Unveiling the microbiota-metabolite-myocardium axis: a novel perspective on cardiovascular health

Introduction

Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, remain a leading cause of death globally. Emerging evidence suggests the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health. This study aims to explore the impact of gut microbiota on myocardial infarction using a mouse model.

Methods

The research utilizes a multi-omics approach, including 16S rDNA sequencing and LC-MS-based metabolomics to analyze fecal and serum samples from mice modeled to mimic myocardial infarction. This methodology allows for a comprehensive analysis of microbial populations and their metabolic output.

Results

The findings reveal a significant reduction in gut microbiota α-diversity in mice with induced myocardial infarction compared to healthy controls. Notably, there is an increase in populations of Fusobacteria and Clostridia. Metabolomic analysis indicates disruptions in amino acid and energy metabolism, suggesting a metabolic dysregulation linked to myocardial health.

Discussion

The study proposes a novel microbiota-metabolite-myocardium axis, where specific microbial metabolites may directly affect heart health. This connection points to the gut microbiota as a potential player in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and may open new therapeutic avenues targeting the gut microbiome to combat cardiovascular diseases.

High throughput automated characterization of enamel microstructure using synchrotron tomography and optical flow imaging

The remarkable damage-tolerance of enamel has been attributed to its hierarchical microstructure and the organized bands of decussated rods. A thorough characterization of the microscale rod evolution within the enamel is needed to elucidate this complex structure. While prior efforts in this area have made use of single particle tracking to track a single rod evolution to various degrees of success, such a process can be both computationally and labor intensive, limited to the evolution path of a single rod, and is therefore prone to error from potentially tracking outliers. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a well-established algorithm to derive field information from image sequences for processes that are time-dependent, such as fluid flows and structural deformation. In this work, we demonstrate the use of PIV in extracting the full-field microstructural distribution of rods within the enamel. Enamel samples from a wild African lion were analyzed using high-energy synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography. Results from the PIV analysis provide sufficient full-field information to reconstruct the growth of individual rods that can potentially enable rapid analysis of complex microstructures from high resolution synchrotron datasets. Such information can serve as a template for designing damage-tolerant bioinspired structures for advanced manufacturing. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Thorough characterization and analysis of biological microstructures (viz. dental enamel) allows us to understand the basis of their excellent mechanical properties. Prior efforts have successfully replicated these microstructures via single particle tracking, but the process is computationally and labor intensive. In this work, optical flow imaging algorithms were used to extract full-field microstructural distribution of enamel rods from synchrotron X-ray computed tomography datasets, and a field method was used to reconstruct the growth of individual rods. Such high throughput information allows for the rapid production/prototyping and advanced manufacturing of damage-tolerant bioinspired structures for specific engineering applications. Furthermore, the algorithms used herein are freely available and open source to broaden the availability of the proposed workflow to the general scientific community.

Network Meta-Analysis: Effect of Cold Stress on the Gene Expression of Swine Adipocytes ATGL, CIDEA, UCP2, and UCP3

Cold stress significantly affects gene expression in adipocytes; studying this phenomenon can help reveal the pathogeneses of conditions such as obesity and insulin resistance. Adipocyte triglyceride lipase (ATGL); cell death-inducing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation factor subunit alpha (DFFA)-like effector (CIDEA); and uncoupling protein genes UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3 are the most studied genes in pig adipose tissues under cold stress. However, contradictory results have been observed in gene expression changes to UCP3 and UCP2 when adipose tissues under cold stress were examined. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of 32 publications in total on the effect of cold stress on the expression of ATGL, CIDEA, UCP2, and UCP3. Our results showed that cold stress affected the expression of swine adipocyte genes; specifically, it was positively correlated with the expression of UCP3 in swine adipocytes. Conversely, expression of ATGL was negatively affected under cold stress conditions. In addition, the loss of functional UCP1 in pigs likely triggered a compensatory increase in UCP3 activity. We also simulated the docking results of UCP2 and UCP3. Our results showed that UCP2 could strongly bind to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), meaning that UCP3 played a more significant role in pig adipocytes.

Difference in the Effect of Applying Bacillus to Control Tomato Verticillium Wilt in Black and Red Soil

In practical applications, the effectiveness of biological control agents such as Bacillus is often unstable due to different soil environments. Herein, we aimed to explore the control effect and intrinsic mechanism of Bacillus in black soil and red soil in combination with tomato Verticillium wilt. Bacillus application effectively controlled the occurrence of Verticillium wilt in red soil, reducing the incidence by 19.83%, but played a limited role in black soil. Bacillus colonized red soil more efficiently. The Verticillium pathogen decreased by 71.13% and 76.09% after the application of Bacillus combinations in the rhizosphere and bulk of the red soil, respectively, while there was no significant difference in the black soil. Additionally, Bacillus application to red soil significantly promoted phosphorus absorption. Furthermore, it significantly altered the bacterial community in red soil and enriched genes related to pathogen antagonism and phosphorus activation, which jointly participated in soil nutrient activation and disease prevention, promoting tomato plant growth in red soil. This study revealed that the shaping of the bacterial community by native soil may be the key factor affecting the colonization and function of exogenous Bacillus.

Clinical characteristics and influence of postoperative Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis: retrospective study at a tertiary children's hospital

PURPOSE

To explore the influence of postoperative Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (post-HAEC) on long-term outcomes and to identify risk factors of post-HAEC.

METHODS

The medical records of 304 eligible patients diagnosed with Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) were reviewed. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of post-HAEC and its influence on long-term outcomes. Furthermore, risk factors for early and recurrent HAEC were identified separately.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of post-HAEC was 29.9% (91/304). We categorized early HAEC as occurring within postoperative 3 months (n = 39) and recurrent HAEC as occurring ≥ 3 episodes within postoperative 6 months (n = 25). Patients with early HAEC were more likely to experience worse nutritional status, defecation function, and quality of life compared to those with late or no episodes (P < 0.05). Similarly, the adverse influences of recurrent HAEC on these outcomes were also significant (P < 0.05). The risk factors for early HAEC included preoperative undernutrition, long-segment HSCR, and postoperative Grade 3-4 complications within 30 days. For recurrent HAEC, risk factors were preoperative malnutrition, non-parental caregivers, long-segment HSCR, and postoperative Grade 3-4 complications within 30 days.

CONCLUSION

Classification of post-HAEC based on the first episode time and frequency was necessary. The earlier or more frequent episodes of post-HAEC have detrimental influences on long-term outcomes. Furthermore, risk factors for early and recurrent HAEC were different.

Potential Pathogenicity and Genetic Characteristics of a Live-Attenuated Classical Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Derivative Variant

Classical swine fever (CSF), caused by CSF virus (CSFV), is a highly contagious disease affecting pigs and causing massive pig production losses with severe global economic recession. The immunization of live-attenuated vaccines is still one of the key measures to CSFV management in endemic countries. However, there are also strong controversies about the usage of live-attenuated vaccines, particularly in pregnant sows and young pigs, such as in Europe, where domestic pigs are routinely not vaccinated until severe outbreaks occur. Here, we report a CSF outbreak in a pig farm in China, which affected more than 90% of the delivery sows and led to ∼45% birth loss. Surprisingly, phylogenetic analysis showed that the CSFV isolate (named CSFV/HeNLY2022, GenBank No. OR195698) was clustered into subgenotype 1.1a, closely together with the live-attenuated vaccine strains. Further genomic analysis also revealed that the isolate CSFV/HeNLY2022 shared the highest nucleotide identity of 99.7% with the C/HVRI vaccine strain (C-strain, GenBank No. AY805221). Moreover, compared to the C/HVRI strain, a total of eight amino acid mutations, distributed in Erns (H436thY and S476thR), E1 (T502thI and P581thT), E2 (M979thK and A1061thS), NS5A (A2980thT), and NS5B (I3818thM), were characterized in the CSFV/HeNLY2022 isolate. Our results suggested that the CSF outbreak was most likely caused by the live-attenuated CSFV vaccine or its derivative. It raises concern that the unscientific application of CSFV vaccines could potentially lead to CSFV spread in pigs. It is needed to perform a more rigorous evaluation of the safety of the C-strain-derived vaccines in combination with other different live-attenuated vaccines.

Pd(II)-catalyzed cascade annulation of N-substituted anilines with CO, NH4OAc and aldehydes to N1-substituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones

A facile and direct approach to N1-substituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones has been developed via Pd(II)-catalyzed one-pot cascade annulation of N-substituted anilines with CO, NH4OAc and aldehydes, and it features an intrinsic directing strategy, cheap and easily obtainable raw materials, low cost, high step economy and efficiency, broad substrate scope and good product diversity. This protocol has been successfully applied to the synthesis of glycozolone A and gram-level experiments. Based on the control experiments and the literature, the reaction mechanism was proposed.

Melatonin's effect on hair follicles in a goat (Capra hircus) animal model

Introduction

Melatonin can treat androgenetic alopecia in males. Goats can be used as animal models to study melatonin treatment for human alopecia. In this study, a meta-analysis of melatonin's effects on goat hair follicles was pursued.

Methods

Literature from the last 20 years was searched in Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and PubMed. Melatonin's effect on goat hair follicles and litter size were performed through a traditional meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis. A network meta-analysis used data from oocyte development to blastocyst. The hair follicle genes regulated by melatonin performed KEGG and PPI. We hypothesized that there are differences in melatonin receptors between different goats, and therefore completed melatonin receptor 1A homology modelling and molecular docking.

Results

The results showed that melatonin did not affect goat primary follicle or litter size. However, there was a positive correlation with secondary follicle growth. The goat melatonin receptor 1A SNPs influence melatonin's functioning. The wild type gene defect MR1 is a very valuable animal model.

Discussion

Future studies should focus on the relationship between goat SNPs and the effect of embedded melatonin. This study will provide theoretical guidance for the cashmere industry and will be informative for human alopecia research.

Acyl carrier protein OsMTACP2 confers rice cold tolerance at the booting stage

Low temperatures occurring at the booting stage in rice (Oryza sativa L.) often result in yield loss by impeding male reproductive development. However, the underlying mechanisms by which rice responds to cold at this stage remain largely unknown. Here, we identified MITOCHONDRIAL ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN 2 (OsMTACP2), the encoded protein of which mediates lipid metabolism involved in the cold response at the booting stage. Loss of OsMTACP2 function compromised cold tolerance, hindering anther cuticle and pollen wall development, resulting in abnormal anther morphology, lower pollen fertility and seed setting. OsMTACP2 was highly expressed in tapetal cells and microspores during anther development, with the encoded protein localizing to both mitochondria and the cytoplasm. Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed differential expression of genes related to lipid metabolism between the wild type and the Osmtacp2-1 mutant in response to cold. Through a lipidomic analysis, we demonstrated that wax esters, which are the primary lipid components of the anther cuticle and pollen walls, function as cold-responsive lipids. Their levels increased dramatically in the wild type but not in Osmtacp2-1 when exposed to cold. Additionally, mutants of two cold induced genes of wax ester biosynthesis, ECERIFERUM1 and WAX CRYSTAL-SPARSE LEAF2, showed decreased cold tolerance. These results suggest that OsMTACP2-mediated wax ester biosynthesis is essential for cold tolerance in rice at the booting stage.

Genome-wide association study identifies multiple loci influencing duck serum biochemical indicators in the laying period

1. Laying performance is an important economic trait in poultry. The blood is essential in transporting nutrients to the yolk and albumen and is necessary for egg formation.2. This study calculated the phenotypic relationships of duck egg quality, egg production efficiency and 22 serum parameters in the egg-laying stage. Using a variety of methodologies, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out to uncover the genetic foundations of the 22 serum biochemical markers of laying ducks.3. Spearman correlation coefficients between the egg production (226-329 per day) and the serum parameters were all weak, being less than 0.3. This analysis was done on 22 serum parameters, with total protein (TP), total triglycerides (TG), calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) having the highest correlation coefficients (r = 0.56-0.88). The coefficients for blood markers, such as total cholesterol (CHOL), total bilirubin (TBIL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) varied from 0.70-0.94.4. Based on single-marker single-trait genome-wide analyses by a mixed linear model program of EMMAX, nine candidate genes were associated with enzyme traits (AST/ALT aspartate transaminase/glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, creatine kinase) and 19 candidate genes were associated with metabolism and protein-related serum parameters (glucose, total bile acid, uric acid (UA), albumin (ALB).5. The mvLMM (multivariate linear mixed model) of GEMMA software was used to carry out multiple trait integrated GWAS. Two candidate genes were found in the TP-TG-CA-P analysis and seven candidate genes in the CHOL_LDL-C_HDL-C_TBIL study. There was a high genetic correlation between the two groups.

Phosphatidyl Ethanolamine Binding Protein FLOWERING LOCUS T-like 12 (OsFTL12) Regulates the Rice Heading Date under Different Day-Length Conditions

Plant FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like (FTL) genes often redundantly duplicate on chromosomes and functionally diverge to modulate reproductive traits. Rice harbors thirteen FTL genes, the functions of which are still not clear, except for the Hd3a and RFT genes. Here, we identified the molecular detail of OsFTL12 in rice reproductive stage. OsFTL12 encoding protein contained PEBP domain and localized into the nucleus, which transcripts specifically expressed in the shoot and leaf blade with high abundance. Further GUS-staining results show the OsFTL12 promoter activity highly expressed in the leaf and stem. OsFTL12 knock-out concurrently exhibited early flowering phenotype under the short- and long-day conditions as compared with wild-type and over-expression plants, which independently regulates flowering without an involved Hd1/Hd3a and Ehd1/RFT pathway. Further, an AT-hook protein OsATH1 was identified to act as upstream regulator of OsFTL12, as the knock-out OsATH1 elevated the OsFTL12 expression by modifying Histone H3 acetylation abundance. According to the dissection of OsFTL12 molecular functions, our study expanded the roles intellectual function of OsFTL12 in the mediating of a rice heading date.

Phylogenetically evolutionary analysis provides insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of porcine deltacoronavirus

BACKGROUND

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is one of the emerging swine enteric coronaviruses (SECoVs), which has been widely prevalent in the North America and Asia. In addition to causing severe diarrhea in piglets, PDCoV also shows the potential to infect diverse host species, including calves, chickens, turkey poults, and humans. However, the clinical pathogenicity and genetic evolution of PDCoV is still not fully understood.

RESULTS

Here, we recorded an outbreak of a novel recombinant PDCoV strain (CHN-HeN06-2022) in a large nursery fattening pig farm. Genomic analysis showed that the CHN-HeN06-2022 strain shared 98.3-98.7% sequence identities with the Chinese and American reference strains. To clarify the evolutionary relationships, phylogenetic analysis was performed using the PDCoV genome sequences available in the GenBank database. Based on genetic distance and geographical distribution, the phylogenetic tree clearly showed that all the PDCoV sequences could be divided into lineage 1 and lineage 2, which were further classified into sublineage 1.1 (Chinese strains), 1.2 (the North American strains), 2.1 (the Southeast Asian strains), and 2.2 (Chinese strains). Corresponding to the evolutionary tree, we found that, compared to lineage 1, lineage 2 strains usually contain a continuous 6-nt deletion in Nsp2 and a 9-nt deletion in Nsp3, respectively. Furthermore, recombination analysis suggested that the CHN-HeN06-2022 occurred segments exchange crossed Nsp2 and Nsp3 region between sublineage 1.1 and sublineage 2.1. Combined with previously reported recombinant strains, the highest recombination frequency occurred in Nsp2, Nsp3, and S gene. Additionally, we identified a total of 14 amino acid sites under positive selection in spike protein, most of which are located in the regions related with the viral attachment, receptor binding, and membrane fusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our studies provide novel insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of PDCoV. It would be helpful to the development of vaccine and potential antiviral agent.

Applications of indocyanine greenenhanced fluorescence in the laparoscopic treatment of colonic stricture after necrotizing enterocolitis

BACKGROUND

The status of anastomotic blood perfusion is associated with the occurrence of anastomotic leakage after intestinal anastomosis. Fluorescence angiography (FA) with indocyanine green (ICG) can objectively assess intestinal blood perfusion. This study aims to investigate whether anastomotic perfusion assessment with ICG influences surgical decision-making during laparoscopic intestinal resection and primary anastomosis for colonic stricture after necrotizing enterocolitis.

METHODS

Patients who underwent laparoscopic intestinal resection and primary anastomosis between January 2022 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Before intestinal anastomosis, the ICG fluorescence technology was used to evaluate the blood perfusion of intestinal tubes on both sides of the anastomosis. After the completion of primary anastomosis, the anastomotic blood perfusion was assessed again.

RESULTS

Of the 13 cases, laparoscopy was used to determine the extent of the diseased bowel to be excised, and the normal bowel was preserved for anastomosis. The anastomosis was established under the guidance of ICG fluorescence technology, and FA was performed after anastomosis to confirm good blood flow in the proximal bowel. The anastomotic intestinal tube was changed in one case because FA showed a difference between the normal range of intestinal blood flow and the macroscopic prediction. There was no evidence of ICG allergy, anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, or other complications. The median follow-up was 6 months, and all patients recovered well.

CONCLUSIONS

The ICG fluorescence technology is helpful in precisely and efficiently determining the anastomotic intestinal blood flow during stricture resection and in avoiding anastomotic leakage caused by poor anastomotic intestinal blood flow to some extent, with satisfactory short-term efficacy.

Can we preserve the necrotic testis caused by incarcerated inguinal hernia in infants under 3 months?

PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate whether necrotic testis resulting from incarcerated inguinal hernias can be preserved in infants under 3 months old.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data collected from infants under 3 months old who had necrotic testis caused by incarcerated inguinal hernias between 2016 and 2020. They were divided into two groups: the orchiectomy group and the testicular preservation group. The control group consisted of normal male children of the same age. Data regarding bilateral testicular volume, dihydrotestosterone, inhibin B, and antisperm antibodies were collected.

RESULTS

The study included 42 cases, with 18 patients being followed up for 6-54 months after the operation. In the testicular preservation group, 2 children did not experience testicular atrophy. There was no significant difference in the volume of the contralateral testes between the testicular preservation group and the control group; however, both groups had smaller testicular volumes compared to the orchiectomy group. There was no significant difference in the levels of inhibin B between the testicular preservation group and the orchiectomy group, although both were lower than the control group. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the levels of dihydrotestosterone and the positivity rate of antisperm antibodies among the three groups.

CONCLUSION

Preserving the necrotic testis may allow it to survive without impacting the contralateral testis. Therefore, a more conservative approach should be considered for orchiectomy when dealing with testicular necrosis caused by incarcerated inguinal hernias in infants.

Randomized phase II adjuvant trial to compare two treatment durations of icotinib (2 years versus 1 year) for stage II-IIIA EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients (ICOMPARE study)

BACKGROUND

Despite the prolonged median disease-free survival (DFS) by adjuvant targeted therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, the relationship between the treatment duration and the survival benefits in patients remains unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase II trial, eligible patients aged 18-75 years with EGFR-mutant, stage II-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma and who had not received adjuvant chemotherapy after complete tumor resection were enrolled from eight centers in China. Patients were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to receive either 1-year or 2-year icotinib (125 mg thrice daily). The primary endpoint was DFS assessed by investigator. The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and safety. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01929200).

RESULTS

Between September 2013 and October 2018, 109 patients were enrolled (1-year group, n = 55; 2-year group, n = 54). Median DFS was 48.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 33.1-70.1 months] in the 2-year group and 32.9 months (95% CI 26.6-44.8 months) in the 1-year group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.51; 95% CI 0.28-0.94; P = 0.0290]. Median OS for patients was 75.8 months [95% CI 64.4 months-not evaluable (NE)] in the 2-year group and NE (95% CI 66.3 months-NE) in the 1-year group (HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.13-0.95; P = 0.0317). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were observed in 41 of 55 (75%) patients in the 1-year group and in 36 of 54 (67%) patients in the 2-year group. Grade 3-4 TRAEs occurred in 4 of 55 (7%) patients in the 1-year group and in 3 of 54 (6%) patients in the 2-year group. No treatment-related deaths or interstitial lung disease was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Two-year adjuvant icotinib was shown to significantly improve DFS and provide an OS benefit in EGFR-mutant, stage II-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma patients compared with 1-year treatment in this exploratory phase II study.

An Adaptive Region-Based Transformer for Nonrigid Medical Image Registration With a Self-Constructing Latent Graph

Nonrigid registration of medical images is formulated usually as an optimization problem with the aim of seeking out the deformation field between a referential-moving image pair. During the past several years, advances have been achieved in the convolutional neural network (CNN)-based registration of images, whose performance was superior to most conventional methods. More lately, the long-range spatial correlations in images have been learned by incorporating an attention-based model into the transformer network. However, medical images often contain plural regions with structures that vary in size. The majority of the CNN-and transformer-based approaches adopt embedding of patches that are identical in size, disallowing representation of the inter-regional structural disparities within an image. Besides, it probably leads to the structural and semantical inconsistencies of objects as well. To address this issue, we put forward an innovative module called region-based structural relevance embedding (RSRE), which allows adaptive embedding of an image into unequally-sized structural regions based on the similarity of self-constructing latent graph instead of utilizing patches that are identical in size. Additionally, a transformer is integrated with the proposed module to serve as an adaptive region-based transformer (ART) for registering medical images nonrigidly. As demonstrated by the experimental outcomes, our ART is superior to the advanced nonrigid registration approaches in performance, whose Dice score is 0.734 on the LPBA40 dataset with 0.318% foldings for deformation field, and is 0.873 on the ADNI dataset with 0.331% foldings.

Serum total bile acid levels assist in the prediction of acute intussusception with abdominal type Henoch-Schonlein purpura in children

Background

The severe acute abdomen associated with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is an acute intussusception (AI). There is no reliable specific marker for AI with abdominal-type HSP. The serum total bile acid (TBA) level is a new prognostic marker associated with the severity of intestinal inflammation. The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic value of serum TBA levels for the diagnosis of AI in children with abdominal-type HSP.

Methods

A retrospective study of 708 patients with abdominal-type HSP was conducted, with demographic data, clinical symptoms, hepatic function index, immune function markers, and clinical outcomes assessed. Patients were divided into two groups: HSP (613 patients) and HSP with AI (95 patients). The data were analysed using SPSS 22.0.

Results

Of the 708 patients, the serum TBA levels were higher in the HSP with AI group than in the HSP group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that vomiting (OR = 396.492, 95% CI = 14.93-10,529.67, P < 0.001), haematochezia (OR = 87.436, 95% CI = 5.944-1,286.214, P = 0.001), TBA (OR = 16.287, 95% CI = 4.83-54.922, P < 0.001), and D-dimer (OR = 5.987, 95% CI = 1.892-15.834, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for abdominal-type HSP with AI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off serum TBA value (sensitivity = 91.58%, specificity = 84.67%, AUC = 93.6524%) was >3 μmol/L for predicting AI in children with abdominal-type HSP. In this group of HSP patients with AI, a serum TBA level ≥6.98 μmol/L was significantly associated with an increased incidence of operative treatment (51.85% vs. 75.61%, P = 0.0181), intestinal necrosis (9.26% vs. 29.27%, P = 0.0117), and length of hospital stay [15.76 ± 5.31 vs. 10.98 ± 2.83 (days), P < 0.0001].

Conclusion

In children with HSP and AI, the serum TBA level was significantly higher. A novel but promising haematological indicator, the serum TBA level, helps identify HSP with and without AI and predicts intestinal necrosis in HSP with AI.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in cadmium tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L): a meta-analysis

Rice is an important agricultural product consumed globally. Rice polluted by cadmium (Cd) poses serious health risks. Numerous studies have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) decrease Cd concentrations in the grain, shoots, and roots of rice. However, one study showed that AMF increased the root Cd concentration in rice. Therefore, a meta-analysis of the contribution of AMF to rice Cd tolerance became necessary. This meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the role of AMF in Cd tolerance in rice by searching the following databases: ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. A total of 571 studies were found, of which nine studies and 25 datasets were used in the meta-analysis. The period of inclusion of research reports was from January 1992 to April 2022. The results showed that with the addition of Rhizophagus irregularis, Cd concentration in the roots was higher than in the control group, although the overall Cd concentration in the plant was reduced. Four species of AMF reduced Cd concentration in rice shoots and grain tissues. These AMF species increased the biomass of rice root and shoot tissues; however, they did not affect grain biomass. AMF decreased the transfer factor (TF), and the TF of Glomus versiforme (12.99%) was significantly lower than the other three AMF types. We proposed that Cd could be enriched in rice roots, and the transfer of Cd to the grain could be inhibited. At the time of grain harvesting, rice roots are removed from the soil, thus removing Cd from the soil. This operation can efficiently improve both land-bearing capacity and soil without affecting rice yield. Thus, Cd was enriched in rice roots, and the poten-tial for Cd transfer to the grain was inhibited due to the decreased TF. The future research must focus on how R. irregularis could improve the HMA3 gene expression in rice root, and prevents the transportation of Cd from the roots to shoots.

[Chinese expert consensus on perioperative management of renal tumor cryoablation (2022 edition)]

In recent years, the incidence of renal cancer has been increasing continuously. Surgical resection is the "gold standard" for the treatment of small renal cancer. However, local ablation therapy of renal cancer is undoubtedly the best choice for patients with short life expectancy, other complications, and impaired renal function who are not suitable for surgery. In recent years, with the development of ablation techniques and long-term follow-up, local ablation has shown good therapeutic effects. As many domestic hospitals are performing or planning to perform renal tumor cryoablation to improve the clinical cure rate and surgical safety of renal tumor cryoablation, it is necessary to standardize the surgical indications, contraindications, perioperative management, efficacy evaluation, and other common problems. Currently, there is no expert consensus regarding perioperative renal tumor cryoablation in China. To standardize the perioperative management of renal tumor cryoablation and related technical operations in clinical practice, and improve the effectiveness and safety of cryoablation, the expert committee of Tumor Interventional and Minimally Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Continuing Education Base of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association convened experts in related fields to discuss and formulate this consensus, which is hereby published, for clinical reference and application.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance among cancer inpatients in China: 2016-20

BACKGROUND

The incidence of infections among cancer patients is as high as 23.2-33.2% in China. However, the lack of information and data on the number of antibiotics used by cancer patients is an obstacle to implementing antibiotic management plans.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in Chinese cancer patients to provide a reference for the rational use of antibiotics.

DESIGN

This was a 5-year retrospective study on the antibiotic resistance of cancer patients.

METHODS

In this 5-year surveillance study, we collected bacterial and antibiotic resistance data from 20 provincial cancer diagnosis and treatment centers and three specialized cancer hospitals in China. We analyzed the resistance of common bacteria to antibiotics, compared to common clinical drug-resistant bacteria, evaluated the evolution of critical drug-resistant bacteria and conducted data analysis.

FINDINGS

Between 2016 and 2020, 216 219 bacterial strains were clinically isolated. The resistance trend of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem was relatively stable and did not significantly increase over time. The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to all antibiotics tested, including imipenem and meropenem, decreased over time. In contrast, the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 4.7% to 14.7%. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly decreased from 65.2% in 2016 to 48.9% in 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

The bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance rates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, S. aureus and MRSA were significantly lower than the national average.

Design and Identification of a Novel Antiviral Affinity Peptide against Fowl Adenovirus Serotype 4 (FAdV-4) by Targeting Fiber2 Protein

Outbreaks of hydropericardium hepatitis syndrome caused by fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) with a novel genotype have been reported in China since 2015, with significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Fiber2 is one of the important structural proteins on FAdV-4 virions. In this study, the C-terminal knob domain of the FAdV-4 Fiber2 protein was expressed and purified, and its trimer structure (PDB ID: 7W83) was determined for the first time. A series of affinity peptides targeting the knob domain of the Fiber2 protein were designed and synthesized on the basis of the crystal structure using computer virtual screening technology. A total of eight peptides were screened using an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay and RT-qPCR, and they exhibited strong binding affinities to the knob domain of the FAdV-4 Fiber2 protein in a surface plasmon resonance assay. Treatment with peptide number 15 (P15; WWHEKE) at different concentrations (10, 25, and 50 μM) significantly reduced the expression level of the Fiber2 protein and the viral titer during FAdV-4 infection. P15 was found to be an optimal peptide with antiviral activity against FAdV-4 in vitro with no cytotoxic effect on LMH cells up to 200 μM. This study led to the identification of a class of affinity peptides designed using computer virtual screening technology that targeted the knob domain of the FAdV-4 Fiber2 protein and may be developed as a novel potential and effective antiviral strategy in the prevention and control of FAdV-4.

[Selection of classic laryngeal mask airway size based on ideal body mass in patients with low body mass index: a randomized trial]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) size selection based on ideal and actual body mass on the success rate of first insertion in patients with low body mass index (BMI).

METHODS

This study was performed in 137 patients aged 18-60 years with BMI below 18.5 kg/m², in whom discrepancies occurred in the selection of LMA size based on their actual body mass and the ideal body mass. The patients were randomized divided into ideal body mass group and actual body mass group, in which the size of LMA was selected based on the ideal body mass and their actual body mass, respectively. The success rate of first LMA insertion, overall success rate, fiberoptic visual field grade, leakage pressure, and LMA-related complications of the patients were recorded during the maintenance and recovery of anesthesia.

RESULTS

The success rate of first LMA insertion was significantly higher in ideal body mass group than in the actual body mass group (86.8% vs 68.1%, P=0.016). Compared with those in the actual body mass group, the patients in the ideal body mass group used larger LMA (P < 0.005) and had better fiberoptic field scores (P=0.001) and higher airway seal pressure (P < 0.005). The peak inspiratory pressure (P=0.154) or the incidence of LMA-related complications during anesthesia maintenance and recovery did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The size selection of LMA based on the ideal body mass of the patients, determined according to their height and sex, can significantly improve the success rate of first LMA insertion in patients with low BMI.

Whole Genome Resequencing Identifies Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers of Growth and Reproduction Traits in Zhedong and Zi Crossbred Geese

The broodiness traits of domestic geese are a bottleneck that prevents the rapid development of the goose industry. To reduce the broodiness of the Zhedong goose and thus improve it, this study hybridized it with the Zi goose, which has almost no broody behavior. Genome resequencing was performed for the purebred Zhedong goose, as well as the F2 and F3 hybrids. The results showed that the F1 hybrids displayed significant heterosis in growth traits, and their body weight was significantly greater than those of the other groups. The F2 hybrids showed significant heterosis in egg-laying traits, and the number of eggs laid was significantly greater than those of the other groups. A total of 7,979,421 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained, and three SNPs were screened. Molecular docking results showed that SNP11 located in the gene NUDT9 altered the structure and affinity of the binding pocket. The results suggested that SNP11 is an SNP related to goose broodiness. In the future, we will use the cage breeding method to sample the same half-sib families to accurately identify SNP markers of growth and reproductive traits.

Effects of Salinity on Assembly Characteristics and Function of Microbial Communities in the Phyllosphere and Rhizosphere of Salt-Tolerant Avicennia marina Mangrove Species

It is of great significance to explore the structure and salinity response of microbial communities in salt-tolerant plants to understand the mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions. Herein, we investigated the phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities of Avicennia marina, a pioneer salt-tolerant plant, at three sites with different salinities in the coastal intertidal zone. The results showed that salinity had different effects on phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities and had a greater impact on bacterial communities and bacterial network interactions. The rhizosphere bacterial community alpha diversity significantly increased with increasing salinity. Moreover, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased significantly, while that of Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota, with stronger salt tolerance and nutrient utilization capacity, increased significantly. Functional prediction indicated that the microbial communities could produce catalase, peroxidase, 3-phytase, and tryptophan synthase, which may exert potential antistress and growth-promoting functions. Among them, catalase, 3-phytase, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase increased significantly in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial communities and the phyllosphere fungal community with increasing salinity. Importantly, the dominant taxa Kushneria and Bacillus, which are salt tolerant and growth promoting, were isolated from the phyllosphere and rhizosphere, respectively, and verified to have the ability to alleviate salt stress and promote the growth of rice. IMPORTANCE Avicennia marina is a pioneer salt-tolerant plant in coastal intertidal mangroves, an efficient blue carbon ecosystem. It is of great importance to explore how salinity affects the phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities of A. marina. This study showed that the microbial communities in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of A. marina had different constitutive properties, adaptive network interactions, and potential stress-promoting functions. Furthermore, the dominant bacteria Kushneria and Bacillus were obtained from the phyllosphere and rhizosphere, respectively, and their coculture with rice could effectively alleviate salt stress and promote rice growth. Additionally, the effects of salinity changes on microbial community structure, associations, and functional potential in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of A. marina were observed. This study has enriched our understanding of the microbial community structure, function, and ecological stability of mangrove species in coastal intertidal zones and has practical significance for improving crop yield by using salt-tolerant plant microbiomes.

A meta-analysis: Effect of androgens on reproduction in sows

INTRODUCTION

The mechanisms by which male hormones affect the development of ovaries and follicles has been studied by injecting exogenous androgens into sows. This may provide a reference for human polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and can also provide guidance for improving the litter size of sows.

METHODS

We present a meta-analysis of studies published in the past 30 years on the effect of androgens on the ovulation rate of sows. A total of 517 papers were analyzed.

RESULTS

The results showed that both testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) injected into sows were positively related to the ovulation rate. T did not have a relevant effect on swine in vivo blastocyst survival rate. DHT had a negative phase with respect to blastocyst survival rate. Pig T-androgen receiver affinity was higher than the analogous affinity for DHT; this is different in humans. This suggests that sows are not suitable as human PCOS experimental animal models.

DISCUSSION

To improve the litter size of sows, future research should focus on the mixed use of T and DHT, and the timing of use should be consistent with the periodic changes in androgen levels in sows. In addition, the welfare of experimental sows should be considered with reference to the clinical symptoms of PCOS.

Comparison of anther transcriptomes in response to cold stress at the reproductive stage between susceptible and resistant Japonica rice varieties

BACKGROUND

Rice is one of the most important cereal crops in the world but is susceptible to cold stress (CS). In this study, we carried out parallel transcriptomic analysis at the reproductive stage on the anthers of two Japonica rice varieties with contrasting CS resistance: cold susceptible Longjing11 (LJ11) and cold resistant Longjing25 (LJ25).

RESULTS

According to the obtained results, a total of 16,762 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under CS, including 7,050 and 14,531 DEGs in LJ25 and LJ11, respectively. Examining gene ontology (GO) enrichment identified 35 up- and 39 down-regulated biological process BP GO terms were significantly enriched in the two varieties, with 'response to heat' and 'response to cold' being the most enriched. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis identified 33 significantly enriched pathways. Only the carbon metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis pathways with down-regulated DEGs were enriched considerably in LJ11, while the plant hormone signal transduction pathway (containing 153 DEGs) was dramatically improved. Eight kinds of plant hormones were detected in the pathway, while auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ETH) signaling pathways were found to be the top four pathways with the most DEGs. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified ten hub genes (co-expressed gene number ≥ 30), including six ABA-related genes. Various DEGs (such as OsDREB1A, OsICE1, OsMYB2, OsABF1, OsbZIP23, OsCATC, and so on) revealed distinct expression patterns among rice types when the DEGs between LJ11 and LJ25 were compared, indicating that they are likely responsible for CS resistance of rice in cold region.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our findings provide comprehensive insights into complex molecular mechanisms of CS response and can aid in CS resistant molecular breeding of rice in cold regions.

Analysis of Cases of Neonatal Appendicitis from a Tertiary Care Unit

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical characteristics and prognosis of neonatal appendicitis (NA) alone and neonatal appendicitis with neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) to improve the early recognition and diagnosis rate for this type of disease.

METHODS

Cases of appendicitis proved by operation and pathology younger than 28 d old in the authors hospital from 1990 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether combine with NEC, the cases were divided into two groups, analyzes the clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 48 patients were enrolled, 15 cases in the NA group and 33 cases in the NEC with NA group. The age of onset, time from onset of symptoms to surgical intervention were both earlier in the NEC with NA group (p < 0.05). The preoperative white blood cells (WBC) and platelets (PLT) in the NA group were higher (p < 0.05). NEC with NA was more likely to be complicated with neonatal pneumonia and sepsis before surgery (p < 0.05). The main clinical symptom of NA was abdominal distension, while the other was bloody stool. The positive rate of ultrasound was high before the operation. The perforation rate of the appendix was very high (NA 100% vs. NEC 57.6%). In the NA group, 100% underwent appendectomy and 78.8% in the NEC with NA group underwent terminal ileostomy and appendectomy.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of neonatal appendicitis is low. It is easily misdiagnosed as NEC. The perforation rate is very high, it is recommended to operate as soon as possible, and the prognosis is good.

Semen parameters and sex hormones as affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection: A systematic review

Background

Impaired semen quality and reproductive hormone levels were observed in patients during and after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which raised concerns about negative effects on male fertility. Therefore, this study systematically reviews available data on semen parameters and sex hormones in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

Systematic search was performed on PubMed and Google Scholar until July 18th, 2022. We identified relevant articles that discussed the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on male fertility.

Results

A total number of 1,684 articles were identified by using a suitable keyword search strategy. After screening, 26 articles were considered eligible for inclusion in this study. These articles included a total of 1,960 controls and 2,106 patients. When all studies were considered, the results showed that the semen parameters and sex hormone levels of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibited some significant differences compared with controls. Fortunately, these differences gradually disappear as patients recover from COVID-19.

Conclusion

While present data show the negative effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male fertility, this does not appear to be long-term. Semen quality and hormone levels will gradually increase to normal as patients recover.

First Measurement of High-Energy Reactor Antineutrinos at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first measurement of high-energy reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay, with nearly 9000 inverse beta decay candidates in the prompt energy region of 8-12 MeV observed over 1958 days of data collection. A multivariate analysis is used to separate 2500 signal events from background statistically. The hypothesis of no reactor antineutrinos with neutrino energy above 10 MeV is rejected with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. A 29% antineutrino flux deficit in the prompt energy region of 8-11 MeV is observed compared to a recent model prediction. We provide the unfolded antineutrino spectrum above 7 MeV as a data-based reference for other experiments. This result provides the first direct observation of the production of antineutrinos from several high-Q_{β} isotopes in commercial reactors.

[VIPR1 promoter methylation promotes transcription factor AP-2α binding to inhibit VIPR1 expression and promote hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism and biological function of low expression of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 1 (VIPR1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

We constructed plasmids carrying wild-type VIPR1 promoter or two mutant VIPR1 promoter sequences for transfection of the HCC cell lines Hep3B and Huh7, and examined the effect of AP-2α expression on VIPR1 promoter activity using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Pyrosequencing was performed to detect the changes in VIPR1 promoter methylation level in HCC cells treated with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DAC). Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to evaluate the binding ability of AP-2α to VIPR1 promoter. Western blotting was used to assess the effect of AP-2α knockdown on VIPR1 expression and examine the differential expression of VIPR1 in the two cell lines. The effects of VIPR1 overexpression and knockdown on the proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of HCC cells were analyzed using CCK8 assay and flow cytometry. We also observed the growth of HCC xenograft with lentivirus-mediated over-expression of VIPR1 in nude mice.

RESULTS

Compared with the wild-type VIPR1 promoter group, co-transfection with the vector carrying two promoter mutations and the AP-2α-over-expressing plasmid obviously restored the luciferase activity in HCC cells (P < 0.05). DAC treatment of the cells significantly decreased the methylation level of VIPR1 promoter and inhibited the binding of AP-2α to VIPR1 promoter (P < 0.01). The HCC cells with AP-2α knockdown showed increased VIPR1 expression, which was lower in Huh7 cells than in Hep3B cells. VIPR1 overexpression in HCC cells caused significant cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase (P < 0.01), promoted cell apoptosis (P < 0.001), and inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001), while VIPR1 knockdown produced the opposite effects. In the tumor-bearing nude mice, VIPR1 overexpression in the HCC cells significantly suppressed the increase of tumor volume (P < 0.001) and weight (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

VIPR1 promoter methylation in HCC promotes the binding of AP-2α and inhibits VIPR1 expression, while VIPR1 overexpression causes cell cycle arrest, promotes cell apoptosis, and inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth.

Body mass index increases the recurrence risk of breast cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis from 21 prospective cohort studies

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the recurrence risk of breast cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

Dose-response meta-analysis.

METHODS

Cohort studies that included BMI and the recurrence of breast cancer were selected through various databases including PubMed, Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals (VIP), and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform (WanFang) until November 30, 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of literature. A two-stage random-effects meta-analysis was performed to assess the dose-response relationship between BMI and breast cancer recurrence risk. Heterogeneity between studies is assessed using I².

RESULTS

The relative risk (RR) of BMI <25 kg/m² vs BMI ≥25 kg/m², BMI <30 kg/m² vs BMI ≥30 kg/m² were 1.09 (95% CI: 1.00-1.19) and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.27), suggesting that BMI had a significant effect on the recurrence risk of breast cancer, and there might be a dose-response relationship between them. A total of 21 studies were included in dose-response meta-analysis, which showed that there was a positive linear correlation between BMI and the risk of recurrence (RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03). For every 1 kg/m² increment of BMI, the risk of recurrence increased by approximately 2%. In subgroup analyses, positive linear dose-response relationships between BMI and recurrence risk were observed among Asian and study period >10 years groups. For every 1 kg/m² increment of BMI, the risk of recurrence increased by 3.41% and 1.87%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The recurrence risk of breast cancer increases with BMI, which is most obvious among Asian women.

Radiotherapy-induced abscopal effect on the metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary origin: a case report and literature review

OBJECTIVE

Abscopal effect of radiotherapy refers to a clinical phenomenon that is characterized by the eradication of distant metastatic tumors following localized irradiation. Reports on the abscopal effect following pure radiotherapy have been relatively rare.

CASE REPORT

Herein, we reported a 70-year-old male patient, who has been subjected to swelling and pain in the left neck. Computed tomography examination presented a metastatic lymph node of the left cervical and an intra-abdominal mass which was located in hepatogastric space, upward of the pancreatic head. Histopathology of the left cervical lymph node further ensured a poorly-moderately differentiated form of squamous cell carcinoma. But the primary origin was not defined. This patient received radiotherapy on the metastatic lymph nodes of the left cervical (dose: 60 Gray in 30 fractions) only. After treatment, the pain in the left neck dramatically improved and the swelling of the radiation exposure site diminished gradually. Computed tomography examination also confirmed that the abdominal mass was significantly reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

The abscopal effect, in this case, may help us to get a better understanding of the impact of radiotherapy.

Exogenous Melatonin Directly and Indirectly Influences Sheep Oocytes

Understanding whether and how melatonin (MT) may impact sheep oocyte development competence is central to our ability to predict how sheep oocytes will respond to artificially regulated estrus. Implanting MT can make sheep enter estrus during the non-breeding season. One study found that the blastocyst rate increased under MT treatment, while another found that the blastocyst rate decreased. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of MT directly and indirectly influencing sheep oocytes. A total of 433 articles were collected from which 20 articles and 34 treatments were finally selected. A method for estimating the default value was established for the litter size analysis. We found that exogenous MT add into in vitro maturation medium was positively related to the blastocyst rate in the lab. However, subcutaneous implanting MT did not affect the in vivo ovulation rate, fertilization rate, blastocyst rate, or pregnancy rate at farm. MT did not affect the in vitro cleavage rate. However, MT improved the in vivo cleavage rate. We hypothesized that implanted MT could increase the concentration of MT in oviduct fluid in vivo, and also that in vitro MT could increase the early cleavage rate of sheep zygotes without affecting the total cleavage rate. In the analysis of oocyte apoptosis caused by injury, the results suggested that pyroptosis would be more suitable for further research. MT produces responses in all body organs, and thus implanting of MT during non-breeding seasons should consider the effect on animal welfare.

[Analysis the influence factors of treatment free remission outcome with chronic myeloid leukemia patients who discontinued tyrosine kinase inhibitors]

Objective: To explore the related factors affecting the outcome of treatment free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Methods: Clinical data of CML patients with automatic discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) from the CML cooperative organization of Henan province between June 2, 2013 to March 27, 2021 and the follow-up time was ≥ 6 months were retrospectively analyzed. Log-rank test was used for univariate analysis and Cox proportional risk regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 135 patients were enrolled, and 69 patients (51.1%) were femal and 66 patients (48.9%)were male. Median age was[M(Q₁,Q₃)] 49 years (38, 58)at discontinuation.Before discontinuation, 72 patients (53.3%) were on treatment with second-generation TKI, 63 patients (46.7%) were on treatment with IM, 17patients (12.6%) had a history of TKI reduction/withdrawal;median duration of treatment was months 84 (68, 108) for all patients;median time of TKI treatment to DMR was months 12(8, 26);median duration of DMR was months 65 (54, 84), and 9 patients (6.7%) had unsustained DMR.The median follow-up time was months 16(6-96), 35 patients (25.9%) lost MMR at a median months 3(1-22), overall estimated TFR was 74.1%.The univariate analysis results showed that:second-generation TKI was used, the time of TKI treatment to DMR was ≤12 months, DMR duration time ≥48 months, had sustained DMR, without TKI reduction/withdrawal history were favorable factors affecting of TFR in patients with TKI discontinuation (all P<0.05).The TFR rate of the second-generation TKI therapy group was significantly higher than the IM therapy group (81.9% vs 65.1%, P=0.019).The multivariate analysis results showed that second-generation TKI treatment[RR=0.451, 95%CI (0.227-0.896), P=0.023] and had sustained DMR [RR=0.120, 95%CI (0.053-0.271), P<0.001] were the protective factors of TFR in patients with TKI discontinuation. Conclusions: Treated with second-generation TKI and had sustained DMR are the protective factors of TFR in patients with TKI discontinuation.The CML patients who had sustained DMR more≥48 months before TKI discontinuation showed a better TFR.

A diverse English keyword search reveals the value of scriptaid treatment for porcine embryo development following somatic cell nuclear transfer

CONTEXT

Incomplete epigenetic reprogramming of histone deacetylation (HDAC) is one of the main reasons for the low efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Scriptaid is a synthetic HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) that may improve the efficiency of porcine SCNT.

AIMS

This study aimed to determine whether scriptaid increases the number of blastocyst cells or the cleavage rate.

METHODS

We conducted a meta-analysis of the pertinent literature published over the past decade.

KEY RESULTS

A total of 73 relevant papers were retrieved using a diverse English keyword search, and 11 articles were used for the meta-analysis. Scriptaid was positively correlated with blastocyst rate but had no effect on cleavage rate or blastocyst cell number. A subgroup analysis of blastocyst cell number showed that the staining method was the source of the heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

In SCNT embryos, scriptaid treatment after activation can promote embryonic development, but there may be adverse effects on early development.

IMPLICATIONS

HDACi research should focus on SCNT birth efficiency.

Application of coagulation parameters at the time of necrotizing enterocolitis diagnosis in surgical intervention and prognosis

Purpose

It has been shown that abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis system are involved in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), but not well studied challenge in the context of early detection of disease progression. The present study mainly explores the predictive significance of coagulation parameters at the time of NEC diagnosis in identifying the patients who eventually received surgery and/or NEC-related deaths.

Methods

The retrospective study of 114 neonates with NEC was conducted with assessments of demographic data, laboratory results at the time of NEC diagnosis, treatment methods and prognosis. According to treatment methods, patients were divided into surgical intervention group and medical treatment group. Predictive factors were put forward and determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. An analysis of the surgical intervention and prognosis was performed.

Results

Of 114 patients, 46 (40.4%) cases received surgical intervention and 14 (12.3%) deaths. prothrombin time (PT), PT international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen and platelet count at the time of NEC diagnosis were independently associated with surgical NEC. The APTT could identify patients at high risk for surgical NEC, with 67.39% sensitivity, 86.76% specificity, better than that of other serological parameters. Coagulopathy was found in 38.6% of all patients. For surgical intervention, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of coagulopathy was 0.869 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.794 ~ 0.944, P < 0.001), with 82.61% sensitivity and 91.18% specificity, outperformed APTT (95% CI: 0.236 ~ 0.173, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the AUC for coagulopathy to predict mortality was 0.809 (95% CI: 0.725 ~ 0.877, P < 0.001), with 92.86% sensitivity and 69.0% specificity.

Conclusion

Coagulation parameters at the time of NEC diagnosis were conducive to early prediction of surgical NEC and -related deaths, which should be closely monitored in neonates at high risk of NEC and validated as a clinical decision-making tool.

Low-temperature stress affects reactive oxygen species, osmotic adjustment substances, and antioxidants in rice (Oryza sativa L.) at the reproductive stage

The sensitivity of rice to low-temperature stress (LTS), especially at the reproductive stage, is a primary factor of rice yield fluctuation in cold cultivate region. Here, the changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS), osmotic adjustment substances, and antioxidants in different tissues were analyzed during rice growing under low temperatures (LT) at the reproductive stage. Results showed that LTS increases the levels of proline (Pro), soluble protein (SP), glutathione (GSH), superoxidase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in LJ25 (LTS-resistant) and LJ11 (LTS-sensitive). The activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were significantly increased in LJ25 but decreased in LJ11 under LTS, while an opposite trend in ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) was observed in both varieties. Moreover, most physicochemical properties were higher in flag leaves and panicles compared with those in leaf sheaths. The expression patterns of OsCOIN, OsCATC, OsMAP1, OsPOX1, and OsAPX were the same with phenotypic changes in Pro and the enzymes encoded by them, confirming the accuracy of the physicochemical analysis. Therefore, only CAT and POD increased more in LJ25, suggesting they could be the key factors used for LT-tolerant breeding of rice in cold regions.

A well-supported nuclear phylogeny of Poaceae and implications for the evolution of C4 photosynthesis

Poaceae (the grasses) includes rice, maize, wheat, and other crops, and is the most economically important angiosperm family. Poaceae is also one of the largest plant families, consisting of over 11 000 species with a global distribution that contributes to diverse ecosystems. Poaceae species are classified into 12 subfamilies, with generally strong phylogenetic support for their monophyly. However, many relationships within subfamilies, among tribes and/or subtribes, remain uncertain. To better resolve the Poaceae phylogeny, we generated 342 transcriptomic and seven genomic datasets; these were combined with other genomic and transcriptomic datasets to provide sequences for 357 Poaceae species in 231 genera, representing 45 tribes and all 12 subfamilies. Over 1200 low-copy nuclear genes were retrieved from these datasets, with several subsets obtained using additional criteria, and used for coalescent analyses to reconstruct a Poaceae phylogeny. Our results strongly support the monophyly of 11 subfamilies; however, the subfamily Puelioideae was separated into two non-sister clades, one for each of the two previously defined tribes, supporting a hypothesis that places each tribe in a separate subfamily. Molecular clock analyses estimated the crown age of Poaceae to be ∼101 million years old. Ancestral character reconstruction of C₃/C₄ photosynthesis supports the hypothesis of multiple independent origins of C₄ photosynthesis. These origins are further supported by phylogenetic analysis of the ppc gene family that encodes the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, which suggests that members of three paralogous subclades (ppc-aL1a, ppc-aL1b, and ppc-B2) were recruited as functional C₄ppc genes. This study provides valuable resources and a robust phylogenetic framework for evolutionary analyses of the grass family.

Public attitudes and influencing factors toward COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents/children: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to systematically clarify attitudes and influencing factors of the public toward COVID-19 vaccination for children or adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a scoping review.

METHODS

This scoping review screened, included, sorted, and analyzed relevant studies on COVID-19 vaccination for children or adolescents before December 31, 2021, in databases, including PubMed, Elsevier, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Wiley.

RESULTS

A total of 34 studies were included. The results showed that the public's acceptance rate toward COVID-19 vaccination for children or adolescents ranged from 4.9% (southeast Nigerian mothers) to 91% (Brazilian parents). Parents' or adolescents' age, gender, education level, and cognition and behavior characteristics for the vaccines were the central factors affecting vaccination. The vaccine's safety, effectiveness, and potential side-effects were the main reasons affecting vaccination.

CONCLUSIONS

Realizing current public attitudes of COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents or children can effectively develop intervention measures and control the pandemic as soon as possible through herd immunity.