Heterologous expression of MirMAN enhances root development and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Introduction: ß-Mannanase is a plant cell wall remodeling enzyme involved in the breakdown of hemicellulose and plays an important role in growth by hydrolyzing the mannan-like polysaccharide, but its function in adaptation to salt stress has been less studied. Methods: Based on cloned the mannanase (MAN) gene from Mirabilis jalapa L., the study was carried out by heterologously expressing the gene in Arabidopsis thaliana, and then observing the plant phenotypes and measuring relevant physiological and biochemical indicators under 150 mM salt treatment. Results and discussion: The results indicate that MirMAN is a protein with a glycohydrolase-specific structural domain located in the cell wall. We first found that MirMAN reduced the susceptibility of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana to high salt stress and increased the survival rate of plants by 38%. This was corroborated by the following significant changes, including the reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, increase in antioxidant enzyme activity, accumulation of soluble sugars and increase of the expression level of RD29 in transgenic plants. We also found thatthe heterologous expression of MirMAN promoted root growth mainly by elongating the primary roots and increasing the density of lateral roots. Meanwhile, the expression of ARF7, ARF19, LBD16 and LBD29 was up-regulated in the transgenic plants, and the concentration of IAA in the roots was increased. Those results indicate that MirMAN is involved in the initiation of lateral root primordia in transgenic plants through the IAA-ARF signalling pathway. In conclusion, MirMAN improves plant salt tolerance not only by regulating ROS homeostasis, but also by promoting the development of lateral roots. Reflecting the potential of the MirMAN to promote root plastic development in adaptation to salt stress adversity.

Surfaces of gymnastic equipment as reservoirs of microbial pathogens with potential for transmission of bacterial infection and antimicrobial resistance.

Gymnastic equipment surfaces are shared by many people, and could mediate the transfer of bacterial pathogens. To better understand this detrimental potential, investigations on the reservoirs of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment were performed by analyzing the bacterial community structures, prevalence of viable bacteria, and presence of antimicrobial resistance on both indoor and outdoor gymnastic facilities. The results of high-throughput 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing showed that Gram-positive bacteria on the surfaces of indoor gymnastic equipment significantly enriched, including the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus strains, while Enterobacteriaceae significantly enriched on surfaces of outdoor gymnastic equipment. The analysis of α-diversities showed a higher richness and diversity for bacterial communities on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment than the environment. Analysis of ß-diversities showed that the bacterial communities on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment differ significantly from environmental bacterial communities, while the bacterial communities on indoor and outdoor equipment are also significantly different. Thirty-four bacterial isolates were obtained from the surfaces of gymnastic equipment, including three multidrug Staphylococcus and one multidrug resistant Pantoea. In particular, Staphylococcus hemolyticus 5-6, isolated from the dumbbell surface, is a multidrug resistant, hemolytic, high- risk pathogen. The results of quantitative PCR targeting antibiotic resistance related genes (intI1, sul1 and bla TEM) showed that the abundances of sul1 and bla TEM genes on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment are higher than the environment, while the abundances of sul1 gene on indoor equipment are higher than outdoor equipment. These results lead to the conclusion that the surfaces of gymnastic equipment are potential dissemination pathways for highly dangerous pathogens as well as antimicrobial resistance, and the risks of indoor equipment are higher than outdoor equipment.

Identity of the holotype and type locality of Rhabdophis leonardi (Wall, 1923) (Colubridae: Natricinae), with notes on the morphology and natural history of the species in southwestern China.

The original description of Natrix leonardi (currently Rhabdophis leonardi) by Frank Wall in 1923, based on a specimen from the "Upper Burma Hills," lacked important morphological details that have complicated the assignment of recently collected material. Furthermore, although the holotype was never lost, its location has been misreported in one important taxonomic reference, leading to further confusion. We report the correct repository of the holotype (Natural History Museum, London), together with its current catalog number. We also describe key features of that specimen that were omitted from the original description, and provide new details on the morphology of the species, including sexual dichromatism unusual for the genus, based upon specimens from southern Sichuan, China. Rhabdophis leonardi is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: 15 or 17 DSR at midbody and 6 supralabials; distinct annulus around the neck, broad and red in males, and narrow and orange with a black border in females; dorsal ground color light green or olive; some lateral and dorsal scales possessing black edges, the frequency of black edges gradually increasing from anterior to posterior, forming irregular and ill-defined transverse black bands; eye with prominent green iris; black ventral spots with a red edge, most numerous at midbody but extending halfway down the length of the tail. In southwestern China, this species is frequently found at 1730-2230 m elevation. It has been documented to prey upon anuran amphibians, including toads. A recently published phylogenetic analysis showed this species to be deeply nested with the genus Rhabdophis, as a member of the R. nuchalis Group. That analysis also revealed the existence of two closely related but geographically distinct subclades in the molecular analysis, one of which may represent an unnamed taxon.

Isolation of a potential probiotic strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciensLPB-18 and identification of antimicrobial compounds responsible for inhibition of food-borne pathogens.

This study was carried out to screen a potential probiotic microbe with broad-spectrum antagonistic activity against food-borne pathogens and identify the antimicrobial compounds. Based on morphological and molecular analysis, a new Bacillus strain with the ability to produce effective antimicrobial agents was isolated from the breeding soil of earthworms and identified as having a close evolutionary footprint to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The antimicrobial substances produced by B. amyloliquefaciens show effective inhibition of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium oxysporum in an agar diffusion assay. Antimicrobial agents were identified as a series of fengycin and its isoforms (fengycin A and fengycin B) after being submitted to RT-HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS analyses. To evaluate the probiotic activity of the B. amyloliquefaciens, antibiotic safety and viability of the isolated strain in a simulated gastrointestinal environment were carried out. The safety test result revealed that strain LPB-18 is susceptible to multiple common antibiotics. Moreover, acidic condition and bile salts assay were carried out, and the results revealed that it couble be a potential probiotic microbe B. amyloliquefaciens LPB-18 is good choice for biological strains in agricultural commodities and animal feedstuffs.

Rational design of covalent organic frameworks with high capacity and stability as a lithium-ion battery cathode.

A two-dimensional covalent organic framework (NTCDI-COF) with rich redox active sites, high stability and crystallinity was designed and prepared. As a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), NTCDI-COF exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with an outstanding discharge capacity of 210 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and high capacity retention of 125 mA h g-1 after 1500 cycles at 2 A g-1. A two-step Li+ insertion/extraction mechanism is proposed based on the ex situ characterization and density functional theory calculation. The constructed NTCDI-COF//graphite full cells can realize a good electrochemical performance.

Characterization of the genomic and transcriptional structure of chicken NRG4 gene.

Neuregulin 4 (NRG4) is an important adipocytokine, which plays crucial roles in maintaining energy balance, regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, and preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mammals. At present, the genomic organization, transcript and protein isoforms of human NRG4 gene have been fully explored. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the NRG4 gene is expressed in chicken adipose tissue, but the chicken NRG4 (cNRG4) genomic structure, transcript and protein isoforms are still unknown. To this end, in this study, the genomic and transcriptional structure of the cNRG4 gene were systematically investigated using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that the coding region (CDS) of the cNRG4 gene was small, but it had a very complex transcriptional structure characterized by multiple transcription start sites, alternative splicing, intron retention, cryptic exons, and alternative polyadenylation, thus leading to production of four 5?UTR isoforms (cNRG4 A, cNRG4 B, cNRG4 C, and cNRG4 D) and six 3?UTR isoforms (cNRG4 a, cNRG4 b, cNRG4 c, cNRG4 d, cNRG4 e, and cNRG4 f) of the cNRG4 gene. The cNRG4 gene spanned 21,969 bp of genomic DNA (Chr.10:3,490,314~3,512,282) and consisted of 11 exons and 10 introns. Compared with the cNRG4 gene mRNA sequence (NM_001030544.4), two novel exons and one cryptic exon of the cNRG4 gene were identified in this study. Bioinformatics analysis, RT-PCR, cloning and sequencing analysis showed that the cNRG4 gene could encode three protein isoforms (cNRG4-1, cNRG4-2 and cNRG4-3). This study lays a foundation for further research on the function and regulation of the cNRG4 gene.

Triglyceride glucose index predicts in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent primary angiography.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the correlation between triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: A total of 2190 patients with STEMI who underwent primary angiography within 12 h from symptom onset were selected from the prospective, nationwide, multicenter CAMI registry. TyG index was calculated with the formula: Ln [fasting triglycerides (mmol/L) × fasting glucose (mmol/L)/2]. Patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of TyG index. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Overall, 46 patients died during hospitalization, in-hospital mortality was 1.5%, 2.2%, 2.6% for tertile 1, tertile 2, and tertile 3, respectively. However, TyG index was not significantly correlated with in-hospital mortality in single-variable logistic regression analysis. Nonetheless, after adjusting for age and sex, TyG index was significantly associated with higher mortality when regarded as a continuous variable (adjusted OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.16-2.63) or categorical variable (tertile 3 vs. tertile 1: adjusted OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.14-5.49). Furthermore, TyG index, either as a continuous variable (adjusted OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.42-4.54) or categorical variable (tertile 3 vs. tertile 1: adjusted OR = 3.57, 95% CI: 1.24-10.29), was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality after adjusting for multiple confounders in multivariable logistic regression analysis. In subgroup analysis, the prognostic effect of high TyG index was more significant in patients with body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2 (P interaction = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that TyG index was positively correlated with in-hospital mortality in STEMI patients who underwent primary angiography, especially in underweight patients.

Baicalin can enhance odonto/osteogenic differentiation of inflammatory dental pulp stem cells by inhibiting the NF-κB and ß-catenin/Wnt signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a famous traditional Chinese medicine, which is widely used in treating fever, upper respiratory tract infection and other diseases. Pharmacology study showed it can exhibit anti-bacterial, anti-inflammation and analgesic effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of baicalin on the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of inflammatory dental pulp stem cells (iDPSCs). METHODS AND RESULTS: iDPSCs were isolated from the inflamed pulps collected from pulpitis. The proliferation of iDPSCs was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2,5-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, alizarin red staining, Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot assay were conducted to examine the differentiation potency along with the involvement of nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) and ß-catenin/Wnt signaling pathway. MTT assay and cell-cycle analysis demonstrated that baicalin had no influence on the proliferation of iDPSCs. ALP activity assay and alizarin red staining demonstrated that baicalin could obviously enhance ALP activity and calcified nodules formed in iDPSCs. RT-PCR and Western blot showed that the odonto/osteogenic markers were upregulated in baicalin-treated iDPSCs. Moreover, expression of cytoplastic phosphor-P65, nuclear P65, and ß-catenin in iDPSCs was significantly increased compared with DPSCs, but the expression in baicalin-treated iDPSCs was inhibited. In addition, 20 µM Baicalin could accelerate odonto/osteogenic differentiation of iDPSCs via inhibition of NF-κB and ß-catenin/Wnt signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Baicalin can promote odonto/osteogenic differentiation of iDPSCs through inhibition of NF-κB and ß-catenin/Wnt pathways, thus providing direct evidence that baicalin may be effective in repairing pulp with early irreversible pulpitis.

Associations between sleep trajectories up to 54 months and cognitive school readiness in 4 year old preschool children.

Purpose: This study explores the association between the duration and variation of infant sleep trajectories and subsequent cognitive school readiness at 48-50 months. Methods: Participants were 288 multi-ethnic children, within the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort. Caregiver-reported total, night and day sleep durations were obtained at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire and 54 months using the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Total, night and day sleep trajectories with varying durations (short, moderate, or long) and variability (consistent or variable; defined by standard errors) were identified. The cognitive school readiness test battery was administered when the children were between 48 and 50 months old. Both unadjusted adjusted analysis of variance models and adjusted analysis of covariance models (for confounders) were performed to assess associations between sleep trajectories and individual school readiness tests in the domains of language, numeracy, general cognition and memory. Results: In the unadjusted models, children with short variable total sleep trajectories had poorer performance on language tests compared to those with longer and more consistent trajectories. In both unadjusted and adjusted models, children with short variable night sleep trajectories had poorer numeracy knowledge compared to their counterparts with long consistent night sleep trajectories. There were no equivalent associations between sleep trajectories and school readiness performance for tests in the general cognition or memory domains. There were no significant findings for day sleep trajectories. Conclusion: Findings suggest that individual differences in longitudinal sleep duration patterns from as early as 3 months of age may be associated with language and numeracy aspects of school readiness at 48-50 months of age. This is important, as early school readiness, particularly the domains of language and mathematics, is a key predictor of subsequent academic achievement.

Runx2 overexpression promotes bone repair of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).

BACKGROUND: Runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx2) has been considered an inducer to improve bone repair ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-four rabbits were used to establish Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) and randomly devided into four groups: Adenovirus Runx2 (Ad-Runx2) group, Runx2-siRNA group, MSCs group and Model group. At 1 week after model establishment, the Ad-Runx2 group was treated with 5 × 107 MSCs transfected through Ad-Runx2, the Runx2-siRNA group was treated with 5 × 107 MSCs transfected through Runx2-siRNA, the MSCs group was injected with 5 × 107 untreated MSCs, and the Model group was treated with saline. The injection was administered at 1 week and 3 weeks after model establishment. The expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), Runx2 and Osterix from the femoral head was detected at 3 and 6 weeks after MSCs being injected, and Masson Trichrome Staining, Gross Morphology, X-ray and CT images observation were used to evaluate the repair effect of ONFH. The data revealed that the expression of BMP-2, Runx2 and Osterix in the Runx2-siRNA group was reduced at 3 weeks compared with the MSCs group, and then the expression further reduced at 6 weeks, but was still higher than the Model group besides Osterix; The expression of these three genes in the Ad-Runx2 group was higher than in the MSCs group. Masson Trichrome Staining, Gross Morphology and X-ray and CT images observation revealed that necrotic femoral head of the MSCs group was more regular and smooth than the Runx2-siRNA group, which has a collapsed and irregular femoral head. In the Ad-Runx2 group, necrotic femoral head was basically completely repaired and covered by rich cartilage and bone tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of Runx2 can improve osteoblastic phenotype maintenance of MSCs and promote necrotic bone repair of ONFH.

Regulating the Solvation Structure of Li+ Enables Chemical Prelithiation of Silicon-Based Anodes Toward High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The solvation structure of Li+ in chemical prelithiation reagent plays a key role in improving the low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and poor cycle performance of silicon-based materials. Nevertheless, the chemical prelithiation agent is difficult to dope active Li+ in silicon-based anodes because of their low working voltage and sluggish Li+ diffusion rate. By selecting the lithium-arene complex reagent with 4-methylbiphenyl as an anion ligand and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran as a solvent, the as-prepared micro-sized SiO/C anode can achieve an ICE of nearly 100%. Interestingly, the best prelithium efficiency does not correspond to the lowest redox half-potential (E1/2), and the prelithiation efficiency is determined by the specific influencing factors (E1/2, Li+ concentration, desolvation energy, and ion diffusion path). In addition, molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the ideal prelithiation efficiency can be achieved by choosing appropriate anion ligand and solvent to regulate the solvation structure of Li+. Furthermore, the positive effect of prelithiation on cycle performance has been verified by using an in-situ electrochemical dilatometry and solid electrolyte interphase film characterizations.

Hsa-miR-379 down-regulates Rac1/MLK3/JNK/AP-1/Collagen I cascade reaction by targeting connective tissue growth factor in human alveolar basal epithelial A549 cells.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to screen and identify miRNAs that could regulate human CTGF gene and downstream cascade reaction Rac1/MLK3/JNK/AP-1/Collagen I by bioinformatics and experimental means. METHODS: TargetScan and Tarbase were used to predict miRNAs that may have regulatory effects on human CTGF gene. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was employed to verify the results obtained in bioinformatics. Human alveolar basal epithelial A549 cells were exposed to silica (SiO2) culture medium for 24 h to establish an in vitro model of pulmonary fibrosis, and bleomycin (BLM) of 100 ng/mL was used as a positive control. The miRNA and mRNA expression levels were determined by RT-qPCR, and the protein levels were measured by western blot in hsa-miR-379-3p overexpression group or not. RESULTS: A total of 9 differentially expressed miRNAs that might regulate the human CTGF gene were predicted. Hsa-miR-379-3p and hsa-miR-411-3p were selected for the subsequent experiments. The results of the dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that hsa-miR-379-3p could bind to CTGF, but hsa-miR-411-3p could not. Compared with the control group, SiO2 exposure (25 and 50 µg/mL) could significantly reduce the expression level of hsa-miR-379-3p in A549 cells. SiO2 exposure (50 µg/mL) could significantly increase the mRNA expression levels of CTGF, Collagen I, Rac1, MLK3, JNK, AP1, and VIM in A549 cells, while CDH1 level was significantly decreased. Compared with SiO2 + NC group, the mRNA expression levels of CTGF, Collagen I, Rac1, MLK3, JNK, AP1, and VIM were significantly decreased, and CDH1 level was significantly higher when hsa-miR-379-3p was overexpressed. At the same time, overexpression of hsa-miR-379-3p improved the protein levels of CTGF, Collagen I, c-Jun and phospho-c-Jun, JNK1 and phospho-JNK1 significantly compared with SiO2 + NC group. CONCLUSION: Hsa-miR-379-3p was demonstrated for the first time that could directly target and down-regulate human CTGF gene, and further affect the expression levels of key genes and proteins in Rac1/MLK3/JNK/AP-1/Collagen I cascade reaction.

Improving the Accuracy and Efficiency of Abnormal Cervical Squamous Cell Detection With Cytologist-in-the-Loop Artificial Intelligence.

Population-based cervical cytology screening techniques are demanding and laborious and have relatively poor diagnostic accuracy. In this study, we present a cytologist-in-the-loop artificial intelligence (CITL-AI) system to improve the accuracy and efficiency of abnormal cervical squamous cell detection in cervical cancer screening. The artificial intelligence (AI) system was developed using 8000 digitalized whole slide images, including 5713 negative and 2287 positive cases. External validation was performed using an independent, multicenter, real-world data set of 3514 women, who were screened for cervical cancer between 2021 and 2022. Each slide was assessed using the AI system, which generated risk scores. These scores were then used to optimize the triaging of true negative cases. The remaining slides were interpreted by cytologists who had varying degrees of experience and were categorized as either junior or senior specialists. Stand-alone AI had a sensitivity of 89.4% and a specificity of 66.4%. These data points were used to establish the lowest AI-based risk score (ie, 0.35) to optimize the triage configuration. A total of 1319 slides were triaged without missing any abnormal squamous cases. This also reduced the cytology workload by 37.5%. Reader analysis found CITL-AI had superior sensitivity and specificity compared with junior cytologists (81.6% vs 53.1% and 78.9% vs 66.2%, respectively; both with P < .001). For senior cytologists, CITL-AI specificity increased slightly from 89.9% to 91.5% (P = .029); however, sensitivity did not significantly increase (P = .450). Therefore, CITL-AI could reduce cytologists' workload by more than one-third while simultaneously improving diagnostic accuracy, especially compared with less experienced cytologists. This approach could improve the accuracy and efficiency of abnormal cervical squamous cell detection in cervical cancer screening programs worldwide.

[A cross-sectional study of enterovirus nucleic acid test with throat swabs for term late neonates during coronavirus disease 2019]. / æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’æ„ŸæŸ“æœŸé—´è¶³æœˆçš„æ™šæœŸæ–°ç”Ÿå„¿å’½æ‹­å­è‚ é“ç— æ¯’æ ¸é ¸æ£€æµ‹æ¨ªæ–­é¢ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the positive rate of enterovirus (EV) nucleic acid in throat swabs of term late neonates hospitalized during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and the clinical characteristics of the neonates. METHODS: A single-center cross-sectional study was performed on 611 term late infants who were hospitalized in the neonatal center from October 2020 to September 2021. Throat swabs were collected on admission for coxsackie A16 virus/EV71/EV universal nucleic acid testing. According to the results of EV nucleic acid test, the infants were divided into a positive EV nucleic acid group (8 infants) and a negative EV nucleic acid group (603 infants). Clinical features were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Among the 611 neonates, 8 tested positive for EV nucleic acid, with a positive rate of 13.1‰, among whom 7 were admitted from May to October. There was a significant difference in the proportion of infants contacting family members with respiratory infection symptoms before disease onset between the positive and negative EV nucleic acid groups (75.0% vs 10.9%, P<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in demographic data, clinical symptoms, and laboratory test results (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a certain proportion of term late infants testing positive for EV nucleic acid in throat swabs during the COVID-19 epidemic, but the proportion is low. The clinical manifestations and laboratory test results of these infants are non-specific. Transmission among family members might be an important cause of neonatal EV infection.

Composite electrolytes engineered by anion acceptors for boosted high-voltage solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are considered as the most promising option to replace commercial lithium-ion batteries due to their ability to address the flammability of liquid organic electrolytes and facilitate the energy density of lithium batteries. Herein, by introducing tris(trimethylsilyl) borate (TMSB) as anion acceptors, we successfully develop the light and thin electrolyte (TMSB-PVDF-HFP-LLZTO-LiTFSI, PLFB) with a wide voltage window to couple the lithium metal anode with the high-voltage cathodes. Consequently, as-prepared PLFB can greatly boost the generation of free Li+ and improve the Li+ transference numbers (tLi+=0.92) at room temperature. Moreover, combined with theoretical calculation and experimental results, the changes in the composition and properties of the composite electrolyte membrane with the addition of anionic receptors are systematically studied, which further implies the intrinsic mechanism of the stability difference. In addition, the PLFB-based SSB assembled by LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode and lithium anode exhibits a high capacity retention of 86% after loop 400 cycles. This investigation on boosted battery performance by immobilized anions not only contributes to the directional construction of dendrite-free and lithium-ion permeable interface, but also brings new opportunities for the screening and design of the next generation of high-energy SSBs.

Sedimentary organic molecular compositions reveal the influence of glacier retreat on ecology on the Tibetan Plateau.

Global warming and glacier retreat have significant impacts on the structure and function of natural ecosystems. However, little is known about how glacier retreat affects the long-term evolution of ecosystems at high-altitude regions. In this study, we explored the possible effects of glacier retreat on catchment vegetation and lake productivity in Lake Puma Yumco, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, based on detailed organic molecular compositions determined by an ultra-high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), and combined with various sedimentary geochemical indicators. The glaciers in the catchment keep retreating since 1870 CE, as inferred from the multiple indices of total organic carbon content (TOC), total nitrogen content (TN), C/N ratios, and carbonate contents. Accompanying modern global warming and glacier shrinkage, the relative abundance of soil- and vegetation-derived large molecular compounds (e.g., vascular plant-derived polyphenols, highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds, and condensed aromatics) increased gradually in lake sediments, suggesting that ice-covered land was exposed under warming condition, and gradually revegetation occurred. Both increases in relative abundance of nitrogen-containing compounds (e.g., CHNO) and chlorophyll derivative contents in the lake sediments were observed since 1870 CE, suggesting that stronger catchment weathering and increasing terrestrial nutrient loads enhanced the downstream lake productivity after glacier retreat. Our results imply that continued global warming and alpine glacier retreat in the future may further promote vegetation expansion and increases in lake productivity on the Tibetan Plateau.

Identification of diagnostic markers related to oxidative stress and inflammatory response in diabetic kidney disease by machine learning algorithms: Evidence from human transcriptomic data and mouse experiments.

Introduction: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a long-term complication of diabetes and causes renal microvascular disease. It is also one of the main causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which has a complex pathophysiological process. Timely prevention and treatment are of great significance for delaying DKD. This study aimed to use bioinformatics analysis to find key diagnostic markers that could be possible therapeutic targets for DKD. Methods: We downloaded DKD datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Overexpression enrichment analysis (ORA) was used to explore the underlying biological processes in DKD. Algorithms such as WGCNA, LASSO, RF, and SVM_RFE were used to screen DKD diagnostic markers. The reliability and practicability of the the diagnostic model were evaluated by the calibration curve, ROC curve, and DCA curve. GSEA analysis and correlation analysis were used to explore the biological processes and significance of candidate markers. Finally, we constructed a mouse model of DKD and diabetes mellitus (DM), and we further verified the reliability of the markers through experiments such as PCR, immunohistochemistry, renal pathological staining, and ELISA. Results: Biological processes, such as immune activation, T-cell activation, and cell adhesion were found to be enriched in DKD. Based on differentially expressed oxidative stress and inflammatory response-related genes (DEOIGs), we divided DKD patients into C1 and C2 subtypes. Four potential diagnostic markers for DKD, including tenascin C, peroxidasin, tissue inhibitor metalloproteinases 1, and tropomyosin (TNC, PXDN, TIMP1, and TPM1, respectively) were identified using multiple bioinformatics analyses. Further enrichment analysis found that four diagnostic markers were closely related to various immune cells and played an important role in the immune microenvironment of DKD. In addition, the results of the mouse experiment were consistent with the bioinformatics analysis, further confirming the reliability of the four markers. Conclusion: In conclusion, we identified four reliable and potential diagnostic markers through a comprehensive and systematic bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation, which could serve as potential therapeutic targets for DKD. We performed a preliminary examination of the biological processes involved in DKD pathogenesis and provide a novel idea for DKD diagnosis and treatment.

Selective Production of CO from Organic Pollutants by Coupling Piezocatalysis and Advanced Oxidation Processes.

To date, the chemical conversion of organic pollutants into value-added chemical feedstocks rather than CO2 remains a major challenge. Herein, we successfully developed a coupled piezocatalytic and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) system for achieving the conversion of various organic pollutants to CO. The CO product stems from the specific process in which organics are first oxidized to carbonate through peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based AOPs, and then the as-obtained carbonate is converted into CO by piezoelectric reduction under ultrasonic (US) vibration by using a Co3 S4 /MoS2 catalyst. Experiments and DFT calculations show that the introduction of Co3 S4 not only effectively promotes the transfer and utilization of piezoelectric electrons but also realizes highly selective conversion from carbonate to CO. The Co3 S4 /MoS2 /PMS system has achieved selective generation of CO in actual complex wastewater treatment for the first time, indicating its potential practical applicability.

Sedimentary organic matter molecular composition reveals the eutrophication of the past 500 years in Lake Daihai, Inner Mongolia.

Lake eutrophication seriously threatens water quality and human health. Under continuous global warming and intensified human activity, increasing attention is being paid to how lake trophic status responds to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Based on the sedimentary organic matter (SOM) molecular composition determined by the Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) technology, and combined with the SOM stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15Norg), we studied how lake trophic status and ecology respond to both climatic changes and anthropogenic impacts of the past 500 yrs at Lake Daihai, Inner Mongolia. The results show that the relative abundance of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates in lake sediments kept relatively low before AD ∼1850, and increased gradually thereafter, especially after AD ∼1950, suggesting that the lake trophic status was low before AD ∼1850, but obviously increased during the past one more century. On the other hand, the relative abundance of allochthonous condensed aromatics and vascular plant-derived polyphenols compounds gradually decreased after AD ∼1850, which is most likely due to the intensified land-use changes in the catchment. Our results show that the SOM molecular composition is more sensitive to trace the land-use changes than the δ15Norg ratios, suggesting a potential use of this technique to trace even earlier human land uses (e.g., during the prehistorical times) in a catchment. The results of this study suggest that intensified land-use change, increased discharges of human sewage and industrial wastewater, cropland runoff, and concentrated effects caused by lake level drops may have combinedly increased nutrient concentration and accelerated lake eutrophication at Lake Daihai. Therefore, proper policy is necessary to slow down anthropogenic impacts and limit further eutrophication for lakes like Lake Daihai.

Effects of specialized nursing intervention based on quantitative assessment strategy on psychological state and quality of life of patients with senile dementia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of specialized nursing intervention based on quantitative evaluation strategy on the psychological state and quality of life of senile dementia patients. METHODS: 92 senile dementia patients were divided into the control and intervention groups (n = 46 each). Control group was given routine nursing intervention, while intervention group was given specialized nursing intervention based on the quantitative evaluation strategy. Patients' self-care ability, cognitive function, nursing compliance, psychological state, quality of life, and patient satisfaction indexes were measured. RESULTS: After nursing interventions, the self-care ability (71.73 ± 4.31 vs 63.82 ± 3.97 points) and cognitive functions such as orientation (7.96 ± 1.02 vs 6.53 ± 1.15), memory (2.16 ± 0.39 vs 1.69 ± 0.31), visual-spatial copying (3.78 ± 0.53 vs 3.02 ± 0.65), language skills (7.49 ± 1.26 vs 6.05 ± 1.28), and recall ability (2.13 ± 0.26 vs 1.75 ± 0.28) were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (P ˂ 0.05). The patient's compliance in the intervention group (95.65%) was prominently higher than the control group (80.43%) (P < 0.05). Notably, patient's psychological state (anxiety and depression) in the intervention group (47.42 ± 3.12 vs 51.39 ± 3.16, 48.52 ± 2.51 vs 52.83 ± 2.49) was better than the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the quality of life was significantly improved in the intervention group (88.11 ± 1.11 vs 71.52 ± 1.24) compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Also, patients' satisfaction with nursing services in the intervention group (97.83%) was higher than the control group (78.26%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Specialized nursing intervention based on quantitative evaluation strategy can effectively improve patients' self-care ability, and cognitive function, reduce anxiety and depression and enhance the quality of life, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.