Abstract Background Drought stress has significantly hampered agricultural productivity worldwide and can also result in modifications to DNA methylation levels. However, the dynamics of DNA methylation and its association with the changes in gene transcription and alternative splicing (AS) under drought stress are unknown in linseed, which is frequently cultivated in arid and semiarid regions. Results We analysed AS events and DNA methylation patterns in drought-tolerant (Z141) and drought-sensitive (NY-17) linseed under drought stress (DS) and repeated drought stress (RD) treatments. We found that the number of intron-retention (IR) and alternative 3’ splice site (Alt3’SS) events were significantly higher in Z141 and NY-17 under drought stress. We found that the linseed response to the DS treatment was mainly regulated by transcription, while the response to the RD treatment was coregulated by transcription and AS. Whole genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed that drought stress caused an increase in the overall methylation level of linseed. Although we did not observe any correlation between differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially spliced genes (DSGs) in this study, we found that the DSGs whose gene body region was hypermethylated in Z141 and hypomethylated in NY-17 were enriched in abiotic stress response Gene Ontology (GO) terms. This finding implies that gene body methylation plays an important role in AS regulation in some specific genes. Conclusion Our study is the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the relationship between linseed methylation changes and AS under drought and repeated drought stress. Our study revealed different interaction patterns between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and DSGs under DS and RD treatments and differences between methylation and AS regulation in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive linseed varieties. The findings will probably be of interest in the future. Our results provide interesting insights into the association between gene expression, AS, and DNA methylation in linseed under drought stress. Differences in these associations may account for the differences in linseed drought tolerance.

RESUMEN La contaminación por neblina, caracterizada principalmente por la baja visibilidad, es uno de los principales problemas ambientales a los que se enfrenta China en la actualidad. El pronóstico exacto de la neblina es útil para la aplicación de medidas preventivas orientadas a controlar emisiones de contaminantes atmosféricos y aliviar la contaminación por neblina. Sin embargo, no es fácil predecir con precisión los acontecimientos de baja visibilidad causados por neblina, lo cual requiere no sólo un pronóstico riguroso de los factores meteorológicos, sino también una actualización detallada y en tiempo real de los inventarios de emisiones de las fuentes. Con el fin de obtener una herramienta de predicción fiable, se estudian varios métodos populares de aprendizaje automático, como la máquina vectorial de apoyo (SVM, por su sigla en inglés), el k-vecino más próximo, el bosque aleatorio y varios métodos de aprendizaje profundo. A partir de los principales factores que influyen en la visibilidad, se analizan las relaciones entre velocidad y dirección del viento, temperatura, humedad y visibilidad. El método de aprendizaje automático se utiliza para entrenamiento y pronóstico. La precisión de estos métodos para pronosticar la visibilidad se verifica mediante varios parámetros (error de raíz cuadrada media, error absoluto medio y error porcentual absoluto medio). Los resultados muestran que: 1) entre todos los parámetros meteorológicos, la velocidad del viento puede reflejar mejor la variación de la visibilidad; 2) el rendimiento de las redes neuronales recurrentes de memoria a largo-corto plazo (LSTM RNN) y el método de unidades recurrentes cerradas (GRU) en la predicción de visibilidad a corto plazo (es decir, 1, 3 y 6 h) es casi igual; 3) el método clásico de aprendizaje automático (SVM) funciona bien para el pronóstico de visibilidad a medio y largo plazo, y 4) el método de aprendizaje automático también tiene cierto grado de precisión en el pronóstico, incluso en un periodo de tiempo más largo (p. ej., 72 h).

ABSTRACT Haze pollution, mainly characterized by low visibility, is one of the main environmental problems currently faced by China. Accurate haze forecasts facilitate the implementation of preventive measures to control the emission of air pollutants and thereby mitigate haze pollution. However, it is not easy to accurately predict low visibility events induced by haze, which requires not only accurate prediction for weather elements, but also refined and real-time updated source emission inventory. In order to obtain reliable forecasting tools, this paper studies the usability of several popular machine learning methods, such as support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor, and random forest, as well as several deep learning methods, on visibility forecasting. Starting from the main factors related to visibility, the relationships between wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, and visibility are discussed. Training and forecasting were performed using the machine learning methods. The accuracy of these methods in visibility forecasting was confirmed through several parameters (i.e., root-mean-square error, mean absolute error, and mean absolute percentage error). The results show that: (1) among all meteorological parameters, wind speed was the best at reflecting the visibility change patterns; (2) long short-term memory recurrent neural networks (LSTM RNN), and gated recurrent unit (GRU) methods perform almost equally well on short-term visibility forecasts (i.e., 1, 3, and 6 h); (3) a classical machine learning method (i.e., the SVM) performs well in mid- and long-term visibility forecasts; (4) machine learning methods also have a certain degree of forecast accuracy even for long time periods (e.g., 7 2h).

Abstract In order to improve separating aromatic/aliphatic group in adhesives or solvents of food packaging materials by pervaporation, an across linked graphene oxide (GO) framework were incorporated into waterborne polyurethane (WPU) membrane. The improved benzene solubility and expanded interlayer pathway of modified membrane have been gained based on three different reduced graphene oxide. Compared to P-phenylenediamine (PPD) and ethane-diamine (EDA) reducing agents, O-phenylenediamine (OPD) showed a relatively mild reducing ability and allowed GO to form a layer-to-layer lamella in the WPU matrix easily. When the dose of GO-OPD was 0.03%, the flux of GO-OPD/WPU membrane was 1.58 times of neat WPU or GO/WPU membranes, while the separation factor was slightly improved. The GO-OPD /WPU membrane also maintained good stability in the continuous pervaporation process of 2700 min.

Abstract Background and objectives: Nerve block or neurolysis is an important approach in the treatment of spastic equinovarus foot. To illustrate the accurate location of the nerve branch to the tibialis posterior muscle (TP) in clinical practice, 21 adult cadavers were dissected and 14 complete both lower limb specimens were obtained. A total of 28 lower limbs were included. Methods: We measured the length of the motor branch nerve (LM) of the tibialis posterior muscle, the length of the fibula (LF), the vertical distance (D1) from the midpoint of LM to the fibula tip as well as the horizontal distance (D2) from the midpoint of LM to the inner edge of the fibula. Results: The LM was higher (35.74 ± 7.28 mm) in male than in female (30.40 ± 6.88 mm) specimens but there was no significant correlation between LM and gender (> 0.05). Additionally, among male specimens, the LM on the right side was longer than that on the left (p ≤ 0.05) while among female specimens, the D1 on the left side was longer than that on the right (p ≤ 0.05). The LF in male specimen was significantly longer than that in female (p ≤ 0.05). The midpoint of the nerve to the motor branch of the tibialis posterior muscle was about 50 mm distal to the fibular head and 10 mm at the inner edge of the fibula. Conclusion: Using this coordinate, the midpoint of the nerve branch to the TP could be accurately located.

Abstract To investigate the effect of DNMT3A in vascular calcification (VC) induced by high phosphorus. The arterial tissues of 12 patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and VC and 12 patients with ESRD without VC were collected. Rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were divided into control group, high phosphorus (P) group, P + DMSO group, p-ERK1/2 inhibitor group, DNMT3A group and DNMT3A + P group and P + shRNA-DNMT3A group. Vascular calcification was evaluated by von kossa staining. Cell calcification was evaluated by alizarin red staining. The calcium content was assessed by calcium determination kit. The levels of DNMT3A, Runx2, LC3 and p-ERK1/2 were significantly up-regulated in CKD patients with VC in comparison with those in CKD patients without VC(p<0.05). Moreover, the levels of SM22α and P62 were notably decreased in CKD patients with VC in comparison with those in CKD patients without VC(p<0.05). Similar changes were observed in VSMCs induced by high phosphorus. Knock down of DNMT3A in VSMCs inhibited phenotypic transformation and induced autophagy, then reduced calcification(p<0.05). Moreover, p-ERK1/2 level was downregulated by knock down of DNMT3A in comparison with the control group(p<0.05). In conclusion, DNMT3A regulated high phosphorus induced vascular medial calcification via ERK1/2 signaling.

Abstract To investigate the function and mechanism of GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) in osteoblast and osteoclast in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SINFH). Clinical specimens were collected from 40 cases of SINFH patients and 40 cases of control patients. Then, SINFH mouse model was built. Immediately, osteoblasts and osteoclasts were induced and differented from the pre-osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1 and the mononuclear macrophage cell line RAW264.7 of mice, respectively. The qRT-PCR assay was used for detecting the expressions of GINS2, p53 and growth arrest and DNA damage 45A (GADD45A). The cytoactive, proliferation and apoptosis of osteoblasts and osteoclasts of SINFH mice were measured by tartaric acid phosphatase staining, CCK-8 and Annexin V-FITC/PI dual staining, respectively. GINS2 was up-regulated while p53/GADD45A was down-regulated in femoral tissues in SINFH patients and mice. GINS2 was down-regulated while p53 and GADD45A were up-regulated in osteoblasts of SINFH mice, which presented opposite trends in osteoclasts formations. GINS2 decreased osteoblasts activities and increased osteoclasts activities, inhibited apoptosis and promoted proliferation in osteoblasts and osteoclasts via p53/GADD45A pathway. GINS2 affects activity/differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation of osteoblast and osteoclast in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head by regulating p53/GADD45A signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT To accurately measure sowing depth, we designed a multisensor data fusion algorithm based on the Kalman filter and applied it to a dual-channel ultrasonic sowing depth measurement system. We installed two ultrasonic sensors on the frame above the depth limit wheel and the soil covering-compacting wheel. The terrain-like plate was installed on the central axis of the depth limit wheel to simulate the surface relief and calculate the seeding depth value. The Kalman filter algorithm filters out the clutter generated when the two ultrasonic sensors collect the depth data and then fuses the two ultrasounds of the filtered data. The test shows that when the vehicle speed is 4 km/h , the fluctuation ranges of the collected data of ultrasonic 1 and 2 are 45-60 mm and 35-70 mm , respectively, and the fluctuation ranges of the filtered data are 52-58 mm and 48-60 mm , respectively. After data fusion processing, the data fluctuate in a small range of approximately 55 mm . When the vehicle speed is 6 km/h and 8 km/h, the obtained results have the same trend as the experimental results at 4 km/h . The results show that the sowing depth measurement system is effective.

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the resistance mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium. We retrospectively analyzed the drug resistance of P.a isolated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. Drug-resistant P.a strains were constructed, then wild-type (WT) and drug-resistant (DR) strains were compared using protein and gene microarrays to determine differences between DR and WT strains. The resistance rates of P. aeruginosa during 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 21.2%, 21.4%, and 24.6% respectively. Among 242 protein peaks of WT and DR bacteriophage proteins, 41 were differentially expressed between the two groups. The expression of 26 and 15 proteins were respectively upregulated and downregulated in the DR compared with the WT group. Gene microarray results revealed 679 mutant loci in the DR group, of which 42 with the top 50 Q values were found in the NCBI database. The rate of P.a resistance to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium remained high between 2013 and 2015. The numbers of different proteins and genetic variations in the DR strains suggested that the resistance mechanism of P.a to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium involves multiple genes and proteins that might be key to controlling P.a resistance to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium.

Abstract Background: Leaves of the natural plant lotus are used in traditional Chinese medicine and tea production. They are rich in flavonoids. Methods: In this study, lotus leaf flavonoids (LLF) were applied to human lung cancer A549 cells and human small cell lung cancer cells H446 in vitro to verify the effect of LLF on apoptosis in these cells through the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway. Results: LLF had no toxic effect on normal cells at concentrations up to 500 μg/mL, but could significantly inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells and H446 cells. Flow cytometry showed that LLF could induce growth in A549 cells. We also found that LLF could increase ROS and MDA levels, and decrease SOD activity in A549 cells. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and western blot analyses showed that LLF could upregulate the expression of p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), caspase-3, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 and Bax and downregulate the expression of Cu/Zn SOD, CAT, Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and Bcl-2 in A549 cells. Results of HPLC showed that LLF mainly contain five active substances: kaemp-feritrin, hyperoside, astragalin, phloridzin, and quercetin. The apoptosis-inducing effect of LLF on A549 cells came from these naturally active compounds. Conclusions: We have shown in this study that LLF is a bioactive substance that can induce apoptosis in A549 cells in vitro, and merits further research and development.

RESUMEN Para evaluar la calidad de yacimiento en areniscas compactas es importante determinar las características de las gargantas de poros, entre ellas las clases de espacio presentes y la distribución de los tamaños de poros. En este trabajo se comparan e integran los resultados de varios métodos de prueba, entre ellos el microscopio electrónico de barrido (SEM), porosimetría de presión controlada (PCP), y porosimetría de velocidad controlada (RCP), para caracterizar la distribución de los tamaños de poros y los efectos de la diagénesis en las areniscas compactas de la cuenca Ordos, en China. Los resultados muestran que los espacios de yacimiento en areniscas compactas se pueden clasificar de acuerdo con tres tipos de origen (compactación, disolución y arcilloso) y que los tamaños y formas del espacio de poros difiere de acuerdo con el origen. De acuerdo con la información obtenida por la porosimetría con inyección de mercurio y la sobreestimación de los radios de poros por la porosimetría de presión controlada, se puede determinar el rango completo de la distribución del tamaño de poros en areniscas compactas al combinar la información del método PCP con la información corregida del método RCP. El radio de la garganta de poro en areniscas compactas varía de 36 nm a 200 µm; la curva de distribución se caracteriza por tres picos. El pico de la derecha permanece similar a lo largo de todas las muestras y corresponde a los poros intergranulares residuales y a los poros de disolución. El pico central y el de la izquierda muestran la variación entre las muestras debido a la heterogeneidad y la complejidad de los cuerpos de garganta a nano-escala. El promedio del contenido poroso a micro-escala es de 33.49 %, y las gargantas a nano-escala ascienden al 66.54 %. Esto significa que los espacios de gargantas a nano-escala dominan el espacio del yacimiento en areniscas compactas. La compactación, disolución, cementacion de carbonato y cementación arcillosa tienen varios efectos en las gargantas de poros. La compactación y la cementación de carbonato decrecen el contenido del cuerpo del poro. El puente arcilloso de poros reduce el contenido del espacio de las gargantas. Mientras que la cementación arcillosa de revestimiento de poros preserva el espacio entre los poros.

ABSTRACT Determining the characteristics of pore-throat structures, including the space types present and the pore size distribution, is important for the evaluation of reservoir quality in tight sandstones. In this study, the results of various testing methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pressure-controlled porosimetry (PCP) and rate-controlled porosimetry (RCP), were compared and integrated to characterize the pore size distribution and the effects of diagenesis upon it in tight sandstones from the Ordos Basin, China. The results showed that reservoir spaces in tight sandstones can be classified into those with three types of origins (compaction, dissolution, and clay-related) and that the sizes and shapes of pore space differ depending on origin. Considering the data obtained by mercury injection porosimetry and the overestimation of pore radii by pressure-controlled porosimetry, the full-range pore size distribution of tight sandstones can be determined by combining data from PCP with corrected RCP data. The pore-throat radii in tight sandstone vary from 36 nm to 200 µm, and the distribution curve is characterized by three peaks. The right peak remains similar across the sample set and corresponds to residual intergranular pores and dissolution pores. The middle and left peaks show variation between samples due to the heterogeneity and complexity of nano-scale throat bodies. The average micro-scale pore content is 33.49%, and nano-scale throats make up 66.54%. The nano-scale throat spaces thus dominate the reservoir space of the tight sandstones. Compaction, dissolution, carbonate cementation and clay cementation have various effects on pore-throats. Compaction and carbonate cementation decrease the pore body content, pore-bridging clay cementation decreases the throat space content, and Simultaneously, pore-lining clay cementation preserves pore space.

ABSTRACT Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide. Numerous studies have shown its typical and atypical CT findings. We report one COVID-19 patient who presented with a transient pneumothorax, spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP), as well as subcutaneous emphysema during hospitalization. Chest CT andclinical findings were discussed, and a literature review is presented. The probable cause of SP in COVID-19 was alveolar damage. Once pneumothorax and SP were present, the patient should be carefully monitored to prevent respiratory deterioration, especially when lung lesions are severe.

Abstract Background: The role of interleukin family in colon cancer remained controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between interleukin family and colon cancer progression through bioinformatics methods and to validate such association in clinical patients. Methods: A total of 15 differentially expressed interleukins between the colon cancer tissue and normal colon tissue were evaluated from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database with R software and only interleukin-7 (IL-7) was significantly associated with survival. The signaling pathway associated with IL-7 was then investigated using gene enrichment analysis. In addition, subsets of TNM were analyzed in detail and univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis were conducted. Finally, we performed western blotting, immunohistochemistry, cell proliferation and cell apoptosis analysis to examine the expression of IL-7 in patients with intestinal cancer. Results: The study demonstrated that IL-7 could inhibit the progression of colon cancer. In addition, IL-7 was found to be associated with overall survival (OS) and pathological stage. Further analysis of IL-7 expression with clinical data indicated that IL-7 was a key factor in inhibiting colon cancer progression. Conclusion: IL-7 was a key factor in inhibiting the progression of colon cancer and was closely related to overall survival.

Release behaviors of arsenic (As) during pyrolysis of two Chinese coal gangues were studied in this report. The pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a temperature programmed tube furnace under N2 atmosphere with different temperature (200-1200 ºC), residence time (0-50 min), heating rate (10-50 ºC min-1) and N2 gas flow rate (100-500 cm3 min-1). The experiment results, under different pyrolysis conditions, indicate that the release ratio of As increases with increasing temperature, as well as residence time during pyrolysis of coal gangues. Besides that, higher heating rate during pyrolysis of coal gangues can stimulate the As release from coal gangue to some extent. The release ratio of As increases to a maximum and then decreases when the N2 gas flow rate is increased. The results imply that different modes of ocurrence of As exist in two coal gangues. The As release has positive relation with the volatile matter release. As is more easily released than coal gangue matrix during coal gangue pyrolysis.

ABSTRACT: An imaginary part model of soil dielectric constant for predicting the soil salinity status was developed based on a series of relations between dielectric imaginary part and soil bulk conductivity, soil bulk conductivity and soil solution electrical conductivity, and soil solution electrical conductivity and ion contents in soil using pot trials with different soil salinity levels in the 2008 growing season. This model was calibrated and tested with data from the 2009 growing season. The results showed that the inverted values of the total concentration of salt (Sc), Cl−, and Ca2+ at low frequencies (P-band of microwave observations) from the imaginary part model fitted well with the observed values, since root mean square errors (RMSEs) were 0.34 g kg−1, 0.09 g kg−1 and 0.13 g kg−1, respectively, but the inversion effect of Na+ was relatively poor. Moreover, the Sc, Cl−, and Na+ could be well inverted at high frequencies (C-band of microwave observations), since RMSEs were minor, with values of 0.25 g kg−1, 0.02 g kg−1, and 0.15 g kg−1, respectively. The close fit between the observed and inverted values indicated that the present models could be used to estimate soil ion content quickly and reliably under different saline conditions, which, when suitable measures are taken, can be used to reduce the effects of soil salinity on crop growth.