Chromosome-scale genomes of Quercus sichourensis and Quercus rex provide insights into the evolution and adaptation of Fagaceae.

The Fagaceae, a plant family with a wide distribution and diverse adaptability, has garnered significant interest as a subject of study in plant speciation and adaptation. Meanwhile, certain Fagaceae species are regarded as highly valuable wood resources due to the exceptional quality of their wood. In this study, we present two high-quality, chromosome-scale genome sequences for Quercus sichourensis (848.75 Mb) and Quercus rex (883.46 Mb). Comparative genomics analysis reveals that the difference in the number of plant disease resistance genes and the nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution ratio (Ka/Ks) of protein-coding genes among Fagaceae species are related to different environmental adaptations. Interestingly, most genes related to starch synthesis in the investigated Quercoideae species are located on a single chromosome, as compared to the outgroup species, Fagus sylvatica. Furthermore, resequencing and population analysis of Q. sichourensis and Q. rex reveal that Q. sichourensis has lower genetic diversity and higher deleterious mutations compared to Q. rex. The high-quality, chromosome-level genomes and the population genomic analysis of the critically endangered Q. sichourensis and Q. rex will provide an invaluable resource as well as insights for future study in these two species, even the genus Quercus, to facilitate their conservation.

A comprehensive analysis of ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 for carcinogenesis in pan-cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although there is evidence that ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) is associated with numerous cancers, pan-cancer analysis has seldom been conducted. This study aimed to explore the potential carcinogenesis of RRM2 in pan-cancer using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). METHODS: Data from the UCSC Xena database were analyzed to investigate the differential expression of RRM2 across multiple cancer types. Clinical data such as age, race, sex, tumor stage, and status were acquired to analyze the influence of RRM2 on the clinical characteristics of the patients. The role of RRM2 in the onset and progression of multiple cancers has been examined in terms of genetic changes at the molecular level, including tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), biological pathway changes, and the immune microenvironment. RESULTS: RRM2 was highly expressed in most cancers, and there was an obvious correlation between RRM2 expression and patient prognosis. RRM2 expression is associated with the infiltration of diverse immune and endothelial cells, immune checkpoints, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI). Moreover, the cell cycle is involved in the functional mechanisms of RRM2. CONCLUSIONS: Our pan-cancer study provides a comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenesis of RRM2 in various tumors.

Balanced medial-lateral wall vs selective 3-wall orbital decompression for sight-threatening Graves's orbitopathy: a clinical retrospective cohort study from 2016 to 2022.

PURPOSE: Although urgent orbital decompression surgery for sight-threatening Graves' orbitopathy unresponsive to available medical treatments continues to evolve, post-operative new-onset or worsened pre-operative strabismus or diplopia remains a significant complication. At present, the optimal surgical technique remains debatable. Here, we sought to compare long-term outcomes after balanced medial-lateral wall versus selective 3-wall decompression as an urgent treatment for unresponsive sight-threatening GO. METHODS: This retrospective study examined the post-operative outcome of 102 eyes (57 patients) that underwent urgent orbital decompression for sight-threatening GO. Treatment effectiveness was measured by visual acuity, proptosis, perimetry, and strabismus/diplopia, while fundus findings were detected by fundus color photography and optical coherence tomography and followed up for more than 12 months. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients (102 orbits) with an average age of 52.7 ± 10.2 years were evaluated. Balanced medial-lateral wall (BMLW-OD) or selective 3-wall decompression(S3W-OD) were performed in 54 and 48 eyes, respectively. Twelve months after orbital decompression, all parameters significantly improved in both groups, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean defect of visual field (VF-MD), pattern standard deviation of visual field (VF-PSD), and proptosis (all P < 0.01). However, new-onset esotropia occurred in 25.8% and 3.8% of patients who underwent BMLW-OD surgery or S3W-OD, respectively. Moreover, 6.5% and 38.5% of patients improved after decompression in the medial-lateral wall decompression group and the selective 3-wall decompression group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that S3W-OD provides a lower rate of new-onset strabismus/diplopia as compared with BMLW-OD surgery, while still allowing for satisfactory visual outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:  : NCT05627401. Date of registration: November 25, 2022.

[Cadmium Phytoremediation Effect of Sweet Sorghum Assisted with Citric Acid on Typical Parent Soil in Southern China].

Sweet sorghum has a large biomass and strong cadmium (Cd) absorption capacity, which has the potential for phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil. In order to study the Cd phytoremediation effect of sweet sorghum assisted with citric acid on the typical parent materials in southern China, a field experiment was carried out in two typical parent material farmland areas (neutral purple mud field and jute sand mud field) with Cd pollution in Hunan Province. The results showed that:① Citric acid had no inhibitory effect on the growth of sweet sorghum. After the application of citric acid, the aboveground biomass of sweet sorghum at the maturity stage increased by 10.1%-24.7%. ② Both sweet sorghum planting and citric acid application reduced the soil pH value, and the application of citric acid further reduced the soil pH value at each growth stage of sweet sorghum; this decrease was greater in the neutral purple mud field, which decreased by 0.24-0.72 units. ③ Both sweet sorghum planting and citric acid application reduced the total amount of soil Cd, and the decreases in the neutral purple mud field and jute sand mud field were 23.8%-52.2% and 17.1%-31.8%, respectively. The acid-extractable percentage of soil Cd in both places increased by 38.6%-147.7% and 4.8%-22.7%, respectively. ④ The application of citric acid could significantly increase the Cd content in various tissues of sweet sorghum. The Cd content in the aboveground part of the plant in the neutral purple mud field was higher than that in the jute sand mud field, and the Cd content in stems and leaves was 0.25-1.90 mg·kg-1 and 0.21-0.64 mg·kg-1, respectively. ⑤ After applying citric acid, the Cd extraction amount of sweet sorghum in neutral purple mud soil in the mature stage reached 47.56 g·hm-2. In summary, citric acid could enhance the efficiency of sweet sorghum in the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil, and the effect was better in neutral purple mud fields. This technology has the potential for remediation coupled with agro-production for heavy metal-contaminated farmland.

Identification of Hub Genes and Pathways of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Aged Rats Using the Gene Expression Omnibus Database.

Stroke remained the leading cause of disability in the world, and the most important non-modifiable risk factor was age. The treatment of stroke for elder patients faced multiple difficulties due to its complicated pathogenesis and mechanism. Therefore, we aimed to identify the potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and singnalling pathways for aged people of stroke. To compare the DEGs in the aged rats with or without middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and to analyse the important genes and the key signaling pathways involved in the development of cerebral ischaemia in aged rats. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analysis tool was used to analyse the DEGs in the GSE166162 dataset of aged MCAO rats compared with aged sham rats. Differential expression analysis was performed in aged MCAO rats and sham rats using limma. In addition, the 74 DEGs (such as Fam111a, Lcn2, Spp1, Lgals3 and Gpnmb were up-regulated; Egr2, Nr4a3, Arc, Klf4 and Nr4a1 were down-regulated) and potential compounds corresponding to the top 20 core genes in the Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database (version 12.0). Among these 30 compounds, resveratrol, cannabidiol, honokiol, fucoxanthin, oleandrin and tyrosol were significantly enriched. These DEGs were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) function analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis to determine the most significantly enriched pathway in aged MCAO rats. Moreover, innate immune response, the complement and coagulation cascades signaling pathway, the IL-17 and other signaling pathways were significantly correlated with the aged MCAO rats. Our study indicates that multiple genes and pathological processes involved in the aged people of stroke. The immune response might be the key pathway in the intervention of cerebral infarction in aged people.

A Serum Pharmacochemistry and Network Pharmacology-based Approach to Study the Anti-depressant Effect of Chaihu-Shugan San.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to explore the anti-depressant mechanism of Chaihu- Shugan San based on serum medicinal chemistry and network pharmacology methods. BACKGROUND: Depression lacks effective treatments, with current anti-depressants ineffective in 40% of patients. Chaihu-Shugan San (CHSGS) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine compound to treat depression. However, the chemical components and the underlying mechanisms targeting the liver and brain in the anti-depressant effects of CHSGS need to be elucidated. METHODS: The chemical components of CHSGS in most current network pharmacology studies are screened from TCMSP and TCMID databases. In this study, we investigated the mechanism and material basis of soothing the liver and relieving depression in the treatment of depression by CHSGS based on serum pharmacochemistry. The anti-depressant mechanism of CHSGS was further verified by proteomics and high-throughput data. RESULTS: Through serum medicinal chemistry, we obtained 9 bioactive substances of CHSGS. These ingredients have good human oral bioavailability and are non-toxic. Based on liver ChIPseq data, CHSGS acts on 8 targets specifically localized in the liver, such as FGA, FGB, and FGG. The main contributors to CHSGS soothing the liver qi targets are hesperetin, nobiletin, ferulic acid, naringin and albiflorin. In addition, network pharmacology analysis identified 9 blood components of CHSGS that corresponded to 63 anti-depressant targets in the brain. Among them, nobiletin has the largest number of anti-depressant targets, followed by glycyrrhizic acid, ferulic acid, albiflorin and hesperetin. We also validated the anti-depressant mechanism of CHSGS based on hippocampal proteomics. CHSGS exerts anti-depressant effects on synaptic structure and neuronal function by targeting multiple synapse related proteins. CONCLUSION: This study not only provides a theoretical basis for further expanding the clinical application of CHSGS, but also provides a series of potential lead compounds for the development of depression drugs.

Potassium transporter OsHAK9 regulates seed germination under salt stress by preventing gibberellin degradation through mediating OsGA2ox7 in rice.

Soil salinity has a major impact on rice seed germination, severely limiting rice production. Herein, a rice germination defective mutant under salt stress (gdss) was identified by using chemical mutagenesis. The GDSS gene was detected via MutMap and shown to encode potassium transporter OsHAK9. Phenotypic analysis of complementation and mutant lines demonstrated that OsHAK9 was an essential regulator responsible for seed germination under salt stress. OsHAK9 is highly expressed in germinating seed embryos. Ion contents and non-invasive micro-test technology results showed that OsHAK9 restricted K+ efflux in salt-exposed germinating seeds for the balance of K+/Na+. Disruption of OsHAK9 significantly reduced gibberellin 4 (GA4) levels, and the germination defective phenotype of oshak9a was partly rescued by exogenous GA3 treatment under salt stress. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that the disruption of OsHAK9 improved the GA-deactivated gene OsGA2ox7 expression in germinating seeds under salt stress, and the expression of OsGA2ox7 was significantly inhibited by salt stress. Null mutants of OsGA2ox7 created using clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 approach displayed a dramatically increased seed germination ability under salt stress. Overall, our results highlight that OsHAK9 regulates seed germination performance under salt stress involving preventing GA degradation by mediating OsGA2ox7, which provides a novel clue about the relationship between GA and OsHAKs in rice.

Molecular mechanism analysis of apoptosis induced by silk fibroin peptides.

Silk fibroin derived from silkworm cocoons exhibits excellent mechanical properties, good biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity. Previous studies showed that silk fibroin had an inhibitory effect on cells, suppressing proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, the source of the toxicity and the mechanism of apoptosis induction are still unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that the toxicity of silk fibroin might originate from the crystalline region of the heavy chain of silk fibroin. We then verified the hypothesis and the specific induction mechanism. A target peptide segment was obtained from α-chymotrypsin. The potentially toxic mixture of silk fibroin peptides (SFPs) was separated by ion exchange, and the toxicity was tested by an MTT assay. The results showed that SFPs obtained after 4 h of enzymatic hydrolysis had significant cytotoxicity, and SFPs with isoelectric points of 4.0-6.8 (SFPα II) had a significant inhibitory effect on cell growth. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that SFPα II contained a large number of glycine-rich and alanine-rich repetitive sequence polypeptides from the heavy-chain crystallization region. A series of experiments showed that SFPα II mediated cell death through the apoptotic pathway by decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 protein and increasing the expression of Bax protein. SFPα II mainly affected the p53 pathway and the AMPK signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. SFPα II may indirectly increase the expression of Cers2 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of EGFR, which activated apoptotic signaling in the cellular mitochondrial pathway and inhibited the Akt/NF-κB pathway by increasing the expression of PPP2R2A.

[Effects of the Application of Irrigation Water Containing Zn at the Key Growth Period on the Uptake and Transport of Cd in Rice].

In this study， a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of the application of irrigation water containing Zn at the key growth period （booting stage and filling stage） on exchangeable Cd content in the soil， Cd concentration in pore water， and Cd uptake and transport in rice in a Cd-contaminated paddy field in Liuyang City， Hunan Province. The results indicated that： ① the application of irrigation water containing Zn during the key growth period could inhibit the releasing process of exchangeable Cd from the soil into pore water. Compared with that in the control， the content of exchangeable Cd in soil was slightly changed， but the concentration of Cd in soil pore water at the mature stage was significantly reduced by 16.7%-57.6%. ② The application of irrigation water containing Zn at the key growth period could significantly reduce the Cd content in various parts of rice. Cd contents in root， stem， and brown rice with the application of irrigation water containing 20 mg·L-1 Zn before the booting and the filling stage （BF1） were significantly decreased by 56.0%， 83.8%， and 85.2%， respectively. ③ Compared with the application of 100 mg·L-1 irrigation water containing Zn， the application of 20 mg·L-1 irrigation water containing Zn significantly reduced the uptake and transport of Cd in rice， and the translocation factor （TF） of Cd from rice roots to stems was also significantly reduced by 12.5%-56.3%， with the B1 and BF1 treatments reaching significant levels. These results suggested that the application of irrigation water containing Zn could significantly reduce the uptake and accumulation of Cd in rice， and the application of 20 mg·L-1 irrigation water containing Zn before the booting and filling stage could effectively realize the safe production of Cd-contaminated paddy fields.

Long-term effects of compound passivator coupled with silicon fertilizer on the reduction of cadmium and arsenic accumulation in rice and health risk evaluation.

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) are precedence-controlled contaminants in paddy soils, that can easily accumulate in rice grains. Limestone and sepiolite (LS) compound passivator can obviously reduce Cd uptake in rice, whereas Si fertilizer can effectively decrease rice As uptake. Here, the synergistic effects of the LS compound passivator coupled with Si fertilizer (LSCS) on the soil pH and availability of Si, Cd, and As, as well as rice grain Cd and As accumulation and its health risk were studied based on a 3-year consecutive field experiment. The results showed that the LSCS performed the best in terms of synchronously decreasing soil Cd and As availability and rice Cd and As uptake. In the LSCS treatments, soil pH gradually decreased with the rice-planting season, while soil available Cd and As contents gradually increased, suggesting that the influence of LSCS on Cd and As availability gradually weakened with rice cultivation. Nonetheless, the contents of Cd and inorganic As (i-As) in rice grains treated with LSCS were slightly affected by cultivation but were significantly lower than the single treatments of LS compound passivator or Si fertilizer. According to the Cd and As limit standards in food (GB2762-2022), the Cd and i-As content in rice grains can be lowered below the standard by using the 4500 kg/hm2 LS compound passivator coupled with 90 kg/hm2 Si fertilizer in soil and spraying 0.4 g/L Si fertilizer on rice leaves for at least three years. Furthermore, health risk evaluation revealed that LSCS treatments significantly reduced the estimated daily intake, annual excess lifetime cancer risk, and hazard quotient of Cd and i-As in rice grains. These findings suggest that LSCS could be a viable approach for reducing Cd and As accumulation in rice grains and lowering the potential health risks associated with rice.

Gender disparities in summer outdoor heat risk across China: Findings from a national county-level assessment during 1991-2020.

Increasing anthropogenic global warming has emerged as a significant challenge to human health in China, as extreme heat hazards increasingly threaten outdoor-exposed populations. Differences in thermal comfort, outdoor activity duration, and social vulnerability between females and males may exacerbate gender inequalities in heat-related health risks, which have been overlooked by previous studies. Here, we combine three heat hazards and outdoor activity duration to identify the spatiotemporal variation in gender-specific heat risk in China during 1991-2020. We found that females' heat risk tends to be higher than that of males. Gender disparities in heat risk decrease in southern regions, while those in northern regions remain severe. Males are prone to overheating in highly urbanized areas, while females in low urbanized areas. Males' overheating risk is mainly attributed to population clustering associated with prolonged outdoor activity time and skewed social resource allocation. In contrast, females' overheating risk is primarily affected by social inequalities. Our findings suggest that China needs to further diminish gender disparities and accelerate climate adaptation planning.

Phase transition and higher order analysis of Lq regularization under dependence.

We study the problem of estimating a [Formula: see text]-sparse signal [Formula: see text] from a set of noisy observations [Formula: see text] under the model [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the measurement matrix the row of which is drawn from distribution [Formula: see text]. We consider the class of [Formula: see text]-regularized least squares (LQLS) given by the formulation [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]  [Formula: see text] denotes the [Formula: see text]-norm. In the setting [Formula: see text] with fixed [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we derive the asymptotic risk of [Formula: see text] for arbitrary covariance matrix [Formula: see text] that generalizes the existing results for standard Gaussian design, i.e. [Formula: see text]. The results were derived from the non-rigorous replica method. We perform a higher-order analysis for LQLS in the small-error regime in which the first dominant term can be used to determine the phase transition behavior of LQLS. Our results show that the first dominant term does not depend on the covariance structure of [Formula: see text] in the cases [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] which indicates that the correlations among predictors only affect the phase transition curve in the case [Formula: see text] a.k.a. LASSO. To study the influence of the covariance structure of [Formula: see text] on the performance of LQLS in the cases [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we derive the explicit formulas for the second dominant term in the expansion of the asymptotic risk in terms of small error. Extensive computational experiments confirm that our analytical predictions are consistent with numerical results.

Detection of kinematic abnormalities in persons with knee osteoarthritis using markerless motion capture during functional movement screen and daily activities.

Background: The functional movement screen (FMS) has been used to identify deficiencies in neuromuscular capabilities and balance among athletes. However, its effectiveness in detecting movement anomalies within the population afflicted by knee osteoarthritis (KOA), particularly through the application of a family-oriented objective assessment technique, remains unexplored. The objective of this study is to investigate the sensitivity of the FMS and daily activities in identifying kinematic abnormalities in KOA people employing a markerless motion capture system. Methods: A total of 45 persons, presenting various Kellgren-Lawrence grades of KOA, along with 15 healthy controls, completed five tasks of the FMS (deep squat, hurdle step, and in-line lunge) and daily activities (walking and sit-to-stand), which were recorded using the markerless motion capture system. The kinematic waveforms and discrete parameters were subjected to comparative analysis. Results: Notably, the FMS exhibited greater sensitivity compared to daily activities, with knee flexion, trunk sagittal, and trunk frontal angles during in-line lunge emerging as the most responsive indicators. Conclusion: The knee flexion, trunk sagittal, and trunk frontal angles during in-line lunge assessed via the markerless motion capture technique hold promise as potential indicators for the objective assessment of KOA.

Association of systemic immunity-inflammation index with metabolic syndrome in U.S. adult: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a pathological condition characterized by the abnormal clustering of several metabolic components and has become a major public health concern. We aim to investigate the potential link of Systemic immunity-inflammation index (SII) on MetS and its components. METHODS AND RESULT: Weighted multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship between SII and MetS and its components. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) model and threshold effect analysis were also performed. A total of 6,999 U.S. adults were enrolled. Multivariate model found that SII were positively associated with MetS (OR = 1.18;95CI%:1.07-1.30) and hypertension (OR = 1.22; 95CI%:1.12-1.34) in a dose-dependent manner. When SII was converted into a categorical variable, the risk of MetS increased by 36% and the risk of hypertension increased by 53% in the highest quantile of SIIs. The RCS model confirmed linear associations between SII and MetS, as well as a non-linear association between SII and certain components of MetS, including hypertension, hyperglycemia, low HDL, and hyperlipidemia. Meanwhile, the relationship between SII and hypertension presents a J-shaped curve with a threshold of 8.27, above which the risk of hypertension increases. Furthermore, in MetS and hypertension, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and race were not significantly associated with this positive association based on subgroup analyses and interaction tests(p for interaction > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that there was a higher SII association with an increased risk of MetS and hypertension in adults. However, further prospective cohort studies are required to establish a causal relationship between SII and MetS, as well as its components.

Mechanistic insights into the anti-depressant effect of curcumin based on network pharmacology and experimental validation.

Curcumin (CUR) exhibits a definite curative effect in the treatment of depression. To identify potential antidepressant targets and mechanisms of action of CUR. This study used network pharmacology to explore the signaling pathways and CUR-related targets in depression. C57BL/6 J mice (male,12-14 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): saline-treated (control mice), lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally), LPS + CUR (50 mg/kg/day, intragastrically), and LPS + CUR + LY294002 (7.5 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally). After 1 week, behavioral tests were performed. Then, neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex of mice was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. We uncovered the main active mechanism of CUR against depression using Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways showed that the most significantly enriched pathway in CUR against depression was the PI3K-Akt pathway. Moreover, 52 targets were significantly correlated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and CUR-related targets. In addition, among the top 50 targets ranked by degree in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, there were 23 targets involved in the 52 intersection targets. Administration of LPS alone extended immobility time in the open field test (OFT) and tail suspension test (TST) and decreased sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test (SPT). Pretreatment with CUR relieved LPS-induced changes in the behavioral tests, activity of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and inflammatory response. Moreover, inhibition of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway by LY294002 blocked the therapeutic effects of CUR. Our study indicates that CUR may be an effective antidepressant agent in an LPS-induced mouse model, partly because of its anti-inflammatory action through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Physiological tolerance of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and changes of rhizospheric bacterial communities in response to Cd and Pb in the contaminated soil.

Woody plants possess great potential for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. A pot trial was conducted to study growth, physiological response, and Cd and Pb uptake and distribution in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), as well as the rhizosphere bacterial communities in Cd and Pb co-contaminated soil. The results showed that R. pseudoacacia L. had strong physiological regulation ability in response to Cd and Pb stress in contaminated soil. The total chlorophyll, malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein, and sulfhydryl contents, as well as antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase) activities in R. pseudoacacia L. leaves under the 40 mg·kg-1 Cd and 1000 mg·kg-1 Pb co-contaminated soil were slightly altered. Cd uptake in R. pseudoacacia L. roots and stems increased, while the Pb content in the shoots of R. pseudoacacia L. under the combined Cd and Pb treatments decreased in relative to that in the single Pb treatments. The bacterial α-diversity indices (e.g., Sobs, Shannon, Simpson, Ace, and Chao) of R. pseudoacacia L. rhizosphere soil under Cd and Pb stress were changed slightly relative to the CK treatment. However, Cd and Pb stress could significantly (p < 0.05) alter the rhizosphere soil microbial communities. According to heat map and LEfSe (Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size) analysis, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Terrabacter, Roseiflexaceae, Paenibacillus, and Myxococcaceae at the genus level were notably (p < 0.05) accumulated in the Cd- and/or Pb-contaminated soil. Furthermore, the MDA content was notably (p < 0.05) negatively correlated with the relative abundances of Isosphaeraceae, Gaiellales, and Gemmatimonas. The total biomass of R. pseudoacacia L. was positively (p < 0.05) correlated with the relative abundances of Xanthobacteraceae and Vicinamibacreraceae. Network analysis showed that Cd and Pb combined stress might enhance the modularization of bacterial networks in the R. pseudoacacia L. rhizosphere soil. Thus, the assembly of the soil bacterial communities in R. pseudoacacia L. rhizosphere may improve the tolerance of plants in response to Cd and/or Pb stress.

Insights into Dietary Different Co-Forms of Lysine and Glutamate on Growth Performance, Muscle Development, Antioxidation and Related Gene Expressions in Juvenile Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus).

The study aimed to compare the effects of crystalline L-lysine and L-glutamate (CAA), Lys-Glu dipeptide (KE) on the growth and muscle development of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), and related molecular mechanisms. Five experimental diets (CR, 0.5% CAA, 1.5% CAA, 0.5% KE, 1.5% KE) containing Lys and Glu as free (Lys and Glu, CAA) dipeptide (Lys-Glu, KE) forms were prepared, respectively. A total of 450 juvenile grass carp with an initial weight of 10.69 ± 0.07 g were randomly assigned to 15 cages, and 5 treatments with 3 replicates of 30 fish each for 61 days of feeding. The results showed that the group of 0.5% KE exhibited the best growth performances according to the indicator's weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR), although no statistically significant occurred among all groups; diet supplemented with 0.5% CAA significantly elevated the condition factor (CF) and viscerasomatic index (VSI) of juvenile grass carp. Diet supplemented with different Lys and Glu co-forms at different levels promoted the muscle amino acid content compared with those of CR group. Comparing with the CR group and other groups, the hardness of 0.5% CAA group significantly increased, and the springiness of 0.5% KE group excelled. Both the muscle fiber diameter and density of 0.5% KE group showed significant difference with those of the CR group, and a negative correlation between them was also observed. To uncover the related molecular mechanism of the differences caused by the different co-forms of Lys and Glu, the effect of different diets on the expressions of protein absorption, muscle quality, and antioxidation-related genes was analyzed. The results suggested that comparing with those of CR group, the dipeptide KE inhibited the expressions of genes associated with protein metabolism, such as AKT, S6K1, and FoxO1a but promoted PCNA expression, while the free style of CAA would improve the FoxO1a expression. Additionally, the muscle development-related genes (MyoD, MyOG, and Myf5) were significantly boosted in CAA co-form groups, and the expressions of fMYHCs were blocked but fMYHCs30 significantly promoted in 0.5% KE group. Finally, the effect of different co-forms of Lys and Glu on muscle antioxidant was examined. The 0.5% CAA diet was verified to increase GPX1a but obstruct Keap1 and GSTP1 expressions, resulting in enhanced SOD activity and reduced MDA levels in plasma. Collectively, the different co-forms of Lys and Glu influenced the growth of juvenile grass carp, and also the muscle development and quality through their different regulation on the protein metabolism, muscle development- and antioxidative-related genes.

Macular blood flow changes in dysthyroid optic neuropathy after high-dose intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (IVMP).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes in macular vessel density (VD) of the superficial layer of retina (SLR) and deep layer of retina (DLR) in dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) after high-dose intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (IVMP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen DON patients (29 eyes) who completed high-dose IVMP and 16 healthy individuals (32 eyes) were enrolled in this study. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) image analysis and comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed, including the SLR macular whole-image VD (SLR-mwiVD) and DLR-mwiVD, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the mean deviation of visual field (VF-MD), pattern standard deviation of visual field (VF-PSD) and the other parameters. RESULTS: The SLR-mwiVD (41.39 ± 4.71 vs. 48.13 ± 3.68, p < 0.001) and DLR-mwiVD (40.77 ± 5.85 vs. 49.14 ± 7.02, p < 0.001) were decreased in DON compared to control eyes. After IVMP, visual function parameters were improved, and SLR-mwiVD (49.41 ± 3.18, p < 0.001) and DLR-mwiVD (50.41 ± 4.04, p < 0.001) were increased in the DON group compared to pretreatment. The increased SLR-mwiVD and DLR-mwiVD were significantly correlated with improvements in BCVA (Log MAR: from 0.62 ± 0.49 to -0.01 ± 0.03, p < 0.001), VF-MD (from - 6.89 ± 2.89 dB to - 1.75 ± 1.29 dB, p < 0.001) and VF-PSD (from 4.38 ± 2.52 dB to 2.32 ± 1.64 dB, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The increase in macular VD was significantly correlated with the improvement in visual function in DON after IVMP. Macular VD changes on OCTA may be a useful indicator for the response in DON after IVMP.

Computational-Intelligence-Based Scheduling with Edge Computing in Cyber-Physical Production Systems.

Real-time performance and reliability are two critical indicators in cyber-physical production systems (CPPS). To meet strict requirements in terms of these indicators, it is necessary to solve complex job-shop scheduling problems (JSPs) and reserve considerable redundant resources for unexpected jobs before production. However, traditional job-shop methods are difficult to apply under dynamic conditions due to the uncertain time cost of transmission and computation. Edge computing offers an efficient solution to this issue. By deploying edge servers around the equipment, smart factories can achieve localized decisions based on computational intelligence (CI) methods offloaded from the cloud. Most works on edge computing have studied task offloading and dispatching scheduling based on CI. However, few of the existing methods can be used for behavior-level control due to the corresponding requirements for ultralow latency (10 ms) and ultrahigh reliability (99.9999% in wireless transmission), especially when unexpected computing jobs arise. Therefore, this paper proposes a dynamic resource prediction scheduling (DRPS) method based on CI to achieve real-time localized behavior-level control. The proposed DRPS method primarily focuses on the schedulability of unexpected computing jobs, and its core ideas are (1) to predict job arrival times based on a backpropagation neural network and (2) to perform real-time migration in the form of human-computer interaction based on the results of resource analysis. An experimental comparison with existing schemes shows that our DRPS method improves the acceptance ratio by 25.9% compared to the earliest deadline first scheme.