Spatial Divergence of PHR-PHT1 Modules Maintains Phosphorus Homeostasis in Soybean Nodules.

Maintaining phosphorus (Pi) homeostasis in nodules is the key to nodule development and nitrogen fixation, an important source of nitrogen for agriculture and ecosystems. PHOSPHATE-TRANSPORTER1 (PHT1) and its regulator PHOSPHATE-STARVATION-RESPONSE1 (PHR1), which constitute the PHR1-PHT1 module, play important roles in maintaining Pi homeostasis in different organs. However, the PHR1-PHT1 module and its functions in nodules remain unknown. We identified one PHT1 (GmPHT1;11) and four PHR1 (GmPHR1) homologs in soybean (Glycine max) plants, which displayed specific expression patterns in different tissues in nodules, similar to previously reported GmPHT1;1 and GmPHT1;4 Through the integration of different approaches, GmPHR-GmPHT1 modules were confirmed. Combining our results and previous reports, we established multiple GmPHR-GmPHT1 modules acting in the infected or noninfected tissues in nodules. A single GmPHR had more than one GmPHT1 target, and vice versa. Therefore, overlapping and cross-talking modules monitored the wave of available Pi to maintain Pi homeostasis in nodules, which sequentially regulated nodule initiation and development. High levels of GmPHT1;11 enhanced Pi accumulation in nodules, increased nodule size, but decreased nodule number. Nitrogenase activity was also enhanced by GmPHT1;11 Our findings uncover GmPHR-GmPHT1 modules in nodules, which expands our understanding of the mechanism of maintaining Pi homeostasis in soybean plants.

KHZ1 and KHZ2, novel members of the autonomous pathway, repress the splicing efficiency of FLC pre-mRNA in Arabidopsis.

As one of the most important events during the life cycle of flowering plants, the floral transition is of crucial importance for plant propagation and requires the precise coordination of multiple endogenous and external signals. There have been at least four flowering pathways (i.e. photoperiod, vernalization, gibberellin, and autonomous) identified in Arabidopsis. We previously reported that two Arabidopsis RNA-binding proteins, KHZ1 and KHZ2, redundantly promote flowering. However, the underlying mechanism was unclear. Here, we found that the double mutant khz1 khz2 flowered late under both long-day and short-day conditions, but responded to vernalization and gibberellin treatments. The late-flowering phenotype was almost completely rescued by mutating FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and fully rescued by overexpressing FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). Additional experiments demonstrated that the KHZs could form homodimers or interact to form heterodimers, localized to nuclear dots, and repressed the splicing efficiency of FLC pre-mRNA. Together, these data indicate that the KHZs could promote flowering via the autonomous pathway by repressing the splicing efficiency of FLC pre-mRNA.

Two SUMO Proteases SUMO PROTEASE RELATED TO FERTILITY1 and 2 Are Required for Fertility in Arabidopsis.

In plants, the posttranslational modification small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is involved in regulating several important developmental and cellular processes, including flowering time control and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we report two proteases, SUMO PROTEASE RELATED TO FERTILITY1 (SPF1) and SPF2, that regulate male and female gamete and embryo development and remove SUMO from proteins in vitro and in vivo. spf1 mutants exhibit abnormal floral structures and embryo development, while spf2 mutants exhibit largely a wild-type phenotype. However, spf1 spf2 double mutants exhibit severe abnormalities in microgametogenesis, megagametogenesis, and embryo development, suggesting that the two genes are functionally redundant. Mutation of SPF1 and SPF2 genes also results in misexpression of generative- and embryo-specific genes. In vitro, SPF1 and SPF2 process SUMO1 precursors into a mature form, and as expected in vivo, spf1 and spf2 mutants accumulate SUMO conjugates. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified EMBRYO SAC DEVELOPMENT ARREST9 (EDA9) as an SPF1-interacting protein. In vivo, we demonstrate that EDA9 is sumolyated and that, in spf1 mutants, EDA9-SUMO conjugates increase in abundance, demonstrating that EDA9 is a substrate of SPF1. Together, our results demonstrate that SPF1 and SPF2 are two SUMO proteases important for plant development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).

Zinc/Nickel-Doped Hollow Core-Shell Co3 O4 Derived from a Metal-Organic Framework with High Capacity, Stability, and Rate Performance in Lithium/Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Transition-metal oxides are one of the most promising anode materials for energy storage in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries (LIBs and NIBs, respectively). To improve the electrochemical performance of metal oxides (e.g., Co3 O4 ), such as capacity and cyclability, a convenient strategy (with a metal-organic framework as a template) is introduced to generate Zn- or Ni-doped Co3 O4 . The obtained hollow core-shell nanosized Co3 O4 (denoted as Zn/Ni-Co-Oxide) derived from pyrolyzing zinc or nickel co-doped ZIF-67 (Co(mIm)2 ; mIm=methylimidazole) shows a drastically enhanced capacity of 1300 mAh g-1 at a high current density of 5000 mA g-1 , compared with that of pristine cobalt oxide (800 mAh g-1 ) in LIBs. A zinc-doped Zn-Co-Oxide demonstrates a stable capacity of 1600 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1 for 700 cycles and an excellent performance in full coin cells (cycled with LiNi0.5 Co0.3 Mn0.2 O2 ). Moreover, NIB tests show a stable capacity of 300 mAh g-1 for more than 250 cycles.

Arabidopsis KHZ1 and KHZ2, two novel non-tandem CCCH zinc-finger and K-homolog domain proteins, have redundant roles in the regulation of flowering and senescence.

KEY MESSAGE: The two novel CCCH zinc-finger and K-homolog (KH) proteins, KHZ1 and KHZ2, play important roles in regulating flowering and senescence redundantly in Arabidopsis. The CCCH zinc-finger proteins and K-homolog (KH) proteins play important roles in plant development and stress responses. However, the biological functions of many CCCH zinc-finger proteins and KH proteins remain uncharacterized. In Arabidopsis, KHZ1 and KHZ2 are characterized as two novel CCCH zinc-finger and KH domain proteins which belong to subfamily VII in CCCH family. We obtained khz1, khz2 mutants and khz1 khz2 double mutants, as well as overexpression (OE) lines of KHZ1 and KHZ2. Compared with the wild type (WT), the khz2 mutants displayed no defects in growth and development, and the khz1 mutants were slightly late flowering, whereas the khz1 khz2 double mutants showed a pronounced late flowering phenotype. In contrast, artificially overexpressing KHZ1 and KHZ2 led to the early flowering. Consistent with the late flowering phenotype, the expression of flowering repressor gene FLC was up-regulated, while the expression of flowering integrator and floral meristem identity (FMI) genes were down-regulated significantly in khz1 khz2. In addition, we also observed that the OE plants of KHZ1 and KHZ2 showed early leaf senescence significantly, whereas the khz1 khz2 double mutants showed delayed senescence of leaf and the whole plant. Both KHZ1 and KHZ2 were ubiquitously expressed throughout the tissues of Arabidopsis. KHZ1 and KHZ2 were localized to the nucleus, and possessed both transactivation activities and RNA-binding abilities. Taken together, we conclude that KHZ1 and KHZ2 have redundant roles in the regulation of flowering and senescence in Arabidopsis.

Exfoliation of Covalent Organic Frameworks into Few-Layer Redox-Active Nanosheets as Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted growing interest by virtue of their structural diversity and tunability. Herein, we present a novel approach for the development of organic rechargeable battery cathodes in which three distinct redox-active COFs were successfully prepared and delaminated into 2D few-layer nanosheets. Compared with the pristine COFs, the exfoliated COFs with shorter Li+ diffusion pathways allow a significant higher utilization efficiency of redox sites and faster kinetics for lithium storage. Unlike diffusion-controlled manners in the bulk COFs, the redox reactions in ECOFs are mainly dominated by charge transfer process. The capacity and potential are further engineered by reticular design of COFs without altering the underlying topology. Specifically, DAAQ-ECOF exhibits excellent rechargeability (98% capacity retention after 1800 cycles) and fast charge-discharge ability (74% retention at 500 mA g-1 as compared to at 20 mA g-1). DABQ-ECOF shows a specific capacity of 210 mA h g-1 and a voltage plateau of 2.8 V.

A Lithium Ion Highway by Surface Coordination Polymerization: In Situ Growth of Metal-Organic Framework Thin Layers on Metal Oxides for Exceptional Rate and Cycling Performance.

A thin layer of a highly porous metal-organic framework material, ZIF-8, is fabricated uniformly on the surface of nanostructured transition metal oxides (ZnO nanoflakes and MnO2 nanorods) to boost the transfer of lithium ions. The novel design and uniform microstructure of the MOF-coated TMOs (ZIF-8@TMOs) exhibit dramatically enhanced rate and cycling performance comparing to their pristine counterparts. The capacities of ZIF-8@ZnO (nanoflakes) and ZIF-8@MnO2 (nanorods) are 28 % and 31 % higher that of the pristine ones at the same current density. The nanorods of ZIF-8@MnO2 show a capacity of 1067 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 1 Ag-1 and without any fading. To further improve the conductivity and capacity, the ZIF-8-coated materials are pyrolyzed at 700 °C in an N2 atmosphere (ZIF-8@TMO-700 N). After pyrolysis, a much higher capacity improvement is achieved: ZIF-8@ZnO-700 N and ZIF-8@MnO2 -700 N have 54 % and 69 % capacity increases compared with the pristine TMOs, and at 1 Ag-1 , the capacity of ZIF-8@MnO2 -700 N is 1060 mAh g-1 after cycling for 300 cycles.

Optical Properties of 1,3-Bisdicyanovinylindane, an Electro-Acceptor, Attached Bisthienylethene Molecule.

An electron acceptor, 1,3-bisdicyanovinylindane, was attached to the skeleton of bisthienylethene. Photochromic behavior was investigated in THF. Under exposure of UVNisible light cycles, the solution color can be toggled between colorless and yellow. Good fatigue resistance and photo-/thermal-stability were demonstrated with acceptable degradation. A full-photo mode switch was established. Optimized structure and molecular orbital of ring-open and ring-closed isomers were calculated on the platform of DmoP. The photochromic behavior was further supported by the required distance between photocyclizing atoms in antiparallel conformation. The absorption spectra change derived from calculation was in agreement with the experimental results.

[Joint inhibitory effects researches on Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella pyrenoidosa of phenolic acids].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effects of single and compound phenolic acids on mixed algae. METHODS: Salicylic acid, cinnamic acid and pyrogallic acid were chosen individually or in pairs to act on mixed algae of Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella pyrenoidosa. RESULTS: Three phenolic acids that singled or paired showed certain inhibitory effects on the mixed algae, of which were pyrogallic acid > salicylic acid > cinnamic acid in single phenolic acid, the EC50s of the three phenolic acids on the mixture of Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella pyrenoidosa were 7.87, 64.90 and 89.34 mg/L at the day 6; and inhibition of the paired phenolic acid group was pyrogallic acid & salicylic acid group > pyrogallic acid & cinnamic acid group > salicylic acid & cinnamic acid, the first 2 groups had synergistic algal inhibitory effects and the last paired group showed additive action. CONCLUSION: Some specifically combined phenolic acids can lead to synergistic inhibiting effects on algae, which has better environmental safety for application due to the use of single phenolic acid was massively decreased.

[Algae-inhibitory effect and mechanism of plant source n-caprylic acid].

OBJECTIVE: To research the algae-inhibitory effect and mechanism of a plant source n-caprylic acid extracted from coconut oil on M. aeruginosa. METHODS: The M. aeruginosa were treated with 0, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 µL/L densities of coconut oil n-caprylic acid respectively. And the change of algal density, cell permeability and antioxidant ability were measured. RESULTS: The greater the concentration of coconut oil n-caprylic acid, the stronger the inhibition on M. aeruginosa. When the concentration was 100 µL/L and processed time was 96 h, the inhibition ratio on M. aeruginosa reached 99%. Compared with the control group, the algal liquid conductivity, nucleic acid content and protein content of experimental groups increased significantly. The SOD activity enhanced with the increasing of coconut oil n-caprylic acid concentration (under 25 µL/L), but when beyond a certain concentration (exceed 25 µL/L), its activity weakened greatly. And the MDA content increased with the increasing of coconut oil n-caprylic acid concentration. CONCLUSION: Coconut oil n-caprylic acid has a significant inhibiting effect on M. aeruginosa. Its mechanism may be largely related to cell membrane permeability change and antioxidant capacity reducing.

RRP41L, a putative core subunit of the exosome, plays an important role in seed germination and early seedling growth in Arabidopsis.

In prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the 3'-5'-exonucleolytic decay and processing of RNAs are essential for RNA metabolism. However, the understanding of the mechanism of 3'-5'-exonucleolytic decay in plants is very limited. Here, we report the characterization of an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) transfer DNA insertional mutant that shows severe growth defects in early seedling growth, including delayed germination and cotyledon expansion, thinner yellow/pale-green leaves, and a slower growth rate. High-efficiency thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the insertional locus was in the sixth exon of AT4G27490, encoding a predicted 3'-5'-exonuclease, that contained a conserved RNase phosphorolytic domain with high similarity to RRP41, designated RRP41L. Interestingly, we detected highly accumulated messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that encode seed storage protein and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling pathway-related protein during the early growth stage in rrp41l mutants. The mRNA decay kinetics analysis for seed storage proteins, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases, and ABA INSENSITIVEs revealed that RRP41L catalyzed the decay of these mRNAs in the cytoplasm. Consistent with these results, the rrp41l mutant was more sensitive to ABA in germination and root growth than wild-type plants, whereas overexpression lines of RRP41L were more resistant to ABA in germination and root growth than wild-type plants. RRP41L was localized to both the cytoplasm and nucleus, and RRP41L was preferentially expressed in seedlings. Altogether, our results showed that RRP41L plays an important role in seed germination and early seedling growth by mediating specific cytoplasmic mRNA decay in Arabidopsis.

Tudor-SN, a component of stress granules, regulates growth under salt stress by modulating GA20ox3 mRNA levels in Arabidopsis.

The Tudor-SN protein (TSN) is universally expressed and highly conserved in eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis, TSN is reportedly involved in stress adaptation, but the mechanism involved in this adaptation is not understood. Here, we provide evidence that TSN regulates the mRNA levels of GA20ox3, a key enzyme for gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis. The levels of GA20ox3 transcripts decreased in TSN1/TSN2 RNA interference (RNAi) transgenic lines and increased in TSN1 over-expression (OE) transgenic lines. The TSN1 OE lines displayed phenotypes that may be attributed to the overproduction of GA. No obvious defects were observed in the RNAi transgenic lines under normal conditions, but under salt stress conditions these lines displayed slower growth than wild-type (WT) plants. Two mutants of GA20ox3, ga20ox3-1 and -2, also showed slower growth under stress than WT plants. Moreover, a higher accumulation of GA20ox3 transcripts was observed under salt stress. The results of a western blot analysis indicated that higher levels of TSN1 accumulated after salt treatment than under normal conditions. Subcellular localization studies showed that TSN1 was uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm under normal conditions but accumulated in small granules and co-localized with RBP47, a marker protein for stress granules (SGs), in response to salt stress. The results of RNA immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that TSN1 bound GA20ox3 mRNA in vivo. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that TSN is a novel component of plant SGs that regulates growth under salt stress by modulating levels of GA20ox3 mRNA.

Postoperative plasma presepsin as a biomarker of postoperative infectious complications in different surgical departments: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: High rates of postoperative infection persist after different surgical procedures, encompassing surgical site infections (SSIs), remote infections, sepsis, and septic shock. Our aim was to assess presepsin's diagnostic accuracy for postoperative infections in patients across surgical procedures. METHOD: We conducted a comprehensive search in seven databases, extracting data independently. Using STATA 14.0, we calculated pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and Under the receiver operator curve and 95 â€‹% confidence interval (AUC, 95 â€‹% CI) as primary outcomes, with secondary outcomes involving sensitivity and specificity in subgroup analyses. RESULTS: This meta-analysis of 14 studies (1891 cases) evaluated presepsin's diagnostic value for postoperative infectious complications. Results include sensitivity of 77 â€‹% (70-83), specificity of 81 â€‹% (71-88), DOR of 14 (8-26), AUC of 84 (80-87), PLR of 4 (3-6), and NLR of 0.28 (0.21-0.38). Presepsin exhibits promise as a diagnostic tool for postoperative infections. CONCLUSION: In summary, compared to conventional markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT), presepsin demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity for detecting postoperative infectious complications across various surgical procedures.

[Expression and functional analysis of SUA41gene in Arabidopsis thaliana].

In plants, multiple floral induced-pathways including photoperiod signaling, vernalization signaling, autonomous pathway, gibberellin signaling, and thermosensory signaling are well known to mediate signaling from different cues to confer flowering regulation. SUA41 (SUMO substrate 41) is a SUMO (Small ubiquitin modifier) substrate screened out in our laboratory. Previous reports indicate that the SUA41 gene is involved in autonomous pathway to regulate flowering time of Arabidopsis, but its mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, the spatiotemporal expression pattern for SUA41, responses of its mutant to environmental factors, and its regulation of mechanism of flowering time were investigated. The sua41 mutant flowered earlier than Col-0 at both normal temperature (22℃) and low temperature (16℃) under long day (LD) or short day (SD) conditions. In addition, the flowering times of sua41 had no significant difference between 22℃ and 16℃ conditions. Over-expression of SUA41 rescued the early flowering phenotype of the sua41 mutant. Expression of SUA41 was at similar levels in seedlings, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or the samples at all developmental stages examined, suggesting that SUA41 is a constitutive expression gene. Expression of SUA41 mRNA was not responsive to GA treatment, but highly induced by low temperature and inhibited in fve and fca mutants defective in the thermosensory pathway. Compared with Col-0, the expression levels of FT and SOC1 increased, whereas the expression level of FLC mRNA decreased and CO expression was not significantly altered in the sua41 mutant. The results showed that the SUA41 gene plays a role in not only the autonomous pathway but also the thermosensory pathway to regulate flowering time of Arabidopsis.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin for Infection After Adult Liver Transplantation: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Background: Post-operative infection remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adults early after liver transplantation (LT). Procalcitonin (PCT) may be a good test method for early diagnosis of post-operative infection and determining its severity. This study was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of PCT as a biomarker for infection after LT. Patients and Methods: A meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted for studies reporting diagnostic performance of PCT for infection in adults after LT. Observational studies were evaluated for their reporting of diagnostic accuracy, relevance, and quality. Results: Ten eligible studies assessing 730 patients were included in this meta-analysis and systematic review summarizing the diagnostic value of PCT for post-operative infection in adult liver transplantation. Pooled sensitivity and specificity with corresponding 95% confidence interval were 69% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54-81; heterogeneity I2 = 82.4%) and 88% (95% CI, 82-92; I2 = 52.7%), respectively. The diagnostic odd ratio (DOR) was 16 (95% CI, 10-25; I2 = 76.4%). The summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) of PCT for post-operative infection was 0.88. There was a wide range of variability in the cutoff values, ranging from 0.22 to 42.80 ng/mL. Heterogeneity was reduced by excluding studies that focused on pediatric LT recipients. Conclusions: Procalcitonin is a moderately accurate diagnostic marker for post-operative infection in adult LT. Additionally, the diagnostic performance can be improved by combining it with other inflammatory biomarkers. This article provides the research direction for post-operative infection control.

Analysis of urinary C-C motif chemokine ligand 14 (CCL14) and first-generation urinary biomarkers for predicting renal recovery from acute kidney injury: a prospective exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent syndrome in the intensive care unit (ICU). AKI patients with kidney function recovery have better short-term and long-term prognoses compared with those with non-recovery. Numerous studies focus on biomarkers to distinguish them. To better understand the predictive performance of urinary biomarkers of renal recovery in patients with AKI, we evaluated C-C motif chemokine ligand 14 (CCL14) and two first-generation biomarkers (cell cycle arrest biomarkers and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) in two ICU settings. METHODS: We performed a prospective study to analyze urinary biomarkers for predicting renal recovery from AKI. Patients who developed AKI after ICU admission were enrolled and urinary biomarkers including tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), CCL14, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) were detected on the day of AKI diagnosis. The primary endpoint was non-recovery from AKI within 7 days. The individual discriminative ability of CCL14, [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP7] and NGAL to predict renal non-recovery were evaluated by the area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). RESULTS: Of 164 AKI patients, 64 (39.0%) failed to recover from AKI onset. CCL14 showed a fair prediction ability for renal non-recovery with an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.63-0.77, p < 0.001). [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP7] showed the best prediction for renal non-recovery with an AUC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.71-0.84, p < 0.001). However, NGAL had no use in predicting non-recovery with an AUC of 0.53 (95% CI 0.45-0.60, p = 0.562). A two-parameter model (non-renal SOFA score and AKI stage) predicted renal non-recovery with an AUC of 0.77 (95% CI 0.77-0.83, p = 0.004). When [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP7] was combined with the clinical factors, the AUC was significantly improved to 0.82 (95% CI 0.74-0.87, p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary CCL14 and [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP7] were fair predictors of renal non-recovery from AKI. Combing urinary [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP7] with a clinical model consisting of non-renal SOFA score and AKI stage enhanced the predictive power for renal non-recovery. Urinary CCL14 showed no significant advantage in predicting renal non-recovery compared to [TIMP-2] × [IGFBP7].

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist PNU-282987 ameliorates sepsis-induced acute kidney injury through CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in rats.

The ameliorative effects of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) agonists have been demonstrated in acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by multiple stimulations. However, the ameliorative effect of α7nAChR on sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (SAKI) in the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model is unclear. Previous studies have demonstrated that α7nAChR is highly expressed on the surface of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, the role of Tregs in SAKI is unclear. We hypothesized that Tregs might play a role in the ameliorative effect of α7nAChR on SAKI. Hence, in this study, we determined the effects of PNU-282987 (a selective α7nAchR agonist) on SAKI and evaluated whether PNU-282987 would attenuate SAKI via regulating Tregs. Our study showed that immediate administration of PNU-282987 after CLP surgery in rats improved renal function, reduced levels of systemic inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), etc.), inflammatory cell infiltration and tubular apoptosis in renal tissues, and increased forkhead/winged helix transcription factor p3 (Foxp3) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) expression indicating activated Tregs. Moreover, in in vitro experiments, isolated Tregs co-cultured with PNU-282987 also displayed enhanced expression of CTLA-4 and Foxp3. Furthermore, Tregs were co-cultured with PNU-282987 for 24 hours and then reinfused into rats through the tail vein immediately after CLP surgery, and a significant renal protective effect was observed 24 hours postoperatively. These results demonstrate that PNU-282987 exerts its renal protective effects on SAKI through activation of Tregs.

Calprotectin as a diagnostic marker for sepsis: A meta-analysis.

Introduction: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition, and biomarkers are needed to diagnose sepsis fast and accurately. We aimed to perform this meta-analysis to investigate the diagnostic value of calprotectin on sepsis in critically ill patients. Methods: The investigators searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. Studies were included if they assessed the diagnostic accuracy of serum calprotectin for sepsis in intensive care unit (ICU). We estimated its diagnostic value and explored the source of heterogeneity. The bivariate model and the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curve were used in the meta-analysis. Results: Six records assessing 821 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were separately as 0.77, 0.85, 5.20, 0.27, respectively. The Fagan's nomogram showed post-test probabilities of 91% and 35% for positive and negative outcomes, respectively. Subgroup analysis indicated that sepsis definition could be a possible source of heterogeneity, but there's no sufficient data to investigate sepsis-3 definition. Sensitivity analysis suggested that two studies could affect the stability of pooled results. Conclusion: On the basis of our meta-analysis, calprotectin is a helpful marker for early diagnosis of sepsis on ICU admission.

Cell cycle arrest biomarkers for predicting renal recovery from acute kidney injury: a prospective validation study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common disease in the intensive care unit (ICU). AKI patients with nonrecovery of renal function have a markedly increased risk of death compared with patients with recovery. The current study aimed to explore and validate the utility of urinary cell cycle arrest biomarkers for predicting nonrecovery in patients who developed AKI after ICU admission. METHODS: We prospectively and consecutively enrolled 379 critically ill patients who developed AKI after admission to the ICU, which were divided into a derivation cohort (194 AKI patients) and a validation cohort (185 AKI patients). The biomarkers of urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) were detected at inclusion immediately after AKI diagnosis (day 0) and 24 h later (day 1). The optimal cut-off values of these biomarkers for predicting nonrecovery were estimated in the derivation cohort, and their predictive accuracy was assessed in the validation cohort. The primary endpoint was nonrecovery from AKI (within 7 days). RESULTS: Of 379 patients, 159 (41.9%) patients failed to recover from AKI onset, with 79 in the derivation cohort and 80 in the validation cohort. Urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] on day 0 showed a better prediction ability for nonrecovery than TIMP-2 and IGFBP7 alone, with an area under the reciever operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.751 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.701-0.852, p < 0.001] and an optimal cut-off value of 1.05 ((ng/mL)2/1000). When [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] was combined with the clinical factors of AKI diagnosed by the urine output (UO) criteria, AKI stage 2-3 and nonrenal SOFA score for predicting nonrecovery, the AUC was significantly improved to 0.852 (95% CI 0.750-0.891, p < 0.001), which achieved a sensitivity and specificity of 88.8% (72.9, 98.7) and 92.6% (80.8, 100.0), respectively. However, urine [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7], TIMP-2 alone, and IGFBP7 alone on day 1 performed poorly for predicting AKI recovery. CONCLUSION: Urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] on day 0 showed a fair performance for predicting nonrecovery from AKI. The predictive accuracy can be improved when urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] is combined with the clinical factors of AKI diagnosed by the UO criteria, AKI stage 2-3 and nonrenal SOFA score.

Postoperative serum myoglobin as a predictor of early allograft dysfunction after liver transplantation.

Background: Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) is a common postliver transplant complication that has been associated with graft failure and risk for poor prognosis. There are many risk factors for the incidence of EAD after liver transplantation (LT). This study investigated whether elevated postoperative myoglobin (Mb) increases the incidence of EAD in liver transplanted recipients. Methods: A total of 150 adult recipients who measured Mb within 3 days after liver transplantation between June 2019 and June 2021 were evaluated. Then, all patients were divided into two groups: the EAD group and the non-EAD group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) were constructed. Results: The incidence of EAD was 53 out of 150 patients (35.3%) in our study. Based on the multivariate logistic analysis, the risk of EAD increased with elevated postoperative Mb (OR = 1.001, 95% CI 1.000-1.001, P = 0.002). The Mb AUC was 0.657, and it was 0.695 when combined with PCT. When the subgroup analysis was conducted, the AUC of serum Mb prediction was better in patients whose preoperative model for end-stage liver disease score ≤ 15 or operative time ≥ 10 h (AUC = 0.751, 0.758, respectively, or 0.760, 0.800 when combined with PCT). Conclusion: Elevated Mb significantly increased the risk of postoperative EAD, suggesting that postoperative Mb may be a novel predictor of EAD after liver transplantation.The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration number: ChiCTR2100044257, URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn).