Nomogram based on liver stiffness and spleen area with ultrasound for posthepatectomy liver failure: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Liver stiffness (LS) measurement with two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) correlates with the degree of liver fibrosis and thus indirectly reflects liver function reserve. The size of the spleen increases due to tissue proliferation, fibrosis, and portal vein congestion, which can indirectly reflect the situation of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. It was reported that the size of the spleen was related to posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). So far, there has been no study combining 2D-SWE measurements of LS with spleen size to predict PHLF. This prospective study aimed to investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and spleen area (SPA) for the prediction of PHLF in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to develop a risk prediction model. AIM: To investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and SPA for the prediction of PHLF in HCC patients and to develop a risk prediction model. METHODS: This was a multicenter observational study prospectively analyzing patients who underwent hepatectomy from October 2020 to March 2022. Within 1 wk before partial hepatectomy, ultrasound examination was performed to measure LS and SPA, and blood was drawn to evaluate the patient's liver function and other conditions. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify independent predictors of PHLF and develop a nomogram. Nomogram performance was validated further. The diagnostic performance of the nomogram was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve compared with the conventional models, including the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score. RESULTS: A total of 562 HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy (500 in the training cohort and 62 in the validation cohort) were enrolled in this study. The independent predictors of PHLF were LS, SPA, range of resection, blood loss, international normalized ratio, and total bilirubin. Better diagnostic performance of the nomogram was obtained in the training [area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.833; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.792-0.873; sensitivity: 83.1%; specificity: 73.5%] and validation (AUC: 0.802; 95%CI: 0.684-0.920; sensitivity: 95.5%; specificity: 52.5%) cohorts compared with the MELD score and the ALBI score. CONCLUSION: This PHLF nomogram, mainly based on LS by 2D-SWE and SPA, was useful in predicting PHLF in HCC patients and presented better than MELD score and ALBI score.

Reproducibility study of intravoxel incoherent motion and apparent diffusion coefficient parameters in normal pancreas.

BACKGROUND: The consistency of pancreatic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameter values across different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices significantly impacts the patient's diagnosis and treatment. AIM: To explore consistency in image quality, ADC values, and IVIM parameter values among different MRI devices in pancreatic examinations. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the local ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. In total, 22 healthy volunteers (10 males and 12 females) aged 24-61 years (mean, 28.9 ± 2.3 years) underwent pancreatic diffusion-weighted imaging using 3.0T MRI equipment from three vendors. Two independent observers subjectively scored image quality and measured the pancreas's overall ADC values and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Subsequently, regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated for the IVIM parameters (true diffusion coefficient, pseudo-diffusion coefficient, and perfusion fraction) using post-processing software. These ROIs were on the head, body, and tail of the pancrease. The subjective image ratings were assessed using the kappa consistency test. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and mixed linear models were used to evaluate each device's quantitative parameter values. Finally, a pairwise analysis of IVIM parameter values across each device was performed using Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: The Kappa value for the subjective ratings of the different observers was 0.776 (P < 0.05). The ICC values for inter-observer and intra-observer agreements for the quantitative parameters were 0.803 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.684-0.880] and 0.883 (95%CI: 0.760-0.945), respectively (P < 0.05). The ICCs for the SNR between different devices was comparable (P > 0.05), and the ICCs for the ADC values from different devices were 0.870, 0.707, and 0.808, respectively (P < 0.05). Notably, only a few statistically significant inter-device agreements were observed for different IVIM parameters, and among those, the ICC values were generally low. The mixed linear model results indicated differences (P < 0.05) in the f-value for the pancreas head, D-value for the pancreas body, and D-value for the pancreas tail obtained using different MRI machines. The Bland-Altman plots showed significant variability at some data points. CONCLUSION: ADC values are consistent among different devices, but the IVIM parameters' repeatability is moderate. Therefore, the variability in the IVIM parameter values may be associated with using different MRI machines. Thus, caution should be exercised when using IVIM parameter values to assess the pancreas.

Corrigendum: Characterizing the neutrophilic inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.793073.].

The Lipidomics Reporting Checklist A framework for transparency of lipidomic experiments and repurposing resource data.

The rapid increase in lipidomic studies has led to a collaborative effort within the community to establish standards and criteria for producing, documenting, and disseminating data. Creating a dynamic easy-to-use checklist that condenses key information about lipidomic experiments into common terminology will enhance the field's consistency, comparability, and repeatability. Here, we describe the structure and rationale of the established Lipidomics Minimal Reporting Checklist to increase transparency in lipidomics research.

GDNF's Role in Mitigating Intestinal Reactive Gliosis and Inflammation to Improve Constipation and Depressive Behavior in Rats with Parkinson's disease.

Constipation is a common symptom in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and is often associated with depression. Enteric glial cells (EGCs) are crucial for regulating intestinal inflammation and colon motility, and their activation can lead to the death of intestinal neurons. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been recognized for its neuroprotective properties in various neurological disorders, including PD. This study explores the potential of GDNF in alleviating intestinal reactive gliosis and inflammation, thereby improving constipation and depressive behavior in a rat model of PD. A PD model was established via unilateral stereotaxic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Five weeks post-injury, AAV5-GDNF (2 ~ 5 × 10^11) was intraperitoneally injected into experimental and control rats. Fecal moisture percentage (FMP) and colonic propulsion rate (CPPR) were used to evaluate colon motility. Colon-related inflammation and colonic epithelial morphology were assessed, and depressive behavior was analyzed one week before sampling. PD rats exhibited reduced colonic motility and GDNF expression, along with increased EGC reactivity and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α. Additionally, there was an up-regulation of CX43 and a decrease in PGP 9.5 expression. The intraperitoneal injection of AAV-GDNF significantly protected colonic neurons by inhibiting EGC activation and down-regulating CX43. This treatment also led to a notable reduction in depressive-like symptoms in PD rats with constipation. GDNF effectively reduces markers of reactive gliosis and inflammation, and promotes the survival of colonic neurons, and improves colonic motility in PD rats by regulating CX43 activity. Furthermore, GDNF treatment alleviates depressive behavior, suggesting that GDNF or its agonists could be promising therapeutic agents for managing gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with PD.

Structure and Function of Somatostatin and its Receptors in Endocrinology.

Somatostatin analogs, such as octreotide (OCT), lanreotide, and pasireotide, which function as somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs), are the main drugs used for the treatment of acromegaly. These ligands are also used as important molecules for radiation therapy and imaging of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) are canonical G protein-coupled proteins (GPCRs) that play a role in metabolism, growth, and pathological conditions such as hormone disorders, neurological diseases, and cancers. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) combined with the protein structure prediction platform AlphaFold has been used to determine the three-dimensional structures of many proteins. Recently, several groups published a series of papers illustrating the three-dimensional structure of SSTR2, including that of the inactive/activated SSTR2-G protein complex bound to different ligands. The results revealed the residues that contribute to the ligand binding pocket and demonstrated that Trp8-Lys9 (the W-K motif) in somatostatin analogs is the key motif in stabilizing the bottom part of the binding pocket. In this review, we discuss the recent findings related to the structural analysis of SSTRs and SRLs, the relationships between the structural data and clinical findings, and the future development of novel structure-based therapies.

[Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics of Ground-level-ozone and Its Relationship with Meteorological Conditions in a Representative City in the Bohai Rim from 2017 to 2022].

In recent years, ground-level-ozone（O3） pollution in urban areas in the Bohai Rim has attracted wide attention. Based on the analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of O3 concentration in Dongying, a representative city in the Bohai Rim from 2017 to 2022, the effects of meteorological factors and sea-land breeze circulation on O3 concentration were evaluated. The results showed that： ① From 2017 to 2022, the annual assessment value of O3 concentration in Dongying showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the pollution days with O3 as the primary pollutant increased. O3 pollution mainly occurred in spring, summer, and autumn, with the most severe O3 pollution episodes typically occurring in May and June, and the duration of O3 pollution season tended to be longer. The monthly variation in the daily maximum 8-h average ozone （MDA8 O3） presented a bimodal distribution, with significant increases in the 5th and 25th percentiles, and the spatial distribution was "high in the north and south, low in the middle." In addition, the nocturnal O3 concentration in recent years in Dongying also showed a significant increase trend. ② Meteorological factors greatly influenced O3 concentration in Dongying. When the temperature was greater than 30℃, the relative humidity was less than 50%, and the wind direction was south-southwest or east-northeast, a high O3 value was more likely to occur. Meteorological factors contributed 30% of the MDA8 O3 variation in Dongying during the study period. In the case of moderate and severe O3 pollution, the contribution of meteorological factors to the change in MDA8 O3 could be as high as 40%. ③ To some extent, sea-land breeze contributed to the occurrence of MDA8 O3 exceeding the secondary standard limit value of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. In the afternoon, the hourly concentration of O3 during the sea-land breeze days was approximately 20 µg·m-3 higher than that during the non-sea-land breeze days. On the days of moderate and severe O3 pollution, the O3 concentration during the sea-land breeze days from 10：00 to 16：00 was higher than that during non-sea-land breeze days, and the O3 concentration was also at a high level from 20：00 to 23：00 on sea-land breeze days. In the O3 pollution season, the sea-land breeze could significantly affect the O3 level in coastal cities, which could bring significant challenges for O3 pollution prevention and control in this region. In the future, cities in the Bohai Rim need to further strengthen regional joint prevention and control of O3 pollution and increase emission reduction efforts of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. This strategy could effectively lower pollutant concentrations within the land breeze air mass, consequently reducing the impact of the sea breeze air mass on air quality in cities in the Bohai Rim.

TaMYB-CC5 gene specifically expressed in root improve tolerance of phosphorus deficiency and drought stress in wheat.

Phosphate deficiency and drought are significant environmental constraints that impact both the productivity and quality of wheat. The interaction between phosphorus and water facilitates their mutual absorption processes in plants. Under conditions of both phosphorus deficiency and drought stress, we observed a significant upregulation in the expression of wheat MYB-CC transcription factors through the transcriptome analysis. 52 TaMYB-CC genes in wheat were identified and analyzed their evolutionary relationships, structures, and expression patterns. The TaMYB-CC5 gene exhibited specific expression in roots and demonstrated significant upregulation under phosphorus deficiency and drought stress compared to other TaMYB-CC genes. The overexpression of TaMYB-CC5A in Arabidopsis resulted in a significant increase of root length under stress conditions, thereby enhancing tolerance to phosphate starvation and drought stress. The wheat lines with silenced TaMYB-CC5 genes exhibited reduced root length under stress conditions and increased sensitivity to phosphate deficiency and drought stress. In addition, silencing the TaMYB-CC5 genes resulted in altered phosphorus content in leaves but did not lead to a reduction in phosphorus content in roots. Enrichment analysis the co-expression genes of TaMYB-CC5 transcription factors, we found the zinc-induced facilitator-like (ZIFL) genes were prominent associated with TaMYB-CC5 gene. The TaZIFL1, TaZIFL2, and TaZIFL5 genes were verified specifically expressed in roots and regulated by TaMYB-CC5 transcript factor. Our study reveals the pivotal role of the TaMYB-CC5 gene in regulating TaZIFL genes, which is crucial for maintaining normal root growth under phosphorus deficiency and drought stress, thereby enhanced resistance to these abiotic stresses in wheat.

Discovery of Novel Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-Based HDAC6 Inhibitors as an Anticarcinogen with a Cardioprotective Effect.

Cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy has gradually become the major cause of death in cancer patients. The development of bifunctional drugs with both cardioprotective and antitumor effects has become the future direction. HDAC6 plays important roles in the progression, treatment, and prognosis of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but bifunctional inhibitors have not been reported. Herein, structure-activity relationship studies driven by pharmacophore-based remodification and fragment-based design were performed to yield highly potent HDAC6 inhibitor I-c4 containing imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine. Importantly, I-c4 effectively suppressed the growth of MGC-803 xenografts in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the deacetylation pathway without causing myocardial damage after long-term administration. Meanwhile, I-c4 could mitigate severe myocardial damage against H2O2 or myocardial ischemia/reperfusion in vitro and in vivo. Further studies revealed that the cardioprotective effect of I-c4 was associated with reduction of inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, I-c4 may represent a novel lead compound for further development of an anticarcinogen with a cardioprotective effect.

An all-in-one microfluidic SlipChip for power-free and rapid biosensing of pathogenic bacteria.

Point-of-care testing of pathogens is becoming more and more important for the prevention and control of food poisoning. Herein, a power-free colorimetric biosensor was presented for rapid detection of Salmonella using a microfluidic SlipChip for fluidic control and Au@PtPd nanocatalysts for signal amplification. All the procedures, including solution mixing, immune reaction, magnetic separation, residual washing, mimicking catalysis and colorimetric detection, were integrated on this SlipChip. First, the mixture of the bacterial sample, immune magnetic nanobeads (IMBs) and immune Au@PtPd nanocatalysts (INCs), washing buffer and H2O2-TMB chromogenic substrate were preloaded into the sample, washing and catalysis chambers, respectively. After the top layer of this SlipChip was slid to connect the sample chamber with the separation chamber, the mixture was moved back and forth through the asymmetrical split-and-recombine micromixer by using a disposable syringe to form the IMB-Salmonella-INC sandwich conjugates. Then, the conjugates were captured in the separation chamber using a magnetic field, and the top layer was slid to connect the washing chamber with the separation chamber for washing away excessive INCs. Finally, the top layer was slid to connect the catalysis chamber with the separation chamber, and the colorless substrate was catalyzed by the INCs with peroxidase-mimic activity to generate color change, followed by using a smartphone app to collect and analyze the image to determine the bacterial concentration. This all-in-one microfluidic biosensor enabled simple detection of Salmonella as low as 101.2 CFU mL-1 within 30 min and was featured with low cost, straightforward operation, and compact design.

Promoting CO2 Electroreduction to Hydrocarbon Products via Sulfur-Enhanced Proton Feeding in Atomically Precise Thiolate-Protected Cu Clusters.

Thiolate-protected Cu clusters with well-defined structures and stable low-coordinated Cu+ species exhibit remarkable potential for the CO2RR and are ideal model catalysts for establishing structure-electrocatalytic property relationships at the atomic level. However, extant Cu clusters employed in the CO2RR predominantly yield 2e- products. Herein, two model Cu4(MMI)4 and Cu8(MMI)4(tBuS)4 clusters (MMI = 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole) are prepared to investigate the synergistic effect of Cu+ and adjacent S sites on the CO2RR. Cu4(MMI)4 can reduce CO2 to deep-reduced products with a 91.0% Faradaic efficiency (including 53.7% for CH4) while maintaining remarkable stability. Conversely, Cu8(MMI)4(tBuS)4 shows a remarkable preference for C2+ products, achieving a maximum FE of 58.5% with a C2+ current density of 152.1 mA∙cm-2. In situ XAS and ex situ XPS spectra reveal the preservation of Cu+ species in Cu clusters during CO2RR, extensively enhancing the adsorption capacity of *CO intermediates. Moreover, kinetic analysis and theoretical calculations confirm that S sites facilitate H2O dissociation into *H species, which directly participate in the protonation process on adjacent Cu sites for the protonation of *CO to *CHO. This study highlights the important role of Cu-S dual sites in Cu clusters and provides mechanistic insights into the CO2RR pathway at the atomic level.

Healthcare professionals' perspectives towards the role of ward-based advanced practice nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: 1. To explore the perceptions of physicians, registered nurses (RN) and allied health professionals (AHP) towards the role of ward-based advanced practice nurse (APN). 2. To examine healthcare professionals' perception of APN role expansion in inpatient care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A 43-item survey comprising of five domains was conducted on healthcare professionals' perceptions towards ward-based APNs in five medical wards of a tertiary hospital from November 2022 to February 2023. The participants were recruited using convenience sampling via email and cross-platform messaging service. RESULTS: A total of 181 completed respondents including 26 physicians, 102 nurses and 45 AHPs. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Version 28.0. APNs were perceived to be spending a great extent of time across all five domains, namely, 'direct comprehensive care', 'support of systems', 'research', 'education' and 'publication and professional leadership'. Significant differences were noted in perceptions based on prior experience with APNs and between different healthcare professions. The majority recognized APNs' positive impact on patient safety, efficiency and patient-centeredness. CONCLUSION: This study offers valuable insights into ward-based APNs' practice patterns, roles and impact, revealing a positive shift in their acceptance and expanding roles within inpatient general wards. It also highlights the valuable roles and impact of ward-based APNs in direct patient care, system support, research, education and leadership, despite ongoing challenges in role clarity, particularly in treatment planning and ward rounds. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: APNs are highly regarded as competent and a consistent personnel in the wards. However, there are divided views on clinical activities that APNs undertake. IMPACT (ADDRESSING): What problem did the study address? ○ Role ambiguity for ward-based APNs. ○ Healthcare professionals' readiness and acceptance of APNs. What were the main findings? ○ APNs are perceived to have a strong involvement in direct patient care, support of system, research, education and leadership. ○ APNs are recognized for their significant impact on patient safety, efficiency and patient-centredness, but there were varied perceptions on the extent of time they spend in different practice domains. ○ The critical roles of APNs participating in daily ward rounds and initiating discharge plans were highlighted, emphasizing their importance in timeliness and continuity of care. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? ○ It will affect healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and healthcare administrators by providing insights into the roles and contributions of ward-based APNs. ○ The findings will guide policymakers and nurse leaders in making informed decisions about the implementation and development of APN roles, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

Individual suicide risk factors with resting-state brain functional connectivity patterns in bipolar disorder patients based on latent Dirichlet allocation model.

BACKGROUND: The widespread problem of suicide and its severe burden in bipolar disorder (BD) necessitate the development of objective risk markers, aiming to enhance individual suicide risk prediction in BD. METHODS: This study recruited 123 BD patients (61 patients with prior suicide attempted history (PSAs), 62 without (NSAs)) and 68 healthy controls (HEs). The Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model was used to decompose the resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) into multiple hyper/hypo-RSFC patterns. Thereafter, according to the quantitative results of individual heterogeneity over latent factor dimensions, the correlations were analyzed to test prediction ability. RESULTS: Model constructed without introducing suicide-related labels yielded three latent factors with dissociable hyper/hypo-RSFC patterns. In the subsequent analysis, significant differences in the factor distributions of PSAs and NSAs showed biases on the default-mode network (DMN) hyper-RSFC factor (factor 3) and the salience network (SN) and central executive network (CEN) hyper-RSFC factor (factor 1), indicating predictive value. Correlation analysis of the individuals' expressions with their Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR) revealed factor 3 positively correlated (r = 0.4180, p < 0.0001) and factor 1 negatively correlated (r = - 0.2492, p = 0.0055) with suicide risk. Therefore, it could be speculated that patterns more associated with suicide reflected hyper-connectivity in DMN and hypo-connectivity in SN, CEN. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided individual suicide-associated risk factors that could reflect the abnormal RSFC patterns, and explored the suicide related brain mechanisms, which is expected to provide supports for clinical decision-making and timely screening and intervention for individuals at high risks of suicide.

A rare case of acute meningitis caused by Moraxella osloensis.

Meningitis caused by Moraxella osloensis is rare and easily misdiagnosed clinically. Here, we report the first case of meningitis caused by M. osloensis in China by taking advantage of the metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology in cerebrospinal fluid for pathogen screening. In addition, we extend the neurological signs, clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods, and treatment of this rare disease.

The LIDPAD Mouse Model Captures the Multisystem Interactions and Extrahepatic Complications in MASLD.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents an impending global health challenge. Current management strategies often face setbacks, emphasizing the need for preclinical models that faithfully mimic the human disease and its comorbidities. The liver disease progression aggravation diet (LIDPAD), a diet-induced murine model, extensively characterized under thermoneutral conditions and refined diets is introduced to ensure reproducibility and minimize species differences. LIDPAD recapitulates key phenotypic, genetic, and metabolic hallmarks of human MASLD, including multiorgan communications, and disease progression within 4 to 16 weeks. These findings reveal gut-liver dysregulation as an early event and compensatory pancreatic islet hyperplasia, underscoring the gut-pancreas axis in MASLD pathogenesis. A robust computational pipeline is also detailed for transcriptomic-guided disease staging, validated against multiple harmonized human hepatic transcriptomic datasets, thereby enabling comparative studies between human and mouse models. This approach underscores the remarkable similarity of the LIDPAD model to human MASLD. The LIDPAD model fidelity to human MASLD is further confirmed by its responsiveness to dietary interventions, with improvements in metabolic profiles, liver histopathology, hepatic transcriptomes, and gut microbial diversity. These results, alongside the closely aligned changing disease-associated molecular signatures between the human MASLD and LIDPAD model, affirm the model's relevance and potential for driving therapeutic development.

Physicochemical stability of corn protein hydrolysate/tannic acid complex-based ß-carotene nanoemulsion delivery system.

Moderate non-covalent interaction of protein and polyphenols can improve the emulsifying property of protein itself. The corn protein hydrolysate (CPH) and tannic acid (TA) complex was successfully used to construct nanoemulsion for algal oil delivery. There has been no study on the feasibility of this nanoemulsion delivery system for other food functional components, for example, ß-carotene (ß-CE). CPH/TA complex-based nanoemulsion system for ß-CE delivery was studied, focusing on the effect of ß-CE content on the physicochemical stability of the nanoemulsions. The nanoemulsion delivery systems (dia. 150 nm) with low viscosity and good liquidity were easily fabricated by two-step emulsification. The nanoemulsions with high ß-CE content (>71.5 µg/mL) significantly increased (p < .05) the emulsion droplet size. However, there was no significant (p > .05) effect of ß-CE content on polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential of the nanoemulsions. The storage (30 days) experiment results demonstrated that the droplet size of the nanoemulsions with varying ß-CE content increased slightly during storage. However, the PDI values showed a slightly decreasing trend. Zeta potentials of the nanoemulsions showed no noticeable change during storage. Moreover, after storage of 30 days, the retention ratios of ß-CE were found to be up to 90%, which suggests an excellent protective effect for ß-CE by the nanoemulsion systems. The CPH/TA complex stabilized nanoemulsions could aggregate in gastric condition, but the ß-CE content did not have obvious effect on the digestive stability of the nanoemulsions. The CPH/TA complex could be employed as an emulsifier to construct a physicochemical stable nanoemulsion delivery system for lipophilic active components.

[Effects of Straw and Fertilizer Managements on Nitrogen Loss in Rice Cultivation in Taihu Lake Basin].

Nitrogen loss from rice systems is an important source of agricultural non-point source pollution. Many studies revolve around reducing the rate of nitrogen fertilizer application. However, studies examining the characteristics of nitrogen loss in multiple loss paths （runoff, leaching, and lateral seepage） under different straw and fertilizer managements are lacking. Therefore, a study was carried out based on a rice field planted for more than 20 years with straw continuously returned to the field for more than 5 years in Taihu lake basin. The effects of straw and fertilizer managements on nitrogen loss in different paths during the whole growth period of rice were studied. Moreover, straw and fertilizer managements were evaluated by their production suitability and environmental friendliness based on crop yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and nitrogen loss. The results showed that straw removal from the field increased the response sensitivity of nitrogen accumulation in plant tissue to nitrogen application. The nitrogen loss in the rice season was 9-17 kg·hm-2, accounting for 5%-7% of the nitrogen application rate. Straw removal increased the risk of nitrogen loss when soaking water discharged. Straw returning could decrease the nitrogen loss by more than 15%, though the effect of straw on nitrogen loss via lateral seepage was not clear. Furthermore, the suitable substitution of organic fertilizer （30% in this study） could respectively reduce the amount of nitrogen loss via runoff, leaching, and lateral seepage by 16%, 26%, and 37% compared with the fertilizer application under the same nitrogen gradient. In conclusion, the implementation of straw returning and fertilizer type optimization measures effectively reduced the nitrogen loss for unit weight of rice production and realized the balance between agricultural production and environmental protection.

High-quality reference genome of cowpea beetle Callosobruchus maculatus.

Callosobruchus maculatus is one of the most competitive stored grain pests, which causes a great loss to agricultural economy. However, due to an inadequacy of high-quality reference genome, the molecular mechanisms for olfactory and hypoxic adaptations to stored environments are unknown and require to be revealed urgently, which will contribute to the detection and prevention of the invasive pests C. maculatus. Here, we presented a high-quality chromosome-level genome of C. maculatus based on Illumina, Nanopore and Hi-C sequencing data. The total size was 1.2 Gb, and 65.17% (797.47 Mb) of it was identified to be repeat sequences. Among assembled chromosomes, chromosome 10 was considered the X chromosome according to the evidence of reads coverage and homologous genes among species. The current version of high-quality genome provides preferable data resources for the adaptive evolution research of C. maculatus.

The Role of Serine Protease 8 in Mediating Gefitinib Resistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation aims to explore the expression levels of serine protease 8 (PRSS8) in gefitinib-resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (PC9/GR) and elucidate its mechanism of action. METHODOLOGY: We measured PRSS8 expression in gefitinib-resistant (PC9/GR) and sensitive (PC9) NSCLC cell lines using Western blot analysis. PRSS8-specific small interfering RNA (PRSS8-siRNA), a recombinant plasmid, and a corresponding blank control were transfected into PC9/GR cells. Subsequently, Western blot analyses were conducted to assess the expression levels of PRSS8, phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), AKT, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), mTOR, and various apoptosis-related proteins within each group. Additionally, a cell proliferation assay utilizing Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) was performed on each group treated with gefitinib. RESULT: PRSS8 expression was markedly higher in PC9/GR cells compared to PC9 cells (p < 0.05). The group treated with PRSS8-siRNA exhibited significantly reduced protein expression levels of PRSS8, p-AKT, p-mTOR, ß-catenin, and BCL-2 compared to the control siRNA (Con-siRNA) group, whereas expressions of Caspase9 and Bax were significantly increased. In the untransfected PC9/GR cells, protein expressions of PRSS8, p-AKT, pmTOR, and BCL-2 were significantly elevated when compared with the plasmid-transfected group, which also showed a significant reduction in Bax expression. The proliferative activity of the PRSS8-siRNA group postgefitinib treatment was significantly diminished at 24, 48, and 72 hours in comparison to the Con-siRNA group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that PRSS8 contributes to the acquisition of resistance to gefitinib in NSCLC, potentially through regulation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Prevalence and related factors of nephrolithiasis among medical staff in Qingdao, China: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Certain occupations may predispose individuals to urolithiasis, a multi-factorial disease. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and related factors of nephrolithiasis in medical staff in Qingdao, China. METHODS: Physical examination results of 5115 in-service medical staff aged 22-60 years old were retrospectively analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and stratified analyses by age and gender were applied to explore the related factors of nephrolithiasis in these medical staff. RESULTS: The overall nephrolithiasis prevalence in medical staff in Qingdao, China was 4.65%. Doctors were more prone to nephrolithiasis than nurses (5.63% vs. 3.96%, P = 0.013) and the peak prevalence (6.69%) was observed in medical staff working in the emergency department (ED). Male gender (OR = 1.615, 95% CI = 1.123-2.323, P = 0.010), overweight or obesity (OR = 1.674, 95% CI = 1.266-2.214, P < 0.001), work seniority ≥ 10 years (OR = 2.489, 95%CI = 1.675-3.699, P < 0.001) and working in the ED (OR = 1.815, 95% CI = 1.202-2.742, P = 0.005) were independent predictors for nephrolithiasis in medical staff based on the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis. The associations between overweight or obesity and nephrolithiasis risk as well as between work seniority ≥ 10 years and nephrolithiasis risk in medical staff were independent of age or gender in stratified analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Nephrolithiasis prevalence in medical staff in Qingdao, China seemed not to be higher than that in the general population. Medical staff with work seniority ≥ 10 years and working in the ED should pay abundant attention to take measures to modify their nephrolithiasis risk.