Airway and anesthesia management in tracheoesophageal fistula closure implantation: a single-centre retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To review and analyze the airway and anesthesia management methods for patients who underwent endoscopic closure of tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and to summarize the experience of intraoperative airway management. METHOD: We searched the anesthesia information system of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University for anesthesia cases of TEF from July 2020 to July 2023 and obtained a total of 34 anesthesia records for endoscopic TEF occlusion. The intraoperative airway management methods and vital signs were recorded, and the patients' disease course and follow-up records were analyzed and summarized. RESULTS: The airway management strategies used for TEF occlusion patients included nasal catheter oxygen (NCO, n = 5), high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC, n = 4) and tracheal intubation (TI, n = 25). The patients who underwent tracheal intubation with an inner diameter of 5.5 mm had stable hemodynamics and oxygenation status during surgery, while intravenous anesthesia without intubation could not effectively inhibit the stress response caused by occluder implantation, which could easily cause hemodynamic fluctuations, hypoxemia, and carbon dioxide accumulation. Compared with those in the TI group, the NCO group and the HFNC group had significantly longer surgical times, and the satisfaction score of the endoscopists was significantly lower. In addition, two patients in the NCO group experienced postoperative hypoxemia. CONCLUSION: During the anesthesia process for TEF occlusions, a tracheal catheter with an inner diameter of 5.5 mm can provide a safe and effective airway management method.

Ferrous Sulfate-Mediated Control of Phytophthora capsici Pathogenesis and Its Impact on Pepper Plant.

Phytophthora capsici, a destructive fungal pathogen, poses a severe threat to pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) crops worldwide, causing blights that can result in substantial yield losses. Traditional control methods often come with environmental concerns or entail substantial time investments. In this research, we investigate an alternative approach involving ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) application to combat P. capsici and promote pepper growth. We found that FeSO4 effectively inhibits the growth of P. capsici in a dose-dependent manner, disrupting mycelial development and diminishing pathogenicity. Importantly, FeSO4 treatment enhances the biomass and resistance of pepper plants, mitigating P. capsici-induced damage. Microbiome analysis demonstrates that FeSO4 significantly influences soil microbial communities, particularly fungi, within the pepper root. Metabolomics data reveal extensive alterations in the redox metabolic processes of P. capsici under FeSO4 treatment, leading to compromised cell membrane permeability and oxidative stress in the pathogen. Our study presents FeSO4 as a promising and cost-effective solution for controlling P. capsici in pepper cultivation while simultaneously promoting plant growth. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the intricate interactions between iron, pathogen control, and plant health, offering a potential tool for sustainable pepper production.

Cross-Subject Emotion Recognition Brain-Computer Interface Based on fNIRS and DBJNet.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive brain imaging technique that has gradually been applied in emotion recognition research due to its advantages of high spatial resolution, real time, and convenience. However, the current research on emotion recognition based on fNIRS is mainly limited to within-subject, and there is a lack of related work on emotion recognition across subjects. Therefore, in this paper, we designed an emotion evoking experiment with videos as stimuli and constructed the fNIRS emotion recognition database. On this basis, deep learning technology was introduced for the first time, and a dual-branch joint network (DBJNet) was constructed, creating the ability to generalize the model to new participants. The decoding performance obtained by the proposed model shows that fNIRS can effectively distinguish positive versus neutral versus negative emotions (accuracy is 74.8%, F1 score is 72.9%), and the decoding performance on the 2-category emotion recognition task of distinguishing positive versus neutral (accuracy is 89.5%, F1 score is 88.3%), negative versus neutral (accuracy is 91.7%, F1 score is 91.1%) proved fNIRS has a powerful ability to decode emotions. Furthermore, the results of the ablation study of the model structure demonstrate that the joint convolutional neural network branch and the statistical branch achieve the highest decoding performance. The work in this paper is expected to facilitate the development of fNIRS affective brain-computer interface.

A major QTL identification and candidate gene analysis of watermelon fruit cracking using QTL-seq and RNA-seq.

Fruit cracking decreases the total production and the commercial value of watermelon. The molecular mechanisms of fruit cracking are unknown. In this study, 164 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of watermelon, derived from the crossing of the WQ1 (cracking-sensitive) and WQ2 (cracking-tolerant) lines, were sequenced using specific length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). A high-density genetic linkage map was constructed with 3,335 markers spanning 1,322.74 cM, at an average 0.40 cM across whole-genome flanking markers. The cracking tolerance capacity (CTC), depth of fruit cracking (DFC), rind thickness (RT), and rind hardness (RH) were measured for quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Of the four traits analyzed, one major QTL with high phenotypic variation (41.04%-61.37%) was detected at 76.613-76.919 cM on chromosome 2, which contained 104 annotated genes. Differential gene expression analysis with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data between the two parents identified 4,508 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Comparison of the genes between the QTL region and the DEGs obtained eight coexisting genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that these genes were significant differentially expressed between the two parents. These results provide new insights into the identification of QTLs or genes and marker-assisted breeding in watermelon.

Microstructure evolution and grain refinement of ultrasonic-assisted soldering joint by using Ni foam reinforced Sn composite solder.

In this investigation, ultrasonic-assisted soldering at 260 °C in air produced high strength and high melting point Cu connections in 60 s using Ni foam reinforced Sn composite solder. Systematically examined were the microstructure, grain morphology, and shear strength of connections made with various porosities of Ni foam composite solders. Results shown that Ni foams as strengthening phases could reinforce Sn solder effectively. The addition of Ni foam accelerated the metallurgical reaction due to great amount of liquid/solid interfaces, and refined the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) grains by ultrasonic cavitation. The joints had different IMCs by using Ni foam with different porosity. Layered (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 and (Ni,Cu)3Sn4 phases both existed in Cu/Ni60-Sn/Cu joint while only (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMCs grew in Cu/Ni98-Sn/Cu joint. As ultrasonic time increasing, Ni skeletons were dissolved and the IMCs were peeled off from substrates and broken into small particles. And then, the IMCs gradually dissociated into refined particles and distributed homogeneously in the whole soldering seam under cavitation effects. Herein, the Cu/Ni60-Sn/Cu joint ultrasonically soldered for 60 s exhibited the highest shear strength of 86.9 MPa, as well as a high melting point about 800 â„ƒ for the solder seam composed of Ni skeletons and Ni-Cu-Sn IMCs. The characterization indicated that the shearing failure mainly occurred in the interlayer of the soldering seam. The homogeneous distributed granular IMCs and Ni skeletons hindered the crack propagation and improved the strength of Cu alloy joints.

Exogenous melatonin confers cold tolerance in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) seedlings by improving antioxidants and genes expression.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important oilseed crop globally. However, its growth and production are significantly influenced by cold stress. To reveal the protective role of exogenous melatonin (MEL) in cold tolerance, rapeseed seedlings were pretreated with different concentrations of MEL before cold stress. The results indicated that the survival rate was increased significantly by the MEL pretreatment under cold stress. Seedlings pretreated with 0.01 g L-1 MEL were all survived and were used to analyze the physiological characteristics and the expression level of various genes related to cold tolerance. Under cold stress, exogenous MEL significantly increased the contents of proline, soluble sugar, and soluble protein; while the malondialdehyde content was decreased by exogenous MEL under cold stress. On the other hand, the activities of antioxidant defense enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase were also significantly enhanced. The results also showed that MEL treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Cu-SOD, COR6.6 (cold-regulated), COR15, and CBFs (C-repeat binding factor) genes under cold stress. It was suggested exogenous MEL improved the content of osmotic regulatory substances to maintain the balance of cellular osmotic potential under cold stress and improved the scavenging capacity of reactive oxygen species by strengthening the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the cold-related genes expression.

Corrigendum: Mutations in FIGLA associated with premature ovarian insufficiency in a Chinese population.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.714306.].

Strongyloides stercoralis and cytomegalovirus coinfection in a patient with a transplanted kidney.

Cytomegalovirus is a major opportunistic infection after transplantation with significant morbidity and mortality for solid organ transplant recipients. Unrecognized infection with Strongyloides stercoralis may result in significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Coinfection with multiple pathogens is possible, leading to diagnostic delays, and may make treatment more challenging. We report a case of coinfection with S. stercoralis and cytomegalovirus in a kidney transplant patient that resulted in pneumonitis, gastritis, and cholecystitis.

Significance of the dissection of common hepatic arterial lymph nodes in patients with oesophageal carcinoma: a multicentre retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the significance of intraoperative common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection in patients with ooesophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC) without coeliac trunk lymph node metastasis indicated by abdominal enhanced CT. METHODS: Patients aged 18-75 years who underwent oesophagectomy in three medical centres from June 2012 to June 2015, for whom R0 resection was completed and lymph node metastasis in the abdominal trunk was not identified before the operation were retrospectively analysed. The effects of the application value of common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection on survival were evaluated in patients with ESCC without coeliac trunk lymph node metastasis indicated by preoperative CT. According to the eighth version ofAmerican Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging, we selected patients with a Pathological Tumor Node Metastasis (pTNM) stage ranging from IA to IVA for analysis. RESULTS: Among the 816 qualified patients, 577 did not have coeliac trunk lymph node metastasis based on preoperative abdominal enhanced CT, and common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection was performed during the operation (observation group). Two hundred and thirty-nine preoperative CT examinations indicated no coeliac trunk lymph node metastasis, and common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection was not performed during the operation (control group). A multifactor Cox proportional hazards model showed no risk factors for overall survival (OS) (adjusted HR (HRadj)=0.91; p=0.404) or disease-free survival (DFS) (HRadj=0.86; p=0.179), regardless of whether common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection was performed. For patients with positive left gastric arterial lymph node metastasis, a multifactor Cox proportional hazards model indicated that common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection was a risk factor for OS (HRadj=0.63; p=0.035) and DFS (HRadj=0.58; p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with ESCC without celiac trunk metastasis indicated by abdominal enhanced CT, common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection conferred no survival benefits. However, for patients with left gastric arterial lymph node metastasis, common hepatic arterial lymph node dissection was beneficial.

Two novel biallelic mutations in PSMC3IP in a patient affected by premature ovarian insufficiency.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a heterogeneous condition occurring when a woman experiences a loss of ovarian activity before the age of 40. POI is one of the most common reproductive endocrine diseases in women of childbearing age. The present study investigated the clinical manifestations and genetic features of a Chinese patient affected by POI. Next­generation whole­exome capture sequencing with Sanger direct sequencing were applied to the proband and her clinically unaffected family members. Two novel compound heterozygous mutations were identified in PSMC3IP. The first was a splicing mutation (c.597+1G>T) that was inherited from her father, whereas the second mutation (c.268G>C p.D90H) was discovered in both her mother and younger sister. The two mutations were co­segregated with the disease phenotype in the family. In conclusion, the findings of the present study further support the key role of PSMC3IP in the etiology of POI and provide a novel insight into elucidating the mechanisms of female infertility.

Mutations in FIGLA Associated With Premature Ovarian Insufficiency in a Chinese Population.

Objective: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is one of the most common reproductive endocrinological causes of infertility in women of child-bearing age. The purpose of this study was to identify FIGLA gene mutations in Chinese patients with POI and to investigate the underlying mechanism. Methods: A total of 113 patients with idiopathic POI and 100 healthy controls were recruited for the analysis of FIGLA variants. Based on the identification of common mutations in the FIGLA, wild-type and mutant plasmids were constructed and transfected into HEK293 cells. Luciferase reporter genes were used to determine the effect of wild-type and mutant FIGLA genotypes on the transcriptional activity of its downstream targets, the zona pellucida glycoprotein genes ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to determine the level of binding between wild-type and mutant FIGLA with the ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3 promoters. Results: Three different FIGLA mutations were identified in four patients with POI. Two patients carried the mutation c.11C>A (p.A4E), and the other two patients, respectively, carried the mutations c.625G>A (p.V209I) and c.84C>A (p.D28E). The luciferase reporter assay indicated that ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3 transcriptional activities were significantly reduced in individuals with FIGLA mutations. Chromatin immunoprecipitation indicated that the FIGLA mutation significantly decreased binding with the ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3 promoters. Conclusion: FIGLA mutation affects gene transcriptional regulation of its downstream target genes ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3, highlighting a new candidate genetic factor that causes POI. Our study demonstrates that FIGLA has a regulatory effect on reproduction-specific genes, thereby providing a basis for elucidating the specific regulatory mechanism of FIGLA in germ cell growth and development.

Effects of hypertension on the outcomes of COVID-19: a multicentre retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Hypertension is thought to be a contributor to mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 patients; however, limited clinical data on the outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with hypertension are available.Methods: This study was designed to confirm whether hypertension affects the outcomes of COVID-19. Results: A total of 983 patients with COVID-19 (female, 48%; male, 52%) were enrolled. Significantly higher odds of 60-day mortality (p = .017) were observed in the hypertensive group. In the hypertensive group, even after adjustment in multivariate analysis, the subgroup of patients 70 years old and older had higher 28-day mortality and total 60-day mortality rates than the other age subgroups (bothp < .05). A total of 297 (89%) COVID-19 patients with hypertension survived, and 35 (11%) died. In addition, compared with hypertensive patients who survived COVID-19, non-survivors had more pre-existing conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and stroke, higher blood pressure on admission, more severe inflammation, and more liver and kidney damage.Conclusion: Hypertension does not affect the outcome of COVID-19, which is different than the conclusions drawn in other studies. However, the 28-day mortality and total 60-day mortality rates of hypertensive patients (age ≥ 70) with COVID-19 were significantly elevated, and compared with the group of survivors, non-surviving COVID-19 patients with hypertension were older, had more basic diseases and had a more severe clinical condition.

Genome-Wide Analysis Identified a Set of Conserved lncRNAs Associated with Domestication-Related Traits in Rice.

Crop domestication, which gives rise to a number of desirable agronomic traits, represents a typical model system of plant evolution. Numerous genomic evidence has proven that noncoding RNAs such as microRNAs and phasiRNAs, as well as protein-coding genes, are selected during crop domestication. However, limited data shows plant long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are also involved in this biological process. In this study, we performed strand-specific RNA sequencing of cultivated rice Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and O. sativa ssp. indica, and their wild progenitor O. rufipogon. We identified a total of 8528 lncRNAs, including 4072 lncRNAs in O. rufipogon, 2091 lncRNAs in japonica rice, and 2365 lncRNAs in indica rice. The lncRNAs expressed in wild rice were revealed to be shorter in length and had fewer exon numbers when compared with lncRNAs from cultivated rice. We also identified a number of conserved lncRNAs in the wild and cultivated rice. The functional study demonstrated that several of these conserved lncRNAs are associated with domestication-related traits in rice. Our findings revealed the feature and conservation of lncRNAs during rice domestication and will further promote functional studies of lncRNAs in rice.

[Variation of subtropical forest soil microbial biomass and soil microbial community functional characteristics along an urban-rural gradient]. / 亚热带森林土壤微生物生物量及群落功能特征的城乡梯度变化.

Soil microorganisms, which are sensitive to environmental changes, affect soil nutrient cycling and play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling. To understand the changes of soil microorganisms in subtropical forest across the urban-rural environmental gradient, we analyzed the differences in soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and microbial community functional diversitiy in Dashu Mountain National Forest Park (urban forest), Zipeng Mountain National Forest Park (suburban forest) in Hefei and Wanfo Mountain(rural forest) in Luan City. Results showed that soil MBC followed an order of rural natural forest (115.07 mg·kg-1) > suburban forest (101.68 mg·kg-1) > urban forest (82.73 mg·kg-1), soil MBN followed an order of rural natural forest (57.73 mg·kg-1) > urban forest (31.57 mg·kg-1) > suburban forest (29.01 mg·kg-1), soil microbial metabolic activities (AWCD), McIntosh index (U) were shown as rural natural forest > suburban forest > urban forest. The main carbon sources used by soil microbial communities in those forests were carboxylic acids, amino acids and carbohydrates, with weak utilization capacity for polyamines and polyphenols. The utilization capacity of soil microorganisms to amino acids, carboxylic acids, polymers and polyphenols followed the order of rural natural forest > suburban forest > urban forest. There were significant spatial variations in the functional characteristics of soil microbial communities under urban-rural environmental gradient, with Tween 80 and ß-methyl-D-Glucoside being the characteristic carbon sources as the influencing factors. Soil pH was significantly positively correlated with the microbial McIntosh index and AWCD value, while soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) showed a significant positive correlation with microbial Shannon diversity index and AWCD value. There was a negative correlation between the microbial Simpson index and soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N). Soil pH, NH4+-N and NO3--N were the main factors affecting diversity index of microbial communities. The results suggested that there were significant differences in microbial community characteristics of forest soil in urban-rural environmental gradient forests, and that the metabolic potential and functional diversity of soil microbial community in urban forests were weaker than that of natural forests.

Omics: The way forward to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in Brassica napus L.

Plant abiotic stresses negative affects growth and development, causing a massive reduction in global agricultural production. Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major oilseed crop because of its economic value and oilseed production. However, its productivity has been reduced by many environmental adversities. Therefore, it is a prime need to grow rapeseed cultivars, which can withstand numerous abiotic stresses. To understand the various molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the abiotic stress tolerance and improvement in rapeseed, omics approaches have been extensively employed in recent years. This review summarized the recent advancement in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and their imploration in abiotic stress regulation in rapeseed. Some persisting bottlenecks have been highlighted, demanding proper attention to fully explore the omics tools. Further, the potential prospects of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for genome editing to assist molecular breeding in developing abiotic stress-tolerant rapeseed genotypes have also been explained. In short, the combination of integrated omics, genome editing, and speed breeding can alter rapeseed production worldwide.

Reproductive phasiRNAs regulate reprogramming of gene expression and meiotic progression in rice.

Plant spermatogenesis is a complex process that directly affects crop breeding. A rapid change in gene abundance occurs at early meiosis prophase, when gene regulation is selective. However, how these genes are regulated remains unknown. Here, we show that rice reproductive phasiRNAs are essential for the elimination of a specific set of RNAs during meiotic prophase I. These phasiRNAs cleave target mRNAs in a regulatory manner such that one phasiRNA can target more than one gene, and/or a single gene can be targeted by more than one phasiRNA to efficiently silence target genes. Our investigation of phasiRNA-knockdown and PHAS-edited transgenic plants demonstrates that phasiRNAs and their nucleotide variations are required for meiosis progression and fertility. This study highlights the importance of reproductive phasiRNAs for the reprogramming of gene expression during meiotic progression and establishes a basis for future studies on the roles of phasiRNAs with a goal of crop improvement.

Case Report: Clinical Treatment of the First Critical Patient With Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Liaocheng, Shandong Province.

This paper reports the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of the first critical COVID-19 patient in Liaocheng City, who was admitted to the intensive care unit isolation ward of Liaocheng People's Hospital on February 11, 2020. On admission, the patient had difficulty breathing, the oxygenation index was 135 mmHg, and the blood lactate was 5.6 mmol/L. After comprehensive treatment including high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, plasma exchange, antiviral and anti-infection therapies, immune regulation, liquid volume management, glucocorticoid, enteral nutrition support, analgesia and sedation, blood glucose control, anticoagulation and thrombus prevention, and electrolyte balance maintenance, the patient was finally cured, and discharged. The purpose of this case report is to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of critical COVID-19 patients.

Gene expression and metabolic changes of Momordica charantia L. seedlings in response to low temperature stress.

Low temperature is one of the abiotic factors limiting germination, growth and distribution of the plant in current plant-products industry, especially for the tropical vegetables in non-tropical area or other fields under cold temperature. Screening the plant with ability against cold temperature captured worldwide attention and exerted great importance. In our previous work, the anti-cold specie of Momordica Charantia L. seedlings was screened out. Yet, the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying this adaptive process still remain unknown. This study was aimed to investigate adaption mechanism of anti-cold species of Momordica Charantia L. seedlings in genetical and metabolomics levels. Two species, cold-susceptible group (Y17) and cold-resistant group (Y54), were evaluated containing the indexes of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), proline content, activities of antioxidant enzymes, metabolites changes and genes differentiation in plant tissues after cold treatment. It found that low temperature stress resulted in increased accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and proline content in two species, but less expressions in cold-resistant species Y54. As compared to Y17, cold-resistant species Y54 presented significantly enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities of POD (peroxidase), CAT (cataalase) and SOD (superoxide dismutase). Meanwhile, higher expressed genes encoded antioxidant enzymes and transcription factors when exposure to the low temperature were found in cold-resistant species Y54, and core genes were explored by Q-PCR validation, including McSOD1, McPDC1 and McCHS1. Moreover, plant metabolites containing amino acid, sugar, fatty acid and organic acid in Y54 were higher than Y17, indicating their important roles in cold acclimation. Meanwhile, initial metabolites, including amimo acids, polypeptides, sugars, organic acids and nucleobases, were apparently increased in cold resistant species Y54 than cold susceptible species Y17. Our results demonstrated that the Momordica Charantia L. seedlings achieved cold tolerance might be went through mobilization of antioxidant systems, adjustment of the transcription factors and accumulation of osmoregulation substance. This work presented meaning information for revealing the anti-cold mechanism of the Momordica Charantia L. seedlings and newsight for further screening of anti-cold species in other plant.