Development and Validation of a Biparametric MRI Deep Learning Radiomics Model with Clinical Characteristics for Predicting Perineural Invasion in Patients with Prostate Cancer.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Perineural invasion (PNI) is an important prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa). This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model integrating biparametric MRI-based deep learning radiomics and clinical characteristics for the non-invasive prediction of PNI in patients with PCa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 557 PCa patients who underwent preoperative MRI and radical prostatectomy were recruited and randomly divided into the training and the validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. Clinical model for predicting PNI was constructed by univariate and multivariate regression analyses on various clinical indicators, followed by logistic regression. Radiomics and deep learning methods were used to develop different MRI-based radiomics and deep learning models. Subsequently, the clinical, radiomics, and deep learning signatures were combined to develop the integrated deep learning-radiomics-clinical model (DLRC). The performance of the models was assessed by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and precision-recall (PR) curves, as well as calculating the area under the ROC and PR curves (ROC-AUC and PR-AUC). The calibration curve and decision curve were used to evaluate the model's goodness of fit and clinical benefit. RESULTS: The DLRC model demonstrated the highest performance in both the training and the validation cohorts, with ROC-AUCs of 0.914 and 0.848, respectively, and PR-AUCs of 0.948 and 0.926, respectively. The DLRC model showed good calibration and clinical benefit in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: The DLRC model, which integrated clinical, radiomics, and deep learning signatures, can serve as a robust tool for predicting PNI in patients with PCa, thus aiding in developing effective treatment strategies.

Quinolone Antibiotics Inhibit the Rice Photosynthesis by Targeting Photosystem II Center Protein: Generational Differences and Mechanistic Insights.

Soil antibiotic pollution profoundly influences plant growth and photosynthetic performance, yet the main disturbed processes and the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study explored the photosynthetic toxicity of quinolone antibiotics across three generations on rice plants and clarified the mechanisms through experimental and computational studies. Marked variations across antibiotic generations were noted in their impact on rice photosynthesis with the level of inhibition intensifying from the second to the fourth generation. Omics analyses consistently targeted the light reaction phase of photosynthesis as the primary process impacted, emphasizing the particular vulnerability of photosystem II (PS II) to the antibiotic stress, as manifested by significant interruptions in the photon-mediated electron transport and O2 production. PS II center D2 protein (psbD) was identified as the primary target of the tested antibiotics, with the fourth-generation quinolones displaying the highest binding affinity to psbD. A predictive machine learning method was constructed to pinpoint antibiotic substructures that conferred enhanced affinity. As antibiotic generations evolve, the positive contribution of the carbonyl and carboxyl groups on the 4-quinolone core ring in the affinity interaction gradually intensified. This research illuminates the photosynthetic toxicities of antibiotics across generations, offering insights for the risk assessment of antibiotics and highlighting their potential threats to carbon fixation of agroecosystems.

Intact gesture cueing of attention but attenuated sensitivity to peripheral social targets in autistic children: An eye-tracking and pupillometric study.

BACKGROUND: Altered automatic attention cueing has been reported in autistic children. Yet less is known about how autistic children would respond when the social cue that directs attention occurs in an implied social interaction. METHODS: By using eye-tracking, the current study examined orienting responses to a socially-relevant target or a nonsocial target cued by a goal-directed social gesture in autistic children. Saccadic reaction time and pupillary responses were employed to measure gaze behavior and physiological arousal of autistic children. RESULTS: Both groups of children showed reflexive orienting to the target regardless of its sociality, whereas typically developing (TD) children exhibited faster gaze shift than autistic children when the target was a social stimulus. An increased pupil dilation was observed in autistic children in response to stimuli relative to TD children. Further, autistic children showed larger baseline pupil response. CONCLUSIONS: Autistic children show attenuated sensitivity to social targets and atypical pupil responses, which may be due to the dysfunction of locus coeruleus (LC) - norepinephrine (NE) system.

Photoaged microplastics enhanced the antibiotic resistance dissemination in WWTPs by altering the adsorption behavior of antibiotic resistance plasmids.

Growing concerns have raised about the microplastic eco-coronas in the ultraviolet (UV) disinfection wastewater, which accelerated the pollution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the aquatic environment. As the hotspot of gene exchange, microplastics (MPs), especially for the UV-aged MPs, could alter the spread of ARGs in the eco-coronas and affect the resistance of the environment through adsorbing antibiotic resistant plasmids (ARPs). However, the relationship between the MP adsorption for ARPs and ARG spreading characteristics in MP eco-corona remain unclear. Herein, this study explored the distribution of ARGs in the MP eco-corona through in situ investigations of the discharged wastewater, and the adsorption behaviors of MPs for ARPs by in vitro adsorption experiments and in silico calculations. Results showed that the adsorption capacity of MPs for ARPs was enhanced by 42.7-48.0 % and the adsorption behavior changed from monolayer to multilayer adsorption after UV-aging. It was related to the increased surface roughness and oxygen-containing functional groups of MPs under UV treatment. Moreover, the abundance of ARGs in MP eco-corona of UV-treated wastewater was 1.33-1.55 folds higher than that without UV treatment, promoting the proliferation of drug resistance. DFT and DLVO theoretical calculations indicated that the MP-ARP interactions were dominated by electrostatic physical adsorption, endowing the aged MPs with low potential oxygen-containing groups to increase the electrostatic interaction with ARPs. Besides, due to the desorption of ARPs on MPs driven by the electrostatic repulsion, the bioavailability of ARGs in the MP eco-coronas was increased with pH and decreased with salinity after the wastewater discharge. Overall, this study advanced the understanding of the adsorption behavior of MPs for ARPs and provided inspirations for the evaluation of the resistance spread in the aquatic environment mediated by MP eco-coronas.

[Effects of Exogenous Plant Hormone Spraying on the Phytoremediation by Bidens pilosa L. in Cadmium-contaminated Soil].

To explore the effect of exogenous plant hormone spraying on the absorption of heavy metals by hyperaccumulated plants, Bidens pilosa L. was selected as the tested plant owing to the large biomass, short growth cycle, and high accumulation efficiency. Here, the effect of foliar spraying 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA), salicylic acid (SA), and 24-epi-brassinosteroid (24-EBR) on the remediation of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil by B. pilosa L. was examined. The results showed:① the efficiency of the remediation in Cd-contaminated soil by B. pilosa L. was effectively enhanced after the spraying of all three kinds of exogenous plant hormones with appropriate concentrations. The spraying of the three exogenous plant hormones could promote the cadmium concentration in the leaves of B. pilosa L. to increase by 4.21%, 31.79%, and 14.89%; promote the translocation factor (TF) to increase by 9.67%, 18.83%, and 17.85%; promote the phytoextraction rates (PR) to increase by 15.36%, 32.33%, and 64.38%, respectively. ② The growth of B. pilosa L. was significantly promoted after the spraying of the three kinds of exogenous plant hormones with appropriate concentrations. The spraying of the three exogenous plant hormones could promote plant growth under cadmium stress, and the dry weight of the plant root, stem, and leaf was increased by 37.53%, 74.50%, and 104.02%, respectively. ③ The photosynthesis of B. pilosa L. was significantly enhanced after the spraying of the three kinds of exogenous plant hormones with appropriate concentrations. The chlorophyll concentration of the plant was significantly increased after foliar spraying with plant hormones, and the concentration of chlorophyll a was increased by 79.31%, 92.27%, and 51.12%; the photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) was increased by 11.32%, 89.16%, and 78.43%; and the non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) was increased by 51.71%, 241.12%, and 27.85%, respectively, after foliar spraying with appropriate concentrations of 6-BA, SA, and 24-EBR. ④ The antioxidant capacity of B. pilosa L. was significantly strengthened after the spraying of the three kinds of exogenous plant hormones with appropriate concentrations. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of the plant was reduced by 62.41%, 68.67%, and 46.76% after the application of 6-BA, SA, and 24-EBR, respectively. Meanwhile, superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased by 68.33%, 10.28%, and 6.17%, and catalase (CAT) was increased by 31.43%, 37.87%, and 37.31%, respectively. Generally, the spraying of exogenous 6-BA, SA, and 24-EBR with the appropriate concentration under Cd stress could significantly increase the biomass of B. pilosa L. and promote the accumulation of heavy metals in the plant, improve the photosynthetic ability of the plant, reduce the oxidative damage of the plant under heavy metal stress, enhance the antioxidant capacity, and improve the absorption and tolerance of plants to Cd. It also could promote the transfer of Cd from roots to shoots, improve the phytoextraction rates of Cd from the plant, and effectively strengthen the phytoremediation efficiency. Among them, 30 mg·L-1 SA foliar spraying had the best effect.

Native T1 mapping for non-invasive quantitative evaluation of renal function and renal fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: To investigate the role of native T1 mapping in the non-invasive quantitative assessment of renal function and renal fibrosis (RF) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: A prospective analysis of 71 consecutive patients [no RF (0%): 9 cases; mild RF (<25%): 36 cases; moderate RF (25-50%): 17 cases; severe RF (>50%): 9 cases] who were clinically diagnosed with CKD that was pathologically confirmed and who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination between October 2021 and September 2022 was performed. T1-C (mean cortical T1 value), T1-M (mean medullary T1 value), ΔT1 (mean corticomedullary difference) and T1% (mean corticomedullary ratio) values were compared. Correlations between T1 parameters and clinical and histopathological values were analyzed. Regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of RF. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated to assess the diagnostic value of RF. Results: The T1-C, ΔT1 and T1% values (P<0.05) were significantly different in the CKD group, but T1-M was not (P>0.05). The ΔT1 and T1% values showed significant differences in pairwise comparisons among CKD subgroups (P<0.05) except for CKD 2 and 3. ΔT1 and T1% were moderately correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (ΔT1: rs=-0.561; T1%: r=-0.602), serum creatinine (ΔT1: rs=0.591; T1%: rs=0.563), blood urea nitrogen (ΔT1: rs=0.433; T1%: rs=0.435) and histopathological score (ΔT1: rs=0.630; T1%: rs=0.658). ΔT1 and T1%, but not T1-C, were independent predictors of RF (P<0.05). ΔT1 and T1% were set as -410.07 ms and 0.8222 with great specificity [ΔT1: 91.7% (77.5-98.2%); T1%: 97.2% (85.5-99.9%)] to identify mild RF and moderate-severe RF. The optimal cutoff values for differentiating severe RF from mild-moderate RF were -343.81 ms (ΔT1) and 0.8359 (T1%) with high sensitivity [both 100% (66.4-100%)] and specificity [ΔT1: 90.6% (79.3-96.9%); T1%: 94.3% (84.3-98.8%)]. Conclusions: ΔT1 and T1% overwhelm T1-C for assessment of renal function and RF in CKD patients. ΔT1 and T1% identify patients with <25% and >50% fibrosis, which can guide clinical decision-making and help to avoid biopsy-related bleeding.

Comparative study of the toxicity mechanisms of quinolone antibiotics on soybean seedlings: Insights from molecular docking and transcriptomic analysis.

The ecological effects of quinolone antibiotics (QNs) on non-target organisms have received widespread attention. The toxicological mechanisms of three common QNs, that is, enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, on soybean seedlings were investigated in this study. Enrofloxacin and levofloxacin caused significant growth inhibition, ultrastructural alterations, photosynthetic suppression, and stimulation of the antioxidant system, with levofloxacin exhibiting the strongest toxic effects. Ciprofloxacin (<1 mg·L-1) did not have a significant effect on the soybean seedlings. As the concentrations of enrofloxacin and levofloxacin increased, antioxidant enzyme activities, malondialdehyde content, and hydrogen peroxide levels also increased. Meanwhile, the chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters decreased, indicating that the plants underwent oxidative stress and photosynthesis was suppressed. The cellular ultrastructure was also disrupted, which was manifested by swollen chloroplasts, increased starch granules, disintegration of plastoglobules, and mitochondrial degradation. The molecular docking results suggested that the QNs have an affinity for soybean target protein receptors (4TOP, 2IUJ, and 1FHF), with levofloxacin having the highest binding energy (-4.97, -3.08, -3.8, respectively). Transcriptomic analysis has shown that genes were upregulated under the enrofloxacin and levofloxacin treatments were mainly involved in ribosome metabolism and processes to synthesize oxidative stress-related proteins. Downregulated genes in the levofloxacin treatment were primarily enriched in photosynthesis-related pathways, indicating that levofloxacin significantly inhibited gene expression for photosynthesis. Genes expression level by quantitative real-time PCR analysis was consistent with the transcriptomic results. This study confirmed the toxic effect of QNs on soybean seedlings, and provided new insights into the environmental risks of antibiotics.

Attention and Sentiment of the Chinese Public toward a 3D Greening System Based on Sina Weibo.

The rapid development of global urbanization over the years has led to a significant increase in the urban population, resulting in an imbalance in the urban green space structure. Transforming the urban 2D space green quantity into a 3D space green quantity to create 3D greenery systems (TGS) is a space resource that cannot be ignored in the process of urban green space expansion. This research gathered and analyzed Sina Weibo post information and user information related to TGS to investigate the changing trend of attention status and emotional orientation of the Chinese public on TGS. We employed web crawler technology and text mining to search and analyze the data on the Sina Weibo platform. This research aids policymakers and stakeholders in comprehending the general public's perspective on TGS and showing the transmission channel of public sentiment and the origins of negative sentiment. Results indicate that the public's attention to TGS has greatly increased since the shift in the government's idea of governance, although it still needs improvement. Despite TGS's good thermal insulation and air purification effects, 27.80% of the Chinese public has a negative attitude toward it. The public's negative sentiment of TGS housing is not solely due to pricing. The public is mainly concerned about the damage to the structure of buildings caused by TGS, the subsequent maintenance of plants, the increase in indoor mosquitoes, and lighting and humidity problems. This research helps decision makers understand the public opinion communication process via social media and provides corresponding solutions, which is of great significance for the future development of TGS.

Seven Years of Monitoring Susceptibility to Cry1Ab and Cry1F in Asian Corn Borer.

Resistance monitoring in the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, is necessary to accommodate the commercial introduction and stewardship of Bt maize in China. The susceptibility of 56 O. furnacalis field populations, collected between 2015 and 2021 from the corn belt regions of China, to Cry1Ab and Cry1F toxins was determined. Neonate larvae (within 12 h after hatching) were placed on the surface of semi-artificial agar-free diet incorporating a series of concentrations of purified toxins, and mortality was evaluated after 7d. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values of Cry1Ab and Cry1F were 0.05 to 0.37 µg/g (protein/diet) and 0.10 to 1.22 µg/g, respectively. Although interpopulation variation in susceptibility to the toxins was observed, the magnitude of the differences was 5.8-fold and 8.3-fold for Cry1Ab and Cry1F, respectively. These results suggested that the observed susceptibility differences reflect natural geographical variation in response and not variation caused by prior exposure to selection pressures. Therefore, the O. furnacalis populations were apparently still susceptible to Cry1Ab and Cry1F across their range within China. The monitoring data established here will serve as a comparative reference for early warning signs of field-evolved resistance after the cultivation of Bt maize in China.

Oxidative response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings to quinolone antibiotics and its correlation with phyllosphere microbes and antibiotic resistance genes.

With the increasing use of veterinary antibiotics, quinolone antibiotics may enter farmland systems after livestock manure has been composted. However, the phytotoxicity mechanism of antibiotics in crops is still unclear. In this study, the oxidative responses of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings to three typical quinolone antibiotics and their underlying mechanisms were investigated. The bioconcentration factor values were 1.47, 0.55, and 0.23 in the levofloxacin, enrofloxacin and norfloxacin treatment, respectively. The inhibitory effects on rice seedlings were in the order of levofloxacin > enrofloxacin > norfloxacin, which may be due to the high uptake of levofloxacin. The H2O2 level, MDA content, and ion leakage rate increased significantly (p < 0.05), and cell plasmolysis was observed, showing that antibiotics can cause membrane lipid peroxidation and damage the cell membrane structure. Antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase) changed with the antibiotic concentration. Integrated biomarker response analysis showed that levofloxacin caused the greatest oxidative stress in rice seedlings. Transcriptomic analysis identified 5880 differentially expressed genes, and these were annotated as 20 biological functions; the greatest abundances were cellular and metabolic processes, cell part, and membrane part and organelle; SOD and CAT related genes were up-regulated. The richness and diversity of the phyllosphere microbial community decreased significantly (p < 0.05) and the microbiome changed at the phylum and genus levels. The H2O2 level was correlated with changes in phyllosphere microbial communities. The number of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements decreased, while their abundance increased. In conclusion, enrofloxacin exposure not only affects the microbial community but may also affect the ARGs carried by microbes. The relative abundance of MGEs and ARGs was significantly positively correlated (R2 = 0.760, p = 0.0148), indicating that MGEs can significantly promote the spread of ARGs.

Solid-liquid interface adsorption of antibiotic resistance plasmids induced by nanoplastics aggravates gene pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have been identified as emerging pollutants in water environment; the interactions between antibiotic resistance plasmids (ARPs) and NPs will influence ARG transport in sediments. Herein, the adsorption experiments of a typical ARP onto polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) in river and lake sediments were conducted to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms and the effects of environmental factors. Results indicated that the adsorption amounts of PS-NPs increased with the dosages while decreased with the particle size of sediments. Multi-layer adsorption of PS-NPs was found to exist mainly in sand and silt sediments, whereas the filling adsorption dominated in the clay. Moreover, the adsorbed PS-NPs enhanced the physisorption of ARPs in sediments through stimulating the intraparticle diffusion of ARPs induced by electrostatic force. Besides, the adsorption amounts of ARPs onto the PS-NPs decreased with the increasing pH and dissolve organic matter due to the enhanced electrostatic repulsion and competitive adsorption. The ion strength played catalytic roles by increasing the electrostatic attraction and adsorption sites of ARPs on PS-NPs. The adsorbed ARPs in sediments were closely related with the ARGs in extra/intracellular DNA of biofilms, influencing the distribution and proliferation of ARGs largely. The findings indicate that ARG-associated pollution might be enhanced by the solid-liquid interface adsorption induced by NPs, which was controlled by pH, ion strength and dissolve organic matter. This study provides supplementary insights into the roles of NPs as carriers of ARP in sediments, and advances our understanding on the risks of NP-ARG co-occurring contamination in aquatic ecosystems.

Policy impact on microplastic reduction in China: Observation and prediction using statistical model in an intensive mariculture bay.

Plastic pollution in the environment has spurred debate among scientists, policymakers, and the general public over how industrialization and consumerism are wreaking havoc on our ecosystem, but some policies might assist to ameliorate the problem in the near future. In this study, the decision tree classifier and Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS) model was used to anticipate the possible sources of microplastics and their near future state in 26 surface sediment and a sediment core, respectively in Sansha Bay, which has been criticized for its intensive mariculture applications. An inventory of microplastics in the sediment core was estimated, and it was discovered that during the previous six decades, an average of 181.95 tons of microplastics were deposited, with an average deposition (by a layer of sediment) of 179.44 tons/cm. According to the DT classifier, mariculture was the primary source of microplastics, whereas urban and industrial areas were the primary sources of POPs. The Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS) model revealed a microplastic downward slope, indicating that regional and national strategies implemented might successfully reduce microplastic pollution regionally.

Organizational support and task performance: a multiple mediation model.

Objective: Organizational support has been identified as one of the causes for task performance, while previous studies have not adequately explored the underlying mechanisms. Thus, this study aims to reveal the potential mechanisms that linked organizational support to task performance. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among the 720 participants from 12 audit firms in Beijing in December 2020. Participants completed anonymous questionnaires assessing their organizational support, task performance, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS 26.0. Results: (1) Organizational support was positively associated with task performance, (2) job satisfaction and organizational commitment both mediated the relationship between organizational support and task performance respectively, and (3) the relationship between organizational support and task performance was also serially mediated by job satisfaction and then organizational commitment. Conclusion: Job satisfaction and organizational commitment played a serial multiple mediating role in the association between organizational support and task performance, which provides a potential path for improving task performance.

ROS as a key player in quinolone antibiotic stress on Arabidopsis thaliana: From the perspective of photosystem function, oxidative stress and phyllosphere microbiome.

With the increasing use of antibiotics, their ecological impacts have received widespread attention. However, research on the toxicity of quinolone antibiotics is still limited, especially regarding the oxidative stress and phyllosphere of plants. In this study, the toxic effects of enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, and levofloxacin on Arabidopsis thaliana and their underlying mechanisms were investigated. The toxicity of the three quinolone antibiotics decreased in the following order: enrofloxacin > norfloxacin > levofloxacin. Physiological cellular changes, such as plasmolysis and chloroplast swelling, were observed using electron microscopy. Photosynthetic efficiency was inhibited with a decline in the effective photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (Y(II)) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), indicating that quinolone antibiotics might reduce light energy conversion efficiency and excess light energy dissipation. Oxidative stress occurred in A. thaliana after quinolone antibiotic treatment, with an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. High ROS levels stimulated the over-expression of superoxide-responsive genes for self-protection. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that photosynthesis inhibition and cellular damage caused by oxidative stress were critical factors for growth inhibition, suggesting that the antioxidant response activated by ROS might be a potential mechanism. Furthermore, the diversity of the phyllospheric microbial communities decreased after enrofloxacin exposure. Additionally, specific microbes were preferentially recruited to the phyllosphere because of the higher ROS levels.

Tide-driven microplastics transport in an elongated semi-closed bay: A case study in Xiangshan Bay, China.

Coastal bays are important containers for plastic wastes before they enter the ocean. Based on field samples, this study presents the main characteristics of microplastics and uses a numerical model to study the distribution and movement of microplastics as they are driven by tidal flows in an extended semi-closed bay in Xiangshan Bay, China. The laboratory analyses of microplastic samples from 27 pollutant source samples collected in three batches provided fundamental data on microplastics. Our results show that the local microplastics are prevalent (mean abundance: 890.6 ± 419.4 particles/m3) in the water. A higher quantity of fibre- and fragment-type microplastics was identified and compared to other plastic types. The detected microplastics varied in colour and composition. The simulation suggests that the bay can trap microplastics inside it, with only 16.92 % discharged into the open ocean. A series of single-source numerical tests at nine typical observation sites were conducted to examine tide-driven microplastic transport. Our results suggest that the release location is crucial to microplastic distribution. Specifically, the microplastics tended to accumulate near the bay mouth and the Tie inlet; the microplastics released from the north shore generally evacuated the bay more easily; and the inner harbour tended to accumulate microplastics during spring tide, as opposed to the departure of microplastics at the outer bay, while the effect was reversed during neap tide. We further considered the deposit effect, which significantly reduces the discharging rate to 0.04 % with a settling velocity of 0.05 mm/s. These results may have great importance to decision-making, management, and control of microplastic pollution.

Development of a PET/CT molecular radiomics-clinical model to predict thoracic lymph node metastasis of invasive lung adenocarcinoma ≤ 3 cm in diameter.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the value of 18F-FDG PET/CT molecular radiomics combined with a clinical model in predicting thoracic lymph node metastasis (LNM) in invasive lung adenocarcinoma (≤ 3 cm). METHODS: A total of 528 lung adenocarcinoma patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Five models were developed for the prediction of thoracic LNM, including PET radiomics, CT radiomics, PET/CT radiomics, clinical and integrated PET/CT radiomics-clinical models. Ten PET/CT radiomics features and two clinical characteristics were selected for the construction of the integrated PET/CT radiomics-clinical model. The predictive performance of all models was examined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and clinical utility was validated by nomogram analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: According to ROC curve analysis, the integrated PET/CT molecular radiomics-clinical model outperformed the clinical model and the three other radiomics models, and the area under the curve (AUC) values of the integrated model were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97) in the training group and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89-0.97) in the test group. The nomogram analysis and DCA confirmed the clinical application value of this integrated model in predicting thoracic LNM. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated PET/CT molecular radiomics-clinical model proposed in this study can ensure a higher level of accuracy in predicting the thoracic LNM of clinical invasive lung adenocarcinoma (≤ 3 cm) compared with the radiomics model or clinical model alone.

Baseline Susceptibility and Resistance Allele Frequency in Ostrinia furnacalis in Relation to Cry1Ab Toxins in China.

Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) is a destructive pest of corn and major target of transgenic corn expressing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxins in China. It is necessary to establish the baseline susceptibility of geographically distinct ACB populations to Cry1Ab protein and estimate the resistance alleles frequency. The median lethal concentration (LC50) and LC95 values of Bt toxin Cry1Ab for 25 geographically distinct populations collected in 2018-2019 ranged from 0.86 to 71.33, 18.58 to 5752.34 ng/cm2, respectively. The median effective concentration (EC50) and EC95 values ranged from 0.03 to 10.40 ng/cm2 and 3.75 to 172.86 ng/cm2, respectively. We used the F2 screening method for estimating the expected frequency of resistance alleles of the 13 ACB populations, to Bt corn (Bt11 × GA21) expressing the Cry1Ab toxin. The neonates could not survive on the leaves of transgenic maize Bt11 × GA21 with cry1Ab gene, the Cry1Ab resistance allele frequency was still low in each geographic population in the field, ranging from 0.0032-0.0048, indicating that the sensitivity of ACB to Cry1Ab was still at a high level, and there were no viable resistant individuals in the field at present. The susceptibility of 25 populations of ACB collected in China showed regional differences, although the Cry1Ab resistance allele frequency in these ACB populations is still at a low level. This provides essential knowledge for making the decision to commercialize Bt maize, and monitoring resistance development and evaluating resistance management strategies in the future in China.

Legacy halogenated organic contaminants in urban-influenced waters using passive polyethylene samplers: Emerging evidence of anthropogenic land-use-based sources and ecological risks.

Legacy halogenated organic pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), remain ubiquitous in the environment and continue to pose potential (eco-)toxicological threats because of their ongoing releases from land-based sources. This study investigated the spatial trends of freely dissolved PCBs and OCPs by polyethylene passive samplers, and provided evidence of their land-use-based sources and ecological risk in an urbanized estuary area of Narragansett Bay. Dissolved Σ29PCB concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 1.37 ng L-1, and exhibited higher concentrations in the upper, more urban/built-up watershed, and in north coastal areas. Major inputs of PCBs were urban stormwater or treated wastewater that might carry past releases of Aroclors, pigment manufacturing byproducts, and volatilization-associated PCBs from ageing buildings from the Narragansett watershed to the bay. The dioxin toxicity equivalent values of Σ5PCBs were 8.6E-03 pg L-1 in water. Dissolved OCP concentrations had similar spatial trends to PCBs and were dominated by DDTs (average 230 pg L-1), followed by chlordanes (average 230 pg L-1), and HCB (average 22 pg L-1). Secondary sources of past usage and historic contamination were expected to re-enter the surface water via atmospheric transport and deposition. The risk quotients of DDE, DDD, DDT and α-Endosulfane showed medium to high ecological risks in the northern area, while chlordane, HCB, oxychlordane, and heptachlor epoxide showed low to negligible risks in all zones. This study presented new insights into the presence, sources and transport of legacy halogenated organic contaminants in an urban estuary's watershed by combining passive samplers and geographic information system (GIS) technology. The approach is promising and could be extended to get better understand of terrestrial pollutant mobilization into estuaries affected by anthropogenic activities.

Enrofloxacin perturbs nitrogen transformation and assimilation in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.).

The extensive use of antibiotics worldwide has led to phytotoxicity and high risks to humans. Although research on the physiological toxicity of antibiotics is extensive, its influence on plant nitrogen uptake and assimilation remains unclear. The effect of enrofloxacin on nitrogen transformation and assimilation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings was investigated in this study. Enrofloxacin had no significant effect on rice growth, nitrogen assimilation and metabolism at low concentration, while significant changes were observed in high concentration. The growth of rice seedlings was inhibited, nitrate uptake was enhanced and nitrogen content increased significantly in both shoots and roots in enrofloxacin (800 µg L-1) treatment. Furthermore, enrofloxacin promoted the activity of enzymes related to nitrogen assimilation, including nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase, and glutamate dehydrogenase. High enzyme activity resulted in an increase in intermediate products and protein content, suggesting that rice seedlings may detoxify enrofloxacin stress through amino acid binding and nitro-oxidative stress might be one of the reasons of phenotype change. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results revealed that different types of metabolites in both shoots and roots increased with enrofloxacin stress. Specifically, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; butanoate metabolism; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism in shoot; and tyrosine metabolism and citrate cycle in root were affected. Moreover, a significant correlation between nitrogen content, nitrogen assimilation enzyme activity, and metabolite content was observed. Collectively, these findings reveal the potential risks of using reclaimed wastewater irrigation and/or antibiotic-containing animal fertilizers on crops.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics disturb the defense system, gut microbiome, and antibiotic resistance genes of Enchytraeus crypticus.

Antibiotic residues from animal manure cause soil pollution and can pose a threat to soil animals. In this study, the toxicological effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics on Enchytraeus crypticus, including defence response, gut microbiome, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), were studied. The cytochrome P450 enzyme activity and reactive oxygen species levels increased, activating the defense response. The superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activity, and the expression of immune defense molecules such as coelomic cytolytic factor, lysozyme, bactericidal protein fetidins and lysenin changed. Furthermore, the diversity of the gut microbiome decreased, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased significantly at the phylum level but increased in pathogenic and antibiotic-secreting bacteria (Rhodococcus and Streptomyces) at the genus level. However, the soil microbiome was not significantly different from that of the control group. The relative abundance of ARGs in the gut and soil microbiome significantly increased with enrofloxacin concentration, and the fluoroquinolone ARGs were significantly increased in both the soil (20.85-fold, p < 0.001) and gut (11.72-fold, p < 0.001) microbiomes. Subtypes of ARGs showed a positive correlation with Rhodococcus, which might increase the risk of disease transmission and the probability of drug-resistant pathogens. Furthermore, mobile genetic elements significantly promote the spread of ARGs.