Construction of CoNi2S4/Co9S8@Co4S3 nanocubes derived from Ni-Co prussian blue analogues@cobalt carbonate hydroxide core-shell heterostructure for asymmetric supercapacitor.

Construction of Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) with heterostructure is beneficial to preparing PBAs derivatives with superior electrochemical performance. In this work, the core-shell nanostructured nanocubes composed of nickel hexacyanocobalt PBA (NiCo-PBA)@cobalt carbonate hydroxide (CCH) are synthesized through an in-situ epitaxial growth strategy, and the formation mechanisms of coating are carefully validated and specifically discussed. Then, the precursors are successfully transformed into hierarchical CoNi2S4/Co9S8@Co4S3 via the gas-phase vulcanization method. Benefiting from the intriguing heterostructure and multicomponent sulfides, the CoNi2S4/Co9S8@Co4S3-80 electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 799 ± 16C/g (specific capacitance of 1595 ± 31F/g) at 1 A/g, ultra-high capacity retention of 80 % at a high current density of 20 A/g. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device delivers a high energy density of 43.3 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 899 W kg-1 and exhibits superior cycling stability with the capacity retention of 88 % after 5,000 cycles. Subsequently, the fabricated all-solid-state ASC device shows an excellent energy density of 36.4 Wh kg-1 with a power density of 824 W kg-1. This work proposing rational design of combining multicomponent sulfides and core-shell heterostructure based on PBA nanocubes opens up a novel route for developing asymmetric supercapacitor electrode materials with superior performance.

Multidimensional comprehensive and integrated analysis of the potential function of TMEM25 in renal clear cell carcinoma with low expression status.

BACKGROUND: Transmembrane 25(TMEM25) stands out as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in the realm of cancer, yet its precise mechanism of action within clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gene expression data and clinically relevant information extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases unveil the expression patterns of TMEM25 within renal clear cell carcinoma, which reveals its prognostic and diagnostic significance. The protein expression data is available via the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Further, qPCR experiments conducted on cells and tissues provide strong evidence of the gene's expression status. Additionally, they explore the correlations between TMEM25 expression and DNA methylation, gene mutations, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity within this specific tumor context. RESULTS: At both the RNA and protein levels, TMEM25 displays a noteworthy downregulation in expression, which is consistently linked to an unfavorable prognosis. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed the ability of TMEM25 to diagnose and determine prognosis in ccRCC. Its expression related closely with various immune cell types, immune checkpoints, immune inhibitors, and MHC molecules. Within ccRCC tissues, TMEM25 DNA methylation levels are observed to be elevated, and this upregulation is observed across various conditions. TMEM25 mutations also have an impact on the prognosis of ccRCC patients and the results of drug sensitivity analyses are useful for clinical decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: TMEM25 in ccRCC could potentially function as a tumor suppressor gene, holding substantial promise as a novel biomarker for diagnosing, treating, and prognosticating ccRCC patients.

Gold nanorod-chitosan based nanocomposites for photothermal and chemoembolization therapy of breast cancer.

Gold nanorods (AuNR) have received significant attention in tumor thermo-chemotherapy. However, insufficient thermal availability limits the in vivo highly efficient applications of AuNR in photothermal therapy. In this study, we have fabricated N-isopropylacrylamide grafted O-carboxymethyl chitosan nanoparticles (NCMC NPs) with thermo-responsive properties for co-encapsulating AuNR and doxorubicin (DOX), forming AuNR@NCMC/DOX nanocomposites (NCs). As a result of the thermo- and photothermal-responsiveness, AuNR@NCMC/DOX NCs exhibited irreversible aggregation at high temperature and under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation with an increase of size to 3 µm. When AuNR@NCMC/DOX NCs reached tumor sites following intravenous administration, they were located in the tumor vessels under NIR irradiation due to an embolization effect. This response enhanced tumor targeting, on-demand release, and the thermal performance of AuNR@NCMC/DOX NCs. We have observed higher tumor accumulation of DOX and AuNR with subsequent stronger inhibition of tumor growth than that achieved without NIR irradiation. The development of AuNR-based NCs with multiple smart responsivenesses at tumors can provide a promising paradigm for solid tumor treatment via the cooperative effects of photothermal therapy and chemoembolization.

Astaxanthin alleviates chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome by increasing colonization of Akkermansia muciniphila in the intestine.

BACKGROUND: Astaxanthin (AST) is a natural compound with anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory properties that has been found to have probiotic properties. However, the role and mechanism of AST in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) are still not fully understood. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of AST on CP/CPPS and elucidate the mediating role of the gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) mouse model was utilized to test the potential role of AST on CP/CPPS. Antibiotic cocktail (ABX) treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) were used to elucidate the gut microbiota-mediated effects on AST. In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses were used to analyze changes in the gut microbiota of EAP mice and CP/CPPS patients. Finally, the mechanism by which AST exerts a protective effect on CP/CPPS was explored by untargeted metabolomics and gut barrier function assays. RESULTS: Oral administration of AST reduced prostate inflammation scores, alleviated tactile sensitization of the pelvic region in EAP mice, reduced CD4+ T cell and CD68+ macrophage infiltration in the prostatic interstitium, and inhibited the up-regulation of systemic and localized pain/pro-inflammatory mediators in the prostate. After ABX, the protective effect of AST against CP/CPPS was attenuated, whereas colonization with fecal bacteria from AST-treated EAP mice alleviated CP/CPPS. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses showed that Akkermansia muciniphila in the feces of EAP mice and CP/CPPS patients showed a trend toward a decrease, which was associated with poor progression of CP/CPPS. In contrast, oral administration of AST increased the relative abundance of A. muciniphila, and oral supplementation with A. muciniphila also alleviated inflammation and pain in EAP mice. Finally, we demonstrated that both AST and A. muciniphila interventions increased serum levels of SCFAs acetate, up-regulated expression of colonic tight junction markers, and decreased serum lipopolysaccharide levels in EAP mice. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that AST improved CP/CPPS by up-regulating A. muciniphila, which provides new potentially effective strategies and ideas for CP/CPPS management.

Establishment and optimization of sulfur-based autotrophic-heterotrophic denitrification biofilters for advanced post-anaerobic treatment of effluent from kitchen wastewater and landfill leachate under low temperature.

Landfill leachate treatment is a major challenge in wastewater treatment. In this study, two sulfur-based autotrophic-heterotrophic denitrification biofilters (Ra biofilter with room-temperature molded filler and Rb biofilter with melt molded filler) were used to treat kitchen-landfill leachate at low temperatures. The effects of reflux ratio, concentrations of NaHCO3, and Na2S2O3 on the total nitrogen removal efficiency were analyzed, and based on response surface methodology, the optimum parameters were determined. After optimization, the total nitrogen removal efficiency for the Ra and Rb biofilters increased by 83% and 81%, respectively. Moreover, sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification accounted for more than 70% of the nitrogen removal in both biofilters. Based on high-throughput sequencing results, the functional bacteria exhibited high abundance in the Ra biofilter, indicating that the room-temperature molded filler favored the enrichment of functional bacteria. These findings were important for optimizing the operation of sulfur autotrophic-heterotrophic denitrification biofilters at low temperatures.

Integrative analysis identifies AKAP8L as an immunological and prognostic biomarker of pan-cancer.

A-kinase anchoring protein 8L (AKAP8L) belong to the A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP) family. Recent studies have proved that AKAP8L is associated with the progression of various tumors. To establish a more complete understanding of the significance of AKAP8L across various types of cancers, we conducted a detailed analysis of multiple histological datasets, including the level of gene expression in pancancer, biological function, molecular characteristics, as well as the diagnostic and prognostic value of AKAP8L in pancancer. Furthermore, we focused on renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), and of explored the correlation of AKAP8L with clinical characteristics, prognosis of distinct patient subsets, co-expression genes and differentially expressed genes (DEG). We also performed the immunohistochemical staining and semi-quantitative verification of the monoclonal antibody established by AKAP8L. Our findings indicate that AKAP8L expression varied significantly not only across most cancer types, but also across different cancer molecules and immune subtypes. In addition, the robust ability to accurately predict cancer and its strong correlation with the prognosis of cancer strongly suggest that AKAP8L may be a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, the high expression levels of AKAP8L were related to the worse overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) as well as progression-free interval (PFI) of KIRC with statistical significance, especially among distinct clinical subgroups of KIRC. To sum up, AKAP8L has the potential to serve as a critical molecular biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of pancancer, an independent prognostic risk factor of KIRC, and a novel molecular target for cancer therapies.

Systematic analysis of RNASET2 gene as a potential prognostic and immunological biomarker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: RNASET2 has been identified as an oncogene with anti-angiogenic and immunomodulatory effects in a variety of cancers, but its function in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is still not well understood. METHODS: The RNASET2 expression matrix was extracted from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and analyzed for diagnostic and prognostic value. RNASET2 mRNA expression was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in ccRCC patients and renal cancer cell lines. Wound healing assay, transwell assay, western blotting, and tube formation assays were used to evaluate the function of RNASET2 in renal cancer in vitro. In addition, transcriptome sequencing was performed on knockdown RNASET2 kidney cancer cells to analyze their potential signaling pathways. Moreover, the immune microenvironment and mutational status were evaluated to predict the potential mechanisms of RNASET2 involvement in renal cancer progression. Sensitivity to common chemotherapeutic and targeted agents was assessed according to the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database. RESULTS: RNASET2 expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC tissues and renal cancer cell lines, predicting poor prognosis for patients. In vitro experiments showed that silencing RNASET2 inhibited the migration and pro-angiogenic ability of renal cancer cells. Transcriptome sequencing suggested its possible involvement in the remodeling of the immune microenvironment in renal cell carcinoma. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemical staining showed that RNASET2 was positively correlated with the infiltration abundance of regulatory T cells. Finally, we mapped the mutational landscape of RNASET2 in ccRCC and found its predictive value for drug sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that RNASET2 is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in ccRCC.

Climatic responses and variability in bark anatomical traits of 23 Picea species.

In woody plants, bark is an important protective tissue which can participate in photosynthesis, manage water loss, and transport assimilates. Studying the bark anatomical traits can provide insight into plant environmental adaptation strategies. However, a systematic understanding of the variability in bark anatomical traits and their drivers is lacking in woody plants. In this study, the bark anatomical traits of 23 Picea species were determined in a common garden experiment. We analyzed interspecific differences and interpreted the patterns in bark anatomical traits in relation to phylogenetic relationships and climatic factors of each species according to its global distribution. The results showed that there were interspecific differences in bark anatomical traits of Picea species. Phloem thickness was positively correlated with parenchyma cell size, possibly related to the roles of parenchyma cells in the radial transport of assimilates. Sieve cell size was negatively correlated with the radial diameter of resin ducts, and differences in sieve cells were possibly related to the formation and expansion of resin ducts. There were no significant phylogenetic signals for any bark anatomical trait, except the tangential diameter of resin ducts. Phloem thickness and parenchyma cell size were affected by temperature-related factors of their native range, while sieve cell size was influenced by precipitation-related factors. Bark anatomical traits were not significantly different under wet and dry climates. This study makes an important contribution to our understanding of variability in bark anatomical traits among Picea species and their ecological adaptations.

Comparisons of the Safety and Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted vs Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy for Central Renal Angiomyolipomas: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis Study.

Objective: To compare the safety and effectiveness of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) vs laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in the treatment of central renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 103 patients who were treated with either RAPN or LPN for central AMLs between January 2017 and June 2022. Propensity scores were matched according to sex, age, laterality, body mass index, symptoms, diameter of tumor, location of tumor distribution, R.E.N.A.L score, preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative serum creatinine, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, chronic disease, previous abdominal surgery, preoperative selective arterial embolization, American Society of Anesthesiologists scale, and duration of follow-up, and after matching, perioperative and prognostic data of the two groups were compared. Results: A total of 57 patients underwent RAPN, and 46 patients underwent LPN. Before matching, there were more complex AMLs in the RAPN group, and R.E.N.A.L scores differed between the two groups (10 vs 9, p < 0.001). After matching, the median warm ischemic time in the RAPN group was significantly shorter than that in the LPN group (21.5 minutes vs 28 minutes, p = 0.034), as well as the median time of postoperative mobilization (1 day vs 2 days, p < 0.001). The other indicators were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: For central AMLs, both RAPN and LPN were safe and feasible surgical treatments, but RAPN might be associated with shorter warm ischemia time and earlier postoperative mobilization.

Implication of the σE Regulon Members OmpO and σN in the ΔompA299-356-Mediated Decrease of Oxidative Stress Tolerance in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is the most abundant porin in bacterial outer membranes. KJΔOmpA299-356, an ompA C-terminal in-frame deletion mutant of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia KJ, exhibits pleiotropic defects, including decreased tolerance to menadione (MD)-mediated oxidative stress. Here, we elucidated the underlying mechanism of the decreased MD tolerance mediated by ΔompA299-356. The transcriptomes of wild-type S. maltophilia and the KJΔOmpA299-356 mutant strain were compared, focusing on 27 genes known to be associated with oxidative stress alleviation; however, no significant differences were identified. OmpO was the most downregulated gene in KJΔOmpA299-356. KJΔOmpA299-356 complementation with the chromosomally integrated ompO gene restored MD tolerance to the wild-type level, indicating the role of OmpO in MD tolerance. To further clarify the possible regulatory circuit involved in ompA defects and ompO downregulation, σ factor expression levels were examined based on the transcriptome results. The expression levels of three σ factors were significantly different (downregulated levels of rpoN and upregulated levels of rpoP and rpoE) in KJΔOmpA299-356. Next, the involvement of the three σ factors in the ΔompA299-356-mediated decrease in MD tolerance was evaluated using mutant strains and complementation assays. rpoN downregulation and rpoE upregulation contributed to the ΔompA299-356-mediated decrease in MD tolerance. OmpA C-terminal domain loss induced an envelope stress response. Activated σE decreased rpoN and ompO expression levels, in turn decreasing swimming motility and oxidative stress tolerance. Finally, we revealed both the ΔompA299-356-rpoE-ompO regulatory circuit and rpoE-rpoN cross regulation. IMPORTANCE The cell envelope is a morphological hallmark of Gram-negative bacteria. It consists of an inner membrane, a peptidoglycan layer, and an outer membrane. OmpA, an outer membrane protein, is characterized by an N-terminal ß-barrel domain that is embedded in the outer membrane and a C-terminal globular domain that is suspended in the periplasmic space and connected to the peptidoglycan layer. OmpA is crucial for the maintenance of envelope integrity. Stress resulting from the destruction of envelope integrity is sensed by extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors, which induce responses to various stressors. In this study, we revealed that loss of the OmpA-peptidoglycan (PG) interaction causes peptidoglycan and envelope stress while simultaneously upregulating σP and σE expression levels. The outcomes of σP and σE activation are different and are linked to ß-lactam and oxidative stress tolerance, respectively. These findings establish that outer membrane proteins (OMPs) play a critical role in envelope integrity and stress tolerance.

Robotic-assisted tumor enucleation versus robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy for intermediate and high complexity renal cell carcinoma: a single-institution experience.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the perioperative and oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted tumor enucleation (RATE) and robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in the treatment of intermediate and high complexity renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of 359 patients with intermediate and high complexity RCC who underwent RATE and RAPN. The perioperative, oncological, and pathological outcomes of the two groups were compared, and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors for warm ischemia time (WIT) > 25 min. RESULTS: Compared with RAPN group, patients in RATE group had shorter operative time (P < 0.001), shorter WIT (P < 0.001), and less estimated blood loss (EBL) (P < 0.001). The decrease rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in RATE group was better than that in RAPN group (P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that RAPN and higher PADUA score were independent risk factors for WIT > 25 min (both P < 0.001). The rate of positive surgical margin was similar between the two groups, but the local recurrence rate of the RATE group was higher than that of the RAPN group (P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: RATE and RAPN have similar oncological outcomes for the treatment of intermediate and high complexity RCC. In addition, RATE was superior to RAPN in perioperative outcomes.

Potential Effects of Akkermansia Muciniphila in Aging and Aging-Related Diseases: Current Evidence and Perspectives.

Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is an anaerobic bacterium that widely colonizes the mucus layer of the human and animal gut. The role of this symbiotic bacterium in host metabolism, inflammation, and cancer immunotherapy has been extensively investigated over the past 20 years. Recently, a growing number of studies have revealed a link between A. muciniphila, and aging and aging-related diseases (ARDs). Research in this area is gradually shifting from correlation analysis to exploration of causal relationships. Here, we systematically reviewed the association of A. muciniphila with aging and ARDs (including vascular degeneration, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes). Furthermore, we summarize the potential mechanisms of action of A. muciniphila and offer perspectives for future studies.

Effects of Donor Ages and Propagation Methods on Seedling Growth of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco in Winter.

To evaluate the effects of donor ages on growth and stress resistance of 6-year-old seedlings propagated from 5-, 2000-, and 3000-year-old Platycladus orientalis donors with grafting, cutting, and seed sowing, growth indicators and physiological and transcriptomic analyses were performed in 6-year-old seedlings in winter. Results showed that basal stem diameters and plant heights of seedlings of the three propagation methods decreased with the age of the donors, and the sown seedlings were the thickest and tallest. The contents of soluble sugar, chlorophyll, and free fatty acid in apical leaves of the three propagation methods were negatively correlated with donor ages in winter, while the opposite was true for flavonoid and total phenolic. The contents of flavonoid, total phenolic, and free fatty acid in cutting seedlings were highest in the seedlings propagated in the three methods in winter. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes showed phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism pathways, and their expression levels were up-regulated in apical leaves from 6-year-old seedlings propagated from 3000-year-old P. orientalis donors. In addition, hub genes analysis presented that C4H, OMT1, CCR2, PAL, PRX52, ACP1, AtPDAT2, and FAD3 were up-regulated in cutting seedlings, and the gene expression levels decreased in seedlings propagated from 2000- and 3000-year-old donors. These findings demonstrate the resistance stability of cuttings of P. orientalis and provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms of seedlings of P. orientalis propagated from donors at different ages in different propagation methods against low-temperature stress.

Bioinformatic analysis highlights SNHG6 as a putative prognostic biomarker for kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy and current systemic therapeutic strategies are difficult to achieve a satisfactory outcome for advanced disease. Meanwhile, there is a lack of effective biomarkers to predict the prognosis of KIRP. METHODS: Using TCGA, GTEx, UALCAN, TIMER, TIMER 2.0 and STRING databases, we analyzed the relationship of SNHG6 with KIRP subtypes, tumor-infiltrating immune cells and potential target mRNAs. Based on TCGA data, ROC curves, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and COX regression analysis were performed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of SNHG6 in KIRP. Nomogram was used to predict 3- and 5-year disease-specific survival in KIRP patients. In addition, with the help of Genetic ontology and Gene set enrichment analysis, the biological processes and signalling pathways that SNHG6 may be involved in KIRP were initially explored. RESULTS: In patients with KIRP, SNHG6 was significantly upregulated and associated with a more aggressive subtype (lymph node involvement, pathological stage IV, CIMP phenotype) and poor prognosis. The ROC curve showed good diagnostic efficacy (AUC value: 0.828) and the C-index of the Nomogram for predicting DSS at 3 and 5 years was 0.920 (0.898-0.941). In the immune microenvironment of KIRP, SNHG6 expression levels were negatively correlated with macrophage abundance and positively correlated with cancer-associated fibroblasts. Furthermore, SNHG6 may promote KIRP progression by regulating the expression of molecules such as AURKB, NDC80, UBE2C, NUF2, PTTG1, CENPH, SPC25, CDCA3, CENPM, BIRC5, TROAP, EZH2. Last, GSEA suggests that SNHG6 may be involved in the regulation of the PPAR signalling pathway and the SLIT/ROBO signalling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that a high SNHG6 expression status in KIRP is associated with a poorer prognosis for patients, and also elucidates some potential mechanisms contributing to this poorer outcome. This may provide new insights into the treatment and management of KIRP in the foreseeable future.

Meta-analysis of the impact of future climate change on the area of woody plant habitats in China.

Climate change poses a very serious threat to woody plants, and it is important to study its impact on the distribution dynamics of woody plants in China. However, there are no comprehensive quantitative studies on which factors influence the changes in the area of woody plant habitats in China under climate change. In this meta-analysis, we investigated the future suitable habitat area changes of 114 woody plant species in 85 studies based on MaxEnt model predictions to summarize the future climate change impacts on woody plant habitat area changes in China. It was found that climate change will result in a 3.66% increase in the overall woody plant suitable areas and a 31.33% decrease in the highly suitable areas in China. The mean temperature of the coldest quarter is the most important climatic factor, and greenhouse gas concentrations were inversely related to the area of future woody plant suitable areas. Meanwhile, shrubs are more climate-responsive than trees, drought-tolerant plants (e.g., Dalbergia, Cupressus, and Xanthoceras) and plants that can adapt quickly (e.g., Camellia, Cassia, and Fokienia) and their appearance will increase in the future. Old World temperate, Trop. Asia and Trop. Amer. disjuncted, and the Sino-Himalaya Floristic region are more vulnerable. Quantitative analysis of the possible risks to future climate change in areas suitable for woody plants in China is important for global woody plant diversity conservation.

Population Structure, Genetic Diversity and Candidate Genes for the Adaptation to Environmental Stress in Picea koraiensis.

Picea koraiensis is major silvicultural and timber species in northeast China, and its distribution area is an important transition zone for genus spruce migration. The degree of intraspecific differentiation of P. koraiensis is high, but population structure and differentiation mechanisms are not clear. In this study, 523,761 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in 113 individuals from 9 populations of P. koraiensis by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Population genomic analysis showed that P. koraiensis was divided into three geoclimatic regions: Great Khingan Mountains climatic region, Lesser Khingan Mountains climatic region, and Changbai Mountain climatic region. Mengkeshan (MKS) population on the northern edge of the distribution area and Wuyiling (WYL) population located in the mining area are two highly differentiated groups. Selective sweep analysis showed that MKS and WYL populations had 645 and 1126 selected genes, respectively. Genes selected in the MKS population were associated with flowering and photomorphogenesis, cellular response to water deficit, and glycerophospholipid metabolism; genes selected in the WYL population were associated with metal ion transport, biosynthesis of macromolecules, and DNA repair. Climatic factors and heavy metal stress drives divergence in MKS and WYL populations, respectively. Our findings provide insights into adaptive divergence mechanisms in Picea and will contribute to molecular breeding studies.

Comparison of the retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy versus transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large (≥6cm) pheochromocytomas: A single-centre retrospective study.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RLA) and transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (TLA) in the treatment of large (≥6cm) adrenal pheochromocytomas. Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of 130 patients with large pheochromocytoma who underwent RLA or TLA in our hospital from 2012 to 2022. The perioperative parameters and follow-up outcomes of the two groups were compared, and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors of hemodynamic instability (HI). Results: A total of 57 patients underwent TLA and 73 underwent RLA. There was no difference in demographic characteristics such as age, sex and tumor size between the two groups. Compared with the TLA group, patients in the RLA group had shorter operation time (P<0.001) and less estimated blood loss (EBL) (P<0.001). The time to ambulation, time to oral food and time to removal of drainage of RLA group were earlier than those of TLA group. In addition, the hospital stay was shorter in the RLA group than in the TLA group. There were no differences in HI, complications, or blood pressure (BP) improvement between the two groups. The mean follow-up time was 61.4 and 65.5 months, respectively, during which no tumors recurred or metastasized. Multivariate analysis showed that elevated hormone levels and larger tumor size were independent risk factors for HI. Conclusions: Both RLA and TLA are effective treatment methods for large pheochromocytomas, but the perioperative outcomes of RLA are better than that of TLA. Our study demonstrates the superiority of RLA for the treatment of large pheochromocytomas.

An N400 identification method based on the combination of Soft-DTW and transformer.

As a time-domain EEG feature reflecting the semantic processing of the human brain, the N400 event-related potentials still lack a mature classification and recognition scheme. To address the problems of low signal-to-noise ratio and difficult feature extraction of N400 data, we propose a Soft-DTW-based single-subject short-distance event-related potential averaging method by using the advantages of differentiable and efficient Soft-DTW loss function, and perform partial Soft-DTW averaging based on DTW distance within a single-subject range, and propose a Transformer-based ERP recognition classification model, which captures contextual information by introducing location coding and a self-attentive mechanism, combined with a Softmax classifier to classify N400 data. The experimental results show that the highest recognition accuracy of 0.8992 is achieved on the ERP-CORE N400 public dataset, verifying the effectiveness of the model and the averaging method.

Comprehensive analysis reveals the value of the expression of chromobox family members for bladder urothelial carcinoma prognosis.

Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) accounts for 95% of all cases of bladder cancer worldwide, with a high incidence and poor prognosis. Chromobox (CBX) proteins play a key role in numerous malignant tumors; however, the role of CBX in BLCA remains unknown. Herein, the present study found that, compared with in normal bladder tissues, the expression levels of CBX1, CBX2, CBX3, CBX4 and CBX8 were markedly increased in BLCA tissues, as determined by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, UALCAN and ONCOMINE analyses, whereas CBX6 and CBX7 were decreased in BLCA tissues. Furthermore, evident hypomethylation in the promoters of CBX1, and CBX2, as well as significant hypermethylation in the promoters of CBX5, CBX6 and CBX7, was detected in BLCA tissues compared with in normal bladder tissues. The expression of CBX1, CBX2 and CBX7 was involved in the prognosis of patients with BLCA. Low CBX7 expression was strongly associated with poorer overall survival in patients with BLCA, whereas high CBX1 and CBX2 expression was associated with poorer progression-free survival. Besides, significant associations were determined between the expression of CBXs and immune cell infiltration, including dendritic cells, neutrophils, macrophages, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and B cells. Overall, the current results may provide a rationale for developing new targets and prognostic markers for BLCA therapy.

Coral-like Fe-doped MoO2/C heterostructures with rich oxygen vacancies for efficient electrocatalytic N2 reduction.

Molybdenum (Mo) is one of the most important constituent elements in natural nitrogenase and theoretical calculation results show that Mo-based materials can be used as potential NRR electrocatalysts. The design of advanced catalysts with a special structure is very essential for promoting the development of electrocatalytic N2 into NH3. In this paper, Fe-doped MoO2/C heterostructured nanoparticles with rich oxygen vacancies (Vo) are designed and they exhibit highly efficient catalytic activity for artificial N2 fixation in neutral electrolytes under ambient conditions. The influence of the atomic ratio of the Fe source to the Mo source and the NaBH4 ethanol solution treatment on the structure and electrocatalytic performance are systematically investigated. The Vo-Fe-MoO2/C (1 : 50) catalyst with rich oxygen vacancies shows a satisfactory electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction (e-NRR) activity in 0.1 M Na2SO4 with a high ammonia yield rate of 15.87 ± 0.3 µg h-1 mg-1 at -0.5 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. the RHE) and a FE of 13.4% at -0.3 V (vs. the RHE). According to the results of DFT calculations, the active center of the electro-catalytic nitrogen reduction reaction is the molybdenum atom between the iron atom and the O vacancy. Oxygen vacancies can not only reduce the energy barrier of the RDS but also facilitate the desorption of ammonia and the first step hydrogenation of nitrogen. The doping of Fe will change the electronic state of the Mo atom in MoO2.