Proteomics Defines Plasma Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis of Biliary Atresia.

Early diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) is crucial for improving the chances of survival and preserving the liver function of pediatric patients with BA. Herein, we performed proteomics analysis using data-independent acquisition (DIA) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) to explore potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of BA compared to other non-BA jaundice cases. Consequently, we detected and validated differential protein expression in the plasma of patients with BA compared to the plasma of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the enriched biological processes characteristic of BA by identifying the differential expression of specific proteins. Signaling pathway analysis revealed changes in the expression levels of proteins associated with an alteration in immunoglobulin levels, which is indicative of immune dysfunction in BA. The combination of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor expression and immunoglobulin lambda variable chain (IGL c2225_light_IGLV1-47_IGLJ2), as revealed via machine learning, provided a useful early diagnostic model for BA, with a sensitivity of 0.8, specificity of 1, accuracy of 0.89, and area under the curve value of 0.944. Thus, our study identified a possible effective plasma biomarker for the early diagnosis of BA and could help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of BA.

Altered static and dynamic functional network connectivity in individuals with subthreshold depression: a large-scale resting-state fMRI study.

Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) is an expansion of static FNC (sFNC) that reflects connectivity variations among brain networks. This study aimed to investigate changes in sFNC and dFNC strength and temporal properties in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD). Forty-two individuals with subthreshold depression and 38 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Group independent component analysis (GICA) was used to determine target resting-state networks, namely, executive control network (ECN), default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN) and dorsal attentional network (DAN). Sliding window and k-means clustering analyses were used to identify dFNC patterns and temporal properties in each subject. We compared sFNC and dFNC differences between the StD and HCs groups. Relationships between changes in FNC strength, temporal properties, and neurophysiological score were evaluated by Spearman's correlation analysis. The sFNC analysis revealed decreased FNC strength in StD individuals, including the DMN-CEN, DMN-SMN, SMN-CEN, and SMN-DAN. In the dFNC analysis, 4 reoccurring FNC patterns were identified. Compared to HCs, individuals with StD had increased mean dwell time and fraction time in a weakly connected state (state 4), which is associated with self-focused thinking status. In addition, the StD group demonstrated decreased dFNC strength between the DMN-DAN in state 2. sFNC strength (DMN-ECN) and temporal properties were correlated with HAMD-17 score in StD individuals (all p < 0.01). Our study provides new evidence on aberrant time-varying brain activity and large-scale network interaction disruptions in StD individuals, which may provide novel insight to better understand the underlying neuropathological mechanisms.

Integrated physiological and transcriptomic analyzes reveal the duality of TiO2 nanoparticles on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a feed crop due to its rich nutrition and high productivity. The utilization of titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) brings benefits to agricultural production but also has potential hazards. To investigate the duality and related mechanism of TiO2 NPs on alfalfa, its different doses including 0, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 mg L- 1 (CK, Ti-50, Ti-100, Ti-200, Ti-500, and Ti-1000) were sprayed on leaves. The results showed that greater doses of TiO2 NPs (500 and 1000 mg L-1) negatively affected the physiological parameters, including morphology, biomass, leaf ultrastructure, stomata, photosynthesis, pigments, and antioxidant ability. However, 100 mg L-1 TiO2 NPs revealed an optimal positive effect; compared with the CK, it dramatically increased plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight by 22%, 21%, and 41%, respectively. Additionally, TiO2 NPs at low doses significantly protected leaf tissue, promoted stomatal opening, and enhanced the antioxidant system; while higher doses had phytotoxicity. Hence, TiO2 NPs are dose-dependent on alfalfa. The transcriptomic analysis identified 4625 and 2121 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the comparison of CK vs. Ti-100 and CK vs. Ti-500, respectively. They were mainly enriched in photosynthesis, chlorophyll metabolism, and energy metabolism. Notably, TiO2 NPs-induced phytotoxicity on photosynthetic parameters happened concurrently with the alterations of the genes involved in the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms in the KEGG analysis. Similarly, it affected the efficiency of alfalfa energy transformation processes, including pyruvate metabolism and chlorophyll synthesis. Several key related genes in these pathways were validated. Therefore, TiO2 NPs have positive and toxic effects by regulating morphology, leaf ultrastructure, stomata, photosynthesis, redox homeostasis, and genes related to key pathways. It is significant to understand the duality of TiO2 NPs and cultivate varieties resistant to nanomaterial pollution.

Disrupted topological organization of functional brain networks is associated with cognitive impairment in hypertension patients: a resting-state fMRI study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the alterations of topological organization of the whole brain functional networks in hypertension patients with cognitive impairment (HTN-CI) and characterize its relationship with cognitive scores. METHODS: Fifty-seven hypertension patients with cognitive impairment and 59 hypertension patients with normal cognition (HTN-NC), and 49 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Graph theoretical analysis was used to investigate the altered topological organization of the functional brain networks. The global topological properties and nodal metrics were compared among the three groups. Network-based statistic (NBS) analysis was used to determine the connected subnetwork. The relationships between network metrics and cognitive scores were also characterized. RESULTS: HTN-CI patients exhibited significantly decreased global efficiency, lambda, and increased shortest path length when compared with HCs. In addition, both HTN-CI and HTN-NC groups exhibited altered nodal degree centrality and nodal efficiency in the right precentral gyrus. The disruptions of global network metrics (lambda, Lp) and the nodal metrics (degree centrality and nodal efficiency) in the right precentral gyrus were positively correlated with the MoCA scores in HTN-CI. NBS analysis demonstrated that decreased subnetwork connectivity was present both in the HTN-CI and HTN-NC groups, which were mainly involved in the default mode network, frontoparietal network, and cingulo-opercular network. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the alterations of topographical organization and subnetwork connectivity of functional brain networks in HTN-CI. In addition, the global and nodal network properties were correlated with cognitive scores, which may provide useful insights for the understanding of neuropsychological mechanisms underlying HTN-CI.

Improved methods of binocular phase measuring deflectometry.

Phase measurement deflectometry (PMD) is an excellent method for high-precision optical surface measurement; through the simple system structure, accuracy comparable to that of interference methods can be realized. The key of PMD is to solve the ambiguity between the surface shape and normal vector. Considering all kinds of methods, the binocular PMD method is undoubtedly a method with a very simple system structure and can be easily applied to complex surfaces, such as free-form surfaces. However, this method relies on a large screen with high accuracy, which not only increases the weight of the system, but also reduces the flexibility of the system, and manufacturing errors in the large-size screen can easily become error sources. In this Letter, we have made some improvements based on the traditional binocular PMD. At first, we try to replace the large screen with two small screens to increase the flexibility and accuracy of the system. Further, we replace one small screen with a single point to simplify the system structure. Experiments show that the proposed methods not only improve the system flexibility and reduce the complexity, but can also achieve high measurement accuracy.

The systemic-immune-inflammation index predicts the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after cryomaze concomitant with mitral valve surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammation plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). The systemic inflammation indexes are easily evaluated and predict AF development. However, it's role in prediction of recurrence of AF is unknown. We aim to explore the association between the systemic inflammation indexes and recurrence of AF in patients underwent cryoablation (CryoMaze) concomitant with mitral valve surgery. METHODS: We examined systemic inflammation indexes during perioperative period in 122 patients between 2015 and 2018. Systemic inflammation indexes were developed by systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocytes to monocytes ratio. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the association of each markers with recurrence of AF. RESULTS: Of the 122 patients included in this study, 22 patients (18%) experienced AF recurrence after CryoMaze concomitant with mitral valve surgery. There is no significant difference between each systemic inflammation indexes before surgery and recurrence of AF. In univariate analysis, MLR after surgery 3 days, PLR, MPLR, NLR, SII after surgery 7 days were able to predict recurrence of AF. In multivariate analyses, SII ≥ 1696 independently predicted recurrence (OR, 3.719; 95% CI, 1.417-9.760). Interestingly, baseline SII showed no significant in prediction of recurrence. It was sharply elevated after surgery and dropped slowly. In patients of recurrence, SII after 7 days of surgery increased again. CONCLUSIONS: The raised SII again was associated with an increased risk of the postoperative recurrence of AF and independently predicted the late recurrence of AF after CryoMaze concomitant with mitral valve surgery.

A novel yeast strain Geotrichum sp. CS-67 capable of accumulating heavy metal ions.

Bioremediation, which has several advantages over traditional methods, represents an alternative means of dealing with heavy metal pollution. We screened for microorganisms showing heavy metal tolerance in polluted mangrove soils. A novel yeast, Geotrichum sp. CS-67, was discovered and tested for tolerance of Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ni2+. Zn2+ was the most efficiently sequestered by Geotrichum sp. CS-67 followed by Ni2+ and Cu2+. Zn2+ and Ni2+ were actively taken up into the cell, while Cu2+ was adsorbed to the cell wall. We used RNA-Seq to show that a large number of genes involved in the physiological and biochemical processing of heavy metals were differentially expressed in this yeast when it was subjected to Zn2+ and Ni2+ stress. From this panel, we selected the SED1, GDI1 and ZRT1 genes for validation by qRT-PCR and discovered that, during Zn2+ and Ni2+ stress, SED1 and GDI1 were upregulated, while ZRT1 was downregulated, which was consistent with the RNA-Seq results and the biochemical function of these genes. In conclusion, the novel yeast Geotrichum sp. CS-67 has a marked ability to accumulate heavy metal ions, making it of great interest as a possible microbial agent for heavy metal pollution remediation in the future.

Exogenous melatonin promotes the growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under NaCl stress through multiple pathways.

Salinity is one of the most common factors affecting alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and NaCl is one of the main factors of salinity stress which can cause heavy losses in agricultural production in the world. The application of exogenous melatonin (MT) plays a major role in numerous plants against various stress environments. The effects of exogenous MT on the NaCl tolerance of alfalfa treated with the control, 100 µmol L-1 MT, 150 mmol L-1 NaCl, or 150 mmol L-1 NaCl+ 100 µmol L-1 MT were investigated. The results showed that MT increased growth parameters, inhibited chlorophyll degradation and promoted photosynthetic gas exchange parameters (photosynthetic rate, conductance to H2O, and transpiration rate) and stomatal opening under NaCl stress. Osmotic regulation substances such as soluble sugar, proline and glycine betaine were the highest in the NaCl treatment and the second in the NaCl+MT treatment. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium were reduced and sodium was increased by NaCl, whereas these levels were reversed by the NaCl+MT treatment. MT inhibited cell membrane imperfection, lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation caused by NaCl stress. MT up-regulated the gene expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes and increased the content of antioxidant non-enzyme substances to scavenge excessive ROS in NaCl-treated plants. In addition, all indicators interacted with each other to a certain extent and could be grouped according to the relative values. All variables were divided into PC 1 (89.2 %) and PC 2 (4 %). They were clustered into two categories with opposite effects, and most of them were significant variables. Hence, these findings reveal that exogenous MT alleviates the inhibitory effects of NaCl stress on photosynthesis, stomata opening, osmotic adjustment, ion balance and redox homeostasis, enhancing tolerance and growth of alfalfa. Furthermore, it suggests that MT could be implemented to improve the NaCl tolerance of alfalfa.

BMRMI Reduces Depressive Rumination Possibly through Improving Abnormal FC of Dorsal ACC.

Rumination is a common symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) and has been characterized as a vulnerability factor for the onset or recurrence of MDD. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying rumination and appropriate treatment strategies remain unclear. In the current study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the effects of body-mind relaxation meditation induction (BMRMI) intervention in MDD with rumination. To this aim, we have recruited 25 MDD and 24 healthy controls (HCs). Changes in functional connectivity (FC) of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) subregion and the scores of clinical measurements were examined using correlation analysis. At baseline, MDD showed stronger FC between the right dorsal ACC (dACC) and right superior frontal gyrus than did the HC group. Compared to baseline, the HC group showed a significantly enhanced FC between the right dACC and right superior frontal gyrus, and the MDD group demonstrated a significantly weaker FC between the left dACC and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) after the intervention. Furthermore, the FC between the right dACC and right superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with rumination scores across all participants at baseline. The above results indicate that BMRMI may regulate self-referential processing and cognitive function through modulating FC of the dACC in MDD with rumination.

Integrating transcriptome and physiological analyses to elucidate the essential biological mechanisms of graphene phytotoxicity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

The phytotoxicity of nanoparticles has attracted considerable interest, given the broad applications of nanomaterials in different fields. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a major forage crop grown worldwide with a high protein content. The molecular regulation mechanisms involved in nanomaterial-treated alfalfa were examined in this research. In our lab, 18 cDNA libraries of Golden Empress (GE) and Bara 310SC (SC) under control (CK), middle (10 g kg-1)- and high (20 g kg-1)-graphene stress treatments were constructed in 2019. All clean reads were matched to the reference Medicago_truncatula genome, the mapping ratio was higher than 50%, and a total of 3946 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained. The number of DEGs that reflect transcriptional activity is proportional to the degree of stress. For example, 1241/610 and 1794/1422 DEGs were identified as significant in the leaves of GE/SC under mid- and high-graphene treatment, respectively. Furthermore, GO analysis of the DEGs annotated in some significant biochemical process terms included 'response to abiotic stimulus', 'oxidation-reduction process', 'protein kinase activity', and 'oxidoreductase activity'. KEGG pathway analysis of the DEGs revealed strongly mediated graphene-responsive genes in alfalfa mainly linked to the 'biosynthesis of amino acids', 'isoflavonoid biosynthesis', 'linoleic acid metabolism', and 'phenylpropanoid biosynthesis' pathways. In addition, hundreds of DEGs, including photosynthetic, antioxidant enzyme, nitrogen metabolism, and metabolic sucrose and starch genes, have been identified as potentially involved in the response to graphene. Physiological findings revealed that enzymes related to the metabolism of nitrogen play a crucial role in the adaptation of graphene stress to alfalfa. Ultimately, in response to graphene stress, a preliminary regulatory mechanism was proposed for the self-protective mechanism of alfalfa, which helps to explain the phytotoxicity of the molecular mechanism of nanoparticle-treated crops.

Risk factors for developing high-output ileostomy in CRC patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leakage is one of the most serious postoperative complications of rectal cancer. Prophylactic ileostomy has been widely used to reduce the risk and severity of complications of anastomotic leakage. However, prophylactic ileostomy itself has some complications, and ileostomy high output syndrome (HOS) is one of them. This study was performed to explore the risk factors of HOS in ileostomy. METHODS: A total of 114 patients with HOS were screened out from 494 eligible ileostomy patients in the last 5 years. The relationship between HOS and the clinicopathological data was analyzed using the Chi-square test and Fisher's exact probability. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression. RESULTS: The incidence of HOS was 23.07% in this study. Dehydration was the most common symptom of HOS (37.7%). There was no clear correlation between HOS occurrence with sex, age, gross typing, histological grade, tumor location, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage (p > 0.05). The incidence of HOS was 14/18 in inflammatory bowel disease patients, 18/28 in diabetes mellitus patients, and 23/72 in neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy patients, 13/17 in total colectomy and abdominal infection patients. Multivariate analysis showed that they are risk factors for HOS (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HOS occurred occasionally but rarely studied and lacks attention. Inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, neoadjuvant radiotherapy chemotherapy, total colectomy and abdominal infection are the risk factors for HOS.

Morphological variation in Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., and its relationship with the environment along a longitudinal gradient.

BACKGROUND: Geographical variation in morphological traits may reflect evolutionary patterns of morphological adaptability along environmental gradients. Comprehensive information on longitudinal patterns of morphological trait variation is very meaningful to explore morphological diversity and evolutionary trends in widespread bermudagrass. METHODS: To explore the spatial patterns of morphological traits, we investigated 10 morphological traits of bermudagrass and 10 soil nutrient indexes and collected local climate data for 13 different regions from 119°E to 105°E along the latitude 34°N. RESULTS: Considerable variations in morphological traits were observed at different longitudes, and the variations in most of the evaluated traits within populations were lower than those among populations. All of the 13 different longitudinal sites were divided into three groups based on morphological traits by cluster analysis. The major sources of diversity at the different longitudes were leaf length of the erect shoot, leaf width of the erect shoot, and the internode lengths of the erect shoot and stolon as determined by principal component analysis. Pearson correlation analysis also indicated that longitude was significantly and negatively correlated with these traits as well. Mean average rainfall was significantly correlated with leaf length of the erect shoot and the internode lengths of the erect shoot and stolon, while mean average temperature was only significantly correlated with internode length of the erect shoots. Available sulfur was significantly correlated with internode length of the erect shoot, plant height, and reproductive branch height, while the exchangeable Ca was significantly correlated with internode lengths of the erect shoot and stolon. Soil pH was significantly correlated with the internode length of the stolon. Longitude is an important factor that affects morphological trait variation in wild bermudagrass, and the leaves of the erect shoot and the internode length enlarged significantly with the collection sites moving from east to west. CONCLUSION: Different combinations and interactions of environmental factors (soil and climate) along a longitudinal gradient may have strong effects on one or more morphological traits of bermudagrass.

Phytoremediation of Cd and Pb interactive polluted soils by switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.).

Using phytoremediation as an efficient technique to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils is a current research hotspot. This study used an orthogonal matrix experimental design with three factors (Cd, Pb, and pH) and five levels (Cd at 9.45, 30, 60, 90, and 110.46 µg/g; Pb at 195.4, 400, 700, 1000, and 1204.6 µg/g; and pH at 3, 4.1, 5.8, 7.5, and 8.6) to investigate the phytoremediation potential of Panicum virgatum L. for soils polluted with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The results indicated that there was a significant decrease in belowground biomass in plants exposed to the stresses compared to the control. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were affected. Interaction of Cd with Pb in the soil had an antagonistic effect on the Cd bioaccumulation factor, whereas the interaction of pH with Cd or Pb had synergistic effects on the Cd bioaccumulation factor. When exposed to the three stressors, switchgrass plants could grow in soil that had a Cd concentration of a 46.68 µg/g, Pb concentration of 568.75 µg/g and pH of 5.34, which is a mildly acidic condition. Switchgrass, used as a phytoremediation plant, was more efficient in Cd-contaminated than in Pb-contaminated soil.

Variations in morphological traits of bermudagrass and relationship with soil and climate along latitudinal gradients.

BACKGROUND: This complex environmental heterogeneity coupled with the long-standing history offers scenario suitable for and favoring the evolution and existence of variation of morphological traits. METHODS: In this study, we measured 10 morphological traits of 310 Cynodon dactylon individuals sampled at 16 different locations along latitudinal gradients between 22°35'N and 36°18'N to reveal phenotypic plasticity influenced by latitude. In addition, the relationships between morphological variation and soil nutrient and climate factors were analyzed. RESULTS: Analysis of variance, divesity examination and Mantel correlation test detected a significant effect of latitude on morphological traits. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis clearly separated the selected populations into four groups according to latitude. Larger morphological sizes of C. dactylon appeared at the low- and high-latitude regions. Correlation analysis indicated that high morphological variations were significantly correlated with climate factors and soil nutrient. CONCLUSION: This study suggests morphological variation of wild bermudagrass is greatly influenced by latitude as well as soil and climate, which could be useful resources for genetic studies and evolution.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles alleviate cadmium toxicity and promote tolerance by modulating programmed cell death in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Cadmium (Cd) can induce programmed cell death (PCD) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) effectively alleviate Cd stress. However, the mechanisms of ZnO NPs-mediated Cd detoxification in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are limited. The pot experiment was conducted with Cd soil (19.2 mg kg-1) and foliar ZnO NPs (100 mg L-1) on alfalfa. The results showed that Cd reduced shoot height and biomass, and accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in oxidative stress and further PCD (plasmolysis, cytosolic and nuclear condensation, subcellular organelle swelling, and cell death). ZnO NPs positively regulated the antioxidant system, cell membrane stability, ultrastructure, osmotic homeostasis, and reduced PCD, indicating a multi-level coordination for the increased Cd tolerance. ZnO NPs up-regulated the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes and regulated PCD-related genes to scavenge ROS and mitigate PCD caused by Cd. The genes related to ZnO NPs-mediated Cd detoxification were significantly enriched in cell death and porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. Overall, it elucidates the molecular basis of ZnO NPs-mediated Cd-tolerance by promoting redox and osmotic homeostasis, maintaining cellular ultrastructure, reducing Cd content, and attenuating Cd-induced PCD. it provides a promising application of ZnO NPs to mitigate Cd phytotoxicity and the related cellular and biochemical mechanisms. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Cd, one of the most toxic heavy metals, has caused serious environmental pollution. ZnO NPs can effectively alleviate Cd stress on plants and the environment. This study revealed that foliar-applied ZnO NPs alleviate Cd toxicity by mitigating the oxidative damage and regulating Cd-induced PCD via morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic levels. The findings elucidated the molecular basis of ZnO NPs-mediated Cd tolerance by promoting osmotic and redox homeostasis, reducing Cd content and lipid peroxidation, attenuating Cd-induced PCD features, and altering PCD-related genes in alfalfa. The study laid a theoretical foundation for the safe production of alfalfa under Cd pollution.

An integration of physiology, transcriptomics, and proteomics reveals carbon and nitrogen metabolism responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Nanoparticle (NP) pollution has negative impacts and is a major global environmental problem. However, the molecular response of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) is limited. Herein, the dual effects of TiO2 NPs (0-1000 mg L-1) on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolisms in alfalfa were investigated. The results showed that 500 mg L-1 TiO2 NPs (Ti-500) had the highest phytotoxicity in the C/N metabolizing enzymes; and it significantly increased total soluble sugar, starch, sucrose, and sucrose-phosphate synthase. Furthermore, obvious photosynthesis responses were found in alfalfa exposed to Ti-500. By contrast, 100 mg L-1 TiO2 NPs (Ti-100) enhanced N metabolizing enzymes. RNA-seq analyses showed 4265 and 2121 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Ti-100 and Ti-500, respectively. A total of 904 and 844 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in Ti-100 and Ti-500, respectively. Through the physiological, transcriptional, and proteomic analyses, the DEGs and DEPs related to C/N metabolism, photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and C fixation in photosynthetic organisms were observed. Overall, TiO2 NPs at low doses improve photosynthesis and C/N regulation, but high doses can cause toxicity. It is valuable for the safe application of NPs in agriculture.

Anti-CRMP2 antibody induces anxiety-like behavior and increases pyramidal neuron excitability in mice.

BACKGROUND: We have previously identified auto-antibody (Ab) to collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) in patients with encephalitis. The present study aims to evaluate the pathogenic effects of anti-CRMP2 Ab. METHODS: Recombinant CRMP2 protein was injected subcutaneously into mice to establish an active immune mouse model with anti-CRMP2 Ab. Behavioral assessments, histopathological staining, and electrophysiological testing were performed to identify any pathogenic changes. RESULTS: The mice exhibited signs of impaired motor coordination four weeks post-immunization of CRMP2 protein. Moreover, CRMP2 immunized mice for eight weeks showed anxiety-like behaviors indicating by tests of open field and the elevated plus maze. After incubating the CA1 region of hippocampal brain section with the sera from CRMP2 immunized mice, the whole-cell path-clamp recordings showed increased excitability of pyramidal neurons. However, no obvious inflammation and infiltration of immune cells were observed by histopathological analysis. Western blot showed that the phosphorylation levels of CRMP2-Thr514 and -Ser522 were not affected. CONCLUSION: In an active immunization model with CRMP2 protein, impaired coordination and anxiety-like behaviors were observed. Also, anti-CRMP2 Abs containing sera heightened the excitability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in vitro, which imply the pathogenic effects of anti-CRMP2 Ab.

Development and validation of a clinical prediction model for ischemic stroke recurrence after successful stent implantation in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for recurrent ischemic stroke in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) who underwent successful stent placement and to establish a nomogram prediction model. METHODS: We utilized data from a prospective collection of 430 consecutive patients at Jining NO.1 People's Hospital from November 2021 to November 2022, conducting further analysis on the subset of 400 patients who met the inclusion criteria. They were further divided into training (n=321) and validation (n=79) groups. In the training group, we used univariate and multivariate COX regression to find independent risk factors for recurrent stroke and then created a nomogram. The assessment of the nomogram's discrimination and calibration was performed through the examination of various measures including the Consistency index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC), and the calibration plots. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical utility of the nomogram by quantifying the net benefit to the patient under different threshold probabilities. RESULTS: The nomogram for predicting recurrent ischemic stroke in symptomatic ICAS patients after stent placement utilizes six variables: coronary heart disease (CHD), smoking, multiple ICAS, systolic blood pressure (SBP), in-stent restenosis (ISR), and fasting plasma glucose. The C-index (0.884 for the training cohort and 0.87 for the validation cohort) and the time-dependent AUC (>0.7) indicated satisfactory discriminative ability of the nomogram. Furthermore, DCA indicated a clinical net benefit from the nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive model constructed includes six predictive factors: CHD, smoking, multiple ICAS, SBP, ISR and fasting blood glucose. The model demonstrates good predictive ability and can be utilized to predict ischemic stroke recurrence in patients with symptomatic ICAS after successful stent placement.

Integrative description of a new species of Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from Shennongjia, Central China.

A new species of the genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from Xiangxi River, Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei Province, China, is described on the basis of an integrative approach, involving morphology, and molecular systematics. The new species Dugesia saccaria A-T. Wang & Sluys, sp. nov. is characterized by the following features: a dumb-bell-shaped, muscularized hump located just anterior to the knee-shaped bend in the bursal canal; a ventrally displaced ejaculatory duct, which, however, opens terminally through the dorsal portion of the blunt tip of the penis papilla; a ventrally located seminal vesicle, giving rise to a vertically running duct that eventually curves downwards to communicate with the ejaculatory duct via a small diaphragm; oviducts opening asymmetrically into the dorsal portion of the common atrium and at the knee-shaped part of the bursal canal. The phylogenetic position of the new species was determined using four molecular markers (18S rDNA; ITS-1; 28S rDNA; COI), which suggested that it groups with other species of Dugesia from the Australasian and Oriental biogeographical regions.

Mitochondrial Quality Control in Ovarian Function: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies.

Mitochondrial quality control plays a critical role in cytogenetic development by regulating various cell-death pathways and modulating the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Dysregulated mitochondrial quality control can lead to a broad spectrum of diseases, including reproductive disorders, particularly female infertility. Ovarian insufficiency is a significant contributor to female infertility, given its high prevalence, complex pathogenesis, and profound impact on women's health. Understanding the pathogenesis of ovarian insufficiency and devising treatment strategies based on this understanding are crucial. Oocytes and granulosa cells (GCs) are the primary ovarian cell types, with GCs regulated by oocytes, fulfilling their specific energy requirements prior to ovulation. Dysregulation of mitochondrial quality control through gene knockout or external stimuli can precipitate apoptosis, inflammatory responses, or ferroptosis in both oocytes and GCs, exacerbating ovarian insufficiency. This review aimed to delineate the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control in GCs and oocytes during ovarian development. This study highlights the adverse consequences of dysregulated mitochondrial quality control on GCs and oocyte development and proposes therapeutic interventions for ovarian insufficiency based on mitochondrial quality control. These insights provide a foundation for future clinical approaches for treating ovarian insufficiency.