Psychometric soundness and predictive factors of the NCAST Parent-Child Interaction Teaching Scale in urban Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Quality of parent-child interaction in early childhood functions as a critical indicator of nurturing care and is strongly associated with short-term and long-term development (health, cognition, language, social emotion, well-being, etc.). NCAST PCI Teaching Scale (PCI-TS), a video-based assessment regarded as a gold standard to measure PCI, has been widely used worldwide. However, its psychometric soundness among the urban Chinese population is unclear. This study assesses the PCI-TS's reliability and validity and explores predictive factors among urban Chinese parent-child dyads. METHODS: PCI-TS was adopted to code mother-child interaction among urban Chinese dyads recruited during the children's regular health checks in local maternal and child health centres. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency (Cronbach'α coefficient) and test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation) with an average interval of 18 days. Score distribution of each subscale and total scale were compared with NCAST Database and Canadian community sample by single sample t-test. Criteria-related validity was conducted by Infant-Toddler Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (Pearson correlation). Predictive factors was performed by multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-nine eligible mother-child dyads were included for data analysis among the 466 recruited samples. Four qualified local paediatricians accomplished video coding with an average agreement of 86%. The PCI-TS has strong reliability among the Chinese population with the Cronbach'α coefficients of the Caregiver-Infant total score, Caregiver total and Infant total scores of 0.81, 0.81 and 0.74, respectively; an acceptable test-retest reliability (r = 0.73, p < 0.01); and moderate correlation with IT-HOME, ranging from 0.53 to 0.62. Child age, birth weight, maternal education, full-time housewife, living with grandparent(s) and living space were predictive factors on PCI-TS in the Chinese population. CONCLUSION: PCI-TS showed good psychometric properties for measuring mother-child interactions among urban Chinese dyads, offering clinicians and researchers a practical tool to evaluate PCI objectively. Child age, maternal education and living space were beneficial factors, while full-time mothers and living with grandparent(s) were risk factors.

Characterization of lamb shashliks with different roasting methods by intelligent sensory technologies and GC-MS to simulate human muti-sensation: Based on multimodal deep learning.

To simulate the functions of olfaction, gustation, vision, and oral touch, intelligent sensory technologies have been developed. Headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) with electronic noses (E-noses), electronic tongues (E-tongues), computer vision (CVs), and texture analyzers (TAs) was applied for sensory characterization of lamb shashliks (LSs) with various roasting methods. A total of 56 VOCs in lamb shashliks with five roasting methods were identified by HS-SPME/GC-MS, and 21 VOCs were identified as key compounds based on OAV (>1). Cross-channel sensory Transformer (CCST) was also proposed and used to predict 19 sensory attributes and their lamb shashlik scores with different roasting methods. The model achieved satisfactory results in the prediction set (R2 = 0.964). This study shows that a multimodal deep learning model can be used to simulate assessor, and it is feasible to guide and correct sensory evaluation.

Micro-algal astaxanthin ameliorates polystyrene microplastics-triggered necroptosis and inflammation by mediating mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis in carp's head kidney lymphocytes (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Polystyrene microplastics (PM) is a pressing global environmental concern, posing substantial risks to aquatic ecosystems. Microalgal astaxanthin (MA), a heme pigment, safeguards cells against oxidative damage induced by free radicals, which contributes to various health conditions, including aging, inflammation and chronic diseases. Herein, we investigated the potential of MA in ameliorating the immunotoxicity of PM on carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) based on head kidney lymphocytes treated with PM (250 µM) and/or MA (100 µM). Firstly, CCK8 results showed that PM resulted in excessive death of head kidney lymphocytes. Secondly, head kidney lymphocytes treated with PM had a higher proportion of necroptosis, and the levels of necroptosis-related genes in head kidney lymphocytes were increased. Thirdly, the relative red fluorescence intensity of JC-1 and MitoSox showed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased mtROS in head kidney lymphocytes treated with PM. MitoTracker® Green FM fluorescence analysis revealed enhanced mitochondrial Ca2+ levels in PM-treated lymphocytes, corroborating the association between PM exposure and elevated intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. PM exposure resulted in upregulation of calcium homeostasis-related gene (Orail, CAMKIIδ and SLC8A1) in lymphocytes. Subsequent investigations revealed that PM exposure reduced miR-25-5p expression while increasing levels of MCU, MICU1, and MCUR1. Notably, these effects were counteracted by treatment with MA. Furthermore, PM led to the elevated secretion of inflammatory factors (IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-2 and TNF-α), thereby inducing immune dysfunction in head kidney lymphocytes. Encouragingly, MA treatment effectively mitigated the immunotoxic effects induced by PM, demonstrating its potential in ameliorating necroptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and immune impairment via regulating the miR-25-5p/MCU axis in lymphocytes. This study sheds light on safeguarding farmed fish against agrobiological threats posed by PM, highlighting the valuable applications of MA in aquaculture.

Identifying the quality characteristics of pork floss structure based on deep learning framework.

Pork floss is a traditional Chinese food with a long history. Nowadays, pork floss is known to consumers as a leisure food. It is made from pork through a unique process in which the muscle fibers become flaky or granular and tangled. In this study, a deep learning-based approach is proposed to detect the quality characteristics of pork floss structure. Describe that the experiments were conducted using widely recognized brands of pork floss available in the grocery market, omitting the use of abbreviations. A total of 8000 images of eight commercially available pork flosses were collected and processed using sharpening, image gray coloring, real-time shading correction, and binarization. After the machine learning model learned the features of the pork floss, the images were labeled using a manual mask. The coupling of residual enhancement mask and region-based convolutional neural network (CRE-MRCNN) based deep learning framework was used to segment the images. The results showed that CRE-MRCNN could be used to identify the knot features and pore features of different brands of pork floss to evaluate their quality. The combined results of the models based on the sensory tests and machine vision showed that the pork floss from TC was the best, followed by YJJ, DD and HQ. This also shows the potential of machine vision to help people recognize the quality characteristics of pork floss structure.

Predicting VOCs content and roasting methods of lamb shashliks using deep learning combined with chemometrics and sensory evaluation.

A comparison was made between the traditional charcoal-grilled lamb shashliks (T) and four new methods, namely electric oven heating (D), electric grill heating (L), microwave heating (W), and air fryer treatment (K). Using E-nose, E-tongue, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), and HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS, lamb shashliks prepared using various roasting methods were characterized. Results showed that QDA, E-nose, and E-tongue could differentiate lamb shashliks with different roasting methods. A total of 43 and 79 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified by HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS, respectively. Unsaturated aldehydes, ketones, and esters were more prevalent in samples treated with the K and L method. As a comparison to the RF, SVM, 5-layer DNN and XGBoost models, the CNN-SVM model performed best in predicting the VOC content of lamb shashliks (accuracy rate all over 0.95) and identifying various roasting methods (accuracy rate all over 0.92).

Insight into the improved photocatalytic removal of tetracycline hydrochloride by constructing cobalt doping in 2D/2D (BiO)2CO3/BiOCl type-II heterojunctions.

Element doping coupled with heterojunction construction and morphology control is an efficient way to improve the properties of photocatalytic materials. Here, a thiourea-modified 2D/2D cobalt-doped (BiO)2CO3/BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst (denoted as Co-(BC/BL)Tu) was constructed by a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic property of Co-(BC/BL)Tu product was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl). Compared with the pure (BiO)2CO3 sample, the as-prepared Co-(BC/BL)Tu product displayed outstanding visible-light-driven photodegradation property. The photodegradation rate constant k value of the Co-(BC/BL)Tu product was 5.2 times higher than that of pure (BiO)2CO3, which was the result of the synergistic effect of the 2D/2D structure, cobalt doping and type-Ⅱ heterostructures. It could simultaneously boost the visible light harvesting of the photocatalytic system as well as charge separation. This study provides a facile and promising strategy for constructing a high-effective photocatalytic system by combining morphology control engineering, doping engineering, and heterostructure engineering.

Tobacco leaf tissue rapidly detoxifies direct salt loads without activation of calcium and SOS signaling.

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress, responsible for declining agricultural productivity. Roots are regarded as hubs for salt detoxification, however, leaf salt concentrations may exceed those of roots. How mature leaves manage acute sodium chloride (NaCl) stress is mostly unknown. To analyze the mechanisms for NaCl redistribution in leaves, salt was infiltrated into intact tobacco leaves. It initiated pronounced osmotically-driven leaf movements. Leaf downward movement caused by hydro-passive turgor loss reached a maximum within 2 h. Salt-driven cellular water release was accompanied by a transient change in membrane depolarization but not an increase in cytosolic calcium ion (Ca2+ ) level. Nonetheless, only half an hour later, the leaves had completely regained turgor. This recovery phase was characterized by an increase in mesophyll cell plasma membrane hydrogen ion (H+ ) pumping, a salt uptake-dependent cytosolic alkalization, and a return of the apoplast osmolality to pre-stress levels. Although, transcript numbers of abscisic acid- and Salt Overly Sensitive pathway elements remained unchanged, salt adaptation depended on the vacuolar H+ /Na+ -exchanger NHX1. Altogether, tobacco leaves can detoxify sodium ions (Na+ ) rapidly even under massive salt loads, based on pre-established posttranslational settings and NHX1 cation/H+ antiport activity. Unlike roots, signaling and processing of salt stress in tobacco leaves does not depend on Ca2+ signaling.

Development of a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Ballot and Machine Learning for Generation Z Consumers for Innovative Traditional Food.

Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers account for an increasing proportion of the food market. The aim of this study took lamb shashliks as an example and developed novel products from the perspective of cooking methods in order to develop a traditional food suitable for Gen Z consumers. The sensory characterization of electric heating air (EH), microwave heating (MH), air frying (AF), and control (traditional burning charcoal (BC) of lamb shashliks) was performed using the CATA methodology with 120 Gen Z consumers as assessors. A 9-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate Gen Z consumers' preferences for the cooking method, as well as a CATA ballot with 46 attributes which described the sensory characteristics of lamb shashliks. The machine learning algorithms were used to identify consumer preferences for different cooking methods of lamb shashliks as a function of sensory attributes and assessed the relationship between products and attributes present in the perceptual map for the degree of association. Meanwhile, sensory attributes as important variables play a relatively more important role in each cooking method. The most important variables for sensory attributes of lamb shashliks using BC are char-grilled aroma and smoky flavor. Similarly, the most important variables for AF samples are butter aroma, intensity aroma, and intensity aftertaste, the most important variables for EH samples are dry texture and hard texture, and the most important variables for MH samples are light color regarding external appearance and lumpy on chewing texture. The interviews were conducted with Gen Z consumers to investigate why they prefer innovative products-AF. Grounded theory and the social network analysis (SNA) method were utilized to explore why consumers chose AF, demonstrating that Gen Z consumers who had previously tasted AF lamb shashliks could easily perceive the buttery aroma. This study provides a theoretical and practical basis for developing lamb shashliks tailored to Gen Z consumers.

Hyperfibrinolysis secondary to acquired factor XIII deficiency A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperfibrinolysis induced by factor XIII deficiency (FXIIID) is extremely rare, and patients with no manifestations of active bleeding can easily and frequently be neglected in clinical practice, leading to a missed diagnosis. Herein, we report a rare case of idiopathic FXIIID with secondary hyperfibrinolysis. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 69-year-old man presented with ecchymosis of the right arm and chest wall. DIAGNOSIS: Considering the clinical picture, coagulation function test results, and FXIII activity, the patient was finally diagnosed with hyperfibrinolysis secondary to acquired factor XIII deficiency. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with fresh frozen plasma, aminomethylbenzoic acid, a prothrombin complex, etamsylate, dexamethasone, and cryoprecipitate. OUTCOMES: The patient improved and was discharged after factor replacement therapy, and no further bleeding was reported 1 month after discharge. CONCLUSION: This case report illustrates that the complications of Factor XIII deficiency may include hyperfibrinolysis. Since timely diagnosis of FXIIID is challenging, detailed coagulation factor examinations are needed for definitive diagnosis. It has been suggested that gene testing and antibody testing can help in diagnosis. If ideal treatment is not available, alternative treatment should be provided to reduce bleeding.

Optogenetic control of the guard cell membrane potential and stomatal movement by the light-gated anion channel GtACR1.

Guard cells control the aperture of plant stomata, which are crucial for global fluxes of CO2 and water. In turn, guard cell anion channels are seen as key players for stomatal closure, but is activation of these channels sufficient to limit plant water loss? To answer this open question, we used an optogenetic approach based on the light-gated anion channelrhodopsin 1 (GtACR1). In tobacco guard cells that express GtACR1, blue- and green-light pulses elicit Cl- and NO3 - currents of -1 to -2 nA. The anion currents depolarize the plasma membrane by 60 to 80 mV, which causes opening of voltage-gated K+ channels and the extrusion of K+ As a result, continuous stimulation with green light leads to loss of guard cell turgor and closure of stomata at conditions that provoke stomatal opening in wild type. GtACR1 optogenetics thus provides unequivocal evidence that opening of anion channels is sufficient to close stomata.

Extending the Anion Channelrhodopsin-Based Toolbox for Plant Optogenetics.

Optogenetics was developed in the field of neuroscience and is most commonly using light-sensitive rhodopsins to control the neural activities. Lately, we have expanded this technique into plant science by co-expression of a chloroplast-targeted ß-carotene dioxygenase and an improved anion channelrhodopsin GtACR1 from the green alga Guillardia theta. The growth of Nicotiana tabacum pollen tube can then be manipulated by localized green light illumination. To extend the application of analogous optogenetic tools in the pollen tube system, we engineered another two ACRs, GtACR2, and ZipACR, which have different action spectra, light sensitivity and kinetic features, and characterized them in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and N. tabacum pollen tubes. We found that the similar molecular engineering method used to improve GtACR1 also enhanced GtACR2 and ZipACR performance in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The ZipACR1 performed in N. benthamiana mesophyll cells and N. tabacum pollen tubes with faster kinetics and reduced light sensitivity, allowing for optogenetic control of anion fluxes with better temporal resolution. The reduced light sensitivity would potentially facilitate future application in plants, grown under low ambient white light, combined with an optogenetic manipulation triggered by stronger green light.

Intermediate dose cytarabine improves survival and relapse-free rate compared with standard-dose cytarabine as post-remission treatment for acute myeloid leukemia: A retrospection study.

ABSTRACT: The exact dose of cytarabine still remain controversial for the management of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after complete remission (CR), but recent studies favor lower doses. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of single-intermediate dose (ID) cytarabine in patients with AML after achieving CR, compared with standard-dose cytarabine.In this retrospective study, AML patients who achieved CR after consolidation therapy before enrollment between 07/2008 and 05/2019 were included. All patients were divided into single-ID cytarabine and standard-dose cytarabine. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare overall survival (OS) and relapse-free time (RFS). Cox regression models were used to assess factors independently associated with OS and RFS. The toxic side effects of hematology and non-hematology were observed.52 patients were enrolled. There were 33 in ID group, 19 in Standard dose group. The 3-year RFS rate (40.4% vs 22.2%, P = .031) was better in the ID group than in the standard-dose group, while the 3-year OS rate was not different between the 2 groups (50.2% vs 27.8%, P = .074). Treatment stratage of ID cytarabine chemotherapy significantly improve the prognosis of AML regardless of patient age, risk grade, WBC count. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in grade 3 to 4 bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal symptoms, blood transfusion, infections.Patients with AML receiving ID cytarabine showed better survival and similar toxicity profiles compared with patients who received standard-dose cytarabine.

Optogenetic control of plant growth by a microbial rhodopsin.

While rhodopsin-based optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience1,2, poor expression of opsins and the absence of the essential cofactor all-trans-retinal has complicated the application of rhodopsins in plants. Here, we demonstrate retinal production in plants and improved rhodopsin targeting for green light manipulation of plant cells using the Guillardia theta light-gated anion channelrhodopsin GtACR13. Green light induces a massive increase in anion permeability and pronounced membrane potential changes when GtACR1 is expressed, enabling non-invasive manipulation of plant growth and leaf development. Using light-driven anion loss, we could mimic drought conditions and bring about leaf wilting despite sufficient water supply. Expressed in pollen tubes, global GtACR1 activation triggers membrane potential depolarizations due to large anion currents. While global illumination was associated with a reversible growth arrest, local GtACR1 activation at the flanks of the apical dome steers growth direction away from the side with increased anion conductance. These results suggest a crucial role of anion permeability for the guidance of pollen tube tip growth. This plant optogenetic approach could be expanded to create an entire pallet of rhodopsin-based tools4, greatly facilitating dissection of plant ion-signalling pathways.

Advances and prospects of rhodopsin-based optogenetics in plant research.

Microbial rhodopsins have advanced optogenetics since the discovery of channelrhodopsins almost two decades ago. During this time an abundance of microbial rhodopsins has been discovered, engineered, and improved for studies in neuroscience and other animal research fields. Optogenetic applications in plant research, however, lagged largely behind. Starting with light-regulated gene expression, optogenetics has slowly expanded into plant research. The recently established all-trans retinal production in plants now enables the use of many microbial opsins, bringing extra opportunities to plant research. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of rhodopsin-based plant optogenetics and provide a perspective for future use, combined with fluorescent sensors to monitor physiological parameters.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals somatic embryogenesis-associated signaling pathways and gene expression regulation in maize (Zea mays L.).

KEY MESSAGE: Transcriptome analysis of maize embryogenic callus and somatic embryos reveals associated genes reprogramming, hormone signaling pathways and transcriptional regulation involved in somatic embryogenesis in maize. Somatic embryos are widely utilized in propagation and genetic engineering of crop plants. In our laboratory, an elite maize inbred line Y423 that could generate intact somatic embryos was obtained and applied to genetic transformation. To enhance our understanding of regulatory mechanisms during maize somatic embryogenesis, we used RNA-based sequencing (RNA-seq) to characterize the transcriptome of immature embryo (IE), embryogenic callus (EC) and somatic embryo (SE) from maize inbred line Y423. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in three pairwise comparisons (IE-vs-EC, IE-vs-SE and EC-vs-SE) was 5767, 7084 and 1065, respectively. The expression patterns of DEGs were separated into eight major clusters. Somatic embryogenesis associated genes were mainly grouped into cluster A or B with an expression trend toward up-regulation during dedifferentiation. GO annotation and KEGG pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were implicated in plant hormone signal transduction, stress response and metabolic process. Among the differentially expressed transcription factors, the most frequently represented families were associated with the common stress response or related to cell differentiation, embryogenic patterning and embryonic maturation processes. Genes include hormone response/transduction and stress response, as well as several transcription factors were discussed in this study, which may be potential candidates for further analyses regarding their roles in somatic embryogenesis. Furthermore, the temporal expression patterns of candidate genes were analyzed to reveal their roles in somatic embryogenesis. This transcriptomic data provide insights into future functional studies, which will facilitate further dissections of the molecular mechanisms that control maize somatic embryogenesis.

Histological and transcript analyses of intact somatic embryos in an elite maize (Zea mays L.) inbred line Y423.

Intact somatic embryos were obtained from an elite maize inbred line Y423, bred in our laboratory. Using 13-day immature embryos after self-pollination as explants, and after 4-5 times subculture, a large number of somatic embryos were detected on the surface of the embryonic calli on the medium. The intact somatic embryos were transferred into the differential medium, where the plantlets regenerated with shoots and roots forming simultaneously. Histological analysis and scanning electron micrographs confirmed the different developmental stages of somatic embryogenesis, including globular-shaped embryo, pear-shaped embryo, scutiform embryo, and mature embryo. cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) was used for comparative transcript profiling between embryogenic and non-embryogenic calli of a new elite maize inbred line Y423 during somatic embryogenesis. Differentially expressed genes were cloned and sequenced. Gene Ontology analysis of 117 candidate genes indicated their involvement in cellular component, biological process and molecular function. Nine of the candidate genes were selected. The changes in their expression levels during embryo induction and regeneration were analyzed in detail using quantitative real-time PCR. Two full-length cDNA sequences, encoding ZmSUF4 (suppressor of fir 4-like protein) and ZmDRP3A (dynamin-related protein), were cloned successfully from intact somatic embryos of the elite inbred maize line Y423. Here, a procedure for maize plant regeneration from somatic embryos is described. Additionally, the possible roles of some of these genes during the somatic embryogenesis has been discussed. This study is a systematic analysis of the cellular and molecular mechanism during the formation of intact somatic embryos in maize.