The assessment of seed quality and physiological potential is essential in seed production and crop breeding. In the process of rapid detection of seed viability using tetrazolium (TZ) staining, it is necessary to spend a lot of labour and material resources to explore the pretreatment and staining methods of hard and solid seeds with physical barriers. This study explores the TZ staining methods of six hard seeds (Tilia miqueliana, Tilia henryana, Sassafras tzumu, Prunus subhirtella, Prunus sibirica, and Juglans mandshurica) and summarizes the TZ staining conditions required for hard seeds by combining the difference in fat content between seeds and the kinship between species, thus providing a rapid viability test method for the protection of germplasm resources of endangered plants and the optimization of seed bank construction. The TZ staining of six species of hard seeds requires a staining temperature above 35 °C and a TZ solution concentration higher than 1%. Endospermic seeds require shorter staining times than exalbuminous seeds. The higher the fat content of the seeds, the lower the required incubation temperature and TZ concentration for staining, and the longer the staining time. And the closer the relationship between the two species, the more similar their staining conditions become. The TZ staining method of similar species can be predicted according to the genetic distance between the phylogenetic trees, and the viability of new species can be detected quickly.

Background. The most common site of prostate cancer metastasis is bone tissue with many recent studies having conducted genomic and clinical research regarding bone metastatic prostate cancer. However, further work is needed to better define those patients that are at an elevated risk of such metastasis. Methods. SEER and TCGA databases were searched to develop a nomogram for predicting prostate cancer bone metastasis. Results. Herein, we leveraged the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to construct a predictive nomogram capable of readily and accurately predicted the odds of bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients. This nomogram was utilized to assign patients with prostate cancer included in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to cohorts at a high or low risk of bone metastasis (HRBM and LRBM, respectively). Comparisons of these LRBM and HRBM cohorts revealed marked differences in mutational landscapes between these patient cohorts, with increased frequencies of gene fusions, somatic copy number variations (CNVs), and single nucleotide variations (SNVs), particularly in the P53 gene, being evident in the HRBM cohort. We additionally identified lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs that were differentially expressed between these two patient cohorts and used them to construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Moreover, three weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) modules were constructed from the results of these analyses, with KIF14, MYH7, and COL10A1 being identified as hub genes within these modules. We further found immune response activity levels in the HRBM cohort to be elevated relative to that in the LRBM cohort, with single sample gene enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) scores for the immune checkpoint signature being increased in HRBM patient samples relative to those from LRBM patients. Conclusion. We successfully developed a nomogram capable of readily detecting patients with prostate cancer at an elevated risk of bone metastasis.

The association between the phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) gene rs4810479 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and serum lipid levels is largely unknown. This investigation aimed to evaluate the relationship between the PLTP rs4810479 SNP, several environmental risk factors, and serum lipid parameters in the Chinese Maonan and Han nationalities. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, gel electrophoresis, and direct sequencing were employed to determine the PLTP rs4810479 genotypes in 633 Maonan and 646 Han participants. The frequencies of CC, CT, and TT genotypes and the C allele were different between Maonan and Han groups (29.07%, 53.08%, 17.85%, and 55.61% vs. 35.60%, 49.70%, 14.70%, and 60.45%, respectively, P < 0.05). The C allele carriers in the Maonan group had higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than the C allele noncarriers, but this finding was only found in Maonan males but not in females. The C allele carriers in Han males had lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than the C allele noncarriers. Serum lipid profiles were also affected by several traditional cardiovascular risk factors in both populations. There might be an ethnic- and/or sex-specific association between the PLTP rs4810479 SNP and serum lipid traits.

Labs as guide dogs or sniffer dogs in usage have been introduced into China for more than 20 years. These two types of working dogs own blunt or acute olfactory senses, which have been obtained by artificial selection in relatively closed populations. In order to attain stable olfactory attributes and meet use-oriented demands, Chinese breeders keep doing the same artificial selection. Though olfactory behavior is canine genetic behavior, genotypes of OR genes formed by breeding schemes are largely unknown. Here, we characterized 26 SNPs, 2 deletions, and 2 insertions of 7 OR genes between sniffer dogs and guide dogs in order to find out the candidate alleles associated with working specific traits. The results showed that there were candidate functional SNP alleles in one locus that had statistically severely significant differences between the two subpopulations. Furthermore, the levels of polymorphism were not high in all loci and linkage disequilibrium only happened within one OR gene. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) tests showed that there was a higher ratio not in HWE and lower FST within the two working dog populations. We conclude that artificial selection in working capacities has acted on SNP alleles of OR genes in a dog breed and driven the evolution in compliance with people’s intentions though the changes are limited in decades of strategic breeding.

Background. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent malignant tumor of the lung cancer, for which the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we identified novel biomarkers associated with the pathogenesis of NSCLC aiming to provide new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for NSCLC by bioinformatics analysis. Methods. From the Gene Expression Omnibus database, GSE118370 and GSE10072 microarray datasets were obtained. Identifying the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lung adenocarcinoma and normal samples was done. By using bioinformatics tools, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, modules were analyzed, and enrichment analyses were performed. The expression and prognostic values of 14 hub genes were validated by the GEPIA database, and the correlation between hub genes and survival in lung adenocarcinoma was assessed by UALCAN, cBioPortal, String and Cytoscape, and Timer tools. Results. We found three genes (PIK3R1, SPP1, and PECAM1) that have a clear correlation with OS in the lung adenocarcinoma patient. It has been found that lung adenocarcinoma exhibits high expression of SPP1 and that this has been associated with poor prognosis, while low expression of PECAM1 and PIK3R1 is associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.05). We also found that the expression of SPP1 was associated with miR-146a-5p, while the high expression of miR-146a-5p was related to good prognosis (P < 0.05). On the contrary, the lower miR-21-5p on upstream of PIK3R1 is associated with a higher surviving rate in cancer patients (P < 0.05). Finally, we found that the immune checkpoint genes CD274(PD-L1) and PDCD1LG2(PD-1) were also related to SPP1 in lung adenocarcinoma. Conclusions. The results indicated that SPP1 is a cancer promoter (oncogene), while PECAM1 and PIK3R1 are cancer suppressor genes. These genes take part in the regulation of biological activities in lung adenocarcinoma, which provides a basis for improving detection and immunotherapeutic targets for lung adenocarcinoma.

Heritable thoracic aortic aneurysms are complex conditions characterised by the dilation or rupture of the thoracic aorta, often occurring as an autosomal-dominant disorder associated with life-threatening complications. In this case report, we present a de novo variant, MFAP5 c.236_237insA (p.N79Kfs9), which is implicated in the development of inherited thoracic aortic aneurysm. The proband, a 15-year-old male, presented with recurrent cough, dull chest pain, chest distress, vomiting, and reduced activity tolerance, leading to the diagnosis of heritable thoracic aortic aneurysms. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel heterozygous variant in MFAP5 (NM_003480, c.236_237insA, and p.N79Kfs9). MutationTester and PolyPhen-s predicted this variant to be damaging and disease-causing (probability = 1), while the SFIT score indicated protein damage (0.001). Structural analysis using the AlphaFold Protein structure database revealed that this mutation disrupted the N-linked glycosylation site, resulting in a frameshift, amino acid sequence alteration, and truncation of an essential protein site. To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing a young patient with heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm carrying the novel MFAP5 c.236_237insA (p.N79Kfs*9) variant. This variant represents the third identified mutation site associated with heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm. Given the high mortality and morbidity rates associated with thoracic aortic aneurysms, the prevention of severe and fatal complications is crucial in the clinical management of this condition. Our case highlights the importance of whole-exome sequencing and genetic screening in identifying potential pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants, particularly in early-onset patients with aortic dilation, to inform appropriate management strategies.

We investigate the spatial distribution and dynamics of the vortices in rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection in a reduced Rayleigh number range $1.3\le Ra/Ra_{c}\le 83.1$. Under slow rotations ($Ra\approx 80\,Ra_{c}$), the vortices are distributed randomly, which is manifested by the size distribution of the Voronoi cells of the vortex centres being a standard $\varGamma$ distribution. The vortices exhibit Brownian-type horizontal motion in the parameter range $Ra\gtrsim 10\,Ra_{c}$. The probability density functions of the vortex displacements are, however, non-Gaussian at short time scales. At modest rotating rates ($4\,Ra_{c}\le Ra\lesssim 10\,Ra_{c}$), the centrifugal force leads to radial vortex motions, i.e. warm cyclones (cold anticyclones) moving towards (outwards from) the rotation axis. The horizontal scale of the vortices decreases with decreasing $Ra/Ra_c$, and the size distribution of their Voronoi cells deviates from the $\varGamma$ distribution. In the rapidly rotating regime ($1.6\,Ra_{c}\le Ra\le 4\,Ra_{c}$), the vortices are densely distributed. The hydrodynamic interaction of neighbouring vortices results in the formation of vortex clusters. Within clusters, cyclones exhibit inverse-centrifugal motion as they submit to the outward motion of the strong anticyclones, and the radial velocity of the anticyclones is enhanced. The radial mobility of isolated vortices, scaled by their vorticity strength, is shown to be a simple power function of the Froude number. For all flow regimes studied, we show that the number of vortices with a lifespan greater than $t$ decreases exponentially as $\exp ({-t/{\tau }})$ for large time, where $\tau$ represents the characteristic lifetime of long-lived vortices.

Dietary antioxidant indices (DAI) may be potentially associated with relative telomere length (RTL) of leucocytes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DAI and RTL. A cross-sectional study involving 1656 participants was conducted. A generalised linear regression model and a restricted cubic spline model were used to assess the correlation of DAI and its components with RTL. Generalised linear regression analysis revealed that DAI (β = 0·005, P = 0·002) and the intake of its constituents vitamin C (β = 0·043, P = 0·027), vitamin E (β = 0·088, P < 0·001), Se (β = 0·075, P = 0·003), and Zn (β = 0·075, P = 0·023) were significantly and positively correlated with RTL. Sex-stratified analysis showed that DAI (β = 0·006, P = 0·005) and its constituents vitamin E (β = 0·083, P = 0·012), Se (β = 0·093, P = 0·006), and Zn (β = 0·092, P = 0·034) were significantly and positively correlated with RTL among females. Meanwhile, among males, only vitamin E intake (β = 0·089, P = 0·013) was significantly and positively associated with RTL. Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed linear positive associations between DAI and its constituents’ (vitamin E, Se and Zn) intake and RTL in the total population. Sex-stratified analysis revealed a linear positive correlation between DAI and its constituents’ (vitamin E, Se and Zn) intake and RTL in females. Our study found a significant positive correlation between DAI and RTL, with sex differences.

To alleviate the growth inhibition, and intestinal damage of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) induced by low fishmeal diets (LF), an 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the addition of dietary soybean-derived bioactive peptides (SBP) in LF diets on the regulation of growth, digestion and intestinal health. The crabs were fed isonitrogenous and isoenergetic conventional diet and LF diets (10 % fishmeal replaced by soybean meal, LF) supplemented with 0, 1 %, 2 %, 4 % and 6 % SBP, respectively. The results showed that LF diet inhibited growth while inclusion of SBP quadratically remitted the growth inhibition induced by LF. For digestive function, increasing addition level of SBP quadratically improved the α-amylase and trypsin activities. For antioxidant function, LF group significantly increased the malondialdehyde content, while SBP linearly decreased the malondialdehyde level and cubically increased the anti-superoxide anion activity and total antioxidant capacity level. For intestinal health, the peritrophic membrane (PM) almost completely separated from the inner wall of the intestinal lumen, the epithelial cells reduced, the muscularis became thinner and the apoptotic signals increased in LF group; with SBP addition, the intestinal morphology was improved, with the PM adhering to the inner wall of the intestinal lumen, an increase in the number of epithelial cells and an increase in the thickness of the muscularis. Additionally, there was a decrease in apoptotic signals. Dietary SBP also increased the expression of PT and Crustin1 quadratically and decreased the expression of ALF1 linearly, ALF3 and ILF2 quadratically.

Available data suggest that the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines might decrease in the immunocompromised population, but data on vaccine immunogenicity and safety among people living with HIV (PLWH) are still lacking. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to compare the immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in PLWH with healthy controls. We comprehensively searched the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. The risk ratio (RR) of seroconversion after the first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine was separately pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Seroconversion rate was lower among PLWH compared with healthy individuals after the first (RR = 0.77, 95% confident interval (CI) 0.64–0.92) and second doses (RR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.95–0.99). The risk of total adverse reactions among PLWH is similar to the risk in the healthy group, after the first (RR = 0.87, 95%CI 0.70–1.10) and second (RR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.65–1.07) doses. This study demonstrates that the immunogenicity and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in fully vaccinated HIV-infected patients were generally satisfactory. A second dose was related to seroconversion enhancement. Therefore, we considered that a booster dose may provide better seroprotection for PLWH. On the basis of a conventional two-dose regimen for COVID-19 vaccines, the booster dose is very necessary.

In a recent study, visual signals were recorded for the first time in starburst amacrine cells of the macaque retina, and, as for mouse and rabbit, a directional bias observed in calcium signals was recorded from near the dendritic tips. Stimulus motion from the soma toward the tip generated a larger calcium signal than motion from the tip toward the soma. Two mechanisms affecting the spatiotemporal summation of excitatory postsynaptic currents have been proposed to contribute to directional signaling at the dendritic tips of starbursts: (1) a “morphological” mechanism in which electrotonic propagation of excitatory synaptic currents along a dendrite sums bipolar cell inputs at the dendritic tip preferentially for stimulus motion in the centrifugal direction; (2) a “space–time” mechanism that relies on differences in the time-courses of proximal and distal bipolar cell inputs to favor centrifugal stimulus motion. To explore the contributions of these two mechanisms in the primate, we developed a realistic computational model based on connectomic reconstruction of a macaque starburst cell and the distribution of its synaptic inputs from sustained and transient bipolar cell types. Our model suggests that both mechanisms can initiate direction selectivity in starburst dendrites, but their contributions differ depending on the spatiotemporal properties of the stimulus. Specifically, the morphological mechanism dominates when small visual objects are moving at high velocities, and the space–time mechanism contributes most for large visual objects moving at low velocities.

Water pollution by hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is widespread and problematic. As a result, more research into economic Cr(VI) removal is needed. In this study, we created and employed an adsorption–reduction mechanism to remove Cr(VI). Magnetically reduced graphene oxide bentonite (MrGO-BT) is acid resistant and can undergo magnetic separation. The hydroxyl group of chitosan (CS) condensed with the functional groups on the surface of bentonite (BT), and the MrGO-BT sandwich has been fabricated and constructed from an Fe3O4 core layer sandwiched by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and a BT shell, with CS acting as a crosslinker. Cr(VI) elimination by MrGO-BT was exothermic and spontaneous according to thermodynamic analyses. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms were characterized by the pseudo-second order kinetic theory and the Langmuir model, respectively. Regarding the elimination of Cr(VI), the greatest adsorption ability for Cr(VI) elimination achieved was 91.5 mg g–1. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested that Cr(VI) was reduced by C–O–H on MrGO-BT to produce Cr(III) and H–C=O, and that Cr(III) chelated with amino groups or exchanged with BT after intercalation. In addition, the introduction of Cu2+ increased the positive charge of MrGO-BT and amplified the electrostatic interaction between Cr2O72− and HCrO4–, which is what caused Cr(VI) to be eliminated. Cu2+ and reduced Cr(III) combined with -NH2 on the surface of MrGO-BT to form -NH-Cr(III) or -NH-Cu2+, and Cr(VI) elimination via chelation and ion exchange was confirmed. MrGO-BT is shown to be an adsorbent with high acid resistance and good magnetic responsiveness and stability.

Overall diet quality during pregnancy has played an important role on maternal glucose metabolism. However, evidence based on the adherence to the dietary guideline is limited, especially for Asian populations. We aimed to examine the association between adherence to the Chinese dietary guideline measured by the Diet Balance Index for Pregnancy (DBI-P) and maternal glucose metabolism, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) status, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose. Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the Yuexiu birth cohort. We recruited 942 pregnant women at 20–28 weeks of gestation in 2017–2018. Dietary intakes during the past month were collected using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. The scores of DBI-P were calculated to assess dietary quality. Lower absolute values of the scores indicate higher adherence to the Chinese dietary guidelines. All participants underwent a 75 g of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were conducted. The Benjamini–Hochberg method was used to adjust multiple comparisons across DBI-P food components. The value of high bound score indicator, reflecting excessive total food intake, was positively associated with OGTT-2h glucose levels (β = 0·037, P = 0·029). After adjustment for multiple comparisons, the score of animal food intake was positively associated with OGTT-2 h glucose levels (β = 0·045, P = 0·045) and risk of GDM (OR = 1·105, P = 0·030). In conclusion, excessive total food intake was associated with higher postprandial glucose in pregnant women. Lower compliance with the dietary guideline for animal food was associated with both higher postprandial glucose and increased risk of GDM during pregnancy.

Microtubule-severing proteins (MTSPs) play important roles in mitosis and interphase. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have evaluated the role of MTSPs in female meiosis in mammals. It was found that FIGNL1, a member of MTSPs, was predominantly expressed in mouse oocytes and distributed at the spindle poles during meiosis in the present study. FIGNL1 was co-localized and interacted with γ-tubulin, an important component of the microtubule tissue centre (MTOC). Fignl1 knockdown by specific small interfering RNA caused spindle defects characterized by an abnormal length:width ratio and decreased microtubule density, which consequently led to aberrant chromosome arrangement, oocyte maturation and fertilization obstacles. In conclusion, the present results suggested that FIGNL1 may be an essential factor in oocyte maturation by influencing the meiosis process via the formation of spindles.

The sequential occurrence of three layers of smooth muscle layers (SML) in human embryos and fetus is not known. Here, we investigated the process of gut SML development in human embryos and fetuses and compared the morphology of SML in fetuses and neonates. The H&E, Masson trichrome staining, and Immunohistochemistry were conducted on 6–12 gestation week human embryos and fetuses and on normal neonatal intestine. We showed that no lumen was seen in 6–7th gestation week embryonic gut, neither gut wall nor SML was developed in this period. In 8–9th gestation week embryonic and fetal gut, primitive inner circular SML (IC-SML) was identified in a narrow and discontinuous gut lumen with some vacuoles. In 10th gestation week fetal gut, the outer longitudinal SML (OL-SML) in gut wall was clearly identifiable, both the inner and outer SML expressed α-SMA. In 11–12th gestation week fetal gut, in addition to the IC-SML and OL-SML, the muscularis mucosae started to develop as revealed by α-SMA immune-reactivity beneath the developing mucosal epithelial layer. Comparing with the gut of fetuses of 11–12th week of gestation, the muscularis mucosae, IC-SML, and OL-SML of neonatal intestine displayed different morphology, including branching into glands of lamina propria in mucosa and increased thickness. In conclusions, in the human developing gut between week-8 to week-12 of gestation, the IC-SML develops and forms at week-8, followed by the formation of OL-SML at week-10, and the muscularis mucosae develops and forms last at week-12.

We present a self-biased three-stage GaN-based monolithic microwave integrated circuit low-noise amplifier (LNA) operating between 26 and 29 GHz for 5G mobile communications. The self-biasing circuit, common-source topology with inductive source feedback, and RLC negative feedback loops between gate and drain of the third transistor were implemented to achieve low noise, good port match, high stability, high gain, and compact size. Measurement results show that the LNA has a high and flat gain of 30.5 ± 0.4 dB with noise figure (NF) of 1.65–1.8 dB across the band. The three-stage topology also achieves high linearity, providing the 1 dB compression point output power (P1dB) of 21 dBm in the band. To our knowledge, this combination of NF, gain, and linearity performance represents the state of art of self-biased LNA in this frequency band.

Host density is a key regulatory factor in parasite transmission. The goldfish (Carassius auratus)-Gyrodactylus kobayashii model was used to investigate effects of host density on population growth of gyrodactylids. A donor fish infected by five gravid gyrodactylids was mixed with 11 parasite-free goldfish at five host densities. There was a significant positive correlation between host density and mean abundance of G. kobayashii throughout the 58-day experiment. During early infection (days 15–24), mean abundance in medium high (0.5 fish L−1) and high host density groups (1 and 2 fish L−1) was significantly higher than that in the low host density groups (0.125 and 0.25 fish L−1). At high host density, prevalence increased more rapidly, and the peak prevalence was higher. Fitting of an exponential growth model showed that the population growth rate of the parasite increased with host density. A hypothesis was proposed that higher host density contributed to increased reinfection of detached gyrodactylids. A reinfection experiment was designed to test this hypothesis. Both mean abundance and prevalence at a host density of 1 fish L−1 were significantly higher than those at 0.25 fish L−1 on days 1 and 3, which suggested that more reinfections of G. kobyashii occurred at the higher host density. Density-dependent transmission during the early infection was an important contributor of population growth of G. kobayashii, as well as density-dependent reinfection of the detached gyrodactylids.

In light of the dynamic systems perspective, the current study expanded existing literature by examining the moderating effect of maternal sensitivity on the quadratic association between infant negative reactivity and future executive function development. Using a longitudinal, multimethod design, we addressed executive function development among preschoolers. This study utilized data from the Family Life Project (N = 1292). Infant negative reactivity at 6 months, maternal sensitivity across first 3 years, and executive functions during preschool age were observational assessed. A path model with moderation analyses revealed a U-shaped quadratic association between infant negative reactivity and preschoolers’ inhibitory control, only when maternal sensitivity was high. The results suggest that maternal sensitivity may assist infants with both low and high, but not moderate, levels of negative reactivity towards better executive function development. Findings support the ongoing nonlinear person-environment interplay during early years of life.