Xiashengella succiniciproducens gen. nov., sp. nov., a succinate-producing bacterium isolated from an anaerobic digestion tank in the family Marinilabiliaceae of the order Bacteroidales.

A strictly anaerobic, motile bacterium, designated as strain Ai-910T, was isolated from the sludge of an anaerobic digestion tank in China. Cells were Gram-stain-negative rods. Optimal growth was observed at 38 °C (growth range 25-42 °C), pH 8.5 (growth range 5.5-10.5), and under a NaCl concentration of 0.06% (w/v) (range 0-2.0%). Major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The respiratory quinone was MK-7. Using xylose as the growth substrate, succinate was produced as the fermentation product. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16 S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain Ai-910T formed a distinct phylogenetic lineage that reflects a new genus in the family Marinilabiliaceae, sharing high similarities to Alkaliflexus imshenetskii Z-7010T (92.78%), Alkalitalea saponilacus SC/BZ-SP2T (92.51%), and Geofilum rubicundum JAM-BA0501T (92.36%). Genomic similarity (average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization) values between strain Ai-910T and its phylogenetic neighbors were below 65.27 and 16.90%, respectively, indicating that strain Ai-910T represented a novel species. The average amino acid identity between strain Ai-910T and other related members of the family Marinilabiliaceae were below 69.41%, supporting that strain Ai-910T was a member of a new genus within the family Marinilabiliaceae. Phylogenetic, genomic, and phenotypic analysis revealed that strain Ai-910T was distinguished from other phylogenetic relatives within the family Marinilabiliaceae. The genome size was 3.10 Mbp, and the DNA G + C content of the isolate was 42.8 mol%. Collectively, differences of the phenotypic and phylogenetic features of strain Ai-910T from its close relatives suggest that strain Ai-910T represented a novel species in a new genus of the family Marinilabiliaceae, for which the name Xiashengella succiniciproducens gen. nov., sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain of Xiashengella succiniciproducens is Ai-910T (= CGMCC 1.17893T = KCTC 25,304T).

Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal a new species of Anthracophyllum (Omphalotaceae, Agaricales) in Zhejiang Province, China.

During the investigations of macrofungi resources in Zhejiang Province, China, an interesting wood rot fungus was collected. Based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies, it is described as a new species, Anthracophyllum sinense. A. sinense is characterized by its sessile, charcoal black and pleurotoid pileus, sparse lamellae occasionally branching, clavate basidia with long sterigmata [(3-)6-7(-8) µm], and non-heteromorphous cystidia. A. sinense establishes a separate lineage close to A. archeri and A. lateritium in the phylogenetic tree.

Ancient DNA and multimethod dating confirm the late arrival of anatomically modern humans in southern China.

The expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) from Africa around 65,000 to 45,000 y ago (ca. 65 to 45 ka) led to the establishment of present-day non-African populations. Some paleoanthropologists have argued that fossil discoveries from Huanglong, Zhiren, Luna, and Fuyan caves in southern China indicate one or more prior dispersals, perhaps as early as ca. 120 ka. We investigated the age of the human remains from three of these localities and two additional early AMH sites (Yangjiapo and Sanyou caves, Hubei) by combining ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis with a multimethod geological dating strategy. Although U-Th dating of capping flowstones suggested they lie within the range ca. 168 to 70 ka, analyses of aDNA and direct AMS 14C dating on human teeth from Fuyan and Yangjiapo caves showed they derive from the Holocene. OSL dating of sediments and AMS 14C analysis of mammal teeth and charcoal also demonstrated major discrepancies from the flowstone ages; the difference between them being an order of magnitude or more at most of these localities. Our work highlights the surprisingly complex depositional history recorded at these subtropical caves which involved one or more episodes of erosion and redeposition or intrusion as recently as the late Holocene. In light of our findings, the first appearance datum for AMHs in southern China should probably lie within the timeframe set by molecular data of ca. 50 to 45 ka.

In Situ Probing the Short-Lived Intermediates in Visible-Light Heterogeneous Photocatalysis by Mass Spectrometry.

Visible-light-mediated heterogeneous photocatalysis has recently emerged as an environmentally friendly and energy-sustainable alternative for organic transformations. Despite the advancements in developing wide varieties of photocatalysts during the past decades, the accurate probing and identification of the photogenerated species, especially the short-lived radical intermediates, are still challenging. In this work, we reported a hybrid ion emitter that integrated with a pico-liter heterogeneous photocatalytic reactor, which was fabricated by depositing the photocatalyst (e.g., TiO2) into the front tip of a quartz micropipette. Benefited from the dual-function feature of the hybrid micropipette (i.e., a clog-free tip-confined pico-liter reactor for heterogeneous photocatalysis and an ion emitter for nanoelectrospray ionization), sensitized photoredox reactions at the catalyst-solution interface can be triggered upon visible-light irradiation using a cheap LED laser (453 nm), and the newly produced transient radical intermediates can be rapidly transformed into gaseous ions for mass spectrometric identification. Using this novel low-delay coupling device, photogenerated intermediates, including the cationic radicals produced during the photooxidation of anilines and the anionic radicals produced during the photoreduction of quinones, were successfully captured by mass spectrometry. We believe that our hybrid photochemical microreactor/ion emitter has provided a new and powerful tool for exploring the complicated heterogeneous photochemical processes, especially their ultrafast initial transformations.

Microfluidic Gradient Culture Arrays for Cell Pro-oxidation Analysis Using Bipolar Electrochemiluminescence.

A microfluidic gradient array is a widely used screening and analysis device, which has characteristics of high efficiency, high automation, and low consumption. Bipolar electrode electrochemiluminescence (BPE-ECL) has special value in microfluidic array chips. The combination of the microfluidic gradient and BPE arrays has potential for high-throughput screening. In this article, a microfluidic BPE array chip for gradient culture and conditional screening of cancer cells was designed. The generation of concentration gradients, continuous culture of cancer cells with high throughput, and drug screening through BPE-ECL of the Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA system can be performed in one chip. We tested gradient pro-oxidation of MCF-7 by ascorbic acid and the synergistic effect of pro-oxidation on doxorubicin. The method achieves high analysis efficiency through a BPE array while simplifying the tedious procedures required by cell culture methods.

C-C chemokine receptor 5 is essential for conventional NK cell trafficking and liver injury in a murine hepatitis virus-induced fulminant hepatic failure model.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells migrated into the liver from peripheral organs and exerted cytotoxic effects on hepatocytes in virus-induced liver failure. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic role of chemokine receptors in the migration of NK cells in a murine hepatitis  virus strain 3 (MHV-3)-induced fulminant hepatic failure (MHV-3-FHF) model and its mechanism. RESULTS: By gene array analysis, chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) was found to have remarkably elevated expression levels in hepatic NK cells after MHV-3 infection. The number of hepatic CCR5+ conventional NK (cNK) cells increased and peaked at 48 h after MHV-3 infection, while the number of hepatic resident NK (rNK) cells steadily declined. Moreover, the expression of CCR5-related chemokines, including macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1ß and regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) was significantly upregulated in MHV-3-infected hepatocytes. In an in vitro Transwell migration assay, CCR5-blocked splenic cNK cells showed decreased migration towards MHV-3-infected hepatocytes, and inhibition of MIP-1ß or RANTES but not MIP-1α decreased cNK cell migration. Moreover, CCR5 knockout (KO) mice displayed reduced infiltration of hepatic cNK cells after MHV-3 infection, accompanied by attenuated liver injury and improved mouse survival time. Adoptive transfer of cNK cells from wild-type mice into CCR5 KO mice resulted in the abundant accumulation of hepatic cNK cells and aggravated liver injury. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of CCR5 by maraviroc reduced cNK cell infiltration in the liver and liver injury in the MHV-3-FHF model. CONCLUSION: The CCR5-MIP-1ß/RANTES axis played a critical role in the recruitment of cNK cells to the liver during MHV-3-induced liver injury. Targeted inhibition of CCR5 provides a therapeutic approach to ameliorate liver damage during virus-induced acute liver injury.

CRISPR-Cas12-based nucleic acids detection systems.

Because of the outstanding contribution in genome editing, CRISPR has undoubtedly become the most popular technology around the world and two pioneers are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year. Besides, along with the discovery of nonspecific trans-cleavage activities of several Cas proteins such as Cas12 and Cas13, many CRISPR-based molecular diagnostic systems have been successfully created, showing advantages in sensitivity, specificity and operation convenience. Among them, systems with Cas12, which targets DNA and trans-cleaves single-stranded DNA probes, are both simple and highly efficient. Here in this review, we mainly focus on the Cas12-based methods and briefly discuss their applications in nucleic acids detection and beyond.

[The mediating effects of self-efficacy between symptom experience and quality of life in prostatic hyperplasia patients after cystostomy].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the symptom experience of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and bladder fistula. Exploring the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between symptom experience and quality of life in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing long-term indwelling cystostomy. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional survey design. Patients with prostatic hyperplasia with cystostomy in the Urology department of General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command from January 2020 to February 2023 were selected, and relevant data were collected by IPSS, IIEF-5, HAMD, GSES, and quality of life score scale for statistical analysis. We then construct a structural equation model to evaluate the mediating effect of self-efficacy between symptom experience and quality of life. RESULTS: The average score of IPSS was (22.55±8.26) ; the average score of IIEF-5 was (10.54±4.10) ; the average score of HAMD was (6.82±2.35) ; the average score of self-efficacy was (20.80±8.65) ; and the average score of quality of life was (71.65±12.55) . Symptom experience was significantly negatively correlated with self-efficacy and quality of life( r=－0.496 , P<0.01；r=－0.518 , P<0.01) . Self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with quality of life( r= 0.412，P<0.05). Symptom experience significantly negatively affected quality of life through self-efficacy (Effect = －0.218，P = 0.014) . CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy is positively correlated with the quality of life of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who have long-term indwelling cystostomy tube. Nursing staff can improve the level of self-efficacy of patients by implementing corresponding interventions.

Generating Haar-Uniform Randomness Using Stochastic Quantum Walks on a Photonic Chip.

As random operations for quantum systems are intensively used in various quantum information tasks, a trustworthy measure of the randomness in quantum operations is highly demanded. The Haar measure of randomness is a useful tool with wide applications, such as boson sampling. Recently, a theoretical protocol was proposed to combine quantum control theory and driven stochastic quantum walks to generate Haar-uniform random operations. This opens up a promising route to converting classical randomness to quantum randomness. Here, we implement a two-dimensional stochastic quantum walk on the integrated photonic chip and demonstrate that the average of all distribution profiles converges to the even distribution when the evolution length increases, suggesting the 1-pad Haar-uniform randomness. We further show that our two-dimensional array outperforms the one-dimensional array of the same number of waveguide for the speed of convergence. Our Letter demonstrates a scalable and robust way to generate Haar-uniform randomness that can provide useful building blocks to boost future quantum information techniques.

[Clinical application value of preoperative emotional management combined with family members' interactive description nursing in plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical application value of preoperative emotional management combined with family members' interactive description nursing (PEM+FMID) in plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP). METHODS: This perspective study included 108 cases of PKEP performed in our hospital from July 2020 to May 2022. We randomly divided the patients into a control (n = 54) and an observation group (n = 54), the former receiving routine nursing, while the latter PEM+FMID in addition, before surgery. We recorded the operation time, perioperative blood loss and postoperative hospital stay, obtained the patients' Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores before and after nursing intervention, and their compliance, satisfaction and postoperative complications after intervention, and compared the data between the two groups. RESULTS: The average postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the observation than in the control group (ï¼»6.35 ± 1.39ï¼½ d vs ï¼»7.19 ± 1.39ï¼½ d, P< 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the SDS and SAS scores of the patients were significantly decreased at 1 week after operation (P < 0.05), and markedly lower in the observation group than in the control (P < 0.05). The compliance rate (87.04% vs 66.67%) and satisfaction rate (92.59% vs 70.37%) of the patients were significantly higher in the observation than in the control group (both P < 0.05), while the total incidence rate of postoperative complications was lower in the former than in the latter (7.41% vs 33.33%, P < 0.05), particularly those of bladder irritation, hematuria, urinary retention and fever (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative emotional management combined with family members' interactive description nursing can effectively relieve the negative emotions of the patients undergoing PKEP, improve their compliance and satisfaction, and reduce postoperative complications.

Thresholded single-photon underwater imaging and detection.

Optical underwater target imaging and detection have been a tough but significant challenge in deep-sea exploration. Distant reflected signals drown in various underwater noises due to strong absorption and scattering, resulting in degraded image contrast and reduced detection range. Single-photon feature operating at the fundamental limit of the classical electromagnetic waves can broaden the realm of quantum technologies. Here we experimentally demonstrate a thresholded single-photon imaging and detection scheme to extract photon signals from the noisy underwater environment. We reconstruct the images obtained in a high-loss underwater environment by using photon-limited computational algorithms. Furthermore, we achieve a capability of underwater detection down to 0.8 photons per pulse at Jerlov type III water up to 50 meters, which is equivalent to more than 9 attenuation lengths. The results break the limits of classical underwater imaging and detection and may lead to many quantum-enhanced applications, like air-to-sea target tracking and deep-sea optical exploration.

Experimental Machine Learning of Quantum States.

Quantum information technologies provide promising applications in communication and computation, while machine learning has become a powerful technique for extracting meaningful structures in "big data." A crossover between quantum information and machine learning represents a new interdisciplinary area stimulating progress in both fields. Traditionally, a quantum state is characterized by quantum-state tomography, which is a resource-consuming process when scaled up. Here we experimentally demonstrate a machine-learning approach to construct a quantum-state classifier for identifying the separability of quantum states. We show that it is possible to experimentally train an artificial neural network to efficiently learn and classify quantum states, without the need of obtaining the full information of the states. We also show how adding a hidden layer of neurons to the neural network can significantly boost the performance of the state classifier. These results shed new light on how classification of quantum states can be achieved with limited resources, and represent a step towards machine-learning-based applications in quantum information processing.

Prenatal exposure to PFOS caused mitochondia-mediated apoptosis in heart of weaned rat.

Perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS), a cardiac toxicity compound, has been widely detected in the environment and in organisms. However, the toxic mechanism is not clear. Our previous study indicated that prenatal PFOS exposure led to swollen mitochondrial with vacuolar structure and loss of cristae in offsping's heart. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PFOS on the apoptosis in developing heart and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to PFOS at doses of 0.1, 0.6, and 2.0 mg/kg-d and 0.05% Tween 80 as control by gavage from gestation day 2 (GD 2) to GD 21. Apoptosis, as well as expression of apoptosis related genes associated with mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway, including p53, bcl-2, bax, cytochrome c, caspase-9, and caspase-3 were analyzed in heart tissues from weaned (postnatal day 21, PND 21) offspring. The results showed that prenatal PFOS exposure resulted in apoptosis in the offspring's heart. The mRNA and protein expression levels of p53, bax, cytochrome c, caspase-9, and caspase-3 in the offspring's heart were enhanced in various PFOS-treated groups, meanwhile, the bcl-2 expression levels were decreased. Our results indicated that prenatal PFOS exposure induced the apoptosis of weaned offspring rat heart tissue via mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway.

[Glucocorticoid combined with ulinastatin in treatment of Kawasaki disease in children: a non-randomized controlled clinical trial].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of glucocorticoid combined with ulinastatin in the treatment of Kawasaki disease (KD) in children. METHODS: A total of 104 children who were admitted and diagnosed with typical KD between January 2011 and December 2013 were assigned to ulinastatin group (methylprednisolone+ulinastatin; n=46) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) group (n=58) according to the severity of KD and the willingness of their parents. Observations for the two groups were performed to compare the changes in coronary artery diameter before and at 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months after treatment, fever clearance time, retreatment condition, changes in white blood cells (WBC), platelets (PLT), hemoglobin (HB), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at 1 week and 3 weeks after treatment, and total in-hospital cost. RESYLTS: There was no significant difference in the coronary artery diameter between the two groups before or at 1 week, 3 months or 6 months after treatment (P>0.05). All the patients (100%) in the ulinastatin group vs 83% in the IVIG group had a normal body temperature after 48 hours of treatment (P<0.01). Two patients (4%) in the ulinastatin group and 10 patients (17%) in the IVIG group received retreatment. Significant differences were observed in ESR, WBC, and HB between them (P<0.01). The total in-hospital cost in the ulinastatin group was significantly lower than that in the IVIG group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: For children with KD, methylprednisolone combined with ulinastatin does not increase the risk of coronary artery aneurysm, decreases in-hospital costs, is superior in controlling laboratory markers and shortening the duration of fever during the acute phase compared with the IVIG therapy.

Disease spectrum and prognostic factors in patients treated for tuberculous meningitis in Shaanxi province, China.

Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of tuberculosis (TB) and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. We aimed to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, disease spectrum, outcome, and prognostic factors of patients treated for TBM in China. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted from 2009 to 2019 enrolling all presumptive TBM patients referred to Xijing tertiary Hospital from 27 referral centers in and around Shaanxi province, China. Patients with clinical features suggestive of TBM (abnormal CSF parameters) were included in the study if they had adequate baseline information to be classified as "confirmed," "probable," or "possible" TBM according to international consensus TBM criteria and remained in follow-up. Patients with a confirmed alternative diagnosis or severe immune compromise were excluded. Clinical presentation, central nervous system imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results, TBM score, and outcome-assessed using the modified Barthel disability index-were recorded and compared. Findings: A total of 341 presumptive TBM patients met selection criteria; 63 confirmed TBM (25 culture positive, 42 Xpert-MTB/RIF positive), 66 probable TBM, 163 possible TBM, and 49 "not TBM." Death was associated with BMRC grade III (OR = 5.172; 95%CI: 2.298-11.641), TBM score ≥ 15 (OR = 3.843; 95%CI: 1.372-10.761), age > 60 years (OR = 3.566; 95%CI: 1.022-12.442), and CSF neutrophil ratio ≥ 25% (OR = 2.298; 95%CI: 1.027-5.139). Among those with confirmed TBM, nearly one-third (17/63, 27.0%) had a TBM score < 12; these patients exhibited less classic meningitis symptoms and signs and had better outcomes compared with those with a TBM score ≥ 12. In this group, signs of disseminated/miliary TB (OR = 12.427; 95%CI: 1.138-135.758) and a higher TBM score (≥15, OR = 8.437; 95%CI: 1.328-53.585) were most strongly associated with death. Conclusion: TBM patients who are older (>60 years) have higher TBM scores or CSF neutrophil ratios, have signs of disseminated/miliary TB, and are at greatest risk of death. In general, more effort needs to be done to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcome in TBM patients.

Differential contributions of G protein- or arrestin subtype-mediated signalling underlie urocortin 3-induced somatostatin secretion in pancreatic δ cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pancreatic islets are modulated by cross-talk among different cell types and paracrine signalling plays important roles in maintaining glucose homeostasis. Urocortin 3 (UCN3) secreted by pancreatic ß cells activates the CRF2 receptor (CRF2R) and downstream pathways mediated by different G protein or arrestin subtypes in δ cells to cause somatostatin (SST) secretion, and constitutes an important feedback circuit for glucose homeostasis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Here, we used Arrb1-/-, Arrb2-/-, Gsfl/fl and Gqfl/fl knockout mice, the G11-shRNA-GFPfl/fl lentivirus, as well as functional assays and pharmacological characterization to study how the coupling of Gs, G11 and ß-arrestin1 to CRF2R contributed to UCN3-induced SST secretion in pancreatic δ cells. KEY RESULTS: Our study showed that CRF2R coupled to a panel of G protein and arrestin subtypes in response to UCN3 engagement. While RyR3 phosphorylation by PKA at the S156, S2706 and S4697 sites may underlie the Gs-mediated UCN3- CRF2R axis for SST secretion, the interaction of SYT1 with ß-arrestin1 is also essential for efficient SST secretion downstream of CRF2R. The specific expression of the transcription factor Stat6 may contribute to G11 expression in pancreatic δ cells. Furthermore, we found that different UCN3 concentrations may have distinct effects on glucose homeostasis, and these effects may depend on different CRF2R downstream effectors. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Collectively, our results provide a landscape view of signalling mediated by different G protein or arrestin subtypes downstream of paracrine UCN3- CRF2R signalling in pancreatic ß-δ-cell circuits, which may facilitate the understanding of fine-tuned glucose homeostasis networks.

[Jinshuibao capsule combined losartan potassium intervened early renal damage of hypertension patients of yin and yang deficiency: a clinical research].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Jinshuibao Capsule (JC) combined losartan potassium on some indices of early renal damage of hypertension patients of yin and yang deficiency syndrome (YYDS), such as levels of serum cystatin C (Cys C), beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), uric acid (UA), blood pressure, blood lipids, and fasting blood glucose (FBG), and to explore their protective effects on early renal damage of hypertension patients and on the metabolisms of blood lipids and blood glucose. METHODS: Totally 106 hypertension patients of YYDS were randomly assigned to two groups, 53 patients in the control group (treated by losartan potassium) and 53 patients in the treatment group (treated by JC + losartan potassium). The treatment lasted for 16 weeks. The serum changes of UA, Cys C, beta2-MG, hs-CRP, blood lipids [including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)], and FBG levels were measured to evaluate the renal protective effects and to assess their effect on the metabolisms of blood lipids and blood glucose. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment in the same group, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased in the two groups after treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was not obviously declined in the two groups after treatment, showing no statistical difference. Compared with before treatment in the same group, the LDL-C level decreased obviously after treatment in the control group. But there was no obvious change in FBG, TC, HDL-C, and TG in the control group, showing no statistical difference when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The FBG, TC, and LDL-C obviously decreased in the treatment group more obviously after treatment than before treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference when compared with the control group after treatment (P > 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, the levels of UA, Cys C, beta2-MG, and hs-CRP all decreased in the two groups, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The SCr level decreased in the treatment group more obviously after treatment than before treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, the levels of Cys C, beta2-MG, and hs-CRP decreased more obviously after treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: JC combined losartan potassium showed better effects in treating early renal damage of hypertension patients of YYDS. They could protect and stabilize the renal functions more effectively. JC could regulate blood lipids and blood glucose.

Development and application of random forest regression soft sensor model for treating domestic wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor.

Small-scale distributed water treatment equipment such as sequencing batch reactor (SBR) is widely used in the field of rural domestic sewage treatment because of its advantages of rapid installation and construction, low operation cost and strong adaptability. However, due to the characteristics of non-linearity and hysteresis in SBR process, it is difficult to construct the simulation model of wastewater treatment. In this study, a methodology was developed using artificial intelligence and automatic control system that can save energy corresponding to reduce carbon emissions. The methodology leverages random forest model to determine a suitable soft sensor for the prediction of COD trends. This study uses pH and temperature sensors as premises for COD sensors. In the proposed method, data were pre-processed into 12 input variables and top 7 variables were selected as the variables of the optimized model. Cycle ended by the artificial intelligence and automatic control system instead of by fixed time control that was an uncontrolled scenario. In 12 test cases, percentage of COD removal is about 91. 075% while 24. 25% time or energy was saved from an average perspective. This proposed soft sensor selection methodology can be applied in field of rural domestic sewage treatment with advantages of time and energy saving. Time-saving results in increasing treatment capacity and energy-saving represents low carbon technology. The proposed methodology provides a framework for investigating ways to reduce costs associated with data collection by replacing costly and unreliable sensors with affordable and reliable alternatives. By adopting this approach, energy conservation can be maintained while meeting emission standards.

In vitro myogenesis activation of specific muscle-derived stem cells from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) contribute to the repair of injured muscles. However, the myogenicity of MDSCs generated from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) relative to healthy individuals remains unclear. METHODS: A human DMD model was established using the stem cells prepared from muscle derived from patients with DMD (DMD-hMDSCs). The expression of myogenic lineage-specific markers in MDSCs was examined with immunofluorescence, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that, compared with cells from healthy subjects, DMD-hMDSCs are primed to self-differentiate in growth-inducing medium (GM) and robustly differentiate into myotubes in differentiation-inducing medium(DM). This feature was termed "myogenesis activation," and it was speculated that it contributes to the depletion of myogenic progenitors. Furthermore, MDSCs consistently express pax7, but the time-course of this expression does not correlate with the expression of the myogenic lineage-specific markers. CONCLUSIONS: The myogenesis activation in DMD-hMDSCs demonstrated in this study may provide novel mechanistic insights into DMD pathogenesis and potential therapies.

Lithospheric thickness records tectonic evolution by controlling metamorphic conditions.

The lithosphere, as the outermost solid layer of our planet, preserves a progressively more fragmentary record of geological events and processes from Earth's history the further back in time one looks. Thus, the evolution of lithospheric thickness and its cascading impacts in Earth's tectonic system are presently unknown. Here, we track the lithospheric thickness history using machine learning based on global lithogeochemical data of basalt. Our results demonstrate that four marked lithospheric thinning events occurred during the Paleoarchean, early Paleoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Phanerozoic with intermediate thickening scenarios. These events respectively correspond to supercontinent/supercraton breakup and assembly periods. Causality investigation further indicates that crustal metamorphic and deformation styles are the feedback of lithospheric thickness. Cross-correlation between lithospheric thickness and metamorphic thermal gradients records the transition from intraoceanic subduction systems to continental margin and intraoceanic in the Paleoarchean and Mesoarchean and a progressive emergence of large thick continents that allow supercontinent growth, which promoted assembly of the first supercontinent during the Neoarchean.