Occurrence and Prioritization of Human Androgen Receptor Disruptors in Sewage Sludges Across China.

The global practice of reusing sewage sludge in agriculture and its landfill disposal reintroduces environmental contaminants, posing risks to human and ecological health. This study screened sewage sludge from 30 Chinese cities for androgen receptor (AR) disruptors, utilizing a disruptor list from the Toxicology in the 21st Century program (Tox21), and identified 25 agonists and 33 antagonists across diverse use categories. Predominantly, natural products 5α-dihydrotestosterone and thymidine emerged as agonists, whereas the industrial intermediate caprolactam was the principal antagonist. In-house bioassays for identified disruptors displayed good alignment with Tox21 potency data, validating employing Tox21 toxicity data for theoretical toxicity estimations. Potency calculations revealed 5α-dihydrotestosterone and two pharmaceuticals (17ß-trenbolone and testosterone isocaproate) as the most potent AR agonists and three dyes (rhodamine 6G, Victoria blue BO, and gentian violet) as antagonists. Theoretical effect contribution evaluations prioritized 5α-dihydrotestosterone and testosterone isocaproate as high-risk AR agonists and caprolactam, rhodamine 6G, and 8-hydroxyquinoline (as a biocide and a preservative) as key antagonists. Notably, 16 agonists and 20 antagonists were newly reported in the sludge, many exhibiting significant detection frequencies, concentrations, and/or toxicities, demanding future scrutiny. Our study presents an efficient strategy for estimating environmental sample toxicity and identifying key toxicants, thereby supporting the development of appropriate sludge management strategies.

Comparative genomics of macaques and integrated insights into genetic variation and population history.

The crab-eating macaques ( Macaca fascicularis ) and rhesus macaques ( M. mulatta ) are widely studied nonhuman primates in biomedical and evolutionary research. Despite their significance, the current understanding of the complex genomic structure in macaques and the differences between species requires substantial improvement. Here, we present a complete genome assembly of a crab-eating macaque and 20 haplotype-resolved macaque assemblies to investigate the complex regions and major genomic differences between species. Segmental duplication in macaques is ∼42% lower, while centromeres are ∼3.7 times longer than those in humans. The characterization of ∼2 Mbp fixed genetic variants and ∼240 Mbp complex loci highlights potential associations with metabolic differences between the two macaque species (e.g., CYP2C76 and EHBP1L1 ). Additionally, hundreds of alternative splicing differences show post-transcriptional regulation divergence between these two species (e.g., PNPO ). We also characterize 91 large-scale genomic differences between macaques and humans at a single-base-pair resolution and highlight their impact on gene regulation in primate evolution (e.g., FOLH1 and PIEZO2 ). Finally, population genetics recapitulates macaque speciation and selective sweeps, highlighting potential genetic basis of reproduction and tail phenotype differences (e.g., STAB1 , SEMA3F , and HOXD13 ). In summary, the integrated analysis of genetic variation and population genetics in macaques greatly enhances our comprehension of lineage-specific phenotypes, adaptation, and primate evolution, thereby improving their biomedical applications in human diseases.

Effect-directed analysis of androgenic compounds from sewage sludges in China.

The safety of municipal sewage sludge has raised great concerns because of the accumulation of large-scale endocrine disrupting chemicals in the sludge during wastewater treatment. The presence of contaminants in sludge can cause secondary pollution owing to inappropriate disposal mechanisms, posing potential risks to the environment and human health. Effect-directed analysis (EDA), involving an androgen receptor (AR) reporter gene bioassay, fractionation, and suspect and nontarget chemical analysis, were applied to identify causal AR agonists in sludge; 20 of the 30 sludge extracts exhibited significant androgenic activity. Among these, the extracts from Yinchuan, Kunming, and Shijiazhuang, which held the most polluted AR agonistic activities were prepared for extensive EDA, with the dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-equivalency of 2.5 - 4.5 ng DHT/g of sludge. Seven androgens, namely boldione, androstenedione, testosterone, megestrol, progesterone, and testosterone isocaproate, were identified in these strongest sludges together, along with testosterone cypionate, first reported in sludge media. These identified androgens together accounted for 55 %, 87 %, and 52 % of the effects on the sludge from Yinchuan, Shijiazhuang, and Kunming, respectively. This study elucidates the causative androgenic compounds in sewage sludge and provides a valuable reference for monitoring and managing androgens in wastewater treatment.

Structurally divergent and recurrently mutated regions of primate genomes.

We sequenced and assembled using multiple long-read sequencing technologies the genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, macaque, owl monkey, and marmoset. We identified 1,338,997 lineage-specific fixed structural variants (SVs) disrupting 1,561 protein-coding genes and 136,932 regulatory elements, including the most complete set of human-specific fixed differences. We estimate that 819.47 Mbp or ∼27% of the genome has been affected by SVs across primate evolution. We identify 1,607 structurally divergent regions wherein recurrent structural variation contributes to creating SV hotspots where genes are recurrently lost (e.g., CARD, C4, and OLAH gene families) and additional lineage-specific genes are generated (e.g., CKAP2, VPS36, ACBD7, and NEK5 paralogs), becoming targets of rapid chromosomal diversification and positive selection (e.g., RGPD gene family). High-fidelity long-read sequencing has made these dynamic regions of the genome accessible for sequence-level analyses within and between primate species.

Comparative transcriptome analysis between rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta) and crab-eating macaques ( M. fascicularis).

Understanding gene expression variations between species is pivotal for deciphering the evolutionary diversity in phenotypes. Rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta, MMU) and crab-eating macaques ( M. fascicularis, MFA) serve as crucial nonhuman primate biomedical models with different phenotypes. To date, however, large-scale comparative transcriptome research between these two species has not yet been fully explored. Here, we conducted systematic comparisons utilizing newly sequenced RNA-seq data from 84 samples (41 MFA samples and 43 MMU samples) encompassing 14 common tissues. Our findings revealed a small fraction of genes (3.7%) with differential expression between the two species, as well as 36.5% of genes with tissue-specific expression in both macaques. Comparison of gene expression between macaques and humans indicated that 22.6% of orthologous genes displayed differential expression in at least two tissues. Moreover, 19.41% of genes that overlapped with macaque-specific structural variants showed differential expression between humans and macaques. Of these, the FAM220A gene exhibited elevated expression in humans compared to macaques due to lineage-specific duplication. In summary, this study presents a large-scale transcriptomic comparison between MMU and MFA and between macaques and humans. The discovery of gene expression variations not only enhances the biomedical utility of macaque models but also contributes to the wider field of primate genomics.

A real-world analysis of FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) events for liposomal and conventional doxorubicins.

The clinical application of conventional doxorubicin (CDOX) was constrained by its side effects. Liposomal doxorubicin was developed to mitigate these limitations, showing improved toxicity profiles. However, the adverse events associated with liposomal doxorubicin and CDOX have not yet been comprehensively evaluated in clinical settings. The FAERS data from January 2004 to December 2022 were collected to analyze the adverse events of liposomal doxorubicin and CDOX. Disproportionate analysis and Bayesian analysis were employed to quantify this association. Our analysis incorporated 68,803 adverse event reports related to Doxil/Caelyx, Myocet and CDOX. The relative odds ratios (RORs, 95%CI) for febrile neutropenia associated with CDOX, Doxil/Caelyx, and Myocet were 42.45 (41.44; 43.48), 17.53 (16.02; 19.20), and 34.68 (26.63; 45.15) respectively. For cardiotoxicity, they were 38.87(36.41;41.49), 17.96 (14.10; 22.86), and 37.36 (19.34; 72.17). For Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia (PPE), the RORs were 6.16 (5.69; 6.68), 36.13 (32.60; 40.06), and 19.69 (11.59; 33.44). Regarding onset time, significant differences adverse events including neutropenia, PPE, pneumonia and malignant neoplasm progression. This study indicates that clinical monitoring for symptoms of cardiotoxicity of CDOX and Myocet, and PPE and interstitial lung disease of Doxil should be performed. Additionally, the onset time of febrile neutropenia, malignant neoplasm progression, and pneumonia associated with Doxil and Myocet merits particular attention. Continuous surveillance, risk evaluations, and additional comparative studies between liposomal doxorubicin and CDOX were recommended.

Genome-wide association study of ear tip barrenness in waxy maize.

Ear tip-barrenness (ETB), which results from aborted kernels or infertile florets at the ear tip, is an undesirable factor affecting the yield and quality of waxy maize. To uncover the genetic basis of ETB, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using the genotype with 27,354 SNPs and phenotype with three environments. Five SNPs that distributed on chromosomes 1, 3 and 6, were identified to be significantly associated with ETB based on the threshold of false discovery rate (FDR) at 0.05. Among these significant loci, three SNPs were clustered together and colocalized with genomic regions previously reported. The average length of ETB decreased almost linearly from the inbred lines containing no favorable alleles across the three loci (1.75 cm) to those with one (1.18 cm), two (0.94 cm) and three (0.65 cm) favorable alleles. Moreover, three important genes, Zm00001d030028, Zm00001d041510 and Zm00001d038676 were predicted for three significant QTLs, respectively. These results promote the understanding genetic basis for ETB and will be useful for breeding waxy maize varieties with high-quality and high-yield.

Generation and characterization of two induced pluripotent stem cell lines from conjunctiva of a retinoblastoma patient.

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a common intraocular malignancy mostly caused by variation of the tumour suppressor gene RB1. In this study, we successfully generated two induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from an infant with non-heritable RB. Both cell clones exhibited typical iPSC characteristics with normal karyotypes, consistent pluripotency markers expression and the capability of trilineage differentiation.

Enhancing catalytic activity and pore structure of metal-organic framework-808 via ligand competition for biodiesel production from microalgal lipids at reduced temperatures.

Catalysts with hierarchical porous structures and increased active defects play a crucial role in catalyzing the conversion of microalgae lipids. However, the template methods used for pore expansion and the acidification process employed to enhance activity are cumbersome and prone to deactivation. It is necessary to propose a simple and versatile synthetic approach to overcome these challenges. By modulating N,N-dimethylformamide basicity with formic acid, MOF-808 exhibited enhanced coordination of benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid to Zr-clusters, creating three types of functional defects. These defects increased pore size from 1.63 nm to 5.34 nm and enhanced catalyst acidity by 22.8%, while maintaining high porosity. The active catalytic sites were confirmed to be defect sites (exposed Zr4+) through density functional theory. Compared to regular MOF-808, catalyst MOF-808-3/1 shows enhanced hierarchical porosity and increased acidity, enabling efficient conversions at reduced reaction temperature (100 °C) and pressure (352 kPa) compared to 200 °C and 4036 kPa, respectively.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Is Differentially Associated with Early and Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the United States Population.

BACKGROUND: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been the leading cause of irreversible blindness in industrialized countries. Emerging data suggest that serum vitamin D levels may be associated with AMD but show mixed results. National-level population data on the relationship between vitamin D and AMD severities are still lacking. METHODS: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005 to 2008. Retinal photographs were taken and graded for AMD stage. The odds ratio (OR) of AMD and its subtype was calculated after adjusting for confounding factors. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to explore potential non-linear relations. RESULTS: A total of 5041 participants with a mean age of 59.6 years were included. After adjusting for covariates, participants with higher level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] had significantly greater odds of early AMD (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.08-2.51) and decreased risk of late AMD (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.09-0.88). When stratified by age, a positive association between the level of serum 25(OH)D and early AMD was present in the <60 years group (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.08-7.29), whereas a negative relation between the level of serum 25(OH)D and late AMD was detected in the ≥60 years group (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.08-0.76). CONCLUSIONS: A higher level of serum 25(OH)D was related to increased risk of early AMD in those <60 years and decreased risk of late AMD in those ≥60 years.

A bibliometric analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in ophthalmology.

Background: Bibliometric analysis is a quantitative method which applies mathematical and statistical tools to evaluate the inter-relationships and impacts of publications, authors, institutions and countries in a specific research area. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) are summaries of the best available evidence to address a specific research question via comprehensively literature search, in-depth analysis and synthesis of results. To date, there have been several studies summarizing the publication trends of SRMAs in research specialties, however, none has conducted specifically in ophthalmology. The purpose of this study is to establish the scientometric landscape of SRMAs published in the field of ophthalmology over time. Methods: We retrieved relevant ophthalmological SRMAs and the corresponding bibliometric parameters during 2000 to 2020 from Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analysis was performed using bibliometrix package. Pre-registration and guideline compliance of each article was independently assessed by two investigators. Results: A total of 2,660 SRMAs were included, and the average annual growth rate was 21.26%. China and the United States were the most productive countries, while Singapore was the country with the highest average citations per document. Wong TY was not only the most productive, but also the most frequently cited author. The most productive affiliation was National University of Singapore (n = 236). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses output in most subspecialties had steadily increased with retina/vitreous (n = 986), glaucoma (n = 411) and cornea/external diseases (n = 303) constantly as the most dominant fields. Rates of pre-registration and guideline compliance had dramatically increased over time, with 20.0 and 63.5% of article being pre-registered and reported guideline in 2020, respectively. However, SRMAs published on ophthalmology journals tended to be less frequently pre-registered and guideline complied than those on non-ophthalmology journals (both p < 0.001). Conclusion: The annual output of SRMAs has been rapidly increasing over the past two decades. China and the United States were the most productive countries, whereas Singapore has the most prolific and influential scholar and institution. Raising awareness and implementation of SRMAs pre-registration and guideline compliance is still necessary to ensure quality, especially for ophthalmology journals.

A simple and efficient technique for suturing and knotting during endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the long-term outcomes of endoscopic suturing and knotting-dacryocystorhinostomy (eSK-DCR) without the use of a stent or mitomycin C. METHODS: A prospective interventional case series was performed on patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) who underwent eSK-DCR at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center from October 2019 to December 2019. The surgeon sutured the lacrimal sac mucosa with the nasal mucosa by tying knots under endoscopic DCR. Subject demographics, preoperative data and postoperative data were collected, including clinical presentation, Munk score for epiphora, surgical indications, operation time, duration of knotting, number of knots, endoscopic ostium size, complications, and anatomical and functional success. Anatomic success was defined as patent ostium on lacrimal irrigation, and functional success was defined as subjective improvement in symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed by IBM SPSS software (Version 20.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: A total of 60 patients (71 eyes) underwent pure eSK-DCR. Of these, 95.0% (57/60) were females. The mean age of the patients was 54.7 years. The mean surgical time was 37.60 min, and the average time for each knotting was 2.86 min. Endoscopic evidence found that all patients showed patent ostium and normal healing of the flaps after 4 weeks. The Munk scores dropped significantly at 6 months postoperatively compared to preoperative scores (P < 0.0001). Although 4 patients (7 eyes) were lost to follow-up at the end of the 2-year period, the anatomical and functional success remained stable during the 2-year follow-up period (anatomical, 100%; functional, 87.5%). No serious complications were detected during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Pure eSK-DCR is a simple and reliable therapeutic method for the management of NLDO. The surgical outcomes were good and remained stable beyond 6 months postoperatively.

Influence of dissolved organic matter on methylmercury transformation during aerobic composting of municipal sewage sludge under different C/N ratios.

Current knowledge about the transformation of total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg) in aerobic composting process is limited. In this study, the composition and transformation of mercury and dissovled organic matter (DOM) in aerobic composting process of municipal sewage sludge were were comprehensively characterized, and the differences among the three C/N ratio (20, 26 and 30) were investigated. The main form of mercury in C/N 20 and 26 was organo-chelated Hg (F3, 46%-60%); while the main form of mercury in C/N 30 was mercuric sulfide (F5, 64%-70%). The main component of DOM in C/N 20 and 26 were tyrosine-like substance (C1, 53%-76%) while the main fractions in C/N 30 were tyrosine-like substance (C1, 28%-37%) and fulvic-like substance (C2, 17%-39%). The mercury and DOM varied significantly during the 9 days composting process. Compared to C/N 20 and 26, C/N 30 produced the less MeHg after aerobic composting process, with values of 658% (C/N 20), 1400% (C/N 26) and 139% (C/N 30) of the initial, respectively. Meanwhile, C/N 30 produced the best compost showed greater degree of DOM molecular condensation and humification. Hg fraction had been altered by DOM, as indicated by a significant correlation between mercury species and DOM components. Notably, C/N 30 should be used as an appropriate C/N ratio to control the methylation processes of mercury and degration of DOM.

Recent Advances and Challenges in Uveal Melanoma Immunotherapy.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Compared to cutaneous melanoma (CM), which mainly harbors BRAF or NRAS mutations, UM predominantly harbors GNAQ or GNA11 mutations. Although primary UM can be controlled locally, approximately 50% of patients still develop metastases. To date, there have been no standard therapeutic strategies for the prevention or treatment of metastases. Unfortunately, chemotherapy and targeted therapies only induce minimal responses in patients with metastatic UM, with a median survival time of only 4-5 months after metastasis detection. Immunotherapy agents, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, have achieved pioneering outcomes in CM but have shown limited effects in UM. Researchers have explored several feasible checkpoints to identify options for future therapies. Cancer vaccines have shown little in the way of therapeutic benefit in patients with UM, and there are few ongoing trials providing favorable evidence, but adoptive cell transfer-related therapies seem promising and deserve further investigation. More recently, the immune-mobilizing monoclonal T-cell receptor against the cancer molecule tebentafusp showed impressive antitumor effects. Meanwhile, oncolytic viruses and small molecule inhibitors have also gained ground. This review highlights recent progress in burgeoning treatments and provides innovative insights on feasible strategies for the treatment of UM.

Acid-base bifunctional catalyst with coordinatively unsaturated cobalt-nitrogen sites for the simultaneous conversion of microalgal triglycerides and free fatty acids into biodiesel.

An acid-base bifunctional catacknalyst with coordinatively unsaturated cobalt-nitrogen active sites Co-Nx (x < 4) was synthesized to convert microalgal lipids with high acid value into biodiesel. Pyrolysis destroyed Co-N4 coordination structure in ZIF-67 and released coordinatively unsaturated Co-Nx and uncoordinated N sites, which resulted in the Lewis/Brønsted acid ratio increasing from 0.1 to 11.45 and the basicity increasing from 0.96 to 6.05 mmol/g. According to DFT calculations, the adsorption energy of free fatty acid (FFA) on Co-N2 site (-1.003 eV) exceeded that on Co-N4 site (-0.271 eV). The strong interaction between Co-N2 site and FFA increased electropositivity of carbonyl carbon atom in FFA from 1.379 to 1.529 eV and promoted esterification. The pyrolysis-induced defects generated more mesopores to promote the transportation of lipid molecules inside the catalyst. Therefore, the conversion efficiency of microalgal lipids into biodiesel over the ZC-450 catalyst (96.7%) was higher than that over the ZIF-67 catalyst (69.5%).

Synergistic effect of ultrasound and switchable hydrophilicity solvent promotes microalgal cell disruption and lipid extraction for biodiesel production.

To facilitate the lipid extraction from Nannochloropsis oceanica with thick cell wall using switchable hydrophilicity solvent, ultrasound-assisted N, N, N', N'-tetraethyl-1,3-propanediamine (TEPDA) was used to effectively destruct the cell wall. TEPDA cations were adsorbed on the cells via electrostatic force and formed the electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) complex with the hydroxyl groups in cellulose. This broke the hydrogen-bonding interactions between cellulose chains and stripped them from cell wall, thus reducing the cell wall thickness from 141 nm to 68.6 nm. Moreover, TEPDA cations neutralized the negatively charged phospholipid bilayers, decreasing the cell surface zeta potential from -27.5 eV to -14.1 eV. The local electrostatic equilibrium led to cell membrane leakage. The ultrasound promoted the stripping of the cellulose chains at a power intensity of 0.5 W/mL and frequency of 20 kHz, achieving the lipid extraction efficiency of 98.2% within 2 h at a volume ratio of 1:4 of wet microalgae to TEPDA.

Tear cytokine profiles in patients with extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the ocular adnexa.

OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively analyse the tear cytokine levels of patients with extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZL) of the ocular adnexa (OA), and the association with clinical characteristics. METHODS: Tear cytokine concentrations of 21 OA-EMZL patients and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were measured using a 27-multiplex bead analysis on a Luminex system. Tear break-up time, corneal fluorescent staining and other clinical and demographic data were collected as well. The diagnosis of OA-EMZL was established based on the incisional biopsy and histopathology. RESULTS: The concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and IL-8, and the ratio of IL-1RA/IL-1ß were significantly increased in OA-EMZL tear samples (all P < 0.05), while the levels of three cytokines (FGF-2, IL-2 and IL-4), as well as IL-10/IL-6 ratio were significantly decreased (all P < 0.05). The American Joint Committee on Cancer Tumour stage was significantly associated with tear concentrations of FGF-2 (r = -0.44, P = 0.043), GM-CSF (r = -0.49, P = 0.025) and IL-2 (r = -0.45, P = 0.042), while lacrimal gland lymphoma invasion was related to levels of IL-8 (r = 0.53, P = 0.012), FGF-2 (r = -0.43, P = 0.049) and IL-10/IL-6 ratio (r = -0.48, P = 0.026). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed moderate diagnostic accuracy of these indices in differentiating OA-EMZL from normal eyes (area under ROC: 0.69-0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple tear cytokines were significantly dysregulated in OA-EMZL patients. These cytokines could potentially serve as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in future.

[Speciation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal(loid)s in the Municipal Sewage Sludge of China].

To reveal the speciation and pollution status of heavy metal(loid) s (HMs) in the dewatered sewage sludge(SS) of municipal wastewater treatment plants(MWTPs) in China, SS samples were collected from 40 MWTPs located in different regions of China. The total concentrations and geochemical fractions of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the SS samples were analyzed. The ecological risks induced by HMs in the SS were assessed based on the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP), risk assessment code(RAC), and potential ecological risk index(RI). The median values of HMs in SS followed the order Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > As > Cd. The general attainment rates of HMs in SS were satisfactory(>90%). As showed a generally even distribution among all the fractions; Cd and Zn mainly existed in the reducible fraction; Cr mainly occurred in the residual fraction, followed by oxidizable and reducible fractions; Cu mainly occurred in the oxidizable fraction; Ni occurred mainly as exchangeable forms; and Pb mainly occurred in the reducible and residual fractions, with its exchangeable form being the lowest fraction. According to the RAC method, the environmental risks induced by HMs in the SS followed the order Ni > As > Zn > Cd > Cu > Cr > Pb. The ecological risk of Ni was high; Zn, As, and Cd had a medium level of risk; Cr and Cu had a low level of risk; and the risk of Pb was negligible. According to the RI method, Cd and Cu showed the highest potential ecological risk, indicating that these are the primary HM pollutants in the SS. However, if the agricultural application of SS is carried out in accordance with the national standards, the overall level of risk from soil HM pollution is considered relatively low.

Multi-Locus Genome-Wide Association Study and Genomic Selection of Kernel Moisture Content at the Harvest Stage in Maize.

Kernel moisture content at the harvest stage (KMC) is an important trait that affects the mechanical harvesting of maize grain, and the identification of genetic loci for KMC is beneficial for maize molecular breeding. In this study, we performed a multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS) to identify quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for KMC using an association mapping panel of 251 maize inbred lines that were genotyped with an Affymetrix CGMB56K SNP Array and phenotypically evaluated in three environments. Ninety-eight QTNs for KMC were detected using six ML-GWAS models (mrMLM, FASTmrMLM, FASTmrEMMA, PLARmEB, PKWmEB, and ISIS EM-BLASSO). Eleven of these QTNs were considered to be stable, as they were detected by at least four ML-GWAS models under a uniformed environment or in at least two environments and BLUP using the same ML-GWAS model. With qKMC5.6 removed, the remaining 10 stable QTNs explained <10% of the phenotypic variation, suggesting that KMC is mainly controlled by multiple minor-effect genetic loci. A total of 63 candidate genes were predicted from the 11 stable QTNs, and 10 candidate genes were highly expressed in the kernel at different time points after pollination. High prediction accuracy was achieved when the KMC-associated QTNs were included as fixed effects in genomic selection, and the best strategy was to integrate all KMC QTNs identified by all six ML-GWAS models. These results further our understanding of the genetic architecture of KMC and highlight the potential of genomic selection for KMC in maize breeding.

Increased Dysfunctional and Plastic Regulatory T Cells in Idiopathic Orbital Inflammation.

Background: Idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI) is a disfiguring and vision-threatening fibroinflammatory disorder. The pathogenesis of IOI has not been elucidated. We sought to clarify the regulatory T cell (Treg) distribution and function in patients with IOI. Methods: The frequency, phenotype and function of Tregs were identified by multicolor flow cytometry and in vitro cell functional assays. Plasma and tissue samples were obtained to investigate cytokines, chemokines and their receptors of interest by relative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Luminex assays. Results: Compared with healthy subjects, patients with IOI exhibited obvious increases of Tregs in peripheral blood and affected orbital tissues. Circulating Tregs from patients with IOI were significantly more polarized to a Th17-like phenotype with defective regulatory function, whereas orbit-derived Tregs were polarized to a Th2-like phenotype. Furthermore, ST2 expression levels in circulating Tregs and interleukin (IL)-33 mRNA levels in orbital tissues were decreased in IOI. IL-33 restored the suppressive function of Tregs, reduced interferon (IFN)-γ production by Tregs and decreased the activation of orbital fibroblasts (OFs) cocultured with Tregs in IOI. Conclusion: Increased Tregs with proinflammatory and profibrotic polarization were first identified in IOI, suggesting that Treg plasticity and heterogeneity plays an essential role in IOI pathogenesis. Additionally, our study identified a regulatory effect of IL-33 on inflammation and fibrosis in IOI. Reversing the plastic Tregs via IL-33 might be a potential option for IOI patients.