Chaiqin chengqi decoction treatment mitigates hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis by modulating liver-mediated glycerophospholipid metabolism.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) is increasing globally and more so in China. The characteristics of liver-mediated metabolites and related key enzymes are rarely reported in HTG-AP. Chaiqin chengqi decoction (CQCQD) has been shown to protect against AP including HTG-AP in both patients and rodent models, but the underlying mechanisms in HTG-AP remain unexplored. PURPOSE: To assess the characteristics of liver-mediated metabolism and the therapeutic mechanisms of CQCQD in HTG-AP. METHODS: Male human apolipoprotein C3 transgenic (hApoC3-Tg; leading to HTG) mice or wild-type littermates received 7 intraperitoneal injections of cerulein (100 µg/kg) to establish HTG-AP and CER-AP, respectively. In HTG-AP, some mice received CQCQD (5.5 g/kg) gavage at 1, 5 or 9 h after disease induction. AP severity and related liver injury were determined by serological and histological parameters; and underlying mechanisms were identified by lipidomics and molecular biology. Molecular docking was used to identify key interactions between CQCQD compounds and metabolic enzymes, and subsequently validated in vitro in hepatocytes. RESULTS: HTG-AP was associated with increased disease severity indices including augmented liver injury compared to CER-AP. CQCQD treatment reduced severity and liver injury of HTG-AP. Glycerophospholipid (GPL) metabolism was the most disturbed pathway in HTG-AP in comparison to HTG alone. In HTG-AP, the mRNA level of GPL enzymes involved in phosphocholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) synthesis (Pcyt1a, Pcyt2, Pemt, and Lpcat) were markedly upregulated in the liver. Of the GPL metabolites, lysophosphatidylethanolamine LPE(16:0) in serum of HTG-AP was significantly elevated and positively correlated with the pancreas histopathology score (r = 0.65). In vitro, supernatant from Pcyt2-overexpressing hepatocytes co-incubated with LPE(16:0) or phospholipase A2 (a PC- and PE-hydrolyzing enzyme) alone induced pancreatic acinar cell death. CQCQD treatment downregulated PCYT1a and PCYT2 enzyme levels in the liver. Hesperidin and narirutin were identified top two CQCQD compounds with highest affinity docking to PCYT1a and PCYT2. Both hesperidin and narirutin reduced the level of some GPL metabolites in hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: Liver-mediated GPL metabolism is excessively activated in HTG-AP with serum LPE(16:0) level correlating with disease severity. CQCQD reduces HTG-AP severity partially via modulating key enzymes in GPL metabolism pathway.

Parasagittal dural arteriovenous fistulas.

BACKGROUND: The majority of studies on parasagittal dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) have been limited to case reports or case series, and they are frequently reported alongside true superior sagittal sinus (SSS) DAVFs. Because of the selective bias present in the reporting of dispersed small numbers of parasagittal DAVFs, the results of each study may influence the findings. As a result, we present a large sequential cohort of parasagittal DAVFs from our institution spanning a 20-year period. METHODS: This study was a retrospective analysis involving 80 patients with parasagittal DAVFs who were hospitalized at a single medical center from 2002 to 2022. We explore their clinical manifestations, angioarchitecture, clinical and radiographic outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 80 patients with 85 parasagittal DAVFs. The cohort consisted of 69 men and 11 women, with a M ± SD age of 50.5 ± 11.1 years. Seventy-six patients underwent trans-arterial embolization (TAE), two underwent surgery, and two received conservative treatment. Immediate complete occlusion was achieved in 74 cases (94.9%). Fifty (96.2%) patients were cured, with no recurrence detected on final follow-up imaging. One patient died 6 months after the final subtotal occlusion, while the other patients experienced improvement or resolution of clinical symptoms following treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These lesions carry a high risk of hemorrhage and nonhemorrhagic neurological deficits. In our series, TAE achieved a high cure rate for these lesions, with no major complications reported.

Gasdermin D-mediated metabolic crosstalk promotes tissue repair.

The establishment of an early pro-regenerative niche is crucial for tissue regeneration1,2. Gasdermin D (GSDMD)-dependent pyroptosis accounts for the release of inflammatory cytokines upon various insults3-5. However, little is known about its role in tissue regeneration followed by homeostatic maintenance. Here, we show that macrophage GSDMD deficiency delayed tissue recovery, with little impact on the local inflammatory milieu or the lytic pyroptosis process. Metabolite secretome profiling of hyperactivated macrophages unveiled the non-canonical metabolite-secreting function of GSDMD. And we further identified 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12-EET) as a bioactive pro-healing oxylipin, secreted from hyperactive macrophages in a GSDMD-dependent manner. Indeed, accumulation of 11,12-EET by direct supplementation or deletion of its hydrolytic enzyme Ephx2 accelerated muscle regeneration. We further demonstrated that the Ephx2 level accumulated within aged muscle. And consecutive 11,12-EET treatment rejuvenated aged muscle. Mechanistically, 11,12-EET amplifies FGF-FGFR signaling by modulating FGF liquid-liquid phase separation, hence boosting the activation and proliferation of muscle stem cells (MuSCs). These data depict a GSDMD-guided metabolite crosstalk between macrophages and MuSCs that governs the repair process, which offers new therapeutic insights for the regeneration of injured or aged tissues.

Structure Tailoring of Hemicyanine Dyes for In Vivo Shortwave Infrared Imaging.

In vivo bioimaging using shortwave infrared (SWIR) (1000-2000 nm) molecular dyes enables deeper penetration and higher contrast compared to visible and near-infrared-I (NIR-I, 700-900 nm) dyes. Developing new SWIR molecules is still quite challenging. This study developed SRHCYs, a panel of fluorescent dyes based on hemicyanine, with adjustable absorbance (830-1144 nm) and emission (886-1217 nm) wavelength. The photophysical attributes of these dyes are precisely tailored by strengthening the donor parts and extending polymethine chains. SRHCY-3, with its clickable azido group, was chosen for high-performance imaging of blood vessels in living mice, enabling the precise detection of brain and lung cancer. The combination of these probes achieved in vivo multicolor imaging with negligible optical crosstalk. This report presents a series of SWIR hemicyanine dyes with promising spectroscopic properties for high-contrast bioimaging and multiplexing detection.

Biosensor Based on ZIF-67-HRP and MWCNTs Nanocomposite Modified Glass Carbon Electrode for the Detection of Luteolin in Vegetables.

Luteolin has various pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor characteristics. Due to its potential value in drugs and functional foods, it is important to develop an efficient method for detecting luteolin. In this work, the poor selectivity of existing luteolin nonenzymatic sensors was solved by translating the enzyme-catalyzed reaction from bulk solution to the surface of a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) modified electrode through an electrocatalytic oxidation process. Here, we modified the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs; ZIF-67 here, abbreviated as ZIF), functional nanomaterials, and HRP and finally covered it with Nafion (NF). In this case, luteolin acts as a hydrogen donor, and the electrode acts as a hydrogen acceptor; the oxidation reaction occurs on the electrode surface. The use of ZIF-67 ensured the conformational stability of HRP to ensure the selectivity and anti-interference property, and SDS-dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) enhanced the electrode conductivity. The use of NF avoids shedding of the electrode material during the testing process. A UV-vis spectrophotometer was used to study the selectivity of luteolin by HRP and the compatibility between HRP and ZIF. The materials were characterized and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Due to the synergistic effect of these nanomaterials, the linear range of NF/ZIF-HRP/MWCNTs-SDS/GCE was 1.0 × 10-2 to 6.0 µM, with detection limits of 25.3 nM (S/N = 3). The biosensor showed long-term stability and reproducibility, with a relative standard deviation of 4.2% for the peak current (n = 5). Finally, the biosensor was successfully used to detect luteolin in carrots, celery, and cauliflower.

Genetic diversity evaluation of Luculia yunnanensis, a vulnerable species endemic to Yunnan, Southwestern China based on morphological traits and EST-SSR markers.

Luculia yunnanensis is a vulnerable species endemic to Yunnan Province, Southwestern China, which has high ornamental value. Its wild population has not been fully protected and utilized for a long time, which is not conducive to the long-term stable development of this species. Genetic diversity assessment is the basis and prerequisite for the conservation of rare species. In this study, 21 phenotypic traits and 17 highly polymorphic EST-SSR markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic structure of 164 individuals from six L. yunnanensis populations. The coefficient of variation of 21 phenotypic traits ranged from 11.76% to 52.58% (mean=21.72%), and the coefficient of variation of 18 traits was less than 30%. The average values of Ne, I, Ho and He were 1.710, 0.619, 0.384, and 0.352, respectively. The genetic diversity of LLO (Ho = 0.476 and He = 0.426) and LCM (Ho = 0.424 and He = 0.381) populations in Lushui County was highest. The GDX populations (Ho = 0.335 and He = 0.269) isolated by Gaoligong Mountain had the lowest genetic diversity. The AMOVA results showed that 13.04% of the genetic variation was among populations and 86.96% was within populations. The average phenotypic differentiation coefficient of phenotypic traits among populations was 18.69%. The results of phenotypic and genetic variation analysis were consistent, indicating that the most of variation exists within population. Genetic structure, UPGMA clustering and PCA analysis results showed that the populations of L. yunnanensis had obvious geographical divisions, and the populations distributed in the southern region and distributed in the northern region of the Nujiang River clustered into one group respectively. Combining the results of phenotypic and molecular markers, we recommend that give priority to the protection of LLO, LCM and GDX population, in order to ensure the sustainable utilization of L. yunnanensis germplasm resources.

Baseline sensitivity and physiological characteristics of natural product hinokitiol against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

BACKGROUND: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a pathogenic fungus of oilseed rape, poses a severe threat to the oilseed rapeseed industry. In this study, we evaluated the potential of the natural compound hinokitiol against S. sclerotiorum by determining its biological activity and physiological characteristics. RESULTS: Our results showed that hinokitiol strongly inhibited the hyphae expansion of S. sclerotiorum, and its effective concentration of hyphae growing inhibition by 50% (EC50) against 103 S. sclerotiorum strains varied from 0.36 to 3.45 µg/mL, with an average of 1.23 µg/mL. Hinokitiol possessed better protective efficacy than therapeutic effects, and it exhibited no cross-resistance between carbendazim. After treatment with hinokitiol, many vesicular protrusions developed on the mycelium with rough surface and thickened cell wall. Moreover, the cell membrane permeability and glycerol content increased, while the oxalic acid declined after hinokitiol treatment. In addition, hinokitiol induced membrane lipid peroxidation and improved the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in S. sclerotiorum. Importantly, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that cell wall and ROS synthesis-related genes were significantly up-regulated after hinokitiol treatment. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that hinokitiol has good biological activity against S. sclerotiorum and could be considered as an alternative bio-fungicide for the resistance management in controlling sclerotinia stem rot infected by S. sclerotiorum. These investigations provided new insights into understanding the toxic action of hinokitiol against pathogenic fungi. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of a novel PET tracer [18F]-Florbetazine for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and ß-amyloid deposition quantification.

[18F]-Florbetazine ([18F]-92) is a selective PET tracer for ß-amyloid (Aß) depositions with a novel diaryl-azine scaffold to reduce lipophilicity and to achieve higher gray-to-white matter contrast. We aimed to assess its diagnostic value in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and pharmacokinetics characteristics in human subjects. METHODS: Six healthy controls (HCs) and nine AD patients underwent dynamic PET examination with [18F]-Florbetazine and a structural MRI scan. The time-activity-curves (TACs) for volumes of interest (VOIs) in cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex and cerebral white matter was depicted and their standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) with cerebellar cortex as reference were compared between HCs and AD patients. The cerebral gray-to-white matter SUV ratio (GWR) was also calculated. RESULTS: In HCs, radioactivities in the cerebral cortex VOIs were homogeneously low and at the same level as in cerebellar cortex, while in AD patients, cortical VOIs expected to contain Aß exhibited high radioactivity. Cerebral cortex SUVRs remain relatively low in HCs while keep increasing along with time in AD patients. After 15 min, the cerebral cortex SUVRs became significant higher in AD patients compared to HCs with 100 % discrimination accuracy. In AD patients, GWR remained over 1.3 for all time intervals and visual inspection showed lower uptake in cerebral white matter compared to cerebral cortex. CONCLUSION: [18F]-Florbetazine PET showed high uptake on Aß plaques and high gray-to-white contrast in AD patients that are favorable in visual read. [18F]-Florbetazine can be potentially used for detection and quantification of Aß depositions in the living human brain.

Causal role of immune cells in aplastic anemia: Mendelian randomization (MR) study.

Prior research has identified associations between immune cells and aplastic anaemia (AA); however, the causal relationships between them have not been conclusively established. A two-sample Mendelian randomisation analysis was conducted to investigate the causal link between 731 immune cell signatures and AA risk using publicly available genetic data. Four types of immune signatures, including relative cell, absolute cell (AC), median fluorescence intensities and morphological parameters, were considered sensitivity analyses were also performed to verify the robustness of the results and assess potential issues such as heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Following multiple test adjustments using the False Discovery Rate (FDR) method, no statistically significant impact of any immunophenotype on AA was observed. However, twelve immunophenotypes exhibited a significant correlation with AA without FDR correction (p of IVW < 0.01), of which eight were harmful to AA: CD127- CD8br %T cell (Treg panel), CD25 on IgD + CD38dim (B cell panel), CD38 on naive-mature B cell (B cell panel), CD39 + resting Treg % CD4 Treg (Treg panel), CD39 + secreting Treg AC (Treg panel), CD8 on CD28 + CD45RA- CD8br (Treg panel), HLA DR + NK AC (TBNK panel), Naive DN (CD4-CD8-) AC (Maturation stages of T cell panel); and four were protective to AA: CD86 on CD62L + myeloid DC (cDC panel), DC AC (cDC panel), DN (CD4-CD8-) NKT %T cell (TBNK panel), and TD CD4 + AC (Maturation stages of T cell panel). The results of this study demonstrate a close link between immune cells and AA by genetic means, thereby improving the current understanding of the interaction between immune cells and AA risk and providing guidance for future clinical research.

Novel ß-amyloid PET Imaging Study of [18F]92 in Patients with Cognitive Decline.

[18F]-4-((E)-(((E)-4-(2-(2-(2-Fluoroethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)benzylidene)-hydrazono)methyl)-N-methylaniline ([18F]92) is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer previously reported to exhibit high binding affinity to aggregated ß-amyloid (Aß). This study aims to report a fully automated radiosynthesis procedure for [18F]92, explore its radioactive distribution in the brains of healthy subjects, and investigate its potential application value in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The fully automated radiosynthesis of [18F]92 was performed on the AllinOne module. Thirty one participants were recruited for this study. Dynamic [18F]92 PET imaging was conducted over 0-90 min period to assess time-activity curves (TAC) and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) curves in cognitively normal (CN) subjects. All participants were visually classified as either positive (+) or negative (-). Semiquantitative analyses of [18F]92 were performed by calculating SUVRs in different regions of interest. Furthermore, the study analyzed the relationships between global SUVR and plasma AD biomarkers, including Aß42, Aß40, P-tau181, and T-tau. The automated radiosynthesis of [18F]92 was completed within 50 min, yielding a radiochemical purity of greater than 95% and a radiochemical yield of 36 ± 3% (nondecay-corrected). Among the participants, 15 were estimated as Aß (-) and 16 as Aß (+). TACs indicated that [18F]92 rapidly crossed the blood-brain barrier within 10 min, followed by a rapid decrease, which then slowed down in the last 50-90 min. SUVR curves revealed that SUVR values stabilized around 60-70 min after injection and reached an equilibrium between 70 and 90 min, primarily in the cerebral cortex. SUVRs of Aß (+) participants were significantly higher than those of Aß (-) individuals within the cerebral cortex. In addition, Aß42 and the Aß42/Aß40 ratio exhibited negative correlations with global SUVR, while plasma P-tau181 and the P-tau181/T-tau ratio displayed positive correlations with global SUVR. [18F]92 exhibits excellent pharmacokinetic properties in the human brain and can be synthesized automatically on a large scale. [18F]92 is a promising and reliable radiotracer for estimating Aß pathology accumulation, providing valuable assistance in AD diagnosis and guiding clinical trials of therapeutic drugs.

Fed-MStacking: Heterogeneous Federated Learning With Stacking Misaligned Labels for Abnormal Heart Sound Detection.

Ubiquitous sensing has been widely applied in smart healthcare, providing an opportunity for intelligent heart sound auscultation. However, smart devices contain sensitive information, raising user privacy concerns. To this end, federated learning (FL) has been adopted as an effective solution, enabling decentralised learning without data sharing, thus preserving data privacy in the Internet of Health Things (IoHT). Nevertheless, traditional FL requires the same architectural models to be trained across local clients and global servers, leading to a lack of model heterogeneity and client personalisation. For medical institutions with private data clients, this study proposes Fed-MStacking, a heterogeneous FL framework that incorporates a stacking ensemble learning strategy to support clients in building their own models. The secondary objective of this study is to address scenarios involving local clients with data characterised by inconsistent labelling. Specifically, the local client contains only one case type, and the data cannot be shared within or outside the institution. To train a global multi-class classifier, we aggregate missing class information from all clients at each institution and build meta-data, which then participates in FL training via a meta-learner. We apply the proposed framework to a multi-institutional heart sound database. The experiments utilise random forests (RFs), feedforward neural networks (FNNs), and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) as base classifiers. The results show that the heterogeneous stacking of local models performs better compared to homogeneous stacking.

Epidemiological and evolutionary analysis of canine circovirus from 1996 to 2023.

BACKGROUND: Canine circovirus (CanineCV), a non-enveloped virus with a circular DNA genome, has been identified in various avian and mammalian species, including domestic and wild canids. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the prevalence of CanineCV across diverse animal species in 11 provinces of China. RESULTS: A total of 1,666 serum samples were collected, revealing a 5.82% prevalence of CanineCV in dogs, with the highest rates being observed in southern and eastern China. Phylogenetic analysis of 266 global CanineCV genomes sourced from the NCBI identified six distinct genotypes, elucidating the complex dynamics of their evolution. Evidence suggested a potential bat origin for CanineCV, with positive selection and high rates of evolution being observed. Recombination analysis revealed dynamic genetic exchange, highlighting the intricate nature of CanineCV evolution. Mutational analysis identified key amino acid substitutions likely to influence the virus's adaptation. Additionally, glycosylation, palmitoylation, and SUMOylation sites were predicted, shedding light on crucial functional properties of the virus. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a global perspective on the origin, genetic diversity, and evolutionary dynamics of CanineCV. Understanding these factors is crucial for elucidating its epidemiology and potential health risks.

Screening of [18F]Florbetazine for Aß Plaques and a Head-to-Head Comparison Study with [11C]Pittsburgh Compound-B ([11C]PiB) in Human Subjects.

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of amyloid-ß (Aß) has emerged as a crucial strategy for early diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic advancements targeting Aß. In our previous first-in-human study, we identified that [18F]Florbetazine ([18F]92), featuring a diaryl-azine scaffold, exhibits higher cortical uptake in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients compared to healthy controls (HC). Building upon these promising findings, this study aimed to characterize the diagnostic potential of [18F]92 and its dimethylamino-modified tracer [18F]91 and further compare them with the benchmark [11C]PiB in the same cohort of AD patients and age-matched HC subjects. The cortical accumulation of these tracers was evident, with no significant radioactivity retention observed in the cortex of HC subjects, consistent with [11C]PiB images (correlation coefficient of 0.9125 and 0.7883 between [18F]Florbetazine/[18F]91 and [11C]PiB, respectively). Additionally, quantified data revealed higher standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) (with the cerebellum as the reference region) of [18F]Florbetazine/[18F]91 in AD patients compared to the HC group ([18F]Florbetazine: 1.49 vs 1.16; [18F]91: 1.33 vs 1.20). Notably, [18F]Florbetazine exhibited less nonspecific bindings in myelin-rich regions, compared to the dimethylamino-substituted [18F]91, akin to [11C]PiB. Overall, this study suggests that [18F]Florbetazine displays superior characteristics to [18F]91 in identifying Aß pathology in AD. Furthermore, the close agreement between the uptakes in nontarget regions for [18F]Florbetazine and [11C]PiB in this head-to-head comparison study underscores its suitability for both clinical and research applications.

[Vertical Distribution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Bacterioplankton and Nitrogen Phosphorus Cycle Genes in Danjiangkou Reservoir].

Danjiangkou Reservoir is a critical water source for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which harbors a diverse bacterioplankton community with varying depths, and the understanding of its nitrogen and phosphorus cycle and associated driving factors remains limited. In this study, we selected five ecological sites within Danjiangkou Reservoir and conducted metagenomics analysis to investigate the vertical distribution of bacterioplankton communities in the surface, middle, and bottom layers. Furthermore, we analyzed and predicted the function of nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, along with their driving factors. Our findings revealed the dominance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Planctomycetes in the Danjiangkou Reservoir. Significant differences were observed in the structure of bacterioplankton communities across different depths, with temperature （T）, oxidation-reduction potential （ORP）, dissolved oxygen （DO）, and Chla identified as primary factors influencing the bacterioplankton composition. Analysis of nitrogen cycle functional genes identified 39 genes, including gltB, glnA, gltD, gdhA, NRT, etc., which were involved in seven main pathways, encompassing nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction. Phosphorus cycle function gene analysis identified 54 genes, including pstS, ppx-gppA, glpQ, ppk1, etc., primarily participating in six main pathways, including organic P mineralization, inorganic P solubilization, and regulatory. Cluster analysis indicated that different depths were significant factors influencing the composition and abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus cycle functional genes. The composition and abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus cycle functional genes in the surface and bottom layers differed and were generally higher than those in the middle layer. Deinococcus, Hydrogenophaga, Limnohabitans, Clavibacter, and others were identified as key species involved in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle. Additionally, we found significant correlations between nitrogen and phosphorus cycle functional genes and environmental factors such as DO, pH, T, total dissolved solids （TDS）, electrical conductivity （EC）, and Chla. Furthermore, the content of these environmental factors exhibited depth-related changes in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, resulting in a distinct vertical distribution pattern of bacterioplankton nitrogen and phosphorus cycle functional genes. Overall, this study sheds light on the composition, function, and influencing factors of bacterioplankton communities across different layers of Danjiangkou Reservoir, offering valuable insights for the ecological function and diversity protection of bacterioplankton in this crucial reservoir ecosystem.

The evolutionary adaptation of wood-decay macrofungi to host gymnosperms differs from that to host angiosperms.

Wood-decay macrofungi play a vital role in forest ecosystems by promoting nutrient cycling and soil structure, and their evolution is closely related to their host plants. This study investigates the potential evolutionary adaptation of wood-decay macrofungi to their host plants, focusing on whether these relationships differ between gymnosperms and angiosperms. While previous research has suggested non-random associations between specific fungi and plant deadwood, direct evidence of evolutionary adaptation has been lacking. Our study, conducted in a subtropical region, utilized metabarcoding techniques to identify deadwood species and associated fungi. We found significant evidence of evolutionary adaptation when considering all sampled species collectively. However, distinct patterns emerged when comparing angiosperms and gymnosperms: a significant evolutionary adaptation was observed of wood-decay macrofungi to angiosperms, but not to gymnosperms. This variation may be due to the longer evolutionary history and more stable species interactions of gymnosperms, as indicated by a higher modularity coefficient (r = .452), suggesting greater specialization. In contrast, angiosperms, being evolutionarily younger, displayed less stable and more coevolving interactions with fungi, reflected in a lower modularity coefficient (r = .387). Our findings provide the first direct evidence of differential evolutionary adaptation dynamics of these fungi to angiosperms versus gymnosperms, enhancing our understanding of forest ecosystem carbon cycling and resource management.

Optimization of Quartz Sand-Enhanced Coagulation for Sewage Treatment by Response Surface Methodology.

The quartz sand-enhanced coagulation (QSEC) is an improved coagulation method for treating water, which uses quartz sand as a heavy medium to accelerate the sedimentation rate of flocs and reduce the sedimentation time. The factors that influence the QSEC effect and can be controlled manually include the quartz sand dosage, coagulant dosage, sewage pH, stirring time, settling time, etc., and their reasonable setting is critical to the result of water treatment. This paper aimed to study the optimal conditions of QSEC; first, single-factor tests were conducted to explore the optimal range of influencing factors, followed by response surface methodology (RSM) tests to accurately determine the optimum values of significant factors. The results show that the addition of quartz sand did not improve the water quality of the coagulation treatment, it took only 140 s for the floc to sink to the bottom, and the sediment volume only accounted for 12.2% of the total sewage. The quartz sand dosage, the coagulant dosage, and sewage pH all had a significant impact on the coagulation effect, and resulted in inflection points. A QSEC-guiding model was derived through RSM tests, and subsequent model optimization and experimental validation revealed the optimal conditions for treating domestic sewage as follows: the polyaluminum chloride (PAC) dosage, cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) dosage, the sewage pH, quartz sand dosage, stirring time, and settling time were 0.97 g/L, 2.25 mg/L, 7.22, 2 g/L, 5 min, and 30 min, respectively, and the turbidity of the treated sewage was reduced to 1.15 NTU.

Discovery and Evaluation of Imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole Derivatives as New Candidates for α-Synuclein PET Imaging.

α-synuclein (α-syn) pathologies are central to the development of synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD). Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of α-syn pathologies is one strategy to facilitate the diagnosis, understanding, and treatment of synucleinopathies, but has been restricted by the lack of specific α-syn PET probes. In this work, we identified 2,6-disubstituted imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole (ITA) as a new α-syn-binding scaffold. Through autoradiography studies, we discovered an iodinated lead compound [125I]ITA-3, with moderate binding affinity (IC50 = 55 nM) to α-syn pathologies in human PD brain sections. Modified from [125I]ITA-3, we developed a potential PET tracer, [18F]FITA-2 (radiochemical yield >25%, molar activity >110 GBq/µmol), which demonstrated clear signals in α-syn-rich regions in human PD brain tissues (IC50 = 245 nM), good brain uptake (SUVpeak = 2.80 ± 0.45), and fast clearance rate in rats. Overall, [18F]FITA-2 appears to be a promising candidate for α-syn PET imaging and merits further development.

Functional Characterization of PoEP1 in Regulating the Flowering Stage of Tree Peony.

The tree peony, a traditional flower in China, has a short and concentrated flowering period, restricting the development of the tree peony industry. To explore the molecular mechanism of tree peony flowering-stage regulation, PoEP1, which regulated the flowering period, was identified and cloned based on the transcriptome and degradome data of the early-flowering mutant Paeonia ostii 'Fengdan' (MU) and Paeonia ostii 'Fengdan' (FD). Through bioinformatics analysis, expression pattern analysis, and transgene function verification, the role of PoEP1 in the regulation of tree peony flowering was explored. The open-reading frame of PoEP1 is 1161 bp, encoding 386 amino acids, containing two conserved domains. PoEP1 was homologous to the EP1 of other species. Subcellular localization results showed that the protein was localized in the cell wall and that PoEP1 expression was highest in the initial decay stage of the tree peony. The overexpression of PoEP1 in transgenic plants advanced and shortened the flowering time, indicating that PoEP1 overexpression promotes flowering and senescence and shorten the flowering time of plants. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for exploring the role of PoEP1 in the regulation of tree peony flowering.

The causal relationship between anti-diabetic drugs and gastrointestinal disorders: a drug-targeted mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of diabetic gastrointestinal diseases is increasing year by year. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between antidiabetic medications and gastrointestinal disorders, with the goal of reducing the incidence of diabetes-related gastrointestinal diseases and exploring the potential repurposing of antidiabetic drugs. METHODS: We employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) design to investigate the causal association between antidiabetic medications and gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastric ulcer (GU), chronic gastritis, acute gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection, gastric cancer (GC), functional dyspepsia (FD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), diverticulosis, and colorectal cancer (CRC). To identify potential inhibitors of antidiabetic drug targets, we collected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with metformin, GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, DPP-4 inhibitors, insulin, and its analogs, thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors from published genome-wide association study statistics. We then conducted a drug-target Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary analytical method to assess the impact of these inhibitors on gastrointestinal disorders. Additionally, diabetes was selected as a positive control. RESULTS: Sulfonylureas were found to significantly reduce the risk of CD (IVW: OR [95% CI] = 0.986 [0.978, 0.995], p = 1.99 × 10- 3), GERD (IVW: OR [95% CI] = 0.649 [0.452, 0.932], p = 1.90 × 10- 2), and chronic gastritis (IVW: OR [95% CI] = 0.991 [0.982, 0.999], p = 4.50 × 10- 2). However, they were associated with an increased risk of GU development (IVW: OR [95%CI] = 2 0.761 [1.259, 6.057], p = 1 0.12 × 10- 2). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that sulfonylureas had a positive effect on the prevention of CD, GERD, and chronic gastritis but a negative effect on the development of gastric ulcers. However, our research found no causal evidence for the impact of metformin, GLP-1 agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, DPP 4 inhibitors, insulin and its analogs, thiazolidinediones, or alpha-glucosidase inhibitors on gastrointestinal diseases.

A probe for NIR-II imaging and multimodal analysis of early Alzheimer's disease by targeting CTGF.

To date, earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still challenging. Recent studies revealed the elevated expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in AD brain is an upstream regulator of amyloid-beta (Aß) plaque, thus CTGF could be an earlier diagnostic biomarker of AD than Aß plaque. Herein, we develop a peptide-coated gold nanocluster that specifically targets CTGF with high affinity (KD ~ 21.9 nM). The probe can well penetrate the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) of APP/PS1 transgenic mice at early-stage (earlier than 3-month-old) in vivo, allowing non-invasive NIR-II imaging of CTGF when there is no appearance of Aß plaque deposition. Notably, this probe can also be applied to measuring CTGF on postmortem brain sections by multimodal analysis, including fluorescence imaging, peroxidase-like chromogenic imaging, and ICP-MS quantitation, which enables distinguishment between the brains of AD patients and healthy people. This probe possesses great potential for precise diagnosis of earlier AD before Aß plaque formation.