The first two whole mitochondrial genomes for the genus Dactylis species: assembly and comparative genomics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), a perennial forage, has the advantages of rich leaves, high yield, and good quality and is one of the most significant forage for grassland animal husbandry and ecological management in southwest China. Mitochondrial (mt) genome is one of the major genetic systems in plants. Studying the mt genome of the genus Dactylis could provide more genetic information in addition to the nuclear genome project of the genus. RESULTS: In this study, we sequenced and assembled two mitochondrial genomes of Dactylis species of D. glomerata (597, 281 bp) and D. aschersoniana (613, 769 bp), based on a combination of PacBio and Illumina. The gene content in the mitochondrial genome of D. aschersoniana is almost identical to the mitochondrial genome of D. glomerata, which contains 22-23 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 8 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and 30 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), while D. glomerata lacks the gene encoding the Ribosomal protein (rps1) and D. aschersoniana contains one pseudo gene (atp8). Twenty-three introns were found among eight of the 30 protein-coding genes, and introns of three genes (nad 1, nad2, and nad5) were trans-spliced in Dactylis aschersoniana. Further, our mitochondrial genome characteristics investigation of the genus Dactylis included codon usage, sequences repeats, RNA editing and selective pressure. The results showed that a large number of short repetitive sequences existed in the mitochondrial genome of D. aschersoniana, the size variation of two mitochondrial genomes is due largely to the presence of a large number of short repetitive sequences. We also identified 52-53 large fragments that were transferred from the chloroplast genome to the mitochondrial genome, and found that the similarity was more than 70%. ML and BI methods used in phylogenetic analysis revealed that the evolutionary status of the genus Dactylis. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, this study reveals the significant rearrangements in the mt genomes of Pooideae species. The sequenced Dactylis mt genome can provide more genetic information and improve our evolutionary understanding of the mt genomes of gramineous plants.

Construction of BaTiO3-TiO2 hollow sphere heterojunctions for enhanced microwave dynamic therapy in cancer treatment.

Cancer is one of the primary health concerns among humans due to its high incidence rate and lack of effective treatment. Currently, medical techniques to achieve the precise elimination of local cancer lesions with negligible damage to normal tissues are still intensely desired. Herein, we synthesized BaTiO3-TiO2 hollow spheres (BTHSs) for use in microwave dynamic therapy (MWDT) for cancer. Under UV irradiation, BTHSs can mediate the production of multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly 1O2, which results in a rapid photocatalytic degradation rate (97%), 1.6-fold that of commercial P25. Importantly, the ROS production process can be triggered by microwaves to effectively execute MWDT for cancer. Under microwave irradiation, BTHSs exhibit a remarkable therapeutic effect and slight cytotoxicity. In terms of mechanism, the enhanced ROS production efficiency of BTHSs can be attributed to their unique hollow structure and the formation of a type-II heterojunction by the incorporation of BaTiO3. The hollow structure increases the availability of active sites and enhances light scattering, while the BaTiO3-TiO2 heterojunction enhances the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 through charge transfer and electron-hole separation. Overall, this study provides important insights into the design and optimization of sensitizers for MWDT applications.

Diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT) isoforms play a role in peridroplet mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism in bovine liver.

Hepatocellular lipid accumulation characterizes fatty liver in dairy cows. Lipid droplets (LD), specialized organelles that store lipids and maintain cellular lipid homeostasis, are responsible for the ectopic storage of lipids associated with several metabolic disorders. In recent years, non-ruminant studies have reported that LD-mitochondria interactions play an important role in lipid metabolism. Due to the role of diacylglycerol acyltransferase isoforms (DGAT1 and DGAT2) in LD synthesis, we explored mechanisms of mitochondrial fatty acid transport in ketotic cows using liver biopsies and isolated primary hepatocytes. Compared with healthy cows, cows with fatty liver had massive accumulation of LD and high protein expression of the triglyceride (TAG) synthesis-related enzymes DGAT1 and DGAT2, LD synthesis-related proteins perilipin 2 (PLIN2) and perilipin 5 (PLIN5), and the mitochondrial fragmentation-related proteins dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and fission 1 (FIS1). In contrast, factors associated with fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial fusion and mitochondrial electron transport chain complex were lower compared with those in the healthy cows. In addition, transmission electron microscopy revealed significant contacts between LD-mitochondria in liver tissue from cows with fatty liver. Compared with isolated cytoplasmic mitochondria, expression of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1A) and DRP1 was lower, but mitofusin 2 (MFN2) and mitochondrial electron transport chain complex was greater in isolated peridroplet mitochondria from hepatic tissue of cows with fatty liver. In vitro data indicated that exogenous free fatty acids (FFA) induced hepatocyte LD synthesis and mitochondrial dynamics consistent with in vivo results. Furthermore, DGAT2 inhibitor treatment attenuated the FFA-induced upregulation of PLIN2 and PLIN5 and rescued the impairment of mitochondrial dynamics. Inhibition of DGAT2 also restored mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced hepatocyte reactive oxygen species production. The present in vivo and in vitro results indicated there are functional differences among different types of mitochondria in the liver tissue of dairy cows with ketosis. Activity of DGAT2 may play a key role in maintaining liver mitochondrial function and lipid homeostasis in dairy cows during the transition period.

Optical performance evaluation of an infrared system of a hypersonic vehicle in an aero-thermal environment.

At hypersonic velocities, the turbulent flow field generated by an aircraft, along with its temperature distribution, leads to significant aerodynamic optical effects that severely impede the performance of internal optical systems. This study proposes a method for analyzing the temporal characteristics of imaging degradation in a detector window infrared imaging system under different field angles of hypersonic velocity. Based on heat transfer theory, a method for solving the transient temperature field in the optical window of a high-speed aircraft is derived and established, considering unsteady thermal conduction-radiation coupling. Additionally, an optical window radiation tracing method is introduced, which directly determines the initial direction vector of light reaching the detector. This method reduces the workload of radiation transmission, significantly enhancing the efficiency of radiation calculations. The time characteristics of image degradation caused by aero-optical effects in high-speed aircraft are analyzed using metrics such as peak signal-to-noise ratio, wave aberration, and point diffusion function. The results demonstrate that as working time increases and the viewing angle widens, the impact of aero-optics on the aircraft imaging system becomes more severe. Moreover, compared to the aerodynamic light transmission effect, the aerodynamic thermal radiation effect has a more detrimental influence on imaging quality.

Regulation of cholesterol metabolism during high fatty acid-induced lipid deposition in calf hepatocytes.

Cholesterol in the circulation is partly driven by changes in feed intake, but aspects of cholesterol metabolism during development of fatty liver are not well known. The objective of this study was to investigate mechanisms of cholesterol metabolism in calf hepatocytes challenged with high concentrations of fatty acids (FA). To address mechanistic insights regarding cholesterol metabolism, liver samples were collected from healthy control dairy cows (n = 6; 7-13 d in milk) and cows with fatty liver (n = 6; 7-11 d in milk). In vitro, hepatocytes isolated from 3 healthy female calves (1 d old) were challenged with or without a mix of 1.2 mM FA to induce metabolic stress. In addition, hepatocytes were processed with 10 µmol/L of the cholesterol synthesis inhibitor simvastatin or 6 µmol/L of the cholesterol intracellular transport inhibitor U18666A with or without the 1.2 mM FA mix. To evaluate the role of cholesterol addition, hepatocytes were treated with 0.147 mg/mL methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (MßCD + FA) or 0.147 mg/mL MßCD with or without 10 and 100 µmol/L cholesterol before incubation with FA (CHO10 + FA and CHO100 + FA). In vivo data from liver biopsies were analyzed by 2-tailed unpaired Student's t-test. Data from in vitro calf hepatocytes were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Compared with healthy cows, blood plasma total cholesterol and plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol content in cows with fatty liver was markedly lower, whereas the hepatic total cholesterol content did not differ. In contrast, compared with healthy controls, the triacylglycerol content in the liver and the content of FA, ß-hydroxybutyrate, and aspartate aminotransferase in the plasma of cows with fatty liver were greater. The results revealed that both fatty liver in vivo and challenge of calf hepatocytes with 1.2 mM FA in vitro led to greater mRNA and protein abundance of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN). In contrast, mRNA and protein abundance of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 2 (SREBF2), acyl coenzyme A-cholesterol acyltransferase, and ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1) were lower. Compared with the FA group, the cholesterol synthesis inhibitor simvastatin led to greater protein abundance of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and mRNA abundance of SREBF2, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), ACAT2, and lower ABCA1 and FASN protein abundance. In contrast, compared with the FA group, the cholesterol intracellular transport inhibitor U18666A + FA led to greater total cholesterol concentration and greater protein and mRNA abundance of FASN. Compared with the MßCD + FA group, the addition of 10 µmol/L cholesterol led to greater concentration of cholesteryl ester and excretion of apolipoprotein B100, and greater protein and mRNA abundance of ABCA1 and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, and lower concentration of malondialdehyde. Overall, a reduction in cholesterol synthesis promoted FA metabolism in hepatocytes likely to relieve the oxidative stress caused by the high FA load. The data suggest that maintenance of normal cholesterol synthesis promotes very low-density lipoprotein excretion and can reduce lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in dairy cows that experience fatty liver.

Metal-Organic Framework with Near-Infrared Luminescence for "Switch-on" Determination of Kaempferol and Quercetin by the Antenna Effect.

The establishment of a reliable and sensitive method for the detection of flavonoids, such as kaempferol (Kae) and quercetin (Que), is important and challenging in food chemistry and pharmacology because numerous structural analogues may interfere with the detection. Until now, designing an efficient switch-on fluorescence sensing strategy for Kae and Que was still in the unachievable stage. In this work, a switch-on near-infrared (NIR) luminescence sensing assay for Kae and Que was fabricated based on a metal-organic framework (MOF) called IQBA-Yb for the first time. The fluorescence enhancing mechanism was that analytes served as additional "antenna" of Yb3+, leading to the efficient switch-on NIR emission under excitation at 467 nm. Meanwhile, the combination results of experiment and theoretical calculation revealed that there existed hydrogen bonds between Kae, Que, and the MOF skeleton, further promoting the energy transfer between the analyte and Yb3+ and facilitating fluorescence enhancement response. The developed probe possessed excellent sensing capability for Kae and Que, accompanied by a wide linear range (0.04-70, 0.06-90 µM), low detection limit (0.01, 0.06 µM), and short response time (20 min, 6 min), which was used to determine the Kae and Que contents in Green Lake and eatable Que samples with satisfactory results.

Role of sortilin 1 (SORT1) on fatty acid-mediated cholesterol metabolism in primary calf hepatocytes.

Ketosis is a common metabolic disorder in peripartal dairy cows that is caused by excessive mobilization of fat and incomplete hepatic metabolism of fatty acids (FFA). Recent data in nonruminant models revealed that sortilin 1 (SORT1) is involved in a variety of lipid metabolism-related diseases. It plays important roles in the regulation of triglyceride (TAG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels. In this study, we first used liver biopsies from healthy cows (serum ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration <0.6 mM) and cows diagnosed with clinical ketosis (serum ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration >3.0 mM) to assess alterations in cholesterol synthesis, transport, and excretion. Then, to assess mechanistic links between SORT1 and fatty acid-mediated cholesterol metabolism, hepatocytes isolated from 4 healthy female calves (1 d old, 35-45 kg) were challenged with or without a mixture of free fatty acids (FFA; 1.2 mM) to induce metabolic stress. Hepatocytes were then treated with empty adenovirus vectors (with green fluorescent protein; Ad-GFP) or with SORT1-overexpressing adenovirus (Ad-SORT1) for 6 h or with SORT1 inhibitor (SORT1i) for 2 h, followed by a challenge with (Ad-GFP+FFA, Ad-SORT1+FFA, or SORT1i+FFA) or without (Ad-GFP, Ad-SORT1, or SORT1i) 1.2 mM FFA mixture for 12 h. Data analysis of calf hepatocyte treatment comparisons were assessed by 2-way ANOVA, and multiplicity for each experiment was adjusted using the Bonferroni procedure. Expression levels of factors related to cholesterol synthesis, transport, and excretion in liver tissue of cows with ketosis was lower. Hepatocytes challenged with FFA had lower concentrations of TC and mRNA and protein abundances of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBF2), acetyl acyl coenzyme A-cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2), ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), ABC subfamily G member 5 (ABCG5), and ABC subfamily G member 8 (ABCG8). Compared with FFA challenge alone, SORT1i + FFA led to greater protein abundance of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), ACAT2, and ABCG5, and greater mRNA abundance of ABCG5. Compared with FFA challenge alone, SORT1 overexpression led to lower protein abundance of SREBF2. In contrast, protein abundance of ABCA1 was greater. Overall, our data suggested that exogenous FFA induced abnormal cholesterol metabolism in hepatocytes, whereas a high abundance of SORT1 affected cholesterol esterification and potentially influx into bile. Thus, downregulation of hepatic SORT1 might be a cholesterol-regulated protective mechanism in the presence of a marked increase in FFA.

Role of sortilin 1 (SORT1) on lipid metabolism in bovine liver.

High circulating concentrations of fatty acids cause triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in hepatocytes of dairy cows, a common metabolic disorder after calving. Low secretion of apolipoprotein B (APOB) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) are thought to be the major factors for TAG accumulation in hepatocytes. Recent data in nonruminant models revealed that sortilin 1 (SORT1) is a key regulator of VLDL secretion in part due to its ability to bind APOB. Thus, SORT1 could play a role in the susceptibility of dairy cows to develop fatty liver. To gain mechanistic insights in vivo and in vitro, we performed experiments using liver biopsies or isolated primary hepatocytes. For the in vivo study, blood and liver samples were collected from healthy multiparous dairy cows (n = 6; 9.0 ± 2.1 d in milk) and cows with fatty liver (n = 6; 9.7 ± 2.2 d in milk). In vitro, hepatocytes isolated from 4 healthy female calves (1 d old, 42-51 kg) were challenged with (fatty acids) or without (control) a 1.2 mM mixture of fatty acids in an attempt to induce metabolic stress. Furthermore, hepatocytes were treated with empty adenovirus vectors (Ad-GFP) or SORT1 overexpressing adenovirus (Ad-SORT1) for 6 h, or SORT1 inhibitor for 2 h followed by a challenge with (Ad-GFP + fatty acids, Ad-SORT1 + fatty acids, or SORT1 inhibitor + fatty acids) or without (Ad-GFP, Ad-SORT1, or SORT1 inhibitor) the 1.2 mM mixture of fatty acids for 12 h. Data from liver biopsies were compared using a 2-tailed unpaired Student's t-test. Data from calf hepatocytes were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Data revealed that both fatty liver and in vitro challenge with fatty acids were associated with greater concentrations of TAG and mRNA and protein abundance of SORT1, SREBF1, FASN, and ACACA. In contrast, mRNA and protein abundance of CPT1A and APOB, and mRNA abundance of MTTP were markedly lower. Compared with fatty acid challenge alone, SORT1 overexpression led to greater concentration of TAG and mRNA abundance of SREBF1, FASN, ACACA, DGAT1, and DGAT2, and protein abundance of SREBF1, FASN, and ACACA. In contrast, concentration of secreted VLDL-APOB and mRNA abundance of APOB and MTTP, and protein abundance of CPT1A, APOB, and MTTP were lower. Compared with fatty acid challenge alone, SORT1 inhibitor + fatty acids led to lower concentrations of TAG and mRNA abundance of SREBF1, FASN, and DGAT2, and protein abundance of FASN, ACACA, and DGAT1. Concentrations of secreted VLDL-APOB and mRNA abundance of CPT1A and protein abundance of CPT1A and APOB were greater. Overall, in vitro data suggested that greater SORT1 abundance induced by exogenous fatty acids caused a reduction in VLDL-APOB secretion and increased hepatocyte TAG synthesis. Such mechanism was also apparent in tissue from cows with fatty liver. Thus, targeted downregulation of hepatic SORT1 could represent a viable mechanism to unload lipid during conditions where the influx of fatty acids increases markedly.

IDSSIM: an lncRNA functional similarity calculation model based on an improved disease semantic similarity method.

BACKGROUND: It has been widely accepted that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the development and progression of human diseases. Many association prediction models have been proposed for predicting lncRNA functions and identifying potential lncRNA-disease associations. Nevertheless, among them, little effort has been attempted to measure lncRNA functional similarity, which is an essential part of association prediction models. RESULTS: In this study, we presented an lncRNA functional similarity calculation model, IDSSIM for short, based on an improved disease semantic similarity method, highlight of which is the introduction of information content contribution factor into the semantic value calculation to take into account both the hierarchical structures of disease directed acyclic graphs and the disease specificities. IDSSIM and three state-of-the-art models, i.e., LNCSIM1, LNCSIM2, and ILNCSIM, were evaluated by applying their disease semantic similarity matrices and the lncRNA functional similarity matrices, as well as corresponding matrices of human lncRNA-disease associations coming from either lncRNADisease database or MNDR database, into an association prediction method WKNKN for lncRNA-disease association prediction. In addition, case studies of breast cancer and adenocarcinoma were also performed to validate the effectiveness of IDSSIM. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated that in terms of ROC curves and AUC values, IDSSIM is superior to compared models, and can improve accuracy of disease semantic similarity effectively, leading to increase the association prediction ability of the IDSSIM-WKNKN model; in terms of case studies, most of potential disease-associated lncRNAs predicted by IDSSIM can be confirmed by databases and literatures, implying that IDSSIM can serve as a promising tool for predicting lncRNA functions, identifying potential lncRNA-disease associations, and pre-screening candidate lncRNAs to perform biological experiments. The IDSSIM code, all experimental data and prediction results are available online at https://github.com/CDMB-lab/IDSSIM .

Reversible Phase Transition of Porous Coordination Polymers.

Porous coordination polymers or metal-organic frameworks with reversible phase-transition behavior possess some attractive properties, and can respond to external stimuli, including physical and chemical stimuli, in a dynamic fashion. Their phase transitions can be triggered by adsorption/desorption of guest molecules, temperature changes, high pressure, light irradiation, and electric fields; these mainly include two types of transitions: crystal-amorphous and crystal-crystal transitions. These types of porous coordination polymers have received much attention because of their interesting properties and potential applications. Herein, reversible phase transition porous coordination polymers are summarized and classified based on different stimuli sources. Corresponding typical examples are then introduced. Finally, examples of their applications in gas separation, chemical sensors, guest molecule encapsulation, and energy storage are also presented.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Chan-hua fungus Isaria cicadae: a tale of intron evolution in Cordycipitaceae.

Isaria cicadae is an entomogenous fungus of great medicinal value. Its nuclear genome has been reported, while its mitogenome remains unknown. Herein, we first described its mitogenome and then inferred intron evolution from both intraspecific and interspecific perspectives. The fungus represented the largest mitogenome (56.6 kb in strain CCAD02) known in Cordycipitaceae due to the presence of 25 introns interrupting nine genes. Comparison of three I. cicadae strains revealed intron presence/absence dynamics at six intron loci plus a few indels and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the placement of I. cicadae in Cordycipitaceae. Comparison of 10 Cordycipitaceae species revealed a high degree of synteny and conserved genetic content. They, however, varied in intron numbers (1-25 per species) with overall 34 intron loci identified, which resulted in more than twofold variations in mitogenome sizes (24.5-56.6 kb). An rnl intron encoding ribosomal protein S3 was present in all species, suggesting its early invasion in Cordycipitaceae, while further divergence occurred for this intron. The other introns identified in this study were present in some, but not all of the species and have undergone multiple gains and losses in Cordycipitaceae. This study greatly enhanced our understanding of intron evolution in Cordycipitaceae.

Solvent-Driven Reversible Phase Transition of a Pillared Metal-Organic Framework.

Over the last decade, the controllable reversible phase transition of functional materials has received growing interest as it shows unique suitability for various technological applications. Although many metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) possess a lamellar structure, the reversible structural transformation of MOFs between their three-dimensional (3D) phase and two-dimensional (2D) phase remains a largely unexplored area. Herein, we report for the first time a europium MOF with unprecedented reversible morphology in different solvents at room temperature. This europium MOF displayed a 3D nanorod morphology in organic solvent and a 2D nanobelt architecture in water. As a proof of concept for potential applications of this reversible-phase-transition MOF, we were able to use a delamination recovery method to load dye molecules that previously could not be loaded into europium MOFs.

Intramolecular Aminoboration of Unfunctionalized Olefins.

A direct and catalyst-free method for the intramolecular aminoboration of unfunctionalized olefins is reported. In the presence of BCl3 (1 equiv) as the sole boron source, intramolecular aminoboration of sulfonamide derivatives of 4-penten-1-amines, 5-hexen-1-amines, and 2-allylanilines proceeded readily without the use of any catalyst. The boronic acids obtained after hydrolysis could be converted into the corresponding pinacol borates in a straightforward manner by treatment with pinacol under anhydrous conditions.

Prediction of protein kinase-specific phosphorylation sites in hierarchical structure using functional information and random forest.

Reversible protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications, which regulates various biological cellular processes. Identification of the kinase-specific phosphorylation sites is helpful for understanding the phosphorylation mechanism and regulation processes. Although a number of computational approaches have been developed, currently few studies are concerned about hierarchical structures of kinases, and most of the existing tools use only local sequence information to construct predictive models. In this work, we conduct a systematic and hierarchy-specific investigation of protein phosphorylation site prediction in which protein kinases are clustered into hierarchical structures with four levels including kinase, subfamily, family and group. To enhance phosphorylation site prediction at all hierarchical levels, functional information of proteins, including gene ontology (GO) and protein-protein interaction (PPI), is adopted in addition to primary sequence to construct prediction models based on random forest. Analysis of selected GO and PPI features shows that functional information is critical in determining protein phosphorylation sites for every hierarchical level. Furthermore, the prediction results of Phospho.ELM and additional testing dataset demonstrate that the proposed method remarkably outperforms existing phosphorylation prediction methods at all hierarchical levels. The proposed method is freely available at http://bioinformatics.ustc.edu.cn/phos_pred/.

Renal anemia: from relative insufficiency of EPO to imbalance of erythropoiesis and eryptosis.

Chronic kidney disease has emerged as a major health issue both in China and worldwide. Renal anemia frequently occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease, and its severity and incidence rate increase as the disease progresses. Over the last 30 years, the administration of exogenous EPO and EPO stimulants has been employed to alleviate renal anemia, suggesting that a relative deficiency in EPO may be a primary cause. However, this approach has overshadowed other contributing factors, particularly eryptosis, which results from the reduced lifespan of red blood cells. Numerous studies reveal that there are nephrogenic and extrarenal EPO secretion indicating that an absolute deficiency of EPO is not always present in patients. Therefore, this paper speculates that renal anemia may arise when EPO-driven erythropoiesis fails to adequately compensate for aggravating eryptosis. Other factors including iron metabolism disorder, uremic toxin accumulation, inflammatory state, oxidative stress, and secondary hyperparathyroidism affect EPO reactivity bone marrow hematopoiesis and eryptosis, leading to an imbalance between red blood cell production and destruction, and cause anemia ultimately. More further studies on the pathogenesis and treatment of renal anemia would be expected to provide evidence to support our opinion.

Multi-modal ultrasound multistage classification of PTC cervical lymph node metastasis via DualSwinThyroid.

Objective: This study aims to predict cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with high accuracy. To achieve this, we introduce a novel deep learning model, DualSwinThyroid, leveraging multi-modal ultrasound imaging data for prediction. Materials and methods: We assembled a substantial dataset consisting of 3652 multi-modal ultrasound images from 299 PTC patients in this retrospective study. The newly developed DualSwinThyroid model integrates various ultrasound modalities and clinical data. Following its creation, we rigorously assessed the model's performance against a separate testing set, comparing it with established machine learning models and previous deep learning approaches. Results: Demonstrating remarkable precision, DualSwinThyroid achieved an AUC of 0.924 and an 96.3% accuracy on the test set. The model efficiently processed multi-modal data, pinpointing features indicative of lymph node metastasis in thyroid nodule ultrasound images. It offers a three-tier classification that aligns each level with a specific surgical strategy for PTC treatment. Conclusion: DualSwinThyroid, a deep learning model designed with multi-modal ultrasound radiomics, effectively estimates the degree of cervical lymph node metastasis in PTC patients. In addition, it also provides early, precise identification and facilitation of interventions for high-risk groups, thereby enhancing the strategic selection of surgical approaches in managing PTC patients.

The economic effect of financial compensation in China's healthcare system: comprehensive insights regarding supply and demand factors.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to analyse the effects of government subsidies on residents' health and healthcare expenditure from the perspectives of supply and demand. DATA AND METHODS: According to the regional division adopted in the data query system of the National Bureau of Statistics, this study divides 31 provinces and cities into three regions: eastern, central, and western. The data used are from public databases, such as the "China Statistical Yearbook," "China Health Statistical Yearbook," and "Government Final Account Report". In this study, mathematical model derivation is used to construct a fixed effects model, and an empirical study based on cross-sectional data and general linear regression is conducted. To prevent endogeneity issues, this study introduces instrumental variables and uses 2SLS regression to further analyse the output results. RESULTS: For every 1% increase in supplementary funding on the supply side, the perinatal mortality rate decreases by 1.765%, while for every 1% increase in financial compensation on the demand side, per capita outpatient expenses increase by 0.225% and per capita hospitalization expenses increase by 0.196%. Regarding medical resources, for every 1% increase in the number of beds per 1,000 people, per capita hospitalization expenses decrease by 0.099%. In the central and eastern regions, where economic levels are higher, supply-side government funding is more effective than demand-side funding. In contrast, demand-side funding is more effective in the western region. CONCLUSIONS: The roles of multiple influencing factors and significant regional heterogeneity are clarified. Increasing financial compensation to providers positively impacts perinatal mortality but leads to higher per capita outpatient and hospital expenditures. Finally, this study provides targeted policy recommendations and solid theoretical support for policymakers.

Insight into the fate of tolfenpyrad in tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) from root uptake.

Residual pesticides in agricultural environments, including soil and irrigation water, can be taken up by plants, and thus pose a potential risk to food safety. Although tolfenpyrad has been widely used in tea plantations, limited information is available on its root uptake and fate in tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.). Exploring the mechanisms involved is crucial for understanding the migration and accumulation of tolfenpyrad in tea plants, particularly in the edible parts. In this study, root uptake of tolfenpyrad and its subsequent translocation, distribution, and metabolism in tea seedlings were investigated. The results indicated that the passive transport and apoplastic pathway dominated the root uptake of tolfenpyrad. After uptake, tolfenpyrad distributed predominantly in the cell walls (90.8-92.0 %) of roots, resulting in limited upward translocation in water-soluble fractions through transpirational pull, with translocation factor values far <1 (TFstem/root = 0.115-0.453 and TFleaf/stem = 0.039-0.184). Similar accumulation patterns were observed for the carboxylated metabolite PT-CA as well as hydroxylated metabolite PT-OH. Interestingly, the subcellular distribution of PT-CA in stems was much different from that of the parent tolfenpyrad: PT-CA mainly distributed in the stem cell walls (41.72 %) and cell organelles (56.18 %) at 3 h, then gradually transferred into the cell-soluble fractions (33.07 %) after 120 h. Results from the present study indicated limited upward translocation of tolfenpyrad with its main metabolites to leaves. This finding helps to alleviate concerns about environmental residual tolfenpyrad in tea consumption and provides valuable information for the safety evaluation of tolfenpyrad.

ß-sitosterol alleviates high fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation in calf hepatocytes by regulating cholesterol metabolism.

A significant reduction in plasma concentration of cholesterol during early lactation is a common occurrence in high-yielding dairy cows. An insufficient synthesis of cholesterol in the liver has been linked to lipid accumulation caused by high concentrations of fatty acids during negative energy balance (NEB). As ruminant diets do not provide quantitative amounts of cholesterol for absorption, phytosterols such as ß-sitosterol may serve to mitigate the shortfall in cholesterol within the liver during NEB. To gain mechanistic insights, primary hepatocytes were isolated from healthy female 1-day old calves for in vitro studies with or without 1.2 mM fatty acids (FA) to induce metabolic stress. Furthermore, hepatocytes were treated with 50 µM ß-sitosterol with or without FA. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA with subsequent Bonferroni correction. Results revealed that calf hepatocytes treated with FA had greater content of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triacylglycerol (TAG), and greater mRNA and protein abundance of the lipid synthesis-related SREBF1 and FASN. In contrast, mRNA and protein of CPT1A (fatty acid oxidation) and the cholesterol metabolism-related targets SREBF2, HMGCR, ACAT2, APOA1, ABCA1 and ABCG5 was lower. Content of the antioxidant-related glutathione (GSH) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) also was lower. Compared with FA challenge alone, 50 µM ß-sitosterol led to greater mRNA and protein abundance of SREBF2, HMGCR, ACAT2 and ABCG5, and greater content of GSH and activity of SOD. In contrast, compared with the FA group, the mRNA and protein abundance of SREBF1 and ACC1 and the content of TAG and NEFA in the ß-sitosterol + FA group were lower. Overall, ß-sitosterol can promote cholesterol metabolism and reduce oxidative stress while reducing lipid accumulation in hepatocytes challenged with high concentrations of fatty acids.

A luminescent organic cocrystal for detecting 2,4-dinitroaniline.

2,4-dinitroaniline (2,4DNBA), a significant hazardous chemical, is extensively used in industry and agriculture. The chemical accumulates in the environment for a long time, causing irreversible damage to the ecosystem. Currently, it is quite challenging to identify it by common analysis and detection techniques. Herein, a luminescent organic cocrystal (TCNB-8HQ) was prepared using 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) as the electron acceptor and 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) as the electron donor. The prepared TCNB-8HQ was used as a fluorescent probe with a fast and specific response to 2,4DNBA. This detection method possessed a linear range of 0.5-200 µmol/L with a detection limit as low as 0.085 µmol/L to detect 2,4DNBA in real samples with satisfactory spiking recovery. As revealed by fluorescence spectrum and UV-vis absorption spectrum, the detection mechanism involved competitive absorption between cocrystal material and 2,4DNBA. Moreover, the feasibility of the system was explored by preparing portable indicator strips for 2,4DNBA from organic cocrystal (TCNB-8HQ). This study not only provided an environmentally friendly gram-level preparation strategy to synthesize the fluorescent material but also investigated their application in chemical detection.