The SIRT3/GSK-3ß/GLUT4 axis might be involved in maternal hypoxia-induced skeletal muscle insulin resistance in old male rat offspring.

Maternal hypoxia is strongly linked to insulin resistance (IR) in adult offspring, and altered insulin signaling for muscle glucose uptake is thought to play a central role. However, whether the SIRT3/GSK-3ß/GLUT4 axis is involved in maternal hypoxia-induced skeletal muscle IR in old male rat offspring has not been investigated. Maternal hypoxia was established from Days 5 to 21 of pregnancy by continuous infusion of nitrogen and air. The biochemical parameters and levels of key insulin signaling molecules of old male rat offspring were determined through a series of experiments. Compared to the control (Ctrl) old male rat offspring group, the hypoxic (HY) group exhibited elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG) (∼30%), fasting blood insulin (FBI) (∼35%), total triglycerides (TGs), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as results showing impairment in the glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). In addition, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed impaired cellular structures and mitochondria in the longitudinal sections of skeletal muscle from HY group mice, which might be associated with decreased SIRT3 expression. Furthermore, the expression of insulin signaling molecules, such as GSK-3ß and GLUT4, was also altered. In conclusion, the present results indicate that the SIRT3/GSK-3ß/GLUT4 axis might be involved in maternal hypoxia-induced skeletal muscle IR in old male rat offspring.

Syncope as the initial symptom in a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A high prevalence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been found in China, but it rarely occurs with syncope. Studies have demonstrated that syncope due to NPC may be related to carotid sinus syndrome, glossopharyngeal irritation, and parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal space lesions. Such patients require evaluation by nasopharyngoscopy and head magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography. There is no known single effective treatment for these patients. Various interventions may be considered in an effort to relieve syncope, including vasoconstrictive drugs, cardiac pacemaker implantation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and surgical resection. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes a 56-year-old man who developed recurrent syncope with atrial fibrillation, a long RR interval, and hypotension. A single chamber pacemaker was fitted, but it failed to relieve the symptom. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging and pathological tests led to a final diagnosis of NPC. After six courses of chemotherapy and 35 sessions of radiotherapy, the patient became asymptomatic. However, he died from a massive uncontrolled hemorrhage in the nasopharynx two years later. CONCLUSIONS: This case brings attention to the fact that syncope can be a symptom of NPC. Due to the insidiously malignant nature of this cancer, when a patient presents with syncope, clinicians should bear in mind this connection, albeit a rare one. There are at least two ways of treating NPC-associated syncope, but there is disagreement about which is the most effective.

An effective prediction model based on XGBoost for the 12-month recurrence of AF patients after RFA.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disorder that can lead to complications such as stroke and heart failure. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure used to treat AF, but it is not always successful in maintaining a normal heart rhythm. This study aimed to construct a clinical prediction model based on extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) for AF recurrence 12 months after ablation. METHODS: The 27-dimensional data of 359 patients with AF undergoing RFA in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2018 to November 2021 were retrospectively analysed. We adopted the logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and XGBoost methods to conduct the experiment. To evaluate the performance of the prediction, we used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the area under the precision-recall curve (AP), and calibration curves of both the training and testing sets. Finally, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were utilized to explain the significance of the variables. RESULTS: Of the 27-dimensional variables, ejection fraction (EF) of the left atrial appendage (LAA), N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), global peak longitudinal strain of the LAA (LAAGPLS), left atrial diameter (LAD), diabetes mellitus (DM) history, and female sex had a significant role in the predictive model. The experimental results demonstrated that XGBoost exhibited the best performance among these methods, and the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, precision and F1 score (a measure of test accuracy) of XGBoost were 86.1%, 89.7%, 71.4%, 62.5% and 0.67, respectively. In addition, SHAP analysis also proved that the 6 parameters were decisive for the effect of the XGBoost-based prediction model. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed an effective model based on XGBoost that can be used to predict the recurrence of AF patients after RFA. This prediction result can guide treatment decisions and help to optimize the management of AF.

The novel left atrial appendage strain parameters are associated with thrombosis risk in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to explore a novel left atrial appendage (LAA) strain parameter which could represent the cumulative adverse impact of chronic Atrial fibrillation (AF) on the LAA function, and the relationship between the LAA strain parameter and thrombosis risk in patients with non-valvular AF. METHODS: We enrolled 268 patients with non-valvular AF and 58 sinus rhythm subjects who underwent transesophageal echocardiography in the study. LAA longitudinal strain amplitude (LAA LSA) was defined as the sum of the value of the maximum positive peak strain (LAA PLS) and the absolute value of the minimum negative peak strain (LAA NLS). Dense spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) was defined as grade 3 or 4 SEC. RESULTS: Compared to sinus rhythm group, the global LAA strain parameters were significantly lower in paroxysmal AF (n = 148), and the lowest of them were found in persistent AF (n = 120), which suggested that the global LAA strain parameters could evaluate LAA function in sinus rhythm, paroxysmal AF and persistent AF. Compared with patients in AF without SEC/thrombus (n = 113), the regional and global LAA strain parameters were significantly depressed in AF with SEC/thrombus (n = 155). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that LAA global LSA (OR 0.768; 95% CI:0.569, 0.970; p = 0.027) was an independent predicter of the SEC/thrombus. Compared with patients in AF without dense SEC or thrombus (n = 210), the regional and global LAA strain parameters were significantly impaired in the patients with dense SEC/thrombus(n = 58). LAA global LSA (AUC 0.884) had the best predictable accuracy for dense SEC or thrombus, and outperformed LAA PLS, LAA NLS, CHA2DS2-VASc score and conventional LAA functional parameters that have been used in the evaluation blood flow stasis in LAA. LAA LSA showed excellent interobserver and intra-observer agreement beyond LAA PLS and LAA NLS. CONCLUSION: The novel LAA strain parameters, which were feasible and reproducible parameters for evaluation LAA mechanic function, had good predictive accuracy for blood flow stasis in LAA beyond conventional LAA functional parameters.

Effects of feeding methods on growth and slaughter performance, blood biochemical indices, and intestinal morphology in Minxinan black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Feed restriction after weaning is a common strategy used in commercial rabbit farms to improve feed efficiency, promote health, and reduce mortality. However, few studies have investigated the feed restrictions of Minxinan black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Thus, the effects of feed restriction on growth and slaughter performance, intestinal morphology, and blood biochemical indices of Minxinan black rabbits were evaluated in this study. Rabbits in group A (control group) had ad libitum intake, while those in feed restriction groups (groups B, C, and D) were restricted to 80% of the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of group A the day before. The rabbits in group B were fed once per day at 8:00 am. Rabbits in groups C and D were fed twice per day at 8:00 am (50%) and 4:00 pm (50%) and 8:00 am (30%) and 4:00 pm (70%), respectively. The experimental period lasted for 8 weeks. Compared to that in group A, the diarrhea rate of group C was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the ADFI, feed conversion ratio, abdominal fat weight, abdominal fat rate, total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein, and intestinal crypt depth of all feed restriction groups were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). Feed conversion ratio in group D was significantly better than that in groups B and C (P < 0.05). The efficiency index (EI) of groups C and D was higher than that of groups A and B (P < 0.01). Triglyceride levels in groups C and D were significantly lower than those in group A. The villus length to crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum in group D was significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the following parameters can be improved by feed restriction: feed conversion ratio, diarrhea rate, abdominal fat rate, serum ALT, lipid indices and intestinal health of Minxinan black rabbits, and the EI of the farm. Feeding twice per day, 30% at 8:00 am and 70% at 4:00 pm, had the best comprehensive effects.

A nomogram to predict left atrial appendage thrombus and spontaneous echo contrast in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients.

BACKGROUND: Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) significantly increases the risk of stroke. Although there is availability of prediction models, their ability to predict the risk of stroke in NVAF patients remains suboptimal. Therefore, there is need to improve prediction of high-risk individuals, which is critical for efficient management of patients with NVAF. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our paper is to develop a nomogram for predicting the risk of left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) and spontaneous echo contrast (SEC), thereby replacing the risk of stroke in NVAF patients. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study that analyzed clinical data and echocardiographic indices of 387 patients with NVAF from October 2018 to June 2021. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate independent factors that were used to construct the prediction nomogram. ANALYSIS: The discriminative ability and calibration of the nomogram to predict LAAT/SEC were tested using C-statistic and calibration plot. The performance of the nomogram was assessed against the CHA2DS2 score, CHA2DS2-VASc score and ATRIA score using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA), integrated discrimination index (IDI) and net reclassification index (NRI). RESULT: Out of the total 387 patients enrolled in this study, 232 had LAAT/SEC. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), albumin (ALB), LAA ejection fraction (LAAEF) and LAA global peak longitudinal strain (LAA GPLS) were independent predictors of LAAT/SEC. The constructed nomogram had good discriminative (C = 0.886) and calibration (0.876) abilities after bias correction by the C-index. Compared with other models, the decision curve analyses demonstrated that the nomogram had greater net benefits. Besides, the nomogram had significant improvement in predictive performance, sensitivity and reclassification for LAAT/SEC compared with the CHA2DS2 [(c-index: 0.886 vs. 0.576, p < 0.05), (NRI: 0.539, p < 0.05), (IDI: 0.432, p < 0.05)], CHA2DS2-VASc [(c-index: 0.886 vs0.579, p < 0.05), (NRI: 0.513, p < 0.05), (IDI: 0.432, p < 0.05)] or ATRIA [(c-index: 0.886 vs0.583, p < 0.05), (NRI: 0.546, p < 0.05), (IDI: 0.432, p < 0.05)]. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data demonstrated that the developed nomogram was effective and had potential clinical application in the prediction of LAAT/SEC in patients with NVAF.

Pathogenic and genomic characterisation of a rabbit sourced Pasteurella multocida serogroup F isolate s4.

BACKGROUND: Pasteurella multocida is one of the most significant pathogens for a number of animals. In rabbits, the infection is generally associated with the P. multocida serogroups A and D, and the knowledge about the serogroup F is limited. In the present study, a P. multocida serogroup F isolate designated s4 was recovered from the lungs of rabbits died of respiratory disease in Fujian, in the southeast of China. The pathogenicity and genomic features of the s4 were then determined. RESULTS: The serotype and sequence type of s4 were F:L3 and ST12, respectively. The s4 was pathogenic for rabbits, but it was a low virulent strain comparing to the previously reported highly pathogenic P. multocida serogroup F strains J-4103, C21724H3km7, P-4218 and HN07. The whole genome of the s4 was then sequenced to understand the genomic basis for pathogenicity. Particularly, a large-sized fragment of approximate 275 kb in length was truncated from the chromosome to form a plasmid. Moreover, the in-frame deletion of natC and N-terminal redundance of gatF would resulted in the production of a mutant L3 outer core structure that was distinct from those of the other P. multocida strains belonging to the lipopolysaccharide genotype L3. We deduced that these features detected in the genome of s4 might impair the pathogenicity of the bacterium. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated the pathogenicity and determined the genomic features of the rabbit sourced P. multocida serogroup F isolate s4, the observations and findings would helpful for the understanding of the pathogenicity variability and genetic diversity of P. multocida.

Response of the water footprint of maize production to high temperatures in the Huang-Huai-Hai region of China.

BACKGROUND: Water footprint (WF) can comprehensively evaluate agricultural water use efficiency under high-temperature weather. Based on the historical meteorological data in the Huang-Huai-Hai (3H) region of China, this study used the percentile threshold method to analyze the distribution of high-temperature events and set three types of meteorological scenarios, namely the actual temperature scenario (S1), the high temperatures in the ear stage scenario (S2), and the high temperatures in the flowering-maturity stage scenario (S3). The growing degree day (GDD) mode and calendar day (CD) mode in the AquaCrop model were used to simulate the yield per unit area (Yunit ) of maize under different temperature scenarios and then the crop evapotranspiration (ETc ) and production WF during maize growth period were calculated. RESULTS: The occurrence frequency of extreme high-temperature event in ear stage in the 3H region was lower than that in the flowering-maturity stage. There were significant differences in the WF of maize between S1 and S2 and between S1 and S3 in GDD mode, and significant differences in Yunit , ETc , and WF of maize under three temperature scenarios in the CD mode. CONCLUSION: High temperature events occur in maize growth period, especially in the flowering-maturity stage, will increase the WF of maize. Measures such as changing the planting structure, changing the sowing date of maize and cultivating heat-resistant maize varieties could be taken to reduce the negative impacts of high-temperature weather. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Photosynthesis of winter wheat effectively reflected multiple physiological responses under short-term drought-rewatering conditions.

BACKGROUND: Based on the interrelationship among photosynthesis (Pn), water consumption and drought resistance physiology under water changes, this study aimed to explore whether easily measured Pn could be used to reflect the physiological state of winter wheat and soil moisture. The study was a greenhouse pot experiment, with three growth periods and four gradients of moisture. RESULTS: The instantaneous water use efficiency of wheat improved significantly under short-term regulated deficit irrigation conditions. The photosynthetic parameters could effectively reflect the level of soil moisture (receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, area under the curve = 0.683-0.988). There was a significant correlation between Pn and yield under drought and rewatering (P < 0.05). The water consumption of winter wheat was significantly reduced by 15.5% to 47.6% (P < 0.05) during drought owing to the reduction of stomatal conductance and transpiration rate (Tr). There was a significant linear relationship between Tr and daily water consumption (R2 > 0.745, P< 0.05). There was a significant quadratic linear relationship (R2 > 0.600, P < 0.05) between Pn and the drought resistance indicators. The protective effect of drought resistance physiology on Pn was more significant during drought than during rewatering. Among the four physiological indicators of drought resistance, the relationship between peroxidase activity and Pn was relatively close (grey relational analysis, GRO = 1). CONCLUSIONS: The photosynthetic parameters during conditions of short-term water changes could effectively reflect the status of soil moisture, water consumption, yield and drought resistance. A focus on Pn and the rational use of related relationships are conducive to the selection of drought-resistant varieties and developing refined agricultural management. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of growth-stage-based limited irrigation management on the growth, yields, and radiation utilization efficiency of winter wheat in northwest China.

BACKGROUND: As a common abiotic stress, water deficit stress has a negative impact on the growth and yield of many field crops worldwide. In this study, a mobile rain shelter experiment was conducted in the 2017-2019 growing seasons to investigate the effects of water stress at different growth stages on various traits in winter wheat, including plant height, leaf area index (LAI), biomass, radiation use efficiency (RUE), leaf photosynthetic traits, and yield. RESULTS: Three different limited irrigation treatments were applied: no irrigation at all stages (T0), no irrigation at the reviving and jointing stages (T1), and no irrigation at the heading and grain-filling stages (T2). In all treatments, 2-year averages showed that T1 resulted in the highest grain yield (6470 kg ha-1 ). The plant height and LAI of winter wheat increased in the order of T0 < T1 < T2. In addition, T1 increased post-anthesis biomass. The net photosynthetic rate and RUE were significantly higher in T1 than in other treatments. T1 could improve leaf photosynthetic traits by increasing Gs, Fv/Fm, ΦPSII, and qP, thus increasing RUE and grain yield. CONCLUSION: We propose that irrigation at the heading and grain-filling stages was the optimal limited irrigation practice for efficient radiation use and high yields in winter wheat in the arid and semi-arid area of northwest China. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of Pasteurella multocida isolated from dead rabbits with respiratory disease in Fujian, China.

BACKGROUND: Pasteurella multocida is one of the important pathogens that infect rabbits, causing major economic losses in commercial rabbit farming. In this study, 205 P. multocida isolates recovered from lungs of dead rabbits with respiratory disease were defined by capsular serogroups, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) genotypes, multi-locus sequence types and screened virulence factors by using PCR assays, and tested antimicrobial susceptibility. RESULTS: The 205 isolates were assigned into 2 capsular types, A and D, and 2 LPS genotypes, L3 and L6. When combining capsular types with LPS genotypes, 4 serotypes were detected. A:L3 (51.22%, 105/205) was the most predominant serotype, followed by A:L6 (24.88%, 51/205), D:L6 (19.02%, 39/205) and D:L3 (4.88%, 10/205). The 205 isolates were grouped into 3 sequence types, ST10, ST11 and ST12. ST12 (56.10%, 115/205) was the most prevalent sequence type, followed by ST10 (24.88%, 51/205) and ST11 (19.02%, 39/205). In the 205 isolates, virulence associated genes ptfA, fur, hgbB, ompA, ompH and oma87 were positive in the PCR screening, whereas the toxA and tbpA genes were negative. Notably, the 156 capsular serogroup A isolates carried the pmHAS gene. All the 205 isolates were susceptible to most of the used antibiotics, except for streptomycin, gentamycin, kanamycin and ceftriaxone, and the resistance rates of which were 27.80, 15.61, 9.27 and 2.44%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study, for the first time, described the prevalence and characteristics of P. multocida causing respiratory disease in rabbits in Fujian Province, which might be useful for tracking the epidemic strains and development of efficient vaccines and methods to prevent and control the pathogen.

Impacts of changing cropping pattern on virtual water flows related to crops transfer: a case study for the Hetao irrigation district, China.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of cropping patterns is a prerequisite for their optimisation, and evaluation of virtual water flows could shed new light on water resources management. This study is intended to explore the effects of cropping pattern changes between 1960 and 2008 on virtual water flows related to crops transfer in the Hetao irrigation district, China. RESULTS: (1) The sown area of crops increased at an average rate of 3.57 × 10(3) ha year(-1) while the proportion of sown grain crops decreased from 92.83% in the 1960s to 50.22% in the 2000s. (2) Virtual water content decreased during the study period while net virtual water exports increased since the 1980s. (3) Assuming that the cropping pattern was constant and was equal to the average 1960s value, accumulated net virtual water export in 1980-2008 would have been 4.76 × 10(9) m(3) greater than that in the actual cropping pattern scenario. CONCLUSION: Cropping pattern changes in the Hetao irrigation district could not only be seen as resulting from the pursuit for higher economic returns, but also as a feedback response to limited water resources. A systematic framework is still needed for future cropping pattern planning by taking food security, continued agricultural expansion and other constraints into consideration.

Development and validation of a nomogram superior to CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc models for predicting left atrial appendage dense spontaneous echo contrast/left atrial appendage thrombus.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most frequently encountered arrhythmias in clinical practice, with stroke triggered by detachment of left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) after AF being its most critical complication. The purpose of this study was to construct a nomogram model for forecasting left atrial appendage (LAA) dense spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and LAAT to accurately identify patients at high risk for stroke. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 433 patients with AF receiving transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2019 to July 2022. These patients were assigned into a non-dense SEC/LAAT group or a dense SEC/LAAT group. We constructed a nomogram model dependent on the odds ratios (ORs) of logistic regression and subsequently compared its performance with two models, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc. Results: Female gender, high D-dimer level, low left ventricular ejection fraction, low left atrial ejection fraction, and low left atrial reservoir strain rate were found to be independent factors for predicting LAA SEC/LAAT, with OR values and 95% confidence intervals of 2.811 (1.445-5.469), 2.460 (1.230-4.921), 0.961 (0.927-0.996), 0.950 (0.932-0.967), and 0.173 (0.035-0.848), respectively. The consistency statistic of the nomogram based on these given predictive factors was 0.921, and the calibrated consistency statistic was 0.903. According to receiver operation curve analysis and decision curve analysis, the nomogram was demonstrated to be superior to the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc models in predicting LAA dense SEC/LAAT. The net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement of the nomogram were 0.449 (0.324-0.575) and 0.461 (0.408-0.515), when compared with the CHADS2 model, and were 0.521 (0.411-0.632), and 0.432 (0.400-0.504), respectively, when compared with the CHA2DS2-VASc models. Conclusions: The nomogram model constructed in this study demonstrated excellent performance in predicting LAA dense SEC/LAAT, displaying a superior ability to that of the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc models.

Pathogenic and genomic characterization of rabbit-sourced Pasteurella multocida serogroup F isolates recovered from dead rabbits with respiratory disease.

Pasteurella multocida serogroup F can infect a number of animals. However, the pathogenicity and genomic features of this serogroup are still largely unknown. In the present study, the pathogenicity and genomic sequences of 19 rabbit-sourced P. multocida serogroup F isolates were determined. The 19 isolates were highly pathogenic for rabbits causing severe pathologic lesions and high mortality in inoculated rabbits. Nevertheless, the pathologic lesions in rabbits caused by the 19 isolates were distinct from those caused by the previously reported high-virulent serogroup F strains J-4103 (rabbit), P-4218 (turkey), and C21724H3km7 (chicken). Moreover, the 19 isolates were avirulent to white feather broilers. The genomes of the 19 isolates were determined to understand the pathogenicity of these isolates. The finding of a number of functional genes in the 19 isolates by comparison with the low-virulent rabbit-sourced serogroup F strain s4 might contribute to the high virulence of these isolates. Notably, polymorphisms were determined in the lipopolysaccharide outer core biosynthetic genes natC and gatF among the serogroup F strains of different hosts. However, the sequences of natC and gatF from rabbit-sourced strains (except for SD11) were identical, which might be responsible for the host specific of the 19 isolates. The observations and findings in this study would be helpful for the understanding of the pathogenicity variation and host predilection of P. multocida. IMPORTANCE: The 19 rabbit-sourced Pasteurella multocida serogroup F isolates showing high virulence to rabbits were avirulent to the broilers. Notably, polymorphisms were determined in the lipopolysaccharide outer core biosynthetic genes natC and gatF among all serogroup F strains of different hosts. However, the sequences of natC and gatF from rabbit-sourced strains (except for SD11) were identical, which might be responsible for the host specific of the 19 isolates.

Dual effects of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone on testicular development in prepubertal Minxinan Black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a neurohormone that not only suppresses reproduction at the brain level but also regulates steroidogenesis and gametogenesis at the gonad level. However, its function in gonadal physiology has received little attention in rabbits. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of GnIH on testicular development and function in prepubertal Minxinan Black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In the present study, we investigated the serum reproductive hormone concentration, testicular parameters, morphology of seminiferous tubules, apoptosis of testicular cells, and expression of reproductive-related genes in male prepubertal Minxinan Black rabbits intraperitoneally administered with 0, 0.5, 5, or 50 µg quail GnIH-related peptides (qGnIH) for 10 days. Compared with the vehicle, administration with 5 µg of qGnIH downregulated the serum testosterone concentration and mRNA levels of spermatogenic genes (PCNA, FSHR, INHßA, HSF1, and AR) and upregulated the apoptosis rate of testicular cells; administration with 50 µg of qGnIH decreased the serum testosterone concentration and hypothalamic GnIH gene mRNA level and increased the serum LH concentration, pituitary LHß gene mRNA level, testicular weight, gonadosomatic index (GSI), and spermatogenic cell layer thickness. It is concluded that GnIH could exert dual actions on testicular development depending on the male prepubertal rabbits receiving different intraperitoneal doses.

Effects of PM2.5 exposure on clock gene BMAL1 and cell cycle in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure has been closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, which are relevant to cell cycle arrest. Brain and muscle aryl-hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (BMAL1) not only participates in regulating the circadian clock but also plays a role in modulating cell cycle. However, the precise contribution of the circadian clock gene BMAL1 to PM2.5-induced cell cycle change remains unclear. This study aims to explore the impact of PM2.5 exposure on BMAL1 expression and the cell cycle in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: HUVECs was exposed to PM2.5 for 24 hours at different concentrations ((0, 12.5, 25, 75 and 100 µg.mL-1) to elucidate the potential toxic mechanism. Following exposure to PM2.5, cell viability, ROS, cell cycle, and the expression of key genes and proteins were detected. Results: A remarkable decrease in cell viability is observed in the PM2.5-exposed HUVECs, as well as a significant increase in ROS production. In addition, PM2.5-exposed HUVECs have cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase, and the gene expression of p27 is also markedly increased. The protein expression of BMAL1 and the gene expression of BMAL1 are increased significantly. Moreover, the protein expressions of p-p38 MAPK and p-ERK1/2 exhibit a marked increase in the PM2.5-exposed HUVECs. Furthermore, following the transfection of HUVECs with siBMAL1 to suppress BMAL1 expression, we observed a reduction in both the protein and gene expression of the MAPK/ERK pathway in HUVECs exposed to PM2.5. Conclusions: Overall, our results indicate that PM2.5 exposure significantly upregulates the circadian clock gene expression of BMAL1 and regulates G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in HUVECs through the MAPK/ERK pathway, which may provide new insights into the potential molecular mechanism regarding BMAL1 on PM2.5-induced cardiovascular diseases.

PM2.5-induced premature senescence in HUVECs through the SIRT1/PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway.

Vascular endothelial cell senescence plays a pivotal role in the development of atherosclerosis. Recent studies have demonstrated that ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) induces stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) in vascular endothelial cells. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this process remain to be fully elucidated. Cellular senescence is closely associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS), and emerging research has established a strong connection between the SIRT1/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway and the antioxidant system in vascular endothelial cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of PM2.5 on vascular endothelial cell senescence and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Our findings revealed that PM2.5 exposure led to an increase in senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) activity and the expression of the cell cycle-blocking proteins P53/P21 and P16 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated an elevated proportion of cells arrested in the G0/G1 phase after PM2.5 exposure. In addition, PM2.5-induced cellular senescence was attributed to the disruption of the cellular antioxidative defense system through the SIRT1/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway. The expression of cellular senescence markers was reduced after targeted scavenging of mitochondrial ROS using MitoQ. Moreover, treatment with SRT1720, a SIRT1-specific activator, upregulated the SIRT1/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway, restored the antioxidant system, and attenuated the expression of cellular senescence markers. Taken together, our results suggest that PM2.5 downregulates the SIRT1/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway, resulting in impaired antioxidant defenses in HUVECs. This, in turn, allows for the accumulation of ROS, leading to inhibition of endothelial cell cycle progression and the onset of stress-induced senescence in HUVECs.

Spatio-temporal microbial regulation of aggregate-associated priming effects under contrasting tillage practices.

Tillage intensity significantly influences the heterogeneous distribution and dynamic changes of soil microorganisms, consequently shaping spatio-temporal patterns of SOC decomposition. However, little is known about the microbial mechanisms by which tillage intensity regulates the priming effect (PE) dynamics in heterogeneous spatial environments such as aggregates. Herein, a microcosm experiment was established by adding 13C-labeled straw residue to three distinct aggregate-size classes (i.e., mega-, macro-, and micro-aggregates) from two long-term contrasting tillage histories (no-till [NT] and conventional plow tillage [CT]) for 160 days to observe the spatio-temporal variations in PE. Metagenomic sequencing and Fourier transform mid-infrared techniques were used to assess the relative importance of C-degrading functional genes, microbial community succession, and SOC chemical composition in the aggregate-associated PE dynamics during straw decomposition. Spatially, straw addition induced a positive PE for all aggregates, with stronger PE occurring in larger aggregates, especially in CT soil compared to NT soil. Larger aggregates have more unique microbial communities enriched in genes for simple C degradation (e.g., E5.1.3.6, E2.4.1.7, pmm-pgm, and KduD in Nitrosospeera and Burkholderia), contributing to the higher short-term PE; however, CT soils harbored more genes for complex C degradation (e.g., TSTA3, fcl, pmm-pgm, and K06871 in Gammaproteobacteria and Phycicoccus), supporting a stronger long-term PE. Temporally, soil aggregates played a significant role in the early-stage PEs (i.e., < 59 days after residue addition) through co-metabolism and nitrogen (N) mining, as evidenced by the increased microbial biomass C and dissolved organic C (DOC) and reduced inorganic N with increasing aggregate-size class. At a later stage, however, the legacy effect of tillage histories controlled the PEs via microbial stoichiometry decomposition, as suggested by the higher DOC-to-inorganic N and DOC-to-available P stoichiometries in CT than NT. Our study underscores the importance of incorporating both spatial and temporal microbial dynamics for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying SOC priming, especially in the context of long-term contrasting tillage practices.

The virtual water content of major grain crops and virtual water flows between regions in China.

BACKGROUND: The disproportionate distribution of arable land and water resources has become a bottleneck for guaranteeing food security in China. Virtual water and virtual water trade theory have provided a potential solution to improve water resources management in agriculture and alleviate water crises in water-scarce regions. The present study evaluates the green and blue virtual water content of wheat, maize and rice at the regional scale in China. It then assesses the water-saving benefits of virtual water flows related to the transfer of the three crops between regions. RESULTS: The national average virtual water content of wheat, maize and rice were 1071 m(3) per ton (50.98% green water, 49.02% blue water ), 830 m(3) per ton (76.27% green water, 23.73% blue water) and 1294 m(3) per ton (61.90% green water, 38.10% blue water), respectively. With the regional transfer of wheat, maize and rice, virtual water flows reached 30.08 Gm(3) (59.91% green water, 40.09% blue water). Meanwhile, China saved 11.47 Gm(3) green water, while it consumed 7.84 Gm(3) more blue water than with a no-grain transfer scenario in 2009. CONCLUSION: In order to guarantee food security in China, the government should improve water productivity (reduce virtual water content of crops) during the grain production process. Meanwhile, under the preconditions of economic feasibility and land-water resources availability, China should guarantee the grain-sown area in southern regions for taking full advantage of green water resources and to alleviate the pressure on water resources.

ECGNet: An Efficient Network for Detecting Premature Ventricular Complexes Based on ECG Images.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative prediction of the origin site of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) is critical for the success of operations. However, current methods are not efficient or accurate enough. In addition, among the proposed strategies, there are few good prediction methods for electrocardiogram (ECG) images combined with deep learning aspects. METHODS: We propose ECGNet, a new neural network for the classification of 12-lead ECG images. In ECGNet, 609 ECG images from 310 patients who had undergone successful surgery in the Division of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, are utilized to construct the dataset. We adopt dense blocks, special convolution kernels and divergent paths to improve the performance of ECGNet. In addition, a new loss function is designed to address the sample imbalance situation, whose cause is the uneven distribution of cases themselves, which often occurs in the medical field. We also conduct extensive experiments in terms of network prediction accuracy to compare ECGNet with other networks, such as ResNet and DarkNet. RESULTS: Our ECGNet achieves extremely high prediction accuracy (91.74%) and efficiency with very small datasets. Our newly proposed loss function can solve the problem of sample imbalance during the training process. CONCLUSION: The proposed ECGNet can quickly and accurately realize the multiclassification of PVCs after training with little data. Our network has the potential to be helpful to doctors with a preoperative diagnosis of PVCs. We will continue to collect similar cases and perfect our network structure to further improve the accuracy of our network's prediction.