Methoxyflavone glucosides and caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside from Lysionotus pauciflorus: their structures and anti-ferroptosis activity.

Phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim. (Gesneriaceae), a medicinal plant used in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, resulted in the isolation of 13 secondary metabolites including two methoxyflavones, six flavonoid glycosides, and five caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides. Among these, the chemical structures of previously undescribed metabolites (1-3) were elucidated to be nevadensin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), nevadensin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-1-O-ß-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-ß-D-(6'-O-E-caffeoyl)glucopyranoside (3) by detailed spectroscopic and HPLC analyses. Inhibitory activity of isolated compounds against RSL3-induced ferroptosis on human hepatoma Hep3B cells were evaluated.

Maternal Human Papillomavirus Infection and Offspring Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection can lead to multiple comorbidities in women, including mental health problems. However, few studies have examined the association between maternal HPV infection and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in their offspring. AIM: We aimed to investigate the association between maternal HPV infection and risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among their offspring. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were used for analysis. Offspring of mothers with HPV infection were identified as the index group, and a demographic-matched group (offspring of mothers without HPV infection) was selected as the controls. The primary outcome was risk of ADHD or ASD. Cox regression models with multiple adjustments were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% of confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: We included 7,762 individuals in the index group and 31,048 in the control group. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the index group had a higher risk of ADHD (HR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.15-1.67) than the controls. Importantly, the risk remained significance when HPV infection was diagnosed either before (HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.05-1.59) or during pregnancy (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.28-2.51). No increased risk of ASD was identified in the index group compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of preventing and treating HPV infection during and before pregnancy. Clinicians should be aware of the association between maternal HPV infection and ADHD in their offspring.

Theta burst stimulation on the fronto-cerebellar connective network promotes cognitive processing speed in the simple cognitive task.

Background: The fronto-cerebellar functional network has been proposed to subserve cognitive processing speed. This study aims to elucidate how the long-range frontal-to-cerebellar effective connectivity contributes to faster speed. Methods: In total, 60 healthy participants were randomly allocated to three five-daily sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation conditions, namely intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS, excitatory), continuous theta-burst stimulation (CTBS, inhibitory), or a sham condition. The sites of the stimulations were the right pre-supplementary motor area (RpSMA), medial cerebellar vermis VI (MCV6), and vertex, respectively. Performances in two reaction time tasks were recorded at different time points. Results: Post-stimulation speeds revealed marginal decreases in the simple but not complex task. Nevertheless, participants in the excitatory RpSMA and inhibitory MCV6 conditions showed direct and negative path effects on faster speeds compared to the sham condition in the simple reaction time (SRT) task (ß = -0.320, p = 0.045 and ß = -0.414, p = 0.007, respectively). These path effects were not observed in the SDMT task. Discussion: RpSMA and MCV6 were involved in promoting the path effects of faster reaction times on simple cognitive task. This study offers further evidence to support their roles within the long-range frontal-to-cerebellar connectivity subserving cognitive processing speed. The enhancement effects, however, are likely limited to simple rather than complex mental operations.

[Microplastic Characteristics and Risk Assessment in Multigate Dam-type River].

Microplastics pose a serious ecological threat to rivers in China, and the construction of a large number of dams has complicated this problem. Ten dams of the Shaying River were chosen to investigate the abundance and composition of microplastics in surface water and sediments of the reservoir and upstream river. Ecological risk was evaluated using species sensitive distribution （SSD） and pollution load index （PLI）. The results showed that the Shaying River was exposed to a severe risk of microplastics from upstream to downstream. The construction of dams did not significantly affect the distribution of microplastics in the river. River sediments became a sink for microplastics in the surface water； however, the ecological risk posed by microplastics in the surface water was greater, and the comparison of the two assessment methods showed that the species sensitivity distribution assessment better reflected the accumulation and feeding behavior of organisms to pollutants compared to the pollution load index.

Improvement of Flowering Stage in Japonica Rice Variety Jiahe212 by Using CRISPR/Cas9 System.

The flowering period of rice significantly impacts variety adaptability and yield formation. Properly shortening the reproductive period of rice varieties can expand their ecological range without significant yield reduction. Targeted genome editing, like CRISPR/Cas9, is an ideal tool to fine-tune rice growth stages and boost yield synergistically. In this study, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated multiplex genome-editing vector containing five genes related to three traits, Hd2, Ghd7, and DTH8 (flowering-stage genes), along with the recessive rice blast resistance gene Pi21 and the aromatic gene BADH2. This vector was introduced into the high-quality japonica rice variety in Zhejiang province, Jiahe212 (JH212), resulting in 34 T0 plants with various effective mutations. Among the 17 mutant T1 lines, several displayed diverse flowering dates, but most exhibited undesirable agronomic traits. Notably, three homozygous mutant lines (JH-C15, JH-C18, and JH-C31) showed slightly earlier flowering dates without significant differences in yield-related traits compared to JH212. Through special Hyg and Cas marker selection of T2 plants, we identified seven, six, and two fragrant glutinous plants devoid of transgenic components. These single plants will serve as sib lines of JH212 and potential resources for breeding applications, including maintenance lines for indica-japonica interspecific three-line hybrid rice. In summary, our research lays the foundation for the creation of short-growth-period CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility, CMS) lines, and also provides materials and a theoretical basis for indica-japonica interspecific hybrid rice breeding with wider adaptability.

Histopathological-Based Analysis of Human Kidney Spatial Transcriptomics Data: Toward Precision Pathology.

The application of spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies is booming and has already yielded important insights across many different tissues and disease models. In nephrology, ST technologies have helped to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms at work in kidney diseases and have allowed the recent creation of spatially anchored human kidney atlases in healthy and diseased kidney tissues. During ST data analysis, the obtained computationally annotated clusters are often superimposed on a histologic image without their initial identification being based on the morphologic and spatial analyses of the tissues and lesions. In this study, we conduct a histopathologic-based analysis of ST data on a human kidney sample corresponding as closely as possible to the reality of the interpretation of a kidney biopsy sample in a health care or research context. This study shows the feasibility of a morphology-based approach to interpreting ST data, helping to improve our understanding of the lesion phenomena at work in chronic kidney disease at both the cellular and the molecular level. Finally, we show that our newly identified pathology-based clusters can be accurately projected onto other slides from nephrectomy or needle biopsy samples. They thus serve as a reference for analyzing other kidney tissues, paving the way for the future of molecular microscopy and precision pathology.

Characteristics of Sleep Disturbance and Comparison Across Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Healthcare Workers.

OBJECTIVE: Healthcare workers (HCWs) suffered from a heavy mental health burden during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to explore the differences in sleep disturbance in three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan among HCWs. Moreover, factors associated with sleep disturbances in the third wave were investigated. METHODS: This study, with three waves of cross-sectional surveys, recruited first-line and second-line HCWs. The level of sleep disturbance and related demographic variables were collected through self-report questionnaires. Differences in sleep disturbance across the three waves were compared with analysis of variance. Factors associated with the level of sleep disturbance were identified using univariate linear regression and further used for multivariate stepwise and bootstrap linear regression to identify the independent predictors. RESULTS: In total, 711, 560, and 747 HCWs were included in the first, second, and third waves, respectively. For first-line HCWs, sleep disturbance was significantly higher in the third wave than in the first wave. The level of sleep disturbance gradually increased across the three waves for all HCWs. In addition, sleep disturbance was associated with depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, anxiety about COVID-19, vaccine mistrust, and poorer physical and mental health among first-line HCWs. Among second-line HCWs, sleep disturbance was associated with younger age, depression, PTSD symptoms, lower preference for natural immunity, and poorer physical health. CONCLUSION: The current study identified an increase in sleep disturbance and several predictors among HCWs. Further investigation is warranted to extend the application and generalizability of the current study.

Synthesis of Ultrathin FeS Nanosheets via Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Fe-based 2D materials exhibit rich chemical compositions and structures, which may imply many unique physical properties and promising applications. However, achieving controllable preparation of ultrathin non-layered FeS crystal on SiO2/Si substrate remains a challenge. Herein, the influence of temperature and molecular sieves is reported on the synthesis of ultrathin FeS nanosheets with a thickness as low as 2.3 nm by molecular sieves-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The grown FeS nanosheets exhibit a non-layered hexagonal NiAs structure and belong to the P63/mmc space group. The inverted symmetry broken structure is confirmed by the angle-resolved second harmonic generation (SHG) test. In particular, the 2D FeS nanosheets exhibit exceptional metallic behavior, with conductivity up to 1.63 × 106 S m-1 at 300 K for an 8 nm thick sample, which is higher than that of reported 2D metallic materials. This work provides a significant contribution to the synthesis and characterization of 2D non-layered Fe-based materials.

The efficacy and acceptability of anti-inflammatory omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements in sepsis management: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Sepsis is a critical medical condition associated with high mortality for patients. Current pharmacological strategies for sepsis management or prevention had not achieved satisfactory results. The omega-3 fatty acids, with anti-inflammatory benefits, are considered to be promising agents for sepsis management/prevention. The aim of this network meta-analysis (NMA) is to compare the efficacy of various dosages and formulations of fish oil supplements for sepsis management and sepsis prevention. The current NMA consisted of two parts: (1) sepsis management and (2) sepsis prevention. The PubMed, ClinicalKey, Embase, ProQuest, Cochrane CENTRAL, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were systematically searched to date of February 22nd, 2024 for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCTs were eligible for inclusion if they enrolled participants with a diagnosis of sepsis or who with high risk for sepsis. All NMA procedures were conducted under the frequentist model. The primary outcomes assessed are (1) mortality rate in sepsis treatment or (2) incidence of sepsis in sepsis prevention. Our NMA, based on 28 RCTs and 1718 participants (mean age=51.6 years, mean female proportion=35.6 %), showed that (1) high dose parenteral fish oil supplement yield the lowest mortality rate in sepsis management in adult patients, and (2) high dose enteral fish oil supplement yield the lowest incidence of sepsis in pediatric patients. This study provides compelling evidence that high-dose fish oil supplements provide beneficial effects for both sepsis management and sepsis prevention. Our findings provide a preliminary rationale for future large-scale RCTs to investigate the role of fish oil supplementation in sepsis management or prevention.

Simhypo-sand: a simple hypoplastic model for granular materials and SPH implementation.

This paper introduces a new hypoplastic model characterized by a simple and elegant formulation. It requires only 7 material parameters to depict salient mechanical behaviors of granular materials. The numerical implementation employs an explicit integration method, enhanced by a best-fit stress correction algorithm in a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. The performance of this model in capturing soil behavior across a range of scenarios is demonstrated by conducting various numerical tests, including triaxial and simple shear at low strain rates, as well as granular collapse, rigid penetration and landslide process at high strain rates.

Amelioration of Oxidative Stress in Rats with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease through Shenqi Huatan Decoction Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma-Mediated Activated Protein Kinase/Forkhead Transcription Factor O3a Signaling Pathway.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease. Currently, no specific treatment strategy has been established; therefore, finding new treatment methods is essential. Clinically, Shenqi Huatan Decoction (SQHT) is a traditional Chinese medicinal formula for COPD treatment; however, its mechanism of action in treatment needs to be clarified. Methods: The COPD rat model was replicated by cigarette smoking and tracheal injection using the LPS method. The control group and the SQHT groups were treated with dexamethasone and SQHT by gavage, respectively. After treatment, superoxide dismutase (SOD) serum levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), lipid peroxidation, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Activated protein kinase alpha (AMPK-α), forkhead transcription factor O3a (FOXO3a), manganese SOD (MnSOD), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) were detected using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. Microribonucleic acid and protein expression levels were measured, and pathological changes in lung tissue were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: The pathological findings suggested that SQHT substantially affects COPD treatment by enhancing alveolar fusion and reducing emphysema. ELISA results showed that SQHT could lower the blood levels of MDA and lipid peroxide and raise SOD and TAOC levels, suggesting that it could lessen oxidative stress. In the lung tissue of rats with COPD, large doses of SQHT intervention dramatically increased AMPK protein expression, AMPK-α, FOXO3a, MnSOD, and PPARγ, indicating that SQHT may reduce oxidative stress by activating the PPARγ-mediated AMPK/FOXO3a signaling pathway. Similar results were obtained using RT-qPCR. Conclusion: SQHT is effective for COPD treatment. The mechanism of action may be related to the activation of the PPARγ-mediated AMPK/FOXO3a signaling pathway to improve oxidative stress in lung tissue.

N6-methyladenosine modification of circMARK2 enhances cytoplasmic export and stabilizes LIN28B, contributing to the progression of Wilms tumor.

BACKGROUND: The potential involvement of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in the progression of Wilms tumor (WT) has not been fully elucidated. This study investigates the regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance of m6A-modified circMARK2 and its role in WT progression. METHODS: We identified dysregulated circRNAs through deep sequencing and validated their expression by qRT-PCR in WT tissues. The biological functions of circMARK2 were assessed using clone formation, transwell migration, and orthotopic animal models. To dissect the underlying mechanisms, we employed RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down, dual-luciferase reporter assays, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: CircMARK2, upregulated in WT tissues, was found to be m6A-modified and promoted cytoplasmic export. It facilitated WT progression by stabilizing LIN28B mRNA through the circMARK2/IGF2BP2 interaction. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that circMARK2 enhances the malignant behavior of WT cells. Clinically, higher circMARK2 levels in tumor tissues of WT patients were linked to increased tumor aggressiveness and reduced survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides the first comprehensive evidence that m6A-modified circMARK2 contributes to WT progression by enhancing LIN28B mRNA stability, promoting cellular aggressiveness. CircMARK2 emerges as a potential biomarker for prognosis and a promising target for therapeutic intervention in WT, underscoring the clinical relevance of m6A modification in pediatric renal cancer.

Chromatin conformation and histone modification profiling across human kidney anatomic regions.

The three major anatomic regions of the human kidney include the cortex, medulla and papilla, with different functions and vulnerabilities to kidney diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying these anatomic structures are incompletely understood. Here, we performed chromatin conformation capture with Hi-C and histone modification H3K4me3/H3K27me3 Cleavage Under Targets and Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN) sequencing on the kidney cortex, medulla and papilla dissected from one individual donor. Nuclear suspensions were generated from each region and split subjected to paired Hi-C and CUT&RUN sequencing. We evaluated the quality of next-generation sequencing data, Hi-C chromatin contact matrices and CUT&RUN peak calling. H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 histone modifications represent active and repressive gene transcription, respectively, and differences in chromatin conformation between kidney regions can be analyzed with this dataset. All raw and processed data files are publicly available, allowing researchers to survey the epigenetic landscape across regional human kidney anatomy.

DWARF AND LESS TILLERS ON CHROMOSOME 3 promotes tillering in rice by sustaining FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER 1 expression.

Three key factors determine yield in rice (Oryza sativa): panicle number, grain number, and grain weight. Panicle number is strongly associated with tiller number. Although many genes regulating tillering have been identified, whether Dof proteins are involved in controlling plant architecture remains unknown. The dwarf and less tillers on chromosome 3 (dlt3) rice mutant produces fewer tillers than the wild type. We cloned DLT3, which encodes a Dof protein that interacts with MONOCULM 3 (MOC3) in vivo and in vitro and recruits MOC1, forming a DLT3-MOC3-MOC1 complex. DLT3 binds to the promoter of FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER 1 (FON1) to activate its transcription and positively regulate tiller number. The overexpression of MOC1, MOC3, or FON1 in the dlt3 mutant increased tiller number. Collectively, these results suggest a model in which DLT3 regulates tiller number by maintaining the expression of MOC1, MOC3, and FON1. We discovered that DLT3 underwent directional selection in the Xian/indica and Geng/japonica populations during rice domestication. To provide genetic resources for breeding varieties with optimal panicle numbers, we performed large-scale diversity sequencing of the 1,080-bp DLT3 coding region of 531 accessions from different countries and regions. Haplotype analysis showed that the superior haplotype, DLT3H1, produced the most tillers, while haplotype DLT3H6 produced the fewest tillers. Our study provides important germplasm resources for breeding super high-yielding rice varieties with combinations of superior haplotypes in different target genes, which will help overcome the challenge of food and nutritional security in the future.

An academic achievements visualization research in the past 30 years: research on rehabilitation for head and neck cancer.

Background: Head and neck cancer acts as the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide with an increasing incidence. The needs and methods of its rehabilitation are diverse and constantly evolving. Objective: This study aims to provide an in-depth depiction and visualization of the knowledge structure, hotspots, and emerging trends within the domain in the past 30 years through utilizing bibliometric analysis. Methods: The literature about rehabilitation for head and neck cancer in Web of Science was collected. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analyze main countries, institutions, authors, journals, subject hotspots, trends, frontiers, etc. Results: A total of 1869 papers have been published since 1994. These publications were written by 874 authors from 514 institutions in 74 countries. The United States published 397 papers in this field and ranked first. Head & Neck is the most widely published journal, with Finizia, Caterina as the core author. The main keyword clustering includes terms such as #0 mandibular reconstruction (2009); #1 functional impairment (2014); #2 device lifetime (2006); #3 head and neck cancer (2003); #4 maxillofacial prosthetics (2004); #5 squamous cell carcinoma (2002); #6 readiness for return to work (2009); #7 total laryngopharyngectomy (2004). The current research frontier that has been sustained is "survivors", "reliability", and "meta analysis". Conclusion: We reveal the current status, hotspots, and trends in the field of rehabilitation for head and neck cancer. And we provided new academic insights into the characteristics and limitations of the field's development.

Yolk-Shell Au NPs@Carbon Porous Nanoreactors Derived from ZIF-8: A High-Efficiency Catalyst for Three-Component Coupling Reaction.

A yolk-shell Au NPs@carbon porous nanoreactor with an active gold (Au) core and a porous carbon shell has been fabricated and demonstrates excellent high activity and cyclic stability as a heterogeneous catalyst for the three-component coupling reaction of aldehyde, amine, and alkyne. Remarkably, the unique yolk-shell nanostructure can protect gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) from aggregation, allow for efficient mass transport, and benefit substrate enrichment, giving rise to enhanced activity, stability, and recyclability.

Risk of major mental disorders in the offspring of parents with migraine.

BACKGROUND: Migraine has been associated with mental disorders, however whether parental migraine is associated with an increased risk of major mental disorders (MMDs) in offspring has not been investigated. We aimed to examine the risk of the development of MMDs in the offspring of parents with migraine compared with those of parents without migraine. METHODS: This study used data derived from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Offspring of parents with migraine and a control group consisting of offspring of parents without migraine matched for demographic and parental mental disorders were included. Cox regression was used to estimate the risk of MMDs, including schizophrenia, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sub-analyses stratified by the fathers and mothers were further performed to separately clarify the risks of MMDs among the offspring. RESULTS: We included 22,747 offspring of parents with migraine and 227,470 offspring of parents without migraine as the controls. Parental migraine was significantly associated with an increased risk of ADHD (reported as hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals: 1.37, 1.25-1.50), bipolar disorder (1.35, 1.06-1.71), and depressive disorder (1.33, 1.21-1.47) compared to the offspring of parents without migraine. Importantly, sub-analyses showed that only maternal migraine was significantly associated with these risks. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the heavy burden of MMDs, healthcare workers should be aware of the risk of MMDs in the offspring of parents with migraine, particular in mothers.

Assessment of urban underground spaces inundation during extreme rainfall events.

As urbanization progresses and the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, urban flooding has emerged as a critical challenge for resilient cities, particularly concerning urban underground spaces where flooding can lead to significant loss of life and property. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of global research on underground space flood simulation and evacuation, this paper undertakes the modelling of inundation in a substantial underground area during the extraordinary rainfall event on 7 September 2023, in Shenzhen, China. Specifically, it introduces a two-step method to simulate the coupled surface-underground inundation process with high accuracy. The study simulates the inflow processes in three types of underground spaces: parking lots, metro stations, and underpasses. Utilizing the specific force per unit width evaluation, the research examines how varying flood barrier heights influence evacuation time and inundation risk. Subsequently, the paper proposes corresponding evacuation strategies based on the obtained findings. By highlighting the vulnerability of urban underground spaces to flooding, the study underscores the urgent need for further research in this domain.