Advancing cardiac regeneration through 3D bioprinting: methods, applications, and future directions

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a paramount global mortality concern, and their prevalence is on a relentless ascent. Despite the effectiveness of contemporary medical interventions in mitigating CVD-related fatality rates and complications, their efficacy remains curtailed by an array of limitations. These include the suboptimal efficiency of direct cell injection and an inherent disequilibrium between the demand and availability of heart transplantations. Consequently, the imperative to formulate innovative strategies for cardiac regeneration therapy becomes unmistakable. Within this context, 3D bioprinting technology emerges as a vanguard contender, occupying a pivotal niche in the realm of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This state-of-the-art methodology holds the potential to fabricate intricate heart tissues endowed with multifaceted structures and functionalities, thereby engendering substantial promise. By harnessing the prowess of 3D bioprinting, it becomes plausible to synthesize functional cardiac architectures seamlessly enmeshed with the host tissue, affording a viable avenue for the restitution of infarcted domains and, by extension, mitigating the onerous yoke of CVDs. In this review, we encapsulate the myriad applications of 3D bioprinting technology in the domain of heart tissue regeneration. Furthermore, we usher in the latest advancements in printing methodologies and bioinks, culminating in an exploration of the extant challenges and the vista of possibilities inherent to a diverse array of approaches.

A simulation training of family management for parents of children with epilepsy: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that is more likely to be diagnosed in children. The main treatment involves long-term use of anti-epileptic drugs and above all, home care is of great importance. As there has not been a widely accepted home care protocols, simulating a home care environment is necessary for caregivers to develop skills of proper home care. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation training of family management style (STOFMS) for parents of children with epilepsy in China.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 463 children with epilepsy and their families. They were recruited from March 2020 to November 2022 and randomly assigned to the STOFMS group or the conventional group in a 1:1 ratio. Scores of family management measures, 8-item of Morisky Medication Adherence and epilepsy clinical symptom of both groups were collected at three points of time: within 24 h after admission (T0), 3 months after discharge (T1), and 6 months after discharge (T2). Changes due to intervention were compared across groups by repeated-measures ANOVA. The study report followed the CONSORT 2010 checklist.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant differences between the two groups at T2. A considerable increase over the baseline was observed in the total management level score and subscale scores in the STOFMS group at T1, compared with essentially no change in the control group. In terms of medication adherence, the STOFMS group performance improved greatly at T1 and T2 compared with the control group. The same result was also found in clinical efficacy at T2 (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

STOFMS is an effective intervention to improve family management level, treatment adherence and clinical efficacy for children with epilepsy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The registration number is ChiCTR2200065128. Registered at 18 October 2022, http://www.medresman.org.cn.

Selenium and Bacillus proteolyticus SES increased Cu-Cd-Cr uptake by ryegrass: highlighting the significance of key taxa and soil enzyme activity

Many studies have focused their attention on strategies to improve soil phytoremediation efficiency. In this study, a pot experiment was carried out to investigate whether Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES promote Cu-Cd-Cr uptake by ryegrass. To explore the effect mechanism of Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES, rhizosphere soil physiochemical properties and rhizosphere soil bacterial properties were determined further. The findings showed that Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES reduced 23.04% Cu, 36.85% Cd, and 9.85% Cr from the rhizosphere soil of ryegrass. Further analysis revealed that soil pH, organic matter, soil enzyme activities, and soil microbial properties were changed with Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES application. Notably, rhizosphere key taxa (Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Patescibacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi, etc.) were significantly enriched in rhizosphere soil of ryegrass, and those taxa abundance were positively correlated with soil heavy metal contents (P < 0.01). Our study also demonstrated that in terms of explaining variations of soil Cu-Cd-Cr content under Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES treatment, soil enzyme activities (catalase and acid phosphatase) and soil microbe properties showed 42.5% and 12.2% contributions value, respectively. Overall, our study provided solid evidence again that Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES facilitated phytoextraction of soil Cu-Cd-Cr, and elucidated the effect of soil key microorganism and chemical factor.

Proposal of Streptomyces bellus Margalith and Beretta 1960 as a Later Heterotypic Synonym of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus (Preobrazhenskaya 1957) Pridham et al. 1958 and an Emended Description of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus

In the present work, the taxonomic relationship between Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and Streptomyces bellus was reevaluated by a comprehensive comparison of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic characteristics, as well as phylogeny. In 1957 and 1960, Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and Streptomyces bellus were described as two novel Streptomyces species. The full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that Streptomyces bellus JCM 4292T shared highest sequence identity with Streptomyces coerulescens ISP 5146T (100%). Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that S. bellus JCM 4292T was most closely related to Streptomyces coerulescens ISP 5146T. Phylogenetic analysis of five housekeeping gene sequences demonstrated that S. bellus JCM 4292T was most closely related to S. coeruleorubidus ATCC 13740T. Nevertheless, the ANIm (average nucleotide identity based on MuMmer ultra-rapid aligning tool) and dDDH (digital DNA-DNA hybridization) values between them were 97.71% and 81.9%, respectively, greater than the threshold of 96.7% and 70% for the delineation of Streptomyces species, suggesting that they represent the same genomic species. In addition, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, as well as phylogeny and genomic DNA-DNA correlation analysis also confirmed the above conclusion. Consequently, we proposed that S. bellus Margalith and Beretta 1960 is a later heterotypic synonym of S. coeruleorubidus (Preobrazhenskaya 1957) Pridham et al. 1958.

Preoperative hysteroscopy shortened progression-free survival in advanced FIGO stage in endometrial cancer: Ten year analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of preoperative hysteroscopy on progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DFS), and to explore the factors which contribute to poor clinical outcomes between hysteroscopy and dilation and curettage (D&C) in endometrial cancer (EC).

METHODS

A retrospective study was designed by collecting data from women diagnosed with EC through hysteroscopy or D&C from January 2010 to December 2019 in a tertiary hospital in China. A propensity score was used for 1:1 matching of advanced stage patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted to determine whether hysteroscopy was a prognostic factor in EC and to identify factors associated with its impact on PFS and DFS in different subgroups.

RESULTS

Overall, 543 and 272 women who underwent D&C and hysteroscopy, respectively were included. Compared to D&C, preoperative hysteroscopy was related to reduced PFS and DFS, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.904 and 3.905, respectively. Hysteroscopy contributed to an increased risk of positive wash cytology (48.27% vs 24.13%), recurrence (48.28% vs 20.69%) and shorter PFS after matching in FIGO Stage I-IV EC, while there was no significance in positive ascites cytology (14.04% vs 13.45%), PFS and DFS in FIGO Stage I EC.

CONCLUSIONS

Hysteroscopy was an independent predictive factor for poor prognosis in EC. Hysteroscopy appeared to be a safe diagnostic method as D&C in FIGO Stage I EC but was a risk factor for increased recurrence and reduced PFS in advanced stage disease. Its impact on DFS is uncertain.

BRCC36 Deubiquitinates HMGCR to Regulate the Interplay Between Ferroptosis and Pyroptosis

Various forms of programmed cell death (PCD) exhibit distinct characteristics depending on their specific molecular mechanisms, and there are interactions among these different forms. Ferroptosis, which is related to autophagy and apoptosis, has an unknown potential interaction with pyroptosis. This study revealed a mutually antagonistic relationship between ferroptosis and pyroptosis, with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) playing a key role in their interaction. It is found that HMGCR predominantly localized to mitochondria during ferroptosis but shifted to the endoplasmic reticulum following treatment with a pyroptosis inducer. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that BRCC36 (BRCA1/BRCA2-containing complex subunit 36) deubiquitinated HMGCR in a manner dependent on deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) activity, and inhibited ferroptosis and promoted pyroptosis. Moreover, as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), BRCC36 promoted cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth. Thiolutin, an inhibitor of BRCC36, effectively suppressed the interaction between BRCC36 and HMGCR, leading to the inhibition of HCC growth. Therefore, targeting BRCC36 can offer a novel and promising therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment. In conclusion, these findings provide new theoretical evidence for further characterizing tumor heterogeneity and offer new molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Diagnosing and grading gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia using semi-supervised deep learning on pathological images: development and validation study

OBJECTIVE

Patients with gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia (IM) were at risk for gastric cancer, necessitating an accurate risk assessment. We aimed to establish and validate a diagnostic approach for gastric biopsy specimens using deep learning and OLGA/OLGIM for individual gastric cancer risk classification.

METHODS

In this study, we prospectively enrolled 545 patients suspected of atrophic gastritis during endoscopy from 13 tertiary hospitals between December 22, 2017, to September 25, 2020, with a total of 2725 whole-slide images (WSIs). Patients were randomly divided into a training set (n = 349), an internal validation set (n = 87), and an external validation set (n = 109). Sixty patients from the external validation set were randomly selected and divided into two groups for an observer study, one with the assistance of algorithm results and the other without. We proposed a semi-supervised deep learning algorithm to diagnose and grade IM and atrophy, and we compared it with the assessments of 10 pathologists. The model's performance was evaluated based on the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and weighted kappa value.

RESULTS

The algorithm, named GasMIL, was established and demonstrated encouraging performance in diagnosing IM (AUC 0.884, 95% CI 0.862-0.902) and atrophy (AUC 0.877, 95% CI 0.855-0.897) in the external test set. In the observer study, GasMIL achieved an 80% sensitivity, 85% specificity, a weighted kappa value of 0.61, and an AUC of 0.953, surpassing the performance of all ten pathologists in diagnosing atrophy. Among the 10 pathologists, GasMIL's AUC ranked second in OLGA (0.729, 95% CI 0.625-0.833) and fifth in OLGIM (0.792, 95% CI 0.688-0.896). With the assistance of GasMIL, pathologists demonstrated improved AUC (p = 0.013), sensitivity (p = 0.014), and weighted kappa (p = 0.016) in diagnosing IM, and improved specificity (p = 0.007) in diagnosing atrophy compared to pathologists working alone.

CONCLUSION

GasMIL shows the best overall performance in diagnosing IM and atrophy when compared to pathologists, significantly enhancing their diagnostic capabilities.

Genome-wide identification of GATA transcription factor family and the effect of different light quality on the accumulation of terpenoid indole alkaloids in Uncaria rhynchophylla

Uncaria rhynchophylla is an evergreen vine plant, belonging to the Rubiaceae family, that is rich in terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) that have therapeutic effects on hypertension and Alzheimer's disease. GATA transcription factors (TF) are a class of transcription regulators that participate in the light response regulation, chlorophyll synthesis, and metabolism, with the capability to bind to GATA cis-acting elements in the promoter region of target genes. Currently the charactertics of GATA TFs in U. rhynchophylla and how different light qualities affect the expression of GATA and key enzyme genes, thereby affecting the changes in U. rhynchophylla alkaloids have not been investigated. In this study, 25 UrGATA genes belonging to four subgroups were identified based on genome-wide analysis. Intraspecific collinearity analysis revealed that only segmental duplications were identified among the UrGATA gene family. Collinearity analysis of GATA genes between U. rhynchophylla and four representative plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Coffea Canephora, and Catharanthus roseus was also performed. U. rhynchophylla seedlings grown in either red lights or under reduced light intensity had altered TIAs content after 21 days. Gene expression analysis reveal a complex pattern of expression from the 25 UrGATA genes as well as a number of key TIA enzyme genes. UrGATA7 and UrGATA8 were found to have similar expression profiles to key enzyme TIA genes in response to altered light treatments, implying that they may be involved in the regulation TIA content. In this research, we comprehensively analyzed the UrGATA TFs, and offered insight into the involvement of UrGATA TFs from U. rhynchophylla in TIAs biosynthesis.

Sustained Release-Driven Interface Engineering Enables Fast Charging Lithium Metal Batteries

LiNO3 has attracted intensive attention as a promising electrolyte additive to regulate Li deposition behavior as it can form favorable Li3 N, LiNx Oy species to improve the interfacial stability. However, the inferior solubility in carbonate-based electrolyte restricts its application in high-voltage Li metal batteries. Herein, an artificial composite layer (referred to as PML) composed of LiNO3 and PMMA is rationally designed on Li surface. The PML layer serves as a reservoir for LiNO3 release gradually to the electrolyte during cycling, guaranteeing the stability of SEI layer for uniform Li deposition. The PMMA matrix not only links the nitrogen-containing species for uniform ionic conductivity but also can be coordinated with Li for rapid Li ions migration, resulting in homogenous Li-ion flux and dendrite-free morphology. As a result, stable and dendrite-free plating/stripping behaviors of Li metal anodes are achieved even at an ultrahigh current density of 20 mA cm-2 (>570 h) and large areal capacity of 10 mAh cm-2 (>1200 h). Moreover, the Li||LiFePO4 full cell using PML-Li anode undergoes stable cycling for 2000 cycles with high-capacity retention of 94.8%. This facile strategy will widen the potential application of LiNO3 in carbonate-based electrolyte for practical LMBs.

The Role of LMP1 in Epstein-Barr Virus-associated Gastric Cancer

EBV promotes many cancers such as lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric; Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) is considered to be a major oncogenic protein encoded by Epstein- Barr virus (EBV). LMP1 functions as a carcinogen in lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and LMP1 may also promote gastric cancer. The expression level of LMP1 in host cells is a key determinant in tumorigenesis and maintenance of virus specificity. By promoting cell immortalization and cell transformation, promoting cell proliferation, affecting immunity, and regulating cell apoptosis, LMP1 plays a crucial tumorigenic role in epithelial cancers. However, very little is currently known about LMP1 in Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC); the main reason is that the expression level of LMP1 in EBVaGC is comparatively lower than other EBV-encoded proteins, such as The Latent Membrane Protein 2A (LMP2A), Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) and BamHI-A rightward frame 1 (BARF1), to date, there are few studies related to LMP1 in EBVaGC. Recent studies have demonstrated that LMP1 promotes EBVaGC by affecting The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- Akt (PI3K-Akt), Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and other signaling pathways to regulate many downstream targets such as Forkhead box class O (FOXO), C-X-C-motif chemokine receptor (CXCR), COX-2 (Cyclooxygenase-2); moreover, the gene methylation induced by LMP1 in EBVaGC has become one of the characteristics that distinguish this gastric cancer (GC) from other types of gastric cancer and LMP1 also promotes the formation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of EBVaGC in several ways. This review synthesizes previous relevant literature, aiming to highlight the latest findings on the mechanism of action of LMP1 in EBVaGC, summarize the function of LMP1 in EBVaGC, lay the theoretical foundation for subsequent new research on LMP1 in EBVaGC, and contribute to the development of novel LMP1-targeted drugs.

A Doping-Induced SrCo0.4 Fe0.6 O3 /CoFe2 O4 Nanocomposite for Efficient Oxygen Evolution in Alkaline Media

Perovskite and spinel oxides are promising alternatives to noble metal-based electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a novel perovskite/spinel nanocomposite comprised of SrCo0.4 Fe0.6 O3 and CoFe2 O4 (SCF/CF) is prepared through a simple one-step method that incorporates iron doping into a SrCoO3- δ matrix, circumventing complex fabrication processes typical of these materials. At a Fe dopant content of 60%, the CoFe2 O4 spinel phase is directly precipitated from the parent SrCo0.4 Fe0.6 O3 perovskite phase and the number of active B-site metals (Co/Fe) in the parent SCF can be maximized. This nanocomposite exhibits a remarkable OER activity in alkaline media with a small overpotentional of 294 mV at 10 mA cm-2 . According to surface states analysis, the parent SCF perovskite remains in its pristine form under alkaline OER conditions, serving as a stable substrate, while the second spinel CF is covered by 5/8 monolayer (ML) O*, exhibiting considerable affinity toward the oxygen species involved in the OER. Analysis based on advanced OER microkinetic volcano model indicates that a 5/8 ML O* covered-CF is the origin for the remarkable activity of this nanocomposite. The results reported here significantly advance knowledge in OER and can boost application, scale-up and commercialisation of electrocatalytic technologies toward clean energy devices.

Identification and nucleotide sequencing of a novel partitivirus derived from Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 HG III isolate A14

Rhizoctonia solani is a widely disseminated phytopathogen that is found in the soil and is capable of harming many important species of crops. Here, analysis of the R. solani AG-4 HG III strain A14 led to the identification of a novel mycovirus assigned the tentative name "Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus A14" (RsPV-A14), which was subjected to sequencing and associated analyses. This approach revealed that RsPV-A14 harbored two dsRNA segments, 2022 bp (dsRNA1) and 1905 bp (dsRNA2) in length. dsRNA1 was found to contain a single open reading frame (ORF1) that codes for a 622-amino-acid protein with conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) motifs, and dsRNA2 was found to contain an ORF (ORF2) that is predicted to code for a 558-amino-acid capsid protein (CP). BLASTp analysis using the putative RdRp of RsPV-A14 showed sequence similarity to partitiviruses, including Rosellinia necatrix partitivirus 7 (50.53% identity), an unclassified partitivirus. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp protein sequences suggested that RsPV-A14 is a novel member of the family Partitiviridae.

Upregulation of eIF2α by m6A modification accelerates the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells in MCT-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension rats

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a malignant cardiovascular disease. Eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) plays an important role in the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) rats. However, the regulatory mechanism of eIF2α remains poorly understood in PAH rats. Here, we discover eIF2α is markedly upregulated in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rats, eIF2α can be upregulated by mRNA methylation, and upregulated eIF2α can promote PASMC proliferation in MCT-PAH rats. GSK2606414, eIF2α inhibitor, can downregulate the expression of eIF2α and alleviate PASMC proliferation in MCT-PAH rats. And we further discover the mRNA of eIF2α has a common sequence with N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification by bioinformatics analysis, and the expression of METTL3, WTAP, and YTHDF1 is upregulated in MCT-PAH rats. These findings suggest a potentially novel mechanism by which eIF2α is upregulated by m6A modification in MCT-PAH rats, which is involved in the pathogenesis of PAH.

Insights into the underlying pathogenesis and therapeutic potential of endoplasmic reticulum stress in degenerative musculoskeletal diseases

Degenerative musculoskeletal diseases are structural and functional failures of the musculoskeletal system, including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), and sarcopenia. As the global population ages, degenerative musculoskeletal diseases are becoming more prevalent. However, the pathogenesis of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases is not fully understood. Previous studies have revealed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a stress response that occurs when impairment of the protein folding capacity of the ER leads to the accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins in the ER, contributing to degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. By affecting cartilage degeneration, synovitis, meniscal lesion, subchondral bone remodeling of osteoarthritis, bone remodeling and angiogenesis of osteoporosis, nucleus pulposus degeneration, annulus fibrosus rupture, cartilaginous endplate degeneration of IVDD, and sarcopenia, ER stress is involved in the pathogenesis of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. Preclinical studies have found that regulation of ER stress can delay the progression of multiple degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. These pilot studies provide foundations for further evaluation of the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of ER stress modulators in the treatment of musculoskeletal degenerative diseases in clinical trials. In this review, we have integrated up-to-date research findings of ER stress into the pathogenesis of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. In a future perspective, we have also discussed possible directions of ER stress in the investigation of degenerative musculoskeletal disease, potential therapeutic strategies for degenerative musculoskeletal diseases using ER stress modulators, as well as underlying challenges and obstacles in bench-to-beside research.

Quantitative biochemical phenotypic heterogeneity of senescent macrophage at a single cell level by Synchrotron Radiation Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy

Macrophage senescence plays an important role in pathophysiological process of age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer. After macrophage senescence, the biochemical phenotypes related to biological functions showed great heterogeneity. However, the biochemical phenotype and phenotypic heterogeneity of senescent macrophage has not been fully understood. Exploring the phenotype of biochemical substances in senescent macrophage will be helpful for understanding the function of senescent macrophage and finding out the potential mechanism between immune macrophage senescence and age-related diseases. In this study, we employed SR-FTIR microspectroscopy to detect the biochemical phenotype and phenotypic heterogeneity of single macrophage. The whole infrared spectra of senescent macrophages shifted, indicating biochemical substance changes within senescent macrophages. PCA and intercellular Euclidean distance statistical analysis based on specific spectra regions revealed dynamic changes of lipids and proteins during macrophage senescence. This proved that SR-FTIR microspectroscopy is an effective tool to detect the single cell biochemical phenotype transformation and phenotypic heterogeneity during macrophage senescence. It is of great significance to provide an evaluation method or clue for the study of cellular functions related to intracellular biochemical substances.

Steerable artificial magnetic bacteria with target delivery ability of calcium carbonate for soil improvement

The microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has acquired significant attention due to its immense potential in sustainable engineering applications, particularly in soil improvement. However, the precise control of microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation remains a formidable challenge in engineering practices, owing to the uncertain movement paths of bacteria and the nonuniform distribution of soil pores. Taking inspiration from targeted therapy in medicine, this paper presents novel research on the development and validation of magnetically responsive bacteria. These bacteria demonstrate the ability to target calcium carbonate precipitation in a microfluidic chip, thereby promoting an environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable biomineralization paradigm. The study focuses on investigating the migration of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) in aqueous solutions and enhancing the stability of MNP culture liquids. A specially designed microfluidic chip is utilized to simulate natural sand particles and their pores, while an external magnetic field is applied to precisely control the movement path of the artificial magnetic bacteria, enabling targeted precipitation of calcium carbonate at the micron-scale. Verification of the engineered artificial magnetic bacteria and their ability to induce calcium carbonate precipitation is conducted through SEM-EDS analysis, microfluidic chip observations, and the application of the K-means algorithm and ImageJ software to analyze calcium carbonate formation. The influence of the concentration of magnetic nanoparticles on the calcium carbonate production rate was also studied. The results confirm the potential of the artificial magnetic bacteria for future engineering applications. KEY POINTS: • Sporosarcina pasteurii is first time successfully engineered into artificial magnetic bacteria. • The artificial magnetic bacteria show excellent performance of targeted transportation and directional deposition of CaCO3 in microfluidic chip. • The emergence of artificial magnetic bacteria promotes paradigm shift of next generation environmentally friendly biomineralization.

The composition characteristics of endophytic communities and their relationship with metabolites profile in Ephedra sinica under wild and cultivated conditions

Ephedra sinica is one of the most famous Chinese medicinal plants. The insufficient supply of wild resources has led to the increased use of cultivated products. However, the related medicinal quality differs significantly. Although the influence of external environment on the quality of E. sinica has been studied, the impact of endophytic microbes on it remains vague. This study characterized differential metabolites and microbial community compositions in wild and cultivated E. sinica by combining metabolomics with microbiomics, and explored the effect of endophytes on the formation of differential metabolites further. The results showed that the difference in quality between wild and cultivated E. sinica was mainly in the productions of alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. The associated endophytes had special compositional characteristics. For instance, the distribution and abundance of dominant endophytes varied between wild and cultivated E. sinica. Several endophytes had significant or highly significant correlations with the formations of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, D-cathinone, methcathinone, coumarin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, or phenylacetic acid. This study will deepen our understanding of the plant-endophyte interactions and provide a strategy for the quality control of E. sinica products.

Dietary bile acid supplementation in weaned piglets with intrauterine growth retardation improves colonic microbiota, metabolic activity, and epithelial function

BACKGROUND

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is one of the major constraints in animal production. Our previous study showed that piglets with IUGR are associated with abnormal bile acid (BA) metabolism. This study explored whether dietary BA supplementation could improve growth performance and colonic development, function, microbiota, and metabolites in the normal birth weight (NBW) and IUGR piglets. A total of 48 weaned piglets (24 IUGR and 24 NBW) were allocated to four groups (12 piglets per group): (i) NBW group, (ii) NBW + BA group, (iii) IUGR group, and (iv) IUGR + BA group. Samples were collected after 28 days of feeding.

RESULTS

The results showed that dietary BA supplementation increased the length and weight of the colon and colon weight to body weight ratio, while decreased the plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) concentration in the NBW piglets (P < 0.05). Dietary BA supplementation to IUGR piglets decreased (P < 0.05) the plasma concentrations of D-lactate and endotoxin and colonic DAO and endotoxin, suggesting a beneficial effect on epithelial integrity. Moreover, dietary BA supplementation to NBW and IUGR piglets increased Firmicutes abundance and decreased Bacteroidetes abundance (P < 0.05), whereas Lactobacillus was the dominant genus in the colon. Metabolome analysis revealed 65 and 51 differential metabolites in the colon of piglets fed a diet with/without BA, respectively, which was associated with the colonic function of IUGR piglets. Furthermore, dietary BA supplementation to IUGR piglets upregulated the expressions of CAT, GPX, SOD, Nrf1, IL-2, and IFN-γ in colonic mucosa (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, dietary BA supplementation could improve the colonic function of IUGR piglets, which was associated with increasing proportions of potentially beneficial bacteria and metabolites. Furthermore, BA shows a promising application prospect in improving the intestinal ecosystem and health of animals.

EduNER: a Chinese named entity recognition dataset for education research

A high-quality domain-oriented dataset is crucial for the domain-specific named entity recognition (NER) task. In this study, we introduce a novel education-oriented Chinese NER dataset (EduNER). To provide representative and diverse training data, we collect data from multiple sources, including textbooks, academic papers, and education-related web pages. The collected documents span ten years (2012-2021). A team of domain experts is invited to accomplish the education NER schema definition, and a group of trained annotators is hired to complete the annotation. A collaborative labeling platform is built for accelerating human annotation. The constructed EduNER dataset includes 16 entity types, 11k+ sentences, and 35,731 entities. We conduct a thorough statistical analysis of EduNER and summarize its distinctive characteristics by comparing it with eight open-domain or domain-specific NER datasets. Sixteen state-of-the-art models are further utilized for NER tasks validation. The experimental results can enlighten further exploration. To the best of our knowledge, EduNER is the first publicly available dataset for NER task in the education domain, which may promote the development of education-oriented NER models.

A novel compound heterozygous mutation in TUBB8 causing early embryonic developmental arrest

PURPOSE

Mutations in the β-tubulin isotype, TUBB8, can cause female infertility. Although several mutations of TUBB8 have been reported, the full spectrum for guiding genetics counseling still needs to be further explored. Here, we sought to identify novel variants in TUBB8 and their phenotypic effects on microtubule network structure in vitro.

METHODS

Whole-exome sequence analysis was performed in two families with infertility to detect pathogenic variants, with validation by Sanger sequencing. All gene variants and protein structures were predicted in silico. Cells were transfected with wild-type and mutants, and immunofluorescence analysis was performed to visualize microtubule network changes.

RESULTS

We detected a novel compound heterozygous mutation, c.915_916delCC (p.Arg306Serfs*21) and c.82C > T (p.His28Tyr), and a benign heterozygous variant c.1286C > T (p.Thr429Met) in TUBB8 in the two families. Female patients with p.Arg306Serfs*21 and p.His28Tyr were infertile with early embryonic developmental arrest. The female patient with p.Thr429Met gave birth to a healthy baby in the second in vitro fertilization frozen embryo transfer cycle. The p.Arg306Serfs*21 mutation was predicted to cause large structural alteration in the TUBB8 protein and was confirmed to produce a truncated and trace protein by western blot analysis. Immunofluorescence analysis of transfected HeLa cells showed that p.Arg306Serfs*21 significantly disrupted microtubule structure.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings expand the known mutational spectrum of TUBB8 associated with early embryonic developmental arrest and female infertility.

Salicylic acid-related ribosomal protein CaSLP improves drought and Pst.DC3000 tolerance in pepper

The ribosomal protein contains complex structures that belong to polypeptide glycoprotein family, which are involved in plant growth and responses to various stresses. In this study, we found that capsicum annuum 40S ribosomal protein SA-like (CaSLP) was extensively accumulated in the cell nucleus and cell membrane, and the expression level of CaSLP was up-regulated by Salicylic acid (SA) and drought treatment. Significantly fewer peppers plants could withstand drought stress after CaSLP gene knockout. The transient expression of CaSLP leads to drought tolerance in pepper, and Arabidopsis's ability to withstand drought stress was greatly improved by overexpressing the CaSLP gene. Exogenous application of SA during spraying season enhanced drought tolerance. CaSLP-knockdown pepper plants demonstrated a decreased resistance of Pseudomonas syringae PV.tomato (Pst) DC3000 (Pst.DC3000), whereas ectopic expression of CaSLP increased the Pst.DC3000 stress resistance in Arabidopsis. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) results showed that CaNAC035 physically interacts with CaSLP in the cell nucleus. CaNAC035 was identified as an upstream partner of the CaPR1 promoter and activated transcription. Collectively the findings demonstrated that CaSLP plays an essential role in the regulation of drought and Pst.DC3000 stress resistance.

Comprehensive analysis of metabolome and transcriptome reveals the mechanism of color formation in different leave of Loropetalum Chinense var. Rubrum

BACKGROUND

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (L. chinense var. rubrum) is a precious, coloured-leaf native ornamental plant in the Hunan Province. We found an L. chinense var. rubrum tree with three different leaf colours: GL (green leaf), ML (mosaic leaf), and PL (purple leaf). The mechanism of leaf coloration in this plant is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the metabolites and genes involved in determining the colour composition of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves, using phenotypic/anatomic observations, pigment content detection, and comparative metabolomics and transcriptomics.

RESULTS

We observed that the mesophyll cells in PL were purple, while those in GL were green and those in ML were a mix of purple-green. The contents of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and total chlorophyll in PL and ML were significantly lower than those in GL. While the anthocyanin content in PL and ML was significantly higher than that in GL. The metabolomics results showed the differences in the content of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside, pelargonidin, and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside in ML, GL, and PL were significant. Considering that the change trend of anthocyanin content change was consistent with the leaf colour difference, we speculated that these compounds might influence the colour of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves. Using transcriptomics, we finally identified nine differentially expressed structural genes (one ANR (ANR1217); four CYP75As (CYP75A1815, CYP75A2846, CYP75A2909, and CYP75A1716); four UFGTs (UFGT1876, UFGT1649, UFGT1839, and UFGT3273) and nine transcription factors (two MYBs (MYB1057 and MYB1211), one MADS-box (MADS1235), two AP2-likes (AP2-like1779 and AP2-like2234), one bZIP (bZIP3720), two WD40s (WD2173 and WD1867) and one bHLH (bHLH1631) that might be related to flavonoid biosynthesis and then impacted the appearance of colour in L. chinense var. rubrum leaves.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed potential molecular mechanisms associated with leaf coloration in L. chinense var. rubrum by analyzing differential metabolites and genes related to the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. It also provided a reference for research on leaf colour variation in other ornamental plants.

Caprin-1 plays a role in cell proliferation and Warburg metabolism of esophageal carcinoma by regulating METTL3 and WTAP

BACKGROUND

Cytoplasmic activation/proliferation-associated protein-1 (Caprin-1) is implicated in cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenesis; however, its role in the development of esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) has not been examined.

METHODS

Biological methods and data analysis were used to investigate the expression of Caprin-1 in ESCA tissue and cell lines. We comprehensively analyzed the mRNA expression and prognostic values, signalling pathways of CAPRIN1 in ESCA using public databases online. Biological functions of CAPRIN1 were performed by clorimetric growth assay, EdU staining, colony formation, flow cytometry, apoptosis analysis, Western blot, lactate detection assay, extracellular acidification rates. The underlying mechanism was determined via flow cytometric analysis, Western blot and rescue experiments. In addition, xenograft tumor model was constructed to verify the phenotypes upon CAPRIN1 silencing.

RESULTS

Caprin-1 expression was significantly elevated in both ESCA tumor tissues and cell lines compared with that in normal adjacent tissues and fibroblasts. Increased CAPRIN1 mRNA expression was significantly associated with clinical prognosis and diagnostic accuracy. The GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis CAPRIN1 might be related to immune-related terms, protein binding processes, and metabolic pathways. A significant positive correlation was observed between high Caprin-1 protein levels and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.031), ki-67 (P = 0.023), and 18F- FDG PET/CT parameters (SUVmax (P = 0.002) and SUV mean (P = 0.005)) in 55 ESCA patients. At cut-off values of SUVmax 17.71 and SUVmean 10.14, 18F- FDG PET/CT imaging predicted Caprin-1 expression in ESCA samples with 70.8% sensitivity and 77.4% specificity. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that Caprin-1 knockdown affected ESCA tumor growth. Silencing Caprin-1 inhibited ESCA cell proliferation and glycolysis, and decreased the expression of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) and Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP). However, this effect could be partially reversed by the restoration of METTL3 and WTAP expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that Caprin-1 could serve as a prognostic biomarker and has an oncogenic role in ESCA.

Sex-Specific Differences in the Transcriptome of the Human Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia presents clinical and biological differences between males and females. This study investigated transcriptional profiles in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using postmortem data from the largest RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) database on schizophrenic cases and controls. Data for 154 male and 113 female controls and 160 male and 93 female schizophrenic cases were obtained from the CommonMind Consortium. In the RNA-seq database, the principal component analysis showed that sex effects were small in schizophrenia. After we analyzed the impact of sex-specific differences on gene expression, the female group showed more significantly changed genes compared with the male group. Based on the gene ontology analysis, the female sex-specific genes that changed were overrepresented in the mitochondrion, ATP (phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate)-, and metal ion-binding relevant biological processes. An ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes related to schizophrenia in the female group were involved in midbrain dopaminergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons and microglia. We used methylated DNA-binding domain-sequencing analyses and microarray to investigate the DNA methylation that potentially impacts the sex differences in gene transcription using a maternal immune activation (MIA) murine model. Among the sex-specific positional genes related to schizophrenia in the PFC of female offspring from MIA, the changes in the methylation and transcriptional expression of loci ACSBG1 were validated in the females with schizophrenia in independent postmortem samples by real-time PCR and pyrosequencing. Our results reveal potential genetic risks in the DLPFC for the sex-dependent prevalence and symptomology of schizophrenia.

The relationship between Chinese university students' learning preparation and learning achievement within the EFL blended teaching context in COVID-19 post-epidemic era: The mediating effect of learning methods

The effectiveness of the blended teaching model in improving university students' English learning achievement has been frequently reported in China in the post-pandemic era. However, such research has seldom explored the students' entire EFL (English as a foreign language) learning process and mechanism from the perspective of learners within this model. This study therefore used the 3P (presage, process and product) teaching and learning theory to explore the mediating role of learning methods (i.e., learning engagement and academic procrastination) in the relationship between learning preparation (i.e., academic self-concept and course experience) and learning achievement within the Chinese EFL blended teaching context from the perspective of learners. In this study, 942 Chinese university students (male: N = 447; female: N = 495) participated in a survey and completed electronic questionnaires on EFL-related academic self-concept, learning engagement, academic procrastination, and learning achievement. The data were analyzed using AMOS software and a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The results showed that both students' academic self-concept and course experience directly and positively predicted their English learning achievement. Moreover, students' academic self-concept of learning achievement was partially mediated by learning engagement and academic procrastination, whereas the effect of course experience on learning achievement was fully mediated by learning engagement and academic procrastination. After discussing these findings, suggestions as well as limitations for future studies will be given.

Bionic design based on micro-nano structure of osteon and its low-velocity impact damage behavior

It is found that the osteon is composed of thin and thick lamellae which are periodic and approximately concentric, every 5 lamellae is a cycle, the periodic helix angle of mineralized collagen fibers in two adjacent sub-lamellae is 30°. Four bionic composite models with different fiber helix angles were established and fabricated according to the microstructure of mineralized collagen fibers in osteon. Based on the impact analysis of four kinds of bionic composite models, the effects of the fiber periodic spiral structure on the impact resistance and energy dissipation of multi-layer bionic composite were investigated. The analysis results show that the fiber helix angle affects the impact damage resistance and energy dissipation of multi-layer fiber reinforced composites. Among the 4 kinds of multi-layer composite models, the composite model with helix angle of 30° has better comprehensive ability to resist impact damage. The test results show that the impact damage area of the specimen with 30° helix angle is smallest among the 4 types of bionic specimens, which is consistent with the results of finite-element impact analysis. Furthermore, in the case of without impact damage, the smaller the fiber helix angle is, the more uniform the stress distribution is and more energy is dissipated in the impact process. The periodic spiral structure of mineralized collagen fibers in osteon are the result of natural selection of biological evolution. This structure can effectively improve the ability of cortical bone to resist external impact. The research results can provide useful guidance for the design and manufacture of high-performance and strong impact resistant bionic composites.

Ubiquitination-coupled liquid phase separation regulates the accumulation of the TRIM family of ubiquitin ligases into cytoplasmic bodies

Many members of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family of ubiquitin ligases localize in spherical, membrane-free structures collectively referred to as cytoplasmic bodies (CBs) in a concentration-dependent manner. These CBs may function as aggresome precursors or storage compartments that segregate potentially harmful excess TRIM molecules from the cytosolic milieu. However, the manner in which TRIM proteins accumulate into CBs is unclear. In the present study, using TRIM32, TRIM5α and TRIM63 as examples, we demonstrated that CBs are in a liquid droplet state, resulting from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). This finding is based on criteria that defines phase-separated structures, such as recovery after photobleaching, sensitivity to hexanediol, and the ability to undergo fusion. CB droplets, which contain cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)-fused TRIM32, were purified from HEK293 cells using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. We found that in addition to TRIM32, these droplets contain a variety of endogenous proteins and enzymes including ubiquitin. Localization of ubiquitin within CBs was further verified by fluorescence microscopy. We also found that the activation of the intracellular ubiquitination cascade promotes the assembly of TRIM32 molecules into CBs, whereas inhibition causes suppression. Regulation is dependent on the intrinsic E3 ligase activity of TRIM32. Similar regulation by ubiquitination on the TRIM assembly was also observed with TRIM5α and TRIM63. Our findings provide a novel mechanical basis for the organization of CBs that couples compartmentalization through LLPS with ubiquitination.

In vitro and in vivo efficacy of thiacloprid against Echinococcus multilocularis

BACKGROUND

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a chronic zoonosis caused by the larval form of Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis). Current chemotherapy against AE has relied on albendazole and mebendazole, which only exhibit parasitostatic and not parasiticidal efficacy. Therefore, novel compounds for the treatment of this disease are needed.

METHODS

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) assays were used for compound screening of seven neonicotinoids. The anti-parasitic effects of thiacloprid were then evaluated on E. multilocularis metacestode vesicles, germinal cells and protoscoleces in vitro. Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) and Reuber rat hepatoma (RH) cells were used to assess cytotoxicity. Glucose consumption in E. multilocularis protoscoleces and germinal cells was assessed by measuring uptake of 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). Molecular docking was used to evaluate the potential binding sites of thiacloprid to acetylcholine receptors. In vivo efficacy of thiacloprid was evaluated in mice by secondary infection with E. multilocularis. In addition, ELISA and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the effects of cytokines and T lymphocyte subsets after thiacloprid treatment. Furthermore, collagen deposition and degradation in the host lesion microenvironment were evaluated.

RESULTS

We found that thiacloprid is the most promising compound, with an IC50 of 4.54 ± 1.10 μM and 2.89 ± 0.34 μM, respectively, against in vitro-cultured E. multilocularis metacestodes and germinal cells. Thiacloprid was less toxic for HFF and RH mammalian cell lines than for metacestodes. In addition, thiacloprid inhibited the acetylcholinesterase activity in protoscoleces, metacestodes and germinal cells. Thiacloprid inhibited glucose consumption by protoscoleces and germinal cells. Subsequently, transmission electron microscopy revealed that treatment with thiacloprid damaged the germinal layer. In vivo, metacestode weight was significantly reduced following oral administration of thiacloprid at 15 and 30 mg/kg. The level of CD4+ T lymphocytes in metacestodes and spleen increased after thiacloprid treatment. Anti-echinococcosis-related cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10) were significantly increased. Furthermore, thiacloprid inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs 1, 3, 9, 13) and promoted collagen deposition in the host lesion microenvironment.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrated that thiacloprid had parasiticidal activity against E. multilocularis in vitro and in vivo, and could be used as a novel lead compound for the treatment of AE.

Brain-Targeted Polysorbate 80-Emulsified Donepezil Drug-Loaded Nanoparticles for Neuroprotection

Most Alzheimer's disease drugs do not work efficiently because of the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, we designed a new nanopreparation (PS-DZP-CHP): cholesterol-modified pullulan (CHP) nanoparticle with polysorbate 80(PS) surface coverage, as donepezil (DZP) carrier to realize brain tissue delivery. By size analysis and isothermal titration calorimetry, we chose the optimal dosing ratio of the drug with nanomaterials (1:5) and designed a series of experiments to verify the efficacy of the nanoparticles. The results of in vitro release experiments showed that the nanoparticles can achieve continuous drug release within 72 h. The results of fluorescence observation in mice showed a good brain targeting of PS-DZP-CHP nanoparticles. Furthermore, the nanoparticle can enhance the drug in the brain tissue concentration in mice. DZP-CHP nanoparticles were used to pretreat nerve cells with Aβ protein damage. The concentration of lactate dehydrogenase was determined by MTT, rhodamine 123 and AO-EB staining, which proved that DZP-CHP nanoparticles had a protective effect on the neurotoxicity induced by Aβ25-35 and were superior to free donepezil. Microthermal perpetual motion meter test showed that PS-DZP-CHP nanoparticles have an affinity with apolipoprotein E, which may be vital for this nanoparticle targeting to brain tissue.

Geochemistry of heavy metal-contaminated sediments from the Four River inlets of Dongting lake, China

The concentrations of major and trace elements in the sediments from the Four River inlets of Dongting Lake were analysed. The results show that the element compositions of the Four River inlet sediments are different, among which higher amounts of Al2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, Cs, Rb, Th, U, Y, and REE are found, while MgO, CaO, Na2O, and Sr are more depleted in the sediments from the Xiangjiang and Zijiang inlets than in the sediments from the Yuanjiang and Lishui inlets. The Xiangjiang inlet sediments are distinctly higher enriched (EF > 5.0) in heavy metals Bi, Cd, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Zn, while the other river sediments are moderately enriched (EF > 2.0) in these heavy metals. These geochemical differences are resulted from the source lithology, chemical weathering, hydrological sorting, and anthropogenic processes taking place in the watersheds. The principal component analysis and the geochemical vertical profiles suggest that the trace metals Ba, Mo, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cs, Rb, Sc, Th, U, Ga, Ge, Zr, Hf, Ta, Nb, and REE are of terrigenous sources. The heavy metals including Bi, Cd, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the sediments can include those contributed by anthropogenic processes, such as mining and smelting of Pb-Zn ores. Therefore, presenting a scheme for the geochemical backgrounds of the watershed is recommended here for future assessment of the heavy metal contamination in sediments of the watershed.

The research for the function evaluation of facial nerve and the mechanisms of rehabilitation training

BACKGROUND

Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) is a common peripheral neural disease. Acupuncture treatment combined with PFP rehabilitation exercises is a routine method of PFP treatment. This article is to provide a new visual and objective evaluation method for exploring the mechanism and efficacy of acupuncture treatment on PFP, and develop an interactive augmented facial nerve function rehabilitation training system with multiple training models.

METHODS

This prospective and observational trial will recruit 200 eligible participants for the following study. In the trial, the laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) technology will be applied to monitor the microcirculation of facial blood flow during acupuncture, and real-time monitoring algorithms, data sampling, and digital imaging methods will be conducted by machine learning and image segmentation. Then, a database of patient facial expressions will be built, the correlation between surface blood flow perfusion volume and facial structure symmetry will be analyzed, combined with scale assessment and electrophysiological detection. In addition, we will also explore the objectivity and effectiveness of LASCA in the evaluation of facial paralysis (FP), and the changes in blood flow microcirculation before and after acupuncture treatment will be analyzed.

RESULTS

The standard image of the facial target area with facial nerve injury will be manually segmented by the convolutional neural network method. The blood flow images of the eyelid, cheek, and mandible of the patients' affected and healthy side will be compared and evaluated. Laser speckle blood flow symmetry Pr and its changes in FP condition evolution and prognosis outcome will be measured, and relevant characteristic signals values will be extracted. Finally, COX regression analysis method is conducted to establish a higher accuracy prediction model of FP with cross-validation based on laser speckle blood flow imaging technology.

CONCLUSIONS

We use modern interdisciplinary high-tech technologies to explore the mechanism of acupuncture rehabilitation training in PFP. And we will provide evidence for the feasibility of using the LASCA technique as a typing diagnosis of FP in the acupuncture rehabilitation treatment of PFP.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR1800019463.

Restriction of dissolved organic matter on the stabilization of Cu(II) by phosphate

The precipitation of Cu(II) by phosphate and the influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the precipitation are essential for the fate of Cu(II) in aquatic environments. In this study, the influence of DOM on the reaction of phosphate with Cu(II) was investigated. Here, 51.61%, 29.75%, and 24.32% of the added Cu(II) (50 μM) precipitated without DOM and with the addition of fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA), respectively, owing to the reaction with phosphate (50 μM). Excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy-parallel factor (PARAFAC) and two-dimensional ultraviolet-visible correlation spectroscopy analyses were conducted to characterize the influence of DOM on the precipitation of Cu(II) with phosphate. One humic-like and two protein-like fluorescent components were identified by the PARAFAC model for FA, whereas two humic-like fluorescent components and one protein-like fluorescent component were validated for HA. The humic-like components had primary roles, whereas the protein-like components had secondary roles in limiting the precipitation of Cu(II) with phosphate. Cu(II) binding to DOM chromophores initially occurred at shorter wavelengths, and then at longer wavelengths. Phenolic and carboxylic constituents had important roles, and HA exhibited more binding sites than FA. Therefore, humic-like fluorescent components and chromophores containing phenolic and carboxylic groups and functional groups with peaks at short wavelengths (200-220 nm) were primarily responsible for restricting the precipitation of Cu(II) with phosphate.

QTL mapping of the genetic basis of stem diameter in soybean

MAIN CONCLUSION

QTL mapping of stem diameter was carried out in three RIL populations using a high-density genetic map, and candidate genes related to stem diameter were predicted. Stem diameter is an important agronomic trait affecting soybean lodging and productivity. However, this trait is underexploited, and the underlying genetic mechanism in soybean remains unclear. In this study, three recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, including 156 F10 lines from Nannong 94-156 × Bogao (N × B), 127 F9 lines from Dongnong 50 × Williams 82 (D × W), and 146 F9 lines from Suinong 14 × Enrei (S × E), were used to identify QTLs for soybean stem diameter across multiple environments. Phenotype analysis revealed that stem diameter exhibited strong positive correlations with plant height and 100-seed weight, two of the most important yield components. A total of 12 QTLs for stem diameter were identified on eight chromosomes across three RIL populations and five environments. The most influential QTL that was stably identified across all the populations and environments, q11, explained 12.58-26.63% of the phenotypic variation. Detection of several environment-specific QTLs, including q14, q16, and q20, suggests that environments may also have important effects in shaping the natural variation in soybean stem diameter. Furthermore, we predicted candidate genes underlying the QTLs and found that several promising candidate genes may be responsible for the variation in stem diameter in soybean. Overall, the markers/genes linked closely or underlying the major QTLs may be used for marker-assisted selection of soybean varieties to enhance lodging resistance and even yield. Our results lay the foundation for the fine mapping of stem development-related genes to reveal the molecular mechanisms.

Molecular cloning and characterization of HSP60 gene in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) and differential expression patterns under temperature stress

Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) is a well-recognized multifunctional protein, playing a substantial role in protecting organisms from environmental stress. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia) is a promising model organism, with important economic and ecological value, and its health is susceptible to temperature stress. To explore the molecular characteristics, tissue expression profile, and response to temperature stress for HSP60 of Columba livia (ClHSP60), we firstly cloned and characterized the complete cDNA sequence and investigated its expression profile under optimal conditions and acute temperature stress. The cDNA of ClHSP60 contained 2257 nucleotides, consisting of 12 exons with length ranging from 65 to 590 bp. The open reading frame (ORF) encoded 573 amino acids with calculated molecular weight of 60.97 kDa that contained a number of structurally prominent domains or motifs. Under optimal temperature conditions, levels of ClHSP60 expression differed between all the tested tissues (the highest was noted in liver and the lowest in pectoralis major muscle). Under acute temperature stress, five patterns of change were detected in the tested tissues, suggesting that different tissues in domestic pigeons differentially responded to various temperature stress conditions. Upregulation of ClHSP60 expression was highest in the lung and pectoralis major muscle, reflecting the crucial role of these two tissues in temperature regulation. However, the crop, cerebrum, and heart showed little change or decreased ClHSP60 expression. The results indicate that ClHSP60 may be sensitive to and play pivotal roles in responding to acute temperature stress.

Patients with pheochromocytoma exhibit low aldosterone renin ratio-preliminary reports

BACKGROUND

Plasma renin activity (PRA) is generally increased in patients with pheochromocytoma (PCC) due to low circulating plasma volume and activation of β-1 adrenergic receptor signaling. However, there has been no study on the aldosterone renin ratio (ARR) in patients with PCC. To elucidate the issue, this study aimed to determine the PRA, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and ARR in patients with PCC and compare them with those in patients with subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS) and non-functioning adrenal adenoma (NFA).

METHODS

In this retrospective single-center, cross-sectional study, 67 consecutive patients with adrenal tumors (PCC (n = 18), SCS (n = 18), and NFA (n = 31)) diagnosed at Kobe University Hospital between 2008 and 2014 were enrolled.

RESULTS

PRA was significantly higher in patients with PCC than in those with SCS and NFA (2.1 (1.3 ~ 2.8) vs. 0.7 (0.5 ~ 1.8) and 0.9 (0.6 ~ 1.4) ng/mL/h; p = 0.018 and p = 0.025). Although PACs were comparable among the three groups, ARR was significantly lower in patients with PCC than in those with SCS and NFA (70.5 (45.5 ~ 79.5) vs. 156.0 (92.9 ~ 194.5) and 114.9 (90.1 ~ 153.4); p = 0.001 and p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that, in differentiating PCC from NFA, PRA > 1.55 ng/mL/h showed a sensitivity of 70.0% and specificity of 80.6%. Interestingly, ARR < 95.4 showed a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 86.7%, which were higher than those in PRA.

CONCLUSIONS

ARR decreased in patients with PCC, which was a more sensitive marker than PRA. Further study is necessary to understand the usefulness of this convenient marker in the detection of PCC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was not registered because of the retrospective analysis.

The TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB pathway is involved in sIgA-mediated IgA nephropathy

Previous studies have shown that secretory IgA (sIgA) was critically involved in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) immune responses. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), especially TLR4 which participates in mucosal immunity, may be involved in the pathogenesis of IgAN. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sIgA and TLR4 interact to mediate kidney damage in IgAN patients. IgAN patients with positive sIgA deposition in renal tissues were screened by immunofluorescence assay. Patient salivary sIgA (P-sIgA) was collected and purified by jacalin affinity chromatography. Salivary sIgA from healthy volunteers was used as a control (N-sIgA). Expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1 were detected in the mesangial area of IgAN patients by immunohistochemistry, the expression levels in patients with positive sIgA deposition were higher than that with negative sIgA deposition. Human renal mesangial cells (HRMCs) were cultured in vitro, flow cytometry showed that P-sIgA bound HRMCs significantly better than N-sIgA. HRMCs were cultured in the presence of sIgA (400 μg/mL) for 24 h, compared with cells cultured with N-sIgA, HRMCs cultured in vitro with P-sIgA showed enhanced expression of TLR4, increased secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1, and increased expression of MyD88/NF-κB. TLR4 shRNA silencing and NF-κB inhibition both reduced the ability of HRMCs to synthesize TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1. Our results indicate that sIgA may induce high expression of TLR4 in HRMCs and further activate downstream signalling pathways, prompting HRMCs to secrete multiple cytokines and thereby mediating kidney damage in IgAN patients.