Expressed genes and their new alleles identification during fibre elongation reveal the genetic factors underlying improvements of fibre length in cotton.

Interspecific breeding in cotton takes advantage of genetic recombination among desirable genes from different parental lines. However, the expression new alleles (ENAs) from crossovers within genic regions and their significance in fibre length (FL) improvement are currently not understood. Here, we generated resequencing genomes of 191 interspecific backcross inbred lines derived from CRI36 (Gossypium hirsutum) × Hai7124 (Gossypium barbadense) and 277 dynamic fibre transcriptomes to identify the ENAs and extremely expressed genes (eGenes) potentially influencing FL, and uncovered the dynamic regulatory network of fibre elongation.

Efficient Preconstruction of Three-Dimensional Graphene Networks for Thermally Conductive Polymer Composites.

Electronic devices generate heat during operation and require efficient thermal management to extend the lifetime and prevent performance degradation. Featured by its exceptional thermal conductivity, graphene is an ideal functional filler for fabricating thermally conductive polymer composites to provide efficient thermal management. Extensive studies have been focusing on constructing graphene networks in polymer composites to achieve high thermal conductivities.

Highly selective generation of singlet oxygen from dioxygen with atomically dispersed catalysts.

Singlet oxygen (O) as an excited electronic state of O plays a significant role in ubiquitous oxidative processes from enzymatic oxidative metabolism to industrial catalytic oxidation. Generally, O can be produced through thermal reactions or the photosensitization process; however, highly selective generation of O from O without photosensitization has never been reported. Here, we find that single-atom catalysts (SACs) with atomically dispersed MN sites on hollow N-doped carbon (M/HNC SACs, M = Fe, Co, Cu, Ni) can selectively activate O into O without photosensitization, of which the Fe/HNC SAC shows an ultrahigh single-site kinetic value of 3.

Glucose-sensing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus regulate glucose metabolism.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) regulates energy homeostasis via activation of the GLP-1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) in the central nervous system. However, the mechanism by which the central GLP-1 signal controls blood glucose levels, especially in different nutrient states, remains unclear. Here, we defined a population of glucose-sensing GLP-1R neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), by which endogenous GLP-1 decreases glucose levels via the cross-talk between the hypothalamus and pancreas.

Depressive Symptoms as Mediator on the Link between Physical Activity and Cognitive Function: Longitudinal Evidence from Older Adults in China.

Objectives: This study examines the extent to which depressive symptoms mediate the link between physical activity and cognitive function among older adults in China.

Methods: This study utilizes the 2013-18 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) dataset, of which 3,658 subjects over the age of 50 satisfied inclusion criteria. Degree of physical activity, prevalence of depressive symptoms, and performance in cognitive function are measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) instruments.

Genome-wide identification and expression profile of gene family in .

Background: Cotton is the primary source of renewable natural fiber in the textile industry and an important biodiesel crop. Growth regulating factors () are involved in regulating plant growth and development.

Methods: Using genome-wide analysis, we identified 35 genes in .

Causes of Death after Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Mortality from noncancer causes in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear. This study assesses the causes and risks of noncancer death with each follow-up time period after PCa diagnosis.

Methods: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program were analyzed for noncancer causes of death in PCa patients from 2000 to 2016.

β-Lactamase-Responsive Probe for Efficient Photodynamic Therapy of Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infection.

Several photosensitizers have recently been proposed as novel approaches against β-lactamase-producing drug-resistant bacteria. However, these reported photosensitizers are rarely used for accurate recognition of drug-resistant bacteria. To tackle this challenge, the structurally modified photosensitizer CySG-2 based on a lipophilic cationic heptamethine indocyanine near-infrared (NIR) dye (IR-780) and an important synthesis intermediate of cephalosporin antibiotic (GCLE) not only achieved the accurate recognition of TEM-1 methicillin-resistant (MRSA) successfully but also achieved antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in animal models infected by drug-resistant bacteria.

Reactive Oxygen Species─Responsive Lipid Nanoparticles for Effective RNAi and Corneal Neovascularization Therapy.

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is a common disease that affects the vision ability of more than 1 million people annually. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery nanoparticle platforms are a promising therapeutic modality for CNV treatment. However, the efficient delivery of siRNA into cells and the effective release of siRNA from delivery vehicles in a particular cell type challenge effective RNAi clinical application for CNV suppression.

Balanced-ternary-inspired reconfigurable vortex beams using cascaded metasurfaces.

Electromagnetic vortex carries the orbital angular momentum, one of the most fundamental properties of waves. The order of such vortex can be unbounded in principle, thus facilitating high-capability wave technologies for optical communications, photonic integrated circuits and others. However, it remains a key challenge to generate the high-order vortex beams in a reconfigurable, broadband and cost-effective manner.

CircSCAP interacts with SF3A3 to inhibit the malignance of non-small cell lung cancer by activating p53 signaling.

Background: Circular RNA (circRNA) has been recently identified as a critical regulator during carcinogenesis. However, the biological function and potential underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in lung cancer remain to be further elucidated.

Methods: Here, we first evaluated the differentially expressed circRNAs between tumor and the matched adjacent nontumor tissues (3 pairs) of lung cancer patients via circRNA microarray.

Difference responses of soil fungal communities to cattle and chicken manure composting application.

Aims: Cattle and poultry manure composting are often applied on agricultural lands but the fungal community composition before and after application in soils is still unclear. This study describes soil fungal diversity after manure applications contribute to the correct resource use of livestock and poultry manures.

Methods And Results: Fresh manure samples were obtained from 10 beef cow farms and 12 egg-laying poultry farms at five distinct phases of rearing.

Light Field Intensification in Optical Films Induced by Intercoupling of Defects and Organic Contamination.

Based on the finite-difference time-domain method, light field intensification in optical films due to the intercoupling of defects and organic contamination was analyzed. The results show that the intercoupling between the defect and the organic contamination droplet leads to an increase in the local electric field and the coupling effect enhances with the decreasing distance between the defect and the organic contamination droplet and the increasing diameter of the organic contamination droplet. The coupling effect of the defect and the organic contamination layer depends on not only the thickness of the organic contamination layer but also the refractive index of the organic contamination layer.

Examining the Link Between Physical Activity and Cognitive Function: A Parallel Mediation Model of Health and Wellbeing Among Adolescents.

Background: Adolescents' engagement in daily physical activity brings multiple benefits, including reduction in obesity, improvement of mental health, and enhancement of cognitive function (CF). While prior studies have examined the link between physical activity and cognitive function, little is known regarding the extent to which this relationship is shaped by health and wellbeing factors. This study examines how subjective wellbeing (SWB) and general health (GH) mediate the relationship between adolescents' physical activity and cognitive function.

Recent Trends in the Incidence of Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma and Survival Outcomes: A SEER Analysis.

Background: Clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) is considered a relatively rare tumor with a glycogen-rich phenotype. The prognosis of CCA patients is unclear. In this study, recent trends in the epidemiological and prognostic factors of CCA were comprehensively investigated.

Chronic Monocular Deprivation Reveals MMP9-Dependent and -Independent Aspects of Murine Visual System Plasticity.

The deletion of matrix metalloproteinase MMP9 is combined here with chronic monocular deprivation (cMD) to identify the contributions of this proteinase to plasticity in the visual system. Calcium imaging of supragranular neurons of the binocular region of primary visual cortex (V1b) of wild-type mice revealed that cMD initiated at eye opening significantly decreased the strength of deprived-eye visual responses to all stimulus contrasts and spatial frequencies. cMD did not change the selectivity of V1b neurons for the spatial frequency, but orientation selectivity was higher in low spatial frequency-tuned neurons, and orientation and direction selectivity were lower in high spatial frequency-tuned neurons.

Self-limiting nitrogen/hydrogen plasma radical chemistry in plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of cobalt.

Cobalt (Co) is a potential candidate in replacing copper for interconnects and has been applied in trenches in the semiconductor industry for over twenty years. A non-oxidizing reactant is required in the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) of thin films of metals to avoid O-contamination. PE-ALD of Co has been demonstrated experimentally with plasma sources of NH or a mixture of N and H, but the growth mechanism and key reactions are not clear.

Regulated bioanalysis of liposomal amphotericin B to support pharmacokinetic studies of liposomal drugs.

Because of the delicate nature of liposomes, bioanalysis of free and liposomal-encapsulated drugs is among the most challenging assays to perform. Current regulatory guidance for bioanalysis is not sufficient to address the complexity of this particular formulation. Three individual LC-MS/MS methods to quantify free amphotericin B (10-3000 ng/ml) and encapsulated amphotericin B (100-50,000 ng/ml) in pretreated human plasma and total amphotericin B (100-50,000 ng/ml) in human plasma were fully validated and applied to a bioequivalence study.

Integration of Palladium Nanoparticles with Surface Engineered Metal-Organic Frameworks for Cell-Selective Bioorthogonal Catalysis and Protein Activity Regulation.

Bioorthogonal catalysis provides a powerful tool to perform non-natural chemical reactions in living systems to dissect complex intracellular processes. Its potency to precisely regulate cellular function, however, is limited by the lack of bioorthogonal catalysts with cell selectivity. Herein, we report that palladium nanoparticles deposited on metal-organic frameworks, Pd@UiO-66, are highly efficient for intracellular bioorthogonal catalysis.

Cataract Surgery in Malignant Glaucoma from Complete Subluxation of Lens into Anterior Chamber.

Aim And Objective: To report an unusual and difficult case of malignant glaucoma induced by a traumatic mature cataract that had migrated into the anterior chamber in a developmentally delayed patient.

Background: Malignant glaucoma can present due to multiple mechanisms, including trauma-induced cataract migration into the anterior chamber.

Case Description: A developmentally delayed female in her 40s with a history of self-abuse was found to have malignant glaucoma in the setting of a traumatic cataract that had migrated in front of the iris into the anterior chamber.

Improving Adversarial Robustness via Attention and Adversarial Logit Pairing.

Though deep neural networks have achieved the state of the art performance in visual classification, recent studies have shown that they are all vulnerable to the attack of adversarial examples. In this paper, we develop improved techniques for defending against adversarial examples. First, we propose an enhanced defense technique denoted , which encourages both attention map and logit for the pairs of examples to be similar.

Migratory pharyngeal foreign bodies and related complications: Analysis of 20 cases.

Purpose: To explore the diagnostic approach and therapeutic method of migratory pharyngeal foreign bodies and related complications, to improve the understanding of such disease and to reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study was performed by collecting patients who were treated because of the related complications caused by migratory pharyngeal foreign bodies from 2012 to 2020.

Results: A total of 20 patients were admitted to hospital due to the related complications.

Financial Risk Prediction and Entrepreneurs' Psychological Status Under Entrepreneurial Psychology.

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the development of national economy. The study aims to accelerate the construction of social and economic structure by improving the success rate of new entrepreneurs in the process of innovation and entrepreneurship. First, the related theories of financial risk prediction are introduced, and entrepreneurial psychological status and the psychological states on entrepreneurship are analyzed.

Risk assessment of venous thromboembolism and bleeding in COVID-19 patients.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly recognized illness that has spread rapidly all over the world. More and more reports highlight the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in COVID-19. Our study aims to identify in-hospital VTE risk and bleeding risk in COVID-19 patients.

ChIP-seq assay revealed histone modification H3K9ac involved in heat shock response of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

Heat stress poses an increasing threat for the marine invertebrate Apostichopus japonicus. Histone lysine acetylation is a central chromatin modification for epigenetic regulation of gene expression during stress response. In this study, a genome-wide characterization for acetylated lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9ac) binding regions in normal temperature (18 °C) and heat-stress conditions (26 °C) via ChIP-seq were carried out.