High buttocks supine position to reduce small bowel exposure in gynecological radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To minimize radiation exposure to the small bowel (SB) in patients undergoing treatment for gynecological tumors by adopting a comfortable positioning method. METHODS AND PATIENTS: All 76 women undergoing Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) were included in this study. Patients were immobilized in a supine position using a vacuum bag and thermoplastic cast formation. In the trial group (n = 36), patients raised their buttocks and a solid foam pad was placed under the sacral tail before immobilization. The control group (n = 40) received treatment in the standard supine position. The SB was delineated from the pubic symphysis to the total iliac bifurcation in computed tomography (CT) scans. RESULT: In the trial group, a significant reduction in SB volume within the pelvic cavity was observed (mean 399.17 ± 158.7 cc) compared to the control group (mean 547.48 ± 166.9 cc), with a p-value less than 0.001. The trial group showed a statistically significant reduction in the absolute volume of irradiated SB at each dose, ranging from the low dose (10 Gy) to the high dose (45 Gy). In the control group, a negative correlation was found between SB and bladder volumes (R = -0.411, P = 0.008), whereas in the trial group, this correlation was weaker (R = -0.286, P = 0.091), with no significant relationship observed between bladder volume and SB. CONCLUSION: The high buttocks supine position effectively reduces SB radiation exposure without the need for bladder distension. This positioning method holds promise for reducing SB irradiation in various pelvic tumors.

Natural Linoleic Acid from Marine Fungus Eutypella sp. F0219 Blocks KEAP1/NRF2 Interaction and Ameliorates MASLD by Targeting FABP4.

Ectopic lipid accumulation induced lipotoxicity plays a crucial role in exacerbating the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which affects over 30% of the worldwide population and 85% of the obese population. The growing demand for effective therapeutic agents highlights the need for high-efficacy lipotoxicity ameliorators and relevant therapeutic targets in the fight against MASLD. This study aimed to discover natural anti-lipotoxic and anti-MASLD candidates and elucidate the underlying mechanism and therapeutic targets. Utilizing palmitic acid (PA)-induced HepG-2 and primary mouse hepatocyte models, we identified linoleic acid (HN-002), a ligand of fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), from the marine fungus Eutypella sp. F0219. HN-002 dose-dependently prevented lipid overload-induced hepatocyte damage and lipid accumulation, inhibited fatty acid esterification, and ameliorated oxidative stress. These beneficial effects were associated with improvements in mitochondrial adaptive oxidation. HN-002 treatment enhanced lipid transport into mitochondria and oxidation, inhibited mitochondrial depolarization, and reduced mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) level in PA-treated hepatocytes. Mechanistically, HN-002 treatment disrupted the interaction between KEAP1 and NRF2, leading to NRF2 deubiquitylation and nuclear translocation, which activated beneficial metabolic regulation. In vivo, HN-002 treatment (20 mg/kg/per 2 days, i. p.) for 25 days effectively reversed hepatic steatosis and liver injury in the fast/refeeding plus high-fat/high-cholesterol diet induced MASLD mice. These therapeutic effects were associated with enhanced mitochondrial adaptive oxidation and activation of NRF2 signaling in the liver. These data suggest that HN-002 would be an interesting candidate for MASLD by improving mitochondrial oxidation via the FABP4/KEAP1/NRF2 axis. The discovery offers new insights into developing novel anti- MASLD agents derived from marine sources.

Unpuzzling spatio-vertical and multi-media patterns of aniline accelerators/antioxidants in an urban estuary.

Aniline accelerators and antioxidants (AAs) are high-production-volume industrial additives that have recently attracted emerging concern given their ubiquity in environmental compartments and the associated (eco)toxic effects. Nonetheless, available information on the multi-media behavior of AAs and their transformation products (TPs) remains scarce. Therefore, we determined the residues of twenty-four AA(TP)s in paired dissolved phases (i.e., filtered water), suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediment samples collected from the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE), a highly urbanized estuary in the East China. The median total concentrations of targeted compounds were 0.73 ng/g dw, 34.4 ng/L, and 39.6 ng/L in sediments, surface and bottom water, respectively. Diphenylamine (DPA) was the most abundant congener in SPM, while 1,3-diphenylguanidine (DPG) and dicyclohexylamine (DChA) dominated in the dissolved phases and sediments. Various anthropogenic emissions and (a)biotic degradation may collectively shape the matrix-specific accumulation patterns and spatial trends of these compounds across the YRE. However, the vertical patterns of AA(TP)s were obscure, probably due to the estuarine hydrodynamics and/or the modest sample size. The SPM fractions of AA(TP)s in water (Ф: 7.9-100%) and the sediment sorption coefficients (KOC: 0.01-6.56) both positively correlated with their hydrophobicity as indicated by the octanol-water partition coefficient (KOW). Moreover, risk quotients implied moderate to high aquatic toxicity posed by several AA(TP)s at certain YRE sites. The estimated total annual fluxes of our analytes transported via water and sediments towards the East China Sea were 5.90-365.5 tons and 4.23-1,100 kg, respectively. This work provides a systematic investigation of multi-media processes and ecological risks of AA(TP)s in a highly-urbanized estuary, contributing to holistic comprehension of these emerging contaminants in estuarine environments.

Stereospecific supramolecular polymerization of nanoclusters into ultra-long helical chains and enantiomer separation.

During the construction of supramolecular polymers of smaller nanoparticles/nanoclusters bearing hierarchy and homochirality, the mechanism understanding via intuitive visualization and precise cross-scale chirality modulation is still challenging. For this goal, a cooperative self-assembly strategy is here proposed by using ionic complexes with uniform chemical composition comprising polyanionic nanocluster cores and surrounded chiral cationic organic components as monomers for supramolecular polymerization. The single helical polymer chains bearing a core-shell structure at utmost length over 20 µm are demonstrated showing comparable flexibility resembling covalent polymers. A nucleation-elongation growth mechanism that is not dealt with in nanoparticle systems is confirmed to be accompanied by strict chiral self-sorting. A permeable membrane prepared by simple suction of such supramolecular polymers displays high enantioselectivity (e.e. 98% after four runs) for separating histidine derivatives, which discloses a benefiting helical chain structure-induced functionalization for macroscopic supramolecular materials in highly efficient racemate separation.

Serum dsDNA is environmentally contingent.

Psoriasis is a recurrent autoimmune disease characterized by seasonal and latitudinal variations. Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is a crucial component of nucleic acids and nucleosomes that provoke innate immune responses. Given the potential influence of climate on immunity and the development of autoimmune diseases, a comprehensive quantitative analysis of dsDNA levels in the population is warranted. In this case-control study conducted from 2016 to 2020, 10,110 psoriasis patients and matched controls from 12 regions in China were included. This study examined variations in serum dsDNA levels based on season and latitude. The results revealed significant associations between geographical location, climatic conditions, and season with serum dsDNA concentration. Individuals residing in Northern China exhibited significantly higher serum dsDNA levels compared to those in the South (1.00 vs. 0.96 ng/ml), and those in medium latitude regions had higher levels than their counterparts in areas with extreme latitudes (0.98 vs. 0.96 ng/ml). Furthermore, individuals in regions with low to medium ultraviolet exposure demonstrated higher serum dsDNA concentrations than those in areas with high ultraviolet levels (1.03 vs. 0.93 ng/ml), and individuals in winter showed higher levels than those in summer (1.03 vs. 0.92 ng/ml). Factors such as sex, UV index, humidity, and sunshine duration were inversely related to serum dsDNA levels, while age and daylight hours showed a positive association. These findings suggest that meteorological and climatic factors play a role in influencing serum dsDNA levels.

Brain markers of subtraction and multiplication skills in childhood: task-based functional connectivity and individualized structural similarity.

Arithmetic, a high-order cognitive ability, show marked individual difference over development. Despite recent advancements in neuroimaging techniques have enabled the identification of brain markers for individual differences in high-order cognitive abilities, it remains largely unknown about the brain markers for arithmetic. This study used a data-driven connectome-based prediction model to identify brain markers of arithmetic skills from arithmetic-state functional connectivity and individualized structural similarity in 132 children aged 8 to 15 years. We found that both subtraction-state functional connectivity and individualized SS successfully predicted subtraction and multiplication skills but multiplication-state functional connectivity failed to predict either skill. Among the four successful prediction models, most predictive connections were located in frontal-parietal, default-mode, and secondary visual networks. Further computational lesion analyses revealed the essential structural role of frontal-parietal network in predicting subtraction and the essential functional roles of secondary visual, language, and ventral multimodal networks in predicting multiplication. Finally, a few shared nodes but largely nonoverlapping functional and structural connections were found to predict subtraction and multiplication skills. Altogether, our findings provide new insights into the brain markers of arithmetic skills in children and highlight the importance of studying different connectivity modalities and different arithmetic domains to advance our understanding of children's arithmetic skills.

Seed coating with biocontrol bacteria encapsulated in sporopollenin exine capsules for the control of soil-borne plant diseases.

Coating seeds with biocontrol agents represents an effective approach for managing soil-borne plant diseases. However, improving the viability of biocontrol microorganisms on the seed surface or in the rhizosphere remains a big challenge due to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this work, we developed a microbial seed coating strategy that uses sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs) as carriers for the encapsulation of the biofilm-like biocontrol bacteria. SECs was extracted from camellia bee pollen, and then characterized by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis and thermal gravity analysis (TG). The Paenibacillus polymyxa ZF129, a biocontrol bacterium, was introduced into SECs using the vacuum-incubation method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Notably, the ZF129 cell formed a biofilm-like structure inside the SECs, which enhanced their tolerance to acidic stress. As a proof of concept, we applied ZF129-loaded SECs to coat pak choi seeds using a straightforward plate-shaking technique. The coated seeds demonstrated a high control efficacy of up to 60.46 % against clubroot disease. Overall, this study sheds light on the application of SECs as promising carrier for the encapsulation of biofilm-like biocontrol bacteria, further augmenting the biocontrol functionality of microbial seed coating.

Metal-ion-selective chiral gelation of a mannose-grafted polyoxometalate cluster.

A series of supramolecular hydrogels are constructed through selective metal coordination to a mannose-grafted Anderson-type polyoxometalate under sonication. The crosslinked helical nanofibers in the hydrogels are characterized by the synthesized hybrid clusters adopting a half-overlapped head-to-tail packing while the chirality of the mannose group directs the preferential assembly.

Synthesis of Diverse N-Trifluoromethyl Pyrazoles by Trapping of Transiently-Generated Trifluoromethylhydrazine.

A one-pot synthesis of functionalized N-trifluoromethyl pyrazoles from readily available di-Boc trifluoromethylhydrazine and dialdehydes, diketones, carbonylnitriles, and ketoesters/amides/acids is described. 19F NMR studies were used to characterize the stability of trifluoromethylhydrazine HCl salt in solution and in solid form and identified a short solution-state half-life of ∼6 h. Optimization of cyclization conditions identified DCM, combined with a strong acid, as a key to suppress the undesired des-CF3 side products, which formed as a result of the instability of trifluoromethylhydrazine and related intermediates. Despite the short-lived nature of these transient intermediates, their reactivity could be utilized to directly deliver a diverse array of pharmaceutically relevant N-trifluoromethyl pyrazoles in synthetically useful yields.

Excessive hydrogen sulfide-induced activation of NMDA receptors in the colon participates in anxiety- and compulsive-like behaviors in a rodent model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: Hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR) cause inflammatory responses in the gastrointestinal tract and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gasotransmitter with pleiotropic activity, exhibits anti-inflammatory benefits at physiological levels. However, deleterious effects are observed when its concentration increases. In this investigation, we employed a mouse model of HSR to examine the effects of an H2S scavenger on the gastrointestinal tract and brain, with emphasis on N-Methyl-d-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor function. METHODS: Mice were immediately administered dl-propargylglycine (PAG) intragastrically as an H2S scavenger after HSR exposure. The O-maze and buried beads tests were used to assess compulsive- and anxiety-like behaviors. Pathological changes in the intestine were evaluated at 24 and 30 days after HSR. Subsequently, at 30 days after HSR, we examined electrophysiological and pathological changes in the amygdala. RESULTS: Within 24 h of HSR exposure, animals treated with PAG showed significantly lower colonic injury. Additionally, compared to the HSR-treated mice 30 days after HSR, the PAG-treated mice displayed reduced buried beads, increased open-arm time, lower blood levels of Diamine Oxidase (DAO) and considerably improved ZO-1 intensity, a stronger association between the delta rhythm phase and beta activity amplitude, and lower neuroinflammatory response in the amygdala. MK-801, an NMDA receptor inhibitor, significantly reversed H2S-induced intestinal and cerebral injury. CONCLUSION: This experimental data suggests that H2S-induced excessive activation of NMDA receptors contributes to anxiety- and compulsive-like behaviors caused by HSR.

Drinking severity mediates the relationship between hypothalamic connectivity and rule-breaking/intrusive behavior differently in young women and men: an exploratory study.

Background: The hypothalamus is a key hub of the neural circuits of motivated behavior. Alcohol misuse may lead to hypothalamic dysfunction. Here, we investigated how resting-state hypothalamic functional connectivities are altered in association with the severity of drinking and clinical comorbidities and how men and women differ in this association. Methods: We employed the data of the Human Connectome Project. A total of 870 subjects were included in data analyses. The severity of alcohol use was quantified for individual subjects with the first principal component (PC1) identified from principal component analyses of all drinking measures. Rule-breaking and intrusive scores were evaluated with the Achenbach Adult Self-Report Scale. We performed a whole-brain regression of hypothalamic connectivities on drinking PC1 in all subjects and men/women separately and evaluated the results at a corrected threshold. Results: Higher drinking PC1 was associated with greater hypothalamic connectivity with the paracentral lobule (PCL). Hypothalamic PCL connectivity was positively correlated with rule-breaking score in men (r=0.152, P=0.002) but not in women. In women but not men, hypothalamic connectivity with the left temporo-parietal junction (LTPJ) was negatively correlated with drinking PC1 (r=-0.246, P<0.001) and with intrusiveness score (r=-0.127, P=0.006). Mediation analyses showed that drinking PC1 mediated the relationship between hypothalamic PCL connectivity and rule-breaking score in men and between hypothalamic LTPJ connectivity and intrusiveness score bidirectionally in women. Conclusions: We characterized sex-specific hypothalamic connectivities in link with the severity of alcohol misuse and its comorbidities. These findings extend the literature by elucidating the potential impact of problem drinking on the motivation circuits.

Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a Hospital Setting: A Retrospective Study from 2018 to 2022.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a highly infectious pathogen that poses a serious threat to human life and health. This study aimed to provide a scientific basis for the rational clinical use of antimicrobial drugs for treating MRSA infections and inform the development of preventive and control measures by analyzing the clinical distribution and resistance characteristics of MRSA in a hospital in Hebei China. To accomplish this, bacterial identification and drug sensitivity experiments were performed with 1858 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains collected from a hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 using a phoenixTM-100 bacterial identification drug sensitivity analyzer. The experimental data were analyzed using WHONET 5.6 software, and the MRSA strains detected were analyzed for their clinical distribution and drug resistance. Of the 1858 S. aureus strains isolated, 429 were MRSA. Sputum samples had the highest MRSA detection rates (52.45%). Critical care medicine had the highest rate of MRSA (12.59%), followed by dermatology (9.79%). MRSA resistance to tetracycline increased by 13.9% over 5 years; resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin also increased but remained low (1.9%). Resistance decreased to gentamicin, rifampicin, ciprofloxacin, and cotrimoxazole, though most significantly to erythromycin and clindamycin, exceeding 77% and 83%, respectively. No strains were resistant to vancomycin, teicoplanin, or linezolid, and drug resistance was most prevalent in patients ≥ 60 years old. This study will aid in improving the diagnosis and treatment of MRSA infections.

EBNA-1 antibody and autoimmune rheumatic diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Numerous studies have investigated a possible correlation between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). However, establishing a cause-and-effect relationship remains a challenging endeavor. This study employs Mendelian randomization to examine the impact of EBV nuclear antigen-1 antibody (EBNA-1) antibody levels on the susceptibility to nine distinct ARDs, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), primary Sjogren's syndrome (PSS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), undifferentiated reactive arthritis (UA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), dermatomyositis (DM), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: The researchers applied a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach, utilizing online data from separate cohorts of European descent. We drew upon data from GWAS related to EBNA-1 antibody levels and the nine autoimmune-related disorders. Our primary analyses predominantly relied on the Inverse Variance Weighted methodology, complemented by a range of sensitivity assessments. Results: Our analysis revealed significant direct associations between EBNA-1 antibody levels and the risk of developing PSS (95 % CI: 0.44 to 0.85, p = 0.003), PsA (95 % CI: 0.36 to 0.99, p = 0.044), AS (95 % CI: 0.07 to 0.88, p = 0.031), and UA (95 % CI: 0.56 to 0.96, p = 0.025). These results remained consistent through comprehensive sensitivity analyses. However, no clear associations were found for the other specified conditions. Conclusions: Our findings provide compelling evidence that EBNA-1 antibody levels play a role in developing ARDs. These findings enhance our understanding of ARD pathogenesis and hold substantial promise for developing potential treatment strategies.

Accurate and visualiable discrimination of Chenpi age using 2D-CNN and Grad-CAM++ based on infrared spectral images.

Dried tangerine peel ("Chenpi"), has numerous clinical and nutritional benefits, with its quality being significantly influenced by its storage age, referred to as "Chen Jiu Zhe Liang" in Chinese. Concequently, the rapid and accurate identification of Chenpi's age is important for consumers. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to capture spectral images of Chenpi. These FTIR images were then analyzed using a two-dimensional convolutional neural networks (2D-CNN) model, achieving a discrimination accuracy of 97.92%. To address the "black box" nature of the 2D-CNN, Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping Plus Plus (Grad-CAM++) was utilized to highlight the important regions contributing to the model's performance. Additionally, six other machine learning models were developped using features identified by the 2D-CNN to validate their effectiveness. The results demonstrated that the combination of FTIR spectral images and 2D-CNN provides a highly effective method for accurately determining the age of Chenpi.

Study on low-rank coal flotation collector screening and performance based on molecular polarity index.

CONTEXT: Extensive studies using a trial-and-error approach have been conducted on low-rank coal flotation collectors. However, screening efficient collectors remains a considerable challenge due to the lack of suitable screening principles. It has proven that polar compounds such as carboxylic acids and esters are effective collectors for low-rank coal flotation. In this work, the effects of carboxylic acid, alcohol, and methyl ester on the floatability of low-rank coal were compared, the flotation performance of the polar collector was evaluated with theoretical calculations, a suitable evaluation parameter was determined and a screening principle based on this parameter was determined. The results show that the enhancement effects of polar collectors on low-rank coal floatability follow the order of methyl decanoate > methyl laurate > methyl octanoate > sec-octanol > methyl oleate (or methyl oleate > sec-octanol) > n-octanoic acid. Compared with the molecular polarity index, the hydrophobicity indices log P and dipole moment cannot be used to accurately evaluate different types of collectors and the same type of collectors, respectively. At room temperature, liquid polar compounds with molecular polarity indices in the range of 6.0 ~ 8.0 kcal/mol effectively enhance the floatability of low-rank coal. The molecular polarity index of the collector is used for the first time to screen effective collectors of low-rank coal in this work. This parameter is anticipated to be highly important for the development and research of low-rank coal and other mineral collectors. METHODS: To obtain reasonable and accurate molecular structure, geometry optimization and frequency calculations of the studied collectors were conducted via the Gaussian 09 software package based on density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311 + G (d, p) level. The integral equation formalism for the polarizable continuum model (IEF-PCM) was utilized with water as the solvent (dielectric constant = 78.36, T = 298 K) for all the calculations. Then, the atomic charge distributions (MPA and NPA) and electrostatic potential maps, the dipole moment and molecular polarity index, and the log P and water solubilities of studied collectors were shown or calculated by Gauss View 5.0, Mutiwfn program and website ( https://www.molsoft.com/mprop/mprop.cgi ), respectively.

The correlation between single and mixed trace elements exposure in systemic lupus erythematosus: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown an association between trace elements and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the relationship between trace elements and SLE is still unclear. This study aims to determine the distribution of plasma trace elements in newly diagnosed SLE patients and the association between these essential and toxic element mixtures and SLE. METHODS: In total, 110 SLE patients and 110 healthy controls were included. Blood samples were collected. 15 plasma trace elements were quantified using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile g-computation (qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) are used to analyze the association between single and mixed exposure of elements and SLE. RESULTS: The logistic regression model shows that, plasma lithium (Li) [OR (95 % CI): 1.963 (1.49-2.586)], vanadium (V) [OR (95 % CI): 2.617(1.645-4.166)] and lead (Pb) [OR (95 % CI): 1.603(1.197-2.145)] were positively correlated with SLE, while selenium (Se) [OR (95 % CI): 0.055(0.019-0.157)] and barium (Ba) [OR (95 % CI): 0.792(0.656-0.957)] had been identified as protective factors for SLE. RCS results showed a non-linear correlation between the elements Li, V, Ni, copper, Se, rubidium and SLE. In addition, WQS regression, qgcomp, and BKMR models consistently revealed significant positive effects of plasma Li and Pb on SLE, as well as significant negative effects of plasma Se. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to heavy metals such as Li and Pb is significantly positively correlated with SLE, but Se may be protective factors for SLE. In addition, there is a nonlinear correlation between the elements Li and Se and SLE, and there are complex interactions between the elements. In the future, larger populations and prospective studies are needed to confirm these associations.

Needle-Plug/Piston-Based Modular Mesoscopic Design Paradigm Coupled With Microfluidic Device for Point-of-Care Pooled Testing.

Emerging diagnostic scenarios, such as population surveillance by pooled testing and on-site rapid diagnosis, highlight the importance of advanced microfluidic systems for in vitro diagnostics. However, the widespread adoption of microfluidic technology faces challenges due to the lack of standardized design paradigms, posing difficulties in managing macro-micro fluidic interfaces, reagent storage, and complex macrofluidic operations. This paper introduces a novel modular-based mesoscopic design paradigm, featuring a core "needle-plug/piston" structure with versatile variants for complex fluidic operations. These structures can be easily coupled with various microfluidic platforms to achieve truly self-contained microsystems. Incorporated into a "3D extensible" design architecture, the mesoscopic design meets the demands of function integration, macrofluid manipulations, and flexible throughputs for point-of-care nucleic acid testing. Using this approach, an ultra-sensitive nucleic acid detection system is developed with a limit of detection of ten copies of SARS-CoV-2 per mL. This system efficiently conducts large-scale pooled testing from 50 pharyngeal swabs in a tube with an uncompromised sensitivity, enabling a truly "sample-in-answer-out" microsystem with exceptional performance.

Coating seeds with biocontrol bacteria-loaded sodium alginate/pectin hydrogel enhances the survival of bacteria and control efficacy against soil-borne vegetable diseases.

Microbial seed coatings serve as effective, labor-saving, and ecofriendly means of controlling soil-borne plant diseases. However, the survival of microbial agents on seed surfaces and in the rhizosphere remains a crucial challenge. In this work, we embedded a biocontrol bacteria (Bacillus subtilis ZF71) in sodium alginate (SA)/pectin (PC) hydrogel as a seed coating agent to control Fusarium root rot in cucumber. The formula of SA/PC hydrogel was optimized with the highest coating uniformity of 90 % in cucumber seeds. SA/PC hydrogel was characterized using rheological, gel content, and water content tests, thermal gravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Bacillus subtilis ZF71 within the SA/PC hydrogel network formed a biofilm-like structure with a high viable cell content (8.30 log CFU/seed). After 37 days of storage, there was still a high number of Bacillus subtilis ZF71 cells (7.23 log CFU/seed) surviving on the surface of cucumber seeds. Pot experiments revealed a higher control efficiency against Fusarium root rot in ZF71-SA/PC cucumber seeds (53.26 %) compared with roots irrigated with a ZF71 suspension. Overall, this study introduced a promising microbial seed coating strategy based on biofilm formation that improved performance against soil-borne plant diseases.

Assessing Emotion Regulation Difficulties Across Negative and Positive Emotions: Psychometric Properties and Clinical Applications of the Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory in the Chinese Context.

Background: Abnormalities of regulating positive and negative emotion have been documented in patients with mental disorders. Valid and reliable psychological instruments for measuring emotion regulation across different valences are needed. The Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI) is a 32-item self-report measure recently developed to compressively assess emotion regulation ability across both positive and negative valences. Purpose: This study aimed to validate the Chinese PERCI in a large non-clinical sample and examine the clinical utility in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: The Chinese PERCI was administered to 1090 Chinese participants (mean age = 20.64 years, 773 females). The factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, concurrent validity, and predictive validity were examined. Moreover, a MDD group (n = 50) and a matched healthy control group (n = 50) were recruited. Group comparisons and the linear discriminant analysis were conducted to assess the clinical relevance of the PERCI. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the intended eight-factor structure of the PERCI in the Chinese population. The PERCI showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, as well as good convergent and concurrent validity. The MDD group had significantly higher PERCI scores than the healthy control group. Linear discriminant function comprised of the eight factors successfully distinguish patients with MDD from their matched controls. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the PERCI is a valid and reliable instrument to compressively measure emotion regulation across positive and negative valences in the general Chinese population and patients with depression.

The Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory was designed to comprehensively assess emotion regulation ability across both positive and negative valences. This study provided the first translation and psychometric evaluation of the PERCI in the Chinese context. The findings support that the Chinese version of the PERCI is a reliable and valid measurement for assessing emotion regulation across positive and negative valences in research and clinical practice.

Inhibition of the P38 MAPK/NLRP3 pathway mitigates cognitive dysfunction and mood alterations in aged mice after abdominal surgery plus sevoflurane.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction, encompassing perioperative psychological distress and cognitive impairment, is a prevalent postoperative complication within the elderly population, and in severe cases, it may lead to dementia. Building upon our prior research that unveiled a connection between postoperative mood fluctuations and cognitive dysfunction with the phosphorylation of P38, this present investigation aims to delve deeper into the involvement of the P38 MAPK/NLRP3 pathway in perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) in an abdominal exploratory laparotomy (AEL) aged mice model. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice (male, 18-month-old) underwent AEL with 3 % anesthesia. Then, inhibitors targeting P38 MAPK (SB202190, 1 mg/kg) and GSK3ß (TWS119, 10 mg/kg) were administered multiple times daily for 7 days post-surgery. The NLRP3-cKO AEL and WT AEL groups only underwent the AEL procedure. Behavioral assessments, including the open field test (OFT), novel object recognition (NOR), force swimming test (FST), and fear conditioning (FC), were initiated on postoperative day 14. Additionally, mice designated for neuroelectrophysiological monitoring had electrodes implanted on day 14 before surgery and underwent novel object recognition while their local field potential (LFP) was concurrently recorded on postoperative day 14. Lastly, after they were euthanasized, pathological analysis and western blot were performed. RESULTS: SB202190, TWS119, and astrocyte-conditional knockout NLRP3 all ameliorated the cognitive impairment behaviors induced by AEL in mice and increased mean theta power during novel location exploration. However, it is worth noting that SB202190 may exacerbate postoperative depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in mice, while TWS119 may induce impulsive behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that anesthesia and surgical procedures induce alterations in mood and cognition, which may be intricately linked to the P38 MAPK/NLRP3 pathway.