Amplification editing enables efficient and precise duplication of DNA from short sequence to megabase and chromosomal scale.

Duplication is a foundation of molecular evolution and a driver of genomic and complex diseases. Here, we develop a genome editing tool named Amplification Editing (AE) that enables programmable DNA duplication with precision at chromosomal scale. AE can duplicate human genomes ranging from 20 bp to 100 Mb, a size comparable to human chromosomes. AE exhibits activity across various cell types, encompassing diploid, haploid, and primary cells. AE exhibited up to 73.0% efficiency for 1 Mb and 3.4% for 100 Mb duplications, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing and deep sequencing of the junctions of edited sequences confirm the precision of duplication. AE can create chromosomal microduplications within disease-relevant regions in embryonic stem cells, indicating its potential for generating cellular and animal models. AE is a precise and efficient tool for chromosomal engineering and DNA duplication, broadening the landscape of precision genome editing from an individual genetic locus to the chromosomal scale.

Continuous air purification by aqueous interface filtration and absorption.

The adverse impact of particulate air pollution on human health1,2 has prompted the development of purification systems that filter particulates out of air3-5. To maintain performance, the filter units must inevitably be replaced at some point, which requires maintenance, involves costs and generates solid waste6,7. Here we show that an ion-doped conjugated polymer-coated matrix infiltrated with a selected functional liquid enables efficient, continuous and maintenance-free air purification. As the air to be purified moves through the system in the form of bubbles, the functional fluid provides interfaces for filtration and for removal of particulate matter and pollutant molecules from air. Theoretical modelling and experimental results demonstrate that the system exhibits high efficiency and robustness: its one-time air purification efficiency can reach 99.6%, and its dust-holding capacity can reach 950 g m-2. The system is durable and resistant to fouling and corrosion, and the liquid acting as filter can be reused and adjusted to also enable removal of bacteria or odours. We anticipate that our purification approach will be useful for the development of specialist air purifiers that might prove useful in a settings such as hospitals, factories and mines.

Cell-Autonomous versus Systemic Akt Isoform Deletions Uncovered New Roles for Akt1 and Akt2 in Breast Cancer.

Studies in three mouse models of breast cancer identified profound discrepancies between cell-autonomous and systemic Akt1- or Akt2-inducible deletion on breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. Although systemic Akt1 deletion inhibits metastasis, cell-autonomous Akt1 deletion does not. Single-cell mRNA sequencing revealed that systemic Akt1 deletion maintains the pro-metastatic cluster within primary tumors but ablates pro-metastatic neutrophils. Systemic Akt1 deletion inhibits metastasis by impairing survival and mobilization of tumor-associated neutrophils. Importantly, either systemic or neutrophil-specific Akt1 deletion is sufficient to inhibit metastasis of Akt-proficient tumors. Thus, Akt1-specific inhibition could be therapeutic for breast cancer metastasis regardless of primary tumor origin. Systemic Akt2 deletion does not inhibit and exacerbates mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis, but cell-autonomous Akt2 deletion prevents breast cancer tumorigenesis by ErbB2. Elevated circulating insulin level induced by Akt2 systemic deletion hyperactivates tumor Akt, exacerbating ErbB2-mediated tumorigenesis, curbed by pharmacological reduction of the elevated insulin.

Mechanisms of vascular invasion after cartilage injury and potential engineering cartilage treatment strategies.

Articular cartilage injury is one of the most common diseases in orthopedic clinics. Following an articular cartilage injury, an inability to resist vascular invasion can result in cartilage calcification by newly formed blood vessels. This process ultimately leads to the loss of joint function, significantly impacting the patient's quality of life. As a result, developing anti-angiogenic methods to repair damaged cartilage has become a popular research topic. Despite this, tissue engineering, as an anti-angiogenic strategy in cartilage injury repair, has not yet been adequately investigated. This exhaustive literature review mainly focused on the process and mechanism of vascular invasion in articular cartilage injury repair and summarized the major regulatory factors and signaling pathways affecting angiogenesis in the process of cartilage injury. We aimed to discuss several potential methods for engineering cartilage repair with anti-angiogenic strategies. Three anti-angiogenic tissue engineering methods were identified, including administering angiogenesis inhibitors, applying scaffolds to manage angiogenesis, and utilizing in vitro bioreactors to enhance the therapeutic properties of cultured chondrocytes. The advantages and disadvantages of each strategy were also analyzed. By exploring these anti-angiogenic tissue engineering methods, we hope to provide guidance for researchers in related fields for future research and development in cartilage repair.

Endogenous mutant Huntingtin alters the corticogenesis via lowering Golgi recruiting ARF1 in cortical organoid.

Pathogenic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) infiltrates the adult Huntington's disease (HD) brain and impairs fetal corticogenesis. However, most HD animal models rarely recapitulate neuroanatomical alterations in adult HD and developing brains. Thus, the human cortical organoid (hCO) is an alternative approach to decode mHTT pathogenesis precisely during human corticogenesis. Here, we replicated the altered corticogenesis in the HD fetal brain using HD patient-derived hCOs. Our HD-hCOs had pathological phenotypes, including deficient junctional complexes in the neural tubes, delayed postmitotic neuronal maturation, dysregulated fate specification of cortical neuron subtypes, and abnormalities in early HD subcortical projections during corticogenesis, revealing a causal link between impaired progenitor cells and chaotic cortical neuronal layering in the HD brain. We identified novel long, oriented, and enriched polyQ assemblies of HTTs that hold large flat Golgi stacks and scaffold clathrin+ vesicles in the neural tubes of hCOs. Flat Golgi stacks conjugated polyQ assemblies by ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1). Inhibiting ARF1 activation with Brefeldin A (BFA) disassociated polyQ assemblies from Golgi. PolyQ assembles with mHTT scaffolded fewer ARF1 and formed shorter polyQ assembles with fewer and shorter Golgi and clathrin vesicles in neural tubes of HD-hCOs compared with those in hCOs. Inhibiting the activation of ARF1 by BFA in healthy hCOs replicated impaired junctional complexes in the neural tubes. Together, endogenous polyQ assemblies with mHTT reduced the Golgi recruiting ARF1 in the neuroepithelium, impaired the Golgi structure and activities, and altered the corticogenesis in HD-hCO.

Human striatal organoids derived from pluripotent stem cells recapitulate striatal development and compartments.

The striatum links neuronal circuits in the human brain, and its malfunction causes neuronal disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD). A human striatum model that recapitulates fetal striatal development is vital to decoding the pathogenesis of striatum-related neurological disorders and developing therapeutic strategies. Here, we developed a method to construct human striatal organoids (hStrOs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including hStrOs-derived assembloids. Our hStrOs partially replicated the fetal striatum and formed striosome and matrix-like compartments in vitro. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed distinct striatal lineages in hStrOs, diverging from dorsal forebrain fate. Using hStrOs-derived assembloids, we replicated the striatal targeting projections from different brain parts. Furthermore, hStrOs can serve as hosts for striatal neuronal allografts to test allograft neuronal survival and functional integration. Our hStrOs are suitable for studying striatal development and related disorders, characterizing the neural circuitry between different brain regions, and testing therapeutic strategies.

Ultrahigh efficient emulsification with drag-reducing liquid gating interfacial behavior.

Emulsification is a crucial technique for mixing immiscible liquids into droplets in numerous areas ranging from food to medicine to chemical synthesis. Commercial emulsification methods are promising for high production, but suffer from high energy input. Here, we report a very simple and scalable emulsification method that employs the drag-reducing liquid gating structure to create a smooth liquid-liquid interface for the reduction of resistance and tunable generation of droplets with good uniformity. Theoretical modeling and experimental results demonstrate that our method exhibits ultrahigh efficiency, which can reach up to more than 4 orders of magnitude greater energy-saving compared to commercial methods. For temperature-sensitive biological components, such as enzymes, proteins, and bacteria, it can offer a comfortable environment to avoid exposure to high temperatures during emulsifying, and the interface also enables the suppression of fouling. This unique drag-reducing liquid gating interfacial emulsification mechanism promotes the efficiency of droplet generation and provides fresh insight into the innovation of emulsifications that can be applied in many fields, including the food industry, the daily chemical industry, biomedicine, material fabrication, the petrochemical industry, and beyond.

A high-throughput technique to map cell images to cell positions using a 3D imaging flow cytometer.

We develop a high-throughput technique to relate positions of individual cells to their three-dimensional (3D) imaging features with single-cell resolution. The technique is particularly suitable for nonadherent cells where existing spatial biology methodologies relating cell properties to their positions in a solid tissue do not apply. Our design consists of two parts, as follows: recording 3D cell images at high throughput (500 to 1,000 cells/s) using a custom 3D imaging flow cytometer (3D-IFC) and dispensing cells in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) manner using a robotic cell placement platform (CPP). To prevent errors due to violations of the FIFO principle, we invented a method that uses marker beads and DNA sequencing software to detect errors. Experiments with human cancer cell lines demonstrate the feasibility of mapping 3D side scattering and fluorescent images, as well as two-dimensional (2D) transmission images of cells to their locations on the membrane filter for around 100,000 cells in less than 10 min. While the current work uses our specially designed 3D imaging flow cytometer to produce 3D cell images, our methodology can support other imaging modalities. The technology and method form a bridge between single-cell image analysis and single-cell molecular analysis.

Microbiota and metabolite alterations in pancreatic head and body/tail cancer patients.

Pancreatic head cancer (PHC) and pancreatic body/tail cancer (PBTC) have distinct clinical and biological behaviors. The microbial and metabolic differences in PHC and PBTC have not been studied. The pancreatic microbiota and metabolome of 15 PHC and 8 PBTC tissues and their matched nontumor tissues were characterized using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. At the genus level, Bradyrhizobium was increased while Corynebacterium and Ruminococcus were decreased in the PHC tissues (Head T) compared with the matched nontumor tissues (Head N) significantly. Shuttleworthia, Bacillus, and Bifidobacterium were significantly decreased in the PBTC tissues (Body/Tail T) compared with the matched nontumor tissues (Body/Tail N). Significantly, Ileibacterium was increased whereas Pseudoxanthomonas was decreased in Head T and Body/Tail T, and Lactobacillus was increased in Head T but decreased in Body/Tail T. A total of 102 discriminative metabolites were identified between Head T and Head N, which were scattered through linoleic acid metabolism and purine metabolism pathways. However, there were only four discriminative metabolites between Body/Tail T and Body/Tail N, which were related to glycerophospholipid metabolism and autophagy pathways. The differential metabolites in PHC and PBTC were commonly enriched in alpha-linolenic acid metabolism and choline metabolism in cancer pathways. Eubacterium decreased in Head T was positively correlated with decreased linoleic acid while negatively correlated with increased arachidyl carnitine and stearoylcarnitine. Bacillus decreased in Body/Tail T was negatively correlated with increased L-carnitine. These microbiota and metabolites deserve further investigations to reveal their roles in the pathogenesis of PHC and PBTC, providing clues for future treatments.

Hydroxylase-like Biomimetic Nanozyme Synthesized via a Urea-Mediated MOF Pyrolytic Reconstruction Strategy for Non-"o-Phenol hydroxyl"-Dependent Dopamine Electrochemical Sensing.

Dopamine (DA), an essential neurotransmitter, is closely associated with various neurological disorders, whose real-time dynamic monitoring is significant for evaluating the physiological activities of neurons. Electrochemical sensing methods are commonly used to determine DA, but they mostly rely on the redox reaction of its o-phenolic hydroxyl group, which makes it difficult to distinguish it from substances with this group. Here, we design a biomimetic nanozyme inspired by the coordination structure of the copper-based active site of dopamine ß-hydroxylase, which was successfully synthesized via a urea-mediated MOF pyrolysis reconstruction strategy. Experimental studies and theoretical calculations revealed that the nanozyme with Cu-N3 coordination could hydroxylate the carbon atom of the DA ß-site at a suitable potential and that the active sites of this Cu-N3 structure have the lowest binding energy for the DA ß-site. With this property, the new oxidation peak achieves the specific detection of DA rather than the traditional electrochemical signal of o-phenol hydroxyl redox, which would effectively differentiate it from neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and epinephrine. The sensor exhibited good monitoring capability in DA concentrations from 0.05 to 16.7 µM, and its limit of detection was 0.03 µM. Finally, the sensor enables the monitoring of DA released from living cells and can be used to quantitatively analyze the effect of polystyrene microplastics on the amount of DA released. The research provides a method for highly specific monitoring of DA and technical support for initial screening for neurocytotoxicity of pollutants.

Accelerated Pure Shift NMR Spectroscopy with Deep Learning.

Pure shift nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy presents a promising solution to provide sufficient spectral resolution and has been increasingly applied in various branches of chemistry, but the optimal resolution is generally accompanied by long experimental times. We present a proof of concept of deep learning for fast, high-quality, and reliable pure shift NMR reconstruction. The deep learning (DL) protocol allows one to eliminate undersampling artifacts, distinguish peaks with close chemical shifts, and reconstruct high-resolution pure shift NMR spectroscopy along with accelerated acquisition. More meaningfully, the lightweight neural network delivers satisfactory reconstruction performance on personal computers by several hundred simulated data learning, which somewhat lifts the prohibiting demand for a large volume of real training samples and advanced computing hardware generally required in DL projects. Additionally, an M-to-S strategy applicable to common DL cases is further exploited to boost the network generalization capability. As a result, this study takes a meaningful step toward deep learning protocols for broad chemical applications.

A comprehensive review of the analysis and integration of omics data for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

Since the first report of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, over 100 million people have been infected by COVID-19, millions of whom have died. In the latest year, a large number of omics data have sprung up and helped researchers broadly study the sequence, chemical structure and function of SARS-CoV-2, as well as molecular abnormal mechanisms of COVID-19 patients. Though some successes have been achieved in these areas, it is necessary to analyze and mine omics data for comprehensively understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Hence, we reviewed the current advantages and limitations of the integration of omics data herein. Firstly, we sorted out the sequence resources and database resources of SARS-CoV-2, including protein chemical structure, potential drug information and research literature resources. Next, we collected omics data of the COVID-19 hosts, including genomics, transcriptomics, microbiology and potential drug information data. And subsequently, based on the integration of omics data, we summarized the existing data analysis methods and the related research results of COVID-19 multi-omics data in recent years. Finally, we put forward SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) multi-omics data integration research direction and gave a case study to mine deeper for the disease mechanisms of COVID-19.

12-inch growth of uniform MoS2 monolayer for integrated circuit manufacture.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, provide an opportunity for beyond-silicon exploration. However, the lab to fab transition of 2D semiconductors is still in its preliminary stages, and it has been challenging to meet manufacturing standards of stability and repeatability. Thus, there is a natural eagerness to grow wafer-level, high-quality films with industrially acceptable scale-cost-performance metrics. Here we report an improved chemical vapour deposition synthesis method in which the controlled release of precursors and substrates predeposited with amorphous Al2O3 ensure the uniform synthesis of monolayer MoS2 as large as 12 inches while also enabling fast and non-toxic growth to reduce manufacturing costs. Transistor arrays were fabricated to further confirm the high quality of the film and its integrated circuit application potential. This work achieves the co-optimization of scale-cost-performance metrics and lays the foundation for advancing the integration of 2D semiconductors in industry-standard pilot lines.

MicroRNA-encoded regulatory peptides modulate cadmium tolerance and accumulation in rice.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play a vital role in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Recently, it has been discovered that some primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) encode regulatory short peptides called miPEPs. However, the presence of miPEPs in rice, and their functions in response to abiotic stresses, particularly stress induced by heavy metals, remain poorly understood. Here, we identified a functional small peptide (miPEP156e) encoded by pri-miR156e that regulates the expression of miR156 and its target SPL genes, thereby affecting miR156-mediated cadmium (Cd) tolerance in rice. Overexpression of miPEP156e led to decreased uptake and accumulation of Cd and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in plants under Cd stress, resulting in improved rice Cd tolerance, as observed in miR156-overexpressing lines. Conversely, miPEP156e mutants displayed sensitivity to Cd stress due to the elevated accumulation of Cd and ROS. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that miPEP156e improved rice Cd tolerance by modulating Cd transporter genes and ROS scavenging genes. Our study provides insights into the regulatory mechanism of miPEP156e in rice response to Cd stress and demonstrates the potential of miPEPs as an effective tool for improving crop abiotic stress tolerance.

An NIR Type I Photosensitizer Based on a Cyclometalated Ir(III)-Rhodamine Complex for a Photodynamic Antibacterial Effect toward Both Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Type I photosensitizers offer an advantage in photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their diminished reliance on oxygen levels, thus circumventing the challenge of hypoxia commonly encountered in PDT. In this study, we present the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a novel type I photosensitizer derived from a cyclometalated Ir(III)-rhodamine complex. Remarkably, the complex exhibits a shift in absorption and fluorescence, transitioning from "off" to "on" states in aprotic and protic solvents, respectively, contrary to initial expectations. Upon exposure to light, the complex demonstrates the effective generation of O2- and ·OH radicals via the type I mechanism. Additionally, it exhibits notable photodynamic antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. This research offers valuable insights for the development of novel type I photosensitizers.

Introducing molecular imprinting onto nanozymes: toward selective catalytic analysis.

The discovery of enzyme-like catalytic characteristics in nanomaterials triggers the generation of nanozymes and their multifarious applications. As a class of artificial mimetic enzymes, nanozymes are widely recognized to have better stability and lower cost than natural bio-enzymes, but the lack of catalytic specificity hinders their wider use. To solve the problem, several potential strategies are explored, among which molecular imprinting attracts much attention because of its powerful capacity for creating specific binding cavities as biomimetic receptors. Attractively, introducing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) onto nanozyme surfaces can make an impact on the latter's catalytic activity. As a result, in recent years, MIPs featuring universal fabrication, low cost, and good stability have been intensively integrated with nanozymes for biochemical detection. In this critical review, we first summarize the general fabrication of nanozyme@MIPs, followed by clarifying the potential effects of molecular imprinting on the catalytic performance of nanozymes in terms of selectivity and activity. Typical examples are emphatically discussed to highlight the latest progress of nanozyme@MIPs applied in catalytic analysis. In the end, personal viewpoints on the future directions of nanozyme@MIPs are presented, to provide a reference for studying the interactions between MIPs and nanozymes and attract more efforts to advance this promising area.

Effects of different assembly strategies on gene annotation in activated sludge.

Activated sludge comprises diverse bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, featuring a rich repertoire of genes involved in antibiotic resistance, pollutant degradation, and elemental cycling. In this regard, hybrid assembly technology can revolutionize metagenomics by detecting greater gene diversity in environmental samples. Nonetheless, the optimal utilization and comparability of genomic information between hybrid assembly and short- or long-read technology remain unclear. To address this gap, we compared the performance of the hybrid assembly, short- and long-read technologies, abundance and diversity of annotated genes, and taxonomic diversity by analysing 46, 161, and 45 activated sludge metagenomic datasets, respectively. The results revealed that hybrid assembly technology exhibited the best performance, generating the most contiguous and longest contigs but with a lower proportion of high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes than short-read technology. Compared with short- or long-read technologies, hybrid assembly technology can detect a greater diversity of microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes, as well as a wider range of potential hosts. However, this approach may yield lower gene abundance and pathogen detection. Our study revealed the specific advantages and disadvantages of hybrid assembly and short- and long-read applications in wastewater treatment plants, and our approach could serve as a blueprint to be extended to terrestrial environments.

Evaluation of Clinical Efficacy of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Ectopic Tubal Pregnancy.

Objective: To explore whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can improve tubal ectopic pregnancy detection rate, tubal dilation, tubal hematoma, and gestational sac. Methods: This retrospective study included 34 patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy who underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound at Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine between March 2021 and September 2016. Of these, 27 patients were confirmed to have tubal pregnancy by laparoscopic surgery and histopathology. Four ultrasound physicians (2 experts and 2 non-experts) conducted a retrospective analysis of conventional color Doppler ultrasound and the combination of conventional color Doppler ultrasound with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (color Doppler ultrasound + CEUS). They analyzed the differences in confidence levels and reproducibility in identifying tubal dilation, tubal hematoma, and gestational sac implantation sites. Additionally, the characteristic features of ectopic pregnancy on contrast-enhanced ultrasound were summarized, including gestational sac morphology, triple ring sign, enhancement patterns (branching or punctate), tubal dilation (with or without hematoma), contrast enhancement of tubal walls, and presence of free fluid. Results: In the expert group, the correct identification rate of the gestational sac implantation site on ultrasound images increased from 13/34 (38.2%) with conventional color Doppler ultrasound to 20/34 (58.8%) with color Doppler ultrasound + CEUS, the differences were statistically significant (38.2% vs. 58.8%, P = .039). The correct identification rate of tubal dilation increased from 6/34 (17.7%) to 25/34 (73.5%) (P = .001), and the correct identification rate of tubal hematoma increased from 3/34 (8.8%) to 17/34 (50.0%) with color Doppler ultrasound + CEUS (P < .001). In the non-expert group, the correct identification rate of the gestational sac implantation site increased from 8/24 (23.5%) with conventional ultrasound to 19/34 (55.9%) with ultrasound + CEUS (P = .003). The correct identification rate of tubal dilation increased from 6/34 (17.7%) to 23/34 (67.7%) (P < .001), and the correct identification rate of tubal hematoma increased from 3/34 (8.82%) to 12/34 (35.3%) with color Doppler ultrasound + CEUS (P = .012). Conclusion: The analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound images provides characteristic features and diagnostic points for tubal ectopic pregnancy, including gestational sac, thick ring sign, tubal dilation, and tubal dilation with hematoma. This approach improves the accuracy of partial pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) diagnosis and reduces the technical dependence on ultrasound personnel.

R3 strain and Fe-Mn modified biochar reduce Cd absorption capacity of roots and available Cd content of soil by affecting rice rhizosphere and endosphere key flora.

Microorganisms have a significant role in regulating the absorption and transportation of Cd in the soil-plant system. However, the mechanism by which key microbial taxa play a part in response to the absorption and transportation of Cd in rice under Cd stress requires further exploration. In this study, the cadmium-tolerant endophytic bacterium Herbaspirillum sp. R3 (R3) and Fe-Mn-modified biochar (Fe-Mn) were, respectively, applied to cadmium-contaminated rice paddies to investigate the effects of key bacterial taxa in the soil-rice system on the absorption and transportation of Cd in rice under different treatments. The results showed that both R3 and Fe-Mn treatments considerably decreased the content of cadmium in roots, stems and leaves of rice at the peak tillering stage by 17.24-49.28% in comparison to the control (CK). The cadmium content reduction effect of R3 treatment is better than that of Fe-Mn treatment. Further analysis revealed that the key bacterial taxa in rice roots under R3 treatment were Sideroxydans and Actinobacteria, and that their abundance showed a substantial positive correlation and a significant negative correlation with the capacity of rice roots to assimilate Cd from the surroundings, respectively. The significant increase in soil pH under Fe-Mn treatment, significant reduction in the relative abundances of Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Subdivision3 genera incertae sedis, Sideroxydans, Geobacter, Gp1, and Gp3, and the significant increase in the relative abundance of Thiobacillus among the soil bacterial taxa may be the main reasons for the decrease in available Cd content of the soil. In addition, both the R3 and Fe-Mn treatments showed some growth-promoting effects on rice, which may be related to their promotion of transformations of soil available nutrients. This paper describes the possible microbial mechanisms by which strain R3 and Fe-Mn biochar reduce Cd uptake in rice, providing a theoretical basis for the remediation of Cd contamination in rice and soil by utilizing key microbial taxa.

Endoscopic ultrasound-based application system for predicting endoscopic resection-related outcomes and diagnosing subepithelial lesions: Multicenter prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Subepithelial lesions (SELs) are associated with various endoscopic resection (ER) outcomes and diagnostic challenges. We aimed to establish a tool for predicting ER-related outcomes and diagnosing SELs and to investigate the predictive value of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). METHODS: Phase 1 (system development) was performed in a retrospective cohort (n = 837) who underwent EUS before ER for SELs at eight hospitals. Prediction models for five key outcomes were developed using logistic regression. Models with satisfactory internal validation performance were included in a mobile application system, SEL endoscopic resection predictor (SELERP). In Phase 2, the models were externally validated in a prospective cohort of 200 patients. RESULTS: An SELERP was developed using EUS characteristics, which included 10 models for five key outcomes: post-ER ulcer management, short procedure time, long hospital stay, high medication costs, and diagnosis of SELs. In Phase 1, 10 models were derived and validated (C-statistics, 0.67-0.99; calibration-in-the-large, -0.14-0.10; calibration slopes, 0.92-1.08). In Phase 2, the derived risk prediction models showed convincing discrimination (C-statistics, 0.64-0.73) and calibration (calibration-in-the-large, -0.02-0.05; calibration slopes, 1.01-1.09) in the prospective cohort. The sensitivities and specificities of the five diagnostic models were 68.3-95.7% and 64.1-83.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We developed and prospectively validated an application system for the prediction of ER outcomes and diagnosis of SELs, which could aid clinical decision-making and facilitate patient-physician consultation. EUS features significantly contributed to the prediction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000040118).