Integrated biomarker-based ecological risks assessment of tadpole responses to tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate, and their combined environmental exposure.

Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) are common chlorinated organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) used in industry. They have been frequently detected together in aquatic environments and associated with various hazardous effects. However, the ecological risks of prolonged exposure to these OPFRs at environmentally relevant concentrations in non-model aquatic organisms remain unexplored. This study investigated the effects of long-term exposure (up to 25 days) to TCEP and TCPP on metamorphosis, hepatic antioxidants, and endocrine function in Polypedates megacephalus tadpoles. Exposure concentrations were set at 3, 30, and 90 µg/L for each substance, conducted independently and in equal-concentration combinations, with a control group included for comparison. The integrated biomarker response (IBR) method developed an optimal linear model for predicting the overall ecological risks of TCEP and TCPP to tadpoles in potential distribution areas of Polypedates species. Results showed that: (1) Exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of TCEP and TCPP elicited variable adverse effects on tadpole metamorphosis time, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity and related gene expression, and endocrine-related gene expression, with their combined exposure exacerbating these effects. (2) The IBR value of TCEP was consistently greater than that of TCPP at each concentration, with an additive effect observed under their combined exposure. (3) The ecological risk of tadpoles exposed to the combined presence of TCEP and TCPP was highest in China's Taihu Lake and Vietnam's Hanoi than in other distribution locations. In summary, prolonged exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of TCEP and TCPP presents potential ecological risks to amphibian tadpoles, offering insights for the development of policies and strategies to control TCEP and TCPP pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, the methodology employed in establishing the IBR prediction model provides a methodological framework for assessing the overall ecological risks of multiple OPFRs.

MicroRNA-142-3p promotes renal cell carcinoma progression by targeting RhoBTB3 to regulate HIF-1 signaling and GGT/GSH pathways.

MicroRNAs play a critical regulatory role in different cancers, but their functions in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have not been elucidated. Reportedly, miR-142-3p is involved in the tumorigenesis and the development of RCC in vitro and is clinically correlated with the poor prognosis of RCC patients. However, the molecular target of miR-142-3p and the underlying mechanism are unclear. In this study, we found that miR-142-3p was upregulated in RCC tumor tissues and downregulated in exosomes compared to normal tissues. The expression of miR-142-3p was inversely associated with the survival of patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). RhoBTB3 was reduced in RCC, and miR-142-3p plays an inverse function with RhoBTB3 in KIRC. The direct interaction between RhoBTB3 and miR-142-3p was demonstrated by a dual luciferase reporter assay. miR-142-3p promoted metastasis in the xenograft model, and the suppression of miR-142-3p upregulated RhoBTB3 protein expression and inhibited the mRNAs and proteins of HIF1A, VEGFA, and GGT1. Also, the miR-142-3p overexpression upregulated the mRNA of HIF1A, VEGFA, and GGT1. In conclusion, miR-142-3p functions as an oncogene in RCC, especially in KIRC, by targeting RhoBTB3 to regulate HIF-1 signaling and GGT/GSH pathways, which needs further exploration.

Deep-Learning-Based COVID-19 Diagnosis and Implementation in Embedded Edge-Computing Device.

The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed enormous challenges to the global public health system. To deal with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the more accurate and convenient diagnosis of patients needs to be developed. This paper proposes a deep-learning-based COVID-19 detection method and evaluates its performance on embedded edge-computing devices. By adding an attention module and mixed loss into the original VGG19 model, the method can effectively reduce the parameters of the model and increase the classification accuracy. The improved model was first trained and tested on the PC X86 GPU platform using a large dataset (COVIDx CT-2A) and a medium dataset (integrated CT scan); the weight parameters of the model were reduced by around six times compared to the original model, but it still approximately achieved 98.80%and 97.84% accuracy, outperforming most existing methods. The trained model was subsequently transferred to embedded NVIDIA Jetson devices (TX2, Nano), where it achieved 97% accuracy at a 0.6-1 FPS inference speed using the NVIDIA TensorRT engine. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is practicable and convenient; it can be used on a low-cost medical edge-computing terminal. The source code is available on GitHub for researchers.

Tripartite motif containing 69 elicits ERK2-dependent EYA4 turnover to impart pancreatic tumorigenesis.

Eyes absent homologue 4 (EYA4) is silenced in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and functions as a tumor suppressor to restrain PDAC development, albeit the molecular mechanism underlying its downregulation remains enigmatic. Methods: Functional studies were determined by immunohistochemistry of PDAC samples from patients and Pdx1-Cre; LSL-KrasG12D/+; Trp53fl/+ (KPC) mice, three-dimensional spheroid culture, flow cytometry, MTT and subcutaneous xenograft experiments. Mechanistical studies were examined by cellular ubiquitination, cycloheximide (CHX) pulse-chase, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, GST-pulldown, in vitro protein kinase assay, immunofluorescence and luciferase reporter assays. Results: We screen E3 ligase that is negatively correlated with EYA4 and uncover a mutually exclusive interaction of tripartite motif containing 69 (TRIM69) with EYA4 in human PDAC. TRIM69 elicits EYA4 polyubiquitylation and turnover independent of P53 and impedes the EYA4-driven deactivation of ß-catenin/ID2 cascade, fueling PDAC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor development in mice. Expression of TRIM69 is upregulated in PDAC samples from independent cohorts of patients and the Pdx1-Cre; LSL-KrasG12D/+; Trp53fl/+ (KPC) mice, and associated with unfavorable prognosis. Depleting TRIM69 preferentially induces lethality in the EYA4-deficient PDAC cells. We further unearth that ERK2 directly binds to the D-site of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) docking groove in EYA4 Leu512/514 and phosphorylates EYA4 at Ser37, which is instrumental for EYA4 polyubiquitylation and turnover by TRIM69. Conclusion: Our results define a previously unappreciated role of TRIM69-EYA4 axis in pancreatic tumorigenesis and underscore that targeting TRIM69 might be an effective therapeutic approach for PDAC harboring EYA4 deficiency.

SLAM and 3D Semantic Reconstruction Based on the Fusion of Lidar and Monocular Vision.

Monocular camera and Lidar are the two most commonly used sensors in unmanned vehicles. Combining the advantages of the two is the current research focus of SLAM and semantic analysis. In this paper, we propose an improved SLAM and semantic reconstruction method based on the fusion of Lidar and monocular vision. We fuse the semantic image with the low-resolution 3D Lidar point clouds and generate dense semantic depth maps. Through visual odometry, ORB feature points with depth information are selected to improve positioning accuracy. Our method uses parallel threads to aggregate 3D semantic point clouds while positioning the unmanned vehicle. Experiments are conducted on the public CityScapes and KITTI Visual Odometry datasets, and the results show that compared with the ORB-SLAM2 and DynaSLAM, our positioning error is approximately reduced by 87%; compared with the DEMO and DVL-SLAM, our positioning accuracy improves in most sequences. Our 3D reconstruction quality is better than DynSLAM and contains semantic information. The proposed method has engineering application value in the unmanned vehicles field.

Tunable Electrical Conductivity and Simultaneously Enhanced Thermoelectric and Mechanical Properties in n-type Bi2 Te3.

The recent growing energy crisis draws considerable attention to high-performance thermoelectric materials. n-type bismuth telluride is still irreplaceable at near room temperature for commercial application, and therefore, is worthy of further investigation. In this work, nanostructured Bi2 Te3 polycrystalline materials with highly enhanced thermoelectric properties are obtained by alkali metal Na solid solution. Na is chosen as the cation site dopant for n-type polycrystalline Bi2 Te3 . Na enters the Bi site, introducing holes in the Bi2 Te3 matrix and rendering the electrical conductivity tunable from 300 to 1800 Scm-1 . The solid solution limit of Na in Bi2 Te3 exceeds 0.3 wt%. Owing to the effective solid solution, the Fermi level of Bi2 Te3 is properly regulated, leading to an improved Seebeck coefficient. In addition, the scattering of both charge carriers and phonons is modulated, which ensured a high-power factor and low lattice thermal conductivity. Benefitting from the synergistic optimization of both electrical and thermal transport properties, a maximum figure of merit (ZT) of 1.03 is achieved at 303 K when the doping content is 0.25 wt%, which is 70% higher than that of the pristine sample. This work disclosed an effective strategy for enhancing the performance of n-type bismuth telluride-based alloy materials.

Diagnosis and treatment of focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia of the distal ulna.

Focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia (FFCD) of the distal ulna is a rare benign lesion resulting in progressive radiocapitellar dislocation, limb deformity and limitation in function. This study reported our experience with 10 cases and it aimed to determine a reasonable strategy for diagnosis and treatment. Ten cases treated from 2010 to 2018 in our department were retrospectively reviewed. The diagnosis was based on imaging features. All patients underwent lesion excision in the early stage and five patients required ulna lengthening in the second stage. The radiographic and functional outcomes were analyzed and reported. The median age at diagnosis was 32 months (range, 6-36 months). The median age at the time of surgery was 34 months (range, 10-40 months). The median clinical and radiographic follow-up period was 37 months (range, 24-50 months). The ulna was shortened by an average of 31 mm (range, 27-35 mm). There was no new radial head dislocation after lesion excision. For five cases of radial head dislocation, the median elbow varus angle before ulnar lengthening was 20° and it decreased to 5° after ulnar lengthening. Supination and pronation of the elbow increased from 50°-10° to 70°-30°. We believe that early excision of the lesion can prevent radiocapitellar joint dislocation in patients with FFCD of the ulna. Ulna lengthening can correct limb deformity and improve the range of motion.

Phylogenomic and morphological evidence reveal a new species of spider lily, Lycorislongifolia (Amaryllidaceae) from China.

Lycorislongifolia, a new species from China, was described and illustrated here. Our phylogenomic evidence based on whole plastomes strongly supported the separate phylogenetic position of this new species, and morphologically it could also be distinguished by its long leaves with a distinct purplish-red midrib on the abaxial surface.

Crosstalk between hypoxia-sensing ULK1/2 and YAP-driven glycolysis fuels pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma development.

Autophagy and glycolysis are two catabolic processes that manipulate pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) development in response to hypoxia sensing, yet the underlying mechanism of how they are interlinked remain elusive. Methods: The functional roles of Unc-51 like kinase 1 and 2 (ULK1/2) in pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) transcription and glycolysis under hypoxia were assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter, glucose consumption and lactate production assay. Co-immunoprecipitation, cellular ubiquitination, His-pulldown, in vitro protein kinase assay, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, CRISPR technology, in silico studies were adopted to determine the molecular mechanism. Correlation analyses were performed in KPC (Pdx1-Cre; LSL-KrasG12D/+; Trp53fl/+) mice and clinical samples from PDAC patients. Therapeutic potential of ULK1/2 inhibitor and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) or 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP) was evaluated in cell-derived xenograft (CDX) and the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of nude mice. Results: ULK1/2, but not ULK3, augments hypoxic glycolysis in PDAC cells mediated by PKM2 independent of BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3). Mechanistically, hypoxia stimulates ULK1 to translocate into nucleus, where it interacts with and phosphorylates yes-associated protein (YAP) at Ser227, resulting in YAP stabilization through blockade of ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which in turn facilitates PKM2 transcription, glycolysis, cell proliferation in vitro as well as PDAC growth in mice. ULK1/2 is positively correlated with YAP and PKM2 in tumor tissues from KPC mice and clinical samples from PDAC patients. Pharmacological deactivation of ULK1/2 potentiates the antineoplastic efficacy of 2-DG and 3-BP in CDX and PDX models. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the Ser227 autophosphorylation-dependent nuclear YAP stabilization as a central node that couples ULK1/2-initiated autophagy to hypoxic glycolysis during PDAC development and propose that targeting ULK1/2 combined with 2-DG or 3-BP might be a feasible therapeutic strategy against PDAC.

[Community structure and leaf trait diversity in a vulnerable species, Phoebe chekiangensis (Lauraceae).] / æ¸å±æ¤ç‰©æµ™æ±Ÿæ¥ ç¾¤è½ç»“æž„åŠå¶ç‰‡æ€§çŠ¶å¤šæ ·æ€§.

Phoebe chekiangensis, as one original species of 'Nanmu with golden tint', harbors limited natural distribution regions, which is recognized as a vulnerable species in China under nationwide protection. Under the background of global climate change, it is of scientific significance to study the community structure and diversity of the natural populations of P. chekiangensis. In this study, community structure, species diversity and the phenotypic variation leaf traits in the communities of thirteen residue natural populations were analyzed. A total of 235 vascular species from 162 genera and 87 families were found in 16 plots within 13 natural populations, including 221 seed plants from 151 genera and 79 families. The species diversity in tree layer of community in Kaihua, Zhejiang and Linan, Zhejiang was significantly lower than that of other communities due to severe disturbance, while intermediate disturbance promoted the species diversity of shrub layer in community in Jianning, Fujian, and slight disturbance was beneficial to natural regeneration of P. chekiangensis. Foliage phenotype was important for species identification within Phoebe genus. There existed substantial variation in foliage phenotypic diversity among and within populations. The mean coefficient of variation was 17.2%, ranging from 10.4% to 27.5%. The variation was greater among populations (53.6%) than within populations (17.0%). Mean phenotypic differentiation coefficient was 75.1% among populations, indicating that the variance among populations was the main source for the phenotypic variation of the species. Results from the cluster analysis indicated that the 13 natural populations were divided into two distinct groups based on the Euclidean distance (10 cm), with stochastic variation.

Comparative study on Artemisia halodendron Turcz. and its two related plants by GC-MS analysis and protective effect against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.

A rapid method had been used for comparative study on Artemisia halodendron Turcz. and its two related plants by gas phase-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The comparison of the volatile oils obtained in three plants by GC-MS were similar in 20 compositions. However, n-Hexadecanoic acid (10.40%), Biphenyl (7.867%) and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (7.25%) were the predominant in the volatile oils of A. halodendron Turcz., whereas these constituents did not exist in the other two plants. And the study investigated the effect of three plants against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. 70% ethanol extracts of A. halodendron Turcz. showed weaker protective effect than the other two plants. It suggested that they provide a basis for the identification of the A. halodendron Turcz. from the other two plants and the ethanol extract from three plants exerted a protecting effect against hepatotoxicity.

[High-performance capillary electrophoresis for determining caffeic acid content in compound Yinhuangjiedu decoction].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for determining the content of caffeic acid in compound Yinhuangjiedu decoction using high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE). METHODS: The optimized HPCE for determining caffeic acid content utilized a fused-silica capillary tube (75 microm x 60 cm, effective length of 53 cm) with 20 mmol/L borate as the running buffer (pH=9.18), a constant voltage of 12 kV, a sampling time of 5 s at 25 degrees celsius, and UV detection wavelength at 313 nm. RESULTS: The linear range of caffeic acid was 20-100 microg/ml. CONCLUSION: HPCE is simple, rapid, and sensitive for quality control of the compound Yinhuangjiedu decoction.

[Simultaneous determination of four glycosylflavones from Lophatherum gracile by RP-HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a RP-HPLC method for simultaneous determination of orientin, isorientin, vitexin and isovitexin in Lophatherum gracile from different habitat and harvesting time. METHOD: The HPLC method was applied and the chromatographic column was a Waters XBridge C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). The mobile phase consisted of methanol-0.05% acetic acid (35:65). The flow rate was 1.0 mL min(-1) and the detection wavelength was set at 340 nm. The column temperature was set at 25 degrees C. RESULT: Four components were isolated well, the linear relationships were excellent. The mean recoveries and RSD values of orientin, isorientin, vitexin and isovitexin were 103.2%, 2.1%; 101.6%, 2.7%; 98.4%, 2.3%; 99.2%, 1.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The HPLC method is simple, sensitive and reliable, and can be used for the quality control of the medicinal material.

Chromosome Variation Analysis of Transformed Corneal Cell Lines / 上海第二医科大学学报

Objective To analyze the stability of chromosome variant ratio of three available transformed corneal cell lines. Methods Chromosome specimens of transformed cells including human corneal epithelial cells(HCE),bovine corneal endothelial cells(BCE) and rabbit corneal epithelial cells(RCE) were prepared by a direct method using regular Giemsa staining. Chromosomes of cells in metaphase were counted under the microscope. Then, the variant ratio of chromosomes and their nuclear types were analyzed. Results The chromosome numbers were 56 to 65, 27 to 34 and 74 to 88 for HCE, BCE and RCE, respectively. Chromosome numbers in the three commonly used and transformed corneal cell lines were changed in comparison to their parent tissues. Conclusion Genotyping study may provide important information for using HCE、BCE、RCE in functional studies.

[Analysis of the inter-species relationships on lycoris Amaryllidaceae) by use of RAPD].

The fingerprints of 13 species in genus Lycoris were generated by use of RAPD method. Forty-one primers were screened from 520 random primers, and a total of 350 DNA fragments were amplified ranging from 0.3-3.0 kb, 253 (72.3%) of which were polymorphic. The average number of DNA band produced by each primer was 6.2. Nei's similarity coefficients and genetic distances were calculated by use of the software of TFPGA version 1.3 and dendrogram of Lycoris was constructed using UPGMA. It is indicated that the 13 species of the genus Lycoris were divided into two groups, and five species of the genus including L. rosea, L. haywardii, L. straminea, L. sprengeri and L. radiata with monotype karyotypes (I-shaped) were clustered together respectively. The basic chromosome number was x = 11. The others which have two-types karyotypes (I-shaped and V-shaped) were clustered together respectively. They were L. houdyshelii, L. albiflora, L. chinensis, L. longituba, L. anhuiensis, L. squmigera, L. caldwellii and L. aurea. The closest relationship was between L. rosea and L. haywardii. L. radiata is highly divergent from L. aurea. The results were in consistence with that of the analysis of chromosome karyotype. The present paper discussed the problems whether L. rosea, L. haywardii and L. stramina originated as natural hybrids and taxonomy position of L. albiflora, L. straminea and L. houdyshelii based on the RAPD analysis.