Prognostic value of ultrasound in early arterial complications post liver transplant

Liver transplantation is the primary therapeutic intervention for end-stage liver disease.However,vascular complications,particularly those involving the hepatic artery,pose significant risks to patients.The clinical manifestations associated with early arterial complications following liver transplantation are often non-specific.Without timely intervention,these complications can result in graft fai-lure or patient mortality.Therefore,early diagnosis and the formulation of an op-timal treatment plan are imperative.Ultrasound examination remains the pre-dominant imaging modality for detecting complications post liver transplan-tation.This article comprehensively reviews common causes and clinical present-ations of early hepatic artery complications in the post-transplantation period and delineates abnormal sonographic findings for accurate diagnosis of these con-ditions.Overall,ultrasound offers the advantages of convenience,safety,effect-iveness,and non-invasiveness.It enables real-time,dynamic,and precise evalua-tion,making it the preferred diagnostic method for post-liver transplantation assessments.INTRODUCTION Liver transplantation stands as the primary therapeutic approach for end-stage liver disease.Continuous advancements in surgical techniques and the application of novel immunosuppressive agents contribute to ongoing improvements in the success rate and overall survival in patients undergoing liver transplantation procedures.Despite these advan-cements,vascular complications,particularly those involving the hepatic artery,pose significant risks to patients.During the early stages following liver transplantation(within the first 30 d),proper hepatic artery function is crucial for hepatic arterial blood flow.During later stages,collateral circulation,including arteries such as the phrenic artery,right gastric artery,and gastroduodenal artery,becomes important for maintaining hepatic blood supply.It is now understood that the establishment of effective collateral circulation is pivotal for determining the prognosis of hepatic artery complic-ations.The clinical manifestations of these complications are closely linked to factors such as timing,severity,and the specific type of onset.Insufficient hepatic arterial blood flow can lead to abnormal liver function,hepatic infarction,and the formation of hepatic abscesses.Additionally,since the hepatic artery is the sole blood supply to the biliary tract,hepatic artery-related ischemia may result in biliary stricture,obstruction,and the formation of bile ducts.Ultrasound examination remains the primary imaging modality for diagnosing complications post liver transplantation.This article comprehensively reviews common causes and clinical presentations of early hepatic artery complications in the post-transplantation period and outlines abnormal sonographic findings for accurately diagnosing these conditions.NORMAL HEPATIC ARTERY During the intraoperative phase,an ultrasound examination is typically conducted to evaluate the hepatic artery anas-tomosis.The normal internal diameter of the hepatic artery typically ranges from 2 to 5 mm.Two strong echo points are typically identified near the anastomosis.To assess blood flow dynamics,peak systolic velocity,end-diastolic velocity,and resistance index are measured at the donor and recipient sides of the anastomosis following angle correction.Anastomotic stenosis presence and severity can be evaluated by comparing the velocity at the anastomotic site with that at the recipient side.Postoperatively,direct visualization of the anastomosis site through gray ultrasound scans is often challenging.The surgical approach has a significant impact on the proper hepatic artery’s position,resulting in a lower overall success rate of continuous visualization.Color Doppler ultrasound is primarily employed to trace the artery’s path,and spectral measurements are taken at the brightest position of the Color Doppler blood flow signal,primarily used to identify the presence of high-speed turbulence.Hepatic artery spectrum examination plays a crucial role,as a favorable arterial spectral waveform and appropriate hepatic artery flow velocity typically indicate a successful anastomosis,even in cases where the hepatic artery anastomosis cannot be directly visualized by ultrasound.The hepatic artery runs alongside the portal vein,often selected as a reference due to its larger inner diameter.A normal hepatic artery spectrum displays a regular pulsation pattern with a rapid rise in systole and a slow decline in diastole.Parameters for assessing hepatic artery resistance include a resistance index between 0.5 to 0.8 and an artery systolic acceleration of less than 80 ms.Instantaneous increases in the resistance index(RI>0.8)often occur within 2 d after surgery,followed by a subsequent return to normal hepatic arterial parameters.It has been established that the maximum blood flow velocity during systole in the hepatic artery should not exceed 200 cm/s[1].

Integrated analysis of high-throughput sequencing data shows abscisic acidresponsive genes and miRNAs in strawberry receptacle fruit ripening

The perception and signal transduction of the plant hormone abscisic acid(ABA)are crucial for strawberry fruit ripening,but the underlying mechanism of how ABA regulates ripening-related genes has not been well understood.By employing high-throughput sequencing technology,we comprehensively analyzed transcriptomic and miRNA expression profiles simultaneously in ABA-and nordihydroguaiaretic acid(NDGA,an ABA biosynthesis blocker)-treated strawberry fruits with temporal resolution.The results revealed that ABA regulated many genes in different pathways,including hormone signal transduction and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.Transcription factor genes belonging to WRKY and heat shock factor(HSF)families might play key roles in regulating the expression of ABA inducible genes,whereas the KNOTTED1-like homeobox protein and Squamosa Promoter-Binding-like protein 18 might be responsible for ABA-downregulated genes.Additionally,20 known and six novel differentially expressed miRNAs might be important regulators that assist ABA in regulating target genes that are involved in versatile physiological processes,such as hormone balance regulation,pigments formation and cell wall degradation.Furthermore,degradome analysis showed that one novel miRNA,Fa_novel6,could degrade its target gene HERCULES1,which likely contributed to fruit size determination during strawberry ripening.These results expanded our understanding of how ABA drives the strawberry fruit ripening process as well as the role of miRNAs in this process.

Species-specific regulatory pathways of small RNAs play sophisticated roles in flower development in Dimocarpus longan Lour.

Flower development plays vital role in horticultural plants.Post-transcriptional regulation via small RNAs is important for plant flower development.To uncover post-transcriptional regulatory networks during the flower development in Dimocarpus longan Lour.‘Shixia’,an economically important fruit crop in subtropical regions,we collected and analyzed sRNA deep-sequencing datasets and degradome libraries Apart from identifying miRNAs and phased siRNA generating loci(PHAS loci),120 hairpin loci,producing abundant sRNAs,were identified by in-house protocols.Our results suggested that 56 miRNA-target pairs,2221-nt-PHAS loci,and 111 hairpin loci are involved in posttranscriptional gene silencing during longan reproductive development.Lineage-specific or species-specific post-transcriptional regulatory modules have been unveiled,including miR482-PHAS and miRN15.miR482-PHAS might be involved in longan flower development beyond their conserved roles in plant defense,and miRN15 is a novel miRNA likely associated with a hairpin locus(HPL-056)to regulate strigolactone receptor gene DWARF14(D14)and the biogenesis of phasiRNAs from D14.These small RNAs are enriched in flower buds,suggesting they are likely involved in post-transcriptional regulatory networks essential for longan flower development via the strigolactone signaling pathway.

A measurable refinement method of design and verification for micro-kernel operating systems in communication network

A secure operating system in the communication network can provide the stable working environment,which ensures that the user information is not stolen.The micro-kernel operating system in the communication network retains the core functions in the kernel,and unnecessary tasks are implemented by calling external processes.Due to the small amount of code,the micro-kernel architecture has high reliability and scalability.Taking the microkernel operating system in the communication network prototype VSOS as an example,we employ the objdump tool to disassemble the system source code and get the assembly layer code.On this basis,we apply the Isabelle/HOL,a formal verification tool,to model the system prototype.By referring to the mathematical model of finite automata and taking the process scheduling module as an example,the security verification based on the assembly language layer is developed.Based on the Hoare logic theory,each assembly statement of the module is verified in turn.The verification results show that the scheduling module of VSOS has good functional security,and also show the feasibility of the refinement framework.

A Giant Granuloma of the Vocal Process after Double-Lumen Bronchial Catheter Insertion: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

Background: Double-lumen endotracheal (DLT) is commonly used for one-lung ventilation and lung separation during thoracic surgery. There are case reports of medically induced laryngeal granulomas, mainly in patients after single-lumen endotracheal (SLT) tube intubation and tracheotomy, and giant granulomas of the vocal cords due to double-lumen bronchial tube insertion have rarely been reported. Case presentation: A 49-year-old female patient underwent single-port thoracoscopy after DLT intubation as well as a wedge resection of the lower lobe of the left lung, which caused giant vocal process granulomas (VPGs) postoperatively. Based on a retrospective analysis of the general condition, current medical history, past medical history, and visual laryngoscopic observation of the vocal folds tissue, which ruled out preoperative vocal fold granuloma formation, we hypothesized that double-lumen bronchial catheter intubation may have been the primary cause of her vocal fold granuloma formation. Conclusions: Giant granuloma of the vocal folds after DLT insertion is a rare postoperative complication;therefore, if DLT intubation is to be performed, the anesthesiologist should choose an appropriate intubation plan and deal with it promptly to avoid the risk factors to ensure that the patient’s perioperative period is safe and smooth. In addition, if postoperative complications are encountered, they should be followed up and observed on time.

一种不稳定硫化体系橡胶材料的制备与性能

以丁苯橡胶(SBR)为主要基材,纳米氧化锌(Zn O)与硬脂酸(SA)为活性剂,炭黑(CB-774)为补强剂,N-N亚甲基双丙烯酰(MBA)与过氧化二苯甲酰(BPO)为硫化剂,通过机械共混与平板硫化的方法,制备了一种以酰胺键为交联键的不稳定硫化体系的橡胶材料。通过改变MBA用量,研究了橡胶材料的硫化特性、力学性能与老化性能。同时,采用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)与扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对橡胶材料的水解特性进行了表征分析。结果表明,当MBA用量为5 phr时,橡胶材料表现出较优的力学性能,其拉伸强度可达到6.3 MPa,断裂伸长率为412.6%,邵尔A硬度为60,且其老化后力学性能损失较小,稳定性保持较好。通过溶解试验发现,橡胶材料经水解后可溶解于有机溶剂中。FT-IR与SEM分析表明,橡胶材料中酰胺交联键在碱性环境下会发生水解,从而导致其产生粗糙的表面结构。

Small RNAs, emerging regulators critical for the development of horticultural traits

Small RNAs(sRNAs)have been recently recognized as key genetic and epigenetic regulators in various organisms,ranging from the modification of DNA and histone methylations to the modulation of the abundance of coding or non-coding RNAs.In plants,major regulatory sRNAs are classified as respective microRNA(miRNA)and small interfering RNA(siRNA)species,with the former primarily engaging in posttranscriptional regulation while the latter in transcriptional one.Many of these characterized sRNAs are involved in regulation of diverse biological programs,processes,and pathways in response to developmental cues,environmental signals/stresses,pathogen infection,and pest attacks.Recently,sRNAs-mediated regulations have also been extensively investigated in horticultural plants,with many novel mechanisms unveiled,which display far more mechanistic complexity and unique regulatory features compared to those studied in model species.Here,we review the recent progress of sRNA research in horticultural plants,with emphasis on mechanistic aspects as well as their relevance to trait regulation.Given that major and pioneered sRNA research has been carried out in the model and other plants,we also discuss ongoing sRNA research on these plants.Because miRNAs and phased siRNAs(phasiRNAs)are the most studied sRNA regulators,this review focuses on their biogenesis,conservation,function,and targeted genes and traits as well as the mechanistic relation between them,aiming at providing readers comprehensive information instrumental for future sRNA research in horticulture crops.

Effects of closing and reopening live poultry markets on the epidemic of human infection with avian influenza A virus

Live poultry markets（LPMs） are crucial places for human infection of influenza A（H7N9 virus）.In Yangtze River Delta,LPMs were closed after the outbreak of human infection with avian influenza A（H7N9） virus,and then reopened when no case was found.Our purpose was to quantify the effect of LPMs＇ operations in this region on the transmission of influenza A（H7N9） virus.We obtained information about dates of symptom onset and locations for all human influenza A（H7N9） cases reported from Shanghai,Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces by May 31,2014,and acquired dates of closures and reopening of LPMs from official media.A two-phase Bayesian model was fitted by Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to process the spatial and temporal influence of human cases.A total of 235 cases of influenza A（H7N9） were confirmed in Shanghai,Jiangsu and Zhejiang by May 31,2014.Using these data,our analysis showed that,after LPM closures,the influenza A（H7N9） outbreak disappeared within two weeks in Shanghai,one week in Jiangsu,and one week in Zhejiang,respectively.Local authorities reopened LPMs when there was no outbreak of influenza A（H7N9）,which did not lead to reemergence of human influenza A（H7N9）.LPM closures were effective in controlling the H7N9 outbreak.Reopening of LPM in summer did not increase the risk of human infection with H7N9.Our findings showed that LPMs should be closed immediately in areas where the H7N9 virus is confirmed in LPM.When there is no outbreak of H7N9 virus,LPMs can be reopened to satisfy the Chinese traditional culture of buying live poultry.In the long term,local authorities should take a cautious attitude in permanent LPM closure.

sRNAanno-a database repository of uniformly annotated small RNAs in plants

Small RNAs(sRNAs)are essential regulatory molecules,and there are three major sRNA classes in plants:microRNAs(miRNAs),phased small interfering RNAs(phased siRNAs or phasiRNAs),and heterochromatic siRNAs(hc-siRNAs).Excluding miRNAs,the other two classes are not well annotated or available in public databases for most sequenced plant genomes.We performed a comprehensive sRNA annotation of 143 plant species that have fully sequenced genomes and next-generation sequencing sRNA data publicly available.The results are available via an online repository called sRNAanno(www.plantsRNAs.org).Compared with other public plant sRNA databases,we obtained was much more miRNA annotations,which are more complete and reliable because of the consistent and highly stringent criteria used in our miRNA annotations.sRNAanno also provides free access to genomic information for>22,721 PHAS loci and>22 million hc-siRNA loci annotated from these 143 plant species.Both miRNA and PHAS loci can be easily browsed to view their main features,and a collection of archetypal trans-acting siRNA 3(TAS3)genes were annotated separately for quick access.To facilitate the ease of sRNA annotation,sRNAanno provides free service for sRNA annotations to the community.In summary,the sRNAanno database is a great resource to facilitate genomic and genetic research on plant small RNAs.

Effects of 72 Hours Sleep Deprivation on Liver Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Oxidative Stress in Rats

Objective: To investigate the effects of 72 hours continuous sleep deprivation (SD) on circadian clock gene expression and oxidative stress in the rat liver. Methods: Twenty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups (n = 10 each) using a random number table: normal control group (group C), sleep deprivation group (group SD). Group SD was treated with a modified multiple platform water environment method. After 72 hours sleep deprived, the levels of AST (Aspartate transaminase ) and ALT (Alanine aminotransferase) in serum were determined. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver tissue of the rats were examined in both two groups. The expression levels of CLOCK, BMAL1 and CRY1 protein in liver tissue were examined by Western blotting. Results: Compared with group C, the content of MDA, and the levels of AST and ALT in serum were significantly increased (P Conclusion: 72 hours continuous sleep deprivation can downregulate the expression of circadian clock gene and promote oxidative stress in rats.

Sequence analysis of Erianthus arundinaceus chromosome 1 isolated by flow sorting after genomic in situ hybridization in suspension

Erianthus arundinaceus is a wild relative of sugarcane(Saccharum officinarum L.)with many desirable agronomic traits for sugarcane genetic improvement.However,limited knowledge of the complex genome of hexaploid E.arundinaceus has impeded the development of required molecular tools.Dissecting complex genomes into single chromosomes can simplify analyses.The flow-cytometric sorting of a single chromosome of E.arundinaceus in a Saccharum-Erianthus introgression line is reported.A novel approach called genomic in situ hybridization in suspension was used to discriminate the alien chromosome from sugarcane chromosomes at the same size.A total of 218,000 E.arundinaceus chromosome 1(EaC1)were sorted to>97%purity and amplified DNA was sequenced using Illumina and Pac Bio technologies.The resulting assembly had a 70.93 Mb contig sequence with an N50 of 19.62 kb.A total of 56.69 Mb repeat sequences were predicted,accounting for 79.1%of the chromosome and 2646 genes having a total length of 1.84 Mb that represented 2.59%of the chromosome.Of these genes,1877(70.9%)genes were functionally annotated.The phylogenetic relationship of E.arundinaceus with other species using the chromosome1 sequence revealed that E.arundinaceus was distantly related to Oryza sativa and Zea mays,followed by Sorghum bicolor,and was closely related to S.spontaneum and Saccharum spp.hybrids.This study provides the first insights into the characteristics of EaC1,and the results will provide tools to support molecular improvement and alien introgression breeding of sugarcane.

Polymorphism of Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: The article is to investigate the relationship between the polymorphism of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene rs7903146 and type 2 diabetes mellitus with obesity in Chinese Han population. Methods: 216 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 92 males, 124 females, 194 normal controls, 89 males and 105 females. The polymorphism of TCF7L2 gene rs7903146 was measured by PCR-RFLP. PCR amplifier was used for amplification reaction, followed by polymorphism analysis of TCF7L2 gene: the reaction system was 20 μl, among which restriction endonuclease was 0.5 μl and PCR product was 7.5 μl. Restriction enzyme SspI (Fermentas) was used for PCR product and was bathed at 37°C for 16 h. The enzyme digestion products were detected and genotypes were identified by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. The genotyping was repeated in 10% of the samples, and the genotyping rate was 100%. Height and weight were measured and BMI calculated. According to BMI, the experimental group was further divided into the obese group (n = 137, BMI > 25 kg/m2) and the normal body mass group (n = 79, BMI < 25 kgm2). Normal control group: BMI < 25 kgm2: FBG < 6.1 mmol/L and 2 h BG < 7.8 mmol/L after meal. Finally, SPSS18.0 software was used for analysis. Results: FBG, 2 h BG, FIN and Lg homa-ir showed significant differences between the control group and the T2DM groups (P < 0.01), while no statistical difference was found between the other parameters (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference in genotype frequency between the control group and the experimental group (χ2 = 17.382, P < 0.001), but no significant difference in allele frequency between the control group and the T2DM group (P > 0.05). Genotype frequency at BMI level was significantly different between the control group and the T2DM group (χ2 = 20.427, P = 0.001), but there was no significant difference in allele frequency distribution (P > 0.05). The TT type and TC + CC type were significantly different between the T2DM group and the control group (χ2 = 78.154, P = 0.006) and the T2DM obesity group and the control group (χ2 = 7.247, P = 0.009), but there was no significant difference between the T2DM normal body mass group and the control group (P > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference between TC type + TT type and CC type between the T2DM group and the control group and the T2DM obesity group and the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There were significant differences in the genotype frequency and recessive inheritance pattern (TT/CC + TC) of rs7903146, suggesting that this SNP may be associated with the incidence of T2DM in obesity and insulin resistance.

Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Unidirectional Valve Enlargement in Treatment of Popliteal Cysts

Purpose: To investigate the effect of ultrasound-guided unidirectional valve cleft enlargement in the treatment of popliteal cysts. Methods: Forty-eight patients with popliteal cysts who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted to our hospital from December 2018 to June 2020 were randomly divided into group A (24 cases) and group B (24 cases). Group A was treated with a central venous catheter dilator, and group B was treated with traditional open surgery to remove the popliteal cyst. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate discomfort. The VAS, Lysholm score of knee joint and Rauschning-Lindgren grade 0~I improvement rate were compared at 6 months after operation. Results: The postoperative VAS in group A was significantly better than that in group B (P < 0.05), and the postoperative Lysholm score and Rauschning-Lindgren grade 0~I in group A were higher than those in group B (P < 0.05). There was no recurrence or other complications in either group. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided central venous catheter dilator is more effective than traditional surgical resection of popliteal cysts.

Analysis on Modern Teaching of English and American Literature Courses for College English Majors

As global economic integration development enters a realization era,English holds a very important position in China's diplomacy as the language is an internationally-used language.Besides,English also plays a very important role in our daily life.Colleges and universities should pay more attention in strengthening the development of English teaching courses as they are an important base for cultivating high-quality talents.In the modern teaching of English and American literature courses,college English majors do not only need to teach students English language knowledge but are also required need to strengthen students'knowledge and study of national culture.In this journal,the author investigates and analyses the current situation and existing problems of the modern teaching of English and American literature courses in English majors of colleges and universities.Then,puts forward the implementation strategies such as modern teaching of English and American literature courses in English majors’colleges and universities,aiming to help in implementing the teaching of English and American literature courses successfully.

Analysis on Modern Teaching of English and American Literature Courses for College English Majors

As global economic integration development enters a realization era,English holds a very important position in China's diplomacy as the language is an internationally-used language.Besides,English also plays a very important role in our daily life.Colleges and universities should pay more attention in strengthening the development of English teaching courses as they are an important base for cultivating high-quality talents.In the modern teaching of English and American literature courses,college English majors do not only need to teach students English language knowledge but are also required need to strengthen students'knowledge and study of national culture.In this journal,the author investigates and analyses the current situation and existing problems of the modern teaching of English and American literature courses in English majors of colleges and universities.Then,puts forward the implementation strategies such as modern teaching of English and American literature courses in English majors’colleges and universities,aiming to help in implementing the teaching of English and American literature courses successfully.

Predictive value of initial procalcitonin level in perioperative period of critically ill cancer patients

The predictive value of the initial procalcitonin(PCT)level was explored in the perioperative peniod of citically ill cancer patients.Background:It is quite important to predict infections in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).Cancer surgery is characterized by large trauma,long duration,and wide operation scope;and there are many inflammatory factors in the tumor.Common manifestations of systermic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS)。such as fever,elevated white blood cells,and elevated infammatory indicators,frequently occur in patients during the penioperative period as a result of the above factors.These factors are diverse and complex;additionally,advanced cancer and the trauma of major surgery are important factors that influence PCT blood levels.Because all of the aforementioned factors make it dificult to distinguish the postoperative inflammatory response fom the true infection in clinical practice,conventional methods cannot prediet disease sevenity or disease course.Methods:A total of 53 patients with endotracheal intubation admitted to the ICU of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2020 to May 2020,were retrospectively selected.According to the patient source,35 cases were assigned to ORIG(Operating Room to ICU Group),and 18 cases were assigned to General Ward to ICU group(GWO).At the ICU admission,the patient's age,sex,surgical site of tumor,reason for ICU and other data were recorded to form a database;PCT,B-type natiuretic peptide(BNP),high sensitivity toponin I(hsTni),serumn creatinine(Cr),serum cystatin C(Cys-c)and other laboratory indicators were detected;scores of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)were marked 24 h after ICU admission;Proportion of Antibiotics,Time Antibiotic Application,and Time Indicators(Ventilator support Time,Endotracheal Intubation Time,ICU Stay Time)were recorded during the period from ICU admission to ICU discharge.Results:APAHCE Ⅱ score and SOFA score increased significantly in the GWIG,compared with the ORIG,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01);the GWIG had a significantly longer Time Antibiotic Application than the ORIG,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01);in tems of blood indicators,the PCT,BNP,and hsTNi levels were elevated in the GWIG compared with the ORIG,and the differences were statistically significant(p<0.01);no statistical differences were found in Cr and Cys-C levels(P>0.05).In terms of time indicators,the Ventilator support Time,Endotracheal Intubation Time,and ICU Stay Time were prolonged in the GWIG compared with the ORIG,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).The PCT level was statistically signifcant(P<0.01)when correlated with the Ventilator Supporting Time and Endotracheal Intubation Time;however,the PCT level was negatively correlated with the ICU Stay Time,with a small r(correlation cofficient)value and no statistical significance(P>0.05)when correlated with the ICU Stay Time.Conclusion:The initial PCT level can predict the disease severity in critically ill cancer patients treated with mechanical ventilation during the perioperative period.

Flower development and sex determination in horticultural crops

Horticultural crops are extremely valuable due to their high nutritional value,and fruits,in particular,provide indispensable vitamins and minerals.Fruit yield of edible crops is closely related to the number of flowers,which are often unisexual.The mechanism of sex differentiation in plants with unisexuality is complex,and research investigating this mechanism is in great demand.Sex determinants were first discovered in Cucurbitaceae(e.g.,cucumber,melon,watermelon),and in recent years,with the rapid development of deep sequencing technologies and genomics,they have also been deciphered in some dioecious plants(e.g.,persimmon,kiwifruit,asparagus).This has deepened our understanding of the evolution and diversification of sexual reproductive systems.This review summarizes recent research investigating flower sexdetermination genes and their working networks,focusing on horticultural crops.Perspectives on future research in flower sex differentiation are also discussed.

TBtools-II: A “one for all, all for one” bioinformatics platform for biological big-data mining

Since the official release of the stand-alone bioinformatics toolkit TBtools in 2020,its superior functionality in data analysis has been demonstrated by its widespread adoption by many thousands of users and references in more than 5000 academic articles.Now,TBtools is a commonly used tool in biological laboratories.Over the past 3 years,thanks to invaluable feedback and suggestions from numerous users,we have optimized and expanded the functionality of the toolkit,leading to the development of an upgraded version—TBtools-II.In this upgrade,we have incorporated over 100 new features,such as those for comparative genomics analysis,phylogenetic analysis,and data visualization.Meanwhile,to better meet the increasing needs of personalized data analysis,we have launched the plugin mode,which enables users to develop their own plugins and manage their selection,installation,and removal according to individual needs.To date,the plugin store has amassed over 50 plugins,with more than half of them being independently developed and contributed by TBtools users.These plugins offer a range of data analysis options including co-expression network analysis,single-cell data analysis,and bulked segregant analysis sequencing data analysis.Overall,TBtools is now transforming from a stand-alone software to a comprehensive bioinformatics platform of a vibrant and cooperative community in which users are also developers and contributors.By promoting the theme“one for all,all for one”,we believe that TBtools-II will greatly benefit more biological researchers in this big-data era.

The direct and gut microbiota-mediated effects of dietary bile acids on the improvement of gut barriers in largemouth bass(Micropterus salmoides)

Fish gut barrier damage under intensive culture model is a significant concern for aquaculture industry.This study aimed to investigate the effects of bile acids(BAs)on gut barriers in Micropterus salmoides.A germ-free(GF)zebrafish model was employed to elucidate the effects of the direct stimulation of BAs and the indirect regulations mediated by the gut microbiota on gut barrier functions.Four diets were formulated with BAs supplemented at 0,150,300 and 450 mg/kg,and these 4 diets were defined as control,BA150,BA300 and BA450,respectively.After 5 weeks of feeding experiment,the survival rate of fish fed with BA300 diet was increased(P<0.05).Histological analysis revealed an improvement of gut structural integrity in the BA150 and BA300 groups.Compared with the control group,the expression of genes related to chemical barrier(mucin,lysozyme and complement 1)and physical barrier(occludin and claudin-4)was increased in the BA150 and BA300 groups(P<0.05),and the expression of genes related to immunological barrier(interleukin[IL]-6,tumor growth factorβ,IL-10,macrophage galactosetype lectin and immunoglobulin M[Ig M])was significantly increased in the BA300 group(P<0.05),but the expression of genes related to chemical barrier(hepcidin)and immunological barrier(IL-1β,tumor necrosis factor-a,IL-6 and arginase)was significantly decreased in the BA450 group(P<0.05).Gut microbiota composition analysis revealed that the abundance of Firmicutes was augmented prominently in the BA150 and BA300 groups(P<0.05),while that of Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria showed a downward trend in the BA150 and BA300 groups(P>0.05).The results of the gut microbiota transferring experiment demonstrated an upregulation of gut barrier-related genes,including immunoglobulin Z/T(Ig Z/T),IL-6,IL-1βand IL-10,by the gut microbiota transferred from the BA300 group compared with the control(P<0.05).Feeding the BA300 diet directly to GF zebrafish resulted in enhanced expression of Ig M,Ig Z/T,lysozyme,occludin-2,IL-6 and IL-10(P<0.05).In conclusion,BAs can improve the gut barriers of fish through both direct and indirect effects mediated by the gut microbiota.

Pairwise tagging framework for end-to-end emotion-cause pair extraction

Emotion-cause pair extraction(ECPE)aims to extract all the pairs of emotions and corresponding causes in a document.It generally contains three subtasks,emotions extraction,causes extraction,and causal relations detection between emotions and causes.Existing works adopt pipelined approaches or multi-task learning to address the ECPE task.However,the pipelined approaches easily suffer from error propagation in real-world scenarios.Typical multi-task learning cannot optimize all tasks globally and may lead to suboptimal extraction results.To address these issues,we propose a novel framework,Pairwise Tagging Framework(PTF),tackling the complete emotion-cause pair extraction in one unified tagging task.Unlike prior works,PTF innovatively transforms all subtasks of ECPE,i.e.,emotions extraction,causes extraction,and causal relations detection between emotions and causes,into one unified clause-pair tagging task.Through this unified tagging task,we can optimize the ECPE task globally and extract more accurate emotion-cause pairs.To validate the feasibility and effectiveness of PTF,we design an end-to-end PTF-based neural network and conduct experiments on the ECPE benchmark dataset.The experimental results show that our method outperforms pipelined approaches significantly and typical multi-task learning approaches.