Autotetraploidization Alters Morphology, Photosynthesis, Cytological Characteristics and Fruit Quality in Sour Jujube (Ziziphus acidojujuba Cheng et Liu)

Artificially induced polyploidization is one of the most effective techniques for improving the biological properties and creating new cultivars of fruit trees. Up to now, systematic research on the autotetraploid of sour jujube (Ziziphus acidojujuba Cheng et Liu) has not been reported. ‘Zhuguang’ is the first released autotetraploid sour jujube induced with colchicine. The objective of this study was to compare the differences in the morphological, cytological characteristics, and fruit quality between diploid and autotetraploid. Compared with the original diploid, ‘Zhuguang’ showed dwarf phenotypes and decreased tree vigor. The sizes of the flowers, pollen, stomata, and leaves of ‘Zhuguang’ were larger. Perceptible darker green leaves were observed in ‘Zhuguang’ trees owing to increased chlorophyll contents, which led to higher photosynthesis efficiency and bigger fruit. The pollen activities and the contents of ascorbic acid, titratable acid, and soluble sugar in the autotetraploid were lower than those in diploids. However, the cyclic adenosine monophosphate content in autotetraploid fruit was significantly higher. The sugar/acid ratio of autotetraploid fruit was higher than that of diploid fruit, which made the autotetraploid fruit taste different and better. The results indicated that the autotetraploid we generated in sour jujube could greatly meet the goals of our multi-objective optimized breeding strategies for improving sour jujube, which includes tree dwarfing, increased photosynthesis efficiency, and better nutrient values and flavors as well as more bioactive compounds. Needless to say, the autotetraploid can also serve as material for generating valuable triploids or other types of polyploids and are also instrumental in studying the evolution of both sour jujube and Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)

Enhanced YOLOv5s + DeepSORT method for highway vehicle speed detection and multi-sensor verification

Addressing the need for vehicle speed measurement in traffic surveillance, this study introduces an enhanced scheme combining YOLOv5s detection with Deep SORT tracking. Tailored to the characteristics of highway traffic and vehicle features, the dataset data augmentation process was initially optimized. To improve the detector’s recognition capabilities, the Swin Transformer Block module was incorporated, enhancing the model’s ability to capture local regions of interest. CIoU loss was employed as the loss function for the vehicle detection network, accelerating model convergence and achieving higher regression accuracy. The Mish activation function was utilized to reduce computational overhead and enhance convergence speed. The structure of the Deep SORT appearance feature extraction network was modified, and it was retrained on a vehicle re-identification dataset to mitigate identity switches due to obstructions. Subsequently, using known references in the image such as lane markers and contour labels, the transformation from image pixel coordinates to actual coordinates was accomplished. Finally, vehicle speed was measured by computing the average of instantaneous speeds across multiple frames. Through radar and video Multi-Sensor Verification, the experimental results show that the mean Average Precision (mAP) for target detection consistently exceeds 90%. The effective measurement distance for speed measurement is around 140 m, with the absolute speed error generally within 1–8 km/h, meeting the accuracy requirements for speed measurement. The proposed model is reliable and fully applicable to highway scenarios

Large vestibular schwannomas presenting in the late state of pregnancy: a case report and literature review

Vestibular schwannomas in pregnancy have rarely been reported, and there is a lack of in-depth discussion on the experience of management of massive acoustic neuromas in pregnancy. Herein, we present a pregnant woman with a giant vestibular schwannoma and obstructive hydrocephalus who presented at 30 weeks of gestation. She was initially misdiagnosed as having a pregnancy-related reaction of headache, dizziness, and vomiting that had occurred 2 months earlier. After observation at home, her symptoms progressed at 30 weeks of gestation, and imaging findings revealed a brain tumor in the CPA region with secondary cerebella tonsil herniation and obstructive hydrocephalus, and she was transferred to our center for treatment. Consequently, we relieved her hydrocephalus with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (V-P shunt) and used corticosteroids to simulate fetal maturation. After 10 days, her mental condition deteriorated, and her right limb muscle strength gradually decreased until grade 0 (MMT Grading). Finally, under a joint consultation with the Department of Neurosurgery, Obstetrics, and Anesthesiology, she underwent a cesarean section under general anesthesia and first-stage tumor removal at 31 weeks of gestation. Upon discharge, the previously observed neurological deficits, which were reversible and had manifested during her gestational period, had been successfully resolved, and the fetus had been conserved. The neuroimaging confirmed the complete tumor removal, while the neuropathologic examination revealed a vestibular schwannoma. Therefore, we recommend early diagnosis and treatment for these patients, especially people with headaches, vomiting, and sudden hearing loss during pregnancy. Herein, we concluded that our cases provide a valuable experience in the latest acceptable time frame for the operation to prevent irreversible neurological impairment and premature delivery in late pregnancy

The Microbiota and Cytokines Correlation between the Jejunum and Colon in Altay Sheep

Both the jejunum and colon release cytokines that interact with intestinal microbiota. However, it is largely unclear which cytokines and microbial populations are involved in the homeostasis of the intestinal ecosystem for sheep health. To address this, we collected contents for isolating microbiota and tissues for determining cytokines from the jejunum and colon of 7-month-old Altay sheep. We used the techniques of 16S rRNA sequencing and ELISA to detect microbial population and cytokine level, respectively. Correlations between microbial population and cytokines were analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient. The correlation analysis revealed higher populations of Bacteroides, Fibrobacteres and Spirochetes in the colon than in the jejunum, and IL-6 and IL-12 levels were higher in the jejunum than in the colon. Association analysis further revealed a positive association between IL-10 level and both Ruminococcus_2 and norank_f_Bifidobacteriaceae population in the jejunum. The analysis also revealed positive associations between IL-6 level and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013 population, IL-10 and Prevotellaceae_UCG-004, as well as TNF-α and Prevotellaceae_UCG-003 in the colon. These results indicate a potential interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the host immune system that needs to be further clarified for considering dietary formulations to maintain animal health and disease prevention

Composition Analysis and Nutritional Value Evaluation of Amino Acids in the Fruit of 161 Jujube Cultivars

Amino acids are an essential group of compounds involved in protein synthesis and various metabolic and immune reactions in the human body. Chinese jujubes (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) are an important fruit and medicinal plant which are native to China and have been introduced into around 50 countries. However, systematic research on the composition and content diversity of amino acids in the jujube is still lacking. In this experiment, the amino acid composition and the contents of the dominant amino acids in the fruit of 161 cultivars of jujube were determined by HPLC. Of the twenty-one kinds of amino acids detected, a total of fourteen kinds of amino acids were detected, of which eight kinds of amino acids were relatively high, including five essential amino acids (threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine) and three nonessential amino acids (glycine, alanine, and proline). However, the contents of the remaining six amino acids were relatively low (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, histidine, serine, arginine, and tryptophan). Therefore, the eight primary amino acids were used as the index to evaluate the amino acids of 161 jujube varieties. Proline accounts for 56.8% of the total amino acid content among the eight amino acids. The total content of the eight primary amino acids in most jujube varieties was 1–1.5 g/100 g, and the highest content of ‘Zaoqiangmalianzao’ was 2.356 g/100 g. The average content of proline was 6.01–14.84 times that of the other seven amino acids. According to the WHO/FAO revised model spectrum of ideal essential amino acids for humans, 19 cultivars met the E/T (essential amino acids/total amino acids) standard, and their values ranged from 35% to 45%; 12 cultivars meet E/NE (non-essential amino acids) ≥ 60%. All cultivars reached the requirement of BC (branched–chain amino acids)/E ≥ 40% with 15 cultivars over 68%. One hundred and fifty-seven cultivars reach the standard of BC/A (aromatic amino acids) ≈ 3.0~3.5. The amino acid ratio coefficient analysis showed that phenylalanine was the first limiting amino acid of all the jujube cultivars. The SRC (the score of amino acid ratio coefficient) values of 134 cultivars were between 50% and 70%, with 12 cultivars over 70%, indicating that jujube fruits are of high nutritional value in terms of amino acids. Based on the principal component analysis and comprehensive ranking of amino acid nutritional value, the top five cultivars were screened from the 161 ones tested, i.e., ‘Tengzhouchanghongzao’, ‘Xinzhengxiaoyuanzao’, ‘Hanguowudeng’, ‘Xuputiansuanzao’, and ‘Lichengxiaozao’. This study established, firstly, a complete basic data analysis of amino acid content in jujube fruit which could be used to select germplasm resources suitable for developing functional amino acid food, and provide theoretical support for the high value utilization of amino acids in jujubes

Combined LC-MS-based metabolomics and GC-IMS analysis reveal changes in chemical components and aroma components of Jujube leaf tea during processing

Making tea from jujube leaves changed the chemical composition and aroma composition of jujube leaves. Here, Through LC-MS, GC-IMS, and GC-MS technology, we have revealed the effect of jujube leaf processing changes on metabolites. LC-MS identified 468 non-volatile metabolites, while GC-IMS and GC-MS detected 52 and 24 volatile metabolites, respectively. 109 non-volatile metabolites exhibiting more pronounced differences were screened. Most lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids, amino acids, and flavonoids increased significantly after processing. GC-IMS and GC-MS analysis revealed that the contents of aldehydes and ketones were significantly increased, while esters and partial alcohols were decreased after processing into jujube leaf tea. The main flavor substances of fresh jujube leaf and jujube leaf tea were eugenol and (E) - 2-Hexenal, respectively. Furthermore, amino acids and lipids were closely linked to the formation of volatile metabolites. Our study provided new insights into the changes in metabolites of jujube leaves processed into jujube leaf tea, and had great potential for industrial application. It laid a foundation for further research on fruit tree leaf tea

The Microbiota and Cytokines Correlation between the Jejunum and Colon in Altay Sheep

Both the jejunum and colon release cytokines that interact with intestinal microbiota. However, it is largely unclear which cytokines and microbial populations are involved in the homeostasis of the intestinal ecosystem for sheep health. To address this, we collected contents for isolating microbiota and tissues for determining cytokines from the jejunum and colon of 7-month-old Altay sheep. We used the techniques of 16S rRNA sequencing and ELISA to detect microbial population and cytokine level, respectively. Correlations between microbial population and cytokines were analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient. The correlation analysis revealed higher populations of Bacteroides, Fibrobacteres and Spirochetes in the colon than in the jejunum, and IL-6 and IL-12 levels were higher in the jejunum than in the colon. Association analysis further revealed a positive association between IL-10 level and both Ruminococcus_2 and norank_f_Bifidobacteriaceae population in the jejunum. The analysis also revealed positive associations between IL-6 level and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013 population, IL-10 and Prevotellaceae_UCG-004, as well as TNF-α and Prevotellaceae_UCG-003 in the colon. These results indicate a potential interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the host immune system that needs to be further clarified for considering dietary formulations to maintain animal health and disease prevention

Optimization of Ultrasonic Wave and Cellulase Synergistic Extraction Technology of Total Flavonoids from Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam and Their Antioxidant Capacity in Vitro

The present study aimed to optimize the ultrasonic wave and cellulase synergistic extraction technology of total flavonoids from Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam and evaluate their antioxidant capacity in vitro. Taking yield of total flavonoids as the metric, the appropriate amount of cellulase added, pH of extraction solvents, ethanol concentration, ultrasonic power, ultrasonic temperature, material-liquid ratio and ultrasonic time were scouted by single-factor experiments, and the optimal conditions for the extraction of total flavonoids from Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Meanwhile, the antioxidant capacity was investigated in vitro using scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiaz-oline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radicals and iron ion reduction method (FRAP). As the result showed that the optimum extraction parameters were the amount of cellulase added: 5%, pH of extraction solvents: 4.7, ethanol concentration: 61%, ultrasonic power: 240 W, ultrasonic temperature: 60 ℃, material-liquid ratio: 1:30 (g/mL), ultrasonic time: 30 min. The total flavonoids yield of Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam was 0.83%±0.02% under these conditions, and the content of total flavonoids in Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam extract was 16.21%±0.42%. The results of antioxidant experiments showed that the total flavonoids could scavenge DPPH and ABTS+ radicals with IC50 values of 150.1 and 44.6 μg/mL, respectively, which were 1.22 and 1.27 times greater than VC. The ferric ion reducing ability of total flavonoids from Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam was slightly higher than that of VC. This optimized extraction process is simple and feasible, and the extracted total flavonoids shows strong antioxidant effects in vitro, which provides scientific evidence for the further study and exploit of flavonoids from Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam

Mpox (formerly monkeypox): pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment

Abstract In 2022, a global outbreak of Mpox (formerly monkeypox) occurred in various countries across Europe and America and rapidly spread to more than 100 countries and regions. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern due to the rapid spread of the Mpox virus. Consequently, nations intensified their efforts to explore treatment strategies aimed at combating the infection and its dissemination. Nevertheless, the available therapeutic options for Mpox virus infection remain limited. So far, only a few numbers of antiviral compounds have been approved by regulatory authorities. Given the high mutability of the Mpox virus, certain mutant strains have shown resistance to existing pharmaceutical interventions. This highlights the urgent need to develop novel antiviral drugs that can combat both drug resistance and the potential threat of bioterrorism. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive literature on the pathophysiology and treatment of Mpox. To address this issue, we conducted a review covering the physiological and pathological processes of Mpox infection, summarizing the latest progress of anti-Mpox drugs. Our analysis encompasses approved drugs currently employed in clinical settings, as well as newly identified small-molecule compounds and antibody drugs displaying potential antiviral efficacy against Mpox. Furthermore, we have gained valuable insights from the process of Mpox drug development, including strategies for repurposing drugs, the discovery of drug targets driven by artificial intelligence, and preclinical drug development. The purpose of this review is to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on Mpox