Segment anything with inception module for automated segmentation of endometrium in ultrasound images.

Purpose: Accurate segmentation of the endometrium in ultrasound images is essential for gynecological diagnostics and treatment planning. Manual segmentation methods are time-consuming and subjective, prompting the exploration of automated solutions. We introduce "segment anything with inception module" (SAIM), a specialized adaptation of the segment anything model, tailored specifically for the segmentation of endometrium structures in ultrasound images. Approach: SAIM incorporates enhancements to the image encoder structure and integrates point prompts to guide the segmentation process. We utilized ultrasound images from patients undergoing hysteroscopic surgery in the gynecological department to train and evaluate the model. Results: Our study demonstrates SAIM's superior segmentation performance through quantitative and qualitative evaluations, surpassing existing automated methods. SAIM achieves a dice similarity coefficient of 76.31% and an intersection over union score of 63.71%, outperforming traditional task-specific deep learning models and other SAM-based foundation models. Conclusions: The proposed SAIM achieves high segmentation accuracy, providing high diagnostic precision and efficiency. Furthermore, it is potentially an efficient tool for junior medical professionals in education and diagnosis.

Effect of size on the thermal noise and acoustic response of viscous-driven microbeams.

A study is presented of the thermal-mechanical noise and response to sound of microphones that are designed to be driven by the viscous forces in air rather than by sound pressure. Virtually all existing microphone designs are intended to respond to sound pressure. The structures examined here consist of thin, micro-scale, cantilever beams. The viscous forces that drive the beams are proportional to the relative velocity between the beams and fluid medium. The beams' movement in response to sound is similar to that of the air in a plane acoustic wave. The thermal-mechanical noise of these beams is found to be a very weak function of their width and length; the size of the sensing structure does not appear to significantly affect the performance. This differs from the well-known importance of the size of a pressure-sensing microphone in determining the pressure-referred noise floor. Creating microphones that sense fluid motion rather than pressure could enable a significant reduction in the size of the sensing element. Calculated results are revealed to be in excellent agreement with the measured pressure-referred thermal noise.

Guijing2501 (Citrus unshiu) Has Stronger Cold Tolerance Due to Higher Photoprotective Capacity as Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomic and Physiological Analysis and Overexpression of Early Light-Induced Protein.

Cold is one of the major limiting factors for citrus production, particularly extreme cold waves. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop cold-tolerant varieties and clarify their cold tolerance mechanisms in citrus breeding. In this study, comparative transcriptomic and physiological analyses were performed to dissect the cold tolerance mechanism of Guijing2501 (GJ2501), a new satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu) variety with about 1 °C lower LT50 (the median lethal temperature) relative to Guijing (GJ). The physiological analysis results revealed that GJ2501 is more cold-tolerant with less photoinhibition, PSII photodamage, and MDA accumulation, but higher POD activity than GJ under cold stress. Comparative transcriptomic analysis identified 4200 DEGs between GJ and GJ2501, as well as 4884 and 5580 up-regulated DEGs, and 5288 and 5862 down-regulated DEGs in response to cold stress in GJ and GJ2501, respectively. "Photosynthesis, light harvesting" and "photosystem" were the specific and most significantly enriched GO terms in GJ2501 in response to cold stress. Two CuELIP1 genes (encoding early light-induced proteins) related to the elimination of PSII photodamage and photoinhibition were remarkably up-regulated (by about 1000-fold) by cold stress in GJ2501 as indicated by RT-qPCR verification. Overexpression of CuELIP1 from GJ2501 in transgenic Arabidopsis protected PSII against photoinhibition under cold stress. Taken together, the cold tolerance of GJ2501 may be ascribed to its higher photoprotective capacity under cold stress.

High-Order Neural-Network-Based Multi-Model Nonlinear Adaptive Decoupling Control for Microclimate Environment of Plant Factory.

Plant factory is an important field of practice in smart agriculture which uses highly sophisticated equipment for precision regulation of the environment to ensure crop growth and development efficiently. Environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, significantly impact crop production in a plant factory. Given the inherent complexities of dynamic models associated with plant factory environments, including strong coupling, strong nonlinearity and multi-disturbances, a nonlinear adaptive decoupling control approach utilizing a high-order neural network is proposed which consists of a linear decoupling controller, a nonlinear decoupling controller and a switching function. In this paper, the parameters of the controller depend on the generalized minimum variance control rate, and an adaptive algorithm is presented to deal with uncertainties in the system. In addition, a high-order neural network is utilized to estimate the unmolded nonlinear terms, consequently mitigating the impact of nonlinearity on the system. The simulation results show that the mean error and standard error of the traditional controller for temperature control are 0.3615 and 0.8425, respectively. In contrast, the proposed control strategy has made significant improvements in both indicators, with results of 0.1655 and 0.6665, respectively. For humidity control, the mean error and standard error of the traditional controller are 0.1475 and 0.441, respectively. In comparison, the proposed control strategy has greatly improved on both indicators, with results of 0.0221 and 0.1541, respectively. The above results indicate that even under complex conditions, the proposed control strategy is capable of enabling the system to quickly track set values and enhance control performance. Overall, precise temperature and humidity control in plant factories and smart agriculture can enhance production efficiency, product quality and resource utilization.

CsMYB15 positively regulates Cs4CL2-mediated lignin biosynthesis during juice sac granulation in navel orange.

'Lane Late', a late-maturing navel orange cultivar, is mainly distributed in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, which matures in the late March of the next year and needs overwintering cultivation. Citrus fruit granulation is a physiological disorder, which is characterized by lignification and dehydration of juice sac cells, seriously affecting the commercial value of citrus fruits. The pre-harvest granulation of late-maturing navel orange is main caused by low temperature in the winter, but its mechanism and regulation pattern remain unclear. In this study, a SG2-type R2R3-MYB transcription factor, CsMYB15, was identified from Citrus sinensis, which was significantly induced by both juice sac granulation and low temperature treatment. Subcellular localization analysis and transcriptional activation assay revealed that CsMYB15 protein was localized to the nucleus, and it exhibited transcriptional activation activity in yeast. Over-expression of CsMYB15 by stable transformation in navel orange calli and transient transformation in kumquat fruits and navel orange juice sacs significantly increased lignin content in the transgenic lines. Further, Yeast one hybrid, EMSA, and LUC assays demonstrated that CsMYB15 directly bound to the Cs4CL2 promoter and activated its expression, thereby causing a high accumulation of lignin in citrus. Taken together, these results elucidated the biological function of CsMYB15 in regulating Cs4CL2-mediated lignin biosynthesis, and provided novel insight into the transcriptional regulation mechanism underlying the juice sac granulation of late-maturing navel orange.

Physical adsorption and oxidation of ultra-thin MoS2crystals: insights into surface engineering for 2D electronics and beyond.

The oxidation mechanism of atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) plays a critical role in its nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and catalytic applications, where devices often operate in an elevated thermal environment. In this study, we systematically investigate the oxidation of mono- and few-layer MoS2flakes in the air at temperatures ranging from 23 °C to 525 °C and relative humidities of 10%-60% by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Our study reveals the formation of a uniform nanometer-thick physical adsorption layer on the surface of MoS2, which is attributed to the adsorption of ambient moisture. This physical adsorption layer acts as a thermal shield of the underlying MoS2lattice to enhance its thermal stability and can be effectively removed by an AFM tip scanning in contact mode or annealing at 400 °C. Our study shows that high-temperature thermal annealing and AFM tip-based cleaning result in chemical adsorption on sulfur vacancies in MoS2, leading to p-type doping. Our study highlights the importance of humidity control in ensuring reliable and optimal performance for MoS2-based electronic and electrochemical devices and provides crucial insights into the surface engineering of MoS2, which are relevant to the study of other two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide materials and their applications.

First report of Neopestalotiopsis rosae causing leaf blight on Shatangju in southern China.

Shatangju (Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Shatangju) belongs to genus Citrus and was cultivated extensively in southern China. In April 2022, a leaf blight-like symptom (firstly brown spots appeared on infecting leaves, then these brown spots extended, finally the whole leaves displayed blight-like symptom) was observed on 5%~10% of Shatangju seedlings (around five hundreds in total) in an orchard located in Wuhan city, Hubei, China. Diseased leaves from three seedlings were collected and cut into pieces (0.2 to 0.5 cm). These pieces were surface-sterilized using 75% ethanol for 3 min, rinsed with sterile distilled water for several times, then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 26°C with 12-h light/dark cycle. Over 20 pieces plated, wherein 30% were identified as Colletotrichum fructicola, 60% as Neopestalotiopsis spp., and 10% developed saprophytes. C. fructicola was a known pathogen on citrus, thus Neopestalotiopsis spp. was further investigated. Eight single-conidium colonies of the Neopestalotiopsis spp. were obtained, wherein STJ-8 was chosen as a representative for further study. The average growth rate of STJ-8 was 15.1±0.5 mm/day (n=5). Fungal colonies produced white cottony mycelium with abundant black acervuli distributed in concentric rings 6-8 days after planting, which ranged from 342.3 to 710.5 µm in diameter (n=100). Conidia were fusoid, five cells, four septa with average dimensions of 25.36×5.47 µm (n=100). Basal and apical cells were hyaline, wherein three middle cells were brown with darker septa. The apical cell was cylindrical with two to three transparent accessory filaments (13.7 to 30.5 µm in length, n=80). Basal cell was conic with an appendage (4.1 to 8.8 µm in length, n=40). Partial sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1α), and ß-tubulin (TUB2) were amplified with reported primers (White et al. 1990; Lee et al. 2006; Maharachchikumbura et al. 2014), sequenced, and submitted to GenBank (accession nos. ITS: OP236541; TEF-1α: OP250124; TUB2:OP263094). BLASTn results showed 100% identity with the corresponding sequences of Neopestalotiopsis rosae. A multilocus phylogenetic analysis showed STJ-8 was closest to N. rosae. Thus, STJ-8 was identified as N. rosae. Pathogenicity tests were performed on one-year-old Shatangju seedlings and detached primary leaves by inoculating needle-wounded leaves with seven days old 5-mm mycelial plugs/acervuli (about 5000 spores) of STJ-8. Control seedlings/leaves were inoculated with 5-mm PDA plugs/sterile water drops. All inoculated detached leaves were cultured at same the place with STJ-8 cultured, while inoculated seedlings were put in a growth chamber at 26°C under a 16-h light/dark cycle (60% humidity). Symptoms developed on all inoculated leaves (except healthy control) 2 and 4 days post-inoculation by mycelial plugs and acervuli, respectively. N. rosae was re-isolated from the inoculated leaves, confirming Koch's postulates. N. rosae has been reported to cause diseases on various plants worldwide (Rebollar-Alviter et al. 2020; Xavier et al. 2021; Lawrence et al. 2022). In China, N. rosae has been reported to cause leaf spot/blight on pecan and strawberry (Wu et al. 2021; Gao et al. 2022), which caused great loss on these crops. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. rosae causing leaf disease on citrus. Our study is important for developing control strategies against N. rosae in future.

Long noncoding RNA TUG1 decreases bladder cancer chemo-sensitivity toward doxorubicin through elevating KPNA2 expression and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway via adsorbing miR-582-5p.

Long noncoding RNA taurine-upregulated gene1 (TUG1) has been reported to be implicated in the chemo-resistance of bladder cancer. Hence, this study aimed to survey regulatory mechanism by which TUG1 regulates the chemo-resistance of bladder cancer cells to doxorubicin (DOX). Relative expression of TUG1, miR-582-5p, and karyopherin alpha 2 (KPNA2) was detected by qRT-PCR. The viability and proliferation of DOX-resistant bladder cancer cells were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Protein levels were measured by western blot analysis. The apoptosis, migration, and invasion of DOX-resistant bladder cancer cells were determined by flow cytometry or transwell assays. The relationship between TUG1 or KPNA2 and miR-582-5p was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. TUG1 and KPNA2 were upregulated while miR-582-5p was downregulated in resistant bladder cancer tissues and cells. TUG1 inhibition elevated cell chemo-sensitivity, facilitated cell apoptosis, and curbed proliferation, migration, invasion, and autophagy of DOX-resistant bladder cancer cells. Also, TUG1 acted as a sponge for miR-582-5p, and miR-582-5p inhibitor reversed TUG1 knockdown-mediated influence on DOX chemo-sensitivity and malignant behaviors in DOX-resistant bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, miR-582-5p targeted KPNA2, and KPNA2 overexpression counteracted the inhibitory impact of miR-582-5p mimic on DOX chemo-resistance and malignant behaviors in DOX-resistant bladder cancer cells. Additionally, TUG1 silencing inactivated the PI3K/AKT pathway through sponging miR-582-5p. TUG1 sponged miR-582-5p to increase KPNA2 expression and activated the KPNA2/PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby elevating DOX chemo-resistance and malignant behaviors in bladder cancer cells.

Recent updates on 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-, and 1,3,5-triazine hybrids (2017-present): The anticancer activity, structure-activity relationships, and mechanisms of action.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death across the world, and the prevalence and mortality rates of cancer will continue to grow. Chemotherapeutics play a critical role in cancer therapy, but drug resistance and side effects are major hurdles to effective treatment, evoking an immediate need for the discovery of new anticancer agents. Triazines including 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-, and 1,3,5-triazine have occupied a propitious place in drug design and development due to their excellent pharmacological profiles. Mechanistically, triazine derivatives could interfere with various signaling pathways to induce cancer cell death. Hence, triazine derivatives possess potential in vitro and in vivo efficacy against diverse cancers. In particular, triazine hybrids are able to overcome drug resistance and reduce side effects. Moreover, several triazine hybrids such as brivanib (indole-containing pyrrolo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazine), gedatolisib (1,3,5-triazine-urea hybrid), and enasidenib (1,3,5-triazine-pyridine hybrid) have already been available in the market. Accordingly, triazine hybrids are useful scaffolds for the discovery of novel anticancer chemotherapeutics. This review focuses on the anticancer activity of 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-, and 1,3,5-triazine hybrids, together with the structure-activity relationships and mechanisms of action developed from 2017 to the present. The enriched structure-activity relationships may be useful for further rational drug development of triazine hybrids as potential clinical candidates.

Hsa_circ_0003221 facilitates the malignant development of bladder cancer cells via resulting in the upregulation of DHCR24 by targeting miR-892b.

PURPOSE: This research concentrated on the biological effects and special mechanism of circ_0003221 in bladder cancer (BLCA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The level quantification by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was administrated for circ_0003221, microRNA-892b (miR-892b) and 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR24). The biological behaviors were assessed by EDU assay and colony formation assay for proliferation, and transwell assay for cell motility. Glycolytic metabolism was tested using the commercial kits. DHCR24 protein level and cell markers were measured through western blot. The analysis of interaction potential was conducted via dual-luciferase reporter assay and pull-down assay. Circ_0003221 was implemented via tumor xenograft assay in vivo. RESULTS: Abnormal circ_0003221 upregulation was affirmed in BLCA. BLCA cell proliferation, motility and glycolysis were impeded after circ_0003221 level was knocked down. MiR-892b was identified as a target for circ_0003221. Reduction of miR-892b relieved si-circ_0003221-induced anti-tumor response in BLCA cells. In addition, miR-892b targeted DHCR24 and circ_0003221/miR-892b could regulate the level of DHCR24. The effects of si-circ_0003221 were also counteracted by DHCR24 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence elucidated circ_0003221 targeted miR-892b to elevate the DHCR24 level, thus accelerating cell development and glycolytic metabolism of BLCA cells.

First report of Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani causing root rot on trifoliate orange rootstock in China.

Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L) is a thorny tree of the Rue family, which is extensively used as citrus rootstock in China. In January 2021, several leaf yellowing, declining, and wilting citrus seedlings grafted on trifoliate orange rootstock with rotted main roots were observed in orchards located in Wuhan city, Hubei, China. In old orchards, the incidence of diseased roots was approximately 90%. Diseased roots from seven plants were collected and cut into small pieces (0.2 to 0.5 cm). These pieces were then surface-sterilized using 0.1% mercury bichloride for 3 min, 75% ethanol for 3 min, rinsed with sterile distilled water for several times, and then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with 0.05% lactic acid (v/v), and incubated at at 25±2°C in dark. Fifty-threesingle-conidium isolates with morphological characteristics similar to Fusarium spp. were obtained (Leslie and Summerell 2006), which displayed two kinds of colony morphology. Thirty isolates showed white to orange-white abundant aerial mycelium in rings and acquired a yellow to orange pigmentation, tweenty-three isolates showed white to pink, fluffy aerial mycelium in rings and acquired an orange to red pigmentation. Isolate WG-1 and HrmY-9 from each group were used for future identification. The average colony growth rate of WG-1 and HrmY-9 on PDA was 0.95±0.06 and 0.69±0.11 mm/day, n=4, respectively. WG-1 produced numerous oval, unicellular microconidia without septa, 4.03-9.87×1.01-5.13 µm, n=80 and very few macroconidia with two to four septa, narrowed at both ends, 11.08-22.64×1.67-4.91 µm, n=30. HrmY-9 produced numerous curved macroconidia with three to four septa, 18.03-37.33×2.16-7.8 µm, n=80, microconidia were unicellular, oval, and 5.33-16.19×1.74-6.51 µm, n=50. Sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α), and DNA-directed RNA polymerase largest subunit (RPB1) genes were amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4, EF1a-F/EF1a-R, and RPB1-F5/RPB1-R8, respectively (White et al. 1990, O'Donnell et al. 1998, O'Donnell et al. 2010), sequenced and deposited in GenBank. Sequences of isolate WG-1 (GenBank accession No. ON045437, ON063232 and ON089664) and HrmY-9 (GenBank accession No. ON045438, ON063233 and ON089665) were 100% identical with the corresponding sequences of Fusarium oxysporum (OM876904, JF430180, and MT568959) and F. solani (MT605584, MK617767, and MT305110), respectively. Based on above results, WG-1 and HrmY-9 was identified as F. oxysporum and F. solani, respectively. Pathogenicity test were performed on healthy one-year-old trifoliate orange seedlings by dipping their injured roots into conidial suspension (50 ml, 1×106 conidia/mL) for 1 h and the rest of conidial suspension was added to the pot after replanting to make sure the inoculum was in contact with the roots. Roots of control plants were inoculated with sterilized water. All experiments were repeated twice. All plants were cultured at 26°C under a 16-h light/dark cycle. Typical symptoms developed on most of inoculated seedlings two months post inoculation. No disease symptoms appeared on control plants. Same colonies were reisolated from the inoculated roots, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. oxysporum and F. solani causing root rot on trifoliate orange rootstock in China. The identification of F. oxysporum and F. solani as the causal agents of the observed root rot on trifoliate orange rootstock is critical to the prevention and control of this disease in the future.

Establishment of a prognostic signature for lung adenocarcinoma by integration of 7 pyroptosis-related genes and cross-validation between the TCGA and GEO cohorts: A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis.

Pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) have been reported to be associated with prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Until now, the relationship of PRGs to the prognosis of LUAD patients and its underlying mechanisms have been poorly elucidated. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) LUAD cohort, a prior bioinformatics analysis constructed a prognostic signature incorporating 5 PRGs (NLRP7, NLRP1, NLRP2, NOD1, and CASP6) for predicting prognosis of LUAD patients. However, it has not been validated by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) LUAD cohort yet. We implemented a modified bioinformatics analysis to, respectively, construct one prognostic signature with the TCGA cohort and with the GEO cohort and attempted to perform cross-validations by the GEO cohort and the TCGA cohort alternately in turn. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis screened PRGs and constructed 2 prognostic signatures with the TCGA and GEO cohorts. All LUAD samples were classified into high- and low-risk groups according to the median risk score that was generated by regression formula. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis compared the overall survival rate between the 2 risk groups, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis evaluated predictive performance of the 2 signatures. Additionally, risk score, combined with clinicopathological features, was subjected to multivariate Cox regression analysis, to evaluate independent prognostic value of the 2 signatures. Finally, the 2 signatures received cross-validations by the GEO and TCGA cohorts, alternately. The TCGA cohort yielded a 3-gene signature (PYCARD, NLRP1, and NLRC4), whereas the GEO cohort built a 7-gene signature (SCAF11, NOD1, NLRP2, NLRP1, GPX4, CASP8, and AIM2) for predicting the prognosis of LUAD patients. Multivariate analysis proved independent prognostic value of risk score in the TCGA cohort (hazard ratio, = 1.939,; P = 8.43 × 10-4) and the GEO cohort (hazard ratio, = 2.291,; P = 4.34 × 10-9). Cross-validations confirmed prognostic value for the 7-gene signature from the GEO cohort by the TCGA cohort but not for the 3-gene signature from the TCGA cohort by the GEO cohort. We develop and validate a 7-gene prognostic signature (SCAF11, NOD1, NLRP2, NLRP1, GPX4, CASP8, and AIM2) with independent prognostic value for patients with LUAD.

Characterization of pectin methylesterase gene family and its possible role in juice sac granulation in navel orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck).

BACKGROUND: Citrus is one of the most important fresh fruit crops worldwide. Juice sac granulation is a physiological disorder, which leads to a reduction in soluble solid concentration, total sugar, and titratable acidity of citrus fruits. Pectin methylesterase (PME) catalyzes the de-methylesterification of homogalacturonans and plays crucial roles in cell wall modification during plant development and fruit ripening. Although PME family has been well investigated in various model plants, little is known regarding the evolutionary property and biological function of PME family genes in citrus. RESULTS: In this study, 53 non-redundant PME genes were identified from Citrus sinensis genome, and these PME genes were divided into four clades based on the phylogenetic relationship. Subsequently, bioinformatics analyses of gene structure, conserved domain, chromosome localization, gene duplication, and collinearity were performed on CsPME genes, providing important clues for further research on the functions of CsPME genes. The expression profiles of CsPME genes in response to juice sac granulation and low-temperature stress revealed that CsPME genes were involved in the low temperature-induced juice sac granulation in navel orange fruits. Subcellular localization analysis suggested that CsPME genes were localized on the apoplast, endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membrane, and vacuole membrane. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid screening and dual luciferase activity assay revealed that the transcription factor CsRVE1 directly bound to the promoter of CsPME3 and activated its activity. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the PME gene family in citrus, and provides a novel insight into the biological functions and regulation patterns of CsPME genes during juice sac granulation of citrus.

Dynamic response analysis of a whole steel frame solar greenhouse under wind loads.

In recent years, whole steel frame steel greenhouses have become increasingly prevalent. With the characteristics of large flexibility and small mass, whole steel frame steel greenhouses are sensitive to wind loads. However, studies on the safety of whole steel frame steel greenhouses under wind loads are still limited. In this study, a 10 m span whole steel frame solar greenhouse was taken as the research objective. Taking the Davenport spectrum as the target spectrum, the time history of the wind speed was simulated by the harmonic superposition method. The finite element model of the greenhouse structure was established using ANSYS software. The simulated wind pressure was applied on the greenhouse structure for dynamic response analysis. The dynamic response results were compared with the static analysis results under average wind load. The results showed that the greenhouse structure mainly bears bending stress under wind load. The bending stress, axial stress and displacement of the greenhouse skeleton under average wind loads are lower than those under instantaneous wind loads. It is necessary to consider the dynamic characteristics of wind loads in the design of solar greenhouses. A wind-induced vibration coefficient is obtained, which can be used to convert the dynamic load into the equivalent static load and improve its design efficiency.

The impact of adjuvant therapy on survival for node-negative esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: At present, the primary treatment of esophageal cancer is surgery-based comprehensive treatment, including adjuvant therapy such as chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. However, the role of adjuvant therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with pathologically node-negative (pN0) disease is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of postoperative adjuvant therapy on survival in patients with pN0 ESCC. METHODS: Patients with ESCC who underwent R0 esophagectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2008 to December 2013 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups: a surgery alone (Group S) group or a surgery + adjuvant therapy (Group S + A) group. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and every consecutive case was followed up until death or the last follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 387 patients with ESCC patients who had pN0 were enrolled in the study. After propensity score matching (PSM), each group consisted of 150 patients. In the overall cohort, the 5-year OS (75.6% vs. 69.7%; P=0.004) and 5-year DFS (64.9% vs. 48.2%; P=0.003) rates were higher in Group S + A than in Group S. In the matched samples, the same outcomes were observed (5-year OS: 75.6% vs. 69.7%, P=0.026; 5-year DFS: 67.6% vs. 69.6%, P=0.036). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that postoperative chemotherapy was associated with longer OS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.622, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.416-0.928; P=0.02] and DFS (HR: 0.571, 95% CI: 0.390-0.836; P=0.004); in contrast, T3 stage tumors (HR: 1.953, 95% CI: 1.238-3.082; P=0.004) and <15 lymph node dissections (HR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.238-2.648; P = 0.002) were found to be independent risk factors for pN0 ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant therapy, especially chemotherapy, prolonged OS and DFS for patients with ESCC who had pN0 disease. Fewer lymph node dissections and T3 stage tumors were independent risk factors for OS and DFS.

[The suppression effect and mechanism of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi against plant root rot.] / ä¸›æžèŒæ ¹çœŸèŒå¯¹æ¤ç‰©æ ¹è ç— çš„æŠ‘åˆ¶æ•ˆåº”åŠå ¶æœºåˆ¶.

Root rot is a serious soil-borne disease, with negative consequences on crop yield and quality. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are a group of soil microorganisms, which play important physiological and ecological functions by establishing symbionts with plant roots. AM fungi could induce plant resistance against root rot by regulating physiological and biochemical processes. As a biological agent, AM fungi are used to antagonize soil-borne diseases such as root rot, which is a hotspot in the field of plant-microorganism interaction. We comprehensively reviewed the suppression effect of AM fungi on plant root rot, and the effect of AM fungi on root morphology of host plant, plant nutrition levels, as well as their role in competing with pathogens for ecological sites, activating plant defense systems, and regulating root exudates. Finally, we discussed the potential mechanism of AM fungi inhibiting root rot, as well as the practical problems in the efficient utilization of AM fungi were discussed, in order to provide the theoretical basis for the biological control protocol to antagonize root rot with AM fungi.

RNA Interference-Based Silencing of the Chitin Synthase 1 Gene for Reproductive and Developmental Disruptions in Panonychus citri.

Chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) is an essential gene regulating chitin during different developmental stages of arthropods. In the current study, we explored for the first time the role of CHS1 gene regulation in the citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), by silencing its expression using (RNA interference) RNAi-based strategies. The results reveal that P. citri tested in different developmental stages, including larvae, protonymphs, deutonymphs, and adults fed on sweet orange leaves dipped in various concentrations (200, 400, 600, and 800 ng/µL) of dsRNA-PcCHS1, resulted in a continuous reduction in their gene expression, and the extent of transcript knockdown was positively correlated with the concentration of dsRNA. Concentration-mortality response assays revealed a mortality of more than 50% among all the studied developmental stages, except for adulthood. Furthermore, the target gene dsRNA-PcCHS1 treatment of larvae, protonymphs, deutonymphs, and females at a treatment rate of 800 ng/mL of dsRNA significantly decreased the egg-laying rates by 48.50%, 43.79%, 54%, and 39%, respectively, and the hatching rates were also considerably reduced by 64.70%, 70%, 64%, and 52.90%, respectively. Moreover, using the leaf dip method, we found that the RNA interference effectively reduced the PcCHS1 transcript levels by 42.50% and 42.06% in the eggs and adults, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate that the RNAi of PcCHS1 can dramatically reduce the survival and fecundity of P. citri, but the dsRNA concentrations and developmental stages can significantly influence the RNAi effects. These findings indicate the potential utility of the PcCHS1 gene in causing developmental irregularities, which could aid in the development of effective and novel RNAi-based strategies for controlling P. citri.

Investigation of GIM-TEC disturbances before M ≥ 6.0 inland earthquakes during 2003-2017.

With the rapid development of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and its wide applications to atmospheric science research, the global ionosphere map (GIM) total electron content (TEC) data are extensively used as a potential tool to detect ionospheric disturbances related to seismic activity and they are frequently used to statistically study the relation between the ionosphere and earthquakes (EQs). Indeed, due to the distribution of ground based GPS receivers is very sparse or absent in large areas of ocean, the GIM-TEC data over oceans are results of interpolation between stations and extrapolation in both space and time, and therefore, they are not suitable for studying the marine EQs. In this paper, based on the GIM-TEC data, a statistical investigation of ionospheric TEC variations of 15 days before and after the 276 M ≥ 6.0 inland EQs is undertaken. After eliminating the interference of geomagnetic activities, the spatial and temporal distributions of the ionospheric TEC disturbances before and after the EQs are investigated and compared. There are no particularly distinct features in the time distribution of the ionospheric TEC disturbances before the inland EQs. However, there are some differences in the spatial distribution, and the biggest difference is precisely in the epicenter area. On the other hand, the occurrence rates of ionospheric TEC disturbances within 5 days before the EQs are overall higher than those after EQs, in addition both of them slightly increase with the earthquake magnitude. These results suggest that the anomalous variations of the GIM-TEC before the EQs might be related to the seismic activities.

Influence of Citrus Scion/Rootstock Genotypes on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Community Composition under Controlled Environment Condition.

Citrus is vegetatively propagated by grafting for commercial production, and most rootstock cultivars of citrus have scarce root hairs, thus heavily relying on mutualistic symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for mineral nutrient uptake. However, the AMF community composition, and its differences under different citrus scion/rootstock genotypes, were largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the citrus root-associated AMF diversity and richness, and assessed the influence of citrus scion/rootstock genotypes on the AMF community composition in a controlled condition, in order to exclude interferences from environmental factors and agricultural practices. As a result, a total of 613,408 Glomeromycota tags were detected in the citrus roots, and 46 AMF species were annotated against the MAARJAM database. Of these, 39 species belonged to Glomus, indicating a dominant role of the Glomus AMF in the symbiosis with citrus. PCoA analysis indicated that the AMF community's composition was significantly impacted by both citrus scion and rootstock genotypes, but total samples were clustered according to rootstock genotype rather than scion genotype. In addition, AMF α diversity was significantly affected merely by rootstock genotype. Thus, rootstock genotype might exert a greater impact on the AMF community than scion genotype. Taken together, this study provides a comprehensive insight into the AMF community in juvenile citrus plants, and reveals the important effects of citrus genotype on AMF community composition.

Ratiometric Photoacoustic Chemical Sensor for Pd2+ Ion.

Recently, small molecule photoacoustic sensors have emerged prominently in chem/biosensing owing to their excellent performance of high contrast, high resolution, and deep penetration depth. However, there has been little report on a photoacoustic sensor for Pd2+ detection so far. Herein, a ratiometric photoacoustic Pd2+ sensor, Cy-DPA, based on cyanine fluorophore has been developed. The absorbance peak of Cy-DPA shifts from 710 to 770 nm after the interaction with Pd2+, thus producing a strong PA signal output at 770 nm. As-prepared Cy-DPA could sensing palladium with high sensitivity (27 nM) and selectivity in a fast response (<30 s), which opened new avenue for Pd2+ real-time detection in vivo.