Leaf ecological stoichiometry and anatomical structural adaptation mechanisms of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus in southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

BACKGROUND

With the dramatic uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and the increase in altitude in the Pliocene, the environment became dry and cold, thermophilous plants that originally inhabited ancient subtropical forest essentially disappeared. However, Quercus sect. Heterobalanus (QSH) have gradually become dominant or constructive species distributed on harsh sites in the Hengduan Mountains range in southeastern QTP, Southwest China. Ecological stoichiometry reveals the survival strategies plants adopt to adapt to changing environment by quantifying the proportions and relationships of elements in plants. Simultaneously, as the most sensitive organs of plants to their environment, the structure of leaves reflects of the long-term adaptability of plants to their surrounding environments. Therefore, ecological adaptation mechanisms related to ecological stoichiometry and leaf anatomical structure of QSH were explored. In this study, stoichiometric characteristics were determined by measuring leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents, and morphological adaptations were determined by examining leaf anatomical traits with microscopy.

RESULTS

Different QSH life forms and species had different nutrient allocation strategies. Leaves of QSH plants had higher C and P and lower N contents and higher N and lower P utilization efficiencies. According to an N: P ratio threshold, the growth of QSH species was limited by N, except that of Q. aquifolioides and Q. longispica, which was limited by both N and P. Although stoichiometric homeostasis of C, N, and P and C: N, C: P, and N: P ratios differed slightly across life forms and species, the overall degree of homeostasis was strong, with strictly homeostatic, homeostatic, and weakly homeostatic regulation. In addition, QSH leaves had compound epidermis, thick cuticle, developed palisade tissue and spongy tissue. However, leaves were relatively thin overall, possibly due to leaf leathering and lignification, which is strategy to resist stress from UV radiation, drought, and frost. Furthermore, contents of C, N, and P and stoichiometric ratios were significantly correlated with leaf anatomical traits.

CONCLUSIONS

QSH adapt to the plateau environment by adjusting the content and utilization efficiencies of C, N, and P elements. Strong stoichiometric homeostasis of QSH was likely a strategy to mitigate nutrient limitation. The unique leaf structure of the compound epidermis, thick cuticle, well-developed palisade tissue and spongy tissue is another adaptive mechanism for QSH to survive in the plateau environment. The anatomical adaptations and nutrient utilization strategies of QSH may have coevolved during long-term succession over millions of years.

Single-nucleus transcriptome sequencing reveals hepatic cell atlas in pigs

BACKGROUND

As the largest substantive organ of animals, the liver plays an essential role in the physiological processes of digestive metabolism and immune defense. However, the cellular composition of the pig liver remains poorly understood. This investigation used single-nucleus RNA sequencing technology to identify cell types from liver tissues of pigs, providing a theoretical basis for further investigating liver cell types in pigs.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed 13 cells clusters which were further identified 7 cell types including endothelial cells, T cells, hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, stellate cells, B cells, and cholangiocytes. The dominant cell types were endothelial cells, T cells and hepatocytes in the liver tissue of Dahe pigs and Dahe black pigs, which accounts for about 85.76% and 82.74%, respectively. The number of endothelial cells was higher in the liver tissue of Dahe pigs compared to Dahe black pigs, while the opposite tendency was observed for T cells. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes in pig hepatic endothelial cells were significantly enriched in the protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, MAPK signaling pathway, and FoxO signaling pathway. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes in pig hepatic T cells were significantly enriched in the thyroid hormone signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway, and focal adhesion. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes in pig hepatic hepatocytes were significantly enriched in the metabolic pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, this study provides a comprehensive cell atlas of porcine hepatic tissue. The number, gene expression level and functional characteristics of each cell type in pig liver tissue varied between breeds.

[Research progress on immunohistochemical diagnostic markers for malignant pleural mesothelioma]

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant tumor originating from the pleura, characterized by insidious onset, strong local invasiveness, short survival period, and poor prognosis. Clinical diagnosis is of paramount importance for the treatment and prognosis of MPM. Currently, the gold standard for diagnosing MPM is the results of histopathological examinations. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an effective auxiliary method in pathological diagnosis. Preliminary examinations can use two positive markers and two negative markers to distinguish pleural metastatic tumors, with additional antibodies selected based on differential diagnosis. The combined use of IHC markers plays a crucial role in the differential diagnosis between MPM and other tumors. This article primarily introduces commonly used IHC markers in MPM and the research progress of novel IHC markers in screening and differential diagnosis, aiming to provide reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of MPM.

Ultra-Wide Range, High Sensitivity Piezoresistive Sensor Based on Triple Periodic Minimum Surface Construction

Flexible piezoresistive sensors with biological structures are widely exploited for high sensitivity and detection. However, the conventional bionic structure pressure sensors usually suffer from irreconcilable conflicts between high sensitivity and wide detection response range. Herein, a triple periodic minimum surface (TPMS) structure sensor is proposed based on parametric structural design and 3D printing techniques. Upon tailoring of the dedicated structural parameters, the resulting sensors exhibit superior compression durability, high sensitivity, and ultra-high detection range, that enabling it meets the needs of various scenes. As a model system, TPMS structure sensor with 40.5% porosity exhibits an ultra-high sensitivity (132 kPa-1 in 0-5.7 MPa), wide detection strain range (0-31.2%), high repeatability and durability (1000 cycles in 4.41 MPa, 10000 s in 1.32 MPa), and low detection limit (1% in 80 kPa). The stress/strain distributions have been identified using finite element analysis. Toward practical applications, the TPMS structural sensors can be applied to detect human activity and health monitoring (i.e., voice recognition, finger pressure, sitting, standing, walking, and falling down behaviors). The synergistic effects of MWCNTs and MXene conductive network also ensure the composite further being utilized for electromagnetic interference shielding applications.

Two New Eudesmane-Type Sesquiterpene from Clonostachys sp. Y6-1and Their Cytotoxic Activity

Two undescribed eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoids together with four known compounds were isolated from Clonostachys sp. Y6-1 associated. Their chemical structures were unambiguously determined by NMR, mass spectrometry, and 13 C-NMR calculation as well as DP4+ probability analyses. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were determined by ECD calculation and X-ray single-crystal diffraction methods. Furthermore, all isolates were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxic activities against MCF-7, HCT-116, MDA-MB-231, and SW620 cancer cells. Among them, bioactivity evaluation of compound 5 revealed that weak activity (IC50 =66.55±0.82 μM) against SW620.

The Removal of Inclusions with Different Diameters in Tundish by Channel Induction Heating: A Numerical Simulation Study

The quality of the bloom will be impacted by the non-metallic impurities in the molten steel in the tundish, which will reduce the plasticity and fatigue life of the steel. In this research, a mathematical model of a six-flow double-channel T-shaped induction heating tundish was established, the effects of induction heating conditions on the removal of inclusions in the tundish were investigated, and the impact of various inclusion particle sizes on the removal effect of inclusions under induction heating was explored. The results show that the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) curve produced through numerical simulation and physical simulation is in good agreement. The reduction of inclusion particles in the channel is made affordable by the dual-channel induction heating technique. As the diameter of inclusion particles increases from 10 μm to 50 μm, the probability of inclusion particles being removed from the channel gradually decreases from 70.9% to 56.1%.

Temporal trends and projections of gynecological cancers in China, 2007-2030

BACKGROUND

Gynecological cancer will become a more important public health problem in future years but limited evidence on gynecological cancer burden in China.

METHODS

We extracted age-specific rate of cancer cases and deaths during 2007-2016 from the Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report, and estimated age-specific population size using the data released by National Bureau of Statistics of China. Cancer burden were calculated by multiplying the rates with the population size. Temporal trends of the cancer cases, incidence, deaths, and mortality during 2007-2016 were calculated by JoinPoint Regression Program, and from 2017 to 2030 were projected by grey prediction model GM (1,1).

RESULTS

In China, total gynecological cancer cases increased from 177,839 to 241,800, with the average annual percentage change of 3.5% (95% CI: 2.7-4.3%) during 2007-2016. Cervical, uterine, ovarian, vulva, and other gynecological cancer cases increased by 4.1% (95% CI: 3.3-4.9%), 3.3% (95% CI: 2.6-4.1%), 2.4% (95% CI: 1.4-3.5%), 4.4% (95% CI: 2.5-6.4%), and 3.6% (95% CI: 1.4-5.9%) respectively. From 2017 to 2030, projected gynecological cancer cases are changing from 246,581 to 408,314. Cervical, vulva and vaginal cancers showed evident upward trend, while uterine and ovarian cancer cases are slightly increasing. The increases for age-standardized incidence rates were similar with that of cancer cases. Temporal trends of cancer deaths and mortality were similar with that of cancer cases and incidence during 2007-2030, except that uterine cancer deaths and mortality were declined.

CONCLUSIONS

With the aging of population and other increased risk factors, the burden of gynecological cancers in China is likely to be grew rapidly in the future, comprehensive gynecological cancer control should be concerned.

Supramolecular Dimer as High-Performance pH Probe: Study on the Fluorescence Properties of Halogenated Ligands in Rigid Schiff Base Complex

The development of high-performance fluorescence probes has been an active area of research. In the present work, two new pH sensors Zn-3,5-Cl-saldmpn and Zn-3,5-Br-saldmpn based on a halogenated Schiff ligand (3,5-Cl-saldmpn = N, N'-(3,3'-dipropyhnethylamine) bis (3,5-chlorosalicylidene)) with linearity and a high signal-to-noise ratio were developed. Analyses revealed an exponential intensification in their fluorescence emission and a discernible chromatic shift upon pH increase from 5.0 to 7.0. The sensors could retain over 95% of their initial signal amplitude after 20 operational cycles, demonstrating excellent stability and reversibility. To elucidate their unique fluorescence response, a non-halogenated analog was introduced for comparison. The structural and optical characterization suggested that the introduction of halogen atoms can create additional interaction pathways between adjacent molecules and enhance the strength of the interaction, which not only improves the signal-to-noise ratio but also forms a long-range interaction process in the formation of the aggregation state, thus enhancing the response range. Meanwhile, the above proposed mechanism was also verified by theoretical calculations.

[Correlation between temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis and coronoid process]

Objective: To investigate the morphological characteristics of coracoid process in different stages of temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis (TMJOA), and to provide theoretical data for clinical and anatomic study. Methods: A total of 290 patients who were diagnosed with TMJOA in the Department of Temporomandibular Joint, Kunming Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology from January 2015 to February 2021 were collected, including 69 males and 221 females, with an average age of 35.1±13.7 years (16-69 years old), 64 cases of unilateral lesions (64 sides), and 226 cases of bilateral lesions (452 sides). According to the TMJOA X-ray staging standard put forward by Ma Xuchen in 2005, the affected joints were divided into stage I (227 sides), stage Ⅱ (38 sides), stage Ⅲ (164 sides) and stage Ⅳ (87 sides). Twenty-six patients without clinical and imaging manifestations of temporomandibular disorders in the Department of Radiology, Kunming Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology from October 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the control group, including 8 males and 18 females. The average age was (34.3±13.9) years (17-60 years). The dicom data of each group were imported into SimplantPro11.04 software to measure the height of coracoid process, anteversion angle and the ratio of coracoid vertex to mandibular corner to condylar vertex to mandibular angle. R 3.6.1 was used to analyze the difference of the morphological characteristics of coracoid process between in the affected side of TMJOA and in the both sides of the control group, in the healthy side and the affected side of unilateral patients and in different stages of TMJOA. Results: The height of the coracoid process [(16.26±2.81 mm)], the ratio of the coracoid process vertex-mandibular angle point and the condyle vertex-mandibular angle point distance [0.96(0.92,1.01)] on the affected side of TMJOA were significantly higher than those in the control group [(15.31±3.03)mm;0.95(0.89、0.99)] (t=2.18, P=0.033; t=2.87, P=0.004). There was no significant difference between the ante-version angle and the control group (t=-1.37, P=0.176). The ratio of the distance between the apex of the coracoid process and the apex of the mandibular angle to the apex of the condyle and the angle of the mandible in the affected side of unilateral patients was significantly greater than that in the healthy side (t=-3.46, P=0.001). There was no significant difference in coracoid height, coracoid anteversion angle and the healthy side (t=-1.85, P=0.069; t=-0.06, P=0.955) in different periods. The intra-group analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the height of the coracoid process in different stages (F=0.37, P=0.774). There was no significant difference in the ante-version angle of the coracoid process: stage I, stage Ⅱ, and stage Ⅲ (P>0.008), but all were significantly smaller than stage Ⅳ (PⅠ-Ⅳ<0.001, PⅡ-Ⅳ=0.009, PⅢ-Ⅳ<0.001). The ratio of the distance between coracoid apex-mandibular angle and condyle apex-mandibular angle: there was no significant difference in stage I, stage Ⅱ, and stage Ⅲ (P>0.008), and stage I and stage Ⅲ were significantly smaller than stage Ⅳ (P<0.001). Conclusions: The coracoid height and the ratio of the coracoid apex-mandibular angle to the condyle apex-mandibular angle distance on the TMJOA side were significantly greater than those without temporomandibular joint disorders. The bone deposition was mainly concentrated in the upper and posterior part of the condyle. TMJOA had a certain correlation with the height of the coracoid process.