Genomic characterization of dryland adaptation in endangered Anxi cattle in China

Local species exhibit distinctive indigenous characteristics while showing unique productive and phenotypic traits. However, the advent of commercialization has posed a substantial threat to the survival of indigenous species. Anxi cattle, an endangered native breed in China, have evolved unique growth and reproductive characteristics in extreme desert and semidesert ecosystems. In this study, we conducted a genomic comparison of 10 Anxi cattle genomes with those of five other global populations/breeds to assess genetic diversity and identify candidate genomic regions in Anxi cattle. Population structure and genetic diversity analyses revealed that Anxi cattle are part of the East Asian cattle clade, exhibiting higher genetic diversity than commercial breeds. Through selective sweep analysis, we identified specific genetic variations linked to the environmental adaptability of Anxi cattle. Notably, we identified several candidate genes, including CERS3 involved in regulating skin permeability and antimicrobial functions, RBFOX2 associated with cardiac development, SLC16A7 participated in the regulation of pancreatic endocrine function, and SPATA3 related to reproduction. Our findings revealed the distinctive genomic features of Anxi cattle in dryland environments, provided invaluable insights for further research and breed preservation, and had important significance for enriching the domestic cattle breeding gene bank.

[Multicenter evaluation of the diagnostic efficacy of jaundice color card for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and practicality of the Jaundice color card (JCard) as a screening tool for neonatal jaundice. Methods: Following the standards for reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) statement, a multicenter prospective study was conducted in 9 hospitals in China from October 2019 to September 2021. A total of 845 newborns who were admitted to the hospital or outpatient department for liver function testing due to their own diseases. The inclusion criteria were a gestational age of ≥35 weeks, a birth weight of ≥2 000 g, and an age of ≤28 days. The neonate's parents used the JCard to measure jaundice at the neonate's cheek. Within 2 hours of the JCard measurement, transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) was measured with a JH20-1B device and total serum bilirubin (TSB) was detected. The Pearson's correlation analysis, Bland-Altman plots and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for statistic analysis. Results: Out of the 854 newborns, 445 were male and 409 were female; 46 were born at 35-36 weeks of gestational age and 808 were born at ≥37 weeks of gestational age. Additionally, 432 cases were aged 0-3 days, 236 cases were aged 4-7 days, and 186 cases were aged 8-28 days. The TSB level was (227.4±89.6) μmol/L, with a range of 23.7-717.0 μmol/L. The JCard level was (221.4±77.0) μmol/L and the TcB level was (252.5±76.0) μmol/L. Both the JCard and TcB values showed good correlation (r=0.77 and 0.80, respectively) and agreements (96.0% (820/854) and 95.2% (813/854) of samples fell within the 95% limits of agreement, respectively) with TSB. The JCard value of 12 had a sensitivity of 0.93 and specificity of 0.75 for identifying a TSB ≥205.2 μmol/L, and a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.35 for identifying a TSB ≥342.0 μmol/L. The TcB value of 205.2 μmol/L had a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.60 for identifying TSB levels of 205.2 μmol/L, and a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.26 for identifying TSB levels of 342.0 μmol/L. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of JCard for identifying TSB levels of 153.9, 205.2, 256.5, and 342.0 μmol/L were 0.96, 0.92, 0.83, and 0.83, respectively. The AUC of TcB were 0.94, 0.91, 0.86, and 0.87, respectively. There were both no significant differences between the AUC of JCard and TcB in identifying TSB levels of 153.9 and 205.2 μmol/L (both P>0.05). However, the AUC of JCard were both lower than those of TcB in identifying TSB levels of 256.5 and 342.0 μmol/L (both P<0.05). Conclusion: JCard can be used to classify different levels of bilirubin, but its diagnostic efficacy decreases with increasing bilirubin levels. When TSB level are ≤205.2 μmol/L, its diagnostic efficacy is equivalent to that of the JH20-1B. To prevent the misdiagnosis of severe jaundice, it is recommended that parents use a low JCard score, such as 12, to identify severe hyperbilirubinemia (TSB ≥342.0 μmol/L).

A High-Coverage Mesolithic Aurochs Genome and Effective Leveraging of Ancient Cattle Genomes Using Whole Genome Imputation

Ancient genomic analyses are often restricted to utilizing pseudohaploid data due to low genome coverage. Leveraging low-coverage data by imputation to calculate phased diploid genotypes that enables haplotype-based interrogation and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling at unsequenced positions is highly desirable. This has not been investigated for ancient cattle genomes despite these being compelling subjects for archeological, evolutionary, and economic reasons. Here, we test this approach by sequencing a Mesolithic European aurochs (18.49×; 9,852 to 9,376 calBCE) and an Early Medieval European cow (18.69×; 427 to 580 calCE) and combine these with published individuals: two ancient and three modern. We downsample these genomes (0.25×, 0.5×, 1.0×, and 2.0×) and impute diploid genotypes, utilizing a reference panel of 171 published modern cattle genomes that we curated for 21.7 million (Mn) phased SNPs. We recover high densities of correct calls with an accuracy of >99.1% at variant sites for the lowest downsample depth of 0.25×, increasing to >99.5% for 2.0× (transversions only, minor allele frequency [MAF] ≥ 2.5%). The recovery of SNPs correlates with coverage; on average, 58% of sites are recovered for 0.25× increasing to 87% for 2.0×, utilizing an average of 3.5 million (Mn) transversions (MAF ≥2.5%), even in the aurochs, despite the highest temporal distance from the modern reference panel. Our imputed genomes behave similarly to directly called data in allele frequency-based analyses, for example consistently identifying runs of homozygosity >2 Mb, including a long homozygous region in the Mesolithic European aurochs.

[Exercise promotes irisin expression to ameliorate renal injury in type 2 diabetic rats]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of irisin in exercise-induced improvement of renal function in type 2 diabetic rats.

METHODS

Forty male SD rats aged 4-6 weeks were randomized into normal control group, type 2 diabetes mellitus model group, diabetic exercise (DE) group and diabetic irisin (DI) group (n=8). The rats in DE group were trained with treadmill running for 8 weeks, and those in DI group were given scheduled irisin injections for 8 weeks. After the treatments, blood biochemical parameters of the rats were examined, and renal histopathology was observed with HE, Masson and PAS staining. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels in the rats'kidneys.

RESULTS

The diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen with lowered serum irisin level (all P < 0.05). Compared with those in DM group, total cholesterol, triglyceride, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were decreased and serum irisin levels were increased in both DE and DI groups (all P < 0.05). The rats in DM group showed obvious structural disorders and collagen fiber deposition in the kidneys, which were significantly improved in DE group and DI group. Both regular exercises and irisin injections significantly ameliorated the reduction of FNDC5, LC3-II/I, Atg7, Beclin-1, p-AMPK, AMPK and SIRT1 protein expressions and lowered of p62 protein expression in the kidneys of the diabetic rats (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Both exercise and exogenous irisin treatment improve nephropathy in type 2 diabetic rats possibly due to irisin-mediated activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in the kidneys to promote renal autophagy.

Application of machine learning techniques in the diagnostic approach of PTSD using MRI neuroimaging data: A systematic review

Background

At present, the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder（PTSD） mainly relies on clinical symptoms and psychological scales, and finding objective indicators that are helpful for diagnosis has always been a challenge in clinical practice and academic research. Neuroimaging is a useful and powerful tool for discovering the biomarkers of PTSD,especially functional MRI (fMRI), structural MRI (sMRI) and Diffusion Weighted Imaging（DTI）are the most commonly used technologies, which can provide multiple perspectives on brain function, structure and its connectivity. Machine learning (ML) is an emerging and potentially powerful method, which has aroused people's interest because it is used together with neuroimaging data to define brain structural and functional abnormalities related to diseases, and identify phenotypes, such as helping physicians make early diagnosis.

Objectives

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) declaration, a systematic review was conducted to assess its accuracy in distinguishing between PTSD patients, TEHC(Trauma-Exposed Healthy Controls), and HC(healthy controls).

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science using common words for ML methods and PTSD until June 2023, with no language or time limits. This review includes 13 studies, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy taken from each publication or acquired directly from the authors.

Results

All ML techniques have an diagnostic accuracy rate above 70%，and support vector machine（SVM） are the most commonly used techniques. This series of studies has revealed significant neurobiological differences in key brain regions among individuals with PTSD, TEHC, and HC. The connectivity patterns of regions such as the Insula and Amygdala hold particular significance in distinguishing these groups. TEHC exhibits more normal connectivity patterns compared to PTSD, providing valuable insights for the application of machine learning in PTSD diagnosis.

Conclusion

In contrast to any currently available assessment and clinical diagnosis, ML techniques can be used as an effective and non-invasive support for early identification and detection of patients as well as for early screening of high-risk populations.

[Immune reconstitution and influencing factors in HIV infected men who have sex with men with access to antiviral therapy in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2005 to 2021]

Objective: To analyze immune reconstitution and influencing factors in HIV infected men who have sex with men (MSM) with access to antiviral therapy (ART) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) during 2005-2021. Methods: The data were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The study subjects were HIV infected MSM with access to the initial ART for ≥24 weeks in Guangxi from 2005 to 2021 and HIV RNA lower than the detection limit within 24 months. The proportion of infected MSM who had immune reconstitution after ART was calculated. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of immune reconstitution. Software SPSS 24.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 3 200 HIV infected MSM were enrolled, in whom 15.56 % (498/3 200) had no immune reconstitution, 14.78% (473/3 200) had moderate immune reconstitution, and the rate of complete immune reconstitution was 69.66% (2 229/3 200). The M (Q1, Q3) of ART time for immune reconstitution was 12 (5, 27) months. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression model analysis results showed that compared with those with initial ART at age ≥30 years, WHO clinical stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ illness, baseline BMI <18.50 kg/m2 and baseline CD4+T lymphocyte (CD4) counts <200 cells/µl, HIV infected MSM with initial ART at age <30 years, WHO clinical stageⅠ/Ⅱ illness, baseline BMI≥24.00 kg/m2 and baseline CD4 counts ≥200 cells/µl were more likely to have complete immune reconstitution. Conclusions: In the HIV infected MSM in Guangxi, failures to achieve moderate and complete immune reconstitution were observed. Surveillance and ART regimen should be improved for key populations, such as those with older age and low baseline CD4 counts.

Bovine enhancer-regulated circSGCB acts as a ceRNA to regulate skeletal muscle development via enhancing KLF3 expression

Skeletal muscle growth and development in livestock and poultry play a pivotal role in determining the quality and yield of meat production. However, the mechanisms of myogenesis are remained unclear due to it finely regulated by a complex network of biological macromolecules. In this study, leveraging previous sequencing data, we investigated a differentially expressed circular RNA (circSGCB) present in fetal and adult muscle tissues among various ruminant species, including cattle, goat, and sheep. Our analysis revealed that circSGCB is a single exon circRNA, potentially regulated by an adjacent bovine enhancer. Functional analysis through loss-of-function tests demonstrated that circSGCB exerts inhibitory effects on bovine myoblast proliferation while promoting myocytes generation. Furthermore, we discovered that circSGCB primarily localizes to the cytoplasm, where it functions as a molecular sponge by binding to bta-miR-27a-3p. This interaction releases the mRNAs of KLF3 gene and further activates downstream functional pathways. In vivo, studies provided evidence that up-regulation of KLF3 contributes to muscle regeneration. These findings collectively suggest that circSGCB operates via a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism to regulate KLF3, thereby influencing myogenesis in ruminants and highlights it may as potential molecular targets for enhancing meat production in livestock and poultry industries.

Development of target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology for a simplified approach to discovering potential bioactive compounds in natural products

Target-based drug discovery technology based on cell membrane targets has gained significant traction and has been steadily advancing. However, current methods still face certain limitations that need to be addressed. One of the challenges is the laborious preparation process of screening materials, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Additionally, there is a potential issue of non-specific adsorption caused by carrier materials, which can result in false-positive results and compromise the accuracy of the screening process. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology for active ingredient discovery in natural products. In this technique, the cell membranes of human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (A549) with a high expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were incubated with candidate drugs and then transferred to an ultrafiltration tube. Through centrifugation, components that interacted with EGFR were retained in the ultrafiltration tube as "EGFR-ligand" complex, while the components that did not interact with EGFR were separated. After thorough washing and eluting, the components interacting with EGFR were dissociated and further identified using LC-MS, enabling the discovery of bioactive compounds. Moreover, the target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology exhibited commendable binding capacity and selectivity. Ultimately, this technology successfully screened and identified two major components from the Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (CS) herb pair extracts, which were further validated for their potential anti-tumor activity through pharmacological experiments. By eliminating the need for laborious preparation of screening materials and the potential non-specific adsorption caused by carriers, the development of target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology provides a simplified approach and method for bioactive compounds discovery in natural sources.

Association between physical frailty, circadian syndrome and cardiovascular disease among middle-aged and older adults: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Physical frailty (PF) and circadian syndrome (CircS) are proposed as novel risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but little attention is paid to their combined impact on CVD. This study aimed to investigate the association of PF, CircS and CVD in middle-aged and older adults.

METHODS

The sample comprised 8512 participants aged at least 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011. PF was examined by the physical frailty phenotype scale. CircS was assessed by the components of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) MetS plus short sleep duration and depression. The cut-off for CircS was set as ≥ 4. CVD was defined as the presence of physician-diagnosed heart disease and/or stroke. A total of 6176 participants without CVD recruited from CHARLS 2011 and were followed up in 2018.

RESULTS

The prevalence of CVD in total populations, neither CircS or PF, PF alone, CircS alone and both CircS and PF were 13.0%, 7.4%, 15.5%, 17.4%, and 30.2%, respectively. CircS was more likely to be PF [OR (95%CI): 2.070 (1.732 ∼ 2.472)] than those without CircS. Both CircS alone [OR (95% CI): 1.954 (1.663 ∼ 2.296)], and coexisting CircS and PF [3.508 (2.739 ∼ 4.494)] were associated with CVD. Longitudinal analysis showed that individuals with both CircS and PF (HR: 1.716, 95%CI: 1.314 ∼ 2.240) and CircS alone [1.520 (1.331 ∼ 1.737)] were more likely to have new onset CVD than neither CircS or PF peers.

CONCLUSION

PF and CircS together are associated with higher CVD risk, which provided new evidence for a strong relation that warrants attention to assessing PF and CircS and in community to promote healthy aging.

Targeted Cyclo[8]pyrrole-Based NIR-II Photoacoustic Tomography Probe for Suppression of Orthotopic Pancreatic Tumor Growth and Intra-abdominal Metastases

Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal. New diagnostic and treatment modalities are desperately needed. We report here that an expanded porphyrin, cyclo[8]pyrrole (CP), with a high extinction coefficient (89.16 L/g·cm) within the second near-infrared window (NIR-II), may be formulated with an αvβ3-specific targeting peptide, cyclic-Arg-Gly-Asp (cRGD), to form cRGD-CP nanoparticles (cRGD-CPNPs) with promising NIR-II photothermal (PT) therapeutic and photoacoustic (PA) imaging properties. Studies with a ring-array PA tomography system, coupled with analysis of control nanoparticles lacking a targeting element (CPNPs), revealed that cRGD conjugation promoted the delivery of the NPs through abnormal vessels around the tumor to the solid tumor core. This proved true in both subcutaneous and orthotopic pancreatic tumor mice models, as confirmed by immunofluorescent studies. In combination with NIR-II laser photoirradiation, the cRGD-CPNPs provided near-baseline tumor growth inhibition through PTT both in vitro and in vivo. Notably, the combination of the present cRGD-CPNPs and photoirradiation was found to inhibit intra-abdominal metastases in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor mouse model. The cRGD-CPNPs also displayed good biosafety profiles, as inferred from PA tomography, blood analyses, and H&E staining. They thus appear promising for use in combined PA imaging and PT therapeutic treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Relief of tumor hypoxia using a nanoenzyme amplifies NIR-II photoacoustic-guided photothermal therapy

Hypoxia is a critical tumor microenvironment (TME) component. It significantly impacts tumor growth and metastasis and is known to be a major obstacle for cancer therapy. Integrating hypoxia modulation with imaging-based monitoring represents a promising strategy that holds the potential for enhancing tumor theranostics. Herein, a kind of nanoenzyme Prussian blue (PB) is synthesized as a metal-organic framework (MOF) to load the second near-infrared (NIR-II) small molecule dye IR1061, which could catalyze hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen and provide a photothermal conversion element for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT). To enhance stability and biocompatibility, silica was used as a coating for an integrated nanoplatform (SPI). SPI was found to relieve the hypoxic nature of the TME effectively, thus suppressing tumor cell migration and downregulating the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), both of which led to an amplified NIR-II PTT effect in vitro and in vivo, guided by the NIR-II PAI. Furthermore, label-free multi-spectral PAI permitted the real-time evaluation of SPI as a putative tumor treatment. A clinical histological analysis confirmed the amplified treatment effect. Hence, SPI combined with PAI could offer a new approach for tumor diagnosing, treating, and monitoring.

Evidence for early domestic yak, taurine cattle, and their hybrids on the Tibetan Plateau

Domestic yak, cattle, and their hybrids are fundamental to herder survival at high altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known about their history. Bos remains are uncommon in this region, and ancient domestic yak have not been securely identified. To identify Bos taxa and investigate their initial management, we conducted zooarchaeological analyses of 193 Bos specimens and sequenced five nuclear genomes from recently excavated assemblages at Bangga. Morphological data indicated that more cattle than yak were present. Ancient mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genome sequences identified taurine cattle and provided evidence for domestic yak and yak-cattle hybridization ~2500 years ago. Reliance on diverse Bos species and their hybrid has increased cattle adaptation and herder resilience to plateau conditions. Ancient cattle and yak at Bangga were closely related to contemporary livestock, indicating early herder legacies and the continuity of cattle and yak husbandry on the Tibetan Plateau.

A whole genome scan reveals distinct features of selection in Zhaotong cattle of Yunnan province

Over the years, indigenous cattle have not only played an essential role in securing primary food sources but have also been utilized for labor by humans, making them invaluable genetic resources. The Zhaotong cattle, a native Chinese breed from the Yunnan province, possess excellent meat quality and resistance to heat and humidity. Here we used whole genome sequencing data of 104 animals to delve into the population structure, genomic diversity and potential positive selection signals in Zhaotong cattle. The findings of this study demonstrate that the genetic composition of Zhaotong cattle was primarily derived from Chinese indicine cattle and East Asian cattle. The nucleotide diversity of Zhaotong cattle was only lower than that of Chinese indicine cattle, which was much higher than that of other taurine cattle. Genome-wide selection scans detected a series of positive candidate regions containing multiple key genes related to bone development and metabolism (CA10, GABRG3, GLDN and NOTUM), meat quality traits (ALG8, LINGO2, MYO5B, PRKG1 and GABRB1), immune response (ADA2, BMF, LEF1 and PAK6) and heat resistance (EIF2AK4 and LEF1). In summary, this study supplies essential genetic insights into the genome diversity within Zhaotong cattle and provides a foundational framework for comprehending the genetic basis of indigenous cattle breeds.

Identification of Dezhou donkey muscle development-related genes and long non-coding RNA based on differential expression analysis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in the development of muscles. However, the role of lncRNAs in regulating skeletal muscle development has not been studied systematically in the donkey. In this study, we performed the RNA sequencing for different stages of muscles in donkeys, and investigate their expression profile, which showed that 3215 mRNAs (p-adjust <0.05) and 471 lncRNAs (p-value <0.05) were significantly differently expressed (DE) verified by RT-qPCR. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that DE genes and target genes of DE lncRNAs were associated with muscle development in the donkey. We also found these four target genes (DCN, ITM2A, MUSTN1, ARRDC2) involved in skeletal muscle growth and development. Combined with transcriptome data, network, and RT-qPCR results showed that four co-expression networks of DCN and lnc-008278, ITM2A and lnc_017247, MUSTN1 and lnc_030153, and ARRDC2 and lnc_033914, which may play an important role in the formation and development of muscle in the donkey.

Global genetic diversity, introgression, and evolutionary adaptation of indicine cattle revealed by whole genome sequencing

Indicine cattle, also referred to as zebu (Bos taurus indicus), play a central role in pastoral communities across a wide range of agro-ecosystems, from extremely hot semiarid regions to hot humid tropical regions. However, their adaptive genetic changes following their dispersal into East Asia from the Indian subcontinent have remained poorly documented. Here, we characterize their global genetic diversity using high-quality whole-genome sequencing data from 354 indicine cattle of 57 breeds/populations, including major indicine phylogeographic groups worldwide. We reveal their probable migration into East Asia was along a coastal route rather than inland routes and we detected introgression from other bovine species. Genomic regions carrying morphology-, immune-, and heat-tolerance-related genes underwent divergent selection according to Asian agro-ecologies. We identify distinct sets of loci that contain promising candidate variants for adaptation to hot semi-arid and hot humid tropical ecosystems. Our results indicate that the rapid and successful adaptation of East Asian indicine cattle to hot humid environments was promoted by localized introgression from banteng and/or gaur. Our findings provide insights into the history and environmental adaptation of indicine cattle.

[Effect of high flow nasal catheter oxygen to prevent hypoxemia in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography surgery in aged]

Objective: To explore the effect of high-flow nasal catheter oxygen inhalation in preventing hypoxemia during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) surgery in elderly patients. Methods: From September 2021 to September 2022, 116 elderly patients (aged ≥ 70 years) who underwent elective ERCP in the Northern Theater General Hospital were prospectively selected, then divided into general nasal catheter oxygen inhalation group [group C, 31 males and 27 females, aged (79.8±6.4) years] and high-flow nasal catheter oxygen inhalation group [group H, 33 males and 25 females, aged (81.4±6.7) years], with 58 patients in each group. All patients were monitored for anesthesia by target-controlled infusion of propofol and remifentanil. The main outcome index was the incidence of intraoperative subclinical hypoxemia (90% ≤ SpO2 < 95%, duration >5 s), hypoxemia (75% < SpO2 < 90%, 5 s < duration ≤ 60 s) and severe hypoxemia (SpO2 < 75% or SpO2 < 90%, duration > 60 s). Secondary observation measures were SpO2 from T0 to T5 (T0, before anesthesia induction; T1, immediately after anesthesia induction; T2, endoscopic introduction; T3, duodenal papula intubation; T4, endoscopic withdrawal; T5, postoperative awakening), the arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2), carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) and pH at T0, 15 min after the induction and T5. Results: The incidence of intraoperative subclinical hypoxemia in group C and group H was 12.0% (7/58) and 3.4% (2/58) respectively, which showed no significant statistical difference (P=0.165) from each other. The incidence of intraoperative hypoxemia in group H was 8.6% (5/58), which was significantly lower than 31.0% (18/58) of group C (P=0.003). Neither group had intraoperative severe hypoxemia. SpO2 of group H were (98.2±0.9)%, (98.2±0.9)%, (97.8±1.7)% and (97.7±1.7)% at T1, T2, T3, T4, which were higher than (96.8±2.1)%, (96.4±3.0)%, (96.1±2.9)% and (96.4±3.4)% in group C (all P<0.05). PaO2 at 15 min after induction in group H was (240.5±46.7) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), which was higher than that of group C (170.6±33.4) mmHg (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in pH and PaCO2 between the two groups of patients at each timepoint. Conclusion: High flow nasal catheter oxygen can effectively reduce the incidence of hypoxemia in ERCP in elderly patients.

Assessing genomic diversity and selective pressures in Bashan cattle by whole-genome sequencing data

Specific ecological environments and domestication have continuously influenced the physiological characteristics of Chinese indigenous cattle. Among them, Bashan cattle belongs to one of the indigenous breeds. However, the genomic diversity of Bashan cattle is still unknown. Published whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data of 13 Bashan cattle and 48 worldwide cattle were used to investigate the genetic composition and selection characteristics of Bashan cattle. The population structure analysis revealed that Bashan cattle harbored ancestries with East Asian taurine and Chinese indicine. Genetic diversity analysis implied the relatively high genomic diversity in Bashan cattle. Through the identification of containing >5 nsSNPs or frameshift mutations genes in Bashan cattle, a large number of pathways related to sensory perception were discovered. CLR, θπ ratio, FST, and XP-EHH methods were used to detect the candidate signatures of positive selection in Bashan cattle. Among the identified genes, most of the enriched signal pathways were related to environmental information processing, biological systems, and metabolism. We mainly reported genes related to the nervous system (HCN1, KATNA1, FSTL1, GRIK2, and CPLX2), immune (CD244, SLAMF1, LY9, and CD48), and reproduction (AKR1C1, AKR1C3, AKR1C4, and TUSC3). Our findings will be significant in understanding the molecular basis underlying phenotypic variation of breed-related traits and improving productivity in Bashan cattle.

Comparative transcriptomics analysis of testicular miRNA from indicine and taurine cattle

Numerous studies have shown that several microRNAs (miRNAs) are specifically expressed in testis, play an essential role in regulating testicular spermatogenesis. Hainan and Mongolian cattle are two representative Chinese native cattle breeds representing Bos indicus (indicine cattle) and Bos taurus (taurine cattle), respectively, which are distributed in hot Hainan and cold Inner Mongolia province. To study the functional differences of miRNA in spermatogenesis between indicine and taurine cattle, six mature testes samples from indicine cattle (n = 3) and taurine cattle (n = 3) were collected, respectively. We detected miRNA expression using small RNA sequencing technology following bioinformatic analysis. A total of 578 known miRNAs and 132 novel miRNAs were detected in the six libraries. Among the 710 miRNAs, 564 miRNAs were expressed in both indicine and taurine cattle, 73 miRNAs were found solely in indicine cattle and 73 miRNAs were found solely in taurine cattle. After further analysis, among the miRNAs were identified in both indicine and taurine cattle, 184 miRNAs were differentially expressed (|log2 fold change| ≥ 1 and corrected p-value <0.05). Among the miRNAs that were only expressed in indicine cattle, 10 miRNAs were differentially expressed, whereas, among the miRNAs that were only expressed in taurine cattle, six miRNAs were differentially expressed. The enrichment analysis result showed that predicted target genes of a total of 200 differentially expressed miRNAs were enriched on some testicular spermatogenesis-related Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, especially mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. These findings identify miRNAs as key factors to regulate spermatogenesis in both indicine and taurine cattle, which may also be helpful for improving cattle reproductive performance in future studies.

[Analysis of late-diagnosis and associated factors in newly reported HIV infections among men who have sex with men in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2005-2021]

Objective: To analyze the trend of late-diagnosis of HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) before and after the AIDS Conquering Project in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) and its influencing factors, in order to find out the population groups that need priority intervention at the present stage. Methods: The HIV-infected MSM in Guangxi from 2005-2021 were selected from the National Integrated HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention Data System. The Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software was used to test the time trend of late-diagnosis and non-late-diagnosis cases, and logistic regression was applied to analyze the factors influencing the proportion of late-diagnosis at each stage. Results: From 2005 to 2021, 5 764 HIV-infected MSM were reported in Guangxi from 2005 to 2021, with an overall late-diagnosis of 28.45% (1 640 cases). Under the 2015 baseline data as the boundary, the proportion of late-diagnosis cases showed a trend of sharp decline followed by stabilization from 2005 to 2015, average annual percent change= -6.90% (P<0.001). The effect of factors such as resident population, occupation as a farmer or worker, and sample originating from medical consultation on late-diagnosis changed considerably before and after the implementation of the project, and the factors influencing late-diagnosis at this stage were age, resident population, occupation as a farmer, worker or student. The factors influencing late-diagnosis at this stage are age, resident population, and occupation as a farmer, worker and a student. Conclusions: The proportion of late diagnosis cases of HIV-infected MSM in Guangxi decreased significantly before and after the project. However, late-diagnosis should not be neglected and precise prevention and control should be carried out for the resident population, farmers, workers or students.

Tumor Treatment Response Assessed During the Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Patients

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To evaluate intratumoral treatment response distribution with using FDG-PET/CT during the chemoradiotherapy of nasopharyngeal patients (NPC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 5 of 30 patients with stage III-IVA NPC were enrolled in the institutional protocol for induction/concurrent chemoradiotherapy with radiation dose of 70 Gy in 33 fractions. For each patient, a pre-radiation treatment FDG-PET/MRI image (SUV0) and a mid-treatment image (SUVm) at the treatment dose of 31.8 Gy were obtained. Followed by deformable PET/MRI registration between SUV0 and SUVm, the tumor voxel SUV reduction ratio was obtained to construct a tumor dose response matrix (DRM). Tumor SUVavid was also constructed by limiting tumor voxel SUVm > a given value. Spatial correlations of the tumor SUV0, SUVm, SUVavid and DRM were determined.

RESULTS

The mean and coefficient variation (CV) of the SUV0, SUVm and DRM for all tumors were 5.05 (52%), 2.72 (49%) and 0.64 (63%) (Table contains the individual data), which were smaller than those on the SUVs of head-n-neck HPV+ patients reported previously due to the induction chemotherapy, but had much larger DRM mean and CV. The inter-tumoral CVs of SUV0 and DRM were 29% and 27%, which were much lower than those of the intra-tumoral CVs 43% and 57%. Meanwhile, the intra-tumoral variations on SUV0 was smaller than the one of head-neck HPV+ patients, but the DRM intra-variation was much larger. There was a weak correlation between SUV0 and SUVm with the correlation coefficient 0.13, a medium correlation of -0.55 between SUV0 and DRM, but a strong correlation, 0.72, between SUVm and DRM. However, the spatial correlation between tumor DRM and SUVavid was getting weaker as the SUVavid value increasing and equal 0.47 with SUVavid value > 3.

CONCLUSION

The spatial dose response DRM for NPC in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy was relatively high, while had relatively low baseline tumor metabolic activity SUV0. It was most likely due to the induction chemotherapy. In addition, the tumor dose response showed vary large intra-tumoral variation. The high correlations between DRM and SUVm imply that SUVavid could be used partially to guide adaptive modification of NPC treatment with carefully selected boundary value.

A Pilot Trial of Consolidation Bevacizumab after Hypo-Fractionated Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Unresectable Locally Advanced Non-Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To assess the feasibility of adding bevacizumab consolidation into hypo-fractionated concurrent chemoradiotherapy (hypo-CCRT) in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NS-NSCLC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Eligible patients were treated with hypo-RT (40 Gy in 10 fractions) followed by hypo-boost (24-28 Gy in 6-7 fractions) combined with concurrent weekly chemotherapy. Patients completed the hypo-CCRT without≥G2 toxicities then received consolidation bevacizumab every 3 weeks for up to 1 year, or disease progression or unacceptable treatment related toxicities. The primary endpoint was the risk of G4 or higher hemorrhage. The secondary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and objective response rate (ORR). All time-to-event endpoints (OS, PFS, LRFS and DMFS) were measured from the start of radiotherapy.

RESULTS

From December 2017 to July 2020, a total of 27 patients were analyzed with a median follow-up duration of 28.0 months. One patient (3.7%) developed G5 hemorrhage during bevacizumab consolidation. Besides, there were 7 patients (25.9%) had G3 cough and 3 patients (11.1%) had G3 pneumonitis. The ORR was 92.6% of the whole cohort. The median OS was 37.0 months (95% confidence interval, 8.9-65.1 months), the median PFS was 16.0 months (95% confidence interval, 14.0-18.0 months), the median LRFS was not reached and the median DMFS was 18.0 months.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study met its goal of demonstrating the tolerability of consolidation bevacizumab after hypo-CCRT. Further investigation of antiangiogenic and immunotherapy combinations in LA-NSCLC is warranted while G3 respiratory toxicities is worth considering.

Combining Dosimetric and Radiomics Features for the Prediction of Radiation Pneumonitis in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Machine Learning

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

This study aimed to analyze the dosimetric factors and radiomics features of tumor and lungs in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LANSCLC) to establish machine learning models and improve the prediction of grade (G) 2 radiation pneumonitis (RP).

MATERIALS/METHODS

This study retrospectively collected data of 284 LANSCLC patients underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) to a median dose of 64 Gy in 20-33 fractions between 2013 and 2021. Of this cohort, 21.1% of patients had ≥ G2 RP. There were 4 regions of interest (ROIs) had been identified in planning computed tomography images: gross tumor volume (GTV), ipsilesional lung (IL), contralesional lung (CL), and total lung (TL). We calculated the dose-volume histogram (DVH) from the lowest dose to the maximum dose increasing by degrees with 1 Gy, and extracted a total of 172 radiomics features from all the 4 ROIs. We selected the best predictors for classifying 2 groups of patients using a sequential backward elimination support vector machine model.

RESULTS

The best predictors for ≥ G2 RP were the combination of 8 radiomics features and 7 dosimetric factors in training group, and the validation group achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.847 (accuracy, 80.38%; sensitivity, 78.95%; specificity, 81.82%). The eight radiomic features included 2 from GTV while 1, 2 and 3 from IL, CL and TL, respectively. For dosimetric factors, V65 of GTV, V20, V50 and V55 of IL, V10 of CL, V20 and V55 of TL appeared to be significantly related to symptomatic RP. These dosimetric factors should be constrained to less than 99.2%, 50.0%, 17.5%, 13.0%, 39.5%, 32.0%, and 6.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Combining dosimetric factors and radiomics features within GTV, IL, CL and TL can improve the prediction of symptomatic RP in LANSCLC patients treated with CCRT. The results suggested the importance of V65 of GTV, V20, V50 and V55 of IL, V10 of CL, V20 and V55 of TL as predictors of symptomatic RP and provide useful information for optimization of treatment planning in the era of combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

Structural variation and introgression from wild populations in East Asian cattle genomes confer adaptation to local environment

BACKGROUND

Structural variations (SVs) in individual genomes are major determinants of complex traits, including adaptability to environmental variables. The Mongolian and Hainan cattle breeds in East Asia are of taurine and indicine origins that have evolved to adapt to cold and hot environments, respectively. However, few studies have investigated SVs in East Asian cattle genomes and their roles in environmental adaptation, and little is known about adaptively introgressed SVs in East Asian cattle.

RESULTS

In this study, we examine the roles of SVs in the climate adaptation of these two cattle lineages by generating highly contiguous chromosome-scale genome assemblies. Comparison of the two assemblies along with 18 Mongolian and Hainan cattle genomes obtained by long-read sequencing data provides a catalog of 123,898 nonredundant SVs. Several SVs detected from long reads are in exons of genes associated with epidermal differentiation, skin barrier, and bovine tuberculosis resistance. Functional investigations show that a 108-bp exonic insertion in SPN may affect the uptake of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by macrophages, which might contribute to the low susceptibility of Hainan cattle to bovine tuberculosis. Genotyping of 373 whole genomes from 39 breeds identifies 2610 SVs that are differentiated along a "north-south" gradient in China and overlap with 862 related genes that are enriched in pathways related to environmental adaptation. We identify 1457 Chinese indicine-stratified SVs that possibly originate from banteng and are frequent in Chinese indicine cattle.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the unique contribution of SVs in East Asian cattle to environmental adaptation and disease resistance.

Local ancestry and selection in admixed Sanjiang cattle

The majority of native cattle are taurine × indicine cattle of diverse phenotypes in the central region of China. Sanjiang cattle, a typical breed in the central region, play a central role in human livelihood and have good adaptability, including resistance to dampness, heat, roughage, and disease, and are thus regarded as an important genetic resource. However, the genetic history of the successful breed remains unknown. Here, we sequenced 10 Sanjiang cattle genomes and compared them to the 70 genomes of 5 representative populations worldwide. We characterized the genomic diversity and breed formation process of Sanjiang cattle and found that Sanjiang cattle have a mixed ancestry of indicine (55.6%) and taurine (33.2%) dating to approximately 30 generations ago, which has shaped the genome of Sanjiang cattle. Through ancestral fragment inference, selective sweep and transcriptomic analysis, we identified several genes linked to lipid metabolism, immune regulation, and stress reactions across the mosaic genome of Sanjiang cattle showing an excess of taurine or indicine ancestry. Taurine ancestry might contribute to meat quality, and indicine ancestry is more conducive to adaptation to hot climate conditions, making Sanjiang cattle a valuable genetic resource for the central region of China. Our results will help us understand the evolutionary history and ancestry components of Sanjiang cattle, which will provide a reference for resource conservation and selective breeding of Chinese native cattle.

Restoring the imaging quality of circular transducer array-based PACT using synthetic aperture focusing technique integrated with 2nd-derivative-based back projection scheme

Circular-array-based photoacoustic computed tomography (CA-PACT) is a promising imaging tool owing to its broad acoustic detection coverage and fidelity. However, CA-PACT suffers from poor image quality outside the focal zone along both elevational and lateral dimensions. To address this challenge, we proposed a novel reconstruction strategy by integrating the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) with the 2nd derivative-based back projection (2nd D-BP) algorithm to restore the image quality outside the focal zone along both the elevational and lateral axes. The proposed solution is a two-phase reconstruction scheme. In the first phase, with the assistance of an acoustic lens, we designed a circular array-based SAFT algorithm to restore the resolution and SNR along the elevational axis. The acoustic lens pushes the boundary of the upper limit of the SAFT scheme to achieve enhanced elevational resolution. In the second phase, we proposed a 2nd D-BP scheme to improve the lateral resolution and suppress noises in 3D imaging results. The 2nd D-BP strategy enhances the image quality along the lateral dimension by up-converting the high spatial frequencies of the object's absorption pattern. We validated the effectiveness of the proposed strategy using both phantoms and in vivo human experiments. The experimental results demonstrated superior image quality (7-fold enhancement in elevational resolution, 3-fold enhancement in lateral resolution, and an 11-dB increase in SNR). This strategy provides a new paradigm in the PACT system as it significantly enhances the spatial resolution and imaging contrast in both the elevational and lateral dimensions while maintaining a large focal zone.

[Analysis of work stress and its influencing factors among nursing staff in Tianjin City]

Objective: To explore the current situation of work stress among nursing staff in Tianjin City and analyze its influencing factors. Methods: From August to October 2020, 26002 nursing staff from tertiary hospitals, secondary public hospitals, secondary private hospitals, primary hospitals, and other medical institutions in Tianjin City were selected as objects, and their general situation and working stress situation were surveyed by the general information questionnaire and the Nurse's Work Stressor Scale. Single factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors of work stress among nursing staff. Results: The average age of 26002 nursing staff was (33.86±8.28) years old, and the average working years were (11.84±9.12) years. There were 24874 women (95.66%) and 1128 men (4.34%). The total score of work stress was (79.82±21.69), and the average score of workload and time allocation dimension was the highest (2.55±0.79). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that marital status (β=-0.015, P=0.014), employment form as contract system (β=0.022, P=0.001), post as clinical nursing (β=0.048, P<0.001), education level (β=0.024, P<0.001), age (β=0.050, P<0.001), working years (β=0.075, P<0.001), and professional title (β=0.036, P<0.001) were the influencing factors of work stress, which explained 22.8% of the total variation in work stress of nursing staff (F=24.25, P<0.001) . Conclusion: The work stress among nursing staff in Tianjin City is high, the corresponding departments and nursing managers should adopt scientific management methods to reduce the workload of nursing staff according to the influencing factors of work stress, so as to create a good atmosphere for further promoting the healthy development of nursing career and nursing industry in the new era.

[Construction and prospect of healthy enterprises in the new era]

The construction of health enterprises practice the concept of big health. It is an important solution to protect the overall health of occupational groups in the new era, which is of great significance to promoting a healthy city and helping to build a healthy China. This paper clarifies the connotation of healthy enterprises in the new era, discusses the key points of healthy enterprise construction around the "four in one" construction content, "PDCA" construction procedures, and evaluation methods of healthy enterprises. It focuses on the progress of healthy enterprise construction, analyzes the problems faced by the construction of health enterprises in China, and puts forward suggestions to improve the construction efficiency, with a view to providing ideas for further promoting the construction of health enterprises in China.

[Pan-cancer analysis of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 and its expression changes in the carcinogenesis of scar ulcer]

Objective: To explore the biological role and clinical significance of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) in the carcinogenesis of scar ulcer. Methods: A retrospective observational study combined with bioinformatics analysis was used. The RNA expression profile data of USP7 in tumor and/or its corresponding paracancular normal tissue were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and the RNA sequencing data were transformed by log2. The variations of USP7 gene were analyzed by cBioPortal database. The USP7 mRNA expression in tumor and adjacent normal tissue in TCGA database were obtained by using the "Gene_DE" module in TIMER 2.0 database. The survival rates of patients with high and low USP7 expression in cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) were analyzed using the Gene Expression Profile Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2) database, and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn. Sangerbox database was used to analyze the correlation of USP7 expression in pan-cancer with microsatellite instability (MSI) or tumor mutation burden (TMB) pan-cancer. Through the "correlation analysis" module in the GEPIA2 database, the correlation of USP7 expression in pan-cancer with the expression levels of five DNA mismatch repair genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and EPCAM) and three essential DNA methyltransferases (DNMT)--DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B were evaluated. The USP7 expression in CESC, HNSC, LUSC, and SKCM and its correlation with infiltration of immune cells (B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells) were analyzed by the "Immune-Gene" module in TIMER 2.0 database. The "Similar Genes Detection" module of GEPIA2 database was used to obtain the top 100 protein sets with similar expression patterns to USP7. Intersection analysis was performed between the aforementioned protein sets and the top 50 protein sets that were directly physically bound to USP7 obtained by using the STRING database. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were performed for the two protein sets mentioned above using the DAVID database. The samples of normal skin, hypertrophic scar, scar ulcer, and scar carcinoma with corresponding clinicopathologic features were collected from the Department of Pathology of Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University & Wuhan Third Hospital from October 2018 to October 2022, and the USP7 expression in tissue was detected by immunohistochemical method, with the number of samples of 6. Data were statistically analyzed with Log-rank test, one-way analysis of variance, and Bonferroni test. Results: In pan-cancer, the main gene variations of USP7 were mutation and amplification, and the top 3 tumors with the highest variation frequency (>6%) were bladder urothelial carcinoma, SKCM, and endometrial carcinoma. The main mutation of USP7 gene in pan-cancer was missense mutation. In SKCM with the highest mutation frequency, the main type of mutation was missense mutation in USP7_ICP0_bdg domain. USP7 mRNA expression in breast invasive carcinoma, bile duct carcinoma, colon carcinoma, esophageal carcinoma, HNSC, renal chromophobe cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, LUSC, prostate carcinoma, and gastric carcinoma was significantly higher than that in corresponding paracancer normal tissue (P<0.05). USP7 mRNA expression in glioblastoma multiforme, renal clear cell carcinoma, renal papillary cell carcinoma, and thyroid carcinoma was significantly lower than that in corresponding paracancular normal tissue (P<0.05). In addition, USP7 mRNA expression in SKCM metastases was much higher than that in primary tumor tissue (P<0.05). Survival curves showed no significant difference in survival rate between patients with high USP7 expression and patients with low USP7 expression in CESC, HNSC, LUSC, and SKCM (Log-rank P>0.05, with hazard ratios of 1.00, 0.99, 1.00, and 1.30, respectively). USP7 expression in colon cancer, colorectal cancer, thymic cancer, and thyroid cancer was negatively correlated with TMB (with Pearson correlation coefficients of -0.26, -0.19, -0.19, and 0.11, respectively, P<0.05). USP7 expression in glioma, CESC, lung adenocarcinoma, mixed renal carcinoma, and LUSC was positively correlated with MSI expression (with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.22, 0.14, 0.15, 0.08, and 0.14, respectively, P<0.05), and USP7 expression in colon cancer, colorectal cancer, invasive breast cancer, prostate cancer, HNSC, thyroid cancer, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were significantly negatively correlated with MSI expression (with Pearson correlation coefficients of -0.31, -0.27, -0.13, -0.19, -0.16, -0.18, and -0.53, respectively, P<0.05). The expression of USP7 in CESC was positively correlated with that of both MSH2 and MSH6 (with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.51 and 0.44, respectively, P<0.05), and the expression of USP7 in HNSC was positively correlated with the expression of EPCAM, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 (with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.39, 0.14, 0.49, 0.54, and 0.41, respectively, P<0.05), and the expression of USP7 in LUSC was positively correlated with the expression of EPCAM, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 (with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.20, 0.36, 0.40, and 0.34, respectively, P<0.05), and the expression of USP7 in SKCM was positively correlated with the expression of EPCAM, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 (with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.11, 0.33, 0.42, 0.55, and 0.34, respectively, P<0.05). The expression of USP7 in CESC, HNSC, LUSC, and SKCM was significantly positively correlated with the expression of DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B (with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.42, 0.34, 0.22, 0.45, 0.52, 0.22, 0.36, 0.36, 0.22, 0.38, 0.46, and 0.21, respectively, P<0.05). The expression of USP7 in CESC, HNSC, LUSC, and SKCM was positively correlated with CD4+ T cell infiltration (with Partial correlation coefficients of 0.14, 0.22, 0.13, and 0.16, respectively, P<0.05). Being similar to the pattern of USP7 expression and ranked among top 100 protein sets, the top 5 proteins were C16orf72, BCLAF1, UBN, GSPT1, ERI2 (with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.83, 0.74, 0.73, and 0.72, respectively, all P values<0.05). The top 50 protein sets that directly physically bind to USP7 overlapped with the aforementioned protein set by only one protein, thyroid hormone receptor interaction factor 12. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that USP7 related genes were involved in cell cycle, spliceosome, cell senescence, and p53 signal pathway. GO enrichment analysis showed that USP7 related genes were involved in transcriptional regulation, protein ubiquitination, DNA repair, and cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptor signal pathways. Analysis of clinical samples showed that USP7 expression was significantly higher in hypertrophic scars (0.35±0.05), scar ulcers (0.43±0.04), and scar cancers (0.61±0.03) than in normal skin (0.18±0.04), P<0.05. Conclusions: USP7 may be a clinical biomarker for the progression of cicatricial ulcer cancer.

Ancient DNA: the past for the future

The last decade has seen advancements in sequencing technologies and laboratory preparation protocols for ancient DNA (aDNA) that have rapidly been applied in multiple research areas thus enabling large-scale scientific research. Future research could also refine our understanding of the evolution of humans, non-human animals, plants, invertebrate specimens, and microorganisms.

[Endoscopic ultrasonographic features of submucosal lesions of upper digestive tract suspected gastrointestinal stromal tumors and their correlation with progression and pathological risk grade of the lesions]

Objective: To investigate the endoscopic ultrasonographic (EUS) characteristics of submucosal lesions of upper digestive tract suspected gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and their correlation with biological behaviors and pathological risk grade of the tumors. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. The EUS findings, follow-up review, surgical treatment and pathological data of patients with suspected GIST at the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center of Peking University People's Hospital from January 2013 to April 2021 were collected. All samples were divided into follow-up group and treatment group based on the pathological condition and the patient's treatment intention. According to whether or not the tumor was enlarged in EUS, the follow-up group was divided into non-enlarged group and enlarged group. Paired T-test was used to compare the lesion size before and after follow-up, and logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of tumor enlargement. According to the treatment methods, the treatment group was further divided into endoscopic treatment group and surgical treatment group. According to the pathological results and risk grade, the treatment group was further divided into the low-risk group and the medium-risk group. The risk factors of pathological malignant risk were analyzed by logistic regression, and the tumor diameter of patients with moderate or above pathological risk was predicted by receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve. The relationship between the findings of EUS and the progression and pathological risk of GIST were also explored. Results: Seventy-three cases including 23 males and 50 females, with an age of 58 (30-88) years, were included in the follow-up group, with a mean lesion diameter of (1.21±0.49) cm before follow-up, median follow-up interval of 33.8 months, and a lesion diameter of (1.18±0.49) cm after follow-up. There was no significant difference (all P>0.05) in lesion diameter between before and after follow-up. There was no significant difference (all P>0.05) between tumor enlargement group (18 cases, 24.7%) and non-enlargement group (55 cases, 75.3%). One hundred and thirty-eight cases, including 52 males and 86 females, with an age of 60 (19-84) years, were enrolled in the treatment group, with a mean EUS estimated diameter of (2.55±1.35) cm and pathological diameters of (3.43±2.42) cm. Ninety-five (68.8%) of these cases were pathologically confirmed as GIST while 43 cases were diagnosed as other tumor types, including 37 benign tumors and 6 malignant tumors. In multifactorial logistic regression analysis, only the increase of tumor diameter [OR (95%CI): 1.800 (1.172-2.766), P=0.007] was a risk factor for pathological intermediate or higher risk. The optimal tumor diameter for predicting pathological intermediate or higher risk using ROC curve analysis was 2.75 cm, with a sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 79.0%, Youden index 0.5 and area under ROC curve 0.807 (95%CI: 0.703-0.909). Conclusions: EUS is essential for assessing the risk of progression and malignancy of submucosal lesions of upper digestive tract suspected GIST. For lesions of small diameter, the interval of follow-up shall be relatively extended while the indication of treatment could be partially waived.

[Risk factors of early myocardial injury and the impact of early myocardial injury on prognosis of patients with extensive burns]

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of early myocardial injury and the impact of early myocardial injury on prognosis of patients with extensive burns. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted. From January 2018 to August 2022, 361 patients with extensive burns who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University & Wuhan Third Hospital, including 231 males and 130 females, aged 50 (36, 58) years, with total burn area of 45% (35%, 60%) total body surface area. According to the highest level of creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB) within 72 h post injury, the patients were divided into early myocardial injury group (CK-MB≥75 U/L, 182 patients) and non-early myocardial injury group (CK-MB<75 U/L, 179 patients). The following data of patients in the 2 groups were collected and analyzed, including gender, age, total burn area, admission time post injury, combination with shock on admission, combination with inhalation injury on admission; the main blood test indexes such as myocardial enzyme spectrum, blood routine, liver and kidney function, and electrolytes within 72 h post injury; and treatment outcomes and fatality rate. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test, independent sample t test, or Mann-Whitney U test. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to screen the independent risk factors for early myocardial injury and for death in patients with extensive burns. Results: There were statistically significant differences in gender, combination with shock on admission, total burn area, and admission time post injury of patients between the two groups (with χ2 values of 6.40 and 6.10, Z values of 5.41 and 3.03, respectively, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in age, combination with inhalation injury on admission of patients between the two groups (P>0.05). The CK-MB, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, white blood cell count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, potassium, and hemoglobin within 72 h post injury were significantly higher than those in non-early myocardial injury group (with Z values of 15.40, 6.26, 7.59, 7.02, 2.64, 4.53, 4.07, 6.32, and 4.12, t=2.34, respectively, P<0.05), while the level of calcium was significantly lower than that in non-early myocardial injury group (Z=2.72, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in other blood test indexes of patients between the two groups (P>0.05). The total burn area, admission time post injury, NLR and ALT within 72 h post injury were the independent risk factors for early myocardial injury in patients with extensive burns (with odds ratios of 1.03, 1.07, 1.04, and 1.02, 95% confidence intervals of 1.02-1.05, 1.00-1.11, 1.02-1.07, and 1.00-1.03, respectively, P<0.05). The fatality rate of patients in early myocardial injury group was 8.8% (16/182), which was significantly higher than 2.8% (5/179) in non-early myocardial injury group (χ2 =5.93, P<0.05). Early myocardial injury, age, combination with shock on admission, and combination with inhalation injury on admission were the independent risk factors for death in patients with extensive burns (with odds ratios of 3.60, 1.04, 6.53, and 3.14, 95% confidence intervals of 1.17-11.05, 1.01-1.07, 1.39-30.68, and 1.15-8.56, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: The total burn area, admission time post injury, NLR and ALT within 72 h post injury were the independent risk factors for early myocardial injury in patients with extensive burns. Patients with extensive burns with early myocardial injury have a higher fatality rate, and early myocardial injury is an independent risk factor for the patients' death.

Brain Activation Evoked by Motor Imagery in Pediatric Patients with Complete Spinal Cord Injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, there is no effective treatment for pediatric patients with complete spinal cord injury. Motor imagery has been proposed as an alternative to physical training for patients who are unable to move voluntarily. Our aim was to reveal the potential mechanism of motor imagery in the rehabilitation of pediatric complete spinal cord injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-six pediatric patients with complete spinal cord injury and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy children as healthy controls were recruited. All participants underwent the motor imagery task-related fMRI scans, and additional motor execution scans were performed only on healthy controls. First, we compared the brain-activation patterns between motor imagery and motor execution in healthy controls. Then, we compared the brain activation of motor imagery between the 2 groups and compared the brain activation of motor imagery in pediatric patients with complete spinal cord injury and that of motor execution in healthy controls.

RESULTS

In healthy controls, compared with motor execution, motor imagery showed increased activation in the left inferior parietal lobule and decreased activation in the left supplementary motor area, paracentral lobule, middle cingulate cortex, and right insula. In addition, our results revealed that the 2 groups both activated the bilateral supplementary motor area, middle cingulate cortex and left inferior parietal lobule, and supramarginal gyrus during motor imagery. Compared with healthy controls, higher activation in the bilateral paracentral lobule, supplementary motor area, putamen, and cerebellar lobules III-V was detected in pediatric complete spinal cord injury during motor imagery, and the activation of these regions was even higher than that of healthy controls during motor execution.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that part of the motor imagery network was functionally preserved in pediatric complete spinal cord injury and could be activated through motor imagery. In addition, higher-level activation in sensorimotor-related regions was also found in pediatric complete spinal cord injury during motor imagery. Our findings may provide a theoretic basis for the application of motor imagery training in pediatric complete spinal cord injury.

Global dispersal and adaptive evolution of domestic cattle: a genomic perspective

Domestic cattle have spread across the globe and inhabit variable and unpredictable environments. They have been exposed to a plethora of selective pressures and have adapted to a variety of local ecological and management conditions, including UV exposure, diseases, and stall-feeding systems. These selective pressures have resulted in unique and important phenotypic and genetic differences among modern cattle breeds/populations. Ongoing efforts to sequence the genomes of local and commercial cattle breeds/populations, along with the growing availability of ancient bovid DNA data, have significantly advanced our understanding of the genomic architecture, recent evolution of complex traits, common diseases, and local adaptation in cattle. Here, we review the origin and spread of domestic cattle and illustrate the environmental adaptations of local cattle breeds/populations.

[Read-through circular RNA rt-circ-HS promotes hypoxia inducible factor 1α expression and renal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness]

OBJECTIVE

To identify and characterize read-through RNAs and read-through circular RNAs (rt-circ-HS) derived from transcriptional read-through hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and small nuclear RNA activating complex polypeptide 1 (SNAPC1) the two adjacent genes located on chromosome 14q23, in renal carcinoma cells and renal carcinoma tissues, and to study the effects of rt-circ-HS on biological behavior of renal carcinoma cells and on regulation of HIF1α.

METHODS

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing were used to examine expression of read-through RNAs HIF1α-SNAPC1 and rt-circ-HS in different tumor cells. Tissue microarrays of 437 different types of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were constructed, and chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH) was used to investigate expression of rt-circ-HS in different RCC types. Small interference RNA (siRNA) and artificial overexpression plasmids were designed to examine the effects of rt-circ-HS on 786-O and A498 renal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness by cell counting kit 8 (CCK8), EdU incorporation and Transwell cell migration and invasion assays. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to exa-mine expression of HIF1α and SNAPC1 RNA and proteins after interference of rt-circ-HS with siRNA, respectively. The binding of rt-circ-HS with microRNA 539 (miR-539), and miR-539 with HIF1α 3' untranslated region (3' UTR), and the effects of these interactions were investigated by dual luciferase reporter gene assays.

RESULTS

We discovered a novel 1 144 nt rt-circ-HS, which was derived from read-through RNA HIF1α-SNAPC1 and consisted of HIF1α exon 2-6 and SNAPC1 exon 2-4. Expression of rt-circ-HS was significantly upregulated in 786-O renal carcinoma cells. ISH showed that the overall positive expression rate of rt-circ-HS in RCC tissue samples was 67.5% (295/437), and the expression was different in different types of RCCs. Mechanistically, rt-circ-HS promoted renal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness by functioning as a competitive endogenous inhibitor of miR-539, which we found to be a potent post-transcriptional suppressor of HIF1α, thus promoting expression of HIF1α.

CONCLUSION

The novel rt-circ-HS is highly expressed in different types of RCCs and acts as a competitive endogenous inhibitor of miR-539 to promote expression of its parental gene HIF1α and thus the proliferation, migration and invasion of renal cancer cells.

Whole genome sequencing of simmental cattle for SNP and CNV discovery

BACKGROUD

The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variations (CNVs) are two major genomic variants, which play crucial roles in evolutionary and phenotypic diversity.

RESULTS

In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis to explore the genetic variations (SNPs and CNVs) of high sperm motility (HSM) and poor sperm motility (PSM) Simmental bulls using the high-coverage (25×) short-read next generation sequencing and single-molecule long reads sequencing data. A total of ~ 15 million SNPs and 2,944 CNV regions (CNVRs) were detected in Simmental bulls, and a set of positive selected genes (PSGs) and CNVRs were found to be overlapped with quantitative trait loci (QTLs) involving immunity, muscle development, reproduction, etc. In addition, we detected two new variants in LEPR, which may be related to the artificial breeding to improve important economic traits. Moreover, a set of genes and pathways functionally related to male fertility were identified. Remarkably, a CNV on SPAG16 (chr2:101,427,468 - 101,429,883) was completely deleted in all poor sperm motility (PSM) bulls and half of the bulls in high sperm motility (HSM), which may play a crucial role in the bull-fertility.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, this study provides a valuable genetic variation resource for the cattle breeding and selection programs.

Genome-wide association study reveals that the IBSP locus affects ear size in cattle

Ear size is a classical model for hot climate adaptation following the evolution, but the genetic basis of the traits associated with ear size remains to be elucidated. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study on 158 cattle to explain the genetic mechanism of ear size. One region on BTA6 between 36.79 and 38.80 Mb included 50 suggestive SNPs and 4 significant SNPs that were significantly associated with ear size. The most significant locus (P = 1.30 × 10^-8) was a missense mutation (T250I) on the seventh exon of integrin-binding sialoprotein (IBSP), which had an allele substitution effect of 23.46 cm² for ear size. Furthermore, this mutation will cause changes in the three-dimensional structure of the protein. To further identify genes underlying this typical feature, we performed a genome scan among nine cattle breeds with different ear sizes by using SweeD. Results suggested that IBSP was under positive selection among four breeds with relatively large ear sizes. The expression levels of IBSP in ear tissues of large- and small-ear cattle were significantly different. A haplotype diversity survey of this missense mutation in worldwide cattle breeds strongly implied that the origin of this missense mutation event was Bos taurus. These findings have important theoretical importance for the exploration of major genes associated with ear size and provide important molecular markers for the identification of cattle germplasm resources.

Genome-wide analysis emancipates genomic diversity and signature of selection in Altay white-headed cattle of Xinjiang, China

Altay white-headed cattle have not received enough attention for several reasons. Due to irrational breeding and selection practices, the number of pure Altay white-headed cattle has decreased significantly and the breed is now on the eve of extinction. The genomic characterization will be a crucial step towards understanding the genetic basis of productivity and adaptability to survival under native Chinese agropastoral systems; nevertheless, no attempt has been made in Altay white-headed cattle. In the current study, we compared the genomes of 20 Altay white-headed cattle to the genomes of 144 individuals in representative breeds. Population genetic diversity revealed that the nucleotide diversity of Altay white-headed cattle was less than that of indicine breeds and comparable to that of Chinese taurus cattle. Using population structure analysis, we also found that Altay white-headed cattle carried the ancestry of the European and East Asian cattle lineage. In addition, we used three different methods (FST, θπ ratio and XP-EHH) to investigate the adaptability and white-headed phenotype of Altay white-headed cattle and compared it with Bohai black cattle. We found EPB41L5, SCG5 and KIT genes on the list of the top one percent genes, these genes might have an association with environmental adaptability and the white-headed phenotype for this breed. Our research reveals the distinctive genomic features of Altay white-headed cattle at the genome-wide level.

Higher levels of response on clinical atopic dermatitis severity measures are associated with meaningful improvements in patient-reported symptom and quality of life measures: Integrated analysis of three Upadacitinib phase 3 trials

BACKGROUND

It is not fully understood how different degrees of improvements in atopic dermatitis (AD) clinical outcome measures translate to improvements in patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, such as those assessing itch, symptoms, sleep, anxiety, depression, quality of life (QoL), and work productivity.

OBJECTIVES

This post hoc analysis of three clinical studies assessed how more robust improvements in clinical responses are associated with improvements in PROs and QoL.

METHODS

Data from three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials in adults and adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2, and AD Up) were included. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to upadacitinib (15 or 30 mg) or placebo once daily (alone or in combination with topical corticosteroids). The mean percentage improvement from baseline to week 16 and percentage of patients achieving responses at week 16 were summarized by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and validated Investigator Global Assessment of Atopic Dermatitis (vIGA-AD) response level categories.

RESULTS

A total of 2392 patients from the three trials were included in the analysis. Increasingly greater mean percentage improvement and proportion of patients achieving response was observed at higher clinical response levels (i.e., stepwise pattern). Mean percentage improvement and proportion of patients achieving response exceeded 69% and 70% at EASI ≥ 90 and vIGA-AD 0/1, respectively, for most PROs including Worst Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale, Patient Oriented Eczema Measure, and Dermatology Life Quality Index.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater degrees of clinical responses are related to more robust improvements across multiple dimensions impacted by AD, including itch, skin pain, sleep, anxiety, depression, and QoL.

[Countermeasures for the construction of occupational health information standard system]

As an important part of health information standard system, occupational health information standard system is the foundation and guarantee of promoting the construction of occupational health information. This article is based on the literature research about current situation of domestic and foreign health information standards and occupational health information standard system, thus take "the National Health Information Standardization System" and "the National Public Health Information Construction Standards and Norms" into account, focus on the requirements of occupational health information construction and related work. Thus, put forward suggestions on the construction of occupational health information standard system, to accelerate the occupational health information construction, data collection, transmission and application.

Genomic analysis reveals a KIT-related chromosomal translocation associated with the white coat phenotype in yak

White coat pigmentation is a striking phenotype of many domesticated species and has various genetic controls. The Tianzhu White yak, an indigenous breed with a complete white coat, has fascinated Tibetans for centuries. However, the genetic basis of this trait remains unknown. Here, we conducted population genomics analysis and genome-wide association study based on the whole-genome sequencing data of 38 white and 59 non-white-coated yak. The results revealed the presence of KIT-linked Cs alleles characterized by the translocations between chromosomes 6 and 29 in all-white yak. Furthermore, structural variations showed additional duplications of the Cs alleles in white yak compared with colour-sidedness cattle. Interestingly, the Cs alleles associated with the white coat phenotype in yak were found to have introgressed from taurine cattle. Our findings unveil the shared genetic control of the white coat phenotype and its evolution in closely related bovine species.

Single-Cell Analyses of the Oral Mucosa Reveal Immune Cell Signatures

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common immune-related disease of the gastrointestinal tract that affects many people around the world. Extraintestinal manifestations of IBD have been frequently observed in recent years; one of these, periodontitis, has gained increasing attention. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation and destruction of periodontal tissues due to the disruption of host immune homeostasis. Clinical studies have revealed that periodontal inflammation is associated with IBD. However, the detailed heterogeneity of immune cells and their developmental relationships remain poorly understood at the single-cell level. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing to assess the transcriptome heterogeneity in periodontal tissues. We found the cellular composition and subclusters with specific gene expression profiles by uniform manifold approximation and projection. Pseudo-time analysis combined with gene enrichment analysis was performed to reveal cell states and key pathways. Ligand-receptor pairs revealed cell-cell communication among the immune cell types in periodontal tissues. Based on our analysis, we identified an essential role for Tcr⁺ macrophage, Prdx1⁺ neutrophil, and Mif⁺ T subpopulations with proinflammatory phenotype infiltration. Moreover, we examined the heterogeneity of monocytic cells and B cells. Collectively, the mapping of scRNA revealed the complex cellular landscape of oral mucosa immune cells and highlighted these immune cells as a previously unrecognized factor that may aggravate inflammation. Our analysis proves that periodontitis could exacerbate colitis and provides novel ideas for controlling and preventing IBD exacerbations.

Responsive multifunctional hydrogels emulating the chronic wounds healing cascade for skin repair

It remains challenging to cure chronic diabetic wounds due to its' harsh microenvironment and poor tissue regeneration ability. At present, bacteria elimination, inflammatory response suppression and angiogenesis orderly render an important paradigm for chronic diabetic wound treatment. Herein, smart-responsive multifunctional hydrogels were developed to improve chronic diabetic wound healing, which could quickly respond to the acidic environment of the diabetic wound site and mediate multistage sequential delivery of silver and curcumin-loaded polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA@Ag&Cur NPs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). PDA@Ag&Cur NPs and VEGF endowed the hydrogels with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and angiogenesis performances, respectively. The in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that our multistage drug delivery hydrogels could effectively eliminate bacteria, relieve inflammatory response, and induce angiogenesis, hence accelerating the closure of chronic diabetic wounds. In conclusion, we highlighted the importance of multistage manipulation in wound healing and offered a combinatorial therapeutic strategy to sequentially deliver drugs exactly aiming at the dynamic wound healing stages.

Genetic Diversity and Selective Signature in Dabieshan Cattle Revealed by Whole-Genome Resequencing

Simple Summary

To protect the genetic resources of Chinese native cattle breeds, we investigated the genetic structure, genetic diversity and genetic signature from artificial or natural selection by sequencing 32 bovine genomes from the breeding farm of the Dabieshan population. We discovered that the ancestral contributions of Dabieshan originated from Chinese indicine and East Asian taurine on the autosomal genome, which had abundant genomic diversity. Some candidate genes associated with fertility, feed efficiency, fat deposition, immune response, heat resistance and the coat color were identified by a selective sweep. The SNPs data were based on genomics, which could establish a foundation for breed amelioration and support conservation for indigenous cattle breeds.

Abstract

Dabieshan cattle are a typical breed of southern Chinese cattle that have the characteristics of muscularity, excellent meat quality and tolerance to temperature and humidity. Based on 148 whole-genome data, our analysis disclosed the ancestry components of Dabieshan cattle with Chinese indicine (0.857) and East Asian taurine (0.139). The Dabieshan genome demonstrated a higher genomic diversity compared with the other eight populations, supported by the observed nucleotide diversity, linkage disequilibrium decay and runs of homozygosity. The candidate genes were detected by a selective sweep, which might relate to the fertility (GPX5, GPX6), feed efficiency (SLC2A5), immune response (IGLL1, BOLA-DQA2, BOLA-DQB), heat resistance (DnaJC1, DnaJC13, HSPA4), fat deposition (MLLT10) and the coat color (ASIP). We also identified the “East Asian taurine-like” segments in Dabieshan cattle, which might contribute to meat quality traits. The results revealed by the unique and valuable genomic data can build a foundation for the genetic improvement and conservation of genetic resources for indigenous cattle breeds.

Effect of arginine supplementation on the production of milk fat in dairy cows

Arginine, one of the conditionally essential AA, has been reported to affect fat synthesis and metabolism in nonruminant animals by influencing adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) in some organs. In dairy cows, the effect of Arg on milk fat production is not clear, and any potential mechanism that underlies the effect is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that Arg infusion would improve the production of milk fat, and explored possible mechanism that might underlie any effect. We used 6 healthy lactating cows at 20 ± 2 d in milk, in fourth parity, with a body weight of 508 ± 14 kg, body condition score of 3.0 ± 0, and a milk yield of 30.6 ± 1.8 kg/d (mean ± standard deviation). The cows were blocked by days in milk and milk yield and each cow received 3 treatments in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design, with each of the experimental periods lasting 7 d with a 14-d washout between each period. The treatments, delivered in random order, were (1) infusion of saline (control); (2) infusion of 0.216 mol/d of l-Arg in saline (Arg); (3) infusion of 0.868 mol/d of l-Ala in saline (the Arg and Ala treatments were iso-nitrogenous) through a jugular vein. On the last day of each experimental period, blood was sampled to measure insulin, nitric oxide, glucose, and nonesterified fatty acid, and the liver and mammary gland were biopsied to measure the expression of genes. Milk yield was recorded, and milk fat percentage was measured daily during each of the experimental periods. The yield and composition of fatty acid (FA) in milk was measured daily on the last 3 d during each of the experimental periods. The data were analyzed using a mixed model with treatment as a fixed factor, and cow, period, and block as random factors. The daily milk yield and milk fat yield when the cows were infused with Arg were 2.2 kg and 76 g, respectively, higher than that in control, and 1.8 kg and 111 g, respectively, higher than that in Ala. When the cows were infused with Arg they had higher concentration and yield of de novo synthesized FA, than when they received the control or Ala infusions, although milk fat percentage, daily feed intake, and the digestibility of nutrients were not affected by treatment. The serum concentration of nitric oxide and insulin were higher during Arg than during control or Ala, with no difference between control and Ala. In the liver, the expression of the genes coding for AMPK (PRKAA1, PRKAB1, and PRKAG1) and genes related to the oxidation of FA were higher during Arg than during control or Ala, whereas in the mammary gland the expression PRKAB1 was lowest, and the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of milk fat were highest, during Arg infusion. The results suggest the intravenous infusion of Arg enhanced the production of milk fat by promoting the de novo synthesis of FA and increasing milk yield.