[Determination of five veterinary drug residues in milk by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry based on modified chitosan membrane purification].

Milk is an important consumer product with high nutritional value. The presence of veterinary drug residues in milk owing to the indiscriminate use of veterinary drugs may affect consumer health. In the mass spectrometric analysis of trace compounds, chromatographic co-eluting components easily interfere with the mass spectral signals obtained, affecting the accuracy of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Matrix purification is a promising method to reduce the matrix effect. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer with numerous active functional groups such as amino, acetyl, and hydroxyl groups; these groups can adsorb lipids through hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Chitosan also has the advantages of low production cost, stable chemical properties, and convenient modification. Novel chitosan-based materials are promising candidates for lipid purification. In this study, a chitosan membrane was modified with trimethoxyoctadecylsilane (C18-CSM). C18-CSM was prepared through one-step hydrolysis and used as a dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) adsorbent to purify the matrix during milk pretreatment. We combined C18-CSM with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/Exactive Orbitrap MS) to develop an effective method for the extraction and determination of ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, diazepam, and metronidazole in milk. C18-CSM was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and water contact angle testing. The results indicated that the material has a rough surface and uniformly dense cross-section. The water contact angle of C18-CSM was 104°, indicating its good hydrophobicity. The pretreatment conditions (extraction solvent, dosage of NaCl, extraction frequency, and dosage of C18-CSM) that influenced the recoveries of the five veterinary drugs were investigated in detail. The optimal conditions were established as follows: 5% formic acid in acetonitrile, 1 g NaCl, extraction 1 time, 20 mg C18-CSM. Separation was performed on a Hypersil GOLD VANQUISH column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.9 µm). The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile, and was flowed at a rate of 0.3 mL/min. The sample injection volume was 1 µL, and the column temperature was maintained at 25 ℃. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed in positive electrospray ionization mode. To verify the necessity of the purification material, the matrix effect was investigated using the matrix-matched standard curve method. The use of C18-CSM reduced the matrix effects of the five necessity drugs from the range of -22%-8.8% to the range of -13%-3.6%, indicating that C18-CSM is a highly efficient DSPE material. Under optimal conditions, the developed method showed good linearities within the range of 0.5-100 µg/L, with correlation coefficients (r2)≥0.9970. The limits of detection(LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were 0.2 µg/L and 0.5 µg/L, respectively. To assess the accuracy and precision of the method, we prepared milk samples with three spiked levels (low, medium, and high). The recoveries of the five veterinary drugs were ranged from 79.5% to 115%, and the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were 7.0%-13% (n=6) and 1.3%-11% (n=3), respectively. This study provides a simple, accurate, and reliable method for the rapid and simultaneous determination of the five veterinary drug residues in milk.

Simultaneous Robotic Sphincter-Preserving Rectal Resection and Prostatectomy for Rectal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor and Prostatic Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Synchronous rectal and prostate malignancies are rare and standard treatment guidelines have not yet been established.1-3 Combined robotic rectal and prostate surgery represents a potentially excellent approach for managing synchronous rectal and prostate malignancies, offering the advantages of a minimally invasive procedure.4 METHODS: A 78-year-old male with a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes presented with 3 months of dyschezia and dysuria. Diagnostic colonoscopy revealed a submucosal mass 3 cm from the anal verge in the anterior wall of the rectum, with abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen and prostate-specific antigen levels. Pelvic computed tomography (CT) indicated indistinct boundaries between the rectal mass and the prostate, suggesting potential invasion. CT-guided biopsies confirmed a rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma. After 3 months of neoadjuvant therapy with imatinib mesylate and bicalutamide, significant tumor reduction was achieved.5 Subsequently, the patient underwent simultaneous robotic sphincter-preserving rectal resection and prostatectomy, starting with the prostatectomy, followed by rectal tumor excision and ending with bowel reconstruction and vesicourethral anastomosis using a running suture technique. RESULTS: The operation time was 220 min and the estimated blood loss was 50 mL. No surgical complications were encountered and all resected margins were free of tumor, indicating a complete excision. The patient recovered well and was discharged on the seventh postoperative day. Follow-up at 3 months showed no evidence of recurrence or functional impairments. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous robotic sphincter-preserving local rectal resection and prostatectomy can be feasibly and safely performed following neoadjuvant therapy in cases of synchronous rectal GIST and prostate cancer.

Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with gout and hyperuricemia.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to probe the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among patients with gout and hyperuricemia (HUA). METHODS: The study included 1169 gout patients and 7029 HUA patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018 and 2001-2018, respectively. The association between serum 25(OH)D and mortality was evaluated by Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline models. RESULTS: Among participants with gout and HUA, the weighted mean concentrations of serum 25(OH)D were 71.49 ± 30.09 nmol/L and 64.81 ± 26.92 nmol/L, respectively. Vitamin D deficiency occurred in 29.68% of gout patients and 37.83% of HUA patients. During 6783 person-years of follow-up among gout patients, 248 all-cause deaths occurred, among which 76 died from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 49 died from cancer. 1375 HUA patients were recorded for all-cause mortality during 59,859 person-years of follow-up, including 427 CVD deaths and 232 cancer deaths. After multifactorial adjustment, per one-unit increment in natural log-transformed 25(OH)D was associated with lower risk of 55% all-cause mortality and 61% CVD mortality among gout patients, and a 45% reduced risk of cancer mortality among HUA patients. Restricted cubic splines showed a U-shaped relationship with all-cause and CVD mortality among HUA patients, with inflection points of 72.7 nmol/L and 38.0 nmol/L, respectively. The results were robust in subgroup and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Serum 25(OH)D was negatively linearly correlated with mortality among gout patients, whereas U-shaped correlated with mortality in HUA patients. These results indicate that adequate vitamin D status could prevent premature death.

Correction: Attenuation of metabolic syndrome in the ob/ob mouse model by resistant starch intervention is dose dependent.

Correction for 'Attenuation of metabolic syndrome in the ob/ob mouse model by resistant starch intervention is dose dependent' by Anqi Wang et al., Food Funct., 2019, 10, 7940-7951, https://doi.org/10.1039/C9FO01771B.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Hospitalization Expenses of Patients with Gastric Cancer in Shanghai, 2014-2021: Based on Grey Relational Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the basic condition and the influencing factors of hospitalization costs of patients with gastric cancer in Shanghai from 2014 to 2021, so as to provide a scientific reference for promoting the reform of the medical and healthcare system. METHODS: The study data were obtained from the electronic medical record system of Shanghai Hospital. The grey relational analysis was applied to analyze the correlation strength of various expenses with hospitalization costs. The structural equation modeling was constructed to analyze the influences of factors on the hospitalization expenses, as well as the relationship between each factor. RESULTS: A total of 23 335 study subjects were included. The results of grey relational analysis showed that the total cost of drugs had the strongest correlation with hospitalization expenses, followed by material expenses and surgery cost, whereas those of others were lower. The results of the structural equation modeling showed that age had the greatest influence on hospitalization expenses with a path coefficient of 0.618. Other influencing factors included surgery history, length of stay, hospital level, gender, and medical insurance. CONCLUSIONS: The total cost of drugs had the strongest correlation with hospitalization expenses. Factors such as gender, age, and hospital level all affect the hospitalization expenses. In the future, it is necessary to take further measures to control the cost of drugs and constantly optimize the structure of hospitalization costs. Meanwhile, the reform of the medical and healthcare system should be deepened to reasonably regulate the medical behaviors and reduce the financial burden of patients.

Development of a highly spatiotemporally resolved vehicular volatile organic compounds emission inventory based on on-line measurement of speed-dependent emission factor.

The rapid progress of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) has enabled the development of a highly spatiotemporally resolved vehicular VOC emission inventory. However, up to this point, the emission factors applied in vehicular VOC emission inventories worldwide are either independent of driving conditions or estimated by emission models, resulting in significant bias. In this study, by using the speed-dependent VOC emission factor measured online from a typical fleet in Guangzhou and collecting multiple sources of ITS data, we developed, for the first time, a link-level dynamic vehicular VOC emission inventory. The results reveal that the emission factors for vehicles at speeds higher than 50 km/h are only around 30 % of those at 5-20 km/h. Consequently, the total vehicular VOC emission in Guangzhou is estimated to be 16.19 kt in 2019, around 40 % lower than the estimates by the static emission inventory using the average emission factor during a short transient driving (STD) cycle. This discrepancy is mainly due to the much lower average speed of the STD cycle (20 km/h) compared to the average traffic speed on the road network (36 km/h). The discrepancy in VOC emissions was even higher for highways, with the static emission factors being 75-93 % higher than the speed-dependent ones. Such a large discrepancy underscores the necessity of applying localised speed-dependent emission factors to improve the estimation accuracy of vehicular VOC emissions. This study provides more accurate insights for policymakers in formulating targeted strategies to reduce vehicular VOC emissions and mitigate their contributions to ozone and PM2.5 pollution in urban areas.

N6-methyladenosine-modified SRPK1 promotes aerobic glycolysis of lung adenocarcinoma via PKM splicing.

BACKGROUND: The RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has become an essential hotspot in epigenetic modulation. Serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) is associated with the pathogenesis of various cancers. However, the m6A modification of SRPK1 and its association with the mechanism of in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. METHODS: Western blotting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses were carried out to identify gene and protein expression. m6A epitranscriptomic microarray was utilized to the assess m6A profile. Loss and gain-of-function assays were carried out elucidate the impact of METTL3 and SRPK1 on LUAD glycolysis and tumorigenesis. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), m6A RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP), and RNA stability tests were employed to elucidate the SRPK1's METTL3-mediated m6A modification mechanism in LUAD. Metabolic quantification and co-immunoprecipitation assays were applied to investigate the molecular mechanism by which SRPK1 mediates LUAD metabolism. RESULTS: The epitranscriptomic microarray assay revealed that SRPK1 could be hypermethylated and upregulated in LUAD. The main transmethylase METTL3 was upregulated and induced the aberrant high m6A levels of SRPK1. Mechanistically, SRPK1's m6A sites were directly methylated by METTL3, which also stabilized SRPK1 in an IGF2BP2-dependent manner. Methylated SRPK1 subsequently promoted LUAD progression through enhancing glycolysis. Further metabolic quantification, co-immunoprecipitation and western blot assays revealed that SRPK1 interacts with hnRNPA1, an important modulator of PKM splicing, and thus facilitates glycolysis by upregulating PKM2 in LUAD. Nevertheless, METTL3 inhibitor STM2457 can reverse the above effects in vitro and in vivo by suppressing SRPK1 and glycolysis in LUAD. CONCLUSION: It was revealed that in LUAD, aberrantly expressed METTL3 upregulated SRPK1 levels via an m6A-IGF2BP2-dependent mechanism. METTL3-induced SRPK1 fostered LUAD cell proliferation by enhancing glycolysis, and the small-molecule inhibitor STM2457 of METTL3 could be an alternative novel therapeutic strategy for individuals with LUAD.

Exploring the anti-inflammatory ingredients and potential of golden buckwheat (Fagopyrum dibotrys) on the TLR4/NLRP3 pathway in acute lung injury.

Golden buckwheat, also called Fagopyrum dibotrys (D. Don) H. Hara, is a plant of the genus Buckwheat in the buckwheat family. The aim of this study was to screen the bioactive ingredients of golden buckwheat extract and investigate the protective effect on acute lung injury (ALI). The ethyl acetate extract (EAE) was identified as the active fraction in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, with gallic acid, proanthocyanidin B2, and epicatechin at 0.0563%, 0.3707%, and 0.3868%, respectively. At the same time, 20 compounds (mainly flavonoids and organic acids) were identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-HRMS in EAE. Furthermore, the EAE reduced lung histopathology scores in mice with ALI, decreased the dry-to-wet weight ratio of lung tissue, and significantly inhibited the concentrations of IL-1ß, TNFα, and IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). It also reduced the number of leukocytes, decreased the activity of MPO in lung tissue, and inhibited the levels of TLR4/NLRP3 pathway mRNA and protein in lung tissue. Our study indicated that golden buckwheat as a source of functional food prevents or treats associated lung diseases by modulating the activation of the TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Versatile Method of Engineering the Band Alignment and the Electron Wavefunction Hybridization of Hybrid Quantum Devices.

Hybrid devices that combine superconductors (S) and semiconductors (Sm) have attracted great attention due to the integration of the properties of both materials, which relies on the interface details and the resulting coupling strength and wavefunction hybridization. However, until now, none of the experiments have reported good control of the band alignment of the interface, as well as its tunability to the coupling and hybridization. Here, the interface is modified by inducing specific argon milling while maintaining its high quality, e.g., atomic connection, which results in a large induced superconducting gap and ballistic transport. By comparing with Schrödinger-Poisson calculations, it is proven that this method can vary the band bending/coupling strength and the electronic spatial distribution. In the strong coupling regime, the coexistence and tunability of crossed Andreev reflection and elastic co-tunneling-key ingredients for the Kitaev chain-are confirmed. This method is also generic for other materials and achieves a hard and huge superconducting gap in lead and indium antimonide nanowire (Pb-InSb) devices. Such a versatile method, compatible with the standard fabrication process and accompanied by the well-controlled modification of the interface, will definitely boost the creation of more sophisticated hybrid devices for exploring physics in solid-state systems.

Efficacy analysis of mechanical thrombectomy combined with prolonged mild hypothermia in the treatment of acute middle cerebral artery occlusion: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy combined with prolonged mild hypothermia compared with conventional treatment in managing acute middle cerebral artery occlusion, and to explore whether extending the duration of hypothermia can improve neurological function. Method: From 2018 to June 2023, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 45 patients with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion treated at the NICU of Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. After thrombectomy, patients were admitted to the neurological intensive care unit (NICU) for targeted temperature management. Patients were divided into two groups: the mild hypothermia group (34.5-35.9°C) receiving 5-7 days of treatment, and the normothermia group (control group) whose body temperature was kept between 36 and 37.5°C using pharmacological and physical cooling methods. Baseline characteristics and temperature changes were compared between the two groups of patients. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 month after surgery, and the secondary outcomes were related complications and mortality rate. Prognostic risk factors were investigated using both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Among 45 patients, 21 underwent prolonged mild hypothermia, and 24 received normothermia, with no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The duration of mild hypothermia ranged from 5 to 7 days. The incidence of chills (33.3% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.031) and constipation (57.1% vs. 20.8%, p = 0.028) was significantly higher in the mild hypothermia group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in mortality rates between the mild hypothermia and the control group (4.76% vs. 8.33%, p = 1.000, OR = 1.75, 95% CI, 0.171-17.949). At 3 month, there was no significant difference in the modified mRS (0-3) score between the mild hypothermia and control groups (52.4% vs. 25%, p = 0.114, OR = 0.477, 95% CI, 0.214-1.066). Infarct core volume was an independent risk factor for adverse neurological outcomes. Conclusion: Prolonged mild hypothermia following mechanical thrombectomy had no severe complications and shows a trend to improve the prognosis of neurological function. The Infarct core volume on CTP was an independent risk factor for predicting neurological function.

Delivery of rapamycin by biomimetic peptide nanoparticles targeting oxidized low-density lipoprotein in atherosclerotic plaques.

Drug delivery systems based on biomimetic peptide nanoparticles are steadily gaining prominence in the treatment of diverse medical conditions. This study focused on the development of peptides that depend on ligand-receptor interactions to load rapamycin (RAPA). Furthermore, a multifunctional peptide was engineered to target oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) within atherosclerotic plaques, facilitating the localized delivery of RAPA. The interactions between peptides and RAPA/oxLDL were analyzed by simulations and experimental approaches. Results show that the main amino acid residues on the mammalian target of rapamycin that bind to RAPA are constructed as peptides (P1 and P2), which have specific interactions with RAPA and can effectively improve the loading efficiency of RAPA. The encapsulation and drug loading efficiencies of P1/P2 were 68.0/47.9% and 48.3/36.5%, respectively. In addition, the interaction force of the multifunctional peptide (P3) and oxLDL surpassed that of their interaction with human umbilical vein endothelial cells by a factor of 3.6, conclusively establishing the specific targeting of oxLDL by these nanoparticles. The encapsulation and drug loading efficiencies of P3 for RAPA were determined to be 60.2% and 41.5%. P3 can effectively load RAPA and target oxLDL within the plaque, suggesting that P3 has potential as a therapeutic agent for atherosclerotic disease.

Antenna-based optimization of triplet radioluminescence of Tb-organic complex scintillator for efficient X-ray detection.

Triplet exciton is both a luminescence quenching factor and an important luminescence sensitization technology solution, which is widely concerned in the field of optoelectronic materials. Since X-ray excited triplet excitons are dissipated through various pathways, there are still huge difficulties in achieving efficient triplet sensitized emission. Here, the antenna ligand is regulated through the carboxyl group, increasing the steric hindrance between the conjugated groups and improving triplet-enhanced radioluminescence (RL) efficiencies of Tb3+. The lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) formed by the coordination of Tb3+ with mellitic acid (MA), pyromellitic acid (PMA) and trimesic acid (TMA) under low temperature preparation conditions. Among them, MA-Tb has a longer spacing between conjugated groups than PMA-Tb and TMA-Tb, and its triplet RL is relatively strongest, with a light yield of 28,000 photons MeV-1. Mechanistic studies revealed that the RL efficiency of Ln-MOFs is related to the π-π stacking effect in the benzene ring. In addition, the application of MA-Tb in the field of X-ray detection was demonstrated. The RL intensity of MA-Tb has a good linear relationship with the X-ray dose rate, and the detection limit for X-ray reaches 82 nGy/s, which is 66 times lower than the typical medical imaging dose. These results will provide a universal strategy for the design of Ln-MOFs scintillator.

Influence of air quality on lung cancer in people who have never smoked.

OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. The percentage of people who have never smoked with lung cancer has risen recently, but alternative risk factors require further study. Our goal was to determine the influence of air quality on incidence of lung cancer in people who have smoked or never smoked. METHODS: The cancer registry from a large urban medical center was queried to include every new diagnosis of lung cancer from 2013 to 2021. Air quality and pollution data for the county were obtained from the US Environmental Protection Agency from 1980 to 2018. Patient demographics, location of residence, smoking history, and tumor stage were recorded. Bivariate comparison analyses were conducted in R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). RESULTS: A total of 2223 new cases of lung cancer were identified. Mean age was 69.2 years. There was a nonsmoking rate of 8.1%. A total of 37% of patients identified as a racial minority. People who have never smoked were more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage. When analyzing geographic distribution, incidence of lung cancer among people who have never smoked was more closely associated with highly polluted areas. People who have never smoked with lung cancer had significantly higher exposure levels of multiple pollutants. CONCLUSIONS: Newly diagnosed lung cancer appears to be more related to poor air quality among people who have never smoked than people who have smoked. Future studies are needed to examine the associations of specific pollutants with lung cancer incidence.

Sagittal en bloc resection of thoracolumbar tumours: a report of thirty one cases.

PURPOSE: To develop a novel classification of sagittal en bloc resection (SEBR) based on anatomical locations for thoracolumbar spine tumors and assess the clinical outcomes of this surgical procedure. METHODS: 31 patients with thoracolumbar tumours treated with SEBR were enrolled in this study. The individualized surgical strategy was adopted based on our surgical classification. Demographics, perioperative outcomes, complications and postoperative outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Based on our surgical classifications, patients were divided into four types. All bony resection margins were negative, wide resection was achieved in 25 patients, marginal resection in four, and intralesional resection in two. 18 patients underwent anterior reconstruction. Complications were encountered in five patients, and instrumentation failure occurred in one patient. The median follow-up was 24 (range, 6-72) months and recurrence was found in only one patient. CONCLUSION: SEBR is a safe and effective surgical procedure for patients with thoracolumbar spinal tumours in specific anatomical locations. The proposed surgical classification covers all SEBR types and is easy to apply, it may assist surgical decision-making in patients with spinal tumours.

Shared and task-specific brain functional differences across multiple tasks in children with developmental dyslexia.

Different tasks have been used in examining the neural functional differences associated with developmental dyslexia (DD), and consequently, different findings have been reported. However, very few studies have systematically compared multiple tasks in understanding what specific task differences each brain region is associated with. In this study, we employed an auditory rhyming task, a visual rhyming task, and a visual spelling task, in order to investigate shared and task-specific neural differences in Chinese children with DD. First, we found that children with DD had reduced activation in the opercular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) only in the two rhyming tasks, suggesting impaired phonological analysis. Children with DD showed functional differences in the right lingual gyrus/inferior occipital gyrus only in the two visual tasks, suggesting deficiency in their visuo-orthographic processing. Moreover, children with DD showed reduced activation in the left dorsal inferior frontal gyrus and increased activation in the right precentral gyrus across all of the three tasks, suggesting neural signatures of DD in Chinese. In summary, our study successfully separated brain regions associated with differences in orthographic processing, phonological processing, and general lexical processing in DD. It advances our understanding about the neural mechanisms of DD.

Impaired neurogenesis induced by fluoride via the Notch1 signaling and effects of carvacrol intervention.

The negative regulation on neurogenesis has been implicated in fluoride neurotoxicity, while the evidence is limited. To explore whether fluoride interferes with neurogenesis via the Notch1 signaling and the potential alleviation effects of carvacrol (CAR), we conducted in vivo and in vitro experiments, as well as epidemiological analyses in this study. The results showed that urinary fluoride levels and circulating Notch1 levels were associated with IQ levels in boys. NaF-treated rats had fewer neurons, lower densities of dendritic spines, depressed neurogenesis, and impaired learning and memory abilities. In vitro experiments using undifferentiated PC12 cells mimicking neurogenesis revealed that NaF suppressed differentiation and neurite outgrowth. Besides, Notch1 signaling activation was detected in vivo and in vitro. The latter was confirmed using an in vitro model supplemented with DAPT, a potent Notch1 inhibitor. Furthermore, CAR supplementation negatively regulated NICD1 and Hes1 expressions and promoted hippocampal neurogenesis, thereby improving neurological functions in NaF-treated rats. These findings indicated that the inhibition of neurogenesis in hippocampi induced by fluoride via Notch1 signaling activation may be one of the underlying mechanisms of its neurotoxicity, and that CAR significantly alleviated the neurotoxicity of NaF via the Notch1 signaling.

The genomes of Dahlia pinnata, Cosmos bipinnatus, and Bidens alba in tribe Coreopsideae provide insights into polyploid evolution and inulin biosynthesis.

BACKGROUND: The Coreopsideae tribe, a subset of the Asteraceae family, encompasses economically vital genera like Dahlia, Cosmos, and Bidens, which are widely employed in medicine, horticulture, ecology, and food applications. Nevertheless, the lack of reference genomes hinders evolutionary and biological investigations in this tribe. RESULTS: Here, we present 3 haplotype-resolved chromosome-level reference genomes of the tribe Coreopsideae, including 2 popular flowering plants (Dahlia pinnata and Cosmos bipinnatus) and 1 invasive weed plant (Bidens alba), with assembled genome sizes 3.93 G, 1.02 G, and 1.87 G, respectively. We found that Gypsy transposable elements contribute mostly to the larger genome size of D. pinnata, and multiple chromosome rearrangements have occurred in tribe Coreopsideae. Besides the shared whole-genome duplication (WGD-2) in the Heliantheae alliance, our analyses showed that D. pinnata and B. alba each underwent an independent recent WGD-3 event: in D. pinnata, it is more likely to be a self-WGD, while in B. alba, it is from the hybridization of 2 ancestor species. Further, we identified key genes in the inulin metabolic pathway and found that the pseudogenization of 1-FEH1 and 1-FEH2 genes in D. pinnata and the deletion of 3 key residues of 1-FFT proteins in C. bipinnatus and B. alba may probably explain why D. pinnata produces much more inulin than the other 2 plants. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the genomic resources for the Coreopsideae tribe will promote phylogenomics in Asteraceae plants, facilitate ornamental molecular breeding improvements and inulin production, and help prevent invasive weeds.

Comparison of lung ultrasound assisted by artificial intelligence to radiology examination in pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND: Lung ultrasound can evaluate for pneumothorax but the accuracy of diagnosis depends on experience among physicians. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of intelligent lung ultrasound in comparison with chest x-ray, employing chest computed tomography (CT) as the gold standard for diagnosis of pneumothorax in critical ill patients. METHODS: This prospective, observational study included 75 dyspnea patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2021 to April 2023. Lung ultrasound images were collected using BLUE-plus protocol and analyzed by artificial intelligence software to identify the pleural line, with CT results serving as the gold standard for diagnosis. Pneumothorax was diagnosed based on either the disappearance of pleural slip sign or identification of lung point. Additionally, chest x-ray images and diagnostic results were also obtained during the same period for comparison. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of intelligent lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumothorax were 79.4% and 85.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of x-ray diagnosis were 82.4% and 80.5%. Additionally, the diagnostic time for lung ultrasound was significantly shorter than that for x-ray examination. CONCLUSION: Intelligent lung ultrasound has diagnostic efficiency comparable to that of x-ray examination but offers advantages in terms of speed.