Numerical Simulation Study on Combustion of Low Calorific Value Waste Blended with Biomass.

Numerical simulations of a 600 t/day waste incinerator was carried out using the fluid dynamic incinerator code and Fluent to evaluate the effect of biomass blending on furnace temperature, pollutant generation, and selective noncatalytic-reduction (SNCR) denitrification when treating low calorific-value waste. The results show that as the biomass blending ratio increases, the water content gradually decreases, the calorific value increases, and the maximum temperature of the incinerator gradually increases from 1227 to 1408 K, while the content of exported NOx increases from 579 to 793 mg/Nm3; during the combustion of low-quality waste, the residence time of the flue gas in the high-temperature region (above 1123 K) is 1.62 s. When the biomass blending ratio exceeds 20%, the residence time of the flue gas in the high-temperature region is more than 2 s, which can effectively curb the generation of dioxin. When the biomass blending ratio is 20%, and the normalized stoichiometric ratio (2nurea/nNO) of urea injected into the SNCR is 1.1, the NOx concentration at the outlet is 230.08 mg/Nm3, which satisfies the NOx emission standard of less than 250 mg/Nm3.

Spiro-Bifluorene-Cored Dopant-Free Conjugated Polymeric Hole-Transporting Materials Containing Passivation Parts for Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Two spiro-bifluorene-based dopant-free HTMs (X22 and X23) have been synthesized by facilely condensing spiro-bifluorene diamine with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT)-5,7-dicarbonyl dichloride and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-terephthaloyl dichloride, respectively. In the X22 molecule, lone pairs of electrons on the sulfur (S) and oxygen (O) functional groups interact with the perovskite materials. The hole mobility (µh) of X22 (3.9 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 S1-) is more than twice that of X23 (1.4 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 S1-). The conductivity (σ0) of X22 is 2.73 × 10-4 S cm-1, which is also higher than that of X23 (2.39 × 10-4 S cm-1). The EDOT moiety benefits the contact angle of CH3NH3PbI3 precursor solutions on HTMs as low as 24°. The X22-based device with an indium-doped tin oxide/hole transport material (HTM)/CH3NH3PbI3/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM)/bathocuproine/Ag structure achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.18%. The PCE of the device based on X23 containing fluorine is 18.70%, and the contact angle between HTM and the perovskite precursor solution is 32°. The X22- and X23-based devices at ambient temperature (≈25 °C) in N2 retain 86% and 79% of the initial PCE after 150 days. The effect of S, O, and F heteroatoms plays an important role in the side chain modification of HTMs, improving defect passivation in HTM/CH3NH3PbI3 interfaces by multiple functional groups.

[Life Cycle Carbon Reduction Benefits of Electric Heavy-duty Truck to Replace Diesel Heavy-duty Truck].

To accurately predict the life-cycle carbon reduction benefits of replacing a diesel heavy-duty truck with an electric one, taking a single heavy-duty truck as the object, the variation trend in electric and diesel carbon emission factors from 2023 to 2050 were predicted; coupled with the life spans and life-cycle mileage of the two types of heavy-duty trucks, a dynamic carbon emission model for the heavy-duty trucks was constructed in stages. The carbon footprints of the trucks under the "Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE)", "Announced Pledges Scenario (APS)", and "Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS)" were analyzed. In addition, the carbon reduction and carbon reduction rate were calculated. The results showed that battery manufacturing and battery recycling were the main factors to impair the improvement of carbon reduction in the production and recycling stages of electric heavy-duty trucks, respectively. For every 1 g·(kW·h)-1 reduction in the electricity carbon emission factor (CO2), an electric heavy-duty truck could reduce 1.74 t of carbon emissions over its life cycle. Under the three scenarios, the carbon emissions during the operation stage of both types of heavy trucks accounted for more than 90% of the total life-cycle carbon emissions. Carbon reduction benefits from the highest to the lowest were NZE, APS, and STEPS, and their corresponding life-cycle carbon emission reductions were 1054.68, 1021.78, and 1007.97 t, with carbon reduction rates of 54.38%, 52.68%, and 51.97%, respectively.

GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor attenuated neuronal apoptosis in the mouse model of HIBD through inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress-activated PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway.

Introduction: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) refers to brain damage in newborns caused by hypoxia and reduced or even stopped cerebral blood flow during the perinatal period. Currently, there are no targeted treatments for neonatal ischemic hypoxic brain damage, primarily due to the incomplete understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms. Especially, the role of NMDA receptors is less studied in HIBD. Therefore, this study explored the molecular mechanism of endogenous protection mediated by GluN2B-NMDAR in HIBD. Method: Hypoxic ischemia was induced in mice aged 9-11 days. The brain damage was examined by Nissl staining and HE staining, while neuronal apoptosis was examined by Hoechst staining and TTC staining. And cognitive deficiency of mice was examined by various behavior tests including Barnes Maze, Three Chamber Social Interaction Test and Elevated Plus Maze. The activation of ER stress signaling pathways were evaluated by Western blot. Results: We found that after HIBD induction, the activation of GluN2B-NMDAR attenuated neuronal apoptosis and brain damage. Meanwhile, the ER stress PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway was activated in a time-dependent manner after HIBE. Furthermore, after selective inhibiting GluN2B-NMDAR in HIBD mice with ifenprodil, the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway remains continuously activated, leading to neuronal apoptosis, morphological brain damage. and aggravating deficits in spatial memory, cognition, and social abilities in adult mice. Discussion: The results of this study indicate that, unlike its role in adult brain damage, GluN2B in early development plays a neuroprotective role in HIBD by inhibiting excessive activation of the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway. This study provides theoretical support for the clinical development of targeted drugs or treatment methods for HIBD.

Preparation of mesoporous silica/hydroxyapatite loaded quercetin nanoparticles and research on its antibacterial properties.

In this study, amino-functionalized mesoporous silica/hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (MSNS/HAP) with the property of acid dissociation have been prepared as a traditional Chinese medicine monomer carriers to improve the drug loading rate and antibacterial properties of antimicrobial quercetin (QUE) in vitro. The experimental results confirm that the drug loading rate of MSNs/HAP is 28.94 %, which is about 3.6 times higher than that of aminated mesoporous sililca nanoparticles (MSNs). The drug release of QUE on MSNs/HAP is pH-sensitive in phosphate buffered saline (pH=4.0-7.4). The above fabricated traditional Chinese medicine monomer modified nanocomposites (QUE@MSNs/HAP) displays concentration-dependent inhibitory effect, which shows better antibacterial effect than free QUE. The minimum inhibitory concentration for two tested bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and Escherichia coli (E.coli), is 256 mg·L -1. In summary, QUE@MSNs/HAP have successfully prepared, which not only improves the bio-availability of QUE, but also has acid-sensitive drug release properties. Compared with free QUE, its antibacterial performance significantly enhances, which provides a theoretical basis for the application of Chinese medicine molecules in bacterial treatment.

Lateral hypothalamus orexinergic projection to the medial prefrontal cortex modulates chronic stress-induced anhedonia but not anxiety and despair.

Chronic stress-induced anxiodepression is a common health problem, however its potential neurocircuitry mechanism remains unclear. We used behavioral, patch-clamp electrophysiology, chemogenetic, and optogenetic approaches to clarify the response of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to stress, confirmed the structural connections between the LH and mPFC, and investigated the role of the LH-mPFC pathway in chronic stress-induced anxiodepression symptoms. Unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) caused anxiodepression-like behaviors, including anxiety, anhedonia, and despair behaviors. We discovered that the activity of the LH and mPFC was both increased after restraint stress (RS), a stressor of UCMS. Then we found that the orexinergic neurons in the LH predominantly project to the glutamatergic neurons in the mPFC, and the excitability of these neurons were increased after UCMS. In addition, overactivated LH orexinergic terminals in the mPFC induced anhedonia but not anxiety and despair behaviors in naive mice. Moreover, chemogenetically inhibited LH-mPFC orexinergic projection neurons and blocked the orexin receptors in the mPFC alleviated anhedonia but not anxiety and despair behaviors in UCMS-treated mice. Our study identified a new neurocircuit from LH orexinergic neurons to mPFC and revealed its role in regulating anhedonia in response to stress. Overactivation of LHOrx-mPFC pathway selectively mediated chronic stress-induced anhedonia. In normal mice, the LHOrx-mPFC pathway exhibits relatively low activity. However, after chronic stress, the activity of orexinergic neuron in LH is overactivated, leading to an increased release of orexin into the mPFC. This heightened orexin concentration results in increased excitability of the mPFC through OX1R and OX2R, consequently triggering anhedonia.

Identification and Analysis of the MIR399 Gene Family in Grapevine Reveal Their Potential Functions in Abiotic Stress.

MiR399 plays an important role in plant growth and development. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the evolutionary characteristics of the MIR399 gene family in grapevine and investigate its role in stress response. To comprehensively investigate the functions of miR399 in grapevine, nine members of the Vvi-MIR399 family were identified based on the genome, using a miRBase database search, located on four chromosomes (Chr 2, Chr 10, Chr 15, and Chr 16). The lengths of the Vvi-miR399 precursor sequences ranged from 82 to 122 nt and they formed stable stem-loop structures, indicating that they could produce microRNAs (miRNAs). Furthermore, our results suggested that the 2 to 20 nt region of miR399 mature sequences were relatively conserved among family members. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Vvi-MIR399 members of dicots (Arabidopsis, tomato, and sweet orange) and monocots (rice and grapevine) could be divided into three clades, and most of the Vvi-MIR399s were closely related to sweet orange in dicots. Promoter analysis of Vvi-MIR399s showed that the majority of the predicted cis-elements were related to stress response. A total of 66.7% (6/9) of the Vvi-MIR399 promoters harbored drought, GA, and SA response elements, and 44.4% (4/9) of the Vvi-MIRR399 promoters also presented elements involved in ABA and MeJA response. The expression trend of Vvi-MIR399s was consistent in different tissues, with the lowest expression level in mature and young fruits and the highest expression level in stems and young leaves. However, nine Vvi-MIR399s and four target genes showed different expression patterns when exposed to low light, high light, heat, cold, drought, and salt stress. Interestingly, a putative target of Vvi-MIR399 targeted multiple genes; for example, seven Vvi-MIR399s simultaneously targeted VIT_213s0067g03280.1. Furthermore, overexpression of Vvi_MIR399e and Vvi_MIR399f in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance to drought compared with wild-type (WT). In contrast, the survival rate of Vvi_MIR399d-overexpressed plants were zero after drought stress. In conclusion, Vvi-MIR399e and Vvi-MIR399f, which are related to drought tolerance in grapevine, provide candidate genes for future drought resistance breeding.

Multimodal Dual-Embedding Networks for Malware Open-Set Recognition.

Malware open-set recognition (MOSR) is an emerging research domain that aims at jointly classifying malware samples from known families and detecting the ones from novel unknown families, respectively. Existing works mostly rely on a well-trained classifier considering the predicted probabilities of each known family with a threshold-based detection to achieve the MOSR. However, our observation reveals that the feature distributions of malware samples are extremely similar to each other even between known and unknown families. Thus, the obtained classifier may produce overly high probabilities of testing unknown samples toward known families and degrade the model performance. In this article, we propose the multi \ modal dual-embedding networks, dubbed MDENet, to take advantage of comprehensive malware features from different modalities to enhance the diversity of malware feature space, which is more representative and discriminative for down-stream recognition. Concretely, we first generate a malware image for each observed sample based on their numeric features using our proposed numeric encoder with a re-designed multiscale CNN structure, which can better explore their statistical and spatial correlations. Besides, we propose to organize tokenized malware features into a sentence for each sample considering its behaviors and dynamics, and utilize language models as the textual encoder to transform it into a representable and computable textual vector. Such parallel multimodal encoders can fuse the above two components to enhance the feature diversity. Last, to further guarantee the open-set recognition (OSR), we dually embed the fused multimodal representation into one primary space and an associated sub-space, i.e., discriminative and exclusive spaces, with contrastive sampling and ρ -bounded enclosing sphere regularizations, which resort to classification and detection, respectively. Moreover, we also enrich our previously proposed large-scaled malware dataset MAL-100 with multimodal characteristics and contribute an improved version dubbed MAL-100 + . Experimental results on the widely used malware dataset Mailing and the proposed MAL-100 + demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

scRNA+TCR+BCR-seq revealed the proportions and gene expression patterns of dual receptor T and B lymphocytes in NPC and NLH.

While the relationship between single receptor lymphocytes and cancer has been deeply researched, the origin and biological roles of dual receptor lymphocytes in tumor microenvironment (TME) remain largely unknown. And since nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of cancer closely associated with immune infiltration, studying the TME of NPC holds particular significance. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing combined with T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell receptor (BCR) sequencing (scRNA + TCR + BCR-seq), we analyzed data from 7 patients with NPC and 3 patients with nasopharyngeal lymphatic hyperplasia (NLH). In our research, it was firstly found that the presence of dual receptor lymphocytes in both the TME of NPC and the inflammatory environment of NLH. We also confirmed their clonal expansion, suggesting their potential involvement in the immune response. Subsequently, we further discovered the lineage and the pairing characteristics. It was found that the dual receptor lymphocytes in NPC and NLH mainly originate from memory cells, and the predominant pairing type for dual TCR was ß+α1+α2 and dual BCR was heavy+κ+λ. By further analyzing their gene expression, we compared the function of dual receptor cells with single receptor cells in the context of both NPC and NLH. This groundbreaking research has enhanced our comprehension of the features of dual-receptor cells and has contributed to a better understanding of the TME in NPC. By comparing with NLH, it illuminates part of the alterations in the process of malignant transformation in NPC. These findings present the potential to acquire improved diagnostic markers and treatment modalities.

Elevated aerobic glycolysis driven by p62-mTOR axis promotes arsenic-induced oncogenic phenotypes in human mammary epithelial cells.

Chronic arsenic exposure is considered to increase the risk of breast cancer. p62 is a multifunctional adaptor protein that controls myriad cellular processes and is overexpressed in breast cancer tissues. Although previous studies have indicated the involvement of p62 accumulation in arsenic tumorigenesis, the underlying mechanism remains obscure. Here, we found that 0.1 µM or 0.5 µM arsenite exposure for 24 weeks induced oncogenic phenotypes in human mammary epithelial cells. Elevated aerobic glycolysis, cell proliferation capacity, and activation of p62-mTOR pathway, as indicated by increased protein levels of p62, phosphorylated-mTOR (p-mTOR) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), were observed in chronically arsenite-exposed cells, and of note in advance of the onset of oncogenic phenotypes. Moreover, p62 silencing inhibited acquisition of oncogenic phenotypes in arsenite-exposed cells. The protein levels of p-mTOR and HIF1α, as well as aerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation, were suppressed by p62 knockdown. In addition, re-activation of p­mTOR reversed the inhibitory effects of p62 knockdown. Collectively, our data suggest that p62 exerts an oncogenic role via mTORC1 activation and acts as a key player in glucose metabolism during arsenite-induced malignant transformation, which provides a new mechanistic clue for the arsenite carcinogenesis.

Clinical value of screening prenatal ultrasound combined with chromosomal microarrays in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of ultrasound findings in the screening of fetal chromosomal abnormalities and the analysis of risk factors for chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) abnormalities. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the datasets of 15,899 pregnant women who underwent prenatal evaluations at Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University between August 2018 and December 2022. Everyone underwent ultrasound screening, and those with abnormal findings underwent CMA to identify chromosomal abnormalities. RESULTS: The detection rates for isolated ultrasound anomalies and combined ultrasound and CMA anomalies were 11.81% (1877/15,899) and 2.40% (381/15,899), respectively. Among all ultrasound abnormalities, detection rates for isolated ultrasound soft marker anomalies, isolated structural abnormalities, and both ultrasound soft marker anomalies with structural abnormalities were 82.91% (1872/2258), 15.99% (361/2258), and 1.11% (25/2258), respectively. The detection rate of abnormal chromosomes in pregnant women with abnormal ultrasound results was 16.87% (381/2258). The detection rates were 13.33% in cases with two or more ultrasound soft markers anomalies, 47.37% for two or more structural anomalies, and 48.00% for concomitant ultrasound soft marker and structural anomalies. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced detection rates of chromosomal anomalies in fetal malformations are achieved with specific ultrasound findings (NT thickening, cardiovascular abnormalities, and multiple soft markers) or when combined with high-risk factors (advanced maternal age, familial history, parental chromosomal anomalies, etc.). When the maternal age is over 35 and with ≥2 ultrasound soft marker anomalies accompanied with any high-risk factors, CMA testing can aid in the diagnosis of prenatal chromosomal abnormalities.

MicroRNA (let-7b-5p)-targeted DARS2 regulates lung adenocarcinoma growth by PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Background: The aberrant intracellular expression of a mitochondrial aspartyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (DARS2) has been reported in human cancers. Nevertheless, its critical role and detailed mechanism in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unexplored. Methods: Initially, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-based Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn/) was used to analyze the prognostic relevance of DARS2 expression in LUAD. Further, cell counting kit (CCK)-8, immunostaining, and transwell invasion assays in LUAD cell lines in vitro, as well as DARS2 silence on LUAD by tumorigenicity experiments in vivo in nude mice, were performed. Besides, we analyzed the expression levels of p-PI3K (phosphorylated-Phosphotylinosital3 kinase), PI3K, AKT (Protein Kinase B), p-AKT (phosphorylated-Protein Kinase B), PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), cleaved-caspase 3, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin proteins using the Western blot analysis. Results: LUAD tissues showed higher DARS2 expression compared to normal tissues. Upregulation of DARS2 could be related to Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage, high lymph node metastasis, and inferior prognosis. DARS2 silence decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of LUAD cells. In addition, the DARS2 downregulation decreased the PCNA and N-cadherin expression and increased cleaved-caspase 3 and E-cadherin expressions in LUAD cells, coupled with the inactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, DARS2 silence impaired the tumorigenicity of LUAD in vivo. Interestingly, let-7b-5p could recognize DARS2 through a complementary sequence. Mechanistically, the increased let-7b-5p expression attenuated the promo-oncogenic action of DARS2 during LUAD progression, which were inversely correlated to each other in the LUAD tissues. Conclusion: In summary, let-7b-5p downregulated DARS2 expression, regulating the progression of LUAD cells by the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Polyphenolic Platform Ameliorated Sanshool for Skin Photoprotection.

Natural evolution has nurtured a series of active molecules that play vital roles in physiological systems, but their further applications have been severely limited by rapid deactivation, short cycle time, and potential toxicity after isolation. For instance, the instability of structures and properties has greatly descended when sanshool is derived from Zanthoxylum xanthoxylum. Herein, natural polyphenols are employed to boost the key properties of sanshool by fabricating a series of nanoparticles (NPs). The intracellular evaluation and in vivo animal model are conducted to demonstrate the decreased photodamage score and skin-fold thickness of prepared NPs, which can be attributed to the better biocompatibility, improved free radical scavenging, down-regulated apoptosis ratios, and reduced DNA double-strand breaks compared to naked sanshool. This work proposes a novel strategy to boost the key properties of naturally occurring active molecules with the assistance of natural polyphenol-based platforms.

L-arginine attenuates Streptococcus uberis-induced inflammation by decreasing miR155 level.

L-arginine, as an essential substance of the immune system, plays a vital role in innate immunity. MiR155, a multi-functional microRNA, has gained importance as a regulator of homeostasis in immune cells. However, the immunoregulatory mechanism between L-arginine and miR155 in bacterial infections is unknown. Here, we investigated the potential role of miR155 in inflammation and the molecular regulatory mechanisms of L-arginine in Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) infections. And we observed that miR155 was up-regulated after infection, accompanying the depletion of L-arginine, leading to metabolic disorders of amino acids and severe tissue damage. Mechanically, the upregulated miR155 mediated by the p65 protein played a pro-inflammatory role by suppressing the suppressor of cytokine signaling 6 (SOCS6)-mediated p65 ubiquitination and degradation. This culminated in a violently inflammatory response and tissue damage. Interestingly, a significant anti-inflammatory effect was revealed in L-arginine supplementation by reducing miR155 production via inhibiting p65. This work firstly uncovers the pro-inflammatory role of miR155 and an anti-inflammatory mechanism of L-arginine in S.uberis infection with a mouse mastitis model. Collectively, we provide new insights and strategies for the prevention and control of this important pathogen, which is of great significance for ensuring human food health and safety.

Recent progress in electrode materials for micro-supercapacitors.

Micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) stand out in the field of micro energy storage devices due to their high power density, long cycle life, and environmental friendliness. The key to improving the electrochemical performance of MSCs is the selection of appropriate electrode materials. To date, both the composition and structure of electrode materials in MSCs have become a hot research topic, and it is urgent to compose a review to highlight the most important research achievements, major challenges, opportunities, and encouraging perspectives in this field. In this review, research background of MSCs is first reviewed followed by their working principles, structural classifications, and physiochemical and electrochemical characterization techniques. Next, various materials and preparation methods are summarized, and the relationship between the MSC performance and structure and composition of materials are discussed in depth. Finally, this review provides a comprehensive suggestion on accelerating the development of electrode materials to facilitate the commercialization of MSCs.

FinTech revolution in mineral management: Exploring the nexus between technology adoption and sustainable Resource utilization in an industry 4.0 context.

This study investigates the impact of FinTech adoption on sustainable mineral management policies in Australia within the context of Industry 4.0, using quarterly data from 1990Q1 to 2022Q4. Employing the ARDL-Bounds testing approach, Granger causality analysis, and innovation accounting matrix, the research finds a short-term positive association between FinTech adoption, technological readiness, and green mineral extraction. However, both in the short and long run, investment in sustainable mining technologies, government support for FinTech in mining, and environmental compliance exhibit a negative relationship with resource management. Bidirectional causality is observed between regulatory support for mining FinTech, technological finance solutions, and environmentally conscious mineral practices, while unidirectional causality exists from FinTech adoption to sustainable mining practices. Impulse response functions offer insights into the future impact of variables on eco-conscious mining policies, indicating positive influences from FinTech adoption, government support for FinTech in mining, and technological adaptability over the next decade. Conversely, eco-friendly mining investments, environmental conformity, and social license to operate will impact sustainable mineral utilization. Variance decomposition analysis highlights the most significant shocks on eco-friendly resource management over the next ten years, emphasizing the role of sustainable mining technologies, FinTech adoption, and public support for mining endeavours. In the transition to Industry 4.0, this research provides crucial insights for responsibly utilizing Australia's natural resources by leveraging financial technology and technological readiness.

Analysis of physiological response and differential protein expression of Paramichelia baillonii saplings under phosphorus deficiency.

Paramichelia baillonii is a rare and fast-growing tree species in subtropical China. The acidic red soil in southern China severely limits its growth as it lacks sufficient available phosphorus (P), resulting in declining soil fertility and nutrient availability. The effect of P deficiency on P. Baillonii growth, root attributes, and physiological response has not yet been reported. Understanding the adaptability of P. baillonii to low-P conditions can improve afforestation and soil management in southern China. Therefore, we conducted a pot experiment on 2-year-old saplings and treated them with different P levels. Results showed that P deficiency (0-5 mg L-1 ) decreased growth attributes, root morphological traits, and nutrient uptake of P. baillonii saplings compared to control (CK). Similarly, reduction in chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and Gs were seen in low P treatment saplings compared to CK. Whereas superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, malondialdehyde, acid phosphatase activity, and soluble protein content increased with increasing P-deficiency up to 5 mg L-1 , and soluble sugar showed oppsite trend. Moreover, the proteomics analysis identified 2721 proteins, 196 showing differential expression, with 90 up- and 106 down-regulated. Importantly, the metabolic activities increased in the pentose phosphate pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways to sustain regular plant growth under P deficiency. This study delves into the dynamic morpho-physiological and proteomic changes in response to P deficiency. Overall, growth and nutrient uptake were reduced, countered by adaptive biochemical and proteomic shifts, including heightened antioxidant activities and modifications in metabolic pathways, highlighting the resilient strategies of P. baillonii saplings under P deficiency.

Phased genomics reveals hidden somatic mutations and provides insight into fruit development in sweet orange.

Although revisiting the discoveries and implications of genetic variations using phased genomics is critical, such efforts are still lacking. Somatic mutations represent a crucial source of genetic diversity for breeding and are especially remarkable in heterozygous perennial and asexual crops. In this study, we focused on a diploid sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and constructed a haplotype-resolved genome using high fidelity (HiFi) reads, which revealed 10.6% new sequences. Based on the phased genome, we elucidate significant genetic admixtures and haplotype differences. We developed a somatic detection strategy that reveals hidden somatic mutations overlooked in a single reference genome. We generated a phased somatic variation map by combining high-depth whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 87 sweet orange somatic varieties. Notably, we found twice as many somatic mutations relative to a single reference genome. Using these hidden somatic mutations, we separated sweet oranges into seven major clades and provide insight into unprecedented genetic mosaicism and strong positive selection. Furthermore, these phased genomics data indicate that genomic heterozygous variations contribute to allele-specific expression during fruit development. By integrating allelic expression differences and somatic mutations, we identified a somatic mutation that induces increases in fruit size. Applications of phased genomics will lead to powerful approaches for discovering genetic variations and uncovering their effects in highly heterozygous plants. Our data provide insight into the hidden somatic mutation landscape in the sweet orange genome, which will facilitate citrus breeding.

Novel bigels based on walnut oil oleogel and chitosan hydrogel: Preparation, characterization, and application as food spread.

This study developed new biphasic gel systems containing a walnut oil-based oleogel and a chitosan hydrogel and evaluated the application on food spread. The effects of different oleogelators [γ-oryzanol/ß-sitosterol (γ-ORY/ß-SIT), candelilla wax/span 65 (CW/SA), and mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids] were explored. Rheological analysis showed that γ-ORY/ß-SIT-based bigel had the strongest gel strength, but XRD confirmed that ß' crystal form (d = 3.72 Å, 4.12 Å) was predominantly in the CW/SA-based bigel, which was more appropriate for application as spread. The characteristics of CW/SA-based bigel with different oleogel fractions (40-80 wt%) were investigated. The microscopic images indicated that the hydrogels were dispersed as small droplets in the oleogels after oleogel fraction reaching 60 %. The highest crystallinity was achieved when the oleogel fraction was 60 %, and its oil binding capacity was 96.49 %. Textural analysis showed that the CW/SA-based bigel (OG-60 %) had similar properties with commercial spread B, and can be used as a partial replacement for spread B. Replacing 75 % of the commercial spread B with the bigel was found to be optimal and displayed acceptable sensory features. This study developed a healthy bigel based on walnut oil and provided the in-depth information for bigels as an alternative to plastic fats.

Development and external validation of a novel model for predicting new clinically important atrial fibrillation after thoracoscopic anatomical lung cancer surgery: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: New clinically important postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common arrhythmia after thoracoscopic anatomical lung cancer surgery and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The full spectrum of predictors remains unclear, and effective assessment tools are lacking. This study aimed to develop and externally validate a novel model for predicting new clinically important POAF. METHODS: This retrospective study included 14 074 consecutive patients who received thoracoscopic anatomical lung cancer surgery from January 2016 to December 2018 in Shanghai Chest Hospital. Based on the split date of 1 January 2018, we selected 8717 participants for the training cohort and 5357 participants for the testing cohort. For external validation, we pooled 2941 consecutive patients who received this surgical treatment from July 2016 to July 2021 in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. Independent predictors were used to develop a model and internally validated using a bootstrap-resampling approach. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) and Brier score were performed to assess the model discrimination and calibration. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate clinical validity and net benefit. New clinically important POAF was defined as a new-onset of POAF that causes symptoms or requires treatment. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis suggested that age, hypertension, preoperative treatment, clinical tumor stage, intraoperative arrhythmia and transfusion, and operative time were independent predictors of new clinically important POAF. These seven candidate predictors were used to develop a nomogram, which showed a concordance statistic (C-statistic) value of 0.740 and good calibration (Brier score; 0.025). Internal validation revealed similarly good discrimination (C-statistic, 0.736; 95% CI: 0.705-0.768) and calibration. The decision curve analysis showed positive net benefits with the threshold risk range of 0-100%. C-statistic value and Brier score were 0.717 and 0.028 in the testing cohort, and 0.768 and 0.012 in the external validation cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified seven predictors of new clinically important POAF, among which preoperative treatment, intraoperative arrhythmia, and operative time were rarely reported. The established and externally validated model has good performance and clinical usefulness, which may promote the application of prevention and treatment in high-risk patients, and reduce the development and related adverse outcomes of this event.