Identification of 27 abnormalities from multi-lead ECG signals: An ensembled Se-ResNet framework with Sign Loss function

Cardiovascular disease is a major threat to health and one of the primary causes of death globally. The 12-lead ECG is a cheap and commonly accessible tool to identify cardiac abnormalities. Early and accurate diagnosis will allow early treatment and intervention to prevent severe complications of cardiovascular disease. In the PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2020, our objective is to develop an algorithm that automatically identifies 27 ECG abnormalities from 12-lead ECG recordings

Regulatory controls of duplicated gene expression during fiber development in allotetraploid cotton.

Polyploidy complicates transcriptional regulation and increases phenotypic diversity in organisms. The dynamics of genetic regulation of gene expression between coresident subgenomes in polyploids remains to be understood. Here we document the genetic regulation of fiber development in allotetraploid cotton Gossypium hirsutum by sequencing 376 genomes and 2,215 time-series transcriptomes. We characterize 1,258 genes comprising 36 genetic modules that control staged fiber development and uncover genetic components governing their partitioned expression relative to subgenomic duplicated genes (homoeologs). Only about 30% of fiber quality-related homoeologs show phenotypically favorable allele aggregation in cultivars, highlighting the potential for subgenome additivity in fiber improvement. We envision a genome-enabled breeding strategy, with particular attention to 48 favorable alleles related to fiber phenotypes that have been subjected to purifying selection during domestication. Our work delineates the dynamics of gene regulation during fiber development and highlights the potential of subgenomic coordination underpinning phenotypes in polyploid plants. [Abstract copyright: © 2023. The Author(s).

The Phosphoproteomic Response of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) Seedlings to Salt Stress

Soil salinization is a major environmental stresses that seriously threatens land use efficiency and crop yields worldwide. Although the overall response of plants to NaCl has been well studied, the contribution of protein phosphorylation to the detoxification and tolerance of NaCl in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) seedlings is unclear. The molecular bases of okra seedlings’ responses to 300 mM NaCl stress are discussed in this study. Using a combination of affinity enrichment, tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis, a large-scale phosphoproteome analysis was performed in okra. A total of 4341 phosphorylation sites were identified on 2550 proteins, of which 3453 sites of 2268 proteins provided quantitative information. We found that 91 sites were upregulated and 307 sites were downregulated in the NaCl/control comparison group. Subsequently, we performed a systematic bioinformatics analysis including gene ontology annotation, domain annotation, subcellular localization, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway annotation. The latter revealed that the differentially expressed proteins were most strongly associated with ‘photosynthesis antenna proteins’ and ‘RNA degradation’. These differentially expressed proteins probably play important roles in salt stress responses in okra. The results should help to increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant post-translational modifications in response to salt stress

Establishment of a Nomogram for Predicting Early Death in Viral Myocarditis

Objective. This research aimed to establish a nomogram for predicting early death in viral myocarditis (VMC) patients. Method. A total of 362 consecutive VMC patients in Fujian Medical University Affiliated First Quanzhou Hospital between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019, were included. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was used to detect the risk factors that most consistently and correctly predicted early death in VMC. The performance of the nomogram was assessed by calibration, discrimination, and clinical utility. Result. 9 factors were screened by LASSO regression analysis for predicting the early death of VMC. Combined with the actual clinical situation, the heart failure (HF) (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 2.76–5.95), electrocardiogram (ECG) (OR: 6.11, 95% CI: 1.05–8.66), pneumonia (OR: 3.62, 95% CI: 1.43–9.85), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (OR: 4.66, 95% CI: 3.07–24.06), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 0.19–9.39) were finally used to construct the nomogram. The nomogram’s C-index was 0.908 in the training cohort and 0.924 in the validation cohort. And the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.91 in the training cohort and 0.924 in the validating cohort. Decision curve analysis (DCA) also showed that the nomogram was clinically useful. Conclusion. This nomogram achieved an good prediction of the risk of early death in VMC patients

Interfacial Assembling of Flexible Silica Membranes with High Chlorine Resistance for Dye Separation

International audienceInorganic membranes have gained extensive attention due to their more uniform pore size, higher flux, and better chemical stability over traditional polymeric membranes. However, the development of inorganic membranes still faces substantial obstacles in the form of a difficult preparation procedure and the high cost of a large-scale synthesis. Herein, a facile interfacial assembly strategy is designed to prepare flexible silica membranes by the close and strong packing of ultra-small nanoparticles via crosslinking with trimesoyl chloride. Profiting from the extremely small size and tight packing of silica nanoparticles, the permeance of flexible silica membrane with a uniform pore size of 3.4 nm exceeds 210 L m-2 h-1 MPa-1 , which is nearly 11 times higher than the polyamide membrane simultaneously ensuring the rejection effect. Meanwhile, the flexible silica membrane has no performance deterioration after exposure to 50000 ppm h of chlorine (NaOCl), indicating its excellent chlorine resistance. The facile interfacial assembly strategy applied for the synthesis of the membrane is highly reproducible and scalable (high-performance silica membrane with 100 cm 2 has been obtained), which has overall flexibility after the curvature of 100 m-1 , paving the way for the development of future applications

Mesenchymal stem cells and ferroptosis: Clinical opportunities and challenges

Objective: This review discusses recent experimental and clinical findings related to ferroptosis, with a focus on the role of MSCs. Therapeutic efficacy and current applications of MSC-based ferroptosis therapies are also discussed. Background: Ferroptosis is a type of programmed cell death that differs from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy; it involves iron metabolism and is related to the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, cancers, and liver diseases. In recent years, the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC-derived exosomes has become a trend in cell-free therapies. MSCs are a heterogeneous cell population isolated from a diverse range of human tissues that exhibit immunomodulatory functions, regulate cell growth, and repair damaged tissues. In addition, accumulating evidence indicates that MSC-derived exosomes play an important role, mainly by carrying a variety of bioactive substances that affect recipient cells. The potential mechanism by which MSC-derived exosomes mediate the effects of MSCs on ferroptosis has been previously demonstrated. This review provides the first overview of the current knowledge on ferroptosis, MSCs, and MSC-derived exosomes and highlights the potential application of MSCs exosomes in the treatment of ferroptotic conditions. It summarizes their mechanisms of action and techniques for enhancing MSC functionality. Results obtained from a large number of experimental studies revealed that both local and systemic administration of MSCs effectively suppressed ferroptosis in injured hepatocytes, neurons, cardiomyocytes, and nucleus pulposus cells and promoted the survival and regeneration of injured organs. Methods: We reviewed the role of ferroptosis in related tissues and organs, focusing on its characteristics in different diseases. Additionally, the effects of MSCs and MSC-derived exosomes on ferroptosis-related pathways in various organs were reviewed, and the mechanism of action was elucidated. MSCs were shown to improve the disease course by regulating ferroptosis

Dual Regulation of Graphene Oxide Membrane by Crosslinker and Hydrophilic Promoter for Dye Separation

Graphene oxide (GO)-based membranes have shown considerable promise in the field of water treatment. However, the structural swelling of GO membranes in water has hindered their further development. A single regulatory approach seems difficult to simultaneously improve permeability, selectivity, and stability. In this study, we present a dual regulation strategy for GO membranes employing the 1,4-Diaminobutane crosslinker to prevent swelling and maintain an interlayer spacing of 1.34 nm, resulting in effective dye rejection, and employing the hydrophilic EMT-type zeolite promoter to improve the membrane's water permeability. The obtained NH 2-GO/10EMT composite membrane exhibited enhanced pure water flux (from 9.0 to 20.8 L/m 2 •h•bar) and anionic dye rejection (from 87.2% to 97.6%) with promising structure stability (at least 20 h), while greatly improving the membrane's fouling resistance (the water recovery ratio increased from 46.5% to 86.2%). Our findings provide a straightforward and efficient approach to the development of high-performance GO membranes for selective water separation

Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties and Prebiotics Function of a Bioactive <i>Pleurotus eryngii</i> Aqueous Extract Powder Obtained by Spray Drying

A bioactive Pleurotus eryngii aqueous extract powder (SPAE) was obtained by spray drying and its performance in terms of physicochemical properties, in vitro digestion, inflammatory factors, and modulation of the intestinal microbiota was explored. The results indicated that the SPAE exhibited a more uniform particle size distribution than P. eryngii polysaccharide (PEP). Meanwhile, a typical absorption peak observed at 843 cm−1 in the SPAE FTIR spectra indicated the existence of α-glycosidic bonds. SPAE exhibited higher antioxidant abilities and superior resistance to digestion in vitro. In addition, SPAE supplementation to mice significantly reduced the release of factors that promote inflammation, enhanced the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors, and sustained maximum production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Additionally, it significantly enhanced the relative abundance of SCFAs-producing Akkermansia and reduced the abundance of Ruminococcus and Clostridiides in intestines of mice. These results show the potential of SPAE as a novel material with prebiotic effects for the food and pharmaceutical industries