Remediation mechanism of high concentrations of multiple heavy metals in contaminated soil by Sedum alfredii and native microorganisms.

Pollution accident of nonferrous metallurgy industry often lead to serious heavy metal pollution of the surrounding soil. Phytoremediation of contaminated soil is an environmental and sustainable technology, and soil native microorganisms in the process of phytoremediation also participate in the remediation of heavy metals. However, the effects of high concentrations of multiple heavy metals (HCMHMs) on plants and native soil microorganisms remain uncertain. Thus, further clarification of the mechanism of phytoremediation of HCMHMs soil by plants and native soil microorganisms is required. Using the plant Sedum alfredii (S. alfredii) to restore HCMHM-contaminated soil, we further explored the mechanism of S. alfredii and native soil microorganisms in the remediation of HCMHM soils. The results showed that (i) S. alfredii can promote heavy metals from non-rhizosphere soil to rhizosphere soil, which is conducive to the effect of plants on heavy metals. In addition, it can also enrich the absorbed heavy metals in its roots and leaves; (ii) native soil bacteria can increase the abundance of signal molecule-synthesizing enzymes, such as trpE, trpG, bjaI, rpfF, ACSL, and yidC, and promote the expression of the pathway that converts serine to cysteine, then synthesize substances to chelate heavy metals. In addition, we speculated that genes such as K19703, K07891, K09711, K19703, K07891, and K09711 in native bacteria may be involved in the stabilization or absorption of heavy metals. The results provide scientific basis for S. alfredii to remediate heavy metals contaminated soils, and confirm the potential of phytoremediation of HCMHM contaminated soil.

Identification of function modules in the co-expression protein-protein interaction network of Bombyx mori in response to Beauveria bassiana infection.

Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) is a common fungal disease in sericulture. Previous research has primarily focused on investigating genes involved in innate immunity. However, the response of Bombyx mori (B. mori) to B. bassiana requires the coordination of other biological processes in addition to the immune system. We measured protein expression profile of B. mori after inoculating B. bassiana using iTRAQ technology in previous. Here we constructed a co-expression protein-protein interaction network of B. mori in response to B. bassiana infection. Subnetworks and modules were analyzed, and the functions of these modules were annotated. The results revealed the identification of numerous proteins associated with cellular immunity, including those involved in phagosomes, lysosomes, mTOR signaling, sugar metabolism, and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Meanwhile, we observed that the pathways involved in protein synthesis were activated, including pyruvate and purine metabolism, RNA transport, ribosome, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, and protein export pathways, during B. bassiana infection. Based on this analysis, we selected six candidate genes (shock protein, ribosome, translocon, actin muscle-type A2, peptidoglycan recognition protein, and collagenase) that were found to be related to the response to B. bassiana. Further verification experiments demonstrated significant changes in their expression levels after inoculation with B. bassiana. These research findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of insect immune response to fungal infection.

Population pharmacokinetics study of tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients: a comparison between patients with or without liver cancer before surgery.

Background and Objective: The main challenge for immunosuppressive therapy using tacrolimus in liver transplantation is the considerable variability in its oral bioavailability and the narrow treatment range. Many population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) models have been established to precisely estimate the PK variability of tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients. However, it remains unclear whether there is a significant difference in the PK behavior of tacrolimus between patients with or without liver cancer before surgery. Therefore, we aimed to compare the differences of PK parameters and simulate exposures of tacrolimus between populations preoperatively diagnosed with liver cancer or not by PopPK modeling. Methods: In total, 802 blood concentrations of tacrolimus from 196 patients (118 liver cancer and 78 non-liver-cancer samples) were included in this study. Demographic data and clinical parameters were integrated to perform a PopPK analysis using the nonlinear mixed-effects modeling approach. Potential covariates were evaluated by using a stepwise method. Goodness-of-fit plot and bootstrap were performed to assess the model stability and predictive performance. Simulations were introduced to optimize dosing regimens of both the liver cancer and non-liver-cancer groups according to the guidance. Results: The PK of tacrolimus was best described by a one-compartment model with first-order absorption and linear elimination, with weight and direct bilirubin as the significant covariates. In the process of constructing the basic model, we tried to separately estimate the PK parameters in liver cancer and non-liver-cancer populations. The results showed that the PK parameters in the two populations were similar, and the individual variation in Ka in non-liver-cancer subjects was large. Hence, the final model did not distinguish between the two populations. Moreover, a minor increase of less than 10% was observed in the simulated exposure in the patients preoperatively diagnosed with liver cancer compared with that in non-liver-cancer groups. Conclusion: The established PopPK model was capable of optimizing tacrolimus dosing in whole populations who underwent liver transplantation. Although a minimal difference was found in tacrolimus exposure between the liver cancer and non-liver-cancer groups, more research is warranted to explore the differences between the two populations in the future, given the potential limitations of this study.

Voriconazole-induced central nervous system toxicity: a pharmacovigilance study based on FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between voriconazole (VRC) and central nervous system (CNS) toxicity based on the real world data. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The reports of FAERS from January 2004 to March 2022 were included in our study. The CNS toxicity events were identified by using Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities terms. Reporting odds ratios corresponding to 95% confidence intervals were employed to quantify the signals of VRC-associated CNS events. RESULTS: The overall RORs (95%CI) for psychiatric disorders, nervous system disorders, and eye disorders were 1.84 (1.70, 2.00), 1.09 (1.01, 1.18), and 3.84 (3.48, 4.23), respectively (p < 0.05). The median time to the CNS events of VRC was 1(IQR 0-5) day. Top six signals were macular opacity, chloropsia, scintillating scotoma, toxic optic neuropathy, corneal bleeding, and dyschromatopsia, all of them grouped as eye disorders. Compared with itraconazole, fluconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole, VRC shows significant relationship and higher incidence rate of psychiatric disorders, nervous system disorders, and eye disorders, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VRC was significantly associated with the CNS toxicity. Dosing adjustment, model-based individualized treatment project, and the therapeutic drug monitoring-guided individualized medication regime could be good strategies for efficacy improvement and the adverse events of reducing of VRC.

Associations between diffusion kurtosis imaging metrics and neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with low-grade germinal matrix and intraventricular hemorrhage.

Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI)-derived metrics are recognized as indicators of maturation in neonates with low-grade germinal matrix and intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH). However, it is not yet known if these factors are associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes. The objective of this study was to acquire DKI-derived metrics in neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH, and to demonstrate their association with later neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this prospective study, neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH and control neonates were recruited, and DKI were performed between January 2020 and March 2021. These neonates underwent the Bayley Scales of Infant Development test at 18 months of age. Mean kurtosis (MK), radial kurtosis (RK) and gray matter values were measured. Spearman correlation analyses were conducted for the measured values and neurodevelopmental outcome scores. Forty controls (18 males, average gestational age (GA) 30 weeks ± 1.3, corrected GA at MRI scan 38 weeks ± 1) and thirty neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH (13 males, average GA 30 weeks ± 1.5, corrected GA at MRI scan 38 weeks ± 1). Neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH exhibited lower MK and RK values in the PLIC and the thalamus (P < 0.05). The MK value in the thalamus was associated with Mental Development Index (MDI) (r = 0.810, 95% CI 0.695-0.13; P < 0.001) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) (r = 0.852, 95% CI 0.722-0.912; P < 0.001) scores. RK value in the caudate nucleus significantly and positively correlated with MDI (r = 0.496, 95% CI 0.657-0.933; P < 0.001) and PDI (r = 0.545, 95% CI 0.712-0.942; P < 0.001) scores. The area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess diagnostic performance of MK and RK in thalamus (AUC = 0.866, 0.787) and caudate nucleus (AUC = 0.833, 0.671) for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes. As quantitative neuroimaging markers, MK in thalamus and RK in caudate nucleus may help predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH.

Dihydroorotase MoPyr4 is required for development, pathogenicity, and autophagy in rice blast fungus.

Dihydroorotase (DHOase) is the third enzyme in the six enzymatic reaction steps of the endogenous pyrimidine nucleotide de novo biosynthesis pathway, which is a metabolic pathway conserved in both bacteria and eukaryotes. However, research on the biological function of DHOase in plant pathogenic fungi is very limited. In this study, we identified and named MoPyr4, a homologous protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DHOase Ura4, in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and investigated its ability to regulate fungal growth, pathogenicity, and autophagy. Deletion of MoPYR4 led to defects in growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, the transfer and degradation of glycogen and lipid droplets, appressorium turgor accumulation, and invasive hypha expansion in M. oryzae, which eventually resulted in weakened fungal pathogenicity. Long-term replenishment of exogenous uridine-5'-phosphate (UMP) can effectively restore the phenotype and virulence of the ΔMopyr4 mutant. Further study revealed that MoPyr4 also participated in the regulation of the Pmk1-MAPK signaling pathway, co-localized with peroxisomes for the oxidative stress response, and was involved in the regulation of the Osm1-MAPK signaling pathway in response to hyperosmotic stress. In addition, MoPyr4 interacted with MoAtg5, the core protein involved in autophagy, and positively regulated autophagic degradation. Taken together, our results suggested that MoPyr4 for UMP biosynthesis was crucial for the development and pathogenicity of M. oryzae. We also revealed that MoPyr4 played an essential role in the external stress response and pathogenic mechanism through participation in the Pmk1-MAPK signaling pathway, peroxisome-related oxidative stress response mechanism, the Osm1-MAPK signaling pathway and the autophagy pathway.

Nano- and microplastics drive the dynamic equilibrium of amoeba-associated bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes.

As emerging pollutants, microplastics have become pervasive on a global scale, inflicting significant harm upon ecosystems. However, the impact of these microplastics on the symbiotic relationship between protists and bacteria remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which nano- and microplastics of varying sizes and concentrations influence the amoeba-bacterial symbiotic system. The findings reveal that nano- and microplastics exert deleterious effects on the adaptability of the amoeba host, with the magnitude of these effects contingent upon particle size and concentration. Furthermore, nano- and microplastics disrupt the initial equilibrium in the symbiotic relationship between amoeba and bacteria, with nano-plastics demonstrating a reduced ability to colonize symbiotic bacteria within the amoeba host when compared to their microplastic counterparts. Moreover, nano- and microplastics enhance the relative abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and heavy metal resistance genes in the bacteria residing within the amoeba host, which undoubtedly increases the potential transmission risk of both human pathogens and resistance genes within the environment. In sum, the results presented herein provide a novel perspective and theoretical foundation for the study of interactions between microplastics and microbial symbiotic systems, along with the establishment of risk assessment systems for ecological environments and human health.

Safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive central pancreatectomy versus open central pancreatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Central pancreatectomy is a surgical procedure for benign and low-grade malignant tumors which located in the neck and proximal body of the pancreas that facilitates the preservation of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine functions but has a high morbidity rate, especially postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness between minimally invasive central pancreatectomy (MICP) and open central pancreatectomy (OCP) basing on perioperative outcomes. METHODS: An extensive literature search to compare MICP and OCP was conducted from October 2003 to October 2023 on PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Fixed-effect models or random effects were selected based on heterogeneity, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies with a total of 510 patients were included. There was no significant difference in POPF between MICP and OCP (OR = 0.95; 95% CI [0.64, 1.43]; P = 0.82), whereas intraoperative blood loss (MD = - 125.13; 95% CI [- 194.77, -55.49]; P < 0.001) and length of hospital stay (MD = - 2.86; 95% CI [- 5.00, - 0.72]; P = 0.009) were in favor of MICP compared to OCP, and there was a strong trend toward a lower intraoperative transfusion rate in MICP than in OCP (MD = 0.34; 95% CI [0.11, 1.00]; P = 0.05). There was no significant difference in other outcomes between the two groups. CONCLUSION: MICP was as safe and effective as OCP and had less intraoperative blood loss and a shorter length of hospital stay. However, further studies are needed to confirm the results.

A new framework for exploratory network mediator analysis in omics data.

Omics methods are widely used in basic biology and translational medicine research. More and more omics data are collected to explain the impact of certain risk factors on clinical outcomes. To explain the mechanism of the risk factors, a core question is how to find the genes/proteins/metabolites that mediate their effects on the clinical outcome. Mediation analysis is a modeling framework to study the relationship between risk factors and pathological outcomes, via mediator variables. However, high-dimensional omics data are far more challenging than traditional data: (1) From tens of thousands of genes, can we overcome the curse of dimensionality to reliably select a set of mediators? (2) How do we ensure that the selected mediators are functionally consistent? (3) Many biological mechanisms contain nonlinear effects. How do we include nonlinear effects in the high-dimensional mediation analysis? (4) How do we consider multiple risk factors at the same time? To meet these challenges, we propose a new exploratory mediation analysis framework, medNet, which focuses on finding mediators through predictive modeling. We propose new definitions for predictive exposure, predictive mediator, and predictive network mediator, using a statistical hypothesis testing framework to identify predictive exposures and mediators. Additionally, two heuristic search algorithms are proposed to identify network mediators, essentially subnetworks in the genome-scale biological network that mediate the effects of single or multiple exposures. We applied medNet on a breast cancer data set and a metabolomics data set combined with food intake questionnaire data. It identified functionally consistent network mediators for the exposures' impact on the outcome, facilitating data interpretation.

The relationship between landscape pattern and plant species diversity in east Dongting lake wetland based on different Eco-environment.

Exploring the impact factors associated with biodiversity and the relationship between them has always been a concerned issue in recent years. However, the previous research mostly focus on theoretical layer. Accordingly, the relationship between landscape pattern and biodiversity is to be analyzed in this research. The landscape pattern determines the function and ecological process of the landscape, and affects the species flow, information flow and energy flow in the landscape. Land use patterns has inevitably left an impact on the landscape pattern. Landscape pattern determines the function and ecological process of landscape and thus plays a significant role in biodiversity. East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve is taken as the research object of the paper, and the remote sensing image data of three different time periods are collected, including 2000, 2010 and 2020. With an interpretation of the vegetation landscape pattern changes inside the protected area to collect and analyze the vegetation coverage. By comparing landscape patterns and the dynamic changes of land use in different periods of time, the correlation between landscape pattern characteristics and regional biodiversity is to be analyzed. Research shows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the vegetation coverage of East Dongting Lake increased, but the landscape shape, scale, diversity and uniformity index decreased to varying degrees. (2) At the class level of landscape type, the relationship between landscape index and biodiversity is different. A complex relationship between farmland landscape and biodiversity. There is a significant positive correlation between the index of grassland landscape type and the index of regional biodiversity. (3) The correlation analysis results at the landscape level show that the landscape characteristic index is positively correlated with the regional biodiversity index. The grassland landscape in the area is the main habitat of biological species. At the same time, as the main grain producing area, the impact of farmland landscape cannot be ignored. This study has certain theoretical guiding significance for the protection and management of biodiversity in the region in terms of maintaining landscape pattern in particular the grassland landscape area and increasing vegetation coverage in the process of land use.

Functional mechanism of baicalein in alleviating severe acute pancreatitis-acute lung injury by blocking the TLR4/MyD88/TRIF signaling pathway.

Severe acute pancreatitis-acute lung injury (SAP-ALI) is a disease with high mortality. This study aims to explore the mechanism of baicalein on SAP-ALI in rats by blocking toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88)/TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-ß (TRIF) signal pathway. The SAP-ALI rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 3% pentobarbital sodium (30 mg/kg), with pancreas and intestines turned over, injected with 3.5% sodium taurocholate backward into the bile-pancreatic duct at 0.1 mL/100 g for 12h, and treated with baicalein, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), miR-182 agomir, or miR-182 antagomir. The TLR4/MyD88/TRIF pathway was activated using LPS in SAP-ALI rats after baicalein treatment. Baicalein attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar wall edema, decreased W/D ratio and levels of TLR4, MyD88, and TRIF in the lung tissues, reduced levels of inflammatory factors in pancreatic and lung tissues and BALF, diminished ROS, and elevated GSH, SOD and CAT in pancreatic and lung tissues of SAP-ALI rats. Activation of the TLR4/MyD88/TRIF pathway partly abrogated baicalein-mediated improvements in inflammation and oxidative stress in SAP-ALI rats. miR-182 targeted TLR4. miR-182 suppressed inflammation and oxidative stress in SAP-ALI rats by targeting TLR4. Inhibition of miR-182 partly nullified baicalein-mediated attenuation on inflammation and oxidative stress in SAP-ALI rats. In conclusion, baicalein can inhibit the TLR4/MyD88/TRIF pathway and alleviate inflammatory response and oxidative stress in SAP-ALI rats by upregulating miR-182 and suppressing TLR4, thus ameliorating SAP-ALI.

Quantitative MR imaging biomarkers for distinguishing inflammatory pancreatic mass and pancreatic cancer-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging biomarkers in distinguishing between inflammatory pancreatic masses (IPM) and pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science through August 2023. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the risk of bias and applicability of the studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were calculated using the DerSimonian-Laird method. Univariate meta-regression analysis was used to identify the potential factors of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies were included in this meta-analysis. The two main types of IPM, mass-forming pancreatitis (MFP) and autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), differ in their apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. Compared with PC, the ADC value was higher in MFP but lower in AIP. The pooled sensitivity/specificity of ADC were 0.80/0.85 for distinguishing MFP from PC and 0.82/0.84 for distinguishing AIP from PC. The pooled sensitivity/specificity for the maximal diameter of the upstream main pancreatic duct (dMPD) was 0.86/0.74, with a cutoff of dMPD ≤ 4 mm, and 0.97/0.52, with a cutoff of dMPD ≤ 5 mm. The pooled sensitivity/specificity for perfusion fraction (f) was 0.82/0.68, and 0.82/0.77 for mass stiffness values. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative MR imaging biomarkers are useful in distinguishing between IPM and PC. ADC values differ between MFP and AIP, and they should be separated for consideration in future studies. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Quantitative MR parameters could serve as non-invasive imaging biomarkers for differentiating malignant pancreatic neoplasms from inflammatory masses of the pancreas, and hence help to avoid unnecessary surgery. KEY POINTS: • Several quantitative MR imaging biomarkers performed well in differential diagnosis between inflammatory pancreatic mass and pancreatic cancer. • The ADC value could discern pancreatic cancer from mass-forming pancreatitis or autoimmune pancreatitis, if the two inflammatory mass types are not combined. • The diameter of main pancreatic duct had the highest specificity for differentiating autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic cancer.

Csn5 inhibits autophagy by regulating the ubiquitination of Atg6 and Tor to mediate the pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae.

Csn5 is subunit 5 of the COP9 signalosome (CSN), but the mechanism by which it strictly controls the pathogenicity of pathogenic fungi through autophagy remains unclear. Here, we found that Csn5 deficiency attenuated pathogenicity and enhanced autophagy in Magnaporthe oryzae. MoCSN5 knockout led to overubiquitination and overdegradation of MoTor (the core protein of the TORC1 complex [target of rapamycin]) thereby promoted autophagy. In addition, we identified MoCsn5 as a new interactor of MoAtg6. Atg6 was found to be ubiquitinated through linkage with lysine 48 (K48) in cells, which is necessary for infection-associated autophagy in pathogenic fungi. K48-ubiquitination of Atg6 enhanced its degradation and thereby inhibited autophagic activity. Our experimental results indicated that MoCsn5 promoted K48-ubiquitination of MoAtg6, which reduced the MoAtg6 protein content and thus inhibited autophagy. Aberrant ubiquitination and autophagy in ΔMocsn5 led to pleiotropic defects in the growth, development, stress resistance, and pathogenicity of M. oryzae. In summary, our study revealed a novel mechanism by which Csn5 regulates autophagy and pathogenicity in rice blast fungus through ubiquitination.

Assessment of brain structure and volume reveals neurodevelopmental abnormalities in preterm infants with low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage.

There is increasing evidence of abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants with low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The purpose of the study was to explore whether brain microstructure and volume are associated with neuro-behavioral outcomes at 40 weeks corrected gestational age in preterm infants with low-grade IVH. MR imaging at term-equivalent age (TEA) was performed in 25 preterm infants with mild IVH (Papile grading I/II) and 40 control subjects without IVH. These subjects all had neonatal behavioral neurological assessment (NBNA) at 40 weeks' corrected age. Microstructure and volume evaluation of the brain were performed by using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and Synthetic MRI. Correlations among microstructure parameters, volume, and developmental outcomes were explored by using Spearman's correlation. In preterm infants with low-grade IVH, the volume of brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) was reduced. In addition, mean kurtosis (MK), fractional anisotropy (FA), radial kurtosis (RK), axial kurtosis (AK) in several major brain regions were reduced, while mean diffusivity (MD) was increased (P < 0.05). BPF, RK in the cerebellum, MK in the genu of the corpus callosum, and MK in the thalamus of preterm infants with low-grade IVH were associated with lower NBNA scores (r = 0.831, 0.836, 0.728, 0.772, P < 0.05). DKI and Synthetic MRI can quantitatively evaluate the microstructure alterations and brain volumes in preterm infants with low-grade IVH, which provides clinicians with a more comprehensive and accurate neurobehavioral assessment of preterm infants with low-grade IVH.

Glucose-lightened upconversion nanoprobes for accurate cellular-discrimination based on Warburg effect.

Accurate cellular-recognition based disease therapy is of significance for precision medicine. However, except of specific antibody-coupling strategy, very few probes have been reported to efficiently discriminate normal cells and lesion cells through cellular microenvironment. Herein, we proposed a glucose selectively-lightened upconversion nanoprobe to recognize cancer cells from a pile of normal cells based on Warburg effect, that indicated a heightened demand for glucose intake for cancer cells. The nanoprobes were constructed by mesoporous silica-coated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP@mSiO2) with the crucial incorporation of a glucose-responsive modality, benzoboric acid (BA)-modified fluorescein molecules (FITC-BA). In cancer cells, the presence of elevated glucose concentrations triggered the transformation of FITC-BA to FITC-Glucose to recover nanoprobes' luminescence, however, the nanoprobes exhibited a shielded luminescent effect in healthy cells. To validate the hypothesis of accurate cellular-discrimination, a photodynamic therapy modality, riboflavin, with a specific ratio were also loaded into above UCNP@mSiO2 nanoprobes for effective production of reactive oxygen species to kill cells. It was found that 97.8% of cancer cells were cleaned up, but normal cells retained a nearly 100% viability after 10 min laser illumination. By leveraging the metabolic disparity from Warburg effect, the nanoprobes offer a highly accurate cellular discrimination, and significantly mitigate "off-target" damage commonly associated with conventional therapies.

Identification of long noncoding RNAs of silkworm at the early stage of Bombyx mori bidensovirus infection.

Bombyx mori bidensovirus (BmBDV) is one of the most important pathogens of silkworm. It mainly infects midgut cells of silkworm and causes losses to the sericulture industry. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play an important role in the regulation of antiviral immune response in silkworm. To explore whether lncRNAs are involved in BmBDV infection and immune response of silkworm, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis to identify the lncRNAs and mRNAs between the BmBDV infected and noninfected silkworm larvae at the early stage. A total of 16,069 genes and 974 candidate lncRNAs were identified, among which 142 messenger RNA (mRNAs) and four lncRNAs were differentially expressed (DE). Target gene prediction revealed that 142 DEmRNAs were coexpressed with four DElncRNAs, suggesting that the expression of mRNA is mainly affected through trans-regulation activities. A regulatory network of DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs was constructed, showing that many genes targeted by different DElncRNAs are involved in metabolism and immunity, which implies that these genes and lncRNAs play an important role in the replication of BmBDV. Our results will help us to improve our understanding of lncRNA-mediated regulatory roles in BmBDV infection, providing a new perspective for further exploring the interaction between host and BmBDV.

A spaced retraining schedule with 2-day interval improves the acquisition and retention of simulation-based basic arthroscopic skills.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of three differently spaced retraining schedules (1-day, 2-day, and 1-week intervals) on the acquisition of basic arthroscopic skills and skill retention after 3 months. METHODS: Thirty orthopaedic residents without arthroscopic experience were enrolled in a double-blind, randomised, parallel-controlled trial. Spaced retaining schedules were divided into massed training and retraining phases. Participants were required to obtain perfect scores in all tasks on the simulator in the massed training phase, followed by a pretest to evaluate the training effect. During the retraining phase, participants were randomly assigned to Groups A (1-day interval), B (2-day interval) or C (1-week interval). A posttest was used to evaluate the effect of different retraining patterns. Follow-up evaluations were conducted at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after the completion of spaced retraining schedules to measure skill retention. One-way ANOVA and paired-sample t tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Significant between-group differences in diagnostic arthroscopy (137.0 ± 24.8 vs. 140.1 ± 21.3 vs. 175.3 ± 27.4 s, P(A-C) = 0.005, P(B-C) = 0.010) and loose body removal (193.1 ± 33.9 vs. 182.0 ± 32.1 vs. 228.7 ± 42.9 s, P(B-C) = 0.025) completion times were observed. No significant differences were found in other posttest metrics. An assessment of skill retention after the 3-month follow-up (Evaluation 3) showed significant differences in diagnostic arthroscopy completion time (202.5 ± 53.3 vs. 172.0 ± 27.2 vs. 225.5 ± 42.1 s, P(B-C) = 0.026). No significant differences were found in other Evaluation 3 metrics. CONCLUSION: The 2-day retraining schedule was the most effective for the acquisition and retention of basic arthroscopic skills and could be integrated into arthroscopic skills curricula. After a 3-month follow-up, residents who followed this schedule showed better skill retention than those who followed the 1-week interval schedule. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I.

Electrical Conductivity and pH Are Two of the Main Factors Influencing the Composition of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in the Vegetation Succession Series of Songnen Saline-Alkali Grassland.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widely distributed microorganisms in the soil, playing an important role in vegetation succession, plant community diversity, and improving soil physicochemical properties. In this study, morphological identification and high-throughput sequencing technology were used to comprehensively analyze the AMF community composition and diversity at different succession stages of Songnen saline-alkali grassland. To determine the root colonization status of plants collected in the field, a colonization system was established using late-succession plants as host plants to verify the existence of mycorrhizal symbiosis and the matching phenomenon of AMF in Songnen saline-alkali grassland. The results indicated that both morphological methods and high-throughput sequencing technology showed that glomus was the dominant genus of AMF in Songnen saline grassland. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and linear regression analysis showed that electrical conductivity (EC) and pH were the main environmental factors affecting AMF species diversity and community structure in the succession sequence of Songnen saline grassland. In addition, the results of root colonization identification and the colonization system test in the field showed that AMF successfully colonized vegetation at different succession stages and had mycorrhizal symbiosis. The results of this study could help to understand the AMF community of Songnen saline-alkali grassland as well as provide a reference and basis for optimizing the AMF community structure of Songnen saline-alkali grassland through human intervention in the future and using mycorrhizal technology to restore and rebuild the degraded ecosystem of Songnen saline-alkali grassland.

Validity and reliability of the physical activity and social support scale among Chinese established adults.

Social support is a crucial factor that can facilitate regular engagement in physical activity. To assess the influence of social factors on the level of regular physical activity, the Physical Activity and Social Support Scale (PASSS) has been developed. However, the PASSS has yet to be validated in a Chinese sample of established adults. To address this gap in the literature, this study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of a Chinese version of the PASSS (PASSS-C) for established adults. PASSS-C was validated for a Chinese sample of adults aged between 30 and 45 years old (N = 1799). Structural validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM). Spearman's correlations between the PASSS-C and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the Social Support Rating Scale - Chinses Version (SSRS-C), and the Affective Exercise Experience Scale - Chinese Version (AFFEXX-C) were determined to examine the criterion validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients and McDonald's omega coefficients were used to assess the internal consistency of the total scale and sub-scales of the PASSS-C. The results of the CFA suggest that the five-factor model had an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.99, GFI = 0.99, SRMR = 0.01, RMSEA = 0.02). Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega for the PASSS-C and its sub-scales ranged from 0.81 to 0.96. The results indicate that the PASSS-C has acceptable psychometric properties. Thus, the scale can be used to assess the levels of social support for physical activity in Chinese established adults.

Minimally invasive versus open total pancreatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety and effectiveness regarding outcomes of minimally invasive total pancreatectomy (MITP) versus open total pancreatectomy (OTP). BACKGROUND: Total pancreatectomy is a complicated operation in abdominal surgery. The flexibility of minimally invasive surgery offers a new surgical approach to this technology. At present, there is little research on MITP, and its advantages over OTP remain uncertain. METHODS: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted basing on comparative studies between MITP and OTP from January 1943 to November 2022. Intraoperative outcomes and postoperative outcomes were assessed. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences with a 95% CI were calculated using fixed-effect or random-effect models under heterogeneity. RESULTS: Seven studies with a total of 4275 patients were included. The major morbidity in the MITP group was significant lower (OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.84, P=0.008, I²= 0%) than OTP group. At the same time, comparing with OTP, the MITP group had lower estimated blood loss (MD -362.50, 95% CI -641.34 to -83.66, P=0.01, I²=96%) and lower intraoperative transfusion rate (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16-0.84, P=0.02, I²=0%). There were no significant differences between the MITP and OTP groups for other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that MITP was associated with lower major morbidity, estimated blood loss, and intraoperative transfusion rate comparing with OTP. However, the further evidence with a better design is required.