Reciprocal conversion between annual and polycarpic perennial flowering behavior in the Brassicaceae.

The development of perennial crops holds great promise for sustainable agriculture and food security. However, the evolution of the transition between perenniality and annuality is poorly understood. Here, using two Brassicaceae species, Crucihimalaya himalaica and Erysimum nevadense, as polycarpic perennial models, we reveal that the transition from polycarpic perennial to biennial and annual flowering behavior is a continuum determined by the dosage of three closely related MADS-box genes. Diversification of the expression patterns, functional strengths, and combinations of these genes endows species with the potential to adopt various life-history strategies. Remarkably, we find that a single gene among these three is sufficient to convert winter-annual or annual Brassicaceae plants into polycarpic perennial flowering plants. Our work delineates a genetic basis for the evolution of diverse life-history strategies in plants and lays the groundwork for the generation of diverse perennial Brassicaceae crops in the future.

Development and validation of a prognostic model for 90-day survival in patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis and acute decompensation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis and acute decompensation are considered critically ill and have a higher risk of short-term mortality. This study aimed to establish a nomogram to evaluate their 90-day survival and identify factors that affect disease progression. METHODS: We included patients from September 2008 to December 2016 (n = 387 in the derivation group) and from January 2017 to August 2020 (n = 157 in the validation group). LASSO regression and Cox multivariate risk regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of the 90-day mortality risk, and a nomogram was constructed. The performance of a model was analyzed based on the C-index, area under the receiver operating curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Total bilirubin >10 upper limit of normal, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lymphocyte and monocyte ratios ≤2.33, white blood cells, and hemoglobin were identified as independent risk factors affecting the 90-day mortality risk of patients and the nomogram was developed. A nomogram demonstrated excellent model predictive accuracy in both the derivation and validation cohorts (C-index: 0.976 and 0.945), which was better than other commonly used liver scoring models (p < 0.05). The nomogram also performed good calibration ability and more clinical net benefit. According to the nomogram score, patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Mortality was significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The nomogram could accurately predict the 90-day mortality risk in patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis and acute decompensation, helping to identify high-risk patients and personalize treatment at their first admission.

Predictive Value of Free Triiodothyronine in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Homeostasis of thyroid hormones has significant effects on the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between free triiodothyronine (FT3) and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 1701 patients with ACS undergoing PCI were included in this study. All patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of FT3 level: the lowest tertile (FT3 < 4.51 pmol/L), the middle tertile (4.51 pmol/L ≤ FT3 < 4.89 pmol/L) and the highest tertile group (FT3 ≥ 4.89 pmol/L). The primary study endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which included all-cause death, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or unplanned repeat revascularization. Results: During a median follow-up period of 927 days, 349 patients had at least one event. Compared with patients with the highest tertile, those with the lowest tertile had a significantly higher incidence of MACE, all-cause death, MI, ischemic stroke and repeat revascularization (all p values < 0.05). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, the middle tertile had similar risk of MACE (HR = 0.986, 95% CI 0.728-1.336, p = 0.929) as the highest tertile, but the patients with the lowest tertile had a 92.9% higher risk of MACE (HR = 1.929, 95% CI 1.467-2.535, p < 0.001). There was a non-linear relationship between FT3 and MACE and unplanned repeat revascularization (all p values for non-linear association < 0.001). Adding the tertiles of FT3 level into the baseline model yielded a significant improvement in discrimination for predicting MACE ( Δ AUC = 0.013, p = 0.025). Conclusions: A significantly reduced FT3 level was independently associated with a worse prognosis in patients with ACS undergoing PCI.

Survey on hospice care attitude of family members of advanced cancer patients at different ages.

BACKGROUND: Hospice care plays an important role in improving the quality of life of advanced cancer patients, but controversy remains over whether age affects the attitudes of family members toward hospice care. AIM: To investigate the attitudes of family members of advanced cancer patients of different ages toward hospice care. METHODS: The study participants were 175 family members of patients with advanced cancer from January 2020 and October 2022. The participants were divided into youth (< 40 years, n = 65), middle-aged (40-60 years, n = 59), and elderly (> 60 years, n = 51) groups. Researchers investigated and compared the degree of awareness regarding hospice care, attitudes, and whether the family members of patients would choose hospice care. RESULTS: Among the family members of 175 patients, approximately 28% (49/175) were aware of hospice care. Awareness of hospice care, the proportion of hospice care acceptance and adaptation attitudes, and the proportion of those who chose hospice care in the youth group were higher in the middle-aged and elderly groups (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in these three indicators between the middle-aged and elderly groups (P > 0.05). Hospice care was chosen mainly to relieve pain and reduce unnecessary treatment, whereas the reasons for not choosing hospice care were mainly distrust and ethical concerns. CONCLUSION: The family members of patients with advanced cancer had relatively low awareness of hospice care, while youth had a higher awareness of hospice care, acceptance, and adaptation attitudes, and were more willing to choose hospice care.

Palladium-catalyzed carbomonofluoromethylation of unactivated alkenes: rapid access to γ-monofluoromethyl carboxylic acid derivatives.

Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed regioselective carbomonofluoromethylation of unactivated alkenes. The reaction uses easily available fluorobis(phenylsulfonyl)methane (FBSM) as a fluoromethylating reagent, and proceeds smoothly with a wide variety of carbon electrophiles, including (hetero)aryl iodides, styrenyl iodides and TIPSBr. A range of remote γ-CH2F/CD2F carboxylic acid derivatives were constructed rapidly after a simple reductive desulfonylation step. The reaction features high regioselectivity, mild and simple reaction conditions and a broad substrate scope, and is easy to scale up.

Case report: Highly response to low-dose brachytherapy in recurrent retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma with FANCD2 frameshift mutation: a unique case study.

We report a case of recurrent retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma in a male who achieved a rapid and robust but transient clinical response to low-dose iodine-125 brachytherapy. A FANCD2 frameshift mutation was detected by gene sequencing in the cancerous tissue.

MP-3 microperimeter in early primary open angle glaucoma with a new pattern.

AIM: To investigate macular microperimetry in patients with early primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) using a new custom-made pattern, and analyze the characteristics of macular sensitivity. METHODS: This case-control study included 38 patients with POAG, who were divided into pre-perimetric glaucoma (18 eyes of 18 patients), early-stage (20 eyes of 20 patients), and control (20 eyes of 20 patients) groups. All subjects underwent standard 24-2 humphrey visual field test. An MP-3 microperimeter with a new custom-made pattern (28 testing points distributed in four quadrants, covering the central 10° of the retina) was used to evaluate macular sensitivity. Ganglion cell complex (GCC) thicknesses were examined using an RS-3000 Advance OCT system. The features of structure and function were analysed per quadrant. RESULTS: The pre-perimetric glaucoma group had significantly lower inferior hemifield macular sensitivity compared to controls (P<0.05). The early-stage POAG group had significantly lower average, inferior hemifield, inferonasal, and inferotemporal mean sensitivities compared to the pre-perimetric glaucoma group (P<0.05), and lower macular sensitivity in all sectors compared to controls (P<0.05). Regarding GCC thickness, all sectors in the early-stage POAG group became thinner compared to those in controls (P<0.05); whereas all sectors in the early-stage POAG group, except the superonasal quadrant, became thinner compared to those in the pre-perimetric glaucoma group (P<0.05). Macular sensitivity and GCC thickness were significantly associated in each sector. The inferotemporal quadrant had the highest correlation coefficients (0.840). The structure-function relationship for the inferonasal and inferotemporal sectors was stronger compared to the corresponding superior sectors. CONCLUSION: Microperimetry reveals variations in macular sensitivity in patients with early glaucoma earlier than conventional perimetry, particularly in pre-perimetric glaucoma cases in which it might be undetectable by conventional methods. The new custom-made pattern may improve the accuracy of microperimetry by enhancing point arrangement and reducing fatigue effects. Macular sensitivity measured by MP-3 with this pattern shows statistically significant structural and functional associations with the thicknesses of the GCC.

Material and microbial perspectives on understanding the role of biochar in mitigating ammonia inhibition during anaerobic digestion.

With the increasing adoption of carbon-based strategies to enhance methanogenic processes, there is a growing concern regarding the correlation between biochar properties and its stimulating effects on anaerobic digestion (AD) under ammonia inhibition. This study delves into the relevant characteristics and potential mechanisms of biochar in the context of AD system under ammonia inhibition. The introduction of optimized biochar, distinguished by rich CO bond, abundant defect density, and high electronic capacity, resulted in a significant reduction in the lag period of anaerobic digestion system under 5.0 g/L ammonia stress, approximately by around 63 % compared to the control one. Biochar helps regulate the community structure, promotes the accumulation of acetate-consuming bacteria, in the AD system under ammonia inhibition. More examinations show that biochar promotes direct interspecies electron transfer in AD system under ammonia inhibition, as evidenced by diminished levels of bound electroactive extracellular polymeric substances, increased abundance of electroactive bacteria, and notably, the up-regulation of direct interspecies electron transfer associated genes, including the conductive pili and Cytochrome C genes, as revealed by meta-transcriptomic analysis. Additionally, gene expression related to proteins associated with ammonium detoxification were found to be up-regulated in systems supplemented with biochar. These findings provide essential evidence and insights for the selection and potential engineering of effective biochar to enhance AD performance under ammonia inhibition.

Boosting bioelectricity generation in bioelectrochemical systems with nitrogen-doped three-dimensional graphene aerogel anode.

Bioelectricity generation by electrochemically active bacteria has become particularly appealing due to its vast potential in energy production, pollution treatment, and biosynthesis. However, developing high-performance anodes for bioelectricity generation remains a significant challenge. In this study, a highly efficient three-dimensional nitrogen-doped macroporous graphene aerogel anode with a nitrogen content of approximately 4.38 ± 0.50 at% was fabricated using hydrothermal method. The anode was successfully implemented in bioelectrochemical systems inoculated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, resulting in a significantly higher anodic current density (1.0 A/m2) compared to the control one. This enhancement was attributed to the greater biocapacity and improved extracellular electron transfer efficiency of the anode. Additionally, the N-doped aerogel anode demonstrated excellent performance in mixed-culture inoculated bioelectrochemical systems, achieving a high power density of 4.2 ± 0.2 W/m², one of the highest reported for three-dimensional carbon-based bioelectrochemical systems to date. Such improvements are likely due to the good biocompatibility of the N-doped aerogel anode, increased extracellular electron transfer efficiency at the bacteria/anode interface, and selectively enrichment of electroactive Geobacter soli within the NGA anode. Furthermore, based on gene-level Picrust2 prediction results, N-doping significantly upregulated the conductive pili-related genes of Geobacter in the three-dimensional anode, increasing the physical connection channels of bacteria, and thus strengthening the extracellular electron transfer process in Geobacter.

Zn-coordination polymers for fluorescence sensing various contaminants in water.

Luminescent coordination polymers (LCPs) have garnered significant attention from researchers as promising materials for detecting contaminants. In this paper, three new LCPs ([Zn(tib)(opda)]n⋅H2O (1), [Zn3(tib)2(mpda)3]n⋅5H2O (2), [Zn (tib)(ppda)]n⋅H2O (3)) with different structures (LCP 1-3: 1D, 2D, 1D) using phenylenediacetic acid isomers and 1,3,5-tris (1-imidazolyl) benzene (tib) are synthesized. The specific surface areas (BET) of LCP 1-3 are 4 m2/g, 19 m2/g, and 13 m2/g respectively. LCP 1-3 exhibit excellent fluorescence properties and can serve as fluorescent probe for the detection of inorganic contaminants and organic contaminants. Due to the large BET of LCP 2, the detection limits for trace analytes surpass those of LCP 1 and 3. The detection limits of LCP 2 for Fe3+, nitrobenzene (NB), chloramphenicol (CAP), and pyrimethanil (PTH) are 8.3 nM, 0.016 µM, 0.19 µM, and 0.032 µM, respectively, and the fluorescence quenching rates are 98.6 %, 98.8 %, 92.3 %, and 98.8 %, respectively. These values outperform most reported in the literature. The quantum yields of LCP 1-3 are 11.84 %, 25.22 %, 22.00 % respectively. Real sample testing of LCP 1-3 reveals favorable performance, where spiked recoveries of LCP 2 for the detection of pyrimethanil in grape skins ranged from 99.62 % to 119.3 % with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.627 % to 4.56 % (n = 3). The fluorescence quenching mechanism was attributed to a combination of photoelectron transfer (PET), resonance energy transfer (RET), and competitive absorption (CA). This study advances the application of LCPs in luminescence sensing and contributes to the expansion of novel materials for detecting environmental pollutants.

The impact of female sex hormones on cardiovascular disease: from mechanisms to hormone therapy.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in women, yet it has not raised the awareness from the public. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease differs significantly between females and males concerning the effect of sex hormones. Estrogen and progestogen impact cardiovascular system through genomic and non-genomic effects. Before menopause, cardiovascular protective effects of estrogens have been well described. Progestogens were often used in combination with estrogens in hormone therapy. Fluctuations in sex hormone levels, particularly estrogen deficiency, were considered the specific risk factor in women's cardiovascular disease. However, considerable heterogeneity in the impact of hormone therapy was observed in clinical trials. The heterogeneity is likely closely associated with factors such as the initial time, administration route, dosage, and formulation of hormone therapy. This review will delve into the pathogenesis and hormone therapy, summarizing the effect of female sex hormones on hypertension, pre-eclampsia, coronary heart disease, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and cardiovascular risk factors specific to women.

Identification of Dementia & Mild Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Elderly Using Machine Learning.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of Machine Learning (ML) in identification critical factors of dementia and mild cognitive impairment. METHODS: 371 elderly individuals were ultimately included in the ML analysis. Demographic information (including gender, age, parity, visual acuity, auditory function, mobility, and medication history) and 35 features from 10 assessment scales were used for modeling. Five machine learning classifiers were used for evaluation, employing a procedure involving feature extraction, selection, model training, and performance assessment to identify key indicative factors. RESULTS: The Random Forest model, after data preprocessing, Information Gain, and Meta-analysis, utilized three training features and four meta-features, achieving an area under the curve of 0.961 and a accuracy of 0.894, showcasing exceptional accuracy for the identification of dementia and mild cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: ML serves as a identification tool for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Using Information Gain and Meta-feature analysis, Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scale information emerged as crucial for training the Random Forest model.