalcogenide family. In the present study, based on density functional theory calculations, we obtained a better understanding of the stability, mechanical properties, electronic structures, transport properties and optical performances of the bulk phase NbS4. Furthermore, the possibility of exfoliating 1D single-chain nanowires from the bulk phase was uncovered. Both bulk phase and 1D nanowires show dynamic, thermal, and mechanical stabilities. The bulk phase possesses an indirect band gap of 1.39 eV with high anisotropic carrier mobilities of 471.814 cm2 s-1 v-1 for electrons (along the b axis direction) and 546.92 cm2 s-1 v-1 for holes (along the a axis direction). The single-chain nanowire exhibits remarkable flexibility and can resist 24% tensile strain along the chain direction. The decreased dimension from the bulk phase to the individual 1D chain not only makes the band gap increase to 1.81 eV but also results in an indirect-to-direct band gap transition, indicating a strong quantum confinement effect. The 1D single-chain nanowire also shows high carrier mobilities of 111.91 cm2 s-1 v-1 for electrons and 316.63 cm2 s-1 v-1 for holes along the chain direction. In addition, both bulk phase and 1D nanowire display excellent visible light absorption performance along the chain direction and the absorption coefficients reach the order of 106 and 105 cm-1. These promising properties render quasi 1D NbS4 as candidate materials for nanoscale applications in high-performance optoelectronic and nanoelectronic devices. The predicted unconventional properties of NbS4 not only provide a meaningful complement to the fascinating quasi 1D material family, but also will attract extensive interest from a wide audience to explore unanticipated properties and design new nanoscale devices based on NbS4.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of dioecious floral development in Trachycarpus fortunei using Illumina and PacBio SMRT sequencing

BACKGROUND

Trachycarpus fortunei is a plant with significant economic and ornamental value. Both male and female flowers of T. fortunei originate as bisexual flowers, and selective abortion occurs during floral development. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear in T. fortunei. In this study, transcriptome sequencing with Illumina and Pacific BioSciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) platforms were used to investigate gene expression differences between male and female T. fortunei plants.

RESULTS

A total of 833,137 full-length non-chimeric (FLNC) reads were obtained, and 726,846 high-quality full-length transcripts were identified. A total of 159 genes were differentially expressed between male and female flowers at all development stages. Some of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed male bias, including serine/threonine-protein kinase (STPK), THUMP1 homolog and other genes. Through single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) identification, 28 genes were considered as potential sex-associated SNPs. Time-Ordered Gene Co-expression Network (TO-GCN) analysis revealed that MADS2 and MADS26 may play important roles in the development of female and male flowers T. fortune plants, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide a genetic basis for flower development and differentiation in T. fortunei, and improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying sexual differentiation in T. fortunei.

The relationship between a growth mindset and the learning engagement of nursing students: A structural equation modeling approach

AIMS

To explore the relationship among a growth mindset, well-being and learning engagement of nursing students and the mediating effect of well-being.

BACKGROUND

Reduced well-being and learning burnout are common among nursing students. From the perspective of positive psychology, a positive education can help students obtain well-being, improve their academic performance and be actively involved in learning. The core of positive education is a growth mindset. However, few studies have explored the causal relationship among a growth mindset, learning engagement and well-being.

DESIGN

Correlational design based on cross-sectional data from a multicenter survey study.

METHODS

A web-based survey was completed by 1065 nursing students from 5 schools in China between August 2022 and December 2022. The Growth Mindset Scale, the PERMA profiler and the Learning Engagement Scale were used to investigate the effect of a growth mindset on learning engagement and the mediating effect of well-being.

RESULTS

Both a growth mindset (r = 0.272, p < 0.01) and well-being (r = 0.693, p < 0.01) were positively correlated with learning engagement, and a growth mindset (r = 0.363, p < 0.01) was positively correlated with well-being. Well-being completely mediated the relationship between a growth mindset and learning engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

The growth mindset and well-being of nursing students are related to learning engagement. Therefore, schools can change students' thinking mode by carrying out positive education to enable students to acquire the ability to maintain their well-being and to improve their well-being and learning engagement.

Recursive structures modulate the electrophysiological correlates of visual perspective taking

An increasing number of studies have focused on the neural basis of complex mental inferences, which requires an understanding of the recursive nature of thought; however, the precise electrophysiological response to a recursive structure remains unclear. The present event-related potential (ERP) study investigated the recursive structure effect on the neural correlates of visual perspective taking by modifying a third-person visual perspective-taking task. Participants were required to determine how many dots in the presented scenes could be seen from the cued perspective, including the perspectives in the self, other, and recursive (one avatar's belief of another avatar) conditions. The ERP results showed that the N100 and P200 components specific to the recursive-perspective condition showed greater attentional allocation; the N200 component increased in the recursive condition and was related to the conflict process; and larger late slow waves were found in the other- and recursive-perspective conditions compared with those in the self-perspective condition, which reflected the decoupling mechanism. The results suggested that high-order perspective taking requires more attentional resources and conflict processing for further decoupling from the self-perspective.

The freeze-thaw stability of flavor high internal phase emulsion and its application to flavor preservation and 3D printing

Volatilization of flavor substances may reduce consumers' perception of flavor, and the research on preservation of flavor substances by high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) under freeze-thaw conditions is still blank. Herein, flavor HIPEs prepared by adding more than 15% litsea cubeba oil in the oil phase could be used as food-grade 3D printing inks, and showed better stability after 5 freeze-thaw cycles, which could be interpreted as the reduced ice crystal formation, more stable interface layer, and more flexible gel-like network structure resulting from the protein binding to flavor substances. The constructed HIPEs system in this study could preserve the encapsulated flavor substances perfectly after 5 freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, this study contributes a food-grade 3D printing ink, and provides a new method for the preservation of flavor substances under freezing conditions and expands the application range of flavor HIPEs in food industry.

[Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Patients with Primary Testicular Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical manifestations, therapeutic response and prognosis of patients with primary testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PT-DLBCL).

METHODS

Thirty-eight patients with PT-DLBCL were enrolled, who hospitalized from January 2010 to April 2021, and their clinical characteristics, treatment regimen and efficacy were collected and analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 56 years old (ranged from 38 to 79 years). There were 4 cases (10.5%) with bilateral lesions, 13 cases (34.2%) with left lesions, and 21 cases (55.3%) right lesions. There were 2 cases(5.3%) with B symptoms, 6 cases (15.8%) of germinal center B-cell-like(GCB) subtype and 32 cases(84.2%) of non-GCB subtype. Efficacy was evaluated in 36 cases, including 10 cases with CHOP regimen, 21 cases with R-CHOP regimen (7 cases were treated with rituximab combined with high-dose methotrexate injection chemotherapy at intervals of R-CHOP regimen), and 5 cases with other regimens. In 36 patients, the efficacy evaluation of initial chemotherapy showed that the overall response rate (ORR) was 86.1%, 29 cases (80.6%) reached complete response (CR), and 2 cases (5.5%) reached partial response (PR). The R-CHOP group was superior to CHOP group in ORR (95.2% vs 60.0%, P=0.027) and CR (90.4% vs 50.0%, P=0.022). Of the 36 patients, 7 cases had central nervous system(CNS) recurrence and 4 cases had contralateral testicular recurrence. Compared with the CHOP group, the CNS recurrence rate in the R-CHOP group was significantly lower (4.8% vs 50.0%, P=0.007), and the testicular recurrence rate in the R-CHOP group was also lower than the CHOP group, but the difference was not statistically significant (4.8% vs 30.0%, P=0.087). The median follow-up time was 27(3-135) months, and the 5-year PFS and OS were 71% and 74%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis showed that the R-CHOP regimen significantly improved the patients' PFS (P=0.024) and OS (P=0.025) compared with the CHOP regimen.

CONCLUSION

PT-DLBCL is mainly treated with comprehensive treatment. Compared with CHOP regimen, R-CHOP regimen can improve the CR rate and ORR, reduce CNS recurrence and contralateral testicular recurrence, and improve the patients' survival. Patients may benefit from high-dose methotrexate combined with rituximab interlaced with R-CHOP regimen.

The influence of perceptual and semantic chunking on the neural mechanism of remote association

Studies on remote association tests (RATs) have mainly focused on cognitive processes involved in searching for remote associations. However, factors affecting these search processes and remote associations remain unclear. In order to address this issue, this study compared non-chunking condition (e.g., "//") with perceptual chunking (two red color characters in the three-character item "//") and semantic chunking (high-frequency word-pair in the item; e.g., "//", "," literally "philosophy") conditions in the Chinese Remote Association Test (CRAT). The behavioral results on the CRAT found that the semantic ones resulted in significantly lower successful solving rates and longer response times than the other two conditions. The event-related potential (ERP) results showed that in contrast to the perceptual-chunking and the non-chunking condition, the semantic-chunking elicited enhanced P200, which might be related to the intuitive awareness of the mental fixation. However, relative to the non-chunking condition, the two chunking conditions evoked increased N400 and late positive component (LPC), indexing the late reflection and implementation of cognitive control. Our results suggest that it is the early awareness of the semantic chunk, rather than the general cognitive control process involved in representing and solving the semantically and perceptually chunk-induced interferences, that critically determines the final solving of RATs.

First Demonstration of the Commissioning of a New Multi-Modality Radiotherapy Platform

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

A new multi-modality radiotherapy platform was developed and introduced into clinical application, which has received US FDA 510k(K210921) and National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) clearance in China (20223050973). This study, for the first time, presents the technological characteristics and commissioning results of the new platform.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The platform consists of 3 modules: linear accelerator, rotating gamma system, and a kV imaging system within an O-ring gantry. The O-ring gantry can rotate continuously achieved by using a slip ring. The Linac delivers a 6 MV FFF photon beam with a variable dose rate of 50 to 1400 MU/min. The delivery techniques include 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT. The rotating gamma system utilizes 18 Co-60 sources with a reference dose rate of 350 cGy/min. The image-guided techniques consist of kV-kV pairs and kV-CBCT. The X-ray intensity-modulated radiotherapy and γ-ray stereotactic radiotherapy can be delivered on the same platform. The acceptance test and commissioning were performed following the vendor's customer acceptance tests (CAT) and several AAPM Task Group reports/guidelines. Regarding the Linac, all applicable validation tests recommended by the MPPG 5.a (basic photon beam model validation, IMRT/VMAT validation, E2E tests, and patient-specific QA) were performed. For the rotating gamma system, the absorbed doses were measured using a PTW31014 and PTW60016. EBT3 films were employed to measure the relative output factors (ROFs). The E2E tests were performed using a PTW31014 and EBT3 films. The coincidence between the imaging isocenter and the Linac/gamma treatment isocenter was investigated using EBT3 films. The image quality was evaluated regarding the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), spatial resolution, and uniformity.

RESULTS

All tests included in the CAT met the vendor's specifications. All MPPG 5.a tests complied with the tolerances. The confidence limits for IMRT/VMAT validation were achieved according to TG-119. The point dose differences were below 1.68% and gamma pass rates (3%/2 mm) were above 95.9% for the Linac E2E tests. All plans of patient-specific QA had point dose differences below 1.79% and gamma pass rates (3%/2 mm) above 96.1% suggested by TG-218. For the rotating gamma system, the differences between the calculated and measured absorbed doses were below 1.86%. The ROFs calculated by the TPS were independently confirmed within 2% using EBT3 films. The point dose differences were below 2.57% and gamma pass rates (2%/1 mm) were above 95.3% for the E2E tests. The coincidence between the imaging isocenter and the Linac/gamma treatment isocenter was within 0.5 mm. The image quality fully complied with the vendor's specifications regarding the CNR, spatial resolution, and uniformity.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report about the commissioning of a new multi-modality radiotherapy platform. The platform has been successfully commissioned and exhibits good performance in mechanical and dosimetry accuracy.

Deep learning-assisted identification and quantification of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in non-contrast CT scans: Development and external validation of Hybrid 2D/3D UNet

Accurate stroke assessment and consequent favorable clinical outcomes rely on the early identification and quantification of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) in non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) images. However, hemorrhagic lesions can be complex and difficult to distinguish manually. To solve these problems, here we propose a novel Hybrid 2D/3D UNet deep-learning framework for automatic aSAH identification and quantification in NCCT images. We evaluated 1824 consecutive patients admitted with aSAH to four hospitals in China between June 2018 and May 2022. Accuracy and precision, Dice scores and intersection over union (IoU), and interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess model performance, segmentation performance, and correlations between automatic and manual segmentation, respectively. A total of 1355 patients with aSAH were enrolled: 931, 101, 179, and 144 in four datasets, of whom 326 were scanned with Siemens, 640 with Philips, and 389 with GE Medical Systems scanners. Our proposed deep-learning method accurately identified (accuracies 0.993-0.999) and segmented (Dice scores 0.550-0.897) hemorrhage in both the internal and external datasets, even combinations of hemorrhage subtypes. We further developed a convenient AI-assisted platform based on our algorithm to assist clinical workflows, whose performance was comparable to manual measurements by experienced neurosurgeons (ICCs 0.815-0.957) but with greater efficiency and reduced cost. While this tool has not yet been prospectively tested in clinical practice, our innovative hybrid network algorithm and platform can accurately identify and quantify aSAH, paving the way for fast and cheap NCCT interpretation and a reliable AI-based approach to expedite clinical decision-making for aSAH patients.

Analysis of Fecal Microbiota in Patients with Hypertension Complicated with Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke is a disease with a very high incidence in the clinic, and hypertension is the most important variable risk factor of ischemic stroke. Studies have shown that intestinal microbes are involved in the occurrence and development of various diseases. This study aims to explore whether intestinal microbes play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke in a hypertensive population. In this study, the inpatients in the Department of Neurology and Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University in April 2021 were selected, including seven patients with hypertension complicated with ischemic stroke and only seven patients with hypertension. After collecting the stool samples of patients, the gene sequence of the samples was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing technology, and the double-ended 2 × 150 bp sequencing was carried out. After sequencing, the results were analyzed by diversity analysis, species difference analysis, species function difference analysis, and other bioinformatics tests. According to the test results, serum proteomics and biochemical blood tests were carried out to verify. There was no significant difference in α diversity and β diversity between hypertension complicated with the cerebral infarction and hypertension groups. LEfSe analysis showed that at the genus level, compared with the hypertension group, Bacteroides, UCG_009, and Eisenbergiella had significantly increased relative abundance. The genera with relatively significantly reduced abundance are Ruminococcus_gnavus_group, Sutterellaceae, Burkholderia, and Prevotella and the LDA score of Prevotella is <  - 4, which indicates that there are significant differences. Compared with the blood biochemical indexes, the results showed that the level of APOA1 in hypertensive patients with ischemic stroke was significantly higher than that in hypertensive patients (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in total cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), apolipoprotein B (APOB), and free fatty acid (NEFA). Proteomic analysis showed that there were 89 up-regulated genes and 51 down-regulated genes in the serum of the two groups, and the expression of APOC2 and APOC3 in the cerebral infarction group with hypertension was significantly higher than that in the hypertension group (p < 0.05). The intestinal diversity of patients with hypertension complicated with stroke is similar to that of patients with hypertension, but there are differences in microbiota, among which Prevotella is the most significant. Prevotella could affect lipid metabolism so that APOC2 and APOC3 in the blood are significantly increased, leading to cerebral artery atherosclerosis and, finally, ischemic stroke. This provides a new idea for preventing and treating ischemic stroke in patients with hypertension, but the mechanism of Prevotella acting on apolipoprotein needs further verification by basic medical research.

Thermal Phase Transition and Rapid Degradation of Forever Chemicals (PFAS) in Spent Media Using Induction Heating

In this study, we have developed an innovative thermal degradation strategy for treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-containing solid materials. Our strategy satisfies three criteria: the ability to achieve near-complete degradation of PFASs within a short timescale, nonselectivity, and low energy cost. In our method, a metallic reactor containing a PFAS-laden sample was subjected to electromagnetic induction that prompted a rapid temperature rise of the reactor via the Joule heating effect. We demonstrated that subjecting PFASs (0.001-12 μmol) to induction heating for a brief duration (e.g., <40 s) resulted in substantial degradation (>90%) of these compounds, including recalcitrant short-chain PFASs and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. This finding prompted us to conduct a detailed study of the thermal phase transitions of PFASs using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We identified at least two endothermic DSC peaks for anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic PFASs, signifying the melting and evaporation of the melted PFASs. Melting and evaporation points of many PFASs were reported for the first time. Our data suggest that the rate-limiting step in PFAS thermal degradation is linked with phase transitions (e.g., evaporation) occurring on different time scales. When PFASs are rapidly heated to temperatures similar to those produced during induction heating, the evaporation of melted PFAS slows down, allowing for the degradation of the melted PFAS.