Validity Of A Novel Simulator For Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) has steep learning curves and a high incidence of complications, but currently, efficient and economical training methods are lacking. This study aimed to validate a novel simulator for PTED. METHODS: The simulated PTED included puncturing and establishing the working channel (PEWC) and endoscopic discectomy, with the PEWC being the tested module. 11 experts and 21 novices were included and introduced to the simulator and tasks; all participants completed the PEWC. Outcomes included: total operation time, number of fluoroscopy for positioning the working sheath, number of spinal risk region invasion, Global Rating Scale (GRS) and a modified GRS, etc. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare two groups. Spearman's correlation coefficient analyzed continuous variables. RESULTS: Experts outperformed novices in total operation time (P = 0.001), requiring fewer number of fluoroscopies for positioning the working sheath (P = 0.003). Additionally, experts had a lower number of spinal risk region invasions (P = 0.016) and higher scores on both the GRS (P < 0.001) and modified GRS (P < 0.001). PTED experience correlated with GRS scores (P = 0.001) and modified GRS (P < 0.001). The overall realism scored a median of 4 (3.75-5), and educational value had a median of 4 (3-5). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the validity of the novel simulator, revealing significant associations between PTED experience and performance metrics in a simulated PEWC setting. Furthermore, the PEWC module also offers a good realistic design and high education value according to experts.

Synergistic effect of chitosan and ß-carotene in inhibiting MNU-induced retinitis pigmentosa.

In this study, N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) was intraperitoneally injected to construct a mouse retinitis pigmentosa (RP) model to evaluate the protective effect of chitosan and ß-carotene on RP. The results demonstrated that chitosan synergized with ß-carotene significantly reduced retinal histopathological structural damage in RP mice. The co-treatment group of ß-carotene and chitosan restored the retinal thickness and outer nuclear layer thickness better than the group treated with the two alone, and the thickness reached the normal level. The content of ß-carotene and retinoids in the liver of chitosan and ß-carotene co-treated group increased by 46.75 % and 20.69 %, respectively, compared to the ß-carotene group. Chitosan and ß-carotene supplement suppressed the expressions of Bax, Calpain2, Caspase3, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß, and promoted the up-regulation of Bcl2. Chitosan and ß-carotene interventions remarkably contributed to the content of SCFAs and enhanced the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Rikenellaceae, Odoribacteraceae and Helicobacteraceae. Correlation analysis demonstrated a strong association between gut microbiota and improvement in retinitis pigmentosa. This study will provide a reference for the study of the gut-eye axis.

Thermal performance and experimental analysis of stainless steel flat plate solar collector with full-flow channels.

The thermal performance of a flat plate solar collector (FPSC) is a critical indicator that depends on the environment, operational parameters, and dimensions. This study examines the impact of size on thermal performance improvement mechanisms. Firstly, numerical simulation models are introduced as the foundation for optimization research. This involves analyzing the flow resistance of microchannels and defining their structural parameters. Furthermore, experimental tests were conducted on a stainless steel flat plate solar collector (S/S FPSC) with the best design parameters to validate the accuracy of the mathematical model during the design phase. The results indicate that increasing the width of the microchannel and the height of corrugations can effectively enhance the thermal performance of the S/S FPSC. The momentary efficiency is projected to reach a remarkable 86.10% under ideal circumstances. Additionally, a mathematical expression was proposed to establish the relationship between the surrounding conditions and the momentary efficiency of the S/S FPSC. Moreover, the microchannel comprises S/S material, maintaining a homogeneous temperature distribution to maximize heat absorption. The use of stainless steel also extends the lifespan of the FPSC.

Analysis of the interaction-length dependence of frequency stability in an iodine-stabilized Nd:YAG laser.

We report a numerical simulation and an experimental study on the interaction-length dependence of frequency stability in an iodine-stabilized neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. A saturation spectroscopy model was used in the simulation to calculate the interaction-length dependence of the linewidth and signal-to-noise ratio of the iodine saturation spectrum. We determined that 2 m was the optimal interaction length for laser-frequency stabilization. We confirmed the simulation results by performing modulation transfer spectroscopy and laser-frequency stabilization using 45-cm- and 2-m-long iodine cells and multipass configurations. The results of this study are useful for designing compact and highly stable iodine-stabilized lasers.

A reference-grade genome of the xerophyte Ammopiptanthus mongolicus sheds light on its evolution history in legumes and drought tolerance mechanisms.

Plants grown under extreme environments represent unique sources for stress-resistant genes and mechanisms. Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Leguminosae) is a xerophytic legume shrub with evergreen broadleaves native to the semi-arid and desert regions, however, its drought tolerance mechanisms have not been well understood. Here, we report the assembly of a reference-grade genome, its evolutionary history within the legume family, and examination to its drought tolerance mechanisms. The assembled genome size was 843.07 Mb and 98.7% of the assembly was successfully anchored to the nine chromosomes of the plant. 47,611 genes were predicted to be protein-coding and 70.71% of the genome is composed of repetitive sequences dominated by transposable elements, particularly long-terminal-repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). Evolutionary analyses revealed two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events shared by the genus Ammopiptanthus and other legumes at 130 and 58 million years ago (Mya), whereas no species-specific WGD was found within this genus. Further ancestral genome reconstruction indicated that the A. mongolicus genome had fewer rearrangements within the legume family, confirming it is a "relict plant". Transcriptomic analyses revealed that cuticular wax biosynthesis and transport genes were highly expressed under both normal and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced dehydration conditions, and significant induction of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling related genes was also observed in leaves experiencing the dehydration stress, indicating that enhanced ethylene response and formation of thick waxy cuticles are two major mechanisms of drought tolerance in A. mongolicus. Consistently, ectopic expression of AmERF2, an ethylene response factor unique for A. mongolicus, resulted in marked increase of drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants, demonstrating the application potential of A. mongolicus genes in crop improvement.

Cost-Effectiveness of First-Line Atezolizumab versus Chemotherapy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Ineligible for Platinum-Containing Regimens.

Purpose: The IPSOS study provided evidence supporting the efficacy and tolerability of first-line atezolizumab compared to single-agent chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients ineligible for treatment with a platinum-containing regimen. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of atezolizumab specifically in this population, considering the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Patients and Methods: In this analysis, a three-state Markov model was utilized. The survival data were derived from the IPSOS clinical trial. Direct medical costs and utility values were collected from national authoritative database and published literature. The primary outcomes were costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). To ensure the robustness of our model, both one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: Atezolizumab monotherapy led to an increase in costs of $4139.23 compared to single-agent chemotherapy. Additionally, it resulted in a gain of 0.14 QALYs, leading to an ICER of $29,365.79 per QALY, which was below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $36,066 per QALY used in the model. One-way sensitivity analyses revealed cost of atezolizumab and utility of progressive disease (PD) as major influencing factors for ICER. Furthermore, probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed our base-case results. Conclusion: From the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system, atezolizumab emerges as a cost-effective choice for the first-line treatment of NSCLC patients ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy.

Reversal of the concreteness effect can be detected in the natural speech of older adults with amnestic, but not non-amnestic, mild cognitive impairment.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with Alzheimer's disease present with difficulty in lexical retrieval and reversal of the concreteness effect in nouns. Little is known about the phenomena before the onset of symptoms. We anticipate early linguistic signs in the speech of people who suffer from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Here, we report the results of a corpus-linguistic approach to the early detection of cognitive impairment. METHODS: One hundred forty-eight English-speaking Singaporeans provided natural speech data, on topics of their choice; 74 were diagnosed with single-domain MCI (38 amnestic, 36 non-amnestic), 74 cognitively healthy. The recordings yield 267,310 words, which are tagged for parts of speech. We calculate the per-minute word counts and concreteness scores of all tagged words, nouns, and verbs in the dataset. RESULTS: Compared to controls, subjects with amnestic MCI produce fewer but more abstract nouns. Verbs are not affected. DISCUSSION: Slower retrieval of nouns and the reversal of the concreteness effect in nouns are manifested in natural speech and can be detected early through corpus-based analysis. Highlights: Reversal of the concreteness effect is manifested in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and semantic dementia.The paper reports a corpus-based analysis of natural speech by people with amnestic and non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively healthy controls.People with amnestic MCI produce fewer and more abstract nouns than people with non-amnestic MCI and healthy controls. Verbs appear to be unaffected.The imageability problem can be detected in natural everyday speech by people with amnestic MCI, which carries a higher risk of conversion to AD.

TRPC4 aggravates hypoxic pulmonary hypertension by promoting pulmonary endothelial cell apoptosis.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a devastating disease that lacks effective treatment options and is characterized by severe pulmonary vascular remodeling. Pulmonary arterial endothelial cell (PAEC) dysfunction drives the initiation and pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels, a family of Ca2+-permeable channels, play an important role in various diseases. However, the effect and mechanism of TRPCs on PH development have not been fully elucidated. Among the TRPC family members, TRPC4 expression was markedly upregulated in PAECs from hypoxia combined with SU5416 (HySu)-induced PH mice and monocrotaline (MCT)-treated PH rats, as well as in hypoxia-exposed PAECs, suggesting that TRPC4 in PAECs may participate in the occurrence and development of PH. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether TRPC4 in PAECs has an aggravating effect on PH and elucidate the molecular mechanisms. We observed that hypoxia treatment promoted PAEC apoptosis through a caspase-12/endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-dependent pathway. Knockdown of TRPC4 attenuated hypoxia-induced apoptosis and caspase-3/caspase-12 activity in PAECs. Accordingly, adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 6-mediated pulmonary endothelial TRPC4 silencing (AAV6-Tie-shRNA-TRPC4) or TRPC4 antagonist suppressed PH progression as evidenced by reduced right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), pulmonary vascular remodeling, PAEC apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Mechanistically, unbiased RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) suggested that TRPC4 deficiency suppressed the expression of the proapoptotic protein sushi domain containing 2 (Susd2) in hypoxia-exposed mouse PAECs. Moreover, TRPC4 activated hypoxia-induced PAEC apoptosis by promoting Susd2 expression. Therefore, inhibiting TRPC4 ameliorated PAEC apoptosis and hypoxic PH in animals by repressing Susd2 signaling, which may serve as a therapeutic target for the management of PH.

Associations between the cause of amblyopia and pre-treatment contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity, fixation, and nystagmus.

Purpose: To explore the association between the cause of amblyopia and pre-treatment contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity, fixation and nystagmus. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for 3408 patients with amblyopia who had not yet started amblyopia treatment utilizing a large amblyopia patient database maintained at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre. Six amblyogenic factor subtypes were identified: anisometropia, isoametropia, strabismus, anisometropia and strabismus, monocular visual deprivation, and binocular visual deprivation amblyopia. Monocular best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the contrast sensitivity function (CSF), fixation, and stereopsis were compared between the subtypes before and after propensity score matching (PSM) for age and sex. Results: The two deprivation groups had poorer BCVA and CSF than the other groups. There were no systematic differences in CSF between the non-deprivation groups. Nystagmus was more common in the bilateral amblyopia groups compared to the monocular amblyopia groups. Eccentric fixation was uncommon with the exception of the anisometropia and strabismus group which had an eccentric fixation rate of 20%. Distance stereoacuity measured without monocular cues was absent for almost all patients. The results were consistent when analyzed using PSM. Conclusion: Visual deprivation causes more severe amblyopia than other amblyogenic factors. For non-deprivation amblyopia subtypes, individual differences such as variation in the severity of the amblyogenic factor might be more important in determining pre-treatment vision than whether amblyopia was caused by refractive error, strabismus or both.

Preparation of Peptoid Antifreeze Agents and Their Structure-Property Relationship.

The development of nontoxic and efficient antifreeze agents for organ cryopreservation is crucial. However, the research remains highly challenging. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of peptoid oligomers using the solid-phase submonomer synthesis method by mimicking the amphiphilic structures of antifreeze proteins (AFPs). The obtained peptoid oligomers showed excellent antifreeze properties, reducing the ice crystal growth rate and inhibiting ice recrystallization. The effects of the hydrophobicity and sequence of the peptoid side chains were also studied to reveal the structure-property relationship. The prepared peptoid oligomers were detected as non-cytotoxic and considered to be useful in the biological field. We hope that the peptoid oligomers presented in this study can provide effective strategies for the design of biological cryoprotectants for organ preservation in the future.

A new nomogram to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with acute decompensated chronic heart failure and diabetes after 48 Hours of Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: The study set out to develop an accurate and clinically valuable prognostic nomogram to assess the risk of in-hospital death in patients with acute decompensated chronic heart failure (ADCHF) and diabetes. METHODS: We extracted clinical data of patients diagnosed with ADCHF and diabetes from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. Risk variables were selected utilizing least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, and were included in multivariate logistic regression and presented in nomogram. bootstrap was used for internal validation. The discriminative power and predictive accuracy of the nomogram were estimated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: Among 867 patients with ADCHF and diabetes, In-hospital death occurred in 81 (9.3%) patients. Age, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, red blood cell distribution width, shock, ß-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, assisted ventilation, and blood urea nitrogen were brought into the nomogram model. The calibration curves suggested that the nomogram was well calibrated. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.873 (95% CI: 0.834-0.911), which was higher that of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II [0.761 (95% CI: 0.711-0.810)] and sequential organ failure assessment score [0.699 (95% CI: 0.642-0.756)], and Guidelines-Heart Failure score [0.782 (95% CI: 0.731-0.835)], indicating that the nomogram had better ability to predict in-hospital mortality. In addition, the internally validated C-index was 0.857 (95% CI: 0.825-0.891), which again verified the validity of this model. CONCLUSIONS: This study constructed a simple and accurate nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with ADCHF and diabetes, especially in those who admitted to the intensive care unit for more than 48 hours, which contributed clinicians to assess the risk and individualize the treatment of patients, thereby reducing in-hospital mortality.

Frequency-multiplexed on-demand storage in five modes of atomic frequency comb through simultaneous application of control pulses.

In quantum communication with quantum repeaters, multiplexed quantum memory is expected to enhance communication rates. When using an atomic frequency comb (AFC) for on-demand storage, the frequency mode number is often limited by the optical power of the control pulses. Here, using a space-coupled waveguide electro-optic modulator, we increased the output power, allowing us to apply control pulses to multiple modes simultaneously. Further, through enhancement of an experimental setup that increases power density, we increased the number of modes. Consequently, we pioneered, to the best of our knowledge, on-demand storage using five modes of AFC. This technology is a significant achievement toward frequency-multiplexed on-demand quantum memory.

Flexible manipulation terahertz beam based on an all-dielectric metasurface by utilizing addition and convolution algorithms.

The flexibly manipulated terahertz wave is currently a hot research topic. To address this challenge, we proposed an all-dielectric coding metasurface for shaping the terahertz wave including beam splitting, beam deflection, vortex beam generators, and a vortex beam and multi-beam splitting combination by combining addition with the convolution theorem. This work represents what we believe to be a new method of combining terahertz wave regulation with digital signal processing and opens up the versatile design ideas of multifunctional metadevices.

A retrotransposon-derived DNA zip code internalizes myeloma cells through Clathrin-Rab5a-mediated endocytosis.

Introduction: We have demonstrated that transposons derived from ctDNA can be transferred between cancer cells. The present research aimed to investigate the cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of Multiple Myeloma-zip code (MM-ZC), a cell-specific zip code, in myeloma cell lines. We demonstrated that MM-ZC uptake by myeloma cells was concentration-, time- and cell-type-dependent. Methods: Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy methods were used to identify the level of internalization of the zip codes in MM cells. To screen for the mechanism of internalization, we used multiple inhibitors of endocytosis. These experiments were followed by biotin pulldown and confocal microscopy for validation. Single interference RNA (siRNA) targeting some of the proteins involved in endocytosis was used to validate the role of this pathway in ZC cell internalization. Results: Endocytosis inhibitors identified that Monensin and Chlorpromazine hydrochloride significantly reduced MM-ZC internalization. These findings suggested that Clathrin-mediated endocytosis and endosomal maturation play a crucial role in the cellular uptake of MM-ZC. Biotin pulldown and confocal microscopic studies revealed the involvement of proteins such as Clathrin, Rab5a, Syntaxin-6, and RCAS1 in facilitating the internalization of MM-ZC. Knockdown of Rab5a and Clathrin proteins reduced cellular uptake of MM-ZC and conclusively demonstrated the involvement of Clathrin-Rab5a pathways in MM-ZC endocytosis. Furthermore, both Rab5a and Clathrin reciprocally affected their association with MM-ZC when we depleted their proteins by siRNAs. Additionally, the loss of Rab5a decreased the Syntaxin-6 association with MMZC but not vice versa. Conversely, MM-ZC treatment enhanced the association between Clathrin and Rab5a. Conclusion: Overall, the current study provides valuable insights into the cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of MM-ZC in myeloma cells. Identifying these mechanisms and molecular players involved in MM-ZC uptake contributes to a better understanding of the delivery and potential applications of cell-specific Zip-Codes in gene delivery and drug targeting in cancer research.

m6A reader YTHDC2 mediates NCOA4 mRNA stability affecting ferritinophagy to alleviate secondary injury after intracerebral haemorrhage.

Oxidative stress and neuronal dysfunction caused by intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) can lead to secondary injury. The m6A modification has been implicated in the progression of ICH. This study aimed to investigate the role of the m6A reader YTHDC2 in ICH-induced secondary injury. ICH models were established in rats using autologous blood injection, and neuronal cell models were induced with Hemin. Experiments were conducted to overexpress YTH domain containing 2 (YTHDC2) and examine its effects on neuronal dysfunction, brain injury, and neuronal ferritinophagy. RIP-qPCR and METTL3 silencing were performed to investigate the regulation of YTHDC2 on nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4). Finally, NCOA4 overexpression was used to validate the regulatory mechanism of YTHDC2 in ICH. The study found that YTHDC2 expression was significantly downregulated in the brain tissues of ICH rats. However, YTHDC2 overexpression improved neuronal dysfunction and reduced brain water content and neuronal death after ICH. Additionally, it reduced levels of ROS, NCOA4, PTGS2, and ATG5 in the brain tissues of ICH rats, while increasing levels of FTH and FTL. YTHDC2 overexpression also decreased levels of MDA and Fe2+ in the serum, while promoting GSH synthesis. In neuronal cells, YTHDC2 overexpression alleviated Hemin-induced injury, which was reversed by Erastin. Mechanistically, YTHDC2-mediated m6A modification destabilized NCOA4 mRNA, thereby reducing ferritinophagy and alleviating secondary injury after ICH. However, the effects of YTHDC2 were counteracted by NCOA4 overexpression. Overall, YTHDC2 plays a protective role in ICH-induced secondary injury by regulating NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy.

Effect of Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) on the Postharvest Quality of Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris).

Plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment is an effective technique for the quality retention of fresh vegetables with cold atmospheric plasma using controllable parameters. This study investigated the effect of PAW on the postharvest quality of shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). The results displayed that PAW treatment with an activation time of 5, 10, 15, and 20 min reduced the yellowing rate and weight loss of the shepherd's purse during 9 days of storage. Compared with untreated samples, PAW treatment at different times reduced the number of total bacteria, coliform, yeast, and mold by 0.18-0.94, 0.59-0.97, 0.90-1.18, and 1.03-1.17 Log CFU/g after 9 days of storage, respectively. Additionally, the treatments with PAW-5 and PAW-10 better preserved ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, total phenol, and total flavonoid contents. They also maintained the higher antioxidant and CAT activity and inhibited the formation of terpenes, alcohols, and nitrogen oxide compounds of the shepherd's purse at the end of storage. The microstructural result illustrated that the cells of the shepherd's purse treated with PAW-5 and PAW-10 were relatively intact, with a small intercellular space after storage. This study demonstrated that PAW treatment effectively improved the postharvest quality of shepherd's purse.

Exosomes secreted by CSFV-infected cells evade neutralizing antibody to activate innate immune responses and establish productive infection in recipient cells.

Exosomes, which are small membrane-enclosed vesicles, are actively released into the extracellular space by a variety of cells. Growing evidence indicates that exosomes derived from virus-infected cells can selectively encapsulate viral proteins, genetic materials, or even entire virions. This enables them to mediate cell-to-cell communication and facilitate virus transmission. Classical swine fever (CSF) is a disease listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Animal Health Code and must be reported to the organisation. It is caused by classical swine fever virus (CSFV) belonging to the Flaviviridae family. Recent studies have demonstrated that extracellular vesicles originating from autophagy can facilitate the antibody-resistant spread of classical swine fever virus. However, due to the extreme difficulty in achieving a complete separation from virions, the role of exosomes during CSFV infection and proliferation remains elusive. In this study, we ingeniously chose to perform immunoprecipitation (IP) targeting the CSFV E2 protein, thereby achieving the complete removal of infectious virions. Subsequently, we discovered that the purified exosomes are shown to contain viral genomic RNA and partial viral proteins. Furthermore, exosomes secreted by CSFV-infected cells can evade CSFV-specific neutralizing antibodies, establish subsequent infection, and stimulate innate immune system after uptake by recipient cells. In summary, exosomes play a critical role in CSFV transmission. This is of great significance for in-depth exploration of the characteristics of CSFV and its complex interactions with the host.

Microstructure, Mechanical Property and Thermal Conductivity of Porous TiCO Ceramic Fabricated by In Situ Carbothermal Reduction of Phenolic Resin and Titania.

The porous TiCO ceramic was synthesized through a one-step sintering method, utilizing phenolic resin, TiO2 powder, and KCl foaming agent as raw materials. Ni(NO3)2·6H2O was incorporated as a catalyst to facilitate the carbothermal reaction between the pyrolytic carbon and TiO2 powder. The influence of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O catalyst content (0, 5, 10 wt.% of the TiO2 powder) on the microstructure, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of the resultant porous TiCO ceramic was examined. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed the formation of TiC and TiO in all samples, with an increase in the peak of TiC and a decrease in that of TiO as the Ni(NO3)2·6H2O content increased from 0% to 10%. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated a morphological change in the pore wall, transforming from a honeycomb-like porous structure composed of well-dispersed carbon and TiC-TiO particles to rod-shaped TiC whiskers, interconnected with each other as the catalyst content increased from 0% to 10%. Mercury intrusion porosimetry results proved a dual modal pore-size distribution of the samples, comprising nano-scale pores and micro-scale pores. The micro-scale pore size of the samples minorly changed, while the nano-scale pore size escalated from 52 nm to 138 nm as the catalyst content increased from 0 to 10%. The morphology of the pore wall and nano-scale pore size primarily influenced the compressive strength and thermal conductivity of the samples by affecting the load-bearing capability and solid heat-transfer conduction path, respectively.

Melatonin Alleviates BPA-Induced Testicular Apoptosis and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

BACKGROUND: The impact of melatonin on bisphenol A (BPA)-induced testicular apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was explored. METHODS: The mice received BPA (50 mg/kg) by gavage for 30 days while being injected with 20 mg/kg melatonin. Protein expressions were detected with western blotting. The Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assay measured testicular cell apoptosis. Testosterone was quantified by employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Melatonin promoted the development of seminiferous tubules, restored the orderly arrangement of the germ cells, and increased epithelial layers in the seminiferous tubules in BPA-treated mice. Moreover, in BPA-treated mouse testicular cells, melatonin markedly upregulated melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) and melatonin Receptor 2 (MTNR2) expressions while downregulating ER molecular chaperones glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94). Furthermore, it decreased p-PERK, p-IRE1, and ATF6α, as well as the apoptotic proteins cysteine-containing aspartate-specific proteases-12 (caspase-12) and cleaved cysteine-containing aspartate-specific proteases-3 (cleaved caspase-3), causing the suppression of testicular cell apoptosis. Additionally, melatonin increased the levels of cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/20-lyase (CYP17A1), 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (17ß-HSD3), and 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4 (3ß-HSD4), in the ER, and elevated testosterone levels in testicular tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin can significantly alleviate testicular apoptosis and ER stress induced by BPA, which is because of the upregulation of melatonin receptor expression in testicular cells, inhibition of ER stress-related pathways, and enhancement of testosterone synthesis.

Soil nitrogen availability and microbial carbon use efficiency are dependent more on chemical fertilization than winter drought in a maize-soybean rotation system.

Soil nitrogen (N) availability is one of the limiting factors of crop productivity, and it is strongly influenced by global change and agricultural management practices. However, very few studies have assessed how the winter drought affected soil N availability during the subsequent growing season under chemical fertilization. We conducted a field investigation involving snow removal to simulate winter drought conditions in a Mollisol cropland in Northeast China as part of a 6-year fertilization experiment, and we examined soil physicochemical properties, microbial characteristics, and N availability. Our results demonstrated that chemical fertilization significantly increased soil ammonium and total N availability by 42.9 and 90.3%, respectively; a combined winter drought and fertilization treatment exhibited the highest soil N availability at the end of the growing season. As the growing season continued, the variation in soil N availability was explained more by fertilization than by winter drought. The Mantel test further indicated that soil Olsen-P content and microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) were significantly related to soil ammonium availability. A microbial community structure explained the largest fraction of the variation in soil nitrate availability. Microbial CUE showed the strongest correlation with soil N availability, followed by soil available C:P and bacteria:fungi ratios under winter drought and chemical fertilization conditions. Overall, we clarified that, despite the weak effect of the winter drought on soil N availability, it cannot be ignored. Our study also identified the important role of soil microorganisms in soil N transformations, even in seasonally snow-covered northern croplands.