Metrological traceable calibration of organic carbon and elemental carbon based on laboratory-generated reference materials.

Carbonaceous aerosol, including organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), has significant influence on human health, air quality and climate change. Accurate measurement of carbonaceous aerosol is essential to reduce the uncertainty of radiative forcing estimation and source apportionment. The accurate separation of OC and EC is controversial due to the charring of OC. Therefore, the development of reference materials (RM) for the validation of OC/EC separation is an important basis for further study. Previous RMs were mainly based on ambient air sampling, which could not provide traceability of OC and EC concentration. To develop traceable RMs with known OC/EC contents, our study applied an improved aerosol generation and mixing technique, providing uniform deposition of particles on quartz filters. To generate OC aerosol with similar pyrolytic property of ambient aerosol, both water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and water insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) were used, and amorphous carbon was selected for EC surrogate. The RMs were analyzed using different protocols. The homogeneity within the filter was validated, reaching below 2%. The long-term stability of RMs has been validated with RSD ranged from 1.7%-3.2%. Good correlation was observed between nominal concentration of RMs with measured concentration by two protocols, while the difference of EC concentration was within 20%. The results indicated that the newly developed RMs were acceptable for the calibration of OC and EC, which could improve the accuracy of carbonaceous aerosol measurement. Moreover, the laboratory-generated EC-RMs could be suitable for the calibration of equivalent BC concentration by Aethalometers.

Endoscopic and Open Treatment Techniques for Posterior Glottic Stenosis in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcomes of open and endoscopic posterior cricoid split grafting and mucosal flaps for the treatment of pediatric posterior glottic stenosis (PGS). DATA SOURCES: COCHRANE Library, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus databases. METHODS: Studies were grouped by treatment method. Outcomes included decannulation rate, improvement in airway obstruction, remaining vocal symptoms, and subsequent airway procedures. A meta-analysis of continuous measures and proportions (%) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was conducted. RESULTS: Nineteen studies with 223 patients were included, with 72 patients having isolated PGS. Twelve studies (n = 23) reported endoscopic repair (group 1), while seven studies (n = 49) reported open techniques (group 2). Most patients in group 1 and group 2 had grade IV PGS (55.9% [26.1%-83.5%] and 56.9% [30.5%-80.8%], respectively). Post-operatively, 70.8% [43.5%-91.7%] of group 1 patients had tracheostomies with 83.4% [62.1%-95.5%] subsequently being decannulated, whereas 97.3% [89.1%-99.8%] of group 2 patients had tracheostomies post-operatively with 90.2% [79.2%-96.5%] subsequently being decannulated. Group 1 and group 2 had 87.1% [70.5%-96.3%] and 84.4% [64.9%-95.5%] improvement in airway obstruction, respectively. CONCLUSION: There are multiple open and endoscopic surgical options for pediatric PGS. Posterior cricoid split with cartilage graft and mucosal advancement flaps can be performed for high PGS grades. Endoscopic and open techniques are efficacious with high decannulation rates and improvement in airway obstruction, with endoscopic surgeries offering a less invasive approach. Laryngoscope, 2024.

[Preparation of vascularized forearm dermal fat flap and repairing of donor site].

Objective:This study prepared vascularized dermal fat flaps and introduced a local split-thickness skin graft from an in situ cutaneous area cutaneous area to manage forearm flap donor sites and evaluated the esthetic and functional outcomes post-operatively. From July 2020 to June 2023, 13 patients with soft tissue defects in Oral and Maxillary Area were repaired with tvascular forearm dermal fat flap. There were 8 males and 5 females, aged from 42-71 years. The flaps ranged from 8 cm×7 cm to 7 cm×5 cm in size. The donor site defects were covered by local split-thickness skin graft from the in situ skins. The color matching degree, surgical scars, ranges of wrist movement and hand sensations in donor forearms were assessed at 6 months after surgery. Results:The tvascular forearm dermal fat flaps for 15 cases all survived. All the local split-thickness skin grafts transplanted with this technique showed primary healing. The follow-up period for 6 months, Donor site exhibited suitabler color matching and there was not severe complications. Conclusion:The vascularized dermal fat flap provides an alternative to conventional forearm flap harvest, which enables primary donor site closure with reduced rates of delayed donor site healing. The vascularized dermal fat flap is a relatively reliable repair method for soft defects in Oral and Maxillary Area.

Diastematomyelia with tethered cord and concurrent distal cord intramedullary dermoid cyst: A case report.

Diastematomyelia is a rare congenital anomaly in which the spinal cord splits into 2 lateral halves. Spinal dermoid cysts are uncommon lesions. Hereby authors present a case of type 2 diastematomyelia in a 5-year-old male patient with concurrent distal cord intramedullary dermoid cyst, diagnosed by MRI and treated surgically.

Imaging and proteomics toolkits for studying organelle contact sites.

Organelle contact sites are regions where two heterologous membranes are juxtaposed by molecular tethering complexes. These contact sites are important in inter-organelle communication and cellular functional integration. However, visualizing these minute foci and identifying contact site proteomes have been challenging. In recent years, fluorescence-based methods have been developed to visualize the dynamic physical interaction of organelles while proximity labeling approaches facilitate the profiling of proteomes at contact sites. In this review, we explain the design principle for these contact site reporters: a dual-organelle interaction mechanism based on how endogenous tethers and/or tethering complexes localize to contact sites. We classify the contact site reporters into three categories: (i) single-protein systems, (ii) two-component systems with activated reporter signal upon organelle proximity, and (iii) reporters for contact site proteomes. We also highlight advanced imaging analysis with high temporal-spatial resolution and the use of machine-learning algorithms for detecting contact sites.

Profiling Cullin4-E3 ligases interactomes and their rewiring in influenza A virus infection.

Understanding the integrated regulation of cellular processes during viral infection is crucial for developing host-targeted approaches. We have previously reported that an optimal in vitro infection by influenza A (IAV) requires three components of Cullin 4-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRL4) complexes, namely the DDB1 adaptor and two Substrate Recognition Factors (SRF), DCAF11 and DCAF12L1, which mediate non-degradative poly-ubiquitination of the PB2 subunit of the viral polymerase. However, the impact of IAV infection on the CRL4 interactome remains elusive. Here, using Affinity Purification coupled with Mass Spectrometry (AP-MS) approaches, we identified cellular proteins interacting with these CRL4 components in IAV-infected and non-infected contexts. IAV infection induces significant modulations in protein interactions, resulting in a global loss of DDB1 and DCAF11 interactions, and an increase in DCAF12L1-associated proteins. The distinct rewiring of CRL4's associations upon infection impacted cellular proteins involved in protein folding, ubiquitination, translation, splicing, and stress responses. Using a split-nanoluciferase-based assay, we identified direct partners of CRL4 components and via siRNA-mediated silencing validated their role in IAV infection, representing potential substrates or regulators of CRL4 complexes. Our findings unravel the dynamic remodeling of the proteomic landscape of CRL4's E3 ubiquitin ligases during IAV infection, likely involved in shaping a cellular environment conducive to viral replication and offer potential for the exploration of future host-targeted antiviral therapeutic strategies.

Split MutT prevents the mutator phenotype of mutT-deficient Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: The Escherichia coli MutT (NudA) protein catalyzes the hydrolysis of an oxidized form of dGTP, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-dGTP (8-hydroxy-dGTP), and the spontaneous mutation frequency is elevated in E. coli cells deficient in the mutT gene. RESULTS: A split MutT, comprising the N-terminal (residues 1-95) and C-terminal (residues 96-129) peptides, was designed based on the known tertiary structure and linker insertion mutagenesis experiments. The mutator phenotype was complemented when the two peptides were separately expressed in mutT E. coli cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that this split MutT functions as a nucleotide pool sanitization enzyme in vivo.

Positions of the Mandibular Foramen and Canal in Different Skeletal Classes and Implications for Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the positions of the mandibular foramen (MF) and mandibular canal (MC) between different skeletal classes to highlight the implications for bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO). Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using cone-beam computed tomography on 90 patients classified into classes I, II and III. Linear measurements were performed on multiplanar reconstructions as follows: from the MF to the edge of the mandibular ramus (1), to the mandibular notch (2), to the ramus width (3) and to the occlusal plane (4); and from the MC to the alveolar crest (A), to the lower border of the mandible (B) and to the mandibular buccal cortical bone (C). Mandibular thickness (D), width (E) and height (F) of the MC were measured. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) checked the reliability. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were used to compare measurements and classes. Results: Linear measurements 2 presented a statistically significant difference between classes I and II. There was no statistically significant difference between the classes and measurements B, C, D, E and F. Linear measurements A were shorter in class III than in class II. Conclusions: Although most measurements suggest that the BSSO technique does not need to be modified for each skeletal class, measurements from the MF to the mandibular notch in class II and from the MC to the alveolar crest on distal of the second molars in class III could help surgeons to recognize critical regions.

Rehabilitation Strategies for Post-fasciotomy Recovery in Acute Spreading Cellulitis: A Case Report.

Cellulitis is a skin condition that affects both the dermis and the subcutaneous fat. Acute compartment syndrome has been associated with streptococcal infection. The present case highlights the role of physiotherapy in rehabilitating a patient suffering from compartment syndrome due to cellulitis. A 45-year-old female complained of swelling over the left forearm for five days. After being referred to the surgery department, she underwent clinical examinations, indicating cellulitis. As part of the surgical procedure, she had a fasciotomy and split skin grafting. Her pain was assessed using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), gradual in onset and progressive in nature, and aggravated on movement. The patient's case demonstrates the importance of following a planned physical therapy treatment regimen to restore functional activity, range of motion (ROM), and muscle strength.

Utilizing computed tomography-based renal parenchymal volumes to calculate split renal function in patients with ureteral stricture disease.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of split renal function (SRF) is critical for guiding surgical treatment decisions for patients with ureteral stricture disease (USD). We aimed to determine whether computed tomography (CT)-based renal parenchymal volumes may be used to predict SRF in patients with USD. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing surgical management for USD at a single institution from October 2021 to January 2024. Patients who had preoperative nuclear medicine scan (NMS) and CT scan with intravenous contrast that were obtained within six weeks of each other were included. Interval between NMS and CT could be longer if the affected renal unit was drained with ureteral stent and/or percutaneous nephrostomy. Volume measurements were obtained using the 3D Region of Interest (ROI) Tool on Visage®7 Enterprise Imaging Platform (Visage Inc., San Diego, USA) by two investigators that were blinded to NMS derived SRF. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess consistency between investigators. Predictive accuracy was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and linear regression. RESULTS: 40 of 160 patients met inclusion criteria. There was excellent reliability in calculating renal parenchymal volume between raters (ICC = 0.990). There was a strong linear correlation between estimated CT SRF and NMS SRF (r = 0.912, p < 0.00001). A linear regression model found RObservedSRF = -0.013 + 1.015(REstimatedSRF), with r2 = 0.832. CONCLUSION: CT-derived parenchymal volume analysis may be used to estimate SRF in patients with USD. This may obviate the need to obtain preoperative renal scans for SRF measurement in selected patients when assessing surgical management options.

Pre-operative clinical deterioration and long-term surgical outcomes in 41 patients with split cord malformation type 1.

PURPOSE: To document the pre-operative rate of clinical deterioration in a cohort of patients with split cord malformation type 1 (SCM 1) and the early- and long-term surgical outcome in these patients. METHODS: Data from 41 patients with SCM 1 operated upon by the same surgeon (VR) between January 2008 to June 2023 were retrospectively reviewed with respect to history of clinical deterioration prior to surgery and early and long-term surgical outcomes. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients at presentation was 79.3 months and the male to female ratio was 1:1.93. Twelve (29%) patients had congenital deficits whereas 4 (10%) patients had no neurological deficits. Twenty-six (63%) patients had kyphoscoliosis and 25 (61%) patients had motor dysfunction. Thirty-three (81%) patients (8/12 (67%) with congenital deficits) had clinical deterioration prior to surgery. By the age of 2 years, 56% of patients had clinical deterioration. After surgery, 18 (55%) patients with progressive symptoms had improvement in one or more of their symptoms on long-term follow-up (mean, 63.4 months). There were no predictors of surgical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Since over half of our patients with SCM 1 developed progression of congenital deficits or developed deficits by the age of 2 years, surgery should be performed as soon as possible in these children. On long-term follow-up after surgery, improvement can be expected in over half the patients.

Curcumin pretreatment attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis, autophagy and apoptosis via HES1.

The early restoration of hemodynamics/reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an effective therapeutic strategy to reduce sudden death and improve patient prognosis. However, reperfusion induces additional cardiomyocyte damage and cardiac tissue dysfunction. In this context, turmeric­derived curcumin (Cur) has been shown to exhibit a protective effect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/RI). The molecular mechanism of its activity, however, remains unclear. The current study investigated the protective effect of Cur and its molecular mechanism via in vitro experiments. The Cell Counting Kit­8 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay kit were used to assess the cell viability and cytotoxicity. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG), total iron, ferrous iron, caspase­3 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using an appropriate kit. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of relevant proteins. The levels of apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were detected by flow cytometry. The study findings indicated that anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) injury significantly decreased cell viability, increased in LDH and caspase­3 activities, induced ferroptosis, increased apoptosis and overactivated autophagy. However, pretreatment with Cur or ferrostatin­1 (Fer­1, a ferroptosis inhibitor) significantly increased A/R­reduced cell viability, SOD, glutathione peroxidase activity, GSH/GSSH ratio and HES1 and glutathione peroxidase 4 protein expression; attenuated A/R­induced LDH, MDA, total iron, ferrous iron, prostaglandin­endoperoxide synthase 2 protein expression and prevented ROS overproduction and MMP loss. In addition, Cur inhibited caspase­3 activity, upregulated the Bcl­2/Bax ratio, reduced apoptotic cell number and inhibited MPTP over­opening. Furthermore, Cur increased P62, LC3II/I, NDUFB8 and UQCRC2 expression and upregulated the p­AMPK/AMPK ratio. However, erastin (a ferroptosis activator), pAD/HES1­short hairpin RNA, rapamycin (an autophagy activator) and Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) blocked the protective effect of Cur. In conclusion, Cur pretreatment inhibited ferroptosis, autophagy overactivation and oxidative stress; improved mitochondrial dysfunction; maintained energy homeostasis; attenuated apoptosis; and ultimately protected the myocardium from A/R injury via increased HES1 expression.

Root Resorption and Alveolar Bone Changes in the Maxillary Canine Retraction Using NiTi Closed-Coil Springs Versus Elastomeric Chains: A Split-Mouth Trial.

Aim: To compare apical root resorption and alveolar bone changes induced by the maxillary canine closure procedure performed on patients with Angle Class I malocclusion using NiTi closed-coil springs versus elastomeric chains. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one adult patients who had been instructed to undergo bilateral maxillary first premolar extraction completed a randomized clinical trial split-mouth study with a double-blind design. Elastomeric chains will be used on the left side, and NiTi closed-coil springs will be used on the right side for patients with even numbers. Elastomeric chains will be used on the right side of patients with an odd number, whereas NiTi closed-coil springs will be used on the left side of patients. For each patient, cone-beam computed tomography of the maxillary canine and lateral cephalometric radiographs were carried out before and after treatment to evaluate apical root resorption and perform cephalometric measurements. Result: The tooth root length decreased by 0.90 ± 0.60 mm in the NiTi closed-coil spring group. The alveolar bone level increased by 0.53 ± 0.66 mm on the buccal side and by 0.79 ± 0.72 mm on the lingual side. These changes were statistically significant (P < 0.001). In the elastomeric chain group, the tooth root length was decreased by 0.92 ± 0.69 mm, and the levels of vertical buccal and lingual alveolar bone increased significantly (P < 0.001). Compared to NiTi closed-coil springs and elastomeric chain groups, there was a 0.03 ± 0.878 mm difference in the tooth root length; however, this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.878). Conclusion: Elastomeric chains and NiTi closed-coil springs both generated tooth root resorption, but the results were comparable and the difference was not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference between the elastomeric chain and NiTi closed-coil spring groups regarding the changes in alveolar bone loss around the maxillary canines.

Variations of the Lingula and Mandibular Ramus in the Context of Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy: A Cone Beam Computed Tomography Study Supporting an Ethnic-Centric Approach to Orthognathic Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the ethnic variations concerning the lingula and ramus of the mandible, with particular emphasis on sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) in orthognathic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans from the Kenyan and Malay populations. Lingula morphology was classified into four categories. Morphometric measurements included lingula size, height above the occlusal plane, distance to the second mandibular molar, and distance from its apex to all four mandible borders. Regarding the ramus of the mandible, the thickness of each cortical plate, trabecular bone, and overall thickness were determined at two points. Furthermore, points of fusion of cortical plates were determined in both the vertical and horizontal planes. RESULTS: Among Kenyans, the triangular shape was most common (46.5%, n = 80 sides), while truncated was most common among Malays (34.4%, n = 57 sides). The overall mean size of lingula differed significantly between Kenyan (7.37 ± 2.19 mm) and Malay (4.14 ± 2.50 mm) populations (p<0.001). The lingula was more located postero-superiorly in Kenyans compared to Malays (p < 0.001). The mean distance from the distal aspect of the second mandibular molar to the lingula was 38.37 ± 4.98 mm among Kenyans, in contrast to 31.95 ± 0.03 mm among Malays (p < 0.001). The Malays exhibited a thicker mandible with a larger trabecular distance (5.99 ± 1.41 mm and 3.41 ± 1.29 mm, respectively) than Kenyans (5.28 ± 1.39 mm and 1.98 ± 0.98 mm, respectively) (p < 0.001). The points of fusion of the cortical plates differed significantly between Kenyans and Malays. CONCLUSION: This study focuses on two ethnic groups, Kenyans and Malays, and brings to light the ethnic-based differences in the position of the lingula and the dimensions of the mandibular ramus, both of which are essential considerations in orthognathic surgery. Preoperative consideration of such variations is warranted, potentially mitigating iatrogenic injuries and enhancing successful patient outcomes.

Explicit and implicit locomotor learning in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke.

Motor learning involves both explicit and implicit processes that are fundamental for acquiring and adapting complex motor skills. However, stroke may damage the neural substrates underlying explicit and/or implicit learning, leading to deficits in overall motor performance. Although both learning processes are typically used in concert in daily life and rehabilitation, no gait studies have determined how these processes function together after stroke when tested during a task that elicits dissociable contributions from both. Here, we compared explicit and implicit locomotor learning in individuals with chronic stroke to age- and sex-matched neurologically intact controls. We assessed implicit learning using split-belt adaptation (where two treadmill belts move at different speeds). We assessed explicit learning (i.e., strategy-use) using visual feedback during split-belt walking to help individuals explicitly correct for step length errors created by the split-belts. After the first 40 strides of split-belt walking, we removed the visual feedback and instructed individuals to walk comfortably, a manipulation intended to minimize contributions from explicit learning. We used a multirate state-space model to characterize individual explicit and implicit process contributions to overall behavioral change. The computational and behavioral analyses revealed that, compared with controls, individuals with chronic stroke demonstrated deficits in both explicit and implicit contributions to locomotor learning, a result that runs counter to prior work testing each process individually during gait. Since poststroke locomotor rehabilitation involves interventions that rely on both explicit and implicit motor learning, future work should determine how locomotor rehabilitation interventions can be structured to optimize overall motor learning. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Motor learning involves both implicit and explicit processes, the underlying neural substrates of which could be damaged after stroke. Although both learning processes are typically used in concert in daily life and rehabilitation, no gait studies have determined how these processes function together after stroke. Using a locomotor task that elicits dissociable contributions from both processes and computational modeling, we found evidence that chronic stroke causes deficits in both explicit and implicit locomotor learning.

Real-Time, Non-Invasive Monitoring of Neuronal Differentiation Using Intein-Enabled Fluorescence Signal Translocation in Genetically Encoded Stem Cell-Based Biosensors.

Real-time and non-invasive monitoring of neuronal differentiation will help increase our understanding of neuronal development and help develop regenerative stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Traditionally, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting, and immunofluorescence (IF) staining have been widely used to investigate stem cell differentiation; however, their limitations include endpoint analysis, invasive nature of monitoring, and lack of single-cell-level resolution. Several limitations hamper current approaches to studying neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. In particular, fixation and staining procedures can introduce artificial changes in cellular morphology, hindering our ability to accurately monitor the progression of the process and fully understand its functional aspects, particularly those related to cellular connectivity and neural network formation. Herein, we report a novel approach to monitor neuronal differentiation of NSCs non-invasively in real-time using cell-based biosensors (CBBs). Our research efforts focused on utilizing intein-mediated protein engineering to design and construct a highly sensitive biosensor capable of detecting a biomarker of neuronal differentiation, hippocalcin. Hippocalcin is a critical protein involved in neurogenesis, and the CBB functions by translocating a fluorescence signal to report the presence of hippocalcin externally. To construct the hippocalcin sensor proteins, hippocalcin bioreceptors, AP2 and glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA-type subunit 2 (GRIA2), were fused to each split-intein carrying split-nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides, respectively, and a fluorescent protein was introduced as a reporter. Protein splicing (PS) was triggered in the presence of hippocalcin to generate functional signal peptides, which promptly translocated the fluorescence signal to the nucleus. The stem cell-based biosensor showed fluorescence signal translocation only upon neuronal differentiation. Undifferentiated stem cells or cells that had differentiated into astrocytes or oligodendrocytes did not show fluorescence signal translocation. The number of differentiated neurons was consistent with that measured by conventional IF staining. Furthermore, this approach allowed for the monitoring of neuronal differentiation at an earlier stage than that detected using conventional approaches, and the translocation of fluorescence signal was monitored before the noticeable expression of class III ß-tubulin (TuJ1), an early neuronal differentiation marker. We believe that these novel CBBs offer an alternative to current techniques by capturing the dynamics of differentiation progress at the single-cell level and by providing a tool to evaluate how NSCs efficiently differentiate into specific cell types, particularly neurons.

Trade-off between training and testing ratio in machine learning for medical image processing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) aim to mimic human intelligence and enhance decision making processes across various fields. A key performance determinant in a ML model is the ratio between the training and testing dataset. This research investigates the impact of varying train-test split ratios on machine learning model performance and generalization capabilities using the BraTS 2013 dataset. Logistic regression, random forest, k nearest neighbors, and support vector machines were trained with split ratios ranging from 60:40 to 95:05. Findings reveal significant variations in accuracies across these ratios, emphasizing the critical need to strike a balance to avoid overfitting or underfitting. The study underscores the importance of selecting an optimal train-test split ratio that considers tradeoffs such as model performance metrics, statistical measures, and resource constraints. Ultimately, these insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how ratio selection impacts the effectiveness and reliability of machine learning applications across diverse fields.

Identification of systemic nitrogen signaling in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) roots based on split-root system and transcriptome analysis.

KEY MESSAGE: The study established split-root system (SRS) in foxtail millet, and identified the molecular regulatory mechanisms and metabolic pathways related to systemic nitrogen signaling based on this system and transcriptome analysis. The growth of crops is primarily constrained by the availability of nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a significant orphan crop known for its strong tolerance to barren conditions. Despite this, the signaling pathway of nitrogen in foxtail millet remains largely unexplored. Identifying the candidate genes responsible for nitrogen response in foxtail millet is crucial for enhancing its agricultural productivity. This study utilized the split-root system (SRS) in foxtail millet to uncover genes associated with Systemic Nitrogen Signaling (SNS). Transcriptome analysis of the SRS revealed 2158 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) implicated in SNS, including those involved in cytokinin synthesis, transcription factors, E3 ubiquitin ligase, and ROS metabolism. Silencing of SiIPT5 and SiATL31 genes through RNAi in transgenic plants resulted in reduced SNS response, indicating their role in the nitrogen signaling pathway of foxtail millet. Furthermore, the induction of ROS metabolism-related genes in response to KNO3 of the split-root System (Sp.KNO3) suggests a potential involvement of ROS signaling in the SNS of foxtail millet. Overall, this study sheds light on the molecular regulatory mechanisms and metabolic pathways of foxtail millet in relation to SNS.

Efficacy-focused and autonomy-supportive messaging in social media vaccine campaigns: insights from a Facebook split test.

BACKGROUND: In the context of social media vaccine campaigns, understanding the impact of message framing on audience engagement is crucial. This study examines the efficacy of messages centered on efficacy versus autonomy, informed by theoretical frameworks: the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and Self Determination Theory (SDT). METHODS: Utilizing the Facebook A/B Split Test (FBST) feature, an online experiment was conducted to compare the response to two different messages: one emphasizing vaccine efficacy (EPPM-informed) and the other focusing on individual autonomy in making vaccine decisions (SDT-informed). The primary measure of interest was the number of clicks on a link directing to a pro-vaccine website. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the autonomy-centered (SDT-informed) message resulted in a significantly higher click-through rate to the pro-vaccine website, particularly among users aged 65 and above. Furthermore, analysis of comments from Facebook users identified factors potentially contributing to vaccine hesitancy, with mistrust being the most dominant. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the importance of tailoring social media vaccine campaigns to address the autonomy needs of the target audience while considering trust-related issues to mitigate vaccine hesitancy. Emphasizing individual autonomy in vaccine decision-making processes can enhance engagement with pro-vaccine content, especially in older demographics.