Identification of IGF2 promotes skin wound healing by co-expression analysis.

Oral mucosa is an ideal model for studying scarless wound healing. Researchers have shown that the key factors which promote scarless wound healing already exist in basal state of oral mucosa. Thus, to identify the other potential factors in basal state of oral mucosa will benefit to skin wound healing. In this study, we identified eight gene modules enriched in wound healing stages of human skin and oral mucosa through co-expression analysis, among which the module M8 was only module enriched in basal state of oral mucosa, indicating that the genes in module M8 may have key factors mediating scarless wound healing. Through bioinformatic analysis of genes in module M8, we found IGF2 may be the key factor mediating scarless wound healing of oral mucosa. Then, we purified IGF2 protein by prokaryotic expression, and we found that IGF2 could promote the proliferation and migration of HaCaT cells. Moreover, IGF2 promoted wound re-epithelialization and accelerated wound healing in a full-thickness skin wound model. Our findings identified IGF2 as a factor to promote skin wound healing which provide a potential target for wound healing therapy in clinic.

A novel approach combining network pharmacology and experimental validation to study the protective effect of ginsenoside Rb1 against cantharidin-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.

Cantharidin (CTD) is a widely used anticancer compound, but its clinical use is mainly limited due to hepatotoxicity. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) shows potential hepatoprotective effects. Nonetheless, the protective effect and underlying mechanism of GRb1 against CTD-induced hepatotoxicity in mice have not been investigated. This study aims to elucidate the effect and mechanism of GRb1 on CTD-induced hepatotoxicity using network pharmacology and in vivo experiments. Network pharmacology studies have shown that 263 targets were the main mechanisms by which GRb1 alleviates CTD-induced hepatotoxicity. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that 75 hub genes were mainly enriched in TNF, IL-17 and apoptosis signalling pathways. Molecular docking analysis showed that GRb1 exhibited high affinity with Akt1, Tnf, Il6, Bcl2 and Caspase3. In addition, results from animal studies demonstrated that GRb1 could ameliorate CTD-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibiting protein expression of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Bcl-2/Bax, GRP78, ATF6, ATF4, CHOP, IRE1α and PERK. This research revealed the mechanism of GRb1 against CTD-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibiting apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and it may provide a scientific rationale for the potential use of GRb1 in the treatment of hepatotoxicity induced by CTD.

Characteristics of broadband OPCPA based on DKDP crystals with different deuterations for the SEL-100 PW laser system.

We present the performances of a broadband optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) using partially deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) crystals with deuteration levels of 70% and 98%. When pumped by a Nd:glass double frequency laser, the OPCPA system using the 98% deuterated DKDP crystal achieves a broad bandwidth of 189 nm (full width at 1/e2 maximum) from 836 nm to 1025 nm. For the DKDP crystal with length of 43 mm, the pump-to-signal conversion efficiency reaches 28.4% and the compressed pulse duration is 13.7 fs. For a 70% deuterated DKDP crystal with a length of 30 mm, the amplified spectrum ranges from 846-1021 nm, the compressed pulse duration is 15.7 fs, and the conversion efficiency is 25.5%. These results demonstrate the potential of DKDP crystals with higher deuteration as promising nonlinear crystals for use as final amplifiers in 100 Petawatt (PW) laser systems, supporting compression pulse duration shorter than 15 fs.

Interactions of ferulic acid and ferulic acid methyl ester with endogenous proteins: Determination using the multi-methods.

Ferulic acid (FA) and ferulic acid methyl ester (FAM) are important phenolic compounds in Baijiu. In this study, the interaction of FA and FAM with human serum albumin (HSA) and lysozyme (LZM) was investigated using multispectral methods and molecular dynamics simulation. FA and FAM could interact with HSA and LZM, changing the conformation and hydrophilicity of the protein. The quenching mechanisms of FA-HSA, FA-LZM, FAM-HSA, and FAM-LZM were all static-quenching. In the FA-HSA, FAM-HSA, and FA-LZM systems, the interaction forces were mainly hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. In the FAM-LZM system, the interaction forces were mainly hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals force. Common metal ions such as K+, Ca2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ could affect the binding ability of FA and FAM to HSA and LZM. Moreover, FA and FAM could increase the stability of HSA and LZM, and the protein bound to FA/FAM was more stable than the free protein. FA and FAM had varying degrees of impact on the physiological activities of HSA and LZM. This study provides relevant information on the interactions and metabolic mechanisms of FA and its derivatives with endogenous proteins.

Polyimide covalent organic frameworks bearing star-shaped electron-deficient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon building blocks: molecular innovations for energy conversion and storage.

Polyimide covalent organic frameworks (PI-COFs) are outstanding functional materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage owing to their integrated advantages of the high electroactive feature of polyimides and the periodic porous structure of COFs. Nevertheless, only anhydride monomers with C2 symmetry are generally used, and limited selectivity of electron-deficient monomers has become a major obstacle in the development of materials. The introduction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a very effective method to regulate the structure-activity relationship of PI-COFs due to their excellent stability and electrical properties. Over the past two years, various star-shaped electron-deficient PAH building blocks possessing different compositions and topologies have been successfully fabricated, greatly improving the monomer selectivity and electrochemical performances of PI-COFs. This paper systematically summarizes the recent highlights in PI-COFs based on these building blocks. Firstly, the preparation of anhydride (or phthalic acid) monomers and PI-COFs related to different star-shaped PAHs is presented. Secondly, the applications of these PI-COFs in energy conversion and storage and the corresponding factors influencing their performance are discussed in detail. Finally, the future development of this meaningful field is briefly proposed.

The Efficacy and Safety of Polyethylene Glycol Cholesterol- and Tocopherol Polyethylene Glycol 1000 Succinate-Modified Transforming Growth Factor ß1 Small Interfering RNA Lipid Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Paclitaxel-Resistant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of TGFß1 siRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) modified with different PEG derivatives (PEG5000 cholesterol, abbreviated as CE; tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, abbreviated as TPGS) in the treatment of paclitaxel-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer. Three kinds of TGFß1 siRNA LNPs were prepared via microfluidics technology, using different PEG derivatives and dosages (CE1.5, CE2.5, TPGS2.5) as variables. Their particle size, zeta potential, contents, and encapsulation efficiencies were determined. The inhibition of TGFß1 mRNA and protein expression and the effects of the three kinds of LNPs on the proliferation of paclitaxel-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer cells (A549/T cell) were characterized. The distributions of the three siRNA LNPs in nude mice bearing A549/T tumors, especially at the tumor site, were observed using in vivo mouse imaging technology, and their corresponding efficacies were evaluated. The average particle size of the three kinds of TGFß1 siRNA LNPs was about 70-80 nm, and they were capable of charge flipping. All three siRNA LNPs could effectively inhibit the expression of TGFß1 mRNA and protein in A549/T cells and inhibit the proliferation of A549/T cells in vitro. The results of in vivo mice imaging showed that the three kinds of siRNA LNPs, when labeled with cypate, retain strong fluorescence in the tumor at 24 h. The pharmacodynamic results, such as for relative tumor volumes and tumor inhibition rates, reveal that TGFß1 siRNA LNPs modified with CE1.5, CE2.5, or TPGS2.5 can be used to effectively treat paclitaxel-resistant lung adenocarcinoma. The histopathological results showed that the three kinds of LNPs have a certain toxicity but are relatively safe compared to common forms of chemotherapy such as cabazitaxel. TGFß1 siRNA LNPs modified with CE1.5, CE2.5, and TPGS2.5 can inhibit TGFß1 mRNA and protein expression in A549/T cells in vitro and can accumulate and play a role in the tumor tissue of nude mice, features that can be exploited for treating paclitaxel-resistant lung adenocarcinoma.

Application of an ARFIMA Model to Estimate Hepatitis C Epidemics in Henan, China.

Hepatitis C (HC) presents a substantial burden, and a goal has been established for ending HC epidemics by 2030. This study aimed to monitor HC epidemics by designing a paradigmatic autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) for projections until 2030, and evaluating its efficacy compared with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA). Monthly HC incidence data in Henan from January 2004 to June 2023 were obtained. Two periods (January 2004 to June 2022 and January 2004 to December 2015) were treated as training sets to build both models, whereas the remaining periods served as test sets to perform performance evaluation. There were 465,196 HC cases, with an escalation in incidence (average annual percentage change = 8.64, 95% CI: 3.71-13.80) and a peak in March and a trough in February. For both the 12 and 90 holdout data forecasts, ARFIMA generated lower errors than ARIMA across various metrics: mean absolute deviation (252.93 versus 262.28 and 235.37 versus 1,689.65), mean absolute percentage error (0.17 versus 0.18 and 0.14 versus 0.87), root mean square error (350.31 versus 362.31 and 311.96 versus 1,905.71), mean error rate (0.14 versus 0.15 and 0.11 versus 0.82), and root mean square percentage error (0.26 versus 0.26 and 0.24 versus 1.01). Autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average predicted 181,650 (95% CI: 46,518-316,783) HC cases, averaging 22,706 (95% CI: 5,815-39,598) cases annually during 2023-2030. Henan faces challenges in eliminating HC epidemics, emphasizing the need for strengthened strategies. Autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average can offer evidence-based insights for public health measures.

Exposure levels and determinants of placental polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Chinese pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of widely used chemicals and humans are exposed to them in their daily life. PBDEs exposure during pregnancy may have adverse effects on pregnant women and their fetuses. Nevertheless, limited information is available on the levels and determinants of PBDEs exposure in Chinese pregnant women. METHODS: The internal exposure levels of eight PBDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209) in placental samples of 1280 pregnant women from Zunyi birth cohort were analyzed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. All PBDEs concentrations were lipid adjusted (ng/g lw). Determinants of exposure were assessed by multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: Eight PBDE homologues were quantifiable in more than 70% of the samples. The highest median concentrations were found for BDE-209 (2.78 ng/g lw), followed by BDE-153 (1.00 ng/g lw) and BDE-183 (0.93 ng/g lw). The level of ΣPBDEs ranged from 0.90 to 308.78 ng/g lw, with a median concentration of 10.02 ng/g lw. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age older than 30 years old (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.23), pre-pregnancy obesity (1.51; 1.08, 2.10), home renovation within 2 years (1.43; 1.08, 1.91), spending more time outdoors during pregnancy (0.70; 0.55, 0.89), high consumption of fish/seafood (1.46; 1.13, 1.90) and eggs (1.44; 1.04, 2.00), male infant sex (1.69; 1.18, 2.42) were associated with PBDEs exposure. CONCLUSION: The study population is generally exposed to PBDEs, of which BDE-209 is the dominant congener, indicating extensive application of products containing deca-BDE mixtures. Maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, home decoration, average outdoor time during pregnancy, fish, seafood, eggs consumption, and fetal sex were exposure-determinning factors. This study contributes to the knowledge on region-specific PBDEs contamination in pregnant women and related risk factors.

Research on the pre-pulses caused by post-pulses in the optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier.

Pre-pulses caused by the post-pulses in the optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier were comprehensively studied for the first time, including the underlying mechanism for the delay-shift of pre-pulses, the intensity variation of pre-pulses affected by the initial delay of post-pulses and the pump energy, and also the nonlinear beat noise. The simulation and measurement confirmed that the high-order dispersion of the pulse stretcher was the main cause for the delay-shift of pre-pulses, which should be similar with the chirped-pulse amplifiers. The intensity of pre-pulses would decrease significantly as the initial delay of post-pulses increased, but would increase with the growth of pump energy. Moreover, the temporal position of the nonlinear beat noise in the experiment was successfully predicted by our simulation. This work could help us better understand the pre-pulses in OPCPA and provide helpful guidance for designing high-contrast laser systems.

Interruption time series analysis using autoregressive integrated moving average model: evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on the epidemic trend of gonorrhea in China.

BACKGROUND: Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis is a growing method for assessing intervention impacts on diseases. However, it remains unstudied how the COVID-19 outbreak impacts gonorrhea. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on gonorrhea and predict gonorrhea epidemics using the ITS-autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. METHODS: The number of gonorrhea cases reported in China from January 2005 to September 2022 was collected. Statistical descriptions were applied to indicate the overall epidemiological characteristics of the data, and then the ITS-ARIMA was established. Additionally, we compared the forecasting abilities of ITS-ARIMA with Bayesian structural time series (BSTS), and discussed the model selection process, transfer function, check model fitting, and interpretation of results. RESULT: During 2005-2022, the total cases of gonorrhea were 2,165,048, with an annual average incidence rate of 8.99 per 100,000 people. The highest incidence rate was 14.2 per 100,000 people in 2005 and the lowest was 6.9 per 100,000 people in 2012. The optimal model was ARIMA (0,1, (1,3)) (0,1,1)12 (Akaike's information criterion = 3293.93). When predicting the gonorrhea incidence, the mean absolute percentage error under the ARIMA (16.45%) was smaller than that under the BSTS (22.48%). The study found a 62.4% reduction in gonorrhea during the first-level response, a 46.47% reduction during the second-level response, and an increase of 3.6% during the third-level response. The final model estimated a step change of - 2171 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 3698 to - 644) cases and an impulse change of - 1359 (95% CI - 2381 to - 338) cases. Using the ITS-ARIMA to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on gonorrhea, the gonorrhea incidence showed a temporary decline before rebounding to pre-COVID-19 levels in China. CONCLUSION: ITS analysis is a valuable tool for gauging intervention effectiveness, providing flexibility in modelling various impacts. The ITS-ARIMA model can adeptly explain potential trends, autocorrelation, and seasonality. Gonorrhea, marked by periodicity and seasonality, exhibited a downward trend under the influence of COVID-19 intervention. The ITS-ARIMA outperformed the BSTS, offering superior predictive capabilities for the gonorrhea incidence trend in China.

Untargeted Metabolomics and Physicochemical Analysis Revealed the Quality Formation Mechanism in Fermented Milk Inoculated with Lactobacillus brevis and Kluyveromyces marxianus Isolated from Traditional Fermented Milk.

Traditional fermented milk from the western Sichuan plateau of China has a unique flavor and rich microbial diversity. This study explored the quality formation mechanism in fermented milk inoculated with Lactobacillus brevis NZ4 and Kluyveromyces marxianus SY11 (MFM), the dominant microorganisms isolated from traditional dairy products in western nan. The results indicated that MFM displayed better overall quality than the milk fermented with L. brevis NZ4 (LFM) and K. marxianus SY11 (KFM), respectively. MFM exhibited good sensory quality, more organic acid types, more free amino acids and esters, and moderate acidity and ethanol concentrations. Non-targeted metabolomics showed a total of 885 metabolites annotated in the samples, representing 204 differential metabolites between MFM and LFM and 163 between MFM and KFM. MFM displayed higher levels of N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid, cysteinyl serine, glaucarubin, and other substances. The differential metabolites were mainly enriched in pathways such as glycerophospholipid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and beta-alanine metabolism. This study speculated that L. brevis affected K. marxianus growth via its metabolites, while the mixed fermentation of these strains significantly changed the metabolism pathway of flavor-related substances, especially glycerophospholipid metabolism. Furthermore, mixed fermentation modified the flavor and quality of fermented milk by affecting cell growth and metabolic pathways.

Co-Exposure of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Phthalates with Blood Cell-Based Inflammation in Early Pregnant Women.

Cumulative evidence has demonstrated that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or phthalates (PAEs) contributes to a variety of adverse health effects. However, the association of PAHs and PAEs co-exposure with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators during early pregnancy is still unclear. We aimed to investigate the single and mixed associations of exposure to PAHs and PAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators among early pregnant women. A total of 318 early pregnant women were included in this study. General linear regressions were used to estimate the relationships of individual OH-PAHs and mPAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators. The key pollutants were selected by an adapted least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression model and wasemployed to build the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (Q-g) models, which can assess the joint association of OH-PAHs and mPAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators. General linear regression indicated that each 1% increase in MOP was associated with a 4.92% (95% CI: 2.12%, 7.68%), 3.25% (95% CI: 0.50%, 6.18%), 5.87% (95% CI: 2.22%, 9.64%), and 6.50% (95% CI: 3.46%, 9.64%) increase in WBC, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes, respectively. BKMR and Q-g analysis showed that the mixture of OH-PAHs and mPAEs was linked with increased levels of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, and MOP was identified as the dominant contributor. OH-PAHs and mPAEs co-exposure in early pregnancy was associated with elevated blood cell-based inflammatory indicators reactions. More attention should be paid to the inflammation induced by environmental pollution for perinatal women, especially early pregnant women.

Aging-related increases in serum sex hormone-binding globulin levels in men might be related to increased synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels increase with age; however, the causes remain unknown. The present study aimed to clarify whether the increase in SHBG levels is attributable to aging-related increases in SHBG synthesis. METHODS: We examined and evaluated the association of serum SHBG levels with synthesis-related factors in men aged 18-80 years. Additionally, we examined the serum and liver levels of SHBG, hepatic nuclear factor 4α (HNF-4α), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) in young, middle-aged, and old Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS: The study included 209 men in the young group (median age, 33 ± 10 years), 174 men in the middle-aged group (median age, 53 ± 8 years), and 98 men in the elderly group (median age, 71 ± 8 years). Serum SHBG levels increased with age (P < 0.05), whereas HNF-4α and PPAR-γ levels decreased with age (both P < 0.05). Compared with the findings in the young group, the average decline in HNF-4α levels was 2.61 % and 18.46 % in the middle-aged and elderly groups, respectively; the average decreases in PPAR-γ levels in these groups were 12.86 % and 20.76 %, respectively. The results in rats illustrated that liver SHBG and HNF-4α levels increased with age, whereas PPAR-γ and chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor (COUP-TF) levels decreased with age (all P < 0.05). Serum SHBG levels increased in rats with age, whereas HNF-4α and PPAR-γ levels decreased with age (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The aging-related increased liver levels of the SHBG synthesis promoter HNF-4α and decreased levels of the SHBG inhibitory factors PPAR-γ and COUP-TF suggest that the aging-related increases in SHBG levels are associated with increased SHBG synthesis.

The establishment of comprehensive quality evaluation model for flavor characteristics of green Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum DC.) in Southwest China.

In this study, the quality indexes and sensory evaluation of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. from the main production areas in Southwest China were analyzed. Further, correlation analysis (CRA), principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to comprehensively evaluate the quality characteristics of Z. armatum. The results showed that the sensory indexes and physicochemical indexes of Z. armatum were significantly correlated. Five principal component factors were extracted from 12 indexes by PCA, and a comprehensive evaluation model of quality was established with Y = 0.2943Y1 + 0.2387Y2 + 0.1896Y3 + 0.1679Y4 + 0.1094Y5. On this basis, 21 producing areas were grouped into 4 groups and 3 groups by Q-type CA, respectively. R-type CA showed that the content of hydroxyl-sanshools, linalool content and b* value were the quality characteristic indexes of Z. armatum in Southwest China. This work provided an important theory and practice reference for Z. armatum quality evaluation and in-depth product development.

Optimization of the emergency endoscopy process for patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding using failure mode and effect analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the emergency endoscopy process for patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) using failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA). METHOD: In this retrospective analysis, we enrolled patients who were hospitalized in Ganzhou People's Hospital from January 2021 to December 2021. They were divided into 51 cases before and 51 cases after the intervention according to the time of FMEA model intervention. The risk of unsafe transport, endoscopic hemostasis success rate, RPN (risk priority number) value, dual venous access time, resuscitation success rate, emergency endoscopy timeout execution rate, patient health education awareness rate, and endoscopic ligation of esophageal varices (EVL) procedure volume were compared accordingly before and after the procedure. RESULTS: After the FMEA intervention, the emergency endoscopy process for EGVB patients was optimized, the risk of unsafe transport for emergency EGVB endoscopy was reduced, and the success rate of emergency endoscopic hemostasis for patients was improved. Also, the failure mode of RPN values greater than 12 was improved. After the countermeasures were implemented, the resuscitation success rate of EGVB patients reached 95%, the safe transport pass rate increased from 88% to 98.7%, and the patient health education awareness increased from 69% to 92%. The number of EGVB patients who underwent EVL surgery ranked second in the province. The waiting time, gastric function recovery time, dual venous access time, and hospital stay of patients who underwent the optimized procedure were significantly shorter compared to those before implementation (all P<0.01). The incidence of adverse events was significantly lower in patients who underwent the optimized procedure compared to the pre-implementation period (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Applying FMEA to analyze and optimize the process of EGVB patients undergoing emergency endoscopy can maximize patient life safety and treatment safety, as well as improve medical quality and care safety.

Effect of fast-track surgery model on postoperative pain and hospital stay of patients undergoing thyroid surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of fast-track surgery on emotions, pain, and length of hospital stay during the preoperative period for thyroid disease. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: From June 2020 to September 2020, 43 patients who received routine perioperative nursing for thyroid disease in Ganzhou People's Hospital were retrospectively included as a control group, and 51 patients who received nursing care on the basis of fast-track surgery strategy from June 2020 to September 2020 in Ganzhou People's Hospital were retrospectively included as an experimental group. Time spent out of bed, length of hospital stay, medical expenses, and time of indwelling catheter use were compared between the two groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the variations in intensity of pain postoperatively. The incidence of adverse reactions was recorded and compared. The risk factors affecting complications in patients undergoing surgery for thyroid disease were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients in the experimental group had shorter time spent out of bed, shorter length of hospital stay, less medical expenses, and shorter time of indwelling catheter use than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). The experimental group exhibited lower VAS scores than control group at 3 to 5 days after surgery (both P < 0.05). The total incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that gender, reoperation, intraoperative blood loss, and the use of recurrent laryngeal nerve detector were single factors affecting perioperative complications, while Logistic regression analysis showed that reoperation, intraoperative blood loss and the use of recurrent laryngeal nerve detector were highly correlated with perioperative complications (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Fast-track surgery can significantly accelerate the rehabilitation of patients, alleviate postoperative pain and adverse emotions, and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions in patients with thyroid disease, which has positive significance to improve the prognosis of patients, and thus it is recommended for clinical promotion.

TabZIP60 is involved in the regulation of ABA synthesis-mediated salt tolerance through interacting with TaCDPK30 in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

MAIN CONCLUSION: TabZIP60 is found to interact with TaCDPK30 and act as a positive regulator of ABA synthesis-mediated salt tolerance in wheat. Wheat basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor (TabZIP60) was previously found to act as a positive regulator of salt resistance. However, its molecular mechanism in response to salt stress in wheat is still unclear. In this study, TabZIP60 was found to interact with wheat calcium-dependent protein kinase (TaCDPK30), which belonged to group III of CDPK family, and was induced by salt, polyethylene glycol, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. This mutation of serine 110 in TabZIP60 resulted in no interaction with TaCDPK30. Moreover, TaCDPK30 was involved in interactions with wheat protein phosphatase 2C clade A (TaPP2CA116/TaPP2CA121). TabZIP60-overexpressing wheat plants showed increased salt tolerance, as exhibited by better growth status, higher soluble sugar, and lower malonaldehyde contents of transgenic plants than wild-type wheat cv. Kenong 199 under salt stress. Moreover, transgenic lines showed high ABA content by upregulating ABA synthesis-related gene expression levels. TabZIP60 protein could bind and interact with the promoter of the wheat nine-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (TaNCED2) gene. Furthermore, TabZIP60 upregulated several stress response gene expression levels, which could also increase the plant's ability to resist salt stress. Thus, these results suggest that TabZIP60 could function as a regulator of ABA synthesis-mediated salt tolerance through interacting with TaCDPK30 in wheat.

Highly stable, flexible delivery of microjoule-level ultrafast pulses in vacuumized anti-resonant hollow-core fibers for active synchronization.

We demonstrate the stable and flexible light delivery of multi-microjoule, sub-200-fs pulses over a ∼10-m-long vacuumized anti-resonant hollow-core fiber (AR-HCF), which was successfully used for high-performance pulse synchronization. Compared with the pulse train launched into the AR-HCF, the transmitted pulse train out of the fiber exhibits excellent stabilities in pulse power and spectrum, with pointing stability largely improved. The walk-off between the fiber-delivery and the other free-space-propagation pulse trains, in an open loop, was measured to be <6 fs root mean square (rms) over 90 minutes, corresponding to a relative optical-path variation of <2 × 10-7. This walk-off can be further suppressed to ∼2 fs rms simply by using an active control loop, highlighting the great application potentials of this AR-HCF setup in large-scale laser and accelerator facilities.

Nanopore-Based Fingerprint Immunoassay Based on Rolling Circle Amplification and DNA Fragmentation.

In recent years, nanopore-based sequencers have become robust tools with unique advantages for genomics applications. However, progress toward applying nanopores as highly sensitive, quantitative diagnostic tools has been impeded by several challenges. One major limitation is the insufficient sensitivity of nanopores in detecting disease biomarkers, which are typically present at pM or lower concentrations in biological fluids, while a second limitation is the general absence of unique nanopore signals for different analytes. To bridge this gap, we have developed a strategy for nanopore-based biomarker detection that utilizes immunocapture, isothermal rolling circle amplification, and sequence-specific fragmentation of the product to release multiple DNA reporter molecules for nanopore detection. These DNA fragment reporters produce sets of nanopore signals that form distinctive fingerprints, or clusters. This fingerprint signature therefore allows the identification and quantification of biomarker analytes. As a proof of concept, we quantify human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) at low pM levels in a few hours. Future improvement of this method by integration with a nanopore array and microfluidics-based chemistry can further reduce the limit of detection, allow multiplexed biomarker detection, and further reduce the footprint and cost of existing laboratory and point-of-care devices.

Risk assessment and environmental determinants of urinary phthalate metabolites in pregnant women in Southwest China.

Pregnant women are widely exposed to phthalic acid esters (PAEs) that are commonly used in most aspects of modern life. However, few studies have examined the cumulative exposure of pregnant women to a variety of PAEs derived from the living environmental conditions in China. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the urinary concentrations of nine PAE metabolites in pregnant women, examine the relationship between urinary concentrations and residential characteristics, and conduct a risk assessment analysis. We included 1,888 women who were in their third trimester of pregnancy, and we determined their urinary concentrations of nine PAE metabolites using high-performance gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The risk assessment of exposure to PAEs was calculated based on the estimated daily intake. A linear regression model was used to analyze the relationship between creatinine-adjusted PAE metabolite concentrations and residential characteristics. The detection rate of five PAE metabolites in the study population was > 90%. Among the PAE metabolites adjusted by creatinine, the urinary metabolite concentration of monobutyl phthalate was found to be the highest. Residential factors, such as housing type, proximity to streets, recent decorations, lack of ventilation in the kitchen, less than equal to three rooms, and the use of coal/kerosene/wood/wheat straw fuels, were all significantly associated with high PAE metabolite concentrations. Due to PAE exposure, ~ 42% (n = 793) of the participants faced potential health risks, particularly attributed to dibutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, and di(2-ethyl)hexyl phthalate exposure. Living in buildings and using coal/kerosene/wood/wheat straw as domestic fuel can further increase the risks.