Prognostic Utility of Left Atrial Strain From MRI Feature Tracking in Ischemic and Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND. MRI-based prognostic evaluation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has historically used markers of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and feature tracking (FT)-derived left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS). Early data indicate that FT-derived left atrial strain (LAS) parameters, including reservoir, conduit, and booster, may also have prognostic roles in such patients. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the prognostic utility of LAS parameters, derived from MRI FT, in patients with ischemic or nonischemic DCM, including in comparison with the traditional parameters of LGE and LVGLS. METHODS. This retrospective study included 811 patients with ischemic or nonischemic DCM (median age, 60 years; 640 men, 171 women) who underwent cardiac MRI at any of five centers. FT-derived LAS parameters and LVGLS were measured using two- and four-chamber cine images. LGE percentage was quantified. Patients were assessed for a composite outcome of all-cause mortality or heart failure hospitalization. Multivariable Cox regression analyses including demographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, medications used, and a wide range of cardiac MRI parameters were performed. Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank tests were also performed. RESULTS. A total of 419 patients experienced the composite outcome. Patients who did, versus those who did not, experience the composite outcome had larger LVGLS (-6.7% vs -8.3%, respectively; p < .001) as well as a smaller LAS reservoir (13.3% vs 19.3%, p < .001), LAS conduit (4.7% vs 8.0%, p < .001), and LAS booster (8.1% vs 10.3%, p < .001) but no significant difference in LGE (10.1% vs 11.3%, p = .51). In multivariable Cox regression analyses, significant independent predictors of the composite outcome included LAS reservoir (HR = 0.96, p < .001) and LAS conduit (HR = 0.91, p < .001). LAS booster and LGE were not significant independent predictors in the models. LVGLS was a significant independent predictor only in a model that initially included LAS booster but not the other LAS parameters. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, all three LAS parameters were significantly associated with the composite outcome (p < .001). CONCLUSION. In this multicenter study, LAS reservoir and LAS conduit were significant independent prognostic markers in patients with ischemic or nonischemic DCM, showing greater prognostic utility than the currently applied markers of LVGLS and LGE. CLINICAL IMPACT. FT-derived LAS analysis provides incremental prognostic information in patients with DCM.

[Role and mechanisms of CHI3L1 in coronary artery lesions in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease-like vasculitis]. / CHI3L1åœ¨å·å´Žç— æ ·è¡€ç®¡ç‚Žå°é¼ æ¨¡åž‹å† çŠ¶åŠ¨è„‰æŸä¼¤ä¸­çš„ä½œç”¨åŠæœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the role and potential mechanisms of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) in coronary artery lesions in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease (KD)-like vasculitis. METHODS: Four-week-old male SPF-grade C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group, with 10 mice in each group. The model group mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 mL of lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE) to establish a mouse model of KD-like vasculitis, while the control group mice were injected with an equal volume of normal saline. The general conditions of the mice were observed on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day after injection. Changes in coronary artery tissue pathology were observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The level of CHI3L1 in mouse serum was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression and localization of CHI3L1, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in coronary artery tissue. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of CHI3L1, vWF, vascular endothelial cadherin (VE cadherin), Caspase-3, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), and phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) in coronary artery tissue. RESULTS: The serum level of CHI3L1 in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the expression of CHI3L1 in the coronary artery tissue was higher, while the expression of vWF was lower in the model group. The relative expression levels of CHI3L1, Bax, Caspase-3, NF-κB, and p-NF-κB were significantly higher in the model group than in the control group (P<0.05). The relative expression levels of vWF, VE cadherin, and Bcl-2 were lower in the model group than in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the LCWE-induced mouse model of KD-like vasculitis, the expression levels of CHI3L1 in serum and coronary arteries increase, and it may play a role in coronary artery lesions through endothelial cell apoptosis mediated by inflammatory reactions.

Effect of Dietary Selenium on the Growth and Immune Systems of Fish.

Dietary selenium (Se) is an essential component that supports fish growth and the immune system. This review attempts to provide insight into the biological impacts of dietary Se, including immunological responses, infection defense, and fish species growth, and it also identifies the routes via which it enters the aquatic environment. Dietary Se is important in fish feed due to its additive, antioxidant, and enzyme properties, which aid in various biological processes. However, excessive intake of it may harm aquatic ecosystems and potentially disrupt the food chain. This review explores the diverse natures of dietary Se, their impact on fish species, and the biological methods for eliminating excesses in aquatic environments. Soil has a potential role in the distribution of Se through erosion from agricultural, industrial, and mine sites. The research on dietary Se's effects on fish immune system and growth can provide knowledge regarding fish health, fish farming strategies, and the health of aquatic ecosystems, promoting the feed industry and sustainable aquaculture. This review provides data and references from various research studies on managing Se levels in aquatic ecosystems, promoting fish conservation, and utilizing Se in farmed fish diets.

[Expression of IGLL1 Gene and Its Clinical Significance in Pediatric T-ALL].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the relative expression of IGLL1 (immunoglobulin lambda-like polypeptide 1) mRNA in bone marrow of children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), and analyze its correlation with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of the patients, so as to clarify the clinical significance of IGLL1 in pediatric T-ALL patients. METHODS: A total of 56 pediatric T-ALL patients hospitalized in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from June 2012 to December 2017 and treated with CCLG-ALL 2008 regimen were selected. Transcriptome sequencing technology was used to detect the transcription level of IGLL1 gene in children with T-ALL. According to 25% of the IGLL1 transcription level (cutoff value:448), the enrolled children were divided into IGLL1 low expression group (17 cases) and IGLL1 high expression group (39 cases). Combined with clinical data, the correlation between the expression level of IGLL1 and prognosis of the patients was analyzed. RESULTS: The comparative analysis showed that the transcription level of IGLL1 was not correlated with the clinical characteristics of the patients, such as sex, age, bone marrow blast, white blood cell (WBC) count at initial diagnosis. The 5-year OS rate of patients with high IGLL1 expression was significantly higher than that of patients with low IGLL1 expression (76.9%±6.7% vs 47.1%±12.1%, P =0.018). Further comparison of relapse-free survival (RFS) rate between the two groups showed that the 5-year RFS rate of patients with high IGLL1 expression was higher than that of patients with low IGLL1 expression, but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P =0.095). Multivariate COX analysis was conducted on common clinical prognostic factors (age, sex, WBC count at diagnosis, prednisone response on the 7th day, bone marrow response on the 15th day after treatment) and IGLL1 expression level, and the results showed that IGLL1 expression (P =0.012) and prednisone response (P =0.017) were independent risk factors for overall survival in pediatric T-ALL patients. CONCLUSION: In pediatric T-ALL, the OS rate of children with high expression of IGLL1 gene was significantly higher than that of children with low expression of IGLL1 gene, and the expression level of IGLL1 gene was an independent factor affecting the survival of children with T-ALL, which suggests that IGLL1 is a marker of good clinical prognosis of children with T-ALL.

Passivation Effect of the Chlorinated Paraffin Added in the Cutting Fluid on the Surface Corrosion Resistance of the Stainless Steel.

Cutting fluids are the most effective method to lower the cutting temperature and decrease the cutting tool wear. At the same time, the cutting fluids influence the corrosion resistance property of the machined surface. In this study, chlorinated paraffin (CP), which is a common additive in the cutting fluid, was selected as the research objective to study its corrosion resistance property. The passivation effect of CP with different concentrations on the machined surface of stainless steel was studied. Electrochemical measurements and surface morphology investigation were used to characterize the passivation effect of CP with different concentrations. The test results showed that the corrosion resistance of stainless steel in the cutting fluid was enhanced with the increase in CP additive. This reason is that the charge transfer resistance increases and the corrosion current density decreases with the increase in CP additive. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the proportion of metal oxides on the processed surface of the stainless steel sample was increased from 20.4% to 22.0%, 32.9%, 26.6%, and 31.1% after adding 1 mL, 2 mL, 4 mL and 6 mL CP in the cutting fluid with a total volume of 500 mL, respectively. The oxidation reaction between CP and the stainless steel sample resulted in an increase in metal oxides proportion, which prevented the stainless steel sample from corrosion in cutting fluid.

Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation versus escitalopram for mild-to-moderate depression: An assessor-blinded, randomized, non-inferiority trial.

AIM: Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS) is a novel non-invasive therapy that stimulates acupoints innervated by the trigeminal and auricular vagus nerves. An assessor-blinded, randomized, non-inferiority trial was designed to compare the efficacy of TECAS and escitalopram in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder. METHODS: 468 participants received two TECAS sessions per day at home (n = 233) or approximately 10-13 mg/day escitalopram (n = 235) for 8 weeks plus 4-week follow-up. The primary outcome was clinical response, defined as a baseline-to-endpoint ≥50% reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score. Secondary outcomes included remission rate, changes in the severity of depression, anxiety, sleep and life quality. RESULTS: The response rate was 66.4% on TECAS and 63.2% on escitalopram with a 3.2% difference (95% confidence interval [CI], -5.9% to 12.9%) in intention-to-treat analysis, and 68.5% versus 66.2% with a 2.3% difference (95% CI, -6.9% to 11.4%) in per-protocol analysis. The lower limit of 95% CI of the differences fell within the prespecified non-inferiority margin of -10% (P ≤ 0.004 for non-inferiority). Most secondary outcomes did not differ between the two groups. TECAS-treated participants who experienced psychological trauma displayed a markedly greater response than those without traumatic experience (81.3% vs 62.1%, P = 0.013). TECAS caused much fewer adverse events than escitalopram. CONCLUSIONS: TECAS was comparable to escitalopram in improving depression and related symptoms, with high acceptability, better safety profile, and particular efficacy in reducing trauma-associated depression. It could serve an effective portable therapy for mild-to-moderate depression.

Super-enhancer profiling identifies novel critical and targetable cancer survival gene LYL1 in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a myeloid neoplasm makes up 7.6% of hematopoietic malignancies. Super-enhancers (SEs) represent a special group of enhancers, which have been reported in multiple cell types. In this study, we explored super-enhancer profiling through ChIP-Seq analysis of AML samples and AML cell lines, followed by functional analysis. METHODS: ChIP-seq analysis for H3K27ac was performed in 11 AML samples, 7 T-ALL samples, 8 B-ALL samples, and in NB4 cell line. Genes and pathways affected by GNE-987 treatment were identified by gene expression analysis using RNA-seq. One of the genes associated with super-enhancer and affected by GNE-987 treatment was LYL1 basic helix-loop-helix family member (LYL1). shRNA mediated gene interference was used to down-regulate the expression of LYL1 in AML cell lines, and knockdown efficiency was detected by RT-qPCR and western blotting. The effect of knockdown on the growth of AML cell lines was evaluated by CCK-8. Western blotting was used to detect PARP cleavage, and flow cytometry were used to determine the effect of knockdown on apoptosis of AML cells. RESULTS: We identified a total of 200 genes which were commonly associated with super-enhancers in ≧10 AML samples, and were found enriched in regulation of transcription. Using the BRD4 inhibitor GNE-987, we assessed the dependence of AML cells on transcriptional activation for growth and found GNE-987 treatment predominantly inhibits cell growth in AML cells. Moreover, 20 candidate genes were selected by super-enhancer profile and gene expression profile and among which LYL1 was observed to promote cell growth and survival in human AML cells. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we identified 200 common super-enhancer-associated genes in AML samples, and a series of those genes are cancer genes. We also found GNE-987 treatment downregulates the expression of super-enhancer-associated genes in AML cells, including the expression of LYL1. Further functional analysis indicated that LYL1 is required for AML cell growth and survival. These findings promote understanding of AML pathophysiology and elucidated an important role of LYL1 in AML progression.

Development of an in vitro culture system for immature oocytes of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii).

The present study assessed general strategies for the isolation and in vitro culture of immature ovary-derived cells (oocytes) in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). In phase 1 of this study, the effects of different digestive enzymes on cell retrieval from developing ovarian tissues were examined to facilitate efficient oocyte isolation. Subsequently, the ovary-derived cells/oocytes were cultured under various conditions to evaluate the effects of basal media and supplement concentrations. Collagenase I treatment at 26 ℃ for 25 min was more effective (approx. 95 %) in oocytes isolation from ovarian tissues than other treatments. Furthermore, DMEM media with HEPES (DMEM-H) were more effective than L15 for oocyte culture (72.4 % survival rate), while oocyte survival improved to 90.6 % using a 10 % fetal bovine serum supplement. In phase 2, the top-performing media were used in immature oocyte culture to assess 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) induction in vitro. An up-regulated expression of maturity-related genes, i.e., cyclin B, cdc2, ef1α, after 12 h of incubation was evident in qPCR results, demonstrating that the exogenous hormone 17-OHP could induce P. clarkii oocyte maturation in vitro. These results may provide a basis for developing an in vitro system for P. clarkii germline cell culture, which may ultimately lead to the genetic improvement of this species.

16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis reveals an imbalance in the intestinal flora of Eriocheir sinensis with hepatopancreatic necrosis disease.

Hepatopancreas necrosis disease (HPND) is a highly fatal disease that first appeared in Jiangsu Province, China, in 2015, and later spread to many other provinces, which had a severe impact on the culture of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). Here, changes in the intestinal flora of healthy and HPND-affected Chinese mitten crabs were compared via 16S rRNA sequencing. Our findings indicated that Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria were the three dominant phyla in both healthy and HPND-affected crabs and exhibited no significant differences in α-diversity (richness p = 0.0892; evenness and diversity p = 0.0630). Furthermore, there were no significant changes in the abundance of Proteobacteria between the experimental groups. However, the abundance of Bacteroidota in the HPND group was significantly higher than that of the control group (HPND: 30.12%, Control: 16.60%), whereas the abundance of Firmicutes was significantly lower (HPND: 29.90%, Control: 50.55%). At the genus level, the abundance of Candidatus Bacilloplasma, Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides, and Aeromonas also differed significantly between groups (P < 0.05). Collectively, our study confirms an imbalance in the gut microbiota of Chinese mitten crabs with HPND and we speculate that this alteration may affect the metabolism and immune function of these organisms. Furthermore, we suspect that the structural changes in the intestinal flora of sick crabs observed in our study may be related to HPND.

PcVDAC promotes WSSV infection by regulating the apoptotic activity of haemocytes in Procambarus clarkii.

Apoptosis is programmed cell death that is strictly regulated by a series of related genes and is of great importance in resisting pathogen invasion and maintaining cell environment homeostasis. Among apoptotic proteins, the voltage-dependent anion channel protein (VDAC) plays a key role in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway because of its close connection with changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. However, the role of VDAC in apoptosis and immune regulation in Procambarus clarkii is poorly understood. In this study, the VDAC gene in P. clarkii (PcVDAC) was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology. The gene was found to have a total length of 2277 bp, including a 194-bp 5'-UTR, 1234-bp 3'-UTR and 849-bp open reading frame (ORF), and to encode 282 amino acids. PcVDAC was expressed in all tissues tested, and its expression was upregulated after white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection (P < 0.05). The RNA interference (RNAi) method was used to explore the role of PcVDAC in WSSV infection. The results showed that the number of WSSV copies in haemocytes was significantly reduced after RNAi (P < 0.05), and the survival rate was significantly increased. In addition, after RNAi, the apoptosis rate was significantly increased (P < 0.05), the mitochondrial membrane potential was reduced (P < 0.01), and the expression of caspase-3 and other genes was upregulated (P < 0.05). These results indicate that PcVDAC promotes the replication of WSSV in P. clarkii by inhibiting haemocytes apoptosis. Therefore, the results presented in this paper provide new insights into the immune response of P. clarkii infected with WSSV.

Policy Design for COVID-19: Worldwide Evidence on the Efficacies of Early Mask Mandates and Other Policy Interventions.

To understand the extent to which a policy instrument's early adoption is crucial in crisis management, we leverage unique worldwide data that record the daily evolution of policy mandate adoptions and COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. The analysis shows that the mask mandate is consistently associated with lower infection rates in the short term, and its early adoption boosts the long-term efficacy. By contrast, the other five policy instruments-domestic lockdowns, international travel bans, mass gathering bans, and restaurant and school closures-show weaker efficacy. Governments prepared for a public health crisis with stronger resilience or capacity and those with stronger collectivist cultures were quicker to adopt nationwide mask mandates. From a policy design perspective, policymakers must avoid overreacting with less effective instruments and underreacting with more effective ones during uncertain times, especially when interventions differ in efficacy and cost.

CEBPG promotes acute myeloid leukemia progression by enhancing EIF4EBP1.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a myeloid neoplasm accounts for 7.6% of hematopoietic malignancies. AML is a complex disease, and understanding its pathophysiology is contributing to the improvement in the treatment and prognosis of AML. In this study, we assessed the expression profile and molecular functions of CCAAT enhancer binding protein gamma (CEBPG), a gene implicated in myeloid differentiation and AML progression. METHODS: shRNA mediated gene interference was used to down-regulate the expression of CEBPG in AML cell lines, and knockdown efficiency was detected by RT-qPCR and western blotting. The effect of knockdown on the growth of AML cell lines was evaluated by CCK-8. Western blotting was used to detect PARP cleavage, and flow cytometry were used to determine the effect of knockdown on apoptosis of AML cells. Genes and pathways affected by knockdown of CEBPG were identified by gene expression analysis using RNA-seq. One of the genes affected by knockdown of CEBPG was Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (EIF4EBP1), a known repressor of translation. Knockdown of EIF4EBP1 was used to assess its potential role in AML progression downstream of CEBPG. RESULTS: We explored the ChIP-Seq data of AML cell lines and non-AML hematopoietic cells, and found CEBPG was activated through its distal enhancer in AML cell lines. Using the public transcriptomic dataset, the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and western blotting, we also found CEBPG was overexpressed in AML. Moreover, we observed that CEBPG promotes AML cell proliferation by activating EIF4EBP1, thus contributing to the progression of AML. These findings indicate that CEBPG could act as a potential therapeutic target for AML patients. CONCLUSION: In summary, we systematically explored the molecular characteristics of CEBPG in AML and identified CEBPG as a potential therapeutic target for AML patients. Our findings provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of AML and indicate a key role for CEBPG in promoting AML progression.

MI-773, a breaker of the MDM2/p53 axis, exhibits anticancer effects in neuroblastoma via downregulation of INSM1.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common pediatric malignancy associated with poor outcomes. Recent studies have shown that murine double minute2 homolog (MDM2) protein inhibitors are promising anticancer agents. MI-773 is a novel and specific antagonist of MDM2, however, the molecular mechanism of its anti-NB activity remains unclear. NB cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay following MI-773 treatment. Cell cycle progression was analyzed using PI staining and apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V/PI staining. The molecular mechanisms by which MI-773 exerted its effects were investigated using a microarray. The results showed that disturbance of the MDM2/p53 axis by MI-773 resulted in potent suppression of proliferation, induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in NB cells. In addition, microarray analysis showed that MI-773 led to significant downregulation of genes involved in the G2/M phase checkpoint and upregulation of hallmark gene associated with the p53 pathway. Meanwhile, knockdown of insulinoma-associated 1 decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of NB cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that MI-773 exhibited high selectivity and blockade affinity for the interaction between MDM2 and TP53 and may serve as a novel strategy for the treatment of NB.

Lipidomic profiling of the developing kernel clarifies the lipid metabolism of Paeonia ostii.

Lipid components in the developing kernel of Paeonia ostii were determined, and the fatty acid (FA) distributions in triacylglycerol and phospholipids were characterized. The lipids in the kernel were mainly phospholipids (43%), neutral glycerides (24%), fatty acyls (26%), and sphingolipids (4.5%). The dominant neutral glycerides were TAG and diacylglycerol. The PL components included phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. As the kernel developed, the profiles of the molecular species comprising TAG and PL changed, especially during the earlier phases of oil accumulation. During rapid oil accumulation, the abundances of sphingosine-1-phosphate, pyruvic acid, stearic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid changed significantly; the sphingolipid metabolism and unsaturated FAs biosynthesis pathways were significantly enriched in these differentially abundant metabolites. Our results improve our understanding of lipid accumulation in tree peony seeds, and provide a framework for the analysis of lipid metabolisms in other oil crops.

Transcriptomic analysis of α-linolenic acid content and biosynthesis in Paeonia ostii fruits and seeds.

BACKGROUND: Paeonia ostii is a potentially important oilseed crop because its seed yield is high, and the seeds are rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ALA biosynthesis during seed kernel, seed testa, and fruit pericarp development in this plant are unclear. We used transcriptome data to address this knowledge gap. RESULTS: Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry indicated that ALA content was highest in the kernel, moderate in the testa, and lowest in the pericarp. Therefore, we used RNA-sequencing to compare ALA synthesis among these three tissues. We identified 227,837 unigenes, with an average length of 755 bp. Of these, 1371 unigenes were associated with lipid metabolism. The fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis and metabolism pathways were significantly enriched during the early stages of oil accumulation in the kernel. ALA biosynthesis was significantly enriched in parallel with increasing ALA content in the testa, but these metabolic pathways were not significantly enriched during pericarp development. By comparing unigene transcription profiles with patterns of ALA accumulation, specific unigenes encoding crucial enzymes and transcription factors (TFs) involved in de novo FA biosynthesis and oil accumulation were identified. Specifically, the bell-shaped expression patterns of genes encoding SAD, FAD2, FAD3, PDCT, PDAT, OLE, CLE, and SLE in the kernel were similar to the patterns of ALA accumulation in this tissue. Genes encoding BCCP, BC, KAS I- III, and FATA were also upregulated during the early stages of oil accumulation in the kernel. In the testa, the upregulation of the genes encoding SAD, FAD2, and FAD3 was followed by a sharp increase in the concentrations of ALA. In contrast, these genes were minimally expressed (and ALA content was low) throughout pericarp development. CONCLUSIONS: We used three tissues with high, moderate, and low ALA concentrations as an exemplar system in which to investigate tissue-specific ALA accumulation mechanisms in P. ostii. The genes and TFs identified herein might be useful targets for future studies of ALA accumulation in the tree peony. This study also provides a framework for future studies of FA biosynthesis in other oilseed plants.

Transcriptomic analysis of Procambarus clarkii affected by "Black May" disease.

Each year from April to May, high mortality rates are reported in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) cultured in Jiangsu and other regions, in China, and this phenomenon has come to be known as "Black May" disease (BMD). Therefore, in order to investigate the possible causes of this disease, this study gathered BMD-affected P. clarkii samples and performed transcriptome analysis on hepatopancreas, gill, and muscle tissues. A total of 19,995,164, 149,212,804, and 222,053,848 clean reads were respectively obtained from the gills, muscle, and hepatopancreas of BMD-affected P. clarkii, and 114,024 unigenes were identified. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in gill, muscle, and hepatopancreas was 1703, 964, and 476, respectively. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs were then conducted. Based on KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, the most significantly differentially expressed pathways were mainly those involved with metabolism, human disease, and cellular processes. Further analysis of the significantly DEGs revealed that they were mainly related to the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway and that the expression of these DEGs was mostly down-regulated. Moreover, the expression of genes related to immune and metabolism-related pathways was also significantly down-regulated, and these significantly-inhibited pathways were the likely causes of P. clarkii death. Therefore, our results provide a basis for the identification of BMD causes.

X-Linked Hyper IgM Syndrome Manifesting as Recurrent Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia: A Case Report.

We reported a Chinese boy with X-linked hyper IgM (XHIGM) syndrome, manifesting as recurrent and severe pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii. His parents were healthy and unrelated. In August 2018, the 5-month-old boy manifested as cough and dyspnea, and then in July 2019, he was admitted because of the same symptoms. Immunological results of the two admissions both showed low IgG, low IgA, normal IgM and high levels of 1,3-ß-D-glucan (BDG). Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), great reading counts of P. jirovecii were identified from the deep sputum in both admissions. Caspofungin combined with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were used to anti-infection, and he recovered quickly. Whole-exome sequencing was performed for this family because of immune suppression, the disease-causing gene (exon 10-22 of CD40L) deletion for XHIGM syndrome was identified. NGS is beneficial for etiology diagnosis. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia as an opportunistic infection could be recurrent in patients with XHIGM syndrome.

Gut microbiota of red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii in integrated crayfish-rice cultivation model.

Increasing evidences suggest that intestinal microbiota balance closely correlated with host's health status could affected by external environment. Integrated crayfish-rice cultivation model is a highly efficient artificial ecosystem widely practiced in subtropical China. Less information is available to estimate the influence response to the micro-ecology of crayfish intestine and so as to influence the biological processes. Thus, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing approach was employed to investigate the composition diversity and functions of bacterial community in the intestines of Procambarus clarkii farmed within this model. Results exhibited the highly diversity of microflora with dominant phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The genera of Candidatus Bacilloplasma and Ornithinibacter were presented as predominant population much exceeds in richness comparing to that of other genus. Despite the highly diversity in the bacterial community, the predicted functions indicated relative consistent in biological processing pathway. Collectively, significant richness of genes was observed involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism and membrane transport processing. This study would contribute to the understanding of the impact of growth conditions on host-microbiota relation especially in aquatic animals.

Proteomic analysis for identifying the differences in molecular profiling between fanconi anaemia and aplastic anaemia.

Treatment and prognosis of Fanconi anaemia (FA) and acquired aplastic anaemia (AA) differ. However, delayed and inappropriate treatments are administered in FA due to its similarities to AA in presentation. The objective of the current study was to elucidate differences between the molecular mechanisms underlying FA and AA as well as to identify biomarkers and pathways associated with FA via bioinformatics analyses. Proteomic data were obtained from bone marrow samples of patients with FA and AA. Gene ontology analysis was performed using a Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted using the ClueGO plug-in in Cytoscape. A DEP-associated protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING and visualized in Cytoscape. A total of 114 DEPs, including 71 upregulated proteins and 43 downregulated proteins, were present in the FA samples, compared with those in the AA samples. Upregulated proteins were enriched in the nucleosome assembly, canonical glycolysis, glycolytic process, and the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, whereas downregulated proteins were enriched in relation to immune response, negative regulation of apoptosis, proteolysis and CoA biosynthesis. Eight hub proteins with a high degree of connectivity were obtained as follows: alpha-enolase (ENO1), HSP90AA1, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), HSP90AB1, ACTC1, ACTBL2, EEF1A1 and CFL1. Upregulation of ENO1 and CFL1 in patients with FA was confirmed through a WB experiment, and substantiated by the results of data analyses. Bioinformatics analyses are useful for identification of biomarkers and pathways associated with FA and AA. Some crucial DEPs, such as ENO1, PGK1, ACTC1, ACTBL2, EEF1A1 and CFL1, may play an important role in FA and show potential as serological markers for its early diagnosis.

[Value of three scoring systems in evaluating the prognosis of children with severe sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the predictive value of Pediatric Age-adapted Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (pSOFA), Pediatric Risk of Mortality Score III (PRISM III), and Pediatric Critical Illness Score (PCIS) in children with severe sepsis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 193 hospitalized children with severe sepsis. According to the final outcome, these children were divided into a survival group with 151 children and a death group with 42 children. The scores of pSOFA, PRISM III, and PCIS were determined according to the worst values of each index within 24 hours after admission. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the efficiency of each scoring system in predicting the risk of death due to sepsis. Smooth curve fitting was used to analyze the correlation between the three scoring systems and the threshold effect of each scoring system. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the application value of each scoring system. RESULTS: The ROC analysis showed that PCIS and pSOFA had a similar predictive value (P=0.182) and that PRISM III and pSOFA had a similar predictive value (P=0.210), while PRISM III had a better predictive value than PCIS (P=0.045). PRISM III had the highest degree of fitting with prognosis, followed by pSOFA and PCIS. The DCA analysis showed that when the risk of death was 0.4 and 0.6 in children with severe sepsis and the three scoring systems were used as the basis for emergency intervention decision-making, pSOFA achieved the highest standardized net benefit, followed by PRISM III and PCIS. CONCLUSIONS: All three scoring systems have a certain value in predicting the prognosis of children with severe sepsis, and pSOFA has a better value than PRISM III and PCIS.