Photo-induced structural dynamics of o-nitrophenol by ultrafast electron diffraction

The photo-induced dynamics of o-nitrophenol, particularly its photolysis, has garnered significant scientific interest as a potential source of nitrous acid in the atmosphere. Although the photolysis products and preceding photo-induced electronic structure dynamics have been investigated extensively, the nuclear dynamics accompanying the non-radiative relaxation of o-nitrophenol on the ultrafast timescale, which include an intramolecular proton transfer step, have not been experimentally resolved. Herein, we present a direct observation of the ultrafast nuclear motions mediating photo-relaxation using ultrafast electron diffraction. This work spatiotemporally resolves the loss of planarity which enables access to a conical intersection between the first excited state and the ground state after the proton transfer step, on the femtosecond timescale and with sub-Angstrom resolution. Our observations, supported by ab initio multiple spawning simulations, provide new insights into the proton transfer mediated relaxation mechanism in o-nitrophenol.

Novel circular RNA Sestrin1 promotes chicken myoblast proliferation and differentiation via circSesn1/miR-16-5p/SESN1 pathway

1. The development of chicken skeletal muscle is directly relevant to poultry husbandry production. Numerous studies have suggested that circular RNA play pivotal roles in muscle development. However, the functions and mechanisms of most circRNA in chicken myogenesis remain largely unknown.2. This study identified a novel circSESN1 based on existing sequencing data and examined its authenticity and subcellular localisation by enzyme digestion and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between the expression levels of circSESN1 and the developmental stage of chicken muscle.3. Mechanistically, knockdown or overexpression of circSESN1 was performed in primary myoblasts to validate its function. The interactions between circSESN1, miR-16-5p, and the target gene sestrin 1 (SESN1) were investigated using bioinformatics analysis and a dual fluorescein reporter system. Real-time qPCR, a cell proliferation assay, and immunofluorescence staining techniques were used to investigate the promotion effect of circSESN1 on myoblast proliferation and differentiation by miR-16-5p/SESN1 pathway.4. The results demonstrated that the newly identified chicken circSESN1 directly sponges gga-miR-16-5p to regulate SESN1 gene expression, promoting myoblast proliferation and differentiation.

Comprehensive analysis of changes in expression of lncRNA, microRNA and mRNA in liver tissues of chickens with high or low abdominal fat deposition

1. The liver of chickens is a dominant lipid biosynthetic tissue and plays a vital role in fat deposition, particularly in the abdomen. To determine the molecular mechanisms involved in its lipid metabolism, the livers of chickens with high (H) or low (L) abdominal fat content were sampled and sequencing on long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA) and small RNA (microRNA) was performed.2. In total, 351 expressed protein-coding genes for long non-coding RNA (DEL; 201 upregulated and 150 downregulated), 400 differentially expressed genes (DEG; 223 upregulated and 177 downregulated) and 10 differentially expressed miRNA (DEM; four upregulated and six downregulated) were identified between the two groups. Multiple potential signalling pathways related to lipogenesis and lipid metabolism were identified via pathway enrichment analysis. In addition, 173 lncRNA - miRNA - mRNA interaction regulatory networks were identified, including 30 lncRNA, 27 mRNA and seven miRNA.3. These networks may help regulate lipid metabolism and fat deposition. Five promising candidate genes and two lncRNA may play important roles in the regulation of adipogenesis and lipid metabolism in chickens.

Antidepressant Exposure and DNA Methylation: Insights from a Methylome-Wide Association Study

Importance

Understanding antidepressant mechanisms could help design more effective and tolerated treatments.

Objective

Identify DNA methylation (DNAm) changes associated with antidepressant exposure.

Design

Case-control methylome-wide association studies (MWAS) of antidepressant exposure were performed from blood samples collected between 2006-2011 in Generation Scotland (GS). The summary statistics were tested for enrichment in specific tissues, gene ontologies and an independent MWAS in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). A methylation profile score (MPS) was derived and tested for its association with antidepressant exposure in eight independent cohorts, alongside prospective data from GS.

Setting

Cohorts; GS, NESDA, FTC, SHIP-Trend, FOR2107, LBC1936, MARS-UniDep, ALSPAC, E-Risk, and NTR.

Participants

Participants with DNAm data and self-report/prescription derived antidepressant exposure.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Whole-blood DNAm levels were assayed by the EPIC/450K Illumina array (9 studies, N exposed = 661, N unexposed = 9,575) alongside MBD-Seq in NESDA (N exposed = 398, N unexposed = 414). Antidepressant exposure was measured by self- report and/or antidepressant prescriptions.

Results

The self-report MWAS (N = 16,536, N exposed = 1,508, mean age = 48, 59% female) and the prescription-derived MWAS (N = 7,951, N exposed = 861, mean age = 47, 59% female), found hypermethylation at seven and four DNAm sites (p < 9.42x10 -8 ), respectively. The top locus was cg26277237 ( KANK1, p self-report = 9.3x10 -13 , p prescription = 6.1x10 -3 ). The self-report MWAS found a differentially methylated region, mapping to DGUOK-AS1 ( p adj = 5.0x10 -3 ) alongside significant enrichment for genes expressed in the amygdala, the "synaptic vesicle membrane" gene ontology and the top 1% of CpGs from the NESDA MWAS (OR = 1.39, p < 0.042). The MPS was associated with antidepressant exposure in meta-analysed data from external cohorts (N studies = 9, N = 10,236, N exposed = 661, f3 = 0.196, p < 1x10 -4 ).

Conclusions and Relevance

Antidepressant exposure is associated with changes in DNAm across different cohorts. Further investigation into these changes could inform on new targets for antidepressant treatments.

3 Key Points

Question: Is antidepressant exposure associated with differential whole blood DNA methylation?Findings: In this methylome-wide association study of 16,536 adults across Scotland, antidepressant exposure was significantly associated with hypermethylation at CpGs mapping to KANK1 and DGUOK-AS1. A methylation profile score trained on this sample was significantly associated with antidepressant exposure (pooled f3 [95%CI]=0.196 [0.105, 0.288], p < 1x10 -4 ) in a meta-analysis of external datasets. Meaning: Antidepressant exposure is associated with hypermethylation at KANK1 and DGUOK-AS1 , which have roles in mitochondrial metabolism and neurite outgrowth. If replicated in future studies, targeting these genes could inform the design of more effective and better tolerated treatments for depression.

High energy electron diffraction instrument with tunable camera length

Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) stands as a powerful technique for real-time observation of structural dynamics at the atomic level. In recent years, the use of MeV electrons from radio frequency guns has been widely adopted to take advantage of the relativistic suppression of the space charge effects that otherwise limit the temporal resolution of the technique. Nevertheless, there is not a clear choice for the optimal energy for a UED instrument. Scaling to beam energies higher than a few MeV does pose significant technical challenges, mainly related to the inherent increase in diffraction camera length associated with the smaller Bragg angles. In this study, we report a solution by using a compact post-sample magnetic optical system to magnify the diffraction pattern from a crystal Au sample illuminated by an 8.2 MeV electron beam. Our method employs, as one of the lenses of the optical system, a triplet of compact, high field gradients (>500 T/m), small-gap (3.5 mm) Halbach permanent magnet quadrupoles. Shifting the relative position of the quadrupoles, we demonstrate tuning the magnification by more than a factor of two, a 6× improvement in camera length, and reciprocal space resolution better than 0.1 Å-1 in agreement with beam transport simulations.

[Mutation characteristics of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma: an analysis of 75 cases]

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of gene mutations in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). Methods: Seventy-five AITL cases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China from June 2021 to June 2023 were included. Their formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded or fresh tissues were subject to targeted next generation sequencing (NGS). The sequencing data was collected, and the distribution and type of gene mutations were analyzed. Results: 492 potential driver mutations were identified in 74 out of the 84 genes. Targeted sequencing data for the 75 AITL patients showed that the genes with mutation frequencies of ≥10% were TET2 (89.3%), RHOA (57.3%), IDH2 (37.3%), DNMT3A (36.0%), KMT2C (21.3%), PLCG1 (12.0%), and KDM6B (10.7%). There were significant co-occurrence relationships between TET2 and RHOA, TET2 and IDH2, and RHOA and IDH2 gene mutations (P<0.05), respectively, while TET2 and KDM6B gene mutations were mutually exclusive (P<0.05). Conclusions: The study reveals the mutational characteristics of AITL patients using NGS technology, which would provide insights for molecular diagnosis and targeted therapy of AITL.

Effects of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone on testicular development and reproduction-related gene expression in roosters

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) plays a crucial role in regulating reproduction in the hypothalamus of poultry and has been intensely investigated since its discovery. This study aimed to assess the effects of GnIH on testicular development, as well as on reproduction-related hormone release and gene expression levels in roosters. The administration of exogenous GnIH resulted in a significant reduction in testis weight, testis volume and semen quality (p < 0.05). Additionally, exogenous GnIH significantly up-regulates the expression of GnIH, and down-regulates the expression of PRL (p < 0.05). GnIH application also decreased the GnRH, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and luteinizing hormone β subunit(LHβ)gene expression levels. Meanwhile, by neutralizing the effects of endogenous GnIH through immunization, testicular development on day 150 in roosters was significantly promoted. Compared to the control condition, GnIH immunization significantly down-regulated the expression of the VIP and PRL genes (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we found that exogenous GnIH treatment inhibited testicular development, reduces PRL gene expression, and suppressed reproductive performance in roosters. Conversely, GnIH immunization down-regulated VIP and PRL genes, activates the reproductive system, and promotes the reproductive activity and testicular development of roosters.

[Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Shanghai from 2013 to 2020]

Objective: To use the spatiotemporal distribution model and INLA algorithm to study the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of tuberculosis in Shanghai and to provide a theoretical basis for formulating regional tuberculosis epidemic prevention and control measures. Methods: Based on the data of registered pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Shanghai during 2013-2020 derived from the tuberculosis management information system of China Disease Control and Prevention Information System, the hierarchical Bayesian model was adopted to fit the tuberculosis case data, identify the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of tuberculosis, and explore the potential socioeconomic characteristics and other factors related to health services and spatiotemporal characteristics. Results: From 2013 to 2020, 29 281 registered tuberculosis cases were reported in Shanghai, with an average annual incidence of 25.224/100 000. From 2013 to 2020, the incidence trend increased first and then decreased, the highest incidence was reported in 2014 (27.991/100 000). The incidence of tuberculosis in Shanghai is characterized by spatial clustering. Through the spatial characteristics and risk analysis of the reported incidence of tuberculosis, it is found that the high-risk area of tuberculosis in Shanghai is the suburban communities, whereas downtown communities are the low-risk areas. The incidence risk of pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with the gross domestic product per capita (RR=0.48), the number of beds per 10 000 persons (RR=0.56), the normalized vegetation index (RR=0.50), and the night light index (RR=0.80). Conclusions: With the steady progress of tuberculosis prevention and control in the central urban area of Shanghai, special attention should be paid to the prevention and control in the suburbs further to improve the social and economic level in the suburbs and increase the coverage rate of urban green space, to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis and reduce the disease burden of tuberculosis in Shanghai.

Prevalence, drivers and surveillance of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in rural China: Interdisciplinary study

This study aimed to characterise antibiotic prescribing and dispensing patterns in rural health facilities in China and determine the community prevalence of antibiotic resistance. We investigated patterns and drivers of antibiotic use for common respiratory and urinary tract infections (RTI/UTI) in community settings, examined relationships between presenting symptoms, clinical diagnosis and microbiological results in rural outpatient clinics, and assessed potential for using patient records to monitor antibiotic use. This interdisciplinary mixed methods study included: (i) Observations and exit interviews in eight village clinics and township health centres and 15 retail pharmacies; (ii) Urine, throat swab and sputum samples from patients to identify potential pathogens and test susceptibility; (iii) 103 semi-structured interviews with doctors, patients, pharmacy workers and antibiotic-purchasing customers; (iv) Assessment of completeness and accuracy of electronic patient records through comparison with observational data. 87.9% of 1123 recruited clinic patients were prescribed antibiotics (of which 35.5% contained antibiotic combinations and >40% were for intravenous administration), most of whom had RTIs. Antibiotic prescribing for RTIs was not associated with presence of bacterial pathogens but was correlated with longer duration of infection (OR = 3.33) and presence of sore throat (OR = 1.64). Fever strongly predicted prescription of intravenous antibiotics (OR = 2.87). Resistance rates in bacterial pathogens isolated were low compared with national data. 25.8% of patients reported antibiotics use prior to their clinic visit, but only 56.2% of clinic patients and 53% of pharmacy customers could confirm their prescription or purchase included antibiotics. Diagnostic uncertainty, financial incentives, understanding of antibiotics as anti-inflammatory and limited doctor-patient communication were identified as key drivers of antibiotic use. Completion and accuracy of electronic patient records were highly variable. Prevalence of antibiotic resistance in this rural population is relatively low despite high levels of antibiotic prescribing and self-medication. More systematic use of e-records and in-service training could improve antibiotic surveillance and stewardship in rural facilities. Combining qualitative and observational anthropological methods and concepts with microbiological and epidemiological investigation of antibiotic resistance at both research design and analytic synthesis stages substantially increases the validity of research findings and their utility in informing future intervention development.

Analysis of the factors influencing male infertility of reproductive age in Jinan

OBJECTIVE

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infertility as a person failing to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility includes female infertility and male infertility. The aim of this paper is to study the etiology of infertility and related influencing factors in men of reproductive age in Jinan.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this study, 172 male infertile patients who attended the Department of Assisted Reproduction of Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong, China and the Infertility Clinic of Jinan Central Hospital in Shandong, China from August 2021 to April 2022 are selected as the study population (infertility group). A convenience sampling method is used to select 257 men from couples attending the Obstetrics Department of Qilu Hospital in Shandong, China, the Obstetrics Department of the Second Hospital of Shandong University in Shandong, China, and the Obstetrics Department of Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong, China from October 2021 to February 2022 as the study subjects (control group). A self-designed questionnaire is used to conduct the survey, which includes basic personal information, lifestyle information, marital and family-related information, and one-way and multi-way logistic regression analyses are performed.

RESULTS

The average age of the case group and the control group are 34.03±5.13 years old and 33.61±8.18 years old; the average height is 175.80±5.91 cm and 176.78±5.25 cm; the average weight is 80.28±14.70 kg and 83.09±45.36 kg. The differences in age, height, and weight between the case group and the control group are not statistically significant by t-test. Moderate oligospermia is the predominant cause of infertility in men of reproductive age in Jinan. A multifactorial logistic regression analysis yields that academic qualifications (OR=2.518, 95% CI: 1.023 to 6.196), coffee consumption (OR=7.692, 95% CI: 1.623 to 36.460), living in a room that had been renovated within a period of time (OR=2.769, 95% CI: 1.104 to 6.949), stress level (OR=47.280, 95% CI: 23.656-94.494), quality of sexual life (OR=3.352, 95% CI: 1.331-8.442), and duration of couple separation (OR=3.851, 95% CI: 1.094-13.557) are the main risk factors for infertility in men of reproductive age in Jinan.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, a total of 6 risk factors are screened for male infertility in Jinan in the reproductive age, including high academic qualifications, coffee consumption, living in a room that has finished renovation within 3 months, high stress, poor quality of sexual life, and long spousal separation. Three factors can be controlled, avoided, or reduced through personal actions; the factors are coffee consumption, living in a room that has finished renovation within 3 months, and high stress, all of which may reduce the level of male reproductive health.

Energetic Electron Precipitation Driven by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves from ELFIN's Low Altitude Perspective

We review comprehensive observations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave-driven energetic electron precipitation using data collected by the energetic electron detector on the Electron Losses and Fields InvestigatioN (ELFIN) mission, two polar-orbiting low-altitude spinning CubeSats, measuring 50-5000 keV electrons with good pitch-angle and energy resolution. EMIC wave-driven precipitation exhibits a distinct signature in energy-spectrograms of the precipitating-to-trapped flux ratio: peaks at >0.5 MeV which are abrupt (bursty) (lasting ∼17 s, or Δ L ∼ 0.56 ) with significant substructure (occasionally down to sub-second timescale). We attribute the bursty nature of the precipitation to the spatial extent and structuredness of the wave field at the equator. Multiple ELFIN passes over the same MLT sector allow us to study the spatial and temporal evolution of the EMIC wave - electron interaction region. Case studies employing conjugate ground-based or equatorial observations of the EMIC waves reveal that the energy of moderate and strong precipitation at ELFIN approximately agrees with theoretical expectations for cyclotron resonant interactions in a cold plasma. Using multiple years of ELFIN data uniformly distributed in local time, we assemble a statistical database of ∼50 events of strong EMIC wave-driven precipitation. Most reside at L ∼ 5 - 7 at dusk, while a smaller subset exists at L ∼ 8 - 12 at post-midnight. The energies of the peak-precipitation ratio and of the half-peak precipitation ratio (our proxy for the minimum resonance energy) exhibit an L -shell dependence in good agreement with theoretical estimates based on prior statistical observations of EMIC wave power spectra. The precipitation ratio's spectral shape for the most intense events has an exponential falloff away from the peak (i.e., on either side of ∼ 1.45 MeV). It too agrees well with quasi-linear diffusion theory based on prior statistics of wave spectra. It should be noted though that this diffusive treatment likely includes effects from nonlinear resonant interactions (especially at high energies) and nonresonant effects from sharp wave packet edges (at low energies). Sub-MeV electron precipitation observed concurrently with strong EMIC wave-driven >1 MeV precipitation has a spectral shape that is consistent with efficient pitch-angle scattering down to ∼ 200-300 keV by much less intense higher frequency EMIC waves at dusk (where such waves are most frequent). At ∼100 keV, whistler-mode chorus may be implicated in concurrent precipitation. These results confirm the critical role of EMIC waves in driving relativistic electron losses. Nonlinear effects may abound and require further investigation.

Rehybridization dynamics into the pericyclic minimum of an electrocyclic reaction imaged in real-time

Electrocyclic reactions are characterized by the concerted formation and cleavage of both σ and π bonds through a cyclic structure. This structure is known as a pericyclic transition state for thermal reactions and a pericyclic minimum in the excited state for photochemical reactions. However, the structure of the pericyclic geometry has yet to be observed experimentally. We use a combination of ultrafast electron diffraction and excited state wavepacket simulations to image structural dynamics through the pericyclic minimum of a photochemical electrocyclic ring-opening reaction in the molecule α-terpinene. The structural motion into the pericyclic minimum is dominated by rehybridization of two carbon atoms, which is required for the transformation from two to three conjugated π bonds. The σ bond dissociation largely happens after internal conversion from the pericyclic minimum to the electronic ground state. These findings may be transferrable to electrocyclic reactions in general.

The identification and characterization of genome-wide long terminal repeat retrotransposon provide an insight into elucidating the trait evolution of five Rhododendron species

Rhododendron is well-known for its beauty and colorful corolla. Although some high-quality whole-genome sequencing of Rhododendron has been completed, there is lack of studies on long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons in Rhododendron, which limits our ability to elucidate the causes of genetic variations in Rhododendron species. The properties of the intact Rhododendron LTR retrotransposon were investigated at the genome-wide level. Based on the available data, the high-quality genomes from five species, i.e., R. griersonianum, R. simsii, R. henanense subsp. lingbaoense, R. mucronatum var. ripense and R. ovatum were selected as the identification targets with good assembly continuity. A total of 17,936 intact LTR retrotransposons were identified; they belong to the superfamilies Copia and Gypsy with 17 clades. The insertion time of these transposons was later than 120 million years ago, and the outbreak period was concentrated more recently than 30 million years ago. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that many LTR retrotransposons might originate from intraspecific duplication. The current evidences also suggests that most of the LTR retrotransposons were inserted in the interstitial part of the genes in R. griersonianum, R. simsii, R. henanense, and R. ovatum, and the functions of the inserted genes are mainly involved in starch metabolism and proteolysis etc. The effect of LTR retrotransposon on gene expression depends on its insertion site and activation. Highly expressed LTR retrotransposons tended to be younger. The activity of LTR retrotransposons may affect some stage-specific expression genes of flower development, such as leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase. The available results herein improve our knowledge of LTR retrotransposons in Rhododendron genomes and facilitate the further study of genetic variation and trait evolution in Rhododendron.

Modifiable predictors of type 2 diabetes mellitus and roles of insulin resistance and β-cell function over a 6-year study and 30-year follow-up

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the modifiable predictors of T2DM and the roles of insulin resistance (IR) and β-cell function over a 6-year study and 30-year follow-up.

METHODS

A total of 462 non-diabetic participants, 282 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 180 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were enrolled in this analysis. The Matsuda IR index and area under the curve of insulin-to-glucose ratio (AUCI/G-R) were used as IR and β-cell function indices in the analysis.

RESULTS

In all participants, multivariable analysis showed that BMI, glucose status, Matsuda IR index and systolic blood pressure (SBP) at baseline were independently associated with an increased risk of T2DM over 30 years, whereas lifestyle intervention and AUCI/G-R were inversely associated with this risk. The predictive effect of the Matsuda IR index and AUCI/G-R in participants with IGT was consistent with the results of all participants, whereas in those with NGT, only the Matsuda IR index, not the AUCI/G-R, predicted the development of T2DM (HR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.07-1.89 vs HR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.76-1.56). The predictive effect of the Matsuda IR index on T2DM existed even in participants with BMI < 25 (p = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

The modifiable predictors of T2DM in Chinese adults were high BMI, hypertension, mild hyperglycaemia, IR, and β-cell dysfunction. Both IR and β-cell function contributed to the development of T2DM in the long term; however, IR remains the initial and long-standing key risk factor for T2DM.

Octahedral Distortion and Displacement-Type Ferroelectricity with Switchable Photovoltaic Effect in a 3d^{3}-Electron Perovskite System

Because of the half-filled t_{2g}-electron configuration, the BO_{6} octahedral distortion in a 3d^{3} perovskite system is usually very limited. In this Letter, a perovskitelike oxide Hg_{0.75}Pb_{0.25}MnO_{3} (HPMO) with a 3d^{3} Mn^{4+} state was synthesized by using high pressure and high temperature methods. This compound exhibits an unusually large octahedral distortion enhanced by approximately 2 orders of magnitude compared with that observed in other 3d^{3} perovskite systems like RCr^{3+}O_{3} (R=rare earth). Essentially different from centrosymmetric HgMnO_{3} and PbMnO_{3}, the A-site doped HPMO presents a polar crystal structure with the space group Ama2 and a substantial spontaneous electric polarization (26.5  μC/cm^{2} in theory) arising from the off-center displacements of A- and B-site ions. More interestingly, a prominent net photocurrent and switchable photovoltaic effect with a sustainable photoresponse were observed in the current polycrystalline HPMO. This Letter provides an exceptional d^{3} material system which shows unusually large octahedral distortion and displacement-type ferroelectricity violating the "d^{0}-ness" rule.

White matter, cognition and psychotic-like experiences in UK Biobank

BACKGROUND

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are risk factors for the development of psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, particularly if associated with distress. As PLEs have been related to alterations in both white matter and cognition, we investigated whether cognition (g-factor and processing speed) mediates the relationship between white matter and PLEs.

METHODS

We investigated two independent samples (6170 and 19 891) from the UK Biobank, through path analysis. For both samples, measures of whole-brain fractional anisotropy (gFA) and mean diffusivity (gMD), as indications of white matter microstructure, were derived from probabilistic tractography. For the smaller sample, variables whole-brain white matter network efficiency and microstructure were also derived from structural connectome data.

RESULTS

The mediation of cognition on the relationships between white matter properties and PLEs was non-significant. However, lower gFA was associated with having PLEs in combination with distress in the full available sample (standardized β = -0.053, p = 0.011). Additionally, lower gFA/higher gMD was associated with lower g-factor (standardized β = 0.049, p < 0.001; standardized β = -0.027, p = 0.003), and partially mediated by processing speed with a proportion mediated of 7% (p = < 0.001) for gFA and 11% (p < 0.001) for gMD.

CONCLUSIONS

We show that lower global white matter microstructure is associated with having PLEs in combination with distress, which suggests a direction of future research that could help clarify how and why individuals progress from subclinical to clinical psychotic symptoms. Furthermore, we replicated that processing speed mediates the relationship between white matter microstructure and g-factor.

Genome Sequence Resource of Fusarium proliferatum f. sp. malus domestica MR5, the Causative Agent of Apple Replant Disease

Apple replant disease (ARD) caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium proliferatum f. sp. malus domestica (Fpmd) MR5 brings annual losses to apple production within China. However, the genomic information of the pathogen is not yet available. Here, we obtained the whole-genome sequence of the highly virulent Fpmd MR5 using the Illumina PE150 platform. The genome size was 42.76 Mb and consisted of 9,047 genes. The GC content was 48.80%, and several genes potentially associated with pathogenicity were identified, such as carbohydrate-active enzymes, secreted proteins, and secondary metabolite gene clusters. There were 260 specific virulence factor genes, mainly related to fungal vegetative growth and the production of cell wall-degrading enzymes. These data will aid future studies investigating host-pathogen interactions and help us develop suitable disease management strategies.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals candidate genes for seasonal breeding in the male Lion-Head goose

1. Due to seasonal breeding, geese breeds from Southern China have low egg yield. The genetic makeup underlying performance of local breeds is largely unknown, and few studies have investigated this problem. This study integrated 21 newly generated and 50 publicly existing RNA-seq libraries, representing the hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, to identify candidate genes and importantly related pathways associated with seasonal breeding in male Lion-Head geese.2. In total, 19, 119 and 302 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, respectively, of male Lion-Head geese between non-breeding and breeding periods. These genes were significantly involved in the neuropeptide signalling pathway, gland development, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, JAK-STAT signalling pathway, cAMP signalling pathway, PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and Foxo signalling pathway.3. By integrating another 50 RNA-seq samples 4, 18 and 40 promising DEGs were confirmed in hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, respectively.4. HOX genes were identified as having important roles in the development of testis between non-breeding and breeding periods of male Lion-Head geese.

CircSUCO promotes proliferation and differentiation of chicken skeletal muscle satellite cells via sponging miR-15

1. In a previous high-throughput sequencing study, a novel circular RNA (circRNA) generated from a SUN domain containing ossification factor (SUCO) gene transcript (circSUCO) was differentially expressed during the embryonic muscle development. This study aimed to further explore the effect of circSUCO on chicken skeletal muscle development.2. The experiment analysed the expression patterns of circSUCO in Tianfu broilers and clarified its function in the chicken skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSC) after circSUCO knockdown. The qPCR results showed circSUCO was highly expressed in skeletal muscle and has different expression levels during various development periods.3. Mechanistically, a series of in vitro experiments showed that circSUCO interference suppressed proliferation and differentiation of SMSC. In addition, it was observed that circSUCO competitively binds with microRNAs such as miR-15a, miR-15b-5p, and miR-15c-5p according to the dual-luciferase assay and qPCR.4. Correlation was positive between the circSUCO expression level and the ratio of the breast muscle. The results revealed that circSUCO could play a positive role in proliferation and differentiation of SMSC via sponging miR-15a, miR-15b-5p, and miR-15c-5p, hence, may contribute to skeletal muscle development in chicken.

Integrated analysis of long non-coding RNAs and mRNA expression profiles identified potential interactions regulating melanogenesis in chicken skin

1. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in various physiological functions. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of lncRNAs in melanogenesis remain unclear. To determine the molecular mechanisms involved in skin melanogenesis, the present study depicted the expression profiles of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in black- (B group) and white- (W group) skinned chickens using RNA sequencing.2. In total, 373 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs; 203 up-regulated and 170 down-regulated) and 253 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 152 up-regulated and 101 down-regulated) were identified between the B and W groups. A total of eight known melanogenesis-related genes were identified (KIT, TYRP1, DCT (TYRP2), SLC45A2, OCA2, EDNRB2, TRPM1 and RAB38).3. Functional annotation of the co-expressed DEGs and DELs was performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The co-expressed DEGs were mainly involved in melanogenesis and the co-expressed genes of 117 and 108 DELs were significantly enriched in the melanogenesis and tyrosine metabolism pathways, respectively.4. The DEL-DEG interaction network revealed that three lncRNAs (XR_003072387.1, XR_003075112.1, and XR_003077033.1) and DCT genes may have key roles in regulating melanogenesis in chicken skin. This data provides the groundwork for studying the lncRNA regulatory mechanisms of skin melanogenesis and suggested a new perspective on the modulation of melanogenesis in chicken skin based on a lncRNA-mRNA causal regulatory network.

The status and influencing factors of adolescents' mental health in a province of China: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To understand the mental health status of adolescents in China and its influencing factors.

METHODS

The stratified cluster sampling method was used to evaluate the mental health status of 5633 adolescents using the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90).

RESULTS

There were statistically significant differences in the overall mean score of SCL-90 and the mean score of each subscale among adolescents in gender, grade, family, and region. The mean score of the interpersonal sensitivity and phobic anxiety subscales of the adolescents with rural household registration was higher than that of the urban household registration. Except for hostility and phobic anxiety subscales, there was a significant difference between junior high school and senior high school students in the remaining subscales. There were significant differences between only children and non-only children in the obsessive-compulsive symptoms and phobic anxiety subscales. The mean scores of depression, phobic anxiety, and other subscales of left-behind adolescents were significantly different from those of non-left-behind adolescents. Female gender (OR = 1.789), different-grade (junior high school sophomore: OR = 2.201; junior high school third grade: OR = 2.004; high school freshman: OR = 2.279; high school sophomore: OR = 2.947; high school senior: OR = 2.112), different-region (central region: OR = 1.302; southern region: OR = 1.925) and high school (OR = 1.281) adolescents had a higher risk of mental health problems, while those from two-parent families (OR = 0.68) had a lower risk.

LIMITATIONS

This study is a cross-sectional study and not widely representative.

CONCLUSION

Gender, grade, region, and academic period are risk factors, and a two-parent family is a protective factor for adolescents' mental health.

Creep Behavior of A356 Aluminum Alloy Reinforced with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Stir Casting

Lightweight aluminum alloy components are often used to manufacture a variety of engineering components in many industries. In recent years, researchers have studied the effect of improving the mechanical properties of metal alloys by incorporating nano-carbon into its structure. In this study, the effect of the addition of 0.2, 0.5, and 1 wt% of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the stress-strain behavior and creep phenomenon of an A356 aluminum alloy were studied. The effect of nickel coating on 0.2 wt% MWCNTs was also investigated. Samples were prepared using the stir-casting method. The results revealed that the grain size became finer when MWCNT nano-particulates were introduced. Although the MWCNTs were distributed homogeneously in the A356 matrix, as confirmed by FESEM analysis, there were some agglomerations observed in a specific area with dimensions smaller than 100 nm. Nevertheless, the addition of MWCNTs was found to be beneficial in enhancing the hardness of alloys containing 0.2 wt%, 0.2 wt% nickel-coated, 0.5 wt%, and 1 wt% MWCNTs by 9%, 24%, 32%, and 15%, respectively, as compared with the unreinforced A345 matrix. It was also found that the 0.5 wt% MWCNT-A356 matrix exhibited an improvement in the creep lifetime by more than two orders of magnitude.

Functional network properties derived from wide-field calcium imaging differ with wakefulness and across cell type

To improve 'bench-to-bedside' translation, it is integral that knowledge flows bidirectionally-from animal models to humans, and vice versa. This requires common analytical frameworks, as well as open software and data sharing practices. We share a new pipeline (and test dataset) for the preprocessing of wide-field optical fluorescence imaging data-an emerging mode applicable in animal models-as well as results from a functional connectivity and graph theory analysis inspired by recent work in the human neuroimaging field. The approach is demonstrated using a dataset comprised of two test-cases: (1) data from animals imaged during awake and anesthetized conditions with excitatory neurons labeled, and (2) data from awake animals with different genetically encoded fluorescent labels that target either excitatory neurons or inhibitory interneuron subtypes. Both seed-based connectivity and graph theory measures (global efficiency, transitivity, modularity, and characteristic path-length) are shown to be useful in quantifying differences between wakefulness states and cell populations. Wakefulness state and cell type show widespread effects on canonical network connectivity with variable frequency band dependence. Differences between excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons are observed, with somatostatin expressing inhibitory interneurons emerging as notably dissimilar from parvalbumin and vasoactive polypeptide expressing cells. In sum, we demonstrate that our pipeline can be used to examine brain state and cell-type differences in mesoscale imaging data, aiding translational neuroscience efforts. In line with open science practices, we freely release the pipeline and data to encourage other efforts in the community.