Characterization of a Drought-Induced Betaine Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Gene SgBADH from Suaeda glauca.

Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenases (BADHs) are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of glycine betaine, which is an important organic osmolyte that maintains cell structure and improves plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, especially in halotolerant plants. Improving the drought tolerance of crops will greatly increase their yield. In this study, a novel BADH gene named SgBADH from Suaeda glauca was induced by drought stress or abscisic acid. To explore the biological function of SgBADH, the SgBADH gene was transformed into Arabidopsis. Then, we found SgBADH-overexpressing Arabidopsis seedlings showed enhanced tolerance to drought stress. SgBADH transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings also had longer roots compared with controls under drought stress, while SgBADH-overexpressing Arabidopsis exhibited increased glycine betaine accumulation and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) under drought stress. Our results suggest that SgBADH might be a positive regulator in plants during the response to drought.

Problematic social media use and vaping among Mexican-American college students.

Introduction: Social media use and vaping nicotine are highly prevalent in the daily lives of young adults, especially among Mexican-American college students. The excessive and compulsive use of social media platforms, coupled with the urge to stay continuously connected, can lead to problematic social media use. To date, no studies have explored the impact of problematic social media use on the daily patterns of vaping among this vulnerable population. Methods: In Spring 2023, we employed Ecological Momentary Assessment over a period of 14 days to collect real-time daily data on participants' social media use and vaping behaviors via a mobile phone-based application. Participants were 51 Mexican-American college students aged 18-25 years, 72.5% female, who were current vapers. We used generalized linear regression models to examine differences in vaping behaviors among participants with and without problematic social media use. All regression models adjusted for age, sex, and SES. Results: Participants with problematic social media use vaped on an average of 5.9 days compared to 5.7 days reported by those without problematic social media use (p < .05). Problematic social media use is associated with more frequent daily vaping [b = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.02-0.05], increased number of days vaping [b = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.07-0.20], and vaping higher nicotine concentrations [b = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.03-0.14]. Conclusion: Results suggest that problematic social media use significantly increases the risk of daily vaping among Mexican-American college students. Findings highlight the need to strengthen digital resilience and social media literacy to help college students navigate and mitigate the risks of social media.

A Novel Method and System Implementation for Precise Estimation of Single-Axis Rotational Angles.

Accurately estimating single-axis rotational angle changes is crucial in many high-tech domains. However, traditional angle measurement techniques are often constrained by sensor limitations and environmental interferences, resulting in significant deficiencies in precision and stability. Moreover, current methodologies typically rely on fixed-axis rotation models, leading to substantial discrepancies between measured and actual angles due to axis misalignment. To address these issues, this paper proposes an innovative method for single-axis rotational angle estimation. It introduces a calibration technique for installation errors between inertial measurement units and the overall measurement system, effectively translating dynamic rotational inertial outputs to system enclosure outputs. Subsequently, the method employs triaxial accelerometers combined with zero-velocity detection technology to estimate the rotation axis position. Finally, it delves into analyzing the relationship between quaternion and axis-angle, aimed at reducing noise interference for precise rotational angle estimation. Based on this proposed methodology, a Low-Cost, a High Accuracy Measurement System (HAMS) integrating sensor fusion was designed and implemented. Experimental results demonstrate static measurement errors below ±0.15° and dynamic measurement errors below ±0.5° within a ±180° range.

A dataset of the daily edge of each polynya in the Antarctic.

Polynyas play a critical role in the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water and the enhancement of polar primary productivity. Accurate and exhaustive identification of Antarctic polynyas is fundamental to advancing in-depth research. However, due to methodological limitations, previous studies paid more attention to frequent polynyas and infrequent polynyas have not been investigated much despite that they could be vulnerable to climate change. Inspired by a cyclone tracking algorithm, we develop a novel method to overcome challenges identifying all types of polynyas satisfying spatiotemporal criteria and tracing their daily evolution, extracting from an extensive amount of sea ice concentration data. Based on it, we establish a dataset called "Daily Edge of Each Polynya in Antarctica" (DEEP-AA). Validation against remote sensing and ship-based observations confirms DEEP-AA's reliability. Compared to existing maps, the DEEP-AA identifies a threefold number of polynyas and reveals the seasonal area recovery of infrequent polynyas is earlier than frequent ones.

Apert syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea: Timing for midface surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the optimal timing for midface surgery in patients with Apert syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). METHODS: We reviewed relevant articles from Web of Science and PubMed and conducted a bibliometric analysis. RESULTS: A review of 74 documents published between 1981 and 2023 revealed that determining the optimal timing for surgery in cases of airway obstruction necessitates consideration of various factors, including the location and severity of airway abnormalities, craniofacial development, potential impact of treatment on future growth, psychological considerations, and overall physiological conditions. Although midface advancement surgery performed around ages 6 to 7 typically yields symptom relief and favorable long-term outcomes, the ideal surgical timing young children with severe OSA remains a contentious issue. CONCLUSION: While midface surgery is frequently advocated at ages 6 to 7, there is an urgent need for enhanced cooperation and high-quality research to deepen our understanding.

The effect of strain effect on WS2 monolayer as a potential delivery carrier for anti-myocardial infarction drug: First-principles study.

CONTEXT: Myocardial infarction is one of the major health challenges. It is of great significance to develop potential delivery carriers for new anti-myocardial infarction drugs. In this paper, based on first-principles calculations, monolayer WS2 with excellent photoelectric properties was verified as a carrier for the anti-myocardial infarction drug amiodarone (AMD). Studies have shown that the WS2-adsorbed AMD system (WS2@AMD) maintains structural stability and produces an adsorption energy of-2.12 eV. Mulliken charge analysis shows that electrons are transferred from WS2 atoms to AMD atoms. Among them, C, N and O obtained the maximum values of 0.51,0.37 and 0.56 e electrons, respectively, while H and I lost the maximum values of 0.32 and 0.24 e electrons, respectively. The optical response of WS2 adsorbed AMD system is similar to that of WS2. The light absorption coefficients of the two materials in the near ultraviolet region and the visible region can reach the order of 105 cm-1 and 104 cm-1, and the strain makes the light absorption peak red-shifted. The feasibility of temperature-controlled release mechanism of WS2 as AMD carrier was discussed. This theoretical work helps to improve the performance of two-dimensional nanomaterials and make them better as drug delivery carriers to improve the therapeutic effect of myocardial infarction. These results indicate that the WS2 monolayer has potential applications in the development of drug delivery carriers. METHODS: In this study, based on first-principles calculations, the CASTEP simulation software package was used to study the structure and properties of materials. The interaction between electrons and ions is considered by using Ultrasoft pseudopotentials. In order to eliminate the spurious interaction between adjacent structures caused by periodic calculations, a vacuum space no less than 18 Å is placed in the vertical direction if necessary. Different functions may produce different density functional calculation results. Due to the low sensitivity of the crystal structure to the calculation details, the PBE functional under the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) was initially used for structural optimization, and the energy cutoff value was set to 500 eV. Grimme 's dispersion correction was used to make the results more accurate. The Brillouin zone (BZ) is sampled by a 7 × 7 × 1 K-point grid to ensure the reliability of the original lattice calculation. The lattice vector and atomic coordinates are relaxed, and the tolerance of each atom is less than 0.01 eV/Å. The energy tolerance at the atomic position is less than 10-7 eV/atom. When calculating the band gap, the HSE06 hybrid functional is used to modify the optimized structure of the PBE functional to obtain more accurate results. Spin-polarized DFT calculations were performed to calculate the electronic structure.

Health Behavior Change Interventions Using Mobile Phones: A Meta-Analysis.

The technological capabilities of mobile phones have made them a useful tool for delivering interventions, but additional research is needed to determine the mechanisms underlying the comparative effectiveness of mobile health interventions. This meta-analysis analyzes the relative effectiveness of mobile phone-based health interventions relative to comparison/control groups (e.g., eHealth interventions, standard of care, etc.), the utility of the theory of planned behavior in mobile phone-based health interventions, and the roles of various moderators. One hundred eighteen studies met inclusion criteria and contributed to an overall effect size of d = 0.27 (95% CI [.22, .32]). Findings indicate that mobile phone-based health interventions are significantly more effective than comparison/control conditions at improving health behaviors. Additionally, perceived behavioral control was a significant moderator providing some support for the usefulness of theory of planned behavior in mobile phone-based health interventions.

Identification of NAC Transcription Factors in Suaeda glauca and Their Responses to Salt Stress.

NAC (NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2) transcription factors regulate plant growth and development and stress responses. Because NAC transcription factors are known to play important roles in the regulation of salt tolerance in many plants, we aimed to explore their roles in the halophyte Suaeda glauca. Based on transcriptome sequencing data, we identified 25 NAC transcription factor gene family members. In a phylogenetic tree analysis with Arabidopsis thaliana NAC transcription factors, the SgNACs were divided into 10 groups. The physicochemical properties and conserved domains of the putative proteins, as well as the transcript profiles of their encoding genes, were determined for the 25 SgNAC genes using bioinformatic methods. Most of the S. glauca NAC genes were upregulated to some extent after 24 h of salt stress, suggesting that they play an important role in regulating the salt tolerance of S. glauca. These findings lay the foundation for further research on the functions and mechanisms of the NAC gene family in S. glauca.

The efficacy of cuff-shaving combined with negative pressure wound therapy in refractory exit-site and tunnel infections: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Refractory exit-site infections (ESIs) and tunnel infections (TIs) are challenging complications for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study compared the outcomes of surgical intervention, notably the cuff-shaving (CS) procedure coupled with negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT), and conservative management strategies for patients with refractory ESI and TI. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent PD at our center, focusing on the incidence and management of ESI and TI. We evaluated and compared treatment outcomes, including ESI scores, frequency of ESI and/or TI, identification of causative microorganisms, and duration of catheter survival or time until removal. RESULTS: We identified 97 episodes of catheter-related ESI and/or TI across 71 patients with an incidence rate of 0.15 episodes per patient-year. Of the 23 patients with refractory ESI and/or TI, surgical intervention was performed in 8, while 15 chose conservative management. In the one-month follow-up, patients who underwent CS combined with NPWT showed no complications such as leakage, and their local symptoms resolved completely. The mean PD catheter survival time was significantly longer in the surgical group (29.38 ± 7.25 months) than in the conservative group (7.86 ± 2.13 months). Surgical intervention demonstrated a significantly higher therapeutic efficacy and extended catheter survival. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of CS and NPWT as a surgical approach is crucial for eradicating infectious foci and significantly improving the longevity of PD catheter function. This integrated surgical strategy offers a promising solution for the management of refractory ESI and TI in patients undergoing PD.

Metagenomic insights into microbial variation and carbon cycling function in crop rotation systems.

The decomposition and utilization of plant-derived carbon by microorganisms and carbon fixation are crucial pathways for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, a gap remains in our understanding of the impact of microorganisms on the decomposition of plant-derived carbon and their capacity for carbon fixation in crop rotation systems. Based on a 12-year experiment with wheat-maize (WM), wheat-cotton (WC), and wheat-soybean (WS) rotations, the microbial communities and carbon cycle function were investigated. The results indicated that WS rotation significantly increased SOC content compared to WM and WC. In addition, a significant increase was observed in microbially available carbon and microbial biomass carbon in the WS soil compared with those in the others. Further analysis of the microbial community factors that influenced SOC content revealed that WS rotation, in contrast to WM rotation, enhanced the diversity and richness of bacteria and fungi. Analysis of microbial carbon decomposition functions revealed an increase in starch, lignin, and hemicellulose decomposition genes in the WS soil compared to the others. The changes in carbon decomposition genes were primarily attributed to six bacterial genera, namely Nocardioides, Agromyces, Microvirga, Skermanella, Anaeromyxobacter, and Arthrobacter, as well as four fungal genera, namely Dendryphion, Staphylotrichum, Apiotrichum, and Abortiporus, which were significantly influenced by the crop rotation systems. In addition, microbial carbon fixation-related genes such as ACAT, IDH1, GAPDH, rpiA, and rbcS were significantly enriched in WS. Species annotation of differential carbon fixation genes identified 18 genera that play a role in soil carbon fixation variation within the crop rotation systems. This study highlights the impact of crop rotation systems on SOC content and alterations in specific microbial communities on carbon cycle function.

Associations between social media engagement and young adults' subsequent onset of ENDS dependence symptoms one year later.

BACKGROUND: Young adults are more vulnerable than older adults to engagement with online tobacco marketing and to the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products. Our study examined the longitudinal associations between engagement with pro- and anti-tobacco information on social media (SM) and young adults' subsequent onset of symptoms of dependence on ENDS products one year later, which remain unclear. METHODS: Participants were college students in the Marketing and Promotions Across Colleges in Texas study. We analyzed data collected in spring 2018 (wave 8, baseline) and spring 2019 (wave 9), which involves 1,764 college students (Mean age = 24.48, 34.8% White) who reported having ever used any ENDS products but no ENDS dependence symptoms at baseline. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between pro- and anti-engagement with tobacco information at baseline and onset of ENDS dependence symptoms at one-year follow-up, controlling for baseline sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco smoking status. We also examined participant sex and depressive symptoms as moderators of the aforementioned associations. RESULTS: Engagement with both pro- (Odds Ratio = 1.73, p < 0.05) and anti- (Odds Ratio = 1.36, p < 0.05) tobacco information at baseline predicted the subsequent onset of symptoms of dependence on ENDS products one year later. The association between pro-engagement and subsequent onset of ENDS dependence symptoms was stronger among females than males (Exp(ß) = 3.21, p < 0.05). Depressive symptomology did not moderate any of the associations. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that engaging with tobacco information on SM, regardless of its valence, serves as a risk factor for the development of subsequent dependence symptoms among young adult ever ENDS users. Considering the uncertainty of ENDS products' health effects, regulation of SM is encouraged to reduce young adults' (re)posting thoughts or comments about the advantages of ENDS products.

Experimental study on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of aqueous emulsifiable diphenylmethane diisocyanate-modified silicon-carbon composite electrodes.

Aqueous emulsifiable diphenylmethane diisocyanate (EMDI) can form strong chemical bonds with aqueous adhesives due to the large number of isocyanate (-NCO) groups, which can enhance the mechanical performance of the adhesives. Currently, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) emulsion aqueous bonding agents are widely used in the preparation of anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, EMDI was added to a porous silicon-carbon composite electrode prepared from CMC-SBR, and the evolution of the mechanical properties of the electrode with the EMDI content was first investigated via quasi-static uniaxial tensile and interfacial strength tests. Subsequently, the effect of the EMDI content on the electrochemical properties of the electrodes was analysed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and constant-current (CC) charge/discharge performance tests. Finally, material characterisation of the electrodes was carried out by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and specific surface area (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)) analysis. The results show that the addition of EMDI with a mass ratio of 10-20% to the CMC-SBR binder can enhance the mechanical performance of the active layer and the interfacial performance between the active layer and the current collector of the silicon-carbon composite electrode; simultaneously, EMDI can significantly reduce the electrochemical impedance of the electrode material and improve the capacity retention of the electrode. This study provides a new solution for modifying silicon-carbon composite electrodes and promotes the development of high-performance silicon-carbon electrodes.

Oxidized Starch-Reinforced Aqueous Polymer Isocyanate Cured with High-Frequency Heating.

In this research, an oxidized starch/styrene-butadiene rubber system with high capability of absorbing electromagnetic energy was adopted as the main component, the effect of oxidized starch content on the bonding and mechanical properties of aqueous polymer isocyanate (API) after high-frequency curing was evaluated, and the effect mechanisms were explored by combining thermodynamic tests and material characterization methods. Our findings revealed that the addition of oxidized starch enhanced the mechanical properties of API after high-frequency curing and the increase in the amount of oxidized starch enhanced the improvement effect of high-frequency curing on API bonding and mechanical properties. At 5 wt% oxidized starch, high-frequency curing improved API bonding properties by 18.0% and 17.3% under ambient conditions and after boiling water aging, respectively. An increase in oxidized starch content to 25 wt% increased enhancement to 25.1% and 26.4% for the above conditions, respectively. The enhancement effects of tensile strength and Young's modulus of the API adhesive body were increased from 9.4% and 18.2% to 18.7% and 22.6%, respectively. The potential enhancement mechanism could be that oxidized starch could increase the dielectric loss of API, converting more electromagnetic energy into thermal energy creating more cross-linked structures.

Serum mir-142-3p release in children with viral encephalitis and its relationship with nerve injury and inflammatory response.

BACKGROUND: Viral encephalitis (VE) is a common infectious disease of the central nervous system in children. Children with severe disease may have progressive neurological damage and even lead to death. AIMS: To assess the serum miR-142-3p levels in children with VE and the correlation between miR-142-3p and the severity and prognosis of VE. Besides, its relationship with nerve injury and inflammatory response was assessed. METHODS: Children with VE were regarded as a case group and healthy children served as control. The content of serum miR-142-3p was determined using real-time quantitative PCR. The risk factors associated with severity and prognosis of cases were evaluated using logistic analysis. The discrepancy in miR-142-3p levels, nerve injury-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines were contrasted among groups. The ROC curve was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of serum miR-142-3p in predicting prognosis of children with VE. RESULTS: The altered expression of miR-142-3p in serum of children with VE was enhanced in contrast to healthy control. Serum nerve injury indicators MBP, ß-EP, and NSE levels and serum inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-18, and IFN-γ were high in children with VE in contrast to healthy control, and had positive relevance with serum miR-142-3p. Besides, serum miR-142-3p was a risk factor associated with the severity and prognosis of children with VE. Serum miR-142-3p had diagnostic performance in predicting the prognosis of children with VE. CONCLUSION: Serum miR-142-3p content is high in children with VE and maybe a diagnosis marker for predicting prognosis. The specific miR-142-3p expression may be directly related to the severity of nerve injury and inflammatory response for VE.

[Retracted] Circular RNA, hsa_circRNA_102049, promotes colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion via binding and suppressing miRNA­455­3p.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2022.11169.].

Effective delivery of miR-150-5p with nucleus pulposus cell-specific nanoparticles attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration.

BACKGROUND: The use of gene therapy to deliver microRNAs (miRNAs) has gradually translated to preclinical application for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, the effects of miRNAs are hindered by the short half-life time and the poor cellular uptake, owing to the lack of efficient delivery systems. Here, we investigated nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) specific aptamer-decorated polymeric nanoparticles that can load miR-150-5p for IDD treatment. METHODS: The role of miR-150-5p during disc development and degeneration was examined by miR-150-5p knockout (KO) mice. Histological analysis was undertaken in disc specimens. The functional mechanism of miR-150-5p in IDD development was investigated by qRT-PCR assay, Western blot, coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence. NPC specific aptamer-decorated nanoparticles was designed, and its penetration, stability and safety were evaluated. IDD progression was assessed by radiological analysis including X-ray and MRI, after the annulus fibrosus needle puncture surgery with miR-150-5p manipulation by intradiscal injection of nanoparticles. The investigations into the interaction between aptamer and receptor were conducted using mass spectrometry, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: We investigated NPC-specific aptamer-decorated polymeric nanoparticles that can bind to miR-150-5p for IDD treatment. Furthermore, we detected that nanoparticle-loaded miR-150-5p inhibitors alleviated NPC senescence in vitro, and the effects of the nanoparticles were sustained for more than 3 months in vivo. The microenvironment of NPCs improves the endo/lysosomal escape of miRNAs, greatly inhibiting the secretion of senescence-associated factors and the subsequent degeneration of NPCs. Importantly, nanoparticles delivering miR-150-5p inhibitors attenuated needle puncture-induced IDD in mouse models by targeting FBXW11 and inhibiting TAK1 ubiquitination, resulting in the downregulation of NF-kB signaling pathway activity. CONCLUSIONS: NPC-targeting nanoparticles delivering miR-150-5p show favorable therapeutic efficacy and safety and may constitute a promising treatment for IDD.

Efficacy and Safety of Excision Combination Therapies for Earlobe Keloids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Different combinations of excision and adjuvant therapies have been applied to improve outcomes for earlobe keloids, though evidence in this field is still lacking. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to systematically investigate efficacy and safety of these treatments. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to find all relevant studies. Meta-analysis of recurrence rates (RRs) and adverse event rates with 95% confidence intervals, and individual participants data (IPD) were calculated for each intervention when possible. Otherwise, narrative syntheses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 85 articles, covering 23 treatments for earlobe keloids, were included, indicating a preference for multiple combination therapy. The estimated RRs for 6 interventions (i.e., excision monotherapy, combinations of excision with imiquimod, pressure therapy, radiotherapy, steroids, and steroids with pressure therapy) appeared to be comparable. Electron radiotherapy was found to have potential advantages over X-ray treatment, contributing to the observed heterogeneity. Further meta-analysis using IPD revealed that both combination therapies of excision plus steroid therapy (p=0.003) and excision plus radiotherapy (p=0.003) yielded better recurrence-free survival compared to excision alone. The median recurrence-free interval for combination therapy was 10 months. Adverse event rates were similar among different intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that combining excision with radiotherapy or perioperative steroid therapy has the potential to improve prognosis of earlobe keloids without increasing the risk of adverse events. Overall evaluation of patients' conditions and further studies with sufficient follow-up are warranted for clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Differential Expression of Noncoding RNAs Revealed Enhancer RNA AC016735.2 as a Potential Pathogenic Marker of Congenital Microtia Patients.

PURPOSE: Congenital microtia is a complex maxillofacial malformation with various risk factors. This study aimed to find potential pathogenic noncoding RNAs for congenital microtia patients. METHODS: We collected 3 pairs of residual ear cartilage samples and corresponding normal ear cartilage samples from nonsyndromic congenital microtia patients for microarray experiments. The differentially expressed RNAs were screened, and enrichment analysis and correlation expression analysis were performed to elucidate the function of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We further investigated the most significantly differentially expressed long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), AC016735.2, through follow-up analyses including RT-qPCR and Western blotting, to validate its differential expression in residual ear cartilage compared with normal ear cartilage. SiRNA was designed to study the regulatory role of AC016735.2, and cell proliferation experiments were conducted to explore its impact on residual ear chondrocytes. RESULTS: Analysis of the microarray data revealed a total of 1079 differentially expressed RNAs, including 305 mRNAs and x lncRNAs, using a threshold of FC>1.5 and P<0.05 for mRNA, and FC>1.0 and P<0.05 for lncRNA. Enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are mainly involved in extracellular matrix regulation and embryonic development. AC016735.2 showed the highest differential expression among the eRNAs, being upregulated in residual ear cartilage. It acts in cis to regulate the nearby coding gene ZFP36L2, indirectly affecting downstream genes such as BMP4, TWSG1, COL2A1, and COL9A2. CONCLUSION: Significant differences were observed in the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs between residual ear cartilage and normal auricular cartilage tissues in the same genetic background of congenital microtia. These differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs may play crucial roles in the occurrence and development of microtia through pathways associated with extracellular matrix regulation and gastrulation. Particularly, AC016735.2, an eRNA acting in cis, could serve as a potential pathogenic noncoding gene.

Genetic and Phenotypic Characterization of Soybean Landraces Collected from the Zhejiang Province in China.

The soybean is an important feed, industrial raw material, and food crop in the world due to its rich components. There is a long history of soybean cultivation with different types and rich resources in the Zhejiang province of China. It is important to understand genetic diversity as well as phenotypic variation for soybean breeding. The objective of this study was to analyze both genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the 78 soybean landraces collected, and to explore a potential advantage of germplasm resources for further application. These 78 autumn-type soybean landraces have been propagated, identified, and evaluated in both 2021 and 2022. There were agronomic, quality, and genetic variations according to the comprehensive analyses. There was a good consistency between seed size and seed coat color. There were significant differences of seed protein, fat, and sugar contents based upon the seed coat color. These soybean landraces were genotyped using 42 simple sequence repeat markers and then clustered into two groups. The two groups had a consistency with the seed coat color. This study gave us a combined understanding of both the phenotypic variation and the genetic diversity of the soybean landraces. Therefore, the reasonable crossing between different soybean types is highly recommended.

Effects of the Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 on anaemia treatment for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

AIM: Patients undergoing dialysis are at high risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Haemoglobin (Hb) levels may be changed in patients infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 who are undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Therefore, we aimed to explore the effect of anti-anaemia treatment on such patients. METHODS: This study enrolled patients undergoing PD who were infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 at our centre between November 2022 and February 2023. We retrospectively analysed changes in Hb levels and explored the effectiveness of roxadustat and recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) for patients infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. RESULTS: Among 125 enrolled patients, 83 (66.4%) were infected with the Omicron variant and 75 (90.4%) patients mainly experienced mild or moderate disease. During infection, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were higher than those before infection (p < .001). Additionally, their CRP levels were negatively correlated with Hb levels (p = .002). However, Hb levels were decreased 1 month after infection (109.61 ± 10.64 g/L vs. 115.69 ± 12.04 g/L; p < .001). The roxadustat treatment group did not exhibit significantly decreased Hb levels 1 month after infection (114.57 ± 14.11 vs. 117.51 ± 10.74 g/L; p = .225). Conversely, the rhEPO treatment group experienced a mild decrease in Hb levels (108.69 ± 11.20 vs. 115.03 ± 12.23 g/L; p = .001). Ferritin levels increased in both groups during infection (p = .495). Two months after infection, ferritin levels (median, 205.0 ng/mL) were significantly decreased compared with during infection (median, 377.4 ng/mL) (p < .001) in the roxadustat treatment group. CONCLUSION: Roxadustat was effective than rhEPO for treating anaemia in patients undergoing PD who were infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19.