Plastome evolution of Engelhardia facilitates phylogeny of Juglandaceae.

BACKGROUND: Engelhardia (Juglandaceae) is a genus of significant ecological and economic importance, prevalent in the tropics and subtropics of East Asia. Although previous efforts based on multiple molecular markers providing profound insights into species delimitation and phylogeography of Engelhardia, the maternal genome evolution and phylogeny of Engelhardia in Juglandaceae still need to be comprehensively evaluated. In this study, we sequenced plastomes from 14 samples of eight Engelhardia species and the outgroup Rhoiptelea chiliantha, and incorporated published data from 36 Juglandaceae and six outgroup species to test phylogenetic resolution. Moreover, comparative analyses of the plastomes were conducted to investigate the plastomes evolution of Engelhardia and the whole Juglandaceae family. RESULTS: The 13 Engelhardia plastomes were highly similar in genome size, gene content, and order. They exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, with lengths from 161,069 bp to 162,336 bp. Three mutation hotspot regions (TrnK-rps16, ndhF-rpl32, and ycf1) could be used as effective molecular markers for further phylogenetic analyses and species identification. Insertion and deletion (InDels) may be an important driving factor for the evolution of plastomes in Juglandoideae and Engelhardioideae. A total of ten codons were identified as the optimal codons in Juglandaceae. The mutation pressure mostly contributed to shaping codon usage. Seventy-eight protein-coding genes in Juglandaceae experienced relaxed purifying selection, only rpl22 and psaI genes showed positive selection (Ka/Ks > 1). Phylogenetic results fully supported Engelhardia as a monophyletic group including two sects and the division of Juglandaceae into three subfamilies. The Engelhardia originated in the Late Cretaceous and diversified in the Late Eocene, and Juglandaceae originated in the Early Cretaceous and differentiated in Middle Cretaceous. The phylogeny and divergence times didn't support rapid radiation occurred in the evolution history of Engelhardia. CONCLUSION: Our study fully supported the taxonomic treatment of at the section for Engelhardia species and three subfamilies for Juglandaceae and confirmed the power of phylogenetic resolution using plastome sequences. Moreover, our results also laid the foundation for further studying the course, tempo and mode of plastome evolution of Engelhardia and the whole Juglandaceae family.

Diagnostic potential of soluble ST2 and D-dimer for Stanford Type B aortic dissection and intramural aortic hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) and intramural aortic hematoma (IMH) are common manifestations of Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS), exhibiting overlapping clinical features. The timely and accurate diagnosis and differentiation between TBAD and IMH are critical for appropriate management. Tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) and D-dimer have been shown to elevate levels in both TBAD and IMH, making them valuable as "rule-out" markers. Hence, we aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of sST2 and D-dimer in distinguishing TBAD from IMH. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed serum levels of sST2 and D-dimer in 182 AAS patients, comprising 90 TBAD cases, 92 IMH cases, and 90 non-AAS cases. Serial measurements were taken at 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 72 h post-admission. Comparative analyses were conducted between TBAD and non-AAS cases, IMH and non-AAS cases, and TBAD and IMH cases. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sST2 and D-dimer in identifying TBAD or IMH cases. RESULTS: Both TBAD and IMH patients displayed elevated levels of sST2 and D-dimer compared to non-AAS cases. Notably, sST2 levels were significantly higher in TBAD patients than in IMH patients, whereas D-dimer levels exhibited moderate differences. TBAD patients tended to exhibit elevated levels of either sST2 or D-dimer, with a modest correlation between the two (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.3614). In contrast, IMH patients showed elevations in both markers, with a positive correlation between them (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.6814). The ROC analysis revealed that both sST2 (AUC, 0.657; 95 % CI, 0.552-0.753; cutoff value, 27.54 ng/ml) and D-dimer (AUC, 0.695; 95 % CI, 0.591-0.787, cutoff value, 1.215 ng/ml) demonstrated favorable diagnostic performance for TBAD. sST2 exhibited a sensitivity of 80.92 % and a specificity of 75.00 %, while D-dimer showed a sensitivity of 80.92 % and a specificity of 75.00 %. For the diagnosis of IMH, the combined assessment of sST2 and D-dimer (AUC, 0.674; 95 % CI, 0.599-0.768; sensitivity, 69.20 %; specificity, 80.00 %) proved effective. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that both sST2 and D-dimer show diagnostic potential for TBAD. Elevated levels of either serve as an indicator of TBAD onset. However, concurrent elevation of both markers seems to be indicative of IMH. The combination of increased sST2 and D-dimer levels demonstrates strong diagnostic performance in identifying IMH cases.

Species delimitation in Amana (Liliaceae): transcriptomes battle with evolutionary complexity.

Species delimitation has long been a subject of controversy, and there are many alternative concepts and approaches used to define species in plants. The genus Amana (Liliaceae), known as "East Asian tulips" has a number of cryptic species and a huge genome size (1C = 21.48-57.35 pg). It also is intriguing how such a spring ephemeral genus thrives in subtropical areas. However, phylogenetic relationships and species delimitation within Amana are challenging. Here we included all species and 84 populations of Amana, which are collected throughout its distribution range. A variety of methods were used to clarify its species relationships based on a combination of morphological, ecological, genetic, evolutionary and phylogenetic species concepts. This evidence supports the recognition of at least 12 species in Amana. Moreover, we explored the complex evolutionary history within the genus and detected several historical hybridization and introgression events based on phylogenetic trees (transcriptomic and plastid), phylonetworks, admixture and ABBA-BABA analyses. Morphological traits have undergone parallel evolution in the genus. This spring ephemeral genus might have originated from a temperate region, yet finally thrives in subtropical areas, and three hypotheses about its adaptive evolution are proposed for future testing. In addition, we propose a new species, Amana polymorpha, from eastern Zhejiang Province, China. This research also demonstrates that molecular evidence at the genome level (such as transcriptomes) has greatly improved the accuracy and reasonability of species delimitation and taxon classification.

Circ_BLNK is a Unique Molecular Marker in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are characterized by distant metastasis and poor prognosis. Growing evidence has implied that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in multiple tumor progression, including NSCLC. The objective of the present study was to functionally dissect the role and mechanism of circ_BLNK in NSCLC development and progression. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression of circ_BLNK, miR-942-5p, and forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) in NSCLC tissues and cells. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay and colony formation assay detected cell proliferation; the protein expression levels were tested by western blot assay; cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, and transwell assay detected cell migration and invasion. The molecular targeting relationship was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effect of circ_BLNK overexpression on tumor growth was detected by in vivo experiments and immunohistochemistry. Circ_BLNK was dramatically decreased in NSCLC, and overexpression of circ_BLNK inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells and promoted cell apoptosis. Circ_BLNK level was negatively correlated with miR-942-5p expression and positively correlated with FOXO1 expression. Moreover, circ_BLNK acted as a sponge for miR-942-5p, which targeted FOXO1. Rescue assays presented that miR-942-5p reversed the anticancer action of circ_BLNK in NSCLC. Besides that, miR-942-5p inhibition suppressed the oncogenic behaviors, which were attenuated by FOXO1 knockdown. Animal experiments exhibited that circ_BLNK upregulation repressed tumor growth in vivo. Our study demonstrated a novel regulatory mechanism that circ_BLNK/miR-942-5p/FOXO1 axis adjusted non-small cell lung cancer development.

Octanal enhances disease resistance in postharvest citrus fruit by the biosynthesis and metabolism of aromatic amino acids.

Octanal was found to be able to reduce green mold incidence in citrus fruit by a defense response mechanism. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. Herein, the metabolomics, RNA-seq and biochemical analyses were integrated to explore the effect of octanal on disease resistance in harvested citrus fruit. Results showed that octanal fumigation at 40 µL L-1 was effective in controlling citrus green mold. Metabolomics analysis showed that octanal mainly led to the accumulation of some plant hormones including methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, indole-3-butyric acid, indoleacetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid, and gibberellic acid and many phenylpropanoid metabolites including cinnamyl alcohol, hesperidin, dihydrokaempferol, vanillin, quercetin-3-O-malonylglucoside, curcumin, naringin, chrysin, coniferin, calycosin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside, trans-cinnamaldehyde, and 4',5,7-trihydroxy-3,6-dimethoxyflavone. Particularly, IAA and hesperidin were dramatically accumulated in the peel, which might be the contributors to the resistance response. Additionally, transcriptome analysis showed that octanal greatly activated the biosynthesis and metabolism of aromatic amino acids. This was further verified by the accumulation of some metabolites (shikimic acid, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, IAA, total phenolics, flavonoids and lignin), increase in some enzyme activities (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, tyrosine ammonia-lyase, 4-coumarate CoA ligase, cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase), up-regulation of some genes (tryptophan pyruvate aminotransferase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, shikimate kinase and shikimate dehydrogenase) expressions and molecular docking results. Thus, these results indicate that octanal is an efficient strategy for the control of postharvest green mold by triggering the defense response in citrus fruit.

Sex-specific outbreeding advantages and sexual dimorphism in the seedlings of dioecious trees.

PREMISE: Dioecious trees are important components of many forest ecosystems. Outbreeding advantage and sexual dimorphism are two major mechanisms that explain the persistence of dioecious plants; however, they have rarely been studied in dioecious trees. METHODS: We investigated the influence of sex and genetic distance between parental trees (GDPT) on the growth and functional traits of multiple seedlings of a dioecious tree, Diospyros morrisiana. RESULTS: We found significant positive relationships between GDPT and seedling sizes and tissue density. However, the positive outbreeding effects on seedling growth mainly manifested in female seedlings, but were not prominent in males. Among seedlings, the male ones generally had higher biomass and leaf area than female seedlings, but such differences diminished as GDPT increased. CONCLUSIONS: Our research highlights that outbreeding advantage in plants can be sex-specific and that sexual dimorphism begins from the seedling stage of dioecious trees.

Effects of tree sex, maturity, local abiotic, and biotic neighborhoods on the growth of a subtropical dioecious tree species Diospyros morrisiana.

PREMISE: Understanding the drivers of the growth in long-lived woody trees is the key to predicting their responses to and maintaining their populations under global change. However, the role of tree sex and differential investment to reproduction are often not considered in models of individual tree growth, despite many gymnosperm and angiosperm species having separate male and female sexes. Thus, better models of tree growth should include tree sex and life stage along with the abiotic and biotic neighborhoods. METHODS: We used a sex-specific molecular marker to determine the sex of 2188 individual trees >1 cm DBH of the dioecious tree species Diospyros morrisiana in a 50-ha subtropical forest plot in China. We used long-term census data from about 300,000 trees, together with 625 soil samples and 2352 hemispherical photographs to characterize the spatially explicit biotic and abiotic neighborhoods. RESULTS: We found a male-biased effective sex ratio and a female-biased overall population sex ratio of D. morrisiana. No sex spatial segregation was detected for the overall population, mature, or immature trees. Immature trees grew faster than mature trees and females grew slower than males. Further, conspecific neighbors significantly decreased tree growth, while the abiotic neighborhood showed no significant effect. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that variation in resource allocation patterns within and across individual trees of different sexes and life-history stages should be more widely accounted for in models of tree growth. In addition, our study highlights the importance of sex-specific molecular markers for studying populations of long-lived dioecious tree species.

Expression and bioinformatics analysis of RPL38 protein and mRNA in gastric cancer.

We aimed to clarify the expression of RPL38 in gastric cancer, explore the relationship between the expression level of RPL38 and the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer patients, and explore whether RPL38 has the potential to be used as a therapeutic target for gastric cancer and a biomarker for assessing prognosis. The mRNA and protein expression of RPL38 in gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues were compared by TIMER, Kaplan-Meier plotter, CCLE and UALCAN databases, respectively. Next, the relationship between the expression level of RPL38 in gastric cancer tissues and clinicopathological features was analysed using the UALCAN database. The Kaplan-Meier plotter database was then used to predict the prognostic value of RPL38 in gastric cancer patients, and overall survival curves were plotted based on the follow-up information of clinical specimens. The relationship between RPL38 expression and the level of immune infiltration in gastric cancer was explored using the TIMER database. Finally, co-expression analysis as well as enrichment analysis of RPL38 was performed using LinkedOmics database and GSEA, respectively. Through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry experiments, we comprehensively concluded that RPL38 was highly expressed in gastric cancer. Univariate analysis showed that TNM stage (P=0.008), radiotherapy (P=0.02), and RPL38 expression level (P=0.0006) were associated with prognosis. Multifactorial analysis showed that RPL38 expression level (P=0.019), TNM stage (P=0.015) and radiotherapy (P=0.039) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of gastric cancer. Gastric cancer patients with high expression of RPL38 had poorer OS. In addition, RPL38 was associated with immune infiltration in gastric cancer. RPL38 is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues, and RPL38 protein plays an important role in the development of gastric cancer, which is one of the important factors in assessing the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

The development of single-chain antibody anchored on the BmE cell membrane to inhibit BmNPV infection.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) poses a significant threat to sericulture production, and traditional sanitation practices remain the main strategy for controlling BmNPV infection. Although RNAi targeting BmNPV genes engineered into transgenic silkworms has shown to be a promising approach in reducing viral infection, it cannot block viral entry into host cells. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new effective prevention and control measures. In this study, we screened a monoclonal antibody 6C5 that potently neutralizes BmNPV infection by clamping the internal fusion loop of the BmNPVglycoprotein64 (GP64). Furthermore, we cloned the VH and VL fragments of mAb-6C5 from the hybridoma cell, and the eukaryotic expression vector of scFv6C5 was constructed to anchor the antibody on the cell membrane. The GP64 fusion loop antibody-expressing cells exhibited a reduced capacity for BmNPV infection. The results from our study provide a novel BmNPV control strategy and lay the foundation for the future development of transgenic silkworms with improved antiviral efficacy.

Integrated transcriptomic-metabolomic analysis reveals that cinnamaldehyde exposure positively regulates the phenylpropanoid pathway in postharvest Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu).

Previously, wax + cinnamaldehyde (WCA) was proven to be able to effectively alleviate fruit decay and induce resistance in harvested Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu). However, the potential molecular mechanism is largely unknown. In the present study, transcriptomics, metabolomics and biochemical analyses were combined to clarify this process. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the expression of genes involved in secondary metabolites and related to pathogenesis and the phenylpropanoid pathway were significantly influenced by WCA treatment. In addition, metabolite profiling revealed that metabolites in the phenylpropanoid pathway were also predominantly impacted after WCA treatment. Correspondingly, enzymatic activities and gene expression involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway were positively regulated, especially in the first 24 h, resulting in increased levels of total phenolics, flavonoids and other secondary metabolites. Fruit inoculation experiments showed that WCA treatment significantly reduced the development of citrus green mold and sour rot while having no adverse effects on the edible quality of the tested citrus fruit. Our study confirms the potential role of WCA exposure in citrus to induce resistance through the phenylpropanoid pathway.

γ-Cyclodextrin encapsulated thymol for citrus preservation and its possible mechanism against Penicillium digitatum.

The volatility of essential oils greatly limits their industrial applications. Here, we successfully prepared γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) inclusion compounds (γ-CDTL) containing thymol (TL) for the control of green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum (P. digitatum) in citrus fruit. In vitro experiment showed that the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of γ-CDTL against the hyphae growth of P. digitatum was 2.0 g/L, and 8 × MFC treatment significantly reduced the occurrence of green mold in citrus fruit and had no adverse effect on fruit quality in vivo test compared to prochloraz. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), physical properties and sustained release properties were also performed, results indicated that the hydrogen bonds between TL and γ-CD were the basis for the formation of γ-CDTL. We further investigated the inhibition mechanism of γ-CDTL. SEM and TEM experiments showed that γ-CDTL treatment caused severe damage to the hyphal morphology and cells in 30 min and disrupted the permeability of P. digitatum mycelial cell walls by increasing the chitinase activity, thus accelerating the leakage of intracellular lysates. However, the integrity of the cell membrane was obviously damaged only after 60 min of treatment. In conclusion, we prepared a novel inclusion complex γ-CDTL with obvious antifungal effects and preliminarily elucidated its inclusion mechanism and antifungal mechanism. γ-CDTL might be a potent alternative to chemical fungicides for controlling the postharvest decay of citrus.

Molecular phylogeography and species distribution modelling evidence of 'oceanic' adaptation for Actinidia eriantha with a refugium along the oceanic-continental gradient in a biodiversity hotspot.

BACKGROUND: Refugia is considered to be critical for maintaining biodiversity; while discerning the type and pattern of refugia is pivotal for our understanding of evolutionary processes in the context of conservation. Interglacial and glacial refugia have been studied throughout subtropical China. However, studies on refugia along the oceanic-continental gradient have largely been ignored. We used a liana Actinidia eriantha, which occurs across the eastern moist evergreen broad-leaved forests of subtropical China, as a case study to test hypotheses of refugia along the oceanic-continental gradient and 'oceanic' adaptation. RESULTS: The phylogeographic pattern of A. eriantha was explored using a combination of three cpDNA markers and 38 nuclear microsatellite loci, Species distribution modelling and dispersal corridors analysis. Our data showed intermediate levels of genetic diversity [haplotype diversity (hT) = 0.498; unbiased expected heterozygosity (UHE) = 0.510] both at the species and population level. Microsatellite loci revealed five clusters largely corresponding to geographic regions. Coalescent time of cpDNA lineages was dated to the middle Pliocene (ca. 4.03 Ma). Both geographic distance and climate difference have important roles for intraspecific divergence of the species. The Zhejiang-Fujian Hilly Region was demonstrated to be a refugium along the oceanic-continental gradient of the species and fit the 'refugia in refugia' pattern. Species distribution modelling analysis indicated that Precipitation of Coldest Quarter (importance of 44%), Temperature Seasonality (29%) and Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter (25%) contributed the most to model development. By checking the isolines in the three climate layers, we found that A. eriantha prefer higher precipitation during the coldest quarter, lower seasonal temperature difference and lower mean temperature during the wettest quarter, which correspond to 'oceanic' adaptation. Actinidia eriantha expanded to its western distribution range along the dispersal corridor repeatedly during the glacial periods. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results provide integrated evidence demonstrating that the Zhejiang-Fujian Hilly Region is a refugium along the oceanic-continental gradient of Actinidia eriantha in subtropical China and that speciation is attributed to 'oceanic' adaptation. This study gives a deeper understanding of the refugia in subtropical China and will contribute to the conservation and utilization of kiwifruit wild resources in the context of climate change.

Discordant Subjective Perception of Sleep in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Insomnia: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND Factors affecting subjective perception of sleep are unclear but clinically important. We investigated the differences in subjective sleep perception of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia disorder (ID). MATERIAL AND METHODS From our Sleep Medicine Center database, 33 patients with OSA and 69 with ID were selected and assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder screen, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pre-sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS), and polysomnography. RESULTS In subjective sleep tests, PSQI total score, sleep quality, sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time, and sleep efficiency (SE) were higher in patients with ID. In objective sleep tests, patients with OSA had longer total sleep time, shorter SOL, lower percentage of stage N3, less SE, higher percentage of stage N1, more arousals, and higher arousal index. Hyperarousal state evaluation showed cognitive hyperarousal significantly higher with ID. Subjective sleep perception with OSA correlated positively with PSAS total score, cognitive hyperarousal, and percentage of stage N2 and negatively with percentage of REM, apnea-hypopnea index, and desaturation index. Subjective sleep perception of patients with ID correlated positively with PSAS total score, cognitive hyperarousal, SOL, N3 sleep latency, and REM sleep latency and negatively with SE. CONCLUSIONS Subjective sleep perception of OSA patients was mainly related to sleep structure and respiratory events, and that of ID patients, to sleep latency. Individual cognitive hyperarousal levels may be involved in negative subjective sleep perception. Clinicians should be aware that OSA patients may not actually experience adequate sleep.

Comparison of the Performance of Different Bile Salts in Enantioselective Separation of Palonosetron Stereoisomers by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography.

Bile salts are a category of natural chiral surfactants which have ever been used as the surfactant and chiral selector for the separation of many chiral compounds by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). In our previous works, the application of sodium cholate (SC) in the separation of four stereoisomers of palonosetron (PALO) by MEKC has been studied systematically. In this work, the parameters of other bile salts, including sodium taurocholate (STC), sodium deoxycholate (SDC), and sodium taurodeoxycholate (STDC) in the separation of PALO stereoisomers by MEKC were measured and compared with SC. It was found that all of four bile salts provide chiral recognition for both pairs of enantiomers, as well as achiral selectivity for diastereomers of different degrees. The structure of steroidal ring of bile salts has a greater impact on the separation than the structure of the side chain. The varying separation results by different bile salts were elucidated based on the measured parameters. A model to describe the contributions of the mobility difference of solutes in the aqueous phase and the selectivity of micelles to the chiral and achiral separation of stereoisomers was introduced. Additionally, a new approach to measure the mobility of micelles without enough solubility for hydrophobic markers was proposed, which is necessary for the calculation of separation parameters in MEKC. Under the guidance of derived equations, the separation by SDC and STDC was significantly improved by using lower surfactant concentrations. The complete separation of four stereoisomers was achieved in less than 3.5 min by using 4.0 mM of SDC. In addition, 30.0 mM of STC also provided the complete resolution of four stereoisomers due to the balance of different separation mechanisms. Its applicability for the analysis of a small amount of enantiomeric impurities in the presence of a high concentration of the effective ingredient was validated by a real sample.

Short-term non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants vs. warfarin in preventing device-related thrombosis after left atrial appendage closure.

Up to now we have had few evidences on the Non-vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs)' efficacy and safety in preventing device-related thrombosis (DRT) after percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC). After LAAC implantation, short-term anticoagulation (NOACs or warfarin) was prescribed. Baseline clinical characteristics, procedural parameters and postoperative follow up data were collected and compared between the two groups. From May 2014 to June 2018, 361 consecutive patients underwent LAAC implantation in our center. 170 patients received warfarin for 45 days at least after LAAC implantation, who were compared with 170 age-matched patients on NOACs. The basic clinical characteristics, as well as procedural parameters were comparable between the two groups, while the NOACs group had higher average CHA2DS2-VASc score (3.3  ±  1.6 vs. 2.9  ±  1.5, P = 0.022*). At 45 days follow up, 289 (86.5%) patients received transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and the overall incidence of DRT was 2.4%. The DRT rate was not significantly different between the NOACs and warfarin groups (2.7% vs. 2.1%, P > 0.05), while the NOACs group showed lower all bleeding rate (1.2% vs. 9.0%, P < 0.01). The rates of ischemic stroke as well as major bleeding were comparable between the two groups. Except for 7 DRTs and 1 major peri-device leakage (> 5 mm), anticoagulation was terminated in all other patients. During the follow-up thereafter (mean 868 days), the rates of all-cause death, ischemic stroke and bleeding were comparable between the two groups. Short-term NOACs after LAAC appear to be as effective as warfarin in preventing DRT, with lower bleeding rate.

Vasohibin 1, a clinically relevant biomarker, contributes to pre-eclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a leading health threat for pregnant women which is characterised by hypertension and proteinuria. The detailed mechanism is elusive and no effective therapy is available. Predictive biomarkers are needed for accurate diagnosis. Vasohibin-1 (VASH1) is an intrinsic inhibitor of angiogenesis induced by angiogenic factors in endothelial cells. This study aimed to evaluate the role of VASH1 as a useful biomarker for pre-eclampsia. METHODS: VASH1 level was examined by ELISA and immunoblotting assay in the serum and placental samples from healthy pregnant women and pre-eclampsia patients. Cellular assay was performed to assess cell migration and invasion with different levels of VASH1. The level of VASH1 was measured under different oxygen conditions by qPCR. RESULTS: VASH1 was highly expressed in the serum and placenta of pre-eclampsia patients. Overexpression of VASH1 led to attenuated cell migration and invasion ability and reduced levels of matrix metallopeptidase 2 and 9. VASH1 was significantly induced in primary human trophoblast cells and placental explants under hypoxic condition in hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that VASH1 could be used as a potentially novel biomarker for pre-eclampsia and its level may positively correlate with the disease status.

Biological functions of Arabidopsis thaliana MBP-1-like protein encoded by ENO2 in the response to drought and salt stresses.

Arabidopsis thaliana ENO2 (AtENO2) plays an important role in plant growth and development. It encodes two proteins, a full-length AtENO2 and a truncated version, AtMBP-1, alternatively translated from the second start codon of the mRNA. The AtENO2 mutant (eno2- ) exhibited reduced leaf size, shortened siliques, a dwarf phenotype and higher sensitivity to abiotic stress. The objectives of this study were to analyze the regulatory network of the ENO2 gene in plant growth development and understand the function of AtENO2/AtMBP-1 to abiotic stresses. An eno2- /35S:AtENO2-GFP line and an eno2- /35S:AtMBP-1-GFP line of Arabidopsis were obtained. Results of sequencing by 454 GS FLX identified 578 upregulated and 720 downregulated differential expressed genes (DEGs) in a pairwise comparison (WT-VS-eno2- ). All the high-quality reads were annotated using the Gene Ontology (GO) terms. The DEGs with KEGG pathway annotations occurred in 110 pathways. The metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites contained more DEGs. Moreover, the eno2- /35S:AtENO2-GFP line returned to the wild-type (WT) phenotype and was tolerant to drought and salt stresses. However, the eno2- /35S:AtMBP-1-GFP line was not able to recover the WT phenotype but it has a higher tolerance to drought and salt stresses. Results from this study demonstrate that AtENO2 is critical for the growth and development, and the AtMBP-1 coded by AtENO2 is important in tolerance of Arabidopsis to abiotic stresses.

Native Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Hyphenated to Mass Spectrometry for Characterization of Monoclonal Antibody Minor Variants.

Conventionally, hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) uses mobile phases with high salt concentration that are not compatible with mass spectrometry (MS). Here we describe development of an HIC method coupled with MS detection (HIC-MS) utilizing an aqueous mobile phase with a low concentration of a volatile salt for characterizing recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) post-translational modifications (PTMs). The ability of HIC to separate the oxidation and free thiol variants of the mAbs enables their isolation and rapid characterization of these attributes under native conditions, an important step toward understanding the role they play.

Glass fiber supported BiOI thin-film fixed-bed photocatalytic reactor for water decontamination under solar light irradiation.

BiOI powder has been proved to be an efficient photocatalyst, but the difficulty in removing it from water after reaction limits its application in real water treatment. To solve this problem, a thin-film fixed-bed reactor (TFFBR) was set-up by developing a BiOI thin film on glass fiber cloth (GFC). The composition and structure of the as-prepared films were characterized with X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The BiOI thin film was made by painting a silica sol containing BiOI on GFC, which could be tailored to desired sizes to accommodate the TFFBR. The mass of BiOI on the GFC increased with the number of iterations of the painting process. SiO2 sol glued the BiOI particles tightly onto the GFC, making the thin film strong enough to resist fluid flushing in the TFFBR. The photocatalytic activity of the BiOI thin film was investigated by degrading bisphenol A (BPA) under simulated sunlight. Ninety eight percent of BPA (20 mg/L in 2 L) was degraded by the BiOI thin film sample of seven layers (GFC-7) on the TFFBR within 8 hr irradiation. The GFC-7 displayed good photocatalytic ability toward artificial sewage containing BPA in a wide pH range (5-9), and also demonstrated excellent durability and reusability. The working conditions were optimized and it was found that the thickness of the fluid film and residence time over the thin film were key factors affecting the photocatalytic efficiency.

Finite element analysis of hollow out-of-plane HfO2 microneedles for transdermal drug delivery applications.

Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) based on microneedles is an excellent approach due to its advantages of both traditional transdermal patch and hypodermic syringes. In this paper, the fabrication method of hollow out-of-layer hafnium oxide (HfO2) microneedles mainly based on deep reactive ion etching of silicon and atomic layer deposition of HfO2 is described, and the finite element analysis of the microneedles based on ANSYS software is also presented. The fabrication process is simplified by using a single mask. The finite element analysis of a single microneedle shows that the flexibility of the microneedles can be easily adjusted for various applications. The finite element analysis of a 3 × 3 HfO2 microneedle array applied on the skin well explains the "bed of nail" effect, i.e., the skin is not liable to be pierced when the density of microneedles in array increases. The presented research work here provides useful information for design optimization of HfO2 microneedles used for TDD applications.