Genetic Variability and Evolutionary Dynamics of Papaya Ringspot Virus and Papaya Leaf Distortion Mosaic Virus Infecting Feral Papaya in Hainan Island.

The commercialized genetically modified (GM) papaya cultivars have protected papaya from the devastating disease caused by papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). However, papaya leaf distortion mosaic virus (PLDMV), which causes similar infection symptoms but is serologically distinct from PRSV, was found as a competitive threat to the papaya industry. Our study surveyed the occurrence of PRSV and PLDMV as well as the transgenic markers of the 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S) and the neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) gene in feral papaya plants, which were found frequently growing outside of cultivated papaya fields on Hainan Island. In total, 123 feral papayas, comprising 62 (50.4%) GM plants and 61 (49.6%) non-GM ones, were sampled. Among them, 23 (18.7%) were positive for PRSV, 49 (39.8%) were positive for PLDMV, including 5 plants co-infected by PRSV and PLDMV, and 56 (45.5%) plants were free of either virus. In traditional papaya growing regions, we detected fewer PRSV-infected plants (2 in 33, 6%) than in other regions (21 in 90, 23%). But overall, whether transgenic or not made no significance in PRSV incidence (P=0.230), with 9 PRSV-infected plants among 62 GM papayas and 14 among 61 non-GM papayas. Phylogenetic and genetic differentiation analysis showed a clear correlation between PRSV and PLDMV populations and their geographical origins. Negative selection was estimated for the selected gene regions of both viruses. Notably, PLDMV has deviated from neutral evolution and experienced population expansion, exhibiting increased genetic diversity and is becoming the predominant threat to papaya in Hainan.

Accurately identifying positive and negative regulation of apoptosis using fusion features and machine learning methods.

Apoptotic proteins play a crucial role in the apoptosis process, ensuring a balance between cell proliferation and death. Thus, further elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of apoptosis will enhance our understanding of their functions. However, the development of computational methods to accurately identify positive and negative regulation of apoptosis remains a significant challenge. This work proposes a machine learning model based on multi-feature fusion to effectively identify the roles of positive and negative regulation of apoptosis. Initially, we constructed a reliable benchmark dataset containing 200 positive regulation of apoptosis and 241 negative regulation of apoptosis proteins. Subsequently, we developed a classifier that combines the support vector machine (SVM) with pseudo composition of k-spaced amino acid pairs (PseCKSAAP), composition transition distribution (CTD), dipeptide deviation from expected mean (DDE), and PSSM-composition to identify these proteins. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to select optimized features that could yield the maximum prediction performance. Evaluating the proposed model on independent data revealed and achieved an accuracy of 0.781 with an AUROC of 0.837, demonstrating our model's potent capabilities.

Double-network polyphenol chitosan hydrogels with instant aldehyde-ß-cyclodextrin-based structure as potential for treating bacterially infected wounds.

Treatment of multiple bacterial infected wounds by eliminating bacteria and promoting tissue regeneration remains a clinical challenge. Herein, dual-network hydrogels (CS-GA/A-ß-CD) with snap-structure were designed to achieve curcumin immobilization, using gallic acid-grafted chitosan (CS-GA) and aldehyde-ß-cyclodextrin (A-ß-CD) crosslinked. A-ß-CD were able to achieve rapid dissolution (≥222.35 mg/mL H2O), and helped CS-GA/A-ß-CD achieve rapid gelation (≤66.23 s). By adjusting the ratio of aldehyde groups of A-ß-CD, mechanical properties and drug release can be controlled. CS-GA/A-ß-CD/Cur exhibited excellent antimicrobial properties against S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. In vivo experiments demonstrated that CS-GA/A-ß-CD/Cur achieved acute bacterial infection wound healing after 20th days, proving its great potential for wound dressing.

Tandem mass tag-based proteomics reveals the antiepileptic mechanism of steroidal saponins from Anemarrhena asphodeloides in Kainic acid induced epileptic rat model.

Epilepsy (EP) is one of the most common neurological diseases in the world. Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge. (AA), as a typical heat-cleaning medicine, has been proven to possess the antiepileptic effect in clinical and experimental studies. Anemarrhena asphodeloides steroidal saponins (AAS) are main components. However, the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of AAS against EP are not been fully elucidated. In this study, 63 steroidal saponins were discovered in AAS by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis. Pharmacological and behavioral analysis demonstrated that AAS could significantly lower the Racine classification and reduce the frequency of generalized spike rhythm the rate of tetanic seizures in kainic acid-induced epileptic rats. Hematoxylin and eosin and Nissl staining-indicated AAS could significantly improve hippocampal injury and neuron loss in epileptic rats. TMT proteomic analysis discovered 26 different expressed proteins (DEPs), which were identified as the rescue proteins. After bioinformatic analysis, Heat Shock Protein 90 Alpha Family Class B Member 1 (Hsp90ab1) and Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase (Ywhab) were screened as key DEPs and verified by western blotting. AAS could significantly inhibited the up-regulation of Hsp90ab1 and Ywhab in EP rats; these two proteins might be the key targets of AAS in treating EP.

Alterations of resting-state network dynamics in Alzheimer's disease based on leading eigenvector dynamics analysis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia. Early detection of MCI can help slow down the progression of AD. At present, there are few studies exploring the characteristics of abnormal dynamic brain activity in AD. This article uses a method called leading eigenvector dynamics analysis (LEiDA) to study resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data of AD, MCI, and cognitively normal (CN) participants. By identifying repetitive states of phase coherence, intergroup differences in brain dynamic activity indicators are examined, and the neurobehavioral scales were used to assess the relationship between abnormal dynamic activities and cognitive function. The results showed that in the indicators of occurrence probability and lifetime, the globally synchronized state of the patient group decreased. The activity state of the limbic regions significantly detected the difference between AD and the other two groups. Compared to CN, AD and MCI have varying degrees of increase in default and visual region activity states. In addition, in the analysis related to the cognitive scales, it was found that individuals with poorer cognitive abilities were less active in the globally synchronized state and more active in limbic region activity state and visual region activity state. Taken together, these findings reveal abnormal dynamic activity of resting-state networks in patients with AD and MCI, provide new insights into the dynamic analysis of brain networks, and contribute to a deeper understanding of abnormal spatial dynamic patterns in AD patients.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, but few studies have explored the characteristics of abnormal dynamic brain activity in AD patients. Here, our report reveals the abnormal dynamic activity of the patients' resting-state network, providing new insights into the dynamic analysis of brain networks and helping to gain a deeper understanding of the abnormal spatial dynamic patterns in AD patients.

Intraspecific Differentiation of Styrax japonicus (Styracaceae) as Revealed by Comparative Chloroplast and Evolutionary Analyses.

Styrax japonicus is a medicinal and ornamental shrub belonging to the Styracaceae family. To explore the diversity and characteristics of the chloroplast genome of S. japonicus, we conducted sequencing and comparison of the chloroplast genomes of four naturally distributed S. japonicus. The results demonstrated that the four chloroplast genomes (157,914-157,962 bp) exhibited a typical quadripartite structure consisting of a large single copy (LSC) region, a small single copy (SSC) region, and a pair of reverse repeats (IRa and IRb), and the structure was highly conserved. DNA polymorphism analysis revealed that three coding genes (infA, psbK, and rpl33) and five intergene regions (petA-psbJ, trnC-petN, trnD-trnY, trnE-trnT, and trnY-trnE) were identified as mutation hotspots. These genetic fragments have the potential to be utilized as DNA barcodes for future identification purposes. When comparing the boundary genes, a small contraction was observed in the IR region of four S. japonicus. Selection pressure analysis indicated positive selection for ycf1 and ndhD. These findings collectively suggest the adaptive evolution of S. japonicus. The phylogenetic structure revealed conflicting relationships among several S. japonicus, indicating divergent evolutionary paths within this species. Our study concludes by uncovering the genetic traits of the chloroplast genome in the differentiation of S. japonicus variety, offering fresh perspectives on the evolutionary lineage of this species.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Angelica dahurica and its implications on evolutionary analysis of complex mitochondrial genome architecture in Apiaceae.

Angelica dahurica is a kind of Chinese traditional herbs with economic and ornament value, widely distributed in China. Despite its significance, there have been limited comprehensive investigations on the genome of A. dahurica, particularly regarding mitochondrial genomes. To investigate the conversion between mitochondrial genome and chloroplast genome, a complete and circular mitochondrial genome was assembled using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long reads. The mitochondrial genome of A. dahurica had a length of 228,315 base pairs (bp) with 45.06% GC content. The mitochondrial genome encodes 56 genes, including 34 protein-coding genes, 19 tRNA genes and 3 rRNA genes. Moreover, we discovered that 9 homologous large fragments between chloroplast genome and mitochondrial genome based on sequence similarity. This is the first report for A. dahurica mitochondrial genome, which could provide an insight for communication between plastid genome, and also give a reference genome for medicinal plants within the Angelica family.

Organic polymer/inorganic heterostructure coupled with efficient allosteric bicycle strand displacement for photochemical sensing.

In this work, a high-performance conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) decorated with BiOBr (Tr(PhXOD)3-CMP/BiOBr) is synthesized to application in construction of ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor for sensing miRNA-122, by firstly coupling with efficient clip toehold-mediated allosteric bicycle strand displacement (ABSD). Notably, the Tr(PhXOD)3-CMP/BiOBr not only owns self-enhanced D-A-D structure that extremely shortens migration distance of photo-generated electron, but also forms Z-type heterostructure for accelerating electron-hole separation, thereby significantly enhancing the photocurrent with 10-fold higher than commonly used methods. Meanwhile, the clip toehold-mediated ABSD based on ternary linkage structure transformation avoids the attrition of invading strand, endowing the conservation of high concentration for undergoing rapid reaction with high-efficiency DNA amplification, which dramatically improves reaction time and superior target conversion. The experimental results indicate that proposed PEC biosensor had a high sensitivity to miRNA-122 with a detection limit of 0.49 fM, which provides a newly organic/inorganic photosensitive nanomaterials and efficient DNA strand displacement in bioanalytical and early clinical disease diagnosis.

A new triterpenoid saponin and a new natural saponin from the roots of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium willd.

Sixteen triterpenoid saponins were isolated from the roots of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd., including a new triterpenoid saponin and new natural saponin that was characterised by NMR for the first time, along with 14 known triterpenoid saponins. The structures of the compounds were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, HR-ESI-MS, and comparison with the literature. The cytotoxic activity of the compounds against 4T1 cells was determined using the CCK8 method. Compounds 9 and 6 showed the strongest cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 2.75 ± 0.86 and 3.78 ± 0.50 µM, respectively. Compounds 2-5 and 8 showed potent cytotoxic activity. Compounds 14 and 16 showed moderate cytotoxicity.

Chemical Constituents of the Fruits of Cornus Officinalis and Evaluation of their Neuroprotective Activity.

The phytochemical investigation of the fruits of Cornus officinalis yielded a new phenolic acid derivative, neophenolic acid A (1), and a novel flavonoid glycoside, (2R)-naringenin-7-O-ß-(6''-galloyl-glucopyranoside) (2 a), along with six known flavonoid glycosides (2 b-7). Their structures were determined by 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by ECD analysis. Compounds 1- 7 were evaluated for their neuroprotective activities against corticosterone (CORT)-induced injury in PC-12 cells. Compounds 1, 2 a, 2 b, 5, and 6 exhibited neuroprotective activities against CORT-induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells. The underlying mechanism study suggested that compounds 1, 2 a, 2 b, 5, and 6 were able to attenuate CORT-induced apoptosis and damage, increase the levels of MMP and decrease Ca2+ inward flow in PC-12 cells.

[Dynamic Changes of Dissolved Organic Matter Derived from Algal Decomposition and the Environmental Effects in Eutrophic Lakes].

The global occurrences of lake eutrophication have led to algal bloom and the subsequent algal decomposition, releasing high amounts of algae-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) into the lake water. Algae-derived DOM could regulate the quantity and composition of DOM in lake water and further impact the biogeochemical cycles of multiple elements. In this study, the dynamic changes in the quantity and quality of DOM during algal decomposition under different eutrophic scenarios (e.g., from oligotrophication to severe eutrophication) were monitored, and the corresponding environmental effects (e.g., microbial responses and greenhouse gas emissions) caused by algal decomposition were further explored. The results showed that algal decomposition significantly increased the DOM levels, bioavailability, and intensities of fluorescent components in the water. The total DOM levels gradually decreased, whereas the average molecular weight increased along the decomposition process. Furthermore, unsaturated hydrocarbon and aliphatic compounds were preferentially utilized by microorganisms during algal decomposition, and some refractory molecules (e.g., lignin, condensed hydrocarbons, and tannin with high O/C values) were synchronously generated, as evidenced by the results from ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry. The dominant bacterial species during algal decomposition shifted from Proteobacteria (46%) to Bacteroidetes (42%). In addition, algae addition resulted in 1.2-5 times the emissions of CO2 and CH4 from water, and the emission rates could be well predicted by the optical index of a254 in water. This study provides comprehensive perspectives for understanding the environmental behaviors of aquatic DOM and further paves the ways for the mitigation of lake eutrophication.

Protective effect of phenylpropionamides in the seed of Cannabis Sativa L. on Parkinson's disease through autophagy.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. As one of the major degradation pathways, autophagy plays a pivotal role in maintaining the effective turnover of proteins and damaged organelles in cells. Lewy bodies composed of α-synuclein (α-syn) abnormally aggregated in the substantia nigra are important pathological features of PD, and autophagy dysfunction is considered to be an important factor leading to abnormal aggregation of α-syn. Phenylpropionamides (PHS) in the seed of Cannabis sativa L. have a protective effect on neuroinflammation and antioxidant activity. However, the therapeutic role of PHS in PD is unclear. In this study, the seeds of Cannabis sativa L. were extracted under reflux with 60% EtOH-H2O, and the 60% EtOH-H2O elution fraction was identified as PHS with the UPLC-QTOF-MS. The 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-pyridine (MPTP)-induced PD model in C57BL/6 J mice was used for behavioral and pharmacodynamic experiments. Behavioral symptoms were improved, Nissl-stained and TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra were significantly increased in PHS-treated MPTP-induced PD model mice. Compared with the model group, PHS treatment reduced the expression level of α-syn, and the expression of TH increased significantly by western blotting, compared with the model group, the PHS group suppressed Caspase 3 and Bax expression and promoted Bcl-2 expression and levels of p62 decreased significantly, the ratio of LC3-II/I and p-mTOR/mTOR in the PHS group had a downward trend, suggesting that the therapeutic effect of PHS on MPTP-induced PD model mice may be triggered by the regulation of autophagy.

Seven new triterpenoids from the roots of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thub.) Fisch.

Seven new triterpenoids, named Adeterpenoids A-G (1-7) and eight known compounds (8-15), were isolated from 70% ethanol extract of the roots of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thub.) Fisch. The compounds from it were separated by column chromatography techniques such as silica gel, ODS, and preparative liquid chromatography. Their structures were clarified based on extensive spectral analysis (1D, 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR, UV, and CD) and comparison with the literature. At the same time, all compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against the LN229 (human glioma cell line). The results showed that compounds 2, 5, 6, 13, and 14 had a significant inhibitory effect on LN229 cells.

Steep Posterior Tibial Slope and Excessive Anterior Tibial Translation Are Associated With Increased Sagittal Meniscal Extrusion After Posterior Lateral Meniscus Root Repair Combined With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose: To (1) evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with type II posterior lateral meniscus root tear (PLMRT) repair and (2) identify whether increased anterior tibial subluxation of the lateral compartment (ATSLC) and steeper posterior tibial slope (PTS) are associated with sagittal lateral meniscal extrusion (LME). Methods: Patients who underwent primary anatomic ACLR with concomitant type II PLMRTs using the all-inside side-to-side repair technique between November 2014 and September 2020 were identified. To be included, patients must have had a minimum of 2 years follow-up. All patients, including those with ATSLC and PTS and sagittal and coronal LME, were retrospectively reviewed clinically and radiologically. The patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to the occurrence of sagittal LME. Results: Forty patients were included in this study with a mean follow-up of 44 months (range, 24-94 months). In general, the postoperative parameters, including grade of pivot shift, side-to-side difference, ATSLC, Lysholm score, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, were significantly improved compared with the preoperative ones. However, postoperative sagittal LME was detected to be significantly larger than the preoperative one. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) analysis for postoperative outcomes showed that the rate of patients who achieved MCID thresholds was 100% for Lysholm, 95% for IKDC, 42.50% for coronal LME, 62.50% for sagittal LME, 40% for ATSLC, and 100% for side-to-side difference. Further comparisons, where patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to the occurrence of sagittal LME, showed significant differences in PTS, ATSLC, and coronal LME. Conclusions: Clinical outcomes after type II PLMRT repair with primary ACLR were significantly improved, except for LME, at the 2-year postoperative follow-up. After repair of type II PLMRT injuries, the presence of sagittal LME was associated with increased PTS and ATSLC. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Five new sesquiterpenoids isolated from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz.

Five new sesquiterpenoids, dictamtrinorguaianols E and F (1-2), and dictameudesmnosides F, G, and H (3-5), along with seven known sesquiterpenoids (6-12) were isolated from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz. The structures of all new compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and 1D and 2D NMR. The In-vitro anti-proliferative activities of all the compounds against two human cancer cell lines (SW982 and A549) were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Compounds 1 and 4 showed medium anti-proliferative activity against SW982 cells, with IC50 values of 3.49 ± 0.10 and 6.42 ± 1.23 µM, respectively. Additionally, compounds 2, 7, and 8 exhibited medium anti-proliferative activity against A549 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.80 ± 0.05 to 6.60 ± 0.46 µM.

Two new alkaloids isolated from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz.

Two new quinoline alkaloids (1-2) together with twenty-two known alkaloids (3-24) were isolated and identified from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz. Compounds 6-7, 9, 11, 15-16, 19 and 24 were isolated from D. dasycarpus for the first time. The structures of all compounds were characterised by spectroscopic methods (1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS). The anti-proliferative activity was mediated by the arrest of three human cancer cell lines (SW982, HepG2 and A549) of all the compounds that were evaluated by CCK-8 assay.

Development and validation of a machine learning-based early prediction model for massive intraoperative bleeding in patients with primary hepatic malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection remains the primary treatment for hepatic malignancies, and intraoperative bleeding is associated with a significantly increased risk of death. Therefore, accurate prediction of intraoperative bleeding risk in patients with hepatic malignancies is essential to preventing bleeding in advance and providing safer and more effective treatment. AIM: To develop a predictive model for intraoperative bleeding in primary hepatic malignancy patients for improving surgical planning and outcomes. METHODS: The retrospective analysis enrolled patients diagnosed with primary hepatic malignancies who underwent surgery at the Hepatobiliary Surgery Department of the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between 2010 and 2020. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify potential risk factors for intraoperative bleeding. A prediction model was developed using Python programming language, and its accuracy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Among 406 primary liver cancer patients, 16.0% (65/406) suffered massive intraoperative bleeding. Logistic regression analysis identified four variables as associated with intraoperative bleeding in these patients: ascites [odds ratio (OR): 22.839; P < 0.05], history of alcohol consumption (OR: 2.950; P < 0.015), TNM staging (OR: 2.441; P < 0.001), and albumin-bilirubin score (OR: 2.361; P < 0.001). These variables were used to construct the prediction model. The 406 patients were randomly assigned to a training set (70%) and a prediction set (30%). The area under the ROC curve values for the model's ability to predict intraoperative bleeding were 0.844 in the training set and 0.80 in the prediction set. CONCLUSION: The developed and validated model predicts significant intraoperative blood loss in primary hepatic malignancies using four preoperative clinical factors by considering four preoperative clinical factors: ascites, history of alcohol consumption, TNM staging, and albumin-bilirubin score. Consequently, this model holds promise for enhancing individualised surgical planning.

Euchronin A-F isolated from the Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. and their anti-proliferative activities in vitro.

Six new naphthoquinones, euchronin A-F (1-6) and nine known naphthoquinones (7-15), were isolated from the roots of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. The structures of the new compounds were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. In the present study, we estimated the anti-proliferative activities of these compounds with HaCaT cells. The results indicated that compounds 2 and 4 showed strong anti-proliferative activities at 25 µM, with relative viability at 38.83% and 68.44%, respectively.

Insight into the Role of Fluoroethylene Carbonate on the Stability of Sb||Graphite Dual-Ion Batteries in Propylene Carbonate-Based Electrolyte.

Sodium dual-ion batteries (Na-DIBs) have attracted increasing attention due to their high operative voltages and low-cost raw materials. However, the practical applications of Na-DIBs are still hindered by the issues, such as low capacity and poor Coulombic efficiency, which is highly correlated with the compatibility between electrode and electrolyte but rarely investigated. Herein, fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) is introduced into the electrolyte to regulate cation/anion solvation structure and the stability of cathode/anode-electrolyte interphase of Na-DIBs. The FEC modulates the environment of PF6 - solvation sheath and facilitates the interaction of PF6 - on graphite. In addition, the NaF-rich interphase caused by the preferential decomposition of FEC effectively inhibits side reactions and pulverization of anodes with the electrolyte. Consequently, Sb||graphite full cells in FEC-containing electrolyte achieve an improved capacity, cycling stability and Coulombic efficiency. This work elucidates the underlying mechanism of bifunctional FEC and provides an alternative strategy of building high-performance dual ion batteries.

Phenolic components from the fruits of Solanum xanthocarpum with anti-inflammatory activity.

Two new compounds (1 and 2), along with thirty-one known compounds (3-33) were isolated from the fruits of Solanum xanthocarpum. The structure of isolates was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data and the physicochemical methods. Meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory activity of isolates was determined using LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The results of anti-inflammatory assays indicated that most isolated compounds (3, 4, 6, 8-14, 17-20, and 30) possessed significant nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 14.33 to 48.55 µM.