[An optimized protocol of meniscus cell extraction for single-cell RNA sequencing]

OBJECTIVE

To optimize the protocol of meniscus cell extraction to enhance the efficiency of cell suspension preparation and maintain a high cell viability for single-cell RNA sequencing.

METHODS

We compared the efficiency of the routine cell extraction methods (short-time digestion and long-time digestion) and the optimized protocol for obtaining meniscus cell suspensions by evaluating the cell number obtained and the cell viability. Single-cell RNA sequencing datasets were analyzed to evaluate the stability of the cell suspension prepared using the optimized protocol. The reliability of the optimized protocol was assessed by comparing the single-cell RNA sequencing dataset obtained by the optimized protocol with published single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of the meniscus.

RESULTS

The optimized protocol harvested a greater number of cells (over 1×10⁵) than the routine protocols. The cell suspension prepared with the optimized protocol showed a cell viability higher than 80%, the highest among the 3 methods. Analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets showed that the ratio of the mitochondrial genes was below 20% in over 80% of the cells. CD34⁺ cells, MCAM⁺ cells and COL1A1⁺ cells were identified in the datasets. Comparison with the publish datasets showed that the optimized protocol was capable of harvesting COL3A1⁺, COL1A1⁺, MYLK⁺, BMP2⁺, CD93⁺ and CDK1⁺ cells.

CONCLUSION

Single-cell suspension prepared from the meniscus can be stably obtained using the optimized protocol for single-cell RNA sequencing using the 10× Genomics platform.

[Surface modification of titanium implant with hBMP-2/hIGF-1 for promoting biocompatibility and osteogenesis]

OBJECTIVE

To prepare the human bone morphogenetic protein-2(hBMP-2)/human insulin-like growth factor-1(hIGF-1)coating titanium(Ti)and assess its performance as a dental implant material.

METHODS

hBMP-2 and hIGF-1 were coated to the smooth surface of a Ti plate, and its efficacy for promoting bone formation and bone integration was compared with a pristine Ti plate.The surface characteristics of the metal samples were evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and by contact angle measurement.MG63 cells were seeded on the surface of the Ti plates, and MTT assay and alizarin red staining was used to examine the cell proliferation and formation of calcified nodules, respectively.Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)secretion of the cells was examined with ELISA, and cellular expressions of osteocalcin and osteopontin were detected with Western blotting for assessing osteogenesis.

RESULTS

SEM examination showed that the surface of Ti with hBMP-2 and hIGF-1 coating presented with a radial pattern resembling snowflakes.The contact angles of non-coated Ti, hBMP-2-coated Ti, hIGF-1-coated, and hBMP-2/-hIGF-1-coated Ti samples were 83.2°, 54°, 56° and 54°, respectively.Compared with the non-coated Ti plate, the surface-modified Ti samples showed a significantly smaller contact angle (P=0.032, 0.029, and 0.028), indicating a good hydrophilicity of the samples.MTT assay showed that MG63 cells grew well on the surface of the coated Ti plates.The hBMP-2/IGF-1 coating significantly induced cellular secretion of ALP(P=0.021, 0.014)and obviously promoted osteogenesis of MG63 cells (P < 0.05).Western blotting results showed that hBMP-2/IGF-1 coating significantly enhanced the expressions of osteocalcin and osteopontin in the seeded cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

hBMP-2 and hIGF-1 coating of Ti material can promote osteogenesis of the cells seeded on its surface to improve the performance of such Ti material as dental implants.

Synthesis and regulation of auxin and abscisic acid in maize

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the primary auxin in higher plants, and abscisic acid (ABA) play crucial roles in the ability of maize (Zea mays L.) to acclimatize to various environments by mediating growth, development, defense and nutrient allocation. Although understanding the biochemical reactions for IAA and ABA biosynthesis and signal transduction has progressed, the mechanisms by which auxin and ABA are synthesized and transduced in maize have not been fully elucidated to date. The synthesis and signal transduction pathway of IAA and ABA in maize can be analyzed using an existing model. This article focuses on the research progress toward understanding the synthesis and signaling pathways of IAA and ABA, as well as IAA and ABA regulation of maize growth, providing insight for future development and the significance of IAA and ABA for maize improvement.

The Impact of Fertilizer Amendments on Soil Autotrophic Bacteria and Carbon Emissions in Maize Field on the Semiarid Loess Plateau

Soil autotrophic bacteria play a crucial role in regulating CO₂ fixation and crop productivity. However, the information is limited to how fertilization amendments alter soil autotrophic bacterial community, crop yield, and carbon emission efficiency (CEE). Here, we estimated the impact of the structure and co-occurrence network of soil autotrophic bacterial community on maize yield and CEE. A long-term field experiment was conducted with five fertilization treatments in semiarid Loess Plateau, including no amendment (NA), chemical fertilizer (CF), chemical fertilizer plus commercial organic fertilizer (SC), commercial organic fertilizer (SM), and maize straw (MS). The results showed that fertilization amendments impacted the structure and network of soil Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) (cbbL) gene-carrying bacterial community via changing soil pH and NO₃-N. Compared with no amendment, the cbbL-carrying bacterial diversity was increased under the SC, SM, and MS treatments but decreased under the CF treatment. Soil autotrophic bacterial network contained distinct microbial modules that consisted of closely associated microbial species. We detected the higher abundances of soil cbbL-carrying bacterial genus Xanthobacter, Bradyrhizobium, and Nitrosospira. Structural equation modeling further suggested that the diversity, composition, and network of autotrophic bacterial community had strongly positive relationships with CEE and maize yield. Taken together, our results suggest that soil autotrophic bacterial community may drive crop productivity and CEE, and mitigate the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Managing the trade-offs among yield, economic benefits and carbon and nitrogen footprints of wheat cropping in a semi-arid region of China

It is critical to understand how farming practices affect the carbon and nitrogen footprints of agricultural production. Grain yield, economic return, and carbon and nitrogen footprints of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were examined under different tillage-mulch practices. Wheat was grown over 15 years (2002-2016) in the semi-arid region of the western Loess Plateau of China under six tillage-mulch practices: traditional plough with no straw mulching (T), no-till without straw mulching (NT), traditional plough with straw mulching (TS), no-till without straw mulching (NTS), traditional plough with plastic mulching (TP), no-till with plastic mulching (NTP). Average wheat yield over 15 years under NTS, NTP, TP and TS was increased by 28, 24, 22, and 13%, respectively, compared to T. Average net return was greatest under NTS and lowest under TP. The soils under all six tillage-mulch practices gained a considerably large amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) over the 15 yr. The increase in SOC in the 0-30 cm soil layer was greatest under NTS and lowest under T. When changes in soil C were included in the calculations, treatments of NT, TS, NTS, and NTP sharply reduced total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission compared to T. Compared to T, the carbon footprint was decreased by 180, 44, and 123% under NTS, NT, and TS, respectively, but was increased by 153% under TP. Compared to T, the nitrogen footprint was 24-26% lower in TP and NTP, but was not significantly different under NTS, NT, and TS. Therefore, NTS enhanced yield and net return, and reduced GHG and the carbon footprint without increasing the nitrogen footprint, and should be adopted to mitigate the environmental impacts of wheat production in the semiarid Loess Plateau.

Plastic mulching reduces nitrogen footprint of food crops in China: A meta-analysis

Sustainably feeding the growing population amid rising global temperatures and dwindling resources is a grand challenge facing mankind. Plastic mulching (PM) is widely used in China aiming to the increase of crop productivity. However, the impact of PM on reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions and nitrogen (N) footprint has not been explicitly described. In this study, we collected 4051 observations from 394 published papers for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and used meta-analysis to investigate how PM affected crop yield, net economic return, Nr emissions, and N footprints including nitrogen footprint per unit of output energy (NFo) and nitrogen footprint per unit of net economic return (NFe) at regional scale and across a range of precipitation and N fertilization gradients in China. The meta-analysis showed that compared to non-PM practice, PM increased grain yield by 25, 27, and 20% in potato, maize, and wheat, respectively, and enhanced net economic return by 19, 29, and 22%, respectively, with corresponding reduction in NFo of 24, 36, and 18% and NFe of 19, 37, and 19%, respectively. Potato and maize had greater energy output and net economic return than wheat. Plastic mulching was more effective in improving net economic return (or energy output) and reducing N footprints (i.e., NFe and NFo) in the semiarid region (i.e., annual precipitation <600 mm) when N was applied at 100-200 kg N ha^-1, especially in potato and maize. Our analysis suggests that the use of PM enhanced grain yield and net economic return while lowering the N footprint without increasing Nr emission. Therefore, PM has great potential to mitigate Nr loss in China when crop species, N fertilization rate, and local environmental factors (i.e., growing region and annual precipitation) are appropriately considered.

LncRNA INHBA-AS1 promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR-143-3p

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "LncRNA INHBA-AS1 promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR-143-3p, by W.-Q. Ma, J. Chen, W. Fang, X.-Q. Yang, A. Zhu, D. Zhang, H.-L. Zhong, B. Yang, Z. Luo, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (4): 1821-1828-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202002_20360-PMID: 32141551" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/20360.

Gender and age differences in the association between sleep characteristics and fasting glucose levels in Chinese adults

AIM

The present study examined the associations between night-time sleep duration, midday napping duration and bedtime, and fasting glucose levels, and whether or not such associations are dependent on gender and age.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional analysis of 172,901 adults aged≥40 years living in mainland China. Sleep duration was obtained by self-reports of bedtime at night, waking-up time the next morning and average napping duration at midday. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG)≥7.0mmol/L was defined as hyperglycaemia. Independent associations between night-time sleep duration, midday naptime duration and bedtime with hyperglycaemia were evaluated using regression models.

RESULTS

Compared with night-time sleep durations of 6-7.9h, both short (<6h) and long (≥8h) night-time sleep durations were significantly associated with an increased risk of hyperglycaemia in women [odds ratio (OR): 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.29 and OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08-1.21, respectively], and revealed a U-shaped distribution of risk in women and no significant association in men. Long midday nap durations (≥1h) were significantly but weakly associated with hyperglycaemia (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.09) compared with no napping without interactions from gender or age, whereas the association between bedtime and fasting glucose levels did vary according to gender and age.

CONCLUSION

Night-time sleep duration, midday napping duration and bedtime were all independently associated with the risk of hyperglycaemia, and some of the associations between these sleep characteristics and hyperglycaemia were gender- and age-dependent.

Soil Bacterial Diversity and Potential Functions Are Regulated by Long-Term Conservation Tillage and Straw Mulching

Soil physiochemical properties are regulated by cropping practices, but little is known about how tillage influences soil microbial community diversity and functions. Here, we assessed soil bacterial community assembly and functional profiles in relation to tillage. Soils, collected in 2018 from a 17-year field experiment in northwestern China, were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and the PICRUSt approach. The taxonomic diversity of bacterial communities was dominated primarily by the phyla Proteobacteria (32–56%), Bacteroidetes (12–33%), and Actinobacteria (17–27%). Alpha diversity (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson, and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness) was highest under no-tillage with crop residue removed (NT). Crop residue retention on the soil surface (NTS) or incorporated into soil (TS) promoted the abundance of Proteobacteria by 16 to 74% as compared to conventional tillage (T). Tillage practices mainly affected the pathways of soil metabolism, genetic information processing, and environmental information processing. Soil organic C and NH₄–N were the principal contributors to the diversity and composition of soil microbiota, whereas soil pH, total nitrogen, total P, and moisture had little effect. Our results suggest that long-term conservation practices with no-tillage and crop residue retention shape soil bacterial community composition through modifying soil physicochemical properties and promoting the metabolic function of soil microbiomes.

Crystallographic and calorimetric analysis on Pleurotus ostreatus lectin and its sugar complexes - promiscuous binding driven by geometry

Carbohydrate recognition is established as a property of lectins and implicated in many functions including immunity and defense against pathogens. Many lectins are characterized and proposed for various applications owing to the above said recognition. The crystal structure of a lectin from Pleurotus ostreatus has been determined and shown to be calcium dependent. The overall structure is a tandem repeat of two β-jelly roll domains, a new fold for lectins. The calcium dependence of sugar binding is analyzed in-detail through isothermal titration calorimetry. The serendipitous observation of malonate and glycerol, the intentional N-Acetyl-D-galactosamine, D-Galactose and L-Rhamnose binding to Pleurotus ostreatus lectin by Ca²⁺ coordination revealed that the binding site is promiscuous. Among these sugars, Rhamnose binding found to be thermodynamically most favourable. In all these structures, a vicinal diol motif, one at axial and the other at equatorial positions could be established as a specific requirement for binding. Interestingly, when compared with other calcium mediated lectin structures; this geometric requirement is found conserved. This observation could lead to the conclusion that lectins are not 'molecule specific' but 'geometry specific' so that any molecule not necessarily a sugar may be recognized by this lectin if the geometry exists.

Involvement of nitrogen in storage root growth and related gene expression in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Nitrogen (N) could affect storage root growth and development of sweet potato. To manage external N concentration fluctuations, plants have developed a wide range of strategies, such as growth changes and gene expression. Five sweet potato cultivars were used to analyse the functions of N in regulating storage root growth. Growth responses and physiological indicators were measured to determine the physiological changes regulated by different N concentrations. Expression profiles of related genes were analysed via microarray hybridization data and qRT-PCR analysis to reveal the molecular mechanisms of storage root growth regulated by different N concentrations. The growth responses and physiological indicators of the five cultivars were changed by N concentration. The root fresh weight of two of the sweet potato cultivars, SS19 and GS87, was higher under low N concentrations compared with the other cultivars. SS19 and GS87 were found to be having greater tolerance to low N concentration. The expression of N metabolism and storage root growth related genes was regulated by N concentration in sweet potato. These results reveal that N significantly regulated storage root growth. SS19 and GS87 were more tolerant to low N concentration and produced greater storage root yield (at 30 days). Furthermore, several N response genes were involved in both N metabolism and storage root growth.

Quantum Rotation Sensing with Dual Sagnac Interferometers in an Atom-Optical Waveguide

We describe a Sagnac interferometer suitable for rotation sensing, implemented using an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic magnetic trap. The atom wave packets are split and recombined by standing-wave Bragg lasers, and the trapping potential steers the packets along circular trajectories with a radius of 0.2 mm. Two conjugate interferometers are implemented simultaneously to provide common-mode rejection of noise and to isolate the rotation signal. With interference visibilities of about 50%, we achieve a rotation sensitivity comparable to Earth's rate in about 10 min of operation. Gyroscope operation was demonstrated by rotating the optical table on which the experiment was performed.

LncRNA INHBA-AS1 promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR-143-3p

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the progression of tumorigenesis. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a disease widely widespread all over the world. The aim of this study was to identify how lncRNA INHBA-AS1 functions in the progression of OSCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

LncRNA INHBA-AS1 expression in both OSCC cells and 48 paired tissue samples was detected by Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). The function of INHBA-AS1 was identified by the transwell assay, wound healing assay, and proliferation assay in vitro. Meanwhile, the role of INHBA-AS1 was investigated through tumor formation assay in vivo. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism was explored by the luciferase assays and RNA immunoprecipitation assay (RIP).

RESULTS

INHBA-AS1 was highly expressed in OSCC tissues when compared with adjacent tissue samples. The proliferation, invasion, and migration of OSCC cells were significantly inhibited after the knockdown of INHBA-AS1 in vitro. Meanwhile, the knockdown of INHBA-AS1 remarkably inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Besides, miR-143-3p was down-regulated after the knockdown of INHBA-AS1 in vitro. The expression of miR-143-3p was negatively correlated with the expression of INHBA-AS1 in OSCC tissues. In addition, miR-143-3p was directly targeted by INHBA-AS1.

CONCLUSIONS

The knockdown of INHBA-AS1 repressed cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in OSCC by sponging miR-143-3p, which might offer a new therapeutic intervention for OSCC patients.

Evaluation of two intensive care models in relation to successful extubation after cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE

To compare outcomes between intensivist-directed and cardiac surgeon-directed care delivery models.

DESIGN

This retrospective, historical-control study was performed in a cohort of adult cardiac surgical patients at Zhongshan Hospital (Fudan University, China). During the first phase (March to August 2015), cardiac surgeons were in charge of postoperative care while intensivists were in charge during the second phase (September 2015-June 2016). Both phases were compared regarding successful extubation rate, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality.

SETTING

Tertiary Zhongshan Hospital (Fudan University, China).

PATIENTS

Consecutive adult patients admitted to the cardiac surgical ICU (CSICU) after heart surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

Phase I patients treated by cardiac surgeons, and phase II patients treated by intensivists.

MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST

Successful extubation, ICU LOS and in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1792 (phase I) and 3007 patients (phase II) were enrolled. Most variables did not differ significantly between the two phases. However, patients in phase II had a higher successful extubation rate (99.17% vs. 98.55%; p=0.043) and a shorter median duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) (18 vs. 19h; p<0.001). In relation to patients with MV duration >48h, those in phase II had a comparatively higher successful extubation rate (p=0.033), shorter ICU LOS (p=0.038) and a significant decrease in in-hospital mortality (p=0.039).

CONCLUSIONS

The intensivist-directed care model showed improved rates of successful extubation and shorter MV durations after cardiac surgery.

[Double Labeling and Simultaneous Monitoring for Hsp70 and Hsf-1 Kinetics in SCC-25 Cells with a Short-Term Dietary Restriction of Leucine Following Heat Shock]

To develop a quantum-dot-based multiplexed imaging system for the simultaneous monitoring of Hsf- 1/Hsp70 after heat shock, and to evaluate the effects of combined thermotherapy and leucine deprivation therapy on Hsf-1 inactivation. SCC-25 cells were leucine starved for 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 days following which the cells underwent heat shock at 42°C for 30 min. At 6 h after heat shock, Hsf-1 activation and translocation to the nucleus was observed in cells that were leucine starved for 0, 1 and 2 days, and the synthesis of Hsp70 and Hsf-1 reached their maximum values and had a tendency to gather in the nucleus. However, in cells that were leucine starved for 3 and 4 days, Hsf-1 activity and Hsp70 synthesis level was dramatically decreased. Dietary restriction of leucine for at least three days could result in the inactivation of Hsf-1, leading to a reduction in Hsp70 synthesis. The combination of thermotherapy and short-term leucine deprivation therapy may become effective approach for the treatment of oral tumors.