Similar Characteristics Research Articles

Multi-omics portrait of ductal carcinoma in situ in young women.

Young patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) often face a poorer prognosis. The genomic intricacies in young-onset DCIS, however, remain underexplored. To address this gap, we undertook a comprehensive study encompassing exome, transcriptome, and vmethylome analyses. Our investigation included 20 DCIS samples (including 15 young-onset DCIS) and paired samples of normal breast tissue and blood. Through RNA sequencing, we identified two distinct DCIS subgroups: "immune hot" and "immune cold". The "immune hot" subgroup was characterized by increased infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages, elevated expression of PDCD1 and CTLA4, and reduced GATA3 expression. This group also exhibited active immunerelated transcriptional regulators. Mutational analysis revealed alterations in TP53 (38%), GATA3 (25%), and TTN (19%), with two cases showing mutations in APC, ERBB2, and SMARCC1. Common genomic alterations, irrespective of immune status, included gains in copy numbers at 1q, 8q, 17q, and 20q, and losses at 11q, 17p, and 22q. Signature analysis highlighted the predominance of signatures 2 and 1, with "immune cold" samples showing a significant presence of signature 8. Our methylome study on 13 DCIS samples identified 328 hyperdifferentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 521 hypo-DMRs, with "immune cold" cases generally showing lower levels of methylation. In summary, the molecular characteristics of young-onset DCIS share similarities with invasive breast cancer (IBC), potentially indicating a poor prognosis. Understanding these characteristics, especially the immune microenvironment of DCIS, could be pivotal in identifying new therapeutic targets and preventive strategies for breast cancer.

Anti-obesity effects of fucoidan from Sargassum thunbergii in adipocytes and high fat diet induced obese mice through inhibiting adipogenic specific transcription factor

The prevalence of obesity has increased and is a health concern worldwide. Due to the concerns regarding synthetic anti-obesity treatments, nowadays natural products become a trend. Previous studies proved that there is a potential to use marine algae as anti-obesity agents. Therefore, in this study, the lipid inhibitory effect of crude polysaccharide of amyloglucosidase-assisted hydrolysate from Sargassum thunbergii (STAC) and its fucoidan fractions (STAFs) on 3T3-L1 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice were investigated. According to the results, the STAF3, showed the highest xylose content and exhibited significant inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation by downregulating adipogenic and lipogenic proteins in 3T3-L1 cells. Furthermore, oral supplementation with STAC significantly declined gain in body weight and fat weight, and serum lipid contents in an HFD-induced obesity mouse model. Structural and chemical characterizations demonstrated that purified STAF3 has consistent surface morphology and small particle size, with similar structural characteristics as commercial fucoidan. Together, these results indicate that STAC and purified STAF3 from Sargassum thunbergia is a potent source to develop as ananti-obesity agents or functional food products to counter obesity.

Paralleled Variable Inductor Phase-Shifted Full-Bridge Converter With Full-Load Range ZVS and Low Duty Cycle Loss

This paper presents a new phase-shifted full-bridge topology using a new variable inductor. In this topology, a variable inductor is connected in parallel with a near-ideal transformer. The ZVS of the switches is achieved over the full load range using the parallel current provided by the variable inductor. And the adjustable parallel current reduces conduction losses. Under the orthogonal DC magnetic potential, the variable inductor has similar characteristics to the saturated inductor, which is beneficial to reduce the conduction loss caused by the parallel current. Since the topology has no series inductor and the leakage inductor is extremely small, the proposed converter has the advantages of extremely small duty cycle loss, larger transformer turns ratio, smaller primary current stress, smaller secondary voltage stress, and smaller output current ripple, which are beneficial to improve the efficiency and frequency of the converter. An experimental platform was established. Theoretical analysis and experimental verification were carried out.

New report of decapod crustaceans from the Miocene of Iran

We report some brachyuran crabs from the late Miocene of Dar Pahn unit, Makran Province, Iran. The studied specimens have been assigned to Ixoides MacGilchrist, 1905, with I. miocenicus n. sp. (Leucosiidae Samouelle, 1819) and Persianus arcuatus n. gen., n. sp. (Portunidae Rafinesque, 1815). Ixoides miocenicus n. sp. represents the first fossil representative of the genus, enlarging its stratigraphic range to the Miocene. Persianus arcuatus n. gen., n. sp. represents the first report of a portunid crab from the Miocene of Iran. We also report an indeterminate majoid crab, representing the first report for the Majoidea from the Miocene of Iran. Finally, one portunid crab is compared with Persianus n. gen. based on some similar morphological characters.

Uniqueness of Maximal Spacetime Boundaries

AbstractGiven an extendible spacetime one may ask how much, if any, uniqueness can in general be expected of the extension. Locally, this question was considered and comprehensively answered in a recent paper of Sbierski [22], where he obtains local uniqueness results for anchored spacetime extensions of similar character to earlier work for conformal boundaries by Chruściel [2]. Globally, it is known that non-uniqueness can arise from timelike geodesics behaving pathologically in the sense that there exist points along two distinct timelike geodesics which become arbitrarily close to each other interspersed with points which do not approach each other. We show that this is in some sense the only obstruction to uniqueness of maximal future boundaries: Working with extensions that are manifolds with boundary we prove that, under suitable assumptions on the regularity of the considered extensions and excluding the existence of such “intertwined timelike geodesics”, extendible spacetimes admit a unique maximal future boundary extension. This is analogous to results of Chruściel for the conformal boundary.

Leaf Spot caused by Alternaria tenuissima on Rhamnella franguloides in China.

The small tree species Rhamnella franguloides, belonging to the genus Rhamnella in the tribe Rhamneae Hook. f. of Rhamnaceae (Hauenschild et al. 2016), is an important medicinal plant commonly used for making tea in China. In August 2023, leaf spot symptoms were observed on R. franguloides in Shangyao county, Yantai, Shandong, China, with a disease incidence of 45-65%. Initially appearing as small dark brown spots on the tip lesions, they later expanded and merged into irregular-shaped brown necrotic lesions with yellowish halos. To isolate pathogen, 20 symptomatic tissue fragments (5 × 5 mm) from ten sampling randomly plants were surface sterilized, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates, and incubated at 25°C in darkness for 3 days to obtain colonies.10 purified isolates with similar morphological characteristics were obtained by single-spore isolation from the colonies. The representative isolate MR13 was chosen for morphological and molecular analysis. The colonies On PDA medium initially appear as a circular yellow-brown ring with white round margins, ultimately turning into olive green with fluffy aerial hyphae. The conidiophores displayed brown pigmentation, solitary or branched, producing abundant short chains of conidia. The conidia were typically obclavate to obpyriform or ellipsoid in shape, 22.5-64.5 × 12.5-23.6μm in size, with a short conical beak at the apex, zero to three longitudinal septa and one to five transverse septa. Based on cultural and morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Alternaria spp (Simmons 2007). Due to morphological traits, five genes (the internal transcribed spacer [ITS], actin [ACT], plasma membrane ATPase [ATP], Alternaria major allergen [Alt a1] and histone 3 [H3]) form MR13 were amplified using primer pairs ITSI / ITS4, ACTDF1/R1, ATPDF1 / ATPDRI, Alt-for / Alt-rev, and H3-1a/1b, respectively (Hong et al. 2005; Lawrence et al. 2013; Lousie and Donaldson 1995). BLASTn analysis failed to confirm the identification of MR13 species based on ITS, ACT, ATP and Alt a1(ITS, OR668512; ACT, OR676918; ATP, OR676917; Alt a1, OR676919). The phylogenetic tree showed that it was closely related to Alternaria alternate, A. tenuissima, and A. destruens. The H3 sequence (OR676920) exhibited 100% similarity to A. tenuissima (OR485421). The phylogenetic tree constructed solely with H3 further confirmed MR13 as A. tenuissima. Pathogenicity tests were conducted by introducing the fungus onto healthy R. franguloides leaves in the field. Fifty leaves (five per plant) were treated with a 20ml suspension containing around 1x10^4 spores/ml, while an equal number of control samples were sprayed with distilled water. Transparent plastic bags were used to cover the treated leaves for 48 hours and maintain humidity. After fourteen days of inoculation, consistent leaf spotting symptoms were observed. In contrast, the control leaves showed no sign of infection. The fungal pathogen was successfully reisolated and identified as A. tenuissima through morphological and sequence analysis, fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. tenuissima causing leaf spot disease on R. franguloides in China. Identifying the disease's causal agent is crucial for developing effective management strategies.

First Report of Botryosphaeria dothidea Causing Postharvest Fruit Rot of Plum in China.

The Nai plum (Prunus salicina var. cordata cv. Younai) holds significance as an important deciduous fruit crop in China. In July 2023, symptoms of postharvest fruit rot were observed on Nai plum with a 10% disease incidence of harvested fruits in three supermarkets, located in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China. Infected fruits displayed brown, circular lesions, accompanied by a transition in the surrounding peel color from cyan to red. To investigate the causal agent, small sections (3 to 4 mm2) from the periphery of ten infected fruits were subjected to surface sterilization using 75% ethanol for 30 seconds. Following sterilization, the samples were rinsed three times with sterilized distilled water, air-dried, and aseptically placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25 ℃ for 3 days. Isolated colonies were subcultured by hyphal tiptransfer. Ten of the resulting 12 fungal isolates showed similar morphological characteristics. The colonies exhibited an initial white hue, gradually transitioning to gray, and featured short and thick aerial hyphae with an irregular colony margin. Microscopic examination revealed conidiogenous cells that were hyaline, aseptate, and narrowly fusiform. The conidia were measured 11.0 to 15.6 × 3.2 to 4.9 µm (x̅ = 13.5 ± 1.4 × 4.0 ± 0.4 µm, n = 30), and were hyaline and subcylindrical. The morphological characteristics were in accordance with those of the Botryosphaeria species (Crous et al. 2006). To identify the strain, two representative isolates, JFRL03-1792 and JFRL03-1793, were selected for further characterization. Amplification of nucleotide sequences from three regions (ITS, TEF1-a and TUB2) was conducted using the primer sets ITS5/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, and BT2A/BT2B, respectively (Guo et al. 2023). The resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers: OR418373 and OR418374 for ITS; OR424405 and OR424405 for TEF1-a; OR424411 and OR424412 for TUB2. A BLASTN homology search of the obtained sequences revealed a high similarity of 99%-100% to the ITS (AY236949, 511/513 nucleotides), TEF1-a (AY236898, 282/282 nucleotides), and TUB2 (AY236927, 431/431 nucleotides) sequences of Botryosphaeria dothidea CWM8000 (ex-type). Maximum likelihood analyses were performed for the combined ITS, TEF1-a, and TUB2 dataset using Phylosuite V1.2.2 (Zhang et al. 2020). The resulting phylogenetic tree indicated that the two representative isolates were clustered together with Botryosphaeria dothidea in a clade with 95% bootstrap support. Based on the comprehensive assessment of morphological and molecular data, the two isolates were conclusively identified as B. dothidea. To confirm pathogenicity, six healthy Nai plum fruits were surface sterilized with 75% ethanol and were subsequently wounded with a sterile needle. A 5-mm-diameter mycelial plug of the isolate JFRL03-1792, cultured on PDA at 25 ℃ for three days, was applied to the wound. Another set of six fruits was inoculated with sterile agar plugs as control. Following incubation in a climatic chamber at 25 ℃ and 80% relative humidity, the fruits were examined after 5 days. The experiment was repeated twice. The fruits inoculated with B. dothidea displayed typical rot symptoms, while the control fruits remained asymptomatic. In adherence to Koch's postulates, the fungus was successfully re-isolated from the inoculated fruits and confirmed as B. dothidea through morphological and molecular analysis. B. dothidea has previously been reported causing fruit rot on kiwifruit, winter jujube, and apple (Tang et al. 2012; Zhou et al. 2015; Marsberg et al. 2017; Xu et al. 2023). In addition, B. dothidea also reported causing Botryosphaeria canker disease on plum (Lin et al. 1994). But to our knowledge, this is the first documentation of B. dothidea causing postharvest fruit rot on plum in China. This discovery imparts critical insights into the management of this high-risk disease affecting plum in China.

468 Does the Choice of C2 Versus Subaxial Upper Instrumented Vertebrae Impact 24-month Outcome and Satisfaction in Patients With Cervical Myelopathy? A QOD Study

INTRODUCTION: There is limited data on the outcomes regarding the effect of upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV) selection in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). METHODS: This was an analysis of the prospective Quality Outcomes Database Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (QOD CSM) cohort which included adult patients who were diagnosed with primary CSM undergoing elective surgery. Patient-reported outcomes including VAS neck and arm pain, NDI, mJOA, EQ-5D, and NASS patient satisfaction were collected at baseline and 24 months. RESULTS: Of the 239 patients with CSM who underwent PCF, 48 (20.1%) had UIV of C2 and 191 (79.9%) had UIV of C3/below. The 24-month follow-up rate was 87.4% for patient-reported outcomes. At baseline, C2 group had a higher frequency of motor deficit (83.3% vs 68.1%, p = 0.04) compared to the C3/below group; otherwise, there was no difference in pain, function, and quality of life. C2 group had greater number of treated levels (6.1 ± 2.0 vs 4.5 ± 1.3, p < 0.01) compared to the C3/below group. At 24-month follow-up, the two groups achieved similar rates of satisfaction and MCID for pain, disability, myelopathy, and quality of life (all p > 0.05) postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Although the C2 group had greater number of treated levels compared to the C3/below group, the two cohorts had overall similar baseline characteristics and achieved similar MCID rates of the measured outcomes. The results of this study suggest that UIV of C2 may not have appreciable benefit over subaxial UIV in patient-reported outcomes.

A palynological study of <i>Viola</i> in Korea

Palynological studies were conducted to investigate the interspecific relationships among 43 Korean <i>Viola</i> taxa. Pollen of the genus <i>Viola</i> in Korea was monad in terms of the cell unit, and small or medium in size. The shape of the polar view was angular or circular, and the equatorial view was divided into prolate, subprolate, and prolate-spheroidal categories. The pollen polarity was isopolar, and the aperture type was 3–5 colporate. The surface sculptures of the equatorial view were found to be punctate-scabrate, punctate-rugulate, and punctate-rugulate-fossulate-scabrate. Consequently, as the pollen of most <i>Viola</i> taxa have similar morphological characters, it was difficult to construct a palynological description of each species. However, the seven taxa of <i>V. arvensis, V. tricolor, V. diamantiaca, V. patrinii, V. mirabilis, V. grypoceras</i> var. <i>pubescens</i>, and <i>V. raddeana</i> were clearly distinguished with morphologically similar species according to the aperture number, surface patterns and pollen sizes, all of which can be used as useful pollen characters.

‘손(手)’類 部首字 중심의 草書 字形 및 類似 字形에 관한 고찰

This paper studies the cursive script of characters such as 手(Hands), 攴(slaps), 攵(slaps), 支(supports), 又(hands), 爪(nails), 寸(short length), 厶(arms), 力(strength), 文(words), 戈(weapons) and compound characters.
 This paper compares these characters with similar shapes. The meaning and shape of ancient characters have influenced cursive writing. Just organize it briefly.
 Words(‘手’) express the shape of fingers and fists. The shape of cursive script is affected by this. The character(‘攴’, ‘攵’) represents the appearance of holding a stick in hand. ‘戈’ is a weapon used in war. So these words replaced each other in cursive script. The character(‘攴’) appears alternately with this character( ‘力’字, ‘又’字, ‘’字, ‘支’字, ‘弓’字, ‘攵’字, ‘文’字 ). One of these phenomena is that the characters are similar, which is why they appear in cursive script. This character(‘’字, ‘弓’字) is influenced by that character(‘乃’字, ‘’字, ‘’字) and appears in cursive script. The cursive script of this character(‘又’) has also been replaced by that character(‘寸’). Or multiple of these words(‘又’) have been weakened. The cursive strokes of this character(‘爪’) have weakened. Elaborate or express in two points.
 This word(‘寸’) has a curved tail and then narrates together with dots. Or change the position of the point to express it. This character(‘對’) divides the upper part of that character(‘丵’) into three dots according to the ancient script shape. This character(‘厶’) is an old version of this character(‘厷’). This character(‘厷’) appears with that character(‘九’). The reason is that(‘九’) in ancient Chinese characters, this character(‘九’) presents the shape of a human arm, and that character(‘肱’) also presents the shape of a bent arm, so it appears alternately. Because these characters have a common curved shape, which character(‘厷’) is used instead of this one(‘弓’) to express. You can see the appearance of ‘厶’, ‘厷’, ‘弓’, ‘’ from the cursive script. This word(‘力’) expresses human muscles and tendons. These words(攵, 攴, 力) related to hands or arms are mixed together for use. This character(‘文’) also has a similar shape to that character(‘攵’), so it will also appear in cursive script. According to these contents, the characters are influenced by similar characters, ancient characters, and variant characters, appearing in cursive script characters. Exploring similar or ancient character forms can provide a lot of information for distinguishing cursive script forms. By using it, it is possible to provide rich explanations for more glyphs. I hope this will be of great help in understanding the shapes of cursive script.

‘손(手)’類 部首字 중심의 草書 字形 및 類似 字形에 관한 고찰

This paper studies the cursive script of characters such as 手(Hands), 攴(slaps), 攵(slaps), 支(supports), 又(hands), 爪(nails), 寸(short length), 厶(arms), 力(strength), 文(words), 戈(weapons) and compound characters.
 This paper compares these characters with similar shapes. The meaning and shape of ancient characters have influenced cursive writing. Just organize it briefly.
 Words(‘手’) express the shape of fingers and fists. The shape of cursive script is affected by this. The character(‘攴’, ‘攵’) represents the appearance of holding a stick in hand. ‘戈’ is a weapon used in war. So these words replaced each other in cursive script. The character(‘攴’) appears alternately with this character( ‘力’字, ‘又’字, ‘’字, ‘支’字, ‘弓’字, ‘攵’字, ‘文’字 ). One of these phenomena is that the characters are similar, which is why they appear in cursive script. This character(‘’字, ‘弓’字) is influenced by that character(‘乃’字, ‘’字, ‘’字) and appears in cursive script. The cursive script of this character(‘又’) has also been replaced by that character(‘寸’). Or multiple of these words(‘又’) have been weakened. The cursive strokes of this character(‘爪’) have weakened. Elaborate or express in two points.
 This word(‘寸’) has a curved tail and then narrates together with dots. Or change the position of the point to express it. This character(‘對’) divides the upper part of that character(‘丵’) into three dots according to the ancient script shape. This character(‘厶’) is an old version of this character(‘厷’). This character(‘厷’) appears with that character(‘九’). The reason is that(‘九’) in ancient Chinese characters, this character(‘九’) presents the shape of a human arm, and that character(‘肱’) also presents the shape of a bent arm, so it appears alternately. Because these characters have a common curved shape, which character(‘厷’) is used instead of this one(‘弓’) to express. You can see the appearance of ‘厶’, ‘厷’, ‘弓’, ‘’ from the cursive script. This word(‘力’) expresses human muscles and tendons. These words(攵, 攴, 力) related to hands or arms are mixed together for use. This character(‘文’) also has a similar shape to that character(‘攵’), so it will also appear in cursive script. According to these contents, the characters are influenced by similar characters, ancient characters, and variant characters, appearing in cursive script characters. Exploring similar or ancient character forms can provide a lot of information for distinguishing cursive script forms. By using it, it is possible to provide rich explanations for more glyphs. I hope this will be of great help in understanding the shapes of cursive script.

Cornelia De Lange Syndrome with left heart hypoplasia: a case study

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is characterized by slow growth that can lead to short stature. Despite mutations in the NIPBL, RAD21 or SMC3 genes, CdLS is thought to be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Findings include intellectual disability and bone abnormalities in the upper extremities and distinct facial features. It has similar characteristics to autism spectrum disorder, which is a developmental condition that affects communication and social interaction. The physical and clinical findings of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl patient diagnosed with CdLS were reported. In addition to NIPBL gene mutation, atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), an overriding aorta, and a hypoplastic left heart (HLH) were observed in our case. This study revealed the patient's physical and clinical findings consistent with the diagnosis of CdLS. Additionally emphasized HLH. The importance of performing corrective surgery immediately following the evaluation of congenital heart diseases in CdLS patients can be emphasized.

Regional features of modern Russian science (on the example of the republic of Bashkortostan of the Russian Federation)

The article analyzes the regional peculiarities of modern Russian science. In the course of the research the works devoted to the training and reproduction of scientific personnel, as well as to improving the quality and efficiency of scientific activity have been studied. The general trends in the scientific personnel formation system have been revealed, and the factors and indicators that influence science development in the regions identified. A comparative analysis of scientific personnel training in Russia and abroad has been carried out, the distinctive and similar characteristics identified. The data on domestic universities publication activity have been presented. In the Russian universities subject rating the Republic of Bashkortostan universities are mainly in the third ten, which indicates the need to strengthen scientific programs financing, increase salaries and improve working conditions for researchers. An important factor in science successful development in the region is creating attractive conditions for young scientists, who play a key role in science and innovations development, as their participation is considered a scientific progress driver. The author emphasizes the importance of strengthening the science development in Russian regions, which requires not only financial investments, but also systemic changes aimed at supporting researchers and creating favorable working conditions.

Satisfaction with The Life and Self-Esteem of Portuguese Disabilities Elite Athletes of Boccia and Adapted Athletics

This study is to compare the degree of satisfaction with life and self-esteem of Portuguese elite athletes of adapted sport according to the modality practiced, gender and sport experience. The sample consisted of 30 Portuguese elite athletes, 15 of adapted Athletics and 15 of Boccia, aged between 17 and 54 years (31.03 ± 10.26). The sports experience of these athletes was 13.33 (± 9.0) years of practice, in which 20 were male and 10 were female and all these athletes have disabilities. A questionnaire on biographical data, Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985), the Self-Anchoring Rating Scale (Cantril, 1965) and the Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) translated and adapted by (Bandeira et al., 2005) were applied. The questionnaire to assess subjective well-being (Translate adapted by (Fortes-Ferreira et al., 2006). The t-test was used to compare levels of satisfaction with life and self-esteem according to modality, sex, and years of practice. The results of this study allow us to conclude that Portuguese adapted athletes (8,83±4,71) and bocce (5,53±4,52) present there are statistically significant differences (0.050) in self-esteem between. The lower functional capacity, as well as the severity of Boccia athletes' deficiency, which requires the use of ancillary means, may be a reason to justify the fact that they present lower values of self-esteem than athletes. The same reason may justify a lower level of satisfaction with the lives of athletes with any less more sporting experience (25,47±4,33) than more sporting experience (28,85±4,63) since they are also older athletes.

Abstract 7008: NEBNext® E5hmC-seqTM: Direct detection of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at single base resolution

Abstract DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic regulator of gene expression during development and in diseases such as cancer. The modified cytosines, 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), can be detected by sequencing libraries generated using existing methods: NEBNext® EM-seq™ or bisulfite sequencing. However, these methods cannot differentiate between 5mC and 5hmC. Interest in the role of 5hmC in regulating gene expression and as a cancer biomarker has increased, resulting in the need for robust methods for the identification of specific 5hmC sites. Methods currently exist to enable discrimination of 5mC and 5hmC (for example, oxBS-seq and TAB-seq), however these are based on modifications of bisulfite sequencing, and suffer from reduced data quality due to fragmentation and loss of DNA. Here we describe an enzymatic method that enables specific detection of 5hmC, termed NEBNext® Enzymatic 5hmC-seq (E5hmC-seqTM). E5hmC-seq libraries were generated for 0.1 ng to 200 ng DNA isolated from human brain and E14 mouse embryonic stem cells. Libraries were prepared using NEBNext® Ultra IITM reagents followed by two enzymatic steps to detect 5hmC. In the first step, 5hmCs are glucosylated, which protects them from subsequent deamination by APOBEC. In contrast, cytosines and 5mCs are deaminated resulting in their conversion to uracil and thymine, respectively. This conversion allows discrimination of 5hmC from cytosine and 5mC. Finally, libraries were PCR amplified using NEBNext® Q5U® and sequenced on the Illumina platform. The E5hmC-seq libraries have similar characteristics to EM-seq libraries, including expected insert sizes due to intact DNA molecules, low duplication rates and minimal GC bias. Moreover, E5hmC-seq libraries were well-correlated between inputs and replicates at higher sequencing depths. Fully hydroxymethylated T4147 phage DNA was used as an internal control, with 98-99% of cytosines identified as 5hmC. 5mC and 5hmC levels were also profiled during E14 cell differentiation for a period of 10 days. Interestingly, 5hmC levels decreased whereas 5mC levels increased particularly during the first five days of differentiation. LC-MS/MS quantification of this same DNA mirrored the changes observed by sequencing. E5hmC-seq libraries provide accurate measurements of 5hmC across a wide input range with expected insert sizes and minimal GC bias. Additionally, subtracting E5hmC-seq data from EM-seq data, which detects both 5mC and 5hmC, enables the precise location of individual 5mC and 5hmC sites. The ability to discriminate between 5mC and 5hmC will allow key insights to be made into the role of cytosine modifications in development and cancer. Citation Format: Garrett M. Cammarata, Daniel J. Evanich, V. K. Chaithanya Ponnaluri, Vaishnavi Panchapakesa, Ariel Erijman, Matt A. Campbell, Nan Dai, Bradley W. Langhorst, Louise Williams. NEBNext® E5hmC-seqTM: Direct detection of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at single base resolution [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7008.

Mechanical properties of reaction mediums in permeable reactive barriers

The mechanical properties of reaction media in permeable reactive barriers (PRB) is vital in geoenvironmental applications. Bentonite, activated carbon and zeolite, recognized for their excellent adsorption capabilities, are employed as the main reaction media in PRB for the treatment of contaminated underground water. The compaction test and the undrained and unconsolidated triaxial test were carried out to investigate the compression and shear strength of the activated carbon-zeolite mixture and activated carbon-bentonite mixture at various composition ratios. The impact of compaction degree on samples' shear strength was analyzed. The influence of different composition ratios on the mechanical properties and the permeability of each reaction medium were also evaluated. The results show that the mechanical performance of most activated carbon-zeolite (AZs) is not satisfactory compared to natural soil and activated carbon-bentonite mixtures. Activated carbon‑sodium bentonite (ANBs) and activated carbon‑calcium bentonite (ACBs) present similar compaction characteristics and shear properties. In ANBs and ACBs, the cohesion of mixes with a mass ratio of 1:2 (ANB2 and ACB2) was found lower than that of mixes with mass ratios of 1:1 (ANB1 and ACB1) and 1:3 (ANB3 and ACB3). And in most ANB and ACB mixes, 100 % compaction produced higher moisture content and higher friction angle, but lower cohesion, compared to 92 % compaction degree. And the shear strength behavior of ANBs is dominated by both bentonite and activated carbon. The permeability of ACB1, AZ3 and ACB1-sand are at 1.31 × 10−6 m/s, 1.37 × 10−6 m/s and 7.72 × 10−7 m/s, respectively. These results provide valuable insights into the selection and optimization of reaction media for PRBs in geoenvironmental engineering applications.

Endangered Lomas plant communities and their potential on green roofs in Peru

Ongoing urbanisation and climate change threaten urban green (UG) spaces in Lima, exacerbated by conventional design and management methods. Extensive green roofs (GRs) are a promising alternative in Lima's context as they provide numerous benefits and are adapted to arid conditions. This study aimed to develop sustainable GRs in Lima by using the Lomas ecosystems as a habitat template. We analysed abiotic conditions and plant traits of Lomas communities and compared them with those of GRs. We compared species composition and edaphic properties from five Lomas around Lima with those of arid GR systems. Lomas and GR species were further classified into functional groups based on their functional traits. Amancaes, Lachay and Villa Maria del Triunfo (VMT) have soils with similar characteristics as arid GRs, and the most suited Lomas species were found there. The 'herb functional group', consisting of herbs with succulence and clonal capacity, may be suitable for GRs due to arid adaptations and creeping and clumping growth patterns. Given the endangered status of several Lomas species within this group, introducing them to GRs in Lima offers a conservation opportunity, helping their survival and establishing urban complementary habitats. Shrub species such as Heliotropium, Atriplex, Croton, and Trixis are the most frequent shrubs in Lomas and are crucial for preserving the structure and biodiversity of the ecosystem. However, the 'shrub functional group' may be better suited for semi-intensive GRs due to their deeper root systems and erect growth. The habitat template approach can aid biodiversity conservation by incorporating threatened and endemic Lomas species into GR systems.

First Report of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum causing leaf zonate spot disease of Aloe vera L. in China.

In February 2022, leaf zonate spot disease afflicted Aloe vera L. in Yunnan, China, endangering the $39 billion industry with 0.33ha under cultivation (Wan 2015). The disease manifested with watery spots progressing into oval or circular necrosis lesions, characterized by a dark center surrounded by a gray-brown zone. In the late stage of the disease, lesions regress in size and several small dark picnidia dots appeared on the gray-brown zone. The disease incidence ranged from 10% to 15% in three commercial plantations. If left uncontrolled, the disease could diminish the commercial value of Aloe vera plants. Eighteen symptomatic leaf samples underwent morphological and genetic identification. The samples were carefully washed with distilled water and 1×1 cm2 sections of tissue were excised using a sterile scalpel. The sections underwent surface-disinfection with 3% NaOCl for 3 min and 75% ethanol for 30 s. After three sterile water rinses the sections were air-dried. Subsequently, they were transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) before being incubated at 25 ℃ in the dark. Of the 18 samples, eight produced the colonies with similar morphological characteristics, named LH7. Isolate LH7 had downy to woolly aerial mycelia, initially pinkish white on the surface, and gradually turned greenish-olivaceous from the middle, and eventually turned dark brown to black after seven days. The fungus formed arthric chains in the aerial mycelium on PDA but did not produce conidiomata. The conidia, which occurred in arthric chains were 5.50-9.9 × 4.08-7.51 μm (mean 7.09× 5.26 μm, n=50) in size, cylindrical, brown, and 0-1 septate. To ascertain LH7's pathogenicity, three healthy one-year old aloe plants were surface-sanitized with a 1% aqueous chlorine solution, rinsed with sterile water, and dried. Three leaves from each plant were punctuated and inoculated using conidial suspension (100 μl of 1x 106 conidial mL-1), while three control plants were inoculated with sterile distilled water. The pathogenicity tests were repeated twice. The inoculated plants were kept at 25 ℃ with a 12-hour light/12-hour dark cycle. After seven days, symptoms observed in the field appeared in the plants, while no disease occurred in the control plants. After 21 days, conidiomata formed on the inoculated leaves, averaging 116.92 μm (n=20) in diameter. These conidiomata were globose to subglobose, and brown to sub-brown. The fungus was successfully re-isolated from symptomatic tissue and the resulting colonies were morphologically consistent with isolate LH7. Based on the characteristics, the fungus was identified as Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (Philips et al. 2013). The specimen was deposited in China Center for Type Culture Collection ( CCTCC AF 2024001). This identification was confirmed through sequencing of ITS gene region of rDNA using ITS1/ITS4 (Imran et al. 2022). The sequence was submitted into GenBank database (ON878059). BLAST analysis of the LH7's ITS amplicon showed 100% similarity with that of JN093303.1. A phylogenetic tree constructed using the maximum likelihood method revealed that ON878059 was clustered with JN093303.1. Previous studies have documented that pathogens such as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.), Fusarium spp. and Rhizopus oryzae can also cause diseases in A. vera in China (Zhou et al. 2008; Ding et al. 2015). Additinonally, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Pseudopestalotiopsis theae, and Lasiodiplodia theobromae have been identified as causal agents of aloe leaf spot diseases in India, Bangladesh and Malaysia (Avasthi et al. 2016; Ahmmed et al. 2022; Khoo et al. 2022). To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. dimidiatum causing leaf necrosis of aloe in China. Vigilant surveillance and disease control measures are imperative to mitigate potential losses in this region.

Surgical treatment for congenital vertebral anomalies with bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib in association: A series of five cases

Background: Congenital scoliosis is often associated with costal deformities, of which a bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib is very rare. The aim of this study was to retrospectively summarize the clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, treatment strategies, and postoperative outcomes of five patients with bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the imaging findings and medical records of five pediatric patients (two girls, three boys) with bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib who were surgically treated for congenital kyphoscoliosis (mean age = 8 years). The clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, treatment strategies, and postoperative outcome were summarized. Results: Four of five patients showed abnormalities from birth. All five patients presented with kyphoscoliosis and a fused vertebral body or lamina. The bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib was located at T2–3 in three patients, T7 in one patient, and T10 in one patient. Various congenital spinal deformities and multiple system malformations were present in all five patients. Three patients had preoperative neurological deficits. For corrective surgery, one patient received a traditional growing rod implantation, one patient underwent resection of a bony septum, and three patients underwent spinal osteotomy. One patient suffered complete paralysis of the lower limbs after surgery. Conclusion: Bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib is a rare anomaly that typically occurs in patients with serious kyphoscoliosis. Bilateral bifid intrathoracic rib patients show similar clinical and radiological characteristics and are likely to exhibit neurological deficits before or following corrective surgery. Spinal surgeons should be aware of the high risk of permanent neurological complications related to surgery in these patients. Level of evidence: level IV.

Wall-trapped acetylene tetramer in a metal-organic framework enables kinetic separation of C2H2/C2H4

Effective separation of acetylene/ethylene (C2H2/C2H4) mixtures by adsorption is a challenging but green method given their similar molecular characters. An increasing number of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have addressed the diffusion-related challenges to achieve the separation, yet almost all of them just focus on diffusion rates and disregard the geometrical arrangement of adsorbed molecules which exerts important effects in boosting the diffusion behaviors. Herein, we now present a paradigm using an ultramicroporous zinc-MOF (Zn-MOF, referred to as 1) with assessable size of 3.4 × 3.3 Å2, as demonstrated by single-crystal and theoretical analysis, which realizes the effective separation of C2H2 from its competitors. Static adsorption isotherms indicate that 1 possesses higher C2H2 uptake of 28.4 cm3 g−1 at 298 K and 0.1 bar, achieving a high IAST selectivity of 265 among the benchmark MOFs. Theoretical calculations reveal that C2H2 molecules are grasped through multiple binding interactions and adsorbed in the pore surface rather than the center of the pore, thus forming C2H2 tetramer through connecting four C2H2 motifs. Further, time-dependent kinetic tests coupled with molecular dynamics confirm the faster diffusion behavior for C2H2, mainly attributing to unimpeded diffusion channel. Column breakthrough tests demonstrate that 1 can easily accomplish exclusive separation of C2H2 from various binary ethane dehydrogenation (EDH) and senary non-oxidative coupling of methane (non-OCM) byproducts. Specially, structurally stable 1 can be readily synthesized utilizing inexpensive raw materials, yielding the cost of only $614 per kilogram. Accordingly, this work proposes a novel strategy of wall-trapped C2H2 tetramer in MOF that can effectively promote the kinetic behavior through available diffusion channel, expecting to offer a new perspective and provide guidance for future research.