Improved ZnWO4@NiCo2O4 core-shell nanosheet arrays with regulatory interfaces and electronic redistribution.

ZnWO4@NiCo2O4 core-shell nanosheet array composites are synthesized on nickel foam via a two-step hydrothermal method. The optimal conditions, including a Ni(NO3)2·6H2O to Co(NO3)2·6H2O molar ratio of 2 : 1, 12 hours reaction time, and 120 °C temperature, yield a specific capacitance of 875 C g-1 at 1 A g-1. The electrode also maintains 81.1% capacitance after 10 000 cycles. The material's performance is attributed to its core-shell structure, which enhances ion diffusion and electron transport. This study presents a viable approach for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.

Peering through the hedge: Multiple datasets yield insights into the phylogenetic relationships and incongruences in the tribe Lilieae (Liliaceae).

The increasing use of genome-scale data has significantly facilitated phylogenetic analyses, contributing to the dissection of the underlying evolutionary mechanisms that shape phylogenetic incongruences, such as incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and hybridization. Lilieae, a prominent member of the Liliaceae family, comprises four genera and approximately 260 species, representing 43% of all species within Liliaceae. They possess high ornamental, medicinal and edible values. Yet, no study has explored the validity of various genome-scale data in phylogenetic analyses within this tribe, nor have potential evolutionary mechanisms underlying its phylogenetic incongruences been investigated. Here, transcriptome, Angiosperms353, plastid and mitochondrial data, were collected from 50 to 93 samples of Lilieae, covering all four recognized genera. Multiple datasets were created and used for phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated and coalescent-based methods. Evolutionary rates of different datasets were calculated, and divergence times were estimated. Various approaches, including coalescence simulation, Quartet Sampling (QS), calculation of concordance factors (gCF and sCF), as well as MSCquartets and reticulate network inference, were carried out to infer the phylogenetic discordances and analyze their underlying mechanisms using a reduced 33-taxon dataset. Despite extensive phylogenetic discordances among gene trees, robust phylogenies were inferred from nuclear and plastid data compared to mitochondrial data, with lower synonymous substitution detected in mitochondrial genes than in nuclear and plastid genes. Significant ILS was detected across the phylogeny of Lilieae, with clear evidence of reticulate evolution identified. Divergence time estimation indicated that most of lineages in Lilieae diverged during a narrow time frame (ranging from 5.0 Ma to 10.0 Ma), consistent with the notion of rapid radiation evolution. Our results suggest that integrating transcriptomic and plastid data can serve as cost-effective and efficient tools for phylogenetic inference and evolutionary analysis within Lilieae, and Angiosperms353 data is also a favorable choice. Mitochondrial data are more suitable for phylogenetic analyses at higher taxonomic levels due to their stronger conservation and lower synonymous substitution rates. Significant phylogenetic incongruences detected in Lilieae were caused by both incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and reticulate evolution, with hybridization and "ghost introgression" likely prevalent in the evolution of Lilieae species. Our findings provide new insights into the phylogeny of Lilieae, enhancing our understanding of the evolution of species in this tribe.

[Growth characteristic of statolith of Todarodes pacificus in the East China Sea in the La Niña year]. / 拉尼娜发生期东海太平洋褶柔鱼耳石生长特征.

To investigate the differences on morphological growth patterns of statolith of Todarodes pacificus in the East China Sea during La Niña and normal years, we analyzed the samples of T. pacificus collected in the East China Sea by Chinese light purse seine fishery fleets from February to April in 2020 (a normal year) and 2021 (a La Niña year). The results showed that total statolith length (TSL), lateral dome length (LDL), wing length (WL), and maximum width (MW) could be used as characterization parameters to representing the morphological growth of statolith. The characterization parameters of statolith in T. pacificus differed significantly between different climate years and between different genders. The values of those characterization parameters of statolith were greater in normal year than those in La Niña year, which in both years were larger in females, except for TSL in males in La Niña year. The statolith growth of males were faster than that of females in different climate years. TSL, LDL, and WL increased faster in normal year, while MW increased faster in La Niña year. The relative size of statolith gradually slowed down with the growth of individuals.

Climate risk analysis of low-altitude tea gardens in central Taiwan using a Bayesian network.

Tea is a vital agricultural product in Taiwan. Due to global warming, the increasing extreme weather events have disrupted tea garden conditions and caused economic losses in agriculture. To address these challenges, a comprehensive tea garden risk assessment model, a Bayesian network (BN), was developed by considering various factors, including meteorological data, disaster events, tea garden environment (location, altitude, tea tree age, and soil characteristics), farming practices, and farmer interviews, and constructed risk assessment indicators for tea gardens based on the climate change risk analysis concept from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC AR5). The results demonstrated an accuracy of over 92% in both validating and testing the model for tea tree damage and yield reduction. Sensitivity analysis revealed that tea tree damage and yield reduction were mutually influential, with weather, fertilization, and irrigation also impacting tea garden risk. Risk analysis under climate change scenarios from various global climate models (GCMs) indicated that droughts may pose the highest risk with up to 41% and 40% of serious tea tree growth damage and tea yield reduction, respectively, followed by cold events that most tea gardens may have less than 20% chances of serious impacts on tea tree growth and tea yield reduction. The impacts of heavy rains get the least concern because all five tea gardens may not be affected in terms of tea tree growth and tea yield with large chances of 67 to 85%. Comparing farming methods, natural farming showed lower disaster risk than conventional and organic approaches. The tea plantation risk assessment model can serve as a valuable resource for analyzing and offering recommendations for tea garden disaster management and is used to assess the impact of meteorological disasters on tea plantations in the future.

Exploring the impact of hydrogen sulfide on hematologic malignancies: A review.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is one of the three most crucial gaseous messengers in the body. The discovery of H2S donors, coupled with its endogenous synthesis capability, has sparked hope for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. In the last decade, the investigation into the impact of H2S has expanded, particularly within the fields of cardiovascular function, inflammation, infection, and neuromodulation. Hematologic malignancies refer to a diverse group of cancers originating from abnormal proliferation and differentiation of blood-forming cells, including leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. In this review, we delve deeply into the complex interrelation between H2S and hematologic malignancies. In addition, we comprehensively elucidate the intricate molecular mechanisms by which both H2S and its donors intricately modulate the progression of tumor growth. Furthermore, we systematically examine their impact on pivotal aspects, encompassing the proliferation, invasion, and migration capacities of hematologic malignancies. Therefore, this review may contribute novel insights to our understanding of the prospective therapeutic significance of H2S and its donors within the realm of hematologic malignancies.

Genome-wide identification of GRF transcription factors and their expression profile in stem meristem of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).

To understand the genome-wide information of the GRF family genes in broomcorn millet and their expression profile in the vegetative meristems, bioinformatic methods and transcriptome sequencing were used to analyze the characteristics, physical and chemical properties, phylogenetic relationship, chromosome distribution, gene structure, cis-acting elements and expression profile in stem meristem for the GRF family members. The results showed that the GRF gene family of millet contains 21 members, and the PmGRF gene is unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes. The lengths of PmGRF proteins vary from 224 to 618 amino acids, and the isoelectric points are between 4.93-9.69. Each member of the family has 1-4 introns and 2-5 exons. The protein PmGRF13 is localized in both the nucleus and chloroplast, and the rest PmGRF proteins are located in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 21 GRF genes were divided into 4 subfamilies (A,B,C and D) in broomcorn millet. The analysis of cis-acting elements showed that there were many cis-acting elements involved in light response, hormone response, drought induction, low temperature response and other environmental stress responses in the 2000 bp sequence upstream of the GRF genes. Transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses showed that the expression levels of PmGRF3 and PmGRF12 in the dwarf variety Zhang778 were significantly higher than those of the tall variety Longmi12 in the internode and node meristems at the jointing stage, while the expression patterns of PmGRF4, PmGRF16 and PmGRF21 were reverse. In addition, the expression levels of PmGRF2 and PmGRF5 in the internode of Zhang778 were significantly higher than Longmi12. The other GRF genes were not or insignificantly expressed. These results indicated that seven genes, PmGRF2, PmGRF3, PmGRF4, PmGRF5, PmGRF12, PmGRF16 and PmGRF21, were related to the formation of plant height in broomcorn millet.

Mitochondria transcription and cancer.

Mitochondria are major organelles involved in several processes related to energy supply, metabolism, and cell proliferation. The mitochondria function is transcriptionally regulated by mitochondria DNA (mtDNA), which encodes the key proteins in the electron transport chain that is indispensable for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Mitochondrial transcriptional abnormalities are closely related to a variety of human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. The mitochondria transcription is regulated by the mtDNA, mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT), two transcription factors (TFAM and TF2BM), one transcription elongation (TEFM), and one known transcription termination factor (mTERFs). Dysregulation of these factors directly leads to altered expression of mtDNA in tumor cells, resulting in cellular metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysregulation plays a role in modulating tumor progression. Therefore, understanding the role of mitochondrial transcription in cancer can have implications for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Targeting mitochondrial transcription or related pathways may provide potential therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Additionally, assessing mitochondrial transcriptional profiles or biomarkers in cancer cells or patient samples may offer diagnostic or prognostic information.

The Protective Effects of Ruscogenin Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Myocardial Injury in Septic Mice.

ABSTRACT: Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction commonly occurs in individuals with sepsis and is a severe complication with high morbidity and mortality rates. This study aimed to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of the natural steroidal sapogenin ruscogenin (RUS) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced myocardial injury in septic mice. We found that RUS effectively alleviated myocardial pathological damage, normalized cardiac function, and increased survival in septic mice. RNA sequencing demonstrated that RUS administration significantly inhibited the activation of the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway in the myocardial tissues of septic mice. Subsequent experiments further confirmed that RUS suppressed myocardial inflammation and pyroptosis during sepsis. In addition, cultured HL-1 cardiomyocytes were challenged with LPS, and we observed that RUS could protect these cells against LPS-induced cytotoxicity by suppressing inflammation and pyroptosis. Notably, both the in vivo and in vitro findings indicated that RUS inhibited NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) upregulation in cardiomyocytes stimulated with LPS. As expected, knockdown of NLRP3 blocked the LPS-induced activation of inflammation and pyroptosis in HL-1 cells. Furthermore, the cardioprotective effects of RUS on HL-1 cells under LPS stimulation were abolished by the novel NLRP3 agonist BMS-986299. Taken together, our results suggest that RUS can alleviate myocardial injury during sepsis, at least in part by suppressing NLRP3-mediated inflammation and pyroptosis, highlighting the potential of this molecule as a promising candidate for sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction therapy.

Metformin and buparlisib synergistically induce apoptosis of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) cells via Akt/FoxO3a/Puma axis.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a global health issue lacking effective treatments. Buparlisib is a pan-PI3K inhibitor that shows promising clinical results in treating NSCLC. However, chemoresistance is inevitable and hampers the application of buparlisib. Studies show that a combination of phytochemicals and chemotherapeutics enhances its effectiveness. Here, we evaluated the role of metformin, an agent with multiple pharmacological properties, in enhancing the anti-tumour activities of buparlisib against NSCLC cells. Our results showed that metformin and buparlisib synergistically inhibited cell viability, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. In addition, co-treatment of metformin and buparlisib also induced cell cycle arrest and cell death in NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, metformin and buparlisib repressed Mcl-1 and upregulated Puma in NSCLC cells in a p53-independent manner. Moreover, they inhibited the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway, leading to activation of the FoxO3a/Puma signalling in NSCLC cells. Our findings suggest that combined treatment of metformin and buparlisib might provide a promising strategy for treating NSCLC.

Lung Ultrasound Score as a Predictor of Failure to Wean COVID-19 Elderly Patients off Mechanical Ventilation: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: The lung ultrasound score was developed for rapidly assessing the extent of lung ventilation, and it can predict failure to wean various types of patients off mechanical ventilation. Whether it is also effective for COVID-19 patients is unclear. Methods: This single-center, prospective, observational study was conducted to assess the ability of the 12-region lung ultrasound score to predict failure to wean COVID-19 patients off ventilation. In parallel, we assessed whether right hemidiaphragmatic excursion or previously published predictors of weaning failure can apply to these patients. Predictive ability was assessed in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The mean age of the 35 patients in the study was (75 ± 9) years and 12 patients (37%) could not be weaned off mechanical ventilation. The lung ultrasound score predicted these failures with an AUC of 0.885 (95% CI 0.770-0.999, p < 0.001), and a threshold score of 10 provided specificity of 72.7% and sensitivity of 92.3%. AUCs were lower for previously published predictors of weaning failure, and right hemidiaphragmatic excursion did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: The lung ultrasound score can accurately predict failure to wean critically ill COVID-19 patients off mechanical ventilation, whereas assessment of right hemidiaphragmatic excursion does not appear helpful in this regard. Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05706441.

Connecting Hippo Pathway and Cytoophidia in Drosophila Posterior Follicle Cells.

CTP synthase (CTPS), the rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo synthesis of CTP, assembles into a filamentous structure termed the cytoophidium. The Hippo pathway regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis. The relationship of the nucleotide metabolism with the Hippo pathway is little known. Here, we study the impact of the Hippo pathway on the cytoophidium in Drosophila melanogaster posterior follicle cells (PFCs). We find that the inactivation of the Hippo pathway correlates with reduced cytoophidium length and number within PFCs. During the overexpression of CTPS, the presence of Hippo mutations also reduces the length of cytoophidia in PFCs. In addition, we observe that knocking down CTPS mitigates hpo (Hippo)-associated over-proliferation. In summary, our results suggest that there is a connection between the Hippo pathway and the nucleotide biosynthesis enzyme CTPS in PFCs.

Comprehensive assessment of fine motor movement and cognitive function among older adults in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Fine motor skills are closely related to cognitive function. However, there is currently no comprehensive assessment of fine motor movement and how it corresponds with cognitive function. To conduct a complete assessment of fine motor and clarify the relationship between various dimensions of fine motor and cognitive function. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 267 community-based participants aged ≥ 60 years in Beijing, China. We assessed four tests performance and gathered detailed fine motor indicators using Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) motion capture technology. The wearable MEMS device provided us with precise fine motion metrics, while Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess cognitive function. We adopted logistic regression to analyze the relationship between fine motor movement and cognitive function. RESULTS: 129 (48.3%) of the participants had cognitive impairment. The vast majority of fine motor movements have independent linear correlations with MoCA-BJ scores. According to logistic regression analysis, completion time in the Same-pattern tapping test (OR = 1.033, 95%CI = 1.003-1.063), Completion time of non-dominant hand in the Pieces flipping test (OR = 1.006, 95%CI = 1.000-1.011), and trajectory distance of dominant hand in the Pegboard test (OR = 1.044, 95%CI = 1.010-1.068), which represents dexterity, are related to cognitive impairment. Coordination, represented by lag time between hands in the Same-pattern tapping (OR = 1.663, 95%CI = 1.131-2.444), is correlated with cognitive impairment. Coverage in the Dual-hand drawing test as an important indicator of stability is negatively correlated with cognitive function (OR = 0.709, 95%CI = 0.6501-0.959). Based on the above 5-feature model showed consistently high accuracy and sensitivity at the MoCA-BJ score (ACU = 0.80-0.87). CONCLUSIONS: The results of a comprehensive fine-motor assessment that integrates dexterity, coordination, and stability are closely related to cognitive functioning. Fine motor movement has the potential to be a reliable predictor of cognitive impairment.

A Review of Researches on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Common Cardio-vascular Diseases during 2021 to 2023 / 中医杂志

This study searched the clinical researches on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for cardiovascular diseases registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry and the US Clinical Trial Registry， the cardiovascular disease-related studies funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China， as well as those published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang database， VIP.com， China Biology Medicine disc （CBMdisc）， Embase， Medline， Cochrane Library， and other databases published cardiovascular disease-related studies from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2023. In order to analyse and evaluate the research progress of TCM treatment for coronary heart disease， hypertension， heart failure， and arrhythmia， this study aimed at recent research hotspots and research direction. It is found that the research on TCM for cardiovascular diseases was gradually deepening and the high-quality evidence continued to emerge. It is believed that studies related to the prevention and treatment of common cardiovascular diseases by TCM reflected the multi-angle integration of modern technology and pattern differentiation and treatment， closer integration of clinical and basic research， and further optimisation of pattern identification and interventions. On this basis， the research programme and implementation process should be further standardized， and the translation of research results should be emphasized to promote the standardized application and promotion of TCM diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Effectiveness of TCM Health Management for Myocardial Infarction based on Tertiary Management System： A Single-arm Cohort Study of 255 Patients / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of TCM health management based on tertiary management system for patients with myocardial infarction （MI）. MethodsA total of 277 patients with non-acute MI were enrolled and given comprehensive TCM health management strategies including health education， lifestyle adjustment， risk factors control， medication and TCM appropriate techniques management through a tertiary management system with "the patient as the core， village/community physicians as the main executive body， and tertiary TCM hospital specialists as the leading body"， for a period of 12 months by using a prospective single-arm cohort study. Through patient reporting and medical records surveys， various indicators before and after 12-month management were collected and compared. The primary efficacy indicators were readmission rate and recurrent exacerbation rate， and the secondary efficacy indicators included disease awareness-related indicators， lifestyle behavior-related indicators， cardiovascular risk factor-related indicators and Canadian cardiovascular society （CCS） cardiac function classification. ResultsA total of 255 patients completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The recurrent exacerbation and readmission rates of patients after management were 23.14% （59 cases） and 20.25% （49 cases）， respectively， significantly lower than 36.08% （92 cases） and 53.72% （130 cases） before management （P＜0.05）. Except for knowledge on diabetes diagnostic criteria with no significant difference before and after management （P＞0.05）， awareness of other knowledge with regard to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were improved after management （P＜0.01）， as well as the total score （P＜0.01）. In terms of daily life behaviors， the rates of salty diet， sweet diet and greasy diet were significantly lower than baseline， while the rate of moderate exercise was significantly higher （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the rates of ongoing smoking and vigorous exercise were not significantly changed （P＞0.05）. For cardiovascular risk factors， patients' total cholesterol， low-density lipoprotein （LDL） cholesterol， triglycerides， fasting glucose， total depression assessment scale score， and total anxiety assessment scale score were significantly reduced after management （P＜0.01）. Systolic blood pressure and body mass index （BMI） were both higher after management （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and there was no statistically significant difference in diastolic blood pressure （P＞0.05）. In terms of the cardiovascular disease risk factors reaching the standard levels， the rate of LDL cholesterol ＜1.8 mmol/L significantly increased （P＜0.01）， while the rate of BMI ＜24 kg/m2 and the rate of systolic blood pressure ＜140 mmHg both decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01） from baseline； the diastolic blood pressure and rate of fasting glucose ＜7.0 mmol/L were not significantly changed （P＞0.05）. The patients' CCS cardiac function classification was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. ConclusionTCM health management based on the tertiary management system can enhance MI patients' awareness of the disease， change poor lifestyle habits， reduce risk factors such as blood lipids and blood glucose， improve anxiety and depression， increase activity tolerance， and reduce their recurrence exacerbation and readmission rates， which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Current research status and development prospects of craniocerebral injury monitoring devices / 医疗卫生装备

The current research status and development history of craniocerebral injury monitoring devices in the world were introduced.The working principles,technical characteristics and deficiencies of invasive and noninvasive craniocerebral injury monitoring devices were analyzed,including intracranial pressure monitor,electroencephalograph and near-infrared cerebral function imager.It's pointed out multimodal monitoring and big data analysis with artificial intelligence would be the trends of craniocerebral injury monitoring devices in the future.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(1):108-114]

Screening and experimental validation of hub genes for myocardial isch-emia-reperfusion injury based on bioinformatics / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:Using bioinformatics analysis methods to identify the hub genes involved in myocardial isch-emia-reperfusion injury(MIRI).METHODS:Firstly,the rat MIRI related dataset GSE122020,E-MEXP-2098,and E-GEOD-4105 were downloaded from the database.Secondly,differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were screened from each dataset using the linear models for microarray data(limma)package,and robust DEGs were filtered using the robust rank aggregation(RRA)method.In addition,the surrogate variable analysis(SVA)package was used to merge all datas-ets into one,and merged DEGs were screened using the limma package.The common DEGs were obtained by taking the intersection of the two channels of DEGs.Next,the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network of common DEGs was con-structed,and the hub genes were identified using the density-maximizing neighborhood component(DMNC)algorithm.The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the hub gene.Then,the mRNA and protein expression levels of hub genes were detected in the rat MIRI model,and the literature re-view analysis was carried out on the involvement of hub genes in MIRI.Finally,the gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)was performed on hub gene to further reveal the possible mechanism in mediating MIRI.RESULTS:A total of 143 robust DEGs and 48 merged DEGs were identified.After taking the intersection of the two,48 common DEGs were obtained.In the PPI network of common DEGs,5 hub genes were screened out,namely MYC proto-oncogene bHLH transcription fac-tor(MYC),prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2),heme oxygenase 1(HMOX1),caspase-3(CASP3),and plasminogen activator urokinase receptor(PLAUR).The ROC results showed that the area under the curve values for all hub genes were greater than 0.8.MYC,PTGS2,CASP3,and PLAUR showed high mRNA and protein expression in rat MIRI,while there was no difference in mRNA and protein expression for HMOX1.The literature review revealed that among the 5 hub genes,only PLAUR has not been reported to be involved in MIRI.The GSEA results for PLAUR indicat-ed that its functional enrichment mainly focused on pathways such as NOD-like receptor signaling pathway,P53 signaling pathway,Toll-like receptor signaling pathway,apoptosis,and fatty acid metabolism.CONCLUSION:MYC,PTGS2,CASP3,HMOX1,and PLAUR are involved in the pathological process of MIRI.PLAUR is a potential hub gene that can mediate MIRI by regulating pathways such as NOD like receptor signaling,P53 signaling,Toll like receptor signaling,cell apoptosis,and fatty acid metabolism.The results can provide reference for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of MIRI.

Differentiation of pulmonary solid nodules attached to the pleura detected by thin-section CT.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary solid pleura-attached nodules (SPANs) are not very commonly detected and thus not well studied and understood. This study aimed to identify the clinical and CT characteristics for differentiating benign and malignant SPANs. RESULTS: From January 2017 to March 2023, a total of 295 patients with 300 SPANs (128 benign and 172 malignant) were retrospectively enrolled. Between benign and malignant SPANs, there were significant differences in patients' age, smoking history, clinical symptoms, CT features, nodule-pleura interface, adjacent pleural change, peripheral concomitant lesions, and lymph node enlargement. Multivariate analysis revealed that smoking history (odds ratio [OR], 2.016; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.037-3.919; p = 0.039), abutting the mediastinal pleura (OR, 3.325; 95% CI, 1.235-8.949; p = 0.017), nodule diameter (> 15.6 mm) (OR, 2.266; 95% CI, 1.161-4.423; p = 0.016), lobulation (OR, 8.922; 95% CI, 4.567-17.431; p < 0.001), narrow basement to pleura (OR, 6.035; 95% CI, 2.847-12.795; p < 0.001), and simultaneous hilar and mediastinal lymph nodule enlargement (OR, 4.971; 95% CI, 1.526-16.198; p = 0.008) were independent predictors of malignant SPANs, and the area under the curve (AUC) of this model was 0.890 (sensitivity, 82.0%, specificity, 77.3%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with a smoking history, SPANs abutting the mediastinal pleura, having larger size (> 15.6 mm in diameter), lobulation, narrow basement, or simultaneous hilar and mediastinal lymph nodule enlargement are more likely to be malignant. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The benign and malignant SPANs have significant differences in clinical and CT features. Understanding the differences between benign and malignant SPANs is helpful for selecting the high-risk ones and avoiding unnecessary surgical resection. KEY POINTS: • The solid pleura-attached nodules (SPANs) are closely related to the pleura. • Relationship between nodule and pleura and pleural changes are important for differentiating SPANs. • Benign SPANs frequently have broad pleural thickening or embed in thickened pleura. • Smoking history and lesions abutting the mediastinal pleura are indicators of malignant SPANs. • Malignant SPANs usually have larger diameters, lobulation signs, narrow basements, and lymphadenopathy.

Permanent Shape Reconfiguration and Locally Reversible Actuation of a Carbon Nanotube/Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer Composite by Constructing a Dynamic Cross-Linked Network.

Given the rapid developments in modern devices, there is an urgent need for shape-memory polymer composites (SMPCs) in soft robots and other fields. However, it remains a challenge to endow SMPCs with both a reconfigurable permanent shape and a locally reversible shape transformation. Herein, a dynamic cross-linked network was facilely constructed in carbon nanotube/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (CNT/EVA) composites by designing the molecular structure of EVA. The CNT/EVA composite with 0.05 wt % CNT realized a steady-state temperature of ∼75 °C under 0.11 W/cm2 light intensity, which gave rise to remote actuation behavior. The dynamic cross-linked network along with a wide melting temperature offered opportunities for chemical and physical programming, thus realizing the achievement of the programmable three-dimensional (3D) structure and locally reversible actuation. Specifically, the CNT/EVA composite exhibited a superior permanent shape reconfiguration by activating the dynamic cross-linked network at 140 °C. The composite also showed a high reversible deformation rate of 11.1%. These features endowed the composites with the capability of transformation to 3D structure as well as locally reversible actuation performance. This work provides an attractive guideline for the future design of SMPCs with sophisticated structures and actuation capability.

Determining the potent immunostimulation potential arising from the heteropolysaccharide structure of a novel fucoidan, derived from Sargassum Zhangii.

A preliminary study was conducted of the chemical, structural properties and immunomodulatory activities of fucoidan isolated from Sargassum Zhangii (SZ). Sargassum Zhangii fucoidan (SZF) was determined to have a sulfate content of 19.74 ± 0.01% (w/w) and an average molecular weight of 111.28 kDa. SZF possessed a backbone structure of (1,4)-α-d-linked-galactose, (3,4)-α-l-fucose, (1,3)-α-d-linked-xylose, ß-d-linked-mannose and a terminal (1,4)-α-d-linked-glucose. The main monosaccharide composition was determined as (w/w) 36.10% galactose, 20.13% fucose, 8.86% xylose, 7.36% glucose, 5.62% mannose, and 18.07% uronic acids, respectively. An immunostimulatory assay showed that SZF, compared to commercial fucoidans (Undaria pitnnaifida and Fucus vesiculosus sources), significantly elevated nitric oxide production via up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase at both gene and protein levels. These results suggest that SZ has the potential to be a source of fucoidan with enhanced properties that may act as a useful ingredient for functional foods, nutritional supplements, and immune enhancers.

Progress, challenge and prospect of plant plastome annotation.

The plastome (plastid genome) represents an indispensable molecular data source for studying phylogeny and evolution in plants. Although the plastome size is much smaller than that of nuclear genome, and multiple plastome annotation tools have been specifically developed, accurate annotation of plastomes is still a challenging task. Different plastome annotation tools apply different principles and workflows, and annotation errors frequently occur in published plastomes and those issued in GenBank. It is therefore timely to compare available annotation tools and establish standards for plastome annotation. In this review, we review the basic characteristics of plastomes, trends in the publication of new plastomes, the annotation principles and application of major plastome annotation tools, and common errors in plastome annotation. We propose possible methods to judge pseudogenes and RNA-editing genes, jointly consider sequence similarity, customed algorithms, conserved domain or protein structure. We also propose the necessity of establishing a database of reference plastomes with standardized annotations, and put forward a set of quantitative standards for evaluating plastome annotation quality for the scientific community. In addition, we discuss how to generate standardized GenBank annotation flatfiles for submission and downstream analysis. Finally, we prospect future technologies for plastome annotation integrating plastome annotation approaches with diverse evidences and algorithms of nuclear genome annotation tools. This review will help researchers more efficiently use available tools to achieve high-quality plastome annotation, and promote the process of standardized annotation of the plastome.