Petrocodonliboensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Guizhou, China.

Petrocodonliboensis Sheng H.Tang & Jia W.Yang is a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guizhou, southwestern China. The new taxon has a pale-yellow corolla and is most similar to P.luteoflorus. However, it differs from the latter by having a urceolate (vs. cannulate) corolla tube, an abaxial corolla lip 0.8-1.1 mm (vs. 2-2.2 mm) long, and filaments 1.5-1.7 mm (vs. ca. 7 mm) long that are straight (vs. S-shaped or geniculate near the middle). The new taxon is assessed as "Data Deficient" (DD) according to the IUCN standards.

Impatiensbeipanjiangensis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from Guizhou, China.

Impatiensbeipanjiangensis Jian Xu & H. F. Hu (Balsaminaceae), a new species of Impatienssubg.Clavicarpa discovered in Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated in this study along with its molecular phylogenetic analysis. I.beipanjiangensis is similar to I.liboensis, I.chishuiensis and I.clavigera in morphology, but I.tubulosa has the closest relationship to it. However, there are various ways in which the new species can be easily distinguished from these four species: Inferior nodes swollen rhizoid, pale green and with hooked outer sepals, longer lateral united petals, subovate auricle, deeper lower sepal and shorter spur that is reflexed towards the lower sepal. Furthermore, I.beipanjiangensis is distinguished from other Impatiens species, based on morphological, micromorphological and palynological evidence and molecular data (PP 0.967).

Single-cell profiling of the pig cecum at various developmental stages.

The gastrointestinal tract is essential for food digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination, and microbial defense. Single-cell transcriptome profiling of the intestinal tract has greatly enriched our understanding of cellular diversity, functional heterogeneity, and their importance in intestinal tract development and disease. Although such profiling has been extensively conducted in humans and mice, the single-cell gene expression landscape of the pig cecum remains unexplored. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on 45 572 cells obtained from seven cecal samples in pigs at four different developmental stages (days (D) 30, 42, 150, and 730). Analysis revealed 12 major cell types and 38 subtypes, as well as their distinctive genes, transcription factors, and regulons, many of which were conserved in humans. An increase in the relative proportions of CD8 + T and Granzyme A (low expression) natural killer T cells (GZMA low NKT) cells and a decrease in the relative proportions of epithelial stem cells, Tregs, RHEX + T cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were noted across the developmental stages. Moreover, the post-weaning period exhibited an up-regulation in mitochondrial genes, COX2 and ND2, as well as genes involved in immune activation in multiple cell types. Cell-cell crosstalk analysis indicated that IBP6 + fibroblasts were the main signal senders at D30, whereas IBP6 - fibroblasts assumed this role at the other stages. NKT cells established interactions with epithelial cells and IBP6 + fibroblasts in the D730 cecum through mediation of GZMA-F2RL1/F2RL2 pairs. This study provides valuable insights into cellular heterogeneity and function in the pig cecum at different development stages.

Pig H3K4me3, H3K27ac, and gene expression profiles reveal reproductive tissue-specific activity of transposable elements.

Regulatory sequences and transposable elements (TEs) account for a large proportion of the genomic sequences of species; however, their roles in gene transcription, especially tissue-specific expression, remain largely unknown. Pigs serve as an excellent animal model for studying genomic sequence biology due to the extensive diversity among their wild and domesticated populations. Here, we conducted an integrated analysis using H3K27ac ChIP-seq, H3K4me3 ChIP-seq, and RNA-seq data from 10 different tissues of seven fetuses and eight closely related adult pigs. We aimed to annotate the regulatory elements and TEs to elucidate their associations with histone modifications and mRNA expression across different tissues and developmental stages. Based on correlation analysis between mRNA expression and H3K27ac and H3K4me3 peak activity, results indicated that H3K27ac exhibited stronger associations with gene expression than H3K4me3. Furthermore, 1.45% of TEs overlapped with either the H3K27ac or H3K4me3 peaks, with the majority displaying tissue-specific activity. Notably, a TE subfamily (LTR4C_SS), containing binding motifs for SIX1 and SIX4, showed specific enrichment in the H3K27ac peaks of the adult and fetal ovaries. RNA-seq analysis also revealed widespread expression of TEs in the exons or promoters of genes, including 4 688 TE-containing transcripts with distinct development stage-specific and tissue-specific expression. Of note, 1 967 TE-containing transcripts were enriched in the testes. We identified a long terminal repeat (LTR), MLT1F1, acting as a testis-specific alternative promoter in SRPK2 (a cell cycle-related protein kinase) in our pig dataset. This element was also conserved in humans and mice, suggesting either an ancient integration of TEs in genes specifically expressed in the testes or parallel evolutionary patterns. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that TEs are deeply embedded in the genome and exhibit important tissue-specific biological functions, particularly in the reproductive organs.

Efficient in-situ conversion of low-concentration carbon dioxide in exhaust gas using silver nanoparticles in N-heterocyclic carbene polymer.

Efficient utilizing CO2 is crucial approaches in achieving carbon neutralization. One of the challenges lies in the in-situ conversion of low concentration CO2 found in waste gases. This study introduces a novel heterogeneous catalyst known as silver nanoparticles in porous N-heterocyclic carbene polymer (Ag@POP-NL-3). The catalyst is synthesized via a streamlined pre-coordination method. Ag@POP-NL-3 exhibits uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles, a porous structure and nitrogen activation groups. It demonstrates high efficiency and selectivity in absorbing and activating CO2 and enabling the conversion of low concentration CO2 (30 vol%) from lime kiln waste gas into cyclic carbonate under mild conditions. This catalytic system achieves both CO2 capture and resource utilization of CO2 simultaneously, effectively fixing low-concentration CO2 from waste gases into C2+ valuable chemicals. This approach elegantly addresses two goals in one solution.

Copper-Catalyzed, N-Directed Distal C(sp3)-H Functionalization toward Azepanes.

We herein report a copper-catalyzed formal [5 + 2] aza-annulation of N-fluorosulfonamides and 1,3-dienes/1,3-enynes for synthesis of structurally diverse alkene/alkyne-containing azepanes. The reaction features selective functionalization of distal unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds and a broad substrate scope, thus allowing the late-stage modification of pharmaceuticals and natural products. A radical mechanism involving 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer of N-radicals, facile coupling of alkyl radicals with 1,3-dienes/1,3-enynes, and the construction of azepane motifs via C-N bond formation is proposed.

Construction and Application of YOLOv3-Based Diatom Identification Model of Scanning Electron Microscope Images.

OBJECTIVES: To construct a YOLOv3-based model for diatom identification in scanning electron microscope images, explore the application performance in practical cases and discuss the advantages of this model. METHODS: A total of 25 000 scanning electron microscopy images were collected at 1 500× as an initial image set, and input into the YOLOv3 network to train the identification model after experts' annotation and image processing. Diatom scanning electron microscopy images of lung, liver and kidney tissues taken from 8 drowning cases were identified by this model under the threshold of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 respectively, and were also identified by experts manually. The application performance of this model was evaluated through the recognition speed, recall rate and precision rate. RESULTS: The mean average precision of the model in the validation set and test set was 94.8% and 94.3%, respectively, and the average recall rate was 81.2% and 81.5%, respectively. The recognition speed of the model is more than 9 times faster than that of manual recognition. Under the threshold of 0.4, the mean recall rate and precision rate of diatoms in lung tissues were 89.6% and 87.8%, respectively. The overall recall rate in liver and kidney tissues was 100% and the precision rate was less than 5%. As the threshold increased, the recall rate in all tissues decreased and the precision rate increased. The F1 score of the model in lung tissues decreased with the increase of threshold, while the F1 score in liver and kidney tissues with the increase of threshold. CONCLUSIONS: The YOLOv3-based diatom electron microscope images automatic identification model works at a rapid speed and shows high recall rates in all tissues and high precision rates in lung tissues under an appropriate threshold. The identification model greatly reduces the workload of manual recognition, and has a good application prospect.

Smilax weniae, a New Species of Smilacaceae from Limestone Areas Bordering Guizhou and Guangxi, China.

A new species, Smilax weniae (Smilacaceae), from Southwest China, is described and illustrated. The new species bears peltate leaves, which was previously a unique feature of S. luei. However, it differs from the latter by having a broad ovate leaf blade, longer peduncle, and sexual dimorphic flowers. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed that the new species were placed in a unique position in a subclade of Old World Smilax based on ptDNA and nrITS sequences. Combining detailed morphological comparisons and molecular evidence, we validated that S. weniae is an undescribed new species. Moreover, the plastome characteristics of S. weniae are reported.

Oreocharisqianyuensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Southwest, China based on morphological and molecular evidence.

Oreocharisqianyuensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Southwest, China, is described and illustrated based on morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Phylotranscriptomic analyses of the new species in the context of a comprehensive phylogeny with dense sampling of 88% (111/126) of all species of the genus indicated that the new species was most closely-related to O.fargesii. The new species is morphologically similar to O.fargesii and O.nanchuanica in the shape, color and structure of flowers and the number of stamens, but differs in the leaf blade shape, margin and the indumentum characters of the inflorescence. Its morphological relationship with similar species is discussed, the detailed descriptions, colour photographs, distribution, as well as the IUCN threatened status based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are also provided.

Petrocosmeaduyunensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Guizhou, China.

Plants belonging to the genus Petrocosmea are rare and small herbs difficult to find in the wild. In the present study, a new species, Petrocosmeaduyunensis, from Guizhou, China, is described. The species is most similar to P.leiandra and differs from it by a distinctly recurved abaxial corolla lip, free anthers and included pistil. Detailed morphological comparisons are given. One population with about 100 mature individuals was found at the type locality. This new taxon was assessed as "Data Deficient" (DD) according to the IUCN standards.

Treatment of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata with goserelin acetate: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a rare condition characterized by multiple pelvic and abdominal nodules, which are composed of smooth-muscle cells. To date, no more than 200 cases have been reported. The diagnosis of LPD is difficult and there are no guidelines on the treatment of LPD. Currently, surgical excision is the mainstay. However, hormone blockade therapy can be an alternative choice. CASE SUMMARY: A 33-year-old female patient with abdominal discomfort and palpable abdominal masses was admitted to our hospital. She had undergone four surgeries related to uterine leiomyoma in the past 8 years. Computed tomography revealed multiple nodules scattered within the abdominal wall and peritoneal cavity. Her symptoms and the result of the core-needle biopsy were consistent with LPD. The patient refused surgery and was then treated with tamoxifen, ulipristal acetate (a selective progesterone receptor modulator), and goserelin acetate (a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist). Both tamoxifen and ulipristal acetate were not effective in controlling the disease progression. However, the patient achieved an excellent response when goserelin acetate was attempted with relieved syndromes and obvious shrinkage of nodules. The largest nodule showed a 25% decrease in the sum of the longest diameters from pretreatment to posttreatment. Up to now, 2 years have elapsed and the patient remains asymptomatic and there is no development of further nodules. CONCLUSION: Goserelin acetate is effective for the management of LPD. The long-term use of goserelin acetate is thought to be safe and effective. Hormone blockade therapy can replace repeated surgical excision in recurrent patients.

Residual tumor and central lymph node metastasis after thermal ablation of papillary thyroid carcinoma: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Debate exists regarding the use of thermal ablation (TA) to treat papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Some studies have recommended TA as a new, efficient and safe technology for PTC. In this article, we report one case of a residual tumor and central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) after TA for PTC. CASE SUMMARY: A 63-year-old female underwent bilateral ultrasound (US)-guided radiofrequency ablation for PTC. Three months later, she was diagnosed as thyroid cancer with suspected CLNM by US and contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The subsequent fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies were negative. Due to her strong personal preference, she underwent total thyroidectomy and central lymph node dissection. Local tissue adhesion and a difficult dissection were noted during the operation. The pathology of the frozen sections during the operation was still negative. The final pathology results of paraffin-embedded sections revealed residual tumor cells at the edge of the PTC and CLNM. CONCLUSION: TA may lead to a residual tumor in patients with PTC. Follow-up using US and FNA biopsy may not be adequate to evaluate the residual tumor. TA should be carefully considered in PTC treatment.

Detection of genes responsible for cetuximab sensitization in colorectal cancer cells using CRISPR-Cas9.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor in digestive tract with highly invasive and metastatic capacity. Drug sensitivity remains a significant obstacle to successful chemotherapy in CRC patients. The present study aimed to explore genes related to cetuximab (CTX) sensitivity in CRC by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9. Celigo image cytometer was used to detect suitable cells and optimal dosage of CTX. Inhibition rate of CTX on Caco-2 cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method before and after transfection. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was performed to explore suitable concentration of puromycin and multiplicity of infection (MOI). CRISPR-Cas9, sequencing data quality analysis and cell viability test were used for the selection of genes related to CTX sensitivity in CRC cells. Finally, the selected genes associated with CTX sensitivity in CRC cells were further validated by colony formation and CCK-8 assays. In the present study, Caco-2 cells had a better prolificacy, and CTX 100 µg/ml exhibited a good inhibition trend on the 7th and 14th days of infection. MTT assay indicated that the minimum lethal concentration of puromycin was 2.5 µg/ml. Forty-six candidate genes were preliminarily screened via sequencing data quality analysis. Subsequently, we found that knockout of any of the four genes (MMP15, MRPL48, CALN1 and HADHB) could enhance CTX sensitivity in Caco-2 cells, which was further confirmed by colony formation assay. In summary, MMP15, MRPL48, CALN1 and HADHB genes are related to the mediation of CTX sensitivity in CRC.

Petrocodon luteoflorus (Gesneriaceae), a new species from karst region in Guizhou, China.

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Petrocodon luteoflorus Lei Cai & F.Wen was first described and illustrated from Maolan National Nature Reserve, Libo County, Guizhou Province, China. The diagnostic characters and notes of this species between its most morphologically similar species, P. dealbatus Hance, a detailed description, colour photographs, etymology, as well as distribution and habitat, are also provided in this paper.

Copper-Catalyzed Remote C(sp3)-H Amination of Carboxamides.

Here we report a method for the site-selective intermolecular C(sp3)-H amination of carboxamides by merging transition-metal catalysis and the hydrogen atom transfer strategy. The reaction proceeds through a sequence of favorable single-electron transfer, 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, and C-N cross-coupling steps, thus allowing access to a series of desired products. This reaction could accommodate a wide diversity of nitrogen nucleophiles as well as demonstrate excellent chemoselectivity and functional group compatibility.

The mechanism for enhanced oxidation degradation of dioxin-like PCBs (PCB-77) in the atmosphere by the solvation effect.

The reaction pathways of PCB-77 in the atmosphere with ·OH, O2, NO x , and 1O2 were inferred based on density functional theory calculations with the 6-31G* basis set. The structures the reactants, transition states, intermediates, and products were optimized. The energy barriers and reaction heats were obtained to determine the energetically favorable reaction pathways. To study the solvation effect, the energy barriers and reaction rates for PCB-77 with different polar and nonpolar solvents (cyclohexane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, acetone, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide, and water) were calculated. The results showed that ·OH preferentially added to the C5 atom of PCB-77, which has no Cl atom substituent, to generate the intermediate IM5. This intermediate subsequently reacted with O2 via pathway A to generate IM5a, with an energy barrier of 7.27 kcal/mol and total reaction rate of 8.45 × 10-8 cm3/molecule s. Pathway B involved direct dehydrogenation of IM5 to produce the OH-PCBs intermediate IM5b, with an energy barrier of 28.49 kcal/mol and total reaction rate of 1.15 × 10-5 cm3/molecule s. The most likely degradation pathway of PCB-77 in the atmosphere is pathway A to produce IM5a. The solvation effect results showed that cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, and benzene could reduce the reaction energy barrier of pathway A. Among these solvents, the solvation effect of benzene was the largest, and could reduce the total reaction energy barrier by 25%. Cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, dichloromethane, acetone, and ethanol could increase the total reaction rate of pathway A. The increase in the reaction rate of pathway A with benzene was 8%. The effect of solvents on oxidative degradation of PCB-77 in the atmosphere is important. Graphical abstract The reaction pathways of PCB-77 in the atmosphere with •OH, O2, NOx, and 1O2 were inferred based on density functional theory calculations with the 6-31G* basis set. Different polar and nonpolar solvents: cyclohexane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, acetone, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide, and water were selected to study the solvation effect on the favorable reaction pathways. The investigated results showed what kind of pathway was most likely to occur and the solvent effect on the reaction pathway.