Quantum neuronal sensing of quantum many-body states on a 61-qubit programmable superconducting processor

Classifying many-body quantum states with distinct properties and phases of matter is one of the most fundamental tasks in quantum many-body physics. However, due to the exponential complexity that emerges from the enormous numbers of interacting particles, classifying large-scale quantum states has been extremely challenging for classical approaches. Here, we propose a new approach called quantum neuronal sensing. Utilizing a 61-qubit superconducting quantum processor, we show that our scheme can efficiently classify two different types of many-body phenomena: namely the ergodic and localized phases of matter. Our quantum neuronal sensing process allows us to extract the necessary information coming from the statistical characteristics of the eigenspectrum to distinguish these phases of matter by measuring only one qubit and offers better phase resolution than conventional methods, such as measuring the imbalance. Our work demonstrates the feasibility and scalability of quantum neuronal sensing for near-term quantum processors and opens new avenues for exploring quantum many-body phenomena in larger-scale systems.

[Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute leukemia patients with the SET-NUP214 fusion gene: Efficacy and survival analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with acute leukemia who are positive for the SET-NUP214 fusion gene (SET-NUP214⁺AL). Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. Clinical data of 18 patients with SET-NUP214⁺AL who received allo-HSCT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and Soochow Hongci Hematology Hospital from December 2014 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed to investigate treatment efficacy and prognosis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results: Of the 18 patients, 12 were male and 6 were female, and the median age was 29 years (range, 13-55 years). There were six cases of mixed phenotype acute leukemia (three cases of myeloid/T, two cases of B/T, one case of myeloid/B/T), nine cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (one case of B-ALL and eight cases of T-ALL), and three cases of acute myeloid leukemia. All patients received induction chemotherapy after diagnosis, and 17 patients achieved complete remission (CR) after chemotherapy. All patients subsequently received allo-HSCT. Pre-transplantation status: 15 patients were in the first CR, 1 patient was in the second CR, 1 was in partial remission, and 1 patient did not reach CR. All patients were successfully implanted with stem cells. The median time of granulocyte and platelet reconstitution was +12 and +13 days, respectively. With a median follow-up of 23 (4-80) months, 15 patients survived, while 3 patients died. The cause of death was recurrence of SET-NUP214⁺AL after transplantation. After allo-HSCT, 5 patients relapsed. The estimated 3-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were 83.3%±15.2% and 55.4%±20.7%, respectively. Among the 15 patients who achieved CR before transplantation, there was no significant difference in OS and RFS between haploidentical HSCT and matched sibling donor HSCT (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Allo-HSCT can improve the prognosis and long-term survival rate of patients with SET-NUP214⁺AL. Disease recurrence is the most important factor affecting long-term survival.

Using deep learning for pruning region detection and plant organ segmentation in dormant spur-pruned grapevines

Even though mechanization has dramatically decreased labor requirements, vineyard management costs are still affected by selective operations such as winter pruning. Robotic solutions are becoming more common in agriculture, however, few studies have focused on grapevines. This work aims at fine-tuning and testing two different deep neural networks for: (i) detecting pruning regions (PRs), and (ii) performing organ segmentation of spur-pruned dormant grapevines. The Faster R-CNN network was fine-tuned using 1215 RGB images collected in different vineyards and annotated through bounding boxes. The network was tested on 232 RGB images, PRs were categorized by wood type (W), orientation (Or) and visibility (V), and performance metrics were calculated. PR detection was dramatically affected by visibility. Highest detection was associated with visible intermediate complex spurs in Merlot (0.97), while most represented coplanar simple spurs allowed a 74% detection rate. The Mask R-CNN network was trained for grapevine organs (GOs) segmentation by using 119 RGB images annotated by distinguishing 5 classes (cordon, arm, spur, cane and node). The network was tested on 60 RGB images of light pruned (LP), shoot-thinned (ST) and unthinned control (C) grapevines. Nodes were the best segmented GOs (0.88) and general recall was higher for ST (0.85) compared to C (0.80) confirming the role of canopy management in improving performances of hi-tech solutions based on artificial intelligence. The two fine-tuned and tested networks are part of a larger control framework that is under development for autonomous winter pruning of grapevines.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11119-023-10006-y.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of SlRR genes in response to abiotic stress in tomato

The cytokinin two-component signal transduction system (TCS) is involved in many biological processes, including hormone signal transduction and plant growth regulation. Although cytokinin TCS has been well characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, its role in tomato remains elusive. In this study, we characterized the diversity and function of response regulator (RR) genes, a critical component of TCS, in tomato. In total, we identified 31 RR genes in the tomato genome. These SlRR genes were classified into three subgroups (type-A, type-B and type-C). Various stress-responsive cis-elements were present in the tomato RR gene promoters. Their expression responses under pesticide treatment were evaluated by transcriptome analysis. Their expression under heat, cold, ABA, salinity and NaHCO₃ treatments was further investigated by qRT-PCR and complemented with the available transcription data under these treatments. Specifically, SlRR13 expression was significantly upregulated under salinity, drought, cold and pesticide stress and was downregulated under ABA treatment. SlRR23 expression was induced under salt treatment, while the transcription level of SlRR1 was increased under cold and decreased under salt stress. We also found that GATA transcription factors played a significant role in the regulation of SlRR genes. Based on our results, tomato SlRR genes are involved in responses to abiotic stress in tomato and could be implemented in molecular breeding approaches to increase resistance of tomato to environmental stresses.

Evaluation of oilseed proteins as precursors of antimicrobial peptides using bioinformatics method

In this study, the potential of oilseed proteins from soybean, peanut, sesame, sunflower seed and flaxseed as antimicrobial peptide (AMP) precursors was assessed using the bioinformatics method. Thirty-four novel potential AMPs were obtained by in silico hydrolysis of 12 oilseed protein sequences, and 11 of them were positive in all four algorithm tests in CAMP_R3. Among the six proteases analyzed, trypsin cleaved soybean, peanut, sesame and sunflower seed proteins most effectively to generate AMPs, with three, four, two and two AMPs obtained, respectively. Subtilisin was most effective for flaxseed AMPs release, obtaining three AMPs. More than 85% of AMPs were predicted to be cationic peptides, and some AMPs were hydrophobic. These potential AMPs were classified as non-toxic peptides, and 15 peptides were non-allergenic. All the AMPs were unstable to digestive enzymes according to in silico simulated digestion. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for further development of AMPs using oilseed proteins.

The droplet breakup model and characteristics of pH-shifted peanut protein isolate-high methoxyl pectin stabilised emulsions under ultrasound

The effect of pH on the occurrence states of peanut protein isolate (PPI) and high methoxyl pectin (HMP), and droplet breakup model of the emulsions under ultrasound were studied. Particle size distribution and scanning electron microscopy results showed that PPI-HMP existed a soluble complex at pH 5.0, had no interaction at pH 7.0, and was co-soluble at pH 9.0. Droplet breakup model results revealed that the characteristics of emulsion stabilised by PPI-HMP treated at pH 5.0 was different from that at pH 7.0 and 9.0. The average diameter of the droplet well satisfied the model. According to rheological properties, interface tension, and microstructure, the formation mechanism and characteristics of emulsion stabilised by PPI-HMP treated at pH 5.0 was different from that at pH 7.0 and pH 9.0. The research provided a reference for constructing emulsions using pH-shifted PPI-HMP under ultrasound.

Single-Cell Analyses of the Oral Mucosa Reveal Immune Cell Signatures

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common immune-related disease of the gastrointestinal tract that affects many people around the world. Extraintestinal manifestations of IBD have been frequently observed in recent years; one of these, periodontitis, has gained increasing attention. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation and destruction of periodontal tissues due to the disruption of host immune homeostasis. Clinical studies have revealed that periodontal inflammation is associated with IBD. However, the detailed heterogeneity of immune cells and their developmental relationships remain poorly understood at the single-cell level. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing to assess the transcriptome heterogeneity in periodontal tissues. We found the cellular composition and subclusters with specific gene expression profiles by uniform manifold approximation and projection. Pseudo-time analysis combined with gene enrichment analysis was performed to reveal cell states and key pathways. Ligand-receptor pairs revealed cell-cell communication among the immune cell types in periodontal tissues. Based on our analysis, we identified an essential role for Tcr⁺ macrophage, Prdx1⁺ neutrophil, and Mif⁺ T subpopulations with proinflammatory phenotype infiltration. Moreover, we examined the heterogeneity of monocytic cells and B cells. Collectively, the mapping of scRNA revealed the complex cellular landscape of oral mucosa immune cells and highlighted these immune cells as a previously unrecognized factor that may aggravate inflammation. Our analysis proves that periodontitis could exacerbate colitis and provides novel ideas for controlling and preventing IBD exacerbations.

Overexpression of MrEsa1 accelerated growth, increased ascospores yield, and the polyketide production in Monascus ruber

Esa1 has been proven to be an important histone acetyltransferase involved in the regulation of growth and metabolism. Monascus spp. with nearly 2000 years of edible history in East Asian countries can produce a variety of polyketides. It is unknown whether Esa1 plays a regulatory role in Monascus spp. In this study, we isolated the homology of histone acetyltransferase Esa1 (named MrEsa1) and constructed a mresa1-overexpressed strain. Western blot experiments showed that MrEsa1 hyperacetylated at K4 and K9 of the H3 subunit in Monascus ruber. Overexpression of mresa1 led to the larger colony diameter and increased dry cell mass; meanwhile, the conidia germination rate was significantly accelerated in the mresa1-overexpressed strain before 4 h, and the number of ascospores in the mresa1-overexpressed strain was significantly higher than that in WT. In addition, the Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs) and citrinin production of the mresa1-overexpressed strain were 1.7 and 2.4 times more than those of WT, respectively. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiment suggested that mrpigB, mrpigH, mrpigJ, and mrpigK, involved in MonAzPs synthesis, and pksCT, mrl3, and mrl7, involved in citrinin synthesis, were upregulated in mresa1-overexpressed strain. This study provides important insights into the effect of MrEsa1 on the developmental process and the production of secondary metabolites in Monascus spp.

Reference intervals of systemic immune-inflammation index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio during normal pregnancy in China

OBJECTIVE

To observe the changes in systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) during normal pregnancy and establish appropriate reference intervals (RIs) for healthy pregnant women.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted from March 2018 to February 2019. Blood samples were collected from healthy pregnant and nonpregnant women. The complete blood count (CBC) parameters were measured, and SII, NLR, LMR, and PLR were calculated. RIs were established using the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile of the distribution. Besides, the differences in CBC parameters between three pregnant trimesters and maternal ages were also compared to assess their influences on each indicator.

RESULTS

SII and NLR in three pregnant trimesters increased in pregnant women, and the upper limit of SII and NLR in trimester 2 showed the highest value. On the contrary, LMR decreased in all three pregnant trimesters compared with nonpregnant women, and the values of LMR and PLR showed a gradual downward trend along with the trimesters. Besides, RIs of SII, NLR, LMR, and PLR during different trimesters in different age partitions showed that the values of SII, NLR, and PLR increased with age in a general trend, while LMR showed the opposite trend (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The SII, NLR, LMR, and PLR showed dynamic changes during pregnant trimesters. RIs of SII, NLR, LMR, and PLR for healthy pregnant women according to pregnant trimesters and maternal age were established and validated in this study, which will promote the standardization of clinical application.

Seasonal dynamics of microbiota and physicochemical indices in the industrial-scale fermentation of Sichuan Baoning vinegar

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Differences between the microbiomes in every-two seasons were observed.

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The increase in total acidity of vinegar Pei was lowest in the summer (3.40 g/100 g).

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Lactic acid and acetic acid contents in raw vinegar from each season were different.

We investigated the impact of seasons of the year on microbiota and physicochemical indices in industrial-scale fermentation of Sichuan Baoning vinegar. Illumina HiSeq sequencing results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the microbiomes of vinegar Pei in every-two seasons, except for bacterial communities between summer and autumn. Total acid, reducing sugar, starch, and alcohol contents of vinegar Pei from the same sampling day of each season were measurably different. Although total acid content in vinegar Pei was similar at the end of fermentation (P > 0.05), the increase in total acidity was highest in the autumn. Acetic acid content in raw vinegar was highest in the autumn (3472.42 mg/100 mL), and lowest in the summer (2304.01 mg/100 mL). This study provides a theoretical basis for the production of Sichuan bran vinegar with consistent quality and provides insights into the quality control of traditional fermented foods.

Forest Quality and Available Hostplant Abundance Limit the Canopy Butterfly of Teinopalpus aureus

Hostplant limitation is a key focus of the spatial interaction between a phytophagous butterfly and a hostplant. The possible drivers related to the hostplants are species richness, abundance, or availability, but no consensus has been reached. In this study, we investigated the butterfly-hostplant interaction using the case of the forest canopy butterfly T. aureus in Asia, whose narrow distribution is assumed to be limited by its exclusive hostplant, Magnoliaceae, in tropic and subtropic regions. We recorded the Magnoliaceae species, as well as plant and butterfly individuals in transect, and we collected tree traits and topography variables. The results confirm that this butterfly is limited by the hostplants of their larval stage. The hostplants occurred exclusively in the middle-mountain region, with preference only for primeval forests. The hostplant resource was superior in the middle-mountain region, particularly concentrating in primeval forests. The hostplant's abundance, together with altitude and habitat types, was critical to this butterfly's occurrence, while those hostplant trees with an exposed crown, which are demanded by this butterfly in its oviposition, were the best drivers of positive butterfly-hostplant interactions. Therefore, the hostplant's limitation was mainly determined by the availability of the hostplant. This case study supports the hypothesis that the limitation on this butterfly's occurrence was driven by the hostplant's availability, and it suggests that protecting high-quality forests is a valuable activity and essential in the conservation of canopy butterflies.

Review on the release mechanism and debittering technology of bitter peptides from protein hydrolysates

Recent scientific evidence indicates that protein hydrolysates contain bioactive peptides that have potential benefits for human health. However, the bitter-tasting hydrophobic peptides in protein hydrolysates negatively affect the sensory quality of resulting products and limit their utilization in food and pharmaceutical industries. The approaches to reduce, mask, and remove bitter taste from protein hydrolysates have been extensively reported. This review paper focuses on the advances in the knowledge regarding the structure-bitterness relationship of peptides, the release mechanism of bitter peptides, and the debittering methods for protein hydrolysates. Bitter tastes generating with enzymatic hydrolysis of protein is influenced by the type, concentration, and bitter taste threshold of bitterness peptides. A "bell-shaped curve" is used to describe the relationship between the bitterness intensity of the hydrolysates and the degree of hydrolysis. The bitter receptor perceives bitter potencies of bitter peptides by the hydrophobicity recognition zone. The intensity of bitterness is influenced by hydrophobic and electronic properties of amino acids and the critical spatial structure of peptides. Compared to physicochemical debittering (i.e., selective separation, masking of bitter taste, encapsulation, Maillard reaction, and encapsulation) and other biological debittering (i.e., enzymatic hydrolysis, enzymatic deamidation, plastein reaction), enzymatic hydrolysis is a promising debittering approach as it combines protein hydrolyzation and debittering into a one-step process, but more work should be done to advance the knowledge on debittering mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis and screening of suitable proteases. Further study can focus on combining physicochemical and biological approaches to achieve high debittering efficiency and produce high-quality products.