PRMD: an integrated database for plant RNA modifications.

The scope and function of RNA modifications in model plant systems have been extensively studied, resulting in the identification of an increasing number of novel RNA modifications in recent years. Researchers have gradually revealed that RNA modifications, especially N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which is one of the most abundant and commonly studied RNA modifications in plants, have important roles in physiological and pathological processes. These modifications alter the structure of RNA, which affects its molecular complementarity and binding to specific proteins, thereby resulting in various of physiological effects. The increasing interest in plant RNA modifications has necessitated research into RNA modifications and associated datasets. However, there is a lack of a convenient and integrated database with comprehensive annotations and intuitive visualization of plant RNA modifications. Here, we developed the Plant RNA Modification Database (PRMD; http://bioinformatics.sc.cn/PRMD and http://rnainformatics.org.cn/PRMD) to facilitate RNA modification research. This database contains information regarding 20 plant species and provides an intuitive interface for displaying information. Moreover, PRMD offers multiple tools, including RMlevelDiff, RMplantVar, RNAmodNet and Blast (for functional analyses), and mRNAbrowse, RNAlollipop, JBrowse and Integrative Genomics Viewer (for displaying data). Furthermore, PRMD is freely available, making it useful for the rapid development and promotion of research on plant RNA modifications.

Tau aggravates stress-induced anxiety by inhibiting adult ventral hippocampal neurogenesis in mice.

Ventral adult hippocampal neurogenesis may be a key factor in determining individual levels of vulnerability to stress and related psychiatric disorders. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that the expression of Tau and Tau isoforms is markedly increased in the ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) after social defeat stress in young adult mice. Furthermore, glycogen synthase kinase-3ß and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-α activity and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-ß upregulation substantially promote Tau phosphorylation, which disrupts the dendritic structural plasticity of granule cells in the vDG of the hippocampus, and this action is necessary and sufficient for the stress response. In addition, Tau substantially inhibits the proliferation of newborn neurons in the vDG by regulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in a mouse model of social defeat stress. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which Tau exacerbates stress responses and anxiety-related behavior by inhibiting the proliferation and maturation of hippocampal vDG neurons, providing a potential molecular target for the treatment of anxiety-like behavior induced by stress.

Identification, characterisation and expression analysis of peanut sugar invertase genes reveal their vital roles in response to abiotic stress.

KEY MESSAGE: Sucrose invertase activity is positively related to osmotic and salt stress resistance in peanut. Sucrose invertases (INVs) have important functions in plant growth and response to environmental stresses. However, their biological roles in peanut are still not fully revealed. In this research, we identified 42 AhINV genes in the peanut genome. They were highly conserved and clustered into three groups with 24 segmental duplication events occurred under purifying selection. Transcriptional expression analysis exhibited that they were all ubiquitously expressed, and most of them were up-regulated by osmotic and salt stresses, with AhINV09, AhINV23 and AhINV19 showed the most significant up-regulation. Further physiochemical analysis showed that the resistance of peanut to osmotic and salt stress was positively related to the high sugar content and sucrose invertase activity. Our results provided fundamental information on the structure and evolutionary relationship of INV gene family in peanut and gave theoretical guideline for further functional study of AhINV genes in response to abiotic stress.

Characterization of posterior circulation blood perfusion in patients with different degrees of basilar artery tortuosity.

OBJECTIVE: The morphology of basilar artery (BA) may affect posterior circulation blood perfusion. We aimed to investigate whether different degrees of BA tortuosity could lead to the alterations of posterior circulation perfusion. METHODS: We collected 138 subjects with different BA tortuosity scores, including 32 cases of score 0, 45 cases of score 1, 43 cases of score 2, and 18 cases of score 3. A higher score represented a higher degree of BA tortuosity. Ordered logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the risk factors for BA tortuosity. We quantitatively measured the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in eight posterior circulation brain regions using arterial spin labeling. SPSS 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. The correlation between the CBF and BA tortuosity was corrected by the Bonferroni method. The significance level was set at 0.006 (0.05/8). RESULTS: Hypertension (HR: 2.39; 95%CI: 1.23-4.71; P = 0.01) and vertebral artery dominance (HR: 2.38; 95%CI: 1.10-4.67; P = 0.03) were risk factors for BA tortuosity. CBF in occipital gray matter (R = -0.383, P < 0.001), occipital white matter (R = -0.377, P < 0.001), temporal gray matter (R = -0.292, P = 0.001), temporal white matter (R = -0.297, P < 0.001), and cerebellum (R = -0.328, P < 0.001) were negatively correlated with BA tortuosity degree. No significant correlation was found between the BA tortuosity degree and CBF in hippocampus (R = -0.208, P = 0.014), thalamus (R = -0.001, P = 0.988) and brainstem (R = -0.204, P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: BA tortuosity could affect posterior circulation blood perfusion. CBF was negatively correlated with BA tortuosity degree. The morphology of BA may serve as a biomarker for posterior circulation and the severity of posterior circulation ischemia.

High-efficient production of mushroom polyketide compounds in a platform host Aspergillus oryzae.

BACKGROUND: Orsellinic acid (2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid, OA) and its structural analog o-Orsellinaldehyde, have become widely used intermediates in clinical drugs synthesis. Although the research on the biosynthesis of such compounds has made significant progress, due to the lack of suitable hosts, there is still far from the industrial production of such compounds based on synthetic biology. RESULTS: With the help of genome mining, we found a polyketide synthase (PKS, HerA) in the genome of the Hericium erinaceus, which shares 60% amino acid sequence homology with ArmB from Armillaria mellea, an identified PKS capable of synthesizing OA. To characterize the function of HerA, we cloned herA and heterologously expressed it in Aspergillus oryzae, and successfully detected the production of OA. Subsequently, the introduction of an incomplete PKS (Pks5) from Ustilago maydis containing only three domains (AMP-ACP-R), which was into herA-containing A. oryzae, the resulted in the production of o-Orsellinaldehyde. Considering the economic value of OA and o-Orsellinaldehyde, we then optimized the yield of these compounds in A. oryzae. The screening showed that when maltose was used as carbon source, the yields of OA and o-Orsellinaldehyde were 57.68 mg/L and 15.71 mg/L respectively, while the yields were 340.41 mg/Kg and 84.79 mg/Kg respectively in rice medium for 10 days. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we successfully expressed the genes of basidiomycetes using A. oryzae heterologous host. As a fungus of ascomycetes, which not only correctly splices genes of basidiomycetes containing multiple introns, but also efficiently produces their metabolites. This study highlights that A. oryzae is an excellent host for the heterologous production of fungal natural products, and has the potential to become an efficient chassis for the production of basidiomycete secondary metabolites in synthetic biology.

Knowledge level and access barriers related to sexual and reproductive health information among youth with disabilities in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Youth with disabilities have the same right to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as their peers without disabilities. However, their needs and rights are often ignored. Little is known about the knowledge, needs and access barriers related to SRH information among youth with different types of disabilities in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 473 unmarried youth aged 15-24 with visual, hearing, physical disabilities in both urban and rural areas in China. RESULTS: Out of a maximum possible score of 100, respondent's median score ranged from 30 to 50 for knowledge related to sexual physiology, STIs/HIV/AIDS and contraception. For these three categories of knowledge, respondents with hearing and physical disabilities or from rural areas scored lower than their counterparts with visual disabilities or from urban areas. The multivariate analyses showed that the residential area and education level were strong correlates of knowledge among respondents with visual and hearing disabilities. Other significant correlates were age for respondents with visual impairment and physical impairment, and single child status in the family and father's education level for respondents with hearing impairment. Sources of and barriers and preferences in accessing SRH information differed by type of disabilities, residential areas and gender. In general, school teachers were the primary and most preferred sources of SRH knowledge, followed by the Internet, peers/friends and parents. Unaware of where to get accurate information and feeling embarrassed to seek information were the two most frequently mentioned barriers in accessing SRH information. CONCLUSION: Respondents had poor knowledge of SRH and limited access to SRH information, especially those from rural areas. Efforts should be made to promote school and family-based sexuality education tailored for youth with different types of disabilities.

Youth with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs as their peers without disabilities and the equal right to attain the highest standard of SRH. However, their SRH needs and rights are often overlooked or neglected. Studies on SRH among unmarried youth with disabilities are very limited in China. This study used data collected from 473 unmarried youths with different types of disabilities from both urban and rural areas in China, to understand their SRH knowledge and its associated factors, as well as barriers and preferences in accessing sexuality-related information. This study demonstrated that unmarried youth with disabilities lacked knowledge of SRH, especially those with hearing or physical disabilities and those from rural areas. In general, residential area and education level were significant correlates of knowledge among respondents. Sources of and barriers and preferences in accessing SRH information varied across types of disabilities, residential areas and gender. In general, school teachers were the primary and most preferred sources of knowledge, followed by the Internet, peers and parents. Unaware of the available sources of accurate information and feeling embarrassed to seek information were the most frequently mentioned barriers in accessing SRH information. The findings of the study highlight the need to reduce the barriers to sexuality education for unmarried youth with different types of disabilities. Efforts should be made to promote school and family-based sexuality education tailored for youth with different types of disabilities and empower them to seek information proactively.

Nonconforming gender expression and insufficient sleep among adolescents during COVID-19 school closure and after school reopening.

BACKGROUND: Gender nonconformity (GNC) (i.e., gender expression that differs from gender role expectations for feminine or masculine appearance and behavior) is an under-researched area of adolescent sleep health. The COVID-19 lockdown offers an opportunity to understand how the effect of GNC on adolescent health outcomes changes between school closure and reopening. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China, in 2020. The sample size for analysis was 3,265. The age-specific insufficient sleep was estimated according to National Sleep Foundation's sleep duration recommendations. The self-perceived and self-rated GNC were measured by the two items "On the same scale that goes from 100% as a girl to 100% as a boy, where do you think others see you?" and "On a scale that goes from feeling 100% like a girl to feeling 100% like a boy, where do you see yourself?", and birth sex. In addition, we calculated sex-stratified adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of insufficient sleep for students with high and moderate GNC compared to students with low GNC. Finally, we measured the AORs with self-perceived and self-rated GNC during COVID-19 school closure and reopening. RESULTS: Among 3,265 students in grade 6-12 in the analytic sample, 1,567(48.0%) were assigned female at birth (AFAB), 3,188 (97.6%) Han, and 1,921(58.8%) in grade 6-9. Among AFAB students, high self-perceived GNC was significantly associated with insufficient sleep (AOR,1.65; 95%CI,1.30-2.09) during school closure. Insufficient sleep was associated with high self-rated GNC (AOR,1.73; 95%CI,1.23-2.44) and moderate self-rated GNC (AOR,1.69; 95%CI,1.29-2.22) during school closure. After school reopening, neither self-perceived nor self-rated GNC was associated with insufficient sleep among AFAB students. Among assigned male at birth (AMAB) students, none of the two kinds of GNC was associated with insufficient sleep in the two periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests GNC is only associated with insufficient sleep among AFAB students during school closure. Furthermore, the association is nonsignificant among AMAB students. These findings indicate that GNC-related stigma within the family could be a risk factor for insufficient sleep among AFAB adolescents.

Hcp of the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) in Acidovorax citrulli Group II Strain Aac5 Has a Dual Role as a Core Structural Protein and an Effector Protein in Colonization, Growth Ability, Competition, Biofilm Formation, and Ferric Iron Absorption.

A type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene cluster has been reported in Acidovorax citrulli. Research on the activation conditions, functions, and the interactions between key elements in A. citrulli T6SS is lacking. Hcp (Hemolysin co-regulated protein) is both a structural protein and a secretion protein of T6SS, which makes it a special element. The aims of this study were to determine the role of Hcp and its activated conditions to reveal the functions of T6SS. In virulence and colonization assays of hcp deletion mutant strain Δhcp, tssm (type VI secretion system membrane subunit) deletion mutant strain Δtssm and double mutant ΔhcpΔtssm, population growth was affected but not virulence after injection of cotyledons and seed-to-seedling transmission on watermelon. The population growth of Δhcp and Δtssm were lower than A. citrulli wild type strain Aac5 of A. citrulli group II at early stage but higher at a later stage. Deletion of hcp also affected growth ability in different culture media, and the decline stage of Δhcp was delayed in KB medium. Biofilm formation ability of Δhcp, Δtssm and ΔhcpΔtssm was lower than Aac5 with competition by prey bacteria but higher in KB and M9-Fe3+ medium. Deletion of hcp reduced the competition and survival ability of Aac5. Based on the results of Western blotting and qRT-PCR analyses, Hcp is activated by cell density, competition, ferric irons, and the host plant. The expression levels of genes related to bacterial secretion systems, protein export, and several other pathways, were significantly changed in the Δhcp mutant compared to Aac5 when T6SS was activated at high cell density. Based on transcriptome data, we found that a few candidate effectors need further identification. The phenotypes, activated conditions and transcriptome data all supported the conclusion that although there is only one T6SS gene cluster present in the A. citrulli group II strain Aac5, it related to multiple biological processes, including colonization, growth ability, competition and biofilm formation.

The Glutathione S-Transferase PtGSTF1 Improves Biomass Production and Salt Tolerance through Regulating Xylem Cell Proliferation, Ion Homeostasis and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging in Poplar.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) play an essential role in plant cell detoxification and secondary metabolism. However, their accurate functions in the growth and response to abiotic stress in woody plants are still largely unknown. In this work, a Phi class Glutathione S-transferase encoding gene PtGSTF1 was isolated from poplar (P. trichocarpa), and its biological functions in the regulation of biomass production and salt tolerance were investigated in transgenic poplar. PtGSTF1 was ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and organs, with a predominant expression in leaves and inducible expression by salt stress. Transgenic poplar overexpressing PtGSTF1 showed improved shoot growth, wood formation and improved salt tolerance, consistent with the increased xylem cell number and size under normal condition, and the optimized Na+ and K+ homeostasis and strengthened reactive oxygen species scavenging during salt stress. Further transcriptome analyses demonstrated that the expressions of genes related to hydrolase, cell wall modification, ion homeostasis and ROS scavenging were up- or down-regulated in transgenic plants. Our findings imply that PtGSTF1 improves both biomass production and salt tolerance through regulating hydrolase activity, cell wall modification, ion homeostasis and ROS scavenging in transgenic poplar, and that it can be considered as a useful gene candidate for the genetic breeding of new tree varieties with improved growth under salt stress conditions.

Temporal trends of heavy metals in the sediments of Bohai Bay in China.

The status and trend of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) in the sediment of Bohai Bay from 1978 to 2017 were evaluated. The results indicated that the sediment status in 2017 was good. The contents of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, and As in all the monitoring stations were lower than category I. But, it is worth noting that the contents of Cu, Cr, and As in some stations were between threshold effects levels (TEL) and probable effects levels (PEL) guidelines, which were occasionally correlated to negative ecological effects. Since the reform and opening up of China, only the average content of Cd in 1996 was between category II and category III, but that in other years did not exceed category I. The average contents of Hg, Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, and As were lower than category I. The Chinese Government should continue to pay high attention to the total quantity control measures of major risk factors Cd, Cu, Cr, and As.

Grade repetition and bullying victimization in adolescents: A global cross-sectional study of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) data from 2018.

BACKGROUND: Grade repetition is practiced worldwide and varies considerably across the globe. Globally, around 32.2 million students repeated a grade at the primary education level in 2010. Although a large body of research has documented grade repetition's academic and non-academic effects, the limited evidence on associations between grade repetition and school bullying is inconsistent and ambiguous. This study aimed to investigate the global association of grade repetition with bullying victimization in a large-scale school-based cross-sectional study. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used the latest global data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. PISA 2018 was conducted between March and August 2018 in 80 countries and economies among students aged 15-16 years attending secondary education. The students reported their experiences of repeating a grade at any time point before the survey and of being bullied in the past 12 months. The outcome measures were 6 types of bullying victimization. We accounted for the complex survey design and used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of grade repetition with bullying victimization after adjusting for potential confounders (sex; age group; migrant status; school type; economic, social, and cultural status; and parental emotional support). This study included 465,146 students (234,218 girls and 230,928 boys) with complete data on grade repetition and bullying victimization in 74 countries and economies. The lifetime prevalence of grade repetition was 12.26%, and 30.32% of students experienced bullying at least a few times a month during the past 12 months. Grade repetition was statistically significantly associated with each type of bullying victimization. The OR (95% CI) of overall bullying victimization for grade repeaters compared with their promoted peers was 1.42 (95% CI 1.32-1.52, p < 0.001). The sex-specific analysis produced similar results in both boys and girls. Furthermore, girls who repeated a grade had higher risks of being made fun of, being threatened, having possessions taken away, and being pushed around than boys. The major limitation is that this study only included students attending schools and therefore may be subject to possible selection bias. In addition, the cross-sectional design hinders us from establishing causality between grade repetition and bullying victimization. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that, globally, both boys and girls who repeat a grade are at increased risk of being bullied compared with promoted peers, but girls may experience higher risks than boys of specific types of bullying associated with repeating a grade. These findings provide evidence for the association of grade repetition with bullying victimization. Sex differences in risk of experiencing some types of bullying suggest that tailored interventions for girls who repeat a grade may be warranted.

Cigarette smoke-associated inflammation impairs bone remodeling through NFκB activation.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking constitutes a major lifestyle risk factor for osteoporosis and hip fracture. It is reported to impair the outcome of many clinical procedures, such as wound infection treatment and fracture healing. Importantly, although several studies have already demonstrated the negative correlation between cigarette consume and impaired bone homeostasis, there is still a poor understanding of how does smoking affect bone health, due to the lack of an adequately designed animal model. Our goal was to determine that cigarette smoke exposure impairs the dynamic bone remodeling process through induction of bone resorption and inhibition of bone formation. METHODS: We developed cigarette smoke exposure protocols exposing mice to environmental smoking for 10 days or 3 months to determine acute and chronic smoke exposure effects. We used these models, to demonstrate the effect of smoking exposure on the cellular and molecular changes of bone remodeling and correlate these early alterations with subsequent bone structure changes measured by microCT and pQCT. We examined the bone phenotype alterations in vivo and ex vivo in the acute and chronic smoke exposure mice by measuring bone mineral density and bone histomorphometry. Further, we measured osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation gene expression levels in each group. The function changes of osteoclast or osteoblast were evaluated. RESULTS: Smoke exposure caused a significant imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation. A 10-day exposure to cigarette smoke sufficiently and effectively induced osteoclast activity, leading to the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation, although it did not immediately alter bone structure as demonstrated in mice exposed to smoke for 3 months. Cigarette smoke exposure also induced DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor kappaB (NFκB) in osteoclasts, which subsequently gave rise to changes in bone remodeling-related gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that smoke exposure induces RANKL activation-mediated by NFκB, which could be a "smoke sensor" for bone remodeling.

PtBRI1.2 promotes shoot growth and wood formation through a brassinosteroid-mediated PtBZR1-PtWNDs module in poplar.

Brassinosteroid-insensitive-1 (BRI1) plays important roles in various signalling pathways controlling plant growth and development. However, the regulatory mechanism of BRI1 in brassinosteroid (BR)-mediated signalling for shoot growth and wood formation in woody plants is largely unknown. In this study, PtBRI1.2, a brassinosteroid-insensitive-1 gene, was overexpressed in poplar. Shoot growth and wood formation of transgenic plants were examined and the regulatory genes involved were verified. PtBRI1.2 was localized to the plasma membrane, with a predominant expression in leaves. Ectopic expression of PtBRI1.2 in Arabidopsis bri1-201 and bri1-5 mutants rescued their retarded-growth phenotype. Overexpression of PtBRI1.2 in poplar promoted shoot growth and wood formation in transgenic plants. Further studies revealed that overexpression of PtBRI1.2 promoted the accumulation of PtBZR1 (BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1) in the nucleus, which subsequently activated PtWNDs (WOOD-ASSOCIATED NAC DOMAIN transcription factors) to up-regulate expression of secondary cell wall biosynthesis genes involved in wood formation. Our results suggest that PtBRI1.2 plays a crucial role in regulating shoot growth and wood formation by activating BR signalling.

A rice transcription factor, OsMADS57, positively regulates high salinity tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa plants.

MADS-box transcription factors (TFs) play indispensable roles in various aspects of plant growth, development as well as in response to environmental stresses. Several MADS-box genes have been reported to be involved in the salt tolerance in different plant species. However, the role of the transcription factor OsMADS57 under salinity stress is still unknown. Here, the results of this study showed that OsMADS57 was mainly expressed in roots and leaves of rice plants (Oryza sativa). Gene expression pattern analysis revealed that OsMADS57 was induced by NaCl. Overexpression of OsMADS57 in both Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) and rice could improve their salt tolerance, which was demonstrated by higher germination rates, longer root length and better growth status of overexpression plants than wild type (WT) under salinity conditions. In contrast, RNA interference (RNAi) lines of rice showed more sensitivity towards salinity. Moreover, less reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated in OsMADS57 overexpressing lines when exposed to salt stress, as measured by 3, 3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) or nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) staining. Further experiments exhibited that overexpression of OsMADS57 in rice significantly increased the tolerance ability of plants to oxidative damage under salt stress, mainly by increasing the activities of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), reducing malonaldehyde (MDA) content and improving the expression of stress-related genes. Taken together, these results demonstrated that OsMADS57 plays a positive role in enhancing salt tolerance by activating the antioxidant system.

The effect of COVID-19 school closures on adolescent sleep duration: an uncontrolled before-after study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected almost 1.6 billion students or more than 90% of learners globally. However, the effect of school closures during COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent sleep duration remains unclear. METHODS: We undertook a cross-sectional electronic survey in six junior and senior high schools in Shanghai, China from late June to early July 2020. We evaluated the changes of sleep duration on weekdays by comparing sleep duration hours and insufficient sleep (< 9 h for children aged 6-13 years or < 8 h for teenagers aged 14-17 years) in COVID-19 school closures and after school reopening. We also investigated possible sex differences in the changes of sleep duration. RESULTS: A total of 3265 students completed the survey, the mean age was 14.56 ± 1.99 years, 1567 (47.99%) were girls and 1344 (41.17%) were in grades 10-12. The overall sleep duration decreased from 8.88 h in school closures to 7.77 h after school reopening, and the change (difference: - 1.11 h; 95%CI: - 1.16, - 1.07; P < 0.001) was statistically significant. The prevalence of insufficient sleep increased sharply from 21.10 to 63.98%, and the change (ratio:3.03; 95%CI:2.84, 3.23; P < 0.001) was statistically significant. Besides, the changes were greater in girls than in boys. CONCLUSION: Results of this study revealed that sleep duration was longer and percentage of sufficient sleep was higher during COVID-19 school closures in adolescent students.

Childhood adversity subtypes and violence victimization and perpetration among early adolescents in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study aimed to identify adverse childhood experience (ACE) subtypes using variable- and person-centered approaches and examine the possible sex-differentiated associations with violence involvement as victim, perpetrator, and victim-perpetrator. METHODS: Adolescents aged 10-14 years in three junior high schools in Shanghai, China, were selected using a cluster sampling method in November and December 2017. Participants were surveyed anonymously using a computer-assisted self-interview approach via tablets. Thirteen items modified from the CDC-Kaiser ACE study were used to measure the ACEs. Results show subtypes as neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction by developing cumulative index score from the variable perspective and subgroups identified through the latent class analysis (LCA) from the person perspective. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between each ACE subtype and violence victimization and perpetration after adjusting for some demographic characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 1,700 participants were included in the final analysis. Approximately 1,322 (77.76 %) participants reported experiencing at least one ACE. The prevalence of neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction was 64.12 % (n = 1090), 61.29 % (n = 1042), and 18.24 % (n = 310), respectively. Three classes were identified through the LCA: low exposure to all ACEs (n = 854, 50.23 %), high exposure to emotional and physical abuse and neglect (n = 715, 42.06 %), and high exposure to all ACEs (n = 131,7.71 %). After controlling the covariates, experiencing abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction was significantly related to violence victimization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.19, 3.29, 2.37, P < 0.001) and victim-perpetrator (aOR = 3.48, 4.41, 5.16, P < 0.001). Adolescent violence perpetration was only found to be associated with being neglected (aOR = 2.37, P = 0.003) and suffering household dysfunction (aOR = 3.25, P < 0.001). LCA revealed the cumulative effects of ACEs on adolescent violence victimization and perpetration. Sex-stratified analysis indicate that girls were more vulnerable to the negative effects of ACEs, with a higher risk of perpetration among girls exposed to distinctive subtypes or multiple ACEs. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs were ubiquitous and significantly associated with an elevated risk of violence victimization and perpetration during early adolescence. Future research should examine whether these associations persist over time and the intermediating mechanism from the perspectives of individual neurodevelopment, cognition and resilience ability, and social support.

The pattern of romantic and sexual related experiences among Chinese young adolescents: an exploration with multi-group latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies on very young adolescents' romantic and sexual experiences would help inform the context in which early sex arises. However, such studies are scant in China due to sparse data and cultural issues. METHOD: This study used the GEAS baseline data conducted among1776 adolescents in Shanghai. Multi-group latent class analysis was used to explore adolescents' romantic and sexual experiences patterns and subgroups. Multi-nominal logistic regression was performed to identify the factors distinguishing different subgroups subsequently. RESULTS: There were gender differences in the lifetime prevalence for very young adolescents' romantic and sexual-related behaviors. The Multi-group latent class analysis indicated that the participants could be classified into three classes: general group, early romance group, and sex exploratory group. Multi-nominal logistic regression showed youth in the early romance group were more likely to had friends of both gender, ever had a romantic relationship, and had more autonomy in deciding where to go than the general group; while male respondents in the sex exploratory group were older, ever had a romantic relationship, believed that boys should be more sexually active and more proactive than girls, had more autonomy on deciding where to go, and perceived less school connection and neighborhood cohesion. Female respondents in the sex exploratory group were older and less empowered in decision-making than the general group. CONCLUSIONS: The result provides a picture of romantic and sexual behavior patterns among both gender of very young adolescents in China. Current sex education needs not only to be culturally appropriate but also to address the harm of gender inequality and stereotypes, as well as to provide accessible and supportive services to help young adolescents personalize their received information and strengthen their skills in communication, decision making, and critical thinking.

Studies on teenagers' romantic and sexual experiences would help to prevent early sex arises before it really takes place. However, such studies are limited, especially in China. The traditional culture thought that youth should not start romance before college. This study used the Global Early Adolescent Study Shanghai site baseline data collected among1776 teenagers to explore their romantic and sexual experiences patterns and identify the influencing factors. There were significant gender differences in teenagers' romantic and sexual-related behaviors. According to the multi-group latent class analysis, we classified the teenagers into three classes: the general group, the early romance group, and the sex exploratory group. The multi-nominal logistic regression showed youth in the early romance group were more likely to had friends of both boys and girls, ever had boyfriend/girlfriend and were freer to go out than the general group; while boys in the sex exploratory group were older, ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend, believed it was normal for boys to be sexually active than girls, had more freedom to go out, and had less perception of care from school adults and neighborhood. Girls in the sex exploratory group were older and less likely to make decisions on their own. Given the result we found, we call for health researchers and educators to conduct sex education programs promoting more equal gender norms and provide services to help young adolescents get right information and strengthen their skills in communication, decision making and critical thinking.

The Association between Gender Role Attitudes and Alcohol Use among Early Adolescents in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent alcohol use was a major social and public health concern given its negative impacts. Previous studies indicated gender role attitudes (GRA) were associated with alcohol use; however, few studies focused on early adolescents (10 to 14 years) and similar researches were not found in China. Objective: This study sought to explore the association between GRA and alcohol use among early adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students in grades six to eight across three public secondary schools in Shanghai, China. Data were collected by Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (CASI) questionnaire on mobile tablets. Alcohol use was measured by self-report, and six items with 5-point Likert-type options assessed the attitude toward traditional gender roles. The logistic regression model was adopted to examine the associations between GAR and alcohol use. Results: Totally 1,631 adolescents aged 10 to 14 years with 50.33% of boys included in this study. The mean score of GRA in drinkers was significantly higher than nondrinkers among boys (3.03 vs. 2.78, p < 0.001) but not girls (2.15 vs. 2.18, p = 0.499). After controlling the covariates of age, depression, peers' substance use, social cohesion, etc., we found that more traditional GRA was associated with a higher risk of alcohol use among boys (OR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.11-1.75), whereas the association was not significant among girls (OR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.74-1.24). Conclusions: Traditional GRA may increase the risk of alcohol use among early adolescent boys, suggesting that altering traditional GRA among this population group may help to prevent alcohol use.

IL-17A promotes fatty acid uptake through the IL-17A/IL-17RA/p-STAT3/FABP4 axis to fuel ovarian cancer growth in an adipocyte-rich microenvironment.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines are crucial mediators of cancer development, representing potential targets for cancer therapy. The molecular mechanism of a vital pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-17A, in cancer progression and its potential use in therapy through influencing fatty acid (FA) metabolism, especially FA uptake of cancer cells, remains unknown. In the present study, we used IL-17A and ovarian cancer (OvCa), a representative of both obesity-related and inflammation-related cancers, to explore the interactions among IL-17A, cancer cells and adipocytes (which can provide FAs). We found that in the presence of palmitic acid (PA), IL-17A could directly increase the cellular uptake of PA, leading to the proliferation of OvCa cells via the IL-17A/IL-17RA/p-STAT3/FABP4 axis rather than via CD36. Moreover, in vivo experiments using an orthotopic implantation model in IL-17A-deficient mice demonstrated that endogenous IL-17A could fuel OvCa growth and metastasis with increased expression of FABP4 and p-STAT3. Furthermore, analysis of clinical specimens supported the above findings. Our data not only provide useful insights into the clinical intervention of the growth and metastasis of the tumors (such as OvCa) that are prone to growth and metastasis in an adipocyte-rich microenvironment (ARM) but also provides new insights into the roles of IL-17A in tumor progression and immunomodulatory therapy of OvCa.

MYB transcription factor PdMYB118 directly interacts with bHLH transcription factor PdTT8 to regulate wound-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar.

BACKGROUND: R2R3-MYB transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plant growth and development, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their regulatory mechanisms in wound-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in woody plants are largely unknown. RESULTS: In this work, we report that expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes (ABGs) were activated by PdMYB118, a MYB TF encoding gene from Populus deltoids, and the activation of PdMYB118 was significantly enhanced by PdTT8, a bHLH protein, through its direct interaction with PdMYB118. PdMYB118 and some ABGs were evidently induced by wound induction and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment. Overexpression of PdMYB118 promoted anthocyanin accumulation in transgenic poplar upon wound induction. Furthermore, a poplar JASMONATE ZIM-domain (JAZ) protein, PtrJAZ1, repressed the transcriptional function of PdMYB118/PdTT8 complex by binding to PdTT8, and wound stimulated the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid (JA) and the degradation of PtrJAZ1. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these observations, we proposed that PtrJAZ1 degradation triggered the expression of ABGs, leading to increased biosynthesis of anthocyanins in the wounded leaves of transgenic poplar. Therefore, our findings not only illustrate the crucial role of PdMYB118 in wound-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar, but also provide a molecular basis for the genetic engineering of colorful tree species.