Efficacy of relational agents for loneliness across age groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a serious public health concern. Although previous interventions have had some success in mitigating loneliness, the field is in search of novel, more effective, and more scalable solutions. Here, we focus on "relational agents", a form of software agents that are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs). We report on a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the impact of relational agents on loneliness across age groups. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched 11 databases including Ovid MEDLINE and Embase from inception to Sep 16, 2022. We included randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies of interventions published in English across all age groups. These loneliness interventions, typically attempt to improve social skills, social support, social interaction, and maladaptive cognitions. Peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, Master's and PhD theses, or conference papers were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias via the RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. We calculated pooled estimates of Hedge's g in a random-effects meta-analysis and conducted sensitivity and sub-group analyses. We evaluated publication bias via funnel plots, Egger's test, and a trim-and-fill algorithm. FINDINGS: Our search identified 3,935 records of which 14 met eligibility criteria and were included in our meta-analysis. Included studies comprised 286 participants with individual study sample sizes ranging from 4 to 42 participants (x̄ = 20.43, s = 11.58, x̃ = 20). We used a Bonferroni correction with αBonferroni = 0.05 / 4 = 0.0125 and applied Knapp-Hartung adjustments. Relational agents reduced loneliness significantly at an adjusted αBonferroni (g = -0.552; 95% Knapp-Hartung CI, -0.877 to -0.226; P = 0.003), which corresponds to a moderate reduction in loneliness. CONCLUSION: Our results are currently the most comprehensive of their kind and provide promising evidence for the efficacy of relational agents. Relational agents are a promising technology that can alleviate loneliness in a scalable way and that can be a meaningful complement to other approaches. The advent of LLMs should boost their efficacy, and further research is needed to explore the optimal design and use of relational agents. Future research could also address shortcomings of current results, such as small sample sizes and high risk of bias. Particularly young audiences have been overlooked in past research.

A new Ni-based cocatalyst nickel thiocarbonate enhancing graphitic carbon nitride photocatalytic hydrogen production by constructing a built-in electric field.

Despite the excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) exhibits a high overpotential for hydrogen evolution. To address this issue, cocatalysts have been utilized to modify g-C3N4. However, the use of high-performance cocatalysts typically involves noble metals such as platinum and palladium, which are cost-prohibitive for practical applications. Therefore, the development of efficient and cost-effective cocatalysts is crucial for advancing photocatalysis. In this study, we synthesized a new Ni-based cocatalyst, nickel thiocarbonate (NiCS3), to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on g-C3N4. The NiCS3/g-C3N4 composite demonstrated a significantly increased hydrogen evolution rate of 951 µmol·h-1·g-1 under visible light, representing more than a 105-fold improvement compared to pure g-C3N4. Theoretical calculations suggested that the enhanced performance in photocatalytic hydrogen production can be attributed to the generation of a built-in electric field within the composite, facilitating efficient charge carrier separation and migration. Additionally, the C site in NiCS3 provides a favorable Gibbs free energy of adsorbed H* (ΔGH∗). This work underscores the potential of NiCS3 as a viable alternative to precious metals in photocatalytic hydrogen production using g-C3N4.

Preparation of fluorescent polyurethane microspheres and their applications as reusable sensor for 4-nitrophenol detection and as microplastics model for visualizing polyurethane in cells and zebrafish.

Fluorescent microspheres are of significant interests due to their wide applications in biotechnology fields. However, their preparation presents several challenges, such as the need for dye labeling, the complexity of materials and often sophisticated preparation conditions. Here a simple process for hydrophilic and crosslinked polyurethane (CPU) microspheres, with carboxyl groups on the surface via one-step precipitation polymerization in 40 min, is presented. The microsphere size is easily adjusted by varying experimental conditions. CPU microspheres exhibit high thermal and pH stability with good redispersibility in water, and emit fluorescence without any modification or dye labeling. The emission mechanism is discussed. CPU microspheres are used as fluorescent probe to detect 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) based on their emission in UV light region, with excellent selectivity and sensitivity. In addition, they are reusable with detection limit unchanged after 7 cycles of reuses, a significant feature of this work. The mechanism of fluorescence detection is thoroughly explored and ascribed to the internal filtration effect. Based on the emission in visible light region, CPU microspheres are used as a model of PU microplastics (MPs) to visualize their biodistribution in HeLa and macrophage cells, as well as in zebrafish larvae, providing a reliable tracer for the visualization and tracking of PU MPs in organisms.

Multivariate extremes in lakes.

Extreme within-lake conditions have the potential to exert detrimental effects on lakes. Here we use satellite observations to investigate how the occurrence of multiple types of extremes, notably algal blooms, lake heatwaves, and low lake levels, have varied in 2724 lakes since the 1980s. Our study, which focuses on bloom-affected lakes, suggests that 75% of studied lakes have experienced a concurrent increase in at least two of the extremes considered (27% defined as having a notable increase), with 25% experiencing an increase in frequency of all three extremes (5% had a notable increase). The greatest increases in the frequency of these extremes were found in regions that have experienced increases in agricultural fertilizer use, lake warming, and a decline in water availability. As extremes in lakes become more common, understanding their impacts must be a primary focus of future studies and they must be carefully considered in future risk assessments.

Evolutionary patterns of DNA base composition at polymorphic sites highlight the role of the environment in shaping barley and rice genomes.

Insights into changes in genome base composition underlying crop domestication can be gained by using comparative genomics. With this approach, previous studies have reported that crop genomes during domestication accumulate more nucleotides adenine (A) and thymine (T) (termed as [AT]-increase) across polymorphic sites. However, the potential influence of the environment or its factors, for example, solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and temperature, on the [AT]-increase has not been well elucidated. Here, we investigated the [AT]-increase in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) and the association with natural environments, where accessions are distributed. With 12,798,376 and 2,861,535 single-nucleotide polymorphisms from 368 barley and 1375 rice accessions, respectively, we discovered that [AT] increases from wild accessions to improved cultivars, and genomic regions with larger [AT]-increase tend to have higher UV-related motif frequencies, suggesting solar UV radiation as a potential factor in driving genome variation. To link [AT] change with the geographic distribution, we gathered georeferenced accessions and examined their local environments. Interestingly, negative correlations between [AT] and environmental factors were observed (r = -0.39 ∼ -0.75) and modern accessions with higher [AT] values, as compared with wild relatives, are from the environments with lower solar UV radiation or lower temperature. With [AT] and environmental factors as phenotypes, genome-wide association mapping identified three candidate genes that have the potential to contribute to [AT] variation under the effect of environmental conditions. Our findings provide genomic and environmental insights into evolutionary pattern of DNA base composition and underlying mechanisms.

Genomic Prediction of Growth Traits in Yorkshire Pigs of Different Reference Group Sizes Using Different Estimated Breeding Value Models.

The need for sufficient reference population data poses a significant challenge in breeding programs aimed at improving pig farming on a small to medium scale. To overcome this hurdle, investigating the advantages of combing reference populations of varying sizes is crucial for enhancing the accuracy of the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV). Genomic selection (GS) in populations with limited reference data can be optimized by combining populations of the same breed or related breeds. This study focused on understanding the effect of combing different reference group sizes on the accuracy of GS for determining the growth effectiveness and percentage of lean meat in Yorkshire pigs. Specifically, our study investigated two important traits: the age at 100 kg live weight (AGE100) and the backfat thickness at 100 kg live weight (BF100). This research assessed the efficiency of genomic prediction (GP) using different GEBV models across three Yorkshire populations with varying genetic backgrounds. The GeneSeek 50K GGP porcine high-density array was used for genotyping. A total of 2295 Yorkshire pigs were included, representing three Yorkshire pig populations with different genetic backgrounds-295 from Danish (small) lines from Huaibei City, Anhui Province, 500 from Canadian (medium) lines from Lixin County, Anhui Province, and 1500 from American (large) lines from Shanghai. To evaluate the impact of different population combination scenarios on the GS accuracy, three approaches were explored: (1) combining all three populations for prediction, (2) combining two populations to predict the third, and (3) predicting each population independently. Five GEBV models, including three Bayesian models (BayesA, BayesB, and BayesC), the genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) model, and single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) were implemented through 20 repetitions of five-fold cross-validation (CV). The results indicate that predicting one target population using the other two populations yielded the highest accuracy, providing a novel approach for improving the genomic selection accuracy in Yorkshire pigs. In this study, it was found that using different populations of the same breed to predict small- and medium-sized herds might be effective in improving the GEBV. This investigation highlights the significance of incorporating population combinations in genetic models for predicting the breeding value, particularly for pig farmers confronted with resource limitations.

Effect of total dissolved gas supersaturation on the passage behavior of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and ya-fish (Schizothorax prenanti) through an experimental vertical slot fishway.

Total dissolved gas (TDG) supersaturation caused by flood discharge water poses a threat to vital activities such as migration, foraging, and evasion in fish species upstream of the Yangtze River, which may impair the ability of fish to pass through fishways during the migration period, causing poor utilization of fishways. Previous studies have shown that TDG supersaturation reduces the critical and burst swimming abilities of fish, suggesting potential adverse effects on swimming performance. However, studies focusing on the impact of TDG on fish swimming behavior in experimental vertical-slot fishways remain scarce. Therefore, in this study, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and ya-fish (Schizothorax prenanti) were used as the study species, and comparative passage experiments were carried out in an experimental vertical slot fishway to systematically analyze the effects of TDG supersaturation on their passage behavior. The passage success of the silver carp was 57%, 39%, 26%, and 27% at TDG levels of 100%, 110%, 120%, and 130%, respectively. Passage success of ya-fish was 73%, 37%, 31%, and 35% at TDG concentrations of 100%, 110%, 120%, and 130%, respectively. The passage time for both species increased significantly with increasing TDG levels. Furthermore, the passage routes of silver carp changed significantly compared to the control group, whereas the passage routes of ya-fish changed insignificantly. High levels of TDG supersaturation (≥120%) also contributed to a higher mortality rate of ya-fish passing through the vertical slot fishway. The research results provide valuable data on the influence of TDG supersaturation on fish movement behavior responses in experimental vertical slot fishways, offering a reference for the design of fishways and the formulation of reservoir operation schemes.

Risk stratification of stage II rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma to predict the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy following neoadjuvant chemoradiation and surgery.

Background: The treatment strategy for stage II rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma (RMA) recommends neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCR) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME). However, the necessity of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) remains controversial. Materials and methods: Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between pathological classification, AC and clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves and the log-rank test were utilized to analyze differences in overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) among different groups. Cox regression identified prognostic factors. Nomogram was established utilizing the independent prognostic factors. X-tile divided patients into three risk subgroups. Results: Compared to RMA, rectal adenocarcinoma (RA) demonstrates longer OS and CSS in all and non-AC stage II patients, with no difference in OS and CSS for AC stage II patients. Propensity score matching analyses yielded similar results. Stratified analysis found that AC both improve OS of RA and RMA patients. Age, gender, pathologic T stage, regional nodes examined, and tumor size were identified as independent prognostic factors for RMA patients without AC. A nomogram was constructed to generate risk scores and categorize RMA patients into three subgroups based on these scores. KM curves revealed AC benefits for moderate and high-risk groups but not for the low-risk group. The external validation cohort yielded similar results. Conclusions: In summary, our study suggests that, compared to stage II RA patients, stage II RMA patients benefit more from AC after NCR. AC is recommended for moderate and high-risk stage II RMA patients after NCR, whereas low-risk patients do not require AC.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes: a promising alternative in the therapy of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common morbid complication during pregnancy, affecting 2%-8% of pregnancies globally and posing serous risks to the health of both mother and fetus. Currently, the only effective treatment for PE is timely termination of pregnancy, which comes with increased perinatal risks. However, there is no effective way to delay pathological progress and improve maternal and fetal outcomes. In light of this, it is of great significance to seek effective therapeutic strategies for PE. Exosomes which are nanoparticles carrying bioactive substances such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, have emerged as a novel vehicle for intercellular communication. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) participate in various important physiological processes, including immune regulation, cell proliferation and migration, and angiogenesis, and have shown promising potential in tissue repair and disease treatment. Recently, MSC-Exos therapy has gained popularity in the treatment of ischaemic diseases, immune dysfunction, inflammatory diseases, and other fields due to their minimal immunogenicity, characteristics similar to donor cells, ease of storage, and low risk of tumor formation. This review elaborates on the potential therapeutic mechanism of MSC-Exos in treating preeclampsia, considering the main pathogenic factors of the condition, including placental vascular dysplasia, immunological disorders, and oxidative stress, based on the biological function of MSC-Exos. Additionally, we discuss in depth the advantages and challenges of MSC-Exos as a novel acellular therapeutic agent in preeclampsia treatment.

Design, Synthesis, and Antifungal/Anti-Oomycete Activities of Novel 1,2,4-Triazole Derivatives Containing Carboxamide Fragments.

Plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi or oomycetes seriously affect crop growth and the quality and yield of products. A series of novel 1,2,4-triazole derivatives containing carboxamide fragments based on amide fragments widely used in fungicides and the commercialized mefentrifluconazole were designed and synthesized. Their antifungal activities were evaluated against seven kinds of phytopathogenic fungi/oomycete. Results showed that most compounds had similar or better antifungal activities compared to mefentrifluconazole's inhibitory activity against Physalospora piricola, especially compound 6h (92%), which possessed outstanding activity. Compound 6h (EC50 = 13.095 µg/mL) showed a better effect than that of mefentrifluconazole (EC50 = 39.516 µg/mL). Compound 5j (90%) displayed outstanding anti-oomycete activity against Phytophthora capsici, with an EC50 value of 17.362 µg/mL, far superior to that of mefentrifluconazole (EC50 = 75.433 µg/mL). The result of molecular docking showed that compounds 5j and 6h possessed a stronger affinity for 14α-demethylase (CYP51). This study provides a new approach to expanding the fungicidal spectrum of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives.

NiCS3: A cocatalyst surpassing Pt for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

Cocatalysts play a key role in improving photocatalytic performance by enhancing conductivity and providing an enormous number of active sites simultaneously. However, cocatalysts are usually made of noble metals such as Pt, which are expensive and rare. Therefore, cocatalysts derived from cheap and abundant elements are highly desirable. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that NiCS3, which is made from nickel that is abundant and costs less than 0.04 % of Pt, is an effective substitute for Pt cocatalysts for the photocatalytic activity of CdS nanorods in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Under visible light, the NiCS3/CdS composite with NiCS3 as the cocatalyst achieved an astonishing H2 production of 61.9 mmol·g-1·h-1 while maintaining high stability, which is 14 times higher than that observed when using CdS alone and nearly 2 times higher than that of Pt/CdS. We also established that the metallicity of NiCS3 results in good carrier conductivity, which promotes the electron transfer and the separation of photo-induced carriers. Due to the appropriate adsorption energy ΔGH*, NiCS3 more readily adsorbs hydrogen protons and desorbs molecular hydrogen during the photocatalytic process compared with Pt. Additionally, NiCS3 can effectively inhibit the photo-corrosion effect of CdS itself, ensuring a good stability of HER. These results suggest that NiCS3 is a promising substitute for Pt cocatalysts.

Paternal chromosome elimination of inducer triggers induction of double haploids in Brassica napus.

A synthetic octoploid rapeseed, Y3380, induces maternal doubled haploids when used as a pollen donor to pollinate plant. However, the mechanism underlying doubled haploid formation remains elusive. We speculated that double haploid induction occurs as the inducer line's chromosomes pass to the maternal egg cell, and the zygote is formed through fertilization. In the process of zygotic mitosis, the paternal chromosome is specifically eliminated. Part of the paternal gene might have infiltrated the maternal genome through homologous exchange during the elimination process. Then, the zygote haploid genome doubles (early haploid doubling, EH phenomenon), and the doubled zygote continues to develop into a complete embryo, finally forming doubled haploid offspring. To test our hypothesis, in the current study, the octoploid Y3380 line was back bred with the 4122-cp4-EPSPS exogenous gene used as a marker into hexaploid Y3380-cp4-EPSPS as paternal material to pollinate three different maternal materials. The fertilization process of crossing between the inducer line and the maternal parent was observed 48 h after pollination, and the fertilization rate reached 97.92% and 98.72%. After 12 d of pollination, the presence of cp4-EPSPS in the embryo was detected by in situ PCR, and at 13-23 d after pollination, the probability of F1 embryos containing cp4-EPSPS gene was up to 97.27%, but then declined gradually to 0% at 23-33 d. At the same time, the expression of cp4-EPSPS was observed by immunofluorescence in the 3rd to 29th day embryo. As the embryos developed, cp4-EPSPS marker genes were constantly lost, accompanied by embryonic death. After 30 d, the presence of cp4-EPSPS was not detected in surviving embryos. Meanwhile, SNP detection of induced offspring confirmed the existence of double haploids, further indicating that the induction process was caused by the loss of specificity of the paternal chromosome. The tetraploid-induced offspring showed infiltration of the induced line gene loci, with heterozygosity and homozygosity. Results indicated that the induced line chromosomes were eliminated during embryonic development, and the maternal haploid chromosomes were synchronously doubled in the embryo. These findings support our hypothesis and lay a theoretical foundation for further localization or cloning of functional genes involved in double haploid induction in rapeseed.

Adjuvant Radiotherapy Is Not Necessary for Stage III Mucinous Rectal Cancer: Evidence Based on Long Survival Analysis from SEER Data.

BACKGROUND: Although rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma (RMC) is less sensitive to radiotherapy, adjuvant radiotherapy is still recommended for RMC patients. This study aimed to explore whether adjuvant radiotherapy is necessary for stage III RMC. METHODS: Data of patients with stage III RMC were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's SEER database (2004-2015). The survival rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess the impact of clinicopathological parameters on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). RESULTS: RMC has a worse T and N stage at diagnosis than rectal adenomatous carcinoma (RAC) (all p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that histopathological type MC was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS (HR 1.27; 95%CI 1.14-1.41; p < 0.001) and CSS (HR 1.34; 95%CI 1.18-1.51; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis based on different treatment regimens showed no significant difference between chemotherapy group and chemotherapy plus radiotherapy group. After the propensity score matching, no significant difference was also found in OS and CSS between chemotherapy group and chemotherapy plus radiotherapy group. CONCLUSIONS: RMC is an independent poor prognostic factor for OS and CSS. Adjuvant radiotherapy for RMC was not beneficial in improving survival outcomes.

Roles of salt­inducible kinases in cancer (Review).

Salt inducible kinases (SIKs) with three subtypes SIK1, SIK2 and SIK3, belong to the AMP­activated protein kinase family. They are expressed ubiquitously in humans. Under normal circumstances, SIK1 regulates adrenocortical function in response to high salt or adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation, SIK2 is involved in cell metabolism, controlling insulin signaling and gluconeogenesis and SIK3 coordinates with the mTOR complex, promoting cancer. The dysregulation of SIKs has been widely detected in various types of cancers. Based on most of the existing studies, SIK1 is mostly considered a tumor inhibitor, SIK2 and SIK3 are usually associated with tumor promotion. However, the functions of SIKs have shown contradictory in certain tumors, suggesting that SIKs cannot be simply classified as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. The present review provided a comprehensive summary of the roles of SIKs in the initiation and progression of different cancers, aiming to elucidate their clinical value and discuss potential strategies for targeting SIKs in cancer therapy.

Shortest path core-selection incentive for federated learning platform with medical applications.

As the main technology to solve data islands and mine data value, federated learning has been widely researched and applied, and more and more federated learning platforms are emerging. The federated learning platform organizes users, devices and data to collaborate in a crowdsourcing manner and complete specific federated learning tasks. This paper designs the shortest path core-selection incentive mechanism by combining the VCG auction mechanism and the core concept of cooperative games. This mechanism solves the problems of overpayment, false-name attack, and deviation from the core of the VCG mechanism, and saves the expenditure of the federated learning task issuer. It adopts the VCG-nearest principle in the core selection, so that the federated learning task participants get rewards as close as possible to the outcome of VCG mechanism. This mechanism can guarantee four economic attributes: incentive compatibility, individual rationality, alliance rationality, and maximization of social efficiency. Medical experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the mechanism.

Optimization of combustion organization scheme for pre-combustion chamber of pre-cooled engine.

Pre-cooled engines, in which the incoming air is cooled by a pre-cooler before it enters the subsequent components for operation, are one of the important developments in combined power solutions. Therefore, how to optimize the gas temperature uniformity of the high temperature gas stream at the outlet of the pre-combustion chamber to achieve higher efficiency of the pre-cooled engine will be the main research content. In this paper, grid partitioning was performed on the pre combustion chamber model, and the k-omega model and EDC model were used to simulate the internal flow field of the pre combustion chamber. And verify the correctness of the simulation through engine hot testing. Explored the changing trends of the internal velocity and temperature fields of the engine under different secondary injection structures. The larger the secondary injection flow rate, the more obvious the obstruction to high-temperature gas, and the better the uniformity of gas temperature. However, in experiments, the secondary injection components often cannot withstand a large flow rate ratio. Ultimately, the gas temperature uniformity is best when the secondary injection flow rate ratio is 65%. Circumferential deflection will cause the gas to spin, and the spinning process will make the gas temperature at the same radius more uniform. However, due to the decrease in radial velocity, the obstruction effect on the overall high-temperature gas is weakened. When the gas is deflected towards the head by 30°, the velocity of the incoming gas and the velocity of the secondary injection gas are combined and perpendicular to the axis. At this time, the gas temperature uniformity is the best.

Genomic Scan for Runs of Homozygosity and Selective Signature Analysis to Identify Candidate Genes in Large White Pigs.

Large White pigs are extensively utilized in China for their remarkable characteristics of rapid growth and the high proportion of lean meat. The economic traits of pigs, comprising reproductive and meat quality traits, play a vital role in swine production. In this study, 2295 individuals, representing three different genetic backgrounds Large White pig populations were used: 500 from the Canadian line, 295 from the Danish line, and 1500 from the American line. The GeneSeek 50K GGP porcine HD array was employed to genotype the three pig populations. Firstly, genomic selective signature regions were identified using the pairwise fixation index (FST) and locus-specific branch length (LSBL). By applying a top 1% threshold for both parameters, a total of 888 candidate selective windows were identified, harbouring 1571 genes. Secondly, the investigation of regions of homozygosity (ROH) was performed utilizing the PLINK software. In total, 25 genomic regions exhibiting a high frequency of ROHs were detected, leading to the identification of 1216 genes. Finally, the identified potential functional genes from candidate genomic regions were annotated, and several important candidate genes associated with reproductive traits (ADCYAP1, U2, U6, CETN1, Thoc1, Usp14, GREB1L, FGF12) and meat quality traits (MiR-133, PLEKHO1, LPIN2, SHANK2, FLVCR1, MYL4, SFRP1, miR-486, MYH3, STYX) were identified. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the genetic basis of economic traits in Large White pigs and may have potential use in future pig breeding programs.

Interaction of total dissolved gas supersaturation and suspended sediment on swimming performance of bighead carp (Hypopthalmichthys nobilis).

When dams discharge floodwaters, the river downstream often becomes supersaturated in total dissolved gases (TDG) and contains high volumes of suspended sediments (SS). Supersaturated TDG and high SS concentrations in water may affect fish physiologically in ways that manifest in swimming performance. Despite increasing awareness of the separate effects of TDG supersaturation and SS, knowledge about their synergistic effects remains unknown. To explore the interactive effects of TDG and SS on the swimming performance of bighead carp, the juveniles were exposed to 100, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, and 140% of TDG-supersaturated water with SS concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg/L, respectively, and the critical swimming ability speed (Ucrit ) and burst swimming ability speed (Uburst ) were measured. The results indicated that the swimming ability (Ucrit and Uburst ) decreased when TDG levels and SS concentrations increased. TDG and SS did not interact significantly to decrease both Ucrit and Uburst . In contrast, exposure to TDG alone significantly decreased both Ucrit and Uburst , whereas exposure to SS alone decreased only Uburst . In addition, our results suggested that there was a negative linear relationship between TDG and fatigue time. Swimming ability can decline significantly due to high TDG levels (>130%). Therefore, high TDG levels (>130%) should be restricted during reservoir operation to prevent the stress caused by TDG.

Robbsia betulipollinis sp. nov., Isolated from Pollen of Birch (Betula pendula).

One gram-negative strain designated Bb-Pol-6 T was isolated from birch (Betula pendula) pollen at Giessen area, Germany. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenies indicated the next-relative genera were Robbsia, Chitinasiproducens, Pararobbsia and Paraburkholderia (96-95.6%). Further comparative genome analysis and phylogenetic tree-based methods revealed its phylogenetic position under the genus Robbsia. The genome of strain Bb-Pol-6 T was 5.04 Mbp with 4401 predicted coding sequences and a G + C content of 65.31 mol%. Average amino acid identity, average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization and percentage of conserved proteins values to Robbsia andropogonis DSM 9511 T were 68.0, 72.5, 22.7 and 65.85%, respectively. Strain Bb-Pol-6 T was rod-shaped, non-motile, facultative anaerobic and grew optimally at 28 °C and pH 6-7. Ubiquinone 8 was the major respiratory quinone and the major cellular fatty acids were C16:0, C19:0 cyclo ω7c, C17:0 cyclo ω7c and C17:1 ω6c. The dominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified aminophospholipid. Based on the genomic physiological and phenotypic characteristics, strain Bb-Pol-6 T was considered a novel species under the genus Robbsia, for which the name Robbsia betulipollinis sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain is Bb-Pol-6 T (= LMG 32774 T = DSM 114812 T).

Pregnancy feasibility in women with mild pulmonary arterial hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pregnancy feasibility of women with mild pulmonary hypertension according to pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the differences in maternal and fetal outcomes between mild and moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension. Relevant English and Chinese literature were searched in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (COCHRANE), CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP databases between January 1st, 1990 and April 18th, 2023, and the references of the included articles and relevant systematic reviews were reviewed to determine whether studies were missed. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled and observational studies (including case-control studies and cohort studies) examining maternal and fetal pregnancy outcomes with pulmonary hypertension. Conference abstracts, case reports, case series reports, non-comparative studies, and review articles were excluded. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 32 studies. In this study, maternal and fetal outcomes were better in the mild pulmonary hypertension group than in the moderate-to-severe group. Regarding maternal mortality, the mild group was much lower than the moderate to severe group. We found a significant decrease in maternal mortality in the mild group after 2010. However, no significant difference in maternal mortality before and after 2010 was observed in the moderate to severe group. Cardiac complications, ICU admission, neonatal preterm birth, small for gestational age infants, low birth weight infants, neonatal asphyxia, and neonatal mortality were significantly lower in the mild pulmonary hypertension group than in the moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension group. The cesarean section rates of the two groups were similar. However, the vaginal delivery rate in the mild pulmonary hypertension group was significantly higher than that in the moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension group. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis confirmed that pregnancies with mild pulmonary hypertension had significantly better maternal and fetal outcomes than those with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension. For patients with mild pulmonary hypertension and good cardiac function, continued pregnancy or even delivery should be considered under multidisciplinary monitoring. However, maternal and fetal complications with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension significantly increase. Hence, it is essential to evaluate pregnancy risk and terminate it in time.