Nomogram based on liver stiffness and spleen area with ultrasound for posthepatectomy liver failure: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Liver stiffness (LS) measurement with two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) correlates with the degree of liver fibrosis and thus indirectly reflects liver function reserve. The size of the spleen increases due to tissue proliferation, fibrosis, and portal vein congestion, which can indirectly reflect the situation of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. It was reported that the size of the spleen was related to posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). So far, there has been no study combining 2D-SWE measurements of LS with spleen size to predict PHLF. This prospective study aimed to investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and spleen area (SPA) for the prediction of PHLF in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to develop a risk prediction model. AIM: To investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and SPA for the prediction of PHLF in HCC patients and to develop a risk prediction model. METHODS: This was a multicenter observational study prospectively analyzing patients who underwent hepatectomy from October 2020 to March 2022. Within 1 wk before partial hepatectomy, ultrasound examination was performed to measure LS and SPA, and blood was drawn to evaluate the patient's liver function and other conditions. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify independent predictors of PHLF and develop a nomogram. Nomogram performance was validated further. The diagnostic performance of the nomogram was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve compared with the conventional models, including the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score. RESULTS: A total of 562 HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy (500 in the training cohort and 62 in the validation cohort) were enrolled in this study. The independent predictors of PHLF were LS, SPA, range of resection, blood loss, international normalized ratio, and total bilirubin. Better diagnostic performance of the nomogram was obtained in the training [area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.833; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.792-0.873; sensitivity: 83.1%; specificity: 73.5%] and validation (AUC: 0.802; 95%CI: 0.684-0.920; sensitivity: 95.5%; specificity: 52.5%) cohorts compared with the MELD score and the ALBI score. CONCLUSION: This PHLF nomogram, mainly based on LS by 2D-SWE and SPA, was useful in predicting PHLF in HCC patients and presented better than MELD score and ALBI score.

The acetyltransferase SCO0988 controls positively specialized metabolism and morphological differentiation in the model strains Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans.

Streptomycetes are well-known antibiotic producers possessing in their genomes numerous silent biosynthetic pathways that might direct the biosynthesis of novel bio-active specialized metabolites. It is thus of great interest to find ways to enhance the expression of these pathways to discover most needed novel antibiotics. In this study, we demonstrated that the over-expression of acetyltransferase SCO0988 up-regulated the production of specialized metabolites and accelerated sporulation of the weak antibiotic producer, Streptomyces lividans and that the deletion of this gene had opposite effects in the strong antibiotic producer, Streptomyces coelicolor. The comparative analysis of the acetylome of a S. lividans strain over-expressing sco0988 with that of the original strain revealed that SCO0988 acetylates a broad range of proteins of various pathways including BldKB/SCO5113, the extracellular solute-binding protein of an ABC-transporter involved in the up-take of a signal oligopeptide of the quorum sensing pathway. The up-take of this oligopeptide triggers the "bald cascade" that regulates positively specialized metabolism, aerial mycelium formation and sporulation in S. coelicolor. Interestingly, BldKB/SCO5113 was over-acetylated on four Lysine residues, including Lys425, upon SCO0988 over-expression. The bald phenotype of a bldKB mutant could be complemented by native bldKB but not by variant of bldKB in which the Lys425 was replaced by arginine, an amino acid that could not be acetylated or by glutamine, an amino acid that is expected to mimic acetylated lysine. Our study demonstrated that Lys425 was a critical residue for BldKB function but was inconclusive concerning the impact of acetylation of Lys425 on BldKB function.

Soybean transcription factor GmNF-YB20 confers resistance to stripe rust in transgenic wheat by regulating nonspecific lipid transfer protein genes.

Worldwide food security is severely threatened by the devastating wheat stripe rust disease. The utilization of resistant wheat cultivars represents the most cost-effective and efficient strategy for combating this disease. However, the lack of resistant resources has been a major bottleneck in breeding for wheat disease resistance. Therefore, revealing novel gene resources for combating stripe rust and elucidating the underlying resistance mechanism is of utmost urgency. In this study, we identified that the soybean NF-YB transcription factor GmNF-YB20 in wheat provides resistance to the stripe rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, Pst). Wheat lines with stable overexpression of the GmNF-YB20 enhanced resistance against multiple Pst races. Transcriptome profiling of GmNF-YB20 transgenic wheat under Pst infection unveiled its involvement in the lipid signaling pathway. RT-qPCR assays suggested that GmNF-YB20 increased transcript levels of multiple nonspecific lipid transfer protein (LTP) genes during wheat-Pst interaction, luciferase reporter analysis illustrates that it activates the transcription of TaLTP1.50 in wheat protoplast, and GmNF-YB20 overexpressed wheat plants had higher total LTP content in vivo during Pst infection. Overexpression of TaLTP1.50 in wheat significantly increased resistance to Pst, whereas knockdown of TaLTP1.50 exhibited the opposite trends, indicating that TaLTP1.50 plays a positive role in wheat resistance. Taken together, our findings provide perspective regarding the molecular mechanism of GmNF-YB20 in wheat and highlight the potential use for wheat breeding.

Characterization of a CXCR4 antagonist TIQ-15 with dual tropic HIV entry inhibition properties.

The chemokine co-receptors CXCR4 and CCR5 mediate HIV entry and signal transduction necessary for viral infection. However, to date only the CCR5 antagonist maraviroc is approved for treating HIV-1 infection. Given that approximately 50% of late-stage HIV patients also develop CXCR4-tropic virus, clinical anti-HIV CXCR4 antagonists are needed. Here, we describe a novel allosteric CXCR4 antagonist TIQ-15 which inhibits CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 infection of primary and transformed CD4 T cells. TIQ-15 blocks HIV entry with an IC50 of 13 nM. TIQ-15 also inhibits SDF-1α/CXCR4-mediated cAMP production, cofilin activation, and chemotactic signaling. In addition, TIQ-15 induces CXCR4 receptor internalization without affecting the levels of the CD4 receptor, suggesting that TIQ-15 may act through a novel allosteric site on CXCR4 for blocking HIV entry. Furthermore, TIQ-15 did not inhibit VSV-G pseudotyped HIV-1 infection, demonstrating its specificity in blocking CXCR4-tropic virus entry, but not CXCR4-independent endocytosis or post-entry steps. When tested against a panel of clinical isolates, TIQ-15 showed potent inhibition against CXCR4-tropic and dual-tropic viruses, and moderate inhibition against CCR5-tropic isolates. This observation was followed by a co-dosing study with maraviroc, and TIQ-15 demonstrated synergistic activity. In summary, here we describe a novel HIV-1 entry inhibitor, TIQ-15, which potently inhibits CXCR4-tropic viruses while possessing low-level synergistic activities against CCR5-tropic viruses. TIQ-15 could potentially be co-dosed with the CCR5 inhibitor maraviroc to block viruses of mixed tropisms.

Photocatalytic Cross-Coupling of Aldehydes and Alkenes for Aryl Vinyl Ketones by a Single Catalyst.

Herein is the first example of photocatalytic cross-coupling of alkenes with aldehydes by a single catalyst without an external photosensitizer and any additives. Irradiation of the aromatic aldehyde and cobaloxime catalyst results in the formation of an acyl radical, which undergoes radical addition with alkene or indole and subsequently ß-H elimination to afford alkenyl ketone. The reaction features cheap and readily available raw materials, a broad substrate scope, and mild conditions, even for late-stage derivatization of bioactive compounds.

ExpOmics: a comprehensive web platform empowering biologists with robust multi-omics data analysis capabilities.

MOTIVATION: High-throughput technologies yield a broad spectrum of multi-omics datasets, which offer unparalleled insights into complex biological systems. However, effectively analyzing this diverse array of data presents challenges, considering factors such as species diversity, data types, costs, and limitations of the available tools. RESULTS: Herein, we present ExpOmics, a comprehensive web platform featuring seven applications and four toolkits, with 28 customizable analysis functions spanning various analyses of differential expression, co-expression, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), feature selection, and functional enrichment. ExpOmics allows users to upload and explore multi-omics data without organism restrictions, supporting various expression data, including genes, mRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs, circRNAs, piRNAs, and proteins and is compatible with diverse gene nomenclatures and expression values. Moreover, ExpOmics enables users to analyze 22,427 transcriptomic datasets of 196 cancer subtypes sourced from 63 projects of The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) to identify cancer biomarkers. The analysis results from ExpOmics are presented in high-quality graphical formats suitable for publication and are available for free download. A case study using ExpOmics identified two potential oncogenes, SERPINE1 and SLC43A1, that may regulate colorectal cancer through distinct biological processes. In summary, ExpOmics can serves as a robust platform for global researchers to explore multi-omics data, gain biological insights, and formulate testable hypotheses. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: ExpOmics is available at http://www.biomedical-web.com/expomics. CONTACT: zhangwl25@mail3.sysu.edu.cn. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Male autism spectrum disorder is linked to brain aromatase disruption by prenatal BPA in multimodal investigations and 10HDA ameliorates the related mouse phenotype.

Male sex, early life chemical exposure and the brain aromatase enzyme have been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the Barwon Infant Study birth cohort (n = 1074), higher prenatal maternal bisphenol A (BPA) levels are associated with higher ASD symptoms at age 2 and diagnosis at age 9 only in males with low aromatase genetic pathway activity scores. Higher prenatal BPA levels are predictive of higher cord blood methylation across the CYP19A1 brain promoter I.f region (P = 0.009) and aromatase gene methylation mediates (P = 0.01) the link between higher prenatal BPA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor methylation, with independent cohort replication. BPA suppressed aromatase expression in vitro and in vivo. Male mice exposed to mid-gestation BPA or with aromatase knockout have ASD-like behaviors with structural and functional brain changes. 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10HDA), an estrogenic fatty acid alleviated these features and reversed detrimental neurodevelopmental gene expression. Here we demonstrate that prenatal BPA exposure is associated with impaired brain aromatase function and ASD-related behaviors and brain abnormalities in males that may be reversible through postnatal 10HDA intervention.

Effectiveness of silver and iodine dressings on wound healing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of silver and iodine dressings on healing time, healing rate, exudate amount, pain and anti-infective efficacy. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL were surveyed up to May 2024. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing silver and iodine dressings on wound healing in humans. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Evidence certainty was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Data extraction was done independently by two reviewers, with the risk of bias assessed using the Cochrane tool. Narrative synthesis was performed to evaluate the effects of silver and iodine dressings on healing time, healing rate, pain, exudate amount and anti-infective efficacy. Meta-analysis using Review Manager V.5.4 calculated standardised mean differences for healing time and relative risks for rate to quantify the impacts of the treatments. RESULTS: 17 studies (18 articles) were included. The meta-analysis indicated that silver dressings significantly reduced healing time compared with iodine dressings (SMD=-0.95, 95% CI -1.62 to -0.28, I2=92%, p=0.005, moderate-quality evidence), with no significant difference in enhancing healing rate (RR=1.29, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.85, I2=91%, p=0.16, low-quality evidence). Based on low-quality evidence, for exudate amount (3/17), 66.7% (2/3) of the studies favoured silver dressings over iodine in reducing exudate volume. For pain (7/17), 57.1% (4/7) of the studies reported no significant difference between silver and iodine dressings, while 42.9% (3/7) studies indicated superior pain relief with silver dressings. For anti-infective efficacy (11/13), 54.5% (6/11) of the studies showed equivalence between silver and iodine dressings, while 36.4% (4/11) suggested greater antibacterial efficacy for silver. CONCLUSION: Silver dressings, demonstrating a comparable healing rate to iodine dressings, significantly reduce healing time, suggesting their potential as a superior adjunct in wound care. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020199602.

Diving technique of cochlear implant electrode insertion for hearing preservation: how I do it.

BACKGROUND: Preservation of intracochlear structures and residual hearing has become a major concern in modern cochlear implant. Consequently, many efforts have been made to minimize intraoperative trauma, especially while cochlear fenestration and electrode insertion. METHODS: Building on the core concept of "soft surgery", a modified approach, described as diving technique for cochlear implant electrode array insertion is proposed. Steps and technical points are presented with figures, video and review of relevant anatomy. CONCLUSIONS: This novel diving technique is operationally feasible and safe, promising to minimize intraoperative invasion and thus preserve residual hearing in cochlear implant.

Structural basis of tethered agonism and G protein coupling of protease-activated receptors.

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a unique group within the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, orchestrating cellular responses to extracellular proteases via enzymatic cleavage, which triggers intracellular signaling pathways. Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is a key member of this family and is recognized as a critical pharmacological target for managing thrombotic disorders. In this study, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of PAR1 in its activated state, induced by its natural tethered agonist (TA), in complex with two distinct downstream proteins, the Gq and Gi heterotrimers, respectively. The TA peptide is positioned within a surface pocket, prompting PAR1 activation through notable conformational shifts. Contrary to the typical receptor activation that involves the outward movement of transmembrane helix 6 (TM6), PAR1 activation is characterized by the simultaneous downward shift of TM6 and TM7, coupled with the rotation of a group of aromatic residues. This results in the displacement of an intracellular anion, creating space for downstream G protein binding. Our findings delineate the TA recognition pattern and highlight a distinct role of the second extracellular loop in forming ß-sheets with TA within the PAR family, a feature not observed in other TA-activated receptors. Moreover, the nuanced differences in the interactions between intracellular loops 2/3 and the Gα subunit of different G proteins are crucial for determining the specificity of G protein coupling. These insights contribute to our understanding of the ligand binding and activation mechanisms of PARs, illuminating the basis for PAR1's versatility in G protein coupling.

[Huaier triggering mitochondria apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells through oxidative stress].

This study investigates the specific mechanisms of Huaier-induced mitochondrial apoptosis in colorectal cancer. HCT116 and SW480 cells were subjected to Huaier treatment. Cell proliferation and migration capabilities were examined through CCK-8 and scratch experiments, respectively. Apoptotic cells were clarified with Annexin-PE staining. DCFH-DA staining, malondialdehyde(MDA), and glutathione(GSH) were used to evaluate the oxidative stress damage level of cells. MitoSOX and JC-1 probes were used to selectively target mitochondria reactive oxygen species(mtROS) and mitochondria membrane potential(MMP) for the evaluation of mitochondria damage. Western blot(WB) experiment was performed to determine apoptosis proteins and PINK1/Parkin pathway. Experiments reveal that in different concentrations of Huaier treatment, the proliferation and migration capabilities of HCT116 and SW480 cells were both restrained. Additionally, mitochondrial apoptosis was activated. Compared with the control group, excessive ROS in colorectal cancer cells was generated in the Huaier group, while MDA increased, and GSH decreased, indicating oxidative stress damage. mtROS increased, and MMP decreased in colorectal cancer cells treated with Huaier, indicating mitochondrial damage. WB result revealed that Huaier suppressed the PINK1/Parkin pathway, hindered the clearance of impaired mitochondria, and subsequently facilitated apoptosis. In conclusion, Huaier impairs colorectal cancer cells through oxidative stress and mitochondria damage. Furthermore, it suppressed the PINK1/Parkin pathway, promoting mitochondria apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.

[Chemical constituents from stems and leaves of Artocarpus tonkinensis and their inhibitory effects on proliferation of synovioblasts in vitro].

The chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Artocarpus tonkinensis in Artocarpus of Moraceae were systematically studied by means of silica gel, octadecylsilyl(ODS), and Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatographies, as well as preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(Pre-HPLC) and a variety of chromatographic separation techniques. The spectral data and physicochemical properties of the compounds were obtained from separation and compared with those of the compounds reported in the literature. As a result, 11 compounds isolated from the 90% ethanol extract of the stems and leaves of A. tonkinensis were identified as artocatonkine(1), 5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone(2), apigenin-4'-O-ß-D-glucoside(3), rayalinol(4), psorachalcone A(5), 4-ketopinoresinol(6), ficusesquilignan B(7), pinnatifidanin AI(8), pinnatifidanin A(9), O-methylmellein(10), and trans-4-hydroxymellein(11). Among these compounds, compound 1 was a new prenylated flavone, and compounds 2-11 were isolated from the plants belonging to the genus Artocarpus for the first time. Furthermore, all compounds 1-11 were evaluated for their anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, and the MTS method was used to measure their inhibitory effects on the proliferation of synovioblasts in vitro. The results of activity evaluation showed that flavonoid compounds 1-3, 5, and lignan compounds 8 and 9 displayed significant anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, showing the IC_(50) values in inhibiting the proliferation of synovioblasts MH7A from(6.38±0.06) µmol·L~(-1) to(168.58±0.28)µmol·L~(-1).

The Role of Neuro-Immune Interactions in the Pathology and Pathogenesis of Allergic Rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a non-infectious inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa mediated by IgE and involving a variety of immune cells such as mast cells. In previous studies, AR was considered as an isolated disease of the immune system. However, recent studies have found that the nervous system is closely related to the development of AR. Bidirectional communication between the nervous and immune systems plays an important role in AR. SUMMARY: The nervous system and immune system depend on the anatomical relationship between nerve fibers and immune cells, as well as various neurotransmitters, cytokines, inflammatory mediators, etc. to produce bidirectional connections, which affect the development of AR. KEY MESSAGES: This article reviews the impact of neuro-immune interactions in AR on the development of AR, including neuro-immune cell units.

Does participation in sports competitions enhance interprofessional teamwork among medical students? Evidence from a medical school curriculum experiment.

BACKGROUND: Effective interprofessional teamwork is essential for the efficiency, safety and quality of healthcare system services and requires interprofessional education for medical students. Physical education is a simple and easy way to teach teamwork, which translates into team performance in the work environment. This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the physical education competition model, instead of the exams model, for improving teamwork skills among medical students. METHODS: A quasiexperimental intervention design was used to measure the effect of a 16-week cheerleading programme on subjects' teamwork skills by completing a teamwork scale comprising four subdimensions, namely, personal characteristics, teamwork, leadership, and conflict management, before the start and at the end of the programme, and by comparing nonwinning to winning students to measure the effect of teamwork skills on team performance. RESULTS: A total of 179 students completed the valid baseline and posttest (effective rate = 95.21%). The teamwork scale scores (B M = 4.81, R M = 5.05, p < 0.001) and 4 subdimension scores (personal characteristics p = 0.002, teamwork p = 0.028, leadership p < 0.001, conflict management p < 0.001) were statistically significant. Twenty-two of the 44 items in the scale improved significantly. The differences between students who won the competition and those who did not (N M=4.86, W M=5.14, p<0.01) were statistically significant, with no significant differences in personal characteristics p = 0.183; significant differences in the 3 subdimensions of teamwork p < 0.01, leadership p = 0.024, and conflict management p = 0.037; and a significant increase in 13 out of 44 self-efficacy items on the scale. CONCLUSIONS: The "race for exams" physical education programme improved teamwork among medical students, and increased teamwork improved team performance. The "competition instead of examination" physical education programme provides a quantifiable method for improving interprofessional teamwork among medical students.

Integrative analysis of transcriptome and metabolome provides insights into the mechanisms of leaf variegation in Heliopsis helianthoides.

BACKGROUND: In the field of ornamental horticulture, phenotypic mutations, particularly in leaf color, are of great interest due to their potential in developing new plant varieties. The introduction of variegated leaf traits in plants like Heliopsis helianthoides, a perennial herbaceous species with ecological adaptability, provides a rich resource for molecular breeding and research on pigment metabolism and photosynthesis. We aimed to explore the mechanism of leaf variegation of Heliopsis helianthoides (using HY2021F1-0915 variegated mutant named HY, and green-leaf control check named CK in 2020 April, May and June) by analyzing the transcriptome and metabolome. RESULTS: Leaf color and physiological parameters were found to be significantly different between HY and CK types. Chlorophyll content of HY was lower than that of CK samples. Combined with the result of Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), 26 consistently downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in HY compared to CK subtypes. Among the DEGs, 9 genes were verified to be downregulated in HY than CK by qRT-PCR. The reduction of chlorophyll content in HY might be due to the downregulation of FSD2. Low expression level of PFE2, annotated as ferritin-4, might also contribute to the interveinal chlorosis of HY. Based on metabolome data, differential metabolites (DEMs) between HY and CK samples were significantly enriched on ABC transporters in three months. By integrating DEGs and DEMs, they were enriched on carotenoids pathway. Downregulation of four carotenoid pigments might be one of the reasons for HY's light color. CONCLUSION: FSD2 and PFE2 (ferritin-4) were identified as key genes which likely contribute to the reduced chlorophyll content and interveinal chlorosis observed in HY. The differential metabolites were significantly enriched in ABC transporters. Carotenoid biosynthesis pathway was highlighted with decreased pigments in HY individuals. These findings not only enhance our understanding of leaf variegation mechanisms but also offer valuable insights for future plant breeding strategies aimed at preserving and enhancing variegated-leaf traits in ornamental plants.

Association between socioeconomic status and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic status (SES) has been proven to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Western populations, but the evidence is very limited in China. This study aimed to investigate the association between SES and the risk of COPD incident. METHODS: This study was based on the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) project in Wuzhong District, Suzhou. A total of 45,484 adults aged 30-79 were included in the analysis during 2004-2008. We used Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the association between SES and the risk of COPD. Household income, education, private property and consumption potential was used to measure SES. Incident COPD cases were ascertained using hospitalization records, death certificates, and active follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 524 COPD cases were identified during a median follow-up of 11.2 years. Household income was inversely associated with the risk of COPD (Ptrend<0.005). The adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for incident COPD were 0.88 (0.69-1.14), 0.77 (0.60-0.99), and 0.42 (0.31-0.57) for participants with annual household income of 10,000 ~ 19,999 yuan, 20,000 ~ 34,999 yuan and ≥ 35,000 yuan respectively, in comparison to participants with an annual household income < 10,000 yuan. Furthermore, we found that education level, refrigerator use, private toilet, private phone, and motor vehicle were adversely associated with COPD risk, while ownership of newly renovated flats was positively correlated with COPD incident. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study suggests that SES is associated with the risk of COPD in Chinese adults. Population-based COPD prevention strategies tailored for people with different SES could help reduce the burden of COPD in Chinese.

Iron Nanostructure Primes Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Symbiosis Tightly Connecting Maize Leaf Photosynthesis via a Nanofilm Effect.

It is crucial to clarify how the iron nanostructure activates plant growth, particularly in combination with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We first identified 1.0 g·kg-1 of nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) as appropriate dosage to maximize maize growth by 12.7-19.7% in non-AMF and 18.9-26.4% in AMF, respectively. Yet, excessive nZVI at 2.0 g·kg-1 exerted inhibitory effects while FeSO4 showed slight effects (p > 0.05). Under an appropriate dose, a nano core-shell structure was formed and the transfer and diffusion of electrons between PS II and PS I were facilitated, significantly promoting the reduction of ferricyanide and NADP (p < 0.05). SEM images showed that excessive nZVI particles can form stacked layers on the surface of roots and hyphae, inhibiting water and nutrient uptake. TEM observations showed that excessive nanoparticles can penetrate into root cortical cells, disrupt cellular homeostasis, and substantially elevate Fe content in roots (p < 0.05). This exacerbated membrane lipid peroxidation and osmotic regulation, accordingly restricting photosynthetic capacity and AMF colonization. Yet, appropriate nZVI can be adhered to a mycelium surface, forming a uniform nanofilm structure. The strength of the mycelium network was evidently enhanced, under an increased root colonization rate and an extramatrical hyphal length (p < 0.05). Enhanced mycorrhizal infection was tightly associated with higher gas exchange and Rubisco and Rubisco enzyme activities. This enabled more photosynthetic carbon to input into AMF symbiont. There existed a positive feedback loop connecting downward transfer of photosynthate and upward transport of water/nutrients. FeSO4 only slightly affected mycorrhizal development. Thus, it was the Fe nanostructure but not its inorganic salt state that primed AMF symbionts for better growth.

A rhinopithecus swarm optimization algorithm for complex optimization problem.

This paper introduces a novel meta-heuristic algorithm named Rhinopithecus Swarm Optimization (RSO) to address optimization problems, particularly those involving high dimensions. The proposed algorithm is inspired by the social behaviors of different groups within the rhinopithecus swarm. RSO categorizes the swarm into mature, adolescent, and infancy individuals. Due to this division of labor, each category of individuals employs unique search methods, including vertical migration, concerted search, and mimicry. To evaluate the effectiveness of RSO, we conducted experiments using the CEC2017 test set and three constrained engineering problems. Each function in the test set was independently executed 36 times. Additionally, we used the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Friedman test to analyze the performance of RSO compared to eight well-known optimization algorithms: Dung Beetle Optimizer (DBO), Beluga Whale Optimization (BWO), Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), African Vultures Optimization Algorithm (AVOA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), Atomic Retrospective Learning Bare Bone Particle Swarm Optimization (ARBBPSO), Artificial Gorilla Troops Optimizer (GTO), and Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO). The results indicate that RSO exhibited outstanding performance on the CEC2017 test set for both 30 and 100 dimension. Moreover, RSO ranked first in both dimensions, surpassing the mean rank of the second-ranked algorithms by 7.69% and 42.85%, respectively. Across the three classical engineering design problems, RSO consistently achieves the best results. Overall, it can be concluded that RSO is particularly effective for solving high-dimensional optimization problems.

Predicting bone metastasis-free survival in non-small cell lung cancer from preoperative CT via deep learning.

Accurate prediction of bone metastasis-free survival (BMFS) after complete surgical resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may facilitate appropriate follow-up planning. The aim of this study was to establish and validate a preoperative CT-based deep learning (DL) signature to predict BMFS in NSCLC patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of 1547 NSCLC patients who underwent complete surgical resection, followed by at least 36 months of monitoring at two hospitals. We constructed a DL signature from multiparametric CT images using 3D convolutional neural networks, and we integrated this signature with clinical-imaging factors to establish a deep learning clinical-imaging signature (DLCS). We evaluated performance using Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic. We also assessed the risk of bone metastasis (BM) in NSCLC patients at different clinical stages using DLCS. The DL signature successfully predicted BM, with C-indexes of 0.799 and 0.818 for the validation cohorts. DLCS outperformed the DL signature with corresponding C-indexes of 0.806 and 0.834. Ranges for area under the curve at 1, 2, and 3 years were 0.820-0.865 for internal and 0.860-0.884 for external validation cohorts. Furthermore, DLCS successfully stratified patients with different clinical stages of NSCLC as high- and low-risk groups for BM (p < 0.05). CT-based DL can predict BMFS in NSCLC patients undergoing complete surgical resection, and may assist in the assessment of BM risk for patients at different clinical stages.