SoyMD: a platform combining multi-omics data with various tools for soybean research and breeding.

Advanced multi-omics technologies offer much information that can uncover the regulatory mechanisms from genotype to phenotype. In soybean, numerous multi-omics databases have been published. Although they cover multiple omics, there are still limitations when it comes to the types and scales of omics datasets and analysis methods utilized. This study aims to address these limitations by collecting and integrating a comprehensive set of multi-omics datasets. This includes 38 genomes, transcriptomes from 435 tissue samples, 125 phenotypes from 6686 accessions, epigenome data involving histone modification, transcription factor binding, chromosomal accessibility and chromosomal interaction, as well as genetic variation data from 24 501 soybean accessions. Then, common analysis pipelines and statistical methods were applied to mine information from these multi-omics datasets, resulting in the successful establishment of a user-friendly multi-omics database called SoyMD (https://yanglab.hzau.edu.cn/SoyMD/#/). SoyMD provides researchers with efficient query options and analysis tools, allowing them to swiftly access relevant omics information and conduct comprehensive multi-omics data analyses. Another notable feature of SoyMD is its capability to facilitate the analysis of candidate genes, as demonstrated in the case study on seed oil content. This highlights the immense potential of SoyMD in soybean genetic breeding and functional genomics research.

CottonMD: a multi-omics database for cotton biological study.

Cotton is an important economic crop, and many loci for important traits have been identified, but it remains challenging and time-consuming to identify candidate or causal genes/variants and clarify their roles in phenotype formation and regulation. Here, we first collected and integrated the multi-omics datasets including 25 genomes, transcriptomes in 76 tissue samples, epigenome data of five species and metabolome data of 768 metabolites from four tissues, and genetic variation, trait and transcriptome datasets from 4180 cotton accessions. Then, a cotton multi-omics database (CottonMD, http://yanglab.hzau.edu.cn/CottonMD/) was constructed. In CottonMD, multiple statistical methods were applied to identify the associations between variations and phenotypes, and many easy-to-use analysis tools were provided to help researchers quickly acquire the related omics information and perform multi-omics data analysis. Two case studies demonstrated the power of CottonMD for identifying and analyzing the candidate genes, as well as the great potential of integrating multi-omics data for cotton genetic breeding and functional genomics research.

Individual cerebellar metabolic connectome in patients with MTLE and NTLE associated with surgical prognosis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehensively explore the different metabolic connectivity topological changes in MTLE and NTLE, as well as their association with surgical outcomes. METHODS: This study enrolled a cohort of patients with intractable MTLE and NTLE. Each individual's metabolic connectome, as determined by Kullback-Leibler divergence similarity estimation for the [18F]FDG PET image, was employed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the cerebral metabolic network. Alterations in network connectivity were assessed by extracting and evaluating the strength of edge and weighted connectivity. By utilizing these two connectivity strength metrics with the cerebellum, we explored the network properties of connectivity and its association with prognosis in surgical patients. RESULTS: Both MTLE and NTLE patients exhibited substantial alterations in the connectivity of the metabolic network at the edge and nodal levels (p < 0.01, FDR corrected). The key disparity between MTLE and NTLE was observed in the cerebellum. In MTLE, there was a predominance of increased connectivity strength in the cerebellum. Whereas, a decrease in cerebellar connectivity was identified in NTLE. It was found that in MTLE, higher edge connectivity and weighted connectivity strength in the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere correlated with improved surgical outcomes. Conversely, in NTLE, a higher edge metabolic connectivity strength in the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere suggested a worse surgical prognosis. CONCLUSION: The cerebellum exhibits distinct topological characteristics in the metabolic networks between MTLE and NTLE. The hyper- or hypo-metabolic connectivity in the cerebellum may be a prognostic biomarker of surgical prognosis, which might aid in therapeutic decision-making for TLE individuals.

Preoperative structural-functional coupling at the default mode network predicts surgical outcomes of temporal lobe epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Structural-functional coupling (SFC) has shown great promise in predicting postsurgical seizure recurrence in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In this study, we aimed to clarify the global alterations in SFC in TLE patients and predict their surgical outcomes using SFC features. METHODS: This study analyzed presurgical diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 71 TLE patients and 48 healthy controls (HCs). TLE patients were categorized into seizure-free (SF) and non-seizure-free (nSF) groups based on postsurgical recurrence. Individual functional connectivity (FC), structural connectivity (SC), and SFC were quantified at the regional and modular levels. The data were compared between the TLE and HC groups as well as among the TLE, SF, and nSF groups. The features of SFC, SC, and FC were categorized into three datasets: the modular SFC dataset, regional SFC dataset, and SC/FC dataset. Each dataset was independently integrated into a cross-validated machine learning model to classify surgical outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, the visual and subcortical modules exhibited decoupling in TLE patients (p < .05). Multiple default mode network (DMN)-related SFCs were significantly higher in the nSF group than in the SF group (p < .05). Models trained using the modular SFC dataset demonstrated the highest predictive performance. The final prediction model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of .893 with an overall accuracy of .887. SIGNIFICANCE: Presurgical hyper-SFC in the DMN was strongly associated with postoperative seizure recurrence. Furthermore, our results introduce a novel SFC-based machine learning model to precisely classify the surgical outcomes of TLE.

[18F]FDG PET metabolic patterns in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with different pathological types.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate [18F]FDG PET patterns of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) patients with distinct pathologic types and provide possible guidance for predicting long-term prognoses of patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of MTLE patients who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy between 2016 and 2021. Patients were classified as having chronic inflammation and gliosis (gliosis, n = 44), hippocampal sclerosis (HS, n = 43), or focal cortical dysplasia plus HS (FCD-HS, n = 13) based on the postoperative pathological diagnosis. Metabolic patterns and the severity of metabolic abnormalities were investigated among MTLE patients and healthy controls (HCs). The standardized uptake value (SUV), SUV ratio (SUVr), and asymmetry index (AI) of regions of interest were applied to evaluate the severity of metabolic abnormalities. Imaging processing was performed with statistical parametric mapping (SPM12). RESULTS: With a mean follow-up of 2.8 years, the seizure freedom (Engel class IA) rates of gliosis, HS, and FCD-HS were 54.55%, 62.79%, and 69.23%, respectively. The patients in the gliosis group presented a metabolic pattern with a larger involvement of extratemporal areas, including the ipsilateral insula. SUV, SUVr, and AI in ROIs were decreased for patients in all three MTLE groups compared with those of HCs, but the differences among all three MTLE groups were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: MTLE patients with isolated gliosis had the worst prognosis and hypometabolism in the insula, but the degree of metabolic decrease did not differ from the other two groups. Hypometabolic regions should be prioritized for [18F]FDG PET presurgical evaluation rather than [18F]FDG uptake values. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study proposes guidance for optimizing the operation scheme in patients with refractory MTLE and emphasizes the potential of molecular neuroimaging with PET using selected tracers to predict the postsurgical histology of patients with refractory MTLE epilepsy. KEY POINTS: • MTLE patients with gliosis had poor surgical outcomes and showed a distinct pattern of decreased metabolism in the ipsilateral insula. • In the preoperative assessment of MTLE, it is recommended to prioritize the evaluation of glucose hypometabolism areas over [18F]FDG uptake values. • The degree of glucose hypometabolism in the epileptogenic focus was not associated with the surgical outcomes of MTLE.

Long-term Efficacy of Bilateral Globus Pallidus Stimulation in the Treatment of Meige Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the long-term efficacy and prognosis of bilateral globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) and complete Meige syndrome, and to search for the best therapeutic subregion within the GPi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected for 36 patients with Meige syndrome who underwent bilateral GPi-DBS surgery at our hospital between March 2014 and February 2022. Using the Burk-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS)-Movement (BFMDRS-M) and BFMDRS-Disability (BFMDRS-D), the severity of the symptoms of patients with complete Meige syndrome was evaluated before surgery and at specific time points after surgery. Patients with BEB were clinically evaluated for the severity of blepharospasm using BFMDRS-M, the Blepharospasm Disability Index (BDI), and Jankovic Rating Scale (JRS). Three-dimensional reconstruction of the GPi-electrode was performed in some patients using the lead-DBS software, and the correlation between GPi subregion volume of tissue activated (VTA) and symptom improvement was analyzed in patients six months after surgery. The follow-up duration ranged from six to 99 months. RESULTS: Compared with preoperative scores, the results of all patients at six months after surgery and final follow-up showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the mean BFMDRS-M score. Among them, the average BFMDRS-M improvement rates in patients with BEB at six months after surgery and final follow-up were 60.3% and 69.7%, respectively, whereas those in patients with complete Meige syndrome were 54.5% and 58.3%, respectively. The average JRS and BDI scores of patients with BEB also decreased significantly (p < 0.05) at six months after surgery and at the final follow-up (JRS improvement: 38.6% and 49.1%, respectively; BDI improvement: 42.6% and 57.4%, respectively). We were unable to identify significantly correlated prognostic factors. There was a significant correlation between GPi occipital VTA and symptom improvement in patients at six months after surgery (r = 0.34, p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that bilateral GPi-DBS is an effective treatment for Meige syndrome, with no serious postoperative complications. The VTA in the GPi subregion may be related to the movement score improvement. In addition, further research is needed to predict patients with poor surgical outcomes.

Motor cortex stimulation for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia after brainstem infarction: A case report. / 运动皮层电刺激治疗脑干梗死后三叉神经痛1例.

Secondary trigeminal neuralgia after brainstem infarction is rare and rarely reported. A patient with secondary trigeminal neuralgia after brainstem infarction was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. The patient was a 44 years old male who underwent motor cortex stimulation treatment after admission. The effect was satisfactory in the first week after surgery, but the effect was not satisfactory after one week. This disease is relatively rare and the choice of clinical treatment still requires long-term observation.

Transcriptomics reveals a core transcriptional network of K-type cytoplasmic male sterility microspore abortion in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) plays a crucial role in hybrid production. K-type CMS, a cytoplasmic male sterile line of wheat with the cytoplasms of Aegilops kotschyi, is widely used due to its excellent characteristics of agronomic performance, easy maintenance and easy restoration. However, the mechanism of its pollen abortion is not yet clear. RESULTS: In this study, wheat K-type CMS MS(KOTS)-90-110 (MS line) and it's fertile near-isogenic line MR (KOTS)-90-110 (MR line) were investigated. Cytological analysis indicated that the anthers of MS line microspore nucleus failed to divide normally into two sperm nucleus and lacked starch in mature pollen grains, and the key abortive period was the uninucleate stage to dinuclear stage. Then, we compared the transcriptome of MS line and MR line anthers at these two stages. 11,360 and 5182 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the MS and MR lines in the early uninucleate and binucleate stages, respectively. Based on GO enrichment and KEGG pathways analysis, it was evident that significant transcriptomic differences were "plant hormone signal transduction", "MAPK signaling pathway" and "spliceosome". We identified 17 and 10 DEGs associated with the IAA and ABA signal transduction pathways, respectively. DEGs related to IAA signal transduction pathway were downregulated in the early uninucleate stage of MS line. The expression level of DEGs related to ABA pathway was significantly upregulated in MS line at the binucleate stage compared to MR line. The determination of plant hormone content and qRT-PCR further confirmed that hormone imbalance in MS lines. Meanwhile, 1 and 2 DEGs involved in ABA and Ethylene metabolism were also identified in the MAPK cascade pathway, respectively; the significant up regulation of spliceosome related genes in MS line may be another important factor leading to pollen abortion. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed a transcriptome-mediated pollen abortion network for K-type CMS in wheat. The main idea is hormone imbalance may be the primary factor, MAPK cascade pathway and alternative splicing (AS) may also play important regulatory roles in this process. These findings provided intriguing insights for the molecular mechanism of microspore abortion in K-type CMS, and also give useful clues to identify the crucial genes of CMS in wheat.

Differences in whole-brain metabolism are associated with the expression of genes related to neurovascular unit integrity and synaptic plasticity in temporal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common, polygenic epilepsy syndrome that involves glucose hypometabolism in the epileptogenic zone. However, the transcriptional and cellular signatures underlying the metabolism in TLE remain unclear. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans of TLE patients (n = 104) who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy were consecutively collected between 2016 and 2021. The transcriptional profiles of TLE risk genes across the brain were identified by the gene expression analyses from six TLE patients and twelve postmortem donors (six from the Allen Human Brain Atlas). Integrating the neuroimaging and transcriptomic data, we examined the relationship between the expression of TLE-associated genes and metabolic alterations in TLE. Furthermore, we performed functional enrichment analyses of the genes with higher weight in partial least squares regression using Metascape. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients with TLE (mean age 29 ± 9 years, 50% male) and 30 healthy controls (HCs) (mean age 31 ± 6 years, 53% male) were enrolled. Compared to that of HCs, patients with TLE showed hypometabolism in the temporal lobes and adjacent structures but hypermetabolism in the thalamus and basal ganglia. The cortical map of inter-group differences in cerebral metabolism was spatially correlated with the expression of a weighted combination of genes enriched in ontology terms and pathways related to neurovascular unit (NVU) integrity and synaptic plasticity. DISCUSSION: Our findings, combined with the analysis of neuroimaging and transcriptional data, suggest that genes related to NVU integrity and synaptic plasticity may drive alterations to brain metabolism that mediate the genetic risk of TLE.

Plant-ImputeDB: an integrated multiple plant reference panel database for genotype imputation.

Genotype imputation is a process that estimates missing genotypes in terms of the haplotypes and genotypes in a reference panel. It can effectively increase the density of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), boost the power to identify genetic association and promote the combination of genetic studies. However, there has been a lack of high-quality reference panels for most plants, which greatly hinders the application of genotype imputation. Here, we developed Plant-ImputeDB (http://gong_lab.hzau.edu.cn/Plant_imputeDB/), a comprehensive database with reference panels of 12 plant species for online genotype imputation, SNP and block search and free download. By integrating genotype data and whole-genome resequencing data of plants from various studies and databases, the current Plant-ImputeDB provides high-quality reference panels of 12 plant species, including ∼69.9 million SNPs from 34 244 samples. It also provides an easy-to-use online tool with the option of two popular tools specifically designed for genotype imputation. In addition, Plant-ImputeDB accepts submissions of different types of genomic variations, and provides free and open access to all publicly available data in support of related research worldwide. In general, Plant-ImputeDB may serve as an important resource for plant genotype imputation and greatly facilitate the research on plant genetic research.

Calling large indels in 1047 Arabidopsis with IndelEnsembler.

Large indels greatly impact the observable phenotypes in different organisms including plants and human. Hence, extracting large indels with high precision and sensitivity is important. Here, we developed IndelEnsembler to detect large indels in 1047 Arabidopsis whole-genome sequencing data. IndelEnsembler identified 34 093 deletions, 12 913 tandem duplications and 9773 insertions. Our large indel dataset was more comprehensive and accurate compared with the previous dataset of AthCNV (1). We captured nearly twice of the ground truth deletions and on average 27% more ground truth duplications compared with AthCNV, though our dataset has less number of large indels compared with AthCNV. Our large indels were positively correlated with transposon elements across the Arabidopsis genome. The non-homologous recombination events were the major formation mechanism of deletions in Arabidopsis genome. The Neighbor joining (NJ) tree constructed based on IndelEnsembler's deletions clearly divided the geographic subgroups of 1047 Arabidopsis. More importantly, our large indels represent a previously unassessed source of genetic variation. Approximately 49% of the deletions have low linkage disequilibrium (LD) with surrounding single nucleotide polymorphisms. Some of them could affect trait performance. For instance, using deletion-based genome-wide association study (DEL-GWAS), the accessions containing a 182-bp deletion in AT1G11520 had delayed flowering time and all accessions in north Sweden had the 182-bp deletion. We also found the accessions with 65-bp deletion in the first exon of AT4G00650 (FRI) flowered earlier than those without it. These two deletions cannot be detected in AthCNV and, interestingly, they do not co-occur in any Arabidopsis thaliana accession. By SNP-GWAS, surrounding SNPs of these two deletions do not correlate with flowering time. This example demonstrated that existing large indel datasets miss phenotypic variations and our large indel dataset filled in the gap.

The photocatalytic reduction of U(VI) by Ag-doped SnS2 materials under visible light.

Efficient degradation of uranium(VI) (U(VI)) in wastewater is an urgent problem because of the chemical toxicity and radiotoxicity. In this study, the Agx-SnS2 photocatalysts were compounded by a simple hydrothermal method, effectively removing U(VI) under visible light in water. Compared with SnS2, the results indicated that Agx-SnS2 would decrease the crystallinity without destroying the crystal structure. Moreover, it has excellent photocatalytic performance on the degradation rate of U(VI). Ag0.5-SnS2 exhibited a prominent photocatalytic reduction efficiency of UO22+ of about 86.4% under optical light for 75 min. This was attributed to Ag-doped catalysts, which can narrow the band gap and enhance absorption in visible light. Meanwhile, the doping of Ag promoted the separation of photoinduced carriers, so that more photogenerated charges participated in the photocatalytic reaction. The stability and reusability were verified by the cycle test and the potential photocatalytic mechanism was analyzed based on the experiment.

Integrative analysis of expression profile indicates the ECM receptor and LTP dysfunction in the glioma-related epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Seizures are a common symptom in glioma patients, and they can cause brain dysfunction. However, the mechanism by which glioma-related epilepsy (GRE) causes alterations in brain networks remains elusive. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential pathogenic mechanism of GRE by analyzing the dynamic expression profiles of microRNA/ mRNA/ lncRNA in brain tissues of glioma patients. METHODS: Brain tissues of 16 patients with GRE and 9 patients with glioma without epilepsy (GNE) were collected. The total RNA was dephosphorylated, labeled, and hybridized to the Agilent Human miRNA Microarray, Release 19.0, 8 × 60 K. The cDNA was labeled and hybridized to the Agilent LncRNA + mRNA Human Gene Expression Microarray V3.0, 4 × 180 K. The raw data was extracted from hybridized images using Agilent Feature Extraction, and quantile normalization was performed using the Agilent GeneSpring. P-value < 0.05 and absolute fold change > 2 were considered the threshold of differential expression data. Data analyses were performed using R and Bioconductor. RESULTS: We found that 3 differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-10a-5p, miR-10b-5p, miR-629-3p), 6 differentially expressed lncRNAs (TTN-AS1, LINC00641, SNHG14, LINC00894, SNHG1, OIP5-AS1), and 49 differentially expressed mRNAs play a vitally critical role in developing GRE. The expression of GABARAPL1, GRAMD1B, and IQSEC3 were validated more than twofold higher in the GRE group than in the GNE group in the validation cohort. Pathways including ECM receptor interaction and long-term potentiation (LTP) may contribute to the disease's progression. Meanwhile, We built a lncRNA-microRNA-Gene regulatory network with structural and functional significance. CONCLUSION: These findings can offer a fresh perspective on GRE-induced brain network changes.

R gene triplication confers European fodder turnip with improved clubroot resistance.

Clubroot is one of the most important diseases for many important cruciferous vegetables and oilseed crops worldwide. Different clubroot resistance (CR) loci have been identified from only limited species in Brassica, making it difficult to compare and utilize these loci. European fodder turnip ECD04 is considered one of the most valuable resources for CR breeding. To explore the genetic and evolutionary basis of CR in ECD04, we sequenced the genome of ECD04 using de novo assembly and identified 978 candidate R genes. Subsequently, the 28 published CR loci were physically mapped to 15 loci in the ECD04 genome, including 62 candidate CR genes. Among them, two CR genes, CRA3.7.1 and CRA8.2.4, were functionally validated. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CRA3.7.1 and CRA8.2.4 originated from a common ancestor before the whole-genome triplication (WGT) event. In clubroot susceptible Brassica species, CR-gene homologues were affected by transposable element (TE) insertion, resulting in the loss of CR function. It can be concluded that the current functional CR genes in Brassica rapa and non-functional CR genes in other Brassica species were derived from a common ancestral gene before WGT. Finally, a hypothesis for CR gene evolution is proposed for further discussion.

Cortical abnormalities of synaptic vesicle protein 2A in focal cortical dysplasia type II identified in vivo with 18F-SynVesT-1 positron emission tomography imaging.

PURPOSE: The loss of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) is well established as the major correlate of epileptogenesis in focal cortical dysplasia type II (FCD II), but this has not been directly tested in vivo. In this positron emission tomography (PET) study with the new tracer 18F-SynVesT-1, we evaluated SV2A abnormalities in patients with FCD II and compared the pattern to 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). METHODS: Sixteen patients with proven FCD II and 16 healthy controls were recruited. All FCD II patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and static PET imaging with both 18F-SynVesT-1 and 18F-FDG, while the controls underwent MRI and PET with only 18F-SynVesT-1. Visual assessment of PET images was undertaken. The standardized uptake values (SUVs) of 18F-SynVesT-1 were computed for regions of interest (ROIs), along with SUV ratio (SUVr) between ROI and centrum semiovale (white matter). Asymmetry indices (AIs) were analyzed between the lesion and the contralateral hemisphere for intersubject comparisons. RESULTS: Lesions in the brains of FCD II patients had significantly reduced 18F-SynVesT-1 uptake compared with contralateral regions, and brains of the controls. 18F-SynVesT-1 PET indicated low lesion uptake in 14 patients (87.5%), corresponding to hypometabolism detected by 18F-FDG PET, with higher accuracy for lesion localization than MRI (43.8%) (P < 0.05). AI analyses demonstrated that in the lesions, SUVr for each of the radiotracers were not significantly different (P > 0.05), and 18F-SynVesT-1 SUVr correlated with that of 18F-FDG across subjects (R2 = 0.41, P = 0.008). Subsequent visual ratings indicated that 18F-SynVesT-1 uptake had a more restricted pattern of reduction than 18F-FDG uptake in FCD II lesions (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SV2A PET with 18F-SynVesT-1 shows a higher accuracy for the localization of FCD II lesions than MRI and a more restricted pattern of abnormality than 18F-FDG PET.

Monitoring and Prediction of Glacier Deformation in the Meili Snow Mountain Based on InSAR Technology and GA-BP Neural Network Algorithm.

The morphological changes in mountain glaciers are effective in indicating the environmental climate change in the alpine ice sheet. Aiming at the problems of single monitoring index and low prediction accuracy of mountain glacier deformation at present, this study takes Meili Mountain glacier in western China as the research object and uses InSAR technology to construct the mountain glacier deformation time series and 3D deformation field from January 2020 to December 2021. The relationship between glacier deformation and elevation, slope, aspect, glacier albedo, surface organic carbon content, and rainfall was revealed by grey correlation analysis. The GA-BP neural network prediction model is established from the perspective of multiple factors to predict the deformation of Meili Mountain glacier. The results showed that: The deformation of Meili Mountain glacier has obvious characteristics of spatio-temporal differentiation; the cumulative maximum deformation quantity of glaciers in the study period is -212.16 mm. After three-dimensional decomposition, the maximum deformation quantity of glaciers in vertical direction, north-south direction and east-west direction is -125.63 mm, -77.03 mm, and 107.98 mm, respectively. The average annual deformation rate is between -94.62 and 75.96 mm/year. The deformation of Meili Mountain glacier has a gradient effect, the absolute value of deformation quantity is larger when the elevation is below 4500 m, and the absolute value of deformation quantity is smaller when it is above 4500 m. The R2, MAPE, and RMSE of the GA-BP neural network to predict the deformation of Meili glacier are 0.86, 1.12%, and 10.38 mm, respectively. Compared with the standard BP algorithm, the prediction accuracy of the GA-BP neural network is significantly improved, and it can be used to predict the deformation of mountain glaciers.

The Transcription Factors TaTDRL and TaMYB103 Synergistically Activate the Expression of TAA1a in Wheat, Which Positively Regulates the Development of Microspore in Arabidopsis.

Pollen fertility plays an important role in the application of heterosis in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, the key genes and mechanisms underlying pollen abortion in K-type male sterility remain unclear. TAA1a is an essential gene for pollen development in wheat. Here, we explored the mechanism involved in its transcriptional regulation during pollen development, focusing on a 1315-bp promoter region. Several cis-acting elements were identified in the TAA1a promoter, including binding motifs for Arabidopsis thaliana AtAMS and AtMYB103 (CANNTG and CCAACC, respectively). Evolutionary analysis indicated that TaTDRL and TaMYB103 were the T. aestivum homologs of AtAMS and AtMYB103, respectively, and encoded nucleus-localized transcription factors containing 557 and 352 amino acids, respectively. TaTDRL and TaMYB103 were specifically expressed in wheat anthers, and their expression levels were highest in the early uninucleate stage; this expression pattern was consistent with that of TAA1a. Meanwhile, we found that TaTDRL and TaMYB03 directly interacted, as evidenced by yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, while yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays revealed that both TaTDRL and TaMYB103 could bind the TAA1a promoter and synergistically increase its transcriptional activity. Furthermore, TaTDRL-EAR and TaMYB103-EAR transgenic Arabidopsis plants displayed abnormal microspore morphology, reduced pollen viability, and lowered seed setting rates. Additionally, the expression of AtMS2, a TAA1a homolog, was significantly lower in the two repressor lines than in the corresponding overexpression lines or WT plants. In summary, we identified a potential transcriptional regulatory mechanism associated with wheat pollen development.

Resective epilepsy surgery in tuberous sclerosis complex: a nationwide multicentre retrospective study from China.

At least 50% of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex present with intractable epilepsy; for these patients, resective surgery is a treatment option. Here, we report a nationwide multicentre retrospective study and analyse the long-term seizure and neuropsychological outcomes of epilepsy surgery in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. There were 364 patients who underwent epilepsy surgery in the study. Patients' clinical data, postoperative seizure outcomes at 1-, 4-, and 10-year follow-ups, preoperative and postoperative intelligence quotients, and quality of life at 1-year follow-up were collected. The patients' ages at surgery were 10.35 ± 7.70 years (range: 0.5-47). The percentage of postoperative seizure freedom was 71% (258/364) at 1-year, 60% (118/196) at 4-year, and 51% (36/71) at 10-year follow-up. Influence factors of postoperative seizure freedom were the total removal of epileptogenic tubers and the presence of outstanding tuber on MRI at 1- and 4-year follow-ups. Furthermore, monthly seizure (versus daily seizure) was also a positive influence factor for postoperative seizure freedom at 1-year follow-up. The presence of an outstanding tuber on MRI was the only factor influencing seizure freedom at 10-year follow-up. Postoperative quality of life and intelligence quotient improvements were found in 43% (112/262) and 28% (67/242) of patients, respectively. Influence factors of postoperative quality of life and intelligence quotient improvement were postoperative seizure freedom and preoperative low intelligence quotient. The percentage of seizure freedom in the tuberectomy group was significantly lower compared to the tuberectomy plus and lobectomy groups at 1- and 4-year follow-ups. In conclusion, this study, the largest nationwide multi-centre study on resective epilepsy surgery, resulted in improved seizure outcomes and quality of life and intelligence quotient improvements in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. Seizure freedom was often achieved in patients with an outstanding tuber on MRI, total removal of epileptogenic tubers, and tuberectomy plus. Quality of life and intelligence quotient improvements were frequently observed in patients with postoperative seizure freedom and preoperative low intelligence quotient.

Immunodetection of urinary C-terminal telopeptide fragment of type II collagen: An osteoarthritis biomarker analysis.

The urinary C-terminal telopeptide fragment of type II collagen (uCTX-II) has been reported as the efficient blood-based biomarker for osteoarthritis, which affects knees, hands, spine, and hips. This study reports a sensing strategy with antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles (GNP) on an interdigitated electrode (IDE) to determine uCTX-II. The GNP-antibody complex was chemically immobilized on the IDE surface through the amine linker. uCTX-II was determined by monitoring the alteration in current upon interacting the GNP-complexed antibody. This strategy was improved the detection by attracting higher uCTX-II molecules, and the detection limit falls in the range of 10-100 pM with an acceptable regression value [y = 0.6254x - 0.4073, R² = 0.9787]. The sensitivity of the detection was recognized at 10 pM. Additionally, upon increasing the uCTX-II concentration, the current changes were increased in a linear fashion. Control detection with nonimmune antibody and control protein do not increase the current level, confirming the specific detection of uCTX-II. This method of detection helps in diagnosing osteoarthritis and its follow-up treatment.

The Role of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in ANT-DBS for LiCl-Pilocarpine-Induced Epileptic Rats.

PURPOSE: Abnormal neurogenesis in the hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) has been suggested as a key pathogeny of temporal lobe epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation of the anterior thalamic nucleus (ANT-DBS) on hippocampal neurogenesis in LiCl-pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats and to analyze its relationship with postoperative spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) and anxiety. METHOD: SE was induced by a systemic LiCl-pilocarpine injection in adult male rats. Rats in the DBS group underwent ANT-DBS immediately after successful SE induction. SRS was only recorded during the chronic stage. An elevated plus maze was used to evaluate the level of anxiety in rats 7, 28, and 60 days after SE onset. After the elevated plus-maze experiment, rats were sacrificed under anesthesia in order to evaluate hippocampal neurogenesis. Doublecortin (DCX) was used as a marker for neurogenesis. RESULTS: During the chronic stage, SRS in rats in the DBS group were significantly decreased. The level of anxiety was increased significantly in rats in the DBS group 28 days after SE, while no significant differences in anxiety levels were found 7 and 60 days after SE. The number of DCX-positive cells in the hippocampus was significantly increased 7 days after SE and was significantly decreased 60 days after SE in all rats in which SE was induced. However, the number of DCX-positive cells in the DBS group was significantly lower than that in the other groups 28 days after SE. CONCLUSIONS: ANT-DBS may suppress SRS and increase the postoperative anxiety of epileptic rats by influencing hippocampal neurogenesis.