Transcriptome analysis revealed enrichment pathways and regulation of gene expression associated with somatic embryogenesis in Camellia sinensis.

The high frequency, stable somatic embryo system of tea has still not been established due to the limitations of its own characteristics and therefore severely restricts the genetic research and breeding process of tea plants. In this study, the transcriptome was used to illustrate the mechanisms of gene expression regulation in the somatic embryogenesis of tea plants. The number of DEGs for the (IS intermediate stage)_PS (preliminary stage), ES (embryoid stage)_IS and ES_PS stages were 109, 2848 and 1697, respectively. The enrichment analysis showed that carbohydrate metabolic processes were considerably enriched at the ES_IS stage and performed a key role in somatic embryogenesis, while enhanced light capture in photosystem I could provide the material basis for carbohydrates. The pathway analysis showed that the enriched pathways in IS_PS process were far less than those in ES_IS or ES_PS, and the photosynthesis and photosynthetic antenna protein pathway of DEGs in ES_IS or ES_PS stage were notably enriched and up-regulated. The key photosynthesis and photosynthesis antenna protein pathways and the Lhcb1 gene were discovered in tea plants somatic embryogenesis. These results were of great significance to clarify the mechanism of somatic embryogenesis and the breeding research of tea plants.

Selective and rapid extraction of trace amount of gold from complex liquids with silver(I)-organic frameworks.

The design of adsorbents for rapid, selective extraction of ultra-trace amounts of gold from complex liquids is desirable from both an environmental and economical point of view. However, the development of such materials remains challenging. Herein, we report the fabrication of two vinylene-linked two-dimensional silver(I)-organic frameworks prepared via Knoevenagel condensation. This material enables selective sensing of gold with a low limit of detection of 60 ppb, as well as selective uptake of ultra-trace gold from complex aqueous mixtures including distilled water with 15 competing metal ions, leaching solution of electronic waste (e-waste), wastewater, and seawater. The present adsorbent delivers a gold adsorption capacity of 954 mg g-1, excellent selectivity and reusability, and can rapidly and selectively extract ultra-trace gold from seawater down to ~20 ppb (94% removal in 10 minutes). In addition, the purity of recovered gold from e-waste reaches 23.8 Karat (99.17% pure).

Application value of D-dimer testing and Caprini risk assessment model (RAM) to predict venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Chinese non-oncological urological inpatients: a retrospective study from a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: The Caprini risk assessment model (RAM) and D-dimer testing have been widely used in the prediction of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the clinical significance of these testing options are limited in non-oncological urological inpatients because of the low specificity. METHODS: This retrospective study included 1,453 patients who were admitted to the non-oncological unit of the Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, from January 2018 to December 2018. The highest score of Caprini RAM and the highest D-dimer level were collected in this retrospective study. Ultrasound examinations of the lower extremities or computed tomographic pulmonary arteriography (CTPA) were applied to patients who were suspected of having VTE, if necessary. RESULTS: A total of 1,453 patients were collected in this study, which included 34 VTE and 1,419 non-VTE patients. The threshold of D-dimer was 0.89 µg/mL, according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, with a sensitivity of 82.4%, a specificity of 83.3%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.5%. The cut-off of the Caprini RAM was 5, with a sensitivity of 76.5%, a specificity of 58.7%, and an NPV of 99.0%. The area under the curve (AUC) was higher for D-dimer (0.86) than for the Caprini score (0.73). CONCLUSIONS: The application of 0.89 µg/mL and a score of 5 as cut-offs for D-dimer testing and Caprini RAM, respectively, could safely decrease the proportion of Chinese non-oncological urological inpatients who needed to undergo further examinations. These new findings may enhance the application value of D-dimer testing and Caprini RAM for Chinese non-oncological urological inpatients.