Ginseng-Sanqi-Chuanxiong (GSC) extracts attenuate d-galactose-induced vascular aging in mice via inhibition of endothelial progenitor cells senescence.

Vascular aging is an independent risk factor for age-related diseases and a specific type of organic aging. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), a type of bone marrow stem cell, has been linked to vascular aging. The purpose of this study is to investigate if Ginseng-Sanqi-Chuanxiong (GSC) extract, a traditional Chinese medicine, can delay aortic aging in mice by enhancing the performance and aging of EPCs in vivo and to analyze the potential mechanisms through a d-Galactose (D-gal)-induced vascular aging model in mice. Our study revealed that GSC extracts not only enhanced the aortic structure, endothelial function, oxidative stress levels, and aging in mice, but also enhanced the proliferation, migration, adhesion, and secretion of EPCs in vivo, while reducing the expression of p53, p21, and p16. To conclude, GSC can delay vascular senescence by enhancing the function and aging of EPCs, which could be linked to a decrease in p16 and p53/p21 signaling. Consequently, utilizing GSC extracts to enhance the function and senescence of autologous EPCs may present a novel avenue for enhancing autologous stem cells in alleviating senescence.

Whole genome resequencing reveals significant genetic differentiation between Exserohilum turcicum populations from maize and sorghum and candidate effector genes related to host specificity (Retracted).

After the manuscript was accepted, inconsistencies in the analyses were detected. These inconsistencies affected the general conclusion of the manuscript. This article was retracted on 27 March 2024.Exserohilum turcicum is a devastating fungal pathogen that infects both maize and sorghum, leading to severe leaf diseases of the two crops. According to host specificity, pathogenic isolates of E. turcicum are divided into two formae speciales, namely E. turcicum f. sp. zeae and E. turcicum f. sp. sorghi. To date, the molecular mechanism underlying the host specificity of E. turcicum is marginally known. In this study, the whole genomes of 60 E. turcicum isolates collected from both maize and sorghum were resequenced, which enabled identification of 147,847 high-quality SNPs in total. Based on the SNPs, all isolates were clustered into four genetic groups that had a close relationship with host source. This observation was validated by the result of principal component analysis. The analysis of population structure revealed that there was obvious genetic differentiation between maize and sorghum host populations. Further analysis showed that 5,431 SNPs, including 612 nonsynonymous SNPs, were completely co-segregated with host source. These nonsynonymous SNPs were located in 539 genes in which 18 genes were predicted to encode secretory proteins, including six putative effector genes. The sequence polymorphism analysis of the six effector genes in 60 isolates indicated that these genes were perfectly co-segregated with host source. All SNVs in the coding regions of these genes were non-synonymous substitutions, suggesting that these genes were subject to strong positive selection pressure. These findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of host specificity in E. turcicum.

Deregulation of the Glymphatic System in Alzheimer's Disease: Genetic and Non-Genetic Factors.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia and is characterized by progressive degeneration of brain function. AD gradually affects the parts of the brain that control thoughts, language, behavior and mental function, severely impacting a person's ability to carry out daily activities and ultimately leading to death. The accumulation of extracellular amyloid-ß peptide (Aß) and the aggregation of intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau are the two key pathological hallmarks of AD. AD is a complex condition that involves both non-genetic risk factors (35%) and genetic risk factors (58-79%). The glymphatic system plays an essential role in clearing metabolic waste, transporting tissue fluid, and participating in the immune response. Both non-genetic and genetic risk factors affect the glymphatic system to varying degrees. The main purpose of this review is to summarize the underlying mechanisms involved in the deregulation of the glymphatic system during the progression of AD, especially concerning the diverse contributions of non-genetic and genetic risk factors. In the future, new targets and interventions that modulate these interrelated mechanisms will be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of AD.

One year clinical outcome of dual anti-platelet therapy with the Novel Ticagrelor plus Aspirin versus Clopidogrel plus Aspirin for Endovascular Intervention of patients with Intracranial Aneurysm: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of stents to treat un-ruptured intracranial aneurysms was first approved in the year 2002 in the United States as a Humanitarian Device Exemption. Antiplatelet therapy is mandatory following stent placement. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel has been the first line agents for the prevention of thromboembolic events following neuro-endovascular procedures. However, clopidogrel hypo-responsiveness has often been observed. In this analysis, we aimed to systematically compare one year clinical outcome of DAPT with the Novel Ticagrelor plus Aspirin versus Clopidogrel plus Aspirin for Endovascular Intervention of patients with Intracranial Aneurysm. METHODS: Online electronic databases were searched from June 2023 till July 2023 for relevant studies which compared DAPT with ticagrelor or clopidogrel for endovascular intervention in patients with intracranial aneurysm. The endpoints which were analyzed were classified into thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events. A fixed and a random effect statistical model were used during data analysis respectively. Risk ratio (RR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) was used to represent the data following analysis. RESULTS: Five studies with a total number of 893 participants were included in this analysis. Three hundred and fifty eight (358) participants were assigned to the ticagrelor group whereas 535 participants were assigned to clopidogrel group. Participants' enrollment period ranged from the year 2009 to 2019. Our results showed that during a mean follow-up time period of one year, DAPT with ticagrelor was associated with significantly lower thromboembolic events with RR: 0.33, 95 % CI: 0.16 - 0.68; P = 0.003. In addition, at one year, DAPT with ticagrelor was not associated with any increase in hemorrhagic events (RR: 0.66, 95 % CI: 0.29 - 1.50; P = 0.32) when compared to DAPT with clopidogrel. CONCLUSION: At one year, DAPT with ticagrelor was associated with significantly lower thromboembolic events without any increase in hemorrhagic events when compared to clopidogrel associated DAPT for endovascular intervention of patients with intracranial aneurysm. However, even though ticagrelor-associated DAPT use appeared to be more effective and safe, this hypothesis should only be confirmed in larger upcoming trials.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Paramyrothecium foliicola on Peanut in China.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is an important economic and oil crop in China. In September 2022, leaf spots were observed on peanut in Luoyang city, Henan province, China (34°49'N, 112°37'E). The disease occurred on about 30% of the peanut leaves in only one 0.5-acre field. Symptoms appeared primarily as brown spots, that varied in shape, and appeared round, oval or irregular. In addition, some disease patches exhibited a concentric ring pattern. Small pieces (5×5 mm) of five diseased leaves were surface disinfected in 3% NaClO for 2 minutes, rinsed three times in sterile distilled water, dried on sterilized filter paper, and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C for 3 days. Five isolates with uniform characteristics were obtained and subcultured by transferring hyphal tips to fresh PDA. The colonies of the isolates were circular and the margins were clean. The colonies showed white coloration, and after 5-7 days of incubation on PDA plates, concentric rings with dark green sporodochia appeared on the surface of the colonies. The conidiophores branched repeatedly. The conidiophore stipes unbranched, hyaline, 10.0 to 23.2×1.5 to 3.3 µm (n=50). The conidia were rod-shaped or long oval and single-celled, measuring 4.6 to 8.6×1.4 to 3.1 µm (n=100). Based on these characteristics, the five isolates were identified as Paramyrothecium foliicola (Lombard et al 2016). Genomic DNA was extracted from the representative isolates LH-1-1 and LH-1-2. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), calmodulin (CmdA), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) loci were amplified and sequenced using the following primer pairs: ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), RPB2-5F2/RPB2-7cR (O'Donnell et al. 2007), CAL-228F/CAL-2Rd (Carbone & Kohn 1999), and EF1-728F/EF2 (O'Donnell et al. 1998), respectively. BLASTn analysis revealed that the sequences of ITS (OR352397.1 and OR417392.1), RPB2 (OR413573.1 and OR420678.1), CmdA (OR413572.1 and OR420677.1), and tef1 (OR413574.1 and OR420679.1) had 99 to 100% (553/558 bp, 721/721 bp, 597/598 bp, and 384/389 bp) similarity to P. foliicola (MN593634.1, MN398038.1, OM801785.1, MK335967.1). A phylogenetic tree based on the Maximum Likelihood method also confirmed that the two isolates converge on the same branch as P. foliicola. Pathogenicity tests were performed using leaves of 60-day-old peanut plants (cv. Zhonghua 8). Briefly, uninfected healthy leaves (non-wounded) were inoculated with 30-µl drops containing a spore suspension (5×105 conidia/ml) of LH-1-2, and peanut leaves inoculated with sterile distilled water served as controls. All treatments were incubated in an incubator at 25℃ and high relative humidity with a 12:12 hour light-dark cycle. After 5-7 days, inoculated leaves showed symptoms similar to those observed in the field, while no symptoms were observed on control leaves. The pathogenicity tests were repeated three times. The fungus was reisolated from the infected leaves and identified as P. foliicola based on morphological and molecular characteristics, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. P. foliicola has previously been reported to cause leaf spot of tomato and mung bean, stem canker of cucumber (Huo et al. 2022; Sun et al.2020; Huo et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. foliicola causing leaf spot on peanut in the world. Identification of this pathogen will be helpful in monitoring peanut diseases and developing disease control strategies.

Variation in clinical practice guideline recommendations for medication use in pregnancy in Australia: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Medication use in pregnancy is common; however, it is unknown if clinical practice guideline (CPG) prescribing recommendations referred to in Australia at the state, national and international level are consistent. AIMS: This systematic review aimed to: (1) identify sources of CPGs that inform prescribing during pregnancy in Australia; (2) assess CPG quality; and (3) evaluate variation within CPG recommendations for medication use in three common conditions in pregnancy: prophylactic antibiotics following premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at term, antidepressants in pregnancy and metformin in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus and EMBASE databases. Grey literature was identified through publicly available Australian policy statements. Prescribing recommendations for prophylactic antibiotics following PROM at term, antidepressants in pregnancy and metformin in GDM, were compared at the state, national and international levels. CPG quality was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. RESULTS: We identified 39 CPG sources that inform prescribing during pregnancy in Australia. CPG quality varied between resources. There was minor variation in recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis in PROM at term. Recommendations regarding metformin use in GDM were also variable, with CPGs either recommending its use as a first-line agent when lifestyle modifications are not effective or when insulin therapy is not practicable. Recommendations for antidepressant use were consistent across CPGs analysed. CONCLUSION: Multiple CPGs exist to inform prescribing during pregnancy in Australia, with variation present within CPG quality and recommendations. These findings offer insight into potential sources of variation in maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Indwelling Needle Puncture and Irrigation in the Conservative Treatment of Breast Abscess During Non-Lactation Period.

The objective of this study is to observe the effect of indwelling needle puncture and irrigation in the conservative treatment of breast abscesses in the non-lactation period. Non-lactating breast abscess patients were treated at the Daping Medical Breast Surgery Clinic, Chongqing. In the Incisive drainage group, 21 patients were treated with conventional incision and drainage. In the Indwelling needle group, 20 patients were treated by puncture and irrigation with a 20 G indwelling needle. The pain VAS scores and wound satisfaction in the Indwelling needle group were significantly lower than those in the Incisive drainage group (P < 0.001), and the cure time and complications were also significantly lower in the Indwelling needle group (P < 0.05). The cure rates of the two groups were similar (P > 0.05). There was a difference in the duration of illness, location, and number of pus cavities between the treatment failure and the treatment recovery (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the size of the pus cavity and the maximum amount of pus aspiration (P > 0.05). The indwelling needle can be used as an effective tool for puncture and irrigation of single breast abscess in a non-lactation period, potentially for non-invasive treatment of breast abscesses.

Study protocol: Generation Victoria (GenV) special care nursery registry.

Introduction: Newborn babies who require admission for specialist care can experience immediate and sometimes lasting impacts. For babies admitted to special care nurseries (SCN), there is no dataset comparable to that of the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN), which has helped improve the quality and consistency of neonatal intensive care through standardised data collection. Objectives: We aim to establish a proof-of-concept, Victoria-wide registry of babies admitted to SCN, embedded within the whole-of-Victoria Generation Victoria (GenV) cohort. Methods: This prototype registry is a depth sub-cohort nested within GenV, targeting all babies born in Victoria from Oct-2021 to Oct-2023. Infants admitted to SCN are eligible. The minimum dataset will be harmonised with ANZNN for common constructs but also include SCN-only items, and will cover maternal, antenatal, newborn, respiratory/respiratory support, cardiac, infection, nutrition, feeding, cerebral and other items. As well as the dataset, this protocol outlines the anticipated cohort, timeline for this registry, and how this will serve as a resource for longitudinal research through its integration with the GenV longitudinal cohort and linked datasets. Conclusion: The registry will provide the opportunity to better understand the health and future outcomes of the large and growing cohort of children that require specialist care after birth. The data would generate translatable evidence and could lay the groundwork for a stand-alone ongoing clinical quality registry post-GenV.

Suppressing Interfacial Side Reactions of Anode-Free Lithium Batteries by an Organic Salt Monolayer.

Anode-free lithium (Li) batteries are attractive owing to their high energy density. However, Li loss by forming solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) during cell activation leads to a ≈25% capacity decrease, and the capacity constantly fades upon cycling due to the side reactions on the copper (Cu) current collector. This paper reports high-initial-efficiency, long-cycle-life, and long-calendar-life anode-free Li batteries by using an organic Li salt monolayer bonded on Cu. The functional salt, namely lithium ((4-carbamoylphenyl)sulfonyl)(fluorosulfonyl)imide, electrochemically decomposes and passivates the Cu surface, which reduces Li sacrifice by SEI formation and suppresses galvanic Li corrosion and Li-electrolyte reactions during cycling. This work records a LiF-rich interphase on Cu and guided Li nucleation and growth. A 93.6% initial Li deposition efficiency is realized in a regular carbonate electrolyte, and the galvanic current is decreased to ≈40 nA cm-2 , merely one-tenth of bare Cu. After cell activation, 95.2% capacity is retained for a Cu|LiNi0.8 Mn0.1 Co0.1 pouch cell with a theoretical capacity of 200 mAh, and the cell is operated over 600 cycles. Calendar aging showed no damage to cell performance.

Pattern and variation in simple sequence repeat (SSR) at different genomic regions and its implications to maize evolution and breeding.

BACKGROUND: Repetitive DNA sequences accounts for over 80% of maize genome. Although simple sequence repeats (SSRs) account for only 0.03% of the genome, they have been widely used in maize genetic research and breeding as highly informative codominant DNA markers. The genome-wide distribution and polymorphism of SSRs are not well studied due to the lack of high-quality genome DNA sequence data. RESULTS: In this study, using data from high-quality de novo-sequenced maize genomes of five representative maize inbred lines, we revealed that SSRs were more densely present in telomeric region than centromeric region, and were more abundant in genic sequences than intergenic sequences. On genic sequences, tri- and hexanucleotide motifs were more abundant in CDS sequence and some mono- and dinucleotide motifs were more abundant in UTR sequences. Median length and chromosomal density of SSRs were both narrowly range-bound, with median length of 14-18 bp and genome-wide average density of 3355.77 bp/Mbp. LTR-RTs of < 0.4 Mya had higher SSR density (4498-4992 bp/Mbp). The genome-specific and motif-specific SSR polymorphism were studied. Their potential breeding applications were discussed. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the median length of SSR sequences of different SSR motifs was nearly constant. SSR density in genic regions was much higher than intergenic regions. In addition, SSR density at LTR-RTs of different evolutionary ages varied in a narrow range. The SSRs and their LTR-RT carriers evolved at an equal rate. All these observations indicated that SSR length and density were under control of yet unknown evolutionary forces. The chromosome region-specific and motif-specific SSR polymorphisms we observed supported the notion that SSR polymorphism was invaluable genome resource for developing highly informative genome and gene markers in maize genetic research and molecular breeding.

Early-Life Antibiotic Exposure and Childhood Asthma Trajectories: A National Population-Based Birth Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Early-life antibiotic exposure is common and impacts the development of the child's microbiome and immune system. Information on the impacts of early-life antibiotics exposure on childhood asthma is lacking. METHODS: This study examined associations between early-life (0-24 months) antibiotics exposure with childhood (6-15 years) asthma trajectories through the Australian Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and their linked data from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Asthma phenotypes were derived by group-based trajectory modeling. RESULTS: Of 5107 LSAC participants, 4318 were included in the final analyses (84.6% retention). Four asthma phenotypes were identified: Always-low-risk (79.0%), early-resolving asthma (7.1%), early-persistent asthma (7.9%), and late-onset asthma (6.0%). Any early-life antibiotic exposure increased risk 2.3-fold (95% CI: 1.47-3.67; p < 0.001) for early-persistent asthma among all children. In subgroup analyses, early-persistent asthma risk increased by 2.7-fold with any second-generation cephalosporin exposure, and by 2-fold with any ß-lactam other than cephalosporin or macrolide exposure. CONCLUSION: We concluded that early-life antibiotic exposure is associated with an increased risk of early-persistent childhood asthma. This reinforces scrutiny of early-life antibiotic use, particularly for common viral infections where no antibiotics are required.

Short midline catheters: High success rates for antibiotic therapy in children with cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: Short midline catheter use in paediatric populations appears to be increasing, however data on success rates and efficacy are sparse. This study aims to describe the success rate when midline venous catheters are employed as a single device for intravenous antibiotic therapy in paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed in a single institution, retrieving electronic medical record data from July 2017 through March 2020. The primary outcome was device success, defined as a catheter that remained functional until the end of antibiotic therapy. Reasons for device failure were categorized in a standard fashion. RESULTS: Primary outcome data were available for 116 catheter insertions, involving 49 patients and 55 proceduralists. The success rate was 84% (n = 98). Median age at insertion was 15 years (range 4-19) and median weight 52 kg (13-81). Soft, polyether block amide, Arrow® Seldinger Arterial Catheters were employed. Only 16 patients (14%) required general anaesthesia. Median time to failure was 6 days, and median time to successful completion of treatment was 13 days. Six of 18 failures occurred within 48 h and were likely insertion complications. The most common reasons for device failure were occlusion, extravasation, phlebitis and dislodgement. More than half of patients (56%) received antibiotic therapy at home. CONCLUSION: There is a high single device success rate when inserting short midlines for 13-day intravenous pulmonary antibiotic therapy in children with cystic fibrosis. These results should be confirmed with a prospective study.

Improving Cohort-Hospital Matching Accuracy through Standardization and Validation of Participant Identifiable Information.

Linking very large, consented birth cohorts to birthing hospitals clinical data could elucidate the lifecourse outcomes of health care and exposures during the pregnancy, birth and newborn periods. Unfortunately, cohort personally identifiable information (PII) often does not include unique identifier numbers, presenting matching challenges. To develop optimized cohort matching to birthing hospital clinical records, this pilot drew on a one-year (December 2020-December 2021) cohort for a single Australian birthing hospital participating in the whole-of-state Generation Victoria (GenV) study. For 1819 consented mother-baby pairs and 58 additional babies (whose mothers were not themselves participating), we tested the accuracy and effort of various approaches to matching. We selected demographic variables drawn from names, DOB, sex, telephone, address (and birth order for multiple births). After variable standardization and validation, accuracy rose from 10% to 99% using a deterministic-rule-based approach in 10 steps. Using cohort-specific modifications of the Australian Statistical Linkage Key (SLK-581), it took only 3 steps to reach 97% (SLK-5881) and 98% (SLK-5881.1) accuracy. We conclude that our SLK-5881 process could safely and efficiently achieve high accuracy at the population level for future birth cohort-birth hospital matching in the absence of unique identifier numbers.

Genetic Diversity, Population Structure and Mating Type Distribution of Setosphaeria turcica on Corn in Midwestern China.

Setosphaeria turcica is the causal agent of northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), which is a destructive foliar disease of corn around the world. To date, limited information is available on the genetic diversity, population structure, and mating type distribution of the pathogen in the mid-west of China. In this study, based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and mating type-specific primers, we characterized 117 S. turcica isolates collected from Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi provinces in China. Based on the developed 33 SNP markers, all isolates can be categorized into two genetic groups. Each group consisted of isolates from all four provinces. The Nei's gene diversity of four populations ranged from 0.328 to 0.419 with a mean of 0.391. The analysis of fixation index (Fst) and gene flow (Nm) suggested that low genetic differentiation and high gene flow existed among four geographic populations. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated that the principal molecular variance existed within populations (98%) rather than among populations (2%). The analysis of mating type loci revealed that two mating types (MAT1-1 and MAT1-2) were basically in equilibrium in all four populations. These findings advance our understanding of the genetic diversity, population structure and mating type distribution of S. turcica on corn in the mid-west of China and will aid in developing efficient strategies to control NCLB.

Identification of a C2H2 Transcription Factor (PsCZF3) Associated with RxLR Effectors and Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes in Phytophthora sojae Based on WGCNA.

Phytophthora sojae is a destructive soybean pathogen that orchestrates various secreted proteins (effectors) to modulate plant immunity and facilitate infection. Although a number of effectors have been identified and functionally studied in P. sojae, the way these molecules are regulated is marginally known. In this study, we performed a weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) based on digital RNA-seq, which enabled the identification of a transcription factor (PsCZF3) in P. sojae. This transcription factor is a C2H2-type zinc finger protein that regulates the transcription of 35 RxLR effectors during the early infection stage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PsCZF3 is a highly conserved protein across oomycetes, suggesting that this regulation mechanism may broadly exist in oomycete species. In addition, by building a subnetwork of PsCZF3 and correlated genes, we also found that PsCZF3 contributed to the transcriptional regulation of carbohydrate-active enzymes. Our findings suggest that the activation of PsCZF3 facilitates P. sojae infection by up-regulating RxLR effectors and carbohydrate-active enzymes.

Panax notoginseng Saponins Protect Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Resupply-Induced Necroptosis via Suppression of RIP1-RIP3-MLKL Signaling Pathway.

Recently, necroptosis has emerged as one of the important mechanisms of ischemia stroke. Necroptosis can be rapidly activated in endothelial cells to cause vascular damage and neuroinflammation. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), an ingredient extracted from the root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen, was commonly used for ischemic stroke, while its molecular mechanism and targets have not been fully clarified. Our study aimed to clarify the anti-necroptosis effect of PNS by regulating RIP1-RIP3-MLKL signaling pathway in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) subjected to transient oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD/resupply [R]). In vitro, the necroptosis model of rat BMECs was established by testing the effect of OGD/R in the presence of the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-FMK. After administration of PNS and Nec-1, cell viability, cell death modality, the expression of RIP1-RIP3-MLKL pathway and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) level were investigated in BMECs upon OGD/R injury. The results showed that PNS significantly enhanced cell viability of BMECs determined by CCK-8 analysis, and protected BMECs from necroptosis by Flow cytometry and TEM. In addition, PNS inhibited the phosphorylation of RIP1, RIP3, MLKL and the downstream expression of PGAM5 and Drp1, while similar results were observed in Nec-1 intervention. We further investigated whether PNS prevented the Δψm depolarization. Our current findings showed that PNS effectively reduced the occurrence of necroptosis in BMECs exposed to OGD/R by inhibition of the RIP1-RIP3-MLK signaling pathway and mitigation of mitochondrial damage. This study provided a novel insight of PNS application in clinics.

Long-term prediction of the sporadic COVID-19 epidemics induced by δ -virus in China based on a novel non-autonomous delayed SIR model.

With the outbreaks of the COVID-19 epidemics in several provinces of China, government takes prevention and control measures to contain the epidemics. It is more difficult to make the long-term prediction of the sporadic COVID-19 epidemics than widespread ones in that the former cannot obey the laws of the infectious disease well like the latter. In this paper, we make long-term predictions including end time and final size, peak and peak time of current confirmed cases and the number of accumulative removed cases of the sporadic COVID-19 epidemics in different regions of China by a novel non-autonomous delayed SIR compartment model (S-susceptible, I-infected, R-removed). The key contribution of this paper is that under the rigorous containments, we find transmission rate ß ( t ) is approximately an exponential decreasing function with respect to time t, rather than a fixed constant. In addition, the removed rate γ ( t ) is approximately a piecewise linear increasing function instead of a linear increasing function which is (at + b)heaviside (t-14). First, according to the few data in the early stage, i.e., roughly the first 7 days, issued by the National Health Commission of China and local Health Commissions, we can accurately estimate these parameters, i.e., transmission and removed rates of the model. Then, by them, we accurately predict the evolution of the COVID-19 there. On the basis of them to predict Category A of the sporadic COVID-19 epidemics since July 20th, 2021 in this summer. The results agree very well to the actual ones. It is also adopted to predict Category B - - - the tour group epidemics since October 17th, 2021 and Category C - - - other sporadic epidemics since October 27th, 2021. The results show that although our method is simple and the needed data are very few, the long-term prediction of the sporadic COVID-19 epidemics in China is quite effective. We can use this novel non-autonomous delayed SIR model to accurately predict its end time and final size, peak and peak time of current confirmed cases and the number of accumulative removed cases in China. This work can help governments and policy-makers make optimal prevention and control policies for all cities and provinces to contain the COVID-19 epidemics, and prepare well for the resumption of work, production and classes in advance to reduce the economic and social losses.

Modulation of Cerium Carbonate Crystal Growth by Polyvinylpyrrolidone using Density Functional Theory.

Cerium carbonate crystal morphology is predicted using density functional theory (DFT) simulations in this paper. In the nucleation phase, the ketone group in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) will preferentially bind to Ce3+ to form complexes and provide heterogeneous nucleation sites for the system, prompting the nucleation of cerium carbonate crystals. In the growth stage, due to the adsorption of PVP, the probability of (120) crystal plane appearing in the equilibrium state is the greatest, resulting in the formation of hexagonal flake cerium carbonate crystals with (120) crystal plane as the oblique edge. Experimentally, hexagonal sheet cerium carbonate crystals were successfully prepared using PVP as a template agent. Therefore, DFT can be used to predict the morphology of cerium carbonate crystals, which not only elucidates the growth mechanism of cerium carbonate crystals, but also greatly reduces the experimental cost.

Genetic Diversity and Population Genetic Structure of Setosphaeria turcica From Sorghum in Three Provinces of China Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers.

Setosphaeria turcica is a heterothallic fungus that is the causal agent of northern leaf blight (NLB), which is a devastating foliar disease of sorghum and maize. Despite of its adversary to crop production, little is known about the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of this pathogen from sorghum. In this study, we explored the utilization of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) molecular markers and three mating type-specific primers to analyze the genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and mating type distribution of 87 S. turcica isolates that had been collected in sorghum production areas from three provinces, including Henan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi in China. The populations are featured with moderate genetic diversity and relatively equal mating type distribution of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2. The genetic differentiation was significant (p < 0.05) among different populations except those from Henan and Shanxi provinces that showed particularly frequent gene flow between them. Neither the maxinum likelihood phylogenetic tree, nor principal coordinate analysis, nor genetic structure analysis was able to completely separate the three populations. The relatively low genetic distance and high genetic identification were also observed among the three populations. Nevertheless, the genetic variation within populations was the major source of variation as revealed by AMOVA analysis. The findings of this study have improved our current understanding about the genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and the distribution of mating type of S. turcica, which are useful for unraveling the epidemiology of NLB and developing effective disease management strategies.

Stimulating mechanism of corn oil on biomass and polysaccharide production of Pleurotus tuber-regium mycelium.

Hyperbranched polysaccharides (HBPSs) are the main components in cell wall and exopolysaccharide (EPS) of Pleurotus tuber-regium. To enhance the yield of these macromolecules, corn oil at 4% addition exhibited the best effect for production of mycelial biomass at 20.49 g/L and EPS at 0.59 g/L, which was 2.56 folds and 1.90 folds of the control, respectively. The treated hyphae were much thicker with smooth surface, while its cell wall content (43.81 ± 0.02%) was 1.96 times of the control (22.34 ± 0.01%). Moreover, a large number of lipid droplets could be visualized under the view of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). RNA-seq analysis revealed that corn oil could enter the cells and result in the up-regulation of genes on cell morphology and membrane permeability, as well as the down-regulation on expression level of polysaccharide hydrolase and genes involved in the MAPK pathway, all of which probably contribute to the increase of polysaccharides production.