[Evidence-based nursing practice for the prevention of nasal and facial pressure injuries in patients with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the evidence-based practice of prevention and care of nasal and facial pressure injuries in patients with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) using the knowledge to action framework (KTA), and to explore its effectiveness. METHODS: Using an evidence-based nursing approach, an evidence-based practice group was established to formulate a clinical problem, the literature from domestic and international databases were researched for relevant evidence, the evidence was introduced into clinical scenarios, an evidence-based practice plan was developed, and a strategy for applying the best evidence was constructed by conducting a baseline review of healthcare professionals and patients with NPPV, analyzing barriers and promoting factors, and making changes in clinical practice at the organizational level, the practitioner level, and the patient level. Purposive sampling method was used to select the healthcare staff of the cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) of the Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, as well as the patients with NPPV admitted from October 1 to November 15, 2023 (pre-evidence-based practice) and November 16 to December 31 (post-evidence-based practice), as the subjects of the study. Through questionnaire analysis, the incidence of nasal and facial pressure injury of NPPV patients, the implementation rate of review indicators of medical staff, the score of the knowledge, belief and conduct of medical staff, and the compliance and comfort of patients before and after evidence-based practice were compared. RESULTS: A total of 52 medical staff were included, aged (28.54±6.50) years old, with 3.00 (1.00, 12.75) years of working experience; 2 doctoral degree holders (3.85%), 4 master degree holders (7.69%), 46 bachelor degree holders (88.46%); 2 with senior title (3.85%), 17 with intermediate title (32.69%), and 33 junior titles (63.46%). Fifty patient questionnaires were collected before and after evidence-based nursing practice; the differences between before and after evidence-based practice in terms of gender, age, body weight, duration of ventilator usage, 24-hour bleeding and total bleeding were not statistically significant and were comparable. Compared with the pre-evidence-based practice, after carrying out the corresponding evidence-based nursing practice, the incidence of nasal and facial pressure injuries of NPPV patients decreased from 16.00% (8/50) to 4.00% (2/50, P < 0.05), the total implementation rate of review indicators of medical staff increased from 79.73% to 94.08% (P < 0.01), and the total scores of knowledge, belief and conduct were significantly improved (141.96±13.88 vs. 114.65±19.72, P < 0.05), and compliance and comfort of patients were significantly improved (compliance score: 4.60±0.99 vs. 5.82±1.42, comfort score: 4.10±1.63 vs. 6.92±2.33, both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of an evidence-based nursing approach to obtain evidence related to the prevention of nasal and facial pressure injuries in patients with NPPV can be used to guide clinical practice, significantly reducing the incidence of nasal and facial pressure injuries in such patients, improving the implementation rate of review indicators and the knowledge, belief, and conduct scores of medical staff, and enhancing compliance and comfort of NPPV patients.

Association between dietary intake of flavonoid and chronic kidney disease in US adults: Evidence from NHANES 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the relationship between flavonoid intake and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are limited. This study investigated the association between daily flavonoid intake and CKD in US adults by using data for 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design and used data from three cycles of the continuous NHANES: 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018. NHANES researchers collected data related to consumption of various food and beverages from participants by employing 24-h dietary recall questionnaires. CKD is defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 or a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio of ≥ 30 mg/g. RESULTS: The odds ratios (OR) for CKD risk in the second (Q2), third (Q3), and fourth (Q4) quartiles of total flavonoid intake, compared with that in the first (Q1) quartile, were 0.780 (95% CI: 0.600, 1.015), 0.741 (95% CI: 0.573, 0.957), and 0.716 (95% CI: 0.554, 0.925), respectively (with a P value for the trend of 0.040). According to the restricted cubic spline analysis, total flavonoid intake exhibited a non-linear relationship with CKD risk (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a potential J-shaped relationship was observed between total flavonoid consumption and CKD risk, with an inflection point at 69.58 mg/d. Our study indicates that a moderate intake of flavonoids may confer renal benefits which may offer novel strategies for CKD treatment.

TGM1/3-mediated transamidation of Exo70 promotes tumor metastasis upon LKB1 inactivation.

Exo70, a key exocyst complex component, is crucial for cell motility and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in cancer metastasis. Despite its potential as a drug target, Exo70's post-translational modifications (PTMs) are poorly characterized. Here, we report that Exo70 is transamidated on Gln5 with Lys56 of cystatin A by transglutaminases TGM1 and TGM3, promoting tumor metastasis. This modification enhances Exo70's association with other exocyst subunits, essential for secreting matrix metalloproteinases, forming invadopodia, and delivering integrins to the leading edge. Tumor suppressor liver kinase B1 (LKB1), whose inactivation accelerates metastasis, phosphorylates TGM1 and TGM3 at Thr386 and Thr282, respectively, to inhibit their interaction with Exo70 and the following transamidation. Cantharidin, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug, inhibits Exo70 transamidation to restrain tumor cell migration and invasion. Together, our findings highlight Exo70 transamidation as a key molecular mechanism and target and propose cantharidin as a therapeutic strategy with direct clinical translational value for metastatic cancers, especially those with LKB1 loss.

Association between consumption of flavonol and its subclasses and chronic kidney disease in US adults: an analysis based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018.

Background: There is little research on the relationship between flavonol consumption and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to examine the link between flavonol consumption and the risk of CKD among US adults, using data from the 2007-2008, 2009-2010 and 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: A cross-sectional approach was used, drawing on data from three NHANES cycles. The flavonol consumption of the participants in this study was assessed using a 48 h dietary recall interview. CKD was diagnosed based on an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 30 mg/g or higher. Results: Compared to the lowest quartile of flavonol intake (Q1), the odds ratios for CKD were 0.598 (95% CI: 0.349, 1.023) for the second quartile (Q2), 0.679 (95% CI: 0.404, 1.142) for the third quartile (Q3), and 0.628 (95% CI: 0.395, 0.998) for the fourth quartile (Q4), with a p value for trend significance of 0.190. In addition, there was a significant trend in CKD risk with isorhamnetin intake, with the odds ratios for CKD decreasing to 0.860 (95% CI: 0.546, 1.354) in the second quartile, 0.778 (95% CI: 0.515, 1.177) in the third quartile, and 0.637 (95% CI: 0.515, 1.177) in the fourth quartile (p for trend = 0.013). Conclusion: Our analysis of the NHANES data spanning 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018 suggests that high consumption of dietary flavonol, especially isorhamnetin, might be linked to a lower risk of CKD in US adults. These findings offer new avenues for exploring strategies for managing CKD.

Spontaneous resolution or antibiotic effectiveness? Reflection on a case of pediatric urinary tract infections caused by Enterococcus raffinosus.

Enterococcus raffinosus, named by Collins et al. in 1989, is a cocci-shaped bacterium that typically appears in pairs or short chains. As a Gram-positive and non-motile bacterium, it grows at 10°C-45°C, exhibiting negative peroxidase activity [1]. It is a normal flora in the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract of domestic cats [2] and can also be isolated from human rectal swabs [3], it belongs to the same genus Enterococcus as Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium constitute 90% of clinically isolated strains. However, the incidence of other enterococci, excluding E. faecalis and E. faecium, is on the rise [4]. In this case report, a patient with pediatric urinary tract infections caused by E. raffinosus was presented, and a summary of relevant literature was provided.

Deep-learning segmentation to select liver parenchyma for categorizing hepatic steatosis on multinational chest CT.

Unenhanced CT scans exhibit high specificity in detecting moderate-to-severe hepatic steatosis. Even though many CTs are scanned from health screening and various diagnostic contexts, their potential for hepatic steatosis detection has largely remained unexplored. The accuracy of previous methodologies has been limited by the inclusion of non-parenchymal liver regions. To overcome this limitation, we present a novel deep-learning (DL) based method tailored for the automatic selection of parenchymal portions in CT images. This innovative method automatically delineates circular regions for effectively detecting hepatic steatosis. We use 1,014 multinational CT images to develop a DL model for segmenting liver and selecting the parenchymal regions. The results demonstrate outstanding performance in both tasks. By excluding non-parenchymal portions, our DL-based method surpasses previous limitations, achieving radiologist-level accuracy in liver attenuation measurements and hepatic steatosis detection. To ensure the reproducibility, we have openly shared 1014 annotated CT images and the DL system codes. Our novel research contributes to the refinement the automated detection methodologies of hepatic steatosis on CT images, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of healthcare screening processes.

Peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis caused by Neisseria.sicca: A case report and literature review.

Neisseria sicca, a Gram-negative diplococcus commonly found in the nasopharynx as part of normal bacterial flora, is typically non-pathogenic but has been associated with various diseases including endocarditis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia and meningitis (Jeurissen et al., 2006; Kozlova et al., 2020; Alcid, 1980; Carter et al., 2007). In this report, we present a case of peritonitis in a patient undergoing peritoneal dialysis caused by N. sicca and review the literature on Neisseria-associated peritonitis.

Infant Alstrom syndrome diagnosed by a new gene mutation: a case report.

Alstrom syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder resulting from an ALMS1 gene mutation. Here, we present the clinical data of a case of an infant diagnosed with Alstrom syndrome through whole-exome sequencing. A 2-month-old male infant was admitted to Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital on 30 May 2019 after "coughing for half a day and dyspnea for 2 hours". He was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, acute congestive heart failure, Grade III cardiac function, acute respiratory failure, and myocarditis. After treatment, he was discharged with a prescription for oral medication. After a 4-month follow-up, the patient's left ventricle exhibited spherical enlargement and a decrease in left ventricular function. The infant's whole-exome sequencing results revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the ALMS1 gene: c.2179dup (p. Y727Lfs*12), a frameshift mutation, that was heterozygous and originated from the mother, while c.11140C>T (p. Q3714*) was a heterozygous nonsense mutation that originated from the father. Both mutations are classified as "category 1-pathogenic mutations" according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) assessment. A novel ALMS1 mutation was identified in this case report, highlighting the importance of genetic testing for the early diagnosis of Alstrom syndrome.

Over-expression of miR-3584-5p Represses Nav1.8 Channel Aggravating Neuropathic Pain caused by Chronic Constriction Injury.

Nav1.8, a tetrodotoxin-resistant voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) subtype encoded by SCN10A, which plays an important role in the production and transmission of peripheral neuropathic pain signals. Studies have shown that VGSCs may be key targets of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of neuropathic pain. In our study, bioinformatics analysis showed that the targeting relationship between miR-3584-5p and Nav1.8 was the most closely. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of miR-3584-5p and Nav1.8 in neuropathic pain. The effects of miR-3584-5p on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain in rats was investigated by intrathecal injection of miR-3584-5p agomir (an agonist, 20 µM, 15 µL) or antagomir (an antagonist, 20 µM, 15 µL). The results showed that over-expression of miR-3584-5p aggravated neuronal injury by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and mechanical/thermal hypersensitivity in CCI rats. MiR-3584-5p indirectly inhibited the expression of Nav1.8 by up-regulating the expression of key proteins in the ERK5/CREB signaling pathway, and also inhibited the current density of the Nav1.8 channel, changed its channel dynamics characteristic, thereby accelerating the transmission of pain signals, and further aggravating pain. Similarly, in PC12 and SH-SY5Y cell cultures, miR-3584-5p increased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibited mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in the mitochondrial pathway, decreased the ratio of apoptosis-related factor Bcl-2/Bax, and thus promoted neuronal apoptosis. In brief, over-expression of miR-3584-5p aggravates neuropathic pain by directly inhibiting the current density of Nav1.8 channel and altering its channel dynamics, or indirectly inhibiting Nav1.8 expression through ERK5/CREB pathway, and promoting apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway.

[Advances of Claudin6-targeting drugs in cancer therapy].

CLDN6 is a member of the CLDNs family that is specifically and highly expressed in cancers such as ovarian, testicular, endocervical, liver and lung adenocarcinoma, but hardly expressed in adult normal tissues. CLDN6 is able to activate multiple signaling pathways, which take part in the development and progression of cancer, including promoting tumor growth, migration and invasion, and promoting chemoresistance in cancer. In recent years, CLDN6 has received much attention as a novel target for cancer therapeutics. Many types of anticancer drugs targeting CLDN6 have been developed, including antibody-conjugated drugs (ADC), monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy (CAR-T). This paper briefly summarizes the structure, expression and function of CLDN6 in tumors, and reviews the current status and ideas of developing targeted CLDN6 anticancer drugs.

The Prognostic Value and the Oncogenic and Immunological Roles of Vacuolar Protein Sorting Associated Protein 26 A in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

The identification of the prognostic markers and therapeutic targets might benefit the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), one of the most aggressive malignancies. Vacuolar protein sorting associated protein 26 A (VPS26A) is a candidate prognosis gene for hepatocellular carcinoma, but its expression and function in PAAD remain unknown. The mRNA and protein expression of VPS26A in PAAD was explored and validated by bioinformatics and immunohistochemical analysis. The correlation between VPS26A expression and various clinical parameters, genetic status, diagnostic and prognostic value, survival and immune infiltration were evaluated, and the co-expressed gene-set enrichment analysis for VPS26A was performed. Cytologic and molecular experiments were further carried out to investigate the role and potential mechanism of VPS26A in PAAD. The mRNA and protein levels of VPS26A were elevated in PAAD tissues. High VPS26A expression was associated with the advanced histological type, tumor stage simplified, smoking status and tumor mutational burden score, and the poor prognosis of PAAD patients. VPS26A expression was significantly correlated with immune infiltration and immunotherapy response. VPS26A-co-expressed genes were mainly enriched in the regulation of cell adhesion and actin cytoskeleton and the immune-response-regulating signaling pathway. Our experiments further demonstrated that VPS26A promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion potentials of PAAD cell lines through activating the EGFR/ERK signaling. Our study suggested that VPS26A could be a potential biomarker and a therapeutic target for PAAD through comprehensive regulation of its growth, migration and immune microenvironment.

Simultaneous detection of 9 respiratory pathogens using a newly developed multiplex real-time PCR panel based on an automatic molecular detection and analysis system.

Timely identification of respiratory pathogens guides specific treatment, reduces hospital costs and minimizes the excessive use of antibiotics. A new multiplex real-time PCR panel was developed based on an automatic molecular detection and analysis system (AutoMolec system), consisting of three separate internally controlled assays. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus and human parainfluenza virus 1-3 may be directly detected in original samples. The system's clinical performance was evaluated by comparison with an approved commercial kit, using 517 clinical samples. The limit of detection of the AutoMolec mRT-PCR panel ranged from 4 × 10-4 ∼3.3 TCID50/mL and no cross-reaction with common respiratory pathogens was observed. The AutoMolec mRT-PCR panel had 99.09% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity and overall detection consistency was 99.61%, making it comparable to that of the commercial kit. Therefore, the AutoMolec mRT-PCR panel has great potential for routine screening of respiratory infection in China.

Reference intervals of 14 biochemical markers for children and adolescence in China: the PRINCE study.

OBJECTIVES: The Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) was initiated to establish the reference intervals (RIs) of Chinese children, as well as to make it possible to compare the variability of biochemical markers among countries internationally. METHODS: Healthy participants, aged up to 20 years, from 11 provinces across China, were enrolled in PRINCE and according to a standard screening procedure, that included a questionnaire survey, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Fasting venous blood specimens were collected. All serum specimens were analyzed with Cobas C702 in the center laboratory, i.e. clinical laboratory of Beijing Children's Hospital, with certified qualification (ISO15189). The nonparametric method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, was used to calculate the age- and sex-specified RIs. RESULTS: Among the 15,150 participants enrolled, 12,352 children (6,093 males and 6,259 females) were included to calculate RIs. The RIs for total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium, phosphate, potassium, sodium, chlorine, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptadase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and urea were established by age- or sex-partitions. Most biochemical markers displayed larger variability and higher dispersion during the periods between 28 days and 1 year old, and included 4-6 age partitions commonly during 1 to <20 years old. In addition, differences of RIs between sexes usually occurs around the initiation of puberty at 12-13 years old. CONCLUSIONS: The age- and sex-specified RIs of 14 biochemical markers in PRINCE study can provide a solid reference, which will be transferred into relevant RIs for other clinical laboratory's platforms according to the CLSI guidelines.

Recent advances on synthesis and biological activities of C-17 aza-heterocycle derived steroids.

Steroids modification for improving their biological activities is one of the most efficient and fruitful methods to develop novel medicines. Steroids with aza-heterocycles attaching to the C-17 owing various biological activities have received great attentions and some of the compounds are developed successfully as drugs. In this review, the research of the syntheses and biological activities of steroids bearing various aza-heterocycles published in the last 8 years is assembled, and some important structure-activity relationships (SARs) of active compounds are presented. According to the analysis of the literatures and our experiences in this field, the potential of aza-heterocyclic steroids as medicinal drugs is proposed.

Age and sex specific reference intervals of 13 hematological analytes in Chinese children and adolescents aged from 28 days up to 20 years: the PRINCE study.

OBJECTIVES: Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) is a nationwide initiative that aims to establish and validate harmonized reference intervals (RIs) for Chinese children and adolescents, in which 15,150 healthy volunteers aged up to 20 years were recruited from 11 centers to establish RIs and 7,557 children and adolescents were enrolled from 21 centers to validate RIs. METHODS: The complete blood cell counts (CBC) of venous whole blood were measured by hematology analyzers through Sysmex systems in different centers. Age- and sex-specific RIs were calculated according to the guidelines. RESULTS: Unlike adults with certain levels of analyte concentrations, hematological parameters of children changed through growth and development. Red blood cell counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit increased with age, and revealed higher concentrations in boys than girls after puberty. White blood cell counts and platelet counts showed significant higher levels than adults before 2 years of age, and then gradually decreased without distinct sex differences. In addition, lymphocyte counts decreased with age while neutrophil counts showed an opposite trend. The lower and upper limits of pediatric RIs of CBC were different from those of adults. CONCLUSIONS: The validation of RIs indicated that the PRINCE study provided a version of RIs suitable for most of regions in China. This first harmonized pediatric RIs of CBC across China provided a robust database to understand the dynamic changes of hematologic parameters from birth to adolescence, and will contribute to clinical diagnosis and prognosis evaluation for pediatric patients as well.

Establishment and evaluation of a quadruple quantitative real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of human coronavirus subtypes.

BACKGROUND: The newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and four seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1) still circulate worldwide. The early clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal HCoV infections are similar, so rapid and accurate identification of the subtypes of HCoVs is crucial for early diagnosis, early treatment, prevention and control of these infections. However, current multiplex molecular diagnostic techniques for HCoV subtypes including SARS-CoV-2 are limited. METHODS: We designed primers and probes specific for the S and N genes of SARS-CoV-2, the N gene of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and the ORF1ab gene of four seasonal HCoVs, as well as the human B2M gene product. We developed and optimized a quadruple quantitative real-time PCR assay (qq-PCR) for simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and four seasonal HCoVs. This assay was further tested for specificity and sensitivity, and validated using 184 clinical samples. RESULTS: The limit of detection of the qq-PCR assay was in the range 2.5 × 101 to 6.5 × 101 copies/µL for each gene and no cross-reactivity with other common respiratory viruses was observed. The intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 0.5-2%. The qq-PCR assay had a 91.9% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 and a 95.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity for seasonal HCoVs, using the approved commercial kits as the reference. Compared to the commercial kits, total detection consistency was 98.4% (181/184) for SARS-CoV-2 and 98.6% (142/144) for seasonal HCoVs. CONCLUSION: With the advantages of sensitivity, specificity, rapid detection, cost-effectiveness, and convenience, this qq-PCR assay has potential for clinical use for rapid discrimination between SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and seasonal HCoVs.

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of autism spectrum disorder.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify differentially methylated genes and related signaling pathways in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: First, the DNA methylation profile in the brain samples (GSE131706 and GSE80017) and peripheral blood samples (GSE109905) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO) dataset, followed by identification of differentially methylated genes and functional analysis. Second, the GSE109905 data set was used to further validate the methylation state and test the ability to diagnose disease of identified differentially methylated genes. Third, expression measurement of selected differentially methylated genes was performed in whole blood from an independent sample. Finally, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of core differentially methylated genes was constructed. RESULTS: Totally, 74 differentially methylated genes were identified in ASD, including 38 hypermethylated genes and 36 hypomethylated genes. 15 differentially methylated genes were further identified after validation in the GSE109905 data set. Among these, major histocompatibility complex (HLA)-DQA1 was involved in the molecular function of myosin heavy chain class II receptor activity; HLA-DRB5 was involved in the signaling pathways of cell adhesion molecules, Epstein-Barr virus infection and antigen processing and presentation. In the PPI analysis, the interaction pairs of HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DRB5, FMN2 and ACTR3, and CALCOCO2 and BAZ2B were identified. Interestingly, FMN2, BAZ2B, HLA-DRB5, CALCOCO2 and DUSP22 had a potential diagnostic value for patients with ASD. The expression result of four differentially methylated genes (HLA-DRB5, NTM, IL16 and COL5A3) in the independent sample was consistent with the integrated analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Identified differentially methylated genes and enriched signaling pathway could be associated with ASD.

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes Particularly Associated with Immunity in Uremia Patients by Bioinformatic Analysis.

Uremia is a common syndrome that happens to nearly all end-stage kidney diseases, which profound have changes in human gene expressions, but the related pathways are poorly understood. Gene Ontology categories and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways enriched in the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by using clusterProfiler, org.Hs.eg.db, and Pathview, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built by Cytoscape. We identified 3432 DEGs (including 3368 down- and 64 up-regulated genes), of which there were 52 different molecular functions, and 178 genes were identified as immune genes controlled by the four transcription factors (POU domain class 6 transcription factor 1 (POU6F1), interferon regulator factor 7 [IRF7], forkhead box D3 (FOXD3), and interferon-stimulated response element [ISRE]). In the gender research, no significant difference was observed. The top 15 proteins of 178 immune-related genes were identified with the highest degree in PPI network. The DEG analysis of uremia patients was expected to provide fundamental information to relieve pain and add years to their life.

Genome-wide analysis and characterization of GRAS family in switchgrass.

Panicum virgatum, a model plant of cellulosic ethanol conversion, not only has high large biomass and strong adaptability to soil, but also grows well in marginal soil and has the advantage of improving saline-alkali soil. GRAS transcription factor gene family play important roles in individual environment adaption, and these vital functions has been proved in several plants, however, the research of GRAS in the development of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) were limited. A comprehensive study was investigated to explore the relationship between GRAS gene family and resistance. According to the phylogenetic analysis, a total of 144 GRAS genes were identified and renamed which were classified into eight subfamilies. Chromosome distribution, tandem and segmental repeats analysis indicated that gene duplication events contributed a lot to the expansion of GRAS genes in the switchgrass genome. Sixty-six GRAS genes in switchgrass were identified as having orthologous genes with rice through gene duplication analysis. Most of these GRAS genes contained zero or one intron, and closely related genes in evolution shared similar motif composition. Interaction networks were analyzed including DELLA and ten interaction proteins that were primarily involved in gibberellin acid mediated signaling. Notably, online analysis indicated that the promoter regions of the identified PvGRAS genes contained many cis-elements including light responsive elements, suggesting that PvGRAS might involve in light signal cross-talking. This work provides key insights into resistance and bioavailability in switchgrass and would be helpful to further study the function of GRAS and GRAS-mediated signal transduction pathways.