Microcystis spp. and phosphorus in aquatic environments: A comprehensive review on their physiological and ecological interactions.

Cyanobacterial blooms caused by eutrophication have become a major environmental problem in aquatic ecosystems worldwide over the last few decades. Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient that affects the growth of cyanobacteria and plays a role in dynamic changes in algal density and the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. Therefore, identifying the association between phosphorus sources and Microcystis, which is the most representative and harmful cyanobacteria, is essential for building an understanding of the ecological risks of cyanobacterial blooms. However, systematic reviews summarizing the relationships between Microcystis and phosphorus in aquatic environments are rare. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the physiological and ecological interactions between phosphorus sources and Microcystis in aquatic environments from the following perspectives: (i) the effects of phosphorus source and concentration on Microcystis growth, (ii) the impacts of phosphorus on the environmental behaviors of Microcystis, (iii) mechanisms of phosphorus-related metabolism in Microcystis, and (iv) role of Microcystis in the distribution of phosphorus sources within aquatic environments. In addition, relevant unsolved issues and essential future investigations (e.g., secondary ecological risks) have been highlighted and discussed. This review provides deeper insights into the relationship between phosphorus sources and Microcystis and can serve as a reference for the evaluation, monitoring, and effective control of cyanobacterial blooms.

Dual-energy CT may predict post-operative recurrence in early-stage glottic laryngeal cancer: a novel nomogram and risk stratification system.

OBJECTIVES: To establish and validate a predictive model integrating with clinical and dual-energy CT (DECT) variables for individual recurrence-free survival (RFS) prediction in early-stage glottic laryngeal cancer (EGLC) after larynx-preserving surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study included 212 consecutive patients with EGLC who underwent DECT before larynx-preserving surgery between January 2015 and December 2018. Using Cox proportional hazard regression model to determine independent predictors for RFS and presented on a nomogram. The model's performance was assessed using Harrell's concordance index (C-index), time-dependent area under curve (TD-AUC) plot, and calibration curve. A risk stratification system was established using the nomogram with median scores of all cases to divide all patients into two prognostic groups. RESULTS: Recurrence occurred in 39/212 (18.4%) cases. Normalized iodine concentration in arterial (NICAP) and venous phases (NICVP) were verified as significant predictors of RFS in multivariate Cox regression (hazard ratio [HR], 4.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3, 7.7, p < .001 and HR, 3.0; 95% CI: 1.5, 5.9, p = .002, respectively). Nomogram based on clinical and DECT variables was better than did only clinical variables. The prediction model proved well-calibrated and had good discriminative ability in the training and validation samples. A risk stratification system was built that could effectively classify EGLC patients into two risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: DECT could provide independent RFS indicators in patients with EGLC, and the nomogram based on DECT and clinical variables was useful in predicting RFS at several time points. KEY POINTS: • Dual-energy CT(DECT) variables can predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) after larynx-preserving surgery in patients with early-stage glottic laryngeal cancer (EGLC). • The model that integrates clinical and DECT variables predicted RFS better than did only clinical variables. • A risk stratification system based on the nomogram could effectively classify EGLC patients into two risk groups.

A new prediction model for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma: Based on dual-energy CT.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to develop and validate a prediction model to estimate the independent risk factors for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (LLNM) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients based on dual-energy computed tomography (DECT). METHOD: This study retrospectively conducted 406 consecutive patients from July 2015 to June 2019 to form the derivation cohorts and performed internal validation. 101 consecutive patients from July 2019 to June 2020 were included to create the external validation cohort. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate independent risk factors for LLNM. A prediction model based on DECT parameters was built and presented on a nomogram. The internal and external validations were performed. RESULTS: Iodine concentration (IC) in the arterial phase (OR 2.761, 95% CI 1.028-7.415, P 0.044), IC in venous phase (OR 3.820, 95% CI 1.430-10.209, P 0.008), located in the superior pole (OR 4.181, 95% CI 2.645-6.609, P 0.000), and extrathyroidal extension (OR 4.392, 95% CI 2.142-9.004, P 0.000) were independently associated with LLNM in the derivation cohort. These four predictors were incorporated into the nomogram. The model showed good discrimination in the derivation (AUC, 0.899), internal (AUC, 0.905), and external validation (AUC, 0.912) cohorts. The decision curve revealed that more advantages would be added using the nomogram to estimate LLNM, which implied that the lateral lymph node dissection was recommended. CONCLUSIONS: DECT parameters could provide independent indicators of LLNM in PTC patients, and the nomogram based on them may be helpful in treatment decision-making.

Cold Disinfestation for 'Red Globe' Grape (Rhamnales: Vitaceae) Infested With Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, which is widely spread in the main soft-skinned fruits production areas in China, presents a threat to importing countries. In order to develop a phytosanitary cold treatment measure for preventing the movement of this drosophila fly, cold tolerance of six immature life stages of D. suzukii was compared followed by time-mortality and large-scale confirmatory tests on the most tolerant stage in grape fruit. Egg was defined as the most cold-tolerant stage by comparing the mortality of all the immature stages (egg, first, second, and third instars, early and late pupa) treated at 0 and 2°C. The minimal lethal time (LT) for 99.9968% mortality (95% confidence level [CL]) estimated by the probit model was 10.47 d at 0°C and 11.92 d at 2°C, respectively. Hence, 11 d (at 0°C) and 12 d (at 2°C) were chosen as the target time to conduct the confirmatory tests. No survivors were found among the estimated 50,385 and 57,366 treated eggs, which resulted in the efficacy of 99.9941 and 99.9948% mortality (95% CL) at 0 and 2°C, respectively. Our study suggests a technical basis for cold disinfestation on D. suzukii in cage-infested Chinese 'Red Globe' (Vitis vinifera L.) grape, which could provide flexible phytosanitary treatment for control of D. suzukii in the international trade of grape.

Antihypertensive effect of giant embryo brown rice and pre-germinated giant embryo brown rice on spontaneously hypertensive rats.

"Shangshida NO.5" is a giant embryo mutant resulting from giant embryo gene (GE) dysfunction in "Chao2-10" rice. Here, we compared the antihypertensive effects of "Chao2-10" brown rice (C2-10), "Shangshida NO.5" brown rice (GER), and pre-germinated "Shangshida NO.5" brown rice (PGER) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Male SHR at 6 weeks of age were divided into four groups and were fed with (a) a control diet (control), (b) a 40% C2-10-supplemented diet (C2-10), (c) a 40% GER-supplemented diet (GER), or (d) a 40% PGER-supplemented diet (PGER) for 8 weeks, and their physiological and biochemical parameters were measured. The results showed that the C2-10-, GER-, and PGER-supplemented diets significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) during the experiment. At the end of the experimental period, the SBP and DBP of the C2-10, GER, and PGER groups were 7.6, 23.3, and 31.1 mmHg and 9.8, 21.1, and 29 mmHg lower than those in the control group, respectively, suggesting the GER and PGER diets were better able to inhibit blood pressure elevation than the C2-10 diet. The serum creatinine levels in the C2-10, GER, and PGER groups and the blood urea nitrogen content in the PGER group were significantly lower than those of the control group, indicating that C2-10-, GER-, and especially PGER-supplemented diets improved renal function. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the C2-10 group and especially of the GER and PGER groups also improved. The above results suggest that "Shangshida NO.5" rice, particularly pre-germinated rice, is a good dietary supplement for preventing the development of hypertension.

Prognostic roles of mitochondrial transcription termination factors in non-small cell lung cancer.

Mitochondrial transcription termination factors (MTERFs) regulate mitochondrial gene transcription and metabolism in numerous types of cells. Previous studies have indicated that MTERFs serve pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of various cancer types. However, the expression and prognostic roles of MTERFs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain elusive. The present study investigated the gene alteration frequency and expression level using Gene Expression Omnibus datasets and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and evaluated the prognostic roles of MTERFs in patients with NSCLC using the Kaplan-Meier plotter database. In human lung cancer tissues, it was observed that the mRNA levels of MTERF1, 2, 3 and 4 were positively associated with the copy number of these genes. The mRNA expression levels of MTERF1 and 3 were significantly increased in NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues; however, the mRNA expression of MTERF2 was significantly decreased in NSCLC tissues. High mRNA expression levels of MTERF1, 2, 3 and 4 were strongly associated with an improved overall survival rate (OS) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Additionally, high mRNA expression levels of MTERF1, 2, 3 and 4 were also strongly associated with an improved OS of patients with NSCLC in the earlier stages of disease (stage I) or patients with negative surgical margins. These results indicate the critical prognostic values of MTERF expression levels in NSCLC. The findings of the present study may be beneficial for understanding the molecular biology mechanism of NSCLC and for generating effective therapeutic approaches for patients with NSCLC.

Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance versus computed tomography colonography for colorectal cancer: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Advanced colorectal cancers were associated with poor prognosis, and early diagnosis was important for high-risk patients. Colonography is commonly used for diagnosing colorectal cancer. However, a few studies reported the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance colonography (MRC) versus computed tomography colonography (CTC). This study aimed to compare the diagnostic value of MRC versus CTC for colorectal cancer. METHODS: Twenty-three studies on the diagnosis of colorectal cancer using MRC or CTC were obtained from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases until July 2017. The ratios of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were calculated to compare the diagnostic value of MRC versus CTC. RESULTS: The summary sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and area under the ROC for MRC were 0.97 (0.81-1.00), 0.92 (0.80-0.97), 11.71 (4.46-30.73), 0.03 (0.00-0.24), and 0.98 (0.97-0.99), respectively, for diagnosing colorectal cancer. The pooled estimates for CTC in diagnosing colorectal cancer were as follows: sensitivity, 0.96 (0.90-0.98); specificity, 1.00 (0.99-1.00); PLR, 197.32 (73.21-531.85); NLR, 0.04 (0.02-0.11); and area under the ROC, 1.00 (0.99-1.00). No significant differences were found between MRC and CTC for sensitivity, specificity, and NLR. MRC was associated with lower PLR and area under the ROC for diagnosing colorectal cancer compared with CTC. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated MRC and CTC as potential diagnostic approaches for colorectal cancer. CTC had a higher diagnostic value of PLR and area under the ROC for colorectal cancer.

TIAM1 inhibits lung fibroblast differentiation in pulmonary fibrosis.

The differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts is critical for the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (TIAM1) is known to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 1 and colorectal cancer; however, its role in IPF is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and roles of TIAM1 in lung fibroblasts during pulmonary fibrosis. It was demonstrated that TIAM1 expression was significantly increased in fibrotic lung tissue and lung fibroblasts from bleomycin (BLM)-treated mice compared with control mice (P<0.05). TIAM1 expression and differentiation were significantly upregulated in human lung fibroblasts challenged with transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) compared with unchallenged cells (P<0.05). Furthermore, inhibition of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway significantly attenuated TGF-ß-induced TIAM1 expression and decreased fibroblast differentiation in human lung fibroblasts (P<0.05). Similarly, overexpression of TIAM1 significantly inhibited TGF-ß-induced fibroblast differentiation, as indicated by decreased expression of fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA; P<0.05). The results of the present study also demonstrated that TIAM1 knockdown increased TGF-ß-induced fibroblast differentiation (P<0.05). These findings suggest that TIAM1 expression is associated with lung fibroblast differentiation in pulmonary fibrosis via an NF-κB-dependent pathway, and that TIAM1 inhibits lung fibroblast differentiation in pulmonary fibrosis.

Heat Shock Protein 27, a Novel Regulator of Transforming Growth Factor ß Induced Resistance to Cisplatin in A549 Cell.

Lung cancer is one of the major causes of cancer morbidity and mortality around the world, and the resistance to cisplatin is a critical issue to chemotherapy in lung cancer patients. Transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signal pathway abnormality is widely observed in drug resistance during lung cancer chemotherapy. Here, we investigated the effects of heat-shock protein 27 (HSP27) in the TGF-ß-induced cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cell. In this study, our results indicated that the mRNA and protein expression of HSP27 were significantly increased in human lung cancer tissues. TGF-ß induced the mRNA and protein expression of HSP27 in human lung cancer cell (A549). Treatment of TGF-ß-induced cisplatin resistance in A549 cell through blocking the cisplatin-induced apoptosis and cell death, which characterized as the increasing of cell viability and decreasing of PARP and caspase3 cleavage in the cisplatin-treated cell. Knockdown of SMAD3 attenuated the TGF-ß-induced HSP27 expression and restored the TGF-ß-induced cisplatin resistance in A549 cell. Additionally, the knockdown of HSP27 blocked TGF-ß-induced cisplatin resistance via decreasing cell viability and increasing cell apoptosis in A549 cell. These data therefore suggested that HSP27 is critical to lung cancer progression and TGF-ß-induced cisplatin resistance in human lung cancer cell, and may provide an effective clinical strategy in lung cancer patients with resistance to chemotherapy.

Genetic characterization of the gypsy moth from China (Lepidoptera, Lymantriidae) using inter simple sequence repeats markers.

This study provides the first genetic characterization of the gypsy moth from China (Lymantriadispar), one of the most recognized pests of forests and ornamental trees in the world. We assessed genetic diversity and structure in eight geographic populations of gypsy moths from China using five polymorphic Inter simple sequence repeat markers, which produced reproducible banding patterns. We observed 102 polymorphic loci across the 176 individuals sampled. Overall genetic diversity (Nei's, H) was 0.2357, while the mean genetic diversity within geographic populations was 0.1845 ± 0.0150. The observed genetic distance among the eight populations ranged from 0.0432 to 0.1034. Clustering analysis (using an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean and multidimensional scaling), revealed strong concordance between the strength of genetic relationships among populations and their geographic proximity. Analysis of molecular variance demonstrated that 25.43% of the total variability (F ST = 0.2543, P < 0.001) was attributable to variation among geographic populations. The results of our analyses investigating the degree of polymorphism, genetic diversity (Nei's and Shannon) and genetic structure, suggest that individuals from Hebei may be better able to adapt to different environments and to disperse to new habitats. This study provides crucial genetic information needed to assess the distribution and population dynamics of this important pest species of global concern.