Prophylactic Effects of n-Acethylcysteine on Inflammation-induced Depression-like Behaviors in Mice.

Depression, affecting individuals worldwide, is a prevalent mental disease, with an increasing incidence. Numerous studies have been conducted on depression, yet its pathogenesis remains elusive. Recent advancements in research indicate that disturbances in synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and reduced neurotrophic factor expression significantly contribute to depression's pathogenesis. In our study, we utilized adult male C57BL/6J mice. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can induce both chronic and acute depression-like symptoms in mice, a widely used model for studying depression associated with inflammation. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) exhibits anti-inflammatory and ameliorative effects on depressive symptoms. This study sought to determine whether NAC use could mitigate inflammatory depressive behavior through the enhancement of synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In this study, we discovered that in mice modeled with depression-like symptoms, the expression levels of dendrites, BDNF, and miniature excitatory postsynaptic potential (mEPSC) in glutamatergic neurons, as well as the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid glutamate receptors (AMPARs) GluA1 and GluA2 subunits, were significantly decreased. These findings suggest an impairment in the synaptic transmission of glutamatergic neurons. Following treatment with NAC, the previously mentioned levels improved, indicating an enhancement in both synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Our results suggest that NAC exerts a protective effect on mouse models of inflammatory depression, potentially through the enhancement of synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as the restoration of neurotrophic factor expression. These findings offer vital animal experimental evidence supporting NAC's role in mitigating inflammatory depressive behaviors.

Adaptive temporal compression for reduction of computational complexity in human behavior recognition.

The research on video analytics especially in the area of human behavior recognition has become increasingly popular recently. It is widely applied in virtual reality, video surveillance, and video retrieval. With the advancement of deep learning algorithms and computer hardware, the conventional two-dimensional convolution technique for training video models has been replaced by three-dimensional convolution, which enables the extraction of spatio-temporal features. Specifically, the use of 3D convolution in human behavior recognition has been the subject of growing interest. However, the increased dimensionality has led to challenges such as the dramatic increase in the number of parameters, increased time complexity, and a strong dependence on GPUs for effective spatio-temporal feature extraction. The training speed can be considerably slow without the support of powerful GPU hardware. To address these issues, this study proposes an Adaptive Time Compression (ATC) module. Functioning as an independent component, ATC can be seamlessly integrated into existing architectures and achieves data compression by eliminating redundant frames within video data. The ATC module effectively reduces GPU computing load and time complexity with negligible loss of accuracy, thereby facilitating real-time human behavior recognition.

Research on the wear trend analysis model and application method of diffraction grating ruling tools.

Tool wear is one of the main causes of failure during diffraction grating ruling. However, no theoretical model for tool wear analysis has been available to date. A mathematical model is established here to solve for the friction coefficient at the tool contact position for the first time. Based on the ruling principles for diffraction gratings, four parameters comprising the tool cutting edge radius, knife angle, pitch angle, and tool ruling depth, are introduced into the model. The positive pressure and shear stress acting on the tool contact surface element during plastic deformation of the metal film layer are given, and an integral is performed over the area where the tool meets the metal film layer. Equations describing the friction coefficients at different positions on the tip point and the main edge are derived. The friction coefficients at the tip point and main edge positions are then calculated using the model. The cutting edge radius, tool tip angle, and pitch angle are used as variables. The maximum value distribution of the friction coefficients of the anti-wear ruling tool is analyzed, and the principle that parameter selection for the anti-wear ruling tool should meet requirements for a large cutting edge radius, small pitch angle, and large tool tip angle is proposed for the first time. This principle provides the key to solving the technical problem where tool wear occurs easily during ruling of large-area echelle gratings, which has puzzled researchers for many years. Finally, a ruling experiment is performed using a 79 gr/mm echelle grating. Under the large pitch angle condition, the tool jumping phenomenon occurs because of excessive friction force, which results in ruling failure. The numerical analysis results are verified. The research results in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for anti-wear tool design and ruling process optimization.

Inhibition of HIV-1 release by ADAM metalloproteinase inhibitors.

HIV-1 gp120 glycan binding to C-type lectin adhesion receptor L-selectin/CD62L on CD4 T cells facilitates viral attachment and entry. Paradoxically, the adhesion receptor impedes HIV-1 budding from infected T cells and the viral release requires the shedding of CD62L. To systematically investigate CD62L-shedding mediated viral release and its potential inhibition, we screened compounds specific for serine-, cysteine-, aspartyl-, and Zn-dependent proteases for CD62L shedding inhibition and found that a subclass of Zn-metalloproteinase inhibitors, including BB-94, TAPI, prinomastat, GM6001, and GI25423X, suppressed CD62L shedding. Their inhibition of HIV-1 infections correlated with enzymatic suppression of both ADAM10 and 17 activities and expressions of these ADAMs were transiently induced during the viral infection. These metalloproteinase inhibitors are distinct from the current antiretroviral drug compounds. Using immunogold labeling of CD62L, we observed association between budding HIV-1 virions and CD62L by transmission electron microscope, and the extent of CD62L-tethering of budding virions increased when the receptor shedding is inhibited. Finally, these CD62L shedding inhibitors suppressed the release of HIV-1 virions by CD4 T cells of infected individuals and their virion release inhibitions correlated with their CD62L shedding inhibitions. Our finding reveals a new therapeutic approach targeted at HIV-1 viral release.

CRP, IL-1α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels and the risk of breast cancer: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Epidemiological studies have reported a positive association between chronic inflammation and cancer risk. However, the causal association between chronic inflammation and breast cancer (BC) risk remains unclear. Here, we performed a Mendelian randomization study to investigate the etiological role of chronic inflammation in BC risk. We acquired data regarding C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-1a, IL-1b, and IL-6 expression and BC related to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from two larger consortia (the genome-wide association studies and the Breast Cancer Association Consortium). Next, we conducted the two-sample Mendelian randomization study to investigate the relationship of the abovementioned inflammatory factors with the incidence of BC. We found that genetically predicted CRP, IL-6, and IL-1a levels did not increase BC incidence (odds ratio (OR)CRP 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-1.12, P = 0.2059, ORIL-6 1.05, 95% CI 0.95-1.16, P = 0.3297 and ORIL-1a 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.03, P = 0.2167). However, in subgroup analysis, genetically predicted IL-1b levels increased ER + BC incidence (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.27, P = 0.0088). Our study suggested that genetically predicted IL-1b levels were found to increase ER + BC susceptibility. However, due to the support of only one SNP, heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests cannot be performed, which deserves further research.

Probiotic-Induced Modulation of Microbiota Composition and Antibiotic Resistance Genes Load, an In Vitro Assessment.

The imbalance of the gut microbiota (GM) is known as dysbiosis and is associated with disorders such as obesity. The increasing prevalence of microorganisms harboring antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in the GM has been reported as a potential risk for spreading multi-drug-resistant pathogens. The objective of this work was the evaluation, in a fecal culture model, of different probiotics for their ability to modulate GM composition and ARG levels on two population groups, extremely obese (OB) and normal-weight (NW) subjects. Clear differences in the basal microbiota composition were observed between NW and OB donors. The microbial profile assessed by metataxonomics revealed the broader impact of probiotics on the OB microbiota composition. Also, supplementation with probiotics promoted significant reductions in the absolute levels of tetM and tetO genes. Regarding the blaTEM gene, a minor but significant decrease in both donor groups was detected after probiotic addition. A negative association between the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae and the tetM gene was observed. Our results show the ability of some of the tested strains to modulate GM. Moreover, the results suggest the potential application of probiotics for reducing the levels of ARG, which constitutes an interesting target for the future development of probiotics.

Protocol for near-infrared optogenetics manipulation of neurons and motor behavior in C. elegans using emissive upconversion nanoparticles.

In deep tissue, optogenetics faces limitations with visible light. Here, we present a protocol for near-infrared (NIR) optogenetics manipulation of neurons and motor behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans using emissive upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). We describe steps for synthesizing and modifying UCNPs. We then detail procedures for regulating neurons using these UCNPs in the model organism C. elegans. Using NIR light allows for superior tissue penetration to manipulate neuronal activities and locomotion behavior. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Guo et al.,1 Ao et al.,2 and Zhang et al.3.

Supramolecular Assembly Based on Calix(4)arene and Aggregation-Induced Emission Photosensitizer for Phototherapy of Drug-Resistant Bacteria and Skin Flap Transplantation.

Photodynamic therapy as a burgeoning and non-invasive theranostic technique has drawn great attention in the field of antibacterial treatment but often encounters undesired phototoxicity of photosensitizers during systemic circulation. Herein, a supramolecular substitution strategy is proposed for phototherapy of drug-resistant bacteria and skin flap repair by using macrocyclic p-sulfonatocalix(4)arene (SC4A) as a host, and two cationic aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), namely TPE-QAS and TPE-2QAS, bearing quaternary ammonium group(s) as guests. Through host-guest assembly, the obtained complex exhibits obvious blue fluorescence in the solution due to the restriction of free motion of AIEgens and drastically inhibits efficient type I ROS generation. Then, upon the addition of another guest 4,4'-benzidine dihydrochloride, TPE-QAS can be competitively replaced from the cavity of SC4A to restore its pristine ROS efficiency and photoactivity in aqueous solution. The dissociative TPE-QAS shows a high bacterial binding ability with an efficient treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dark and light irradiation. Meanwhile, it also exhibits an improved survival rate for MRSA-infected skin flap transplantation and largely accelerates the healing process. Thus, such cascaded host-guest assembly is an ideal platform for phototheranostics research.

High-quality Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense genome assemblies reveal the landscape and evolution of centromeres.

Centromere positioning and organization are crucial for genome evolution; however, research on centromere biology is largely influenced by the quality of available genome assemblies. Here, we combined Oxford Nanopore and Pacific Biosciences technologies to de novo assemble two high-quality reference genomes for Gossypium hirsutum (TM-1) and Gossypium barbadense (3-79). Compared with previously published reference genomes, our assemblies show substantial improvements, with the contig N50 improved by 4.6-fold and 5.6-fold, respectively, and thus represent the most complete cotton genomes to date. These high-quality reference genomes enable us to characterize 14 and 5 complete centromeric regions for G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, respectively. Our data revealed that the centromeres of allotetraploid cotton are occupied by members of the centromeric repeat for maize (CRM) and Tekay long terminal repeat families, and the CRM family reshapes the centromere structure of the At subgenome after polyploidization. These two intertwined families have driven the convergent evolution of centromeres between the two subgenomes, ensuring centromere function and genome stability. In addition, the repositioning and high sequence divergence of centromeres between G. hirsutum and G. barbadense have contributed to speciation and centromere diversity. This study sheds light on centromere evolution in a significant crop and provides an alternative approach for exploring the evolution of polyploid plants.

A new scheme of PM2.5 and O3 control strategies with the integration of SOM, GA and WRF-CAMx.

Previous air pollution control strategies didn't pay enough attention to regional collaboration and the spatial response sensitivities, resulting in limited control effects in China. This study proposed an effective PM2.5 and O3 control strategy scheme with the integration of Self-Organizing Map (SOM), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and WRF-CAMx, emphasizing regional collaborative control and the strengthening of control in sensitive areas. This scheme embodies the idea of hierarchical management and spatial-temporally differentiated management, with SOM identifying the collaborative subregions, GA providing the optimized subregion-level priority of precursor emission reductions, and WRF-CAMx providing response sensitivities for grid-level priority of precursor emission reductions. With Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding area (BTHSA, "2 + 26" cities) as the case study area, the optimized strategy required that regions along Taihang Mountains strengthen the emission reductions of all precursors in PM2.5-dominant seasons, and strengthen VOCs reductions but moderate NOx reductions in O3-dominant season. The spatiotemporally differentiated control strategy, without additional emission reduction burdens than the 14th Five-Year Plan proposed, reduced the average annual PM2.5 and MDA8 O3 concentrations in 28 cities by 3.2%-8.2% and 3.9%-9.7% respectively in comparison with non-differential control strategies, with the most prominent optimization effects occurring in the heavily polluted seasons (6.9%-18.0% for PM2.5 and 3.3%-14.2% for MDA8 O3, respectively). This study proposed an effective scheme for the collaborative control of PM2.5 and O3 in BTHSA, and shows important methodological implications for other regions suffering from similar air quality problems.

Effect of morphological evolution and aggregation of plasmonic core-shell nanostructures on solar thermal conversion.

Achieving high solar energy absorption based on nanofluids (NFs) needs further study in solar photothermal conversion technology. In this work, we performed COMSOL simulations to investigate the solar energy absorption using a core-shell nanostructure composed of the Au core and shell with different materials. The influence of the radius of the Au core, the materials of the shell, and the shell thickness on the solar absorption efficiency factor (SAEF) are systematically studied. The results show that the SAEF of the Au@Li nanoparticle with ratio of 0.5 has the highest SAEF of 1.4779, increasing 1.99 times compared to that of the bare Au nanoparticle of 0.74326 with the same radius. Moreover, the optical properties, electric field distribution, and SAEF of the Au@Li dimer are further evaluated to demonstrate the aggregation effects on SAEF. We find that the SAEF of the Au@Li dimer reaches the maximum of 4.34 with a distance around 1 nm, where the LSPR coupling effect in the nanogap is sharply enhanced 700 times irradiated by light with wavelength of 760 nm. Finally, the direct absorber solar collector performance demonstrates that Au@Li dimer NFs can collect 93% of solar energy compared to 54% for Au@Li NFs and 51% for Au NFs. This work provides the possibility to achieve more efficient solar thermal conversion, and may have potential applications in efficient solar energy harvesting and utilization.

Absorption characteristics and solar absorption capacity of Au core NR coated with various shell material.

Au nanorods (NRs) can be used to improve the performance of direct absorption solar collectors (DASCs), however, the solar absorption of Au NRs should be further improved because the absorption of Au NRs in near-infrared range is strong while the absorption in visible range is relatively weak where the solar spectrum intensity is the strongest. Based on this tissue, a composite nanostructure composed of Au core NR and Mg shell is proposed to improve the solar absorption capacity. The choice of Mg material as the shell composition is explained. By optimizing the composition structure, the enhancement effect on the absorption properties of Au@Mg NR from visible range to near-infrared range is proven by the finite element method. Furthermore, the effect of imperfect shell on absorption capacity of Au@Mg NR is discussed. Finally, the DASCs performance based on optimal Au@Mg NR nanofluids is evaluated. The results show that when the volume fraction is lower than 2 ppm and the collector depth is 2 cm, the highest solar energy harvesting capacity (>92%) using Au@Mg NRs nanofluids can be obtained, showing an excellent Au-based material for DASCs application.

Macrophages Phenotype Regulated by IL-6 Are Associated with the Prognosis of Platinum-Resistant Serous Ovarian Cancer: Integrated Analysis of Clinical Trial and Omics.

Background: The treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer (PROC) is a clinical challenge and a hot topic. Tumor microenvironment (TME) as a key factor promoting ovarian cancer progression. Macrophage is a component of TME, and it has been reported that macrophage phenotype is related to the development of PROC. However, the mechanism underlying macrophage polarization and whether macrophage phenotype can be used as a prognostic indicator of PROC remains unclear. Methods: We used ESTIMATE to calculate the number of immune and stromal components in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The differential expression genes (DEGs) were analyzed via protein-protein interaction network, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) analysis to reveal major pathways of DEGs. CD80 was selected for survival analysis. IL-6 was selected for gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). A subsequent cohort study was performed to confirm the correlation of IL-6 expression with macrophage phenotype in peripheral blood and to explore the clinical utility of macrophage phenotype for the prognosis of PROC patients. Results: A total of 993 intersecting genes were identified as candidates for further survival analysis. Further analysis revealed that CD80 expression was positively correlated with the survival of HGSOC patients. The results of GO and KEGG analysis suggested that macrophage polarization could be regulated via chemokine pathway and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. GSEA showed that the genes were mainly enriched in IL-6-STAT-3. Correlation analysis for the proportion of tumor infiltration macrophages revealed that M2 was correlated with IL-6. The results of a cohort study demonstrated that the regulation of macrophage phenotype by IL-6 is bidirectional. The high M1% was a protective factor for progression-free survival. Conclusion: Thus, the macrophage phenotype is a prognostic indicator in PROC patients, possibly via a hyperactive IL-6-related pathway, providing an additional clue for the therapeutic intervention of PROC.

Nonlinear and lagged effects of VOCs on SOA and O3 and multi-model validated control strategy for VOC sources.

VOCs, as the common precursor of PM2.5 and O3 pollution, has not been paid enough attention in the previous phase. How to implement scientific and effective emission reduction on VOC sources is the focus of the next step in improving the atmospheric environmental quality in China. In this study, based on observations of VOC species, PM1 components and O3, the distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to investigate the nonlinear and lagged effects of key VOC categories on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and O3. The control priorities of sources were determined by combining the VOC source profiles, which were afterwards verified using the source reactivity method and Weather Research and Forecasting Model-Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (WRF-CMAQ). Finally, the optimized control strategy of VOC source was proposed. The results showed that SOA was more sensitive to benzene and toluene, and single-chain aromatics, while O3 was more sensitive to dialkenes, C2-C4 alkenes, and trimethylbenzenes. The optimized control strategy based on the total response increments (TRI) of VOC sources suggests that passenger cars, industrial protective coatings, trucks, coking, and steel making should be considered as the key sources for continuous emission reduction throughout the year in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH). Non-road, oil refining, glass manufacturing and catering sources should be strengthened in summer, while biomass burning, pharmaceutical manufacturing, oil storage and transportation, and synthetic resin need more emphasis in other seasons. The multi-model validated result can provide scientific guidance for more accurate and efficient VOCs reduction.

Bidirectional near-infrared regulation of motor behavior using orthogonal emissive upconversion nanoparticles.

Bidirectional optogenetic manipulation enables specific neural function dissection and animal behaviour regulation with high spatial-temporal resolution. It relies on the respective activation of two or more visible-light responsive optogenetic sensors, which inevitably induce signal crosstalk due to their spectral overlap, low photoactivation efficiency and potentially high biotoxicity. Herein, a strategy that combines dual-NIR-excited orthogonal emissive upconversion nanoparticles (OUCNPs) with a single dual-colour sensor, BiPOLES, is demonstrated to achieve bidirectional, crosstalk-free NIR manipulation of motor behaviour in vivo. Core@shell-structured OUCNPs with Tm3+ and Er3+ dopants in isolated layers exhibit orthogonal blue and red emissions in response to excitation at 808 and 980 nm, respectively. The OUCNPs subsequently activate BiPOLES-expressing excitatory cholinergic motor neurons in C. elegans, leading to significant inhibition and excitation of motor neurons and body bends, respectively. Importantly, these OUCNPs exhibit negligible toxicity toward neural development, motor function and reproduction. Such an OUCNP-BiPOLES system not only greatly facilitates independent, bidirectional NIR activation of a specific neuronal population and functional dissection, but also greatly simplifies the bidirectional NIR optogenetics toolset, thus endowing it with great potential for flexible upconversion optogenetic manipulation.

High-fat/high-sucrose diet worsens metabolic outcomes and widespread hypersensitivity following early-life stress exposure in female mice.

Exposure to stress early in life has been associated with adult-onset comorbidities such as chronic pain, metabolic dysregulation, obesity, and inactivity. We have established an early-life stress model using neonatal maternal separation (NMS) in mice, which displays evidence of increased body weight and adiposity, widespread mechanical allodynia, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in male mice. Early-life stress and consumption of a Western-style diet contribute to the development of obesity; however, relatively few preclinical studies have been performed in female rodents, which are known to be protected against diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction. In this study, we gave naïve and NMS female mice access to a high-fat/high-sucrose (HFS) diet beginning at 4 wk of age. Robust increases in body weight and fat were observed in HFS-fed NMS mice during the first 10 wk on the diet, driven partly by increased food intake. Female NMS mice on an HFS diet showed widespread mechanical hypersensitivity compared with either naïve mice on an HFS diet or NMS mice on a control diet. HFS diet-fed NMS mice also had impaired glucose tolerance and fasting hyperinsulinemia. Strikingly, female NMS mice on an HFS diet showed evidence of hepatic steatosis with increased triglyceride levels and altered glucocorticoid receptor levels and phosphorylation state. They also exhibited increased energy expenditure as observed via indirect calorimetry and expression of proinflammatory markers in perigonadal adipose. Altogether, our data suggest that early-life stress exposure increased the susceptibility of female mice to develop diet-induced metabolic dysfunction and pain-like behaviors.

Effect of various metallic nanoparticles on plasmon-enhanced solar absorption efficiency.

Solar thermal conversion technology has attracted significant attention because it ensures sustainable and modern clean energy generation. The usage of plasmonic nanofluids as the working media is a useful strategy to collect solar energy. In this study, the optical properties of various individual nanospheres (NPs) and nanorods (NRs)--Au, Ag, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Ti, Li, and Al--and their effect on the solar absorption efficiency factor (SAEF) with a solar wavelength between 300 nm and 1100 nm are determined using COMSOL Multiphysics software. For NPs, the SAEF is divided into three parts. In the first part with a radius lower than 35 nm, an Li NP has the highest SAEF of 1.3992. In the second part, with a radius between 35 nm and 50 nm, the Au and Cu NPs have the highest SAEFs of 1.1963 and 1.2469, respectively. In the third part, with a radius between 50 nm and 90 nm, the maximum SAEFs of Fe (1.5682 at radius of 75 nm), Pt (1.4914 at radius of 90 nm), Ti (1.4348 at radius of 75 nm), and Mn (1.4614 at radius of 75 nm) can be obtained. Compared to NPs, the SAEF of an NR greatly depends on the aspect ratio (AR) and the effective radius (r e f f ). We observe that the SAEFs of Ag, Al, Au, Cu, Fe Mg, Mn, Mo, and Ti NRs are much stronger than that of corresponding NPs with the same r e f f . The results obtained from the present study provide fundamental information and guidelines to choose optimal NPs for enhancements in solar energy harvesting.

Genomic innovation and regulatory rewiring during evolution of the cotton genus Gossypium.

Phenotypic diversity and evolutionary innovation ultimately trace to variation in genomic sequence and rewiring of regulatory networks. Here, we constructed a pan-genome of the Gossypium genus using ten representative diploid genomes. We document the genomic evolutionary history and the impact of lineage-specific transposon amplification on differential genome composition. The pan-3D genome reveals evolutionary connections between transposon-driven genome size variation and both higher-order chromatin structure reorganization and the rewiring of chromatin interactome. We linked changes in chromatin structures to phenotypic differences in cotton fiber and identified regulatory variations that decode the genetic basis of fiber length, the latter enabled by sequencing 1,005 transcriptomes during fiber development. We showcase how pan-genomic, pan-3D genomic and genetic regulatory data serve as a resource for delineating the evolutionary basis of spinnable cotton fiber. Our work provides insights into the evolution of genome organization and regulation and will inform cotton improvement by enabling regulome-based approaches.

Maturity Grading and Identification of Camellia oleifera Fruit Based on Unsupervised Image Clustering.

Maturity grading and identification of Camellia oleifera are prerequisites to determining proper harvest maturity windows and safeguarding the yield and quality of Camellia oil. One problem in Camellia oleifera production and research is the worldwide confusion regarding the grading and identification of Camellia oleifera fruit maturity. To solve this problem, a Camellia oleifera fruit maturity grading and identification model based on the unsupervised image clustering model DeepCluster has been developed in the current study. The proposed model includes the following two branches: a maturity grading branch and a maturity identification branch. The proposed model jointly learns the parameters of the maturity grading branch and maturity identification branch and used the maturity clustering assigned from the maturity grading branch as pseudo-labels to update the parameters of the maturity identification branch. The maturity grading experiment was conducted using a training set consisting of 160 Camellia oleifera fruit samples and 2628 Camellia oleifera fruit digital images collected using a smartphone. The proposed model for grading Camellia oleifera fruit samples and images in training set into the following three maturity levels: unripe (47 samples and 883 images), ripe (62 samples and 1005 images), and overripe (51 samples and 740 images). Results suggest that there was a significant difference among the maturity stages graded by the proposed method with respect to seed oil content, seed soluble protein content, seed soluble sugar content, seed starch content, dry seed weight, and moisture content. The maturity identification experiment was conducted using a testing set consisting of 160 Camellia oleifera fruit digital images (50 unripe, 60 ripe, and 50 overripe) collected using a smartphone. According to the results, the overall accuracy of maturity identification for Camellia oleifera fruit was 91.25%. Moreover, a Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) visualization analysis reveals that the peel regions, crack regions, and seed regions were the critical regions for Camellia oleifera fruit maturity identification. Our results corroborate a maturity grading and identification application of unsupervised image clustering techniques and are supported by additional physical and quality properties of maturity. The current findings may facilitate the harvesting process of Camellia oleifera fruits, which is especially critical for the improvement of Camellia oil production and quality.

Exploring the mechanisms of Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan on varicocele via network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Varicocele (VC) is a common urogenital disease that leads to a high risk of testicular pain or male infertility. The purpose of this research was to explore the molecular mechanism of the Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan (GFW) in the treatment of VC. The main active ingredients and targets information of GFW were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, and the targets related to VC were determined by GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), and Disease Gene Network (DisGeNET) databases. The intersection of active ingredient targets and disease targets was selected to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network through the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database. Based on the use of CytoNCA plug-in to find the main targets, a 'component-target-disease' network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.2. Metascape was used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of drug and disease targets. Molecular docking was employed to investigate the binding interaction between the main active components and core targets. A total of 76 active components of GFW were screened out. The main targets of the active components on VC were tumour protein p53 (TP53), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A), interleukin-6 (IL-6), caspase 3 (CASP3), catalase (CAT), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). The PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, HIF-1 signalling pathway, and apoptosis signalling pathway were mainly involved in the regulation of VC. The results of molecular docking showed that the binding potential and activity of the main active components and the core targets of GFW were good. We found that GFW could alleviate apoptosis, participate in venous vessel morphogenesis, and reduce oxidative stress in the treatment of VC. This study can provide a reference for subsequent clinical and scientific research experiments, which can be used to design new drugs and develop new therapeutic instructions to treat VC.