Multi-layered computational gene networks by engineered tristate logics.

So far, biocomputation strictly follows traditional design principles of digital electronics, which could reach their limits when assembling gene circuits of higher complexity. Here, by creating genetic variants of tristate buffers instead of using conventional logic gates as basic signal processing units, we introduce a tristate-based logic synthesis (TriLoS) framework for resource-efficient design of multi-layered gene networks capable of performing complex Boolean calculus within single-cell populations. This sets the stage for simple, modular, and low-interference mapping of various arithmetic logics of interest and an effectively enlarged engineering space within single cells. We not only construct computational gene networks running full adder and full subtractor operations at a cellular level but also describe a treatment paradigm building on programmable cell-based therapeutics, allowing for adjustable and disease-specific drug secretion logics in vivo. This work could foster the evolution of modern biocomputers to progress toward unexplored applications in precision medicine.

Significant race and gender differences in anterior cruciate ligament tibial footprint location: a 3D-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to identify potential race- or gender-specific differences in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial footprint location from the tibia anatomical coordinate system (tACS) origin, investigate the distances from the tibial footprint to the anterior root of the lateral meniscus (ARLM) and the medial tibial spine (MTS), determine how reliable the ARLM and MTS can be in locating the ACL tibial footprint, and assess the risk of iatrogenic ARLM injuries caused by using reamers with various diameters (7-10 mm). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Magnetic resonance images of 91 Chinese and 91 Caucasian subjects were used for the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) tibial and ACL tibial footprint models. The anatomical coordinate system was applied to reflect the anatomical locations of scanned samples. RESULTS: The average anteroposterior (A/P) tibial footprint location was 17.1 ± 2.3 mm and 20.0 ± 3.4 mm in Chinese and Caucasians, respectively (P < .001). The average mediolateral (M/L) tibial footprint location was 34.2 ± 2.4 mm and 37.4 ± 3.6 mm in Chinese and Caucasians, respectively (P < .001). The average difference between men and women was 2 mm in Chinese and 3.1 mm in Caucasians. The safe zone for tibial tunnel reaming to avoid ARLM injury was 2.2 mm and 1.9 mm away from the central tibial footprint in the Chinese and Caucasians, respectively. The probability of damaging the ARLM by using reamers with various diameters ranged from 0% for Chinese males with a 7 mm reamer to 30% in Caucasian females with a 10 mm reamer. CONCLUSIONS: The significant race- and gender-specific differences in the ACL tibial footprint should be taken in consideration during anatomic ACL reconstruction. The ARLM and MTS are reliable intraoperative landmarks for identifying the tibial ACL footprint. Caucasians and females might be more prone to iatrogenic ARLM injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, cohort study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been approved by the ethical research committee of the General Hospital of Southern Theater Command of PLA under the code: [2019] No.10.

High Gaseous Nitrous Acid (HONO) Emissions from Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles.

Nitrous acid (HONO) plays an important role in the budget of hydroxyl radical (•OH) in the atmosphere. Vehicular emissions are a crucial primary source of atmospheric HONO, yet remain poorly investigated, especially for diesel trucks. In this study, we developed a novel portable online vehicular HONO exhaust measurement system featuring an innovative dilution technique. Using this system coupled with a chassis dynamometer, we for the first time investigated the HONO emission characteristics of 17 light-duty diesel trucks (LDDTs) and 16 light-duty gasoline vehicles in China. Emissions of HONO from LDDTs were found to be significantly higher than previous studies and gasoline vehicles tested in this study. The HONO emission factors of LDDTs decrease significantly with stringent control standards: 1.85 ± 1.17, 0.59 ± 0.25, and 0.15 ± 0.14 g/kg for China III, China IV, and China V, respectively. In addition, we found poor correlations between HONO and NOx emissions, which indicate that using the ratio of HONO to NOx emissions to infer HONO emissions might lead to high uncertainty of HONO source budget in previous studies. Lastly, the HONO emissions are found to be influenced by driving conditions, highlighting the importance of conducting on-road measurements of HONO emissions under real-world driving conditions. More direct measurements of the HONO emissions are needed to improve the understanding of the HONO emissions from mobile and other primary sources.

First report of a novel partitivirus from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium cerealis in China.

To our knowledge, no mycoviruses have been reported in Fusarium cerealis. Here, we describe a novel double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, Fusarium cerealis partitivirus 1 (FcPV1), isolated from F. cerealis strain HN30 from Henan Province, China. The FcPV1 genome consists of two dsRNA segments, 1732 bp (dsRNA1) and 1361 bp (dsRNA2) in length, each containing a single open reading frame potentially encoding a 61.0-kDa protein and a 42.0-kDa protein, respectively. dsRNA1 encodes a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), while the dsRNA2 product has no significant similarity to any other capsid proteins (CPs) in the GenBank databases other than limited similarity to hypothetical "capsid" proteins of a few partitiviruses. Sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis showed that FcPV1 is related to members of the newly proposed genus "Zetapartitivirus" in the family Partitiviridae.

Effects of Gentiana delavayi Flower Extract on APP Processing in APP/PS1 CHO Cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gentiana delavayi Franch. (Gentianaceae) as an ethnomedicinal plant contains a variety of effective active ingredients and exhibits diverse pharmacological actions, such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and central nervous system effects. In this study we investigated the influence of G. delavayi flower extract on amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing at molecular and cellular levels. APP/PS1 Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were treated with chloroform extract of G. delavayi flower in different concentrations for 24 h. Concentrations of amyloid ß (Aß) 40 and Aß42 in the cell supernatant and activity of ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), BACE2, and cathepsin D were determined. The expression of APP and neprilysin (NEP) within the cell were further determined. Compared with the control group, the levels of Aß40 and Aß42 declined notably and the activity of BACE1 was inhibited significantly in the APP/PS1 CHO cells after treatment with the chloroform extract of G. delavayi flower. Although the activities of BACE2 and cathepsin D were not changed, the expression of Aß degrading enzyme NEP increased remarkably. Our experiments have clearly showed that the chloroform extract of G. delavayi flower inhibits the generation of ß-amyloid by specifically inhibiting ß-secretase and increases the expression of NEP which fastens the degradation of Aß, exhibiting the effect of decreasing Aß accumulation in APP/PS1 CHO cells. These results suggest that the active components from the chloroform extract of G. delavayi flower have a further prospect to be developed as potential anti-Aß drug.

Decreased immunoglobulin G in brain regions of elder female APOE4-TR mice accompany with Aß accumulation.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) and ageing are the most important known risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the present study, we determined the alterations of IgG, CD19, and Aß in various brain regions of uninfected male and female APOE3- and APOE4-TR mice at the age of 3 and 10 months to elucidate impacts of AD risk factors on alterations of brain IgG. RESULTS: Positive staining for IgG was distributed across the brain, including neocortex, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and cerebellum. IgG positive staining was mainly located on microglia, but not astrocytes. Some IgG positive neurons were also observed, but only in mediodorsal thalamic nucleus. Compared with APOE3-TR mice, 10-month-old female APOE4-TR mice had lower IgG level in AD susceptible brain regions such as neocortex, entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, but no significant changes in thalamus and cerebellum, two regions nearly intact in AD. In addition, the expression of CD19, a specific marker for mature B cells, was significantly reduced in the hippocampus of 10-month-old female APOE4-TR mice. Although there were no obvious differences in plasma IgG levels between APOE4- and age matched female APOE3-TR mice, significant decreased B cell amount in blood of 10-month-old female APOE4-TR mice have also been found. Moreover, more obvious positive staining for Aß was observed in the cortex of 10-month-old female APOE4-TR mice than other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that AD risk factors were associated with IgG alterations in various brain regions, which might result from the defects of humoral immunity and lead to the impairment of IgG-mediated clearance of Aß by microglia, therefore facilitated AD progression.

Race and Gender Differences in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Femoral Footprint Location and Orientation: A 3D-MRI Study.

OBJECTIVE: The femoral tunnel position is crucial to anatomic single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, but the ideal femoral footprint position are mostly based on small-sized cadaveric studies and elderly patients with a single ethnic background. This study aimed to identify potential race- or gender-specific differences in the ACL femoral footprint location and ACL orientation, determine the correlation between the ACL orientation and the femoral footprint location. METHODS: Magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 90 Caucasian participants and 90 matched Chinese subjects were used for reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) femur and tibial models. ACL footprints were sketched by several experienced orthopedic surgeons on the MRI photographs. The anatomical coordinate system was applied to reflect the ACL footprint location and orientation of scanned samples. The femoral ACL footprint locations were represented by their distance from the origin in the anteroposterior (A/P) and distal-proximal (D/P) directions. The orientation of the ACL was described with the sagittal, coronal and transverse deviation angles. The ACL orientation and femoral footprint position were compared by the two-sided t-test. Multiple regression analysis was used to study the correlation between the orientation and femoral footprint position. RESULTS: The average femur footprint A/P position was -6.6 ± 1.6 mm in the Chinese group and -5.1 ± 2.3 mm in the Caucasian group, (p < 0.001). The average femur footprint D/P position was -2.8 ± 2.4 mm in Chinese and - 3.9 ± 2.0 mm in Caucasians, (p = 0.001). The Chinese group had a mean difference of a 1.5 mm (6.1%) more posterior and 1.1 mm (5.3%) more proximal in the position from the flexion-extension axis (FEA). And the males have a sagittal plane elevation about 4-5° higher than females in both racial groups. Furthermore, for every 1% (0.40 mm) increase in A/P and D/P values, the sagittal angle decreased by about 0.12° and 0.24°, respectively; the coronal angle decreased by about 0.10° and 0.30°, respectively. For every 1% (0.40 mm) increase in D/P value, the transverse angle increased by about 0.14°. CONCLUSION: The significant race- and gender-specific differences in the femoral footprint and orientation of the ACL should be taken in consideration during anatomic single-bundle ACL reconstruction. Furthermore, the quantitative relationship between the ACL orientation and the footprint location might provide some reference for surgeons to develop a surgical strategy in ACL single-bundle reconstruction and revision.

In the Acute Phase of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture: Quantitative Assessment of Matrix Changes and Correlation between Different States of Meniscus and Adjacent Cartilage.

OBJECTIVE: Cartilage and meniscus are important structures that maintain the health of the knee joint. Early detection of changes in the internal components of cartilage and meniscus before morphological changes occur is essential to prevent and delay the development of osteoarthritis (OA). This study was designed to determine the changes in the matrix composition of morphologically intact cartilage and meniscus during the acute phase of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, as well as the effect of different states of meniscus (intact or tear) on adjacent cartilage during the acute phase. METHODS: This cross-sectional study compared and analyzed 50 patients in the acute phase of ACL rupture who underwent surgical treatment and 66 age-, weight- and height-matched healthy volunteers from May 2022 to May 2023 at our institution. Mean T2 relaxation times and effect sizes in different regions of tibiofemoral articular cartilage and meniscus were compared between the two groups using the Mann-Whitney nonparametric t-test, and correlations between different meniscal states and adjacent cartilage were analyzed. RESULTS: Both in the lateral and medial compartments of the knee, T2 relaxation times were significantly higher in all subregions of cartilage and meniscus in the ACL rupture group (p < 0.05), and the site of injury was predominantly centered in the medial compartment (femur, p = 0.000; tibia, p = 0.000; anterior horn, p = 0.000). In the respective compartments, the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus showed a significant positive correlation with the mid-cartilage of the femoral and tibial (r = 0.566, p = 0.035; r = 0.611, p = 0.02); and the posterior horn of the medial meniscus showed a significant positive correlation with the posterior tibial cartilage (r = 0.668, p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: During the acute phase of ACL rupture, the internal composition of the cartilage and meniscus undergoes significant changes, even if the morphology is intact. More importantly, the state of the meniscus significantly affects the internal composition of the adjacent cartilage. This is an early warning sign of OA, which should be closely monitored and carefully managed in clinical practice.

A causal analysis of the relationship between exposure to sunlight and colorectal cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization study.

Several observational studies have found that exposure to sunlight reduces the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, sun exposure remains ambiguous in its relationship to CRC. We carried out a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to explore the potential associations between them. We examined the exposure to sunlight summary statistics of the UK Biobank Consortium using a 2-sample MR analysis. Using data from the FinnGen consortium, we derived summary statistics for CRC. We conducted our analysis with various methods, incorporating inverse variance weighted (IVW) along with 4 other approaches. A Cochran Q statistic was used to measure the heterogeneity of instrumental variables (IVs). We screened 133 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (time spent outdoors in summer), 41 SNPs (time spent outdoors in winter), and 35 SNPs (frequency of solarium/sunlamp use) representing sunlight exposure for MR analysis. All selected SNPs had an F-statistic >20, indicating that IVs did not weakly bias the results. The summer outdoor activity trait exhibited significant heterogeneity (Cochran Q statistic = 183.795, P = .002 < 0.05), but we found no horizontal polymorphisms or significant heterogeneity for the other exposure traits. According to IVW estimates, no causal association exists between time spent outdoors in summer and CRC (Odds Ratio, OR = 0.735, 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.494-1.017, P = .128 > 0.017). No causal relationship existed between time spent outdoors in winter and CRC, as indicated by Bonferroni-corrected adjusted p-values. The OR was 0.877 with a 95% CI of 0.334-2.299, and the P value was .789, more significant than the significance threshold of 0.017. The solarium/sunlamp use frequency was not associated with CRC (OR = 1.567, 95%CI = 0.243-10.119, P = .637 > .017). Also, an IVW with random effects was applied to determine the causal relationship between summer outdoor time and CRC. No causal association between summer outdoor time and CRC was found (OR = 0.735, 95% CI = 0.494-1.017, P = .128 > .017). Additionally, 4 additional analyses yielded similar results. The findings of our study suggest that exposure to sunlight may reduce CRC risk, but the causal relationship remains unsolved. There is no evidence to suggest that exposure to sunlight prevents CRC. Randomized, controlled trials are needed to determine whether sunlight exposure protects against CRC.

Engineered poly(A)-surrogates for translational regulation and therapeutic biocomputation in mammalian cells.

Here, we present a gene regulation strategy enabling programmable control over eukaryotic translational initiation. By excising the natural poly-adenylation (poly-A) signal of target genes and replacing it with a synthetic control region harboring RNA-binding protein (RBP)-specific aptamers, cap-dependent translation is rendered exclusively dependent on synthetic translation initiation factors (STIFs) containing different RBPs engineered to conditionally associate with different eIF4F-binding proteins (eIFBPs). This modular design framework facilitates the engineering of various gene switches and intracellular sensors responding to many user-defined trigger signals of interest, demonstrating tightly controlled, rapid and reversible regulation of transgene expression in mammalian cells as well as compatibility with various clinically applicable delivery routes of in vivo gene therapy. Therapeutic efficacy was demonstrated in two animal models. To exemplify disease treatments that require on-demand drug secretion, we show that a custom-designed gene switch triggered by the FDA-approved drug grazoprevir can effectively control insulin expression and restore glucose homeostasis in diabetic mice. For diseases that require instantaneous sense-and-response treatment programs, we create highly specific sensors for various subcellularly (mis)localized protein markers (such as cancer-related fusion proteins) and show that translation-based protein sensors can be used either alone or in combination with other cell-state classification strategies to create therapeutic biocomputers driving self-sufficient elimination of tumor cells in mice. This design strategy demonstrates unprecedented flexibility for translational regulation and could form the basis for a novel class of programmable gene therapies in vivo.

A Mycovirus VIGS Vector Confers Hypovirulence to a Plant Pathogenic Fungus to Control Wheat FHB.

Mycovirus-mediated hypovirulence has the potential to control fungal diseases. However, the availability of hypovirulence-conferring mycoviruses for plant fungal disease control is limited as most fungal viruses are asymptomatic. In this study, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vector p26-D4 of Fusarium graminearum gemytripvirus 1 (FgGMTV1), a tripartite circular single-stranded DNA mycovirus, is successfully constructed to convert the causal fungus of cereal Fusarium head blight (FHB) into a hypovirulent strain. p26-D4, with an insert of a 75-150 bp fragment of the target reporter transgene transcript in both sense and antisense orientations, efficiently triggered gene silencing in Fusarium graminearum. Notably, the two hypovirulent strains, p26-D4-Tri101, and p26-D4-FgPP1, obtained by silencing the virulence-related genes Tri101 and FgPP1 with p26-D4, can be used as biocontrol agents to protect wheat from a fungal disease FHB and mycotoxin contamination at the field level. This study not only describes the first mycovirus-derived VIGS system but also proves that the VIGS vector can be used to establish multiple hypovirulent strains to control pathogenic fungi.

The Wheat Endophyte Epicoccum layuense J4-3 Inhibits Fusarium graminearum and Enhances Plant Growth.

Fungal endophytes are well-known for their ability to promote plant growth and hinder fungal diseases, including Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum. This study aimed to characterize the biocontrol efficacy of strain J4-3 isolated from the stem of symptomless wheat collected from Heilongjiang Province, China. It was identified as Epicoccum layuense using morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and beta-tubulin (TUB). In a dual culture assay, strain J4-3 significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of F. graminearum strain PH-1 and other fungal pathogens. In addition, wheat coleoptile tests showed that lesion symptoms caused by F. graminearum were significantly reduced in wheat seedlings treated with hyphal fragment suspensions of strain J4-3 compared to the controls. Under field conditions, applying spore suspensions and culture filtrates of strain J4-3 with conidial suspensions of F. graminearum on wheat spikes resulted in the significant biocontrol efficacy of FHB. In addition, wheat seedlings previously treated with spore suspensions of strain J4-3 before sowing successfully resulted in FHB reduction after the application of conidial suspensions of F. graminearum at anthesis. More importantly, wheat seedlings treated with hyphal fragments and spore suspensions of strain J4-3 showed significant increases in wheat growth compared to the controls under greenhouse and field conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that E. layuense J4-3 could be a promising biocontrol agent (BCA) against F. graminearum, causing FHB and a growth-promoting fungus in wheat.

Relationships between position of patellar ridge high point and morphology of resected surface for patellar resurfacing in total knee arthroplasty.

Background: Reproducing the native patellar ridge high point while maximizing osseous coverage is important for the success of patellar replacement, but it cannot always be achieved simultaneously. This study aimed to thoroughly investigate the relationships and their influencing factors between the positions of the high point of patellar ridge (HPPR) and the morphology of the patellar resected surface. Methods: Four hundred seventy-three patients (265 men, 208 women) aged 18 to 50 years with knee injuries before arthroscopy were retrospectively collected for this cross-sectional study. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to construct 3D computer models of the patella and patellar cartilage. The morphometric characteristics of the patellar cut after virtual resection and the HPPR position relative to the patellar cut centre were measured and analyzed. Results: The medial displacements of the HPPR were positively correlated with Wiberg's classification and index (all P<0.001). The mean values of HPPR's medial displacements were 0.15 of the medial width of patellar cut, and 93.2% of all patella ranged from 0 to 0.3. When the implant's apex were placed at 0.15 of the medial width of patellar cut medialized, the proportion of implant placement errors within 1 mm of the native high point was 12% more in female patella (P=0.01), and 7% more in all patella (P=0.03) than 3 mm medialized. Conclusions: Wiberg's system can roughly predicted the medial-lateral position of the HPPR. The HPPR was mainly medially located at the 0.15 of the medial patellar width approximately, and 15% medialized of the implant's apex can better reproduce the native patellar high point than 3 mm medialized. The current results provide basic data for patellar implant selection, preoperative planning, and implant design to reproduce the native patellar high point better while maximizing osseous coverage for patellar resurfacing.

An xception model based on residual attention mechanism for the classification of benign and malignant gastric ulcers.

To explore the application value of convolutional neural network combined with residual attention mechanism and Xception model for automatic classification of benign and malignant gastric ulcer lesions in common digestive endoscopy images under the condition of insufficient data. For the problems of uneven illumination and low resolution of endoscopic images, the original image is preprocessed by Sobel operator, etc. The algorithm model is implemented by Pytorch, and the preprocessed image is used as input data. The model is based on convolutional neural network for automatic classification and diagnosis of benign and malignant gastric ulcer lesions in small number of digestive endoscopy images. The accuracy, F1 score, sensitivity, specificity and precision of the Xception model improved by the residual attention module for the diagnosis of benign and malignant gastric ulcer lesions were 81.411%, 81.815%, 83.751%, 76.827% and 80.111%, respectively. The superposition of residual attention modules can effectively improve the feature learning ability of the model. The pretreatment of digestive endoscopy can remove the interference information on the digestive endoscopic image data extracted from the database, which is beneficial to the training of the model. The residual attention mechanism can effectively improve the classification effect of Xception convolutional neural network on benign and malignant lesions of gastric ulcer on common digestive endoscopic images.

Overexpression of hsa_circ_0006470 inhibits the malignant behavior of gastric cancer cells via regulation of miR-1234/TP53I11 axis.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a subtype of a common malignant tumor found in the digestive system. Hsa_circ_0006470 is known to be closely associated with the development of GC. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which hsa_circ_0006470 regulates the tumorigenesis of GC has not been fully elucidated. To investigate the role of hsa_circ_0006470 in GC, its expression levels were assessed in GES-1, AGS, MKN45, and SNU5 cells by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to evaluate the localization of hsa_circ_0006470 in AGS and MKN45 cells. In addition, cell counting kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assays were performed to evaluate the viability and proliferation of GC cells, respectively. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to explore the interaction among hsa_circ_0006470, microRNA (miR)-1234, and TP53I11. The expression levels of TP53I11, Akt, p-Akt, forkhead box O1, and cyclin dependent kinase 2 in AGS cells were analyzed by Western blotting. The data indicated that hsa_circ_0006470 expression was downregulated in AGS cells. In addition, overexpression (OE) of hsa_circ_0006470 could inhibit the viability and proliferation of GC cells. Moreover, OE of hsa_circ_0006470 inhibited the migration of GC cells and induced G1 cell cycle phase arrest. Moreover, miR-1234 was bound to hsa_circ_0006470 and TP53I11 was targeted by miR-1234. Furthermore, OE of hsa_circ_0006470 inhibited the tumorigenesis of GC via the regulation of the miR-1234/TP53I11 axis. In summary, the present study demonstrated that OE of hsa_circ_0006470 notably inhibited the tumorigenesis of GC by regulating the miR-1234/TP53I11 axis. Therefore, the present study may provide a theoretical basis for exploring novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of GC.

A New Reference Axis for Tibial Component Rotation in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Three-dimensional Computed Tomography Analysis.

The purpose of this study was to introduce a new reference axis for tibial rotation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and verify its reliability. A consecutive series of 80 knees that underwent TKA from 2018 to 2020 as well as 80 healthy knees were analyzed using a three-dimensional tibial model. A coordinate system was established based on the standard TKA tibial cut. The line connecting the lateral-tibial eminence and the medial 1/3rd of the tibial tubercle or the medial border of the tibial tubercle was identified as the lateral eminence line (LE line) and the medial lateral eminence line (MLE line), respectively. To evaluate the reliability of the new reference axis, Akagi's line, the medial third of the tibial tubercle (1/3 line) was compared with the LE and MLE lines by measuring the angle between the lines and the Z-axis. In the coronal view, the intersection angle (TPA), which is composed of the line connecting the center of the medial and lateral tibial plateau with the Z-axis, was measured. The mean angle between Akagi's line and the Z-axis in the healthy group and the osteoarthritis (OA) group was 87.57 ± 3.48° and 87.61 ± 3.47°, respectively. The mean angle between the LE line and Z-axis in the healthy and OA groups was 87.15 ± 4.13° and 86.78 ± 3.95°, respectively. A weak correlation was found between the TPA and Akagi's line and the 1/3 line. A moderate correlation was observed between the TPA and LE lines. There were no significant differences between the healthy and OA groups (P > 0.05) in any of the four reference axes. The LE line showed excellent intra- and inter-observer reliability and reproducibility. The novel and easily drawn LE line is a preferable option for tibial component rotational alignment in TKA.

Insight into the characteristics of carbonaceous aerosols at urban and regional sites in the downwind area of Pearl River Delta region, China.

Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs) take up a substantial fraction of fine particle (PM2.5) in the atmosphere, yet high temporal resolution and seasonal variations of their emission sources and formation mechanisms are still poorly characterized in the regions with strong anthropogenic activities. In this study, the spatiotemporal characteristics of CAs and their subfractions, i.e., organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), were studied in one of China's key city clusters, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Results show that the annual mean OC and EC concentrations are 5.89 ± 3.32 µg/m3 and 1.60 ± 1.00 µg/m3 at the urban site, respectively. Such levels are consistently higher than those at the regional site (4.94 ± 3.34 µg/m3 of OC and 1.45 ± 0.82 µg/m3 of EC), suggesting the strong impact of human activities on OC and EC concentration. Moreover, the OC concentration peak sharply appears at 19:00 across all seasons at the urban site due to the direct influence of traffic exhaust and cooking activities. At regional site, OC peaks in fall afternoon due to intensive photochemical reactions derived combustion-related secondary organic carbon (SOCcom) contributions to the downwind PRD region. Correlations between SOCcom and influence factors were found at both regional and urban sites, suggesting that SOCcom formation is more regionally homogenous and mainly originates from the Zhaoqing-Foshan-Jiangmen belt. In addition, there are significantly different formation mechanisms of non-combustion-related secondary organic carbon (SOCnon-com) in the downwind PRD region. This study provides a solid evidence for collaborative efforts in the mitigation of secondary aerosols in the PRD region.

An updated model-ready emission inventory for Guangdong Province by incorporating big data and mapping onto multiple chemical mechanisms.

An accurate characterization of spatial-temporal emission patterns and speciation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for multiple chemical mechanisms is important to improving the air quality ensemble modeling. In this study, we developed a 2017-based high-resolution (3 km × 3 km) model-ready emission inventory for Guangdong Province (GD) by updating estimation methods, emission factors, activity data, and allocation profiles. In particular, a full-localized speciation profile dataset mapped to five chemical mechanisms was developed to promote the determination of VOC speciation, and two dynamic approaches based on big data were used to improve the estimation of ship emissions and open fire biomass burning (OFBB). Compared with previous emissions, more VOC emissions were classified as oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) species, and their contributions to the total ozone formation potential (OFP) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region increased by 17%. Formaldehyde became the largest OFP species in GD, accounting for 11.6% of the total OFP, indicating that the model-ready emission inventory developed in this study is more reactive. The high spatial-temporal variability of ship sources and OFBB, which were previously underestimated, was also captured by using big data. Ship emissions during typhoon days and holidays decreased by 23-55%. 95% of OFBB emissions were concentrated in 9% of the GD area and 31% of the days in 2017, demonstrating their strong spatial-temporal variability. In addition, this study revealed that GD emissions have changed rapidly in recent years due to the leap-forward control measures implemented, and thus, they needed to be updated regularly. All of these updates led to a 5-17% decrease in the emission uncertainty for most pollutants. The results of this study provide a reference for how to reduce uncertainties in developing model-ready emission inventories.

A tripartite ssDNA mycovirus from a plant pathogenic fungus is infectious as cloned DNA and purified virions.

Here, we describe a tripartite circular single-stranded (ss) DNA mycovirus, named Fusarium graminearum gemytripvirus 1 (FgGMTV1). The genome of FgGMTV1 comprises three circular ssDNA segments (DNA-A, DNA-B, and DNA-C). Sequence alignments and phylogenetic analyses showed that FgGMTV1 is nested within the family Genomoviridae. We also constructed the first infectious DNA clones of a DNA mycovirus. Our results show that DNA-A and DNA-B are mutually interdependent for their replication and are associated with severely reduced colony growth and hypovirulence. DNA-C relies on DNA-A and DNA-B for replication and is necessary for the recovery of abnormal fungal phenotypes. DNA-C also enhances the accumulation of viral DNA in infected fungi and permits stable colonization and easy transmission via conidia. This is the first multipartite DNA virus isolated from a fungus. Our phylogenetic analyses also suggest that the multipartite genome of FgGMTV1 may have evolved from a monopartite genome of an ancient genomovirus.

Molecular Characterization of a Novel Strain of Fusarium graminearum Virus 1 Infecting Fusarium graminearum.

Fungal viruses (mycoviruses) have attracted more attention for their possible hypovirulence (attenuation of fungal virulence) trait, which may be developed as a biocontrol agent of plant pathogenic fungi. However, most discovered mycoviruses are asymptomatic in their hosts. In most cases, mycovirus hypovirulent factors have not been explored clearly. In this study, we characterized a ssRNA mycovirus in Fusarium graminearum strain HB56-9. The complete nucleotide genome was obtained by combining random sequencing and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full genome was 6621-nucleotides long, excluding the poly(A) tail. The mycovirus was quite interesting because it shared 95.91% nucleotide identities with previously reported Fusarium graminearum virus 1 strain DK21 (FgV1-DK21), while the colony morphology of their fungal hosts on PDA plates were very different. The novel virus was named Fusarium graminearum virus 1 Chinese isolate (FgV1-ch). Like FgV1-DK21, FgV1-ch also contains four putative open reading frames (ORFs), including one long and three short ORFs. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that FgV1-ch is clustered into a proposed family Fusariviridae. FgV1-ch, unlike FgV1-DK21, had mild or no effects on host mycelial growth, spore production and virulence. The nucleotide differences between FgV1-ch and FgV1-DK21 will help to elucidate the hypovirulence determinants during mycovirus-host interaction.