Transcriptome data for an ancient 'living-fossil' mollusc, Entemnotrochus rumphii.

The Pleurotomarioidea, commonly referred to as slit shells, constitute one of the most ancient and enduring lineages within the phylum Mollusca, with its fossil record tracing back to the Upper Cambrian epoch. Its rareness and evolutionary antiquity surpass even that of the nautilus. In this study, we conducted the first transcriptome sequencing and analyses of Entemnotrochus rumphii (Schepman, 1879), a representative species of Pleurotomarioidea. Full-length transcriptome sequencing of E. rumphii was performed using the PacBio Sequel II platform with SMRT technology. A total of 64.38 gigabytes of data and 964,550 polymerase reads were generated, resulting in 28,068,998 subreads after data filtering. After de-duplication, correction, and clustering, we identified 19,273 genes. Additionally, next-generation sequencing was performed on 11 tissues of E. rumphii. This investigation provides a detailed portrayal and analytical scrutiny of its transcriptomic landscape.

Causal association of basal metabolic rate on systemic sclerosis: a bidirectional mendelian randomization study.

Prior evidence suggests that altered energy metabolism plays a crucial role in the development of fibrotic diseases. Recent research indicates that systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients have potentially benefited from energy management, implying that basal metabolic rate (BMR), a vital energy metabolic parameter, may be related to SSc. However, the causal effect of BMR on SSc remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to elucidate the causal links between BMR and SSc. Based on summary statistics from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) database, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was applied to explore causality between BMR and SSc. The causal relationships were assessed employing inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median (WM) methods. Meanwhile, several sensitivity analyses were carried out to ensure the robustness of the findings. There was an underlying genetic association of BMR on SSc (OR = 0.505, 95% CI: 0.272-0.936, P = 0.030). Moreover, no significant causal effect between SSc and BMR was observed in the reverse MR analysis (OR = 0.999, 95% CI: 0.997-1.001, P = 0.292). According to the sensitivity analysis, the presence of heterogeneity and genetic pleiotropy was not detected. Our findings, derived from a genetic perspective, provide robust evidence of a causal connection between BMR and SSc. To verify these results and clarify the potential mechanisms, further research is warranted.

Safe Reinforcement Learning with Dual Robustness.

Reinforcement learning (RL) agents are vulnerable to adversarial disturbances, which can deteriorate task performance or break down safety specifications. Existing methods either address safety requirements under the assumption of no adversary (e.g., safe RL) or only focus on robustness against performance adversaries (e.g., robust RL). Learning one policy that is both safe and robust under any adversaries remains a challenging open problem. The difficulty is how to tackle two intertwined aspects in the worst cases: feasibility and optimality. The optimality is only valid inside a feasible region (i.e., robust invariant set), while the identification of maximal feasible region must rely on how to learn the optimal policy. To address this issue, we propose a systematic framework to unify safe RL and robust RL, including the problem formulation, iteration scheme, convergence analysis and practical algorithm design. The unification is built upon constrained two-player zero-sum Markov games, in which the objective for protagonist is twofold. For states inside the maximal robust invariant set, the goal is to pursue rewards under the condition of guaranteed safety; for states outside the maximal robust invariant set, the goal is to reduce the extent of constraint violation. A dual policy iteration scheme is proposed, which simultaneously optimizes a task policy and a safety policy. We prove that the iteration scheme converges to the optimal task policy which maximizes the twofold objective in the worst cases, and the optimal safety policy which stays as far away from the safety boundary. The convergence of safety policy is established by exploiting the monotone contraction property of safety self-consistency operators, and that of task policy depends on the transformation of safety constraints into state-dependent action spaces. By adding two adversarial networks (one is for safety guarantee and the other is for task performance), we propose a practical deep RL algorithm for constrained zero-sum Markov games, called dually robust actor-critic (DRAC). The evaluations with safety-critical benchmarks demonstrate that DRAC achieves high performance and persistent safety under all scenarios (no adversary, safety adversary, performance adversary), outperforming all baselines by a large margin.

The de novo assembly and characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) reveals the presence of homologous conformations produced by repeat-mediated recombination.

Introduction: Bottle gourd is an annual herbaceous plant that not only has high nutritional value and many medicinal applications but is also used as a rootstock for the grafting of cucurbit crops such as watermelon, cucumber and melon. Organellar genomes provide valuable resources for genetic breeding. Methods: A hybrid strategy with Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technology sequencing data was used to assemble bottle gourd mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Results: The length of the bottle gourd mitochondrial genome was 357547 bp, and that of the chloroplast genome was 157121 bp. These genomes had 27 homologous fragments, accounting for 6.50% of the total length of the bottle gourd mitochondrial genome. In the mitochondrial genome, 101 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 10 tandem repeats were identified. Moreover, 1 pair of repeats was shown to mediate homologous recombination into 1 major conformation and 1 minor conformation. The existence of these conformations was verified via PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. Evolutionary analysis revealed that the mitochondrial genome sequence of bottle gourd was highly conserved. Furthermore, collinearity analysis revealed many rearrangements between the homologous fragments of Cucurbita and its relatives. The Ka/Ks values for most genes were between 0.3~0.9, which means that most of the genes in the bottle gourd mitochondrial genome are under purifying selection. We also identified a total of 589 potential RNA editing sites on 38 mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs) on the basis of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-seq data. The RNA editing sites of nad1-2, nad4L-2, atp6-718, atp9-223 and rps10-391 were successfully verified via PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. Conclusion: In conclusion, we assembled and annotated bottle gourd mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes to provide a theoretical basis for similar organelle genomic studies.

Sulfur-regulated CoSe2 nanowires with high-charge active centers for electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonium.

Developing high-efficiency electrocatalysts for nitrate-to-ammonia transformation holds significant promise for the production of ammonia, a crucial component in agricultural fertilizers and as a carbon-free energy carrier. In this study, we propose a viable strategy involving sulfur doping to modulate both the microstructure and electronic properties of CoSe2 for nitrate reduction. This approach remarkably enhances the conversion of nitrate to ammonia by effectively regulating the adsorption capability of nitrogenous intermediates. Specifically, sulfur-doped CoSe2 nanowires (S-CoSe2 NWs) exhibit a peak faradaic efficiency of 93.1% at -0.6 V vs. RHE and achieve the highest NH3 yield rate of 11.6 mg h-1 cm-2. Mechanistic investigations reveal that sulfur doping facilitates the creation of highly charged active sites, which enhance the adsorption of nitrite and subsequent hydrogenation, leading to improved selectivity towards ammonia production.

Dual-site OER mechanism exploration through regulating asymmetric multi-site NiOOH.

Asymmetric nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) possesses multi-OH and O active sites on different surfaces, (001) and (001̄), which possibly causes a complicated catalytic process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the unconventional dual-site mechanism (UDSM) of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on NiOOH (001) and (001̄) exhibits significantly lower overpotentials of 0.80 and 0.77 V, compared to 1.24 and 1.62 V for the single-site mechanism (SSM), respectively. Through chemical doping or heterojunction modifications, the constructed NiOOH@FeOOH (001̄) heterojunction reduces the thermodynamic overpotential to 0.49 V from original 0.77 V undergoing the UDSM. Although Fe/Co-doping or physical compression yield similar or slightly higher overpotentials and are not conductive to facilitating the OER process by the UDSM, all dual-site paths exhibit obviously lower overpotentials than the SSM for pristine and regulated NiOOH (001) and (001̄) from the whole viewpoint. This work identifies a more reasonable and efficient dual-site OER mechanism, which is expected to help the rational design of highly-efficient electrocatalysts.

Overexpression of miR-20a-5p in mesenchymal stem cell derived-exosomes from systemic lupus erythematosus patients restored therapeutic effect and Treg immune regulation.

We and other groups have documented that bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) from Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients demonstrated signs of senescence, including reduced ability of regulating Treg. Treg cell defects or Treg cell deficiency are regarded as significant factors in the progression of SLE. Exosomes, nanoscale vesicles, abound in molecular and genetic contents, play a critical role in intercellular communications. The purpose of this research is to investigate the mechanism of MSCs-exosomes regulating Tregs cells in SLE, further elucidate the mechanism of immune dysregulation of aging BM-MSCs, and provide theoretical basis and data support for new targets of SLE treatment. In the study, BM-MSCs and exosomes were isolated successfully. Exosomes could be up-taken by naïve CD4+T cells. MSCs-exosomes attenuated SLE clinical manifestation in vivo, but MSCs-exosomes from SLE patients were ineffective. MSCs-exosomes from SLE patients dysregulated Treg cells differentiation in vivo and in vitro. Exosomal miR-20a-5p contributed to the effect of MSCs-exosomes regulating Treg cells. Up-regulating the expression of miR-20a-5p in SLE MSCs-exosomes can restore their ability to promote Treg differentiation and treatment effect. This study further elucidated the role of in the immunomodulatory mechanism of BM-MSCs-exosomes and provided new ideas for the non-cellular autologous transplantation therapy of SLE.

High-Spike Barrier Photodiodes Based on 2D Te/WS2 Heterostructures.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdWs) heterojunctions have been actively investigated in low-power-consumption and fast-response photodiodes owing to their atomically smooth interfaces and ultrafast interfacial charge transfer. However, achieving ultralow dark current and ultrafast photoresponse in the reported photovoltaic devices remains a challenge as the large built-in electric field in a heterojunction can not only speed up photocarrier transport but also increase the minority-carrier dark current. Here, we propose a high-spike barrier photodiode that can achieve both an ultralow dark current and an ultrafast response. The device is fabricated by the Te/WS2 heterojunction, while the band alignment can transition from type-II to type-I with a high electron barrier and a large hole built-in electronic field. The high electron barrier can greatly reduce the drift current of minority carriers and the generation current of the thermal carriers, while the large built-in electronic field can still speed up the photocarrier transport. The designed Te/WS2 vdWs photodiode yields an ultralow dark current of 8 × 10-14 A and an ultrafast photoresponse of 10/13 µs. Furthermore, a high-performance visible-light imager with a pixel resolution of 100 × 40 is demonstrated using the Te/WS2 vdWs photodiode. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of designing 2D-material-based photovoltaics with excellent overall performance.

Effects of spatial configuration and fundamental frequency on speech intelligibility in multiple-talker conditions in the ipsilateral horizontal plane and median planea).

Spatial separation and fundamental frequency (F0) separation are effective cues for improving the intelligibility of target speech in multi-talker scenarios. Previous studies predominantly focused on spatial configurations within the frontal hemifield, overlooking the ipsilateral side and the entire median plane, where localization confusion often occurs. This study investigated the impact of spatial and F0 separation on intelligibility under the above-mentioned underexplored spatial configurations. The speech reception thresholds were measured through three experiments for scenarios involving two to four talkers, either in the ipsilateral horizontal plane or in the entire median plane, utilizing monotonized speech with varying F0s as stimuli. The results revealed that spatial separation in symmetrical positions (front-back symmetry in the ipsilateral horizontal plane or front-back, up-down symmetry in the median plane) contributes positively to intelligibility. Both target direction and relative target-masker separation influence the masking release attributed to spatial separation. As the number of talkers exceeds two, the masking release from spatial separation diminishes. Nevertheless, F0 separation remains as a remarkably effective cue and could even facilitate spatial separation in improving intelligibility. Further analysis indicated that current intelligibility models encounter difficulties in accurately predicting intelligibility in scenarios explored in this study.

The biological characteristics of chicken embryo mesenchymal stem cells isolated from chorioallantoic membrane.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from fetal membranes (FMs) have the potential to exhibit immunosuppression, improve blood flow, and increase capillary density during transplantation. In the field of medicine, opening up new avenues for disease treatment. Chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), as an important component of avian species FM structure, has become a stable tissue engineering material in vivo angiogenesis, drug delivery, and toxicology studies. Although it has been confirmed that chorionic mesenchymal stem cells (Ch-MSCs) can be isolated from the outer chorionic layer of FM, little is known about the biological characteristics of MSCs derived from chorionic mesodermal matrix of chicken embryos. Therefore, we evaluated the characteristics of MSCs isolated from chorionic tissues of chicken embryos, including cell proliferation ability, stem cell surface antigen, genetic stability, and in vitro differentiation potential. Ch-MSCs exhibited a broad spindle shaped appearance and could stably maintain diploid karyotype proliferation to passage 15 in vitro. Spindle cells were positive for multifunctional markers of MSCs (CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD166, OCT4, and NANOG), while hematopoietic cell surface marker CD34, panleukocyte marker CD45, and epithelial cell marker CK19 were negative. In addition, chicken Ch-MSC was induced to differentiate into four types of mesodermal cells in vitro, including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and myoblasts. Therefore, the differentiation potential of chicken Ch-MSC in vitro may have great potential in tissue engineering. In conclusion, chicken Ch-MSCs may be an excellent model cell for stem cell regenerative medicine and chorionic tissue engineering.

Toxic effects of nanoplastics on biological nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands: Evidence from iron utilization and metabolism.

Nanoplastics (NPs) in wastewaters may present a potential threat to biological nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). Iron ions are pivotal in microbially mediated nitrogen metabolism, however, explicit evidence demonstrating the impact of NPs on nitrogen removal regulated by iron utilization and metabolism remains unclear. Here, we investigated how NPs disturb intracellular iron homeostasis, consequently interfering with the coupling mechanism between iron utilization and nitrogen metabolism in CWs. Results indicated that microorganisms affected by NPs developed a siderophore-mediated iron acquisition mechanism to compensate for iron loss. This deficiency resulted from NPs internalization limited the activity of the electron transport system and key enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism. Microbial network analysis further suggested that NPs exposure could potentially trigger destabilization in microbial networks and impair effective microbial communication, and ultimately inhibit nitrogen metabolism. These adverse effects, accompanied by the dominance of Fe3+ over certain electron acceptors engaged in nitrogen metabolism under NPs exposure, were potentially responsible for the observed significant deterioration in nitrogen removal (decreased by 30 %). This study sheds light on the potential impact of NPs on intracellular iron utilization and offers a substantial understanding of the iron-nitrogen coupling mechanisms in CWs.

Self-Supporting Mn-RuO2 Nanoarrays for Stable Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Acid.

Currently, the process of an acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) necessitates the use of Iridium dioxygen (IrO2), which is both expensive and incredibly scarce on Earth. Ruthenium dioxygen (RuO2) offers high activity for acidic OERs and presents a potential substitution for IrO2. Nevertheless, its practical application is hindered by its relatively poor stability. In this study, we have developed Mn-doped RuO2 (Mn-RuO2) nanoarrays that are anchored on a titanium (Ti) mesh utilizing a two-step methodology involving the preparation of MnO2 nanoarrays followed by a subsequent Ru exchange and annealing process. By precisely optimizing the annealing temperature, we have managed to attain a remarkably low overpotential of 217 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The enhanced catalytic activity of our Mn-RuO2 nanoarrays can be attributed to the electronic modification brought about by the high exposure of active sites, Mn dopant, efficient mass transfer, as well as the efficient transfer of electrons between the Ti mesh and the catalyst arrays. Furthermore, these self-supported Mn-RuO2 nanoarrays demonstrated excellent long-term stability throughout a chronoamperometry test lasting for 100 h, with no discernible changes observed in the Ru chemical states.

Epigenetic phenotype of plasma cell-free DNA in the prediction of early-onset preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: In the current study, we sought to characterise the methylation haplotypes and nucleosome positioning patterns of placental DNA and plasma cell-free DNA of pregnant women with early-onset preeclampsia using whole genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) and methylation capture bisulphite sequencing (MCBS) and further develop and examine the diagnostic performance of a generalised linear model (GLM) by incorporating the epigenetic features for early-onset preeclampsia. METHODS: This case-control study recruited pregnant women aged at least 18 years who delivered their babies at our Hospital. In addition, non-pregnant women with no previous history of diseases were included. Placental samples of the villous parenchyma were taken at the time of delivery and venous blood was drawn from pregnant women during non-invasive prenatal testing at 12-15 weeks of pregnancy and nonpregnant women during the physical check-up. WGBS and MCBS were carried out of extracted genomic DNA. Then, we established the GLM by incorporating preeclampsia-specific methylation haplotypes and nucleosome positioning patterns and examined the diagnostic performance of the model by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The study included 135 pregnant women and 50 non-pregnant women. Our high-depth MCBS revealed notably different DNA methylation and nucleosome positioning patterns between women with and without preeclampsia. Preeclampsia-specific hypermethylated sites were found predominantly in the promoter regions and particularly enriched in CTCF on the X chromosome. Totally, 2379 preeclampsia-specific methylation haplotypes were found across the entire genome. ROC analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.938 (95%CI 0.877, 1.000). At a GLM cut-off of 0.341, the AUC was the maximum, with a sensitivity of 95.6% and a specificity of 89.7%. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with early-onset preeclampsia exhibit DNA methylation and nucleosome positioning patterns in placental and plasma DNA.

Early-onset preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous condition that can have a profound impact on the health of both the expectant mother and her unborn child. This condition is particularly concerning because it's challenging to predict who may be affected using conventional methods such as monitoring blood pressure. In our research, we've developed an innovative, non-invasive approach to predict the onset of early preeclampsia. We do this by analysing the genetic material of the developing baby, which can be found in the mother's blood. Our method has shown remarkable accuracy in our testing populations, and its implications are substantial. By providing an early warning system, this breakthrough can benefit pregnant women immensely. It means that early-onset preeclampsia can be identified and addressed well before it becomes a serious health threat. This allows for timely medical interventions and treatments, significantly improving the well-being of both mothers and their precious little ones.

Role for ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) in the treatment and the immune response to hepatocellular carcinoma: potential mechanisms.

Background: Ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that can affect or regulate a variety of cellular activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate therapeutic and immunologic effects of USP7 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and as well to evaluate potential mechanisms of action. Methods: USP7-related gene expression and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) dataset, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. Pathways associated with USP7 were determined by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The relationships among USP7, immunity, and drug therapy were also investigated and potential mechanisms of action were explored. Results: TCGA database results demonstrated USP7 mRNA expression levels to be upregulated in HCC tissues. Results were validated with UALCAN, ICGC, and GSE10143 datasets, as well as immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments and were consistent with TCGA database findings (all P<0.05). GSEA analysis demonstrated increased USP7 levels to be associated with CHEMOKINE, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), P53, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and wingless (WNT) signaling pathways. Based on immune correlation analysis, USP7 was dramatically associated with immune cells and immune checkpoint molecules. In terms of drug therapy, USP7 expression levels were significantly related to HCC sensitivity to ciclosporin, talazoparib, dabrafenib, trametinib, paclitaxel, sorafenib, bortezomib, sunitinib, and crizotinib. Based on these results, we mechanistically propose an association between USP7 and these four drug targets: B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine protein kinase (BRAF), mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK), DNA topoisomerase I (TOPOI), and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Conclusions: USP7 plays a therapeutic and immunological role in HCC. The four drug targets BRAF, MEK, TOPOI, and PARP are implicated in the USP7 mechanism of action.

Can farmland transfer reduce vulnerability to poverty among the mid-aged and elderly in rural China?

Exploring the influence of farmland transfer on poverty among the mid-aged and elderly rural households is of great value in preventing them from returning to poverty and in solving the problem of rural poverty. Based on the propensity score matching with differences in differences approach, this paper measures and compares the effects of farmland transfer-in and transfer-out on the vulnerability to poverty of the mid-aged and elderly rural households by using the tracking survey of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2015 and 2018. The findings reveal that: (1) The anti-poverty effect of farmland transfer is "asymmetric". Farmland transfer-in can significantly reduce the vulnerability to poverty of the lessee households, but farmland transfer-out has no such effect. (2) Obvious regional and household differences exist in the anti-poverty effect of farmland transfer. The anti-poverty effects of farmland transfer-in in the eastern and central regions are higher than in other regions. The greater vulnerability to poverty is associated with the more obvious anti-poverty effect of farmland transfer-in. These results benefit the government to strengthen the reforms related to farmland transfer and anti-poverty.

The impact of liver abscess formation on prognosis of patients with malignant liver tumors after transarterial chemoembolization.

Purpose: Liver abscess is a rare and serious complication after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for liver cancer; however, its impact on the prognosis is unclear. This retrospective study examined the outcomes of patients with liver abscess formation following TACE for malignant liver tumors to elucidate the impact of liver abscess formation on the prognosis of these patients. Methods: From January 2017 to January 2022, 1,387 patients with malignant tumors underwent 3,341 sessions of TACE at our hospital. Clinical characteristics of patients at baseline and follow-up were examined, including treatment and outcome of liver abscess, tumor response to the TACE leading to liver abscess, and overall survival time. Results: Of 1,387 patients, 15 (1.1%) patients with liver abscess complications after TACE resulted in a total of 16 (0.5%) cases of liver abscess after 3,341 TACE sessions (including one patient with two events). After antibiotic or percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) treatment, all the infections associated with liver abscesses were controlled. In the PCD group, eight patients died before drainage tube removal, one retained the drainage tube until the end of follow-up, and five underwent drainage tube removal; the mean drainage tube removal time was 149.17 ± 134.19 days. The efficacy of TACE leading to liver abscess was evaluated as partial response (18.75%), stable disease (37.5%), and progressive disease (43.75%). Eleven patients died during the follow-up period owing to causes unrelated to infections caused by liver abscesses. The survival rates at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years were 86.7%, 50.9%, 25.5%, and 17%, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with liver abscess formation following TACE for malignant liver tumors experienced prolonged drainage tube removal time after PCD; while this condition did not directly cause death, it indirectly contributed to a poor prognosis in these patients.

MOF-Derived CoSe2@NiFeOOH Arrays for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Water electrolysis is a compelling method for the production of environmentally friendly hydrogen, minimizing carbon emissions. The electrolysis of water heavily relies on an effective and steady oxygen evolution reaction (OER) taking place at the anode. Herein, we introduce a highly promising catalyst for OER called CoSe2@NiFeOOH arrays, which are supported on nickel foam. This catalyst, referred to as CoSe2@NiFeOOH/NF, is fabricated through a two-step process involving the selenidation of a Co-based porous metal organic framework and subsequent electrochemical deposition on nickel foam. The CoSe2@NiFeOOH/NF catalyst demonstrates outstanding activity for the OER in an alkaline electrolyte. It exhibits a low overpotential (η) of 254 mV at 100 mA cm-2, a small Tafel slope of 73 mV dec-1, and excellent high stability. The good performance of CoSe2@NiFeOOH/NF can be attributed to the combination of the high conductivity of the inner layer and the synergistic effect between CoSe2 and NiFeOOH. This study offers an effective method for the fabrication of highly efficient catalysts for an OER.

Spatio-temporal distribution and source identification of antibiotics in suspended matter in the Fen River Basin.

In this study, 26 typical antibiotics in the suspended matter of the Fen River basin were analyzed during the wet and dry seasons, and the main sources of antibiotic contamination were further identified. The results showed that the concentrations of antibiotics in the suspended matter varied seasonally. Sixteen antibiotics were detected in the suspended matter during the wet season with an average concentration of 463.56 ng/L. However, a total of 21 antibiotics were detected in the dry season, with an average concentration of 106.00 ng/L. The concentration of chloramphenicol antibiotics was outstanding in the wet season and dry season. The spatial distribution of the antibiotics in suspended matter showed little spatial discrepancy during the wet season. During the dry season, nevertheless, the concentration was higher upstream than midstream and downstream. The main sources of antibiotics in the Fen River Basin were livestock and poultry breeding, wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), agricultural drainage, domestic sewage, and pharmaceutical wastewater. Wastewater from WWTPs and domestic sewage were identified as two primary sources in the suspended matter during the wet season, with wastewater from WWTPs contributing the most accounting for 37%. While the most significant source of antibiotics in the suspended matter in the dry season was pharmaceutical wastewater, accounting for 36%. In addition, the contribution proportion of sources for antibiotics exhibited discrepant spatial distribution characteristics. In the wet season, wastewater from WWTPs dominated in the upstream and midstream, and livestock and poultry breeding was prominent in the midstream and downstream. Pharmaceutical wastewater was the main source in the midstream and downstream regions during the dry season.

Intrauterine phenotype features of fetuses with 7q11.23 microduplication syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To share our experience on prenatal diagnosis of 7q11.23 microduplication syndrome and to further delineate the fetal phenotypes of the syndrome. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate seven cases of dup7q11.23 syndrome diagnosed prenatally by chromosomal microarray (CMA). Clinical data were reviewed, including maternal characteristics, indications for prenatal diagnosis, sonographic findings, CMA results, pregnancy outcomes and follow-ups. RESULTS: Seven cases, including 2 pairs of MCDA twins, were prenatally identified with dup7q11.23 syndrome. The most common prenatal sonographic features were ventriculomegaly, low-lying conus medullaris, and dilated ascending aorta. All 7 fetuses presented with typical 7q11.23 duplications (1.40-1.55 Mb). Parental chromosome analysis was performed in four pairs of parents, and indicated that the duplications of Case 6 and 7 were inherited from their asymptomatic mother. CONCLUSION: Our case series suggest that prenatal features of dup7q11.23 cases are diversified, with ventriculomegaly and low-lying conus medullaris being the most common intrauterine phenotypes. Additionally, cleft palate, dilated ascending aorta, and renal abnormalities were also observed, and should be taken into consideration in subsequent studies.

Scaphopoda is the sister taxon to Bivalvia: Evidence of ancient incomplete lineage sorting.

The almost simultaneous emergence of major animal phyla during the early Cambrian shaped modern animal biodiversity. Reconstructing evolutionary relationships among such closely spaced branches in the animal tree of life has proven to be a major challenge, hindering understanding of early animal evolution and the fossil record. This is particularly true in the species-rich and highly varied Mollusca where dramatic inconsistency among paleontological, morphological, and molecular evidence has led to a long-standing debate about the group's phylogeny and the nature of dozens of enigmatic fossil taxa. A critical step needed to overcome this issue is to supplement available genomic data, which is plentiful for well-studied lineages, with genomes from rare but key lineages, such as Scaphopoda. Here, by presenting chromosome-level genomes from both extant scaphopod orders and leveraging complete genomes spanning Mollusca, we provide strong support for Scaphopoda as the sister taxon of Bivalvia, revitalizing the morphology-based Diasoma hypothesis originally proposed 50 years ago. Our molecular clock analysis confidently dates the split between Bivalvia and Scaphopoda at ~520 Ma, prompting a reinterpretation of controversial laterally compressed Early Cambrian fossils, including Anabarella, Watsonella, and Mellopegma, as stem diasomes. Moreover, we show that incongruence in the phylogenetic placement of Scaphopoda in previous phylogenomic studies was due to ancient incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) that occurred during the rapid radiation of Conchifera. Our findings highlight the need to consider ILS as a potential source of error in deep phylogeny reconstruction, especially in the context of the unique nature of the Cambrian Explosion.