Search for Dark Photons with Superconducting Radio Frequency Cavities

We conduct the first "light-shining-through-wall" (LSW) search for dark photons using two state-of-the-art high-quality-factor superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities -Dark SRF-and report the results of its pathfinder run. Our new experimental setup enables improvements in sensitivity over previous searches and covers new dark photon parameter space. We design delicate calibration and measurement protocols to utilize the high-Q setup at Dark SRF. Using cavities operating at 1.3 GHz, we establish a new exclusion limit for kinetic mixing as small as ε=1.6×10^{-9} and provide the world's best constraints on dark photons in the 2.1×10^{-7}-5.7×10^{-6}  eV mass range. Our result is the first proof of concept for the enabling role of SRF cavities in LSW setups, with ample opportunities for further improvements. In addition, our data set a competitive lab-based limit on the standard model photon mass by searching for longitudinal photon polarization.

A triphosphate tunnel metalloenzyme from pear (PbrTTM1) moonlights as an adenylate cyclase

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) is the vital enzyme for generating 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, an important signaling molecule with profound nutritional and medicinal values. However, merely, a dozen of AC proteins have been reported in plants so far. Here, a protein annotated as triphosphate tunnel metalloenzyme (PbrTTM1) in pear, the important worldwide fruit plant, was firstly identified to possess AC activity with both in vivo and in vitro methods. It exhibited a relatively low AC activity but was capable of complementing AC functional deficiencies in the E. coli SP850 strain. Its protein conformation and potential catalytic mechanism were analyzed by means of biocomputing. The active site of PbrTTM1 is a closed tunnel constructed by nine antiparallel β-folds surrounded with seven helices. Inside the tunnel, the charged residues were possibly involved in the catalytic process by coordinating with divalent cation and ligand. The hydrolysis activity of PbrTTM1 was tested as well. Compared to the much higher capacity of hydrolyzing, the AC activity of PbrTTM1 tends to be a moonlight function. Through a comparison of protein structures in various plant TTMs, it is reasonable to speculate that many plant TTMs might possess AC activity as a form of moonlighting enzyme function.

Mouth breathing induces condylar remodelling and chondrocyte apoptosis via both the extrinsic and mitochondrial pathways in male adolescent rats

The prevalence of mouth breathing is high in children and adolescents. It causes various changes to the respiratory tract and, consequently, craniofacial growth deformities. However, the underlying mechanisms contributing to these effects are obscure. Herein, we aimed to study the effects of mouth breathing on chondrocyte proliferation and death in the condylar cartilage and morphological changes in the mandible and condyle. Additionally, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying chondrocyte apoptosis and investigate any variations in the related pathways. Subchondral bone resorption and decreased condylar cartilage thickness were observed in mouth-breathing rats; further, mRNA expression levels of Collagen II, Aggrecan, and Sox 9 were lower in the mouth breathing group, while those of matrix metalloproteinase 9 increased. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling staining and immunohistochemistry analyses showed that apoptosis occurred in the proliferative and hypertrophic layers of cartilage in the mouth breathing group. TNF, BAX, cytochrome c, and cleaved-caspase-3 were highly expressed in the condylar cartilage of the mouth-breathing rats. These results suggest that mouth breathing leads to subchondral bone resorption, cartilage layer thinning, and cartilage matrix destruction, inducing chondrocyte apoptosis via both the extrinsic and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways.

Single-cell expression profile of Drosophila ovarian follicle stem cells illuminates spatial differentiation in the germarium

BACKGROUND

How stem cell populations are organized and regulated within adult tissues is important for understanding cancer origins and for developing cell replacement strategies. Paradigms such as mammalian gut stem cells and Drosophila ovarian follicle stem cells (FSC) are characterized by population asymmetry, in which stem cell division and differentiation are separately regulated processes. These stem cells behave stochastically regarding their contributions to derivative cells and also exhibit dynamic spatial heterogeneity. Drosophila FSCs provide an excellent model for understanding how a community of active stem cells maintained by population asymmetry is regulated. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to profile the gene expression patterns of FSCs and their immediate derivatives to investigate heterogeneity within the stem cell population and changes associated with differentiation.

RESULTS

We describe single-cell RNA sequencing studies of a pre-sorted population of cells that include FSCs and the neighboring cell types, escort cells (ECs) and follicle cells (FCs), which they support. Cell-type assignment relies on anterior-posterior (AP) location within the germarium. We clarify the previously determined location of FSCs and use spatially targeted lineage studies as further confirmation. The scRNA profiles among four clusters are consistent with an AP progression from anterior ECs through posterior ECs and then FSCs, to early FCs. The relative proportion of EC and FSC clusters are in good agreement with the prevalence of those cell types in a germarium. Several genes with graded profiles from ECs to FCs are highlighted as candidate effectors of the inverse gradients of the two principal signaling pathways, Wnt and JAK-STAT, that guide FSC differentiation and division.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data establishes an important resource of scRNA-seq profiles for FSCs and their immediate derivatives that is based on precise spatial location and functionally established stem cell identity, and facilitates future genetic investigation of regulatory interactions guiding FSC behavior.

[Comparison of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring between patients with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis]

Objective: To compare the intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) results between patients with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to analyze the influence of congenital spinal deformity on IONM in AMC patients, thus to evaluate the efficiency of IONM in AMC patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study. The clinical data of 19 AMC patients underwent correction surgery from July 2013 to January 2022 in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. There were 13 males and 6 females with a mean age of (15.2±5.6) years, and the average Cobb angle of main curve was 60.8°±27.7°. And 57 female AIS patients of similar age and curve type with the AMC patients during the same period were selected as the control group, with an average age of (14.6±4.4) years and a mean Cobb angle of 55.2°±14.2°. The latency and amplitude of samatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and transcranial electric motor evoked potentials (TCeMEPs) were compared between the two groups. The difference in IONM data between AMC patients with and without congenital spinal deformity was also evaluated. Results: The success rates of SSEPs and TCeMEPs were 100% and 14/19 for AMC patients, 100% and 100% for AIS patients. The SSEPs-P40 latency, SSEPs-N50 latency, SSEPs-amplitude, TCeMEPs-latency, TCeMEPs-amplitude showed no significant difference between AMC patients and AIS patients (P>0.05 for all). The side-difference of TCeMEPs-amplitude showed an increasing trend in AMC patients when compared with that in AIS patients, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups [(147.0±185.6) μV vs (68.1±311.4) μV, P=0.198]. The SSEPs-amplitude value was (1.4±1.1) μV on concave side in AMC patients with congenital spinal deformity, and it was (2.6±1.2) μV on concave side in AMC patients without congenital spinal deformity (P=0.041). The SSEPs-amplitude value was (1.4±0.8) μV on convex side in AMC patients with congenital spinal deformity, and it was (2.6±1.3) μV on convex side in AMC patients without congenital spinal deformity (P=0.028). Conclusions: The values of SSEPs-P40 latency, SSEPs-N50 latency, SSEPs-amplitude, TCeMEPs-latency and TCeMEPs-amplitude are similar in AMC and AIS patients. The SSEPs-amplitude of AMC patients with congenital spinal deformity is lower than that of AMC patients without congenital spinal deformity.

[Influence of rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene on the effect of a childhood obesity intervention: A prospective, parallel-group controlled trial]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association between rs2587552 polymorphism (has a strong lin-kage disequilibrium with rs1800497 which had been found in many studies to be related to obesity, r²=0.85) of DRD2 gene and the effect of a childhood obesity intervention in Chinese population, and provide a scientific basis for future personalized childhood obesity intervention based on genetic background.

METHODS

From a multi-center cluster randomized controlled trial studying the effect of a childhood obesity intervention, we enrolled 382 children from 8 primary schools (192 and 190 children from intervention and control groups, respectively) in Beijing as study subjects. Saliva was collected and DNA was extracted to detect the rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene, and the interactions between the gene and study arms on childhood obesity indicators [including body weight, body mass index (BMI), BMI Z-score, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, and body fat percentage] were analyzed.

RESULTS

No association was found between rs2587552 polymorphism and the changes in hip circumference or body fat percentage in the intervention group (P>0.05). However, in the control group, children carrying the A allele at DRD2 rs2587552 locus showed a greater increase in hip circumference and body fat percentage compared with those not carrying A allele (P < 0.001). There were interactions between rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene and study arms on the changes in hip circumference and body fat percentage (P=0.007 and 0.015, respectively). Compared with the control group, children in the intervention group carrying the A allele at DRD2 rs2587552 locus showed decrease in hip circumference by (-1.30 cm, 95%CI: -2.25 to -0.35, P=0.007) and decrease in body fat percentage by (-1.34%, 95%CI: -2.42 to -0.27, P=0.015) compared with those not carrying A allele. The results were consistent between the dominant model and the additive model (hip circumfe-rence: -0.66 cm, 95%CI: -1.28 to -0.03, P=0.041; body fat percentage: -0.69%, 95%CI: -1.40 to 0.02, P=0.056). No interaction was found between rs2587552 polymorphism and study arms on the changes in other childhood obesity-related indicators (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Children carrying the A allele at rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene are more sensitive to intervention and showed more improvement in hip circumference and body fat percentage after the intervention, suggesting that future personalized childhood obesity lifestyle intervention can be carried out based on the rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

[Analysis of safety and factors influencing the surgical efficacy of benign biliary stenosis treated with autologous gastric flap repair with the vascular tip]

Objective: To investigate the complication rate and risk factors associated with using autologous gastric flap tissue with a vascular tip to treat benign biliary strictures. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 92 patients with benign biliary stenosis who applied autologous gastric flap tissue to repair the stenosis at the PLA General Hospital from January 2006 to May 2022. Among them, there were 40 males and 52 females, aged from 25 to 79 (50.5±12.9) years. The perioperative clinical data of the patients were recorded(Body Mass Index、preoperative platelets et.), and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing postoperative complications. Long-term follow-up was conducted to evaluate the long-term efficacy of autologous gastric flap tissue with vascular tissues for benign biliary stenosis surgery. Results: The incidence of recent postoperative complications in patients was 26.1%, and univariate analysis showed that preoperative bile-intestinal anastomosis, positive intraoperative bile bacterial culture, low preoperative hemoglobin, and low preoperative platelet count were significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications after biliary stenosis repair with a vascularized gastric flap (P<0.05). Multifactorial analysis showed that low preoperative platelets (OR=0.990, 95%CI: 0.982-0.998, P=0.015), low preoperative hemoglobin (OR=4.953, 95%CI: 1.405-15.010, P=0.012) and positive intraoperative bile bacterial culture (OR=19.338, 95%CI: 3.618-103.360, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for the development of postoperative complications. The excellent long-term follow-up rate of patients was 92.0%. Conclusions: The procedure of repairing benign biliary stenosis with a vascularized gastric flap preserves the function of the sphincter of Oddi and reconstructs the normal physiological passage of the bile duct. This procedure is safe and feasible and provides a reliable option for the surgical treatment of bile duct injury and bile duct stenosis.

[Incidence and prognosis of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain: a national multi-center survey of 35 566 population]

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.

First Constraints on Heavy QCD Axions with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Using the ArgoNeuT Experiment

We present the results of a search for heavy QCD axions performed by the ArgoNeuT experiment at Fermilab. We search for heavy axions produced in the NuMI neutrino beam target and absorber decaying into dimuon pairs, which can be identified using the unique capabilities of ArgoNeuT and the MINOS near detector. This decay channel is motivated by a broad class of heavy QCD axion models that address the strong CP and axion quality problems with axion masses above the dimuon threshold. We obtain new constraints at a 95% confidence level for heavy axions in the previously unexplored mass range of 0.2-0.9 GeV, for axion decay constants around tens of TeV.

Prevalence and influencing factors of anaemia among pregnant women in rural areas of Northwestern China

OBJECTIVES

Anaemia during pregnancy is a significant public health problem that adversely impacts both the mother and foetus. However, the factors influencing maternal anaemia in deprived areas of Northwestern China have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and potential influencing factors of anaemia among expectant mothers in rural areas of Northwestern China.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 586 expectant mothers was conducted to investigate the prevalence of anaemia, prenatal healthcare coverage, dietary diversity and nutrient supplementation intake. The study population was selected from the sample areas using a random sampling method. Data were collected through a questionnaire, and haemoglobin concentrations were measured by a capillary blood test.

RESULTS

The results show that 34.8% of the study population were anaemic, with 13% having moderate-to-severe anaemia. The results of the regression analysis showed that diet was not significantly associated with haemoglobin concentrations or the prevalence of anaemia. However, regular prenatal healthcare attendance was found to be an important influencing factor for both haemoglobin concentration (β = 3.67, P = 0.002) and the prevalence of anaemia (odds ratio = 0.59, P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women receiving regular prenatal care were less likely to be anaemic; thus, it is essential to implement strategies to improve attendance at maternal public health services to reduce the prevalence of maternal anaemia.

Heterologous production of bioactive xenoacremone analogs in Aspergillus nidulans

Tyrosine-decahydrofluorene derivatives are a class of hybrid compounds that integrate the properties of polyketides and nonribosomal peptides. These compounds feature a [6.5.6] tricarbocyclic core and a para-cyclophane ether moiety in their structures and exhibit anti-tumor and anti-microbial activities. In this study, we constructed the biosynthetic pathway of xenoacremones from Xenoacremonium sinensis ML-31 in the Aspergillus nidulans host, resulting in the identification of four novel tyrosine-decahydrofluorene analogs, xenoacremones I-L (1-4), along with two known analogs, xenoacremones A and B. Remarkably, compounds 3 and 4 contained a 12-membered para-cyclophane ring system, which is unprecedented among tyrosine-decahydrofluorene analogs in X. sinensis. The successful reconstruction of the biosynthetic pathway and the discovery of novel analogs demonstrate the utility of heterologous expression strategy for the generation of structurally diverse natural products with potential biological activities.

Scalable-produced 3D elastic thermoelectric network for body heat harvesting

Flexible thermoelectric generators can power wearable electronics by harvesting body heat. However, existing thermoelectric materials rarely realize high flexibility and output properties simultaneously. Here we present a facile, cost-effective, and scalable two-step impregnation method for fabricating a three-dimensional thermoelectric network with excellent elasticity and superior thermoelectric performance. The reticular construction endows this material with ultra-light weight (0.28 g cm^-3), ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.04 W m^-1 K^-1), moderate softness (0.03 MPa), and high elongation (>100%). The obtained network-based flexible thermoelectric generator achieves a pretty high output power of 4 μW cm^-2, even comparable to state-of-the-art bulk-based flexible thermoelectric generators.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

[Clinical characteristics of cardiac defects fetuses and the impact of multi-disciplinary team cooperation approach on the pregnancy decision making]

Objective: To analysis the clinical characteristics of 400 fetuses with heart defects and the impactors of pregnancy decision making, and explore the influence of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) cooperation approach on it. Methods: Clinical data of 400 fetuses with abnormal cardiac structure diagnosed at Peking University First Hospital from January 2012 to June 2021 were collected, which were divided into 4 groups according to the characteristics of fetal heart defects and the presence of extracardiac abnormalities or not: single cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities (122 cases), multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities (100 cases), single cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities (115 cases), and multiple cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities (63 cases). The types of fetal cardiac structural abnormalities and genetic test results, and the detection rate of pathogenic genetic abnormalities, MDT consultation and management situation, and pregnancy decision of fetuses in each group were retrospectively analyzed. A logistics regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of fetal heart defects pregnancy decision. Results: (1) Among the 400 fetal heart defects, the four most common major types were ventricular septal defect 96 (24.0%, 96/400), tetralogy of Fallot 52 (13.0%, 52/400), coarctation of the aorta 34 (8.5%, 34/400), and atrioventricular septal defect 26 (6.5%, 26/400). (2) Among the 204 fetuses undergoing genetic examination, 44 (21.6%, 44/204) pathogenic genetic abnormalities were detected. (3) Detection rate of pathogenic genetic abnormalities (39.3%, 24/61) and pregnancy termination rate (86.1%, 99/115) in the single cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities group were significantly higher than those in the single cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group [15.1% (8/53), 44.3% (54/122), respectively] and the multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group [6.1% (3/49), 70.0% (70/100), respectively, both P<0.05], and the pregnancy termination rate in the multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group and the multiple cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities group (82.5%,52/63) were significantly higher than that of the single cardiac abnormalities without extracardiac abnormalities group (both P<0.05). (4) After adjusting for age, gravity, parity and performed prenatal diagnosis, maternal age, the diagnosis of gestational age, prognosis grades, co-existence of extracardiac abnormalities, presence of pathogenic genetic abnormalities, and receiving MDT consultation and management were still independent influencing factors of termination of pregnancy of fetuses with cardiac defects (all P<0.05). A total of 29 (7.2%, 29/400) fetal cardiac defects received MDT consultation and management, and compared with those without MDT management, the pregnancy termination rate in the multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group [74.2%(66/89) vs 4/11] and the multiple cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities group [87.9%(51/58) vs 1/5] were lower, the differences were statistically significant respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Maternal age, diagnosed gestational age, severity of cardiac defects, extracardiac abnormalities, pathogenic genetic abnormalities and MDT counseling and management are the influencing factors of fetal heart defects pregnancy decision. MDT cooperation approach influences pregnancy decision-making and should be recommended for the management of fetal cardiac defect to reduce unnecessary termination of pregnancy and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Efficacy of New Hemostatic Techniques in Nonvariceal Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to assess the relative efficacy of currently multiple hemostatic modalities in nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding (NVGIB).

BACKGROUND

Nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding is a frequent medical condition with significant mortality and morbidity. There are currently multiple hemostatic modalities, but their relative efficacy is still unknown.

METHODS

Major databases including PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies that compared the relative efficacy of different hemostatic techniques for NVGIB (over-the-scope-clip (OTSC), hemostatic powder (HP) and conventional endoscopic treatment (CET)). The 30-day rebleeding rate was the primary outcome. We performed pairwise and network meta-analyses for all treatments. The heterogeneity and transitivity were evaluated.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were included. OTSC and HP + CET showed superior efficacy compared with CET (OTSC vs CET: RR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.28-0.60]; HP + CET vs CET: RR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.17-0.87]) while their relative efficacy had not detected any statistically significant difference (OTSC vs HP + CET: RR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.38-2.31]) in the 30-day rebleeding rate. HP + CET was ranked highest in the network ranking estimate. In addition, the sensitivity analysis showed that it was not robust that OTSC was superior to CET in the short-term rebleeding rate and the initial hemostasis rate. None of the other comparisons found a statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and network meta- analysis showed that OTSC and HP + CET significantly reduced 30-day rebleeding rates compared to CET and had similar efficacy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

[Prediction of microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma with magnetic resonance imaging using models combining deep attention mechanism with clinical features]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the consistency and diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the validity of deep learning attention mechanisms and clinical features for MVI grade prediction.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted among 158 patients with HCC treated in Shunde Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University between January, 2017 and February, 2020. The imaging data and clinical data of the patients were collected to establish single sequence deep learning models and fusion models based on the EfficientNetB0 and attention modules. The imaging data included conventional MRI sequences (T₁WI, T₂WI, and DWI), enhanced MRI sequences (AP, PP, EP, and HBP) and synthesized MRI sequences (T1mapping-pre and T1mapping-20 min), and the high-risk areas of MVI were visualized using deep learning visualization techniques.

RESULTS

The fusion model based on T1mapping-20min sequence and clinical features outperformed other fusion models with an accuracy of 0.8376, a sensitivity of 0.8378, a specificity of 0.8702, and an AUC of 0.8501 for detecting MVI. The deep fusion models were also capable of displaying the high-risk areas of MVI.

CONCLUSION

The fusion models based on multiple MRI sequences can effectively detect MVI in patients with HCC, demonstrating the validity of deep learning algorithm that combines attention mechanism and clinical features for MVI grade prediction.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

Transcriptome-wide expression analysis of MYB gene family leads to functional characterization of flavonoid biosynthesis in fruit coloration of Ziziphus Mill

The Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. and Z. jujuba Mill. are the two most economically important members of the genus Ziziphus. The fruit color of Z. mauritiana remains green throughout fruit development in the majority of commercial cultivars, whereas its close relative, Z. jujuba Mill. turns from green to red in all cultivars. However, the lack of transcriptomic and genomic information confines our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit coloration in Z. mauritiana (Ber). In the present study, we performed the transcriptome-wide analysis of MYB transcription factors (TFs) genes in Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, and identified 56 ZmMYB and 60 ZjMYB TFs in Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, respectively. Through transcriptomic expression analysis, four similar MYB genes (ZmMYB/ZjMYB13, ZmMYB/ZjMYB44, ZmMYB/ZjMYB50, and ZmMYB/ZjMYB56) from Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba were selected as candidate key genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. Among these genes, the ZjMYB44 gene was transiently highly expressed in fruit, and flavonoid content accumulation also increased, indicating that this gene can influence flavonoid content during the period of fruit coloration in Z. jujuba. The current study adds to our understanding of the classification of genes, motif structure, and predicted functions of the MYB TFs, as well as identifying MYBs that regulate flavonoid biosynthesis in Ziziphus (Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba). Based on this information, we concluded that MYB44 is involved in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway during the fruit coloring of Ziziphus. Our research results provide an important understanding of the molecular mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis resulting in fruit coloration and laying a foundation for further genetic improvement of fruit color in Ziziphus.

The genome of Candidatus phytoplasma ziziphi provides insights into their biological characteristics

Phytoplasmas are obligate cell wall-less prokaryotic bacteria that primarily multiply in plant phloem tissue. Jujube witches' broom (JWB) associated with phytoplasma is a destructive disease of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). Here we report the complete 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi' chromosome of strain Hebei-2018, which is a circular genome of 764,108-base pairs with 735 predicted CDS. Notably, extra 19,825 bp (from 621,995 to 641,819 bp) compared to the previously reported one complements the genes involved in glycolysis, such as pdhA, pdhB, pdhC, pdhD, ackA, pduL and LDH. The synonymous codon usage bias (CUB) patterns by using comparative genomics analysis among the 9 phytoplasmas were similar for most codons. The ENc-GC3s analysis among the 9 phytoplasmas showed a greater effect under the selection on the CUBs of phytoplasmas genes than mutation and other factors. The genome exhibited a strongly reduced ability in metabolic synthesis, while the genes encoding transporter systems were well developed. The genes involved in sec-dependent protein translocation system were also identified.The expressions of nine FtsHs encoding membrane associated ATP-dependent Zn proteases and Mn-SodA with redox capacity in the Ca. P. ziziphi was positively correlated with the phytoplasma concentration. Taken together, the genome will not only expand the number of phytoplasma species and provide some new information about Ca. P. ziziphi, but also contribute to exploring its pathogenic mechanism.

Growth or survival: What is the role of calmodulin-like proteins in plant?

Calcium signalling, including pulse, amplitude, and duration, is essential for plant development and response to various stimuli. However, the calcium signalling should be decoded and translated by calcium sensors. In plants, three classes of calcium-binding proteins have been identified as calcium sensors, including calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), calcineurin B-like protein (CBL), and calmodulin (CaM). Calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs), which have several EF-hands, also serve as specific calcium sensors and can sense, bind, and interpret the calcium signal during the plant's growth and defense decision-making processes. In recent decades, the function of CMLs in plant development and response to various stimuli has been systematically reviewed, shedding light on the molecular mechanism of plant CML-mediated networks in calcium signal transduction. Here, by providing an overview of CML expression and biological function in plants, we demonstrate that growth-defense trade-offs occur during calcium sensing, an aspect that has not been well studied in recent years.

Public health implications of Yersinia enterocolitica investigation: an ecological modeling and molecular epidemiology study

BACKGROUND

Yersinia enterocolitica has been sporadically recovered from animals, foods, and human clinical samples in various regions of Ningxia, China. However, the ecological and molecular characteristics of Y. enterocolitica, as well as public health concerns about infection in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, remain unclear. This study aims to analyze the ecological and molecular epidemiological characteristics of Y. enterocolitis in order to inform the public health intervention strategies for the contains of related diseases.

METHODS

A total of 270 samples were collected for isolation [animals (n = 208), food (n = 49), and patients (n = 13)], then suspect colonies were isolated and identified by the API20E biochemical identification system, serological tests, biotyping tests, and 16S rRNA-PCR. Then, we used an ecological epidemiological approach combined with machine learning algorithms (general linear model, random forest model, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting) to explore the associations between ecological factors and the pathogenicity of Y. enterocolitis. Furthermore, average nucleotide identity (ANI) estimation, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and core gene multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) were applied to characterize the molecular profile of isolates based on whole genome sequencing. The statistical test used single-factor analysis, Chi-square tests, t-tests/ANOVA-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

RESULTS

A total of 270 isolates of Yersinia were identified from poultry and livestock (n = 191), food (n = 49), diarrhoea patients (n = 13), rats (n = 15), and hamsters (n = 2). The detection rates of samples from different hosts were statistically different (χ² = 22.636, P < 0.001). According to the relatedness clustering results, 270 isolates were divided into 12 species, and Y. enterocolitica (n = 187) is a predominated species. Pathogenic isolates made up 52.4% (98/187), while non-pathogenic isolates made up 47.6% (89/187). Temperature and precipitation were strongly associated with the pathogenicity of the isolates (P < 0.001). The random forest (RF) prediction model showed the best performance. The prediction result shows a high risk of pathogenicity Y. enterocolitica was located in the northern, northwestern, and southern of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Y. enterocolitica isolates were classified into 54 sequence types (STs) and 125 cgMLST types (CTs), with 4/O:3 being the dominant bioserotype in Ningxia. The dominant STs and dominant CTs of pathogenic isolates in Ningxia were ST429 and HC100_2571, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The data indicated geographical variations in the distribution of STs and CTs of Y. enterocolitica isolates in Ningxia. Our work offered the first evidence that the pathogenicity of isolates was directly related to fluctuations in temperature and precipitation of the environment. CgMLST typing strategies showed that the isolates were transmitted to the population via pigs and food. Therefore, strengthening health surveillance on pig farms in high-risk areas and focusing on testing food of pig origin are optional strategies to prevent disease outbreaks.

Effects of cadmium on transcription, physiology, and ultrastructure of two tobacco cultivars

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metal pollutants worldwide. Tobacco is an important cash crop; however, the accumulation of Cd in its biomass is very high. Cadmium may enter the body of smokers with contaminated tobacco and the surrounding environment via smoke. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms of Cd accumulation and tolerance in tobacco plants, especially in the leaves. In this study, the effects of Cd on the growth, accumulation, and biochemical indices of two tobacco varieties, K326 (Cd resistant) and NC55 (Cd sensitive), were studied through transcriptomic and physiological experiments. Transcriptome and physiological analyses showed differences in the expression of Cd transport and Cd resistance related genes between NC55 and K326 under Cd stress. The root meristem cells of NC55 were more severely damaged. The antioxidant enzyme activity, ABA and ZT content, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and nitrogen metabolism enzyme activity in K326 leaves were higher than in NC55. These data elucidate the mechanisms of low Cd accumulation and high Cd tolerance in K326 leaves and provide a theoretical basis for cultivating tobacco varieties with low Cd accumulation and high Cd resistance.

Deep-trap dominated degradation of the endurance characteristics in OFET memory with polymer charge-trapping layer

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with polymer charge-trapping dielectric, which exhibit many advantages over Si-based memory devices such as low cost, light weight, and flexibility, still suffer challenges in practical application due to the unsatisfied endurance characteristics and even the lack of fundamental of behind mechanism. Here, we revealed that the degradation of endurance characteristics of pentacene OFET with poly(2-vinyl naphthalene) (PVN) as charge-storage layer is dominated by the deep hole-traps in PVN by using the photo-stimulated charge de-trapping technique with the fiber-coupled monochromatic-light probes. The depth distribution of hole-traps in PVN film of pentacene OFET is also provided.

MolFilterGAN: a progressively augmented generative adversarial network for triaging AI-designed molecules

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based molecular design methods, especially deep generative models for generating novel molecule structures, have gratified our imagination to explore unknown chemical space without relying on brute-force exploration. However, whether designed by AI or human experts, the molecules need to be accessibly synthesized and biologically evaluated, and the trial-and-error process remains a resources-intensive endeavor. Therefore, AI-based drug design methods face a major challenge of how to prioritize the molecular structures with potential for subsequent drug development. This study indicates that common filtering approaches based on traditional screening metrics fail to differentiate AI-designed molecules. To address this issue, we propose a novel molecular filtering method, MolFilterGAN, based on a progressively augmented generative adversarial network. Comparative analysis shows that MolFilterGAN outperforms conventional screening approaches based on drug-likeness or synthetic ability metrics. Retrospective analysis of AI-designed discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) inhibitors shows that MolFilterGAN significantly increases the efficiency of molecular triaging. Further evaluation of MolFilterGAN on eight external ligand sets suggests that MolFilterGAN is useful in triaging or enriching bioactive compounds across a wide range of target types. These results highlighted the importance of MolFilterGAN in evaluating molecules integrally and further accelerating molecular discovery especially combined with advanced AI generative models.

[Study on the time-point distribution characteristics of the occurrence of laryngopharyngeal reflux]

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of the time-point distribution of the occurrence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) by 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring (24 h MII-pH) and to provide guidance for the development of individualized anti-reflux strategies for LPR patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 24 h MII-pH data from 408 patients [339 males and 69 females, aged 23-84 (55.08±11.08) years] attending the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the Sixth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2013 to March 2020. The number of gas acid/weak-acid reflux, mixed gas-liquid acid/weak-acid reflux, liquid acid/weak-acid reflux and alkaline reflux events at different time points were recorded and statistically analyzed through SPSS 26.0 software. Results: A total of 408 patients were included. Based on the 24 h MII-pH, the total positive rate of LPR was 77.45% (316/408). The type of positive gaseous weak-acid reflux was significantly higher than the remaining types of LPR (χ²=297.12,P<0.001). Except the gaseous weak-acid reflux, the occurrence of the remaining types of LPR showed a tendency to increase after meals, especially after dinner. Liquid acid reflux events occurred mainly between after dinner and the following morning, and 47.11% (57/121) of them occurred within 3 h after dinner. There was a significant positive association between Reflux Symptom Index scores and gaseous weak-acid reflux(r=0.127,P<0.01), liquid acid reflux(r=0.205,P<0.01) and liquid weak-acid reflux(r=0.103,P<0.05)events. Conclusions: With the exception of gaseous weak-acid reflux events, the occurrence of the remaining types of LPR events has a tendency to increase after meals, especially after dinner. Gaseous weak-acid reflux events accounts for the largest proportion of all types of LPR events, but the pathogenic mechanisms of gaseous weak-acid reflux are needed to further investigate.

Braille recognition by E-skin system based on binary memristive neural network

Braille system is widely used worldwide for communication by visually impaired people. However, there are still some visually impaired people who are unable to learn Braille system due to various factors, such as the age (too young or too old), brain damage, etc. A wearable and low-cost Braille recognition system may substantially help these people recognize Braille or assist them in Braille learning. In this work, we fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based flexible pressure sensors to construct an electronic skin (E-skin) for the application of Braille recognition. The E-skin mimics human touch sensing function for collecting Braille information. Braille recognition is realized with a neural network based on memristors. We utilize a binary neural network algorithm with only two bias layers and three fully connected layers. Such neural network design remarkably reduces the calculation burden and, thus, the system cost. Experiments show that the system can achieve a recognition accuracy of up to 91.25%. This work demonstrates the possibility of realizing a wearable and low-cost Braille recognition system and a Braille learning-assistance system.

Construction of rigid amine-linked three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks for selectively capturing carbon dioxide

A highly rigid amine-linked 3D COF was constructed from two orthogonal building blocks (spirobifluorene and bicarbazole) through a post-synthetic chemical reduction. The rigid 3D framework decreased the conformational flexibility of the amine linkages, and thus showed a fully preserved crystallinity and porosity. The amine moieties in the 3D COF afforded abundant chemisorptive sites for selectively capturing CO₂.

Triterpenoids in Jujube: A Review of Composition, Content Diversity, Pharmacological Effects, Synthetic Pathway, and Variation during Domestication

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) and its wild ancestor, sour jujube (Z. acidojujuba C.Y. Cheng & M.J. Liu), is a Ziziphus genus in the Rhamnaceae family. ZJ and ZA are rich in a variety of active ingredients, with triterpenoids being a unique active ingredient, which are present in the fruit, leaves, branches, and roots. More than 120 triterpenoids have been identified in ZJ and ZA, and have various biological activities. For example, betulinic and ursolic acids have anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral activities. ceanothic, alphitolic, and zizyberanalic acids possess anti-inflammatory activities. The MVA pathway is a synthetic pathway for triterpenoids in ZJ and ZA, and 23 genes of the MVA pathway are known to regulate triterpene synthesis in ZJ and ZA. In order to better understand the basic situation of triterpenoids in ZJ and ZA, this paper reviews the types, content dynamic changes, activities, pharmacokinetics, triterpenoid synthesis pathways, and the effects of domestication on triterpenoids in ZJ and ZA, and provides some ideas for the future research of triterpenoids in ZJ and ZA. In addition, there are many types of ZJ and ZA triterpenoids, and most of the studies on their activities are on lupane- and ursane-type triterpenes, while the activities of the ceanothane-type and saponin are less studied and need additional research.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

Original and introduced lineages co-driving the persistence of Brucella abortus circulating in West Africa

Introduction

Brucellosis, a serious public health issue affecting animals and humans, is neglected in West Africa (WA).

Methods

In the present study, bio-typing, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), and whole genome sequencing single-nucleotide polymorphism (WGS-SNP) analysis were used to characterize the Brucella abortus (B. abortus) strains from WA.

Results

All of the 309 strains analyzed in this study were extracted and downloaded from the international MLVA bank and were from 10 hosts (cattle, humans, ovine, buffalo, dromedaries, horse, sheep, zebu, dog, and cat) distributed in 17 countries in WA. Based on the bio-typing, three biovars, dominated by B. abortus bv.3, were observed and reported across seven decades (1958–2019). With MLST, 129 B. abortus strains from the present study were sorted into 14 STs, with ST34 as the predicted founder. These 14 STs clustered into the global MLST data into three clone complexes (C I–C III) with the majority of strains clustering in C I, while C II forms an independent branch, and C III harbors three STs shared by different continents. These data revealed that most cases were caused by strains from native lineages. According to the MLVA-11 comparison, 309 strains were divided into 22 MLVA-11 genotypes, 15 of which were unique to WA and the remaining seven had a global distribution. MLVA-16 analysis showed that there were no epidemiological links among these strains. Based on the MLVA data, B. abortus strains from WA have high genetic diversity, and predominated genotypes were descended from a native lineage. While the MLVA-16 globally highlights that the dominant native and few introduced lineages (from Brazil, the USA, South Korea, Argentina, India, Italy, Portugal, the UK, Costa Rica, and China) co-driving the B. abortus ongoing prevalence in WA. The high-resolution SNP analysis implied the existence of introduced B. abortus lineages, which may be reasonably explained by the movement and trade of dominant hosts (cattle) and/or their products.

Discussion

Our results indicated that B. abortus strains in WA consist of native and introduced strains that necessitate control such as vaccination, testing, slaughtering, and movement control by the relevant country authorities to reduce brucellosis in livestock.

A sex- and site-specific relationship between body mass index and osteoarthritis: evidence from observational and genetic analyses

OBJECTIVE

We primarily aimed to investigate whether there are phenotypic and genetic links underlying body mass index (BMI) and overall osteoarthritis (OA). We then intended to explore whether the relationships differ across sexes and sites.

METHOD

We first evaluated the phenotypic association between BMI and overall OA using data from the UK Biobank. We then investigated the genetic relationship leveraging summary statistics of the hitherto largest genome-wide association studies performed for BMI and overall OA. Finally, we repeated all analyses in a sex- (female, male) and site- (knee, hip, spine) specific manner.

RESULTS

Observational analysis suggested an increased hazard of diagnosed OA per 5 kg/m² increment in BMI (hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37-1.39). A positive overall genetic correlation was observed for BMI and OA (r_g = 0.43, P = 4.72 × 10^-133), corroborated by 11 significant local signals. Cross-trait meta-analysis identified 34 pleiotropic loci shared between BMI and OA, of which seven were novel. Transcriptome-wide association study revealed 29 shared gene-tissue pairs, targeting nervous, digestive, and exo/endocrine systems. Mendelian randomization demonstrated a robust BMI-OA causal relationship (odds ratio = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.42-1.52). A similar pattern of effects was observed in sex- and site-specific analyses, with BMI affecting OA comparably in both sexes and most strongly in the knee.

CONCLUSION

Our work demonstrates an intrinsic relationship underlying BMI and overall OA, reflected by a pronounced phenotypic association, significant biological pleiotropy, and a putative causal link. Stratified analysis further reveals that the effects are distinct across sites and comparable across sexes.

Discovery of β-cyclocitral-derived mono-carbonyl curcumin analogs as anti-hepatocellular carcinoma agents via suppression of MAPK signaling pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with a high recurrence and mortality rate. In this study, a series of β-cyclocitral-derived mono-carbonyl curcumin analogs were synthesized and their anticancer properties were evaluated. Among the series, A19 exhibited the strongest cytotoxic activity by inhibiting cell viability and colony formation, inducing cell cycle G2/M phase arrest and cell apoptosis of HCC HepG2 and Huh-7 cells, while having almost no cytotoxicity on normal liver MIHA cells. Mechanistically, our results demonstrated that A19 triggered intense DNA damage via suppression of the ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Additionally, a combination of A19 with sorafenib significantly induced synergistic cytotoxicity in HCC cells. Overall, our results indicate the potential of A19 as a novel chemotherapeutic drug administered either separately or in combined therapy for HCC treatment.

High Electron Mobility Hot-Exciton Induced Delayed Fluorescent Organic Semiconductors

The development of high mobility emissive organic semiconductors is of great significance for the fabrication of miniaturized optoelectronic devices, such as organic light emitting transistors. However, great challenge exists in designing key materials, especially those who integrates triplet exciton utilization ability. Herein, dinaphthylanthracene diimides (DNADIs), with 2,6-extended anthracene donor, and 3'- or 4'-substituted naphthalene monoimide acceptors were designed and synthesized. By introducing acceptor-donor-acceptor structure, both materials show high electron mobility. Moreover, by fine-tuning of substitution sites, good integration with high solid state photoluminescence quantum yield of 26 %, high electron mobility of 0.02 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 , and the feature of hot-exciton induced delayed fluorescence were obtained in 4'-DNADI. This work opens a new avenue for developing high electron mobility emissive organic semiconductors with efficient utilization of triplet excitons.

Global issues in obstetric anaesthesia: perspectives from South Africa, Japan, China, Latin America and North America

South Africa is classified as a low- and middle-income country, with a complex mixture of resource-rich and resource-limited settings. In the major referral hospitals, the necessary skill level exists for the management of complex challenges. However, this contrasts with the frequently-inadequate skill levels of anaesthesia practitioners in resource-limited environments. In Japan, obstetricians administer anaesthesia for 40% of caesarean deliveries and 80% of labour analgesia. Centralisation of delivery facilities is now occurring and it is expected that obstetric anaesthesiologists will be available 24 h a day in centralised facilities in the future. In China, improvements in women's reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health are critical government policies. Obstetric anaesthesia, especially labour analgesia, has received unprecedented attention. Chinese obstetric anaesthesiologists are passionate about clinical research, focusing on efficacy, safety, and topical issues. The Latin-American region has different landscapes, people, languages, and cultures, and is one of the world's regions with the most inequality. There are large gaps in research, knowledge, and health services, and the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists is committed to working with governmental and non-governmental organisations to improve patient care and access to safe anaesthesia. Anaesthesia workforce challenges, exacerbated by coronavirus disease 2019, beset North American healthcare. Pre-existing struggles by governments and decision-makers to improve health care access remain, partly due to unfamiliarity with the role of the anaesthesiologist. In addition to weaknesses in work environments and dated standards of work culture, the work-life balance demanded by new generations of anaesthesiologists must be acknowledged.

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C_{5}, C_{6}) and factorial cumulants (κ_{5}, κ_{6}) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C_{6}/C_{2} for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μ_{B}≤110  MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κ_{n}, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ_{B}∼750  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μ_{B}∼24  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and higher collision energies.

Pharmacological targeting of MTHFD2 suppresses NSCLC via the regulation of ILK signaling pathway

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer related deaths worldwide with the highest mortality rate. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85 % of lung cancers. Mitochondrial methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) is a bifunctional enzyme and is the most differentially expressed metabolic enzyme in various tumors including lung cancer. However, little is known about how MTHFD2 functions in NSCLC. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) signaling plays key a role in tumor progression including metastasis, proliferation and migration. Here, we show that MTHFD2 inhibition results in suppression of cell growth, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NSCLC. Microarray analysis suggests that MTHFD2 is positively associated with ILK signaling based on western blotting results. In addition, the phosphorylation of AMPKα plays an essential role in MTHFD2 regulation of ILK signaling. Further, the small-molecule compound C18 inhibits MTHFD2 with great efficiency. C18 blocks MTHFD2/ILK signaling pathway and restrains cell growth, migration, invasion, and EMT of NSCLC and induces apoptosis. In brief, our study found that the positive impact of MTHFD2 is mediated via ILK signaling pathway in NSCLC. Thus, blocking MTHFD2 represents a promising therapeutic strategy against NSCLC clinically.

Genome-wide screening of the RNase T2 gene family and functional analyses in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)

BACKGROUND

Ribonuclease (RNase T2) plays crucial roles in plant evolution and breeding. However, there have been few studies on the RNase T2 gene family in Ziziphus jujuba Mill., one of important dried fruit tree species. Recently, the released sequences of the reference genome of jujube provide a good chance to perform genome-wide identification and characterization of ZjRNase gene family in the jujube.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified four members of RNase T2 in jujube distributed on three chromosomes and unassembled chromosomes. They all contained two conserved sites (CASI and CASII). Analysis of the phylogenetic relationships revealed that the RNase T2 genes in jujube could be divided into two groups: ZjRNase1 and ZjRNase2 belonged to class I, while ZjRNase3 and ZjRNase4 belonged to class II. Only ZjRNase1 and ZjRNase2 expression were shown by the jujube fruit transcriptome analysis. So ZjRNase1 and ZjRNase2 were selected functional verification by overexpression transformation of Arabidopsis. The overexpression of these two genes led to an approximately 50% reduction in seed number, which deserve further attention. Moreover, the leaves of the ZjRNase1 overexpression transgenic lines were curled and twisted. Overexpression of ZjRNase2 resulted in shortened and crisp siliques and the production of trichomes, and no seeds were produced.

CONCLUSION

In summary, these findings will provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of low number of hybrid seeds in jujube and a reference for the future molecular breeding of jujube.

Semiparametric Efficient G-estimation with Invalid Instrumental Variables

The instrumental variable method is widely used in the health and social sciences for identification and estimation of causal effects in the presence of potential unmeasured confounding. In order to improve efficiency, multiple instruments are routinely used, leading to concerns about bias due to possible violation of the instrumental variable assumptions. To address this concern, we introduce a new class of G-estimators that are guaranteed to remain consistent and asymptotically normal for the causal effect of interest provided that a set of at least γ out of K candidate instruments are valid, for γ≤K set by the analyst ex ante, without necessarily knowing the identity of the valid and invalid instruments. We provide formal semiparametric efficiency theory supporting our results. Both simulation studies and applications to the UK Biobank data demonstrate the superior empirical performance of our estimators compared to competing methods.

Argenteolides A and B, Glycosylated Polyketide-Peptide Hybrid Macrolides from an Actinomycete Streptomyces argenteolus

Two novel glycosylated polyketide-peptide hybrid macrolides, argenteolides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from an actinomycete Streptomyces argenteolus. Argenteolide A (1) contains a unique 5/5/5 tricyclic system in a 20-membered macrocycle. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, and their stereochemical configurations were established through the application of chemical derivatization, J-based configuration analysis, DP4+ calculation, and electronic circular dichroism calculation. The analysis of the genome sequence revealed a plausible biosynthesis mechanism, and isotope-labeled feeding studies suggested their biogenetic origins. Argenteolides A and B exhibited moderate cytotoxicities against A549, p388, and Hela human carcinoma cell lines as well as antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli ATCC25922.

Stress analysis of self-tightness metal sealing against ultrahigh pressure medium

Stress is one of the most important factors in metal-to-metal sealing. In this paper, two methods (theoretical and empirical) were adopted to calculate the normal stress of the brass sealing surfaces against different ultrahigh pressure liquid. The theoretical formula was derived in terms of force balance, and the empirical formula was obtained by polynomial curve fitting, which the fitted data were from simulated results; besides, the results calculated using the empirical formula agree well with the results by theoretical formula. Meanwhile, the equivalent stresses of the brass seal, normal stress and contact stress on the brass seal surfaces were simulated by finite element method, and the simulated results indicated these stresses are increased with the increase of liquid pressure, and the maximum stresses always appear on the tip of the brass seal.

Effects of Insulin-degrading enzyme on the proliferation of swine Sertoli cells

Sertoli cells, the only somatic cells in testis seminiferous tubules, provide a supporting microenvironment for male germ cells and play essential roles in spermatogenesis. The insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), a ubiquitous zinc peptidase of the inverzincin family, plays crucial role in sperm production, as IDE-knockout mice presented decreased testis weight and impaired sperm viability and morphology. However, whether and how IDE affects swine Sertoli cell proliferation remains unclear. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of IDE on the proliferation of swine Sertoli cells, as well as its underlying molecular mechanism. After knocking down IDE expression with small interfering RNA transfection, we analyzed the proliferation of swine Sertoli cells as well as the expression of related regulatory factors (WT1, ERK, and AKT). The results showed that IDE knockdown promoted swine Sertoli cell proliferation and increased WT1 expression, possibly through activating ERK and AKT. Overall, our findings suggest that IDE may be involved in male reproduction by regulating Sertoli cell proliferation, which provides new information to better understand the regulatory mechanisms of swine Sertoli cells and improve the reproductive traits of male pigs.

Three Novel Adenylate Cyclase Genes Show Significant Biological Functions in Plant

Adenylate cyclase is the key enzyme solely synthesizing cAMP which participates in cell metabolism regulations and functions as an intracellular second messenger. However, the biological functions of plant ACs have not been elucidated clearly for their poor conservative sequences and low detectable cAMP. We performed a systematic study of plant ACs by using Chinese jujube, whose fruit exhibits the highest cAMP content among plants. Three novel ACs were identified from Chinese jujube, and two types of methods including in vitro and in vivo were used to certificate ZjAC1-3 which can catalyze the conversion of ATP into cAMP. The biological functions of significant accelerations of seed germination, root growth, and flowering were found via overexpression of these AC genes in Arabidopsis, and these functions of ACs were further demonstrated by treating the AC-overexpressing transgenic lines and wild type Arabidopsis with bithionol and dibutyryl-cAMP. At last, transcriptome data revealed that the underlying mechanism of the biological functions of ACs might be regulation of the key genes involved in the circadian rhythm pathway and the hormone signal transduction pathway. This research established a foundation for further investigating plant AC genes and provided strong evidence for cAMP serving as a signaling molecule in plants.

Development and multicenter validation of a novel radiomics-based model for identifying eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

BACKGROUND

Reliable noninvasive methods are needed to identify endotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) to facilitate personalized therapy. Previous computed tomography (CT) scoring system has limited and inconsistent performance in identifying eosinophilic CRSwNP. We aimed to develop and validate a radiomics-based model to identify eosinophilic CRSwNP.

METHODS

Surgical patients with CRSwNP were recruited from Tongji Hospital and randomly divided into training (n = 232) and internal validation cohort (n = 61). Patients from two additional hospitals served as external validation cohort-1 (n = 84) and cohort-2 (n = 54), respectively. Data were collected from October 2013 to May 2021. Eosinophilic CRSwNP was determined by histological criterion. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and the logistic regression (LR) algorithm were used to develop a radiomics model. Univariate and multivariate LR were employed to build models based on CT scores, clinical characteristics, and the combination of radiological and clinical characteristics. Model performance was evaluated by assessing discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility.

RESULTS

The radiomics model based on 10 radiomic features achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.815 in the training cohort, significantly better than the CT score model based on ethmoid-to-maxillary sinus score ratio with an AUC of 0.655. The combination of radiomic features and blood eosinophil count had a further improved performance, achieving an AUC of 0.903. The performance of these models was confirmed in all validation cohorts with satisfying predictive calibration and clinical application value.

CONCLUSIONS

A CT radiomics-based model is promising to identify eosinophilic CRSwNP. This radiomics-based method may provide novel insights in solving other clinical concerns, such as guiding personalized treatment and predicting prognosis in patients with CRSwNP.