The effect of Internet use on nutritional intake and health outcomes: new evidence from rural China.

Introduction: Internet use is changing nutritional intake and health outcomes, but the results are mixed, and less attention is given to the rural developing regions. Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data from 2004 to 2015, this study seeks to better understand the effect of Internet use on nutritional intake and health outcomes. Methods: An instrumental variable estimation is used to address endogeneity problem. Results: The results show that Internet use improves the dietary knowledge of rural residents, and thus has a positive impact on dietary quality, such as healthy eating index (HEI) and dietary diversity score (DDS). The higher the dietary quality, the better the nutritional health status. However, results also show that Internet use increases the risk of overweight, and obesity among rural Chinese residents. Because Internet use has significantly reduced the physical activity of rural residents in China. Interestingly, we also find that the Internet increases the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, but there is a positive causal relationship between Internet use and the self-assessment score of health. Discussion: Our findings suggest that there may be a serious lack of awareness of the health risks of chronic diseases among Chinese rural residents. Therefore, policymakers are suggested to consider the possible negative effects when promoting digital development.

A study of the capacity fade of a LiCoO2/graphite battery during the temperature storage process at 45 °C under different SOCs.

Lithium-ion batteries with lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) as a cathode and graphite as an anode are promising energy storage systems. However, the high-temperature storage mechanism under different states of charge (SOCs) conditions in batteries remains inadequately elucidated, and a clear storage policy has yet to be established. This study investigates and compares the capacity decay mechanism of a 63 mA h LiCoO2/graphite battery at 45 °C under various SOCs (100%, 75%, 50%, 30%, 0%), while also analysing the underlying reasons for this decay. The exhibited capacity recovery rates under 30% SOC and 100% SOC were significantly higher compared with those of the 50% and 75% SOC levels. Additionally, an analysis was conducted on battery storage under 0% SOC conditions, revealing its unsuitability for storage. By disassembling and analysing the batteries after storage, it was found that the dead lithium (Li) and cobalt (Co) in the anode gradually increased with the extension of storage time when stored under the same SOC. Finally, storage schemes under different SOCs are proposed, providing valuable suggestions for battery storage.

Plasma oxidative stress marker levels related to functional brain abnormalities in first-episode drug-naive major depressive disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is marked by abnormal brain function and elevated plasma oxidative stress markers. The specific relationship between these factors in MDD remains unclear. In this study, we conducted resting-state fMRI scans on fifty-seven first-episode, drug-naive MDD patients and sixty healthy controls. Plasma levels of oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GSR)) were assessed using ELISA. Our results revealed a positive correlation between plasma SOD and GSR levels in MDD patients and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values in key brain regions-thalamus, anterior cingulate gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus. Further analysis indicated positive correlations between plasma SOD and GSR levels and specific ALFF values in MDD patients without suicidal ideation, with these correlations not significant in MDD patients with suicidal ideation. Additionally, seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between plasma GSR levels and connectivity between the thalamus and insula, while plasma SOD levels showed a positive correlation with connectivity between the thalamus and precuneus. These findings contribute to our understanding of MDD's pathophysiology and heterogeneity, highlighting the association between plasma oxidative stress markers and functional abnormalities in diverse brain regions.

Visual demonstration and prediction of the Hofmeister series based on a poly(ionic liquid) photonic array.

The Hofmeister effect and associated Hofmeister series (HS) are ubiquitous in physicochemical phenomena and have demonstrated fundamental importance in a myriad of fields ranging from chemistry to biology. Visualization of the HS not only helps to straightforwardly understand the underpinning mechanism, but also enables the prediction of new ion positions in the HS and directs the applications of the Hofmeister effect. Owing to the difficulties of sensing and reporting complete multiple and subtle inter- and intramolecular interactions involved in the Hofmeister effect, facile and accurate visual demonstration and prediction of the HS remain highly challenging. Herein, a poly(ionic liquid) (PIL)-based photonic array containing 6 inverse opal microspheres was rationally constructed to efficiently sense and report the ion effects of the HS. The PILs can not only directly conjugate with HS ions due to their ion-exchange properties, but also provide sufficient noncovalent binding diversity with these ions. Meanwhile, subtle PIL-ion interactions can be sensitively amplified to optical signals owing to their photonic structures. Therefore, synergistic integration of PILs and photonic structures gives rise to accurate visualization of the ion effect of the HS, as demonstrated by correctly ranking 7 common anions. More importantly, assisted by principal component analysis (PCA), the developed PIL photonic array can serve as a general platform to facilely, accurately, and robustly predict the HS positions of an unprecedented amount of important and useful anions and cations. These findings indicate that the PIL photonic platform is very promising for addressing challenges in the visual demonstration and prediction of HS and promoting a molecular-level understanding of the Hoffmeister effect.

WMDS.net: a network control framework for identifying key players in transcriptome programs.

MOTIVATION: Mammalian cells can be transcriptionally reprogramed to other cellular phenotypes. Controllability of such complex transitions in transcriptional networks underlying cellular phenotypes is an inherent biological characteristic. This network controllability can be interpreted by operating a few key regulators to guide the transcriptional program from one state to another. Finding the key regulators in the transcriptional program can provide key insights into the network state transition underlying cellular phenotypes. RESULTS: To address this challenge, here, we proposed to identify the key regulators in the transcriptional co-expression network as a minimum dominating set (MDS) of driver nodes that can fully control the network state transition. Based on the theory of structural controllability, we developed a weighted MDS network model (WMDS.net) to find the driver nodes of differential gene co-expression networks. The weight of WMDS.net integrates the degree of nodes in the network and the significance of gene co-expression difference between two physiological states into the measurement of node controllability of the transcriptional network. To confirm its validity, we applied WMDS.net to the discovery of cancer driver genes in RNA-seq datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas. WMDS.net is powerful among various cancer datasets and outperformed the other top-tier tools with a better balance between precision and recall. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://github.com/chaofen123/WMDS.net. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Functional Characterization of Potato UBC13-UEV1s Genes Required for Ubiquitin Lys63 Chain to Polyubiquitination.

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s/UBC) are components of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant (UEV) is one of E2s (ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, UBC) subfamily. The UEVs and UBC13 play an auxiliary role in mediating Lys63-linked polyUb chain assembly, which is correlated with target protein non-proteolytic functions, such as DNA repair or response to stress. However, the collaborative mechanism of StUBC13 (homologue of AtUBC13) and StUEVs (the UEVs in potato) involved in potato are not fully understood understood. Here, we identified two StUBC13 and seven StUEVs from potato genome. We analyzed protein motif and conserved domain, gene structure, phylogenetic features, cis-acting elements of StUBC13 and StUEVs. Subsequently, we screened StUBC13 partners protein and verified interaction between StUBC13 and StUEVs using yeast two-hybrid, split luciferase complementation (SLC) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) approach. The expression profile and qRT-PCR analysis suggested that StUBC13 and StUEVs gene exhibited a tissue-specific expression and were induced by different stress. Overall, this investigative study provides a comprehensive reference and view for further functional research on StUBC13 and StUEV1s in potato.

tRNA-Derived RNA Fragments Are Novel Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Tumor Subtypes in Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are a novel class of small ncRNA that are derived from precursor or mature tRNAs. Recently, the general relevance of their roles and clinical values in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and recurrence have been increasingly highlighted. However, there has been no specific systematic study to elucidate any potential clinical significance for these tRFs in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD), one of the most common and malignant cancers that threatens male health worldwide. Here, we investigate the clinical value of 5'-tRFs in PRAD. METHODS: Small RNA sequencing data were analyzed to discover new 5'-tRFs biomarkers for PRAD. Machine learning algorithms were used to identify 5'-tRF classifiers to distinguish PRAD tumors from normal tissues. LASSO and Cox regression analyses were used to construct 5'-tRF prognostic predictive models. NMF and consensus clustering analyses were performed on 5'-tRF profiles to identify molecular subtypes of PRAD. RESULTS: The overall levels of 5'-tRFs were significantly upregulated in the PRAD tumor samples compared to their adjacent normal samples. tRF classifiers composed of 13 5'-tRFs achieved AUC values as high as 0.963, showing high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing PRAD tumors from normal samples. Multiple 5'-tRFs were identified as being associated with the PRAD prognosis. The tRF score, defined by a set of eight 5'-tRFs, was highly predictive of survival in PRAD patients. The combination of tRF and Gleason scores showed a significantly better performance than the Gleason score alone, suggesting that 5'-tRFs can offer PRAD patients additional and improved prognostic information. Four molecular subtypes of the PRAD tumor were identified based on their 5'-tRF expression profiles. Genetically, these 5'-tRFs PRAD tumor subtypes exhibited distinct genomic landscapes in tumor cells. Clinically, they showed marked differences in survival and clinicopathological features. CONCLUSIONS: 5'-tRFs are potential clinical biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and classification of tumor subtypes on a molecular level. These can help clinicians formulate personalized treatment plans for PRAD patients and may have similar potential applications for other disease types.

A case series of constrictive pericarditis and suggested echocardiographic diagnostic criteria.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis (CP) is challenging as there are currently no standard echocardiographic diagnostic criteria. In this retrospective case series, we analyzed and summarized the features of 25 patients with CP and proposed echocardiographic diagnostic criteria. It is hoped that the suggested criteria help professionals make decisions in their daily practice so that patients receive timely diagnosis and effective treatment. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with CP were selected for this retrospective study. The clinical and echocardiographic imaging data were analyzed and summarized, and echocardiographic diagnostic criteria for CP were proposed. RESULTS: The main clinical manifestations were fatigue, breathlessness, exertional dyspnea (88%), lower-limb edema (84%), hepatomegaly, and jugular vein filling (84%). Echocardiographic features comprised pericardial thickening (88%) and calcification (60%), pulmonary hypertension (52%), inferior vena cava dilation (80%), left and/or right atrial enlargement (100%), diastolic flattening of the left ventricular (LV) posterior wall (72%), septal shudder and bounce (64%), restrictive LV and right ventricular diastolic filling pattern (100%), early filling changes of mitral and tricuspid flow (80% and 60%, respectively), and mitral annulus reversus (73%). CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiography is a simple and valuable examination for CP. The echocardiographic diagnostic criteria are valid and worth promoting.

Electrochemical Construction of Edge-Contacted Metal-Semiconductor Junctions with Low Contact Barrier.

2D semiconductors, such as MoS2 have emerged as promising ultrathin channel materials for the further scaling of field-effect transistors (FETs). However, the contact barrier at the metal-2D semiconductor junctions still significantly limits the device's performance. By extending the application of electrochemical deposition in 2D electronics, a distinct approach is developed for constructing metal-2D semiconductor junctions in an edge-contacted configuration through the edge-guided electrodeposition of varied metals. Both high-resolution microscopic imaging and electrical transport measurements confirm the successful creation of high-quality Pd-2D MoS2 junctions in desired geometry by combining electrodeposition with lithographic patterning. FETs are fabricated on the obtained Pd-2D MoS2 junctions and it is confirmed that these junctions exhibit a reduced contact barrier of ≈20 meV and extremely low contact resistance of 290 Ω µm and thus increase the averaged mobility of MoS2 FETs to ≈108 cm2 V -1 s-1 . This approach paves a new way for the construction of metal-semiconductor junctions and also demonstrates the great potential of the electrochemical deposition technique in 2D electronics.

Genome-wide identification of U-box genes and protein ubiquitination under PEG-induced drought stress in potato.

Protein ubiquitination is one of the most important posttranslational modifications in eukaryotic cells, and it is involved in a variety of biological processes, including abiotic stress response. The ubiquitination modification is highly specific, which depends on the accurate recognition of substrate proteins by ubiquitin ligase. Plant U-box (PUB) proteins are a class of ubiquitin ligases, multiple members of which have shown to participate in water-deficit stress in Arabidopsis and rice. U-box gene family and large-scale profiling of the ubiquitome in potato has not been reported to date, although it is one of the most important food crops. The identified 66 U-box genes from the potato genome database were unevenly distributed on 10 chromosomes. These StPUBs have a large number of tandem repeat sequences. Analysis of gene expression characteristics revealed that many StPUBs responded to abiotic stress. Three hundred and fourteen lys modification sites were identified under PEG-induced drought stress, which were distributed on 200 proteins, with 25 differential ubiquitination modification sites, most of which were up-regulated. The ubiquitination modification in potato protein was enhanced under PEG-induced drought stress, and U-box ubiquitin ligase was involved. This study provides an overall strategy and rich data set to clarify the effects of ubiquitination on potatoes under PEG-induced drought stress and the ubiquitination modification involved in potato U-box genes in response to PEG-induced drought stress.

Exploring a library of water-soluble polymers as abiotic phytoremediation agents for treating (Pseudo)metal ion-contaminated soil.

Herein, we investigate the effect of eleven water-soluble polymers on the growth of Sedum alfredii and its uptake of As, Cd, or Pb in polluted soil in a pot experiment. The polymers selected are generally non-toxic, metal-chelating, and hygroscopic. They also range from acidic (carboxylate-containing polymers) to neutral (e.g. polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol) and to basic (polyethylene imine). It has been found that sodium alginate exhibits a significant growth-promoting effect (as much as ∼8-fold) as determined by plant total dry weight, while all other tested polymers exert either minor growth promotion or a negative effect. To examine the absorption of heavy (pseudo)metals, the pollutant content in above- and below-ground portions of the plant were separately studied by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Among the tested polymers, sodium alginate emerges as the strongest absorption accelerator for all three metal pollutants in the above-ground part of the plant (∼3-4-fold increase over blank), mainly due to promotion of plant growth. On the other hand, polyethylene imine is the most potent inhibitor of metal absorption (10%-51% of blank) due to a combination of plant growth inhibition and absorption deactivation. Polymers with such effects may be used to reduce the contamination of (pseudo)metals in crops.

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization and Expression Analysis of the CIPK Gene Family in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and the Role of StCIPK10 in Response to Drought and Osmotic Stress.

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), one of the most important food crops worldwide, is sensitive to environmental stresses. Sensor-responder complexes comprising calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) not only modulate plant growth and development but also mediate numerous stress responses. Here, using a Hidden Markov Model and BLAST searches, 27 CIPK genes were identified in potato and divided into five groups by phylogenetic analysis and into two clades (intron-poor and intron-rich) by gene structure analysis. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assays revealed that StCIPK genes play important roles in plant growth, development and abiotic stress tolerance. Up-regulated expression of StCIPK10 was significantly induced by drought, PEG6000 and ABA. StCIPK10 enhances both the ability of potato to scavenge reactive oxygen species and the content of corresponding osmoregulation substances, thereby strengthening tolerance to drought and osmotic stress. StCIPK10 is located at the intersection between the abscisic acid and abiotic stress signaling pathways, which control both root growth and stomatal closure in potato. In addition, StCIPK10 interacts with StCBL1, StCBL4, StCBL6, StCBL7, StCBL8, StCBL11 and StCBL12, and is specifically recruited to the plasma membrane by StCBL11.

SUMO conjugating enzyme: a vital player of SUMO pathway in plants.

Plants face numerous challenges such as biotic and abiotic stresses during their whole lifecycle. As they are sessile in nature, they ought to develop multiple ways to act during stressed conditions to maintain cellular homeostasis. Among various defense mechanisms, the small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO) pathway is considered as the most important because several nuclear proteins regulated by this pathway are involved in several cellular functions such as response to stress, transcription, translation, metabolism of RNA, energy metabolism, repairing damaged DNA, ensuring genome stability and nuclear trafficking. In general, the SUMO pathway has its own particular set of enzymes E1, E2, and E3. The SUMO conjugating enzyme [SCE (E2)] is a very crucial member of the pathway which can transfer SUMO to its target protein even without the involvement of E3. More than just a middle player, it has shown its involvement in effective triggered immunity in crops like tomato and various abiotic stresses like drought and salinity in maize, rice, and Arabidopsis. This review tries to explore the importance of the SUMOylation process, focusing on the E2 enzyme and its regulatory role in the abiotic stress response, plant immunity, and DNA damage repair.

Palladium-Catalyzed Desymmetric Intermolecular C-N Coupling Enabled by a Chiral Monophosphine Ligand Derived from Anthracene Photodimer.

The development of chiral ligands with privileged scaffolds plays an important role in transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric reactions. Herein we present anthracene-photodimer-derived chiral monophosphine ligand 1, which features dual chirality and a rigid scaffold. This ligand exhibits remarkable efficiency in Pd-catalyzed desymmetric intermolecular C-N coupling under mild conditions with excellent chemo- and enantioselectivity.

Long Non-Coding RNA FOXD2-AS1 Serves as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker for Patients With Cancer: A Meta-Analysis and Database Testing.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to summarize the current findings concerning the FOXD2-AS1 expression and cancer prognosis. METHODS: The correlation intensity between FOXD2-AS1 expression and cancer prognosis was estimated using pooled hazard ratio (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). GEPIA was used to assess disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of cancer patients and differential FOXD2-AS1 expression in cancer and adjacent tissues. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies including 2,177 patients with OS and 477 patients with DFS/PFS data were analyzed in evidence synthesis. Overall, the pooled analysis indicated that FOXD2-AS1 expression was significantly associated with OS (HR=1.51, 95%Cl: 1.26-1.81, P<0.001) and DFS (HR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.34-2.04, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that high expression of FOXD2-AS1 was significant correlated with poor OS in the median (HR=1.51, 95%CI: 1.30-1.75, P<0.001) and normal group (HR=1.50, 95%CI: 1.09-2.05, 0.01) based on cut-off value, and high FOXD2-AS1 expression was significant linked with poor DFS in patients with digestive tract cancer (DTC) (HR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.34-2.04, P<0.001). Similarly, a significant correlation between increased FOXD2-AS1 expression and poor PFS with other cancers (HR=3.84, 95%CI 1.26-11.70, P=0.02) was found. In database testing, a highly significant correlation was observed between high expression of FOXD2-AS1 and poor OS (HR=1.9, P<0.001), but not DFS (HR=1.0, P=0.900). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that FOXD2-AS1 may serve as a potential independent prognostic factor in cancer, especially in the Chinese population.

Potato E3 ubiquitin ligase PUB27 negatively regulates drought tolerance by mediating stomatal movement.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is one of the main ways of eukaryotic protein degradation and post-translational modification. It has proven as an essential process for plants to respond to abiotic stresses. Plant U-box (PUB) protein acts as a ubiquitin ligase, which recognizes and ubiquitinates the target proteins. Many PUBs have been involved in water stress in Arabidopsis and rice, but similar comprehensive studies in potato remained limited. In this study, the overexpressed and interfered transgenic potato plants of StPUB27 were obtained and their performances were evaluated under osmotic stress. The result showed that overexpression of StPUB27 accelerated the dehydration of detached leaves companied with greater stomatal conductance, while the down-regulated StPUB27 expression by RNA interference (RNAi) showed a smaller stomatal conductance and a lower rate of water loss in detached leaves, thus showing higher tolerance to osmotic stress. In addition, no significant changes in the proline content were observed between StPUB27 overexpressed and RNAi potato plants. The result demonstrated that potato E3 ubiquitin ligase PUB27 may negatively regulate drought tolerance by mediating stomatal conductance.

Genomic Analysis of the SUMO-Conjugating Enzyme and Genes under Abiotic Stress in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

SUMO-conjugating enzymes (SCE) and SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifiers) genes are important components of SUMOylation. SCE has a crucial role during the SUMOylation process which acts as a catalyst to transfer SUMO to the target protein. Comprehensive studies on SCE and SUMO have been performed in some plants, but studies on these genes remain limited in potato. This study is aimed at exploring the role of StSCE and StSUMO genes in abiotic stress conditions. Nine and seven putative StSCEs and StSUMO genes, respectively, were identified using different methods and databases available for potato. Chromosomal localization showed that SCE and StSUMO genes are unevenly distributed on 7 different chromosomes. Potato genome database was accessed for the expression profile of StSCE and StSUMO genes, and these genes were differentially expressed in different tissues and organs during different phases of plant growth. The expression patterns on different treatments were further evaluated using qRT-PCR for all the StSCE and StSUMO genes. The expression was upregulated in StSCE1/5/6 and 7 under salt and PEG treatment. StSUMO 1/2 and 4 were upregulated under salt stress whereas StSCE9 and StSUMO2 and 4 were observed downregulated under PEG treatment. The results of this study could be useful to explore the role of StSCE genes in potato improvement.

miR-874-3p inhibits cell migration through targeting RGS4 in osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: The present study explored the role and mechanism of microRNA-874-3p (miR-874-3p) in the migration of the osteosarcoma cell line, U-2 OS. METHODS: The expression profile of osteosarcoma (OS) microRNA (GSE65071) datasets was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo) to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in OS and its biological functions. A quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the expression of miR-874-3p and its target gene regulator of G protein 4 (RGS4) in human osteosarcoma cells U-2 OS and normal osteoblast hFOB1.19. Plasmid overexpression miR-874-3p and pcDNA-RGS4 were transfected into U-2 OS using Lipofectamine 2000 (Thermo Fisher, Waltham, MA, USA). Cell migration was measured using Transwell migration assays. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to search for the target gene of miR-874-3p. RESULTS: In total, 167 differentially expressed miRNAs were detected after the analysis of GSE65071; of which 78 were up-regulated genes and 89 were down-regulated. miR-874-3p was down-regulated and selected for further analysis. The expression level of miR-874-3p in U-2 OS cells was significantly decreased compared to the hFOB1.19 cell line (p < 0.05). Overexpression of miR-874-3p significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of U-2 OS cells and overexpression of RGS4 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-874-3p on U-2 OS cells. Through luciferase report analyses and bioinformatic analysis, RGS4 may be the candidate target gene of miR-874-3p. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, overexpression of miR-874-3p suppressed OS cell proliferation and migration. Thus, miR-874-3p might present a therapeutic agent for the treatment of OS.

The Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme: An Important Ubiquitin Transfer Platform in Ubiquitin-Proteasome System.

Owing to a sessile lifestyle in nature, plants are routinely faced with diverse hostile environments such as various abiotic and biotic stresses, which lead to accumulation of free radicals in cells, cell damage, protein denaturation, etc., causing adverse effects to cells. During the evolution process, plants formed defense systems composed of numerous complex gene regulatory networks and signal transduction pathways to regulate and maintain the cell homeostasis. Among them, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) is the most versatile cellular signal system as well as a powerful mechanism for regulating many aspects of the cell physiology because it removes most of the abnormal and short-lived peptides and proteins. In this system, the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) plays a critical role in transporting ubiquitin from the ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) to the ubiquitin-ligase enzyme (E3) and substrate. Nevertheless, the comprehensive study regarding the role of E2 enzymes in plants remains unexplored. In this review, the ubiquitination process and the regulatory role that E2 enzymes play in plants are primarily discussed, with the focus particularly put on E2's regulation of biological functions of the cell.

Right ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess right ventricular (RV) diastolic dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) using velocity vector imaging (VVI) and to evaluate the application of VVI technology. METHODS: According to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), 69 patients with OSAS were divided into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe. A total of 35 cases of healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group. Digital images of apex four-chamber views were acquired to measure the peak early diastolic strain rate (RV-SRe), late diastolic strain rate(RV-SRa), and RV-SRe/RV-SRa using VVI. RESULTS: RV-SRe, RV-Sra, and RV-SRe/RV-SRa were decreasing along with the disease severity. RV-SRe, RV-SRe/RV-SRa in moderate and severe OSAS group showed lower than control and mild OSAS groups. RV-SRa in severe OSAS group showed lower than control group. RV-SRe had the best correlation with AHI than other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular diastolic dysfunction starts before the development of heart failure and pulmonary hypertension in patients with OSAS. RV-SRe was the parameter that may reflect subclinical myocardial dysfunction and can better reflect RV diastolic dysfunction.