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The purity of waxy corn seed is a very important index of seed quality. A novel procedure for the classification of corn seed varieties was developed based on the combined spectral, morphological, and texture features extracted from visible and near-infrared (VIS/NIR) hyperspectral images. For the purpose of exploration and comparison, images of both sides of corn kernels (150 kernels of each variety) were captured and analyzed. The raw spectra were preprocessed with Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing and derivation. To reduce the dimension of spectral data, the spectral feature vectors were constructed using the successive projections algorithm (SPA). Five morphological features (area, circularity, aspect ratio, roundness, and solidity) and eight texture features (energy, contrast, correlation, entropy, and their standard deviations) were extracted as appearance character from every corn kernel. Support vector machines (SVM) and a partial least squares–discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model were employed to build the classification models for seed varieties classification based on different groups of features. The results demonstrate that combining spectral and appearance characteristic could obtain better classification results. The recognition accuracy achieved in the SVM model (98.2% and 96.3% for germ side and endosperm side, respectively) was more satisfactory than in the PLS-DA model. This procedure has the potential for use as a new method for seed purity testing.

Herein, a ternary nanocomposite with TiO 2 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-encapsulated Fe 3 O 4 spheres (Fe 3 O 4 @rGO@TiO 2 ) is presented as a high efficient heterogeneous catalyst for photo-Fenton degradation of recalcitrant pollutants under neutral pH. Fe 3 O 4 @rGO@TiO 2 was synthesized by depositing TiO 2 nanoparticles on the surface of the Fe 3 O 4 spheres wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) which was obtained by an electrostatic layer-by-layer method. This as-prepared catalyst reflected good ferromagnetism and superior stability which makes it convenient to be separated and recycled. Due to the synergic effects between the different components composed the catalyst, swift reduction of Fe 3+ can be achieved to regenerate Fe 2+ . Fe 3 O 4 @rGO@TiO 2 exhibited enhancing catalytic activity for the degradation of azo-dyes compared with Fe 3 O 4 , Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @TiO 2 or SiO 2 @rGO@TiO 2 , further conforming the rapid redox reaction between Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ . All these merits indicate that the composite catalyst possesses great potential for visible-light driven destruction of organic compounds.

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is one of the most common and fatal complications of thoracic radiotherapy, whereas no effective interventions are available. Andrographolide, an active component extracted from Andrographis paniculate , is prescribed as a treatment for upper respiratory tract infection. Here we report the potential radioprotective effect and mechanism of Andrographolide on RILI. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 18 Gy of whole thorax irradiation, followed by intraperitoneal injection of Andrographolide every other day for 4 weeks. Andrographolide significantly ameliorated radiation-induced lung tissue damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in the early phase and progressive fibrosis in the late phase. Moreover, Andrographolide markedly hampered radiation-induced activation of the AIM2 inflammasome and pyroptosis in vivo. Furthermore, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were exposed to 8 Gy of X-ray radiation in vitro and Andrographolide significantly inhibited AIM2 inflammasome mediated-pyroptosis in BMDMs. Mechanistically, Andrographolide effectively prevented AIM2 from translocating into the nucleus to sense DNA damage induced by radiation or chemotherapeutic agents in BMDMs. Taken together, Andrographolide ameliorates RILI by suppressing AIM2 inflammasome mediated-pyroptosis in macrophage, identifying Andrographolide as a novel potential protective agent for RILI.

Based on 20 models from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), this article explored possible reasons for differences in simulation biases and projected changes in precipitation in northern China among the all-model ensemble (AMME), “highest-ranked” model ensemble (BMME), and “lowest-ranked” model ensemble (WMME), from the perspective of atmospheric circulations and moisture budgets. The results show that the BMME and AMME reproduce the East Asian winter circulations better than the WMME. Compared with the AMME and WMME, the BMME reduces the overestimation of evaporation, thereby improving the simulation of winter precipitation. The three ensemble simulated biases for the East Asian summer circulations are generally similar, characterized by a stronger zonal pressure gradient between the mid-latitudes of the North Pacific and East Asia and a northward displacement of the East Asian westerly jet. However, the simulated vertical moisture advection is improved in the BMME, contributing to the slightly higher performance of the BMME than the AMME and WMME on summer precipitation in North and Northeast China. Compared to the AMME and WMME, the BMME projects larger increases in precipitation in northern China during both seasons by the end of the 21st century under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5–8.5 (SSP5–8.5). One of the reasons is that the increase in evaporation projected by the BMME is larger. The projection of a greater dynamic contribution by the BMME also plays a role. In addition, larger changes in the nonlinear components in the BMME projection contribute to a larger increase in winter precipitation in northern China.

Background Among recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients, the rate of successful implantation remains relatively low due to the complex etiology of the condition, including maternal, embryo and immune factors. Effective treatments are urgently needed to improve the outcomes of embryo transfer for RIF patients. In recent years, many researchers have focused on immunotherapy using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to regulate the immune environment. However, the study of the G-CSF for RIF patients has reached conflicting conclusions. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to further explore the effects of G-CSF according to embryo transfer cycle (fresh or frozen) and administration route (subcutaneous injection or intrauterine infusion) among RIF patients. Method The PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched for literature published from the initial to October 2020. The meta-analysis, random-effects model and heterogeneity of the studies with I 2 index were analyzed. Stata 15 was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 684 studies were obtained through the databases mentioned above. Nine RCTs included 976 RIF patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis indicated that G-CSF improved the clinical pregnancy rate for both the fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles (fresh RR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.27–2.37, I 2  = 0.0%, n  = 410; frozen RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.14–1.81, I 2  = 0.0.%, n  = 366), and for both subcutaneous injection and intrauterine infusion (subcutaneous RR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.33–2.23, I 2  = 0.0%, n  = 497; intrauterine RR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.09–1.78, I 2  = 0.0%, n  = 479), but the biochemical pregnancy rate of the RIF group was also higher than that of the control group (RR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.28–2.68; I 2  = 20.1%, n  = 469). There were no significant differences in the miscarriage rate (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.25–5.21: I 2  = 63.2%, n  = 472) and live birth rate (RR: 1.43, 95% CI: 0.86–2.36; I 2  = 52.5%; n  = 372) when a random-effects model was employed. Conclusion The administration of G-CSF via either subcutaneous injection or intrauterine infusion and during both the fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles for RIF patients can improve the clinical pregnancy rate. However, whether G-CSF is effective in improving livebirth rates of RIF patients is still uncertain, continued research on the utilization and effectiveness of G-CSF is recommended before G-CSF can be considered mainstream treatment for RIF patients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306365.].

Additional information Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative Retraction Note Open access Published:06 May 2025 Retraction Note: Corona virus anxiety and Chinese students’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement, and academic resilience: correlations and perceptions Xiaoling Yang 1 & Yanmeng Geng2 BMC Psychology volume 13, Article number: 474 (2025) Cite this article 41 Accesses 7 Altmetric Metrics details The Original Article was published on 29 February 2024 Retraction Note: BMC Psychology (2024) 12:107 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01548-5 The editor and the publisher have retracted this article.

Observational studies have revealed associations between birth weight, childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. However, these studies are susceptible to unavoidable confounding factors, leading to ongoing debates regarding their conclusions and making causal relationships challenging to infer. In light of these challenges, Mendelian randomization was employed in this study to investigate the causal relationships between birth weight, childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. This study employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach using genetic variation as instrumental variables to investigate causal relationships. Genetic variation data were sourced from summary data of genome-wide association studies in European populations. Instrumental variables were selected based on the principles of Mendel's three assumptions. The study utilized the inverse variance weighted method to assess the relationships between birth weight, childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. Supplementary analyses were conducted using MR-Egger regression, the weighted median method, and the weighted median mode to complement the IVW results. Furthermore, the study conducted heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of the results. Based on the inverse variance weighted method, it was found that there exists a causal relationship between childhood obesity (OR = 1.378, 95% CI: 1.113∼1.705, p = 0.003), age at menarche (OR = 0.639, 95% CI: 0.468∼0.871, p = 0.005), and ovarian dysfunction, while no causal relationship was observed between birth weight and ovarian dysfunction. Heterogeneity tests, multiplicity tests, and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses did not detect any heterogeneity or multiplicity effects in the estimated impact of these three exposure factors on the risk of ovarian dysfunction. This study represents the first evidence suggesting a potential causal relationship between childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. Childhood obesity was found to increase the risk of ovarian dysfunction, while a later age at menarche was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian dysfunction.

SMAD5 has been demonstrated to promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) through the circ_0001825/miR-1270/SMAD5 axis or KCNQ1OT1/miR-320a/SMAD5 axis. Therefore, SMAD5 may be a key regulator of BMSCs osteogenic differentiation, and its more related molecular mechanisms are worth further revealing. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein levels of SMAD5, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 53 (USP53), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3), and osteogenic differentiation-related markers. Cell counting kit 8 and transwell assay were performed to measure cell viability and invasion. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity detection and Alizarin red S staining were employed to assess osteogenic differentiation. The interactions between USP53 and SMAD5/EIF4A3 were confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation assay. The mRNA levels of SMAD5 and USP53 were examined using quantitative real-time PCR. SMAD5 silencing suppressed viability, invasion and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, while its overexpression had opposite effects. USP53 deubiquitinated SMAD5 to stabilize its protein expression. Moreover, USP53 knockdown inhibited viability, invasion and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, while these effects were reverted by SMAD5 overexpression. EIF4A3 stabilized USP53 mRNA expression, and the inhibitory effect of EIF4A3 silencing on viability, invasion and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was abolished by USP53 overexpression. Furthermore, EIF4A3 enhanced SMAD5 expression by interacting with USP53. EIF4A3-stabilized USP53 promotes SMAD5 deubiquitination to enhance viability, invasion and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis. HHcy promotes atherogenesis by modifying the histone methylation patterns and miRNA regulation. In this study, we investigated the effects of homocysteine (Hcy) on the expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), and tested our hypothesis that Hcy-induced atherosclerosis is mediated by increased EZH2 expression, which is regulated by miR-92a. The levels of EZH2 and H3K27me3 were increased in the aorta of ApoE-/- mice fed a high-methionine diet for 16 weeks, whereas miR-92a expression was decreased. Over-expression of EZH2 increased H3K27me3 level and the accumulation of total cholesterol and triglycerides in the foam cells. Furthermore, upregulation of miR-92a reduced EZH2 expression in the foam cells. These data suggested that EZH2 plays a key role in Hcy-mediated lipid metabolism disorders, and that miR-92a may be a novel therapeutic target in Hcy-related atherosclerosis.