Real Active Site Identification of Co/Co3O4 Anchoring Ni-MOF Nanosheets with Fast OER Kinetics for Overall Water Splitting.

Doping metals and constructing heterostructures are pivotal strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Nevertheless, effectively designing MOF-based catalysts that incorporate both doping and multiphase interfaces poses a significant challenge. In this study, a one-step Co-doped and Co3O4-modified Ni-MOF catalyst (named Ni NDC-Co/CP) with a thickness of approximately 5.0 nm was synthesized by a solvothermal-assisted etching growth strategy. Studies indicate that the formation of the Co-O-Ni-O-Co bond in Ni NDC-Co/CP was found to facilitate charge density redistribution more effectively than the Co-O-Ni bimetallic synergistic effect in NiCo NDC/CP. The designating Ni NDC-Co/CP achieved superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity (245 mV @ 10 mA cm-2) and robust long stability (100 h @ 100 mA cm-2) in 1.0 M KOH. Furthermore, the Ni NDC-Co/CP(+)||Pt/C/CP(-) displays pregnant overall water splitting performance, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an ultralow voltage of 1.52 V, which is significantly lower than that of commercial electrolyzer using Pt/C and IrO2 electrode materials. In situ Raman spectroscopy elucidated the transformation of Ni NDC-Co to Ni(Co)OOH under an electric field. This study introduces a novel approach for the rational design of MOF-based OER electrocatalysts.

Perineural invasion in cervical cancer: A multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of perineural invasion (PNI) diagnosis in cervical cancer, and to analyze the impact of PNI on the prognosis and postoperative adjuvant treatment decisions for cervical cancer. METHODS: A retrospective pathological review of PNI in cervical cancer was conducted from 2004 to 2016 in 15 hospitals. RESULTS: This study included a total of 1208 cases, comprising 273 cases with PNI and 935 cases without. The false positive rate and false negative rate of PNI diagnosis were 5.35% (50/935) and 33.33% (91/273), respectively. Adenocarcinoma, deep stromal invasion, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (+), and margin involvement were independent risk factors for PNI. Both 5-year overall survival rate (OS) and 5-year disease-free survival rate (DFS) of PNI group were worse than non-PNI group. PNI was an independent risk factor for 5-year OS and 5-year DFS. In cases receiving standard postoperative adjuvant treatment, among those with two intermediate-risk factors, both 5-year OS and DFS were worse in the PNI group. Among cases with three intermediate-risk factors or at least one high-risk factor, there was no difference in 5-year OS between the two groups, but 5-year DFS was worse in the PNI group. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of PNI in cervical cancer was not accurate. Adenocarcinoma, deep stromal invasion, LVSI, and margin involvement were independent risk factors for PNI. PNI was an independent risk factor for 5-year OS and DFS. PNI has the potential to serve as a new high-risk factor, thus providing guidance for postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Improved visualization of median, ulnar nerves, and small branches in the wrist and palm using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance neurography.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging of peripheral nerves in the wrist and palm is challenging due to the small size, tortuous course, complex surrounding tissues, and accompanying blood vessels. The occurrence of carpal palmar lesions leads to edema, swelling, and mass effect, which may further interfere with the display and identification of nerves. Objective: To evaluate whether contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance neurography (ceMRN) improves the visualization of the morphology and pathology of the median, ulnar nerves, and their small branches in the wrist and palm. Design: An observational study. Methods: In total 57 subjects, including 36 volunteers and 21 patients with carpal palmar lesions, were enrolled and underwent ceMRN and non-contrast MRN (ncMRN) examination at 3.0 Tesla. The degree of vascular suppression, nerve visualization, diagnostic confidence, and lesion conspicuity was qualitatively assessed by two radiologists. Kappa statistics were obtained for inter-reader agreement. The signal-to-noise ratio, contrast ratio (CR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the median nerve were measured. The subjective ratings and quantitative measurements were compared between ncMRN and ceMRN. Results: The inter-reader agreement was excellent (k > 0.8) for all qualitative assessments and visualization assessment of each nerve segment. Compared with ncMRN, ceMRN significantly improved vascular suppression in volunteers and patients (both p < 0.001). The ceMRN significantly enhanced nerve visualization of each segment (all p < 0.05) and diagnostic confidence in volunteers and patients (both p < 0.05). The ceMRN improved lesion conspicuity (p = 0.003) in patients. Quantitatively, ceMRN had significantly higher CRs of nerve versus subcutaneous fat, bone marrow, and vessels and CNR of nerve versus vessel than ncMRN (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The ceMRN significantly improves the visualization of peripheral nerves and pathology in the wrist and palm by robustly suppressing the signals of fat, bone marrow, and especially vessels in volunteers and patients.

Study on the improvement of magnetic resonance imaging and lesion display of small nerves in the wrist and palm using contrast agents Why was the study done? Because the nerves and branches in the wrist and palm are numerous, small, tortuous, and surrounded by muscles, fat, bones, blood vessels and other tissues, it is difficult to show their complete shape with conventional magnetic resonance imaging. Hand lesions often lead to swelling, edema and masses, which interfere with the display of nerves. Therefore, it is difficult to directly diagnose the relationship between the lesions and nerves in clinical practice. What did the researchers do? The research team used contrast agent plus three-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance sequence to display the nerves of volunteers and patients with hand lesions, and used subjective and objective evaluation methods to compare the display effect of the sequence on the nerves before and after the use of contrast agent. What did the researchers find? The imaging method of contrast agent plus three-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance sequence can reduce the interference of fat, blood vessels, etc. on nerve display, improve the display effect of each nerve segment of the wrist and palm, increase readers' confidence in identifying nerves, and improve the detection of lesions. What do the findings mean? This study verified the feasibility and advantages of using contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging of nerves in the wrist and palm. It provides a new method for clinical and imaging diagnosis of hand lesions, which can simultaneously display the morphological characteristics of nerves and lesions, reducing the difficulty of clinical diagnosis and improving the efficiency of imaging diagnosis.

Influence of nano-BN inclusion and mechanism involved on aluminium-copper alloy.

Taking advantage of the high specific surface area of the nanoparticles, boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles were incorporated into the semi-solidified aluminium-copper alloy Al-5Cu-Mn (ZL201) system during the casting process, and its properties and enhancement mechanism were studied. The results shown that the BN in the new composite material is more uniformly distributed in the second phase (Al2Cu), which can promote grain refinement and enhance the bonding with the aluminium-based interface, and the formation of stable phases such as AlB2, AlN, CuN, etc. makes the tensile strength and hardness of the material to be significantly improved (8.5%, 10.2%, respectively). The mechanism of the action of BN in Al2Cu was analyzed by establishing an atomic model and after calculation: BN can undergo strong adsorption on the surface of Al2Cu (0 0 1), and the adsorption energy is lower at the bridge sites on the two cut-off surfaces, which makes the binding of BN to the aluminum base more stable. The charge transfer between B, N and each atom of the matrix can promote the formation of strong covalent bonds Al-N, Cu-N and Al-B bonds, which can increase the dislocation density and hinder the grain boundary slip within the alloy.

Induction of immortal-like and functional CAR T cells by defined factors.

Long-term antitumor efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells depends on their functional persistence in vivo. T cells with stem-like properties show better persistence, but factors conferring bona fide stemness to T cells remain to be determined. Here, we demonstrate the induction of CAR T cells into an immortal-like and functional state, termed TIF. The induction of CARTIF cells depends on the repression of two factors, BCOR and ZC3H12A, and requires antigen or CAR tonic signaling. Reprogrammed CARTIF cells possess almost infinite stemness, similar to induced pluripotent stem cells while retaining the functionality of mature T cells, resulting in superior antitumor effects. Following the elimination of target cells, CARTIF cells enter a metabolically dormant state, persisting in vivo with a saturable niche and providing memory protection. TIF represents a novel state of T cells with unprecedented stemness, which confers long-term functional persistence of CAR T cells in vivo and holds broad potential in T cell therapies.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia in a Chinese patient with heterozygous NBAS mutations: Case report.

RATIONALE: Neuroblastoma amplified sequence (NBAS)-associated disease is an autosomal recessive disorder and a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms has been reported. However, autoimmune mediated hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is rarely reported in NBAS disease. PATIENT CONCERNS: A now 21-year-old male harbors heterozygous variants of c.6840G>A and c.335 + 1G>A and was found had retarded growth, hypogammaglobulinemia, B lymphopenia, optic atrophy, horizontal nystagmus, slight splenomegaly and hepatomegaly since childhood. This case had normal hemoglobin level and platelet count in his childhood. He developed AIHA first in his adulthood and then thrombocytopenia during the treatment of AIHA. The mechanism underlying a case with pronounced hypogammaglobulinemia and B lymphopenia is elusive. In addition to biallelic NBAS mutations, a germline mutation in the ANKRD26 (c.2356C>T) gene was also detected. So either autoimmune or ANKRD26 mutation-mediated thrombocytopenia is possible in this case. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: He was initially managed with steroid and intermittent intravenous immunoglobulin supplement. After treatment, he responded well with a normalization of hemoglobin and serum bilirubin. But the patient subsequently experienced severe thrombocytopenia in addition to AIHA. He was then given daily avatrombopag in addition to steroid escalation. He responded again to new treatment, with the hemoglobin levels and platelet counts went back to the normal ranges. Now he was on de-escalated weekly avatrombopag and low-dose steroids maintenance. CONCLUSION: The phenotype of this case indicates that c.335 + 1G>A NBAS variant is probably a pathogenic one and c.2356C>T ANKRD26 variant is improbably a pathogenic one. AIHA may respond well to steroid even when happened in patients with NBAS disease.

Mapping and Detection of Genes Related to Trichome Development in Black Gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper).

Black gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) is a pulses crop with good digestible protein and a high carbohydrate content, so it is widely consumed as human food and animal feed. Trichomes are large, specialized epidermal cells that confer advantages on plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. Genes regulating the development of trichomes are well characterized in Arabidopsis and tomato. However, little is known about trichome development in black gram. In this study, a high-density map with 5734 bin markers using an F2 population derived from a trichome-bearing and a glabrous cultivar of black gram was constructed, and a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to trichomes was identified. Six candidate genes were located in the mapped interval region. Fourteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or insertion/deletions (indels) were associated with those genes. One indel was located in the coding region of the gene designated as Scaffold_9372_HRSCAF_11447.164. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis demonstrated that only one candidate gene, Scaffold_9372_HRSCAF_11447.166, was differentially expressed in the stem between the two parental lines. These two candidate genes encoded the RNA polymerase-associated protein Rtf1 and Bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger domain protein 1A (BAZ1A). These results provide insights into the regulation of trichome development in black gram. The candidate genes may be useful for creating transgenic plants with improved stress resistance and for developing molecular markers for trichome selection in black gram breeding programs.

Hexavalent Chromium Reduction Mediated by Interfacial Electron Transfer over the Co@NC Nanosheet-Assembled Microflowers.

The reductive transformation of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) mediated by formic acid with efficient, stable, and cost-effective catalysts is a promising strategy for remediating Cr(VI) contamination. Herein, we report the facile construction of uniform Co@NC nanosheet-assembled microflowers for the reduction of Cr(VI). Both experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the vital role of the intensive interfacial electronic interaction between Co nanoparticles and the N-doped carbon layer in facilitating the anchoring and dispersion of Co nanoparticles within the carbon framework. The interfacial electron transfer from Co to NC contributes to the interaction with Cr2O72- ions, promoting the subsequent H-transfer reaction. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model has been established for the Cr(VI) reduction catalyzed by the CNCF2 (pyrolyzed at 700 °C), which shows a superior reaction performance. This study provides a facile strategy to delicately design well-assembled heterostructures with rich interfaces and strong interfacial interactions for a series of applications in environmental/thermal catalysis.

Distribution and Drug Resistance of Common Pathogens Causing Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Xinjiang Region.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the composition and distribution of pathogenic bacteria in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in a hospital in Xinjiang, to guide more effective antibiotic selection and inform clinical management. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 545 strains isolated from various clinical specimens like sputum and blood, collected between June 2020 and June 2023, using the LIST system. The strains were subjected to drug resistance testing, and statistical analyses included t tests and Chi-square tests. Results: Among gram-negative bacilli, Acinetobacter baumannii dominated, accounting for 32.11%, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, accounting for 18.35%. Among gram-positive bacteria, thrombin-negative staphylococcus was at the top of the list, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Among Acinetobacter baumannii (AB), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii plays a dominant role. The sensitivity rate of these strains to tigecycline and amikacin could reach more than 80%. The sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) to piperacillin, gentamicin, imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin ranged from 50% to 80%. It is worth mentioning that the sensitivity rate of PA to amikacin, cefoperazone, and tobramycin exceeded 80%. Amikacin was more than 60% sensitive to carbapenem, ß-lactam inhibitors, tigecycline, quinolones, and aminoglycosides of ESBL producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. Among gram-positive coccus, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus was 100% sensitive to duration, e, tigecycline, and vancomycin. In addition, the susceptibility rate of these strains to rifampicin and linezolid was greater than 70%. Conclusions: In patients with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in a hospital in Xinjiang, the most common pathogenic bacteria are gram-negative bacilli, mainly Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both resistant and non-resistant strains showed sensitivity to amikacin and tigecycline. Additionally, staphylococcus accounted for half of the total number of gram-positive bacteria, among which methicillin-resistant strains were more sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid.

Cyano-Coordinated Tin Halide Perovskites for Wearable Health Monitoring and Weak Light Imaging.

Low-toxicity tin halide perovskites with excellent optoelectronic properties are promising candidates for photodetection. However, tin halide perovskite photodetectors have suffered from high dark current owing to uncontrollable Sn2+ oxidation. Here, 2-cyanoethan-1-aminium iodide (CNI) is introduced in CH(NH2 )2 SnI3 (FASnI3 ) perovskite films to inhibit Sn2+ oxidation by the strong coordination interaction between the cyano group (C≡N) and Sn2+ . Consequently, FASnI3 -CNI films exhibit reduced nonradiative recombination and lower trap density. The self-powered photodetector based on FASnI3 -CNI exhibits low dark current (1.04 × 10-9 A cm-2 ), high detectivity (2.2 × 1013 Jones at 785 nm), fast response speed (2.62 µs), and good stability. Mechanism studies show the increase in the activation energy required for thermal emission and generated carriers, leading to a lower dark current in the FASnI3 -CNI photodetector. In addition, flexible photodetectors based on FASnI3 -CNI, exhibiting high detectivity and fast response speed, are employed in wearable electronics to monitor the human heart rate under weak light and zero bias conditions. Finally, the FASnI3 -CNI perovskite photodetectors are integrated with a 32 × 32 thin-film transistor backplane, capable of ultraweak light (170 nW cm-2 ) real-time imaging with high contrast, and zero power consumption, demonstrating the great potential for image sensor applications.

Fathers' needs of breastfeeding support: Perspective of health nurses.

PURPOSE: To explore the improvement of health education on father's participation in breastfeeding from the perspective of maternal and child health nurses. METHODS: Qualitative phenomenological research was used, and 15 maternal and child health nurses who provided breastfeeding support were invited. With semi-structured deep interviews and on-site recordings, data were analyzed through content analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes were extracted, including 'cultivating fathers' awareness of participation in breastfeeding', 'collaboration of multiple disciplines to improve health education on breastfeeding for fathers in hospital', 'Simulated scenarios to develop fathers' skills in solving breastfeeding problems', and 'establishing a hospital-community interface network to improve breastfeeding continuation care after hospital discharge'. CONCLUSIONS: Medical and health care departments should attach importance to guidance on health education for fathers' breastfeeding participation, cultivate fathers' awareness of participation in breastfeeding, provide multi-disciplinary collaboration-based health education on breastfeeding for fathers from the prenatal period and improve post-discharge health education on breastfeeding. The additional education being suggested would contribute to fathers being able to play an important role in breastfeeding.

Colloidal Zeta Potential Modulation as a Handle to Control the Crystallization Kinetics of Tin Halide Perovskites for Photovoltaic Applications.

Tin halide perovskites (THPs) have demonstrated exceptional potential for various applications owing to their low toxicity and excellent optoelectronic properties. However, the crystallization kinetics of THPs are less controllable than its lead counterpart because of the higher Lewis acidity of Sn2+, leading to THP films with poor morphology and rampant defects. Here, a colloidal zeta potential modulation approach is developed to improve the crystallization kinetics of THP films inspired by the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. After adding 3-aminopyrrolidine dihydro iodate (APDI2) in the precursor solution to change the zeta potential of the pristine colloids, the total interaction potential energy between colloidal particles with APDI2 could be controllably reduced, resulting in a higher coagulation probability and a lower critical nuclei concentration. In situ laser light scattering measurements confirmed the increased nucleation rate of the THP colloids with APDI2. The resulting film with APDI2 shows a pinhole-free morphology with fewer defects, achieving an impressive efficiency of 15.13 %.

STnc1280, a trans-coding sRNA is involved in virulence modulation via targeting gldA mRNA in Salmonella Typhimurium.

Introduction. Salmonella Typhimurium (STM) is a food-borne Gram-negative bacterium, which can infect humans and a wide range of livestock and poultry, causing a variety of diseases such as septicaemia, enteritis and abortion.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. We will decipher the impacts of sRNA STnc1280 on STM virulence and provide a theoretical basis to reveal the regulatory role and molecular mechanism of STnc1280.Aim. The main objective of this study was to clarify whether sRNA STnc1280 exerts regulatory roles on STM pathogenicity.Methodology. The STnc1280 gene was amplified and its molecular characteristics were analysed in this study. Then, STnc1280 gene deletion strain (STM-ΔSTnc1280) and the complementary strain (ΔSTnc1280/STnc1280) were constructed by λ-Red homologous recombination method, respectively, to analyse of adhesion and invasive ability and pathogenicity of different strains. Subsequently, the potential target gene regulated by STnc1280 was predicted using target RNA2 software, followed by the verification of the interaction between STnc1280 and target mRNA using the dual plasmid reporter system (DPRS). Furthermore, the mRNA and protein level of target gene was determined using qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively.Results. The results revealed that the cell adhesion and invasive ability and pathogenicity of STM-ΔSTnc1280 were significantly reduced compared to STM-SL1344 strain, indicating that the deficiency of STnc1280 gene significantly influenced STM pathogenicity. The DPRS results showed that STnc1280 can interact with the mRNA of target gene gldA, thus suppressing the expression of lacZ gene. Furthermore, the level of gldA mRNA was not influenced in STM-ΔSTnc1280, but the expression of GldA protein decreased significantly.Conclusion. Combining the bioinformatic analysis, these findings suggested that STnc1280 may bind to the SD sequence of gldA mRNA, hindering the binding of ribosomes to gldA mRNA, thereby inhibiting the expression of GldA protein to modulate the virulence of STM.

The association of Life's Simple 7 and infertility among U.S. women.

Background: The Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metric is a comprehensive measure of cardiovascular health (CVH) that encompasses seven distinct risk factors and behaviors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some studies have shown an association between infertility and CVD. The present study aimed to explore the potential association between the LS7 factors and infertility. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 3537 women aged 18-44 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning the years 2013-2018. The LS7 metrics encompassed various factors including physical activity, smoking habits, body mass index, blood pressure levels, dietary patterns, blood glucose levels, and total cholesterol levels. We computed a 14-point LS7 score based on participants' baseline data, classifying them as "inadequate" (3-6), "average" (7-10), or "ideal" (11-14). Infertility is defined as an affirmative answer to either of two questions on the NHANES questionnaire: "Have you tried to conceive for at least one year without success?" and "Have you sought medical help for your inability to conceive?" Logistic regression was utilized to estimate odds ratios (O.R.s) and 95% confidence intervals (C.I.s). Results: In total, 17.66% of participants were classified as individuals who reported experiencing infertility. In the continuous analysis, each one-unit increase in LS7 score was associated with a significantly decreased odds of infertility (OR=0.88 [0.77-0.89]). Analyzing the categorical representation of LS7 score, compared to individuals with poor scores, those with ideal scores exhibited a substantial 58% reduction in the odds of infertility (OR=0.42 [0.26-0.69]). Additionally, the observed interaction suggested that the influence of age on the relationship between LS7 and infertility is not consistent across different age groups (P for interaction < 0.001). Among individuals aged 35 or younger, each unit increase in LS7 score was associated with a substantial 18% (OR=0.82 [0.76-0.89]) decrease in the odds of infertility. However, in the older age group (>35), the association was attenuated and non-significant. Conclusions: Our research suggests a significant inverse association between LS7 scores and infertility. Age demonstrated a varying impact on this relationship, with a more pronounced impact observed among individuals aged 35 or younger.

Decreased snow depth inhibits litter decomposition via changes in litter microbial biomass and enzyme activity.

Decreased snow depth resulting from global warming has the potential to significantly impact biogeochemical cycles in cold forests. However, the specific mechanisms of how snow reduction affects litter decomposition and the underlying microbial processes remain unclear, this knowledge gap limits our ability to precisely predict ecological processes within cold forest ecosystems under climate change. Hence, a field experiment was conducted in a subalpine forest in southwestern China, involving a gradient of snow reduction levels (control, 50 %, 100 %) to investigate the effects of decreased snow on litter decomposition, as well as microbial biomass and activity, specifically focused on two common species: red birch (Betula albosinensis) and masters larch (Larix mastersiana). After one year of incubation, the decomposition rate (k-value) of the two types of litter ranged from 0.12 to 0.24 across three snow treatments. A significant lower litter mass loss, microbial biomass and enzyme activity were observed under decreased snow depth in winter. Furthermore, a hysteresis inhibitory effect of snow reduction on hydrolase activity was observed in the following growing season. Additionally, the high initial quality (lower C/N ratio) of red birch litter facilitated the colonization by a greater quantity of microorganisms, making it more susceptible to snow reduction compared to the low-quality masters larch litter. Structural equation models indicated that decreased snow depth hindered litter decomposition by altering the biological characterization of litter (e.g., microbial biomass and enzyme activity) and environmental variables (e.g., mean temperature and moisture content). The findings suggest that the potential decline in snow depth could inhibit litter decomposition by reducing microbial biomass and activity, implying that the future climate change may alter the material cycling processes in subalpine forest ecosystems.

Molecular dissection of an intronic enhancer governing cold-induced expression of the vacuolar invertase gene in potato.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the third most important food crop in the world. Potato tubers must be stored at cold temperatures to minimize sprouting and losses due to disease. However, cold temperatures strongly induce the expression of the potato vacuolar invertase gene (VInv) and cause reducing sugar accumulation. This process, referred to as "cold-induced sweetening", is a major postharvest problem for the potato industry. We discovered that the cold-induced expression of VInv is controlled by a 200-bp enhancer, VInvIn2En, located in its second intron. We identified several DNA motifs in VInvIn2En that bind transcription factors involved in the plant cold stress response. Mutation of these DNA motifs abolished VInvIn2En function as a transcriptional enhancer. We developed VInvIn2En deletion lines in both diploid and tetraploid potato using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9)-mediated gene editing. VInv transcription in cold-stored tubers was significantly reduced in the deletion lines. Interestingly, the VInvIn2En sequence is highly conserved among distantly related Solanum species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and other non-tuber-bearing species. We conclude that the VInv gene as well as the VInvIn2En enhancer have adopted distinct roles in the cold stress response in tubers of tuber-bearing Solanum species.

Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Unveil the Neuroprotection Mechanism of AnGong NiuHuang (AGNH) Pill Against Ischaemic Stroke Injury.

As a famous prescription in China, AnGong NiuHuang (AGNH) pill exerts good neuroprotection for ischaemic stroke (IS), but its mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the neuroprotection of AGNH was evaluated in the rat IS model which were established with the surgery of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and the potential mechanism was elucidated by transcriptomic analysis and metabolomic analysis. AGNH treatment obviously decreased the infarct volume and Zea-Longa 5-point neurological deficit scores, improved the survival percentage of rats, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and rat activity distance and activity time. Transcriptomics showed that AGNH exerted its anti-inflammatory effects by affecting the regulatory network including Tyrobp, Syk, Tlr2, Myd88 and Ccl2 as the core. Integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics identified 8 key metabolites regulated by AGNH, including L-histidine, L-serine, L-alanine, fumaric acid, malic acid, and N-(L-arginino) succinate, 1-pyrroline-4-hydroxy-2-carboxylate and 1-methylhistamine in the rats with IS. Additionally, AGNH obviously reduced Tyrobp, Syk, Tlr2, Myd88 and Ccl2 at both the mRNA and protein levels, decreased IL-1ß, KC-GRO, IL-13, TNF-α, cleaved caspase 3 and p65 nucleus translocation, but increased IκBα expression. Network pharmacology analysis showed that quercetin, beta-sitosterol, baicalein, naringenin, acacetin, berberine and palmatine may play an important role in protecting against IS. Taken together, this study reveals that AGNH reduced neuroinflammation and protected against IS by inhibiting Tyrobp/Syk and Tlr2/Myd88, as well as NF-κB signalling pathway and regulating multiple metabolites.

[Risk Factors and the Effect of Antiviral Prophylaxis for Herpes Zoster in Multiple Myeloma Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence and risk factors of herpes zoster in patients with multiple myeloma and to evaluate the preventive effect of antiviral therapy. METHODS: The clinical features of multiple myeloma patients with herpes zoster were retrospectively analyzed, the risk factors of herpes zoster and the effect of antiviral prophylaxis were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 180 patients with multiple myeloma, 23 cases developed herpes zoster (12.8%). The incidence of herpes zoster was 19.1% in patients with renal dysfunction and 23.5% after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The incidence of herpes zoster was higher in patients receiving bortezomib-containing regimens (21/137, 15.3%) than that in those without bortezomib (2/43, 4.7%), but there was no statistical difference (P =0.067). Antiviral prophylaxis was associated with fewer zoster infections, 8/111(7.2%) developed herpes zoster in patients who received antiviral prophylaxis, and 15/69 (21.7%) in those receiving no prophylaxis(P =0.005). 65.2% of patients with herpes zoster did not receive antiviral prophylaxis. Multivariate analysis showed that bortezomib treatment, AHSCT and renal dysfunction were independent risk factors for multiple myeloma with herpes zoster, while antiviral prophylaxis was independently associated with reducing the risk of herpes zoster. Herpes zoster had no effect on OS in patients with multiple myeloma. CONCLUSION: The risk of herpes zoster in multiple myeloma patients was increased. Antiviral prophylaxis can reduce the risk of herpes zoster in patients on bortezomib-based therapy.

Identification of somatic mutation-driven enhancers and their clinical utility in breast cancer.

Somatic mutations contribute to cancer development by altering the activity of enhancers. In the study, a total of 135 mutation-driven enhancers, which displayed significant chromatin accessibility changes, were identified as candidate risk factors for breast cancer (BRCA). Furthermore, we identified four mutation-driven enhancers as independent prognostic factors for BRCA subtypes. In Her2 subtype, enhancer G > C mutation was associated with poorer prognosis through influencing its potential target genes FBXW9, TRIR, and WDR83. We identified aminoglutethimide and quinpirole as candidate drugs targeting the mutated enhancer. In normal subtype, enhancer G > A mutation was associated with poorer prognosis through influencing its target genes ALOX15B, LINC00324, and MPDU1. We identified eight candidate drugs such as erastin, colforsin, and STOCK1N-35874 targeting the mutated enhancer. Our findings suggest that somatic mutations contribute to breast cancer subtype progression by altering enhancer activity, which could be potential candidates for cancer therapy.

Novel perspective on qualitative assessment of swine manure compost maturity using organic carbon density fractions.

Mature compost is safe and stable, yet quality assessments are challenging owing to current maturity indicators' limitations. This study employed density fractionation to separate organic carbon into light and heavy fractions, offering a new perspective for assessing maturity. Results showed that light fraction organic carbon progressively transitioned into heavy fraction during composting, reducing the proportion of total organic carbon from 82.82% to 44.03%, while heavy fraction organic carbon increased to 48.58%. During the first seven days, the reduction rate of light fraction organic carbon decreased slowly, while the increase rate of heavy fraction declined sharply, levelling off thereafter. Light/heavy fraction organic carbon ratio was significantly correlated with existing maturity indicators (carbon/nitrogen ratio, humic acid/fulvic acid ratio, biological growth-related indicators), with the ratio below 1.33 serving as a potential compost maturity marker. Thus, given its simplicity and reliability, organic carbon density fractions is an innovative indicator for compost maturity assessments.