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This paper introduces fully Dowling polynomials of the first and second kinds, which are degenerate versions of the ordinary Dowling polynomials. Then, several important identities for these degenerate polynomials are derived. The relationship between fully degenerate Dowling polynomials and fully degenerate Bell polynomials, degenerate Bernoulli polynomials, degenerate Euler polynomials, and so on is obtained using umbral calculus.

Tamarix boveana Bunge demonstrates strong drought and salinity tolerance, exhibiting significant economic potential and ecological functions. With global warming profoundly altering plant distribution patterns, this study aims to identify key factors influencing its distribution and predict shifts in habitat suitability under future climate scenarios. This study employed the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model with 186 presences and 36 environmental variables. Results reveal that the current suitable habitat of Tamarix boveana is primarily concentrated along the southern Mediterranean coast and partial western coastal areas, with highly suitable zones comprising 14% of the total suitable range. Dominant environmental factors governing its distribution include isothermality (bio3), annual mean temperature (bio1), soil pH (t_pH_h2o), and precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18). Projections under varying carbon emission scenarios indicate a contraction in suitable habitat area, accompanied by pronounced poleward range shifts and habitat fragmentation, particularly under high-emission pathways. This study provides a scientific foundation for the conservation and management of Tamarix boveana, while contributing to climate change impact assessments and biodiversity preservation.

Molecular recognition is a fundamental function of natural systems that ensures biological activity. This is achieved through the sieving effect, host-guest interactions, or both in biological environments. Recent advancements in multifunctional proteins reveal a new dimension of functional organization that goes beyond single-function molecular recognition, emphasizing the need for artificial multifunctional materials in industrial applications. Herein, we have designed a porous Ni 4 O 4 -cubane squarate coordination polymer as an artificial molecular recognition host, drawing inspiration from the structural and functional features of natural enzymes. A comprehensive assessment of the material’s ability to distinguish target species under different operating conditions was carried out. The results confirm its sieving function through hexane isomers separation, host-guest interaction function via xenon/krypton separation, and dual presence of sieving and interaction through carbon dioxide/nitrogen separation. Additionally, the material demonstrates good stability and feasibility for large-scale production, indicating its practical potential. Our findings provide a bio-inspired multifunctional recognition material for chemical separations as proof-of-concept while offering solutions to advance artificial multifunctional materials adaptable to other applications beyond chemical separations. Materials for multifunctional molecular recognition are essential in industry. Here, the authors present a cost-effective, stable and multifunctional Ni-cubane MOF that effectively separates hexane isomers, xenon/krypton, and carbon dioxide/nitrogen.

In this comprehensive study, we explored the molecular landscape C-X-C chemokine receptor (CXCR) family genes (CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR5, and CXCR7) in osteosarcoma (OS) by scrutinizing the expression profiles and functional implications using Bioinformatics analyses and molecular experiments. We found significant up-regulation of these genes in OS cell lines compared to control cell lines, as assessed by RT-qPCR, with high diagnostic potential demonstrated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Cross-validation using the GSE12865 dataset revealed consistent up-regulation of CXCR family genes in OS samples, alongside decreased promoter methylation in tumor samples compared to normal tissues, as confirmed by the UALCAN database. Mutational analysis, conducted using data from 237 OS samples from the cBioPortal database, revealed minimal mutations in CXCR1 and CXCR2, with no alterations in CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR5, and CXCR7. Copy number variation (CNV) analysis showed some level of amplification in CXCR1 and CXCR2, but no significant alterations in the copy numbers of the other genes. Survival analysis using meta-analysis across multiple independent studies showed that the expression of some CXCR genes were significantly associated with poor patient survival. Further exploration of the transcriptional regulation of CXCR genes using the ENCORI database revealed an intricate miRNA-mRNA network involving miR-130a, miR-146a, miR-155, miR-21, and miR-7, which regulate the expression of these genes. Elevated expression of these miRNAs in OS samples was validated by RT-qPCR, with promising diagnostic potential highlighted by ROC analysis. Additionally, the immunological analysis revealed a positive correlation between the expressions of CXCR genes and immune cell types, including macrophages and T cells, and CXCR genes were found to enhance drug responsiveness in OS patients. Gene enrichment analysis identified critical biological processes and pathways, such as chemokine-mediated signaling and immune response, linked to the CXCR family. Knockdown of CXCR1 in HOS and MG-63 cells confirmed that CXCR1 plays a crucial role in cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration. CXCR1 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation and colony formation, while enhancing cell migration, underscoring its functional importance in OS progression. Overall, our findings suggest that the CXCR family genes are potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in OS, with implications for therapeutic targeting and further investigation into their role in OS pathogenesis.

The diversity of liverworts in China is rich. It is of great significance to study the species distribution pattern of liverworts in China for the protection of liverworts diversity, flora research and biodiversity monitoring. On the basis of records from national and provincial liverwort lists, herbaria and online databases, a dataset of liverwort distributions was created to analyze the geographical distribution patterns of liverwort species diversity in China. According to the taxonomy of liverwort species in the CoLChina database, more than 60,000 distribution records of 34 provincial geographic units were standardized. ArcGIS 10.8 was used to map the overall richness of liverwort species, as were the individual maps of 14 taxonomic groups of liverworts. Southwest China presented very high species richness, followed by Central China and South China, which presented relatively high species richness. The centers of liverwort species diversity in China are highly consistent with the diversity centers of endemic liverwort in China, many sites from coastal areas to Mountains. The specific distribution centers include the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Hengduan Mountain Range, coastal areas in southern China and Taiwan Mountain Range, as well as the Qinling Mountains and Taihang Mountains in the central region and the Changbai Mountains and Xiaoxing’an Mountains in northeast China. There was significant difference in the distribution patterns of liverwort groups among the different provincial regions in China. As large groups, Jungermanniales and Porellales are absolutely dominant, their distribution patterns are similar to the overall richness of liverwort. The distribution center of Jungermanniales is punctate, while the distribution center of Porellales is flaky. However, the diversity centers of the small and medium liverwort groups are abundant, and their distribution patterns are also significantly different, such as, Marchantiales and Metzgeriales are medium-sized taxa. There were five types of small groups. This study will help us record and understand the biogeographic patterns of liverwort, clarify the geographical distribution of the major phylogenetic groups (order) of liverwort, and analyze the geographical distribution of national endemic and provincial endemic liverworts in China, providing a theoretical basis for future assessments of conservation gaps and reasonable conservation actions for liverworts.

African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, hemorrhagic, and severe infectious disease caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), posing significant threats to global swine production. ASFV pathogenesis is closely associated with its sophisticated immune evasion strategies. In this study, we demonstrate that ASFV pB318L, a trans-geranylgeranyl-diphosphate synthase (GGPPS) homolog inhibited both the NF-κB signaling pathway and the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Infection with ASFV-intB318L (a recombinant ASFV with pB318L expression inhibition) induced significantly higher levels of IL-1β compared to its parent strain ASFV HLJ/18. Mechanically, pB318L interacts with NEMO to inhibit the interaction between IKKα and NEMO, and suppresses the K63-linked ubiquitination of NEMO mediated by TRIM21. In addition, pB318L interacts with the NACHT and LRR domains of NLRP3, which prevents the oligomerization of NLRP3 by suppressing the interaction between NEK7 and NLRP3. Crucially, the immunosuppressive functions of pB318L on both NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation are independent of its GGPPS enzymatic activity. In conclusion, we presented evidence that ASFV pB318L negatively regulates NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome. This study provides critical mechanistic insights into the role of pB318L in ASFV pathogenesis and highlights its potential as a target for the development of antiviral strategies or live-attenuated vaccines against ASF.

Sulfur (S) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, influencing not only crop yields but also the composition and function of soil microbial communities. However, the differential effects of S fertilization on abundant and rare taxa in agricultural soils remain poorly understood. This study investigates the impact of different S fertilizer types on maize yield and the structure and stability of soil microbial communities, with a particular focus on abundant and rare taxa. S fertilization led to significant increases maize yield on two typical soils (black soil and sandy soil) (5.3–24.3%) and altered soil properties, including reducing pH (0.04–0.20) and increasing the available sulfur (AS) content (3.8–8.0 mg kg−1), with ammonium sulfate having a more pronounced effect than elemental sulfur. Microbial analysis revealed distinct impacts on the diversity and community structure of both abundant and rare taxa. Elemental sulfur reduced the alpha diversity of abundant taxa more than ammonium sulfate, while NMDS indicated significant shifts in community structures, particularly among abundant taxa. Network analysis showed that S fertilization decreased the complexity of microbial interactions among rare taxa, with ammonium sulfate leading to simpler networks and elemental sulfur resulting in higher modularity. SEM highlighted that the diversity of rare taxa played a crucial role in influencing maize yield, alongside direct effects from soil properties such as AS and SAR (aryl sulfatase). Functional predictions demonstrated that amino acid metabolism and xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism pathways were enriched in rare taxa, suggesting significant implications for soil health and crop productivity. This study provides new insights into the roles of abundant and rare bacterial taxa under S fertilization, emphasizing their importance in optimizing fertilization strategies for enhanced crop yield in specific soil types.

Neuroblastoma tightly linked with genetic abnormality. The core genes responsible for RNA N 1 -methyladenosine (m 1 A) modification are critical in tumor development. Nevertheless, few reports revealed the function of m 1 A modification core gene polymorphisms and the neuroblastoma risk. We carried out this study to verify the association of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with neuroblastoma susceptibility. This study recruited 898 cases with newly diagnosed neuroblastoma and 1734 Healthy controls from eight medical centers. We selected 12 SNPs from m 1 A modification genes ALKBH1 , TRMT6 , TRMT61B , and TRMT10C , and genotypes were determined by the TaqMan method. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression models to analyze the association of SNPs with neuroblastoma risk, followed by stratified analysis. Statistical analysis showed that TRMT6 rs236170 GG (AOR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.02–1.50, P  = 0.034), rs451571 CC (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.01–2.11, P  = 0.043), rs236188 AA (AOR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.16–6.07, P  = 0.021), rs236110 AA (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.29–2.82, P  = 0.001), and ALKBH1 rs6494 AA (AOR = 4.27, 95% CI = 1.31–13.93, P  = 0.016), rs176942 GG (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.35–2.89, P  = 0.0005) were neuroblastoma risk variants; the ALKBH1 rs1048147 CC (AOR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.68–0.94, P  = 0.007) was inverse associated with neuroblastoma risk. The eQTL analysis showed that functional annotation of rs6494 T > A may be potential function variants through decreasing ALKBH1 gene expression mRNA, rs451571 T > C, rs236188 G > A, rs236110 C > A are associated with neuroblastoma risk through increasing the expression of its nearby genes RP5-967N21.11 and lowering the expression of MCM8 . Our research showed some SNPs in the m 1 A modification core genes are related to neuroblastoma. Clinical perspectives (i) Few reports have revealed the function of m 1 A modification core gene polymorphisms in neuroblastoma risk. (ii) After genotyping 12 SNPs with potential functions in four m 1 A modification core genes in children with neuroblastoma and healthy controls, we found several neuroblastoma predisposition loci, including TRMT6 rs236170, rs451571, rs236188, rs236110, and ALKBH1 rs6494, rs176942, and rs1048147. The eQTL assessment demonstrated that rs6494 T > A may be a potential functional variant by decreasing ALKBH1 mRNA expression. (iii) Our research is the first to reveal m 1 A modification core gene SNPs and neuroblastoma risk. Graphical Abstract

Lassa virus (LASV) is a highly pathogenic virus that is categorized as a biosafety level-4 pathogen. Currently, there are no approved drugs or vaccines specific to LASV. In this study, high-throughput screening of a fragment-based drug discovery library was performed against LASV entry using a pseudotype virus bearing the LASV envelope glycoprotein complex (GPC). Two compounds, F1920 and F1965, were identified as LASV entry inhibitors that block GPC-mediated membrane fusion. Analysis of adaptive mutants demonstrated that the transient mutants L442F and I445S, as well as the constant mutant F446L, were located on the same side on the transmembrane domain of the subunit GP2 of GPC, and all the mutants conferred resistance to both F1920 and F1965. Furthermore, F1920 antiviral activity extended to other highly pathogenic mammarenaviruses, whereas F1965 was LASV-specific. Our study showed that both F1920 and F1965 provide a potential backbone for the development of lead drugs for preventing LASV infection.

Background The diagnostic and prognostic values of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), in comparison to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light chain (cNfL), and other clinical parameters in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the time of diagnosis remain elusive. Methods We examine paired serum and CSF samples from 80 ALS patients and 21 control subjects, all obtained at the time of diagnosis. Additional serum samples were collected from 51 other ALS patients. NfL concentrations were quantified using the single molecule array (Simoa) technique. Results Our findings demonstrate a robust correlation between NfL levels in matched CSF and serum samples. Notably, both sNfL (p < 0.0001) and cNfL (p < 0.0001) exhibited significantly elevated levels in ALS patients compared to controls. Furthermore, baseline sNfL concentrations, as well as cNfL levels, emerged as predictive indicators of subsequent disease progression rate (sNfL: p < 0.0001, cNfL: p = 0.0005) and overall survival (sNfL: p = 0.0073, cNfL: p = 0.0044). Employing a Cox regression model, we identified baseline sNfL level (HR = 1.01, p = 0.013), and diagnostic delay (HR = 0.94, p = 0.003) as independent prognostic factors for mortality. Furthermore, we constructed a nomogram model that incorporates both sNfL and pertinent clinical variables, which substantially enhances the accuracy of predicting disease outcomes (Concordance Index, 0.808). Conclusion Our study underscores the robust correlation between sNfL and cNfL in ALS patients and establishes baseline sNfL as a potent and independent prognostic marker for mortality. This study evaluates the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum (sNfL) and cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain (cNfL) levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Analyzing 80 paired samples revealed a strong correlation between sNfL and cNfL, with sNfL demonstrating an AUC of 0.9635, sensitivity of 96.12%, and specificity of 90.48% at a cutoff of >19.12 pg/mL. An individualized prognostic nomogram was developed using sNfL and clinical variables, supporting sNfL as a reliable, noninvasive biomarker for ALS diagnosis, reducing the need for invasive cerebrospinal fluid analysis.