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The Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of China has long been recognized for its diverse early-diverging sauropodomorph dinosaurs, with eight genera and ten species, representing more than half the Laurasian records. In this paper, we describe a new genus and species of non-sauropodan sauropodomorph, Lishulong wangi gen. et sp. nov., from Yunnan Province in southwestern China. This new taxon is represented by a partial skeleton including the skull and nine articulated cervical vertebrae, which differs from other Lufeng forms in both cranial and cervical characteristics. It bears several autapomorphies of the nasal process, the maxillary neurovascular foramen, and the cervical neural spine. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Lishulong is an early-diverging member of the Sauropodiformes, and the sister-taxon of Yunnanosaurus. Elucidating the novel osteology of Lishulong, it possessed the largest sauropodomorph cranial material currently identified from the Lufeng Formation, not only enriches the diversity of the Lufeng dinosaur assemblage, but also enhances our understanding of the character evolution in early-diverging sauropodiforms. Furthermore, information about paleobiogeographic distributions indicates that Early Jurassic sauropodomorphs, especially Chinese taxa, have maintained multiple dispersions and exchanges within Pangaea.

Background: Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat.) is a particularly important autumn perennial flower for potted plant, flower bed and border, and cut flower with high ornamental value. However, abiotic stress can affect the ornamental quality of Chrysanthemum. NAC (NAM, ATAF1-2, and CUC2) transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in regulating plant growth and development, as well as responding to abiotic stresses.

Methods: In this study, the ClBRN1 (Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium BEARSKIN gene) was isolated from the Chrysanthemum model plant C. lavandulifolium. And analyze the function of the gene through bioinformatics, subcellular localization and overexpression.

Results: Bioinformatics analysis showed that the ClBRN1 gene was a member of the NAC TFs family, with a CDS (coding sequence) length of 1,080 bp and encoding 359 amino acids. The subcellular localization results found that the gene was located in the nucleus and cell membrane. Furthermore, the transgenic results in Arabidopsis thaliana showed that the gene significantly reduces plant height while improving salt and low temperature tolerance. Observation of paraffin sections of Arabidopsis stems also revealed that the secondary cell wall of overexpressing Arabidopsis stems was significantly thicker than that of wild-type. The above results indicate that the ClBRN1 gene may play an important role in regulating plant resistance to abiotic stress. This study will provide new insights for molecular breeding of resistant chrysanthemums in the future.

Bioprospecting robust and oleaginous strain is crucial for the commercialization of microalgae-based biodiesel. In this study, a microalgal strain SCH18 was isolated from a solar saltern located in Mauritius. This isolate was identified as Dunaliella tertiolecta based on a polyphasic approach that combined molecular, physiological, and morphological analyses. Furthermore, the effect of different salinities on the biochemical composition and fatty acid profile of this microalga was investigated to explore its potential in producing biodiesel. Results from the growth studies showed that salinity of 1.0 M NaCl was optimal for achieving a high growth rate. Under this salt concentration, the growth rate and the doubling time were calculated as 0.39 ± 0.003 day^-1 and 1.79 ± 0.01 days, respectively. In terms of biochemical composition, a substantial amount of carbohydrate (42.02 ± 5.20%), moderate amount of protein (30.35 ± 0.18%) and a low lipid content (17.81 ± 2.4%) were obtained under optimal NaCl concentration. The fatty acid analysis indicated the presence of palmitic acid, stearic acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, gamma, and alpha-linolenic acids, which are suitable for biodiesel synthesis. The predicted biodiesel properties were in accordance with the standard of ASTM 6751, indicating that the microalgal isolate D. tertiolecta SCH18 is a potential candidate for use in biodiesel production.

Background: Limited research exists on the features and management of post-COVID cough. This real-world study investigates outpatients with subacute or chronic post-COVID cough, aiming to delineate characteristics and regimen responses within the population.

Method: We enrolled eligible patients from our outpatient unit between August 2023 and February 2024. Comprehensive clinical data, prescriptions, and patient-reported cough severity were collected during the primary visit and subsequent follow-ups.

Result: A total of 141 patients, aged: 42 ± 14 years old, were included, with 70% being female. The median cough duration was 8 weeks (interquartile range 4-12 weeks). Sixty percent presented with a dry cough, while the rest had coughs with phlegm. Over half reported abnormal laryngeal sensations (54%). Twenty-one percent coughed during the day, while 32% coughed constantly, and 48% experienced nocturnal episodes. Compound methoxyphenamine capsules were the most prescribed, but our study found ICS/LABA to be the most effective, followed by compound methoxyphenamine capsules, montelukast, and Chinese patent drugs.

Conclusion: Females exhibit a higher prevalence of post-COVID cough, and our study recommends ICS/LABA as the preferred treatment. These findings warrant validation through larger, prospectively designed studies.

Background: Menopause is associated with an increased risk of kidney stone disease (KSD). However, for postmenopausal women, how to avoid KSD has rarely been studied. The aim of this study was to explore whether drinking tea is associated with a reduction in the prevalence of KSD in postmenopausal women.

Methods: We collected 11,484 postmenopausal women from the Taiwan Biobank, and used questionnaires to obtain information on tea drinking, KSD, and comorbidities. The participants were divided into two groups according to habitual tea consumption: tea-drinking and non-tea-drinking groups. The association between habitual tea consumption and KSD was examined by logistic regression analysis.

Results: There were 2,035 postmenopausal women in the tea-drinking group and 9,449 postmenopausal women in the non-tea-drinking group. The mean age of all participants was 61 years. Compared to the non-tea-drinking group, the tea-drinking group had a significantly lower prevalence of KSD (7% vs. 5%). The odds ratio (OR) of KSD was lower in those who habitually drank tea than in those who did not (OR = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.63 to 0.96]) after adjusting for confounders. Moreover, postmenopausal women with a daily intake of two cups of tea or more had a 30% reduced risk of KSD compared to those who did not habitually drink tea (OR = 0.71, 95% CI [0.56 to 0.90]).

Conclusions: Our results suggest that habitual tea drinking may be associated with a reduction in the prevalence of KSD in postmenopausal women. Further studies are warranted to investigate the protective effect of tea on the development of KSD.

Background: Suicide is recognized as a significant public health issue, with adolescents/young people being a risk group of concern. Taking the integrated motivational-volitional model as a reference, this study focuses on analyzing the association between defeat and entrapment, on the one hand, and suicide risk, on the other, in a university population without depressive symptoms, while also considering the role of rumination and sex.

Method: The survey study involved a community sample of 650 Spanish university students. A total of 524 students (150 men (M_age = 20.6, SD = 3.7) and 374 women (M_age = 20.4, SD = 3.6)) completed self-report measures of suicide risk, defeat, entrapment, and rumination.

Results: Defeat and entrapment were significantly associated with suicide risk, and higher rumination was both directly and indirectly associated with higher levels of entrapment through the variable of defeat. However, the effect of rumination on entrapment varied by sex.

Conclusion: Despite being a cross-sectional preliminary study, this work identifies important variables in the trajectory of suicidal ideation. Adolescence and young adulthood are a critical stage for intervening to reduce the risk of death by suicide, and this study provides findings that may inform preventive approaches.

Background: Nutritional status is a critical indicator of overall health in individuals suffering from malignant tumours, reflecting the complex interplay of various contributing factors. This research focused on identifying and analysing the factors influencing malnutrition among older patients aged ≥65 with malignant tumours and aimed to develop a comprehensive risk model for predicting malnutrition.

Methods: This study conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 3,387 older inpatients aged ≥65 years with malignant tumours collected at our hospital from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023. The dataset was subsequently divided into training and validation sets at an 8:2 ratio. The nutritional status of these patients was evaluated using the Nutritional Risk Screening Tool 2002 (NRS-2002) and the 2018 Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) Standards for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Based on these assessments, patients were categorized into either malnutrition or non-malnutrition groups. Subsequently, a risk prediction model was developed and presented through a nomogram for practical application.

Results: The analysis encompassed 2,715 individuals in the development cohort and 672 in the validation cohort, with a malnutrition prevalence of 40.42%. A significant positive correlation between the incidence of malnutrition and age was observed. Independent risk factors identified included systemic factors, tumour staging (TNM stage), age, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score, history of alcohol consumption, co-infections, presence of ascites or pleural effusion, haemoglobin (HGB) levels, creatinine (Cr), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The predictive model exhibited areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.793 (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.776-0.810]) for the development cohort and 0.832 (95% CI [0.801-0.863]) for the validation cohort. Calibration curves indicated Brier scores of 0.186 and 0.190, while the Hosmer-Lemeshow test yielded chi-square values of 5.633 and 2.875, respectively (P > 0.05). Decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated the model's clinical applicability and superiority over the NRS-2002, highlighting its potential for valuable clinical application.

Conclusion: This study successfully devised a straightforward and efficient prediction model for malnutrition among older patients aged 65 and above with malignant tumours. The model represents a significant advancement as a clinical tool for identifying individuals at high risk of malnutrition, enabling early intervention with targeted nutritional support and improving patient outcomes.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is high in morbidity and mortality rates which may be due to asymptomatic and effective diagnostic methods not available. Therefore, an effective diagnosis is urgently needed.

Methods: Investigation of plasma circulating miRNA (cir-miRNA) was divided into two phases, including the discovery phase (pooled 10 samples each from three pools in each group) and the validation phase (17, 16, and 35 subjects of healthy control (HC), O. viverrini (OV), and CCA groups, respectively). The plasma from healthy control subjects, O. viverrini infected subjects, and CCA subjects was used. In the discovery phase, plasma was pooled by adding an equal volume of plasma, and cir-miRNA was isolated and analyzed with the nCounter^® SPRINT Profiler. The significantly different cir-miRNAs were selected for the validation phase. In the validation phase, cir-miRNA was isolated and analyzed using real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, statistical analysis was conducted, and diagnostic parameters were calculated.

Results: Differential plasma cir-miRNA profile showed at least three candidates including miR-423-5p, miR-93-5p, and miR-4532 as potential biomarkers. From validation of these cir-miRNAs by RT-qPCR, the result showed that the satisfied sensitivity and specificity to differential CCA group from HC and OV group was obtained from miR-4532 (P < 0.05) while miR-423-5p and miR-93-5p can be used for differential CCA from OV and HC group (P < 0.05) with high specificity but limited the sensitivity. In conclusion, candidate cir-miRNAs have been identified as potential biomarkers including miR-423-5p, miR-93-5p and miR-4532. Screening by miR-4532 and confirmed with miR-423-5p, miR-93-5p were suggested for differential CCA patients in the endemic area of O. viverrini.

Introduction: Over the years, funding for urologic diseases has witnessed a steady rise, reaching $587 million in 2020 from $541 million in 2018. In parallel, there has been a notable increase in the total number of urology journals from 2011 to 2018. This surge in research funding and journal publications calls for urologists to effectively navigate through a vast body of evidence to make the best evidence-based clinical decisions. Our primary objective was to assess the "instructions for authors" of these journals to determine the extent of endorsement of reporting guidelines for common study designs in medical research.

Methods: Top urology journals were identified using the 2021 Scopus CiteScore and confirmed via Google Scholar Metrics h5-index. In a masked, duplicate manner, two investigators retrieved data from the "instructions for authors" webpages of the included journals. For each journal investigated in our study, the following data were extracted: journal title, 5-year impact factor, email responses of journal editors, mention of the EQUATOR Network in the "instructions for authors," mention of the ICMJE in the "instruction for authors," geographical region of publication and statements about clinical trial registration.

Results: Of the 92 urology journals examined, only one-third (32/92) mentioned the EQUATOR network in their "instructions for authors." A total of 17 journals (17/92, 18.5%) did not mention a single reporting guideline. The most endorsed guideline was CONSORT at 67.4% (62/92). Clinical trial registration was not mentioned by 28 (30%), recommended by 27 (29%), and required by 37 journals (40%).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that urology journals inconsistently endorse reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration. Based on these results, we propose that urology journals adopt a standardized approach, incorporating explicit requirements for reporting guidelines such as those listed on the EQUATOR Network and clinical trial registration for all relevant study designs. Specifically, journals should consider clearly stating mandatory or recommended guidelines for clinical trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews, among others. Future efforts should focus on evaluating the implementation of these policies and identifying barriers that hinder their adoption.

Background: Accurate species identification is the first step towards establishing conservation strategies, especially regarding rare and threatened species, such as those studied here. Moreover, understanding the responses to the environment and growing conditions of endemic species is necessary for its conservation. This study compares the leaf anatomy of Ipomoea cavalcantei and I. marabaensis, which grow on the Brazilian ironstone outcrops (cangas) and exhibit morphological convergence.

Methods: Leaf anatomical characters of the species were described. Additionally, the leaf adaptive potential of I. cavalcantei was evaluated, comparing individuals grown in natural canga areas (in situ) and cultivated in topsoil (ex situ). Quantitative analysis evaluated stomatal density, polar and equatorial diameter of stomata, and thickness of the epidermis and mesophyll.

Results: Ipomoea cavalcantei and I. marabaensis can be distinguished by the mesophyll type. Ipomoea marabaensis is also characterized by the presence of lateral protuberances on the abaxial surface of the midrib. Individuals of I. cavalcantei under cultivation have lower stomatal density, although their functionality (polar/equatorial diameter) is more significant than those grown in a natural environment; these individuals also exhibit leaves with a thinner cuticle, abaxial epidermal cells with more sinuous walls, a lower occurrence of trichomes and secretory cells (laticifers), and more druse-containing idioblasts in the mesophyll. All these traits are adaptations to growing conditions that include lower light and the absence of water stress.

Conclusions: Leaf anatomical traits showed to be useful to delimit Ipomoea cavalcantei and I. marabaensis in the non-reproductive stage. For individuals of I. cavalcantei cultivated in topsoil, some features, especially of the epidermis, respond to light and water supply.