Comparative genomics reveals the adaptation of ammonia-oxidising Thaumarchaeota to arid soils.

Thaumarchaeota are predominant in oligotrophic habitats such as deserts and arid soils, but their adaptations to these arid conditions are not well understood. In this study, we assembled 23 Thaumarchaeota genomes from arid and semi-arid soils collected from the Inner Mongolia Steppe and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Using a comparative genomics approach, integrated with 614 Thaumarchaeota genomes from public databases, we identified the traits and evolutionary forces that contribute to their adaptations to aridity. Our results showed that the newly assembled genomes represent an early diverging group within the lineage of ammonia-oxidising Thaumarchaeota. While the genomic functions previously identified in arid soil lineages were conserved across terrestrial, shallow-ocean and deep-ocean lineages, several traits likely contribute to Thaumarchaeota's adaptation to aridity. These include chlorite dismutase, arsenate reductase, V-type ATPase and genes dealing with oxidative stresses. The acquisition and loss of traits at the last common ancestor of arid soil lineages may have facilitated the specialisation of Thaumarchaeota in arid soils. Additionally, the acquisition of unique adaptive traits, such as a urea transporter, Ca2+ :H+ antiporter, mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase and phosphatase, DNA end-binding protein Ku and phage shock protein A, further distinguishes arid soil Thaumarchaeota. This study provides evidence for the adaptations of Thaumarchaeota to arid soil, enhancing our understanding of the nitrogen and carbon cycling driven by Thaumarchaeota in drylands.

3D visualization technology for Learning human anatomy among medical students and residents: a meta- and regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: 3D visualization technology applies computers and other devices to create a realistic virtual world for individuals with various sensory experiences such as 3D vision, touch, and smell to gain a more effective understanding of the relationships between real spatial structures and organizations. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of 3D visualization technology in human anatomy teaching/training and explore the potential factors that affect the training effects to better guide the teaching of classroom/laboratory anatomy. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies on teaching human anatomy using 3D visualization technology. We extensively searched three authoritative databases, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase; the main outcomes were the participants' test scores and satisfaction, while the secondary outcomes were time consumption and enjoyment. Heterogeneity by I² was statistically determined because I²> 50%; therefore, a random-effects model was employed, using data processing software such as RevMan, Stata, and VOSviewer to process data, apply standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval, and subgroup analysis to evaluate test results, and then conduct research through sensitivity analysis and meta-regression analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-nine randomized controlled trials (2,959 participants) were screened and included in this study. The system analysis of the main results showed that compared with other methods, including data from all regions 3D visualization technology moderately improved test scores as well as satisfaction and enjoyment; however, the time that students took to complete the test was not significantly reduced. Meta-regression analysis also showed that regional factorsaffected test scores, whereas other factors had no significant impact. When the literature from China was excluded, the satisfaction and happiness of the 3D virtual-reality group were statistically significant compared to those of the traditional group; however, the test results and time consumption were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: 3D visualization technology is an effective way to improve learners' satisfaction with and enjoyment of human anatomical learning, but it cannot reduce the time required for testers to complete the test. 3D visualization technology may struggle to improve the testers' scores. The literature test results from China are more prone to positive results and affected by regional bias.

Chlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin from Lysimachia christinae alleviate triptolide-induced multi-organ injury in vivo by modulating immunity and AKT/mTOR signal pathway to inhibit ferroptosis and apoptosis.

Drug-induced organ injury is one of the key factors causing organ failure and death in the global public. Triptolide (TP) is the main immunosuppressive component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Leigongteng, LGT) for the first-line management of autoimmune conditions, but it can cause serious multi-organ injury. Lysimachia christinae (Jinqiancao, JQC) is a detoxifying Chinese medicine and could suppress LGT's toxicity. It contains many immune enhancement and organ protection components including chlorogenic acid (CA), rutin (Rut), and quercetin (Que). This study aimed to explore the protection of combined treatments of these organ-protective ingredients of JQC on TP-induced liver, kidney, and heart injury and initially explore the mechanisms. Molecular docking showed that CA, Rut, and Que bounded protein kinase B (AKT)/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway-related molecules intimately and might competitively antagonize TP. Corresponding in vivo results showed that the combination activated TP-inhibited protein of AKT/mTOR pathway, and reversed TP-induced excessive ferroptosis (excessive Fe 2+ and lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde accumulation, decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-s transferase, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase, and down-regulated P62/nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway), and apoptosis (activated apoptotic factor Fas and Bax and inhibited Bcl-2) in the organ of mice to varying degrees. In conclusion, the combined treatments of CA, Rut, and Que from JQC inhibited TP-induced multi-organ injury in vivo, and the mechanism may largely involve immunomodulation and activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway-mediated cell death reduction including ferroptosis and apoptosis inhibition.

MRI-Based Radiomics Nomogram for Preoperative Differentiation Between Ocular Adnexal Lymphoma and Idiopathic Orbital Inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL) and idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI) are malignant and benign lesions for which radiotherapy and corticosteroids are indicated, but similar clinical manifestations make their differentiation difficult. PURPOSE: To develop and validate an MRI-based radiomics nomogram for individual diagnosis of OAL vs. IOI. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: A total of 103 patients (46.6% female) with mean age of 56.4 ± 16.3 years having OAL (n = 58) or IOI (n = 45) were divided into an independent training (n = 82) and a testing dataset (n = 21). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3-T, precontrast T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), and postcontrast T1WI (T1 + C). ASSESSMENT: Radiomics features were extracted and selected from segmented tumors and peritumoral regions in MRI before-and-after filtering. These features, alone or combined with clinical characteristics, were used to construct a radiomics or joint signature to differentiate OAL from IOI, respectively. A joint nomogram was built to show the impact of the radiomics signature and clinical characteristics on individual risk of developing OAL. STATISTICAL TESTS: Area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy (ACC) were used for performance evaluation. Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests were used to analyze continuous and categorical variables. Decision curve analysis, kappa statistics, DeLong and Hosmer-Lemeshow tests were also conducted. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The joint signature achieved an AUC of 0.833 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.806-0.870), slightly better than the radiomics signature with an AUC of 0.806 (95% CI: 0.767-0.838) (P = 0.778). The joint and radiomics signatures were comparable to experienced radiologists referencing to clinical characteristics (ACC = 0.810 vs. 0.796-0.806, P > 0.05) or not (AUC = 0.806 vs. 0.753-0.791, P > 0.05), respectively. The joint nomogram gained more net benefits than the radiomics nomogram, despite both showing good calibration and discriminatory efficiency (P > 0.05). DATA CONCLUSION: The developed radiomics-based analysis might help to improve the diagnostic performance and reveal the association between radiomics features and individual risk of developing OAL. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: 3.

Relationship Between Autonomic Nervous System Activity and Axial Length in Children.

BACKGROUND The aim of this work was to compare autonomic nervous system activity between eyes with axial and non-axial myopia and to investigate the relationship between autonomic nervous system activity and axial length (AL) in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy-eight eyes of 78 children were included in this study. Static and dynamic pupillary responses, including pupil diameter, latency, and velocity of pupil contraction and dilation, were recorded using automatic pupillometry to evaluate autonomic nervous system activity. AL was measured using the IOL-Master device. RESULTS In terms of static pupillary responses, the pupil diameter at mesopic condition (1 candelas/m²) (PD1) (4.06±0.64 vs 3.80±0.87 mm, P=0.045) and pupil diameter at low photopic condition (10 candelas/m²) (PD10) (3.40±0.49 vs 3.22±0.66 mm, P=0.046) were significantly larger in axial myopic eyes than in non-axial myopic eyes. In terms of dynamic pupillary responses, velocity of pupil contraction (Vel-C) (5.93±0.89 vs 6.75±1.60 mm/s, P=0.019) and velocity of pupil dilation (Vel-D) (2.28±0.38 vs 2.89±1.17 mm/s, P=0.002) were significantly slower in axial myopic eyes than in non-axial myopic eyes. Moreover, PD1 and PD10 were significantly and positively associated with AL, while Vel-C and Vel-D were significantly and negatively associated with AL (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There was significant decrease in autonomic nervous system activity in axial myopia compared with non-axial myopia, and autonomic nervous system activity was significantly and negatively associated with AL in children. Decreases in autonomic nervous system activity in axial myopia may contribute to the excessive axial elongation in pediatric axial myopia.

An End-to-End Dynamic Posture Perception Method for Soft Actuators Based on Distributed Thin Flexible Porous Piezoresistive Sensors.

This paper proposes a method for accurate 3D posture sensing of the soft actuators, which could be applied to the closed-loop control of soft robots. To achieve this, the method employs an array of miniaturized sponge resistive materials along the soft actuator, which uses long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to solve the end-to-end 3D posture for the soft actuators. The method takes into account the hysteresis of the soft robot and non-linear sensing signals from the flexible bending sensors. The proposed approach uses a flexible bending sensor made from a thin layer of conductive sponge material designed for posture sensing. The LSTM network is used to model the posture of the soft actuator. The effectiveness of the method has been demonstrated on a finger-size 3 degree of freedom (DOF) pneumatic bellow-shaped actuator, with nine flexible sponge resistive sensors placed on the soft actuator's outer surface. The sensor-characterizing results show that the maximum bending torque of the sensor installed on the actuator is 4.7 Nm, which has an insignificant impact on the actuator motion based on the working space test of the actuator. Moreover, the sensors exhibit a relatively low error rate in predicting the actuator tip position, with error percentages of 0.37%, 2.38%, and 1.58% along the x-, y-, and z-axes, respectively. This work is expected to contribute to the advancement of soft robot dynamic posture perception by using thin sponge sensors and LSTM or other machine learning methods for control.

Study on the taste-masking effect and mechanism of Acesulfame K on berberine hydrochloride.

OBJECTIVE: In our previous taste-masking study, we found that Acesulfame K (AK) had a better taste-masking effect than other high-efficiency sweeteners for several representative bitter natural drugs in aqueous decoction. Furthermore, we performed a preliminary taste-masking study of AK for representative bitter API Berberine Hydrochloride (BH) and found that it had a good taste-masking effect. We also found that flocculent precipitation was generated in the BH solution, but it was not clear whether it was related to the good taste-masking effect. This study was conducted to explore the taste-masking effect and mechanism of AK on BH. METHODS: The taste-masking effect of AK on BH was evaluated based on the Traditional Human Taste Panel Method and the electronic tongue evaluation method. DSC, XRD, and molecular simulation techniques were used to explore the mechanism of AK on BH, from the macro level and molecular level, respectively. RESULTS: When evaluating the taste-masking effect, we found that 0.1% AK had the best taste-masking effect on BH, while higher concentrations had a worse taste-masking effect. DSC and XRD revealed that the flocculent precipitation was a complex AK-BH. Finally, by simulating the binding of AK, BH, and TAS2R46 receptors, we found the unique taste-masking mechanism of AK. CONCLUSION: The sweet taste stimulus of AK can mask the bitter taste stimulus of BH, and AK can generate AK-BH with BH to reduce the contact between BH and bitter taste receptors. Additionally, it could block the expression of the TAS2R46 receptors.

The effect of ET1-CTGF mediated pathway on the accumulation of extracellular matrix in the trabecular meshwork and its contribution to the increase in IOP.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) of the trabecular meshwork (TM) and its role in intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation. METHODS: Cultured human TM cells (HTMCs) were treated with ET-1, ET-1 + ETA receptor (ETAR) antagonist BQ123, ET-1 + ETB receptor (ETBR) antagonist BQ788. The expressions of fibronectin (FN) and collagen type IV (Col IV) were evaluated by western blotting and immunofluorescence. A time course effect of ET-1 on the transcription level of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was investigated by qRT-PCR. Next, the transcription level of CTGF was downregulated by using antisense oligodeoxynucleotide sequence. Then HTMCs were treated with ET-1, and the expression levels of FN and Col IV were evaluated by western blotting. In addition, by using an ex-vivo model of cultured anterior eye segment, we explored the effect of ET-1 on IOP changes and the expressions of FN and Col IV. RESULTS: In cultured HTMCs, the expressions of FN and Col IV were significantly increased after ET-1 treatment, which were blocked by the pretreatment of ETAR antagonist BQ123, rather than ETBR antagonist BQ788. Besides, the CTGF mRNA level increased significantly and reached a peak after 48 h of ET-1 treatment. However, the effect of ET-1 on increasing the expressions of FN and Col IV in HTMCs could be inhibited by the downregulation of CTGF. In an ex-vivo model, IOP increased significantly after ET-1 administration, which could be blocked by BQ123 but not by BQ788. Furthermore, elevated expressions of FN and Col IV in TM were observed after ET-1 perfusion, and could be inhibited by BQ123 pretreatment. CONCLUSION: Excessive ET-1 in aqueous humor could lead to the abnormal accumulation of FN and Col IV in TM via the ETA-CTGF pathway, thereby increasing IOP.

[Toxicity attenuation processing technology and mechanism of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction].

This study explored toxicity attenuation processing technology of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction for the first time, and further explored its detoxification mechanism. Nine processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction were prepared by orthogonal experiment with three factors and three levels. Based on the decrease in the content of the main hepatotoxic component diosbulbin B before and after processing of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae by high-performance liquid chromatography, the toxicity attenuation technology was preliminarily screened out. On this basis, the raw and representative processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae were given to mice by gavage with 2 g·kg~(-1)(equival to clinical equivalent dose) for 21 d. The serum and liver tissues were collected after the last administration for 24 h. The serum biochemical indexes reflecting liver function and liver histopathology were combined to further screen out and verify the proces-sing technology. Then, the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant indexes of liver tissue were detected by kit method, and the expressions of NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) and glutamate-cysteine ligase(GCLM) in mice liver were detected by Western blot to further explore detoxification mechanism. The results showed that the processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction reduced the content of diosbulbin B and improved the liver injury induced by Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bul-biferae to varying degrees, and the processing technology of A_2B_2C_3 reduced the excessive levels of alanine transaminase(ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST) induced by raw Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae by 50.2% and 42.4%, respectively(P<0.01, P<0.01). The processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction reversed the decrease protein expression levels of NQO1 and GCLM in the liver of mice induced by raw Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae to varying degrees(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and it also reversed the increasing level of malondialdehyde(MDA) and the decreasing levels of glutathione(GSH), glutathione peroxidase(GPX), and glutathione S-transferase(GST) in the liver of mice(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In summary, this study shows that the optimal toxicity attenuation processing technology of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction is A_2B_2C_3, that is, 10% of Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction is used for moistening Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae and processed at 130 ℃ for 11 min. The detoxification mechanism involves enhancing the expression levels of NQO1 and GCLM antio-xidant proteins and related antioxidant enzymes in the liver.

[Gender differences in antidepressant effect of raw Rehmanniae Radix].

For the first time, this study evaluated the gender differences and mechanisms of the antidepressant effects of raw Rehmanniae Radix(RRR) based on the classic depression model with traditional Chinese medicine syndrome of Yin deficiency and internal heat. The depression model with Yin deficiency and internal heat was established by the widely recognized and applied method of thyroxine induction of the classic depression model with Yin deficiency and internal heat(chronic unpredictable mild stress). Male and female mice were simultaneously treated with RRR. The study analyzed indicators of nourishing Yin and clearing heat, conventional antidepressant efficacy test indicators, and important biomolecules reflecting the pathogenesis and prevention and treatment mechanisms of depression, and conducted a correlation analysis of antidepressant efficacy, Yin-nourishing and heat-clearing efficacy, and biological mechanism in different genders, thereby comprehensively assessing the antidepressant effects of RRR on depression of Yin deficiency and internal heat, as well as its gender differences and mechanisms. RRR exhibited antidepressant effects in both male and female mouse models, and its antidepressant efficacy showed gender differences, with a superior effect observed in females. Moreover, the effects of RRR on enhancing or improving hippocampal neuronal pathology, nucleus-positive areas, postsynaptic dense area protein 95, and synaptophysin protein expression were more significant in females than in males. In addition, RRR significantly reversed the abnormal upregulation of nuclear factor(NF)-κB/cyclooxygenase 2(COX2)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3) pathway proteins in the hippocampus of both male and female mouse models. The antidepressant effects of RRR were more pronounced in depression female mice with Yin deficiency and internal heat syndrome, possibly due to the improvement of neuronal damage and enhancement of neuroplasticity. The antidepressant mechanisms of RRR for depression with Yin deficiency and internal heat syndrome may be associated with the downregulation of the NF-κB/COX2/NLRP3 pathway to reduce neuronal damage and enhance neuroplasticity.

The adjustment of life history strategies drives the ecological adaptations of soil microbiota to aridity.

Soil microbiota increase their fitness to local habitats by adjusting their life history strategies. Yet, how such adjustments drive their ecological adaptations in xeric grasslands remains elusive. In this study, shifts in the traits that potentially represent microbial life history strategies were studied along two aridity gradients with different climates using metagenomic and trait-based approaches. The results indicated that resource acquisition (e.g., higher activities of ß-d-glucosidase and N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosidase, higher degradation rates of cellulose and chitin, as well as genes involved in cell motility, biodegradation, transportation and competition) and growth yield (e.g., higher biomass and respiration) strategies were depleted at higher aridity. However, maintenance of cellular and high growth potential (e.g., higher metabolic quotients and genes related to DNA replication, transcription, translation, central carbon metabolism and biosynthesis) and stress tolerance (e.g., genes involved in DNA damage repair, cation transportation, sporulation and osmolyte biosynthesis) strategies were enriched at higher aridity. This implied that microbiota have lower growth yields but are probably well primed for rapid responses to pulses of rainfall in more arid soils, whereas those in less arid soils may have stronger resource acquisition and growth yield abilities. By integrating a large amount of evidence from taxonomic, metagenomic, genomic and biochemical investigations, this study demonstrates that the ecological adaptations of soil microbiota to aridity made by adjusting and optimizing their life history strategies are universal in xeric grasslands and provides an underlying mechanistic understanding of soil microbial responses to climate changes.

Identification of proteomic changes for dexamethasone-induced ocular hypertension using a tandem mass tag (TMT) approach.

Glaucoma, characterized by ocular hypertension, is the second most common cause of vision loss worldwide. The potential mechanism, however, has yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to assess the proteomic changes in the trabecular meshwork (TM) in an observational animal model of Dexamethasone (DEX)-induced OHT. OHT was induced in Wistar rats by applying DEX topically to both eyes for 28 days. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was evaluated and TM protein expressions and protein identification were performed by a TMT-based method for comparing the changes in proteins between DEX-induced OHT and the control group. The results showed that average IOP was elevated significantly in rats of the DEX-induced OHT group compared to controls. Further, a total of 4,804 proteins in the control and DEX-induced OHT group were determined and 4,064 proteins were quantified via TMT proteomics. In total, 292 significantly abundant proteins (173 downregulated and 119 upregulated) were identified between the two groups. Proteins associated with vision, including Crystallin related proteins, filensin, rhodopsin, recoverin, phosducin were lowered in the DEX-induced OHT group relative to the control group. In summary, DEX induced extensive changes in the protein expression of TM tissue. These proteins were found to be candidate biomarkers for personalized treatment and diagnostic research in the future for improving visual health.

Catalpol Exerts Antidepressant-Like Effects by Enhancing Anti-oxidation and Neurotrophy and Inhibiting Neuroinflammation via Activation of HO-1.

Catalpol is an iridoid glycoside with rich content, rich nutrition, and numerous biological activities in Rehmanniae Radix contained in classic antidepressant prescriptions in Chinese clinical medicine. Catalpol has been confirmed previously its exact antidepressant-like effect involved heme oxygenase (HO)-1, but its antidepressant molecular targets and mechanism are still unclear. Here, catalpol's antidepressant-like molecular target was diagnosed and confirmed by ZnPP intervention [the antagonist of HO-1, (10 µg/rat), intracerebroventricular] for the first time, and its molecule mechanism network was determined through HO-1 related pathway and molecules in the hippocampus. Results showed that ZnPP significantly abolished catalpol's (10 mg/kg) reversal on depressive-like behaviors of chronic unpredictable mild stress rats, abolished catalpol's up-regulation on the phosphorylation level of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK)1/2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)'s receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), the nuclear expression level of nuclear factor E 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), the levels of anti-oxidant factors (such as HO-1, SOD, GPX, GST, GSH) and BDNF, and abolished catalpol's down-regulation on the levels of peroxide and neuroinflammation factors [cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), induced nitrogen monoxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO)]. Thus, HO-1 could serve as an important potential molecular target for catalpol's antidepressant-like process, and the antidepressant-like mechanism of catalpol could at least involve the activation of HO-1 triggering the up-regulation of the ERK1/2/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway-related factors to enhance the anti-oxidant defense, triggering the down-regulation of the COX-2/iNOS/NO pathway-related factors to inhibit neuroinflammation, and triggering the up-regulation of the BDNF/TrkB pathway to enhance neurotrophy.

Role of HIF-2α/NF-κB pathway in mechanical stress-induced temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Many activities overload temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and cause mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) degradation by inducing the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α). Although NF-κB signaling pathway has been reported to induce HIF-2α expression, the underlying mechanisms need to be verified. The aim was to investigate the effects of NF-κB/HIF-2α on MCC degradation induced by mechanical stress and the regulatory mechanism of NF-κB in the HIF-2α pathway. METHODS: Chondrocytes were subjected to cyclic compressive forces in a hypoxic environment. Western blotting was used to test the effects of stress on the expression of NF-κB and HIF-2α. HIF-2α siRNA and shRNA were constructed and transfected into MCC cells in vitro and in vivo to inhibit HIF-2α expression. To test the regulatory effect of the NF-κB pathway on HIF-2α, siRNA p65 was transfected into MCC. RESULTS: The results showed that mechanical stress could cause cartilage degradation and significantly increased the expression of NF-κB, HIF-2α, and downstream degradation factors (MMP13 and ADAMTs-4). Blockade of HIF-2α decreased cartilage degradation and related degradation factors. Suppression of p65 significantly decreased the expression of HIF-2α. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the upstream NF-κB pathway exerted a regulatory effect on HIF-2α in the degradation of MCC induced by stress.

Soft Robots' Dynamic Posture Perception Using Kirigami-Inspired Flexible Sensors with Porous Structures and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Networks.

Soft robots can create complicated structures and functions for rehabilitation. The posture perception of soft actuators is critical for performing closed-loop control for a precise location. It is essential to have a sensor with both soft and flexible characteristics that does not affect the movement of a soft actuator. This paper presents a novel end-to-end posture perception method that employs flexible sensors with kirigami-inspired structures and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks. The sensors were developed with conductive sponge materials. With one-step calibration from the sensor output, the posture of the soft actuator could be calculated by the LSTM network. The method was validated by attaching the developed sensors to a soft fiber-reinforced bending actuator. The results showed the accuracy of posture prediction of sponge sensors with three kirigami-inspired structures ranged from 0.91 to 0.97 in terms of R2. The sponge sensors only generated a resistive torque value of 0.96 mNm at the maximum bending position when attached to a soft actuator, which would minimize the effect on actuator movement. The kirigami-inspired flexible sponge sensor could in future enhance soft robotic development.

Phytochemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils Extracted from the Flowers of Paeonia delavayi Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Fluid.

Essential oils were extracted from dark-purple, red and yellow petals of Paeonia delavayi using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide method. The compositions of essential oils were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity assays were carried out using DPPH, ABTS- and FRAP methods. Total polyphenols and total flavonoids were measured to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity in addition to the volatile compounds contained in the essential oils extracted from the flower petals of P. delavayi with the three flower colors. A total of 194 compounds were detected from essential oils of P. delavayi flowers, including 83 in dark-purple petals, 90 in red petals and 80 in yellow petals. These compounds mainly include alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, alkenes, alkanes, esters and polyphenols. The results showed that the volatile compounds accumulated differentially among the essential oils from the different colors of flower petals. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that essential oils derived from dark-purple and red petals were more closely clustered while the yellow petal essential oil was very different with both the purple-red and red. Antioxidant assays suggested that the radical scavenging activity and the iron reduction antioxidant activity in the essential oils were highly correlated with the flower petal colors. These results suggest P. delavayi flower petals are potentially good resources for high quality essential oils and natural antioxidants.

[Preliminary exploration of detoxification mechanism of processing methods on cardiotoxicity induced by radix Tripterygium wilfordii in mice via Nrf2/HO-1 pathway].

This study aims to investigate the detoxification effects of different processing methods on the cardiotoxicity induced by radix Tripterygium wilfordii, and preliminarily explore the detoxification mechanism via the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1(HO-1) pathway. The raw and processed products [stir-fried product, product stir-fried with Lysimachiae Herba(JQC), product stir-fried with Phaseoli Radiati Semen(LD), product stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba(BS), product stir-fried with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(GC), and product stir-fried with vinegar(CZ)] of radix T. wilfordii were administrated to mice by gavage at a dose of 2 g·kg~(-1)(based on crude drugs) for 28 days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, we measured the serum biochemical indexes of mice to evaluate the detoxification effect. Furthermore, we determined the expression of key proteins of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in mouse heart tissue by Western blot and some oxidation/antioxidation-related indexes by corresponding kits to explore the detoxification mechanism. The administration of the raw product elevated the levels of serum creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde, a product of cardiac lipid peroxidation(P<0.01), down-regulated the protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1(P<0.01), and reduced the levels of total superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase(P<0.01). However, after the administration of the products stir-fried with JQC, LD, BS, GC, and CZ, the abnormalities of the above indexes induced by the raw product were recovered(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In particular, the product stir-fried with JQC showed the best performance. Taken all together, the cardiotoxicity induced by radix T. wilfordii could be attenuated by stir-frying with JQC, LD, BS, GC, and CZ, and the stir-frying with JQC showed the best detoxification effect. The mechanism might be associated with the cardiac antioxidant defense and oxidative damage mitigation mediated by the up-regulated Nrf2.

The Effect of Tube Location on Corneal Endothelial Cells in Patients with Ahmed Glaucoma Valve.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of the Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV; New World Medical, Rancho Cucamonga, CA) with sulcus versus anterior chamber (AC) tube placement on the corneal endothelial density and morphology over time. DESIGN: Nonrandomized, interventional study. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 106 eyes from 101 pseudophakic patients who had the AGV tube placed in the AC (acAGV) and 105 eyes from 94 pseudophakic patients who had the AGV tube placed in the ciliary sulcus (sAGV). METHODS: All patients underwent preoperative specular microscopy, which was repeated postoperatively in 2019. The patients' demographic information, glaucoma diagnoses, and basic ocular information were obtained on chart review. Anterior segment OCT was conducted for patients who underwent sAGV to evaluate the sulcus tube position. Gonioscopy was performed to document peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS). Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare the different ocular and endothelial measurements between the 2 groups and to identify risk factors for endothelial cell density (ECD) loss over time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Monthly change in corneal endothelial measurements, including ECD and coefficient of variation (CV), calculated as the difference between preoperative and postoperative measurements divided by the number of months from the time of surgery to postoperative specular microscopy. RESULTS: The acAGV and sAGV groups were comparable in all baseline characteristics except that the acAGV group had longer follow-up (37.6 vs. 20.1 months, respectively, P < 0.001). Mean monthly loss in central ECD was significantly more in the acAGV group (mean ± standard deviation: 29.3±29.7 cells/mm2) than in the sAGV group (15.3±20.7 cells/mm2, P < 0.0001). Mean monthly change in CV was similar between the 2 groups (P = 0.28). Multivariate analyses revealed that younger age and tube location in the AC were associated with faster central ECD loss (P = 0.02, P < 0.0001, respectively). For patients with sAGV, while PAS was associated with faster central ECD loss (P = 0.002), a more forward tube position tenting the iris was not (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with anterior segment placement, ciliary sulcus tube implantation may be a preferred surgery approach to reduce endothelial cell loss in pseudophakic patients.

The assembly of wheat-associated fungal community differs across growth stages.

Plant-associated fungal communities play a vital role in plant adaptations, physiological functions, and productivity. Therefore, it is important to reveal the mechanisms driving the assembly of these communities. Yet it is still not fully understood how community assembly and structure differentiate in plant compartments, growth seasons, and varieties at large geographic distances. In this study, we analyzed bulk soil and plant-associated fungal communities of five wheat varieties across two growth stages in three biogeographic sites with distances of about 324, 534, or 800 km apart between any two locations. Our results indicated that the fungal community varied primarily across the sample types (leaf endosphere, root endosphere, rhizosphere, and bulk soil), followed by growth stage. Compared with the regreening stage, lower α-diversity and more dominance by abundant species in the fungal community were observed in wheat-associated compartments (four sample types except for bulk soil) at the heading stage. Additionally, within each wheat-associated compartment across every growth stage, location had stronger effects on fungal community assembly than the wheat variety. The effects of variety on fungal community assembly were location specific as were the growth-stage patterns of varietal effects on leaf endosphere and rhizosphere fungal communities. We further detected a less diverse but abundant core fungal taxa that could be grouped into three clusters associated mainly with location. This study characterized the interplay effects between plant selection (compartment, growth stage, variety) and environment (location) on wheat-associated mycobiomes by determining drivers of fungal community assembly and core fungal taxa in field conditions. KEY POINTS: • Fungal community assembly was mainly shaped by sample type and growth stage • A lower diversity and more abundant core fungal taxa were shown at heading stage • Location had stronger effects on fungal community assembly than variety.

Decreased iris thickness on swept-source optical coherence tomography in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the iris thickness (IT) of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and older adults using anterior segment swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). METHODS: In this comparative cross-sectional study, 154 participants were enrolled, including 40 patients with POAG and 114 healthy individuals. Nasal-angle SS-OCT images were analysed using callipers to measure the thickness of the iris, including the anterior border layer, stromal, and pigmented epithelial layer, at 1 and 2 mm from the pupil edge. The relationship between IT and glaucoma severity was analysed, and receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to assess the ability of each IT parameter to distinguish patients with glaucoma from healthy controls. RESULTS: The IT parameters and iris area were lower in the POAG group than in the age-matched control group (p < 0.05). In the POAG group, the thickness of the pigmented epithelial layer at 1 and 2 mm was significantly correlated with the severity of glaucoma (p < 0.05). Iris area, with a cut-off of 1.43 mm2, exhibited the highest sensitivity (85%) and specificity (64.81%; area under the curve = 0.783) for distinguishing patients with POAG from healthy controls. Older adults tended to have the thinnest IT, children had the smallest iris area (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with POAG, the severity of iris atrophy was associated with glaucoma severity. The results of IT measurements by SS-OCT may help in the clinical evaluation of POAG.