Salmonella Grumpensis Causing Diarrhea in Children - Shanghai Municipality, China, 2023.

What is already known about this topic?: Foodborne diseases are a growing public health concern with a notable disease burden in China. What is added by this report?: Two children with diarrhea visited a healthcare facility within 24 hours on August 1 and 2, 2023. Salmonella Grumpensis was detected in their stool samples by the public health laboratory. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis revealed characteristics typical of outbreak strains. Although the origin of the outbreak was unknown, the possibility of a hidden shared infection was deemed feasible. What are the implications for public health practice?: It underscores the importance of thorough genomic surveillance to promptly detect emerging pathogens. Public health laboratories play a crucial role by utilizing advanced genomic technologies for accurate pathogen identification and timely warning systems.

An ARF gene mutation creates flint kernel architecture in dent maize.

Dent and flint kernel architectures are important characteristics that affect the physical properties of maize kernels and their grain end uses. The genes controlling these traits are unknown, so it is difficult to combine the advantageous kernel traits of both. We found mutation of ARFTF17 in a dent genetic background reduces IAA content in the seed pericarp, creating a flint-like kernel phenotype. ARFTF17 is highly expressed in the pericarp and encodes a protein that interacts with and inhibits MYB40, a transcription factor with the dual functions of repressing PIN1 expression and transactivating genes for flavonoid biosynthesis. Enhanced flavonoid biosynthesis could reduce the metabolic flux responsible for auxin biosynthesis. The decreased IAA content of the dent pericarp appears to reduce cell division and expansion, creating a shorter, denser kernel. Introgression of the ARFTF17 mutation into dent inbreds and hybrids improved their kernel texture, integrity, and desiccation, without affecting yield.

Superhydrophobic sand evaporator with core-shell structure for long-term salt-resistant solar desalination.

Solar-driven water evaporation, as an environmentally benign pathway, provides an opportunity for alleviating global clean water scarcity. However, the rapidly generated interfacial steam and localized heating could cause increased salt concentration and accumulation, deteriorating the evaporation performance and long-term stability. Herein, a novel superhydrophobic sand solar (FPPSD) evaporator with a core-shell structure was proposed through interface functionalization for continuous photothermal desalination. The collective behavior essence of the sand aggregate gave itself micron-scale self-organized pores and configurable shapes, generating desirable capillary force and supplying effective water-pumping channels. More importantly, combining the dopamine, polypyrrole (PPy), and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTS) through π-π conjugation and multiple hydrogen bonding effects gave the FPPSD evaporator with stable superhydrophobic property and highly efficient photothermal conversion capability. Therefore, the FPPSD evaporator showed a continuous and stable photothermal performance even after 96 h continuous evaporation under 3-sun irradiation for 10 wt% saline solution, among the best values in the reported works of literature, demonstrating its excellent salt-resistance stability. Furthermore, this novel FPPSD evaporator displayed outstanding environmental stability that kept its initial water transport capacity even after being treated under harsh conditions for 30 days. With excellent salt-resistance ability and stable environmental stability, the FPPSD evaporator will provide an attractive platform for sustainable solar-driven water management.

Maize DDK1 encoding an Importin-4 ß protein is essential for seed development and grain filling by mediating nuclear exporting of eIF1A.

Nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking is crucial for protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells due to the spatial separation of transcription and translation by the nuclear envelope. However, the mechanism underlying this process remains largely unknown in plants. In this study, we isolated a maize (Zea mays) mutant designated developmentally delayed kernel 1 (ddk1), which exhibits delayed seed development and slower filling. Ddk1 encodes a plant-specific protein known as Importin-4 ß, and its mutation results in reduced 80S monosomes and suppressed protein synthesis. Through our investigations, we found that DDK1 interacts with eIF1A proteins in vivo. However, in vitro experiments revealed that this interaction exhibits low affinity in the absence of RanGTP. Additionally, while the eIF1A protein primarily localizes to the cytoplasm in the wild-type, it remains significantly retained within the nuclei of ddk1 mutants. These observations suggest that DDK1 functions as an exportin and collaborates with RanGTP to facilitate the nuclear export of eIF1A, consequently regulating endosperm development at the translational level. Importantly, both DDK1 and eIF1A are conserved among various plant species, implying the preservation of this regulatory module across diverse plants.

Spatial transcriptomics uncover sucrose post-phloem transport during maize kernel development.

Maize kernels are complex biological systems composed of three genetic sources, namely maternal tissues, progeny embryos, and progeny endosperms. The lack of gene expression profiles with spatial information has limited the understanding of the specific functions of each cell population, and hindered the exploration of superior genes in kernels. In our study, we conduct microscopic sectioning and spatial transcriptomics analysis during the grain filling stage of maize kernels. This enables us to visualize the expression patterns of all genes through electronical RNA in situ hybridization, and identify 11 cell populations and 332 molecular marker genes. Furthermore, we systematically elucidate the spatial storage mechanisms of the three major substances in maize kernels: starch, protein, and oil. These findings provide valuable insights into the functional genes that control agronomic traits in maize kernels.

Investigations of the distant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer without local lymph node involvement: Real world data from a large database.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the presentations and survival outcomes of the distant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without lymph node involvement to obtain a clearer picture of this special subgroup of metastatic NSCLC. METHOD: A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized Cox regression analysis was used to select the prognostic variables. A nomogram and corresponding risk-classifying systems were constructed. The C-index and calibration curves were used to evaluate the performance of the model. Overall survival (OS) curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to compare OS differences between groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce bias. RESULT: A total of 12 610 NSCLC patients with M1 category (N0 group: 3045 cases; N1-3 group: 9565 cases) were included. Regarding the N0 group, multivariate analysis demonstrated that age, sex, race, surgery, grade, tumor size, and M category were independent prognostic factors. A nomogram and corresponding risk-classifying systems were formulated. Favorable validation results were obtained from the C-index, calibration curves, and survival comparisons. Survival curves demonstrated that N0 NSCLC patients had better survival than N1-3 NSCLC patients both before and after PSM. Furthermore, the survival of resected N0M1 patients was superior to that of those without surgery. CONCLUSION: In this study, a prognostic nomogram and risk-classifying systems designed for the T1-4N0M1 NSCLC patients showed acceptable performance. Primary lung tumor resection might be a feasible treatment for this population subset. Additionally, we proposed that lymph node stage might have a place in the forthcoming tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging proposal for NSCLC patients with M1 category.

The diagnostic value of electrocardiogram-based machine learning in long QT syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: To perform a meta-analysis to discover the performance of ML algorithms in identifying Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). Methods: The searched databases included Cochrane, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed. Our study considered all English-language studies that reported the detection of LQTS using ML algorithms. Quality was assessed using QUADAS-2 and QUADAS-AI tools. The bivariate mixed effects models were used in our study. Based on genotype data for LQTS, we performed a subgroup analysis. Results: Out of 536 studies, 8 met all inclusion criteria. The pooled area under the receiving operating curve (SAUROC) for detecting LQTS was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.31-1.00); sensitivity was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83-0.90), and specificity was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88-0.93). Additionally, diagnostic odd ratio (DOR) was 65 (95% CI: 39-109). The positive likelihood ratio (PLR) was 9.3 (95% CI: 7.0-12.3) and the negative likelihood ratio (NLR) was 0.14 (95% CI: 0.11-0.20), with very low heterogeneity (I2 = 16%). Discussion: We found that machine learning can be used to detect features of rare cardiovascular disease like LQTS, thus increasing our understanding of intelligent interpretation of ECG. To improve ML performance in the classification of LQTS subtypes, further research is required. Systematic Review Registration: identifier PROSPERO CRD42022360122.

Using an integrated model of the theory of planned behavior and the temporal self-regulation theory to explain physical activity in patients with coronary heart disease.

Background: This study aimed to explore the psychosocial determinants of the physical activity (PA) levels in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) using an integrated theoretical model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the temporal self-regulation theory (TST). Method: This was a prospective study conducted at the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Zhejiang, China. A total of 279 patients with CHD [176 men aged 26-89 years, mean (M) = 64.69, standard deviation (SD) = 13.17] were selected under the study inclusion criteria by convenience sampling. The data on attitude, subjective norm (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intention variables for the TPB model and consideration of future consequences (CFC), habit, and self-control (SC) variables for the TST model were collected 1-2 days before the discharge (Time 1, T1) of the participants, and a telephone follow-up was made to assess the participants' self-reported PA levels 1 week after their discharge (Time 2, T2). Results: The results revealed that only 39.8% of the patients with CHD met the guidelines' recommendations on PA. The data analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) in the Mplus 8.3 modeling program showed that, in the simple mediation model, attitude, PBC, and CFC were positively related to the intention to practice guideline-recommended levels of PA but SN was not. In addition, intention was shown to mediate the relationships between attitude, PBC, CFC, and PA levels. Furthermore, based on the moderated mediating model, intention and habit were shown to be positively associated with PA levels but SC was not. Moreover, SC played a significant moderating role between intention and PA levels. However, habit strength did not moderate the relationship between intention and PA levels. Conclusion: An integration of the TPB and TST models offers a good theoretical tool for understanding PA levels in patients with CHD.

Salt Tolerant Gene 1 contributes to salt tolerance by maintaining photosystem II activity in maize.

Salt stress is a major environmental factor limiting crop growth and productivity. Here, we show that Salt-Tolerant Gene 1 (ZmSTG1) contributes to salt tolerance by maintaining photosystem activity in maize. ZmSTG1 encodes an endoplasmic reticulum localized protein and retrotransposon insertion in the promoter region causes differential expression levels in maize inbred lines. Overexpression of ZmSTG1 improved plant growth vigor, and knockout of ZmSTG1 weakened plant growth under normal and salt stress conditions. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses indicated that ZmSTG1 might regulate the expression of lipid trafficking-related genes dependent on the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway, thereby increasing the galactolipids and phospholipid concentrations in the photosynthetic membrane under salt stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed that the knockout of ZmSTG1 led to significant impairment of plant photosystem II (PSII) activity under normal and salt stress conditions, whereas overexpression of ZmSTG1 dramatically improved plant PSII activity under salt stress conditions. We also demonstrated that the application of the salt-tolerant locus could enhance salt tolerance in hybrid maize plants. Taken together, we propose that ZmSTG1 may modulate the lipid composition in the photosynthetic membrane by affecting the expression of lipid trafficking-related genes to maintain the photosynthetic activity of plants under salt stress.

Bio-inspired Structure-editing Fluorescent Hydrogel Actuators for Environment-interactive Information Encryption.

Many living organisms have the superb structure-editing capacity for better adaptation in dynamic environments over the course of their life cycle. However, it's still challenging to replicate such natural structure-editing capacity into artificial hydrogel actuating systems for enhancing environment-interactive functions. Herein, we learn from the metamorphosis development of glowing octopus to construct proof-of-concept fluorescent hydrogel actuators with life-like structure-editing capacity by developing a universal stepwise inside-out growth strategy. These actuators could perform origami-like 3D shape deformation and also enable the postnatal growth of new structures to adapt additional actuating states for different visual information delivery by using different environment keys (e.g., temperature, pH). This study opens previously unidentified-avenues of bio-inspired hydrogel actuators/robotics and extends the potential uses for environment-interactive information encryption.

Regulation of seed storage protein synthesis in monocot and dicot plants: A comparative review.

Seeds are a major source of nutrients for humans and animal livestock worldwide. With improved living standards, high nutritional quality has become one of the main targets for breeding. Storage protein content in seeds, which is highly variable depending on plant species, serves as a pivotal criterion of seed nutritional quality. In the last few decades, our understanding of the molecular genetics and regulatory mechanisms of storage protein synthesis has greatly advanced. Here, we systematically and comprehensively summarize breakthroughs on the conservation and divergence of storage protein synthesis in dicot and monocot plants. With regard to storage protein accumulation, we discuss evolutionary origins, developmental processes, characteristics of main storage protein fractions, regulatory networks, and genetic modifications. In addition, we discuss potential breeding strategies to improve storage protein accumulation and provide perspectives on some key unanswered problems that need to be addressed.

Spontaneous brain activity abnormalities in migraine: A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging.

Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that migraine is accompanied by spontaneous brain activity alterations in specific regions. However, these findings are inconsistent, thus hindering our understanding of the potential neuropathology. Hence, we performed a quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis of relevant resting-state functional imaging studies to identify brain regions consistently involved in migraine. A systematic search of studies that investigated the differences in spontaneous brain activity patterns between migraineurs and healthy controls up to April 2022 was conducted. We then performed a whole-brain voxel-wise meta-analysis using the anisotropic effect size version of seed-based d mapping software. Complementary analyses including jackknife sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity test, publication bias test, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression analysis were conducted as well. In total, 24 studies that reported 31 datasets were finally eligible for our meta-analysis, including 748 patients and 690 controls. In contrast to healthy controls, migraineurs demonstrated consistent and robust decreased spontaneous brain activity in the angular gyrus, visual cortex, and cerebellum, while increased activity in the caudate, thalamus, pons, and prefrontal cortex. Results were robust and highly replicable in the following jackknife sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis. Meta-regression analyses revealed that a higher visual analog scale score in the patient sample was associated with increased spontaneous brain activity in the left thalamus. These findings provided not only a comprehensive overview of spontaneous brain activity patterns impairments, but also useful insights into the pathophysiology of dysfunction in migraine.

Hollow and nanoporous Ag sub-microcubes as SERS substrates.

In this work, Ag(NH3)2NO3 microcubes are obtained by directly evaporating the silver ammonia complex solution. In Na3Cit solution, each Ag(NH3)2NO3 microcube can crumble into lots of Ag3Cit sub-microcubes with uniform size, which serve as sacrificial templates to yield Ag sub-microcages. The as-obtained Ag cages possess ultra-high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensitivity towards R6G and thiram.

THP9 enhances seed protein content and nitrogen-use efficiency in maize.

Teosinte, the wild ancestor of maize (Zea mays subsp. mays), has three times the seed protein content of most modern inbreds and hybrids, but the mechanisms that are responsible for this trait are unknown1,2. Here we use trio binning to create a contiguous haplotype DNA sequence of a teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis) and, through map-based cloning, identify a major high-protein quantitative trait locus, TEOSINTE HIGH PROTEIN 9 (THP9), on chromosome 9. THP9 encodes an asparagine synthetase 4 enzyme that is highly expressed in teosinte, but not in the B73 inbred, in which a deletion in the tenth intron of THP9-B73 causes incorrect splicing of THP9-B73 transcripts. Transgenic expression of THP9-teosinte in B73 significantly increased the seed protein content. Introgression of THP9-teosinte into modern maize inbreds and hybrids greatly enhanced the accumulation of free amino acids, especially asparagine, throughout the plant, and increased seed protein content without affecting yield. THP9-teosinte seems to increase nitrogen-use efficiency, which is important for promoting a high yield under low-nitrogen conditions.

Touch-Responsive Hydrogel for Biomimetic Flytrap-Like Soft Actuator.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogel is regarded as one of the most promising smart soft materials for the next-generation advanced technologies and intelligence robots, but the limited variety of stimulus has become a non-negligible issue restricting its further development. Herein, we develop a new stimulus of "touch" (i.e., spatial contact with foreign object) for smart materials and propose a flytrap-inspired touch-responsive polymeric hydrogel based on supersaturated salt solution, exhibiting multiple responsive behaviors in crystallization, heat releasing, and electric signal under touch stimulation. Furthermore, utilizing flytrap-like cascade response strategy, a soft actuator with touch-responsive actuation is fabricated by employing the touch-responsive hydrogel and the thermo-responsive hydrogel. This investigation provides a facile and versatile strategy to design touch-responsive smart materials, enabling a profound potential application in intelligence areas.

Mitochondria Targeted Antioxidant Significantly Alleviates Preeclampsia Caused by 11ß-HSD2 Dysfunction via OPA1 and MtDNA Maintenance.

We have previously demonstrated that placental 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11ß-HSD2) dysfunction contributes to PE pathogenesis. We sought to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction-induced PE and to seek potential therapeutic targets using a 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction-induced PE-like rat model as well as cultured extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) since PE begins with impaired function of EVTs. In 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction-induced PE-like rat model, we revealed that placental mitochondrial dysfunction occurred, which was associated with mitDNA instability and impaired mitochondrial dynamics, such as decreased optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) expression. MitoTEMPO treatment significantly alleviated the hallmark of PE-like features and improved mitDNA stability and mitochondrial dynamics in the placentas of rat PE-like model. In cultured human EVTs, we found that 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction led to mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted mtDNA stability. MitoTEMPO treatment improved impaired invasion and migration induced by 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction in cultured EVTs. Further, we revealed that OPA1 was one of the key factors that mediated 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction-induced excess ROS production, mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA reduction. Our data indicates that 11ß-HSD2 dysfunction causes mitochondrial dysfunctions, which impairs trophoblast function and subsequently results in PE development. Our study immediately highlights that excess ROS is a potential therapeutic target for PE.

Sleep disturbances and sleep patterns in children with tic disorder: A case-control study.

Study objectives: To characterize sleep disturbances and sleep patterns in children with Tic disorder (TD), and explore their association with TD severity and types. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in 271 children with TD recruited from a clinical setting and 271 non-TD children recruited from a primary school, matched by age (mean = 8.47 years, SD = 1.53 years) and gender (15.1% female). The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was used to assess sleep patterns and sleep disturbances. The TD types and severity were assessed with the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). Results: The TD children scored higher on CSHQ total score than non-TD group (t = 29.50, p < 0.001) and demonstrated severer global sleep disturbance. Compared to non-TD children, TD children presented with increased risks for global sleep disturbance (aOR: 1.95; 95% CI = 1.20-3.06), and most specific sleep disturbances, including bedtime resistance (aOR: 3.15; 95% CI = 1.96-5.06), sleep onset delay (aOR: 3.43; 95% CI = 1.58-7.46), sleep anxiety (aOR: 2.83; 95%CI = 1.83-4.38), parasomnias (aOR: 3.68; 95% CI = 2.02-6.62), night waking (aOR: 9.29; 95% CI = 2.64-32.65), sleep disordered breathing (aOR: 1.72; 95% CI = 1.03-2.90) and daytime sleepiness (aOR: 1.72; 95% CI = 1.09-2.74). Children with mild and moderate tics, Provisional Tic Disorder (PTD), Chronic Tic Disorder (CTD) and Tourette Syndrome (TS) presented with more global and more specific sleep disturbances. In addition, combined ADHD, etc. Conclusion: Children with TD are major risks for increased sleep disturbances, especially for those with severe and chronic symptoms. Furthermore, comorbid ADHD increases risk in certain areas of sleep. These findings highlight the importance to consider sleep outcomes in the assessment and treatment for children with TD.

The prevalence of acute stress disorder after acute myocardial infarction and its psychosocial risk factors among young and middle-aged patients.

Young and middle-aged people are vulnerable to developing acute stress disorder (ASD) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study aims to explore the factors that contribute to ASD in young and middle-aged AMI patients. 190 AMI patients aged 18 to 60 years were enrolled in this study. We assessed the association between ASD and demographic data, adult attachment, and social support. This study examined a total of 190 young and middle-aged people. Among them, 65 participants were diagnosed with ASD, representing a 34.21% positive rate. Multivariate stepwise regression showed that adult attachment, infarct-related artery, social support, in-hospital complications are the main factors affecting ASD. Path analysis showed that social support had mediated the relationship between adult attachment and ASD. The incidence of ASD in young and middle-aged patients with AMI is high. Social support plays an important role in adult attachment and ASD relationships. Adult attachment and social support should be incorporated into post-traumatic cardiac rehabilitation to help patients cope with traumatic occurrences.

ABA-induced phosphorylation of basic leucine zipper 29, ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 19, and Opaque2 by SnRK2.2 enhances gene transactivation for endosperm filling in maize.

Opaque2 (O2) functions as a central regulator of the synthesis of starch and storage proteins and the O2 gene is transcriptionally regulated by a hub coordinator of seed development and grain filling, ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 19 (ZmABI19), in maize (Zea mays). Here, we identified a second hub coordinator, basic Leucine Zipper 29 (ZmbZIP29) that interacts with ZmABI19 to regulate O2 expression. Like zmabi19, zmbzip29 mutations resulted in a dramatic decrease of transcript and protein levels of O2 and thus a significant reduction of starch and storage proteins. zmbzip29 seeds developed slower and had a smaller size at maturity than those of the wild type. The zmbzip29;zmabi19 double mutant displayed more severe seed phenotypes and a greater reduction of storage reserves compared to the single mutants, whereas overexpression of the two transcription factors enhanced O2 expression, storage-reserve accumulation, and kernel weight. ZmbZIP29, ZmABI19, and O2 expression was induced by abscisic acid (ABA). With ABA treatment, ZmbZIP29 and ZmABI19 synergistically transactivated the O2 promoter. Through liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry analysis, we established that the residues threonine(T) 57 in ZmABI19, T75 in ZmbZIP29, and T387 in O2 were phosphorylated, and that SnRK2.2 was responsible for the phosphorylation. The ABA-induced phosphorylation at these sites was essential for maximum transactivation of downstream target genes for endosperm filling in maize.