Central-cell-produced attractants control fertilization recovery.

Animal fertilization relies on hundreds of sperm racing toward the egg, whereas, in angiosperms, only two sperm cells are delivered by a pollen tube to the female gametes (egg cell and central cell) for double fertilization. However, unsuccessful fertilization under this one-pollen-tube design can be detrimental to seed production and plant survival. To mitigate this risk, unfertilized-gamete-controlled extra pollen tube entry has been evolved to bring more sperm cells and salvage fertilization. Despite its importance, the underlying molecular mechanism of this phenomenon remains unclear. In this study, we report that, in Arabidopsis, the central cell secretes peptides SALVAGER1 and SALVAGER2 in a directional manner to attract pollen tubes when the synergid-dependent attraction fails or is terminated by pollen tubes carrying infertile sperm cells. Moreover, loss of SALs impairs the fertilization recovery capacity of the ovules. Therefore, this research uncovers a female gamete-attraction system that salvages seed production for reproductive assurance.

Limited effects of xylem anatomy on embolism resistance in cycad leaves.

Drought-induced xylem embolism is a primary cause of plant mortality. Although c. 70% of cycads are threatened by extinction and extant cycads diversified during a period of increasing aridification, the vulnerability of cycads to embolism spread has been overlooked. We quantified the vulnerability to drought-induced embolism, pressure-volume curves, in situ water potentials, and a suite of xylem anatomical traits of leaf pinnae and rachises for 20 cycad species. We tested whether anatomical traits were linked to hydraulic safety in cycads. Compared with other major vascular plant clades, cycads exhibited similar embolism resistance to angiosperms and pteridophytes but were more vulnerable to embolism than noncycad gymnosperms. All 20 cycads had both tracheids and vessels, the proportions of which were unrelated to embolism resistance. Only vessel pit membrane fraction was positively correlated to embolism resistance, contrary to angiosperms. Water potential at turgor loss was significantly correlated to embolism resistance among cycads. Our results show that cycads exhibit low resistance to xylem embolism and that xylem anatomical traits - particularly vessels - may influence embolism resistance together with tracheids. This study highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms of drought resistance in evolutionarily unique and threatened lineages like the cycads.

A data-driven epidemic model with human mobility and vaccination protection for COVID-19 prediction.

Epidemiological models allow for quantifying the dynamic characteristics of large-scale outbreaks. However, capturing detailed and accurate epidemiological information often requires consideration of multiple kinetic mechanisms and parameters. Due to the uncertainty of pandemic evolution, such as pathogen variation, host immune response and changes in mitigation strategies, the parameter evaluation and state prediction of complex epidemiological models are challenging. Here, we develop a data-driven epidemic model with a generalized SEIR mechanistic structure that includes new compartments, human mobility and vaccination protection. To address the issue of model complexity, we embed the epidemiological model dynamics into physics-informed neural networks (PINN), taking the observed series of time instances as direct input of the network to simultaneously infer unknown parameters and unobserved dynamics of the underlying model. Using actual data during the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia, Israel, and Switzerland, our model framework demonstrates satisfactory performance in multi-step ahead predictions compared to several benchmark models. Moreover, our model infers time-varying parameters such as transmission rates, hospitalization ratios, and effective reproduction numbers, as well as calculates the latent period and asymptomatic infection count, which are typically unreported in public data. Finally, we employ the proposed data-driven model to analyze the impact of different mitigation strategies on COVID-19.

Imperfect guide-RNA (igRNA) enables CRISPR single-base editing with ABE and CBE.

CRISPR base editing techniques tend to edit multiple bases in the targeted region, which is a limitation for precisely reverting disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We designed an imperfect gRNA (igRNA) editing methodology, which utilized a gRNA with one or more bases that were not complementary to the target locus to direct base editing toward the generation of a single-base edited product. Base editing experiments illustrated that igRNA editing with CBEs greatly increased the single-base editing fraction relative to normal gRNA editing with increased editing efficiencies. Similar results were obtained with an adenine base editor (ABE). At loci such as DNMT3B, NSD1, PSMB2, VIATA hs267 and ANO5, near-perfect single-base editing was achieved. Normally an igRNA with good single-base editing efficiency could be selected from a set of a few igRNAs, with a simple protocol. As a proof-of-concept, igRNAs were used in the research to construct cell lines of disease-associated SNP causing primary hyperoxaluria construction research. This work provides a simple strategy to achieve single-base base editing with both ABEs and CBEs and overcomes a key obstacle that limits the use of base editors in treating SNP-associated diseases or creating disease-associated SNP-harboring cell lines and animal models.

Molecular strategies of the pygmy grasshopper Eucriotettix oculatus adapting to long-term heavy metal pollution.

To study the heavy metal accumulation and its impact on insect exterior and chromosome morphology, and reveal the molecular mechanism of insects adapting to long-term heavy metal compound pollution habitats, this study, in the Diaojiang river basin, which has been polluted by heavy metals(HMs) for nearly a thousand years, two Eucriotettix oculatus populations was collected from mining and non-mining areas. It was found that the contents of 7 heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Sn, Sb) in E. oculatus of the mining area were higher than that in the non-mining 1-11 times. The analysis of morphology shows that the external morphology, the hind wing type and the chromosomal morphology of E. oculatus are significant differences between the two populations. Based on the heavy metal accumulation，morphological change, and stable population density, it is inferred that the mining area population has been affected by heavy metals and has adapted to the environment of heavy metals pollution. Then, by analyzing the transcriptome of the two populations, it was found that the digestion, immunity, excretion, endocrine, nerve, circulation, reproductive and other systems and lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and other cell structure-related gene expression were suppressed. This shows that the functions of the above-mentioned related systems of E. oculatus are inhibited by heavy metal stress. However, it has also been found that through the significant up-regulation of genes related to the above system, such as ATP2B, pepsin A, ubiquitin, AQP1, ACOX, ATPeV0A, SEC61A, CANX, ALDH7A1, DLD, aceE, Hsp40, and catalase, etc., and the down-regulation of MAPK signalling pathway genes, can enhanced nutrient absorption, improve energy metabolism, repair damaged cells and degrade abnormal proteins, maintain the stability of cells and systems, and resist heavy metal damage so that E. oculatus can adapt to the environment of heavy metal pollution for a long time.

Up modulation of dose-averaged linear energy transfer by simultaneous integrated boost in carbon-ion radiotherapy for pancreatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Local recurrence in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) after carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) may partly attribute to low dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETd), despite high CIRT dose. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the approaches to up-modulate the CIRT LETd and to evaluate the corresponding oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) reduction. METHODS: 10 LAPCs that had been irradiated by CIRT with 67.5 Gy (RBE) in 15 fractions were selected. Their original plans were taken as the control plan for the LETd and OER investigations. Our considerations for up-modulating LETd were: (1) to deliver high doses to gross tumor volume core (GTVcore), while keeping dose constraints of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in tolerance; (2) to put more Bragg-peak (BP) within the modulated targets; (3) to increase the BP density, high doses were necessary; (4) CIRT LETd could be effectively increased to small volumes; and (5) simultaneous integrated boost technique (SIB) could achieve the aforementioned tasks. The LETd and the corresponding OER distributions of each type of SIB plan were evaluated. RESULTS: We delivered up to 100 Gy (RBE) to GTVcore using SIB. The mean LETd of GTV increased significantly by 21.3% from 47.8 to 58.0 keV/µm (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the mean OER of GTVcore decreased by 6.6%, from 1.51 to 1.41 (p < 0.05). The GI LETdS in all modulated plans were not more than those in the original plans. CONCLUSIONS: SIB could effectively increase CIRT LETd to LAPC, thus producing reduced OER, which may effectively overcome the radioresistance of LAPCs.

Impact of metabolic disorders on gallstone disease and perioperative recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Gallstone disease (GSD), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are common medical disorders worldwide. This study aimed to ascertain how NAFLD, MAFLD, MetS, and other factors affect the development of GSD, and how the GSD-associated factors influence patient recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). METHODS: We included 200 patients who were diagnosed with GSD and underwent LC between January 2017 and February 2022. A total of 200 subjects without GSD and "non-calculous causes" during the same period were also included as controls. We compared the metabolic disorder differences between GSD patients and controls. Furthermore, we sub-grouped patients based on the comorbidities of preoperative NAFLD, MAFLD, and MetS, and compared the impacts of these comorbidities on short-term post-LC functional recovery of the patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of NAFLD and MetS were higher in GSD patients (P < 0.05). Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, hyperglycemia [odds ratio (OR) = 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-3.4, P = 0.001] and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.1, P = 0.048) were linked to GSD. NAFLD and MetS linked to liver enzymes after LC (P < 0.05). MetS also linked to the levels of inflammatory indicators after LC (P < 0.05). The obesity, hyperlipidemia, low HDL-C level, and hyperglycemia linked to liver enzymes after LC (P < 0.05). Hyperlipidemia, low HDL-C level, and hypertension linked to inflammation after LC (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of GSD may be linked to NAFLD and MetS. Hyperglycemia and low HDL-C level were independent risk factors of GSD.

Characteristics and risk differences of different tumor sizes on distant metastases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A retrospective study in the SEER database.

BACKGROUND: The rate of distant metastasis in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) is 20%-50% at the time of initial diagnosis. However, whether tumor size can predict distant metastasis for PNETs remains unknown up to date. METHODS: We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population-based data to collect 6089 patients with PNETs from 2010 to 2019. The optimal cut-off point of tumor size to predict distant metastasis was calculated by Youden's index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to figure out the association between tumor size and distant metastasis patterns. RESULTS: The most common metastatic site was liver (27.2%), followed by bone (3.0%), lung (2.3%) and brain (0.4%). Based on an optimal cut-off value of tumor size (25.5 mm) for predicting distant metastasis determined by Youden's index, patients were categorized into groups of tumor size < 25.5 mm and ≥ 25.5 mm. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that, compared with < 25.5 mm, tumor size ≥ 25.5 mm was an independent risk predictor of overall distant metastasis [odds ratio (OR) = 4.491, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.724-5.416, P < 0.001] and liver metastasis (OR = 4.686, 95% CI: 3.886-5.651, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size ≥ 25.5 mm was significantly associated with more overall distant and liver metastases. Timely identification of distant metastasis for tumor size ≥ 25.5 mm may provide survival benefit for timely and precise treatment.

Population genomics highlights structural variations in local adaptation to saline coastal environments in woolly grape.

Structural variations (SVs) are a feature of plant genomes that has been largely unexplored despite their significant impact on plant phenotypic traits and local adaptation to abiotic and biotic stress. In this study, we employed woolly grape (Vitis retordii), a species native to the tropical and subtropical regions of East Asia with both coastal and inland habitats, as a valuable model for examining the impact of SVs on local adaptation. We assembled a haplotype-resolved chromosomal reference genome for woolly grape, and conducted population genetic analyses based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from coastal and inland populations. The demographic analyses revealed recent bottlenecks in all populations and asymmetric gene flow from the inland to the coastal population. In total, 1,035 genes associated with plant adaptive regulation for salt stress, radiation, and environmental adaptation were detected underlying local selection by SVs and SNPs in the coastal population, of which 37.29% and 65.26% were detected by SVs and SNPs, respectively. Candidate genes such as FSD2, RGA1, and AAP8 associated with salt tolerance were found to be highly differentiated and selected during the process of local adaptation to coastal habitats in SV regions. Our study highlights the importance of SVs in local adaptation; candidate genes related to salt stress and climatic adaptation to tropical and subtropical environments are important genomic resources for future breeding programs of grapevine and its rootstocks.

LncRNA NONRATT014888.2 contributes to cancer-induced bone pain through downregulation of natriuretic peptide receptor 3 in rats.

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is implicated in both cancer development and pain process. However, the role of lncRNA in the development of cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is unclear. LncRNA NONRATT014888.2 is highly expressed in tibia related dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) in CIBP rats which function is unknown. CIBP was induced by injection of Walker 256 mammary gland tumor cells into the tibia canal of female SD rats. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) of rats were measured. Down-regulation of NONRATT014888.2 by siRNA in CIBP rats markedly attenuated hind-paw mechanical pain hypersensitivity. LncRNA-predicted target mRNAs analysis and mRNA sequencing results cued Socs3, Npr3 were related with NONRATT014888.2. Intrathecal injection of NONRATT014888.2-siR206 upregulated Npr3 both in mRNA and protein level. Npr3 was co-expressed in NONRATT014888.2-positive DRGs neurons and mainly located in cytoplasm, but not in Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells. Intrathecal injection of ADV-Npr3 upregulated Npr3 expression and enhanced the PWT of CIBP rats. Our results suggest that upregulated lncRNA NONRATT014888.2 contributed to hyperalgesia in CIBP rats, and the mechanism may through downregulation of Npr3.

Comprehensive measurement of the near-infrared refractive index of GaAs at cryogenic temperatures.

The refractive index is a critical parameter in optical and photonic device design. However, due to the lack of available data, precise designs of devices working in low temperatures are still frequently limited. In this work, we have built a homemade spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE) and measured the refractive index of GaAs at a matrix of temperatures (4 K < T < 295 K) and photon wavelengths (700 nm < λ < 1000 nm) with a system error of ∼0.04. We verified the credibility of the SE results by comparing them with afore-reported data at room temperature and with higher precision values measured by vertical GaAs cavity at cryogenic temperatures. This work makes up for the lack of the near-infrared refractive index of GaAs at cryogenic temperatures and provides accurate reference data for semiconductor device design and fabrication.

Surface Engineering in Covalent Organic Polymers for High-Performance Li-S Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are a promising energy storage technology due to their tempting high theoretical capacity and energy density. Nevertheless, the wastage of active materials that originates from the shuttling effect of polysulfides still hinders advancement of Li-S batteries. The effective design of cathode materials is extremely pivotal to solve this thorny problem. Herein, surface engineering in covalent organic polymers (COPs) has been performed to investigate the influence of pore wall polarity on the performance of COP-based cathodes used for Li-S batteries. With the assistance of experimental investigation and theoretical calculations, performance improvement by increasing pore surface polarity and a synergy effect of the polarized functionalities, along with nano-confinement effect of the COPs, are disclosed, to which the improved performance of Li-S batteries including outstanding Coulombic efficiency (99.0 %) and extremely low capacity decay (0.08 % over 425 cycles at 1.0 C) is attributed. This work not only enlightens the designable synthesis and applications of covalent polymers as polar sulfur hosts with high utilization of active materials, but also provides a feasible guide for the design of effective cathode materials for future advanced Li-S batteries.

Diverse mangroves deviate from other angiosperms in their genome size, leaf cell size and cell packing density relationships.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: While genome size limits the minimum sizes and maximum numbers of cells that can be packed into a given leaf volume, mature cell sizes can be substantially larger than their meristematic precursors and vary in response to abiotic conditions. Mangroves are iconic examples of how abiotic conditions can influence the evolution of plant phenotypes. METHODS: Here, we examined the coordination between genome size, leaf cell sizes, cell packing densities and leaf size in 13 mangrove species across four sites in China. Four of these species occurred at more than one site, allowing us to test the effect of climate on leaf anatomy. RESULTS: We found that genome sizes of mangroves were very small compared to other angiosperms, but, like other angiosperms, mangrove cells were always larger than the minimum size defined by genome size. Increasing mean annual temperature of a growth site led to higher packing densities of veins (Dv) and stomata (Ds) and smaller epidermal cells but had no effect on stomatal size. In contrast to other angiosperms, mangroves exhibited (1) a negative relationship between guard cell size and genome size; (2) epidermal cells that were smaller than stomata; and (3) coordination between Dv and Ds that was not mediated by epidermal cell size. Furthermore, mangrove epidermal cell sizes and packing densities covaried with leaf size. CONCLUSIONS: While mangroves exhibited coordination between veins and stomata and attained a maximum theoretical stomatal conductance similar to that of other angiosperms, the tissue-level tradeoffs underlying these similar relationships across species and environments were markedly different, perhaps indicative of the unique structural and physiological adaptations of mangroves to their stressful environments.

Coordination of intertracheid pit traits and climate effects among cycads.

Interconduit pit membranes, which are permeable regions in the primary cell wall that connect to adjacent conduits, play a crucial role in water relations and the movement of nutrients between xylem conduits. However, how pit membrane characteristics might influence water-carbon coupling remains poorly investigated in cycads. We examined pit characteristics, the anatomical and photosynthetic traits of 13 cycads from a common garden, to determine if pit traits and their coordination are related to water relations and carbon economy. We found that the pit traits of cycads were highly variable and that cycads exhibited a similar tradeoff between pit density and pit area as other plant lineages. Unlike other plant lineages (1) pit membranes, pit apertures, and pit shapes of cycads were not coordinated as in angiosperms; (2) cycads exhibited larger pit membrane areas but lower pit densities relative to ferns and angiosperms, but smaller and similar pit membrane densities to non-cycad gymnosperms; (3) cycad pit membrane areas and densities were partially coordinated with anatomical traits, with hydraulic supply of the rachis positively coordinated with photosynthesis, whereas pit aperture areas and fractions were negatively coordinated with photosynthetic traits; (4) cycad pit traits reflected adaptation to wetter habitats for Cycadaceae and drier habitats for Zamiaceae. The large variation in pit traits, the unique pit membrane size and density, and the partial coordination of pit traits with anatomical and physiological traits of the rachis and pinna among cycads may have facilitated their dominance in a variety of ecosystems from the Mesozoic to modern times.

Brønsted acid-catalyzed C6 functionalization of 2,3-disubstituted indoles for construction of cyano-substituted all-carbon quaternary centers.

We report a Brønsted acid-catalyzed C6 functionalization of 2,3-disubstituted indoles with 2,2-diarylacetonitriles for efficient construction of cyano-substituted all-carbon quaternary centers with excellent yields. The synthetic utility was demonstrated by the conversion of the cyano-group which enables the divergent preparation of aldehydes, primary amines and amides. Control experiments suggested that this process involves C-H oxidation of 2,2-diarylacetonitriles to in situ generate δ,δ-disubstituted p-quinone methide intermediates. This protocol provides an efficient method for C6 functionalization of 2,3-disubstituted indoles to construct all-carbon quaternary centers.

The decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhotic portal hypertension patients after laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection.

BACKGROUND: Posthepatitic cirrhosis is one of the leading risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, among which hepatitis B cirrhosis is the dominant one. This study explored whether laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (LSD) can reduce the risk of HCC among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhotic portal hypertension (CPH). METHODS: A total of 383 patients with HBV-related CPH diagnosed as gastroesophageal variceal bleeding and secondary hypersplenism were identified in our hepatobiliary pancreatic center between April 2012 and April 2022, and conducted an 11-year retrospective follow-up. We used inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to correct for potential confounders, weighted Kaplan-Meier curves, and logistic regression to estimate survival and risk differences. RESULTS: Patients were divided into two groups based on treatment method: LSD (n = 230) and endoscopic therapy (ET; n = 153) groups. Whether it was processed through IPTW or not, LSD group showed a higher survival benefit than ET group according to Kaplan-Meier analysis (P < 0.001). The incidence density of HCC was higher in the ET group compared to LSD group at the end of follow-up [32.1/1000 vs 8.0/1000 person-years; Rate ratio: 3.998, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.928-8.293]. Additionally, in logistic regression analyses weighted by IPTW, LSD was an independent protective predictor of HCC incidence compared to ET (odds ratio 0.516, 95% CI 0.343-0.776; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Considering the ability of LSD to improve postoperative survival and prevent HCC in HBV-related CPH patients with gastroesophageal variceal bleeding and secondary hypersplenism, it is worth promoting in the context of the shortage of liver donors.

Radiofrequency ablation versus liver resection and liver transplantation for small combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma stratified by tumor size.

PURPOSE: Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been proven to provide a good survival benefit for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there is limited information about RFA for combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC). The purpose of this study was to explore the clinicopathological features of cHCC-CC and the curative effect of RFA in small cHCC-CC without distant metastases compared with liver resection (LR) and liver transplantation (LT). METHODS: Patients with cHCC-CC, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, or HCC were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. RESULTS: cHCC-CC had the highest rate of poor pathological grade and the lowest rate of bone metastases compared with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and HCC (all P < 0.05). In patients with cHCC-CC after surgery, multivariate analysis showed that compared with RFA, LR and LT were independent protective factors for survival (all P < 0.05). But in cHCC-CC stratified by tumor size, for tumor size ≤ 3.0 cm, there was no significant difference among RFA, LR, and LT in univariate survival analysis (P = 0.285). For tumor size 3.0-5.0 cm, multivariate analysis showed that RFA for cHCC-CC yielded worse survival outcomes in comparison with that of LR (hazard ratio [HR]: 7.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.09-26.94, P = 0.002) and LT (HR: 4.48, 95% CI: 1.20-16.64, P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cHCC-CC without distant metastases, for tumor size ≤ 3.0 cm, there was no significant survival difference among RFA, LR, and LT. However, for tumor size 3.0-5.0 cm, RFA may provide a worse survival benefit than LT and LR.

Radiofrequency ablation is an inferior option to liver resection for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma ≤ 5 cm without cirrhosis: A population-based study with stratification by tumor size.

BACKGROUND: About 10%-20% of all individuals who develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not have cirrhosis. Comparisons are rarely reported regarding the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and liver resection (LR) in survival of HCC without cirrhosis and stratification by tumor size ≤ 5 cm. METHODS: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and identified 1505 patients with a solitary HCC tumor ≤ 5 cm who underwent RFA or LR during 2004-2015. Patients were classified into non-cirrhosis and cirrhosis groups and each group was categorized into three subgroups, according to tumor size (≤ 30 mm, 31-40 mm, 41-50 mm). RESULTS: In patients without cirrhosis, LR showed better 5-year HCC cancer-specific survival than RFA in all tumor size subgroups (≤ 30 mm: 82.51% vs. 56.42%; 31-40 mm: 71.31% vs. 46.83%; 41-50 mm: 74.7% vs. 37.5%; all P < 0.05). Compared with RFA, LR was an independent protective factor for HCC cancer-specific survival in multivariate Cox analysis [≤ 30 mm: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.533, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.313-0.908; 31-40 mm: HR = 0.439, 95% CI: 0.201-0.957; 41-50 mm: HR = 0.382; 95% CI: 0.159-0.916; all P < 0.05]. In patients with cirrhosis, for both tumor size ≤ 30 mm and 31-40 mm groups, there were no significant survival differences between RFA and LR in multivariate analysis (all P > 0.05). However, in those with tumor size 41-50 mm, LR showed significantly better 5-year HCC cancer-specific survival than RFA in both univariate (54.72% vs. 23.06%; P < 0.001) and multivariate analyses (HR = 0.297; 95% CI: 0.136-0.648; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: RFA is an inferior treatment option to LR for patients without cirrhosis who have a solitary HCC tumor ≤ 5 cm.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering based determination on sulfamethazine using molecularly imprinted polymers decorated with silver nanoparticles.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were combined with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and AgNPs were prepared by in situ reduction within the MIP for selective and sensitive detection of sulfamethazine (SMZ). The MIP@AgNPs composites were characterized in detail by several analytical techniques, showing the generation of polymers and the formation of AgNPs hot spots. The specific affinity and rapid adsorption equilibrium rates of MIP@AgNPs composites were verified by static and kinetic adsorption studies. The MIP@AgNPs with high selectivity and excellent sensitivity were used as SERS substrates to detect SMZ. A good linear correlation (R2 = 0.996) in rang of 10-10-10-6 mol L-1 was observed between the Raman signal (1596 cm-1) and the concentration of SMZ. The limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 8.10 × 10-11 mol L-1 with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 6.32%. The good stability and reproducibility are also fully reflected in the SERS detection based on MIP@AgNPs. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of lake water samples, with recoveries in the range 85.1% to 102.5%. In summary, SERS detection based on MIP@AgNPs can be developed for a wider and broader range of practical applications. Schematic illustration of MIP@AgNPs sensor for the SERS detection of sulfamethazine.

Genome-Wide Detection of Quantitative Trait Loci and Prediction of Candidate Genes for Seed Sugar Composition in Early Mature Soybean.

Seed sugar composition, mainly including fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose, is an important indicator of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed quality. However, research on soybean sugar composition is limited. To better understand the genetic architecture underlying the sugar composition in soybean seeds, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a population of 323 soybean germplasm accessions which were grown and evaluated under three different environments. A total of 31,245 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor allele frequencies (MAFs) ≥ 5% and missing data ≤ 10% were selected and used in the GWAS. The analysis identified 72 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with individual sugars and 14 with total sugar. Ten candidate genes within the 100 Kb flanking regions of the lead SNPs across six chromosomes were significantly associated with sugar contents. According to GO and KEGG classification, eight genes were involved in the sugar metabolism in soybean and showed similar functions in Arabidopsis. The other two, located in known QTL regions associated with sugar composition, may play a role in sugar metabolism in soybean. This study advances our understanding of the genetic basis of soybean sugar composition and facilitates the identification of genes controlling this trait. The identified candidate genes will help improve seed sugar composition in soybean.