Mutual regulation of microglia and astrocytes after Gas6 inhibits spinal cord injury.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202502000-00032/figure1/v/2024-05-28T214302Z/r/image-tiff Invasive inflammation and excessive scar formation are the main reasons for the difficulty in repairing nervous tissue after spinal cord injury. Microglia and astrocytes play key roles in the spinal cord injury micro-environment and share a close interaction. However, the mechanisms involved remain unclear. In this study, we found that after spinal cord injury, resting microglia (M0) were polarized into pro-inflammatory phenotypes (MG1 and MG3), while resting astrocytes were polarized into reactive and scar-forming phenotypes. The expression of growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6) and its receptor Axl were significantly down-regulated in microglia and astrocytes after spinal cord injury. In vitro experiments showed that Gas6 had negative effects on the polarization of reactive astrocytes and pro-inflammatory microglia, and even inhibited the cross-regulation between them. We further demonstrated that Gas6 can inhibit the polarization of reactive astrocytes by suppressing the activation of the Yes-associated protein signaling pathway. This, in turn, inhibited the polarization of pro-inflammatory microglia by suppressing the activation of the nuclear factor-κB/p65 and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathways. In vivo experiments showed that Gas6 inhibited the polarization of pro-inflammatory microglia and reactive astrocytes in the injured spinal cord, thereby promoting tissue repair and motor function recovery. Overall, Gas6 may play a role in the treatment of spinal cord injury. It can inhibit the inflammatory pathway of microglia and polarization of astrocytes, attenuate the interaction between microglia and astrocytes in the inflammatory microenvironment, and thereby alleviate local inflammation and reduce scar formation in the spinal cord.

Genetic support of causal association between lipid and glucose metabolism and stress urinary incontinence in women: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization and multivariable-adjusted study.

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition characterized by urethral sphincter failure and urine leakage. Its prevalence in women is higher than in men, and estimates of crude prevalence rates vary widely due to factors such as research methodologies, study populations, and underreporting by patients. This variability hinders research and impacts patient diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. The complex etiology of SUI is not fully understood, and previous studies have primarily focused on non-invasive indicators. While emerging observational research suggests a correlation between SUI in women and abnormalities in lipid and blood metabolism, the underlying biological mechanisms and causal relationships require further investigation. This study aims to explore the causalities between SUI in women and lipid and blood metabolism. Methods: Using bidirectional univariate Mendelian randomization (MR), we investigated the causal association between SUI liability in women (case/control = 5,924/399,509) from UK Biobank and lipid and glucose metabolism, indicated by total cholesterol (TC, N = 61,166), low-density lipoproteins (LDL, N = 58,381), high-density lipoproteins (HDL, N = 60,812), triglycerides (TG, N = 60,027), fasting glucose (FG, N = 19,745), and fasting insulin (FI, N = 38,238) from ENGAGE consortium. To account for potential confounding effects, multivariable MR (MVMR) analyses were performed, adjusting for body mass index (BMI) and separately among lipid and glucose metabolism. Results: We found that increased genetically proxied TC, LDL, and HDL levels were associated with an elevated risk of SUI in women (OR: 1.090-1.117, all P < 0.05), These associations were further supported by MVMR analyses with adjustment for BMI (OR: 1.087-1.114, all P < 0.05). Conversely, increased FG and FI were associated with reduced SUI reliability in women (OR: 0.731-0.815, all P < 0.05). When adjusting among lipid and glucose metabolism, only HDL and FI demonstrated causal effects. Reverse MR analyses provided no genetic evidence supporting the causal effect of SUI in women on lipid and blood metabolism (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: Our results reported that increased TC, LDL, and HDL are linked to higher SUI susceptibility in women, while higher FG and FI levels have a protective effect. In overweight/obese women with metabolic abnormalities, the positive associations between TC, LDL, and HDL levels and SUI indicate a higher risk.

C1-FDX is required for the assembly of mitochondrial complex I and subcomplexes of complex V in Arabidopsis.

C1-FDX (Complex I-ferredoxin) has been defined as a component of CI in a ferredoxin bridge in Arabidopsis mitochondria. However, its full function remains to be addressed. We created two c1-fdx mutants in Arabidopsis using the CRISPR-Cas9 methodology. The mutants show delayed seed germination. Over-expression of C1-FDX rescues the phenotype. Molecular analyses showed that loss of the C1-FDX function decreases the abundance and activity of both CI and subcomplexes of CV. In contrast, the over-expression of C1-FDX-GFP enhances the CI* (a sub-complex of CI) and CV assembly. Immunodetection reveals that the stoichiometric ratio of the α:ß subunits in the F1 module of CV is altered in the c1-fdx mutant. In the complemented mutants, C1-FDX-GFP was found to be associated with the F' and α/ß sub-complexes of CV. Protein interaction assays showed that C1-FDX could interact with the ß, γ, δ, and ε subunits of the F1 module, indicating that C1-FDX, a structural component of CI, also functions as an assembly factor in the assembly of F' and α/ß sub-complexes of CV. These results reveal a new role of C1-FDX in the CI and CV assembly and seed germination in Arabidopsis.

Substituting partial chemical nitrogen fertilizers with organic fertilizers maintains grain yield and increases nitrogen use efficiency in maize.

Introduction: Long-term application of excessive nitrogen (N) not only leads to low N use efficiency (NUE) but also exacerbates the risk of environmental pollution due to N losses. Substituting partial chemical N with organic fertilizer (SP) is an environmentally friendly and sustainable fertilization practice. However, the appropriate rate of SP in rainfed maize cropping systems in semi-arid regions of China is unknown. Methods: Therefore, we conducted a field experiment between 2021 and 2022 in a semi-arid region of Northern China to investigate the effects of SP on maize growth, carbon and N metabolism (C/NM), and NUE. The following treatments were used in the experiment: no N application (CK), 100% chemical N (SP0, 210 kg N ha-1), and SP substituting 15% (SP1), 30% (SP2), 45% (SP3), and 60% (SP4) of the chemical N. The relationship between these indicators and grain yield (GY) was explored using the Mantel test and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results and discussion: The results found that the SP1 and SP2 treatments improved the assimilates production capacity of the canopy by increasing the leaf area index, total chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate, improving dry matter accumulation (DMA) by 6.2%-10.6%, compared to the SP0 treatment. SP1 and SP2 treatments increased total soluble sugars, starch, free amino acids, and soluble protein contents in ear leaves via increasing the enzymatic reactions related to C/NM in ear leaves during the reproductive growth stage compared with SP0 treatment. The highest plant nitrogen uptake (PNU) and nitrogen recovery efficiency were obtained under the SP2 treatment, and the GY and nitrogen agronomic efficiency were higher than the SP0 treatment by 9.2% and 27.8%. However, SP3 and SP4 treatments reduced DMA and GY by inhibiting C/NM in ear leaves compared to SP0 treatment. Mantel test and SEM results revealed that SP treatments indirectly increased GY and PNU by directly positively regulating C/NM in maize ear leaves. Therefore, in the semi-arid regions, substituting 30% of the chemical N with SP could be considered. This fertilizer regime may avoid GY reduction and improve NUE. This study provides new insights into sustainable cultivation pathways for maize in semi-arid regions.

Interpersonal impressions of cleft and non-cleft adolescents: A panel assessment study of peers, laypersons, and clinicians using 3dMD images.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cleft lip and palate anomalies suffer from associated negative psychosocial effects despite undergoing reconstructive surgeries. Discrimination from others may be a contributing factor. We aim to understand whether people react differently to cleft and non-cleft subjects in questions regarding aesthetic appraisal and interpersonal impressions, as well as whether diverging opinions exist between people of different backgrounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the 3dMD system, three-dimensional craniofacial images of cleft (n = 20) and non-cleft (n = 5) pediatric individuals were obtained and used to create a Likert scale-based questionnaire. Participants from three different backgrounds, including adolescent peers, adult laypersons, and plastic surgeons, were recruited to complete the assessment. The resulting data were transferred to a bar graph and analyzed with the item response theory-graded response model to estimate the latent traits and capability of each subject. RESULTS: Non-cleft images obtained more positive responses than cleft images in questions of both aesthetic appraisal and interpersonal impressions. However, some of the cleft images were rated similarly, or even superior, to non-cleft images in questions regarding interpersonal impressions. Surgeons showed the greatest latent capability in differentiating between cleft and non-cleft images, followed by adult laypersons, and then adolescent peers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite cleft patients experiencing drastic improvements in appearance post-repair, all subject groups responded differently to questions concerning aesthetic and social impressions of pediatric cleft and non-cleft images. Plastic surgeons were more critical than others. These findings may offer further insight to clinicians, educators, and caregivers into the social challenges faced by cleft individuals.

Clinical implications of CT-detected ascites in gastric cancer: association with peritoneal metastasis and systemic inflammatory response.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic significance of computed tomography (CT) detected ascites in gastric cancer (GC) with peritoneal metastasis (PM) and investigate its association with systemic inflammatory response. METHODS: This retrospective study included 111 GCs with ascites (PM: n = 51; No PM: n = 60). Systemic inflammatory indexes, tumor markers, and the CT-assessed characteristics of ascites were collected. The differences in parameters between the two groups were analyzed. Diagnostic performance was obtained by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The association between the volume of ascites and clinical characteristics was evaluated with correlation analysis. RESULTS: In this study, over half of GCs with ascites were not involved with PM. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), five tumor markers, and the characteristics of ascites showed significant differences between the two groups (all p < 0.05). Among them, SII, NLR, PLR, and the volume of ascites achieved the areas under the curve of 0.700, 0.698, 0.704, and 0.903, respectively. Moreover, the volumes of ascites showed positive correlations with SII, NLR, and PLR in GCs with PM, and the volumes of ascites detected in the upper abdomen were more strongly correlated with CA125 level (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Many GCs with CT-detected ascites did not occur with synchronous PM. The presence of upper abdominal ascites had certain clinical significance for diagnosing PM in GCs. Systemic inflammatory indexes were elevated and positively correlated with the volume of ascites in GCs with PM, which might suggest the enhanced systemic inflammatory response. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: CT-detected ascites in the upper abdomen played an indicative role in identifying synchronous PM in GCs, and the systemic inflammatory response was enhanced in GCs with PM, which might be helpful for clinical evaluation. KEY POINTS: Many GCs with CT-detected ascites did not occur with synchronous PM. CT-detected ascites in the upper abdomen help in identifying PM in GCs. GCs with PM showed elevated systemic inflammatory indexes and enhanced systemic inflammatory response.

Construction of carbon-doped iron-based nanozyme for efficient adsorption and degradation to synergistic removal of aflatoxin B1.

The multifunctional composites Fe3O4/GO/NH2-MIL-53(Fe) with excellent adsorption-degradation performance was prepared for the removal of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The adsorption function of Fe3O4/GO/NH2-MIL-53(Fe) was based on the large specific surface area and abundant adsorption sites. The degradation function of Fe3O4/GO/NH2-MIL-53(Fe) was based on the activation of H2O2 by the catalytic active center formed by the coordination of metal ions and oxygen-containing groups in the system, resulting in hydroxyl radicals (·OH), superoxide anion radicals (O2-) and singlet oxygen (1O2). The adsorption of nanozyme accelerated the degradation reaction process, and the adsorption site was further exposed as the degradation process progressed. The synergistic effect realized the efficient removal of AFB1. Construction of Fe3O4/GO/NH2-MIL-53(Fe) as the carbon-doped iron-based nanozyme provided novel approaches of the removal for risks control of AFB1. Accompanied by the AFB1 adsorption, the advanced oxidation of nanozyme to the AFB1 degradation provided a promising way for the synergistic removal of AFB1.

[Design and application of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-specific line fixation device].

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an important treatment for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary life support for clinically critical patients. Currently, ECMO tubing is commonly fixed by tie-wraps or tourniquets, which have shortcomings such as easy loosening and potential damage to the tubing. Improper fixation of the catheter can lead to a series of adverse events, such as accidental disconnection of the tubing, rupture of the tubing, tubing folding, and air ingress into the tubing. In order to overcome the above problems, the research team of Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University invented a device for ECMO line fixation and obtained a national utility model patent of China (patent number: ZL 2019 2 2282849.3). The tool is mainly composed of several devices, including a line fixation clamp, a clip fixation device, and a base plate, which is uniquely designed and easy to operate. During ECMO therapy, this device ensures effective stabilization of the ECMO tubing, preventing unexpected incidents due to catheter loosening and facilitating the observation of ECMO catheter insertion markings. Pipeline can be effectively fixed to avoid the occurrence of accidents due to the loosening of the catheter, and at the same time, it is convenient to observe the placement scale of the ECMO catheter. The novelty and uniqueness of the fixation device materials also effectively prevent the occurrence of pressure injuries during its use.

Hippocampal dipeptidyl peptidase 9 bidirectionally regulates memory associated with synaptic plasticity.

INTRODUCTION: Subtypes of the dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) family, such as DPP4, are reportedly associated with memory impairment. DPP9 is widely distributed in cells throughout the body, including the brain. However, whether DPP9 regulates memory has not yet been elucidated. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate the role of DPP9 in memory, as well as the underlying molecular mechanism. METHODS: We performed immunofluorescence on mouse brains to explore the distribution of DPP9 in different brain regions and used AAV vectors to construct knockdown and overexpression models. The effects of changing DPP9 expression on memory were demonstrated through behavioral experiments. Finally, we used electrophysiology, proteomics and affinity purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) to study the molecular mechanism by which DPP9 affects memory. RESULTS: Here, we report that DPP9, which is found almost exclusively in neurons, is expressed and has enzyme activity in many brain regions, especially in the hippocampus. Hippocampal DPP9 expression increases after fear memory formation. Fear memory was impaired by DPP9 knockdown and enhanced by DPP9 protein overexpression in the hippocampus. According to subsequent hippocampal proteomics, multiple pathways, including the peptidase pathway, which can be bidirectionally regulated by DPP9. DPP9 directly interacts with its enzymatic substrate neuropeptide Y (NPY) in neurons. Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is also bidirectionally regulated by DPP9. Moreover, inhibiting DPP enzyme activity impaired both LTP and memory. In addition, AP-MS revealed that DPP9-interacting proteins are involved in the functions of dendritic spines and axons. By combining AP-MS and proteomics, DPP9 was shown to play a role in regulating actin functions. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings reveal that DPP9 affects the CNS not only through enzymatic activity but also through protein-protein interactions. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of memory and DPP family functions.

The effect and mechanism of motor imagery based on action observation treatment on dysphagia in Wallenberg Syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The effect of motor imagery applied to dysphagia patients with Wallenberg syndrome has not yet been reported. AIM: This trial aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of motor imagery based on action observation treatment in the rehabilitation of patients with dysphagia in Wallenberg syndrome. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The setting was in-patient. POPULATION: Thirty patients with dysphagia of Wallenberg syndrome. METHODS: The patients were divided into the experimental group and the control group. Both groups received conventional dysphagia treatment, and the experimental group underwent the addition of motor imagery based on action observation treatment to the control group once a day for 14 days. Overall swallowing function was assessed with specific scales before and after intervention. Meanwhile, the functional near infrared spectroscopy was used to detect changes in cerebral hemodynamics during the execution of volitional swallowing task and swallowing motor imagery. RESULTS: The standardized swallowing assessment score (P=0.030), Murray secretion scale score (P=0.044) and swallowing quality of life score (P=0.011) of the experimental group improved better than those of the control group. In addition, multiple brain regions of the cortical presented extensive activation (P<0.05) during the execution of swallowing motor imagery. Moreover, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in brain regions pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex, right primary motor cortex, and right primary somatosensory cortex of the experimental group before and after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that motor imagery based on action observation treatment could improve swallowing function for patients with dysphagia of Wallenberg syndrome as an add-on training. As a top-down rehabilitation training, the mechanism of this therapy may be related to the selective activation of mirror neuron system. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Motor imagery based on action observation treatment can be implemented as part of the therapeutic for dysphagia of Wallenberg syndrome.

Effectiveness of Risk-Adapted Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening in China: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Previous studies have proved the effectiveness of endoscopic screening in rural areas; however, long-term, high-quality evidence regarding the effectiveness of risk-adapted upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGC) sequential screening strategies in resource-rich regions is currently lacking. Objective: The objectives were to validate the effectiveness of risk-adapted sequential screening strategies in UGC prevention and control and assess the potential of sequential screening to lower mortality rates. Methods: Based on the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China, a prospective, large-scale cohort study based on population was conducted to recruit individuals from 4 cities in China from 2013-2019. Those identified as having a high risk of UGC according to a validated risk-score model were advised to undergo endoscopy tests. Follow-up outcomes were tracked until June 2021. Incidence of UGC, UGC-related mortality, and all-cause mortality were evaluated between the screened and nonscreened cohorts. Results: The study included 153,079 participants at baseline. In total, 113,916 (74.42%) of the participants were designated as low risk of UGC. The remaining 39,163 (25.68%) participants were deemed to be at high risk of UGC and were offered gastroscopy tests. Among the high-risk participants, 9627 (compliance rate 24.6%) adhered to the gastroscopy tests. Over a median follow-up of 6.05 (IQR 3.06-7.06) years, 622 UGC cases, 180 UGC deaths, and 1958 all-cause death cases were traced. The screened cohort exhibited the highest cumulative incidence of UGC (119.2 per 100,000 person-years), followed by the nonscreened and low-risk cohorts. Obvious reductions in both all-cause mortality and UGC mortality were observed between those who undertook screening (153.7 and 4.7 per 100,000 person-years, respectively) and the nonscreened group (245.3 and 27 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). The screening population showed a significant 36% and 82% reduction in both all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.64, 95% CI 0.49-0.83, P<.001) and UGC mortality (HR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04-0.74, P=.02), respectively, compared to the nonscreened group. Reductions of 35% in all-cause mortality (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.49-0.86, P=.003) and 81% in UGC mortality (HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.80, P=.02) were observed in participants aged older than 55 years in the screened group compared to the nonscreened group. The reductions in all-cause mortality and UGC mortality were statistically significant in males (all-cause mortality: HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.88, P=.005; UGC mortality: HR 0.10, 95% CI 0.01-0.72, P=.02), but significant reductions were not observed in females (all P values were >.05). Conclusions: Our study suggests the significance of one-off risk-adapted UGC screening in reducing both all-cause mortality and UGC mortality, particularly among high-risk individuals, indicating its effectiveness in UGC prevention and management.

A compendium of genetic variations associated with promoter usage across 49 human tissues.

Promoters play a crucial role in regulating gene transcription. However, our understanding of how genetic variants influence alternative promoter selection is still incomplete. In this study, we implement a framework to identify genetic variants that affect the relative usage of alternative promoters, known as promoter usage quantitative trait loci (puQTLs). By constructing an atlas of human puQTLs across 49 different tissues from 838 individuals, we have identified approximately 76,856 independent loci associated with promoter usage, encompassing 602,009 genetic variants. Our study demonstrates that puQTLs represent a distinct type of molecular quantitative trait loci, effectively uncovering regulatory targets and patterns. Furthermore, puQTLs are regulating in a tissue-specific manner and are enriched with binding sites of epigenetic marks and transcription factors, especially those involved in chromatin architecture formation. Notably, we have also found that puQTLs colocalize with complex traits or diseases and contribute to their heritability. Collectively, our findings underscore the significant role of puQTLs in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying tissue development and complex diseases.

Dominant Charge Density Order in TaTe_{4}.

Electronic orders such as charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity raise exotic physics and phenomena as evidenced in recently discovered kagome superconductors and transition metal chalcogenides. In most materials, CDW induces a weak, perturbative effect, manifested as shadow bands, minigaps, resistivity kinks, etc. Here we demonstrate a unique example-transition metal tetratellurides TaTe_{4}, in which the CDW order dominates the electronic structure and transport properties. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we found that the band structure of CDW TaTe_{4} is characterized by small, bulk electron pockets. Density functional theory analyses reveal their CDW origin from the folding of the original, large Fermi pockets. Importantly, the CDW induced pockets result in prominent frequencies in the quantum oscillation of the magnetoresistance. Satisfactory agreements are reached between results from photoemission spectroscopy, density functional theory, and quantum oscillation, concerning the shape, size, location, and angle dependence of the CDW pockets. Our results underline transition metal tetratellurides as an outstanding example for exploring the interplay between CDW, pressure induced superconductivity, and potential topological states under strong field.

Combined application of silica nanoparticles and brassinolide promoted the growth of sugar beets under deficit irrigation.

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and brassinolide (BR) have been used as nano-fertilizer and growth regulator, respectively to enhance crop tolerance to abiotic stress. However, it is unclear whether a combination of the two (BR + SiNPs) is more beneficial than single application of BR or SiNPs to improve the growth of deficit-irrigated sugar beets. In this study, a two-year (2022-2023) field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar spraying of water (CK), SiNPs, BR, and BR + SiNPs on the antioxidant defense, photosynthetic capacity, dry matter accumulation, nutrient uptake, and yield of sugar beets under full irrigation (100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), W1) and deficit irrigation (60% ETc, W2). The results showed that compared with the application of BR or SiNPs, the application of BR + SiNPs could enhance the antioxidant defense, osmoregulation, and photosynthesis of the full-irrigated and deficit-irrigated sugar beet leaves, and ultimately improved the water status, growth, and yield of sugar beet plants. There was no significant difference in the net revenue (NR) between BR + SiNPs treatment and CK under W1 conditions. However, the NR of the BR + SiNPs treatment increased by 27.0% (p < 0.05) compared with that of CK under W2 conditions, and there was no significant difference in NR between BR + SiNPs and SiNPs treatments. A comprehensive evaluation using entropy weight combined with technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method found that under deficit irrigation condition, spraying SiNPs could improve the growth of sugar beet, increase the TY, NR, and water use efficiency, and reduce costs compared with spraying BR + SiNPs. Therefore, foliar spraying of SiNP on deficit-irrigated sugar beets can be used to improve sugar beet growth and reduce the potential economic losses caused by deficit irrigation.

Robust and smooth Couinaud segmentation via anatomical structure-guided point-voxel network.

Precise Couinaud segmentation from preoperative liver computed tomography (CT) is crucial for surgical planning and lesion examination. However, this task is challenging as it is defined based on vessel structures, and there is no intensity contrast between adjacent Couinaud segments in CT images. To solve this challenge, we design a multi-scale point-voxel fusion framework, which can more effectively model the spatial relationship of points and the semantic information of the image, producing robust and smooth Couinaud segmentations. Specifically, we first segment the liver and vessels from the CT image and generate 3D liver point clouds and voxel grids embedded with the vessel structure. Then, our method with two input-specific branches extracts complementary feature representations from points and voxels, respectively. The local attention module adaptively fuses features from the two branches at different scales to balance the contribution of different branches in learning more discriminative features. Furthermore, we propose a novel distance loss at the feature level to make the features in the segment more compact, thereby improving the certainty of segmentation between segments. Our experimental results on three public liver datasets demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art methods by large margins. Specifically, in out-of-distribution (OOD) testing of LiTS dataset, our method exceeded the voxel-based 3D UNet by approximately 20% in Dice score, and outperformed the point-based PointNet2Plus by approximately 8% in Dice score. Our code and manual annotations of the public datasets presented in this paper are available online: https://github.com/xukun-zhang/Couinaud-Segmentation.

Impact of non-selective beta blockers on further decompensation and death in decompensated cirrhosis: Benefit and risk stratification by MELD score.

BACKGROUND: Non-selective beta blockers (NSBBs) can reduce the risk of decompensation, but their impact on further decompensation has been rarely investigated. AIMS: The aim is to evaluate the impact of NSBBs on further decompensation and death in decompensated cirrhosis stratified by the severity of liver disease. METHODS: Overall, 332 decompensated cirrhotic patients were retrospectively included, of whom 149 used NSBBs. Kaplan-Meier and Nelson-Aalen cumulative risk curves as well as Cox regression and competing risk analyses were used to estimate the associations of NSBBs with further decompensation and death, if appropriate. Hazard ratio (HR) and sub-distribution HR (sHR) were calculated. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score at admission. RESULTS: In the overall analysis, the use of NSBBs was not significantly associated with further decompensation in multivariate competing risk analysis (sHR = 1.09, p = 0.580). In the subgroup analysis of patients with a MELD score of ≤9, the use of NSBBs was significantly associated with decreased risk of further decompensation in multivariate competing risk analysis (sHR = 0.57, p = 0.021). In the subgroup analysis of patients with a MELD score of >9, the use of NSBBs was associated with increased risk of further decompensation in multivariate competing risk analysis (sHR = 1.45, p = 0.044). Regardless of overall and subgroup analyses, the use of NSBBs was not significantly associated with death in multivariate Cox regression analyses. CONCLUSION: NSBBs may be beneficial for the prevention of further decompensation in cirrhotic patients with a MELD score of ≤9, but deleterious in those with a MELD score of >9.

To explore the postoperative nutritional status and factors influencing prognosis in patients with chronic constipation complicated by malnutrition.

Background: Many patients with constipation also suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition, and the relationship between the two conditions is a vicious cycle. Surgery is the final step in the treatment of constipation, with a success rate of up to 95%. This study aims to investigate the effects of surgical treatment on the nutritional status of patients with chronic constipation and malnutrition. Methods: A total of 60 patients with chronic constipation and various degrees of malnutrition who underwent surgery in our department from January 2020 to March 2023 were included in this study. Biochemical tests including BMI, albumin, total protein, hemoglobin, cholesterol and lymphocyte count were conducted, as well as measurements of inflammatory markers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Additionally, multiple nutritional risk screening scales (NRS2002, MUST, NRI, and MNA) and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were used to assess the nutritional status of patients before surgery, as well as at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-surgery. Finally, we analyzed the factors influencing postoperative recovery outcomes in patients. Results: Compared to pre-operation, the BMI of patients significantly increased at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the operation, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Multiple nutritional risk assessment tools (NRS2002, MUST, NRI, and MNA), as well as the prognostic nutritional index (NPI), indicated a reduction in nutritional risk and improvement in nutritional status at 1, 3, and 6 months post-surgery, compared to pre-surgery levels (p < 0.001). The levels of albumin, total protein, and hemoglobin in patients at 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery were significantly higher than those before the surgery (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant change in the number of lymphocytes. Inflammatory markers such as IL-6, IL-8, and CRP exhibited a significant decrease after the surgery, reaching normal levels at 6 months post-surgery (p < 0.001). Low BMI, low PNI, and low cholesterol levels are independent risk factors for patient prognosis (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Surgical treatment can enhance the nutritional status of constipation patients with malnutrition, which in turn promotes the restoration of intestinal motility. The patient's nutritional status will impact the postoperative recovery outcomes.

Effects of plant nutrient acquisition strategies on biomass allocation patterns in wetlands along successional sequences in the semi-arid upper Yellow River basin.

The ecological environment of wetlands in semi-arid regions has deteriorated, and vegetation succession has accelerated due to climate warming-induced aridification and human interference. The nutrient acquisition strategies and biomass allocation patterns reflect plant growth strategies in response to environmental changes. However, the impact of nutrient acquisition strategies on biomass allocation in successional vegetation remains unclear. We investigated 87 plant communities from 13 wetland sites in the semi-arid upper Yellow River basin. These communities were divided into three successional sequences: the herbaceous community (HC), the herbaceous-shrub mixed community (HSC), and the shrub community (SC). The nutrient composition of stems and leaves, as well as the biomass distribution above and belowground, were investigated. Results revealed that aboveground biomass increased with succession while belowground biomass decreased. Specifically, SC exhibited the highest stem biomass of 1,194.53 g m-2, while HC had the highest belowground biomass of 2,054.37 g m-2. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed between leaf and stem biomasses in both HC and SC. The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents within aboveground parts displayed an evident upward trend along the succession sequence. The highest N and P contents were found in SC, followed by HSC, and the lowest in HC. Stem N was negatively correlated with stem, leaf, and belowground biomass but positively correlated with root-shoot ratio. Leaf P displayed positive correlations with aboveground biomass while showing negative correlations with belowground biomass and root-shoot ratio. The ratios of C:N, C:P, and N:P in stem and leaf exhibited positive correlations with belowground biomass. The random forest model further demonstrated that stem N and leaf P exerted significant effects on aboveground biomass, while leaf P, stem N and P, and leaf C:P ratio had significant effects on belowground components. Additionally, the root-shoot ratio was significantly influenced by leaf P, leaf C:P ratio, and stem N, P, and C:P ratio. Therefore, the aboveground and belowground biomasses exhibited asynchronism across successional sequences, while plant nutrient acquisition strategies, involving nutrient levels and stoichiometric ratios, determined the biomass allocation pattern. This study offers valuable insights for assessing vegetation adaptability and formulating restoration plans in the semi-arid upper Yellow River basin.

Disentangled Sample Guidance Learning for Unsupervised Person Re-Identification.

Unsupervised person re-identification (Re-ID) is challenging due to the lack of ground truth labels. Most existing methods employ iterative clustering to generate pseudo labels for unlabeled training data to guide the learning process. However, how to select samples that are both associated with high-confidence pseudo labels and hard (discriminative) enough remains a critical problem. To address this issue, a disentangled sample guidance learning (DSGL) method is proposed for unsupervised Re-ID. The method consists of disentangled sample mining (DSM) and discriminative feature learning (DFL). DSM disentangles (unlabeled) person images into identity-relevant and identity-irrelevant factors, which are used to construct disentangled positive/negative groups that contain discriminative enough information. DFL incorporates the mined disentangled sample groups into model training by a surrogate disentangled learning loss and a disentangled second-order similarity regularization, to help the model better distinguish the characteristics of different persons. By using the DSGL training strategy, the mAP on Market-1501 and MSMT17 increases by 6.6% and 10.1% when applying the ResNet50 framework, and by 0.6% and 6.9% with the vision transformer (VIT) framework, respectively, validating the effectiveness of the DSGL method. Moreover, DSGL surpasses previous state-of-the-art methods by achieving higher Top-1 accuracy and mAP on the Market-1501, MSMT17, PersonX, and VeRi-776 datasets. The source code for this paper is available at https://github.com/jihaoxuanye/DiseSGL.