Enantiomorphic kagome bands in a two-dimensional covalent organic framework with non-trivial magnetic and topological properties.

The kagome lattice is one of the most intriguing topics to study. It has a frustrated flat band touching a set of Dirac bands and can possess various promising properties, such as ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and a non-trivial topology. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a rare type of inorganic material, however, they can provide a platform for generating certain required lattices. Based on first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that a newly synthesized two-dimensional COF named COF-SH has novel enantiomorphic kagome bands, which include two sets of flat bands touching the Dirac bands around the Fermi level. The Bloch wave of the flat-valence band at the K-point shows the kagome nature of the phase interference. Under charge doping, the COF-SH exhibits a ferromagnetic ground state. Moreover, when COF-SH is doped with iodine atoms, a sizable gap in the system is opened between the flat bands and the Dirac bands due to the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect. Meanwhile, the spin degeneracy is lifted since the organic layer loses electrons due to the oxidizing property of iodine. In addition, our tight-binding analysis with the SOC effect shows that the flat valence band separates from the Dirac bands and holds a nonzero Chern number. Consequently, this I-doped COF can give rise to a quantum anomalous Hall effect.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of the ABF Transcription Factor Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Members of the abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive element (ABRE) binding factor (ABF) and ABA-responsive element binding protein (AREB) families play essential roles in the regulation of ABA signaling pathway activity and shape the ability of plants to adapt to a range of stressful environmental conditions. To date, however, systematic genome-wide analyses focused on the ABF/AREB gene family in wheat are lacking. Here, we identified 35 ABF/AREB genes in the wheat genome, designated TaABF1-TaABF35 according to their chromosomal distribution. These genes were further classified, based on their phylogenetic relationships, into three groups (A-C), with the TaABF genes in a given group exhibiting similar motifs and similar numbers of introns/exons. Cis-element analyses of the promoter regions upstream of these TaABFs revealed large numbers of ABREs, with the other predominant elements that were identified differing across these three groups. Patterns of TaABF gene expansion were primarily characterized by allopolyploidization and fragment duplication, with purifying selection having played a significant role in the evolution of this gene family. Further expression profiling indicated that the majority of the TaABF genes from groups A and B were highly expressed in various tissues and upregulated following abiotic stress exposure such as drought, low temperature, low nitrogen, etc., while some of the TaABF genes in group C were specifically expressed in grain tissues. Regulatory network analyses revealed that four of the group A TaABFs (TaABF2, TaABF7, TaABF13, and TaABF19) were centrally located in protein-protein interaction networks, with 13 of these TaABF genes being regulated by 11 known miRNAs, which play important roles in abiotic stress resistance such as drought and salt stress. The two primary upstream transcription factor types found to regulate TaABF gene expression were BBR/BPC and ERF, which have previously been reported to be important in the context of plant abiotic stress responses. Together, these results offer insight into the role that the ABF/AREB genes play in the responses of wheat to abiotic stressors, providing a robust foundation for future functional studies of these genes.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Genes and Pathways Related to Wheat Root Hair Length.

Tube-like outgrowths from root epidermal cells, known as root hairs, enhance water and nutrient absorption, facilitate microbial interactions, and contribute to plant anchorage by expanding the root surface area. Genetically regulated and strongly influenced by environmental conditions, longer root hairs generally enhance water and nutrient absorption, correlating with increased stress resistance. Wheat, a globally predominant crop pivotal for human nutrition, necessitates the identification of long root hair genotypes and their regulatory genes to enhance nutrient capture and yield potential. This study focused on 261 wheat samples of diverse genotypes during germination, revealing noticeable disparities in the length of the root hair among the genotypes. Notably, two long root hair genotypes (W106 and W136) and two short root hair genotypes (W90 and W100) were identified. Transcriptome sequencing resulted in the development of 12 root cDNA libraries, unveiling 1180 shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Further analyses, including GO function annotation, KEGG enrichment, MapMan metabolic pathway analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network prediction, underscored the upregulation of root hair length regulatory genes in the long root hair genotypes. These included genes are associated with GA and BA hormone signaling pathways, FRS/FRF and bHLH transcription factors, phenylpropanoid, lignin, lignan secondary metabolic pathways, the peroxidase gene for maintaining ROS steady state, and the ankyrin gene with diverse biological functions. This study contributes valuable insights into modulating the length of wheat root hair and identifies candidate genes for the genetic improvement of wheat root traits.

The prevalence and associated factors of motoric cognitive risk syndrome in multiple ethnic middle-aged to older adults in west China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome characterized by subjective cognitive complaints and slow gait has been proposed and validated as a pre-dementia syndrome. The overall and specific ethnic prevalence of MCR and the associated factors are poorly understood in middle-aged to older community-dwelling residents in west China. METHODS: The present study included 6091 samples from the prospective cohort study, West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT). Multidimensional factors of demography, lifestyle, social support, anthropometrics and body components, and clinical status were investigated and analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Lasso regression and K-fold cross-validation were conducted to construct the most predictive model with fitted factors. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MCR was 9.74%, and ethnically the prevalence was 14.25% in Tibetan, 11.03% in Yi, 10.72% in Han, 5.18% in Uighur and 4.55% in Qiang, respectively. In the adjusted models, the positively associated risk factors included diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] = 1.51, p = 0.007), osteoarthritis (OR = 1.50, p = 0.002), depression (OR = 1.36, p = 0.005), poor sleep (OR = 1.21, p = 0.045), comorbidity (OR = 1.49, p = 0.001) and falls in the last 12 months (OR = 1.34, p = 0.031). Of note, every 1-unit increase of value in stroke was associated with an approximate 3-fold higher risk of having MCR, whilst in high-density lipoprotein with a 30% lower risk of MCR,respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Profiles of MCR from the aspects of ethnicity and the presenium stage need further exploration. It is a promising strategy to apply MCR as a primary prevention tool to prevent dementia.

Enhanced photoelectric performance of MoSSe/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructures with tunable multiple band alignment.

Janus MoSSe with mirror asymmetry has recently emerged as a new two-dimensional (2D) material with a sizeable out-of-plane dipole moment. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we theoretically investigate the electronic properties of two patterns of 2D MoSSe/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs). The electronic properties of MoSSe can be tuned by the intrinsic out-of-plane dipole field. When the Se side of the Janus layer faces the MoS2 layer, the dipole field points from the MoSSe layer towards the MoS2 layer, and the vdWH possesses a type-I band alignment which is desirable for light emission applications. With a reversal of the Janus layer, the intrinsic field inverts accordingly, and the band alignment becomes a typical type-II band alignment, which benefits carrier separation. Moreover, it possesses superior optical absorption (∼105 cm-1), and the calculated photocurrent density under visible-light radiation is up to 0.9 mA cm-2 in the MoSSe/MoS2 vdWH. Meanwhile, an external electric field and vertical strain can remarkably modulate the band alignment to switch it between type-I and type-II. Thus, MoSSe/MoS2 vdWHs have promising applications in next-generation photovoltaic devices.

Sarcopenic obesity is associated with frailty among community-dwelling older adults: findings from the WCHAT study.

OBJECTIVE: Uncertainties remain regarding the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and frailty. This study aimed to explore the association of these two common geriatric syndromes among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Baseline data from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study was used. Sarcopenia was assessed based on the criteria established by the Asian working group for sarcopenia. Body fat percentages above the 60th percentile specified by sex were classified as obesity. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the concurrence of obesity and sarcopenia. Frailty was assessed by Fried criteria. Multinomial logistic regression was adopted to explore associations of sarcopenic obesity with frailty. RESULTS: Overall, 2372 older adults (mean age 67.6 ± 5.9) were involved in this study. The prevalence of frailty and sarcopenic obesity was 6.2 and 6.28%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, sarcopenic obesity was significantly associated with prefrailty (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.15-2.64, P = 0.009) and frailty (OR = 4.42, 95% CI = 2.19-8.93, P < 0.001) compared to nonsarcopenia and nonobesity. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenic obesity was significantly correlated with prefrailty and frailty among older adults. Intervention for sarcopenic obesity may contribute to the prevention of incident frailty.

The mediation role of sleep quality in the relationship between cognitive decline and depression.

OBJECTIVES: Associations between cognitive decline and depression have been inconclusive. We examined 1) whether sleep quality mediates these relationships and 2) which factor of sleep quality mediates these relationships. METHODS: This study utilized baseline data from the 2018 West China Health and Aging Trend study (WCHAT), a large cohort data-set that including participants aged over 50 years old. We defined depression using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Cognitive status was measured using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Direct relationships between cognitive decline, sleep quality and depression were assessed using multiple linear regression. Mediation models and structural equation model (SEM) pathway analysis were used to test the mediating role of specific aspects of sleep (e.g., quality, duration) in the relationship between cognitive decline and depression. RESULTS: Of 6828 participants aged 50 years old or older, the proportion of depression was 17.4%. Regression analysis indicated a total association between cognitive scores (ß = 0.251, 95% CI 0.211 to 0.290, p < 0.001) and depression status. After adjusted PSQI scores, the association between cognitive scores and depression status was still significant (ß = 0.242, 95% CI 0.203 to 0.281, p < 0.001), indicating a partial mediation effect of sleep quality. Mediation analysis verified sleep quality partially mediate the associations between cognitive decline and depression (indirect effect estimate = 0.0308, bootstrap 95% CI 0.023 to 0.040; direct effect estimate = 0.3124, bootstrap 95% CI 0.269 to 0.350). And daytime dysfunction had a highest mediation effect with a proportion of mediation up to 14.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep quality partially mediated the relationship between cognitive decline and depression. Daytime dysfunction had a highest mediation effect. Further research is necessary to examine the effects of sleep quality on the relationship of cognitive decline and depression.

Higher uric acid serum levels are associated with sarcopenia in west China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is the decline in muscle strength and mass attributed to aging. The pathogenesis of sarcopenia may be triggered by oxidative stress and uric acid (UA) has strong antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between UA and sarcopenia in community-dwelling adults of West China using the baseline data of West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: 4236 adults aged 50 years or older in communities of west China were enrolled in this study. We applied Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria to define sarcopenia. Muscle mass was measured using skeletal muscle index (SMI) based on bioimpedance analysis (BIA). Handgrip strength (HGS) and gait speed (GS) were recorded, respectively. Different variables like anthropometry measures, life styles, chronic disease and blood test were collected. General linear model was done to investigate the relationship between UA and HGS/GS/SMI, adjusting age, ethnic groups, sleeping quality, education level, cognitive function, smoking history, drinking history, ADL score, and chronic disease. RESULTS: Participants were grouped according to UA quartiles by gender. After adjusting for potential confounders, a negative association between serum UA levels and sarcopenia was shown both in men and women. And a significant association between serum UA levels and HGS in women was shown as an inverted J shape. Besides, a positive association between the UA quartiles and SMI was observed, irrespective of gender. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that higher uric acid levels were significantly correlated with higher muscle mass and grip strength among Chinese adults aged over 50. Higher UA serum levels might slow down the progression of sarcopenia.

Association of sleep duration with sarcopenic obesity in multi-ethnic older adults: findings from the WCHAT Study.

OBJECTIVE: Sarcopenic obesity is a prevalent geriatric syndrome, characterized by concurrence of sarcopenia and obesity. Sleep duration is linked to both obesity and sarcopenia. However, little was known regarding the association of sleep duration with sarcopenic obesity. In this study, we aimed to examine the association of sleep duration with sarcopenic obesity in multi-ethnic community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Sarcopenia was defined according to the criteria established by Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019. Obesity was defined as body fat percentage above the 60th percentile specified by sex. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as concurrence of obesity and sarcopenia. Sleep duration was collected by a self-reported questionnaire and was further divided into 5 groups: "<6 h", "6-7 h", "7-8 h", "8-9 h" (reference group) and "≥9 h" (long sleep). Logistic regressions were adopted to examine the association. RESULTS: 2256 multi-ethnic adults aged 60 and over from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study were involved for present study. Overall, 6.25% of the participants were classified as sarcopenic obesity. In the fully adjusted model, long sleep duration (≥ 9 h) was significantly associated with sarcopenic obesity compared with reference group (OR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.10-2.98, P = 0.019). However, in subgroup analysis, this association can only be observed in male (OR 1.98, 95% CI = 1.02-3.87, P = 0.043) not in female (OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 0.85-3.94, P = 0.118). Regarding ethnic difference, Han older adults with long sleep duration (≥ 9 h) presented increased risk of sarcopenic obesity while ethnic minorities did not. CONCLUSION: This study disclosed that long sleep duration significantly increased the risk of sarcopenic obesity among older adults. And our findings highlight the critical role of assessing sleep duration to identify individuals at risk of sarcopenic obesity.

Potential association between frailty and pTau in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by a decline in physiological reserves, and multiple factors contribute to the occurrence and development of frailty. Growing evidence supports a strong link and overlap between frailty and cognitive impairment, but the mechanisms involved have not yet been fully elucidated. AIM: To identify associations between 12 plasma cognition-related biomarkers and frailty in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A total of 375 participants (age 70.9 ± 5.8, 165 men and 210 women) were included in this study. Frailty was assessed using the modified Fried frailty phenotype. Participants were divided into not-frail group (n = 313) and frail group (n = 62). Twelve plasma cognitive biomarkers were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the association between different biomarkers and frailty status. RESULTS: Among the 12 biomarkers, only pTau was higher in frail individuals than in their not-frail peers (471.3 ± 58.1 pg/mL vs. 451.9 ± 61.1 pg/mL, p = 0.022). No other biomarkers had any significant association with frailty, including total-Tau (tTau), neurofilament light (NFL), amyloid-ß 40 (Aß40), amyloid-ß 40 (Aß42), S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B), visinin-like protein 1 (VLP-1), Alzheimer-associated neuronal thread protein (AD7cNTP), ß-amyloid precursor protein (ßAPP), chitinase-3-like-1 (CHI3L1), soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1) and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (hFABP). Furthermore, pTau was compared between negative and positive subject groups for each individual criterion of frailty. Significantly higher levels of pTau were observed in those who were positive for the criteria of low grip strength (451.2 ± 61.4 pg/mL vs. 469.1 ± 57.6 pg/mL, p = 0.019), exhaustion (451.2 ± 61.6 pg/mL vs. 466.4 ± 58.4 pg/mL, p = 0.035) and low physical activity (451.1 ± 60.7 pg/mL vs. 465.7 ± 60.7 pg/mL, p = 0.034) when compared to those who were negative for each corresponding criterion. Finally, in the multivariable-adjusted analysis, the association between pTau and frailty was statistically significantly associated (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.04-1.89), even after adjusting. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a potential association between pTau and frailty. Future works should monitor the longitudinal trajectory of changes of pTau concentrations in frailty older adults. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind will contribute to biomarker research in frailty.

MicroRNA-23b-3p Deletion Induces an IgA Nephropathy-like Disease Associated with Dysregulated Mucosal IgA Synthesis.

BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary GN worldwide. Circulating immune complexes form that are prone to deposition in the mesangium, where they trigger glomerular inflammation. A growing body of evidence suggests that dysregulated expression of microRNAs in IgAN may play a significant role in establishing the disease phenotype. METHODS: We generated single miR-23b-3p(miR-23b) knockout mice using CRISPR-Cas9. RESULTS: In humans, miR-23b levels are downregulated in kidney biopsies and sera of patients with IgAN, and serum miR-23b levels are negatively correlated with serum IgA1 levels. We show that miR-23b-/- mice develop an IgAN-like phenotype of mesangial IgA and C3 deposition associated with development of albuminuria, hypertension, an elevated serum creatinine, and dysregulated mucosal IgA synthesis. Dysregulation of IgA production is likely mediated by the loss of miR-23b-mediated suppression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase in mucosal B cells. In addition, we show that loss of miR-23b increases the susceptibility of the kidney to progressive fibrosis through loss of regulation of expression of gremlin 2 and IgA accumulation through downregulation of the transferrin receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an indispensable role for miR-23b in kidney disease, and in particular, IgAN. miR-23b may in the future offer a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of IgAN.

Evaluation of the Risk Prediction Tools for Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China: A Single-Centered, Retrospective, Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of National Early Warning Score, National Early Warning Score 2, Rapid Emergency Medicine Score, Confusion, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, Age 65 score, and quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment on predicting in-hospital death in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. DESIGN: A retrospective, observational study. SETTING: Single center, West Campus of Wuhan Union hospital-a temporary center to manage critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. PATIENTS: A total of 673 consecutive adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019 between January 30, 2020, and March 14, 2020. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data on demography, comorbidities, vital signs, mental status, oxygen saturation, and use of supplemental oxygen at admission to the ward were collected from medical records and used to score National Early Warning Score, National Early Warning Score 2, Rapid Emergency Medicine Score, Confusion, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, Age 65 score, and quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment. Total number of patients was 673 (51% male) and median (interquartile range) age was 61 years (50-69 yr). One-hundred twenty-one patients died (18%). For predicting in-hospital death, the area under the receiver operating characteristics (95% CI) for National Early Warning Score, National Early Warning Score 2, Rapid Emergency Medicine Score, Confusion, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, Age 65 score, and quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment were 0.882 (0.847-0.916), 0.880 (0.845-0.914), 0.839 (0.800-0.879), 0.766 (0.718-0.814), and 0.694 (0.641-0.746), respectively. Among the parameters of National Early Warning Score, the oxygen saturation score was found to be the most significant predictor of in-hospital death. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (95% CI) for oxygen saturation score was 0.875 (0.834-0.916). CONCLUSIONS: In this single-center study, the discrimination of National Early Warning Score/National Early Warning Score 2 for predicting mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 admitted to the ward was found to be superior to Rapid Emergency Medicine Score, Confusion, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, Age 65 score, and quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment. Peripheral oxygen saturation could independently predict in-hospital death in these patients. Further validation of our finding in multiple settings is needed to determine its applicability for coronavirus disease 2019.

The impact of functional status on LOS and readmission in older patients in geriatrics department: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Length of hospital stay (LOS) and readmission are important outcomes for older inpatients. The association between functional status on admission and outcomes has not been well investigated in Chinese elderly. OBJECTIVES: To detect the impact of function impairments on LOS and 90-day readmission in a population of Chinese elderly inpatients. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study. All new patients over 60 years in geriatrics department of a university hospital in Western China from June to August 2016 were enrolled. Activities of daily living (ADL) and Instrumental ADL (IADL) on admission were evaluated with Barthel Index and Lawton IADL. Outcomes were LOS and 90-day readmission. LOS was calculated as the total days of hospital stay. Readmission was investigated through telephone interviews after discharge. Pearson Chi-square test was used to detect the associations. Binary logistic regression was used to detect the association of function status on admission with LOS and readmission. RESULTS: A total of 225 patients were enrolled. Mean age 82.41 (± 7.316; 63-99), 31.1% were females. Overall, 64.9% of the patients were hospitalized longer than 14 days and 33.30% experienced a 90-day readmission. Following an adjustment for age, gender, marital status, education level, smoking, alcohol, nutrition status, and admission location, the binary logistic regression models showed that both ADL impairment (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.06-3.87) and IADL impairment (OR 2.54; 95% CI 1.28-5.01) were independent predictors for LOS. ADL impairment was an independent predictor for 90-day readmission (OR 2.26; 95% CI 1.14-4.47), while IADL impairment was not associated with readmission (OR 1.43; 95% CI 0.68-3.02). CONCLUSION: Functional status on admission is the predictor of LOS and 90-day readmission in Chinese older inpatients from the geriatric department of a university hospital.

Variations in MicroRNA-25 Expression Influence the Severity of Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by persistent albuminuria, progressive decline in GFR, and secondary hypertension. MicroRNAs are dysregulated in diabetic nephropathy, but identification of the specific microRNAs involved remains incomplete. Here, we show that the peripheral blood from patients with diabetes and the kidneys of animals with type 1 or 2 diabetes have low levels of microRNA-25 (miR-25) compared with those of their nondiabetic counterparts. Furthermore, treatment with high glucose decreased the expression of miR-25 in cultured kidney cells. In db/db mice, systemic administration of an miR-25 agomir repressed glomerular fibrosis and reduced high BP. Notably, knockdown of miR-25 in normal mice by systemic administration of an miR-25 antagomir resulted in increased proteinuria, extracellular matrix accumulation, podocyte foot process effacement, and hypertension with renin-angiotensin system activation. However, excessive miR-25 did not cause kidney dysfunction in wild-type mice. RNA sequencing showed the alteration of miR-25 target genes in antagomir-treated mice, including the Ras-related gene CDC42. In vitro, cotransfection with the miR-25 antagomir repressed luciferase activity from a reporter construct containing the CDC42 3' untranslated region. In conclusion, these results reveal a role for miR-25 in diabetic nephropathy and indicate a potential novel therapeutic target for this disease.

Taurine Promotes the Cartilaginous Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Vitro.

Taurine has been reported to influence osteogenic differentiation, but the role of taurine on cartilaginous differentiation using human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of taurine (0, 1, 5 and 10 mM) on the proliferation and chondrogenesis of hUC-MSCs by analyzing cell proliferation, accumulation of glycosaminoglycans and expression of cartilage specific mRNA. The results show though taurine did not affected the proliferation of hUC-MSCs, 5 mM of taurine is sufficient to enhanced the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans and up-regulate cartilage specific mRNA expression, namely collagen type II, aggrecan and SOX9. Taurine also inhibits chondrocyte dedifferentiation by reducing expression of collagen type I mRNA. Taken together, our study reveals that taurine promotes and maintains the chondrogenesis of hUC-MSCs.

Bacillus cavernae sp. nov. isolated from cave soil.

A Gram-stain-positive, spore-forming, motile, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain L5T, was isolated from soil of Tenglong cave, China. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain L5T was related most closely to Bacillus asahii MA001T (96.5 %) (the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Bacillus kribbensis BT080T (96.4 %) and Bacillus deserti ZLD-8T (96.2 %). The DNA G+C content of strain L5T was 45.6 mol%. The major menaquinone was MK-7. The major fatty acids were iso-C14 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0, and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. In addition, strain L5T had different characteristics compared with the other Bacillus strains such as pink colony colour, low growth temperature and low nutrient requirement. The results indicate that strain L5T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus cavernae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is L5T ( = KCTC 33637T = CCTCC AB 2015055T).

Sphingomonas faucium sp. nov., isolated from canyon soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, yellow, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain E62-3T, was isolated from soil of Enshi Grand Canyon, Hubei province, PR China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain E62-3T was most closely related to Sphingomonas laterariae LNB2T. Strain E62-3T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Sphingosinicella vermicomposti YC7378T (96.0 %), Sphingobium xanthum NL9T (95.8 %), Sphingobium boeckii 469T (95.7 %) and Sphingomonas laterariae LNB2T (95.5 %) within the family Sphingomonadaceae. The major fatty acids (>5 %) of strain E62-3T were C18 : 1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), C16 : 0 and C14 : 0 2-OH. The predominant respiratory quinone and polyamine were ubiquinone Q-10 and homospermidine, respectively. The predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The genomic DNA G+C content was 66.4 mol%. The genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data revealed that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas faucium sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is E62-3T (=KCTC 42834T=CCTCC AB 2015300T).

Paracoccus angustae sp. nov., isolated from soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, coccus-shaped, aerobic bacterium, strain E6T, was isolated from soil. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed a cluster containing strain E6T and Paracoccus sediminis CMB17T (the highest 16S rRNA gene similarity of 97.2 %). The other strains investigated showed 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of less than 97 % to strain E6T. The DNA­DNA relatedness between strain E6T and P. sediminis DSM 26170T was 59.2 %. Strain E6T also shows some differences compared with other Paracoccus strains such as motility and inability to utilize lactate and propionate as sole carbon sources. The major fatty acids of strain E6T were C18 : 1ω7c and C18 : 0 and ubiquinone-10 was the only respiratory quinone. Strain E6T had diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, an unknown aminolipid and an unknown glycolipid as major polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 68.1 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain E6T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus angustae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is E6T ( = KCTC 42473T = CCTCC AB 2015056T).

Large-scale microsatellite development in grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.), an orphan legume of the arid areas.

BACKGROUND: Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L., 2n = 14), a member of the family Leguminosae, holds great agronomic potential as grain and forage legume crop in the arid areas for its superb resilience to abiotic stresses such as drought, flood and salinity. The crop could not make much progress through conventional breeding in the past, and there are hardly any detailed molecular biology studies due to paucity of reliable molecular markers representative of the entire genome. RESULTS: Using the 454 FLX Titanium pyrosequencing technique, 651,827 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified and 50,144 nonredundant primer pairs were successfully designed, of which 288 were randomly selected for validation among 23 L. sativus and one L. cicera accessions of diverse provenance. 74 were polymorphic, 70 monomorphic, and 144 with no PCR product. The number of observed alleles ranged from two to five, the observed heterozygosity from 0 to 0.9545, and Shannon's information index ranged from 0.1013 to 1.0980, respectively. The dendrogram constructed by using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) based on Nei's genetic distance, showed obvious distinctions and understandable relationships among the 24 accessions. CONCLUSIONS: The large number of SSR primer pairs developed in this study would make a significant contribution to genomics enabled improvement of grasspea.

Quantitative proteomic analysis to identify potential biomarkers linked to quality traits of beef tripe from different sources.

In this work, the 4D data-independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative strategy was used for differential proteomic analysis of four beef tripe samples from different sources to explore the associations between differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and meat quality traits. A total of 68 shared DEPs were identified in all comparison groups, which were mainly involved in phosphorylation signaling pathway, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, and glucuronic acid pathway. In the correlation analysis between DEPs and quality traits of beef tripe, it was found that 21 proteins were significantly associated with the quality traits in beef tripe, which could be considered as the potential biomarkers of beef tripe quality. This study has successfully uncovered the protein composition of beef tripe for the very first time, which helps to understand the key proteins and biological processes associated with the quality traits of beef tripe from different sources and improve the quality control of beef tripe.