Ages and Hf isotopes of detrital zircons from the Permian strata in the engbatu area(Inner Mongolia) and tectonic implications

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) was built up through protracted accretion and collision of a variety of terranes/micro-continents during Neoproterozoice Mesozoic time. To understand potential links among Paleozoic subduction and accretionary processes that were operative during the development of the southeastern CAOB, we conducted a combined U-Pb and Hf-isotope analysis of detrital zircons from previously defined Devonian, Carboniferous and Early Permian strata in the Bengbatu area,Inner Mongolia. Detrital zircons from(meta-) sandstones in these strata commonly yield major Paleozoic age populations at ca. 300-261 Ma, 351-300 Ma and 517-419 Ma, and also give several Precambrian ages that range from 2687 Ma to 544 Ma. The youngest ages redefine the deposition of all these strata to be in the Middle Permian(Wordiane Capitanian) or later, much younger than previously considered.These ages, coupled with regional magmatic records, support an interpretation of most surrounding areas as possible detritus sources, including the Mongolian arcs to the north, the Northern Accretionary Orogen to the south, and the intervening Erenhote Hegenshan Ophiolite Belt. Zircons with magmatic ages of ca. 500-350 Ma and ca. 300-261 Ma display a large range of εHf(t) values(-13.97 to +15.31),whereas ca. 350-300 Ma zircons are dominated by positive εHf(t) values(+0.14 to +16.00). These results support the occurrence of two significant shifts of the zircon εHf(t) values, which has tectonic implications for the understanding of the Carboniferouse Permian evolution of the southeastern CAOB. A marked shift from mixed to positive zircon εHf(t) values at 350 -330 Ma likely manifests the incipient opening of the Hegenshan Ocean, due to the slab rollback of the subducting Paleo-Asian Oceanic lithosphere. Another shift from positive to mixed zircon εHf(t) values at ca. 300 Ma likely corresponds to a tectonic switch from syn-orogenic subduction-related to post-orogenic extensional setting, genetically related to the tectonic collapse of a formerly overthickened crust.

Protective effects of ferulic acid against ionizing radiation-induced oxidative damage in rat lens through activating Nrf2 signal pathway

AIM: To examine the protection of ferulic acid(FA) against ionizing radiation(IR)-induced lens injury in rats, as well as the underlying mechanisms.METHODS: FA(50 mg/kg) was administered to rats for 4 consecutive days before they were given 10 Gy γ-radiation, as well as for 3 consecutive days afterward. Two weeks after radiation, the eye tissues were collected. Histological alterations were evaluated by hematoxylineosin staining. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was utilized to assess the activities of glutathione reductase(GR) and superoxide dismutase(SOD), as well as the levels of glutathione(GSH) and malondialdehyde(MDA) in the lenses. The protein and m RNA levels of Bcl-2, caspase-3, Bax, heme oxygenase-1(HO-1), and glutamatecysteine ligase catalytic subunit(GCLC) were quantified using Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. With nuclear extracts, the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor(Nrf2) protein expressions in the nuclei were also measured.RESULTS: Rats exposed to IR showed lens histological alterations which could be alleviated by FA. FA treatment reversed apoptosis-related markers in IR-induced lens, as evidenced by lower levels of Bax and caspase-3 and higher level of Bcl-2. Furthermore, IR induced oxidative damage manifested by decreased GSH level, increased MDA level, and decreased SOD and GR activities. FA boosted nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and increased the expressions of HO-1 and GCLC to inhibit oxidative stress, as evidenced by an increase in GSH, a decrease in MDA, and an increase in GR and SOD activities.CONCLUSION: FA may work well in preventing and treating IR-induced cataract through promoting the Nrf2 signal pathway to attenuate oxidative damage and cell apoptosis.

Label-Free Virtual HER2 Immunohistochemical Staining of Breast Tissue using Deep Learning

The immunohistochemical(IHC)staining of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)biomarker is widely practiced in breast tissue analysis,preclinical studies,and diagnostic decisions,guiding cancer treatment and investigation of pathogenesis.HER2 staining demands laborious tissue treatment and chemical processing performed by a histotechnologist,which typically takes one day to prepare in a laboratory,increasing analysis time and associated costs.Here,we describe a deep learning-based virtual HER2 IHC staining method using a conditional generative adversarial network that is trained to rapidly transform autofluorescence microscopic images of unlabeled/label-free breast tissue sections into bright-field equivalent microscopic images,matching the standard HER2 IHC staining that is chemically performed on the same tissue sections.The efficacy of this virtual HER2 staining framework was demonstrated by quantitative analysis,in which three board-certified breast pathologists blindly graded the HER2 scores of virtually stained and immunohistochemically stained HER2 whole slide images(WSIs)to reveal that the HER2 scores determined by inspecting virtual IHC images are as accurate as their immunohistochemically stained counterparts.A second quantitative blinded study performed by the same diagnosticians further revealed that the virtually stained HER2 images exhibit a comparable staining quality in the level of nuclear detail,membrane clearness,and absence of staining artifacts with respect to their immunohistochemically stained counterparts.This virtual HER2 staining framework bypasses the costly,laborious,and time-consuming IHC staining procedures in laboratory and can be extended to other types of biomarkers to accelerate the IHC tissue staining used in life sciences and biomedical workflow.

A novel technique to identify and remove the conjunctival lymphangiectasia using indocyanine green gel

In this case report it describes a novel technique using indocyanine green gel for the surgical excision of conjunctival lymphangiectasia(CL).CL was found on the nasal side of left eye in a 50-year-old male.Surgical excision of the entire cystic lesion with an intact cyst wall was completed with the assistance of an indocyanine green(ICG)gel.No sutures were used throughout the entire procedure.Subsequent post operative follow-up was uneventful.Herein,we report a novel technique used to facilitate the identification and complete removal of an intraocular cystic lesion ensuring an intact cyst wall.

基于郑州局地疫情暴发重大突发公卫事件医疗机构应对“平疫转换”感染防控策略

新型冠状病毒病2019(coronavirus disease 2019,COVID- 19)已成为我国面临的最大突发公共卫生事件。截止2021年8月18日,我国COVID- 19累计报告确诊患者94 546例^([1])。由于COVID- 19传染性强,医疗机构面临的院内感染风险较高,稍有不慎就容易出现聚集性疫情。在早期疫情救治过程中,出现较多医务人员感染并死亡,曾引起广泛关注^([2- 3])。

Mesenchymal stromal cells alleviate acute respiratory distress syndrome through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway

Mesenchymal stromal cells(MSCs)have been considered a promising alternative for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).However,there is significant heterogeneity in their therapeutic efficacy,largely owing to the incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic activities of MSCs.Here,we hypothesize that the cholinergic antiinflammatory pathway(CAP),which is recognized as a neuroimmunological pathway,may be involved in the therapeutic mechanisms by which MSCs mitigate ARDS.Using lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and bacterial lung inflammation models,we found that inflammatory cell infiltration and Evans blue leakage were reduced and that the expression levels of choline acetyltransferase(ChAT)and vesicular acetylcholine transporter(VAChT)in lung tissue were significantly increased 6 hours after MSC infusion.When the vagus nerve was blocked orα7 nicotinic acetylcholine(ACh)receptor(α7nAChR)-knockout mice were used,the therapeutic effects of MSCs were significantly reduced,suggesting that the CAP may play an important role in the effects of MSCs in ARDS treatment.Our results further showed that MSC-derived prostaglandin E2(PGE2)likely promoted ACh synthesis and release.Additionally,based on the efficacy of nAChR andα7nAChR agonists,we found that lobeline,the nicotinic cholinergic receptor excitation stimulant,may attenuate pulmonary inflammation and alleviate respiratory symptoms of ARDS patients in a clinical study(ChiCTR2100047403).In summary,we reveal a previously unrecognized MSC-mediated mechanism of CAP activation as the means by which MSCs alleviate ARDS-like syndrome,providing insight into the clinical translation of MSCs or CAP-related strategies for the treatment of patients with ARDS.

Biopsy-free in vivo virtual histology of skin using deep learning

An invasive biopsy followed by histological staining is the benchmark for pathological diagnosis of skin tumors.The process is cumbersome and time-consuming,often leading to unnecessary biopsies and scars.Emerging noninvasive optical technologies such as reflectance confocal microscopy(RCM)can provide label-free,cellular-level resolution,in vivo images of skin without performing a biopsy.Although RCM is a useful diagnostic tool,it requires specialized training because the acquired images are grayscale,lack nuclear features,and are difficult to correlate with tissue pathology.Here,we present a deep learning-based framework that uses a convolutional neural network to rapidly transform in vivo RCM images of unstained skin into virtually-stained hematoxylin and eosin-like images with microscopic resolution,enabling visualization of the epidermis,dermal-epidermal junction,and superficial dermis layers.The network was trained under an adversarial learning scheme,which takes ex vivo RCM images of excised unstained/label-free tissue as inputs and uses the microscopic images of the same tissue labeled with acetic acid nuclear contrast staining as the ground truth.We show that this trained neural network can be used to rapidly perform virtual histology of in vivo,label-free RCM images of normal skin structure,basal cell carcinoma,and melanocytic nevi with pigmented melanocytes,demonstrating similar histological features to traditional histology from the same excised tissue.This application of deep learning-based virtual staining to noninvasive imaging technologies may permit more rapid diagnoses of malignant skin neoplasms and reduce invasive skin biopsies.

Particle size distribution and characteristics of heavy metals in road-deposited sediments from Beijing Olympic Park

Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, heavy metals in road-deposited sediments（RDSs） of parks are emitted into the terrestrial, atmospheric, and water environment, and have a severe impact on residents＇ and tourists＇ health. To identify the distribution and characteristic of heavy metals in RDS and to assess the road environmental quality in Chinese parks, samples were collected from Beijing Olympic Park in the present study. The results indicated that particles with small grain size（〈150 μm） were the dominant fraction. The length of dry period was one of the main factors affecting the particle size distribution, as indicated by the variation of size fraction with the increase of dry days. The amount of heavy metal（i.e., Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd） content was the largest in particles with small size（〈150 μm） among all samples. Specifically, the percentage of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in these particles was 74.7%, 55.5%, 56.6% and 71.3%, respectively.Heavy metals adsorbed in sediments may mainly be contributed by road traffic emissions. The contamination levels of Pb and Cd were higher than Cu and Zn on the basis of the mean heavy metal contents. Specifically, the geoaccumulation index（I geo） decreased in the order：Cd〉Pb〉Cu〉Zn. This study analyzed the mobility of heavy metals in sediments using partial sequential extraction with the Tessier procedure. The results revealed that the apparent mobility and potential metal bioavailability of heavy metals in the sediments, based on the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, decreased in the order： Cd〉Zn≈Pb〉Cu.

Identification of Methylosome Components as Negative Regulators of Plant Immunity Using Chemical Genetics

Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat （NLR） proteins serve as immune receptors in both plants and animals. To identify components required for NLR-mediated immunity, we designed and carried out a chemical genetics screen to search for small molecules that can alter immune responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. From 13 600 compounds, we identified Ro 8-4304 that was able to specifically suppress the severe autoimmune phenotypes of chs3-2D （chilling sensitive 3, 2D）, including the arrested growth morphology and heightened PR （Pathogenesis Related） gene expression. Further, six Ro 8-4304 insensitive mutants were uncovered from the Ro 8-4304-insensitive mutant （rim） screen using a mutagenized chs3-2D popula- tion. Positional cloning revealed thatriml encodes an allele of AtlCIn （I, currents; CI, chloride; n, nucleotide）. Genetic and biochemical analysis demonstrated that AtlCIn is in the same protein complex with the meth- ylosome components small nuclear ribonucleoprotein D3b （SmD3b） and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 （PRMT5）, which are required for the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins （snRNPs） involved in mRNA splicing. Double mutant analysis revealed that SmD3b is also involved in the sensitivity to Ro 8-4304, and the prmt5-1 chs3-2D double mutant is lethal. Loss of At/C/n, SmD3b, or PRMT5 function results in enhanced disease resistance against the virulent oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis Noco2, suggesting that mRNA splicing plays a previously unknown negative role in plant immunity. The successful implementation of a high-throughput chemical genetic screen and the identification of a small-molecule compound affecting plant immunity indicate that chemical genetics is a powerful tool to study whole-organism plant defense pathways.

N-carbamoylglutamate improves lipid metabolism, inflammation, and apoptosis responses in visceral adipocytes of Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus), in vivo and in vitro

This study applied in vivo and in vitro methods to investigate the effect of dietary N-carbamoylglutamate(NCG)on lipid metabolism,inflammation and apoptosis related-gene expression in visceral adipose tissue and isolated adipocytes of Japanese seabass(Lateolabrax japonicus).A basal diet and a test diet supplemented with 720 mg/kg NCG were fed to the fish for 10 weeks.During the growth trial,no mortality and no significant differences in growth performance were observed in fish between the 2 groups(P>0.05).Plasma Arg content and mRNA level of argininosuccinate synthetase(ASS)in adipose tissue were significantly increased,which indicated that NCG inclusion promoted endogenous Arg synthesis.Thereafter,the potential effects of NCG treatment on lipid metabolism-related genes expression were studied through in vivo and in vitro methods.In the present study,we successfully established a primary adipocytes culture system and isolated pre-adipocytes in vitro of Japanese seabass for the first time.Both the results in vivo and in vitro showed that NCG treatment decreased the mRNA levels of genes related to adipogenesis(fatty acid synthase,FASN),cholesterol synthesis(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase,HMGCR)and fat deposition(lipoprotein lipase[LPL]and leptin),which revealed the underlying mechanism of NCG on reducing fat deposition.The results of this study demonstrated that NCG inclusion reduced the expression of inflammatory and apoptosis cytokines markedly in vivo and in vitro.In conclusion,NCG did exert beneficial effects on ameliorating adipo-genesis,inflammation and apoptosis via promoting Arg endogenous synthesis in Japanese seabass.

地球深处形成含硼金刚石的可行机制

近年来,以“希望之钻”为代表天然蓝色钻石(蓝钻)的形成机制引起科学界和大众的广泛兴趣.天然蓝钻是形成于地球最深处的珍贵矿物,含约0.011~10μg/g棚杂质.现行地球化学模型表明地球内部硼元素主要富集于大陆和大洋地壳,极难进入地球内部的下地幔深度.蓝钻的存在为地球下地幔环境中存在硼元素提供了有力证据,然而其地质起源与循环机制是当前领域内亟待解决的科学难题之一.在本研究中,我们提出金属硼化物随地球板块运动进入下地幔深处,在高温高压环境下与碳酸盐发生氧化还原反应,从而形成蓝钻的物理机制.通过第一性原理计算提出了多种可能形成蓝钻的化学反应途径,并在下地幔压力与温度条件下(22.5 GPa,2100 K),利用CaCO_(3)和FeB的直接氧化还原反应,成功制备“类天然”蓝钻.这一发现揭示了地球深处蓝钻形成之谜,并为进一步深入探索地球内部的物质循环和矿物形成机制提供了新思路.