Serum Lactate Is an Indicator for Short-Term and Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Serum lactate, as a single and an easily available biomarker, has been applied in various diseases. AIMS: In this study, we aimed to explore the predictive value of serum lactate for short-term and long-term prognosis in acute pancreatitis (AP) admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) based on a large-scale database. METHODS: AP patients admitted in ICU in the MIMIC-IV database were included. We constructed three different models to investigate the relationships between serum lactate and clinical outcomes, including 30-day, 180-day and 1-year mortality in AP. Smooth fitting curves were performed for intuitively demonstrating the relationship between serum lactate and different outcomes in AP by the generalized additive model. RESULTS: A total of 895 AP patients admitted in ICU were included. The mortalities of 30 days, 180 days, and 1 year were 12.63% (n = 113), 16.87% (n = 151), and 17.54% (n = 157). In model B, with 1-mmol/L increment in serum lactate, the values of OR in 30-day, 180-day and 1-year mortality were 1.20 (95%CI 1.04-1.37, P = 0.0094), 1.21 (95%CI 1.06-1.37, P = 0.0039), and 1.21 (95%CI 1.07-1.38, P = 0.0035). The AUCs of serum lactate for predicting 30-day, 180-day, and 1-year mortality in AP were 0.688 (95%CI 0.633-0.743), 0.655 (95%CI 0.605-0.705), and 0.653 (95%CI 0.603-0.701), respectively. The cut-off value of serum lactate predicting 30-day, 180-day and 1-year mortality in AP was 2.4 mmol/L. CONCLUSION: Serum lactate could be an indicator for short-term and long-term mortality in patients with AP admitted in ICU.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Intestinal Mucosal Repair by Positively Regulating the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE Signaling Pathway in Acute Experimental Colitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of adult pluripotent stem cell that has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and whose conditioned medium (CM) has also been found to be effective. We used MSC and CM enemas to investigate their ameliorative effects in a mouse model of colitis. METHODS: We employed MSCs, CM, and MSCs + ML385 (an inhibitor of Nrf2) in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Mice were sacrificed on day 8, and the effects of MSC or CM treatment on the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in colonic epithelial cells were evaluated by histological analyses. RESULTS: MSCs inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration and proinflammatory cytokine expression in the colon. In addition, MSCs reduced extracellular matrix deposition and maintained the mechanical barrier and permeability of colonic epithelial cells. Mechanistically, MSCs activated Nrf2, which then increased HO-1 and NQO-1 levels and downregulated the expression of Keap1 to suppress reactive oxygen species production and MDA generation, accompanied by increases in components of the enzymatic antioxidant system, including SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and T-AOC. However, after administering an Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) to block the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE pathway, we failed to observe protective effects of MSCs in mice with colitis. CM alone also produced some of the therapeutic benefits of MSCs but was not as effective as MSCs. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirmed that MSCs and CM can effectively improve intestinal mucosal repair in experimental colitis and that MSCs can improve this condition by activating the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE pathway.

Transcriptome analysis of knockout mutants of rice seed dormancy gene OsVP1 and Sdr4.

KEY MESSAGE: OsVP1 and Sdr4 play an important role in regulating seed dormancy that involved in multiple metabolism and regulatory pathways. Seed dormancy and germination are critical agricultural traits influencing rice grain yield. Although there are some genes have identified previously, the comprehensive understanding based on transcriptome is still deficient. In this study, we generated mutants of two representative regulators of seed germination, Oryza sativa Viviparous1 (OsVP1) and Seed dormancy 4 (Sdr4), by CRISPR/Cas9 approach and named them cr-osvp1 and cr-sdr4. The weakened dormancy of mutants indicated that the functions of OsVP1 and Sdr4 are required for normal early seed dormancy. There were 4157 and 8285 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in cr-osvp1 vs. NIP and cr-sdr4 vs. NIP groups, respectively, with a large number of overlapped DEGs between two groups. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of common DEGs in two groups showed that genes related to carbohydrate metabolic, nucleoside metabolic, amylase activity and plant hormone signal transduction were involved in the dormancy regulation. These results suggest that OsVP1 and Sdr4 play an important role in regulating seed dormancy by multiple metabolism and regulatory pathways. The systematic analysis of the transcriptional level changes provides theoretical basis for the research of seed dormancy and germination in rice.

[Application of traditional Chinese medicine theory in modern traditional Chinese medicine nano-preparation: taking tumor treatment as an example].

With Zang-Fu organs, meridians, Qi and blood, and body fluid as the physiological and pathological basis, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory is guided by the holistic concept and characterized by syndrome differentiation. It has made significant contributions to human health maintenance and disease prevention. Modern TCM preparation is developed on the basis of inheriting and developing TCM preparations using modern science and technology under the guidance of TCM theory. At present, the incidence and mortality of common tumors are increasing. TCM has rich clinical experience in the treatment of tumors. However, in the current stage, some TCM preparations have a tendency to deviate from the guidance of TCM theory. With the modernization of TCM, it is worth considering how TCM theory guides modern TCM preparations. Taking tumor treatment as an example, this paper introduced the development of TCM nano-preparation under the influence of modern nanotechnology, summarized the research on the development of modern TCM nano-preparation from the aspects of TCM holistic concept, TCM treatment principles, and TCM theory application, and discussed the application prospect of TCM nano-preparation in overall therapy, drug pairing, carrier selection, and targeted substance selection under the guidance of TCM theory. This paper provides new references for further developing the combination of tradition and modernization of TCM nano-preparation.

A novel deep learning-based method for COVID-19 pneumonia detection from CT images.

BACKGROUND: The sensitivity of RT-PCR in diagnosing COVID-19 is only 60-70%, and chest CT plays an indispensable role in the auxiliary diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia, but the results of CT imaging are highly dependent on professional radiologists. AIMS: This study aimed to develop a deep learning model to assist radiologists in detecting COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: The total study population was 437. The training dataset contained 26,477, 2468, and 8104 CT images of normal, CAP, and COVID-19, respectively. The validation dataset contained 14,076, 1028, and 3376 CT images of normal, CAP, and COVID-19 patients, respectively. The test set included 51 normal cases, 28 CAP patients, and 51 COVID-19 patients. We designed and trained a deep learning model to recognize normal, CAP, and COVID-19 patients based on U-Net and ResNet-50. Moreover, the diagnoses of the deep learning model were compared with different levels of radiologists. RESULTS: In the test set, the sensitivity of the deep learning model in diagnosing normal cases, CAP, and COVID-19 patients was 98.03%, 89.28%, and 92.15%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the deep learning model was 93.84%. In the validation set, the accuracy was 92.86%, which was better than that of two novice doctors (86.73% and 87.75%) and almost equal to that of two experts (94.90% and 93.88%). The AI model performed significantly better than all four radiologists in terms of time consumption (35 min vs. 75 min, 93 min, 79 min, and 82 min). CONCLUSION: The AI model we obtained had strong decision-making ability, which could potentially assist doctors in detecting COVID-19 pneumonia.

[Analysis on quality value transmitting of substance benchmark of Houpo Wenzhong Decoction].

By preparing 15 batches of lyophilized powder samples of substance benchmark in Houpo Wenzhong Decoction,the fingerprint,index component content and extract rate were determined,and the characteristic peaks,the range of similarity with the reference map,the content range and transfer rate range of magnolol,hesperidin,glycyrrhizic acid and pinocembrin,the extract rate range and the change range were clarified. The results showed that the similarity between the fingerprint of substance benchmark and the reference map R generated from the 15 batches of substance benchmark samples was higher than 0. 90. The assignment of the characteristic peaks in the full prescription's fingerprint of the herbs except Poria cocos was clarified. Nineteen characteristic peaks were assigned,and 12 characteristic peaks were assigned by the reference substance,of which 4 were from Magnolia ocinalis Cortex,5 from Exocarpium Citri Rubrum,2 from Radix aucklandiae,3 from Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma,4 from Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai,and one from Rhizoma Zingiberis and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. The index component content range and transfer rate range were 0. 80%-1. 14% and 20. 25%-39. 61% for hesperidin,0. 49%-0. 79% and 23. 09%-33. 87%for glycyrrhizic acid,0. 03%-0. 07% and 3. 55%-10. 09% for pinocembrin,0. 15%-0. 38% and 8. 08%-24. 35% for magnolol. The extract rate range and the change range were22. 60%-25. 57% and 12. 67%-23. 68% respectively. In this study,we introduced the concepts of index component content,fingerprint,extract rate,explored the transfer relation of quality value transmitting of substance benchmark in Houpo Wenzhong Decoction,and initially established the quality standard of Houpo Wenzhong Decoction,all of which would provide ideas for the development and research of similar prescriptions.

[HPLC fingerprint of famous traditional formula Sanpian Decoction and quality value transmitting of Chuanxiong Rhizoma].

Famous traditional formula Sanpian Decoction(SPD)comes from Dialectical Records of Chen Shiduo of the Qing Dynasty,and ranks among 100 classic prescriptions of Classic Famous Traditional Formula catalogue(the First Batch). SPD was prepared according to Management Standards for Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction Room in Medical Institutions. According to the polarity of different components in SPD,two HPLC fingerprints were established, in which six herbs, namely Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Paeoniae Randix Alba, Sinapis Semen, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Pruni Semen, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,are all reflected in the fingerprints; The dry extract rate, transfer rate and similarities of fingerprints were used as indicators to study the relationship between the quality value transmitting of medicinal herbs-decoction pieces-whole decoction of Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Experiment result shows that,the transfer rate of ferulic acid from medicinal herbs to decoction pieces is between 72.00% and 108.36%; the transfer rate of ferulic acid from decoction pieces to SPD is between 31.76% and 64.09%; the dry extract rate of the whole decoction is between 14.69% and 20.16%;The similarity range of fingerprint 1 of 15 batches of SPD is between 0.971 and 0.998, and the similarity range of fingerprint 2 is between 0.980 and 0.996. The established fingerprint has rich information,and the established quality evaluation method is suitable for the quality control of medicinal herbs-decoction pieces-whole decoction of Chuanxiong Rhizoma, which can provide a certain reference for developing the quality control evaluation method for formulated granules, famous formulae and other terminal products derived from traditional Chinese medicine decoction.

A new method to obtain isofemale lines for monitoring Chilo suppressalis resistance to Bt toxin.

Cost-effective Bt resistance monitoring programmes exist to manage insect resistance to Bt crops. F2 screening is widely used in detecting rare resistant alleles. One way to establish numerous isofemale lines for F2 bioassays is acquiring many field-trapped copulated females. However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient Chilo suppressalis isofemale lines because females have low mating rates and fecundity. We developed a new method to establish C. suppressalis isofemale lines with field-collected egg masses. No significant difference in detection ability was observed in the F2 screen between the old and new methods. Moreover, the new method is economical, convenient and efficient.

[Study on benchmark preparation technology of boiled and powdered classical prescriptions by taking Houpo Wenzhong Decoction as an example].

In recent years,the development and application of classical famous prescriptions have attracted much attention. However,the differences between ancient and modern conditions lead to difficulties in carrying out practical work. In this paper,with Houpu Wenzhong Decoction as an example,the key technologies of boiling granularity,water addition,boiling time and sample pretreatment methods were investigated on the basis of sufficient literature research. The experimental results showed that there was no significant difference in the concentration of index components between those with different granularity( 2 mm and 3-5 mm) and different decocting time( 30 min and 60 min),but the extraction rate of index components was relatively high when the granularity of powder was 2 mm and decocting time was 30 min. With the increase of water content,the concentration of index components and the extraction rate were increased in varying degrees. A certain proportion of methanol aqueous solution was used as the resolvent before content determination of the reference sample of Houpu Wenzhong Decoction,which could take into account both the spectral information of water-soluble components and fat-soluble components in the prescription,and help to display the overall information of the prescription' s chemical components more comprehensively. At the same time,the boiling and dispersing classical prescriptions in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Prescriptions( the first batch) were collected and summarized in this study; the key influencing factors of decocting process were analyzed from different angles,and preliminary research suggestions were put forward,so as to provide a certain direction and reference for the establishment of quality standard of Houpu Wenzhong Decoction,as well as for the development,research and clinical application of boiling and dispersing classical prescriptions.

[Analysis on quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Linggui Zhugan Decoction].

By preparing 10 batches of the material reference of Linggui Zhugan Decoction,the methodology of the characteristic spectrum of the material reference was created. The creaming rate range,the contents and the transfer rate range of cinnamaldehyde,glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizic acid,the characteristic peaks and the similarity range of the characteristic spectrum of Linggui Zhugan Decoction were determined to clarify key quality attributes of the material reference of Linggui Zhugan Decoction. In the 10 batches of the material reference of Linggui Zhugan Decoction,the similarity of characteristic spectrum was higher than 0. 9. Furthermore,after summarizing the characteristic peak information,we knew that Fuling had two characteristic peaks,Guizhi had six characteristic peaks,Baizhu had two characteristic peaks and Gancao had 11 characteristic peaks. The average creaming rate of the material reference of the ten batches was( 12. 13 ± 0. 35) %. The average content of cinnamaldehyde was 0. 32%,the average transfer rate was 10. 69%,the content of cinnamaldehyde in the different batches was between 0. 22% and 0. 42%,and the transfer rate was between 7. 48% and13. 90%. The average content of glycyrrhizin was 0. 84%,the average transfer rate was 50. 39%,the content of glycyrrhizin in the different batches was between 0. 42% and 1. 26%,and the transfer rate was between 35. 27% and 65. 51%. The average content of glycyrrhizic was 1. 88%,the average transfer rate was 40. 74%,the content of glycyrrhizic in the different batches was between 0. 94% and2. 82%,and the transfer rate was between 28. 52% and 52. 96%. In this paper,the quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Linggui Zhugan Decoction was analyzed by the combination of characteristic spectrum,creaming rate and the content of index component. A scientific and stable method was preliminarily established,which provided scientific basis for the quality control and formulation development of Linggui Zhugan Decoction.

Tumor exosomes: a double-edged sword in cancer therapy.

Tumor cells produce and secrete more nucleic acids, proteins and lipids than normal cells. These molecules are transported in the blood or around the cells in membrane-encapsulated exosomes. Tumor-derived or tumor-associated exosomes (usually 30-100 nm in diameter) contain abundant biological contents resembling those of the parent cells along with signaling messengers for intercellular communication involved in the pathogenesis, development, progression, and metastasis of cancer. As these exosomes can be detected and isolated from various body fluids, they have become attractive new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Furthermore, tumor exosomes have also attracted increasing attention due to their potential as novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancers. On the one hand, the lipid bilayer membrane-encapsulated vesicles are promising carriers of drugs and other therapeutic materials targeting specific cancer cells. On the other hand, tumor exosomes are important mediators for modulation of the microenvironment that orchestrates events critical to the growth and metastasis of cancer cells as well as chemoresistance. Here, we summarize the advances in our understanding of tumor-associated or tumor-derived exosomes in recent years, and discuss their roles in cancer development, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancers and, more importantly, their potential in strategies for precision therapy of various cancers as well as important caveats.

The Chk1 inhibitor MK-8776 increases the radiosensitivity of human triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting autophagy.

MK-8776 is a recently described inhibitor that is highly selective for checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), which can weaken the DNA repair capacity in cancer cells to achieve chemo-sensitization. A number of studies show that MK-8776 enhances the cytotoxicity of hydroxyurea and gemcitabine without increasing normal tissue toxicities. Thus far, there is no evidence that MK-8776 can be used as a radiotherapy sensitization agent. In this study, we investigated the effects of MK-8776 on the radiosensitivity of 3 human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines MDA-MB-231, BT-549 and CAL-51. MK-8776 dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231, BT-549 and CAL-51 cells with IC50 values of 9.4, 17.6 and 2.1 µmol/L, respectively. Compared with irradiation-alone treatment, pretreatment with a low dose of MK-8776 (100-400 nmol/L) significantly increased irradiation-induced γH2A.X foci in the 3 TNBC cell lines, suggesting enhanced DNA damage by MK-8776, inhibited the cell proliferation and increased the radiosensitivity of the 3 TNBC cell lines. Similar results were obtained in MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors in nude mice that received MK-8776 (15 or 40 mg/kg, ip) 26 d after irradiation. To explore the mechanisms underlying the radio-sensitization by MK-8776, we used TEM and found that irradiation significantly increased the numbers of autophagosomes in the 3 TNBC cell lines. Moreover, irradiation markedly elevated the levels of Atg5, and promoted the transformation of LC3-I to LC3-II in the cells. Pretreatment with the low dose of MK-8776 suppressed these effects. The above results suggest that MK-8776 increases human TNBC radiosensitivity by inhibiting irradiation-induced autophagy and that MK-8776 may be a potential agent in the radiosensitization of human TNBC.

Inhibitory Effect of Camptothecin against Rice Bacterial Brown Stripe Pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae RS-2.

Camptothecin (CPT) has anticancer, antiviral, and antifungal properties. However, there is a dearth of information about antibacterial activity of CPT. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of CPT on Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-2, the pathogen of rice bacterial brown stripe, by measuring cell growth, DNA damage, cell membrane integrity, the expression of secretion systems, and topoisomerase-related genes, as well as the secretion of effector protein Hcp. Results indicated that CPT solutions at 0.05, 0.25, and 0.50 mg/mL inhibited the growth of strain RS-2 in vitro, while the inhibitory efficiency increased with an increase in CPT concentration, pH, and incubation time. Furthermore, CPT treatment affected bacterial growth and replication by causing membrane damage, which was evidenced by transmission electron microscopic observation and live/dead cell staining. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that CPT treatment caused differential expression of eight secretion system-related genes and one topoisomerase-related gene, while the up-regulated expression of hcp could be justified by the increased secretion of Hcp based on the ELISA test. Overall, this study indicated that CPT has the potential to control the bacterial brown stripe pathogen of rice.

A Comparative Study on the Population Fitness of Three Strains of Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Differ in Eye Color-Related Genes.

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a destructive insect pest on rice throughout Asia. As a visible genetic marker, red eye mutant colony of brown planthopper is a valuable material. Here, we established the near-isogenic lines, NIL-BB and NIL-rr, through mating red eye females to brown eye brothers for eight successive generations. Biological experiments showed that NIL-BB had big fitness cost; however, NIL-rr had comparable survival and fertility parameters with BB, a normal laboratory brown planthopper strain. Significantly lower number eggs per female and egg hatchability were the key factors resulting in big fitness cost of NIL-BB. The population trend indexes of BB, NIL-rr, and NIL-BB were 52.18, 43.80, and 4.19, respectively. Real-time PCR study suggested that the poorer fertility of NIL-BB was not mediated by the differential expression of genes relating to oogenesis. The stronger fitness of NIL-rr compared with NIL-BB may be caused by the eye mutant gene or its closely linked genes having stronger compensation ability for reproduction. The comparable fitness of NIL-rr with BB indicated that NIL-rr may be used in field research. The NIL-BB strain with significantly declined fecundity and survival ability can be used as study model for the signal pathways relating to fecundity.

Haplotype variation at Badh2, the gene determining fragrance in rice.

Fragrance is an important component of end-use quality in rice. A set of 516 fragrant rice accessions were genotyped and over 80% of them carried the badh2.7 allele. A subset of 144 mostly fragrant accessions, including nine of Oryza rufipogon, was then subjected to a detailed diversity and haplotype analysis. The level of linkage disequilibrium in the Badh2 region was higher among the fragrant accessions. Re-sequencing in the Badh2 region showed that badh2.7, badh2.2 and badh2.4-5 all arose in the japonica genepool, and spread later into the indica genepool as a result of deliberate crossing. However, loss-of-function alleles of Badh2 are also found in the indica genepools, and then transferred into japonica. Evidence for three new possible FNPs was obtained from the Badh2 sequence of 62 fragrant accessions. Based on these data, we have elaborated a model for the evolution of Badh2 and its participation in the rice domestication process.

Relationship between TLR4 and NF-κB p65 protein expressions and clinical radiosensitivity of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between TLR4 and NF-κB p65 protein expressions in tumor tissues after radiotherapy and clinical radiosensitivity of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 93 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma first treated in our hospital by radiotherapy and surgeries from November 2010 to December 2013 were selected. They were then divided into a severe reaction group, a moderate reaction group and a mild reaction group according to the postoperative pathological examination results of tumor tissues. The expressions of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in the tumor samples were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the severe reaction group, the expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in the moderate reaction group significantly increased (P<0.05). Similarly, the expression levels of the mild reaction group were significantly higher than those of the moderate reaction group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Reducing the expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 proteins may increase the radiosensitivity of patients with esophageal cancer.

Association between admission hemoglobin level and prognosis in sepsis patients based on a critical care database.

This study aimed to explore the association between admission hemoglobin level and clinical outcomes in sepsis based on Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV(MIMIC-IV) database. It was a retrospective study. Sepsis patients in the database were included. Data extraction from MIMIC-IV was performed by PostgreSQL 9.6 software. Three different models including crude model (adjusted for none), model I (adjusted for gender and age) and model II (adjusted for all potential cofounders) were constructed. A generalized liner model and a smooth fitting curve for indicating the relationship between hemoglobin level and 30-day mortality were performed. 6249 septic patients with a 30.18% of 30-day mortality were included. With 1 g/dl increment in hemoglobin level, the values of odds ratio (OR) in crude model, model I and model II were 0.96 (95% confidential interval (CI) 0.94-0.99, P = 0.0023), 0.96 (95%CI 0.93-0.98, P = 0.0010) and 0.87 (95%CI 0.79-0.95, P = 0.0020), respectively. The smooth fitting curve indicated a non-linear relationship and the turning point was 7.2 g/dl. Compared the hemoglobin group < 7.2 g/dl, the risk of 30-day mortality significantly decreased by 32% in the hemoglobin group ≥ 7.2 g/dl (OR = 0.68, 95%CI 0.51-0.93, P = 0.0142). The non-linear relationship between admission hemoglobin level and 30-day mortality in sepsis was found. Hemoglobin supplementation might be beneficial for septic patients with hemoglobin level < 7.2 g/dl.

Circular RNAs Mediate the Effects of Dietary Tryptophan on the Transformation of Muscle Fiber Types in Weaned Piglets.

The nutritional composition of the diet significantly impacts the overall growth and development of weaned piglets. The current study aimed to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of dietary tryptophan consumption on muscle fiber type transformation during the weaning period. Thirty weaned piglets with an average body weight of 6.12 ± 0.16 kg were randomly divided into control (CON, 0.14% Trp diet) and high Trp (HT, 0.35% Trp) groups and maintained on the respective diet for 28 days. The HT group of weaned piglets exhibited highly significant improvements in growth performance and an increased proportion of fast muscle fibers. Transcriptome sequencing revealed the potential contribution of differentially expressed circular RNAs toward the transformation of myofiber types in piglets and toward the regulation of expression of related genes by targeting the microRNAs, miR-34c and miR-182, to further regulate myofiber transformation. In addition, 145 DE circRNAs were identified as potentially protein-encoding, with the encoded proteins associated with a myofiber type transformation. In conclusion, the current study greatly advances and refines our current understanding of the regulatory networks associated with piglet muscle development and myofiber type transformation and also contributes to the optimization of piglet diet formulation.

The cross-sectional relationship between vitamin C and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels: insights from NHANES database.

Background: Ascorbic acid or vitamin C has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may impact markers of inflammation like C-reactive protein (CRP). However, studies specifically on vitamin C and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) have been scarce. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018 dataset including 5,380 U.S. adults aged ≥20 years. Multiple regression models examined the relationship between plasma vitamin C and serum hs-CRP while adjusting for potential confounders. Stratified analyses and curve fitting assessed effect modification and nonlinearity. Results: An inverse association was found between plasma vitamin C and serum hs-CRP overall (ß = -0.025, 95% CI: -0.033 to -0.017, p < 0.00001) and in subgroups except for the "other Hispanic" subgroup in model II (ß = -0.009, 95% CI: (-0.040, 0.023), p = 0.5885). The relationship was nonlinear, with the greatest hs-CRP reduction observed up to a plasma vitamin C level of 53.1 µmol/L. Conclusion: The results showed a non-linear negative correlation between vitamin C levels and hs-CRP in adults. These results suggest vitamin C intake may reduce inflammation and cardiovascular risk, but only up to 53.1 µmol/L plasma vitamin C.

Targeted deletion of three CYP51s in Fusarium fujikuroi and their different roles in determining sensitivity to 14α-demethylase inhibitor fungicides.

BACKGROUND: Fusarium fujikuroi is the pathogenic agent of rice bakanae disease and has developed serious resistance to prochloraz, a 14α-demethylase inhibitor (DMI). Prochloraz resistance in F. fujikuroi is caused by cooperation between FfCyp51B with Cyp51A and shows cross-resistance only to prothioconazole but not to tebuconazole, difenoconazole, propiconazole, metconazole, hexaconazole, and triadimefon. This study aimed to analyze the functions of the three Cyp51s in F. fujikuroi, especially their role in determining sensitivity to DMIs. RESULTS: The respective deletion of FfCyp51A, Cyp51B, and Cyp51C had no obvious effect on morphology, conidium germination, or pathogenicity. The involvement of growth, growth and ergosterol biosynthesis, and conidium production and ergosterol biosynthesis was observed for FfCyp51A, Cyp51B, and Cyp51C, respectively. Compared with the sensitive isolate of F. fujikuroi, the effect on sensitivity to the tested DMIs was divided into four groups: (i) both of Cyp51A and Cyp51B positively regulate the sensitivity to prochloraz and prothioconazole; (ii) Cyp51B positively regulate the sensitivity to tebuconazole and metconazole, but negatively regulate the sensitivity to difenoconazole; (iii) Cyp51A and Cyp51B play opposite roles in the sensitivity to triadimefon. Therefore, deletion of Cyp51A in F. fujikuroi confers a higher sensitivity to triadimefon, while deletion of Cyp51B results in a triadimefon-resistant mutant isolate; (iv) deletion of Cyp51B yielded a mutant isolate that was more resistant to propiconazole and hexaconazole. CONCLUSION: Sophisticated interactions exist within the three Cyp51 genes to DMIs fungicides sensitivity in F. fujikuroi, and Cyp51B probably plays a more critical role than Cyp51A and Cyp51C. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.